《A Vengeful Ex-Wife》


 Chapter 1 Return Of The Goddess

    Chapter 1 Return Of The Goddess


    In the Golden Lion Hotel of H City


    Mr. Shen was ted to be at the dinner party. Even before he arrived, rumors of his date had gone


    viral. The whole world knew about it. She was said to be the most heavenly beautiful woman.


    When the party was already underway, the door to the banquet hall was opened again. The man


    and woman who walked in caused quite a stir.


    As the two of them slowly strode into the banquet hall, the din rose. The guests were gossiping


    among themselves.


    It was indeed Mr. Shen. He was dressed in a ck suit with dark stripes and a pair of dark brown


    leather shoes. There was a beautiful woman on his arm.


    The woman wore a ck ankle-length evening dress and a set of sapphire jewelry. She had a


    delicate makeup on her oval face. The guests could feel her presence in the room. No one could


    ignore her.


    When the partygoers got a good look at the woman''s face, many of them gasped. They shot


    nces at Alina Tang, the hostess of tonight''s birthday party, and James Xi, the man at her side.


    The appearance of the woman in the banquet caused many to whisper among themselves. "Did you


    see that woman? Isn''t that Maria Song?" one said.


    "Yeah, you''re right. That''s Maria!" another confirmed.


    "Oh my God! Isn''t she dead? Why is still alive? She''s a murderess! How could she have the gall to


    show her face again?" another guest chimed in.


    "Speaking of her face, did she have work done? Since when has she be that hot?"


    "Who knows? She is Mr. Shen''s date. This should be fun!"


    That all depended on one''s idea of fun. At least things would be interesting.


    Maria Song''s sudden return not only amazed everyone in the banquet, but also frightened them,


    because the man she was with was James Xi''s business rival, Norman Shen!


    Not only that, Maria Song was the ex-wife of James Xi, the CEO of HL Group.


    Both James Xi and Norman Shen tended to keep a low profile, limiting public appearances. They


    seldom showed up at these kinds of parties. But it made sense for James Xi to be here. Gossip of


    his uing engagement to Alina Tang had spread like wildfire. But as for Norman Shen, he


    wasn''t here merely to celebrate Alina Tang''s birthday, was he?


    James Xi was a big shot in the finance world. Now his rival showed up with his ex-wife. The guests


    were excited. Who knew what else the night might bring?


    Maria Song kept a graceful smile on her face the whole time. She walked up to Alina Tang in her


    seven-centimeter crystal high-heels, holding Norman Shen''s arm.


    Alina Tang was her older cousin. Six years ago, she destroyed Maria Song''s vocal cords and made


    her into a mute.


    And, now, six yearster, the two were brought together, standing face to face.


    Alina Tang was bowled over by Maria Song''s dramatic change. Her heart skipped a beat. She


    tightened her grip on James Xi''s arm and almost crushed the wine ss she held.


    Under the watchful eyes of the other guests, Norman Shen took two sses of red wine from the


    waiter. He gave one to Maria Song and kept one for himself.


    He nced at the smiling woman next to him, and then fixed his eyes on the expressionless man in


    front of him. With a faint smile at the corners of his mouth, he greeted James Xi warmly. "Mr. Xi, it''s


    been a while! Did you recognize my date?" Though the two men had their differences, Norman


    Shen was a gentleman through and through. If he were reluctant to do this, no one could tell. In the


    business world, only profits are forever, not enemies.


    However, James Xi gave no indication he was pleased by this meeting. He kept his poker face


    intact. He didn''t even look at the woman beside Norman Shen. He raised his drink and clinked


    sses with Norman Shen. "Just a stranger."


    James Xi had been working in the corporate sector for several years, and had been CEO for a while


    now. No one could deny that he was an imposing figure.


    It had been six years, but Maria Song felt it hard to breathe when she was in front of James Xi


    again. This man had grown more mature, and his deep eyes were even more unfathomable.


    The people in H City were deferent to Norman Shen. He might not be as powerful as James Xi, but


    he was no pushover.


    If James Xi was ruthless and self-centered, then Norman Shen was shady and showed no mercy.


    The two men were more alike than they would ever admit.


    James Xi looked noble and unapproachable, while Norman Shen appeared gentle and elegant.


    "Stranger?" Taking a sip of his wine, Norman Shen was amused by James Xi''s reply. A hint of


    slyness shed across his smiling eyes, but he said nothing more.


    Hearing James Xi''s answer, the smile on Maria Song''s face didn''t change. It didn''t matter. She


    would conquer this man sooner orter!


    "Bring my birthday gift for Miss Tang," Norman Shen ordered his assistant behind him.


    "Yes, Mr. Shen!"


    Soon, the assistant handed a gift box to Alina Tang. "Happy Birthday, Miss Tang."


    Alina Tang smiled elegantly at him. "Thank you, Mr. Shen."


    Norman Shen nodded at her without saying anything.


    As the host of the banquet, Alina Tang handed the gift to the housekeeper behind her and greeted


    the silent woman next to her. "Maria, you''re back? Where have you been hiding yourself? We were


    all worried about you! How have you been?"


    Maria Song put on a smile and looked into Alina Tang''s eyes. "Thank you for your concern, Alina.


    I''m okay. I just went on a trip to rx."


    Her tone was inscrutable. No one could tell how she felt.


    Hearing her speak, Alina Tang was aghast. ''She can speak?'' Alina Tang was the foremost celebrity


    in H City. She quickly pulled herself together.


    "Thanks to Mr. Shen, I''m doing okay." Maria Song''s voice was soft and her eyes were misty. It


    seemed that she was moved by Alina Tang''s concern.


    But all was not as it seemed. The cousins seemed to be rekindling their rtionship, but itcked


    the verve of a real rtionship. Their tones were t, their words perfunctory.


    Alina Tang nodded and turned to look at James Xi. She suggested considerately, "James, since


    Maria is back, do you want some time alone so you can talk?"


    The man''s thick eyebrows wrinkled visibly. He refused without hesitation, and there was a trace of


    disgust in his eyes. "No," he said. His voice was even more arrogant and colder than before.


    Alina Tang noted his reaction. She was in a much better mood now. "Well, I haven''t seen Maria for a


    long time. We have a lot to catch up on. James, Mr. Shen, excuse us."


    After saying that, she grabbed Maria Song''s wrist before she could react.


    Norman Shen let go of Alina Song and nodded, "Go ahead."


    Maria Song was dragged away by Alina Tang. Before leaving, she looked back at Norman Shen.


    She had a telltale glint in her eyes. She was having fun with this.


    He waved at her, indicating he was good with everything.


    Maria Song turned around and trotted to catch up with Alina Tang. "Hey, Alina, my heels are a little


    too high for this kind of pace. Can you slow down?" she asked cautiously, but got no response.


    The two women left, leaving their two men with different thoughts. One hand in his pocket, James Xi


    swirled the red wine in his ss with the other hand.


    Norman Shen looked at the man with a smile and asked, "What do you think? Maria''s changed a


    lot, huh?"


    James Xi cast him a cold nce and asked, "Mr. Shen, you must be bored. Don''t you have


    someone else to bother?" They weren''t on the best of terms, normally. And James wasn''t much for


    small talk anyway.


    "Not really." Norman Shen clinked sses with him and drank the wine in his ss. "I heard you are


    going to get engaged to Alina Tang?"


    Recently, there was a rumor in H City that James Xi and Alina Tang were to get engaged. It seemed


    it was true since James Xi was here at the party.


    "Yes." James Xi saw no profit in lying about it. Norman Shen nodded. After a while, he said, "What a


    coincidence! I was thinking of marrying Maria Song."


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    '' Ophelia GSQjEQ


    Author¡¯s note ¡ª


    Trantor: vera0812; Editor: Eric R. Wirsing

 Chapter 2 Hooked Up With Mr. Shen

    Chapter 2 Hooked Up With Mr. Shen


    Although he could sense the provocation in Norman''s tone, James was still indifferent as he


    answered, "Then, Mr. Shen, congrattions in advance!"


    From afar, the two men could look as either friends or foes. It would be hard for an outsider to


    distinguish.


    As Norman heard James'' response, he smiled without saying anything.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Since they didn''t have much inmon, they promptly separated in order to socialize with other


    guests.


    As soon as Alina dragged Maria to a corner, she loosened the grip on her wrist. With a cold look in


    her eyes, she stared at Maria and asked, "Why did youe back to H City?"


    Maria rubbed her aching wrist and exined, "I didn''t n to, Alina. It was Mr. Shen who asked me


    to apany him to the party. I couldn''t refuse him, so I came."


    ''Humph! How could I note back? I would be a murderess for the rest of my life if I stayed away


    forever,'' Maria thought to herself, concealing her true feelings. Her sudden return to H City seemed


    unexpected to a lot of people. At the moment, Maria wanted to get Alina''s guard down so that she


    could deal with herter.


    Despite the softness in Maria''s voice when answering the question, her timidity was long gone.


    Alina failed to notice this as her only focus was on finding out why Maria had returned so abruptly.


    "You used to be mute. When did you recover?" Alina asked.


    With a smile, Maria replied, "Right. I happened to meet a doctor who was able to cure me. Alina,


    don''t you think I was lucky?"


    After a few years without seeing each other, Maria looked even more gentle and delicate, far from


    the bold look suggested by her morous dress and makeup.


    "James and I are about to get engaged soon. I advise you to forget what happened between you


    two in the past, or I''ll make you disappear from H City for good." Maria could hear the obvious threat


    in Alina''s voice.


    ''They''re about to get engaged...'' From an angle that Alina couldn''t notice, Maria sank her freshly


    manicured nails into her palms, but her face remained unaffected. "Alina, please don''t worry. I


    divorced Mr. Xi a long time ago. I don''t hold on to any fantasy about him anymore. If there''s nothing


    for me to do in H City in the next few days, I''ll leave soon." Alina nodded with satisfaction. "Good. At


    least you''re still wise to know your ce. Now, if you''re done here, just leave. You''re not wee to


    my birthday party!"


    "Okay! I''m leaving right now," Maria answered without any hesitation.


    The next moment, several youngdies from high society came out of nowhere and surrounded


    Maria. A woman approached her contemptuously. "Oh, Maria Song! How did you manage to hook


    up with Mr. Shen?"


    "In my opinion, Mr. Shen is dating her just for fun. How could a gorgeous man like him take a fancy


    to someone else''s ex-wife?"


    "You are absolutely right! Maria, what''s the use of a murderess like you dressing up so nicely?" This


    time, a woman in a blue evening dress walked over to Maria and pinched her chin, raising it to look


    into her eyes. "I advise you to stay away from Mr. Xi and Mr. Shen from now on. You bitch don''t


    deserve to even dream about men like them!"


    As soon as their eyes met, Maria recognized the woman in front of her. She was Ste Qin, Alina''s


    confidant and the youngest daughter of the Qin family''s head.


    Maria didn''t say a word while she listened to their insults.


    Realizing that Maria wouldn''t respond, Ste Qin took two steps closer and provoked her further.


    "You know that Mr. Shen and Mr. Xi are sworn enemies. Yet you still dare to shamelessly hook up


    with Mr. Shen. You''re doing this to attract Mr. Xi''s attention, aren''t you?"


    Ste Qin looked at the other woman, and her jealousy got the best of her as she raised a hand to


    p Maria in the face. "Bitch! You like to pretend you''re this poor thing, but I''ll show you... Ouch!"


    Maria grabbed Ste Qin''s hand still in motion and knocked her head against the wall, neither


    heavily nor lightly. Therefore, the expected p sound never came, and it got reced by Ste


    Qin''s cry of pain.


    Several people, including Alina, looked at the scene stunned. Alina couldn''t believe that it was Maria


    who did this.


    After Ste Qin''s head hit the wall with a bang, she was in so much pain that it took her a long time


    toe to herself again.


    Taking advantage of Ste Qin''s helplessness, Maria pressed an arm against her neck andughed


    hard. "Ady should never resort to force, but to reason. Miss Qin, when you wanted to p me just


    now in front of all these people, was your intention to show them how rude you truly are?"


    Maria didn''t want to waste too much time or energy on Ste Qin. She was just a harmless fish in a


    pond, not her real target. But despite her willingness to bear anything others had to say about her,


    she wouldn''t allow being touched.


    Alina was the first toe to her senses. Relying on her position as both Maria''s cousin and


    James'' fiancee-to-be, she scolded Maria in a low voice, "Let go of Ste!"


    At the sound of her voice, Maria sneered in her heart. She was doing this to as a warning to Alina.


    And now, she wouldn''t let go of Ste the second Alina asked her to. So, without releasing her


    immediately, she warned Ste Qin with a nk face, "This is thest time you try to touch me!"


    Alina''s face darkened as she realized Maria had ignored her. This time she had gone too far! "Let


    go of Ste now!" insisted Alina.


    At that moment, Ste Qin had recoveredpletely from her shock. The throbbing pain on her


    head, however, only got her more furious. As she was still pressed against the wall, she struggled to


    free herself but failed. "Maria, let go of me at once, or I''ll make you suffer!" she yelled.


    Listening to her bark, Maria let go of her and patted the dust off her hands as if she had just


    touched something filthy. "I would like to see you try!"


    The moment she saw herself free, Ste Qin rushed to stand behind Alina. Covering her bruised


    forehead with her hand, she said, "Alina, look what she did to me. It''s your birthday party, but she


    came only to cause trouble. Let the security throw her out right away!"


    Maria smoothed her neat hair and told them, "Don''t bother. I''m leaving now!"


    The only reason she had shown up to the party was to let people know that Maria Song was back in


    H City, and better than ever.


    Over half of the most wealthy and powerful people in H City attended Alina''s birthday party. After all,


    she was the most famous female personality in town. Obviously, Maria''s goal had already been


    sessfully achieved. So for what reason would she stay any longer? She wasted no time and


    walked towards the exit after that.


    Noticing that she was about to leave as if nothing had happened, Ste Qin didn''t want to let her go


    so easily. "Maria, stop!"


    Compared to Ste Qin''s blind rage, Alina was surprisingly calm as she stopped her friend. "Ste,


    calm down!" Alina knew that Maria''s return was definitely not as simple as it looked. She must be up


    to something.


    In fact, Alina had always thought that Maria was quite cunning. Otherwise, how could she defeat her


    two sisters and marry James back then?


    Alina was determined to investigate Maria''s intentions. She was going to be engaged to James


    soon and didn''t want anything unexpected to happen before that. After Maria walked out of the


    hotel, she got in a ck limited edition car. Taking the back seat, she took off her high heels and


    leaned back with her eyes closed, deep in thought.


    The tall figure in her mind was getting clearer and clearer. In the past few years, he had


    be more mature and charming than he used to be.


    Soon, Maria opened her eyes and shook off


    those thoughts. Stretching out her hand, she


    took a cigarette and a lighter from Norman''s storage box in the car. She skillfully lit the


    cigarette and rolled down the window to blow out the smoke.


    As the smoke curled up, the woman''s every move seemed quite elegant behind it.


    In the silence, her phone rang all of a sudden. It was a call from Norman.

 Chapter 3 Arthur

    Chapter 3 Arthur


    Maria slid the answer bar on the screen of her phone and said, "I''m in your car."


    "Okay." Then their conversation was over.-


    Hanging up the phone, Maria tossed it into the seat next to her. The cherry on her cigarette glowed


    in the shade of the car. She stared at the hotel, lost in thought.


    James had be even more difficult to deal with since shest saw him. She wondered what kind


    of tactics might be more useful ¡ªhard or soft.


    Finally, she decided that both would be necessary to win his heart.


    Before long, several people made their way through the parking lot. Norman, James, and their


    subordinates were walking to their cars.


    James'' car was parked nearby. It was a one-of-a-kind ck Harkim developed by HL Group, worth


    tens of millions. It made its debut a year ago at the International Motor Show. Watching them arrive


    with the window down, Maria leaned back in her seat. Through the smoke, she made a note of


    Norman and James bidding each other farewell.


    After the Harkim left, Norman''s assistant got in the driver''s seat, and drove the car over to where


    Norman waited.


    The assistant opened the other door for his boss. After getting in, Norman nced at Maria. "Did


    you have anything to do with the wound on Miss Qin''s forehead?" Although he was asking a


    question, his tone hinted that he already knew the answer.


    Watching the cigarette slowly burning to the end, Maria didn''t deny it. "Yep. That was me."


    "It''s not your usual style."


    She understood what Norman meant. She had let her off too lightly. "Just a warning," she exined


    indifferently. She would not be so gentle to Ste if she angered her again.


    ''What did Ste just do? She told me to stay away from Norman and James.


    Interesting. Who does she think she is? She had the temerity to try and boss me around? You''ve


    gotten too big for your britches, Ste Qin!'' Maria narrowed her eyes.


    Silence reigned in the car. After arriving at the hotel where Maria stayed, the assistant stopped the


    car. She had already gotten out. Norman rolled down the window and said, "Now everyone in H City


    knows you''re back. I have a lot of work to catch up with, so what you do next is all on you. Good


    luck, Maria."


    Without looking back, Maria tucked her hair behind her ear and waved at him. "Got it. Thanks."


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    She was a bit more animated than most women.


    Norman didn''t say anything more. After watching Maria enter the four-star hotel, he ordered the


    assistant to drive away.


    It was Maria''s first night back in H City. Earlier, she had checked into this hotel room. It was more


    than 50 square meters, at less than 90 dors per night. She''d get a huge discount if she decided to


    stay there longer.


    Maria nned to stay in the city indefinitely. Room andundry services made staying in the hotel


    better than renting an apartment of her own and hiring a temporary cleaner.


    After scrubbing her face clean of make-up, Maria poured herself a ss of liquor and sat in front of


    the French window. Staring at the night scene of H City, she was lost in thought once more.


    ''H City, Maria Song is back! Cheers!''


    Half an hourter, Maria left the hotel in street clothes after changing out of her evening dress.


    It was August, the hottest month of the year there. By the time Maria left the hotel, it was almost ten


    o''clock at night. Everyone else would be getting ready for bed, or already fast asleep in their air-


    conditioned houses.


    After paying the cab fare, Maria was left standing at the gate of a vi. She put her hands on the


    bars of bronze and looked through them at the vi and the courtyard beyond.


    The three-story vi looked as brand new as it was six years ago because the grounds were well-


    kept. Raked leaves, mulched flowerbeds, seededwns, trimmed trees and bushes, not to mention


    keeping the trim on the house in good shape. It was exactly as she remembered. However, it was


    dark inside and no one lived there.


    Maria stared at the window of one room in particr for a few minutes. Then she took out her


    phone and dialed a number. "Hello, John, it''s me," she said after the call was connected.


    John Zhou used to work for James'' grandfather, andter for James as his personal butler. He had


    watched James grow up, and had been loyal to the Xi family all his life.


    Hearing her voice, John Zhou was silent for a moment before he spoke. "Hello, Ms. Song."


    Maria didn''t beat around the bush. "I''m at the gate of Fairview Vi now. May I go in and have a


    look? Thanks in advance, John." Her attitude towards the old butler was as full of respect as it ever


    was, but her voice was more mature now, her tones measured. She was different, but he couldn''t


    quite say why.


    John Zhou didn''t give her the answer she was hoping for. Instead, he answered, "Sorry, Ms. Song,


    but I need to ask Mr. Xi first. You know how he is." "Yeah, I know," she said gravely.


    In HL Group


    The CEO''s office, which covered an area of some two hundred square meters, wasvishly


    decorated. A dark gray wood desk with an array of hidden high-tech devices sat under the French


    window.


    James sat at his desk, working. His white shirt was well-starched. A pair of Blu-ray radiation-proof


    sses sat on the bridge of his nose, and his eyes were focused on the documents in his hands.


    Hearing his phone vibrate, James picked it up and slid the answer key. "Yes, John?"


    "Hello, Mr. Xi." After greeting James, the loyal butler ryed what was going on.


    Three minutes after her call to John, Maria received his reply. "Ms. Song, Mr. Xi said you don''t


    deserve it!"


    John said this like an emotionless robot, passing the original message from James to Maria in a


    professional manner.


    ''He said I don''t deserve it! Ha!''


    Maria smiled bitterly. "Thanks all the same, John."


    She thought that John would hang up the phone right away, but before that, John Zhou added, "You


    should have stayed away, Ms. Song." Hearing him hang up afterward, Maria was stunned.


    She knew well no one would be happy she was back. But she didn''t expect to be so unwanted that


    even a butler would tell her that.


    Standing in front of the bronze gate, Maria kept staring at that one certain room on the second floor.


    That room was originally the master bedroom belonging to James and her. After they moved in,


    James only stayed there every once in a while. Later, she and her son lived in the room.


    ''My son...'' Maria felt tears welling in her eyes at the thought. Yes, this ce used to be her


    paradise, but it also turned to be the hell that she finally was kicked out of.


    "Mommy." A soft, sweet tone echoed in Maria''s memories. In a trance, she could still hear the


    babbling and mumbling of her son, who was just five months old then.


    Arthur was still young and had just learned to call her Mommy back then. He also knew how to say


    "Daddy," but he was more familiar with the word "Mommy"¡ªMaria was the one who spent the most


    time with him.


    Back then, James had just taken over HL Group. He was so busy that he could only sleep three or


    four hours a day. Besides, their marriage was not based on love, so James was gone most of the


    time. He might be there one day a month, if she were lucky.


    Arthur''s tender, fair face shed in Maria''s mind. His lovely peals ofughter echoed again and


    again.


    ''Arthur, my son...'' Arthur was only five months old. Before he had a chance to experience everything


    life had to offer, he died. He''din in a cold grave for six long years.


    Tears streaked Maria''s face, and her aching heart felt like it had been rent asunder by an invisible


    devil''s ws. Every time she thought about it, Maria found it hard to breathe, like she was being


    suffocated.


    The dawn came. A brand new day began. The city gradually came to life. The workers in the city


    woke up to their rms ring. They ate breakfast, got dressed, and went to work. The older


    denizens gathered inmunity parks to get some exercise, practicing Tai Chi, group dancing, and


    working out. Parents tried to rouse their kids, softly at first, but shouting at them at the end. Kids


    were busy shoveling the first meal of the day into their mouths and getting ready for school.


    After a slumber of less than four hours, James turned on his phone on the way to the gym. One of


    the messages was from John Zhou. "Mr. Xi, Ms. Song stood outside Fairview Vi all night."


    There was no change of expression on his face when James read the text. He clicked back to


    check if there were any more important messages.


    After an intense session at the gym, James received another message from John Zhou. "Mr. Xi, the


    cemetery staff spotted Ms. Song there. I thought you might like to know."

 Chapter 4 Games And James

    Chapter 4 Games And James


    This time, James sent a message to John which read, "I don''t need to hear anything about Maria. "


    Whatever that woman was up to, he didn''t want to know.


    After she came home from the cemetery, Maria was tired and hit the sheets. The next morning, she


    went to HM Group for her interview. It was all part of the n.-


    Maria''s homing made most of the city nervous.


    On her third day there, Alina called her. "Maria, a friend of mine went to America. Now she''s back,


    and I''m throwing a party to celebrate. Wannae?"


    "No thanks. I''m not sticking around here much longer. I''m gone as of tonight," Maria said in a soft


    voice, but there was no hint of emotion on her face.


    She used to think of Alina as a scheming woman, but it seemed that she was not as patient as she


    thought she was. ''Huh? Is Alina afraid I might go to the police and report her crime?


    Don''t worry, Alina. I won''t do it now. The game hasn''t even begun,'' thought Maria. She wanted Alina


    to know that she, Maria, had the final say over how Alina spent the rest of her life!


    "Leaving so soon? You just got here! Why the rush? At least stay long enough for the party!" If


    Maria left now, Alina couldn''t mess with her. Not only that, she had to make it clear to Maria that


    James was her fiance-to-be, and was off-limits.


    By then, even if Maria didn''t leave, she would find someone to drive her off. After all, she was


    James'' ex-wife. He might still carry a torch for her.


    "Well... okay then. See you there."


    After hanging up the phone, the two were thinking about their own ns.


    Maria was pretty sure James would also go to the party. If he wasn''t going to be there, Alina would


    have had no reason to invite her. Alina didn''t need to show off her wealth. She just wanted to show


    off her fiance-to-be, James.


    It turned out that Maria''s guess was right. As expected, James was there.


    Someone opened the door to the private room. Then, James and Alina walked in.


    The man wore a dark blue tailored suit sans tie, and the top three buttons of his shirt were undone.


    He was not as serious as he was at work, dressed in business casual clothes. But his bearing


    revealed his dignity. Next to him stood Alina in a dress of light brown. She had the full monty when it


    came to makeup. Fakeshes, drawn on eyebrows, luscious lips. She kept smiling, maybe because


    of James.


    Seeing them walk in, all the partygoers stood and began to greet the couple. They had caused a


    momentarymotion.


    Maria took a few steps back and sat quietly in a corner, watching them exchange greetings.


    A momentter, Alina looked around the room and fixed her eyes on Maria, who was ying with


    her phone. She called out, "Maria, you''re here!"


    Maria was sporting a red shirt with three buttons undone, revealing the ck camisole inside. She


    topped it off with a high-waisted long ck skirt, showing off her perfect figure.


    Hearing her greeting, Maria immediately put away her phone, stood up and addressed the smiling


    woman. "Hi Alina! Hello, Mr. Xi!"


    Seeing Maria dressed like that, Alina believed she was trying to seduce James. She nced at the


    man beside her and found that James refusing to even look at Maria. Seeing this made her quite


    happy.


    She stood up and walked over to Maria. She took her hand and said kindly, "I''m d you could


    come tonight. Until the party the other night, we hadn''t even seen each other for years. I want to


    change that."


    Echoing Alina''s y-acting, Maria responded, "Okay! Me too!"


    Ste would never forget what this woman had done to her. She seized the opportunity and began


    to insult Maria. "You were too kind to invite her here, Alina. You treat her like your own sister, but


    she probably doesn''t appreciate it! The Song family has cut ties with her. Where do you get off


    acting like this?"


    Ste wanted to call her a murderess, but she was afraid that might remind James of the


    unpleasant past. She swallowed the word she wanted to say most to avoid angering him.


    Alina tucked her hair behind her ear and scolded Ste. "Quit it. Let bygones be bygones. She''s my


    cousin regardless."


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    She looked like a noble goddess, as beautiful as the Virgin Mary, and once again won the hearts of


    the men at the party.


    Ste shook her head helplessly. Then she looked at James. He''d kept his silence thus far. "Mr. Xi, I


    heard you''re getting engaged. Treat her right. Alina''s a good girl."


    James was ying with the lighter in his hand, opening it, staring at the me, and closing it again.


    When he heard Ste talking to him, he looked up at her and said, "Are you telling me what to do?"


    His voice was cold and ruthless, and the room fell into a hushed silence.


    The normally happy guests scarcely dared to breathe. Because of her rtionship with Alina, Ste


    often mocked the people she hung out with.


    James''s words were humiliating. She blushed and hurriedly exined, "No, Mr. Xi. I didn''t mean it


    like that."


    If it were anyone else, Ste would have torn him to shreds. Her temper was the stuff of legends.


    But it was James.


    Alina was afraid James would get mad and leave, so she didn''t call him out for


    disrespecting her friend. She tried to change the subject. "Well, it''s time to start the party! You, go


    open the wine!"


    "Okay, Alina."


    And Alina was sessful at turning those frowns upside down.


    Taking all this in, Maria sat in the corner and waited for Alina to make a move.


    After raising their sses, toasting Alina''s friend who hade back from abroad, they clinked


    sses and sipped the wine.


    James came here today to keep Alinapany. He sat on the sofa and stared at his cell phone, a


    contrast to the party atmosphere. He gave off such an intimidating vibe that no one could ignore


    him. They shook it off and tried to lose themselves among the other partygoers.


    Alina was more restless than Maria had expected. As soon as everyone had a ss of wine in their


    hand, she put her n into action.


    In fact, Maria was quietly watching everything that was going on. She came here prepared. She


    was just biding her time when she saw Alina wink at Ste.


    Ste took that as her cue. She put down her ss and looked at Maria, smiling innocently. "Hey,


    Maria, didn''t you used to have a crush on someone on your school days? You''d never admit to it,


    even when you had to drink three sses of wine when you lost the game. Now that your school


    days are behind you, who was it?"


    Again, the party guests fell silent. Everyone waited in breathless anticipation of Maria''s answer. Was


    Ste talking about James?

 Chapter 5 I Have A New Sweetheart

    Chapter 5 I Have A New Sweetheart


    Maria and James were divorced, and Alina, his fiancee-to-be, was right there. Even if Maria''s


    beloved back then was really James, it wasn''t appropriate for her to say it out. Obviously, Ste''s


    purpose was to embarrass Maria.


    Ignoring her difort, Ste continued to provoke Maria. "Come on, Maria. Tell us who the guy


    was! We''re dying of curiosity."


    Maria took a sip of the beer and then put down the ss with a faint smile. "Who didn''t have a


    secret crush as a teenager? Let bygones be bygones. He''s married now, and I have a new


    sweetheart."


    As soon as Maria said it, everyone started booing. They didn''t believe her at all.


    Seeing that Maria didn''t fall into the trap, Alina came out with another idea. Silently, she refilled her


    ss with liquor and raised her head to look at the man sitting with an indifferent look by her side.


    Clearly, he wasn''t interested in anything going on in that room. "James, I have a stomachache. I


    remember that Maria can hold her drink. I want her to have this ss of liquor on my behalf. What


    do you say?"


    As the decisive man he was, James took the ss and ced it in front of Maria. Then he looked at


    her sharply and ordered, "Drink it!" Alina lowered her head, and the corners of her lips raised


    slightly. ''Let''s see if you can get out of this now, Maria!''


    Maria looked at the liquor bottle in Alina''s hand. If she read it correctly, it was a limited edition of a


    Remy Martin cognac with 52% alcohol by volume. She stared at the full ss in front of her and


    then nced at her heartless cousin.


    At that moment, Ste added, "Alina just opened a limited edition brandy. Maria, I''m sure you''ve


    never tried such a refined liquor, have you?"


    "Judging from Maria''s shabby look, the Song family doesn''t care about her very much. How could


    she ever afford to drink such a high-end liquor?" echoed someone close to them.


    "Exactly!" said another one.


    Under the many curious gazes, Maria walked up to James and took the ss of liquor he had


    ordered her to drink. With a smile, she said, "Actually, I don''t mind drinking it. Maybe I''ll ask you for


    a favor too someday, Mr. Xi."


    Maria was very straightforward. Without saying another word, she gulped down the whole beverage


    in front of everyone''s eyes.


    The hot liquid flew through her throat and into her stomach as if she had just tasted some hot chili


    pepper. The strong heat stimted her right away. Putting down the empty ss, Maria coughed


    violently and picked up another drink at random in front of her. Not taking the time to see what it


    was, she poured it into her mouth quickly in order to ease her difort.


    Compared with the brandy she had just had, whatever she drank afterward felt much better! At


    least, it greatly relieved the burning sensation in her throat.


    However, the next moment, Maria realized that the room was awfully quiet. Even Alina seemed a


    little weird. ''What happened?'' she wondered.


    Soon, Ste answered her inner inquiry with a roar. "Maria! How dare you take Mr. Xi''s drink?"


    Unable to suppress the irritation in her throat, Maria coughed a bit more. Then she looked down at


    the empty ss in her hand and realized that it indeed seemed different from the others.


    In it, there was a non-alcoholic beverage the bartender made especially for James. After all, he


    would be driving after the party.


    The point was that he had already drunk a third of the ss before Maria grabbed it and gulped it


    down. In the eyes of the others, this was considered a very intimate gesture, which was often


    exchanged between two lovers. Hence, it was equivalent to an indirect kiss.


    Under James'' deadly gaze, Maria put down the ss with an awkward smile and foolishly said, "Mr.


    Xi, it''s alright. I don''t mind it. It''s not like we haven''t kissed before." ''Otherwise, where could''ve


    Arthure from?'' Her inner voice finished her words.


    Everyone in the room was too shocked to tell whether she meant what she said or waspletely


    idental, including James himself, who was still staring at her.


    If Maria was not mistaken, he had a murderous look on his face.


    Bending her head slightly, she hurried to exin, "Oh no! I mean...I''m sorry, Mr. Xi. I didn''t mean to


    do that. It''s just a drink."


    This woman kissed James before. At that moment, Alina wasn''t the only one dying of jealousy.


    Ste also couldn''t help thinking furiously, ''How could this bitch have ever kissed Mr. Xi?'' "Maria,


    you did it on purpose! You are angry because of the drink Alina just gave you, so you are showing


    off, right?" Ste yelled.


    If it weren''t for James'' presence, she would have pped Maria hard across the face.


    Maria humbly shook her head and answered, "No, I''m not." But at the same time, her inner voice


    dered otherwise. ''Oh, yes. You can bet I''m a show-off!''


    Suppressing the surging jealousy in her heart, Alina put on a bitter smile and intervened, "Ste,


    stop it. Let''s just forget it. I''m sure that Maria meant none of it. Now, Ste, please, tell the waiter to


    bring James another non-alcoholic drink, and remember to ask for a new ss." She deliberately


    emphasized herst words.


    Maria was slightly flushed as she stood aside in silence. Ste nced at her with a deadly gaze


    and stamped her feet, leaving to call the waiter.


    Although Alina had sent Ste away to pretend she was on Maria''s side, thetter knew that Alina


    was the reason why everything happened in the first ce. However, as if she appreciated Alina''s


    hypocritical act of kindness, Maria took a step back and said apologetically, "I''m sorry, Mr. Xi and


    Alina. I really didn''t mean to make such a mistake. It won''t happen again!"


    James, who had been silent all this time, uttered coldly, Now that you realized your mistake, drink


    another three sses of liquor as your punishment."


    ''Drink another three sses as her punishment?'' People around gasped at the sound of that. They


    quietly did the math in their heads and realized that a full bottle of liquor contained 320 milliliters,


    while a ss could hold about 150 milliliters. If Maria did what he told her, by the end of the third


    ss, she would have had more than a whole bottle of liquor. James was so ruthless that he


    wouldn''t even spare his ex-wife for making a mistake. At this time, the room went quiet again.


    Everyone intently watched the exchange between James and Maria, wondering what would happen


    next.


    As soon as the words fell from his lips, James took the brandy from Alina and put it in front of Maria.


    Ste came back just in time to see the scene and cried out brainlessly, "How can you let her have


    such a good liquor? She''s not worthy of it!"


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    James frowned slightly and asked impatiently, "Do you mean I can''t afford the liquor?"


    "I..." Only then did Ste realize she had put her foot in her mouth. She couldn''t help but tremble


    with the fear of being the next who had to drink three sses of liquor because she wasn''t able to


    hold her tongue. Therefore, she rushed to apologize, "No! I didn''t mean that at all. I''m sorry, Mr. Xi.


    As long as you''re happy, I have no objections!" Her apology, however, was much humbler than


    Maria''s.


    Alina looked down and rubbed her forehead, ashamed of her friend''s behavior. She thought Ste


    would eventually get herself killed by her own stupidity.


    At that moment, Maria picked up the bottle of liquor and filled a ss for herself. "Okay. In


    exchange for your forgiveness, I will drink up to three bottles if it is necessary, Mr. Xi," she said as if


    she was trying to please James.


    To everyone''s surprise, James agreed immediately. "So let''s make it three bottles then! " He


    seemed to enjoy watching Maria digging herself into a hole.


    Maria couldn''t help feeling frustrated. The man''s unquestionable order made her want to p


    herself across the face. How could she be as stupid as Ste and not keep her mouth shut?


    Someone else, dying to please James, called the waiter, who shortly brought over a few more


    bottles of liquor.


    Ste cast an arrogant look at Maria and put the three unopened bottles of liquor in front of her.


    "Ms. Song, now drink! Everyone is watching!"


    Maria put down the ss she filled up earlier and took one of the bottles. Looking at James, she


    reunited the courage to ask, "Mr. Xi, after I finish these bottles, will you promise me one thing?"


    Leaning back on the leather sofa, James squinted his sharp eyes at her and asked slowly, "Who do


    you think you are to demand anything from me?"


    Maria was speechless. How dare he continuously embarrass her? He definitely wasn''t a gentleman!


    ''James Xi, one day, I''ll make you swallow your pride and bow to me!'' she thought angrily.


    A trace of resentment shed through her eyes. Although it faded as quickly as it surged, James


    was able to notice it. His mouth twisted in a sneer as he coldly watched her start drinking.


    No one dared to defy James'' order and plead for Maria. While some believed it was her honor to


    drink the liquor offered by him, others were looking forward to seeing how she would make fun of


    herself after she got drunk. Nevertheless, everyone observed the scene with interest.

 Chapter 6 Punishment

    Chapter 6 Punishment


    Maria tipped the bottle up, drinking directly from it without a ss. She held her head high, earrings


    sparkling in the light. But a generous amount of translucent liquid spilled from the bottle, down her


    fair neck, disappearing into her camisole.


    At that moment, she looked extremely hot. The men at the party couldn''t tear their eyes away,


    gulping and loosening their ties.


    ''Damn! No wonder Mr. Xi married her. She''s really something!''


    After finishing drinking one bottle, Maria let out a belch that echoed throughout the room. She was


    still steady on her feet. She shook the empty bottle in her hand and looked James in the eye. "Ask


    someone to bring me some water."


    Ste, who was enjoying the fun, pulled a long face. "Maria Song, are you crazy? Giving orders to


    Mr. Xi like that!"


    Squatting in front of the table, Maria rested her chin on the bottle and tilted her head to look at


    Ste. "Oh, did I do that? Silly me! I apologize! Mr. Xi, could you please..." She paused to burp


    again, "...ask someone to bring me some water?" She seemed to be drunk and was slurring her


    words.


    Gazing at her, James'' eyes turned colder. "Go on! "Wow! You''re so mean!"ined Maria,


    pouting like a kid, as if she was ying at being cute. Then she opened the second bottle. She


    stood up, took a deep breath, and tipped the bottle up. Her throat bounced up and down as she


    took a huge drink.


    Alina didn''t feel happy at all. Instead, she had mixed feelings and she couldn''t tell what she felt.


    James was making fun of Maria, showing no pangs of conscience. At least it demonstrated he


    hated Maria. Alina would have thought nothing would make her happier. But she was definitely not


    happy.


    Lowering her head, Alina thought for a while. Eureka! James was paying more attention to Maria


    than to her.


    Then, under the watchful eyes of everyone in the room, Maria finished her third bottle of liquid.


    Putting the three empty bottles together, she said to the audience, "Please excuse me. I have to use


    the restroom." She kept a quick pace, but still she staggered, and held the wall for support.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    After rushing into a stall in thedy''s room, Maria, who was unable to walk properly just then, took a


    moment to center herself. She leaned against the wall, gasping for breath.


    James was such a bastard. One slip of the tongue, and she was forced to drink three bottles of hard


    liquor. Though she did seeding in getting to James, she was furious. Humiliated.


    At this point, her stomach rebelled. What she had downed wasing back up, a vile taste filled


    her mouth. Maria tried to get it all out. There was so much of it! When she finally left the bathroom,


    she was a mess. There were still tears on her face. She didn''t know if it was because her heart was


    broken or because she drank too much. Regardless, her face was wet with tears.


    After tidying up, Maria returned to the private room. James and Alina had left, and everyone else


    was walking out. After getting a great floor show, they realized everything was winding down.


    Maria went back to the private room to grab her handbag. Ste was still there, waiting for Maria.


    Ste mocked her the moment she walked in the door. "You''re really biting off more than you can


    chew. And you have the stones to seduce Mr. Xi again? Just give up. He could never take up with a


    murderess like you!"


    ''Maria Song is as cowardly as she was six years ago. Her son died because of her. There is no way


    James will remarry her,'' she thought to herself.


    Maria didn''t say anything to Ste''s vitriol. She leaned against the wall as a wave of nausea hit her.


    Beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead. If she hadn''t almost fainted due to her


    stomachache, she wouldn''t have let Ste go. That noisy bitch had been trying to get her goat all


    night. She crossed the line, but Maria couldn''t do anything.


    Watching Maria lean against the wall, saying nothing in reply, Ste took that as a win. Then she


    tidied up her dress, grabbed her purse, and left with a smug smile on her face.


    As soon as Ste walked out, Maria slumped and slid down the wall she was leaning against.


    Her stomach felt like someone had kicked it, and she needed to vomit again.


    Maria took several deep breathes and tried to hold back. Unfortunately, she couldn''t help vomiting


    right there. However, this time, she didn''t spew alcohol. It was blood.


    Fighting her weakness, she fished her phone from her handbag. Before she could dial a number,


    someone opened the door to the private room again. It was Alina. Hadn''t she left?


    When she saw Maria and the blood on the floor, she was startled, but then understood what had


    happened.


    Alina slowly walked over to the mortified Maria. Without saying anything, she kicked Maria right in


    the belly with her high-heeled shoe.


    It was a heavy blow. Maria groaned. The color drained from her face. Soon after, she spat out a


    second mouthful of blood. The pain in her stomach made her dizzy. Cold sweat drenched her body


    and clothing.


    Alina had forgotten her car keys in the private room, so she came back. She didn''t expect to find a


    miserable Maria. After taking advantage of the situation, she picked up the car keys from a nearby


    table, turned on her heel, and left.


    When Norman finally found Maria, she was lying on the floor and was so weak she couldn''t raise


    her hand. When she saw Norman, she gave him a pale smile and greeted him weakly, "Hi, Norman.


    Sorry to bother you."


    She''d been tense the whole night. She finally rxed and cked out.


    Norman lifted her up and carried her in his arms. He needed to get her to the hospital as soon as


    possible.


    Outside the nightclub, with Maria in his arms, Norman happened to bump into James and Alina. The


    two were about to climb in the car when they heard a greeting from James'' assistant, Summer Jing.


    "Good evening, Mr. Shen!"


    James and Alina turned around. They both focused on the woman in Norman''s arms.


    The blood on Maria''s shirt glinted in the starlight. Her shirt was also wet with sweat. She looked


    terrible. James just ignored them, but Alina faked a worried look. "Gosh! Mr. Shen, what''s wrong


    with Maria? Poor thing!"


    Without stopping, Norman nced at the expressionless man beside her and replied, "I don''t know


    yet. I need to get her to the hospital. Please excuse me."


    After saying that, he hurriedly got into his Bentley.


    Norman and Maria roared off immediately. Alina turned to James. "I guess Norman cares about


    Maria a lot. I''m her cousin. Shouldn''t I feel happy for her?"


    Without answering her question, James got into the ck Harkim.


    Alina was used to his attitude. After all, James was a man of few words.


    At least he treated everyone the same way. Alina thought so, anyway.


    The next morning, in HL Group


    A young man sauntered through the hallways near the CEO''s office. He wore a white printed tee


    with an orange cartoon character, a pair of orange casual pants, and skateboard shoes to match his


    outfit.


    Hands in his pockets, he let out a series of wolf-whistles and catcalls at the secretaries on that floor.


    The employees all stood up and greeted him, "Good morning, Mr. Nan!"


    "Mr. Nan, how are you doing?"


    Ethan Nan raised his chin at them in response. Then he asked, "Is James in there, Summer?"


    Summer Jing smiled. "Yes, Mr. Nan. Mr. Xi just got done with a meeting."


    "Thanks." Ethan Nan quickened his pace and opened the door to the CEO''s office without knocking.


    There were few people in H City who dared to enter James'' office without knocking. Ethan Nan was


    one of them. He was not only a close friend of James, but also an unruly man from a rich family in H


    City.


    James stood in front of the window. When he heard the sound of the door, he turned and looked at


    the energetic young man. "Ethan, it took you ten minutes to get to the 66th floor. What? Did you


    take the stairs or something?"


    Ethan sniffed and sighed exaggeratedly. "Your receptionists are so pretty. I had to stop and talk with


    those lovelydies for a bit. And that''s pretty good eyesight you have¡ªyou could see me when I


    was on the first floor."


    Looking at Ethan with a smile, James didn''t say anything. He just waved a pair of field-sses at


    him. The answer was obvious.

 Chapter 7 James Ex-Wife

    Chapter 7 James'' Ex-Wife


    Seeing that, Ethan shut up right away. Then, with a shrug, he walked to the freezer and picked up a


    cold beverage. Ethan took a sip from the bottle and looked at James. "I heard that Norman Shen


    showed up recently. Last night, he took a woman covered in blood to the hospital. Who is she?


    What happened to her? Is she the same woman he brought to Alina''s birthday party?"


    James nced at him coldly and asked, "What do I have to do with this?"


    "Nothing, but I know you were there. Can''t you just gratify my curiosity?" Ethan looked at James


    with puppy eyes. Rumor had it that Norman had specially brought a woman for James to see.


    Perhaps this woman also had something to do with James. As he thought of it, Ethan grew even


    more suspicious.


    Ignoring Ethan''s request, James sat in front of his desk and went back to his work. "If you have any


    questions, ask Summer." He didn''t want to waste his time satisfying Ethan''s curiosity.


    Immediately, Ethan put down his drink and rushed out of the office to find Summer. Pulling her into


    an empty reception room, he asked, "Summer, please tell me. Who is the woman seen with Norman


    Shen? What happened to herst night?" In the beginning, Summer wouldn''t tell him anything, but


    Ethan soon assured her that it was James who had sent him to her. So she gave in and replied in a


    low voice, "She drank too much and had gastrorrhagia." ''Poor Maria. It was such a pitiful scene!''


    she thought to herself.


    "You mean she had stomach bleeding from drinking too much? Wow! Did she do it for money?"


    Ethan had seen a lot of people who overdrank in order to make money and then suffered from


    gastrorrhagia. Some couldn''t even get to the hospital and would die at the bar table.


    "No, that''s not the case," Summer replied assuredly. She knew it because she was waiting outside


    when everything happened. "Mr. Xi particrly ordered three bottles of brandy and made her drink


    them."


    As he heard this, Ethan muttered in confusion, "James made a woman drink three bottles of strong


    liquor? Who the hell is she? Usually, James just throws out anyone who offends him! But this


    woman, who he forced to drink, is still in H City! This is so odd." It definitely didn''t seem like James''


    style of doing things. This was smelling fishy!


    Summer got closer to him and whispered in his ear, "She''s Mr. Xi''s ex-wife."


    "His ex-wife? Holy crap!" Ethan''s reaction was quite exaggerated. Jumping up from the sofa, he


    made a fuss. "His ex-wife is back?" "Yes, you heard it right."


    ''James'' ex-wife? How dare shee back now? And with Norman Shen?'' Ethan thought with a


    frown.


    When James divorced his ex-wife, Ethan was still a freshman in high school. He had heard many


    versions of the ident that took James'' son''s life back in the day. The cause of the ident was


    slightly different from version to version.


    However, the conclusion from different versions was the same, which was that James'' ex-wife


    wasn''t taking good care of their son, and this led to the poor five-month-old baby''s unexpected


    passing. Yet another spected that she had killed her own son on purpose.


    For a moment, Ethan wasn''t sure whether he should praise this woman for her bravery or criticize


    her for being so heartless. She had killed James'' flesh and blood and dared toe back to H City


    as if nothing had happened, not to mention that she hooked up with James'' rival and was frequently


    showing up with him in front of her ex-husband.


    As soon as he was done gossiping with Summer, Ethan rushed back to the CEO''s office and asked,


    "James, why did your ex-wifee back?"


    James cast a cold nce at him and gently reminded, "Ethan, you''re a respectable man in H City.


    Why are you gossiping about a woman? It''s early in the morning, and you''re already so idle? Do


    you need me to give you something to do?"


    Ethan was somewhat disappointed but didn''t give up. Sitting down in the chair opposite to James,


    he asked again, "Do you think she came back to seduce you? You''re now one of the top ten richest


    people in the whole world. Don''t let her fool you, James!"


    James didn''t want to talk about that woman at all. His face grew even darker as he said, "Ethan, if


    you really have nothing else to do, you may go save a few extra stray dogs and collect more good


    deeds for your resume."


    Ethan was a part-time veterinarian and was currently preparing for his postgraduate admission


    exam.


    Frustrated, Ethan mourned, "Oh, James, don''t mention it. Dragon passed away yesterday


    afternoon. I''m still heartbroken about it!"


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Of course, James knew that Dragon was a pet dog, but he was not interested in starting a


    conversation about cats or dogs. Without saying anything, he lowered his head and got back to his


    work.


    Realizing that he wouldn''t get anything out of James, Ethan ran to Summer again. "I''m free this


    morning. Tell me what hospital James'' ex-wife is in. I''ll go see her in person!"


    He was quite curious about the woman who once won James'' heart. After some hesitation, Summer


    answered, "Mr. Nan, I''m sorry, but I don''t know either. Would you like it if I ask someone to check it


    for you?"


    "No, thanks. I''ll check it out myself. Please, go back to your work."


    Ethan''s interest in any news about Norman wasn''t just because he was James'' rival, but because


    both men were half-siblings from different fathers. This was a secret that few people in H City knew


    about, and Ethan was one of them.


    At the Sunrise Private Hospital of H City, Maria woke up early in the morning.


    The ward was quiet, and she saw herself alone. She remained conscious just in time to realize


    where she was, but due to her weakness, she fell asleep again shortly after waking up.


    Sometimeter, Maria woke up once more as she sensed someone staring at her. She opened her


    eyes and saw a handsome young man standing by her bed.


    He looked at her with a nk expression andmented, "You''re pretty enough!"


    Maria was sure she hadn''t seen this man in H City before. However, she remained silent and waited


    for his next words.


    The man pulled out a chair and sat down next to the bed. "But of course, the more beautiful a


    woman is, the more vicious she is." ''Do you even know me? How dare you judge me and say I''m


    vicious?'' Maria looked at him sharply and said in a hoarse voice, "You''re not wee here. Get


    out!"


    "How bold you are! Do you know who you''re talking to? Are you sure you''re in a position to kick me


    out of here?" Ethan leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms over his chest, staring at her,


    intentionally making himself indifferent. Despite her weakened body and deadly pale face, the


    woman lying in the bed couldn''t hide the aura she emanated. This only got Ethan more curious


    about her.


    "I don''t care about who you are! If you don''t leave now, I''ll call the police!" Maria said, looking away


    from him.


    Ethan was amused by her apathy. He couldn''t help butugh. "Why are you as difficult to deal with


    as he is?" No wonder the two of them got married. Like husband, like wife. Oh, no! Ex-wife.


    After lying in the bed for such a long time, Maria felt ufortable and struggled to sit up.


    Noticing her effort to get up, Ethan leaned forward to give her a hand but didn''t expect the woman


    would grab his arm the moment he reached out. She pushed him so hard that Ethannded with his


    face on the bed. It was quite an embarrassing scene for him.


    "If you don''t want to get out of here, you can''t me me for being rude to you, right?" Maria was


    currently in a bad mood and didn''t feel like dealing with anyone politely.


    Ethan raised his head and looked at his arm in shock. Standing up, he pulled it away from her


    strong grip and rubbed it. He couldn''t believe he had just been knocked down by a woman, let alone


    a sick woman in a hospital bed. "Okay, Maria Song, I know who you are! For James'' sake, I won''t


    do anything to you!" Ethan roared, feeling embarrassed.


    He drove to the hospital out of curiosity just to meet this woman. After only a few minutes in her


    presence, he had already understood how she came to be Mrs. Xi years ago. She was indeed more


    interesting than most of the beautiful but shallow women who surrounded James.


    "So, are you a friend of his?" As Ethan mentioned James, Maria''s features softened a little.


    Noticing her change of attitude, Ethan nodded proudly. "Of course! James is a close friend of mine!"

 Chapter 8 Leave The Hospital

    Chapter 8 Leave The Hospital


    "I see!" Maria leaned back in the bed and realized she was starving. Looking at Ethan, she asked,


    "Could you ask someone to bring me something to eat, please?" ''This young man looks nice. Since


    he''s a close friend of James, he can also be mine from now on,'' Maria thought to herself.


    "I beg your pardon?" Ethan couldn''t help thinking he had misheard her. Otherwise, he had just been


    sent on an errand by a woman. No woman in H City had dared to order him around as Maria just


    had.


    "Thanks in advance!" Maria showed her gratitude, letting him know he had indeed heard her right.


    Ethan stood still for a moment, deep in thought. As he didn''te to any conclusion, he pulled out


    his cell phone and scrolled down on the screen, looking for a number. "Hello, James. Your ex-wife


    asked me to find her something to eat. Do you think I should starve her to death or follow her


    order?"


    "Come back here, and I''ll tell you what to do," James replied sternly.


    Ethan sensed the threat in his voice right away. Scratching the back of his head, he refused, "No,


    thanks, James. Bye!" "Wait!" Maria uttered.


    Ethan turned to look at the woman, puzzled. Maria tried to get out of bed, but she was held back by


    the IV. Realizing this, she pulled out the infusion tube immediately and stood up. Under Ethan''s


    shocked gaze, she walked to him barefoot and took his phone. "James, shall we talk face-to-face?"


    She couldn''t have drunk those three bottles of brandy for nothing!


    However, the only answer she got was the phone''s beep.


    Looking at the device in her hand, Maria bit her lower lip while a mix of anger and sadness shed


    through her eyes.


    Ethan didn''t have to ask Maria to know James had hung up on her. He thought, ''Poor Maria. I can''t


    help feeling sorry for her now.'' Taking his phone back, Ethan pinched the bridge of his nose in order


    to hide his embarrassment and said to the woman in a daze in front of him, "Alright, get back to bed.


    I''ll ask someone to bring you food."


    As Maria had offended James and survived, Ethan had taken her for a strong woman and started to


    admire her. Therefore, he was willing to help her fill her tummy at that moment.


    "Forget it. I lost my appetite." Maria changed her mind.


    At her sudden refusal, Ethan asked in confusion, "What''s wrong?" He wondered if all women were


    also so changeable.


    "I want to leave the hospital now!"


    Ethan looked her up and down, and it was clear to him that Maria needed to stay in the hospital


    longer. Not only did her face seem deadly pale, but the back of her hand was also bleeding. How


    could she leave in such a state?


    Regardless of the doctor''s objection, Maria insisted and left the hospitalter that day.


    Driving on the most bustling avenue in H City, Ethan''s face was dark as he nced at the rearview


    mirror and said to the silent woman in the back seat, "Maria, please don''t tell James that I was the


    one who took you there."


    ''Maria''s one tough cookie! Not satisfied with knocking me down earlier, she now forces me to take


    her to James'' office.'' Ethan resented her.


    If she weren''t a woman, he would have beaten her down already! Perhaps, he would even force her


    to kneel and show him some respect!


    Maria looked into his eyes through the rearview mirror, and suddenly, a smile showed on her face.


    In a soft voice, she coaxed the young man in the driver''s seat, "Ethan, how do a simple and


    adorable young man as you be have a cunning friend like James?"


    As Maria was well aware of, all of James'' friends were quite difficult to deal with. Each of them


    came from a more extraordinary background than the other and possessed a set of unique skills.


    One of them was the leader of a mysterious organization. His name was Lawrence Lu.


    Ethan didn''t seem to be one of them, though. Or, at least, he was really good at pretending that he


    wasn''t. Nevertheless, Maria couldn''t help but wonder who he was.


    Despite the hospital gown on her, Maria''s charm remained unaffected. In her pale face, there was a


    morbid yet beautiful smile, and her eyes were glowing. The moment Ethan met her gaze, a shiver


    went down his spine, and he asked, "Why do I have the feeling that you''re mocking me?"


    "I''m not. But don''t you think James would know right away that it was you who took me there, even


    if I didn''t tell him?" Maria believed the young man was really underestimating James.


    Her ex-husband wouldn''t need to think much to realize it was Ethan who had taken her to him. In


    fact, it was most likely that he had already predicted that Maria wouldn''t waste the chance to ask


    such a thing from Ethan.


    Also, the HL Group was not open to the public, and the floor where the CEO''s office was located


    was not avable to all the employees who worked in thepany.


    During the nearly two years she had been married to James, Maria hadn''t set foot in that building


    once. Hence, very few employees would recognize her and give her a free pass. Not to mention


    that earlier in the hospital, Maria had requested to meet James over Ethan''s phone. James would


    put these facts together and know how she managed to get in.


    "You''re right! I''m doomed!" Ethan sighed, a bit frustrated. James was too smart to be deceived like


    that. After thinking it through for a moment, he continued, "Well, forget it. At worst, I''ll hide from him


    for a week."


    Maria was speechless at his solution. ''You''re too young and too naive, my friend,'' she thought.


    Ten minutester, a prettymon white SUV that cost less than 80 thousand dors drove into the


    HL Group''s underground parking lot.


    As soon as he parked the car, Ethan got out of it and walked toward the elevator to have his palm


    scanned. As the doors to the CEO''s exclusive elevator opened, he turned around and told the


    woman standing behind him, "Maria, you can go up now. I won''t join you. I''d better hurry up and


    leave. Good luck."


    "Thank you, Ethan." Maria nodded before getting into the elevator. Through the closing doors, she


    caught a glimpse of the young man''s back hurrying to his car and leaving as if his life depended on


    it.


    Once the doors finally closed, Maria turned to the ss of the panoramic elevator and looked down


    at H City. The higher the elevator reached, the wider became the view in front of her eyes. As she


    got to the 66th floor, Maria stepped out of the elevator and saw a few assistants at their desks. Her


    eyes scanned for Summer, but she was not present. Still, she recognized someone else who


    promptly walked up to her.


    "Ms. Song." Lorenzo Lan was surprised to see her.


    Maria smiled faintly. Without exchanging any greetings with him, she went straight to the point. "I''m


    here to see James."N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Lorenzo was James'' stepmother''s nephew. At the time when Maria was still a member of the Xi


    family, this man had never been nice to her.


    Lorenzo looked her over his sses, unable to conceal his disdain. "I''m sorry, but Mr. Xi''s in a


    meeting right now. Ms. Song, if you want to see Mr. Xi, please make an appointment in advance."


    "In a meeting? I don''t mind waiting until it finishes." It wasn''t every day that she could get in the HL


    Group. Therefore, she wouldn''t leave before achieving her goal.


    Lorenzo''s lips curled up into a sneer. "Ms. Song, you''re Mr. Xi''s ex-wife. You''re nobody to him now.


    Do you really think he would like to see you?"


    Maria looked at him sharply. "You have no right to decide for James whether he would like to see


    me or not. Since he''s in a meeting, I''ll wait here. Please, go back to your work." Lorenzo was taken


    aback at Maria''s sudden aggressiveness. Where was that coward woman he used to know? "Ms.


    Song, if you insist, then please go to the reception room. You''ll be informed when Mr. Xi is


    avable." Lorenzo pointed to a room far away from his desk and then waved to a secretary nearby.


    "Please prepare a cup of tea for Ms. Song."


    "Yes, Lorenzo," the secretary replied, ready to get up from her seat.


    "No, thank you. I''d rather stay here waiting for him," Maria refused.


    From where she stood, she could see the entrance to the CEO''s office and certainly wouldn''t miss


    the moment James came back. But if she went to the reception room, she might lose her only


    chance to meet him, after all.


    Lorenzo was annoyed by Maria''s stubbornness, so he tried his best to sound calm. "Ms. Song, if


    you stay here, I''m afraid you will disrupt our work. It''s also inappropriate for us to let someone


    standing in the hallway. Why don''t you go to the reception room and take a seat there? Besides, it


    looks like you''ve just left the hospital, right? Won''t you a have a quick recovery if you have some


    rest? My advice is for your own good, Ms. Song."


    Maria ignored Lorenzopletely and turned her back to him as she walked towards the window.


    The other two assistants exchanged looks, but neither dared to say a word. Lorenzo was furious. If


    he hadn''t heard that Norman himself took Maria to Alina''s birthday party a few days ago, he would


    have already called security to throw this woman out. But now, his hands were tied.

 Chapter 9 Arrogant Jerk

    Chapter 9 Arrogant Jerk


    James had always been quick to deal with things, so his meeting didn''tst long. Maria didn''t have


    to wait long, either. Maybe ten minutes. She saw James make his way to his office. Summer was


    close behind him.


    Immediately, Lorenzo stood up. "Excuse me, Mr. Xi..." Then he shifted his gaze to the woman


    standing in front of the window, struggling to exin his interruption.


    James got the hint, and looked in that direction as well. He walked toward his office without stopping


    as if Maria didn''t exist.


    Silently waving to Maria, Summer took her seat. Maria nodded at her, smiling, and walked towards


    the CEO''s office.


    Seeing that, Lorenzo wanted to stop her, but Summer was too quick for him. "Excuse me, Lorenzo.


    During the meeting, Mr. Xi mentioned that..."


    Since she was asking him something work-rted, Lorenzo couldn''t really interrupt her. Maria


    walked in like she owned the ce.


    She was aware of what Summer had done for her. She kept that in mind, and was grateful.


    Following James, Maria entered the office quietly. Stepping on the soft carpet, she looked around.


    The office was one of the biggest she''d seen. The decor wasvish as well. She marveled in her


    heart beforeing back to her senses. She had business to discuss with James. She wasn''t here


    for an office tour.


    James was already sitting in front of theptop, his slender fingers dancing over the keys.


    Maria stopped in front of his desk and said his name softly. "James Xi."


    When they were first married, she addressed him as "Mr. Xi." After they made love several times,


    she began to call him "James." But his full name would suffice for now.


    The man totally ignored her and kept staring at theputer screen.


    "Since I drank three bottles of brandy, I want ess to Fairview Vi. So if you could let John know,


    I''d appreciate it. Don''t worry, I''m not moving in. I just want to take a look." ''I just want to spend some


    time with the past, and find the things that remind me of my son,'' Maria thought.


    The man stopped typing and looked up at her. "I don''t remember making any kind of deal with you. I


    said you weren''t allowed inside Fairview Vi and I meant it. I don''t care how much you drank."


    Maria gazed at him. ''I know that. But I was hoping to earn some brownie points so you''d let me in.


    That was three bottles, and for what? Nothing? I puked up blood, you bastard!'' Maria''s inner voice


    cried.


    Knowing how difficult this man was, she took a deep breath and said in a pleading tone, "Now I''m


    begging you. May I enter the Fairview Vi please?"


    "Get out of here!" James refused her directly and ruthlessly.


    Maria was so angry she felt a dull pain in her stomach. She clenched her fists and said, "James Xi,


    you told me I don''t deserve to enter the Fairview Vi or see Arthur. But since you never intended to


    let me into the vi, why did you make me drink three bottles of liquor? To let Alina Tang mock me?


    Why?"


    He gave her no response after the words fell from her lips. The only sound that could be heard was


    his fingers tapping the keys in rapid session. But after he was done typing, he told her, "Because


    I''m James Xi."


    ''What an asshole!'' Although Maria already knew what kind of person James was, she was still


    furious. These simple words sounded extremely domineering, as if he was telling Maria he could


    order her around like a robot, and she had nothing to say about it.


    Maria took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. "You know I carried Arthur for nine months,


    right? So who suffered the most pain after he had his ident? Since you said I don''t deserve to


    see him, what about you? You never spent any time with your son. You only came home one or two


    days a month. James Xi, how did you feel when your son died? Did you feel heartbroken?"


    They hadn''t seen each other in person or talked about Arthur since the ident that took his life.


    Now several years had passed, and Maria summoned up the courage to bring up the past. The past


    she didn''t want to talk about. The past filled with pain. But she wanted to clear the misunderstanding


    between them.


    But he didn''t want to talk about it. He didn''t even want to think about it. He didn''t care how


    heartbroken she was. Taking a look at his watch, James found that Maria had torn him away from


    work for nearly five minutes. "Are you done yet? If you are, Ms. Song, please leave and close the


    door behind you."


    Hearing his words, Maria was astonished.


    ''He''s such a miserable douche-nozzle!''


    Maria decided to make her displeasure clear. She walked around his desk and approached him.


    She closed hisptop so forcefully that it made a sound. She stared at him with her watery eyes,


    and stressed each syble. "I want to enter the Fairview Vi!"


    The ambient temperature dropped in the ornate office.


    James'' arm shot up, his hand closing around her neck like a vice. Wringing her fragile neck with one


    hand, he stood up slowly, the other hand in his pocket. His eyes were filled with rage. "Since you


    bought a one-way ticket to Trauma Town, I don''t mind giving you a ride."


    To his surprise, as soon as his hand fastened around her neck, Maria fainted.


    She fell straight into James'' arms. His face darkened. He wanted to call his assistant and throw this


    woman out. She must be pretending, right? But as soon as he took a step forward, Maria''s bony


    body fell to the carpeted floor. Her eyes were still closed.


    James knelt down and patted her face, trying to wake her up, but he failed. He picked her up,


    gathering her in his arms, and stalked out of the office. As he stepped outside the door, he ordered


    Lorenzo to press the elevator button. He literally had his hands full just then.


    Lorenzo looked at the woman in James'' arms in astonishment. But he wisely decided to keep silent,


    and jogged down the hall to press the button to summon the CEO''s exclusive elevator.


    As James walked by, Summer cast a worried nce at Maria. That didn''t escape James'' eagle


    eyes. James red at her coldly. Summer shivered and got back to work.


    Maria still in his arms, James reached the parking lot. Lorenzo had followed him all the way there.


    The assistant opened the rear door of the ck Harkim for him. At first, James wanted to ride with


    her, but he changed his mind quickly enough.


    He shoved the pale woman into the back seat, closed the door decisively, and gave Lorenzo an


    order. "Get her to the Sunrise Private Hospital!"


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    "Yes, Mr. Xi. I got it."


    After they roared off, James processed what had just happened and became extremely annoyed.


    He loosened his tie and took a few deep breaths. He felt somewhat better after that.


    ''Damn you, Maria Song!'' he cursed.


    James paced back and forth in the parking garage, trying to figure out a way to bleed off the rage


    that surged inside him. Finally, he took out his phone and dialed a number. "Don''t even think of


    trying to borrow money from me in the next year," he said when the person on the other end picked


    up.


    "No! James! Please listen to me!" The receiving end of his rage panicked.


    James hung up the phone then, cutting off Ethan in mid-whine.


    Maria returned to the ward. Shortly after that, Norman came to see her. He asked her where she


    went after leaving the hospital earlier. She just looked at him.


    Norman decided to leave it alone, since she wasn''t interested in telling him anything. After


    reminding her to take good care of herself, he left the hospital. If Maria wanted him there, she could


    always call.


    Maria was discharged from the hospital in three days, and Norman wasn''t there to pick her up


    because his hands were full. She didn''t mind at all. After all, he had already helped her a lot.


    Back at the hotel, Maria sent her resume to the secretary department of the HM Group via email.


    Then she closed the lid of theptop after dealing with some other matters.


    It was already midnight by the time she finished. She stood up, stretched, and ordered take-out. It


    was past dinnertime, but not time for breakfast yet.


    After the meal, Maria opened the wardrobe and changed into casual clothes. Then walked out of


    the hotel and hailed a taxi.


    Later, a fully-armed woman rolled up to the gate of Fairview Vi. Her backpack contained


    everything she needed for this mission of hers.


    Lowering her cap, she approached the gate carefully, trying not to stand out. She pulled a small


    device from her backpack and aimed it at the blinking light on the camera.


    Her aim was true, and the dart flew to the camera lens and stuck there, held in ce by a suction


    cup. Now blocked from the view of the camera, the woman kept moving. She quickly scaled the


    bronze gate and crept over to the vi in silence. Arriving at the front door, she managed to disable


    the camera lenses there the same way. Looking around to ensure her safety, she felt relieved.


    There were no guards in sight. If she could unlock the coded lock, she could finally enter.

 Chapter 10 Memories In The Villa

    Chapter 10 Memories In The Vi


    Staring at the coded lock, Maria decided to try the original password, the one she set six years ago.


    If that didn''t work, she would have to resort to other methods. The password was 361110. March 6th


    was Arthur''s birthday, and November 10th was James''.


    To her surprise, after entering all six digits, she heard a happy beep. She tried the heavy door, and


    was overjoyed to find it unlocked.


    Her hands trembled in midair. She stood at the door to the living room, frozen, like a statue. She


    came prepared. There were many tools in her backpack, one of which could be used to hack into


    the electronic lock, but it seemed that she had brought them in vain.


    Suddenly, she experienced the pangs of regret. If she had known earlier the passcode had


    remained unchanged, she never would have sacrificed her dignity and asked James for permission


    toe here. She would have simply done it. Everything she did ¡ªmeeting with James, bearing


    the insults, and drinking those bottles of liquor¡ªwas meant to bring her to this point.


    When Maria snapped out of her reverie, she knew what she had to do next.


    She stowed her backpack by the door, and took a shlight from it. She shed her shoes, and


    walked into the living room barefoot.


    The shlight''s beam zigzagged around the silent room. Maria looked around carefully. At first


    nce, it seemed that it hadn''t changed a bit, but there were subtle changes that she gradually


    picked up on.


    The huge photo she hung on the wall, taken when Arthur was a month old, was gone.


    All the furniture was covered with white dust covers. Maria reached out and touched a corner. Dust


    now clung to her fingers. She could tell that no one had been here for a long, long time.


    Stepping on the cold floor, Maria walked to a corner of the living room. There used to be a cab


    there, but it, too, was gone.


    Six years ago, Arthur had an ident there. She heard his screams, she saw the blood on the floor.


    The tragic scene reyed in Maria''s mind again. She clenched the shlight in her hand, breathing


    faster and faster. Sweat beaded her forehead, and it felt like her heart might burst.


    In a trance, she saw Arthur again, and his adorable smile. His voice calling her "Mommy" echoed in


    her ears.


    Maria stretched out her hand and called softly, "Arthur... Mommy''s back." She saw Arthur stretch out


    his chubby arms for a hug. "Arthur, I miss you so much!"


    She wanted to touch the boy''s face, but he disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    There was only empty floor in front of her. Arthur''s voice was gone again. She was surrounded by


    oppressive silence.


    Maria covered her aching heart with her hands, tears streaming down her lovely face. ''Arthur, my


    Arthur!''


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    After a long time, Maria pulled herself together and walked up the stairs with heavy steps.


    Not much had changed on the second floor. She walked barefoot along the soft carpet to the door


    of the innermost room. It was the master bedroom, the very room she gazed at from the vi gate


    the first night she was back in town.


    Maria put her hand on the doorknob and gently opened the door.


    The spacious bedroom seemed empty, despite the furnishings.


    The big bed in the middle sported a dust cover. The baby crib beside the bed and the wedding


    photo of her and James on the wall six years ago were also missing.


    Although this room was the master bedroom, Maria had spent most of her time with Arthur in here.


    She could still smell the scent that her boy emitted. Or was it her imagination? Maria walked to the


    room opposite to the master bedroom. That was supposed to be Arthur''s room, but he never used


    it.


    The decor of the room was the same as it was six years ago, the wallpaper festooned with little


    cartoon animals. But the photos had been taken down, and Arthur''s crib was moved in here. Maria


    looked around carefully and found all the photos of hers and Arthur had been ced in a box.


    Opening it, Maria picked up one photo. It was of herte son. Tears welled in her eyes. She covered


    her mouth tightly and tried hard not to cry.


    ''Arthur, Mommy''s here. I miss you so much!''


    At this point, Maria couldn''t do anything but hold her son''s picture and cry. She rocked back and


    forth and wept in grief.


    A security guard passed by outside the vi. When he heard the faint cries, he was frightened. He


    remembered a buddy of his telling him that someone died here six years ago. He wondered who


    was making that noise¡ªor what.


    When he stopped and listened, the cries had apparently faded. Maybe it was just his imagination.


    He gathered his courage and took a few steps towards the gate of the vi. Then he stopped again


    and listened for a while, but still heard nothing.


    He was certain that he had misheard something. He was about to leave when a woman''s cry came


    from the vi again.


    This time, the security guard was so scared that his legs became weak and he almost wet his


    pants. He was not bold enough to go in and see what was going on. Instead, he awkwardly ran off.


    The security guard ran to the monitoring room, gasping for breath. His co-workers were staring at


    him. His eyes were fixed on the monitor, but he could see nothing in the next two hours. The guard


    became even more frightened. After tonight, he would always avoid that vi, afraid he would


    encounter something supernatural.


    Before dawn, Maria restored everything in the Fairview Vi to their original spots and left as quietly


    as she entered.


    The sucker-tipped darts eventually lost their suction and fell to the ground not long after she left.


    The monitors were back to normal.


    HM Group had hired Maria, and she started working as a secretary. Where better to hide than in


    in sight? Although it was not an important position and the sry was low, she didn''t care. She


    just needed to put down roots in town so she could carry out her n step by step.


    Since she had been to Fairview Vi and stayed there overnight without being noticed, Maria grew


    even bolder. That evening, she went there again through the same route. She brought some simple


    daily supplies with her this time. Fortunately, it was still summer, so she didn''t need to bring a lot.


    Maria stayed there all week, immersing herself in her memories of Arthur.


    It was another sweltering summer night. A man appeared at the door of Fairview Vi, and after a


    few seconds the lock beeped, admitting the mysterious visitor. His brand-new ck leather shoes


    shone in the moonlight. His cold eyes scanned the darkness, then he stepped inside the living


    room.


    The first floor of the vi was quiet as ever. He stood silently downstairs for a few minutes, lost in


    thought. Finally, he loosened his tie and ascended the stairs to the second floor.


    The carpet of the corridor on the second floor was clean and white, like brand new. He walked on it,


    still wearing his shoes.


    When he approached the master bedroom, the man suddenly felt a subtle wrongness. A hint of


    something amiss. He stopped at the door. Although the door was closed, it was not locked like it


    should be.


    Six months had passed since James wasst here. He could remember closing the door himself


    when he left. No one else had been here without his permission. He started looking around,


    wondering.


    However, at that exact moment, Maria''s eyes snapped open. She was almost asleep, but she could


    tell something wasn''t quite right. She sensed that someone was outside the door. Maria sat up


    silently.


    ''It''s 1 a.m. Who woulde here thiste?'' she wondered.


    She could hear the doorknob turning slowly. Maria didn''t have time to guess who it was. She quickly


    got out of bed and hid behind the thick curtain, leaving her thin quilt and a pillow on the ginormous


    bed.


    Fortunately Maria hadn''t closed the curtain before she went to bed, because she didn''t want to


    attract the guards'' attention. Sunlight would be her rm clock. She was as quiet as a mouse,


    senses on high alert and her body tense. She held her breath and tried to make herself invisible.


    The mysterious visitor opened the door. But he didn''te in. His eagle-eyed gaze swept across


    the room. He saw no one there, but he smelt a faint fragrance.


    He sniffed. ''Perfume? A woman?''


    Then he walked in and noticed the dust cover on the big bed had been removed. Under the


    moonlight from the window, he could see the rumpled pillow and the quilt. It was obvious someone


    had been using the bed.


    The man walked towards the bed quietly. His face exposed gradually under the moonlight. It turned


    out to be James. ''Where is she?'' He felt the bed and it was still warm. That meant the intruder


    couldn''t have gone far.


    He also couldn''t figure out how long the upant had been here. She was able to hear him even on


    that soft carpet. That meant he wasn''t dealing with any run-of-the-mill intruder.


    The man''s lips curved into an unfathomable smile in the darkness. He noticed the window was still


    closed, and there wasn''t much in the way of furniture, which meant the person was probably still


    here.


    James kept searching and his sharp eyes finally fell on the curtain at the corner. That was the only


    ce they could be hiding. He stopped moving forward. Being certain where the person was, he


    was not in a hurry to make the next move. He had to be patient, like a snake stalking a mouse.


    Behind the thick curtain, Maria couldn''t see a thing. She tried listening to figure out whether he was


    still there, but she could only hear her pounding heart. Her nerves were on edge and her mouth was


    dry.

 Chapter 11 Trespassing

    Chapter 11 Trespassing


    Maria was afraid of being discovered. She was living at Fairview Vi against the owner''s wishes.


    So she never turned on the air conditioner, and relieved the oppressive heat with cold showers at


    bedtime. Behind the curtain, she was so nervous that beads of sweat began to form on her


    forehead.


    The man leisurely walked over to the curtain. The two were now so close that Maria could finally


    hear his footsteps, muted by the carpet. The man paused. She got ready to fight, but she couldn''t


    hear him anymore.


    He didn''t move for a long time. Just when Maria was uneasy and wondering if she should ambush


    him, she heard a familiar voice. "Come out!"


    It was James!


    Realizing who it was, Maria heard her inner voice utter, ''You''re doomed!''


    She stayed here secretly without James'' permission. If he found out it was her, she would never be


    able toe here ever again!


    Maria froze. She was nning what to do next.


    James had probably guessed she was the one hiding behind the curtain. He just needed to confirm


    it. Somehow, despite guards both human and electronic, she could still sneak in and stay here


    unnoticed.


    James couldn''t help wondering if it were because his monitoring equipment was too lousy, or this


    woman was really skillful.


    Maria whipped the heavy curtain aside. She was hoping to make the end of the curtain fly onto


    James'' face, fouling his vision and letting her escape.


    But it wasn''t going to happen. James was just as skilled as she was, if not more so.


    As soon as she moved the curtain aside, he grabbed her wrist tightly. Maria bowed her head


    immediately to try and hide her face, but the moonlight flooded in and betrayed her.


    James looked at the woman he grabbed. She wore a slip dress, and her long hair spilled over her


    face. He couldn''t see who it was. He could tell she was barefoot, so she probably left the bed


    quickly. He pulled her wrist hard and spun her around. He would see her face soon enough.


    Maria knew that she was about to be exposed, so she reached out and tried to cover James'' eyes.


    But the man moved his head, and she missed.


    James stretched out his right hand at the same time trying to brush her hair away from her face.


    Maria shook off his right hand violently. Meanwhile, she raised her free hand to strike the hand


    holding her wrist.


    James was too quick for her. He knew exactly what she was trying to do, so he let go of her wrist.


    Maria missed again.


    ''Great! My martial arts training is useless. I can''t even beat a guy who sits in an office all day!''


    Despising herself, Maria stepped back angrily. Eventually he''d see her face and know who she was.


    Then she''d be in even more trouble.


    As Maria stepped back farther, James moved to close the distance. He kept moving closer, and she


    kept retreating. She miscalcted and fell on the big bed behind her. Maria had nned to turn


    over and jump to the other side of the bed, which could bring her closer to the bedroom door. She


    pushed herself up with one hand, hoping she could do this quickly enough.


    In an instant, James pulled her down, and jumped on her, pressing her down on the bed.


    The long hair that hung over the woman''s face gave way. He could see it clearly in the moonlight.


    James'' guess was finally confirmed. He had the advantage as he moved her hands to either side of


    her head, pressing them on the bed.


    The more Maria thought about it, the angrier she became. She thought she was quite talented in


    martial arts. She should have been able to beat James easily. But she ended up like this. She


    mocked herself for underestimating James as well as her naive fantasies.


    Not only was she unable to get rid of this man, but she was pinned tightly under his body and


    unable to move at all. If James had a knife in his hand, it would be a piece of cake for him to cut her


    throat. The thought sent her into a rage.


    James could clearly see the mes of fury in the woman''s eyes. He sneered. "So you get angry


    when you''re the one trespassing?"


    ''Shouldn''t I be the angry one? She''s not supposed to be here. She defeats my security. What am I


    paying these people for? If I hadn''t decided to drop by, how long would she have continued to stay


    here? I''m not running a hotel. First thing tomorrow, I''m firing everyone who''s supposed to be


    watching the ce!'' James made up his mind, concealing his anger perfectly. Maria couldn''t tell


    anything from his facial expression.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Realizing she sounded upset, Maria reined in her anger and smiled gently. "Not at all, Mr. Xi. I just


    crashed here for the night. It''s not like I''m moving in. I didn''t touch anything." She just slept in the


    bed and used the bathroom.


    ''You didn''t touch anything?'' James didn''t believe her at all. "You touched the keypad on the coded


    lock." He grabbed the quilt that she used. "And where did you get this?"


    Maria just stared at him with her innocent eyes, blinking from time to time. In her heart, she cursed,


    ''Bastard!'' But she told herself not to fight back. She was in the wrong. Putting on a smile, she


    stretched out her arms to wrap them around the man''s neck. Then she tried to appeal to his charity.


    "Mr. Xi, I know I was wrong, but I just wanted to see the old house again. Since you wouldn''t let me,


    I had to sneak in."


    Getting closer to the man, Maria inhaled his scent. Secretly, of course. Usually men stank in this


    kind of weather. He should, since he wore a suit all day. But James didn''t smell like that at all. In


    fact, he had a kind of minty smell.


    "Cut the crap," the man ordered expressionlessly. He wasn''t buying it. She was trying to butter him


    up, trying to make him feel something for her. His right hand closed around her neck like a vice.


    However Maria didn''t react to his violent gesture. Instead she kissed him on the cheek. She


    adopted a hazy, dreamy look, gazing at him with bedroom eyes. Then Maria winked at him. "Well,


    you know... I''ve been aching to do this since we saw each other at the party!"


    Obviously, she was trying to seduce him. James'' gaze was ice-cold. He rudely removed her arms


    from his neck, and then red at her. There was danger in those eyes. "Don''t make me hit you. You


    know the consequences."


    He didn''t feel he was making an idle threat. Everyone knew that James was a man of his word.


    Maria wouldn''t back down. She curled up her lips provocatively and ced her hands on his stout


    chest. "Really? You''d hit me? Wouldn''t you rather do something else?"


    James lowered his head to look at the pair of hands on his chest. However, he was not interested


    and remained unmoved. A murderous look shed in his eyes. "Try me!"


    He never thought that he was petty, but he couldn''t forgive the woman who killed his child. ''You may


    not have done it on purpose, but he died because of you. You never should havee back!'' When


    he thought about it, he decided not to waste any more time on this woman.


    Fighting the urge to throw her out, James got to his feet, tidied up his clothes, and returned to his


    usual indifference. He warned the woman onest time, "I told you not toe here. Now get out! If


    you''re not gone in three minutes, I''ll pick you up and throw you out the door!"


    Although Maria still wanted to stay, she knew that she should leave graciously. Anyway, she was


    happy she got to stay here all week.


    She got out of bed, turned on the bedsidemp, and calmly made the bed. Then she went to the


    bathroom, where all her things were.


    At the two minute and 55 second mark, she heard James counting down. "5, 4, 3..." He was staring


    at his watch the whole time. Maria continued to gather her stuff and sneered. ''What an asshole!''


    At thest second, Maria walked slowly to the bedroom door with a backpack on her shoulder. "I''m


    leaving the vi, not the city. I just thought I''d let you know, Mr. Xi. See youter!" She was back,


    and she''d stay there till she died.


    As if he didn''t hear what she said, James strode towards the door. Afraid he would hit her, Maria''s


    heart beat like a drum. She rushed out of the bedroom before he couldy a hand on her.


    As soon as she stepped into the hallway, he mmed the door behind her. Bang!

 Chapter 12 Alina Got Stood Up

    Chapter 12 Alina Got Stood Up


    The thick door separated the two, James standing in the bedroom and Maria in the hallway. They


    stood there, each with their own thoughts. Eventually, she breathed a sigh of relief and went


    downstairs.


    After hearing her head down the stairs, James called John. "Find me new property management


    and securitypanies for Fairview Vi!"


    ''They were useless. They couldn''t do what they were hired to do. So why shouldn''t I fire them?''


    James mused. His inner voice told him Maria was not as simple as she looked.


    When passing through the living room, Maria nced at the spot where the ident happened. Her


    joy evaporated. She should be ecstatic since she escaped James unscathed. But Arthur''s face


    shed through her mind.


    "Arthur, my baby. It''s my fault you''re dead, but that woman is more responsible for your death! I


    won''t let her get away with it!'' Maria pushed the door open while vowing revenge for her son.


    Once she left, silence nketed the vi.


    James stood at the windowsill in the bedroom on the second floor, watching the woman walk away.


    He lit a cigarette and took a drag. After returning to her hotel room, Maria sat in front of the window,


    deep in thought. After a while, she leaned against the back of the chair and surrendered to sleep.


    Maria''s eyes snapped open, awakened by the buzz of her phone on the coffee table. It was light


    outside, but it felt like she hadn''t slept a wink. She reached over and looked to see who it was. A


    nce at the caller ID confirmed it was the call she was waiting for. "Hello? Yeah, it''s me," she said.


    She was surprisingly wide awake, and all ears. "Did you find it?"


    "Yes, I have." The person at the other end of the line told Maria what Alina wanted the most right


    now.


    Maria smiled, "Great. Then buy it. Spare no expense."


    "Yes, Ms. Song."


    Meanwhile, Alina had just finished breakfast.


    She stretched and her silk pajamas shimmered. Closing her magazine and putting it on the table,


    she turned her head to address the dapper man next to her. "How''s everything with the shop on


    South Town Street?"


    The man in the suit was Alina''s assistant. He bowed his head and reported respectfully, "I tracked


    down thendy, but she doesn''t want to sell it. She only wants to let it out. Sorry, Ms. Tang." Alina


    was nning to open a shop, and it took her a long time to find the ideal spot. Not long ago, she


    found a shop with a loft, nearly five hundred square meters, located at South Town Street. She


    nned to buy it, using her family''s wealth and influence. But thest thing she expected was that


    the owner wasn''t willing to sell it.


    "Not as sorry as she''ll be," Alina mumbled. "Ms. Tang?" the assistant asked, puzzled. "Nothing,"


    Alina answered. "How much is the rent for a year, anyway?" She wasn''t dead set on buying it, but


    wondered why the owner was ying at.


    "She wouldn''t tell me. She wants to talk to you face-to-face," said the assistant.


    Alina frowned. "Can''t she just talk to you?"


    "I tried to tell her that, but she refused and insists on talking to you in person."


    Alina had seen the shop with her own eyes. It was the perfect ce ¡ª just the right size, centrally


    located, plenty of ancient charm, lots of foot traffic. After thinking for a moment, she got out of the


    recliner, ready to change clothes. "Call thendy now. Ask her to meet me at the new cafe there


    in half an hour."


    If it were any other random shop for rent, Alina would just find another location. But she had her


    heart set on this one. Moreover, thendy also wanted to meet her in person. Alina was quite


    unhappy about that. She was the most famous celebrity in town. She couldn''t waste her time with


    common folk.


    "Miracle Cafe, right?" her assistant asked.


    "Yeah." The coffee shop she was talking about was not small. It upied the entire first floor of HM


    Group''s building. It was famous for its high-quality coffee beans and pleasant service. The decor


    inside was also unique, making it the most popr spot in the central business district. The owner


    certainly had good business sense.


    HL Group was right across the street, kitty corner to HM Group. The shop that Alina had her eyes


    on was also in this district, pretty close to this coffee shop. Its proximity to HM Group was a major


    selling point. If she got the shop, she could see James more often. James'' wealth and power could


    be good for business as well.


    "Okay, I''ll get ahold of thendy right now." The assistant dialed the owner''s number.


    Half an hourter, Alina arrived at the Miracle Cafe right on schedule. She found a seat outside,


    where she could see the HL Group offices. She opened a magazine and tried to look nonchnt.


    It was three minutes till they were supposed to meet, but no one showed. Alina''s assistant called


    the owner as a reminder, sweat beading on his forehead.


    "She''s caught in traffic. She might bete," the assistant reported after finishing the call. Alina


    repliedzily with a nasal voice, indicating that she got it. Her patience was almost gone.


    Ten minutester, the owner was still a no-show. The assistant called again, but thendy''s line


    was busy this time. He tried again and again. He just couldn''t get through. He panicked. Alina was


    not a patient or forgiving boss. If looks could kill, the assistant would be lying on the floor.


    Twenty minuteste, the owner finally called. The assistant picked up quickly. He asked, "Where are


    you now? Do you have any clue who you''re meeting with?" His tone was full of anxiety and fury.


    Unexpectedly, thendy said, "I''m sorry, but my car broke down along the way. I''m afraid I can''t


    make it today. Take a rain check?"


    The assistant was totally speechless. He took a deep breath to suppress the impulse to berate this


    person and unleash a string of curses. "How could you stand Ms. Tang up? Do you want to do


    business in H City anymore?"


    What bothered the assistant was that Alina would be mad no matter what. ''I''m so dead!'' he thought.


    Thendy kept apologizing to him. He blew her off and hung up. Alina might have her nose in a


    magazine, but she was getting more and more anxious. He cleared his throat. "Excuse me, Ms.


    Tang..." Alina looked up at him without saying anything.


    The assistant had to bite the bullet and continue, "Thendy can''t make it today. She wants to


    make another appointment with you."


    Alina mmed the magazine on the table. It hit her coffee cup and knocked it over. The coffee


    soaked the magazine and finally dripped off the table, staining the ground. The scent of coffee was


    much stronger now.


    Seeing her do that, the assistant hurriedly called a waitress over to clean up the mess.


    Alina tried hard to control her temper and red at the assistant. "She wasted 30 minutes of my


    time. Now you''re telling me she can''t make it! She''s got some balls!"


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    "She said his car broke down on the way here. Ms. Tang, you have a business meetingter on.


    How about we reschedule your meeting with the owner for tomorrow?" The assistant knew clearly


    that Alina had decided on this shop no matter what, because it was so close to James'' office.


    Instead of making more excuses for thendy, he decided move the meeting date.


    Silently, Alina grabbed her purse and left the coffee shop. The assistant jogged over to the counter


    to pay the bill and followed her.


    At HM Group, Maria swaggered out of the bathroom stall.


    She put her cell phone into her pocket, humming while she washed her hands in the sink.


    Standing in front of the basin and freshening herself in the mirror, she smirked. ''Alina Tang, how


    does it feel to be stood up?''


    She didn''t know whether Alina even cared. Her assistant was certainly nervous. But Maria was in an


    extremely good mood. Alina had a terrible temper, so Maria guessed she must be hopping mad


    right about now.


    Her guess was correct. Sitting in the car under the scorching sun, Alina daydreamed about


    purchasing the whole building where the shop was located.


    Even though she was the most prominent celebrity in the city, her worth was peanutspared


    to that of James.


    A building in the central business district was not that easy to acquire. The person needed to be as


    wealthy as the crown prince from Saudi Arabia with the power to do anything. So Alina just had to


    roll with the punches even though she was stood up. She hit the road back to herpany and


    addressed stockholders with a dour face.


    Alina knew James was on a business trip today; otherwise she would have gone to HL Group and


    comin to him. Maybe James would purchase that building and teach thendy a lesson to


    make her happy.


    Alina''s assistant made another appointment with the owner for the same time the next day. They


    never imagined Alina would be left in the lurch again under the scorching sun. Moreover, the


    landy even didn''t apologize when the assistant called her. Her line had been busy the whole


    time.


    Although Alina was smarter and sat inside this time, she totally went insane when her assistant let


    her know. Heedless of her image, she cursed loudly, her words echoing through the cafe. "Who the


    hell does she think she is? Why did she set up an appointment and stand me up again? Does she


    really think the Tang family couldn''t do anything to her?"


    Her assistant didn''t dare utter a peep. He just nodded and bowed, listening to Alina''sints.


    Turning to him, Alina pointed at her assistant and continued, "And you! You''re supposed to help me


    out! You never met the owner in person and asked me to wait for her¡ªtwice. If it happens again,


    you''re so fired!" Then she stalked out of the coffee shop and drove away, leaving her assistant


    behind. Alina had made up her mind. She would take this shop. If she could just meet the owner,


    she would definitely teach her a lesson!


    After Alina left, the assistant called the owner again, intending to give her a piece of his mind. This


    time the call was connected. However, the person on the other end of the line hung up the phone as


    soon as she heard the assistant''s curse. ring at his cell phone, Alina''s assistant wanted to kill


    that woman!

 Chapter 13 Im The Landlady

    Chapter 13 I''m The Landy


    In the early morning, the employees rushed to work, and so did Maria. With her long, wavy hair


    loose, she ran towards the HM Group''s elevators on the first floor.


    As she saw that the doors to one of the elevators were about to close, she eximed, "Hold on!"


    She pressed the button in time to stop it from going up.


    There were three people in the elevator. A man in his forties, standing in the front, and two others in


    the back who seemed to be his assistants. All three of them were staring at Maria, but she didn''t


    seem to notice their gazes or the awkward atmosphere in there. With an apologetic smile, she said


    to them, "Please excuse me, or I''ll bete for work."


    Stepping into the elevator in her high heels, she turned around and pressed the button to close the


    doors.


    The next moment, she proceeded to press the 22nd-floor button, where the secretary department


    was located.


    Breaking the silence, the woman standing behind her asked sternly, "Which department are you


    from?" Maria turned to her in confusion. "Are you asking me?"


    The woman nodded nkly.


    Maria smoothed her long hair and answered politely, "Oh, I''m from the secretary department. I''m


    new here."


    The woman''s suspicions were confirmed, and she said, "No wonder. Miss, be careful next time. This


    is the CEO''s exclusive elevator. You can''t take this one."


    "Oops! I''m sorry for that. Thanks for letting me know!" Maria brought a hand to cover her mouth in


    shock. As the elevator got quiet again, she thought about it for a while and then looked at the man


    standing in the front before saying gently, "Excuse me, sir. Are you Mr. Zheng, the CEO of our HM


    Group?"


    With a trace of amusement in his eyes, the man nodded. "It''s okay. You didn''t know. Just pay


    attention next time."


    Maria put down her hand, revealing her lovely red lips once more, and looked at him with


    admiration. "Mr. Zheng, this is really nice of you! By the way, I didn''t expect you to be so young! I


    always thought that someone who manages such a bigpany would be in his fifties, but you look


    as if you''re in your thirties at the most. How amazing!"


    Everyone could tell that she was intentionally ttering Colby Zheng, but the point was that she


    sounded as natural as if she was telling him the truth. Moreover, Maria was an attractive woman, so


    her words were quite pleasing to Colby''s ears.


    Colby chuckled. "Thank you. I''m so ttered. You should consider working in the PR department


    instead!" Out of the corner of his eye, Colby scanned her up and down and noticed that she had


    nice curves and, overall, was really good looking. It was a pity that she wasn''t working in the PR


    department indeed.


    Maria nodded, her cheeks blushing. She wanted to say a few more words, but as they were almost


    on the 22nd floor, she tried to sum all up as fast as she could. "Mr. Zheng, thank you so much for


    giving me a ride. I hope I didn''t waste too much of your time. I promise I won''t make such a mistake


    again. I''ll work hard to contribute as much as I can to ourpany! Nice meeting you."


    Colby nodded dly at her sincere words. "Good! Keep up with your hard work!"


    On her high heels, Maria left the elevator elegantly, soon disappearing from the three people''s sight.


    Once the elevator doors closed again, the smile on Maria''s face gradually faded. Rumor had it that


    Colby''s current wife was in her twenties. Why would such a young woman be willing to marry an


    ugly, old man if not for his money?


    ''Is it true love? Oh, please! I don''t buy it!'' Maria''s lips curled up into a sneer.


    Maria had already experienced the so-called true love from the wealthy families'' perspective and


    got burned. Therefore, she reminded herself, ''Maria, the one you should love and cherish the most


    in the world is yourself!''


    After two failed meeting attempts with thendy of the shop she wanted to rent, Alina didn''t


    request to meet her for the third time in Miracle Cafe. Instead, she wanted to see her at her house.


    However, thendy told her to meet her at HM Group, where she worked in the secretary


    department. In H City, the Tang Group and the HM Group were equally influential. Hence, it wasn''t


    hard for Alina to figure out thendy''s position and sry. She couldn''t help feeling confused.


    Why would a woman who owned a shop in the central business district not live on its rental? For


    what purpose would she endure such a low-wage job?


    Despite not making sense of it, Alina went to HM Group with her assistant as scheduled. If she got


    stood up again, she would definitely make thendy suffer.


    In the secretary department''s reception room, the employees brought tea and desserts to Alina as


    soon as she sat down. It happened that everyone knew who she was and, therefore, wanted to


    pamper her.


    Fortunately, thendy showed up on time. A couple of minutes after Alina was settled, her


    assistant came in and reported, "Ms. Tang, thendy is here."


    Alina heaved a sigh of relief. Finally, she could meet this person. However, the next moment, the


    anger of getting stood up twice resurfaced. ''I must teach this woman a lesson!'' Alina thought.


    Soon, the door of the reception room was pushed open, and a woman in a suit walked in. Alina''s


    assistant followed her and closed the door. The instant Alinaid eyes on her, she gaped.


    Next, she blurted out, "Maria Song, what are you doing here?" Alina wondered when Maria came


    out of the hospital.


    Maria walked in with a smile and didn''t say anything until she was sitting down across from Alina.


    "I''m here to discuss the rent with you, dear cousin."


    "The rent? Who are you? I''m here to speak to thendy herself!" Crossing her arms over her


    chest, Alina stared at Maria in confusion.


    Maria looked into Alina''s eyes and stressed each syble. "I am thendy."


    "Impossible!" Alina''s confusion soon turned into utter shock. "How could you afford to buy a shop in


    such an expensive location? It''s impossible!"


    Maria was d to see her astonishment. "You heard it right, Alina. The shop is mine!" At that


    moment, Maria pulled out her cell phone. As she scrolled down the screen, she found a picture of


    the real estate certificate of her shop and showed it to Alina''s assistant.


    Zooming in the picture, the assistant put it before Alina''s eyes. Now she could clearly read Maria''s


    name as the property owner.


    Alina lost herposure. "How could a poor woman like you afford this? Oh, wait! I got it! Did


    Norman Shen give it to you?" Alina did the quick math in her head. The averagemercial


    property price in the central business district of H City was 22 thousand dors per square meter,


    and that shop had 500 square meters, which meant that it had cost her at least 7.5 million dors in


    total.


    Alina looked at Maria with disdain. There was no way she could have afforded it. It must have been


    Norman who bought it for her.


    Maria stood up and walked to her, taking her phone back. Calmly, she reminded Alina, "It doesn''t


    matter if Norman gave it to me or not. The point is that I''m thendy of the shop you want to rent.


    Now, it''s up to me whether I''ll allow you to or not."


    Alina looked Maria up and down again. Although she was wearing an ordinary suit, she acted as a


    legit businesswoman, totally different from the woman she used to be six years ago. At that


    moment, Alina started to take her theory more seriously that Maria wasn''t as innocent as she


    seemed and that the real purpose behind her return wasn''t so obvious. "So, you deliberately stood


    me up twice?" Alina asked knowingly.


    Leaning against the desk next to Alina, Maria bent over and whispered in her ear, "You can bet I


    did!"


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    No one had ever dared to provoke Alina in this way. Moreover, the person defying her was Maria,


    who she had always deemed as a coward. Alina''s face darkened as she stood up, raising a hand to


    p her cousin across the face.


    Yet Maria held Alina''s arm before she couldy a finger on her and casually advised, "If you want to


    rent that ce, you''ll behave yourself and talk to me respectfully. Don''t dare to touch me, or you can


    leave!" Then she shook off Alina''s arm, releasing her rather forcefully.


    Alina staggered, losing her bnce. The assistant was too far away to get to her on time. If she


    hadn''t held to the chair beside her, she would have fallen to the floor. Embarrassed and angry, Alina


    rubbed her sore arm and yelled, "Are you out of your mind, Maria?"


    In the past, Maria was the least favored member of the Song family. After she married James, his


    stepmother never liked her. She had always been so obedient and gentle; never had she been so


    disrespectful to Alina before.


    Noticing that Alina was at a disadvantage, her assistant stood in front of her protectively and


    warned, "Ms. Song, if you don''t stop, you can''t me us for being rude!"


    Maria ignored the assistant and straightly asked the embarrassed woman behind him, "Alina, what


    do you n to do with my shop after you rent it? Let''s see if theyout meets your requirements."

 Chapter 14 A Startling Revelation

    Chapter 14 A Startling Revtion


    Maria was a fantastic actress. She acted like she really cared about Alina''s business idea.


    Gripping the back of the chair tightly, Alina took a deep breath and told her, "I want to use it as the


    headquarters for my chain of salons." There was no reason to hide it. Her beauty salon had more


    than a dozen chain stores in H City already, and she nned to make this shop in the central


    business district as the base of operations.


    Although Alina kept her cool and her tone remained even, inside she was shouting furiously. ''I didn''t


    go far enough six years ago. I should have killed Maria instead of making her a mute!"


    Maria smiled back at her. "What a coincidence! I was nning on opening a beauty salon there too.


    So there''s no way I can rent it to you. You''d bepetition."


    Done talking for now, she stood up and walked to the door, heedless of Alina''s dour face. Alina''s


    assistant stepped in her way, but Maria just pushed him aside.


    "Maria, stop!" No one had ever made Alina this mad. Maria had dangled a metaphorical carrot in


    front of Alina, and yanked it away when she was this close. She had taken Alina''s dream and


    stomped on it. How could she let Maria just walk out like this?


    Maria ignored her. She paused in the doorway long enough to say, "What did you expect? I haven''t


    even started with you yet. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Do you remember what you did to me?


    How you drugged me? How you hit on James while we were still married? You''re lucky I let you off


    this easy!"


    After saying that, Maria walked out of the reception room and mmed the door behind her.


    Bang! Enraged, Alina swept the tea set off the table, sending it crashing to the floor. She was so


    mad she could barely breathe. ''Damn you, Maria Song! This is war! I''ll be married to James soon


    enough. Remember, the Xi family kicked you to the curb. So why should I be afraid of you again?''


    And that was when Alina came up with a ster idea. She knew who could help her get revenge.


    On the way back to her desk, Maria heard the noise in the lobby but ignored it. Disregarding her


    coworkers'' gazes, she went back to work like nothing was wrong.


    Alina left the confines of HM Group and walked over to the offices of HL Group. She was pretty sure


    James was still at work.


    She took the elevator to the 66th floor. Seeing her arrival, Lorenzo stood up immediately and led


    Alina into the CEO''s office. James was on the phone. Alina rubbed her eyes on the way here, so it


    looked like she''d been crying. She sat down in the chair opposite him, and shed her usual


    arrogance. She was figuring out how best to convince him to help her.


    After a few minutes, James hung up the phone. He nced at Alina but said nothing.


    She was used to it, though. The woman startedining in a choked voice, "Oh, James! I need


    your help."


    This the first time she acted like she was heartbroken. In front of him, at least. Usually, she was


    gentle and elegant, every inch the superstar. She knew James hated weepy women. She decided


    to show him how badly she had suffered.


    Leaning back in his chair, James crossed his hands in front of his stomach. He said, "Go ahead."


    "It''s Maria! Somehow, she''s the owner of a space I want. She won''t sell it. When I tried to discuss


    the rent with her, she stood me up twice in a row. She finally showed her face today, but turned me


    down. She wants to open a beauty salon, too, she says. Probably just to spite me!"


    James was quiet, but Alina was sure he was listening. Wiping her invisible tears, she continued to


    appeal to his charity with a bitter face. "I don''t care so much about being stood up. After all, she''s


    my cousin. But she crossed the line this time, don''t you think?" She wanted James to do something


    to Maria. He was the most ruthless man she knew. Shouldn''t he try to make her happy? They were


    getting engaged, for heaven''s sake. Even if James wouldn''t do what she wanted, Alina could get


    her own men to take revenge. But if James agreed, she''d be able to watch.


    "She even said she came back to get even with us! No wonder her own family didn''t like her. I get it


    now. Oh, Maria! I really want that shop. It''s right next to HL Group, spitting distance from you," Alina


    said, a blush spreading across her cheeks. Her watery eyes stared at James expectantly.


    Pausing to make sure Alina was done talking, James nodded. "I see. Summer will help you with it."


    Alina believed that she could definitely get that shop if James helped her. Tears of joy welled in her


    eyes. She stood up and walked up to James ecstatically. Holding his arm, Alina said in a teasing


    tone, "James, that''s so sweet of you! Thank you! After we get married, I''ll do my best to be a good


    wife. I''ll try to be worthy of the title Mrs. Xi."


    Alina''s perfume was too heavy, so James covertly took steps to avoid getting too close. He picked


    up the phone and pressed the button to get an internal line. "Summer, pleasee to my office."


    Summer entered his office after a curt knock. She greeted both of them. "Mr. Xi, Ms. Tang. You


    wanted me?"


    "I need you to acquire Maria Song''s property on South Town Street," James replied.


    Summer was startled by this turn of events. But she gathered her wits quickly. The woman nced


    at Alina and nodded. "Yes, Mr. Xi." She had been trying to find the time to dine with Maria, and this


    opportunity dropped in herp. She could now officially meet with her.


    Later that day, Summer called Maria. Maria was not surprised at all. When she saw who it was, she


    picked up the phone. "Hey, Summer! You know what I''ve been jonesing for? That hotpot on


    Bamboo River Road. Is it still open?"


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Summer smiled, noting the excitement in her tone. "I don''t know. Maybe we should find out. When


    do you want to meet up?"


    "ASAP!" They agreed there was no time like the present.


    The hotpot restaurant was still there. It had been one of the more popr eateries in town, and still


    was. Seeing each other, the two women gave each other a big hug. Holding Maria''s hand and


    taking a good look at her, Summer was impressed. "How are you? It''s been so long! You''ve only


    gotten hotter. No wonder everyone was jealous."


    shing her a big smile, Maria pinched her cheek. Then they sat down face to face. "Oh, stop!


    You''ve always been gorgeous too. Your cheeks have gotten rosier, I think. So what''s new?"


    "I married my college sweetheart!" When Summer said this, a glint of happiness appeared in her


    eyes. She naughtily waved her left hand, the small diamond sparkling on her ring finger.


    Maria sighed exaggeratedly, "Whoa! Congrattions! You work so hard, where did you find the


    time?"


    Summerughed. "Maybe we should order something!"


    They''d been friends since Maria and James tied the knot. Summer was James'' special assistant.


    She helped them with everything, public and private.


    Initially, it was just a work rtionship. But Maria and Summer became fast friends. Maria was


    always kind and generous. Summer was organized and had great ideas. They''d lost touch for six


    long years, but they were still friends.


    Summer picked up a piece of cooked beef tripe from the boiling pot and put it onto Maria''s te.


    She asked, "Why did you show up with Norman Shen at Alina''s birthday party?"


    "I wanted to piss off James," the woman answered honestly, and smiled in self-mockery. "But it


    didn''t work. I guess he doesn''t care about me at all."


    Maria wasn''t dumb. James probably knew she went to Fairview Vi after the party. He let her stand


    outside all night.


    ''He''s even more cold-blooded than I thought,'' Maria thought to herself. She chewed her food hard,


    imagining she was feasting on James'' bones.


    "I wouldn''t say that. Mr. Xi cares about you to the tune of 300 mil. That''s how much you got in


    alimony, right?" James had always been indifferent to everyone and nobody could tell what was on


    his mind. However, after working with him for several years, Summer believed James cared for


    Maria.


    Their son died while Maria was taking care of him. That was why James put the me on her.


    Hearing that, Maria paused, chopsticks in hand. She looked at Summer and asked, "I beg your


    pardon? 300 million dors? Where''d youe up with that figure?" When she left H City six years


    ago, she only had a couple hundred in the bank.


    Summer was a little confused by her reaction. "What''s wrong, Maria?"


    But she was there. She heard James ask Lorenzo to make it happen. So Maria should have the 300


    million, right?


    Maria couldn''t believe her ears. "You sure about that, Summer?"

 Chapter 15 Fired

    Chapter 15 Fired


    "Oh yeah. I overheard Lorenzo talking with Mr. Xi. He told him the money had been transferred to


    your ount. What''s going on, Maria? You never received that money at all, huh? Oh my god!"


    Summer was stunned, gasping for breath.


    Maria nodded. At the moment, aplicated feeling squirmed in her heart. She had no clue James


    had given her 300 million dors. ''So what did he mean by that? Did he care about me? Even just a


    little?''


    Summer put down her chopsticks and murmured, "Then where did the money go?"


    ''Good question!'' Maria thought. She was also racking her brains trying to find the answer. After a


    while, Maria came to a sobering conclusion. "I bet it was Lorenzo. Judy''s involved in this too! I just


    know it!"


    Judy Lan was James'' stepmother, Maria''s former mother-inw. Judy never liked Maria, and was


    just waiting for a reason to kick her out of the Xi family.


    "Seriously? So Lorenzo lied to James and stole 300 million! That takes some balls." Summer


    struggled to keep calm. Her breath wasing in short, quick bursts. She couldn''t believe what she


    was hearing.


    Maria picked up the chopsticks and ate another bite. "It doesn''t matter. I''ll do some sleuthingter.


    Just forget it for now, Summer. I''m starving!" ''No matter who took the money, I''ll make them pay up!''


    Maria made up her mind. She couldn''t rely on Summer this time because the thieves were James''


    so-called family. James probably wouldn''t believe Maria if she told him. She needed proof.


    Finishing the hotpot and bidding Maria farewell, Summer went home and changed her clothes


    beforeing back to work. Then she reported what she and Maria had agreed on. "Mr. Xi, I''m


    sorry. I couldn''t convince Ms. Song to sell the property. She said she wants to discuss it with you in


    person."


    James looked up at Summer in silence. Under his gaze, she felt a little nervous, but she still forced


    herself to stand up straight and look directly ahead. In fact, she didn''t even discuss this with Maria


    at all. She was enjoying the hotpot too much. Maria told her what to tell James before they returned


    to work.


    It was only a handful of seconds, but it felt like forever. Still staring at Summer, James gave her


    another order. "Get the word out. Let everyone in H City know not to hire Maria Song."


    Hearing that, Summer''s heart skipped a beat. She looked at James, wanting to put in a good word


    for Maria. "Mr. Xi, I''m afraid..." He gave her a deadly look, and she bit back her words.


    ''Sorry, Maria. My hands are tied. Mr. Xi is the guy who signs my paychecks." Summer lowered her


    head, feeling guilty.


    No one dared to disobey James.


    That night, HM Group fired Maria. They gave her a bogus excuse for the firing. She had no idea till


    she showed up the next morning for work.


    The department head came to her in person. He circled around her with a serious face, looking her


    up and down. Atst, he said, "Maria Song, you didn''t fasten thest button of your uniform. Since


    you don''t care about your personal image, you''re fired! Clear out your desk and leave!"


    Amused by the reason for her dismissal, Maria was speechless. It was almost like a prank.


    She''d never heard such a ridiculous thing. She was pissed off and immediately threw the folder on


    the table. "That ispletelyme! What about those who have two or even three buttons


    undone?"


    Frightened, everyone else in the office lowered their head to check if their buttons were all done up.


    The department head was frightened by her reaction. He didn''t expect her to fight back. He


    scratched his forehead with his little finger and said with a frown, "Look, you''re new, and still on


    probation. I decide whether you stay or go. Don''t make this any harder than it has to be. Just pack


    up your stuff."


    Maria was not willing to give in. "I''ve been here ten days, and my record is exemry. I need a


    reason, not an excuse!" She crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked him in the eye.


    The department head was just following orders. It was nothing personal. He struggled with this for a


    moment and got closer to her, looking around to make sure no one was keeping tabs on him.


    "Listen," he whispered. "Did you piss off the wrong person or something?"


    His boss told him she had angered James. But he wasn''t about to let her know that.


    Maria was smart. She got it, and knew exactly what was going on. She wasn''t angry at the


    department head; he was just doing as he was told. "Okay, I get it. I''ll pack up my stuff. It''s not your


    fault."


    ''So it was James who arranged this. Good job!'' Maria nodded.


    Without saying another word, she started to box up her stuff and left with her belongings.


    After canning the firebrand, the department head breathed a sigh of relief. He wiped the sweat from


    his forehead.


    When Maria returned to her hotel room, she fired off resumes to otherpanies, going through


    their application process. They turned her down right away.


    If this were James'' work, then he was being thorough. He didn''t just want her fired, he wanted her


    out of the city. Maria smiled helplessly.


    ''At least I have already met Colby Zheng,'' thought Maria.


    When Alina got the news, she was in a spa with Ste. The y mask on her face almost cracked


    when she smiled. Things couldn''t be going better. Her assistant said that James arranged things so


    Maria couldn''t find a job anywhere in H City. Alina was ecstatic.


    What James did made her feel so much better. She wasn''t mad anymore. And it proved how much


    James cared about her.


    Looking at Alina with admiration, Ste gushed, "Alina, Mr. Xi loves you so much! I heard she got


    fired. Ha! She''s so screwed!"


    "Maria is just too arrogant and over-confident. How could she hope toe out on top? She''s too


    naive!" Alina''s tone was full ofcency. She believed James could help her get the shop she


    wanted. ''That shop is as good as mine!''


    "Exactly! Who does she think she is?" Nodding hard, Ste believed that she was right to side with


    Alina. After Alina married him, James also would more or less take care of the Qin family for Alina''s


    sake.


    Alina was in a good mood all day. After leaving the beauty salon, she bought Ste a handbag with


    a hefty price tag. It cost hundreds of thousands of dors. After James had screwed Maria over, he


    waited for her to voluntarily hand the space over. He thought she''d be out of options and have to


    leave H City quickly.


    However, it didn''t work out like he nned. Instead of begging for mercy or leaving, Maria hired a


    designer for her shop. The interior construction started a few dayster. James heard the news


    when he asked Summer for an update on the property.


    After work, he swung by the area. In the silence of the night, he parked the car and stared through


    the fishbowl window out front. Summer was right. Someone was working inside.


    James leaned against the seat and rubbed his hands together. ''Why is this taking so long? I''ve


    crushed everyone else who challenged me.'' It had been so long since someone dared to do this


    that he''d forgotten how he dealt with them.


    Maria was really stubborn. He had to do something. He didn''t care if she was a woman or not. It


    was time for more drastic measures.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Rolling along the street, the ck Harkim suddenly stopped at an intersection. Lorenzo turned


    around and exined the situation to his boss. "Sorry for the sudden stop, Mr. Xi. Maria Song is


    standing in the middle of the street. I couldn''t just run her over."


    Without raising his head, James said, "Funny, that''s just what I was going to order you to do. Make


    it so." Lorenzo nodded, "Yes, Mr. Xi." An evil smile spread across his face. Maybe he''d be rid of her


    for good.


    Lorenzo was about to gun it, when there came a knock at the rear window. It was Maria. "James Xi,


    open up! Let''s talk."


    Her voice was somewhat muffled by the pane of ss between them, but everyone in the car could


    hear her.


    Ignoring it, Lorenzo was about to speed up and drive away, but the man in the back seat signaled


    for him to stop. He rolled down the window, nced at Maria briefly, and ignored her in favor of the


    document he was working on.


    A sweltering gust of air hit them, making them even more ufortable. "I know you want that


    space, James Xi. I can give it to you."


    "What''s the catch?" the man asked, closing the file folder without looking up.


    Maria didn''t answer his question right away. She smiled and asked, "It''s really hot out here. Do me a


    solid and let''s talk about this inside."


    James'' eyes darkened and he seemed a little unhappy, but he finally uttered, "Get in."


    He thought that Maria would get in the car from the other side, but she didn''t. After Lorenzo


    unlocked the doors, Maria opened the door on James'' side. Then she tried to squeeze in. "Move


    over. I''m slim enough, but there''s not enough room!"


    Her soft body pressed against his. Unexpectedly, James caught her familiar scent He frowned. As if


    she didn''t notice how awkward the situation was, Maria continued pushing him over. James'' face


    darkened even more. "Can''t find a ce to sit? Then get out!"

 Chapter 16 Humiliation From James

    Chapter 16 Humiliation From James


    Seeing that James was pissed off, Maria stopped pushing him before he left at once and smiled


    fawningly. "It''s alright. I''ll sit over there!" Holding the door handle, she pointed with her free hand to


    the empty seat beside the man.


    For the second time, James thought she was going to step back and get in the car from the other


    side. However, Maria closed the door behind her and began to cross over his legs to sit on his left.


    It was summer, and the weather was hot, so Maria wore a white mid-length cardigan with arge


    belt over it and a beige tank top inside. She looked neat and innocent.


    While she moved inside the car, she had her face towards James. When she bent down to keep her


    bnce, her cleavage was exposed to his eyes.


    James had a good memory. So looking at her body, the image of all the nights they spent making


    love several years ago flooded back.


    His breath frequency changed rapidly, and all of a sudden, he grabbed Maria''s wrist to stop her from


    moving altogether. He ordered between his teeth, "Get out!" He had lost interest in negotiating with


    her. The next day, he would ask his subordinates to acquire the whole building where the shop was


    located. Obviously, this woman was just trying to hit on him.


    The moment James pulled her towards the door, Maria fell into his arms. He wondered if she did it


    on purpose.


    Then her fragrance reached his nose. It was a mixture of tuberose and musk, the same one she


    wore that night she left Fairview Vi.


    Maria was also taken aback by her fall. Since they were in a car, it was difficult for her to keep her


    bnce while she moved. Although she didn''t expect it to happen, she took the chance and


    deliberately sat on hisp. The space of the Hakim was wider than of an ordinary car. Therefore,


    Maria seeded in shifting into that position easily. Now they were left looking into each other''s


    eyes and exchanging breaths.


    Before James lost his temper, Maria quickly brought her lips to his ear and whispered softly, "James


    Xi, I''ll give you what you want. I don''t mind if you''re just trying to please another woman. My only


    condition is that you''ll give yourself to me in exchange."


    James'' eyes glinted with rage, but Maria didn''t seem to notice it. Instead, she continued to provoke


    him. Touching his earlobe first, she then swept her fingertips across his face and finally rested her


    hand on his tie. "I know you have a lot of women. Certainly, you won''t mind if I be one of them,


    right?" From her behavior, it was clear that she was not there to talk business. Hiding the armrest


    beside the seat, James turned her over and pressed the woman against the back seat. "Maria


    Song, don''t test my patience!"


    Maria didn''t mind Lorenzo in the driver''s seat and wrapped her arms around James'' neck before


    whispering in his ear again, "Of course not. Who am I to dare to test your patience? I just want to


    talk to you. As the saying goes, one night of love is worth a hundred days of friendship. For the sake


    of our many nights of love, I should be treated differently from all of your other women, don''t you


    think? Nowe on, don''t be so cold to me!"


    James'' eyes showed no sign of emotion as he said, "In my heart, you''re indeed different from other


    women."


    Maria knew that this ruthless man would respond with something harsh. James Xi had never said a


    word of kindness or had to please anyone in his life. Hence, she was ready for what mighte


    next.


    As she had predicted, the man was abnormally cold-hearted when he added, "Unlike them, I think


    you should disappear off the face of the Earth."


    Suddenly, his right hand closed tightly around Maria''s neck as he exerted more and more force on


    it.


    Maria was having a hard time breathing but didn''t give up. She stared at the man''s eyes and


    continued to provoke him. "I''m back whether you like it or not, James Xi, and you won''t be able to


    get rid of me! Soon, I''ll be lying in your bed, sitting in your car, spending your hard-earned money...


    Ahem... I''ll fuck your brains out... Hmm... You''ll fall in love with me, and I''ll have your babies.


    Eventually, you''ll see that the world goes round, and it will teach you a lesson."


    Maria''s words were not empty threats. She had just outlined her entire n in front of him, but


    neither man in the car took her seriously. They thought this was only nonsense from a woman


    whose brain was running out of oxygen. As her face started to turn purple, James loosened his grip


    on her neck and indifferently took out a wet tissue to wipe his hands.


    "Ahem! Ahem!" As soon as she was free, Maria shrank in the seat, gasping desperately for air. ''How


    could I forget this man''s propensity for violence? This is not the first time he wanted to strangle me.


    What a jerk!'' Watching as he wiped his hands calmly, Maria''s lips curled into a sneer.


    Maria was not afraid of him. After all, she had been on the edge of life and death before. But one


    thing was certain, the more James tortured her now, the more he would regret itter.


    At that moment, James pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. "Take a few men to Room


    666 of Leopard Club." Then he hung up the phone, and Lorenzo started the car, driving away from


    where he was parked. Coming back to her senses and adjusting her breath, Maria sat up and


    leaned against the back seat. Heaving a sigh of relief, she said, "Forget it.


    Neither you nor Alina can have my shop."


    James didn''t respond and kept looking out the window until the car finally stopped in front of the


    Leopard Club.


    nning to leave this heartless man at once, Maria was about to get out of the car when she was


    rudely grabbed by the wrist again. Unable to get rid of James, she was forced to follow him outside.


    The man ignored the curious gazes from the passers-by and pulled her to the club entrance.


    On her high-heels, Maria tripped several times along the way. Every time she staggered, she would


    pull back James'' arm slightly, but he didn''t slow down or seemed to care.


    "James Xi, can you please be a gentleman for once? I''m a woman in high-heels!" Maria shouted.


    He just ignored her as if he didn''t hear her plead at all. Maria kept struggling to get rid of his grip


    around her but failed.


    She was dragged into the club and then taken straight to Room 666.


    As soon as the door to the private room was opened, James threw Maria in. She lost her bnce


    and fell awkwardly on the floor.


    Fortunately, the floor was carpeted, which prevented Maria from getting hurt.


    After cursing James'' name a few times in her heart, she straightened her long hair and raised her


    head, wondering why he had brought her to that ce. Besides the two of them, another six men


    were standing in the private room. They were all tall and well-built, wearing their ck suits.


    It didn''t take Maria long to realize these were James'' bodyguards, the same ones so skilled in the


    martial arts.


    James sat on the sofa and elegantly crossed his legs as he coldly said, "This woman is horny. Take


    her as a gift for you guys. Enjoy!"


    Maria''s eyes first widened in shock and then in disappointment. Reluctant to let James see her


    heartbreak, she stood up from the floor and red at him. "What you''ve just said? I dare you to say


    it again!"


    Her beautiful eyes shed with a mixture of disbelief and incisiveness, which soon shifted into pure


    hatred. Noticing that, James fell silent for a moment.


    He uncrossed his legs, deep in thought. ''What''s to be afraid of? Why should I care?'' In the end, he


    just wanted to humiliate this woman and see how much she could bear. Therefore, more cruel


    words fell from his thin lips. "You want to get fucked, don''t you? I''m sure you''ll have a great time


    with the guys!"


    Maria couldn''t believe the asshole dared to say such a thing to her face again. She was fuming.


    Even though he was James Xi, she wouldn''t allow him to humiliate her in this way.


    The woman stepped forward aggressively, and on her way to James, she took from the table a


    ss of beer that was put there especially for him. James leaned back on the sofa as if he was


    about to watch a good show. Driven by rage, Maria threw the liquid at him. "James Xi, you''re a


    fucking asshole!"


    The beer sshed all over the man''s tailored suit, ruining nearly a million dors in an instant.


    James'' face darkened immediately. Although he had watched her every move intently, he never


    thought she would have the guts to go through with her n. ''I''ve underestimated you, bitch!''


    No one in H City would ever dare to attack James as she did now. Usually, people would kneel and


    beg for his mercy immediately, but since this woman kept provoking him and pissing him off, he


    wouldn''t mind showing her the consequences.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    The bodyguards, standing aside, lowered their heads in silence. It was the first time they saw


    James in such a situation. James, on his turn, was obviously enraged as he quietly took deep


    breaths to get his emotions under control. ''Maria Song, how could I have not seen the bold and


    ungovernable woman you are before? It seems you''ve been rejected by my family for a reason. But


    I''ll teach you to never mistake me for a gentleman again!'' He waved to the bodyguards as he


    thought.


    As soon as Maria threw the beer on him, she regretted it. ''God! What have I done? He''s James Xi,


    and I''m standing here alone now with him and his men. Besides, I still want him to do me a favor.


    Oh, Maria Song! You''re so stupid!'' Before she could figure out a way to exin herself, a few


    guards rushed over and rudely subdued her from behind.

 Chapter 17 Ill Make Your Life A Living Hell

    Chapter 17 I''ll Make Your Life A Living Hell


    Coming back to her senses, Maria turned around and skillfully got away from the bodyguards'' grip.


    The men froze, unsure whether to proceed or not since James didn''t give them further instruction.


    But Maria didn''t have to wait for anything.


    With James'' fingers still imprinted on her pale neck from earlier in the car, she gasped for breath


    and red at him. Her lips curled into a sneer as she challenged, "That''s all you can do, James? If


    you have the guts, kill me! Then I can reunite with Arthur in heaven!"


    ''Arthur? How dare you mention him?''


    James pushed aside the bodyguard who was wiping the beer off him, and stood up from the sofa,


    walking to Maria. "Rest assured, I''m not going to kill you."


    As he approached, Maria felt an invisible pressure emanating from him. She knew that this man had


    something mean to add. Confirming her suspicions, James continued, "But I''ll make your life a living


    hell!"


    The next second, Maria took a deep breath and changed her tactic. Putting on a gentle smile, she


    asked, "So, you want me to have sex with your bodyguards? Well, it''s just a few men. It''s a piece of


    cake!" Maria turned and looked at the bodyguards up and down carefully. Seeing that her attitude


    suddenly softened, the men felt confused. However, they didn''t try to subdue her again.


    James stared at her coldly and didn''t say anything.


    Maria walked around the bodyguards and smiled charmingly at one. Raising his chin with a finger,


    she greeted, "Hello, handsome! Since Mr. Xi here has given us such a valuable opportunity, why


    don''t we enjoy it? Let''s go get a hotel room."


    The bodyguard didn''t move but looked at the silent man next to him, trembling with fear. He knew


    this woman wasn''t just anybody to James. How could he agree with such a proposal?


    Noticing the coward look on his face, Maria became enraged again. She then grabbed the


    bodyguard''s tie and made him stare into her eyes as she ordered, "Don''t look at him! He''s just a


    heartless man. Now, Imand you to check in a hotel room with me!"


    "Okay! I will!" Startled by her strength, the bodyguard nodded in agreement.


    James cast a nce at the woman and said, "No need to get a hotel room. Go ahead and use this


    one!" In fact, he wanted to prevent her from escaping. She must learn her lesson today!


    As soon as he finished speaking, James left the room without sparing another look at her.


    He heard Maria call him a petty man behind his back, but silently, he took Lorenzo, who was


    standing outside the private room, to a business dinner downstairs.


    The private room''s door was locked from outside, and Maria sat on the sofa angrily, cursing James


    fiercely. The next moment, she nced at the bodyguards and decided to release her rage through


    a good fight against them.


    Ten minutester, in another private room, James had just finished greeting his guests and was


    about to start having dinner when the door was pushed open unexpectedly from the outside.


    At that moment, a soft female voice came from the door. "James, could you pleasee out for a


    second?"


    Attracted by her voice, everyone in the room turned their head and saw a woman with a cigarette


    between her fingertips leaningzily against the door frame. She had her eyes fixed on the man


    sitting in the host''s seat.


    James had changed from his beer-stained navy suit to a ck one. He looked quite decent.


    Following Maria''s movements, her white cardigan slipped down from her shoulder, revealing the


    strap of her tank top inside. The men at the table couldn''t help but gulp, feeling like loosening their


    ties. Only the man in the host''s seat didn''t spare a look at her, replying in a cold tone, "Go ahead


    and tell me here."


    Maria didn''t seem tortured at all. In fact, she stood at the door, provocative. He wondered what had


    happened in the private room in these past ten minutes. Still, he couldn''t help cursing the


    bodyguards in his head, ''Losers!''


    The woman exhaled the smoke and said calmly, "I dropped my earrings while we were in your car


    just now."


    The men exchanged looks as they heard this. Noticing the bruises on the woman''s neck, everyone


    assumed that she and James must have been involved in some intense lovemaking in the car.


    Some men were indiscreet to the point of ncing between Maria and James several times.


    As if she hadn''t noticed the looks on those men''s faces, Maria added, "That pair of earrings cost me


    300 thousand dors. They were so expensive!"


    Unaffected, James told his assistant, "Lorenzo, give Ms. Song three million dors and tell her not


    to bother me again!"


    In his head, however, he couldn''t believe her audacity. ''Maria Song, how dare you ask me for


    earrings after damaging my suit? If I asked you topensate for it, it would cost you a dozen of


    your earrings. You have no shame!'' Nevertheless, James didn''t want anything to do with Maria


    anymore. After giving her 300 million dors as alimony six years ago, he didn''t care about this


    small amount of money now only to be rid of her.


    "Yes, Mr. Xi!" Lorenzo began to write a check.


    ''How can Mr. Xi give Maria Song three million dors so easily? I''d rather give it to the homeless.


    Or, at least, it could have been a bonus for all my hard work,'' Lorenzo thought, failing to mask the


    trace of disdain that shed across his face.


    Unemployed, Maria was certainly short of money, so she took the check from Lorenzo and kissed it


    happily. Before she left, shemented, "Mr. Xi, this is so generous of you! Let''s keep in touch! I''m


    just a phone call away."


    The other men exchanged looks again as Maria disappeared through the door.


    The atmosphere in the room was notably awkward then. Maria''s farewell sounded a lot like that of a


    prostitute to her client. Everyone could not help but imagine all sorts of things that might have


    happened between her and James. It seemed that they got to know a whole different side of James


    today.


    However, the man sitting in the host''s seat was James Xi, so no one dared to question his


    rtionship with that woman out loud. In their heads, they already knew the answer anyway. Some


    men smiled knowingly to each other with the thought.


    On her way out, Maria looked at the check triumphantly. Honestly, she had never bought earrings


    that cost 300 thousand dors.


    ''Mr. Xi, I''m sorry for lying to you. The earrings didn''t cost anything near what I told you, and I didn''t


    drop them in your car either.'' In reality, she dropped them in Room 666 sometime during her fight


    against the bodyguards. She didn''t bother to look for them before running downstairs. After all, it


    was just a pair of earrings worth 300 dors or so.


    As she was about to leave the club with the check, she recognized a familiar figure turning in the


    corridor. Since she was not in a hurry to get anywhere, she smiled and changed her mind about


    leaving.


    With a cold look on her face, Alina squeezed her ck purse furiously as she walked towards the


    private room in her high-heels.


    She was told that half an hour ago Maria got out of James'' car and walked hand in hand with him


    into the Leopard Club.


    As far as Alina knew, James had an important business dinner in the five-star hotel below the


    Leopard Club. ''James, why did you bring that bitch to such an asion?''


    Just the thought of Maria made Alina wish she could crush her face like the purse in her hand now.


    Ignoring the waiter chasing after her, Alina rushed to the private room where James'' dinner was


    taking ce. But as soon as she was about to push the door, she didn''t have the guts to proceed.


    How could she open that door and question the man behind it as if he owed her an exnation?


    She was just thetest woman to get involved with James. Although she believed they would get


    engaged soon, their families were yet to arrange the details. Therefore, she had no right to use


    him of anything at present.


    Moreover, now that Maria was back, Alina had to pay closer attention to her own actions so that


    James wouldn''t get tired of her.


    Considering this, Alina suppressed her anger and jealousy, turning around to ask the waiter to


    announce her presence to the people in the private room.


    The waiter nodded and announced Alina. After receiving permission to let her in, he pushed the


    door open for her. Alina immediately put on a bright smile. Almost every guest at the dinner was a


    business tycoon in H City. They were already familiar with Alina, who was a member of Tang family.


    Besides, the news that she was likely to marry James had already spread throughout the city.


    Hence, everyone greeted her politely after she came in.


    Although Maria had just left with James'' check, none of those businessmen considered mentioning


    it in front of Alina.


    They were all used to the fact that a man should be surrounded by several women. And for a


    wealthy and sessful man such as James, it couldn''t be any different. If it were, it would be an


    abnormality.


    As for Alina, the moment she realized Maria was not at the table, she heaved a sigh of relief.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Both seats next to James had already been upied. Nheless, one of them was promptly


    offered to Alina.


    After the waiter brought her the tableware, Alina gracefully raised a ss of liquor and stood up with


    an apologetic smile. "Please, forgive me for my sudden appearance. I was just passing by when I


    heard James is here, and I came to see him. I hope you don''t mind my intrusion."


    As soon as she finished her words, a man ttered her. "Of course not! We don''t mind it at all. Ms.


    Tang, soon you''ll be Mrs. Xi. It''s our honor to have you here with us!"


    "That''s right, Ms. Tang. Hopefully, you won''t forget about us once you be Mrs. Xi!"

 Chapter 18 Pretending To Be Close Cousins

    Chapter 18 Pretending To Be Close Cousins


    After being addressed as "Mrs. Xi" a few times, Alina felt much better. She drank the liquor from her


    ss and said gracefully, "Thank you!"


    James didn''t say anything. He just watched them chatting and toasting.


    Twenty minutester, the business dinner was over. Alina and James walked along the corridor arm


    in arm as the other businessmen followed the golden couple out.


    Turning in the corridor, there were only the two of them and Lorenzo when Alina pretended to ask


    casually, "James, I heard that Maria was also here tonight. Did you see her?"


    Before James could answer, an enchanting voice cut in and said, "Of course he did! It was Mr. Xi


    himself who gave me a ride here."


    Following the familiar voice and the click-ck sound of her high-heels, a white figure came into


    sight.


    Maria looked at the couple in front of her with a faint smile. It didn''t take her much to figure out that


    Alina rushed to the hotel after learning she was there with James. Of course, she could only have


    heard the news from one of James'' men. At that moment, Maria nced at the special assistant


    behind them, who remained silent the entire time.


    James, in turn, kept walking. He nned to go around Maria as if she was any other stranger.


    "James, did youe here with Maria?" Alina asked him, seemingly in shock. As he heard the


    question, James stopped and looked at Alina without a word.


    Maria sneered inwardly, ''This bitch dares to pretend she didn''t know it!'' Learning from Alina, Maria


    decided to make use of her acting skills in front of the couple as well. So she took two steps forward


    and looked at James


    affectionately. "Oh, Mr. Xi, it seems your girlfriend is upset. I''m sorry, it''s all my fault! I shouldn''t have


    gotten in your car to negotiate about the shop with you."


    Alina put on an awkward smile the second she took in Maria''s words. Quickly, she denied, "Maria,


    you''ve misunderstood me. I''m not upset. If James met with you to talk about the shop, I can


    understand it. After all, he did it for me." As Alina spoke, she moved closer to James. The two


    looked more intimate than before.


    At this moment, a whistling sound came from afar.


    Although everyone could hear it, no one knew who was responsible for it except for James. ''This


    brat! He''s been hiding from me for a whole week. What is he doing here?'' he wondered. Maria took


    advantage of the diversion and approached Alina, holding her arm and pretending to be close


    cousins. "Mr. Xi is just my ex-husband. Alina, please don''t get us wrong!


    The whistling sound stopped abruptly.


    Alina wanted to say something, but Maria didn''t give her a chance. Pulling down her cardigan


    discreetly, the bruises on her neck gotpletely exposed. Then she continued, "I''m so sorry,


    Alina. It''s all my fault. I shouldn''t have done business on my ex-husband''sp. I shouldn''t have


    hugged and kissed him. It was so wrong..."


    Assimting the words p," "hug" and "kiss," Alina was almost torn apart by jealousy. She was


    about to lose her temper when another familiar voice sounded behind them. "James! Don''t let Maria


    Song fool you!"


    A young man in a pink shirt appeared in front of them. As everyone looked at him, they recognized


    Ethan.


    Afraid that Maria would trick James, he hurried to expose her. "James, you can''t let this woman fool


    you. She didn''t look this innocent in the hospital the other day. She was quite domineering and


    skillful. I''m serious!"


    "Ethan!" Ethan shivered after hearing his name in Maria''s soft voice. Meeting her gentle eyes, he


    went mute all of a sudden. ''Damn it! She is really a temptress!


    She''s so attractive. She could easily impress anyone!'' Ethan thought to himself.


    It took the young man a long time to find his voice again. Avoiding making eye contact with Maria,


    he added, "James, don''t fall for her. She hit me three times in the hospital that day! She''s not as


    gentle as she seems! Don''t let the way she looks fool you!"


    James knew better than anyone else that this woman wasn''t gentle. After all, she had just thrown a


    full ss of beer on him.


    Alina was smart enough to stand aside and watch the show, believing that Ethan supported her as


    James'' future wife. In order to show how understanding and kind she was, Alina waited the right


    moment to cut in. "Mr. Nan, you may have misunderstood Maria. She''s a nice girl."


    However, Ethan didn''t pay any attention to her. Instead, he continued to gesticte dramatically as


    heined to James. "I stretched out one hand to help her, and all of a sudden, my face was


    pressed to the bed. I couldn''t get up easily after that. James, you know I''m not weak, right? But she


    caught mepletely off guard."


    Realizing that she had been ignored, Alina lowered her head in embarrassment and didn''t say


    anything else. Yet she kept cursing Ethan again and again in her head.


    With her arms crossed over her chest, Maria waited for Ethan to finish and said coldly, "Ethan, my


    friend, thank you for your help, by the way. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have been able to see James in


    his office the other day."


    Ethan panicked. "Maria, you liar! You''ve promised not to say anything! Besides, I''m not your friend! I


    won''t let you take advantage of me!


    When Ethan first met Maria, he felt that although she was a little fierce, he could trust her.


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    James didn''t want to waste more of his time hearing them debating. Running out of patience, he


    unhooked Alina''s arm from his and put his hands into his pockets, leaving without saying a word


    and with Lorenzo right behind him.


    The next second, Alina also chased after James in a hurry. As much as she wanted to re at


    Maria while walking past her, she didn''t want to do it in front of Ethan, so she left expressionlessly.


    Only Maria and Ethan were left in the corridor. Thetter seemed rather shocked.


    ring at him, Maria rudely reached out and pinched his ear. Ethan promptly shouted, "Maria, let


    go! I''m warning you, let go of me now!"


    Ethan felt quite humiliated. After all, nobody had ever dared to treat him this way. He considered


    fighting back, but he knew he didn''t stand a chance against the woman. Not taking his warning


    seriously, Maria threatened him instead, "If you dare to speak ill of me in front of James again, I''ll


    skin you alive!


    Ethan''s pale face flushed with pain and anger. Pulling out his cell phone, he retorted, "Stay here


    and watch. I''ll call someone over, and I''ll get rid of you today for James'' sake!"


    Maria didn''t want to argue with such a childish young man. Therefore, she let go of his ear and


    pped her hands. Looking him up and down, she suggested, "Mr. Nan, how about we help each


    other out?"


    "Why?" Ethan looked at the woman warily, rubbing his sore ear.


    "I want James. If you help me with that, I''ll do my best to help you with whatever you want in return."


    Revenge was her main focus. With James at her side, she would aplish twice more with half


    the effort than if she was on her own.


    Ethan kept rubbing his ear with a glint of anger in his eyes. ''Maria Song, don''t you believe for a


    second that I forgot what you did just now only because you changed the subject. Humph!'' Then he


    answered without hesitation, "Who doesn''t want James? I want him, too. Can you help me with


    that?"


    "Why not?" Maria shrugged.


    Ethan sneered. "Humph! I don''t believe you! Besides, there are plenty of women who want my help


    to get together with James. You''re just one in a million. Perhaps if you beg me, I''ll consider it."


    ''Beg you? Dream on!'' Maria rolled her eyes at him. "Call me if you change your mind!"


    She believed that once Ethan thought it over, he would agree to help her.


    Meanwhile, in his car, James told Lorenzo, "Send Alina home first."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    The car became quiet.


    After a while, Alina said cautiously, "James, if Maria doesn''t feelfortable letting out the shop, I


    believe we should give up. Her life''s already pathetic enough. I don''t want to make things more


    difficult than they are for her!"


    James withdrew his gaze from the scenery outside the window and stared at the woman sitting next


    to him with his deep, dark eyes. Alina trembled with fear as he was silent. Atst, he uttered,


    "Lorenzo, start the acquisition of the building next to HL Group tomorrow." The building he referred


    to was the one where Maria''s shop was located.


    ''Give up?'' James snorted inwardly. He had never failed to get what he wanted.

 Chapter 19 The Building Acquisition

    Chapter 19 The Building Acquisition


    As she heard James'' order, Alina widened her eyes and covered her mouth in shock. "Oh, James!


    You don''t have to do this for me." She choked with a sob as if she was moved by his gesture.


    James didn''t pay attention to her performance at all. He just closed his eyes, deep in thought. ''Maria


    Song, you wanted go against me, didn''t you? Who do you think you are? It seems you still haven''t


    learned your lesson!'' Alina''s whining reached James'' ears. Annoyed, he frowned and stated, "That''s


    my final decision!"


    Alina didn''t dare to insist any more. Instead, she came closer to him and said coyly, "Thank you,


    James. It''s so sweet of you!"


    James didn''t respond to herpliment or her physical proximity. With his eyes still closed, he


    pretended to take a nap.


    Alina didn''t mind his attitude. As long as he was willing to screw over Maria, she was happy.


    ''Maria Song, you idiot! You''vepletely infuriated James. This time, I''m afraid you won''t be able to


    bounce back!'' Alina bent her head slightly to hide a smirk.


    She couldn''t wait to tell Maria about James decision. She should get ready for a good show.


    Once they arrived at the Tang family''s vi, Alina invited James in for a cup of tea. She wished he


    could stay overnight, but he left with the excuse that he had an important meetingter.


    After getting fired from HM Group, Maria was still unemployed. Since James'' influence weighed


    heavily on the entire business circle in H City, she didn''t waste her time looking for a new job. No


    company would dare to hire her anyway.


    Then she went to her shop and remained busy with the decoration inside until she was informed


    that the whole building would be acquired soon.


    Maria smiled bitterly. Perhaps she hade back to H City kind ofte. It seemed that James had


    really fallen in love with Alina, and she would have to adjust her n ordingly. She couldn''t deny


    she was a bit surprised, though. She never thought James would be willing to purchase an entire


    building in the central business district in order to spoil a woman.


    e afternoon, four women walked in Miracle Cafe.


    They were well-dressed, carrying a bunch of bags after spending the whole afternoon shopping.


    There were only a few people in the cafe at the moment, so they soon found a vacant table by the


    window and sat down.


    After ordering a cup of coffee, Ste put the menu aside and looked around the coffee shop. Her


    eyesy on a familiar figure, not so distant. Then she pulled Alina gently. "Look, Alina!"


    "What''s up?" Alina followed her gaze.


    A woman could be seen sitting in an armchair with aptop and two magazines. A cup of hot coffee


    was set on the table in front of her.


    It''d been two days since HL Group started the acquisition of the building. Alina was dying to mock


    Maria at the time, but she didn''t know where to find her. Now she ran across her cousin


    spontaneously. Alina couldn''t believe how lucky she was.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    She ordered something from the menu at random and applied some makeup before standing up.


    She walked gracefully towards Maria, but her intentions were no good. Ste followed her


    immediately, unwilling to miss the show.


    Working on herptop, Maria noticed the two women sitting across her from the corner of her eye.


    However, she ignored thempletely.


    Alina and Ste exchanged nces. Thetter decided to break the silence. "Maria, is your shop


    still being decorated?" Her question was full of sarcasm as she knew quite well that Maria wasn''t


    able to continue with the decoration.


    Without sparing them a look, Maria answered casually, "No, it was suspended." "That''s right! Mr. Xi


    has bought the whole building for Alina!" Ste told her so proudly as if James had bought the


    building for herself instead.


    Maria cast a nce at her and said, "I see." Then she went back to work on herptop.


    Looking at the datasheet, Maria noticed there was something wrong with it but couldn''t find out what


    it was. This was starting to annoy her.


    Ste was a bit embarrassed by her indifference. So, irritated, she closed Maria''sptop to grab her


    attention. "I''d like to remind you to stay away from Mr. Xi! He''s been with Alina for ten years! You''re


    nothing besides his rejected ex-wife. Don''t get your hopes up about having him back because you


    don''t deserve him!"


    Maria didn''t seem to mind Ste''s attitude. Instead, she took a sip of coffee and leaned back in the


    chair before giving Ste a reminder of her own. "Don''t you forget that an ex-wife used to be the


    wife once. Also, I did marry James, unlike you, who have no ray of hope to be anything of his


    one day. What are you so excited about?"


    ''Ten years?'' That confirmed Maria''s suspicions that James and Alina already had an affair while she


    was still married to him.


    Without giving the two women a chance to retort, Maria looked at Alina, who pretended to be aloof.


    "Besides, ording to scientific research, if a man has been with a woman for several years and


    still hasn''t married her, there''s 99% of chance that he never will."


    Alina''s face fell at the sound of that. Trying to keep herposure, she said in a low voice, "What


    do you know? If it weren''t you, I would have been married to James already!"


    "Then you''re wrong, or maybe you''ve forgotten, but it was the Xi family who asked James to marry


    ady of the Song family. James chose his wife on his own. I didn''t get involved in your rtionship


    with him. Face the facts, please!" Maria dered confidently.


    In fact, years ago, James took the initiative and went to the Song family in person.


    Alina had been paying close attention to every move from the Xi family, so of course, she knew


    about this. However, the night James went to the Song family vi, she was still in the US and


    couldn''te back in time.


    At first, she heard that James was going to choose between Maria''s two elder sisters. But in the


    end, he picked Maria, who was nobody in H City. As the most famous personality in town, Alina was


    not willing to lose to her!


    "How on earth did you defeat your two elder sisters?" Alina blurted out. She wasn''t the only one


    curious to know the answer. Maria''s sisters had also been wondering about it for years.


    "It doesn''t matter. The point is that if a man truly loves a woman, he''ll want to marry her


    immediately. He wouldn''t let her wait for a decade. He would want to give her an official title, a


    stable family, and a reliable marriage. This is not just a man''s responsibility but a straightforward


    way to express his love. As for your beloved, he didn''t marry you. Instead, he married another


    woman and gave her the title of Mrs. Xi. I don''t see how important you really are to James."


    Her words hit the nail on the head. Alina couldn''t help raising her voice, enraged. "Maria!" She was


    here to mock Maria. But it seemed that Maria got the upper hand now.


    "What? I''m warning you, Alina Tang. Don''t mess with me anymore. I used to believe you were


    capable, but now I know I was wrong." Whenever she remembered the past, Maria thought she


    must have been too stupid. Otherwise, how could she let this woman poison her, leaving her mute?


    Resisting the impulse to p Maria in the face, Alina tried her best to control her voice as she said,


    "Who do you think you are? A worthless woman dumped by James! How dare youpete with


    me?"


    "It doesn''t matter who I am, Alina. But there''s something I''ve been wanting to ask you for some


    time." Maria leaned forward and whispered to the woman in front of her, "How did you know I was


    mute once?"


    As soon as she finished speaking, she fixed her eyes on Alina and waited for a reaction. Alina


    became quite agitated. Her eyes twinkled, and she trembled nervously. After taking a few deep


    breaths, she changed the subject. "If I were you, I would be more concerned about my dead son


    than asking these questions. He was really unlucky to have you as his mother. If it weren''t for you,


    he might be fine now. Who knows he wouldn''t even be calling me ''Mom'' in the future?"

 Chapter 20 Two Slaps

    Chapter 20 Two ps


    Alina didn''t have the guts to mention the dead boy around James, but she could use it as a weapon


    to provoke Maria. So she said that recklessly, her eyes shing withcency.


    When Alina mentioned Arthur, Maria''s mood darkened. She red daggers at the woman.


    Alina also noticed what was going on. Knowing she hit a nerve, she added proudly, "Your son was


    just another brick in the wall that separates you and James!"


    ''Thank god that boy is dead. If he were alive, James and Maria would still be together. I can be


    James'' wife without having to worry about the kid he had with Maria.'' Alina was overjoyed.


    Before Ste and Alina could enjoy the moment, Maria stood up in anger. A loud p sounded as


    Maria pped Alina across the face.


    "Ouch!" Alina screamed. She literally had her gob smacked.


    Miracle Cafe went dead silent, its patrons turning their heads in that direction to see what was going


    on.


    Ste''s heart skipped a beat. She covered her mouth with one hand and touched her face with the


    other as if she were the one being hit. ''Oh my God! That p was so loud! Everyone in the cafe


    heard it too. That has to sting!'' She trembled with fear.


    Maria stared at the woman she pped. The waves of hate emanating from her were frightening.


    Clenching her fists, she said, "Alina Tang, I care about Arthur more than anything. Bring him up


    again and I''ll do worse than that."


    Alina covered her right cheek and murmured in disbelief, "You...you hit me!" She didn''t pay attention


    to Maria''s words at all.


    Until this moment, she was still taken aback by the sudden p. She couldn''t believe Maria would


    do that.


    Ste came back to her senses and shouted at Maria, "Are you crazy? Alina is going to get


    engaged to Mr. Xi. What were you thinking? You are so dead!"


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    Ignoring her shouts, Maria took a tissue and wiped her hands slowly. Nothing had changed.


    Everyone in H City still hated her and leveled threats at her. They wouldn''t give up. If she didn''t fight


    back, they''d just try harder.


    Alina wasn''t the only one who got pped. Ste also got pped. It sounded as loud as the one


    Maria gave Alina. She went silent, almost as though Maria hit her off-button.


    Maria massaged her aching hand. She sneered at the two women. "You''re testing my patience! You


    two are really something. Thanks for letting me polish my pping skills." Ste deserved to be


    beaten. Relying on Alina and the Qin Group behind her, she thought she was the Queen of H City.


    So a beating might teach her some humility.


    One of Alina''s friends took out her phone, hoping to quickly call the police. Maria''s fierce nce


    made her drop her phone. It ttered on the table. The girl tried to make herself as small as


    possible, abandoning the idea of calling the police.


    Ste was not cowed. She took her phone from her pocket and cried, "I''ll call Lorenzo. He''ll let Mr.


    Xi know. Then you''ll be in trouble!"


    Alina hadn''t been hit since she was a child. Maria was the first one to cross that line.


    It took Alina a bit to recover. Her ears stopped buzzing, finally.


    She took out her phone and dialed a number. She took a deep breath and asked in a trembling


    voice, "Hello, is this the police? There''s some crazy bitch at Miracle Cafe..." Just then, Maria


    grabbed her phone away from her and threw it against the wall.


    Her high-end phone, decorated with diamonds and worth tens of thousands of dors, was


    destroyed in the blink of an eye.


    Ste''s phone suffered the same fate. Before she could get hold of Lorenzo, Maria took her phone


    and stomped on it. None of Alina''s group had bodyguards with them, so they couldn''t do anything


    without phones.


    Ste crowed like a rooster, "Help! Security! Throw this madwoman out!"


    No one came to her aid. It was like they heard nothing. The baristas and busboys decided they


    didn''t want to be part of this. They left, or hid in the kitchen.


    Look at what was left of her phone, Alina stood up and strode forward, hand raised, intending to


    p Maria. However, before she couldy a finger on Maria, a p rang out again. Maria pped


    Alina across her left cheek.


    "Ah!" Feeling the burning pain again, Alina went crazy. She covered her face and looked at the


    woman with hatred. "You''re so dead, bitch!"


    Maria sneered, "You want to kill me? Go ahead and try! I don''t think you can!"


    Neither of Alina nor Ste had any martial arts training. They couldn''t fight, or fight back.


    Other customers of the coffee shop paid their bill and left, not wanting to get involved.


    Maria was caught up in the mood. She picked up her coffee and poured it on Ste''s head.


    "Ah!" Ste looked at the coffee dripping from her head and running all over her body, screaming


    uncontrobly. "Consider yourself lucky, Alina. You don''t fit into my ns at all. This is just for fun.


    There''s someone else I''m gunning for." Although Alina and her sidekicks were annoying, there was


    one person even more hateful than them! Maria nned to take revenge on her after rolling back


    into town, but she had to find her first. Word was, she had left H City.


    The enraged Alina was astonished by her words. "And who might that be?"


    She really couldn''t figure it out. ''Maybe... James'' stepmother?''


    Maria didn''t want to talk to her anymore. "None of your business. But I wouldn''t get engaged to


    James if I were you. This is just a taste of what''sing to you if you do."


    Brakes screeching, several cars pulled up to the Miracle Cafe one after the other. More than a


    dozen bodyguards left their vehicles and rushed into the coffee shop aggressively.


    These were the bodyguards of the Tang family. One of Alina''s friends did manage to contact them,


    and they were deployed.


    Seeing reinforcements arrive, Alina grew much more confident. Heedless of how much of a mess


    she was, she pointed at Maria and ordered, "Tie her up! Beat her!" She was totally losing control.


    "Yes, Ms. Tang!" The bodyguards rushed over to Maria, ready to grab her.


    Just then, a second group of people appeared on the stairs of the second floor in the cafe. "Stop!"


    the man in the lead said in a gentle tone. Something in his voice said that he didn''t expect to be


    disobeyed.


    Wearing a gray suit and gold-rimmed sses, he slowly walked downstairs, hands in his pockets.


    His every move was full of nobility, and everyone there knew him. They greeted him in unison.


    "Good day, Mr. Shen!"


    "Hi, Mr. Shen. I didn''t know you were here," said Alina, trying her best to maintain herposure,


    although she looked funny with red handprints on both cheeks.


    And now she got her answer as to why Maria was throwing her weight around. ''It turns out Norman


    Shen is here!''


    She was well-protected. No one dared mess with Maria for fear of angering Norman. She could do


    whatever she wanted.


    When Norman had descended the stairs, he came to Maria''s side. "Laides, please forget what


    happened today, for my sake. Go ahead and get a doctor to check you out, if you want. Send the bill


    to me."


    This didn''t help anything. Alina became even angrier, her fists clenched. But she kept quiet.


    Although he looked gentle and elegant on the surface, Norman had a reputation for ruthlessness


    and violence.


    SL


    Ophelia QSEB

 Chapter 21 Fighting Alone

    Chapter 21 Fighting Alone


    Alina was furious, so she asked Norman harshly, "Mr. Shen, don''t you think Maria should apologize


    for hitting us? Besides, I''m going to get engaged to James soon. If my face can''t recover before the


    ceremony, he won''t be happy. I''m afraid it might cause problems between you and him."


    Everyone could tell that Alina wanted to scare Norman by name-dropping James. Instead of getting


    angry, Norman smiled mysteriously and said, "Maria is Mr. Xi''s ex-wife. She even gave birth to his


    son. What about you, Ms. Tang? Do you really think Mr. Xi would take your side in this fight?


    "You tell me. James is going to buy the whole building where Maria''s shop is. He also cklisted


    her at everypany in H City." As she said that, Alina nced at Maria proudly. Her face was


    swollen, but she wouldn''t pass up a chance to boast how good she had it with James.


    Norman didn''t retort. He asked again, "Ms. Tang, if you go to James with this, do you think he''ll


    hush it up for my sake?"


    Alina couldn''t think of what to say next, aplicated look in her eyes.


    She heard that Norman and James were half-brothers, sharing the same mother. Although they


    were currently sworn enemies in the business world, they wouldn''t let it affect their private lives.


    After all, they were rted by blood. Since Norman was so protective of Maria, would James really


    do anything to Norman just to make Alina happy? Alina couldn''t guarantee that.


    But how could she let those ps slide? If others heard about it, she''d be humiliated. "Okay, I can


    forget this, but Maria should apologize. Let''s both be mature about this. I''m her cousin ¡ª she can''t


    simply hit me. It would hurt her reputation. What do you think, Mr. Shen?"


    "What do you mean by ''her cousin''? I''m not dumb. The Song family disowned Maria. Since you''re


    her cousin, why didn''t you stop them? In the past six years, you never fulfilled your responsibility as


    a cousin. Cut the crap, will you?" Norman said bluntly.


    Alina''s face turned from red to pale. How could she be willing to take care of Maria? James had


    divorced Maria. Her sisters cut ties with her, too. So why should her cousin, Alina, do anything


    different?


    "So what are you saying, Mr. Shen? You mean Ste and I should take this lying down? How does


    that make any sense?"


    In Alina''s view, this was not only apetition between her and Maria now, but also apetition


    between James and Norman. If she lost today, it would bring shame on James as well. Norman sat


    down casually in the chair and said, "It''s not cool that she pped you. But why do you need more


    than a dozen guys to deal with her? How is that fair? How about this? I''ll let you p Maria back.


    You can take it as revenge. If you can''t do it, I''ll pay your medical bills."


    Neither Ste nor Alina had practiced martial arts. If they could beat Maria, they wouldn''t hesitate to


    fight back.


    Alina pushed away the ice pack her bodyguard handed her and said, "Mr. Shen, Ste and I don''t


    know martial arts. Maria does. Shouldn''t it be a fair fight? Let''s have two bodyguards p her


    instead." ''This has to happen, even if I need help to do it! Is she better than my bodyguards?'' Alina


    thought with hatred.


    "Okay. I agree, Ms. Tang. Please go ahead." Without any hesitation, Norman stood up and moved


    aside to make room for them.


    Alina winked at the bodyguards, and two muscr men came out at once.


    Gulping nervously, the onlookers worried for Maria.


    With a faint smile, Maria said, "I ept. But please, I''m just one girl. One at a time." She was afraid


    they would lose miserably. Maria was hoping they wouldn''t lose their jobs over this.


    She looked worried, so everyone else was, too.


    But they were wrong. The first bodyguard ran up to her, hand raised. He looked pretty strong. If he


    connected, that might do worse than leave a mark.


    Maria leaned back to avoid the p, and his hand sailed past her.


    Next, before the bodyguard could figure out what happened, she pped him ¡ªhard.


    p! The sound was clear and sharp.


    Alina''s heart skipped a beat. Then she looked at Norman. The man kept looking at his phone, as if


    this had nothing to do with him. He didn''t seem to be concerned for Maria''s safety.


    The bodyguard was enraged. He couldn''t believe that he missed the target. Nor could he believe he


    got pped. He stared at Maria, who looked as if nothing had happened. He rushed up to her


    again.


    Maria sidestepped and caught him on both cheeks this time, but the bodyguard refused to give up.


    Gritting his teeth, he insisted on trying to knock her down.


    Just then, Norman butted in. "You''ve been pped three times. Why don''t you give up? Just stop


    before something worse happens."


    And something did. Maria grabbed the bodyguard''s wrist and locked it. She tossed him to the floor,


    still holding his arm. Then she dropped to one knee, and broke his arm over it. Crack! It was the


    sound of a bone cracking.


    Everyone took a closer look and saw that Maria had broken the bodyguard''s arm forcibly. Then she


    kicked him, and he tried to cover his body to prevent further damage, howling in pain.


    That was when they noticed that Maria was wearing high-heels.


    ''What an evil woman!'' Everyone was taken aback.


    Alina trembled with anger. ''When did she get so good? Even my bodyguard couldn''t touch her!''


    The other bodyguard was smart. He decided to give up after being pped twice by Maria.


    Alina didn''t want to admit defeat this time, but she couldn''t do anything. At that moment, another


    man showed up at Miracle Cafe.


    It was James!


    He came here with Lorenzo. Since Lorenzo was parking the car, he rushed in alone.


    Although he came in all by himself, Mr. Xi was always domineering.


    Seeing him, Norman smiled broadly. ''Wow! Things just keep getting better!'' He enjoyed the show


    very much.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Alina was so relieved. She burst into tears and cried "James!" Her voice trembled with excitement.


    James cast an indifferent nce at her face. "What happened to you?"


    She looked at Maria, wiping her tears. Her meaning was clear.


    As expected, James grabbed the coffee cup next to him and tossed it at Maria. The fragments


    scattered on the floor around her. "Pick them up!


    Right then, Lorenzo walked in the door. He pulled it shut. It was so quiet that no one dared to speak.


    Both Alina and Ste, who had been extremely arrogant just now, quieted down, waiting to see


    Maria getting owned by James.


    Norman didn''t want to meddle in the couple''s affairs. He just sat there calmly, watching the fun.


    He knew that Maria would handle it quite well. She wouldn''t let him down.


    Everyone gazed at Maria, waiting for her to pick up the ceramic fragments on the floor. Alina


    couldn''t wait to see how bloody her fingers would get.


    However, most people in the coffee shop were disappointed.


    Instead of gathering the fragments, Maria stared at James expressionlessly in silence. It was a


    battle of wills, and she was determined to win.

 Chapter 22 Stop The Acquisition

    Chapter 22 Stop The Acquisition


    If James didn''t see it wrong, the woman''s eyes were full of anger and resentment. Although he


    could understand why she was angry, he wondered what could have caused her to resent him so


    much.


    Nevertheless, no matter how this woman felt, James shouldn''t care about it. All he needed to do


    now was stand by Alina''s side. After all, they were about to get engaged.


    The next moment, under everyone''s gaze, Maria raised her high-heeled foot and stretched it


    forward.


    Instead of picking up the shards on the floor, she kicked them out of her way.


    Her rudeness startled Alina and Ste. Thetter shivered and even went to hide behind Alina,


    afraid of being hit.


    Regardless of the dark look on James'' face, Maria stared at him and warned coldly, "Ask your


    girlfriend to watch hernguage in the future. My baby wasn''t unlucky to be born!"


    Her words made Alina''s heart skip a beat. Flustered, she hurried to exin, "James! No! I didn''t


    mean to say that." However, no one listened to her exnation.


    James'' eyes darkened. He didn''t look at Maria as viciously as he did a second ago.


    "As his mother, I''m the one who loves him the most in the world." Every word Maria said touched


    James'' heart deeply because that child was their own flesh and blood.


    A trace of sadness shed in Maria''s eyes. "My baby has been gone for over six years, and Alina


    dared to use him as an excuse to insult me." All the sorrow she held in her eyes was gone, leaving


    only coldness and ruthlessness behind as she continued, "As a mother, I pped her to protect the


    memory of my son. James Xi, tell me, did I do anything wrong?"


    James kept silent.


    Alina tried to defend herself once more. "James, I didn''t mean that. Maria misunderstood me. After


    all, that child is my cousin''s son. How could I-"


    "Shut the fuck up!" Maria looked sharply at her, shocking everyone present.


    Then, ncing at James, she added, "I know you don''t love that boy. I don''t me you for that. But


    if you''re willing to ignore the fact that this woman insulted my son today, do you even deserve to call


    yourself Arthur''s father?" In the end, her eyes turned red.


    If James still insisted on defending Alina today, then this man couldn''t even be called a human.


    ''James has always been heartless. But if he remains indifferent to his own flesh and blood, he''s


    really not worthy of my love,'' Maria thought to herself.


    In that case, if she kept pushing him to fall in love with her, she would be a fool.


    At that moment, Alina let go of James'' arm and rushed to hold Maria''s hand, pretending to be sorry.


    "Maria..." She couldn''t allow anything to get between her and James before the engagement, or the


    whole Tang family would be ruined.


    Without giving her a chance to speak, Maria shook off her hand fiercely.


    "Ah!" Alina lost bnce and fell to the floor.


    A bodyguard and Ste rushed to hold her up, but James didn''t make a move as he watched her on


    the floor.


    Norman smiled to himself, thinking that the events today proved that Maria was no longer the lively


    and innocent girl she was six years ago.


    After a while, James ordered, "Don''t ever bother me again with this kind of matter, Lorenzo!"


    Then he turned around and left.


    After ring at Maria, Alina ignored her own swollen face and hurried to catch up with the man on


    his way out.


    "James, please wait for me!"


    He was about to get in the car when he turned to look at the woman chasing after him.


    Staring at her, he couldn''t help but remember something from seven years ago. Maria''s face had


    also be swollen like this after being pped by someone.


    That day, when he went back home from work, he couldn''t find Maria or Arthur at first. In order not


    to let him see the handprint on her face, Maria held the child and hid in the guest room.


    However, Arthur was hungry and started to groan. He followed the baby''s cry and soon found them.


    Maria had her back to him, so he walked around in front of her and saw her swollen face.


    He asked casually, "Who pped you in the face?"


    He could clearly remember her reaction at the time. With reddened eyes, she answered gently,


    "Nobody. I hit my face on the door frame by ident."


    The handprint on her face was quite obvious despite anything she said.


    He knew that except for his grandparents, no one in the Xi family really liked her. He was also


    aware of the way Judy treated her at the time.


    Seeing her swollen face, he knew that no other person in the Xi family would dare toy a finger on


    her besides Judy.


    Yet, back then, Maria would neverin about how mistreated she was in the Xi family. Instead,


    she would only offer him a gentle smile.


    Alina, on the other hand, called him toin that she was hit and wouldn''t spare him her


    aggrieved looks once he got there. None of it tempted him enough to protect her. In fact, he was


    beginning to feel disgusted by her behavior inparison to Maria''s.


    Suddenly, Alina''s voice pulled him back from his thoughts. "James, I''m sorry for what I said. It was


    nonsense. It won''t happen again. I was mad because she told me that you had sex with her before.


    She provoked me on purpose, and I couldn''t help it."


    James didn''t owe her any exnation about that. He had been married to Maria, so of course, he


    had been intimate with her.


    "Stop the acquisition!" James ordered Lorenzo, ignoring Alina. The building acquisition was entirely


    up to his mood. He wasn''t doing it for her.


    The blood drained from Alina''s face. At that moment, she finally realized how unusual Maria''s


    methods had been. "Yes, Mr. Xi," Lorenzo nodded.


    James then turned to Alina and stated coldly, "This is thest time something like this happens.


    Otherwise, HL Group will never cooperate with Tang Group again."


    Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    "James..." Alina''s legs were so weak that she almost fell on her knees.


    Due to her younger brother''s ipetence, Tang Group had been going downhill for some time. If


    HL Group stopped cooperating with them, it would be their end. Most importantly, her marriage to


    James might be called off.


    If she never hold the title of Mrs. Xi, she won''t be able to continue to be the most prominentdy in


    H City.


    After James got in the car, Lorenzo drove off towards the HL Group''s parking lot, leaving Alina


    alone under the scorching sun.


    With everything that had happened that day, Alina realized that the child wasn''t just Maria''s weak


    spot, but also James''.


    Learning from her mistake, at least before her engagement, she would not take the initiative to


    provoke Maria. She could teach her a lesson after she was married to James and became Mrs. Xi.


    After everyone left, the Miracle Cafe was silent again. Maria sat back in front of herptop quietly.


    Sitting opposite her, Norman sped his hands over his stomach and said straightforwardly, "Maria,


    it''s time for you to stop mourning."


    "Stop mourning?" Although she understood that he meant it in a kind way, Maria couldn''t help


    smiling bitterly. She looked into the distance nkly and answered, "Arthur''s my son. How could I


    stop mourning him so easily? I may never stop for the rest of my life!"

 Chapter 23 Mature And Enchanting

    Chapter 23 Mature And Enchanting


    If Alina hadn''t used Arthur to insult her, Maria wouldn''t have used her son to get any sympathy from


    James.


    Five years ago, if Norman hadn''t helped her, Maria would have gone with Arthur already.


    Alina went to the hospital for treatment after leaving the parking lot of Miracle Cafe.


    Then she returned to the Tang family vi.


    She climbed the stairs, as the only people on the first floor were servants. As soon as she reached


    the second floor, she saw her younger brother, Ronald Tang, who just woke up. He whistled happily


    as he got ready to leave.


    When he spotted her, he stopped whistling. "Holy shit!" Ronald eximed in surprise. "Alina, what


    happened to your face?"


    It was the first time in his life he had seen Alina so disheveled.


    Alina narrowed her eyes, hatred evident in every inch of her. "Maria Song did it!"


    "Pardon?" Ronald was blown away.


    Norman and Maria showed upte to Alina''s birthday party. By that time, members of both the Song


    and Tang families had left, so they didn''t get a chance to meet Maria in person.


    After the party, Ronald heard that Maria was back in H City. He never thought she had the guts to


    mess with his sister.


    "Maria Song!" Gritting her teeth, Alina uttered the name of the woman she hated most.


    "She hit you? What the fuck?" Ronald still couldn''t believe it. He remembered Maria as a decent-


    looking, weak woman. She was a pretty tame, acquiescent girl. Almost no one liked her. Maria was


    a nobody in the Song family. Even Ronald treated her like a maid.


    Alina gave him a cold look and said, "That''s enough. Do you have to be so loud about it?"


    After making sure that he wasn''t hearing things, Ronald got angry. "What was she thinking, hitting


    you like that? She doesn''t take our family seriously, does she? Don''t worry, Alina. The city''s not that


    big. When I see her next, she''ll pay!"


    Ronald was young and aggressive. As the only heir of the Tang family, he was usually quite


    arrogant, and his riches shielded him from consequences.


    And it was Maria that made him mad. Plus she was little more than a servant. Ronald couldn''t let


    this go. Alina was still in her Maria-induced rage, and she wouldn''t be happy until everyone in the


    world hated that woman. Hence, when Ronald said he would teach Maria a lesson, she didn''t


    object.


    Ronald had a lot of fun outside the confines of the vi. He hung out with a group of rich young men


    who liked fooling around with women and driving luxury cars all day long. With luck, one of them


    might hook up with Maria. Then he''d get his revenge.


    "She knows martial arts. My bodyguards weren''t able to beat her up. Be careful," Alina warned.


    "She''s just one woman. Who cares how much she knows? Men are stronger. And don''t wait up for


    me. I''ll be out with the boys tonight. Got to go!" Ronald didn''t take it seriously. He would bring a few


    more bodyguards with him to teach Maria a lesson.


    Alina stopped him. "Ronald! Remember, you''re the sole heir. Maybe you should get James to show


    you the ropes, so you can step into the CEO role at-"


    "Save it!" He rolled his eyes impatiently. "You have a serious case of James-on-the-brain. I get it.


    You think he can do no wrong. I admit he''s popr, and knows how to run a business, but I''m not


    him!"


    ''I''m smart, just in different ways. Besides, I''m the guy who gets all the girls,'' Ronald retorted


    inwardly. Alina was used to her brother being like that, and didn''t say anything more. She went back


    to her bedroom while her brother headed out.


    Maria felt far more rxed nowadays. James had stopped his relentless pursuit of her real estate.


    She could go ahead and continue with her original n of opening a salon. She even got the go-


    ahead from someone the day after she shed with Alina and Ste.


    After Alina had caused all that drama at Miracle Cafe, James immediately halted the acquisition.


    Apparently, he wasn''t happy with Alina.


    Maria guessed that Alina probably had her own problems to deal with. She would need to try to


    salvage her image with James, so she might not have time to bother Maria at all.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Maria was quite happy with the result. She now had time to deal with her own business and try


    harder to keep in contact with James.


    She knew that it was impossible for him to take an active interest in her, so she had to make the first


    move.


    And it looked like she was right. She hadn''t seen Alina in more than two weeks.


    Dayster, the shop that Maria nned to open a beauty-salon changed to a high-end bath center.


    And Maria wasn''t its legal owner.


    No one knew what was going on there. Maybe she rented out the shop. Recently, the temperature


    in the city had hit 40 degree Celsius. Almost no one was walking around outside.


    A ck Porsche rolled a stop in the parking lot of a five-star hotel. Two valets trotted over and


    opened the door. An exquisitely dressed man in a suit and leather shoes stepped out. The valets


    greeted him warmly. "Good day, Mr. Zheng! How are you?"


    Colby got out of the car and nodded with a smile. "Howdy!"


    "Mr. Zheng, please follow us."


    "Okay!"


    Colby entered the hotel with his assistant. The hotel manager then led them to the reserved private


    room.


    A woman suddenly rushed out from a side corridor. Before anyone could react, she bumped into


    Colby.


    "Oops!" the woman screamed. Then she apologized in a hurry, "I''m sorry, sir. I didn''t mean to do


    that. Oh! Hi, Mr. Zheng!"


    Colby was in a bad mood after the sudden bump. He tidied up his suit and looked at the woman.


    "Oh, it''s you!" His tone was full of surprise.


    He remembered this woman, an employee of HM Group. One morning, she rushed into his


    exclusive elevator, trying to get to a particr floor.


    The woman was not in her uniform today. She wore a whitece coat and braces skirt, showing off


    her hot curvy figure. Because of the collision just now, the coat slipped off her shoulder to the crook


    of her arm, exposing her snow-white neck.


    Her eye shadow was skillfully applied, almost appearing natural. Add to that her ming red lips,


    wild-looking earrings, and a ne in the same style.


    Her seven-centimeter silver high-heels were studded with diamonds. She looked mature and


    enchanting, drawing the eyes of every man there.


    "Yes, it''s me," she said in a flirtatious tone. "How have you been, Mr. Zheng? I''m sorry for bumping


    into you. I just came out of a dinner, and I ran too fast. Please forgive me!"


    As she spoke, she put her hands on Colby''s arm and shook it, pretending to be innocent and


    ying at being cute.


    A mature man would always be more generous to a fascinating woman than to anyone else. Colby


    looked at the fair hands on his arms and smiled knowingly. "It doesn''t matter. What''s your name?"


    He had met her twice, but still didn''t know her name.


    "Maria Song. Mr. Zheng, are you going to a dinner party?"


    "Nice to meet you, Maria! And yeah, I have a dinner party to go to. ''I like her name,'' Colby thought.


    Maria flipped her long hair over her shoulders, looking enchanting and gentle. "What a coincidence.


    I just happen to be free. Mr. Zheng, do you have a date? If not, please take me." She winked at him.


    Ophelia GSmSB

 Chapter 24 Never Cause Drama

    Chapter 24 Never Cause Drama


    Colby didn''t refuse. His wife was abroad, so what was the harm in it? "Ms. Song, it would be my


    pleasure if you would apany me," he answered like a gentleman.


    Maria smiled generously and held his arm. "I''d love to, Mr. Zheng. The pleasure is all mine!"


    A faint smile on his face, Colby didn''t say anything more. The two walked to the private room


    together.


    The assistant following Colby couldn''t help but feel embarrassed. ''She''s a lucky girl. Mr. Zheng


    always keeps women at arm''s length, because Mrs. Zheng watches him like a hawk.


    She met him only twice, and she invites herself out to dinner with him.''


    The assistant shook his head helplessly and followed them.


    As soon as they left, two figures appeared behind them. The man was in a suit and leather shoes,


    and had a domineering aura, the woman in uniform, looking neat, trim, and professional.


    They both heard the conversation between Maria and Colby. The man stared at them as he


    followed, mockery in his gaze. Summer tried to defend Maria. "Mr. Xi, this really isn''t like her," she


    said gingerly.


    The man red at her, and she shut up, thinking to herself, ''Maria decided to get close to Colby


    Zheng. She even went to work in HM Group. What''s she ying at?''


    Maria didn''t think she would run into James and Summer at the same dinner party she was


    attending with Colby.


    When James entered the private room, Maria was pouring wine for Colby and talking to another


    businessman. "Mr. Qin, thank you so much for your concern. Of course I don''t have a boyfriend


    now. I came here with Mr. Zheng, but I''m still single and avable."


    This so-called Mr. Qin was quite old. His daughter was about the same age as Maria.


    Ste was his daughter.


    This man should have recognized Maria, but he didn''t. In the past few years, Ste''s father had


    been making foreign investments. Years ago, after Maria left H City, he started investing


    domestically.


    They had never met.


    But Maria had done her homework. She knew a fair amount about a dozen business tycoons, and


    had met most of them.


    However, she had to pretend she didn''t know any of them.


    In the presence of a beautiful, hot, and single woman, all the men present wanted a piece of her.


    But James showed up.


    Everyone had to tear their gaze from Maria and stood up to greet him. "Hello, Mr. Xi! How are you?"


    "Wee, Mr. Xi!"


    Maria stood with her back to the door. Hearing the title "Mr. Xi," she wondered which one they were


    referring to.


    But when she thought about it, there was no one else who could impel all business tycoons to stand


    up and address him respectfully as "Mr. Xi." James'' father and grandfather were also addressed as


    "Mr. Xi."


    However, neither of them were in charge of HL Group now. That honor was James'' alone.


    Realizing that, Maria was embarrassed. She should have checked James'' schedule, so they didn''t


    meet this way.


    She wanted to make James fall in love with her again. How could she let him see her with another


    man? What she didn''t know was that James had already seen her bump into Colby and overheard


    their conversation. All the businessmen stood up to wee James. Maria had no reason to


    continue sitting there.


    She tried to hide herself as much as possible, lowered her head, covered half of her face with her


    long hair, and maneuvered herself behind Colby.


    But it didn''t work. James had to pass by Maria on the way to his seat, so he''d recognize her


    instantly.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    There was a method to the madness. They had a seating chart they were expected to adhere to.


    James was supposed to sit in the host''s seat, and Colby in one the deputy chief seats. Maria was to


    be seated next to Colby. For some reason, Colby asked Maria to sit in the deputy chief''s seat


    between him and James.


    Then Summer was invited to sit on James'' left.


    Colby''s n was simple. He wanted this woman to charm James.


    Since they were already face to face, there was no need for Maria to hide. She was afraid James


    would ignore her, so she didn''t shake hands with him. Instead, she greeted him gracefully, "Good


    evening, Mr. Xi!"


    As expected, James didn''t even look at her.


    Summer gave Maria a helpless nce. To ease her embarrassment, she greeted Maria actively,


    "Hi, Ms. Song." The two women looked at each other and smiled. That made things a little less


    awkward.


    After everyone sat down, Colby ordered Maria, "Hurry! Pour some wine for Mr. Xi! You must make


    Mr. Xi happy tonight!"


    His words carried some subtext. Every man understood what he meant. Theyughed lustily and


    began to make fun of Maria.


    "Ms. Song, Mr. Xi isn''t interested in women."


    "Exactly! Mr. Xi is famous for his self-discipline. You are so charming. Let''s see if you can get closer


    to him."


    "I''m really looking forward to it." Pretending to smile, Maria poured a ss of liquor for James, put


    down the bottle, and winked at the man fawningly. "Mr. Xi, would you like this drink?"


    Fortunately, this time, James responded, "Am I drinking it for your sake or for Mr. Zheng''s?"


    "For Mr. Zheng''s sake, of course," Maria answered deftly. This man was so reticent. How could he


    drink for her sake? "I''m just a woman. I would never cause drama for you, Mr. Xi."


    James sneered. ''Oh really? Then who sneaked into my vi, sat on myp in the car, and threw a


    full ss of beer at me?''


    The man raised his ss and said, "To your health, Mr. Zheng." He slid the ss along the table


    until it sat in front of Summer. "Summer, if you would, please!"


    Among his six assistants, Summer was the best drinker. She had protected him from getting drunk


    many times.


    Summer stared at the ss. She didn''t need any further prompting. She raised the ss and


    looked at Colby and Maria, smiling. "Mr. Zheng, Ms. Song, Mr. Xi is not feeling well today. I''ll drink it


    for him."


    Colby nodded andmanded again, "Maria, fill your ss and have a drink with Ms. Jing."


    Maria poured herself a ss of liquor, stood up, and clinked sses with Summer. Then she


    drained the ss in a single gulp.


    Colby was very satisfied with her performance. Unlike some women who made all kinds of excuses


    to avoid drinking, Maria was totally different.


    Soon the conversation turned to business. Everyone discussed new coborations, contracts, and


    the like.


    Maria was afraid Colby would ask her to drink for him. She kept eating while they talked about work,


    so she had some food in her belly to soak up the alcohol.


    "I heard that Fosun Entertainment Group will also participate in the bidding."


    "Fosun Entertainment Group? Why would they bid on a real estate project?" Mr. Qin was confused.


    ''

 Chapter 25 Gloating

    Chapter 25 Gloating


    Colby exined, "Fosun Entertainment has been growing by leaps and bounds. They''ve expanded


    into real estate, finance, and hospitality. If you think about it, it makes sense. Why would you not


    want venues that carry your own movies or concerts? Forays into finance would yield returns that


    fund these venues. And you''d want hotels that cater to your own stars, right?"


    While the men were talking about business, Maria only focused on food. She wanted the crab, but


    the legs were served uncut. She had to keep an elegant image in front of all the businessmen.


    Besides, her nails were just manicured, so it was inconvenient at best to dine on crab without help.


    She couldn''t help butin inwardly about the service here. Why didn''t they score or split the


    crab legs? And at a dinner party? Right away, she decided to cklist this restaurant.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Noticing her gaze, Summer understood Maria''s desire for the crab legs. She snickered.


    Summer reached for the te of the crab legs, picked up a few for her own te, put on gloves,


    and began to peel the crab legs. She took one part of the leg, cracked it in half, and pulled the shell


    off to slide the meat out.


    Watching Summer doing this, Maria rested her chin in her hand. She envied Summer so much. If


    she had known this, she wouldn''t have had her nails done. That way she could enjoy crab too. Her


    stomach grumbled.


    A few minutester, after shelling the crab legs, Summer put them on a clean te. When no one


    noticed, she passed the te to Maria.


    Seeing the te, Maria was a little surprised. Then she looked at Summer.


    Summer winked.


    Maria understood what she meant and felt warm in her heart. She took the te and epted her


    kindness, enjoying the sulent crab meat.


    Both women thought they were being sly, but they didn''t know that they were being watched.


    James couldn''t help wondering, "Summer and Maria haven''t seen each other for six years.


    How could they still be so close?''


    After finishing the crab meat, Maria was full and her feet were hurting. Her new high-heeled shoes


    she bought didn''t fit well. The backs of her heels felt like they were on fire.


    She looked around and no one was paying attention. She quietly kicked off one of her shoes to


    rx her feet.


    ''Very low-ss, Maria. Some people were just born that way, I guess,'' James thought with disdain.


    It didn''t escape his notice.


    His eyes shed. Next, he took the wine decanter and filled his ss. Suddenly, he stood up and


    raised his ss in a toast.


    As soon as he got to his feet, others at the table had to stand as well. Maria was no exception.


    Thanks to James, she didn''t even have time to return her shoe to her foot. It wasn''t forck of trying


    ¡ªshe searched under the table with her foot for a bit before finally getting to her feet.


    She had no choice; she had to stand on one foot.


    She only hoped that James could finish his speech quickly so that she could sit down soon.


    The man of few words not only decided to propose a toast, but also talked a lot. Maria wondered if


    he did that intentionally.


    Two minutes had passed, but James wasn''t done.


    A few minutester, when Maria was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he continued, "Join me in


    raising a ss to everyone here." Everyone cheered, then took a drink. "Mr. Zheng, would you like


    to share your opinions with us?"


    And Colby began to propose his own toast.


    No one knew how embarrassed Maria was. She had been standing on one foot for five minutes,


    and there looked to be no end in sight.


    When she looked over at James, that was when she saw it. The man was looking at her, obviously


    gloating.


    Maria was confused. What was he gloating about? Did he do it on purpose? Did he know that she


    had taken off one of her shoes?


    But she put it out of her mind. James couldn''t be so childish, so petty, could he?


    These business tycoons yammered endlessly, each of them making their own toasts. Maria couldn''t


    stand it anymore. She looked at Summer, who stood straight, a smile on her face the whole time.


    She was a consummate professional.


    Everyone stood there with their ss in hand. The waitress kept filling their sses with wine. Then


    she went back to the door and did not notice Maria''s embarrassment at all.


    Maria had no choice but to try to search for her shoe again. She nced around under the table


    carefully, but didn''t find it. It was not nearby Colby''s feet.


    Standing, Mr. Qin had already continued the toast. Maria bent down slightly and looked towards


    James'' feet. Beside the man''s brand-new ck business leather shoes, there was a lonely high-


    heeled shoe, quite familiar to her. Maria was overjoyed, but then she felt trapped. She was maybe a


    half-meter from James. How could she fetch her shoe without being noticed?


    If only James would be willing to kick it to her, which was extremely unlikely.


    Then Maria came up with an idea. She put her watch on the edge of the table when no one was


    watching, and then dropped it. She pretended it was by ident.


    The watch fell to the floor,nding nearly silent on the plush rug. Colby offered to grab it for her, but


    she declined. Maria looked at him apologetically and said in a low voice, "Excuse me, I dropped my


    watch."


    Then she bent down to pick up her watch and nned to grab her high-heel shoe on the same trip.


    She managed to grab her watch, but when it came to her shoe, she saw a ck leather shoe


    stepping on it.


    At this moment, Maria was certain that James did this on purpose. When she looked up slowly


    along the straight legs and finally met the man''s eyes, the man was also looking at her, an evil glint


    in his eyes.


    Maria was at a loss whether to cry or tough. So the notorious Mr. Xi really was that childish


    sometimes.


    Just when she was in a daze, James uttered, "I have to leave. Let''s have one final toast, and then I


    bid you all adieu. See you all next time."


    Hence, Maria still didn''t have time to pick up her shoe. She had to stand straight again and finish


    the liquor in her ss.


    After everyone finished their ss, James left and took Summer with him.


    Everyone walked him to the door to see him off, which gave Maria a chance to grab her shoe.


    The high-heel shoe finally returned to her foot, she breathed a sigh of relief. She half-walked, half-


    jogged, following the crowd to see James off.


    ''You son of a bitch! You stepped on my shoe on purpose, and I have to pretend nothing happened, ''


    Mariained inwardly.


    She was irritated. She always knew the world was so unfair and today she got confirmation of that.


    The crowd had just gotten to the elevator when Summer stood in their way. "Please excuse us, Mr.


    Xi would like some privacy." The two entered the elevator and the doors closed.


    Then everyone else returned to the private room and continued eating and talking.


    What Maria didn''t expect was that some of the guests were two-faced. One man, seemingly gentle,


    snorted, "James Xi is way too arrogant!"


    Someone immediately echoed him, "Exactly! He really thinks he''s somebody! We have to please


    him as soon as he shows up. I''m normally fine with it, but he''s gone too far this time. Mr. Zheng


    should not be his toadie! Mr. Zheng is the head of a top enterprise here. Why would he need to


    please James Xi?"


    Hearing the mockery, Maria sipped her tea more slowly. She knew this bald man who was ranting


    about this. He was the chairman of LC Group.


    Well, if he just simplyined about James behind his back, Maria wouldn''t care. She wanted to


    bitch about him too. But his words seemed designed to drive a wedge between James and Colby.


    ''This man is digging his own grave, isn''t he?'' thought Maria.


    He kept ranting, his words getting more hostile, his positions more extreme. Maria set her teacup


    down and smiled at the chairman, the lights in the ce glinting off his bald head. "Mr. Qi," she


    started in a gentle tone. "I have a different take on things, if you''ll allow me to share it."

 Chapter 26 A Scheming And Childish Man

    Chapter 26 A Scheming And Childish Man


    Since Maria said this in a gentle way, which was pleasant to hear, Mr. Qi had to show respect for


    her charm. He nodded. "Ms. Song, please go ahead."


    The smile in Maria''s eyes faded a little. "I think as a sessful entrepreneur who has made HL


    Group what it is today, James has every right to act arrogant and self-righteous."


    Nobody expected that she would stick up for James. Mr. Qi looked embarrassed, and even the


    other man whoined that James was arrogant earlier kept silent.


    Colby looked at Maria, lit a cigarette, and didn''t say anything. He just listened quietly.


    "Self-righteousness is akin to self-confidence. Someone who''s constantly down on himself, a


    cowardly person whocks confidence, can never be self-righteous. So someone without those


    qualities can never be sessful. Because they wouldn''t have the courage or charm to lead a


    company to glory, and they wouldn''t be able to keep apany going."


    On her way over to fetch the business card from Mr. Qi, Summer heard the debate as soon as she


    was about to open the door. Of course she loved Maria''s sharpments. She pushed the door


    open quietly and saw that Maria was staring at Mr. Qi, who passed her the business card earlier


    and expected to cooperate with HL Group in the future.


    With a smile, Summer closed the door silently. She didn''t want the business card now. There was


    no need to cooperate with a person like Mr. Qi.


    Maria''s words had their predicted effect. The people in the room squirmed ufortably.


    Mr. Qi understood what Maria meant and loosened his tie. She was calling him cowardly,cking in


    confidence, and down on himself. He asked Colby unhappily, "Mr. Zheng, what''s wrong with your


    date? Why doesn''t she watch her mouth?"


    Colbyforted the man with a smile, "Take it easy, Mr. Qi." Then he turned to Maria and said


    seriously, "Maria, propose a toast to Mr. Qi and apologize." He wouldn''t offend Mr. Qi because of


    Maria.


    Maria raised her ss and stood up.


    Mr. Qi''s face softened when he saw her stand up with a ss of liquor. But he was gobsmacked by


    what came next.


    Maria addressed Colby. "Mr. Zheng, I''m sorry I offended your friend today. In fact, I have a big


    shoring, that is, I always stand up to injustice, so I always offend someone. I didn''t expect to


    get you into trouble today, Mr. Zheng. I''ll drink this ss of liquor as an apology. Please ept it."


    After gulping down the liquor, Maria put down the empty ss and left with her handbag, and all the


    business bigwigs sat there after she left. The room felt somehow emptier.


    In this dinner party, Maria offended two business tycoons so she could defend James Xi. If Colby


    didn''t forgive her, that would bring the total to three.


    Coming out of the private room, Maria stood still and sighed. She med herself for being too


    impulsive.


    It was not easy for her to get close to Colby. And now she had offended his friends for James '' sake.


    She was afraid that Colby thought much less of her now.


    Suddenly, her phone rang. She took it out and looked at the caller ID. It was Summer. She took a


    deep breath and answered the phone, "Yes, Summer?"


    Outside the hotel, the Harkim''s engine started. It held position outside the front door on the


    roundabout. Summer jogged to the back seat of the car. She heard the gentle buzz of rear window


    being rolled down. "Get in the car," said James.


    Feeling a little guilty, Summer shook her head and said, "Mr. Xi, I''m meeting with a clientter. I''ll


    wait for them here. By the way, when I went back to get Mr. Qi''s business card, I heard Maria


    defending you..."


    Summer repeated everything she overheard.


    The man didn''t say anything after hearing her report. His slender index finger and middle finger


    tapped on the armrest of the seat. Atst, he uttered just three words as a reply. "Okay. I see.


    He didn''t give anyment.


    "Anything else?" he asked.


    Quietly ncing at the entrance of the hotel, Summer looked anxious. ''Why hasn''t Mariae out


    yet?'' "One more thing, Mr. Xi. What do we want to do about Mr. Qi?"


    James took a look at her and foundplex emotions in her eyes. She looked guilty. It was also


    obvious she was expecting someone to walk out of the hotel.


    ''So what''s her game? Is that really how it went down? And who is she waiting for?'' he wondered.


    He put that out of his mind. Summer had never lied to him. She knew better than to do that.


    It was not until he heard the ck of high heels that he realized why his assistant felt guilty and why


    she was buying time.


    "James Xi, stop!" Maria rushed out of the hotel in her high-heels. James looked away. He said to


    Summer, "We''ll talk about it tomorrow." Then he ordered the driver, "Drive." The rear window rolled


    back up.


    Just as Maria was about to reach him, James'' car started. Summer was a little flustered, but Maria


    was faster than her.


    She wasn''t about to waste the opportunity that Summer had won for her. The woman ran a few


    steps on her high-heels, and just before he drove off, she whipped open the front passenger door


    and got in.


    Everyone was astonished.


    The driver was also flustered, but after a moment of panic, he exined to the man in the back


    seat, "Mr. Xi, I thought Summer was going to get in the car, so I kept the front door unlocked."


    Maria took a deep breath andforted the driver, "No worries. It''s not your fault."


    The driver quieted down.


    James also couldn''t find the right words. ''Seriously, Maria? He''s my driver, not yours. It''s not your


    ce to tell him that!''


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    Maria suppressed her quickened heartbeat, looked back at the man in the back seat, and


    questioned, "You did it on purpose, didn''t you?"


    Without answering her question, James said, "Get out!" "Answer my questions first. Did you kick my


    shoe to your side on purpose? And then ask everyone to stand? You deliberately hid my shoe,


    didn''t you? And when I finally found it, you stepped on it to stop me from taking it!" Maria had never


    thought this man would be so hateful.


    She knew that James was cold and ruthless, but now she had more words for him ¡ªhe was also


    hateful, scheming, and childish!


    "No, yes, no and yes,"


    James answered.. Hearing that, Maria was confused.


    ''What was my first question? I asked him whether he kicked my shoe to his side on purpose. He


    said no...''


    "So, my shoes somehowy beside your feet. Then you proposed a toast, knowing I''d have to stand


    on one foot. You didn''t deliberately hide my shoe. But you stepped on it intentionally when I found it.


    Right?"


    "Yes," replied James in a graceful manner.


    Maria sat there in silence, unable to find the right words. She was really pissed off. She unfastened


    the seat belt, took off both shoes, and stepped on the raised area between the driver''s seat and the


    passenger seat with stocking feet. She was going to jump into the back seat.


    It was toote for James to stop her when he realized what she was about to do. The next second,


    she threw herself into his arms, stopping him from saying anything else.

 Chapter 27 Throes Of Masters

    Chapter 27 Throes Of Masters


    As she moved, Maria''s whitece coat slid down on her arms, revealing her enchanting ck tank


    top. With her so close to him, James could see every curve of her body clearly.


    She then sat on James''p again. Feeling her soft, gentle, and perfumed skin, James'' hands didn''t


    resist the temptation to close tightly around her waist. The mix of alcohol and her body scent kept


    teasing his nostrils. The man''s face instantly darkened. "Maria Song, do you have a death wish?"


    Ignoring his bad temper, Maria wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered gently in his ear,


    "James, do you think your girlfriend will mind if I behave like this?"


    All kinds of emotions shed in James'' dark eyes, but he didn''t say a word. As his breath fluctuated,


    he looked at her intently, waiting for her next move.


    Maria didn''t mind hisck of response. Holding his cheek, she pouted, "Well, maybe I''m


    overthinking this. Maybe your girlfriend isn''t so mean after all. If I were your woman, I wouldn''t be so


    petty."


    "Really?" the man uttered. Maria was stunned for a moment, but then she nodded with a smile. "Of


    course!" If she were James'' girlfriend, she would immediately blow up the head of anyone who


    came on to her boyfriend.


    James, in turn, had met a lot of hypocritical and scheming women throughout his life. But that was


    the first time he had seen a woman dare to y such a trick on him.


    When he was about to open the door and throw Maria out of the car, she whispered in his ear


    again, "James, who am I to you in your heart?" Although they didn''t love each other at the time they


    got married, they had shared a bed for over a year. Maria wondered if she meant anything to him to


    a certain extent.


    As the heartless man he was, James didn''t know how to coax a woman. Or perhaps, he didn''t want


    to coax her, so he gave her a straight but cruel answer. "You''re not in it."


    Maria was speechless. She felt as if her heart had just been broken into a million pieces.


    She considered that maybe he would dodge the question altogether, but James surprised her by


    saying she wasn''t in his heart at all.


    Nheless, her confidence was back in an instant. Suppressing the sadness in her heart, Maria


    blinked and said, "James, why do I feel like I''m sitting on something?" Well, there was something


    stiffening below her. Without giving her the chance to react, James ordered coldly, "Stop the car!"


    The emergency brake sounded especially sharp in the silent night.


    The next moment, the Harkim''s rear door was opened, and a barefoot woman was ruthlessly thrown


    out, followed by her leather purse.


    Maria staggered but managed to keep her bnce. However, if she were wearing her high-heels,


    her buttocks would be facing the ground right now.


    The Harkim roared off ruthlessly after that.


    Seeing the luxury car driving away, Maria picked up her purse from the ground and shouted,


    "James Xi, you bastard!" ''That son of a bitch is not a gentleman at all! He left me in the middle of


    the road.''


    Maria''s shoes were also still in his car. She would only damage her feet if she walked around


    barefoot.


    Gasping for breath, Maria remembered what she had just felt in the car and couldn''t help bursting


    intoughter. James might be stubborn, but his body had been honest with her.


    With this thought in mind, she was in a great mood. She staggered forward and hummed, "Nice to


    meet you. Where you been? I could show you incredible things. Magic, madness, heaven, sin. Saw


    you there and I thought, ''Oh my God, look at that face! You look like my next mistake. Love''s a


    game, wanna y..."


    How long had it been since she was so happy?


    Maybe she hadn''t felt so great since Arthur was gone.


    ''Arthur, my dear boy, I miss you so much!''


    Moved by her son''s memory, Maria stopped a taxi on the side of the road and requested to be taken


    to Fairview Vi.


    Half an hourter, she got out of the car and stood in front of her old house''s gate again. Only this


    time, a bunch of uniformed security guards patrolled every inch of the ce.


    As it seemed, James had reinforced the security so she wouldn''t sneak in.


    The moment one of the guards noticed a stranger close to the vi, he came over and asked warily,


    "What are you doing here?"


    Maria flipped her long hair and smiled, "Oh, hi. It''s nothing, don''t worry about me, please. I just


    came out for a walk."


    The security guard couldn''t help but feel attracted by her smile. He foolishly bared his teeth to her


    and said, "Miss, please leave. This is private property, you cannot stay here."


    "I see. Thanks for the reminder. Bye!" Without saying anything else, Maria turned around and left.


    Only then did the security guard noticed that she wasn''t wearing any shoes. Suddenly, he was very


    confused about her behavior. Although she was an attractive woman, he wondered whether she


    was in her right mind.


    An hourter, it was time for the security guards to change shifts.


    The change took ce at the vi''s front door. In total, ten guards took care of the vi''s security.


    Nine of them did three shifts a day, and one was a backup guard who could take over at any time if


    needed. Currently, there were six guards standing with their backs to the front door.


    The head of security held a small meeting with his men. "It''s early in the morning now. Stay sober


    and don''t allow anyone to get close to the vi."


    While the men were distracted receiving their orders, a woman quietly approached the vi through


    its backyard. First, she threw her purse to the other side and then tied her dress up to her waist.


    Fortunately, she had a pair of safety pants on, so she didn''t have to expose her underwear to the


    surveince cameras.


    Half a minute before the security team''s meeting was over, she climbed over the backyard wall and


    discretely crossed to the living room''s entrance. Although the head of security was the only one


    facing the door, the six tall and strong guards in front of him blocked his sight. Maria, of course, took


    the opportunity to sneak in.


    She entered the password without hesitation and soon heard the "beep," announcing the door was


    unlocked.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ''Thank God James hasn''t changed the password yeti'' Maria thought cheerfully.


    Then she gently locked the door and leaned against it as she heaved a sigh of relief to calm herself


    down.


    She didn''t dare to turn on the lights, so she walked into the living room under the dim illumination


    coming from the street.


    The woman absorbed in her sad memories had no idea that her every move was already being


    watched by a certain man.


    In the HL Group''s CEO office, James'' phone rang with a message, which he checked immediately.


    After thest time Maria had broken into Fairview Vi, he set up the most advanced infrared sensor


    system around the house. Now any trespasser would get detected without realizing it, but the


    person who had the system installed would be notified instantly.


    This was a way James found not to alert intruders such as Maria and give them time to run before


    he could teach them a lesson.


    Therefore, as soon as Maria climbed over the wall, James got a notification on his phone.


    Sitting at his desk, he turned on the monitor on his phone and saw the woman quickly sneaking into


    the vi. He tapped the table with his index finger as he watched her every move.


    He had also installed a new surveince camera inside the house after hisst encounter with her. It


    was embedded in the wall where ordinary people wouldn''t be able to find it.


    After a while, he turned off the monitor and dialed John''s phone number. "Change the password of


    Fairview Vi''s front door and lock it from the outside. Also, lock all the windows on the first and


    second floors. Don''t disturb the intruder in the vi."


    ''Don''t you want to stay in Fairview Vi so badly, Maria Song? Then you may stay now for as long


    as you wish. I don''t care if you get thirsty or starve to death. You can try to jump from the third floor


    if you ever decide to leave. Good luck, '' James thought.


    On the other side of the line, John was a little confused about James'' order but didn''t question it.


    "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    Later, since she didn''t have any of her belongings with her, Maria nned to leave the vi and


    come back another day. However, after trying to open the front door several times with no sess,


    she gave up and went upstairs to have some sleep. In fact, she didn''t want to end up warning the


    security guards about her presence. It was not until the next morning that Maria realized she had


    been deliberately locked in Fairview Vi from the outside.

 Chapter 28 Getting Even

    Chapter 28 Getting Even


    The next morning when Maria woke up, she went to the bathroom to clean herself up. However, she


    found out the there was no water or electricity in the vi.


    She wondered why they were suddenly cut off. Before she went to bedst night, she didn''t notice


    any problem with the water or electricity supplies.


    Maria peeked through the window and found that the door was locked. Perhaps James had seen


    her sneaked inst night.


    She went to the kitchen to check the fridge, but it was empty. Even the storage room was clear.


    There wasn''t even a single pack of instant noodles or small bottled water. It seemed that James


    wanted to starve her to death.


    The whole morning, Maria hadn''t eaten anything, so she got so hungry in the afternoon. Feeling


    desperate, she thought of tearing up the bed sheet, so she could slide down from the third floor


    through the window. But much to her dismay, she discovered that there were security rms


    installed on the walls and near the window.


    She nced at the high walls of the courtyard where she jumped inst night, but she didn''t see


    any security rms on the wall. Her brows furrowed. How did James find out that she came in?


    It couldn''t be the surveince camera because she made sure that it was a blind spot before she


    jumped in.


    Maria circled around the third floor a few times, hoping to find a way out. Then, she noticed


    something suspicious on the balcony. There was something in there which was ck and round.


    She stuck her head out to examine the wall, and she saw the pinhole-sized thing. ''Is this a video


    surveince camera?'' she wondered inwardly.


    What she didn''t know was, James met her eyes through that device.


    Maria realized that it was useless to waste her energy breaking out, so she changed her mind.


    Instead, she took out her phone. It had a twenty percent battery, so she could still make a call. She


    dialed a number, and while staring at the pinhole-sized camera, she said, "Look for Alina Tang''s


    phone number and call me back ASAP!"


    James, who had been watching her all the time, frowned. If he hadn''t known that Maria couldn''t see


    him, he would have thought that she was intentionally provoking him again.


    But since he knew what she did on the phone, he contacted someone and ordered, "Block the


    phone signal in Fairview Vi."


    As a result, Maria waited for nearly twenty minutes, but no one called her back. She suddenly felt


    suspicious, so she took out her phone to check. And she felt debilitated when she found out that her


    phone had no signal anymore.


    Knowing that James had something to do with it, she felt so angry that she wanted to smash her


    phone on his face. She wished she could break his nose bridge.


    Maria went back to the balcony and fixed her eyes on the pinhole-sized camera again. She had


    already guessed that James had been watching her from somewhere else and could hear


    everything she said.


    She thought for a while.


    Actually, she was only in a vi. Escaping a ce like this was just a piece of cake for her if she


    really wanted to. If she was willing to go out, she could.


    Maria wanted to stay longer in the vi. It didn''t matter if this ce belonged to James.


    But with the current circumstances, she really had to leave since there was no food, water, or


    electricity. In the future, she would be able to move back to Fairview Vi aboveboard.


    With this thought, Maria went back to the storage room to look for tools. However, she didn''t find


    anything useful.


    Gee! James really wanted her dead.


    Left with no choice, she went back to the bedroom where she slept and tore up the bed sheet. She


    also took the bed sheet from the guest room and did the same. Then, she tied them up together.


    Maria didn''t care if those bed sheets were silk jacquard that cost a fortune. She would tear them all


    apart as long as they could help her leave this vi.


    Soon enough, her improviseddder was ready.


    Maria tied one end of the bed sheet to a wooden desk, knowing that it was heavy and steady. She


    then wrapped the other end to herself a few circles, jumped out of the window, andnded on the


    yard with ease.


    But as soon as her feet touched the ground, some people rushed over, shouting, "Police! Freeze!


    Hands in the air!"


    Maria was taken aback for a moment. Then a bitter smile surfaced on her face. ''Screw you, James


    Xi!'' she cursed inwardly.


    She didn''t want to be in the headlines tomorrow for attacking a policeman, so she didn''t resist when


    a policeman handcuffed her. She would be taken to the police station, being used of


    trespassing.


    Before she got into the police car, one young policeman kindly said to her, "We will pass by the


    shopping mallter, so you can buy a pair of shoes." Maria nced at the innocent policeman and


    asked, "You will allow me to buy shoes by myself?"


    "Of course not! You are a suspect. How can you be allowed to go shopping alone?" another


    policeman chimed in.


    Maria threw up her hands and said, "Forget it. I don''t want to be photographed going shopping like


    a prisoner."


    The policemen exchanged nces but said nothing.


    Last night, she tried to find the shoes she used to wear six years ago, but sadly, they weren''t there


    anymore. Perhaps James had already asked someone to throw them away. How heartless he could


    be!


    Left with no choice, Maria got in the police car and was taken to the police station barefooted.


    In a meeting room of HL Group, James had just finished a video conference.


    As soon as he turned off hisputer, Lorenzo immediately reported, "Mr. Xi, Ms. Song was taken


    by the police."


    "Okay." James clearly heard that Maria was taken to the police station, but he just remained calm.


    He said, "Tell the police to release her. But she must promise first that she will leave H City right


    away. Don''t forget to send her out of town after that." He wanted to drive Maria out of H City


    because he knew that she would never stop making trouble for him. From now on, he didn''t want


    his name to be associated with her anymore.


    "Yes, Mr. Xi," Lorenzo replied with a nod. He understood why James had asked him to deal with this


    matter. James knew that he was more ruthless than Summer in dealing with Maria.


    Hence, he couldn''t let James down.


    Lorenzo turned around to leave. But before he could walk out of the door, James said, "Tell Summer


    toe over."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    Two minutester, Summer knocked and entered James'' office. "Mr. Xi, do you want to see me?"


    James was reading a document, so he didn''t answer her immediately.


    Summer had been standing there for one minute now. Before she came in, she didn''t think too


    much. But now, she began to feel a little nervous. When she remembered what happened the night


    before, she couldn''t help thinking that James might want to get even with her.


    She quietly wiped the cold sweat that broke out on her forehead and stood still, almost breathless.


    After five minutes, James had finally finished reading the document. He picked up his pen and


    signed thest page vigorously.


    He then put the signed document in front of Summer and said, "This is the partnership contract with


    CT Securities Group. For this project, I will need to send someone capable to L Country, so I will


    assign you to this. You will be the project director, and you will take a team with you. How long do


    you think will it take to finish this project?"


    Summer''s heart tightened, and she felt suffocated. Sure enough, James was really angry at her.


    She knew this project in L Country. And based on her calction, she needed to stay there for at


    least three to five years.


    Summer was certain that she would be paidvishly for this project. However, she was born and


    raised in H City. Her parents and parents-inw were also here. She had only left H City for a few


    years when she studied abroad. But other than that, she had spent all of her time here.


    Now, James wanted to send her away for several years. Obviously, this was his kind of punishment


    for her.


    When Summer helped Maria, she already knew that James would be angry. But she didn''t expect


    that it would reach this extent.


    Since she became James'' special assistant, he had only relied on her and Lorenzo. He would never


    send either of them away from him. He must have really gotten mad at her this time.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Summer suppressed the mixed emotions that surged up in her heart and plucked up all the courage


    to speak up. "Mr. Xi, I know that it''s all my fault. But I just think that Maria is willing to do her best to


    defend you. Just like what she did at the dinner partyst night. Maria really loves you. Besides,


    she''s your ex-wife. She might have made an irreparable mistake, but I hope you can soon realize


    that she didn''t really mean it. Mr. Xi, there''s no need..."


    "Summer!" Summer almost bit her tongue when she heard James call out her name. She felt that


    the temperature in the office had sharply dropped.

 Chapter 29 Asking For Help

    Chapter 29 Asking For Help


    Summer shut up immediately. She lowered her head and stayed still. She wouldn''t look James in


    the eye.


    "That was yourst chance. I''m sending you to L Country one month before the project starts!"


    James had been waiting for her to admit her mistake, but she didn''t. Instead she still tried to defend


    that hateful woman. Summer had brought this on herself.


    As long as she still wanted to work for HL Group, Summer should start packing her bags and stop


    making waves. Just ept the assignment to L Country. But how could she help Maria then? The


    woman wanted to remarry James, and there were few people who could help her with that goal.


    Keeping this in mind, Summer took a deep breath and said, I''m sorry I butted in, Mr. Xi. I should


    have stayed out of it. But Maria''s my good friend. When I hit rock bottom, you guys helped me out.


    So I need to help her when she''s in trouble."


    Six years ago, Summer was only a low-level assistant. She couldn''t help Maria much when she got


    booted from the Xi family.


    She was helpless as she watched Maria suffer and exile herself from H City. And she felt so guilty


    about that. She had the chance to help Maria now. Maybe she went a little too far, but she wanted


    to help her however she could.


    "And you still can help her. Did I stop you? No. Your friendship isn''t any business of mine," James


    said in an even tone. He ran his fingers through his hair. "But that''s when you don''t interfere in my


    business. I don''t pay you that much a year to make me unhappy."


    Summer knew she was in the wrong, but she still had an ace up her sleeve. "I know you won''t


    ept failure, Mr. Xi, from your ex-wife or me. And I know I let you down. I don''t want to disappoint


    you any further, so I''m tendering my resignation."


    She put her career on the line for Maria. She wanted to stick around and help her win James'' heart.


    A ghost of a smile spread across the man''s face, his eyes still cold. "Are you threatening me?"


    Summer shook her head and answered quickly, "Not at all. You know I was born here. My parents


    live here. So do my inws. My husband and I are trying to have a kid. If I took on this project, I''d be


    gone for five years. We can''t put our ns on hold that long. My marriage wouldn''t survive it,


    either."


    "This project won''t dy your pregnancy." He didn''t ask her to do manualbor or anything. "Mr. Xi,


    it''s not like that." She steeled herself, and let James in on some inside information. Maria could


    never reveal this to him, so Summer decided to do it for her.


    After thinking for a while, Summer continued, "When Maria was pregnant, you were traveling to the


    US and France. You never returned to H City. You don''t know how hard it is for a woman to go


    through pregnancy. I went with her to the prenatal checkups every month. When she was in her first


    trimester, she couldn''t keep anything down. Just the smell sent her running to the bathroom. It was


    so hard for her then. She really needed you with her."


    But he couldn''t¡ªor wouldn''t¡ªsee her. He was so busy he never called Maria at all. Someone had


    to tell him how Maria was doing.


    Arthur was already three days old when James hopped a ne from Australia to see Maria.


    Sitting in his chair, James didn''t say a word. She gave him something to think about.


    He didn''t look good, so Summer decided to wrap it up. "Look, I can''t stop you from punishing me. I


    deserve it. But I don''t want to leave my family. Ball''s in your court. You''ll have my formal resignation


    on your desk first thing tomorrow."


    Silence returned to the office after Summer left and closed the door behind her.


    James remembered everything. Summer was right. When Maria was pregnant with Arthur, James


    was so focused on his work he forgot all about his wife.


    So he never asked how hard the pregnancy was, or whether she got along with his family.


    He knew Judy pped her, but he didn''t say anything. She was his stepmother, and Maria didn''t


    want to rock the boat.


    He admitted he wasn''t the best husband or father, but Maria proposed to him, not the other way


    around. Since he granted her wish, what more did she want? She wanted this, didn''t she?


    He thought he''d never see her again. But she came back, six yearster. Did she think she could


    just waltz back into his life after killing his son?


    Impossible.


    They didn''t marry for love. It was just that she was quiet and still virtuous after marrying him. They


    were roommates, not lovers.


    Arthur''s death was everyone''s fault, but Maria epted the brunt of the responsibility. James was


    more than generous, giving her three hundred million dors in alimony. After that, he wasn''t


    responsible for her.


    At the police station, the woman leaned forward in her chair. She had her elbow on the desk, chin


    resting in her hand. Bored, she listened to the question the young officer asked her. She answered


    them, even if this was the fifth time she''d heard that question. They would subtly rephrase the


    question to try and trip her up.


    "So you admit you broke into the vi?" he asked. She replied, "I told you, James Xi locked me


    inside." How could she tell the cops she was trespassing? Even she really did break in, she would


    never admit it.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    The young policeman was helpless. When the two had reached a stalemate, another policeman


    rushed over with a file folder in his hand. "Lee, this is the case file. It has clear evidence of


    trespassing, including an ount by the owner of the vi. We have orders to book her. The owner


    is pressing charges."


    Maria sat there quietly, listening to them. Those words tore her heart to shreds.


    The policeman turned to Maria and continued, "But the owner said if you agree to leave the city and


    nevere back, he''ll let you off the hook."


    James wanted to either see her trespassing case go to court and have her punished ording to


    thew or drive her out of the city. That man was ruthless!


    "How long is the sentence for trespassing?" Maria asked.


    Lee looked at her and answered thoughtfully, "You case is serious, since you broke in and were


    caught red-handed inside. Although you won''t admit it, the evidence is against you. Probably three


    years." In fact, her case was not very serious, but James was powerful. What he wanted, he got.


    "I need to contact my attorney," requested Maria.


    The other policeman next to Lee shut her down. "Cut the crap. You have only two options now. One


    is to leave the city, and the other is to stay in jail and wait for trial."


    Maria gazed at him and repeated her request, her tone bing colder. "I said I want to contact


    my attorney. You need your ears checked?"


    Lee put a hand on his chest to stop his fellow officer from going any further. He pushed andline


    phone in front of her and said, "Here you are."


    Maria picked up the receiver, and was about to dial a number.


    But as soon as she pressed the number 1, she stopped, deep in thought.


    She didn''t feel like getting her attorney involved. She knew very well that her attorney couldn''t help


    her. Norman probably couldn''t either.


    Norman hated James, and the feeling was mutual. Norman might even make it worse. Besides,


    although she was happy with her attorney''s abilities so far, he was no match for HL Group''s elite


    team ofwyers. They''d probably bury him. Atst, Maria dialed another number. "Hello, Lowrie. It''s


    me. I need your help." After a brief exnation, she added, "By the way, I need a pair of shoes. Size


    37. Thanks!"


    Then she put down the phone and waited.

 Chapter 30 Helen Of Troy

    Chapter 30 Helen Of Troy


    It was getting dark, so most of the police officers had already knocked off. A tall figure hurriedly


    rushed inside the H City police station.


    He was dressed in a camouge uniform. His thick eyebrows and sharp eyes added an appeal to


    his handsome face. His slightly dry lips were tightly pressed. All in all, he emanated a great sense of


    integrity.


    Behind him was an assistant, who went straight to the officer at the front desk to look for Chief


    Wang.


    "Chief Wang is off duty now," answered the officer who was sorting out some documents. But when


    he caught sight of the man in uniform, he immediately stood up and ran over to greet. With a smile


    on his face, he said, "Mr. Lu, how are you? What can I do for you today? Please have a seat first."


    The man nced at the officer indifferently, ignoring his greeting. Instead, he asked, "Where is


    Maria Song?"


    "Oh, she is over there," the officer answered at once, pointing at a direction.


    When the man''s gaze followed the direction the officer pointed at, he saw Maria in a corner. She


    was barefooted, leaning against the cold wall, hugging her knees, and dozing off. Maria looked so


    exhausted. She had been waiting for him to rescue her the whole afternoon.


    The man strode towards her and lifted her up without saying a word. The few officers that were left


    in the station were all stunned.


    Maria opened her eyes. Knowing that it was him, she smiled and said, "Lawrie, thank God you still


    have a conscience. You are way much better than your best friend." The truth was, she wasn''t


    asleep. It would be too difficult for her to fall asleep in the police station. She just felt too bored


    waiting for her rescue, so she closed her eyes.


    With amusement in his eyes, Lawrence pretended to be hostile. "My best friend? He will cut ties


    with me because of you." For the first time in their lives, Lawrence and his best friend might have a


    fight. And it was only because of a woman.


    Lawrence strode towards the door with Maria in his arms.


    "I don''t think so. You have been friends for more than a decade now. A woman can''t ruin your deep


    friendship," Maria said with a chuckle.


    Lawrence didn''t counter anymore. He knew that Maria was right.


    Before going out of the police station, Lawrence stopped at the front desk and said to the officer,


    "Tell your chief that Lawrence Lu has taken Maria Song away. I''ll call James Xiter."


    At this moment, Lee, who had just gone out for dinner, came back to the station. When he saw that


    Lawrence was taking Maria away, he wanted to stop Lawrence.


    However, before he could step forward, another officer grabbed his arm to stop him. The officer


    scolded him in a low voice, "Don''t do it, Lee! Do you want to lose your job?"


    Lee was confused, so he asked, "Is he Maria Song''swyer? Or the owner of the vi decided to let


    her go?"


    "Neither of the above."


    "Huh?"


    "Don''t you really know the man who has taken Maria Song just now?"


    "No. Who is he?"


    "He is Lawrence Lu!"


    Lee was stunned. "Really? Are you sure that he is Lawrence Lu?"


    "Yes. I am more than one hundred percent sure."


    Lawrence was a member of the powerful Lu family and James'' best friend. But what mattered the


    most was his position. He was the leader of a special organization in H Country, with over ten


    thousand elite soldiers. This organization was directly under the control of the government.


    Word had it thatst year, a gang was offered a reward of two billion dors in exchange for


    Lawrence''s life. But Lawrence uprooted them by himself in less than three months.


    His countless heroic acts were known to everyone in H City. He was the number one hero in the


    hearts of many people.


    Lee scratched the back of his head andmented, "Maria Song is really something. She was


    arrested because James Xi used her of trespassing. And, Lawrence Lu personally came to take


    her out."


    "Absolutely!" Actually, it was not surprising anymore. After all, Maria was Helen of Troy.


    Lawrence opened the door of his jeep and put Maria down in the back seat. He then turned to the


    trunk and took a box. Handing it to her, he said, "I have never bought shoes for women before.


    Make do with them."


    Maria opened the shoe box and smiled when she saw the pair of high heels. "It''s an honor for me to


    receive the first pair of high heels from you. This is actually a limited edition of an international


    brand. I don''t want to wear them after being barefoot for a whole day."


    Lawrence went back to the back seat and looked at her. "How about I take you to wash your feet?"


    "No, you don''t have to. Just give me a wet


    tissue..." Maria paused for a moment as if she remembered something. "Oh, right! Men don''t use


    such kind of stuff. Nick, please buy me a


    pack of wet tissue when we pass by a


    supermarket," she then said to Lawrence''s assistant, who was in the driver''s seat.


    Lawrence''s assistant''sst name was Ni. But Maria was used to calling him Nick.


    Nick looked at Maria through the rearview mirror and said with a nod, "Sure, Ms. Song." He


    couldn''t help blushing.


    Since he became Lawrence''s assistant, he rarely got the chance to meet women. Not to mention


    that Maria was so beautiful and charming. Every time he saw Maria, he always blushed.


    Lawrence handed Maria a cigarette and lit one for himself. He took a puff and said, "I''m so


    impressed with your fighting spirit. You just came back a few days ago, yet James has already sent


    you to the police."


    Maria rolled down the window, lit her cigarette, took a drag, and boasted, "You know your best


    friend. But I think I''m capable enough to survive until now."


    "Well, I know that James is ruthless. But it still depends on who he is dealing with. You''re his ex-


    wife. I don''t think he will do you harm. Of course, he will let you survive," Lawrence said with a


    smile, amused by Maria. Maria didn''t say anything and just smiled. For her, James had let her


    survive, only because she hadn''t hit his rock bottom. If she did, he would have killed her long ago.


    She believed that James only loved himself.


    They happened to pass by a supermarket on the roadside, so Nick pulled over. But it was Lawrence


    who got out to buy the wet tissue. When he came back, he handed the bag to Maria. While she was


    cleaning her feet, he said, "James called just now. He''s inviting me for a drink. Would you like to join


    us?"


    Maria gave him an amused nce and asked, "Are you really his best friend?"


    Lawrence understood what she meant, so as soon as he closed the door, he answered firmly, "Of


    course. He is my best friend through life and death."


    "He treats you as his best friend, but you want to piss him off." Maria eyed Lawrence to see if he


    was serious. If she showed up in front of James, she would definitely ruin his mood.


    Lawrence just looked at her and smiled, saying nothing.


    After a few moments of silence, Lawrence turned to look at Maria again. This time, she was


    carefully putting on the new shoes. He said, "From now on, treat yourself well." Lawrence couldn''t


    help but worry about her. She had money. But she always made herself look miserable. She wore


    cheap jewelry, stayed in a very cheap hotel, and today, she let herself stay barefoot the whole day.


    Maria seemed not to care at all. "Well, you are right. But you know, I have to look pitiful to y a


    trick on your best friend. You see? I grabbed three million dors from him two days ago, just


    through a small lie. Think about it! Three million dors! An ordinary person might never get such an


    amount of money in his lifetime. But I''ve gotten it with no sweat."


    "You''re awesome! You''ve gotten three million dors from James Xi!" Lawrence sneered, pretending


    to p his hands.


    "Of course! It''s something not anyone can do." James was known for being cautious, smart, and


    cunning. If he was easy to fool, the HL Group wouldn''t be as sessful as it was now. No wonderText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Maria felt proud of herself that she was able to easily extort money from him.


    Maria and Lawrence had a good chat while on their way to the hotel. They sometimesughed and


    sometimes argued, but the atmosphere inside the car was very harmonious. They were like old


    friends who hadn''t seen each other for a long time and needed to catch up.


    When they arrived in front of the hotel, Maria got down from the car. Lawrence followed her at once.


    She turned to say goodbye to him, but she was surprised to see him standing behind her. Raising


    an eyebrow, she asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Lawrence raised his chin towards the hotel and said, "I''ll go inside and check first." Since she chose


    to stay in such a cheap hotel, he doubted if it was safe for her to stay there. He had been busy


    recently, so he didn''t get a chance to contact her. If he had known earlier, he wouldn''t allow her to


    stay in this hotel. He should have chosen the best one for her.


    Another reason why Lawrence wanted to stay with her for a little more while was, he knew that she


    was not in her best mood. Although she talked andughed with him like usual, he saw that her


    smile didn''t reach her eyes. It seemed that she was enduring something secretly.

 Chapter 31 Other Hidden Reasons

    Chapter 31 Other Hidden Reasons


    Maria couldn''t helpughing. "Are you serious? Not everyone is as capable as you and James,


    okay? Besides, people like you won''te to this kind of hotel. Rx. I assure you, no one will do


    anything to me here." She had stayed in this hotel for a long time, so she was confident about its


    security.


    "Well, it''s still my responsibility to make sure you are safe," Lawrence insisted. Indeed, it was his


    professional instinct. So Maria didn''t argue anymore.


    They walked together and entered the hotel.


    Although they were alone, there was no embarrassment or ambiguity between them at all.


    Lawrence and Maria got along with each other like siblings. Although she was older than him, he


    had always been protective of her.


    As soon as they entered Maria''s room, Lawrence checked every part and every corner. After


    making sure that there were no signs of danger, he decided to say goodbye to her. "Let''s call it a


    day. I still have to meet James for a drinkter. Then I have to rush back to S County after. Always


    take care, okay?" Lawrence was currently on a mission in S County. He only came back to H City


    today because he received a call from Maria this afternoon. Knowing that she was in trouble, he just


    couldn''t take her for granted.


    Maria had just opened a bottle of water and was about to pour a ss for Lawrence. When she


    heard him saying goodbye, she put the lid back and said, "Okay. Thanks for saving a bottle of water


    for me. Tell Nick to drive carefully."


    "Okay." Lawrence walked out of the door. But after taking a few steps in the hallway, he looked back


    to Maria, who saw him off at the door. "Don''t worry. I''ll exin everything to James and ask him to


    smooth things over," he said. He was serious about it. He knew very well how James dealt with his


    enemies.


    "Thank you so much. Remember to tell him to have more mercy on me to let me survive." Maria


    believed that as long as she was alive, she had the chance to win James'' heart back.


    They were together in the past. Now, she knew that they could still be together again. She just


    needed time and opportunity.


    "I will. I''ll go now. Bye!" This time, Lawrence walked away without looking back.


    However, Maria stopped him again. She then asked, "Lowrie, how much were those shoes?"


    Lawrence shook his head helplessly and answered, "Don''t worry about it. I''ll charge it to James''


    ount and let him pay me back double in the future. After all, I have no ns of supporting my


    best friend''s woman financially."


    Lawrence knew Maria very well. She was the type of person who didn''t want to owe anyone


    anything, especially money.


    Maria and James used to be a couple. Since Lawrence said he''d charge it to James'' ount, Maria


    would not insist on paying him.


    After thinking for a while, Maria said, "That''s eptable. Bye!" She then closed the door without


    hesitation.


    Lawrence and Maria treated each other as siblings. But the truth was, they had each own reasons


    for getting along with each other.


    Maria couldn''t tell what exactly it was, but she knew that Lawrence had a reason why he was


    always there to help her. But she was sure that it had nothing to do with romance.


    As for Lawrence, he knew what Maria was up to. She only needed someone to help her if


    something happened to her in H City, just like today.


    Although she was his best friend''s ex-wife, Lawrence didn''t mind helping her as long as he could


    find the answer he wanted from her soon.


    Lawrence rushed to Leopard Club, where he and his close friends always met. As soon as he


    opened the door to the private room, a man in yellow rushed to him and hugged him. "Why are you


    sote? We haven''t seen each other for three months. I miss you so much!"


    If Lawrence hadn''t gotten used to the man''s style, he would have punched him in the face.


    Lawrence pushed the man away from his body in disgust and said, "Fuck off, man! You''re getting


    more and more sissy every time I see you. I drove Maria back to her hotel, so I''mte.


    Ethan wanted to retort. But when he heard Lawrence''sst sentence, he almost choked to death on


    his own saliva. "Did you have sex with the enchantress Maria Song?"


    Lawrence nced at James, who was talking on the phone by the window, before he hit Ethan''s


    head and cursed, "Fuck you!"


    "Don''t you dare think about it. I''m not interested in men," Ethan warned while rubbing his head.


    Lawrence sat on the sofa, picked up a mug of beer, and drained it in one go. He then shouted,


    "James, I''ll punish myself for what I''ve done by finishing three mugs in a row!"


    He still had to go back to S Countyter for work, so he had to keep a high level of consciousness.


    He shouldn''t drink too much.


    With a puzzled look, Ethan sat next to him and asked, "Did you do something to make James


    angry?"


    "Sort of." Lawrence finished the three mugs of beer as fast as he could.


    Ethan was about to ask more questions when James sat in front of them in silence. He had just


    finished with his phone call.


    Lawrence was the first to break the silence. "James, please do me a favor and also leave yourself


    an out. What if you suddenly realize one day that you want to be with Maria again? You will


    definitely appreciate your own mercy on her."


    James held a ss of liquor in his hand and offered a toast. As their sses clinked, he said tly,


    "I''ll get engaged to Alina on the 30th Anniversary of the Tang Group."


    He simply meant that there was no chance for him and Maria to be together again.


    Lawrence was lost in thought. There were still more than two months before the 30th Anniversary of


    the Tang Group. With Maria''s ability, even if she couldn''t get back to James at that time, she could


    still seed in making James fall in love with her.


    "Well, that''s all up to you. But just assure me that no matter what happens in the future, you will not


    kill her. After all, it isn''t easy for her toe back to H City."


    The ambiance inside the private room became a little serious. Ethan, who had no idea what James


    and Lawrence were talking about, almost suffocated to death by his curiosity and questions. He was


    dying to ask them, but he couldn''t find an opportunity to utter a peep. As he continued to listen to


    their conversation, he got more puzzled. But he couldn''t do anything but just listen quietly.


    "She shouldn''t havee back," James uttered as his jaw tightened.


    He thought that since Maria had decided toe back, she should have anticipated that her life in


    H City wouldn''t be as easy as before.


    "If she didn''te back, you two would never have a chance to be together again," Lawrence


    insisted.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    "Even if she''s back, it''s still impossible for us to be together," James sneered.


    He always believed that if he let go of something, he would never take it back. Besides, Maria had


    made an irreparable mistake. If he got back with an irresponsible mother like her, he would only be


    sorry for Arthur, who had identally gone.


    Lawrence decided not to dwell on the topic anymore. After all, it was a matter between the couple.


    Although he was James'' best friend, it was not appropriate for him to interfere. He had done his


    part, so he would leave the rest to Maria to work hard on. Finally, Ethan found an opportunity to


    chime in. "Lawrence, why do you always have to defend that enchantress? She is James'' ex-wife,


    and she killed..." Before he could finish his words, he nced at James stealthily. When he saw that


    James was silent again and seemed to be deep in thought, he whispered in Lawrence''s ear, "She


    killed our godson."


    Lawrence lit a cigarette and said slowly, "I know. But we both don''t know what exactly happened at


    that time and who should be responsible for it."


    Lawrence had a feeling that Maria''s main purpose for returning to H City was her son''s death.


    As good friends, they had talked about the child a few times. But she always spoke with a forked


    tongue and changed the topic quickly.


    Maria didn''t admit that her son died because of her carelessness. However, she also didn''t make it


    clear if there could be some other hidden facts.


    But Lawrence surmised that the cause of the ident was moreplicated than what they had


    known. There should be some hidden reasons.

 Chapter 32 Serving Them In Person

    Chapter 32 Serving Them In Person


    Ethan contemted on Lawrence''s words and soon realized that he made sense. Just like the


    others, he had only heard about the child''s ident. He didn''t see it with his own eyes. But almost


    everyone, including James, put the me on Maria so naturally.


    James remained quiet. It was not that he didn''t know what they were talking about, but he just didn''t


    want to bring back the past over and over again. He didn''t want to talk about it anymore.


    Maria was just a woman, and she meant nothing to him anymore. He didn''t even care even if


    Lawrence had taken her out of the police station.


    In the hotel, Maria was still leaning against the door of her room. It had been a while since


    Lawrence left, but she didn''t move even a bit.


    She had been holding back her emotions since she and Lawrence walked out of the police station.


    The truth was, Maria was so afraid when she alone in the police station. She was reminded of


    everything that happened after Arthur''s ident a few years ago.


    Those memories surrounded her like nightmares, gradually suffocating her. It was alreadyte.


    Finally, Maria left the door and dragged her swollen legs to the bathroom.


    In the past few days, Alina had been recuperating at home. But she knew that James and Maria


    saw each other at the dinner party again and she got in his car. She was so angry, but she didn''t


    dare to act rashly for a moment.


    Then she heard that Maria was taken by the police because of trespassing on James'' vi. It made


    her feel relieved. She got more convinced that she had nothing to worry about Maria. James


    wouldn''t hesitate to punish his ex-wife.


    James'' car arrived at the entrance of HL Group.


    He nced at the coffee shop across the road and said to Lorenzo, "Call the people of Gran Melia


    and tell them that I will wait for them in the coffee shop across the street."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi," Lorenzo answered at once.


    Inside the Miracle Cafe, a few customers had been lining up at the counter to pay for their orders.


    However, the cashier went to the restroom. To avoid getting customerints, Maria took the


    initiative to take the ce of the cashier for the moment. She looked at the young couple in front of


    her expressionlessly.


    Maria''s eyes were fixed on the man''s phone in his hand. She had been waiting for him to hand her


    his phone so she could scan the payment code. However, he didn''t have the intention of handing


    over his phone to Maria at all. The man said to his girlfriend, "It''s my treat. Let me pay."


    She refused, "No. I will pay." She then took out her phone from her purse and was about to open


    the payment app. But it took time for her to enter her password and unlock the app.


    Maria impatiently held out her hand in front of the man and said, "Give me your phone!"


    The man looked at her confusedly but still didn''t hand her his phone. "Hurry up!" she snapped.


    At this time, his girlfriend had already opened the payment app, so she quickly gave her phone to


    Maria and said, "Miss, please take my phone. I''ll pay for our bill."


    However, Maria didn''t take the woman''s phone. She quietly stared at the man in front of her, who


    looked a little embarrassed. Under her gaze, the man was forced to hand over his phone to her.


    Maria picked up the scanner and scanned the code on the man''s phone. They then heard a beeping


    sound. A payment of five hundred and thirty dors was sessfully made.


    The man took back his phone with his face as pale as a sheet. "Howe it costs so much? We


    only had two cups of coffee and a few desserts," he muttered.


    His girlfriend, who was in a good mood just now, suddenly looked sad. She forced a smile to hide


    her embarrassment. He only spent a few hundred dors, and he already felt bad, while she, on the


    other hand, had always paid thousands of dors on their dates but never made a fuss about it.


    Maria handed the receipt to the man and said to the woman, "Girl, if a man doesn''t even want to


    spend this small amount of money for you and he''s ying tricks when paying the bill, you must


    think twice. Ask yourself if he is worth being your boyfriend. Be careful."


    The man''s face flushed with anger upon hearing Maria''s advice to his girlfriend. He red at Maria


    and scolded her, "How dare you! You are just a waitress. What do you know? Why don''t you just


    mind your own business? Where is your manager? I willin about you for stirring up trouble


    between us."


    Maria just shrugged and rolled her eyes. "Whatever!"


    She then ignored the man and continued what she was doing.


    As soon as the young couple went out, Maria heard several waiters and waitresses greeting the


    new customers enthusiastically. "Wee to Miracle Cafe!"


    Lorenzo opened the ss door of the coffee shop for James. He then followed James to a table at


    the corner near the window. Maria, who had just finished taking a few customers'' orders, smiled


    when she recognized the new customers. She thought to herself, ''Well, who would have thought


    that the big fish will take the initiative to nibble the bait on my hook? I should take advantage of this


    opportunity to be close to James.'' She walked out of the bar counter and stopped the waiter, who


    was walking towards James'' table. She took the menu and said, "Leave them to me. Just take care


    of the other tables."


    "Okay, Maria."


    Maria put the menu in front of James. She then said in her sweetest voice, "Good day, sirs! May I


    take your orders?"


    Her voice was so familiar to James that he could already tell who she was without even looking at


    her. He had banned Maria from the business circle, so she must have taken the job as a waitress in


    this coffee shop to continue to live.


    On the other hand, Lorenzo frowned. It seemed that they couldn''t get rid of Maria wherever they


    went.


    With his eyes fixed on the phone in his hand, James ordered, "Cafe Americano, no sugar. Thanks."


    "Okay, Mr. Xi. Just give me a moment. I''ll brew it for you." Maria picked up the menu and turned


    around to leave. Lorenzo immediately stopped her and said unhappily, "Ms. Song, I haven''t ordered


    yet."


    Maria turned around, smiled, and replied, "Lorenzo, you''re just an assistant. You can drink whatever


    your boss drinks. Don''t be so picky!" Did Lorenzo want her to personally serve him? He must be


    dreaming!


    Lorenzo''s eyes zed with anger. As the assistant of the CEO of HL Group, he was not someone to


    be looked down upon. He couldn''t just allow Maria to belittle him, so he said furiously, "Is this how


    you treat your customers? I wonder if you have undergone any customer service training."


    "I''m sorry, but I haven''t had any customer service training because I don''t really need it." After


    exchanging a few words with Lorenzo, Maria turned around to leave again.


    Looking at her back, Lorenzo awkwardly coughed in front of James and bitched about her in a low


    voice. "What kind of coffee shop is this?" He thought that with Maria''s attitude, this coffee shop


    would not survive in H City for a long time.


    "Stop!" All of a sudden, a cold voice stopped Maria.


    She turned around and stood still with her arms crossed over her chest. Smiling brightly, she asked,


    "Yes, Mr. Xi? What else can I do for you?"


    Without looking at her, James said indifferently, "I want to talk to your manager."


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    "Oh, my manager? I''m so sorry, Mr. Xi. He is out of town for a business trip right now. I think he will


    be away for a month or two. Do you want me to call him?"


    James noticed thecency in Maria''s voice, and he hated it. This time, his sharp eyes looked


    at her. He scolded her harshly, "With the kind of service you provide to your customers, this coffee


    shop is just wasting their money and resources on a waitress like you. Which group does Miracle


    Cafe belong to?"


    Maria unhurriedly called a waiter and asked him to make two cups of Cafe Americano without sugar


    for James and Lorenzo. She then turned to James and countered, "Mr. Xi, our Miracle Cafe is an


    independent coffee shop. We don''t belong to any group. If you are dissatisfied with my service, you


    are free toin to my manager."


    Maria then walked away in her high heels without even giving James a chance to say anything


    more.


    Her attitude definitely pissed off Lorenzo and offended James this time.


    James was always ttered and pleased by people wherever he went. This was his first time to be


    despised by a waitress in a coffee shop. He felt so upset.


    When Lorenzo noticed the cold expression on James'' face, he whispered, "Mr. Xi, shall we file a


    comint against her?"

 Chapter 33 Intentionally Making It Difficult

    Chapter 33 Intentionally Making It Difficult


    "Go ahead!" With his slender fingers, James loosened the tie around his neck and felt he could


    breathe properly now. "File theint against her until she apologizes to you face to face." It


    was the first time that someone dared to bully his subordinate in his presence. For a moment,


    James wondered if he was too easygoing.


    ''Why did Lawrence get this woman out of the police station?'' James pondered whether his best


    friend was intentionally making it difficult for him.


    Following James'' order, Lorenzo looked up the cafe manager''s phone number and called him as


    soon as possible. Then he rudely reported Maria''s behavior to him and even told the man that she


    wasn''t wearing her uniform.


    Aware of who Lorenzo was, the manager promised that he would ask someone to look into the


    matter seriously. If the investigation confirmed Lorenzo''s version of the facts, he would immediately


    dismiss Maria and apologize to James.


    Later, after noticing that the two clients James had an appointment with arrived, Maria stopped


    harassing him and went back to her work. In H City, no one dared to ignore James'' demands.


    However, by the time James and Lorenzo thought that Maria had already been fired from the cafe,


    Lorenzo spotted the woman typing on herptop inside the establishment. He slowed the car and


    pointed at Maria. "Mr. Xi, what is she still doing here?"


    How would James know? With a frown, he wondered why Maria was so stubborn. "Check who


    owns the Miracle Cafe!"


    "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    Half an hourter, Lorenzo knocked on James'' office door. "Excuse me, Mr. Xi. I couldn''t find out


    who owns the Miracle Cafe. It seems to be legally under the manager''s name, but obviously, he''s


    not the real owner. By the way, the manager just called and invited you to go to the cafe when you


    have the time. Apparently, Ms. Song wants to apologize to you in person."


    How dare Maria ask for his presence so she could apologize?


    James couldn''t believe them. As it seemed, this manager was just as arrogant as Maria was. Who


    did they think they were? Why would he go to the cafe and listen to their apology? "I''ll leave this


    matter to you. You have full authority to handle this," James told Lorenzo.


    "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    Hence, Lorenzo made time to go to the Miracle Cafe in the afternoon. As soon as he got there, he


    met the manager and Maria, but she insisted on only apologizing to James himself.


    Pulling out his phone, Lorenzo gritted his teeth and threatened her, "Ms. Song, if you don''t


    apologize at once, I''ll call the police and report you for harassment."


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    At the mention of the police, Maria seemed frightened as she coaxed him, "Please don''t, Lorenzo!


    Let''s go to the private room and have a nice talk. It''s not impossible for me to apologize."


    Lorenzo was satisfied that she was finally showing him some respect and couldn''t help looking


    down on her. As the HL Group CEO''s special assistant, he certainly knew how to deal with a


    woman. The only reason why he agreed to follow her into the private room was to spare her


    feelings.


    However, the moment Lorenzo stepped into the room, Maria locked the door behind them.


    Nobody could say for sure what went down in there afterward.


    Ten minutester, James was about to see a client when he received a phone call from his special


    assistant. Lorenzo''s tone was full of grievance. "Mr. Xi, Maria Song is such a vicious woman."


    Furrowing his eyebrows, James thought, ''Lorenzo is getting worse and worse at doing his job!''


    ording to Lorenzo''s report, Maria didn''t apologize to him. Instead, she beat him up. With no


    other choice, James was forced to go to the cafe across the street before meeting with his client.


    The moment he arrived, James scanned the ce, but Maria was nowhere to be seen. As soon as


    a waiter saw him, he greeted, "Mr. Xi, wee. Mr. Lan is waiting for you in the private room."


    James had a long face as he was led by the waiter to the so-called private room.


    When the door was pushed open, he didn''t find Lorenzo in there. There was only Maria with a bright


    smile on her face.


    James was starting to run out of patience with this woman constantly provoking him.


    ring at Maria, he asked her coldly, "Maria Song, do you think I don''t have the guts to do anything


    against you because of Lawrence and Norman?"


    Maria looked at him affectionately and stood up, walking up to him. "But why would you do that?


    Come on, don''t be so mad. I just want to get us back together. All I do is to attract your attention."


    Maria lifted a hand, and James grabbed it before she could touch him. He growled, "You can''t exist


    without a man, can you?"


    The blood drained from Maria''s face as he squeezed her wrist rather forcefully. Despite the pain,


    however, she desperately wrapped her free arm around his waist and looked up at him. "I won''t die


    without a man, but I''ll die... without you."


    "Then, go ahead!" Realizing that James was about to push her away, Maria held onto his waist


    tightly and didn''t let him go.


    The woman''s body felt so soft against his that she seemed to have no bones. Leaning against


    James, she winked at him and said, "James, it''s been a long time since I''ve been back to H City, but


    I still haven''t gotten a kiss from you. How about we share a kiss now?"


    It was the first time in James'' life that a woman came on to him so aggressively. He couldn''t hide the


    anger in his eyes when he said, "I haven''t seen you for a few years. I must say I''m impressed, Maria


    Song." He lowered his head as if he was going to kiss her. However, the next moment the sound of


    Maria''s red dress being ripped filled the room.


    Maria didn''t expect him to be so straightforward. A little shocked, she protested, "Wait a minute!"


    She just wanted a kiss. She wasn''t nning on doing anything more passionate. Things were


    happening way too fast, and she couldn''t catch up with James'' intentions at all.


    "Don''t you want a kiss? What are you waiting for?" The man yanked her dress harder until it was


    totally torn apart. Her gorgeous curves were now fully exposed to James'' eyes. His Adam''s apple


    bobbed as his gaze swept her head to toe. He was so amazed by her beauty that he almost couldn''t


    hold himself back. Still, he managed to adjust his breath quietly and pressed the woman against the


    wall.


    At his sudden attack, Maria''s heart pounded in her chest. Trying to suppress her panic, she grabbed


    the hem of his shirt and urged gently, "James, there''s no need to be in such a hurry. Let''s go to a


    hotel and get a room."


    Actually, if James insisted on continuing where they were, she would still give in to him. But


    obviously, this wasn''t appropriate, so she had to try to convince him to take this elsewhere.


    "Get a room?" James repeated and smiled mysteriously.


    "Yes. Exactly."


    All of a sudden, Maria felt him kissing her neck.


    His lips were a little cold, making her shiver. Before she surrenderedpletely to his touch, she


    comined flirtatiously, "It tickles. Ouch! It hurts!" She didn''t understand why he had suddenly bit


    her. Although they hadn''t been with each other for a few years, his behavior seemed a bit unusual.


    Still, her coquettish cry almost made the man fall into her trap. James spread over a dozen bites on


    her neck, leaving her full of marks. It was so painful that Maria wanted to push him away.


    However, before she could react, James stopped and took a step back.


    In the blink of an eye, his cool surface was restored as he stared at the woman gasping for air


    against the wall. Under his gaze, her face flushed, and James mocked her, "Sure enough, you''re


    quite cheap!"


    His cruel remark pulled Maria back to reality. Only then did she notice her embarrassing state in


    contrast to James'', who was still neatly dressed.


    Gradually, she stopped panting as it dawned to her that everything James had just done was meant


    to humiliate her.

 Chapter 34 Burning Shame

    Chapter 34 Burning Shame


    Not only that, before James left the private room, he also grabbed her phone from the table. He


    opened the door and strode out, never once looking back.


    Her ragged dressy on the floor,pletely ruined.


    Everything was quiet for a few minutes. Maria understood why James had torn her dress. He didn''t


    want her to leave the private room. He didn''t want her calling for help, either.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    But he had underestimated her.


    Lorenzo was badly injured. He was about to walk out of there with James, when the door to Maria''s


    room opened.


    It was her, alright. James looked at her and his eyes narrowed.


    She was now wrapped in a ck cloth. The bites on her neck were still visible, but she wasn''t


    naked.


    She had cannibalized the curtain to make this impromptu outfit.


    Beforeing out, she managed to dislodge the curtain and its rod and wrapped herself in it.


    Seeing James was ready to leave, she fought down theplex emotions in her heart and stared


    at him. She opened her mouth to say something.


    Her eyes met James''s. He knew this wasn''t going to go well the moment the woman''s red lips were


    parted.


    "Hey James. So you couldn''tst longer than a minute, huh? I know some ED experts I could put


    you in touch with. I''ll make an appointment for you." She seemed unusually attuned to James''


    feelings, and she didn''t feel mortified at all.


    Lorenzo couldn''t believe his ears. How could Marie say things like that? And in public, no less! It


    just made him hate Maria more.


    All the other patrons were highly amused. So the mighty James Xi finished early. Only one minute,


    too! Astounding! The cafe got quite noisy after that, with hushed whispers andughter.


    But no one got loud about it, or took pictures. The few that did were handled by the waiters, who


    either shushed them or escorted them off the premises. Most of them just exchanged meaningful


    nces with each other.


    James'' headache had spread to his temples. Maria must be doing this on purpose. He didn''t care if


    she had forgotten how good he was. But to humiliate him in public like this? That was too much! It


    was a burning shame for a man.


    He strode towards the woman, who stood there with a smug face.


    Seeing the man approaching her, Maria got frightened.


    Without hesitation, she turned and ran back to the private room and locked the door from inside.


    Soon enough she heard a knock on the door. "Come out here, Maria. You and I should talk!"


    There was a trace of irritation in his cold voice. Maria was not that stupid. If she went out to talk with


    him right now, she''d probably be thrown into the street naked.


    In fact, she knew James too well. After catching her, that was precisely what he''d do. She didn''t


    intend to put herself through that.


    James swore inwardly that he would never set foot in this coffee shop again!


    Not only would he nevere here again, but he''d also ban the twenty thousand employees of HL


    Group as well.


    "James Xi, if you''re a real man, just bring me some clothes. Then I''ll go out and face you."


    Buying clothes for her? He decided to let her dream on.


    James had no more time to waste on her. He knew she wouldn''te out. Besides, he only had a


    couple minutes to spare. There would always be another time. Plenty of chances to teach her a


    lesson she wouldn''t forget. Today, Maria had humiliated him so badly and he couldn''t let that slide.


    The man turned around and strode away.


    After confirming he was gone, Maria gave her credit card to a waitress and asked her to buy some


    clothes for her in a nearby shopping mall. Then she came out of the private room after getting


    dressed.


    She checked the surveince video of the coffee shop and it was true¡ªJames had taken her phone


    away.


    It was just a phone. She wasn''t about to go after James to get it back. Besides, if she really went to


    his office, she was afraid she might not make it back out in one piece. HL Group was his turf, after


    all.


    James had waited three days for Maria to show up and im her phone. But she didn''t. She had


    gotten a lot of phone calls, but he didn''t care. He just turned the volume off so he wouldn''t be


    disturbed. He didn''t care who was calling her.


    After the phone died, he asked someone to charge it and let it continue to vibrate in his drawer.


    The next day, Maria''s phone quit vibrating. James figured she had acquired a new phone and


    reported the old one as lost.


    James had tried to crush this woman''s spirit so many times. But each time she rose above it. The


    rage in his heart surged stronger and stronger.


    He was a wreck, but he still had to meet a client. That was the first time he did that while under the


    sway of his emotions.


    He was meeting with the representatives of a credit-rating agency. Three employees were sent to


    meet him¡ªtwo men and a woman.


    The woman was dressed in a ck business suit. Her wavy long chestnut hair was casually draped


    over her shoulders. She was all decked out. Fakeshes, heavy makeup, red lips, the works.


    She reminded him of another woman he knew like that. She wore the same kind of ck suit, long


    wavy hair, and red lipstick.


    As soon as James sat down, he got back to his feet again. "We''ll have to do this another day," he


    said, half-hysterically. "And find some more professional people, will you?"


    The conference room quieted down. The others exchanged nces, but no one said a word. They


    watched James walk out of the meeting room.


    The three employees from the credit-rating agency talked among themselves, theorizing about what


    on earth had offended this business tycoon. They just couldn''t figure what the problem was. They


    settled tentatively on the woman''s perfume. Except for that, they really couldn''t find any other


    problems.


    Summer jogged to catch up with James and asked gingerly, "Excuse me, Mr. Xi. Is there anything


    wrong?" She had worked for James Xi long enough to figure out when he was in a bad mood.


    Ignoring her, James strode into the elevator.


    When they got out of the elevator, the man said to her, "From now on, Maria is not allowed inside


    the offices of HL Group. And don''t let anyone in who looks like her either!"


    Summer gaped. A series of questions came to mind. Did that credit-rating representative resemble


    Maria? How could Mr. Xi be so childish? Was he irritated by her?


    Later, the female employee left and the creditrating agency sent a male employee along. As


    expected, this time, James had no problem, and smoothly handled the contract negotiation with the


    agency.


    Later, the female representative for the agency dumped her bottle of perfume, recing it with a


    different brand. Word got around that James didn''t like that perfume. So her co-workers did the


    same. It spread from office to office till no one in the city was using that particr perfume. Sadly, it


    did impact thepany that manufactured the perfume. Thetest quarterly report showed a


    shocking drop in sales.


    Maria sat on the second floor of a restaurant named ck Pearl.


    She had an appointment with a client today. Because this client was very important, she specifically


    chose this high-end restaurant.


    Coincidentally, as soon as she sat down and ordered the food, she saw Alina and James walk into


    the restaurant arm in arm.


    Alina spotted her right away. "James, Maria is over there," she whispered. "Shall we go say hi?"

 Chapter 35 Reckless

    Chapter 35 Reckless


    James was so stingy that he didn''t even spare Maria a nce when Alina mentioned her. Instead,


    he just said indifferently, "I have no time."


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Upon hearing his response, Alina only shrugged her shoulders. She was not in the mood to provoke


    Maria today, either, so she followed James to their reserved private room quietly.


    After a short while, Maria saw Alina''s parents arrive and enter the same private room. So she


    surmised that the whole Tang family had invited James for dinner.


    She got more convinced that her spection was right when ten minutester, a man in a white


    shirt, ck suit, and ck tie walked into the restaurant. He was Ronald, Alina''s younger brother.


    Even if he was formally attired, he still looked like a ruffian.


    As soon as he entered the restaurant, two managers walked up to him, bowed, and greeted, "Good


    day, Mr. Tang. Wee to our


    restaurant. We hope you will enjoy your meal."


    The managers were extra courteous because they knew that he was not only a Tang but also


    James Xi''s future brother-inw.


    Ronald was known as a bully in the entire H City. And now that Alina was about to get engaged to


    James, he became more arrogant. He walked with his chin up all the time as if he looked down his


    nose at everyone.


    Ronald was about to follow the manager to their reserved private room when he caught sight of a


    familiar woman eating at one table. He suddenly turned back.


    The other manager behind him got so startled when they almost bumped into each other. The


    manager quickly stepped back and asked, "Mr. Tang, do you need anything?"


    Ronald just ignored him and walked towards the direction where Maria was. He then shouted, "Holy


    crap! Look who''s here!"


    Since they were in a high-end restaurant where the atmosphere was always calm and quiet, his


    voice that resounded through the dining hall attracted all the customers'' attention.


    Maria lowered her head and focused on the food on her te, pretending not to see him. She felt


    like it was such a disgrace when people found out that she knew him.


    But Ronald deliberately walked to her table. He stood beside her and exaggeratedly eximed,


    "Hello, my cousin Maria!"


    Since he mentioned her name, Maria couldn''t ignore him anymore. She raised her head and


    stered a fake smile on her face. "Oh, Ronald, it''s you. What a coincidence." They hadn''t seen


    each other for a few years, but Ronald still looked the same. With his hair dyed purple, he looked


    like an idiot.


    Ronald then nced at the man opposite her. He couldn''t see anything special about the man''s


    outfit and appearance, so heughed and deliberately asked, "Maria, who is he?"


    For him to leave immediately, Maria answered at once, "He''s a friend."


    When the man heard Maria introduced him to Ronald, he greeted politely, "Hi." The truth was, he


    was not Maria''s friend but a client.


    But Ronald just ignored the man. He said to Maria again, "Your boyfriend? I guess he is already in


    his forties. You really have good taste, my dear cousin."


    Maria''s client felt so embarrassed by Ronald''s words. With a flushed face, he exined, "Mister, I


    think you misunderstand. Ms. Song and I are just friends. I am a married man."


    Although the man had said that he was already married, Ronald still didn''t intend to stop bothering


    Maria. He remembered that she pped Alina''s facest time, and he had not avenged his sister


    yet. Now was his best chance. He felt more courageous this time because James and his parents


    were inside the private room, so many people would back him up. Maria would definitely be


    doomed.


    Ronald looked at the food on the table and eximed, "Jesus! Maria, you''ve ordered oysters? Such


    a great aphrodisiac! You know very well. You have a thing for this man, don''t you?"


    Maria put down the fork in her hand and stared at Ronald expressionlessly. He continued, "Wow!


    You also have this duck''s chest and drumstick. From the dishes on your table, I can say that a


    prostitute is having dinner with her client first to prepare him for bedter."


    This time, his words were offensive and disgusting. Maria''s client couldn''t contain his anger


    anymore. "Mister..." He was about to stand up and say something, but Ronald pressed his shoulder


    down.


    He then turned to Maria and continued to provoke her recklessly. "Maria, can you still remember


    how you''ve pped Alinast time? I''m sure that today is the best time for you to apologize. Go


    with me to our private room, kneel down, and apologize to my sister in front of my parents. After


    that, I will let you go. What do you think?"


    Maria sat still and didn''t say anything. It was as if she hadn''t heard anyone talking.


    Her calmness made Ronald look like a clown. Perhaps he also noticed it, so he felt a little


    embarrassed. Furious, he reached out his hand and patted her face slightly. "Weren''t you just an


    ugly duckling before? What happened? Why are you so good-looking now? Is it because of the


    nourishment you get from having sex with different men? You love drumstick, don''t you?" Ronald


    aggressively spat at the te of drumstick and pushed it in front of Maria. He then ordered, "Now,


    eat this!"


    Maria unhurriedly stood up and looked at him coldly. In her eyes, he was a lunatic.


    Today, she was wearing a long ginger loose dress with petal-shaped cuffs and a white chain belt.


    The moment she stood up in her high-heels, Ronald was stunned by her charm.


    "Ronald Tang," she called out softly.


    "What? Are you going to apologize to Alina?" Ronald stammered. He didn''t sense the sudden


    change of the atmosphere inside the restaurant, and he keep acting arrogantly.


    At the moment, James and the Tang family were all waiting for Ronald inside the private room. Alina


    had been calling him all the time, but he was not answering his phone. All of a sudden, one of the


    managers came in and said to her, "Ms. Tang, Mr. Tang is outside..."


    A bad hunch suddenly rose up in Alina''s heart. Ronald loved making trouble, and Maria was having


    dinner at the dining hall. So before the manager could finish his words,


    she turned to James, who was discussing some business matters with her father, and said, "James,


    would you mind going outside with me? I just have to check on Ronald. He''s outside, and it seems


    like he saw Maria..." As soon as Alina''s father, yton Tang, heard Maria''s name, he frowned and


    interrupted, "Maria Song?" He exchanged a nce with Alina''s mother, Miranda Song.


    Both yton and Miranda knew that Alina''s face got swollen because Maria pped her a few days


    ago, and they were still furious about it.


    "Okay," James agreed at once.


    Since they were in a public ce, yton and Miranda didn''t go out. They let Alina and James


    handle the matter.


    The moment James and Alina stepped out of the private room, they saw that Ronald spat on the


    dish in front of Maria.


    Alina''s heart skipped a beat. She was so shocked that Ronald dared to make trouble in a public.


    She knew that Maria wouldn''t let go of Ronald so easily.


    With this thought, Alina quickened her pace.


    But before she could get close to them, Maria had already pped Ronald hard in the face. The


    loud sound shocked everyone in the restaurant.


    Ronald stood rooted to the spot. He had the same reaction with Alina when Maria pped herst


    time. Never did he expect that Maria would be brave enough to hit him in a public ce.


    Maria''s beautiful eyes looked around. Then her gaze fixed on the red wine on the table next to hers.


    When she walked over to that table, the group of people who were eating there got so frightened


    that they quickly stood up and looked for a ce to hide.


    Maria picked up the half-empty bottle of red wine and walked back to Ronald. With an


    expressionless face, she smashed it on his head without hesitation.

 Chapter 36 Begs Me On Her Knees

    Chapter 36 Begs Me On Her Knees


    "Ouch!" The next moment, two sounds mingled: a bottle shattering and a scream of pain.


    Then the whole restaurant was in chaos.


    After she saw Ronald being struck by the bottle, Alina rushed to his side. She cradled his head in


    her hands, and they came away bloody. The back of his head was bleeding. She shouted at the


    restaurant manager, "Call the police! Call an ambnce!"


    The hall of the restaurant was in turmoil. The noise was so loud that yton and Miranda heard it in


    their private room. The couple exchanged a look, stood up, and walked out to see what the matter


    was.


    The sharp pain in his head made Ronald a little dizzy and he had difficulty breathing. He barely


    realized anything happened to him, other than he felt bad.


    He had been cherished and spoiled by the Tang family since he was born. No one had ever done


    something like this to him, let alone Maria Song. She was always obedient and acquiescent, wasn''t


    she?


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    In a panic, Alina urged the manager to bring the first-aid kit. While a waiter was practicing first- aid


    on her brother, she red at the woman nearby. "Maria, you''re a madwoman! I''ll put you in jail, and


    this time I''ll keep you there."


    Maria calmly grabbed her high-end handbag. It was decorated with a pattern of geometric shapes


    and the same color as her dress. She looked very fashionable.


    With an uncaring look, she took out a bank card and handed it to the waiter standing next to her


    table, who was on call at any time. "The check please. I''ll pay for the table next to mine as well."


    "Yes, ma''am. One moment, please!" The waiter approached Maria. Her imposing manner made him


    shiver. He took the card obediently and went to the checkout counter to pay the bills.


    "Oh my God! Maria, what did you do to Ron?" Maria recognized the voice. It was Miranda, Alina''s


    mother and her aunt on her father''s side.


    She turned and saw Miranda in a dark green cheongsam. Next to her was yton wearing a long


    face. James was there, too, and even calmer than Maria.


    Maria barely had anything to do with these people anymore. Nheless, she was polite. "Hi, Aunt


    Miranda, Uncle yton."


    They didn''t return the favor. Instead, Miranda scolded her. "I don''t have a niece like you. Don''t call


    me that!" Then she turned her back on Maria and asked Ronald, her heart breaking, "Does it hurt?"


    "Dad, Mom! Alina, James! Get this woman! Ouch ! Be gentle!" Ronald yelled at the manager who


    was trying to staunch the flow of blood. Then he continued, "I''ll kill that bitch for this! Damn it!"


    Instead of shouting, yton winked at the bodyguards nearby. The bodyguards immediately


    stepped forward, ready to attack Maria.


    However, before they could even get close to her, Maria stepped on the chair, looked down at the


    bodyguards, and kicked one of them in the chest.


    Maria wore high-heeled shoes, which didn''t affect her fighting ability in the least. Even a kick could


    make the bodyguard cover his chest and spit blood.


    After dealing with several bodyguards, Maria was about to leave the restaurant before the police


    arrived.


    But someone stepped in her way.


    Looking at the man in front of her, Maria sneered coldly, "Sticking up for her before you marry her?


    That''s new!"


    She''d suffered many indignities from his stepmother in the past. James never tried to protect Maria.


    Never!


    "You attack someone and you want to just skip out? You should apologize!" James ignored her


    sarcasm.


    "Or what? Are you going to hit me? Think about what that will do to your image." She didn''t show


    any fear in front of James.


    "Go back and apologize!"


    Maria glinted at the man bravely. "I must be hearing things. He humiliated me, and you want me to


    apologize? Just because he''s your future brother-inw?"


    "Apologize!"


    Maria was so angry that she smiled sarcastically. "I''ll apologize when Alina begs me on her knees!"


    The man squinted his eyes, coldness shing in them. "You won''t weasel out of this!"


    This time, he wouldn''t let her off the hook.


    They were arguing fiercely. Then her face suddenly turned pale and she staggered.


    She felt something wrong when she was eating minutes ago. Now the sharp pain from her lower


    abdomen weakened her.


    Maria raised her eyes and told James quickly, "Get me to a hospital. After that, I''ll tell Alina I''m


    sorry."


    Although James saw the blood drain from her face, he wasn''t moved. Every word he uttered


    dripped with contempt. "It''s none of my business. Even if you die here today, you still have to


    apologize to the Tang family first!"


    "James Xi! If I had known you''d pull this stunt, I would never have stopped your car." Beads of


    sweat formed on Maria''s forehead.


    James'' heart was like a block of ice. Maria mentioned the day they first met, and he showed no


    emotion at all. When the man was about to say something, Ronald rushed towards Maria, heedless


    of his injury.


    Maria might be sick, but that didn''t mean she was a pushover.


    She had no choice but to ignore her pain. She moved aside and held the handrail of the stairs in the


    dining room.


    The pain in her lower abdomen almost suffocated her. Since James made no attempt to save her,


    the bodyguards of the Tang family rushed towards her.


    She''d have no trouble beating Ronald, but not several skilled bodyguards. Especially not in her


    condition.


    Maria''s hands slipped off the railing and she fell to the floor. She braced herself for the pain. She


    was about to roll down the steps.


    When Maria resigned herself to her fate, her mmy hand was grabbed by arger one. She was


    hauled to her feet, and fell into a warm embrace.


    Before she totally cked out, she tried her best to open her eyes to look at the person who saved


    her. She saw a familiar face. Maria was so happy, she wanted to cry. So James wasn''t that cruel


    after all.


    She raised her hands and put them on his chest, revealing a pale smile. "James, I want to sleep


    with you.


    And get naked."


    James said nothing. He held her tighter, and his face darkened.


    Maria closed her eyes and fainted. James held her slender form and hesitated for a moment, not


    knowing what to do with her.


    Alina saw everything. Before Maria could hit the stairs, James saved her.


    She suppressed her fury and jealousy, walked up to the man and asked in a quiet voice, "James,


    why did you help her? She hurt Ron!"

 Chapter 37 She Needs To Be Punished

    Chapter 37 She Needs To Be Punished


    When the ambnce arrived, a nurse immediately applied first aid on Ronald''s wound.


    Maria was still unconscious in James'' arms. Looking at her deathly pale face, he couldn''t help


    wondering why he had saved her earlier. Didn''t he hate her to the core? Even Alina had asked him


    why he did it. But he wasn''t able to answer her for a long time. All James knew was his instinct told


    him to do so. He just reached out his hand subconsciously to protect Maria.


    After a while, he cast a nce at Alina and replied lightly, "I can''t let her die this way. She needs to


    be punished."


    His tone was so calm that Alina didn''t feel any doubt in his reason.


    James then threw Maria to the bodyguard''s arms beside him and ordered, "Tell the ambnce to


    take her to the hospital."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi." The bodyguard immediately carried Maria on his shoulder and walked towards the


    ambnce.


    While Maria was on the bodyguard''s shoulder, James noticed a dark red spot on her ginger dress.


    When he realized what it was, the bodyguard had already walked away. With a stiff face, James


    said to another bodyguard, "Take off your coat and cover her back."


    His gentlemanly demeanor told him that he couldn''t let Maria be embarrassed of being exposed to


    the public.


    Although the bodyguard was confused with James'' order, he didn''t dare to ask anything. He quickly


    took off his coat and covered Maria''s back.


    To sum up, James not only helped Maria make a way out of the restaurant, but she was also


    brought to the ambnce by his bodyguard. In the invisiblepetition between Alina and Maria,


    thetter obviously gained the upper hand again this time.


    The farce was finally over, but there were no customers left in the restaurant anymore. Instead of


    taking Ronald, the ambnce rushed Maria to the hospital.


    It was Miranda who apanied Ronald to the hospital for his wound to be treated by a doctor.


    Only a few waiters, the two restaurant managers, and some bodyguards were left with Alina,


    James, and yton in the restaurant.


    As a father, yton was so angry with what happened to Ronald. And he was dissatisfied that


    James had saved Maria. But he couldn''t just lose his temper in front of James. After all, the Tang


    family was counting on HL Group to help their business survive. However, he still couldn''t help


    asking, "James, you and Maria...?"


    James took a wet tissue from the bodyguard beside him and wiped his hands while saying, "Don''t


    worry. There is nothing between us. The reason why I am here tonight is to discuss my uing


    engagement to Alina."


    James'' words set yton''s mind at rest, so he stopped pressing about James and Maria''s


    rtionship.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Maria seriously injured Ronald. But yton wouldn''t deal with her for now. He could wait until Alina


    got married to James.


    Right now, the most important thing for him was James and Alina''s engagement.


    Whatever rtionship James and Maria had, it didn''t matter. yton believed that a sessful man


    always had affairs outside his marriage. And Maria was James'' ex-wife. Her name would always be


    associated with him. As long as Maria would not be a threat to James and Alina''s marriage, yton


    would not get rid of her.


    Lorenzo went to the manager''s office to settle the problem that happened in the restaurant. James,


    yton, and Alina went back to their private room to continue the discussion about the engagement


    ceremony.


    Since yton didn''t make a fuss about what happened anymore, Alina didn''t dare to say anything,


    either. She was more afraid that her engagement to James would not push through.


    Now that she had turned twenty-nine, she was so eager to get married to James and take the crown


    as Mrs. Xi before she turned thirty.


    For now, Alina would spare Maria. But she would definitely punish Maria after she became James''


    wife.


    James had ordered his bodyguard to follow Maria to the hospital. When the doctor had finished


    checking on her, he told the bodyguard that she only fainted because of dysmenorrhea.


    Maria was given a painkiller and intravenous infusion, and she could be discharged after it. What


    she needed was a good rest at home.


    The bodyguard took good care of her because it was James'' order. He asked the nurse to change


    her clothes and clean her up.


    The nurse was pulling out the needle of the intravenous infusion when Maria opened her eyes.


    Maria already knew what was wrong with her. So she silently waited for the nurse to finish taking


    the needle, then asked the bodyguard to send her back to the hotel.


    When they entered her hotel room, Maria sat down on the bed. Then the bodyguard asked, "Ms.


    Song, would you like to eat something?"


    She shook her head and said, "No, thanks. Please call James."


    The bodyguard was stunned for a moment. With a trace of hesitation on his face, he replied, "Would


    it be okay if you personally call Mr. Xi?" As a bodyguard, he wouldn''t dare to call James unless


    there was something urgent. And most of the time, it was his leader who informed him if James had


    some orders.


    Maria nced at him coldly and said indifferently, "James sent you here to take care of me. Are you


    sure you want to disobey me?"


    The bodyguard broke out in a cold sweat. "No, I didn''t mean it that."


    "I mean what I say. Call James now. I want to talk to him." She had no ns of letting the


    bodyguard know that she didn''t have James'' phone number.


    The bodyguard remained firm of not calling James.


    Eventually, Maria didn''t force him anymore. She just said, "I''m still not feeling well, so stay here and


    watch over me. It will be more convenient for you to take me to the hospital if something happens to


    me."


    Seeing that she still looked pale, the bodyguard agreed at once. "All right."


    Ten minutester, the bodyguard was forced to call James. "Mr. Xi, Ms. Song was given a painkiller


    in the hospital. She is now back in the hotel and taking a rest."


    "Hmm," James replied indifferently and hung up.


    The bodyguard confusedly looked at his phone. Thinking that he had angered James, he trembled


    with fear.


    He couldn''t help wondering why James got angry. Maria told him that she was James'' woman, so


    he thought that it was his duty to report her condition to James. But if she was really James'' woman,


    why did he react indifferently?


    After twenty minutes, the bodyguard called James again. "Mr. Xi, I''m sorry to bother you again. Ms.


    Song has fallen off her bed because of pain."


    "Can I catch her from afar?" James snapped. His voice sounded a little annoyed.


    "No, Mr. Xi. I didn''t mean..." The bodyguard got so scared that he choked on his words.


    Before he could finish what he wanted to say, James hung up on him again.


    When his phone rang for the third time, James lost his patience. He picked up his phone on the


    table and walked out of the room, ignoring yton and Alina. He answered the phone impatiently


    and said, "If you call me again, I will definitely fire you."


    Inside the hotel room, the bodyguard looked at the dagger pointed at his neck and said bitterly, "Mr.


    Xi, I really don''t want to call you. But Ms. Song..." He was so scared that Maria would sh his neck


    if he refused to follow her order.


    "What the hell is going on? Do you want me to go there and take care of her?" James was so


    furious now. He felt like the bodyguard was such an idiot who couldn''t even handle a small matter.


    Now he regretted that he pulled Maria back when she was about to fall off the stairs and asked his


    bodyguard to take care of her.


    He should have let Maria rolled down to the ground floor. After all, he had nothing to do with her,


    even if she died.


    At this moment, James was so angry that he wanted to cut his hand that subconsciously saved


    Maria earlier.


    "Mr. Xi, that''s what exactly Ms. Song wants," the bodyguard said. It was Maria who told him to


    confirm what James had said.

 Chapter 38 You Are A Scum

    Chapter 38 You Are A Scum


    James furiously looked at the phone in his hand. He really wanted to beat the bodyguard up right


    now. But he suppressed the annoyance in his heart and said in his coldest voice, "Leave Maria


    Song alone now. I don''t care whether she''s dead or alive. Don''t ever call me again if it''s just about


    her."


    "James Xi!" This time, a woman''s voice came through the other end of the line. It was soft and


    pleasant to the ears.


    James suddenly fell silent. He couldn''t remember a time that his name sounded this good when


    mentioned by someone else.


    When she noticed that James didn''t respond, Maria didn''t mind and continued in a weak voice, "You


    know what? It''s all your fault that I can''t even get up from the bed right now."


    This time, James was totally speechless. ''This woman is really unreasonable. How can she me


    me for her dysmenorrhea?" he thought to himself.


    "When I was single, I never had dysmenorrhea during my period. But I started suffering from it


    because I was not well taken care of after I gave birth to your son. Didn''t you feel guilty at all?"


    Maria was actually telling the truth. She suffered from dysmenorrhea after she gave birth to Arthur.


    There was a long silence before James finally uttered, "The baby..."


    However, Maria interrupted him at once, "Stop! I know what you''re going to say. You will only say


    that you didn''t force me to give birth to the baby. If you really dare say it, you are definitely a scum!


    And don''t forget. If it weren''t for Arthur, your grandpa wouldn''t give you all the power over HL Group


    this early."


    Back then, James had to get married so suddenly because his grandfather, Augustine Xi, urged him


    to do so.


    And Augustine promised him that he could take over HL Group if he could give Augustine a great -


    grandson. Otherwise, Augustine would never hand over thepany to him.


    At that time, James thought that his grandfather''s wish was not that difficult to fulfill. After all, he


    would get married and have a baby sooner orter. It wouldn''t do him any harm if he did it earlier


    than nned. So he agreed to meet thedies of the Song family with Augustine.


    As he was reminded of the past, James'' anger subsided. He then said. "I''m not the only parent of


    that baby." When he remembered his son, the desire to distance himself from Maria came back to


    him.


    "Yes, you''re right. But a pure and innocent girl married you without hesitation, let you do whatever


    you wanted, and gave birth to your child."


    ''Let me do whatever I wanted...'' This made James think of those nights he spent with Maria.


    He swallowed hard and loosened his tie to smoothen his breath.


    "Our son''s gone now, and the whole world has punished me. Do you still have the heart to ignore


    my unhealthy body that was also caused by you?"


    Maria''s words made sense, but James didn''t want to give in to her this way. So he countered, "Don''t


    forget that we are divorced now. I have no obligation to look after you."


    "Okay, that''s it! Tell your bodyguard to go away. I don''t need him!" This time, it was Maria who hung


    up the phone.


    She then returned the phone to the bodyguard, put away the dagger expressionlessly, and said,


    "You may leave now."


    The bodyguard looked at her with a worried expression on his face and said, "Ms. Song, are you


    sure you''re okay to be alone here?" He could see that she was much paler now than earlier.


    Maria was surprised, and she couldn''t help raising her eyebrows. She didn''t expect that the


    bodyguard cared for her. Tears welled up in her eyes as she smiled brightly. "Of course! Don''t worry


    about me." She had never needed other people to rely on. Perhaps that was one of the reasons


    why she could still survive until now.


    She had gone through a lot of difficult days in her life. Such a pain from dysmenorrhea was nothing


    to her at all.


    Actually, she called James because she wanted to make him feel sorry for her. But she didn''t know


    if it worked.


    It didn''t matter. Even if James wouldn''te over, he would probably remember everything she


    said to him just now. Through those words, she wanted to make him feel uneasy, lose his appetite,


    and have difficulty sleeping. But it would only happen if he still had some conscience left in him.


    As soon as the bodyguard walked out of her room, Maria was left alone. She turned down the


    temperature of the air conditioner, wrapped her body in the quilt, and closed her eyes to sleep.


    "Maria, sleep now. Once you''ve fallen asleep, you won''t feel the pain in your belly anymore," she


    told herself.


    When Maria hung up the phone, James returned to the private room of the restaurant.


    This time, he looked very gloomy. He wanted to sit down, but Maria''s words kept on resounding in


    his mind. He couldn''t focus and continue with the discussion at all.


    A few secondster, he decisively told yton and Alina, "Mr. Tang, Alina, let''s wrap this up. I have


    something urgent to deal with."


    yton had noticed that James received several phone calls during their discussion. Thinking that it


    was an urgent business, he was ready to let James go earlier than nned. Anyway, the details of


    the engagement ceremony were almost settled. And he also had some things to deal with. Hence,


    he decided to end their dinner.


    James didn''t need to call and ask Summer. He already knew where to find Maria. With Lorenzo in


    the driver''s seat, his car stopped in front of the hotel. As he looked at the building, he almost


    couldn''t believe that she would stay in such kind of ce.


    He had never set foot in this kind of low-end hotel before. He only experienced staying in a hotel


    like this when he went on a business trip to the countryside or a county.


    When they were outside Maria''s room, James asked Lorenzo to ring the doorbell. But after several


    attempts, no one opened the door. They didn''t hear anything from the inside.


    Lorenzo went to the front desk and spoke to the manager, requesting for Maria''s room to be


    opened. He exined that she was sick and alone inside, and James was worried that something


    might have happened to her.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    The manager agreed to his request and opened Maria''s room with his spare key. As soon as the


    door was pushed open, James got in at once. As a sensible assistant, Lorenzo stayed outside the


    door and waited.


    James felt a gust of cold air when he stepped on the wooden floor and walked a few steps inside.


    Only the bedsidemp was on, so the room was a little dark. In the middle of the thirty -square-


    meter room was a big bed where a woman was lying, sleeping soundly.


    James closed the door behind him. For the time being, he and Maria were in a small quiet world.


    He silently walked to the bed and stared at Maria. Since she was sleeping like a baby, she didn''t


    feel his presence, and he was free to watch her. Her messy long hair was casually resting under her


    head. Her eyes were tightly shut, and her face was deathly pale. There was no other color on her


    face except for the red lipstick on her lips.


    It was his first time to see Maria like this. In the past, she was always full of vitality. But right now,


    she looked so fragile and pitiful that James couldn''t help but want to lovingly hold her in his arms.


    He walked over to the air conditioner and adjusted the temperature to make the room warmer.


    Since she was not feeling well, she might catch a cold because the room was too cold.


    James then went back to her bedside and called out her name. "Maria?" There was no response.


    He slightly frowned and said, "Stop pretending to be dead."


    That night in the Fairview Vi, she was able to notice him before he could even open the bedroom


    door, so he knew that she was a light sleeper. But now, he was already standing by her bedside, yet


    she had not reacted. He couldn''t help thinking that she was only pretending to be asleep.


    Actually, he was right. The moment Maria felt that someone opened the door, she was awakened


    and secretly fumbled for the dagger under her pillow.


    But when she realized that it was him, she withdrew her hand without being noticed and pretended


    to be sleeping like a log.


    The room remained quiet for almost two minutes. James lost his patience, so he reached out and


    grabbed her wrist.


    "Ahhh!" she screamed in a soft voice. It was a kind of cry that sounded flirtatious in the middle of the


    night.


    James'' facial expression slightly changed upon hearing it. He knew that she did it on purpose as


    she was starting to hit on him again.


    Maria pretended that she had just woken up and slowly opened her beautiful eyes. The moment


    she saw James, she put on a pitiful look andined, "James, I''m starving."


    Although he knew that she was only putting an act, James had no choice but to give in. Otherwise,


    he would only prove to her that he was really a scum. He walked to the door and said to Lorenzo


    outside, "Go and get some food.


    When Maria saw Lorenzo standing outside, she added in a loud voice, "I want to eat lotus-seed


    porridge from Blooming Restaurant."


    James turned his head and red at her. Unfortunately, the room was dim, so they couldn''t clearly


    see each other''s facial expression.

 Chapter 39 Give Me Your Hand

    Chapter 39 Give Me Your Hand


    Maria looked at him. "I just want to have something hot like porridge." Was it too much to ask?


    Of course it was.


    In fact, the problem wasn''t that she wanted to have lotus-seed porridge, but that she insisted on


    having it from Blooming Restaurant. As for now, they were in the east H City, while the Blooming


    Restaurant was located in the west. Therefore, it would take Lorenzo at least an hour to drive from


    the hotel to the restaurant.


    Obviously, what Maria really wanted was to torture Lorenzo.


    Now it all depended on whether James would care to protect his special assistant or not. The man


    was in the middle of a hiddenpetition between his most trusted employee and his ex-wife.


    After receiving expecting nces from both sides, James ordered, his voice unchanged, "Call


    Blooming Restaurant and ask them to send the porridge here."


    His decision solved the case perfectly. Lorenzo wouldn''t have to drive all the way to the other side


    of the city, and Maria could still have lotus- seed porridge as she required.


    When James was about to close the door, the woman demanded one more time, "I''d also like to


    have some pan-fried buns with shrimp from West Way."


    James conceded again. After all, he didn''t have to buy anything himself. "Call them and ask them to


    send it over," he ordered Lorenzo.


    "Yes, Mr. Xi. I got it." Aware of what Maria''s purpose with this was, Lorenzo hated her even more.


    He didn''t want to do anything for this woman at all, especially after she led him to that private room


    at Miracle Cafe, where he was tied up and beaten by five men.


    He would never forget the humiliation she brought him that day.


    Finally, James closed the door and turned on the lights, brightening up the room.


    He then pulled a chair and sat down next to the bed. Looking into Maria''s eyes, he asked, "You


    seem to have a grudge against the Tang family. Why?"


    If possible, James wanted to figure out what Maria wanted before his engagement to Alina. Perhaps


    he could give her what she required and cut ties with herpletely.


    However, Maria didn''t answer his question. Instead, she struggled to move to the edge of the bed


    and reached out to him. "Give me your hand."


    The man didn''t move.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Maria snorted, "Then I won''t tell you."


    He warned her coldly, "Maria Song, don''t push your luck."


    "I''m not. I was even merciful. For your sake, I haven''t asked Lorenzo to buy me some night snacks


    from P County."


    James scoffed, "If it weren''t for me, would Lorenzo even listen to you?"


    Maria knew he wouldn''t. All in all, she took advantage of James'' presence to make things more


    difficult for Lorenzo.


    Unconsciously, Maria stretched out her hand and began to draw circles on the bed. Without looking


    at the man beside her, she lowered her head slightly and muttered as if she was talking to herself,


    "James Xi, I won''t make the same mistake again unless it is about you."


    Although she knew she couldn''t help falling in love with a man as wonderful as James, she was


    aware that this feeling was also the reason why she was heartbroken in the first ce.


    Years ago, she had been grateful to James for taking her out of the ever so indifferent and cold


    Song family. It didn''t matter that he didn''t love her. She thought that as long as she worked hard,


    she would be able to impress him one day.


    The result only proved her wrong.


    James could sense her sadness, which only made him feel more confused about her. This woman


    was sometimes so mature, yet at other times she was childish, irritable, and even sorrowful. The


    more he tried to figure her out, the less he seeded.


    Nheless, he had to make something clear to her. "I''m telling you this for thest time, Alina and


    I will get married. We''ll be engaged in two months at the Tang Group''s anniversary event. Stop


    wasting your time. We''ll never be together again."


    He would never forgive her for Arthur''s death.


    The little patience he still had for her was due to his own heavy conscience. Just as Maria told him,


    she was still an innocentdy when they got married. In order to give birth to his child, she became


    unhealthy. He coulde and take care of her this once, but it was impossible to keep doing this


    for the rest of his days.


    He had his own life ns to carry out. And Maria wasn''t in them.


    ''Wow! James Xi, you''re really insensitive!'' Looking at the man, Maria chuckled.


    Suddenly, a crazy idea crossed her mind. What if James lost everything and fell from grace? Maybe


    instead of the arrogant and proud man he was now, he would be the most humble and pitiful being


    on the face of the Earth.


    As James stared silently at the smiling woman, his phone rang. Pulling the device out, he slid his


    finger on the screen and answered the call, ''''Yes?''1


    Alina''s voice came on the other side of the line. "James, I bought you some snacks. I''m here


    downstairs at the HL Group. Shall I bring them to you upstairs?"


    "I''m not in thepany now. You may go home."


    Guessing who was on the other end of the line, Maria''s eyes shed wickedly. She then got out of


    the bed under James'' gaze.


    Before Maria could take a step forward, however, her legs weakened, and she fell on her knees.


    "Ouch!" she screamed, while the other woman on the line with James immediately went quiet.


    With the phone in one hand, James supported the falling woman with the other.


    As soon as he noticed thecency in Maria''s eyes, he knew he had been hasty to act.


    It sure didn''t take long for Alina to ask, "Who is there with you, James?"


    "I''m sorry for disturbing your call." Maria''s voice was so sweet it sickened her. Still, she wished she


    could stick her ear to the phone and hear Alina''s reaction.


    James narrowed his eyes at her. He didn''t see any trace of regret on her face.


    "Please, go on. I promise I won''t make another noise!"


    At first, Alina might not have been able to recognize whose voice it was on the other end of the line


    with James, but after hearing a few more words, she knew precisely to whom it belonged.


    Alina twisted the diamond on her purse hard. It turned out that the reason why James left in a hurry


    was to see Maria! After taking a deep breath, she tried to sound as normal as she could. "James,


    why are you with Maria now?"


    He didn''t answer her question. "I have to go now. I''ll call youter."


    He quickly hung up the phone and let go of Maria.


    Maria smiled apologetically and said, "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to cause you any trouble. I just


    wanted to go to the bathroom. Is your girlfriend angry? If she is, go on and pacify her!"


    Without saying anything, the man simply stood listening to her hypocritical words.


    Although James hated the sensation of being set up, he couldn''t lose his temper with this woman


    when she was so vulnerable.


    So he just stared at her coldly. Not even her illness was able to stop her from getting back at Alina.


    In the face of such a deadly gaze, Maria dropped the act. After all, she had already achieved her


    goal. Raising her hands in surrender, she confessed, "Okay, I admit that I did it on purpose."


    James observed the woman''s serenity, and after a while, he stated, "Maria Song, it''s a shame that


    you''re not an actress."


    "I think so, too!" Then Maria asked innocently, "Mr. Xi, if I get into the entertainment business, will


    you be my sponsor? This will prompt me to every lead role in any project."


    James sneered, "You don''t need a sugar daddy for that. Your acting skills can take you there on


    their own."


    Maria opened her mouth to say something else, but all of a sudden, a sharp pain came over her as


    a stream of liquid gushed out of her body. She screamed inwardly and hurried to the bathroom with


    her hands on her belly.


    Her period was so fierce that it stained her pajama bottoms. Sitting on the toilet, Maria covered her


    stomach. She felt so much pain that she thought she would ck out again.


    ''Geez! If there''s another life, I don''t want to be a woman anymore. It''s so painful!'' she thought with


    beads of sweat on her forehead. ''I want to be a yboy instead!''

 Chapter 40 Falling Back In Love

    Chapter 40 Falling Back In Love


    Maria had been in the bathroom for ten minutes and she still hadn''te out. James felt uneasy.


    He went over and knocked on the door.


    " I... I'' 11 be ready soon," she said in a weak voice. James was going to leave the hotel, but he


    changed his mind.


    Another five minutes passed, but Maria stayed in the bathroom.


    James called her name. "Maria Song."


    "Hmm...could you please... bring me my pajama bottoms? By the way, don''t forget my panties."


    James said nothing.


    He was gobsmacked for a few seconds. Then he opened the closet and found her pajama bottoms


    like she asked.


    He opened another drawer and stared at all the different kinds of undergarments. Patterned,


    leopard prints, and solid colors like ck and red. Panties of all shades, tones, and tints.


    James felt weird peering into this drawer. He believed Maria did this on purpose.


    James took a moment to center himself, taking deep breaths and calming his fluttering heart. He


    frowned and grabbed a pair at random, holding them gingerly between his index and middle fingers.


    When he arrived at the bathroom door, it was closed all the way. He reluctantly transferred the


    panties to the hand that held the pajama bottoms. Then he opened the door with his free hand. The


    man''s eyebrows were furrowed so deeply that they could crush a fly.


    Maria leaned against the wall listlessly. Seeing him walk in, she took the clothes from his hand and


    said, "Thank you!"


    The bathroom door was closed again. Looking at his empty hands, James thought he must be out


    of his mind. He was a CEO, and yet here he was, taking care of a woman like some nanny. He


    should be working.


    He clenched his fists and walked to the window, fighting his rage.


    When Maria eventually walked out of the bathroom, she saw James standing in front of the window,


    deep in thought. Hearing her, he turned to her and said, "The food should be here soon. I''m leaving


    now."


    He had been here less than an hour. Why was he leaving so soon? Maria was startled by the news.


    But she didn''t say a word. She couldn''t push her luck too far. She knew it would be difficult for him


    to get her pajamas and underpants just now.


    "Okay. Thanks for your help. Take care."


    "Bye." James stopped at the door, turned around, and warned the woman for thest time, "This


    has to stop."


    Hearing this, Maria giggled, flipped her long hair and gave him a pale but proud smile. "You''ve said


    that a lot tonight, Mr. Xi. What''s wrong? Afraid you can''t control yourself?"


    Maria looked sexy, even if she was still sick. "I don''t want any misunderstandings between me and


    Alina," James exined.


    He knew what she cared about the most. Maria felt her heart break. She really wanted to throw a


    pillow at him and yell, "Fuck off!"


    But she felt embarrassed. After all, James had just put down his pride as a CEO and hung out with


    her for almost an hour.


    The more he catered to Alina, the more Maria wanted to make her unhappy.


    James walked out. As soon as he left, there was a knock on the door. The lotus-seed porridge and


    pan-fried buns were delivered.


    But Maria had lost her appetite. Instead, she wanted to vomit. She forced herself to eat some warm


    porridge, hoping it would make her feel better. James walked out of the hotel in a hurry. Before he


    sit in the car, Lorenzo called him, "Excuse me, Mr. Xi." He angled his head to indicate James should


    look in that direction.


    There was a silver Bentley Mulsanne parked nearby. Alina stood outside the car, d in a light


    purple dress.


    The woman stood there quietly, hands crossed at her waist, sporting a shoulder piece studded with


    ck diamonds. When she met his eyes, she smiled but didn''t move.


    In fact, she was waiting for James to walk over to her. She knew he had spent time with Maria, and


    was hoping he''d feel guilty.


    But she was disappointed. James went straight for the Harkim, and had Lorenzo beckon to her,


    inviting her to ride with him.


    A momentter, Lorenzo opened the rear door and Alina got in.


    She tidied up her clothes and found that the man next to her was determined to stay silent. Alina


    decided to break the ice. "Ron just got out of the hospital. It was a slight concussion."


    James just replied with a grunt, and fell silent again.


    Alina didn''t know what was on his mind, so she said tentatively, "It just urred to me that Maria


    probably mes us for not helping her six years ago. She''s taking her revenge now. James, if she


    keeps hurting people like this, then what do we do?"


    "Whatever you have to do." There was no emotion in James'' tone.


    "Well, if I sue her, will you me me?"


    James looked the woman in the eye. "You don''t seem to know what you''re doing. I''m engaged to


    you, not her. I''m not falling back in love with her."


    "But just now, you and she..." Afraid he might lose patience, Alina exined hurriedly, "James,


    please don''t worry about me. Sometimes I think I care too much about you. So is it okay?"


    When she heard Maria''s voice on the phone, she got so jealous she went crazy.


    Without answering her question, James took out his phone and took out a photo. "Take a look at the


    engagement ring."


    Alina was surprised to hear him say that. She took the phone and nced at it. Then she replied in


    a gentle tone, "Why don''t I leave it up to you, James?"


    "Okay."


    After a moment of silence in the car, Alina suddenly thought of something. She turned and looked at


    James. Her expression wasplicated. "James, I heard something recently. This is hard to ask.


    Can you onlyst one minute in bed?"


    After that question, his attitude suddenly changed.


    Alina felt it but she bit the bullet and exined, "I don''t mind, but maybe we could get a doctor to


    take a look. My bestie''s father is an expert in that field. Shall we go see him together?"


    She thought she needed to clear that up.


    One minute! ''Oh, my God! I heard the average time is twenty," thought Alina.


    Fury could be seen in James'' cold eyes. He knew where that rumor came from better than anyone


    else. Now he regretted going easy on Maria. He should have showed her right then and there how


    long he couldst in bed.


    "There''s no need for that!" The man refused coldly with a murderous look in his eyes. "If you want to


    sue Maria Song, contact Mr. Zhou, one of my attorneys."


    The woman who insulted him like this should disappear off the face of the Earth.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Alina knew Mr. Zhou was the chiefwyer of HL Group''swyer team, and was the driving force


    behind the invincible team.


    If he took a case, no one could beat him. He was known as an ever-victorious general in his field.


    She thought she made him feel bad, so she had to change the subject. Alina nodded naturally and


    said, "All right. How do I get in touch with Mr. Zhou then?" Of course she wouldn''t miss an


    opportunity to teach Maria a lesson.


    "Go see Lorenzo. He has the number." James decided he had to provide extra incentives to get Mr.


    Zhou to work harder.

 Chapter 41 Im Pregnant

    Chapter 41 I''m Pregnant


    If necessary, James would tell Lawrence''s superior to give him tons of busy work so he''d have no


    time for Maria.


    After sending Alina back to the Tang family, James went straight back to work.


    Everyone in the Tang family was at home tonight. When Alina entered the living room, yton sat


    on the sofa and yed with his phone. Miranda had her elder brother on the phone, Chandler


    Song-Maria''s biological father. "Yeah. Maria''s back, and out for blood. She fractured Ron''s skull.


    She even started drama at a high-end restaurant. She said hi to me, but I felt ashamed of her. "


    Hearing what Chandler said made Miranda smile. "Not at all. The engagement will go off without a


    hitch. Maybe James really likes our Alina. We settled on a date today. We set it to coincide with


    Founders'' Day¡ªthe date of Tang Group''s founding."


    "I''ll ask Alina to show James off at the Song family''s gathering. All right. Alina''s back. Good night."


    After hanging up the phone, Miranda pulled Alina over and let her sit beside her. "So how did it go


    with Mr. Xi? Why are you home sote? Where did he take you?" Alina left the restaurant to go find


    James, so Miranda thought the two of them had been together all this time.


    "Mom, where is Uncle Chandler holding the family gathering?" The preparations for the Song


    family''s party were finalized a month ago. The head of the Song family wanted to take advantage of


    the fact that every member of his family was in H City recently, so he decided to arrange a family


    gathering.


    "Your uncle booked a private room in the hotel owned by James''pany. We can go there


    together,"


    yton said and locked his phone screen. "Alina, have you figured out how James feels about


    Maria?"


    Alina nodded, "Don''t worry, Dad. Maria''s been pestering James. He said if I wanted to sue her for


    what happened today, he would ask his attorney Mr. Zhou to help."


    What James did satisfied the Tang family. With augh, yton said, "We''ll be the ones holding the


    power in H City after you marry James. Alina, call James and tell him I bought you a house in the


    suburbs. Why don''t you move in now? You need to adapt to Mrs. Xi''s way of doing things before the


    marriage."


    Miranda agreed with yton. "What this family needs is some new blood. Although James''


    grandfather has retired from the Xi family, he still holds all the power. If you give birth to his great-


    grandson, he''ll be happy. You could consolidate your own power in the Xi family. The Tangs would


    run this town."


    Maria''s child was dead. That meant there was nopetition for the Xi family''s property.


    Alina''s parents were immersed in the joy of their engagement, while Alina was focused on the family


    gathering. She thought this family gathering was the ideal opportunity to deal with Maria, because


    the Song family didn''t want her around either.


    Alina could con Maria''s family and get them to teach her a lesson.


    Keeping this in mind, she advised Miranda, "Mom, you should call Maria..."


    Alina exined her n to her mother. When she mentioned Maria, Miranda refused, "No way. She


    defeated your two cousins and married into the Xi family before. And she attacked you and Ron.


    She''s really trashy. Just sue her, or put her in jail for a few years. Out of sight, out of mind.


    Miranda was so angry, and had no way to vent her fury. Maria had attacked her kids. Miranda


    wanted to kill Maria. Why would she call her?


    She didn''t know why Chandler brought Maria from the countryside in the first ce. It seemed that


    he did it just to make her unhappy.


    Alina was patient, and tried to persuade her. "Come on, Mom. This time''s different. Maria is back,


    and she wants revenge. That changes everything. When she was in trouble, Uncle and Aunt cut ties


    with her. Maria must hate them. If we invite her to the party, she''s not going to be quiet. She''s going


    to cause drama. If anything happens that day, Uncle and Aunt will teach her a lesson. Parents


    correct their kids all the time. No one will be against that."


    Alina could watch the fun without getting involved. She wouldn''t have to worry about being hurt, and


    when the spectacle got boring, they could call the police and have Maria arrested. It was a win-win.


    Thinking of Ronald''s fractured skull and Alina''s swollen face, Miranda finally relented. She not only


    told Chandler about Maria getting violent, she also gave an ount of how the little minx hit on


    James.


    Chandler didn''t say a lot, but Miranda knew the angrier he was, the less talkative he would be.


    Maria would definitely suffer.


    When Miranda was poisoning the well against Maria, Alina was not idle. She knocked on the door of


    Maria''s hotel room, something in her hands.


    Maria opened the door, and saw it was Alina. She had no intention of letting her in. "Your man''s not


    here," she said, standing at the door. They had nothing to talk about, and Maria wasn''t interested in


    conversation anyway. Shaking her head, Alina said calmly, "I came to see you."


    Maria leaned against the door framezily. She wasn''t in the mood. "What is it? My room''s too small


    for two people."


    Lowering her head, Alina took out something from her handbag and held it up. "I''m pregnant."


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Maria was astonished when she saw the exam results. Alina''s name was on it, and it was dated for


    yesterday. "I''m two months along," Alina exined. In the lower left corner, Maria saw the words:


    "Survival of intrauterine singleton, 8 weeks of pregnancy."


    Maria was lost in thought for a moment. She had worked so hard for this, and now it was lost. Had


    shee back toote?


    Noticing the sadness in Maria''s eyes, Alina smiled and took the exam results from Maria. "We''re


    both women, and you were a mom. I propose a truce, so I can live in peace and raise my kid."


    Maria thought it over. "Fine. I''ll leave you alone. I won''t go after your kid. Just don''t piss me off! "


    She had too much to do to bring her ns to fruition. She still wanted to hook up with James, and


    she didn''t have time to deal with Alina.


    "There''s something else you should know," Alina said. "James gave me Mr. Zhou''s numberst


    night." Alina tucked the examination report back in her purse. Maria knew Mr. Zhou. She had a


    feeling she knew what wasing next, but she kept silent.


    "Two days ago, James had the police pick you up on suspicion of trespassing. Last night, he asked


    me to sue you. Maria, do you still have the guts to hook up with a man like James?"


    ''Do I have the guts?'' Maria sneered, "Of course! After all, I''m still here, aren''t I?" She was alone


    without any concerns, unlike them. The worst result would be that they all died together.


    If she were sent to prison by James or Alina, she would kill herself. It would be her payment for the


    training that Norman had given her over the past few years.

 Chapter 42 Family Gathering

    Chapter 42 Family Gathering


    Alina was irritated by Maria''s attitude. But before she could totally lose her temper, she deliberately


    touched her t belly and put on a sad look on her face. "If you still have a little conscience, you


    won''t let my child be deprived of a safe home."


    Before Maria could say something, she turned around and left.


    The corridor was so quiet while Maria stood at the door for a long time motionlessly. Her mind was


    in a mess. Was Alina pregnant? If so, James would be a father again soon. If he had a new


    baby, would he forget Arthur easily?


    Alina''s words rang out in Maria''s mind. And it made her decide to reconsider her n.


    James had the heart to give her away to several men for fun. He didn''t hesitate to send her to jail for


    trespassing. And now, he asked Alina to sue her. What else could she expect from him?


    Thinking about all this, she felt a sharp pang in her heart.


    But there was nothing she could do. After all, this was her own choice. The moment she fell in love


    with James, she was destined to be humbled in front of him. That was because she had no


    background and backing. She was just an ordinary woman.


    On the other hand, James was a rich, powerful, and sessful man. It was undeniable that the gap


    between them was too big.


    Because of what happened to Arthur, she was unjustly abandoned by the whole world. Now that


    she was back, she must stick to her n. It was payback time. She would take those who had


    betrayed her, bullied her, and framed her to hell.


    But of course, there were still a few people in H City that she cherished.


    Summer, Norman, and Lawrence were among them. No matter what happened to her in the future,


    she would never drag them down. Even if her life became miserable, she would never cause trouble


    for them as long as she lived.


    Maria was back in her usual self today because her monthly period had already ended. She went to


    work in high spirits. She was busy making beautifultte art for her customer when she received a


    call from Miranda.


    Since both of her hands were busy, she put her phone between her ear and her shoulder while


    lazily listening to Miranda bber. Miranda was howling about how she wrongly treated Alina and


    Ronald.


    "You hit Alina and Ron in public. As a mother, of course, I must be angry. But you are still my niece.


    And family scandals shouldn''t be exposed to the public. As long as you apologize to your cousins at


    our family gathering, we will let bygones be bygones."


    When Miranda mentioned the words "family gathering," Maria suddenly remembered her


    grandfather, Gordon Song. He would always organize a family gathering at this time of every year.


    But it had been a long time since she decided to cut ties with the Song family, so she said, "The


    gathering of the Song family has nothing to do with me."


    "Oh,e on! No matter what, you will always be a member of the Song family. Your parents must


    be so angry at that time that they disowned you. Last time, I saw your grandfather secretly shedding


    tears in his room for you. He must have been missing you a lot."


    Maria fell silent for a moment. Did Gordon really miss her? She remembered that night when she


    broke up with the Song family. It seemed that Gordon wanted to speak up for her, but Chandler


    asked the servant to send him back to his bedroom without giving him a chance to demur.


    Before she left their vi, she turned to nce at it for thest time. There, she saw Gordon


    standing in front of the window of his room, waving at her.


    "Mrs. Tang, stop beating around the bush. Why do you want me to attend your family gathering?"


    Maria was not stupid to believe that Miranda had forgiven her so easily after she had beaten Alina


    and Ronald.


    "It''s our family gathering. Your grandfather is getting older and weaker each day. I want you toe


    back and see him again."


    Maria''s lips curved into a disdainful smile, but she didn''t say anything.


    Then Gordon''s image appeared in her mind. Her grandfather was already ny years old. And


    because of the operation he underwent two years ago, his health had deteriorated a lot.


    Maria thought for a while. Considering her grandfather, she then said decisively, "Okay, I see."


    Maria knew that they were plotting something


    against her. But even so, she still wanted to


    attend the family gathering because she longed to see Gordon again.


    Inside his office in the HL Group, James was checking his schedule with Summer. His face was cold


    and expressionless.


    After a while, he said, "I''ll be on a business trip for two days, so I''ll temporarily hand over the project


    with the Mu Group to Lorenzo. When I


    start the project with the CT Securities Group."


    Summer didn''t dare to object. She just nodded and said, "Yes, Mr. Xi." After thinking about it


    carefully, she made up her mind. Since Maria still couldn''t win James'' heart back and couldn''t even


    protect herself against him, she would go to L Country for now. In the future, if Maria seeded in


    taking James back, she would like to see if Maria could help her move back to H City.


    "You may leave now," James said.


    "Okay."


    As soon as Summer walked out of James'' office, Lorenzo came in with two staff. "Mr. Xi, here is our


    latest collection of ties. There are eight different styles this time. Please check each of them."


    James tidied up his suit and nced at the trays held by the two staff. There were four styles of ties


    in each tray.


    He casually picked up a dark blue tie with dark patterns. It looked a little familiar to him.


    Then he remembered Maria. When they were still together, she had always tied his tie for him.


    Among his collection of neckties at that time, there was one that looked quite simr to the one in


    his hand right now.


    Upon realizing that he was thinking of Maria again, James frowned. She was away for a few years.


    He shouldn''t be thinking of her unless someone else mentioned her to him.


    But now even with a necktie, he thought of her. This wasn''t a good sign. He could never ept the


    fact that she was always in his mind.


    James felt angry. It seemed that he had underestimated Maria''s impact on him.


    He irritably threw the tie back in the tray and ordered coldly, "Take them all away from me!"


    Knowing James'' temper, Lorenzo secretly winked at the two staff. In an instant, they both strode out


    of the office.


    He then cautiously asked James, "Mr. Xi, don''t you like those styles? Perhaps we can put them on


    sale."


    "No need. Send them all to the market right away," James ordered. He knew that there was no


    problem with those ties. The problem was himself.


    "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    When Lorenzo left, James received a call from Alina. She invited him to attend the family gathering


    of the Tang and Song families on Wednesday next week.


    It was just a small request, so he agreed at once. After hanging up, he began to work on the


    documents on his desk.


    Maria thought that Colby would never talk to her again after the trouble she had made during the


    business dinnerst time. But much to her surprise, his secretary called her. ording to the


    secretary, he would be on a business trip, and he wanted to know if she would like to go with him.


    Certainly, Maria wouldn''t want to miss this kind of opportunity.


    But she was a bit dubious of his real purpose, so she thought for a while. After all, this was not just


    a dinner party. If she went with him, they would stay in a hotel. Anything could happen. Hence, she


    decided to test him. She said to the secretary, "I really want to go with Mr. Zheng. However, my


    monthly period just started yesterday. If he doesn''t mind, I''m willing to apany him."


    It took a while for the secretary to reply. "Mr. Zheng is in a meeting right now. Ms. Song, is it okay if


    I''ll call you backter?"N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    "Sure. Thanks!"


    "You''re wee."


    Colby''s secretary didn''t call Maria back. But she received a text message informing her that Colby


    agreed to take her with him.


    The secretary had also sent her the booking information of a first-ss ticket to T Country under her


    name. It showed that their flight would be at three o''clock in the afternoon.


    Maria began to pack her things. Since they would only stay in T Country for two days, she didn''t


    need a lot of stuff. She just brought a few sets of clothes for the possible dinner party and for


    sightseeing, underwear, cosmetics, and some necessary skincare products.


    At the airport, a ck Bentley stopped at the VIP entrance. The driver got out of the car and opened


    the backseat door for Colby, who was wearing a well-tailored suit and shiny leather shoes.


    He then asked, "Where is she?"


    The driver, who knew who he was referring to, replied, "She''s already waiting in the VIP lounge, Mr.


    Zheng."


    Colby nodded and started to walk inside.


    As one of the top entrepreneurs in H City, he had to take good care of his reputation, especially that


    he was married now. So to avoid suspicions, he instructed his secretary to tell Maria to meet him


    inside the airport.

 Chapter 43 Encounter At The Airport

    Chapter 43 Encounter At The Airport


    As soon as Colby entered the VIP lounge, his eyes caught sight of a woman in a white sleeveless


    lace top and ck skirt sitting in a corner. She was also wearing a bucket hat, sunsses, and a


    face mask. She looked so fashionable yet mysterious. No one could tell what she exactly looked


    like. But Colby had recognized her at once.


    When Maria saw Colby, she raised her left hand and waved at him. She was wearing a branded


    watch and a bracelet on her wrist.


    Colby tidied up his suit and walked towards her. He then sat down beside her and asked, "Did I


    make you wait for too long?"


    Under the face mask, Maria''s red lips curved into a smile. She then replied in a euphemistic and


    sweet voice, "Nope. I''ve just arrived."


    Colby was quite satisfied with Maria''s attitude and appearance. As a matter of fact, he was a little


    disappointed that she had her period. He couldn''t make a move on her although they would be


    together for two days.


    But he was not in a hurry. There could still be other opportunities in the future. What mattered now


    was that he could be with her. In less than ten minutes, they boarded the ne one after another.


    When they entered the first-ss cabin, Colby happened to meet an acquaintance, so he told Maria


    to find her seat first.


    A stewardess then led Maria. There were only eight seats in there, so it wasn''t that difficult to find it.


    Her seat number was 3, and Colby''s was behind her.


    Maria didn''t mind Colby at all. She knew that as a well-known businessman, he would definitely


    meet some acquaintances during the flight. So when the ne was about to take off, Maria decided


    to take a nap. She had just closed her eyes when she heard Colby''s voice. "Hello, Mr. Xi! What a


    coincidence!"


    Maria''s eyes opened wide in surprise at once. She knew that the man Colby greeted was James.


    She wanted to roll her eyes. Did they really have to be on the same ne?


    Eventually, Maria decided to stand up. She turned around, smiled, and greeted James, who was


    shaking hands with Colby. "Good afternoon, Mr. Xi!"


    When James saw Maria, he nced at Colby calmly. He immediately guessed who she was with.


    He just nodded to her lightly and sat in the seat next to hers.


    Although the seats were wide and spacious, Maria was still overjoyed to see James sitting beside


    her. She felt like she was so blessed.


    Colby, on the other hand, couldn''t help but slightly frown. Since he was the one who asked Maria to


    go with him, he felt like he gave her and James an opportunity to be together.


    Lorenzo, who was with James, sat next to Colby at the back. But he didn''t mind who was sitting


    beside him. Instead, he enjoyed hisfortable and cozy seat.


    Maria had been wanting to start a conversation with James, but she restrained herself a little. After


    all, she was with a different man on this trip.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    When the stewardess started to serve drinks and fruits to passengers, Maria took some fruits. She


    then switched on the screen in front of her, chose a movie, and watched leisurely.


    Before the movie started, she took a nce at James, who was now reading a document. Then she


    heard the stewardess ask him if he needed anything in a more enthusiastic tone.


    Maria snorted before putting on the headphones. She then leaned against the back of her seat and


    focused on the movie.


    The flight from L Country to T Country was about two hours. She could finish the movie, and she


    could eat a lot of fruits that would be good to replenish herself. But thirty minutester, Maria felt the


    call of nature. So she took off the headphones and stood up to go to the restroom.


    It was only then that she noticed that James was not in his seat.


    When she turned to look at Colby, he was sleeping soundly under a nket.


    Maria just shrugged her shoulders and walked towards the restroom.


    There were two restrooms in the first-ss cabin. One of them was empty, and the other one was


    upied.


    She didn''t enter the empty restroom. Instead, she leaned against the wall and patiently waited for


    the person in the upied one toe out.


    Soon, she heard the sound of the water inside. In her mind, she concluded, ''James has just flushed


    the toilet and is adjusting his belt now. He will then wash his hands.''


    It took James a long time to wash his hands, so she surmised that he had be more fastidious


    in the years that passed.


    Click! Finally, the restroom door opened.


    Maria stered a smile on her face and said, ''''Hello, Mr. Xi!"


    James nced at her indifferently, intending to ignore her.


    She stepped forward and blocked his way. Then with a cunning smile, she said, "Excuse me, do


    you have cigarettes? Can I have one? I really want to smoke now."


    James didn''t say anything but just pointed at the wall expressionlessly. When Maria''s eyes followed


    his finger, she saw a "No Smoking" sign posted on the wall.


    She curled her lips and said, "Why do I feel like you have be a boring old man? I''m bored, so I


    just want to talk to you. If you don''t talk to me, I''ll definitely have a bad breath."


    James frowned when Maria called her an old man. He looked at her up and down. When he


    realized that she had also grown more mature now than six years ago, he said, "If I have be


    an old man, then you have be an old woman too, right?"


    Maria didn''t like what he said, so she pouted and countered, "Of course not! I am not even thirty yet.


    But you are already thirty years old. So you are the old man."


    James didn''t want to waste his time talking to her anymore, so he impatiently said through clenched


    teeth, "Get out of my way!"


    "Humph! You are the one blocking my way. Don''t you know that I''m in a hurry to use the toilet? But


    you''ve just dawdled inside, so I have to wait for a long time." Maria then bypassed James and


    hurried into the restroom.


    When he heard her lock the door, James turned around and nced at the other restroom. He saw


    that it was empty, so he wondered why Maria had to wait for him to finish. And why did she say that


    he stayed there for too long? As far as he could remember, he was inside for only two minutes.


    Such a stupid woman!


    The ne arrived in T Country on time. Maria went out of the airport with Colby and James, who


    were chatting all the way. Based on their conversation, she found out that HL Group and HM Group


    would be participating in the same bidding.


    She had a feeling that it was a big project. Otherwise, these two CEOs wouldn''t personallye


    here and do the bidding by themselves.


    Two exclusive cars were already arranged outside the airport to pick them up and take them to their


    hotel. After saying goodbye to each other, Maria and Colby got in the same car. James and Lorenzo


    took the other one. They then went separate ways.


    When they arrived at the hotel, Maria found out that she wouldn''t be sharing a room with Colby.


    Perhaps his secretary had really told him that she had her period, so he booked two presidential


    suites for them.


    Maria was delighted that her trick worked. She didn''t intend to sleep with Colby in the first ce.


    She just enjoyed apanying him on some trips and events.


    Colby told her that they would attend a dinner party two hourster, so she went to her room to


    freshen up. There was no enough time to rest. She locked the door and walked to the balcony to


    get some fresh air.


    Since the hotel was located in the high-tech zone, there were not so many people and vehicles


    outside. It was surrounded by greeneries and still rich in nature, so the air was really fresh.


    After standing on the balcony for a while, Maria went back to her bedroom. She then took out her


    phone from her bag, dialed a number, and said, "The CEOs of HL Group and HM Group are in T


    Country right now to join the bidding. I want you to check what project it is. Get back to me the


    soonest time possible, okay? Bye."


    She then tossed her phone on the bed and rxed. She had to enjoy everything inside this


    presidential suite of an international five-star hotel.


    An hour before the dinner party, Maria changed into a long gown, put on some make-up, and


    walked out of her room.


    James was alsoing out of his room, which was opposite to hers.


    When their eyes met, she gave him a graceful smile before she turned around and walked towards


    the elevator. All the bigwigs at the dinner party came with their dates. Of course, Maria was with


    Colby. And she was surprised to know that James didn''t have a woman with him. He was with


    Lorenzo all the time.


    The dinner party was not rted to business at all. Everyone was there to enjoy and get to know


    each other. The main event, which was the bidding, would be held the next evening. Thus, business


    tycoons like James and Colby didn''t intend to stay there for a long time.


    Colby was about to meet an important client, and he didn''t want to take Maria with him, so he


    handed her a bank card and told her to go shopping.


    Maria took the bank card from him, kissed it, and waved goodbye. "Thank you, Mr. Zheng. Good


    luck with your meeting."

 Chapter 44 Staring Daggers

    Chapter 44 Staring Daggers


    After bidding Colby goodbye, Maria walked next door to the mall adjacent to the hotel. She bought a


    few clothes and some cosmetics, and came straight back to her room.


    Nearby, a bodyguard walked into Colby''s private room and made his report. "Mr. Zheng, Ms. Song


    went shopping at a nearby mall as soon she got the card. She was there for an hour, and came


    back to the hotel."


    "Did she meet with James Xi?" Colby asked, not looking up from his cell phone.


    "No, she didn''t. Ms. Song left her room and ran into Mr. Xi before the dinner party. She said hi, but


    he ignored her."


    "Very good. I don''t think we need to keep tabs on her anymore. Dismissed."


    "Yes, Mr. Zheng!"


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    After the bodyguard left, Colby turned off his phone and looked out of the window, lost in thought.


    The assistant next to him hesitated for a moment. "Mr. Zheng, Ms. Song is Mr. Xi''s ex. They


    divorced because their kid died. Now Mr. Xi is engaged to Alina Tang. They set the date for


    Founder''s Day, the day the Tang Group was formed. Days ago, Mr. Xi got his ex in trouble with the


    cops. I don''t think there''s any love lost there."


    Colby stood up and paced the room, hands behind his back. "I wish it were that easy. The woman is


    not simple." He could understand if this woman were just after his money. But he thought she might


    be after more, so he had to be careful.


    The assistant nodded. They couldn''t


    underestimate Maria. She charmed the heck out of Colby, convincing him to take her along on a


    business trip.


    "Any news from my wife?"


    "Your eldest daughter has adjusted to living abroad. Mrs. Zheng doesn''t see a need to be there any


    longer, and ising back here. She asked Leslie to make the necessary


    arrangements."


    Colby didn''t say anything. After a while, he ordered his assistant, "Find a way to keep her from


    returning."


    "Mr. Zheng, why...?" The assistant was confused. Colby and his wife always seemed happily


    married. Although Colby would fool around with other women behind his wife''s back, it was just for


    fun. He would never tell his wife about it, so this order was out of the blue.


    The assistant has been working for the man for about twelve years. He knew Colby better than


    anyone, so the man told him why. "You know my new project in T Country? I want to work on it


    together with Maria Song."


    He was worried his wife would find out Maria was his date. That might cause problems.


    The reason why he wanted to bring Maria in on this was that he thought she might be useful. After


    digging into Maria''s background, he made ns to use this woman.


    If Maria was capable enough to make a fortune out of it, he didn''t mind.


    The assistant knew exactly what Colby meant. He hadn''t put in that much time without getting to


    know his boss. The man did as Colby ordered.


    Maria had just got back from her shopping trip, and carried her shopping bags into the hotel. When


    she came to her floor, she walked out of the elevator and saw a woman down the hall. She wore a


    bathrobe with the hotel''s logo on it. Her long hair spilled over her shoulders, half-dry. She stood at


    the door to James'' suite, talking to him.


    Maria slowed her pace and watched the woman move closer and closer to James. They were


    touching. She couldn''t be any closer unless she stepped inside him.


    As for James, he was still expressionless, like a zombie. Maria curled her red lips and sneered, "Get


    a room, you two!" When James saw her, he was not as cold as usual, and even rxed. He walked


    past the woman in the robe and grabbed Maria''s hand ¡ª the hand holding the shopping bags.


    "Why are you back sote? Thought we had a date. Ms. Li, I''m sorry. I''ve run out of time tonight.


    Let''s meet tomorrow."


    Being practically dragged along by James, Maria was confused. What was going on?


    When she saw the look in his eyes, she got the idea. He wanted to use her to drive this woman


    away.


    Ms. Li? Since James addressed her as Ms. Li, Maria realized that the woman was someone


    important as well. It also meant that James didn''t want to make her mad. Of course it didn''t mean


    he couldn''t afford to offend her. After all, he was James Xi. It was a piece of cake for him to deal


    with that woman, but he just wanted to avoid trouble.


    Thinking of this, Maria sneered! ''Humph! What a maniptive snake!'' Days ago, he called the


    police and tried to get her tossed in jail. Now that she was useful, he was kind to her. Besides, if she


    offended Ms. Li tonight, she would suffer. But James would never help her if she was in trouble.


    It was true that Maria wanted to be with James again, but she wouldn''t put up with the same


    treatment. She also wanted to use James to deal with her enemies, but she wanted to fight side by


    side with him, instead of relying on him for everything!


    James continued leading her where he wanted to go. But then she dug in her heels, and refused to


    be led any further. He looked back at her, confused.


    The woman wrested her arm from his grasp, and turned to Ms. Li. James tried to head Maria off at


    the pass. "Maria, don''t you want Fairview Vi? I can give it to you as a gift after we get back."


    Maria stared at him nkly. He called her Maria? Fairview Vi?


    Maria bit back the words at the tip of her tongue, deciding to keep silent.


    But James said he would give it to her as a gift.


    Maria kindly reminded herself, ''Don''t be taken in by him. He''s greedy and evil!'' If this man were


    really that kind, he wouldn''t have treated her like that. Maria realized this man was threatening her


    with Fairview Vi.


    Maria draped her arm around Ms. Li, who red at her in outrage. Maria said, "Ms. Li, let me tell


    you a secret. You''re totally Mr. Xi''s cup of tea. Your skin is fair as snow. Your eyebrows are like


    willow leaves. And your nose and lips are exquisite. I''m hot for you, and I''m straight!"


    Ms. Li blushed because of her ttery, and a smile gradually appeared in her angry eyes.


    James stared daggers at Maria, but the woman seemed not to notice at all. She continued, "But


    James is used to being cold and aloof. He''s too embarrassed to tell you. Every minute is precious


    on a romantic night like this. Ms. Li, Mr. Xi, have a great one!" After saying that, Maria patted Ms. Li


    on the shoulder and made to leave.


    She was about to leave, but she turned back to Ms. Li. She whispered in her ear, "I heard this man


    doesn''tst long in bed. You may need some special toys!" She also stomped on James '' feet while


    saying that.


    James heard the whole thing, and just stood there, his face dark with rage.


    James was about to grab Maria and thrash her, but Ms. Li threw herself into his arms and said, "Mr.


    Xi, I like you just the way you are. I don''t mind if you don''tst long in bed."


    "Maria Song!" The man''s growl came from behind. Maria didn''t even look back at them.


    Before entering her own suite, she blew him a kiss, and then waved, closing the door mercilessly,


    disappearing from sight.


    It was quiet in the suite. She dropped her fake smile, put the card key in the slot, casually put the


    shopping bags down, kicked off her high heels, and changed into slippers.


    Sitting on the sofa, Maria lit a cigarette and took a few puffs to rx. She wondered if the two she


    just left had ever shared a kiss. Then she continued to think about other things they might do, such


    as Jamesying on top of her, his body grinding against hers, nibbling the woman''s neck, and


    exploring each other.


    A few minutester, Maria stubbed out the cigarette, put on her high heels, and walked out of her


    suite.


    She pressed the button to James'' suite multiple times, hammering on it like the button to a video


    game.


    There was no answer. Maria guessed they were busy. Maybe they were intimate, and didn''t want to


    stop. Knock! Knock! Knock! She gave up on the doorbell and started knocking loudly.

 Chapter 45 Jaws Of Death

    Chapter 45 Jaws Of Death


    Soon, the door was opened. But it was Lorenzo who opened it.


    Maria was taken aback. She didn''t expect to see him here. Moreover, he was only wearing a shirt.


    She cleared her throat. "Are you and James together?" she asked.


    Lorenzo''s brows creased in confusion. But then, he impatiently asked, "What?"


    Instead of answering him, Maria pushed him aside and rushed inside. And much to her surprise,


    James was sitting leisurely on the sofa. He was working on hisptop with his legs crossed. She


    raised an eyebrow, wondering what he was doing there. He was supposed to be having sex with


    Ms. Li.


    James red at Maria gloomily, but thetter just ignored it. She poked her head into the bedroom


    and blurted out, "So soon?"


    Lorenzo, who was now standing behind her, was still full of confusion. But James, on the other


    hand, understood what she meant. He clenched his fists and called out her name through clenched


    teeth. "Maria Song!"


    He still remembered what Maria had done to him earlier.


    Maria turned to look at him and nodded. "What''s up?" She then trotted over to the sofa and sat


    down next to him. With a serious look on her face, she asked in a surprised tone, "Are you impotent


    now because of wallowing in sex in the past?"


    After she spat those words out, she looked around. As her gaze moved from James to Lorenzo and


    back, she sensed something wrong.


    James closed hisptop and said to Lorenzo, "Close the door when you go out."


    Lorenzo, who immediately understood what he meant, replied, "Yes, Mr. Xi." Before he turned


    around, he cast Maria a disdainful look. He then walked towards the door and left the room.


    Noticing Maria''s dull look, Lorenzo couldn''t help thinking, ''Maria Song, you''re such a fool. You will


    definitely be taught a lesson this time.''


    Click! Maria heard the sound of the door being locked. It was only then that she realized that


    Lorenzo was gone. She was left alone with James in the room. As soon as she saw his gloomy


    expression, she jumped up from the sofa at once.


    "Mr. Xi...well...urn... I would like to apologize for the misunderstanding," she stammered. ''Maria, you


    are such an idiot. You don''t deserve being trained by Norman. You are a stupid woman,'' she


    scolded herself inwardly.


    James'' suite was neat and clean, and he was appropriately dressed up. Obviously, he didn''t have


    sex with Ms. Li. It was most likely that he had driven Ms. Li away.


    James slowly stood up, pulled out his tie, and unbuttoned his shirt with one hand.


    As his muscr chest partly came into view, Maria swallowed hard. ''James Xi, you are finally in the


    jaws of death!'' she screamed in her mind. She couldn''t deny the fact that he was still her cup of tea.


    She was obsessed with his every move. He was so charming in her eyes.


    With a straight face, James threw his tie on the sofa, rolled up his sleeves, and reached out to grab


    Maria, who was at a loss fancying on him.


    Maria came back to her senses. She was not that naive not to know that he wanted to hug her and


    make love to her. Hence, the moment she noticed that he would attack her, she leaned back to


    dodge him.


    Maria did her best to avoid him. But unfortunately, James was determined to teach her a lesson


    today, so he continued to seize her.


    Eventually, they had a brawl in the living room of his presidential suite. Maria braced herself to deal


    with James. She found an opportunity to kick off her high heels, and she felt morefortable


    struggling against him. When she caught sight of the door on the other side, she thought of


    escaping as soon as possible.


    That was the right thing to do. She had to stay away from him before he could seed with his evil


    n. When she had sneaked in Fairview Vist time, she had already know she was no match for


    James in fighting. Now she could only run as fast as she could to avoid his punishment.


    After a two-minute scuffle, Maria was finally pushed on the sofa with her face down. James then


    pressed her legs with his knees, pushed her back with one hand, and grabbed his tie with the other.


    No matter how much she resisted, he was able to sessfully tie her hands.


    "James Xi, let go of me! Just because I didn''t offer you my help, you are doing this to me? I didn''t


    know that you are so narrow-minded!" Maria yelled at James, ignoring the fact that she was the one


    who made him mad.


    "I should throw you on Mr. Zheng''s bed. What do you think?" James snapped as he looked at her


    indifferently. She was still struggling under his knees.


    Understanding what he meant, Maria felt a little anxious. "James Xi, if you don''t let me go now, I


    swear, I''ll haunt you even if I die."


    James smiled cruelly and said, "I''ll take note of that. Remember toe back often after you die."


    He then took out his phone and called Lorenzo. "Bring two men with you. Tell them that I want this


    woman to be thrown in the middle of the sea."


    This time, Maria got more anxious. She realized that her pertinacity and resistance could only turn


    James into a beast. So she tried to change her strategy. She stopped struggling and burst into


    tears. "Okay, I give up. I think it''s only best to end my life this way."


    Perhaps her sudden change of attitude really worked because James looked at her confusedly.


    Seeing this, Maria put up a pitiful look as if she had given up all the hopes to live.


    "After all, it''s been six years that I haven''t seen Arthur. I''m missing him so badly each day," she


    continued. ''Arthur, I am so sorry. Please forgive me. I really don''t want to make use of you, but your


    daddy has been so cruel to me,'' Maria apologized to herte son inwardly.


    Because of her words, the atmosphere in the room suddenly changed. A trace of anger shed


    across James'' eyes as he yelled, "You don''t deserve to mention his name!"


    He was so angry, not at Maria but himself. While watching Maria grieving for Arthur, he felt so


    ufortable, which made him scold himself. In the end, he just convinced himself that he felt this


    way because he was too sorry for his son.


    Soon enough, Lorenzo arrived with the two men. He had already anticipated this to happen. Maria


    had annoyed James so much, so he knew that she wouldn''t walk out of his suite safe and sound.


    When the doorbell rang, James and Maria looked at the door simultaneously, knowing who were


    outside.


    But James didn''t move. And since Maria was still pressed under his knees, she couldn''t move


    either.


    She wanted to continue putting an act, but what he said just now instantly made her angry. "Why


    don''t I deserve to mention his name? Arthur is my son! I carried him for almost ten months in my


    belly and gave birth to him. How about you? You were just a sperm contributor. And when I was


    pregnant, you were always busy. I didn''t know if it was because of your work or because you were


    hanging out with Alina. You weren''t there in most times that I needed you. You seldom showed up


    even in my prenatal checkups. Did you even know how hard it was for me?"


    Summer''s words rang out in James'' mind. "Maria had a difficult time. She couldn''t keep anything


    down. Even the smell of the food made her rush to the bathroom."


    But what about him at that time? He was the happiest man because his grandfather had finally


    handed over the HL Group to him. Because of the baby in Maria''s belly, he got everything he


    wanted. He didn''t realize that she had a difficult life at that time.


    "People med me for what happened to Arthur. Even if Arthur died because I didn''t take good


    care of him, I didn''t mean it. Why do you hate me so much? When we were married, I was always


    loyal to you. I was a filial daughter-inw to your parents. James Xi, please be man enough to just


    let me go. From now on, I won''t bother you anymore."


    All of a sudden, Maria felt the weight on her legs was removed.


    But she didn''t get up at once because she was a little tired after lying on her stomach and roaring


    for quite a while. She gasped for air and continued, "If I didn''t love you anymore, I wouldn''t have


    come back and bothered you like this." This time, her voice was calm, with no trace of anger.


    Despite Maria''s confession of love, James remained emotionless. He pursed his lips and stared at


    her half-naked back.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Ever since she came back to H City, she seemed to like showing her back to everyone. She was


    always dressed like this every time he saw her.


    Maria was not like this before. When they were still together, she usually liked wearing street


    clothes. She had never been this revealing.


    Maybe she was wearing these kinds of clothes now to seduce more men. At the thought of this, fury


    surged up in James'' heart.


    Maria had no idea what was in his mind. With her long disheveled hair, she looked up at him and


    said, "James, you''d better keep your glory like this all your life. Make sure that you won''t fall into my


    hands one day. Because if that happens..." She paused as she lost the courage to finish what she


    wanted to say.

 Chapter 46 Battle-Hardened Man

    Chapter 46 Battle-Hardened Man


    If James fell into her hands someday, first she would strip him off his clothes, whip him, and then tie


    him on the bed.


    "What would you do to me?" Although Maria didn''t finish her sentence, James was curious to learn


    what she had in mind. In his entire life, a woman never had the guts to talk to him like she did.


    The words were on the tip of her tongue, but Maria swallowed them back. In order to survive the


    night, she changed the course of the conversation. "Mr. Xi, I wasn''t serious. How could you fall into


    my hands? I''m just an inexperienced woman, while you''re a battle-hardened man. I was just


    kidding."


    James squatted down and looked into her eyes as if he was searching for something. Then he


    reached out his slender fingers and pinched her chin before whispering in her ear, "If you dare to


    trouble me again, I''ll skin you alive or throw you into the sea to feed the sharks. What do you


    choose?"


    "I choose thetter," Maria answered obediently. Given that she could swim, she had a chance to


    escape. Of course, if she wasn''t tied up.


    "Then I''ll skin you alive first. What do you think about female circumcision?" Knowing what she had


    in mind, James refused to give her what she wanted.


    ''Holy crap! What did he say? Female


    circumcision?'' Maria''s eyes widened in horror. How could such an abnormal idea cross this man''s


    mind? This was the twenty-first century, for God''s sake!


    Anyway, Maria would keep his suggestion in mind. Once James fell into her hands, she would


    definitely consider male castration as an option for her revenge ns. She would turn this man into


    a eunuch!


    Atst, James saw a hint of fear in the woman''s eyes. Satisfied, in a rare moment of kindness, he


    loosened the tie wrapped around her wrist.


    As soon as she was free, Maria rubbed her wrists. The next moment, she stretched out her arm and


    held James'' neck flirtatiously. "Thank you, ex-hubby. Muah!" Ignoring the man''s scowl, she kissed


    him on the lips out of gratitude.


    Then she fled the room as fast as she could.


    James froze in ce. Only after hearing the door m did hee to his senses. Touching his


    freshly-kissed lips, he thought about asking someone to tie Maria up again so that he could cut her


    into pieces.


    However, something Maria said made him hesitate. It was one single sentence among so many


    others that she uttered that James couldn''t seem to ignore.


    "Even if Arthur died because I didn''t take good care of him, I didn''t mean it." Maria words echoed in


    his mind. Rubbing his chin, James wondered whether there was any secret reason behind Arthur''s


    death that he didn''t know of.


    But if that was the case, why didn''t Maria straightforwardly share her suspicions with him while she


    confessed that she still loved him?


    ording to his stepmother, when Arthur had the ident, Maria was alone with their son at home.


    The nanny had gone out to buy some supplies. Maria was cooking in the kitchen, leaving the child


    in the baby walker on his own in the living room. As Arthur walked, he hit the cab in the corner,


    which fell onto him. He died immediately.


    Recalling what happened to his son, James closed his eyes.


    It was Maria who insisted on moving to Fairview Vi. They had been staying in the Xi family''s


    mansion since they got married. They didn''t move out until Arthur was three-month-old.


    When the ident took ce, they had been living there for over a month. Since there were no


    surveince cameras installed yet, James had to learn about what happened through someone


    else''s mouth. At the time, James was still attending a conference in France. As he rushed back


    home, he was met with Arthur''s corpse.


    Taking into consideration Maria''s behavior after she married into the Xi family and his grandparents''


    regard for her, James decided to let her go. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have let her go.


    Once Maria walked out of James'' suite, she found two strong men and Lorenzo standing at the


    door. They seemed a bit surprised to see her leaving the room safe and sound.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Maria cast a nce at Lorenzo and mocked, "Lorenzo, you are so efficient!" She remembered the


    doorbell ringing less than two minutes after James hung up the phone. Obviously, Lorenzo had


    everything prepared in advance, knowing that James was going to teach her a lesson.


    Lorenzo replied nonchntly, "Thank you, Ms. Song. I''m ttered! As a special assistant, this is my


    duty."


    Maria looked at him fiercely, ignoring the bodyguards around, and warned, "Then Lorenzo, you''d


    better start praying I won''t get to remarry James. Otherwise, I won''t allow you to stay in HL Group


    any longer."


    Ever since she had been back to H City, almost every time she had met with James, Alina would


    find out and rush to where they were in an instant. Lorenzo must be the one behind this. The


    special assistant didn''t say anything this time. He realized Maria had changed a lot over the years.


    Besides, if she coulde out of James'' room safe and sound tonight, Maria must be really


    something. It seemed that he had underestimated her.


    Unwilling to continue talking to him, Maria straightened up her dress and went back to her own


    suite.


    Once the corridor was quiet again, Lorenzo stared at the door of Maria''s room in a daze. He was


    about to report to Alina that her cousin had alsoe to T Country. But on second thought, the cold


    way Maria looked at him just now and how James had been treating her recently made him


    hesitate.


    The next day, at noon, Colby had just left a series of meetings he had been attending throughout


    the morning and asked his assistant to inform Maria to apany him to a formal lunch.


    This time, the luncheon was hosted by a government officer. James sat on his left, while the big


    shot from the Mu Group took the seat on his right.


    After a few rounds of drinks, Maria heard Colby introduce her to the host, "Mr. Wang, this is Maria.


    She''s a great drinkingpanion. Come on, Maria, have a drink with Mr. Wang."


    Seeing the unconcealed enthusiasm in Mr. Wang''s eyes, Maria was slightly taken aback. Then she


    nced at Colby, who met her gaze with a casual smile. "Why are you still sitting there? Aren''t you


    happy to join Mr. Wang for a drink?" Colby asked.


    Maria also smiled. "Sure! It''s my honor, Mr. Wang." She raised from the chair with a ss of liquor


    in her hand and deliberately walked past Colby to stand between Mr. Wang and the silent man on


    his left.


    She should have guessed this was what Colby had in mind when he decided to bring her to T


    Country. In fact, she mistrusted Colby so much that she believed it was best to turn to James for


    help if necessary. So, in search of some sense of security, she chose to stand beside her ex-


    husband.


    After gulping down two sses of liquor, Mr. Wang stretched out his hand and touched Maria''s


    waist before slowly sliding it downwards. As if nothing happened, Maria dodged the man''s indecent


    touch to open another bottle of liquor. "We finished a bottle already. Let me open another one."


    Sitting right next to where Maria stood, James could see clearly every time the man moved his hand


    from her waist to another part of her body.


    He watched the scene with contempt. Colby was really capable of doing anything for money.


    He wondered if Norman and Lawrence knew how Maria was humiliating herself. In the following


    toasts, as every woman in such social activities, Maria was inevitably harassed, either verbally or


    physically.


    In the end, Mr. Wang and Maria seemed to have had a pleasant conversation. They even


    exchanged their contact info after the luncheon.


    Most of the attendees came out of the restaurant to see Mr. Wang off, including Maria and Lorenzo.


    Only a few bigwigs such as James and Colby remained in the private room.


    After getting in his car, Mr. Wang rolled down the window and said to Maria, "Ms. Song, we had a


    good chat today. See you tonight in the dinner party. Don''t miss it!"


    Maria still had a bright smile on her face. "Of course. I''ll be waiting for you tonight, Mr. Wang.


    The next moment, the low-key silver Audi drove away as the smile on the woman''s face gradually


    disappeared.


    She didn''t return to the private room or her suite in the hotel. Instead, she sent Colby a text


    message and left.


    The weather in T Country was not much better than that in H City. Outside, it was as hot as a


    sauna. At this moment, except for some workers rushing back to their offices after lunch, no


    pedestrians would be found walking under the scorching sun. As the Audi drove downtown, passing


    by a shabby old house, a figure suddenly came into sight and blocked its way.


    Creak! The sound of the car''s brake was earth-shaking. However, besides an old, uninhabited


    house on the roadside, there was nothing else around, let alone someone who could have heard


    the noise.


    The driver cursed when a woman in ck sportswear showed up in front of them.

 Chapter 47 Beating Up Mr. Wang

    Chapter 47 Beating Up Mr. Wang


    It was a hot summer day. The woman in a ck sportswear and sneakers showed up in front of the


    Audi. She was also wearing a ck baseball cap, ck mask, Bluetooth headset, and a pair of big


    sunsses. Her entire get-up hid her real appearance.


    Fortunately, the driver was quick enough to step on the brakes, so she was not hit. He honked a few


    times, but the woman remained motionless with her hands in her pockets. Obviously, she wasn''t


    nning to move aside. She was staring at him, who was about to open the door.


    But before he could make any move, she quickly rushed over, opened the door of the driver''s seat,


    and hit him on the nape. It was so strong that he passed out before he could even protest.


    Mr. Wang, who was sitting in the back seat, witnessed everything. His heart skipped a beat when he


    saw that his driver was now unconscious. All his instincts told him to open the backseat door and


    run away.


    However, as soon as his foot stepped on the ground, the woman pulled a sack over his head. In an


    instant, Mr. Wang found himself in the sack''s darkness. Feeling uneasy, he yelled, "Who are you?


    What do you want from me? Do you want money? I can give you a lot of money." The woman just


    ignored him and knocked him down. She then forcibly kicked him into the sack and dragged it into


    the nearby alley.


    Meanwhile, a silver Bentley was galloping along the asphalt road of T Country. While driving,


    Lorenzo was reporting the progress of his work. James, in the back seat, was listening to him with


    eyes closed.


    When he finished talking after a few minutes, he drove quietly so as not to disturb James'' rest.


    Lorenzo turned the car at the corner and passed by an alley. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw an


    Audi parked on the roadside. The door of the driver''s seat was half-open, so he saw that the driver


    was unconscious.


    Upon recognizing the car, he stepped on the brake to pull over. He wanted to see what was going


    on.


    The moment he rolled down the window, he heard some faint moansing from the alley.


    James, who wondered why they suddenly stopped, opened his eyes and asked, "What''s the


    matter?"


    "Mr. Xi, that''s Mr. Wang''s car. I think something is wrong."


    James also rolled down the backseat window and looked at the alley. He also heard some low


    moans of despair. Then they both saw a woman with her back on them, fiercely kicking a big sack.


    It was only then that they realized that the moan wasing from it.


    Since the woman was so wrapped up, James couldn''t clearly see her face. But her chestnut curly


    hair tied in a ponytail looked so familiar to him.


    After a short while, Lorenzo softly asked, "Mr. Xi, shall we go there to have a look?"


    James didn''t respond. He just continued watching the scene silently.


    Lorenzo also kept quiet. He couldn''t do anything without James'' permission, so he didn''t dare to


    make a move.


    A few minutester, the woman finally removed her cap and sunsses. Perhaps she got tired of


    kicking the sack, and she felt too hot. She was not aware that two pairs of eyes were keenly


    watching her every move. James and Lorenzo were both stunned when they recognized that the


    woman was Maria. None of them uttered a word.


    Maria looked so different now. She was no longer the elegant and alluring woman they used to see


    in her backless gowns.


    A trace of amusement shed across James'' eyes while staring at her. Lorenzo, on the other hand,


    hastily took out his phone, opened its camera, and took some photos of her.


    Maria, still unaware that she was already photographed secretly, fanned herself with the baseball


    cap as if trying to relieve the heat.


    After a few minutes of rest, she fiercely kicked the sack again, totally ignoring Mr. Wang''s wailing.


    ''Screw you, scumbag! How dare you harass me!'' she cursed inwardly. She was so furious that she


    couldn''t wait for the dinner party tonight to seek revenge. In broad daylight, she beat Mr. Wang up.


    The photos Lorenzo had taken clearly showed Maria''s face when zoomed in. With a satisfied smile


    on his face, he put his phone back in his pocket. He couldn''t wait to show them to Mr. Wang tonight.


    Maria would definitely be doomed.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    However, he didn''t expect that his n would be stifled in the cradle.


    "Give me your phone,"


    James ordered in a t voice from the back seat.


    Lorenzo turned his head to look at James and asked, "Mr. Xi, is something wrong?"


    This time, James reached out his hand and said in a colder voice, "Give me your phone."


    Lorenzo was a little confused. But then, he immediately handed his phone to James. When he


    noticed that James opened the gallery and looked for Maria''s photos in there, he understood what


    James wanted to do at once.


    As he expected, James deleted the photos without hesitation. All Lorenzo could do was covertly


    clench the steering wheel with both hands.


    At this moment, Lorenzo clearly knew that he was the one who was doomed.


    Of course, James wouldn''t tell Maria about what Lorenzo had done just now. But based on his


    actions, James was obviously protecting her.


    Lorenzo realized that from now on, he had to do something. After all, he had dealt with Maria


    before.


    James returned Lorenzo''s phone back, closed his eyes again, and ordered coldly, "Go back to the


    hotel."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi," Lorenzo replied as he started the engine.


    In an instant, the silver Bentley silently left as if nothing had happened.


    When Maria felt satisfied in beating Mr. Wang up, she put on her baseball cap and sunsses


    again, opened the sack, and left in a swaggering manner.


    Mr. Wangy on the ground awkwardly. His face didn''t have any injuries, but his body was badly


    wounded. He wanted to raise his head to see who the woman was, but his neck was too painful. His


    body felt weak all over. Before he could know it, Maria had already disappeared at the corner.


    Maria was confident that no one would know what she did because before she stationed there to


    wait for Mr. Wang''s car to pass by, she had checked the surroundings. There were no surveince


    cameras there.


    She walked through the blind spot and looked for a trash can. Then she quickly took off her


    sportswear, revealing a ck silk dress she had worn under.


    Maria threw the sportswear, cap, and mask into the trash can. Her ck dress was not a good


    match for the sneakers, but since she looked imposing, the style didn''t go against her at all.


    But still, she went to a nearby shoe store and bought a pair of high heels.


    After making sure that she didn''t leave any trace, she hailed a taxi back to the hotel. She was now


    an elegant and graceful woman again.


    When Maria got out of the elevator, she saw James, who was about to go back to enter his suite.


    Without knowing that her "perfect mission" had been exposed to him, she quickened her pace and


    trotted towards him. "James!"


    James'' hand stopped on the doorknob and nced at her indifferently without saying anything. He


    then pushed the door open and walked into the room as if he didn''t know her.


    Maria had reached the door before he could close it behind him, so her nose was almost hit. Her


    face flushed with rage as she was shut out.


    Staring at the ck wooden door in front of her, she made a face and murmured, "Jerk!"


    She wasn''t aware that he was watching her through the peephole.


    James was actually a little confused. The more he thought about Maria, the more he couldn''t


    understand her. In front of him, she was always a mature and enchanting woman. But behind him,


    she would scowl on his coldness and indifference, making her look so childish. He couldn''t help


    wondering if she had been suffering from multiple personality disorder.


    With her attitude, he couldn''t think of any other possible reason.


    Maria didn''t bother to knock on James'' door anymore. Instead, she turned around and went back to


    her suite.


    Since it was too hot outside and it made her feel ufortable, she took a bath. When she felt


    better, she turned on herptop and began to work. She made a call to someone and exined,


    "I''ve gotten some information about the charity project that the HM Group and HL Group want to


    take part in. It needs around two billion dors and some technical experts to start the project. They


    need a long time to prepare for this project, so I think we still have enough time for recruitment. We


    must do our best to hire technical talents at all costs."


    The person on the other end of the line took note of everything and said, "I get it. Is there anything


    else I can do for you?"


    "Yes. The information you gave mest time about Colby Zheng was not urate. I want you to


    continue with your investigation."


    "Yes, ma''am."


    After working for almost half an hour, Maria turned off herptop. She kneaded her eyebrows and


    went to the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee.


    While she was pouring some coffee beans into the machine, she seemed to have thought of


    something, so she added more coffee beans into it.

 Chapter 48 Spying On Him

    Chapter 48 Spying On Him


    The aroma of coffee permeated the room. Maria took a sip of her freshly-brewed coffee and nodded


    in satisfaction.


    Compliments of the hotel, the coffee in the presidential suite was quite good. Specialty grade coffee


    beans and a grinder were just some of the perks for those who could afford the room.


    She found the tray, picked up a steaming cup and walked out of her room.


    When the doorbell rang, James was on the phone with a senior executive of HL Group.


    He opened the door and saw the woman in slipperszily leaning against the doorframe, a cup of


    coffee in her hands. She greeted him with a sweet smile.


    When James was about to close the door, Maria deftly slipped inside before he could. She ignored


    his cold re.


    Heedless of the man''s attitude, she put the fragrant cup of coffee on his desk, pointed at it, and


    whispered, "Pure craft beans. I just brewed it. Don''t worry. I didn''t poison it."


    Before James could say another word, she left his room. Maria went back to her own suite, and


    poured another cup. This time, she knocked on Colby''s door.


    Inside the room, Colby was talking business with his assistant. Seeing here in, he smiled and


    asked, "Have a good nap?"


    "I just woke up. And yeah, I feel better, so I made a cup of coffee for you." Then she looked at the


    assistant and said, "I''m sorry, but I didn''t know you are here. I only brought one cup."


    The assistant closed the file unobtrusively, and said, "It''s fine, Ms. Song. I have tea."


    Maria put the coffee on the table next to Colby and put the tray aside casually. She sat down on the


    sofa next to them, her hands supporting her as she sat. "You busy now?"


    After saying that, she patted herself on the forehead helplessly. "What am I saying? I can see you''re


    working now. I was bored, so I thought I''d see if Mr. Zheng was free. I''ll take off. Sorry."


    Colby indeed had important business to deal with, so he didn''t ask her to stay. "Get some rest. The


    dinner party is more important. Make sure you''re ready."


    Maria smoothed her hemline and put a hand behind her back when Colby''s assistant lowered his


    head and touched his forehead. Then she stood up from the sofa and said, "Okay. See youter."


    She took the tray, walked over to Colby, straightened his tie, and said considerately, "Don''t work too


    hard!"


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Colby nodded, "All right."


    Maria went back to her suite. She closed the door and leaned against it, panting to relieve her


    nervousness.


    Coffee wasn''t the only thing she left in the rooms of these high-powered businessmen.


    Keeping this in mind, she threw the tray aside, turned on herptop, and donned her headset.


    The bug she nted in Colby''s room worked like a charm. His assistant asked, "Mr. Zheng, did she


    tell you she acquired some inside info from Mr. Wang?"


    "No. We''re meetingter. She can tell me then," answered Colby. "Let''s get back to technology. HL


    Group outranks us there. James Xi spends billions on research and development every year. He''s


    good at making breakthroughs and excels at independent innovation. So we can''t fall behind. We


    have to work hard! Call Mr. Xue. He knows Mr. Xiao, the head technician at HL Group, right? We


    could use someone like that on our team. See what it would take to get him to changepanies."


    Maria smiled. So Colby wanted to steal Mr. Xiao from HL Group. She wondered how James would


    react if he knew. Would tensions between them boil over? After listening to Colby for a while, she


    switched audio feeds, this time to the wireless covert listening device she ced under James''


    desk.


    She clicked the link, and nothing happened. She clicked it again several more times, and still


    nothing. Maria was confused. But not for long, as she heard a familiar voice through her headset.


    "Ms. Song, congrattions on your choice. This is a pretty powerful bug. But everything has its


    ws."


    Maria was taken aback. James might be a terrible man, but he was no dummy. He figured out what


    she did rather quickly.


    Colby probably wouldn''t find his. It was behind one of the couch cushions.


    Not caring what she had to say, James continued, "The w here was in your n. This device is


    manufactured by HL Group. When it''s turned on, you can see the red LED light. Neat little thing. I


    signed off on the licensing, you know." The LED light was also a reminder the device was


    connected.


    While saying that, James wondered if Colby hired Maria to spy on him. It would make sense. Then


    another question popped into his mind. Did she get to know Colby before or after she returned to H


    City?


    Maria was still flustered that he''d been able to figure it out. She cursed herself for being sloppy. She


    should have done more research. Then she''d know it had been developed by HL Group. Atst, it


    was time for the final dinner party. Maria was dressed in the usual ¡ªa brown silk dress and a pair of


    ck high-heeled shoes. Her long hair cascaded down her back. She looked beautiful and eye-


    catching without too much effort.


    Mr. Wang had already changed from his suit he wore at the luncheon to a grey one. He looked as if


    nothing had happened to him earlier today.


    He tasked one of his men to secretly investigate what happened. But nothing he found pointed to


    Maria. When he saw Maria at the dinner party, his eyes lit up and he raised his hand so she could


    find him.


    Beforeing here, Colby had hinted to Maria that if she could make Mr. Wang happy, she''d be the


    proud holder of a 20-million-dor bank card. He wanted Mr. Wang to take the bid that HM Group


    was offering.


    Maria agreed, overjoyed.


    In the evening, Colby brought along several cases of wine and liquor. Everyone drank a lot,


    especially Maria. Mr. Wang insisted on it. Both Maria and Mr. Wang were engaged in a drinking


    contest. Each wanted to drink the other under the table.


    Since James didn''t bring Summer along, Lorenzo downed a few sses of wine in his stead. Then


    Lorenzo left the dinner party because of something urgent. Eventually, when the dinner party was


    over, almost everyone was drunk.


    Maria couldn''t even stand reliably. With Colby''s permission, Mr. Wang''s driver escorted her to his


    car.


    James also saw what was going on, but he said nothing and took another drag on his cigarette.


    Although Mr. Wang was drunk, he didn''t forget there was an enchantingdy waiting in his car. To


    avoid being shitfaced so that he could enjoy a passionate night, he readily agreed to attend another


    dinner that Colby arranged.


    The silver Audi wasn''t parked at the hotel entrance, but in the parking lot. The driver helped the


    drunken woman into the back seat, closed the rear door, and went back to pick up Mr. Wang.


    Three minutester, Mr. Wang and the driver emerged from the hotel. There were others helping the


    driver support Mr. Wang''s weight, as he was unable to walk due the amount of alcohol he


    consumed. The driver dismissed them, and insisted on guiding Mr. Wang himself.


    In the car with dim light, the woman in a long brown dress leaned back in her seat, her long hair


    covering half her face. She didn''t stir when Mr. Wang was horsed inside next to her.


    Mr. Wang was hammered, but not so much he didn''t know what was going on. He put his hands on


    the woman. "Ms. Song." The woman was passed out, so Mr. Wang decided to take advantage of


    the situation. Before they arrived at the hotel where he was staying, he had his way with her.


    The driver from the branchpany of HL Group dropped James off at his hotel. He had drunk a lot


    tonight, but could still walk.


    When they arrived there, the driver opened the door and helped James out of the car.


    Just as the driver was about to follow him inside, a woman came to him out of nowhere. "Is he


    drunk? I''ll take care of him. You can leave now. Thanks."

 Chapter 49 I Dont Like Women

    Chapter 49 I Don''t Like Women


    "Excuse me, ma''am. And you are?" The driver was confused. The woman before him wore a ck


    dress, ck hat, and sunsses. She was elegant and enigmatic.


    Casting a nce at the woman, James kept his silence, his eyes darkened.


    Didn''t she leave with Mr. Wang?


    Maria smiled and took his arm. Winking at the driver, she said, "Me? I''m James'' girlfriend, of course.


    You can leave now!"


    The driver was at a loss, but after waiting for a bit, James still hadn''t freed himself from her grasp.


    He believed her. "All right. Thank you, ma''am." He turned and left.


    "Not at all." Maria raised her red lips and looked at the man, his cheeks flushed thanks to the


    alcohol. She gently held his hand and said, "Good boy, let''s go!"


    She sounded like she was coaxing a child ¡ªor a dog.


    James kept silent, walking into the hotel with her.


    Six years had passed, and James was still so quiet and easily influenced after getting drunk.


    He followed Maria into the hotel and let her lead him into the elevator.


    Maria managed to get James away from his driver. He was at her mercy.


    Arriving at the floor of the presidential suite, Maria only hesitated a moment to make a choice.


    Of course she should take James to her suite. When he woke up the next day, she could hold it


    over him when he lost his temper.


    In the room, Maria helped the man to lie down on her bed as she removed his shoes. And she


    bitched about it, too. "Okay, big man, I''m taking your shoes off for you. You''re the boss and like to


    pretend you''re better than everyone!"


    She put his shoes by the door. When she came back, he had already shed his suit jacket. Hey


    there, eyes closed.


    Maria went over to the bed, unbuttoned his shirt, and said with a smile, "You''re a lot more agreeable


    when you''re drunk. Come on, let''s have some fun!"


    She got to the third button, and could now see his exquisite pecs. Maria swallowed hard. "You still


    look as hot as the day we met. You must hit the gym a lot."


    She continued undoing buttons and gasped. His washboard absy exposed before her. She


    couldn''t help reaching out and running her soft fingers over them gently. "Whew! I''m getting hot


    now." This guy used tost at least half an hour in bed. She wondered if he could still go that long¡ª


    or even longer.


    Maria was ecstatic. After she took a shower, she could sleep with James.


    Then a thought urred to her. She couldn''t forget that he''d slept with Alina.


    And got her pregnant!


    While she was lost in thought, James grabbed her hand. She was taken aback by his sudden


    movement. But his eyes were still closed, he was still sleeping off his alcoholic binge.


    Maria reluctantly pulled herself away and retired to the bathroom. She wanted to touch James all


    night, but needed to do this first.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    She was not going to take a shower. James was a neat freak. She need to take good care of him


    before she could take a shower herself.


    As soon as the woman walked into the bathroom, the man behind her slowly opened his eyes.


    He pursed his lips and stared at the washroom in silence, his eyes dark and sharp.


    A momentter, Maria came out of the bathroom with a basin of hot water and a towel. She wrung


    the wet towel dry and began to wipe the man''s face. James was fully aware of this. But he still


    pretended and obligingly kept his eyes shut.


    While wiping, she mumbled, "I have to be gentle. Your skin is like silk. If I hurt you, then you could


    sue me."


    She wiped his face and then his body. When her warm towel was nearly between his legs, he


    grabbed her hand again.


    Maria rolled her eyes at the man. "Let go of me!


    "Alina..." James murmured this name.


    In the quiet night, Maria heard him clearly.


    Her breath tightened and her whole body stiffened.


    He said "Alina."


    He said Alina''s name after he got drunk. Maria bit her lower lip, eyes full of tears, hands trembling.


    She kept taking deep breaths to suppress the rage and sadness in her heart.


    After a while, she shook off James'' hand and smacked him the face with the towel. She shouted


    angrily, "Alina! Alina! James Xi, call your darling Alina and ask her to fly out here, why don''t you? I''m


    done! James Xi, you son of bitch, get up and fuck off!" The towel on the man''s face slowly slid off


    and finally fell on the pillow.


    Maria was so angry, she circled around the room with her hands on her hips.


    Just then, she heard the distinctive buzz of a cell phone. It wasn''t hers. It had to be James''.


    Maria found his vibrating phone in his suit jacket. There was no name on the caller ID, but she knew


    the number. After all, Alina had called her before.


    Maria was amused. T Country was such an amazing country. All she had to do was think of


    someone, and they''d call.


    She hung up the call from Alina without missing a beat. But then she thought about it. This might be


    a good way to mess with her.


    Maria stood still for a few minutes, James'' phone in hand. Then she got an idea. She came to the


    bedside, grabbed his hand, and used his fingers one by one to unlock his phone.


    It turned out that the fingerprint lock was his thumb. It opened right up. Maria was surprised.


    Unlocking his phone was that easy!


    She opened the WeChat app and scrolled through his chat history. Then she shamelessly opened


    the chat between him and Alina.


    There weren''t many messages, most of them sent by Alina. He didn''t seem that interested in talking


    to her.


    Maria opened her own WeChat name card and used James'' phone to scan it. They were now


    friends on the social media app.


    Then she changed her nickname to "Maria" on James'' WeChat.


    After doing this, her anger and sadness abated.


    She looked over at James. He was still sound asleep. She snickered and sent another message to


    Alina. "I have to be honest with you. Actually, I can''t evenst a minute. I''m impotent..."


    She paused to look at her handiwork. But she remembered that he''d gotten Alina pregnant. So


    Alina would know this was a lie.


    Maria deleted her text and typed, "Dearest Alina, I can''t lie to you anymore. I don''t like women. The


    only reason I proposed to you is to cover up the fact that I''m gay. Why do I get hard when you''re


    around? Pills, that''s why. I hope you''re not mad, and this doesn''t affect our rtionship.


    Finishing up, Maria tapped the send button.


    Alina was applying a facial mask. She was startled by the message. She neglected the way he


    started the message. He never called her "dearest Alina."


    James was gay?! Alina gaped. She made a phone call right away, but the person on the other end


    of the line declined her call again.


    She couldn''t help wondering whether James was with a man right now. Was that why he declined


    the call?


    Then she called Lorenzo. "It''s me. Who is James with now?"


    Lorenzo looked at his watch and answered, "Who is Mr. Xi with? No one that I know of. He should


    be hard at work. But I''m not at the hotel, so I can''t verify any of that personally."


    Alina suppressed all the emotions in her heart. Thinking for a while, she finally banged out a reply.


    "James, I don''t really mind. I love you for who you are. As long as I can be by your side every day,


    I''m happy."

 Chapter 50 Backfire

    Chapter 50 Backfire


    Of course, James'' manhood and masculinity mattered to Alina. If she thought of her future


    happiness being married to him, she did care a lot. But it wasn''t her top priority. The truth was, the


    welfare of the Tang family and the crown as Mrs. Xi were more important. For the sake of these two,


    she was willing to put up with the fact that James was impotent, and he liked men.


    While reading Alina''s message that sounded so sincere, Maria couldn''t help but snicker. She then


    replied, "Alina, I''m so lucky to be with such a good woman like you."


    "James, please just promise me that you won''t abandon me no matter what happens."


    Resisting the impulse to retch, Maria replied again, "Don''t worry. I won''t abandon you."


    Alina''s messages were very satisfying. But Maria couldn''t really tell if it was because she was too


    infatuated with James or she only took a fancy to the crown as Mrs. Xi.


    At this moment, James, who was on the bed, turned around. Frightened, Maria quickly closed his


    phone and put it back in the pocket of his suit.


    She was so nervous that she forgot to delete her chat history with Alina. Fortunately, James didn''t


    open his eyes. He just changed his sleeping position and fell asleep again.


    After many years of being away from him, Maria was dying to sleep with James again. But she


    didn''t intend to do it while he was intoxicated with alcohol. So she just knelt on the floor, rested her


    head on the edge of the bed, and obsessively stared at his sleeping face. She then whispered,


    "James, don''t get engage to Alina, okay?"


    James'' eyelids flickered the moment she finished her words. Before she could even react, he


    already opened his eyes.


    Caught off guard, she froze as her eyes met his. She was stunned while he was expressionless.


    His eyes looked refreshed and sober, so Maria surmised that he must have sobered up long ago.


    That was pretty quick.


    When she recovered from the shock, she immediately sat up straight and finally found her tongue to


    break the silence. "James, how could you do this? I was sleeping soundly, yet you kept ringing my


    doorbell. When I opened the door, you just ran into my bedroom and slept on my bed. So annoying,


    isn''t it?"


    James didn''t react. His lips were shut, but the way he looked at her seemed to say, "Do you really


    think I believe that crap?"


    When Maria noticed that look, she subconsciously straightened her slightly messy long hair. She


    then stood up from the carpeted floor and ordered dryly, "Now that you are awake, get up and leave


    my room."


    James closed his eyes for a few seconds and slowly sat up from the bed. It was only then that he


    found out that he was half-naked. Although his trousers and belt were intact, he still frowned.


    "What did you do to me?" he asked in a hoarse but cold voice.


    To hide the embarrassment that she felt, Maria sneered, "You were too drunk. What else can I do


    except wiping your body?" She then turned her back on him and mumbled, "As if you can still have


    sex when you''re drunk." Maria thought that it was less harsh than directly asking, "I want to have


    sex with you, but do you think you''re capable when you''re inebriated?"


    When James looked down, he saw a basin of water on the floor, so he somehow believed her. He


    straightened his back, rubbed his temples, and put on his shirt in silence.


    While buttoning up his shirt, his phone rang, and the sound wasing from the pocket of his suit.


    He reached out his hand to get it.


    Maria picked up his jacket and shoved it into his arms. "Hurry up and leave! I want to go back to


    sleep now and continue the dream that you''ve interrupted." While fumbling for his phone in his


    pocket, James nced at her andmented sarcastically, "Sleeping in a party dress?"


    Maria looked at herself at once. She forgot to change into her nightgown. Her lies were exposed.


    For a few minutes, the room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. James was now checking


    his phone.


    Maria was snorting when she suddenly remembered the text conversation she had with Alina just


    now. It seemed that she did not delete their messages. She gaped at him as if he had seen


    something terrifying on his face.


    ''Oh my, God! I''m so screwed,'' she thought to herself.


    At the thought of it, she moved closer to him and said in her most melodious voice, "James, may I


    borrow your phone?"


    "Do you want to delete some messages on my phone?"


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Maria forced a smile. Indeed, she was exposed! "Well...I can exin it."


    James put his phone away and took two steps forward. He looked at her in the eyes and warned,


    "Maria Song, you are risking your neck!"


    He thought that Maria had gone overboard. A few days ago, she announced in public that he could


    onlyst a minute in bed. And now she told Alina using his own phone that he liked men. He swore


    to himself that he would kill her right here and now.


    Seeing the fury in his eyes, Maria gave him her most enchanting smile as her slender fingers


    touched his arms and said, "James, let''s talk, okay?"


    He grabbed her wrist so hard as if he wanted to break it.


    "Ouch! It hurts! James Xi, let me go! Are you trying to kill me?" Maria eximed.


    James was so furious. He suddenly pulled her arm and spun her, throwing her onto the bed. Maria


    bounced on the bed, feeling dizzy.


    She closed her eyes to calm herself down. When she felt better, she was about to sit up. However,


    she was pressed back by two muscr hands.


    This time, James was already on top of her.


    He held her hands above her head, and his knees pressed her legs. He then took his necktie and


    tied her wrists.


    "James Xi, let go of me! Damn you!" Maria got a little flustered. She must really be on guard against


    him all the time.


    James said nothing but gave her a murderous look. He then pulled her up and dragged her out of


    bed.


    Maria was startled when they entered the bathroom. Her mind was in a mess. But much to her


    surprise, he just took a towel and stuffed it into her mouth.


    And he wasn''t satisfied yet. He called the front desk and ordered, "Send a roll of duct tape to Room


    5512 now. I need to shut someone''s mouth!"


    Upon hearing his request, the receptionist got a little scared. She thought that he might have


    kidnapped someone.


    Maria felt annoyed when she realized what he was going to do with the duct tape. She had initially


    nned to lift her leg to resist his control, but she changed her mind in an instant.


    James was too strong for her, so she would only waste her strength on him. It was meaningless to


    resist. It would be better if she''d stay calm and just go with the flow.


    It seemed that she made the right decision. Her calmness had really saved her this time.


    The receptionist personally brought the duct tape to Room 5512. James then told her to tape


    Maria''s mouth. Maria could be at the mercy of James, but she couldn''t allow anyone else to do the


    same thing to her. Thus, the receptionist had tried her best but failed.


    Eventually, it was James who taped her mouth. Not only that, he also wrapped the duct tape around


    her head. He didn''t stop until he made sure that her mouth was tightly sealed. This way, she


    wouldn''t be able to speak or bite the necktie around her wrist.


    Maria didn''t expect that she had really angered James so much this time. He not only tied her


    hands and taped her mouth, but he also tied her to a chair.


    He then dialed a number and ordered, "Send two men to Room 5512."


    Maria already knew what he wanted to do because he also did the same thingst time.


    She felt that her chest was burning with rage. She didn''t resist or beg for mercy. Instead, she silently


    watched him turn around and leave.


    She knew that he would only turn a deaf ear to her even if she pleaded.


    A few momentster, two men entered the room. The moment they saw Maria tied to a chair, they


    smiled maliciously. One of them said, "Mr. Xi is really nice to us. This woman is so beautiful."


    "Absolutely! She looks so enchanting. If Mr. Xi didn''t say that we couldn''t remove the tape on her


    mouth, I would have a taste of her sweet lips."


    Maria was expressionless while watching the two men approaching her gradually. She wanted to


    say something, but her mouth was tightly sealed. Left with no choice, she could only remain


    motionless.

 Chapter 51 Deadly Moves

    Chapter 51 Deadly Moves


    One of the men touched Maria''s face andmented with satisfaction, "Her skin is so soft. Mr. Xi is


    so generous! This woman is awesome!"


    "Look at her legs! Aww..." The other man ced his big palm on Maria''s right leg and caressed it,


    gradually moving upwards.


    Then, he stopped and asked, "Ted, her legs are tied. How can we proceed this way? Let''s untie


    them."


    Seeing that his partner was about to undo the knot, Ted stopped him. "Be careful. Mr. Xi said this


    woman is cunning and good at martial arts. Otherwise, why would she be tied so tightly?"


    "But if we don''t untie her legs, we won''t be able to do anything."


    Ted nced at Maria''s tightly-tied legs and agreed with the other man. Indeed there was nothing


    they could do this way. Next, he warned Maria fiercely, "You''d better be obedient. We''ve both won


    Kung Fupetitions over the years. If you obey us, we will let you enjoy this as well. If you dare to


    resist, we''ll kill you!"


    Maria seemed frightened as she quickly nodded.


    Satisfied, Ted untied her legs. "Wow! She has really long legs. I can''t wait anymore. Let''s take her to


    the bed!"


    "How are we supposed to go to bed with the chair? We will have to do it here!" the other man said,


    unable to hold himself either.


    Ted was tall and strong, so he knew he wouldn''t enjoy himself as much as he would in the bed if he


    did it with Maria tied to the chair. "It won''t be good like this. We both practice Kung Fu. What are you


    afraid of?"


    The other man disagreed. "If this was a woman easy to deal with, Mr. Xi wouldn''t have emphasized


    that she fights well! I think we should make do with it. Come on!"


    Ted realized what the man said was reasonable. James didn''t just point at anyone and say they


    should be careful with them. It seemed that this woman was really unpredictable.


    The moment she saw Ted nod in agreement, Maria knew that she had no other choice but to fight


    her way out with all her strength.


    Noticing that Ted''s hand was about to move further on her thigh, she stretched out one of her untied


    legs and rudely kicked him in the stomach.


    The blow was so hard that Ted fell on the floor a few meters away from the chair. For a moment, he


    couldn''t stand up at all.


    Ted''s aplice was stunned as he watched the scene. Once he recovered from the shock, he


    raised his fist towards Maria.


    Fortunately, they were in the presidential suite, so there was enough room for Maria to y well.


    Before the man''s fist could hit her, she stood up with the chair on her back and turned around. The


    man''s punch fell on the chair. However, it didn''t break it.


    At the same time, she stretched out her right foot and kicked the man''s leg hard and precisely.


    "Ouch!" His scream echoed in the suite.


    The noise was so loud that people on the corridor outside could hear it clearly.


    What Maria didn''t know was that there were still several men guarding the room''s door. When they


    heard the noise and screamsing from inside the suite, they quickly barged in.


    Maria stood on the bed with a chair on her back. A cold sweat broke out on her forehead when she


    saw another three men rushing in.


    Now it was five men against her! As expected, James didn''t want her to get out of this, at least not


    alive.


    Knowing that she had a tough battle ahead, Maria bit the towel in her mouth tightly and took the


    initiative to attack. She spun and jumped off the bed, kicking the two men in front of her at once.


    The next moment, all five men rushed to her simultaneously. Maria picked up the bedsidemp with


    her foot and kicked it in the air before throwing it towards them. She managed to hit the nose of a


    man that started bleeding immediately, as the others who dodged the flyingmp stepped closer to


    her.


    Since she could only breathe through her nose, Maria was sweating heavily now. Nheless, she


    drew a circle with her feet on the floor, while the chair behind her knocked the men one by one.


    A few minutester, five men were lying on the floor with bruises on their faces as they groaned in


    pain. Maria wasn''t in much better shape either. Her arms and legs were also wounded by the fight


    and the ropes around her.


    Clutching his chest, one of the men managed to stand. Then he rushed out of Maria''s room and


    knocked on James'' suite.


    The moment James opened the door, the man passed out before he could say a word.


    James'' face fell slightly when he saw the man on the floor. Looking at the door diagonally opposite


    to his, he spotted Maria walking out of the room with her hair disheveled and a chair on her back.


    The woman was all covered in sweat, from her clothes to her face. She looked at the man calmly,


    with no trace of anger or love in her eyes. The noise that came from Maria''s suite had already


    attracted a lot of attention, but James told the staff in advance not to care about it no matter what


    they heard. Hence, no one dared to approach that floor for the time being.


    p! p! p! A burst of apuse came from the corridor. It was from James.


    He couldn''t help feeling some genuine admiration for Maria at that moment.


    Maria spared him a cold nce before turning around and walking towards the cleaner''s room on


    that same floor.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    She kicked open the door and found an


    employee ying on his cell phone. He looked startled at the miserable woman in front of him.


    However, before he could say anything, Maria kicked the scissors off from the pen container on the


    desk to the floor, indicating him to cut the rope for her.


    Frightened by her imposing manner, the employee picked up the scissors and cut the rope for her


    obediently.


    Now unrestrained, Maria used her hands to


    remove the tape wrapped around her face.


    She peeled it offyer byyer, feeling the


    burning pain in her skin even though she didn''t


    show it. As she removed thestyer of tape, her lips were bleeding. She then threw it into the


    trash can and finally pulled the towel out of her mouth.


    She gasped and lowered her head to scan the wounds and bruises on her body.


    Exhausted, Maria went back to the corridor. James, who hadn''t returned to his room yet, was asking


    someone to send him new bodyguards.


    Maria returned to the man''s side. With a dull look on her face, she nced at the two bodyguards


    whose wrists she had just broken with her feet. These were the same two who had dared to touch


    her.


    In hindsight, it was a good bargain for them to leave with only their wrists broken.


    Soon, the bodyguards left, leaving James and Maria alone in the corridor.


    Maria had a murderous look on her face as she raised her hand and aimed it at James'' face all of a


    sudden.


    Although she was fast, he was more. The man leaned back slightly and avoided her attack with


    ease.


    Maria didn''t care that they were in the corridor of a five-star hotel. The only thought she could bear


    in mind was to kill James.


    All she wanted was to end with this man who had never loved her. Judging from her deadly moves,


    James could tell that she was enraged.


    If it had been anyone else standing in the corridor at that moment, she would have already killed


    him or at least sent the poor man to the hospital in a critical state.


    Just as the two were having a heated fight, two men came out of the elevator. Out of the corner of


    her eye, Maria quickly recognized Colby''s figure. Dodging from James'' attack, she positioned


    herself at an angle that Colby couldn''t see her.


    ''Damn it!'' She couldn''t let Colby know that she knew martial arts!


    Holding that thought in mind, she dodged James '' attack once more and squeezed in his suite as


    the door was still open.


    The next moment, she pulled James in with her and kicked the door closed to block the view from


    outside.


    In the room, James had no intention of continuing the fight anymore, but Maria didn''t seem to be


    willing to stop. Therefore, he had to keep defending himself.


    After a while, perhaps Maria was already so exhausted that James pressed her against the wall.


    With half of her face attached to the cold and hard surface, Maria gasped for breath, now unable to


    move a finger to defend herself. As it seemed, the extreme fight she carried out for nearly half an


    hour with those men had truly worn her out.

 Chapter 52 Go To Hell

    Chapter 52 Go To Hell


    "Get out!" James ordered coldly. He stared into Maria''s pale face and let go of her.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Maria stood there, hatred burning in her eyes. "I let you get by with a lot, but you can''t give me to


    other men. I''m not a whore!"


    As she said this, she turned around, leaned against the wall and looked him in the eye. "If it weren''t


    for the fact that I love you, I wouldn''t bug you like this. James Xi, just because I love you doesn''t


    mean you can insult me! Pull something like this again, and I''ll blow up Fairview Vi. And I''ll treat


    Judy Lan the same way!"


    James''s rage was now white hot. Was she seriously threatening him with Judy? "You''re walking on


    thin ice. You really think I won''t kill you?"


    "You don''t have the stones for it. I think your grandparents are against you marrying Alina. As far as


    they''re concerned, I''m your wife. If I tell them the truth about Arthur''s ident, and that I want to


    remarry you, whose side do you think they''ll be on?"


    This was the fastest way to get James back, but Maria didn''t want to go down that road. She was in


    a loveless marriage before. Look how that turned out. All she wanted was to win his heart this time,


    but it was more difficult than she had imagined.


    "What truth? What are you babbling about?" The man frowned and stared at the woman before him.


    So there really was some unspoken truth about Arthur''s death. He knew he wasn''t hearing things.


    Maria sneered, "You don''t deserve to be Arthur''s father, nor do you deserve to know the truth!"


    She didn''t dare to say it, because she didn''t have any evidence. No one would believe her. Besides,


    she didn''t want to tip her hand.


    James was mad. This woman knew how to get his goat. They red at each other coldly. "What if I


    tell you I already know?" he spat.


    "No, you don''t. I''m the only one who knows. If you kill me, that secret dies with me." She lied to him.


    There was someone else there at that time. Years ago, when she revealed the truth, no one


    believed her, so she didn''t think James would believe her now.


    "Maria Song, what the heck do you want?" He didn''t think she only wanted him.


    Maria gave him a bloodthirsty look. "I want everyone to go to hell with me. Mr. Xi, can you help me


    with that?"


    If she had to die, she''d take all the people who hurt her with her. Not to mention James himself.


    James didn''t say anything. He thought she was insane. Only mentally ill people had a death wish


    like that.


    After a moment of silence, Maria said to him, "Think you can beat me? You''re wrong. I know what I


    want and I know how to get it. Including you, James Xi."


    James used to be known as the hardest man in the city to deal with. That was until Maria showed


    up. She was not only just as stubborn as he was, she also had the unique ability to get under his


    skin.


    One kingdom shouldn''t have two kings, but this one had a king and a queen.


    But those two existed under an uneasy truce. The king wanted to kill the queen to consolidate his


    power. But the queen sought to tame the king before he could do that.


    "Then, try me!" James had made up his mind that he would never talk to this woman again. She


    was the only one who could make his blood boil.


    Because of the fierce fight earlier, Maria had to find a new ce to stay. She booked another room


    and asked the manager to bill James for the damages.


    When the manager cautiously asked James if the bill should be sent to him, he didn''t refuse. He


    had the money to spare. It was gettingte. Maria didn''t sleep in the hotel. Instead, she changed her


    clothes and dragged her tired body out of the hotel, wandering the streets at night.


    When she passed by a school, she stopped.


    She stood there, wondering if she should enter. Then she came to her senses and stopped caring if


    other people stared at her. She walked into the school in high heels.


    It waste in the evening. There were few people on campus, and only the seniors were there.


    Students were sequestered in the ssrooms, studying.


    Maria walked across the yground till she arrived at the main building. She sat down at the edge


    of the parterre, took a cigarette from her bag, and lit it. The me from the lighter illuminated her


    slender form for an instant.


    A few minutester, the bell rang to dismiss the evening study session, and students filed out of the


    ssrooms one after the other. The halls were alive with voices and the students milling about.


    Maria stared nkly at a group of high school girls nearby. They teased each other,ughing and


    having a wonderful time. She used to be that way, carefree. But now, she gazed at the burning


    cigarette between her fingers and smiled in bitterness and self-mockery.


    She met James when she was a junior in high school. James was a straight-A student graduating


    with honors. With his academic achievements as well as his background, the man had always been


    a leader, not a follower. He was the ss valedictorian, invited to give a speech at his graduation


    ceremony.


    Maria was 16, and he was on the edge of 19.


    Like most girls, it was love at first sight for Maria. James was the guy everyone wanted.


    But she never caught his eye. She was just an ordinary high school student passing him in the


    halls.


    When Maria thought her first love was over before it started, fate had other ns.


    A few yearster, she was 20, a college student.


    James was 22 and he had already graduated. He started working at HL Group to get they of the


    land there.


    One night, he went to the Song family vi with his grandfather, to pick up his future wife.


    James stood in the middle of the backyard garden. The man turned off the screen of his phone after


    finishing a call.


    He heard a weak, timid voice behind him. "You came to my house for a blind date?"


    The man turned and nced at her, his eyes aloof and cold. "Yes." He said nothing else. The he


    was about to leave.


    "So I''m here. What do you think?"


    The girl swallowed and continued, "Well, here''s the thing. My eldest sister is at work all day. My


    second elder sister has a boyfriend. But I''m not that way..."


    The man didn''t stop walking. He was already a receding form in the distance.


    James was going to marry ady from Song family. The Song family''s head had three daughters, all


    eligible for marriage. All of them were talented except for the youngest. She held no advanced


    degree. She was not pretty and didn''t know how to charm the elders.


    So Maria''s father told the Xi family that there were only two girls that he could marry. He didn''t want


    to admit that Maria even existed. His eldest daughter was a sharp businesswoman, and his second


    daughter was smart and adorable.


    Hiding on the stairs, Maria listened to her parents and sisters talking andughing in the hall on the


    first floor.


    Perhaps her father was too happy that evening and keptughing, which made Maria wonder. How


    could she ever make her father so happy?


    She was so lost in thought she didn''t notice a coupleing up the stairs. It was the man in the


    garden. Together with her eldest sister. They were practically in front of her before she noticed.


    To hide her embarrassment, Maria quickly apologized, "I''m sorry. I sprained my ankle..." Her voice


    trembled.


    Before she could finish exining, Carolina Song interrupted her. "I''m sorry, Mr. Xi. She''s just a


    maid. This way, please."

 Chapter 53 I Want To Marry You

    Chapter 53 I Want To Marry You


    As expected, Carolina introduced Maria to James as her maid. Maria was no longer surprised.


    Every time a distinguished guest came to visit anyone from the Song family, she was always


    introduced as a maid if she was identally seen.


    James nced at Maria, who was rubbing her ankle, indifferently. Then without hesitation, he


    followed Carolina to her room.


    Maria just watched as James and her eldest sister entered the room one after another. There were


    only the two of them there. So she wondered if he had chosen Carolina as his bride. At the thought


    of it, her heart was greatly saddened. The moment she saw James, she felt that he was the


    brightest star in the sky. She liked him secretly for so many years.


    But her two sisters liked him too. And their parents would definitely never allow her to intervene.


    Should she fight for her feelings despite everything? As Maria looked at her reflection in the mirror,


    she heaved a deep sigh. She was an ugly duckling. Would James even notice her?


    Later that evening, all members of the Song family went out to see James off. Maria, on the other


    hand, was left hiding inside the house, peeping through the window.


    When she saw that his luxury car was about to leave, she ran to the back door and sneaked out


    with her scooter. She followed him under the cold inky ckness of the night.


    Fortunately, the speed of his luxury car was not so fast, so she could barely keep pace with it. But


    after passing through three blocks, it pulled over quickly.


    Although she had been following him all the way, she still flinched from being noticed by him. She


    didn''t dare to approach him at all.


    Word had it that James was extraordinary, heartless, and decisive. Maria was worried that she


    might offend him unintentionally.


    A few momentster, the luxury car started running again.


    Maria continued following it until they stopped at the gate of HL Group.


    She knew that James had already known that she was following his car in the first ce. So as


    soon as she parked her scooter, she took off her helmet, trotted towards his car, and knocked on


    the rear window.


    As the car window was slowly rolled down, James'' ruthless and indifferent face was also gradually


    revealed.


    His eyes were as cold as ice. Maria took a deep breath and met his eyes. Without minding the


    presence of the driver in front, she then said in a soft voice, "Mr. Xi, my name is Maria Song. I am


    Chandler''s youngest daughter, and I want to marry you. I know that you don''t love my sisters, so it


    doesn''t really matter to you which Miss Song will marry you, right? If you agree to marry me, I


    promise that I will not give you a headache and I will not bother you. You can consider me invisible


    unless you want me to show up in front of you. You can divorce me anytime you want, and I won''t


    ask for any alimony from you."


    She prated on for a few minutes, and James didn''t interrupt her. When she finished, he finally


    opened his mouth and asked, "Your purpose?" He only said two short words, but it was enough for


    Maria to tell that he had a maic and attractive voice.


    She was stunned for a moment as she didn''t expect his question.


    "Drive."


    James'' patience ran out too soon, so he ordered the driver to drive again. Maria came back to her


    senses when she heard the sound of the engine. And when the car started to move forward, she


    held onto the window, jogged with it, and said, "I want to leave the Song family, and getting married


    is the only way I can think of at the moment. Mr. Xi, I know that you also need a wife. How about we


    make do with each other? I think it''s just a win-win situation for both of us. Plus, I can do the


    laundry, cooking, and cleaning for you. You can take me as your maid for free." Maria said a lot of


    things, but James just turned a deaf ear to her and told the driver to drive away. "Mr. Xi, wait! James


    Xi!"


    But the car left ruthlessly, leaving only dust and smoke. She gave a gasp of exasperation and


    looked up at the sky, trying to hold back the tears that were about to fall. She wanted to scold


    herself for being so stupid to think that the CEO of a multinationalpany would be interested in


    an ordinary woman like her.


    When she thought that she would have to continue living with the Song family for a long time, she


    felt more depressed. This time, she really burst into tears.


    Maria had never been treated as a member of the Song family. And she had no other dream but to


    leave that house. But what else could she do aside from finding a man to marry her?


    After a while, Maria decided to go home. As soon as she arrived at the Song family vi, she saw


    Carolina at the door, probably waiting for her. When she came in, Carolina held her hand and said,


    "Maria, I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to introduce you as a maid. But I was afraid that James wouldugh


    at our family."


    Maria restrained herself from sneering. Would other people reallyugh at their family if they found


    out that she was a Song? Indeed, in the eyes of her family, she was just a joke. She was a disgrace


    to the Song family. Maria forced herself to smile and replied, "Carolina, I totally understand. You


    don''t have to exin anything. So is everything settled between you and Mr. Xi?"


    She didn''t want to make a fuss about it anymore. After all, there was nothing else she could do. She


    didn''t mean anything to the Song family. Ever since Maria was brought back home from the


    countryside, the gap between her and her two older sisters was too visible. They had all the


    fashionable clothes, jewelry, and essories. Maria, on the other hand, only had those old clothes


    passed on to her by Carolina. She also had her own few clothes, but they were all cheap and


    unbranded.


    She never wore essories and jewelry. Their parents had never given her money to go shopping.


    She couldn''t even remember thest time she bought new clothes. It wasn''t because her family was


    short of money. But it was because her parents didn''t want to waste their money on her.


    Maria noticed that a trace of frustration shed across Carolina''s eyes when she asked about


    James.


    And it really surprised her. Carolina had always regarded herself as a strong woman. She didn''t


    expect that Carolina could also show some weakness.


    "Actually, he hasn''t given us his final decision yet. Of course, he will definitely marry a Song. But I''m


    not sure if he will choose me. Whatever his decision will be, the Xi family will call and inform us


    tomorrow."


    "I see." Maria nodded and tried tofort Carolina. "You and Mr. Xi are both in the business circle,


    so I think you have a lot inmon. You probably have the same interests too. Don''t worry. You


    have advantages."


    Carolina said nothing and just curled her lips. Everyone in H City knew that James already had


    someone in his heart. Even in the business circle, they were sometimes talking about it. However,


    none of them knew who she was.


    The living room suddenly fell into silence. Then after a short while, they decided to go upstairs and


    entered their respective bedrooms, both lost in their own thoughts.


    The next day, the Song family received a call from the Xi family before noon.


    Maria was still asleep because she didn''t sleep wellst night.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! A few loud bangs on her door woke her up, making her heart raced.


    Upon thinking that it was an emergency, she was jolted awake.


    "Maria Song! Open the door! Maria Song!" The shrill voice outside her door wasing from


    Dani Song, her second elder sister.


    Maria put on her slippers and rushed towards the door to open it.


    Pak!


    She was stunned when Dani pped her face. "Bitch!"


    Maria''s eyes widened in shock, and she gaped. Dani didn''t only p her but also cursed her.


    What wrong had she done this time?


    All of her family members were standing outside the door. They were all staring at her with zing


    fury in their eyes.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    "Maria, tell us. When did you seduce Mr. Xi? If you don''t make it clear to us today, I''ll definitely tear


    your mouth apart!" Dani pped her again. Maria could see that Dani was trembling with


    rage.


    Maria was pped by Dani twice, but no one stopped her. Their parents and Carolina were just


    watching the scene.


    Bitterness overwhelmed her heart. She covered her swollen face and asked, "What are you talking


    about? When did I seduce Mr. Xi?"


    "How dare you deny it? If you didn''t seduce him, why would he choose to marry you?" Dani


    shouted hysterically.


    Maria froze. Did she hear it right? James chose to marry her. Dani''s words were like a bomb that


    blew her mind away. After bbering in front of Jamesst night, Maria didn''t get any response. He


    was even expressionless when he left her alone. That was why she felt hopeless and upset the


    whole night.


    Looking at her family''s gloomy faces, Maria knew that Dani was not bluffing. Perhaps they had


    already received a call from the Xi family, and James made her dreame true.


    For a moment, joy filled her heart. Finally, she would be free. She could be away from the Song


    family.


    James was her angel. He would take her away from this cold and evil family.


    But what she didn''t know was that Chandler went to see James in personter that day.


    When he arrived at the HL Group, he went straight to the CEO''s office.


    James took a look at his watch and decisively told the fidgeting Chandler, who was sitting in front of


    him, "Mr. Song, I only have five minutes left before my next meeting. So make sure that you exin


    your purpose of barging into my office in three minutes."


    "It''s about my youngest daughter, Maria," Chandler stammered. "To be honest with you, Maria didn''t


    grow up with us. She spent most of her life in the countryside, and she was not raised well there.


    She has strange personalities, and she''s not capable at all. Mr. Xi, my other two daughters are


    excellent in their own different ways. Please reconsider your decision and give them a chance. As


    your future father-inw, I''m telling you this for your own good."

 Chapter 54 Caught In A Lie

    Chapter 54 Caught In A Lie


    The office was dead silent for a few seconds. James asked indifferently, "Are you done?"


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Chandler wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and nodded. At first, he didn''t have guts to


    confront this man, but his wife and daughters insisted he do it. Now he wouldn''t even look James in


    the eye.


    James stood up from his seat and tidied up his costly suit. "Sorry, but my decision is final. Period."


    The man nodded politely to Chandler and left the office with his mobile phone and documents.


    The matter of the marriage was settled. Later, the wedding went off without a hitch. Even if Chandler


    tried to convince James, it wouldn''t work.


    Maria didn''t need any special tricks to marry James, bing Mrs. Xi.


    "Who''s there? Are you smoking?" A serious voice interrupted Maria''s reverie, brought her back to


    reality.


    As soon as she came back to her senses, a dazzling light swept over her. She raised her hand to


    cover her eyes.


    She looked down again and found there were several cigarette butts strewn about her. She hadn''t


    kept track, and started chain smoking while sitting here.


    Immediately, Maria put out the cigarette in her hand, and took a tissue from her purse. She knelt


    down and picked up the cigarette butts she had discarded. "Sorry. It''s all cleaned up now. See you


    later!"


    The dean of the school could tell she wasn''t a student there. It was obvious from what she wore.


    But she was picking up her cigarette butts, so the dean''s attitude softened somewhat. "Miss, what


    are you doing here?"


    Maria packed up the cigarette butts, stood up, and said, "I used to go here. But not anymore. Sorry,


    I''ll leave."


    "Good idea. We''re locking up for the night. You don''t want to be trapped here."


    "All right. Thanks."


    Walking out of the school, Maria didn''t go anywhere else. She hailed a taxi back to her hotel.


    When Mr. Wang woke up in his hotel room, there was no one beside him.


    If his room wasn''t messy, he would have thought it was all a dream. That he hadn''t spent the night


    with that charming woman.


    He remembered the woman kept whispering in his earst night, "Mr. Wang, please take this


    bidding contract! Please!"


    Under her spell, he agreed readily.


    Then they had a wonderful night. Mr. Wang threw back the quilt and got up. Looking around the


    room, he found a note on the nightstand. He picked it up and read, "Mr. Wang, my flight left this


    morning, so I didn''t wake you up. See you next time!"


    Mr. Wang smiled. He really liked women like her, good in bed and a good head on their shoulders.


    But he hadn''t spent the night with Maria.


    When the driver went back to the hotel to pick Mr. Wang up, another woman got into the car to


    rece Maria.


    He had already fallen into Maria''s trap. Maria beat him up, and the woman who spent a passionate


    night with him was someone else¡ªall arranged by Maria of course.


    However, Mr. Wang didn''t suspect a thing. Instead, he was still lost in his memories ofst night.


    Meanwhile, Maria had arrived the airport with Colby.


    After boarding, they sat in the same row in the first-ss cabin. James and Lorenzo sat together.


    The three men talked shop during the trip. Maria took a nap without saying anything. She was


    already pretty irritable. She didn''t want to keep hooking up with a man who didn''t love her at all.


    It was noon when they touched down in H City. When they came out of the VIP area, Maria was


    surprised to see Alina at the exit.


    She wore sunsses and sported a purse, followed by her assistant. The woman kept ncing to


    and fro.


    Maria was pretty sure Alina wasn''t there to pick her up. After all, James wasn''t far behind.


    Alina''s face changed when she saw Maria. She took off her sunsses and stared at the woman.


    Maria had an evil smile on her face and was walking towards her at a casual pace.


    ''Did Maria Song go with them? Howe Lorenzo didn''t tell me?'' Alina thought unhappily.


    Seeing Alina did little to mend Maria''s mood. She was wearing high-heels. Wasn''t Alina pregnant?


    How could a pregnant woman wear high-heels?


    She had thought about it while she was still on that business trip. Keeping it in mind, she spun to


    look behind her. James hadn''t disembarked yet. Colby had already left with his assistant. He didn''t


    think being seen with her would be good for his reputation.


    Then Maria stopped in front of Alina. She deliberately looked at Alina''s t belly. "Looks like a


    difficult pregnancy," she remarked acidly.


    Alina remembered that she told Maria that she was pregnant with James'' baby, so she put the


    sunsses back on her nose again and said, "Not really. I''m in the first-trimester pregnancy. I barely


    feel a thing."


    Maria burst intoughter and said nothing.


    James appeared behind Maria, but neither of the women noticed. Alina asked Maria casually, "You


    seem to be in a good mood."


    "Of course. I spent two nights with James in T Country. Why wouldn''t I be?" Maria lied without any


    hesitation.


    Alina''s mood soured. So Maria did go with James on his business trip!


    Before giving her any chance to say something else, Maria came over, touched her belly, and


    smiled maliciously. "I bet it wasn''t easy getting pregnant. After, all, James does have that problem."


    "Who cares? I''m pregnant. That''s all that matters." Alina straightened her back to hide her guilt.


    But Maria had already noticed her tone. She leaned forward again and said, "Alina, James usually


    lasted two minutes with me. How long could he go with you?" Alina scowled at Maria. The woman


    was so crude sometimes! Besides, how could she know how long James couldst in bed? They


    never had sex. Still, she had to bite the bullet and said, "Ten minutes, I think? I guess you''re not just


    not good enough in bed."


    Maria chuckled. This woman really had lied to her! Alina said she was pregnant with James'' baby.


    Now Maria was pretty sure she lied. She probably hadn''t even slept with James yet!


    So Maria mocked her, "Let me tell you the truth! James is a freak. Except for his first time, he can


    last at least half an hour, sometimes longer. I started that one-minute rumor to hurt him. I can''t


    believe you fell for it, you stupid bitch!"


    She had made the whole thing up. She was the one who spread that rumor.


    "Maria Song!" A cold voice came from behind her.


    The woman who had just mocked Alina felt a chill down her spine. She didn''t dare look behind her.


    How long had he been there? Maria looked remorseful, but when she thought of what happened


    last night, she straightened up, turned, and looked at the man indifferently. "Yes, I said it. What''s


    wrong? Are you really that narrowminded? Calm down! You''re always angry. You got angry when I


    said you were bad in bed. And now you get angry when I say you are great in bed. Why do you get


    angry so easily?"


    When a passer-by heard her words, he couldn''t help but look at James from head to toe.


    Her attitude towards James irritated Alina. She turned to Maria and scolded her. "Who do you think


    you are, anyway? Talking to James like that!


    "Really? How should I talk to him, then? Did he love the way I talked when I was willing to have sex


    with him? He should be taught a lesson!" After saying that, Maria left in high-heels without looking at


    them again. The crick-cracks of her heels showed how irritated she was.


    Alina wanted to maintain her public image as a celebrity, so she didn''t go after her.

 Chapter 55 Reborn

    Chapter 55 Reborn


    Alina didn''t have time to regret that she was caught in a lie. She just took a deep breath and walked


    towards James, who emanated a cold aura. She then held his arm and said in a soft tone, "James,


    please don''t be mad. I''m here to pick you up. Let''s go back together."


    James didn''t say anything. He just nodded, turned around, and walked to the parking lot with Alina.


    They then got into her car together.


    As soon as they were both seatedfortably in the car, Alina handed him a document. "James,


    this is thewyer''s letter prepared by Mr. Zhou. Can you check and tell me what you think about it?"


    James turned to nce at the document without taking it from her hand. But he saw that it was for


    Maria.


    He then said lightly, "Just let him take care of it. He has the full authority on this matter."


    "Okay. Ron has been staying at home until now. The injury at the back of his head hasn''t fully


    recovered yet, so he doesn''t feelfortable going out. Maria has gone too far this time. The Tang


    family will definitely sue her." It sounded like Alina was just exining to James. But the truth was,


    she was testing him. She wanted to know how he would react since the Tang family was going


    against Maria this time. "Hmm," James responded nasally. He didn''t say anything more.


    "By the way, Maria said that when you went T Country for a business trip, you took her with you. Is it


    true?"


    "No," James curtly replied. He didn''t bother to exin anything.


    Alina breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he said that he wasn''t with Maria, she believed him. "All


    right. I won''t bother you now so you can take a rest. I''ll just wake you up when we arrive at the


    company."


    "Okay."


    Few days had passed, Maria''s life went on as usual. Today, she was busy all day. But she had not


    forgotten an important event tonight¡ªthe family gathering of the Song family.


    She closed herptop and kneaded her eyebrows. She knew that she had to brace herself for what


    might happenter. She would be facing the members of the Song and Tang families. It would


    definitely be a hard battle.


    She checked her wardrobe and eventually decided to pick out a strapless red long gown. It would


    certainly reveal her beautiful figure incisively and vividly. There were still some bruises on her arms,


    but she didn''t feel bothered about them at all. She simply covered them with foundation while she


    was doing her makeup. Toplete her outfit for tonight, she put on a set of diamond jewelry and a


    pair of ck diamond-encrusted high heels.


    Maria made sure that she was well dressed for the asion because she wanted to show the Song


    family that her life went well after she finally cut ties with them.


    A Rolls-Royce Phantom took her to the hotel.


    Before long, the vehicle pulled over at the entrance of the hotel. The driver got out and opened the


    backseat door before the hotel staff came over. He said politely, "Ms. Song, here we are."


    Dani was also walking towards the entrance of the hotel. When she noticed the luxury car and


    heard "Ms. Song," she slowed down her steps. Her brows creased in confusion. As far as she could


    remember, no one in their family had bought a new car recently.


    Then she saw a pair of ck diamond-encrusted high heelsing out of the car. It was then


    followed by a red silk gown, and finally, a stunning face.


    The moment Dani recognized who the woman was, her eyes widened in shock. She then


    eximed in disbelief, "Maria Song? Is that you?"


    Before Dani was another woman. She was Carolina, who was about to step into the hotel when


    she heard Dani mention their youngest sister''s name. So she stopped and turned around.


    Indeed, it was Maria who was getting out of the fancy car.


    For a moment, the expression in Carolina''s eyes becameplicated. She stood rooted to the spot


    and quietly stared at Maria, who was smiling at her.


    From the way she looked tonight, Maria had really changed a lot. She was very much different from


    six years ago. It was as if she was reborn.


    Carolina already knew that Maria had returned to H City, but she didn''t get a chance to meet her.


    And now that Maria appeared at the family gathering, Carolina couldn''t just ignore her. After all, they


    were sisters.


    She waited for Maria toe closer and greeted in a gentle voice, "Hi, Maria."


    Maria looked much more beautiful up-close. She was so gorgeous, but not in a vulgar way. As the


    eldest daughter, Carolina always used the best things in her daily life, so she naturally knew how to


    recognize good stuff.


    She could tell that Maria''s red silk gown was thetest design of a famous international clothing


    brand that cost a few hundred thousand dors. The set of diamond jewelry Maria was wearing


    probably worth at least tens of millions of dors. It might look low-key, but in fact, it was luxurious.


    ''Is the rumor that Maria hooks up with Norman Shen true? Is he the one providing these luxurious


    things for her?'' Carolina couldn''t help thinking inwardly.


    "Hi, Carolina," Maria greeted back, totally ignoring Dani.


    She secretly scrutinized Carolina in front of her. Perhaps Carolina had juste out of the meeting


    because she was still wearing a ck suit. As usual, she looked like a businesswoman.


    "I''m d that you''re here. Do Mom and Dad know you''reing?" Carolina didn''t think that Maria


    was invited by their parents.


    "I''m not sure if they do. It was Aunt Miranda who asked me toe," Maria replied frankly.


    "Oh, I see. Well, let''s go inside together then."


    "Carolina, wait a minute," Dani interrupted. She trotted to her two sisters and stood in front of


    Maria with hostility written all over her face. "What are you doing here? This is a family gathering,


    and we don''t wee outsiders to join."


    Carolina tugged Dani''s dress and said in a low voice, "Dani, don''t make trouble here. Maria is


    our sister. She has the right to join our family gathering."


    "What are you talking about? Have you forgotten what kind of woman she is? Don''t tell me that you


    have already forgotten how she disgraced our parents? Always remember, the Song family has only


    two daughters¡ªyou and me!" Dani blocked Maria''s way, making sure that she wouldn''t be able


    to enter the hotel.


    While the three sisters were still in amotion, a Harkim halted at the entrance of the hotel.


    Then James and Alina got out of the car. As soon as Alina saw the three women, she walked


    towards them gracefully and greeted, "Hi, Carolina, Dani, and Maria! Wow, you are all here!" She


    deliberately tightened her grip on James'' arm, making them look more intimate.


    James'' presence caught the Song sisters'' attention. They were always overwhelmed by his aura


    every time they were near him.


    Carolina was the first toe back to her senses, and she greeted James, "Good evening, Mr. Xi."


    She was more familiar with James because, as the general manager of the Song Group, she had


    the opportunity to meet him more often. Since Maria was married into the Xi family, the two families


    somewhat became inws, and the HL Group had given the Song Group a lot of benefits.


    Moreover, the employees of the twopanies often met each other on different projects. Hence,


    Carolina had somehow worked with James.


    James didn''t say a word but nodded to Carolina in response. Dani, on the other hand, still


    couldn''t ept the fact the Maria and Alina had be a part of James'' life. She was still hoping


    that she could get a chance on him in the future. As a matter of fact, when she heard that he would


    come tonight, she especially did her hair and makeup. For her, even just a nce from him was


    already worth it.


    When she finally came back to her senses, she twisted her waist and walked over to Alina while


    casting James a flirty nce. "Mr. Xi, long time no see. Wee to our family gathering."


    James was not dense, not to see through her intention. He remained aloof and only gave Dani a


    cold look as a response.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Maria watched the scene before her with a trace of mockery in her eyes. When she and James


    were still married, Dani had always tried to hit on him. She wasn''t surprised that Dani had not


    given up until now. Despite the fact that James would soon be engaged to Alina, who was their


    cousin, Dani was still openly trying to seduce him.


    He was so charming that he could capture the hearts of the three Songs and a Tang.


    James thought that Maria would also greet him, but she didn''t. She just quietly watch the other


    women tter him with irony in her eyes.


    James pretended not to notice her either. He just walked inside the hotel with Alina without saying a


    word. However, he couldn''t help but frown slightly, wondering who Maria was satirizing.

 Chapter 56 Self-humiliation

    Chapter 56 Self-humiliation


    Gordon had long got to the hotel after the Song family''s butler drove him there. As the head of the


    family, Chandler and his wife, ine Wen, were chatting with yton and Miranda.


    Noticing the group of young peopleing in one after another, the two couples smiled.


    Miranda was thrilled. The fact that James came to the Song family gathering was equivalent to a


    public announcement that he and Alina would get married soon.


    Once James entered the hall, the Song and Tang family couples stood up at the same time to greet


    him in person.


    However, before ine could speak to James with her ttering smile, she caught a glimpse of the


    woman in a red dress at the end of the group. Her gown was so eye-catching that it was difficult not


    to notice it. As soon as she saw the woman''s face, her expression changed.


    Chandler realized something was wrong with ine, so he followed her gaze and saw a familiar girl


    smiling at them. As her parents, they could recognize that smile anywhere.


    This time, Chandler''s face fell slightly, just like his wife''s.


    Miranda had been paying attention to everyone''s reaction the whole time. Faced with this scene,


    she pretended to be nice and cleared her throat before greeting the young woman warmly, "Good


    evening, Maria. You came!"


    Since the hall was a little quiet at then, Gordon, who was sitting in the host''s seat, couldn''t help


    overhearing Maria''s name. Excited, he held the armrests on his chair in order to stand up.


    yton had already seen Maria long ago and knew that she would be at the family gathering. While


    everyone''s eyes were on Maria, he led his daughter and James to their seats.


    At first, James wanted to greet Gordon, but once he saw the old man standing up excitedly to see


    Maria, he chose to sit down for the time being.


    Yet yton didn''t care about his father-inw''s wishes. Pressing Gordon back to his seat, he said,


    "Dad, James is here."


    With no other choice, Gordon had to withdraw his gaze from Maria. Compared with the Song and


    Tang couples'' enthusiasm in regards to James, Gordon seemed not to care much about him. After


    James greeted him, he nodded slightly in response. No one could tell whether Gordon was satisfied


    or angry from the way he looked.


    It was not that James didn''t notice Gordon''s change of attitude towards him. A long time ago, on the


    day he got married to Maria, Gordon was quite pleased with him. He had even asked him to take


    good care of Maria repeatedly. Nowadays, Gordon waspletely indifferent to James. Maybe the


    old man probably med him for divorcing Maria.


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the hall, ine approached the woman in red and asked harshly,


    "Maria, what are you doing here?"


    Every fantasy Maria had about a pleasant family reunion during the past six years was gone at that


    moment. A trace of sadness shed in her eyes, but it was so quickly no one noticed it. She smiled


    at her mother. "Mom..."


    As soon as she uttered that word, ine interrupted her, "Don''t call me Mom! You lost that right six


    years ago! You''re no longer a member of the Song family!" ine didn''t deserve a daughter like a


    Maria at all!


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Maria nodded and nced at the crowd. Then she said coldly, "In fact, I didn''t want toe either.


    If it weren''t for Aunt Miranda...I mean, Mrs. Tang''s invitation, why would I want to humiliate myself


    by being here?" Was she so prone to self-humiliation like that?


    "I''m d you''re aware of that. Now, get out of here!" ine pointed at the door and drove her away


    mercilessly.


    "Aunt ine, why are you so angry? People can hear you from outside!" Someone else''s voice


    reached their ears before they could even see who it was.


    The next moment, Ronald walked into the hall in a casual denim suit.


    ine was about to answer him when Ronald raised his voice and uttered in shock, "Maria Song?


    What the fuck! How dare you show up in front of me?"


    ine was confused by his attitude. "Ron, what happened?"


    Chandler didn''t tell ine that Maria beat Ronald and Alina.


    Ronald''s eyes glinted with anger as he pointed at the silent woman in red and said, "Aunt ine,


    didn''t Maria tell you how fierce she is now? She pped my sister''s face so hard it got swollen. And


    look at the back of my head. Maria smashed a bottle of red wine on it when we were in a restaurant.


    The scar is still there to prove!"


    "What? Did Maria do all this?" ine looked at the scar on Ronald''s head in disbelief. Then she


    looked back at Alina, whose face had already recovered.


    Besides ine, Carolina and Dani also seemed shocked. After all, Maria had always been


    obedient. They could never expect that sort of behavior from her.


    Alina approached them quickly. Holding ine''s hand, she persuaded her softly, "Aunt ine,


    please don''t be angry. Maria misunderstood something and got furious. I can understand why she


    acted the way she did." Alina described enough to make it look like she was an understanding


    woman, but she didn''t forgive her for what happened between Maria and Ronald.


    She only wanted to make herself look good in front of James. She couldn''t let him think that she


    was a vicious woman.


    Nheless, ine wasn''t satisfied with her words. She said reproachfully, "Even if there were


    misunderstandings, she couldn''t p you in the face! As for Ron, she smashed a bottle on the back


    of his head. Why didn''t you tell me that, Miranda?"


    That was exactly what Miranda wanted to happen. Since ine was Maria''s mother, it was natural


    for her to teach her own daughter a lesson. In that way, Miranda didn''t have to look like a petty


    person. "ine, Alina and Ron are both fine now. If Maria wants to apologize to my children in front


    of everyone here today, I won''t hold it against her!"


    Ronald red at Miranda. "Mom! You are too easy-going! I lost a lot of blood that day, and my


    sister''s face was awfully swollen. I could kill Maria today, and it wouldn''t relieve my anger!"


    Miranda patted her son''s hand lovingly as sheforted him, "Ron, don''t be so stubborn. Maria''s


    not an outsider. Just let her apologize, my dear!"


    While mother and daughter echoed each other trying to be nice, Ronald acted as the fierce one.


    They worked inplete harmony with one another.


    The four older men present weren''t clueless about what was going on. Although Chandler and


    yton also noticed that the three members of the Tang family were acting, it was not appropriate


    for them to interfere, so they left it to their wives to handle it.


    If it had been Carolina and Dani who had been beaten up, ine would have definitely let them


    fight back. Maria hurt Miranda''s children, and Miranda just wanted her to apologize. In ine''s


    opinion, this was too kind of her!


    At that moment, ine scolded Maria, "Apologize to Alina and Ron right now!"


    Maria, who had been watching the good show in silence until now, was finally given a chance to


    speak. As her red lips parted, she made ine even more furious with her next words. "They


    deserved it! Why should I apologize?"


    Five minutes ago, ine didn''t recognize Maria as a member of the Song family, but now she


    wanted to give her orders as a mother would. Why should Maria obey her?


    After Maria opposed her in public, ine was so enraged that her hands trembled. She pointed at


    Maria''s face and yelled, "What? You are so grown up now, is that it? How dare youy your hand on


    Alina and Ron?"

 Chapter 57 Broken Up

    Chapter 57 Broken Up


    "Mrs. Song, you haven''t changed a bit." The smile on Maria''s face faded, and only hatred remained


    in her eyes. "I''m not the same Maria Song you knew! If anyone daresy a finger on me, I''ll make


    them pay."


    The look in her eyes scared ine. Her heart hammered in her chest. Suddenly, she raised her


    hand and pped Maria. Pak!


    Silence reigned after the p. Gordon''s excitement faded, and Chandler pretended to scold ine.


    "Holy crap, ine! What were you thinking? Just leave her alone!"


    Satisfied smiles appeared on the faces of the Tang family. They knew ine hated Maria the most,


    especially knowing she hurt Alina and Ronald.


    As if she hadn''t heard what Chandler said, ine turned on Maria. "You left once! Why did you


    come back? You should have stayed where you were until you die!" The thing she regretted most in


    her life was giving birth to Maria. Because of her daughter, she lost her job, Chandler cheated on


    her, and he left her in their hometown.


    Later, Maria managed to anger the Xi family as well. And James divorced her. It was all because of


    Maria. ine always felt ashamed around Judy because of this. Maria rubbed her burning cheek


    and smiled. "I didn''t want toe back either, but my beloved is here." Her eyes passed over the


    crowd and fell on the man she referred to. He was oblivious to, engaged in some conversation,


    phone in hand.


    Realizing who she was referring to, both ine and Alina wanted to rush over to her and strangle


    her.


    "You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Maria!" ine was seriously angry. Six years ago, Maria took


    James away from Carolina and Dani. After she married him, their son died because of her. In the


    end, James divorced her and was going to get engaged to Alina.


    "I am, believe me!" Maria lowered her head to stare at her shoes and quickly hid the pain in her


    eyes. When she raised her head again, there was no emotion there. "Everyone loves someone. I


    just said it in public. Is that so bad?"


    Maria finally realized James was as cold as the Song family. When she confessed her love to him in


    public, he acted like he hadn''t heard her.


    Everyone knew who she was referring to. The Song family wouldn''t stick up for her, and even


    James was unwilling to lift a finger.


    Carolina came over and tried to calm ine down. "Mom, please stop. Everyone''s staring at us,"


    she said gently.


    After calming herself down, ine sighed heavily in her heart.


    Seeing her mom in a better mood, Carolina turned to Maria. "I''m going to marry Mr. Xi''s special


    assistant, Lorenzo. He''s on a business trip today, so he couldn''t be here. Can youe to our


    wedding?"


    ''Carolina is going to marry Lorenzo?'' Maria was stunned.


    Carolina was conceited. She thought only a man like James was good enough for her. So why was


    she lowering her standards to marry a CEO''s assistant?


    After shaking off her amazement, Maria stared at her sister. She gave her an unambiguous answer.


    "Sorry, I''m not interested in your wedding. But I''d love to attend your funeral. And that goes for all of


    you!"


    Carolina didn''t expect her to say something like that. Her eyes darkened and angerced her tone.


    "Maria!"


    This time, even Chandler rushed to chastise her. "How dare you! If you set foot in our house again,


    I''ll break your legs!" he growled.


    ine wasn''t putting up with any more. She covered her heart and looked away from Maria. She


    pointed at the door and shouted again, "Get out of here!"


    Half of Maria''s face began to swell up, but she ignored it. "Sure. Before I leave, I have to tell you


    something."


    Everyone stared at her in spite of themselves.


    The smile on Maria''s face disappeared


    She stared at her biological mother coldly and said in a colder tone, "ine Wen, you''ve made it


    painfully clear I don''t have a mom. Maybe I never did. And you won''t ever touch me like that again!


    That p changed everything. Really,


    when I think about it, it''s all I got from you. Do


    that again, Mrs. Song, and you''ll find out how angry I can get!"


    After saying that, she turned around and left


    gracefully, leaving no chance for ine to say another word.


    She straightened her back and walked to the exit of the hotel in high-heeled shoes. Before she


    could walk out, she heard a hoarse, elderly voice behind her. "Maria."


    The amiable voice exploded in Maria''s heart. It almost seemed like a trip back in time, many years


    ago, when she was still part of the Song family. Her grandfather always said her name kindly.


    She had been maintaining a facade, pretending to be hard-hearted all night. Gordon''s voice


    crumbled that wall she''d built around her heart. She felt like weeping. But she pushed those feelings


    aside, turning to him and smiling. "Hi, Grandpa," she said softly. The butler pushed Gordon close to


    Maria. Then he set the brake on the wheelchair and stood aside. The wrinkled old man looked at


    her lovingly.


    Maria lifted the hemline of her dress and walked quickly to the old man. She squatted in front of him


    and asked worriedly, "Grandpa, why are you out and about?"


    The old man''s eyes were reddened, but full of joy. His trembling hands grasped her tightly. "You''ve


    been back all this time, and haven''te to see me."


    Maria lowered her head, smiled and apologized softly, "I''m sorry, Grandpa."


    She wanted to see him too, but she didn''t want to suffer the abuse the Song family would heap on


    her if she came to their vi.


    Gordon touched her slightly swollen cheek with his dry hand and said guiltily, "That has to hurt.


    Might want to see a doctor and have that checked out."


    He founded Song Group, but as he grew older, he became less and less influential in the Song


    family. He could do nothing to help Maria tonight.


    "It doesn''t hurt. No worries." A p was nothingpared to what she had suffered in the past six


    years.


    "Silly girl, how could it not hurt?" Gordon murmured, looking at his youngest granddaughter. "And


    don''t worry about me. I eat and sleep as much as I ever did. Your dad takes good care of me. Take


    care of yourself, Maria. I''ll call you if I get a chance."


    Chandler was an entrepreneur. He paid great attention to his reputation and would not do anything


    bad to his father. That would ruin his future.


    Knowing that her grandfather didn''t want her to worry, Maria nodded, "Okay. I get it. Hope to hear


    from you soon."


    Before Chandler came out to look for his father, the butler wheeled Gordon back to the party.


    After the wheelchair disappeared around the corner, Maria left the hotel.


    The driver was waiting for her outside. Before she could get in the car, a man came over and


    stopped her. "Excuse me, miss. Are you Maria Song?"


    Maria turned and saw a young man in a courier''s uniform. She nodded.


    He took an envelope from his bag and handed it to her. "Ms. Song, I have a package for you. Sign


    here, please!"


    A package for her? Someone sent this; someone who knew she''d be there right now. Curiouser and


    curiouser!Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 58 Memories

    Chapter 58 Memories


    Maria looked back at the hotel. The Tang family was behind the banquet, and she''d bet dors to


    donuts they also sent that package.


    She took the envelope from the delivery man and signed her name on the digital pad.


    As she got in the car, the driver asked softly, "Ms. Song, shall I take you to the hospital?"


    "No, thanks." Maria tore the envelope open and removed the sheets of paper inside.


    She looked at the documents and found awyer''s letter on top.


    Her eyes swept to the lower right hand corner where the signature was. The seal was thew


    offices of HL Group, and it was signed by Joshua Zhou, the leading member of that invincible team.


    Maria sneered and thumbed through the paperwork. Alina had decided to sue her for attacking


    Ronald.


    They were suing her for five million dors for Ronald''s medical bills. And another five million for


    emotional distress. She also had to publicly apologize to Ronald, or the Tang family would sue her.


    After reading it, Maria tore thewyer''s letter into little pieces.


    She tossed the fragments into a litter bag and looked out the window. They zipped through the city,


    and she stared at the lights streaming past. But she wasn''t really paying attention to the night


    scenery¡ªshe was lost in thought.


    Tang Group had their own team of attorneys, but it was HL Group''s team who sent her the letter. It


    seemed that James thought of Alina as family.


    A bitter smile appeared on her lips. When Maria was married to James, he''d never been so


    protective of her.


    As they passed a maternity and baby product retailer, Maria told the driver, "Stop the car, please."


    Tires squealing, the Rolls-Royce pulled up in front of the store. Maria got out.


    After the Rolls-Royce roared off, the woman walked toward the store and stared up at the sign


    ¡ª"Angel Baby."


    When she was pregnant with Arthur, she came here all the time to buy toys, clothes, and other


    things for him, and maternity clothes for herself as her baby bump gotrger andrger.


    She stared at a showcase, where a tiny bright yellow hat sat on the snow-white carpet, and beside it


    was ayette in the same color festooned with cartoon dinosaurs. Maria remembered Arthur was


    given one of those hats the day he was born. He cried loudly, though the hat might not have been


    the cause. Nheless, the whole floor heard him.


    As a first-time mom, she had no clue how to calm him down. The maternity nurse suggested the


    baby might be hungry and should be fed breast milk.


    When she first saw Arthur, Maria thought he looked a lot like James. She couldn''t see any of herself


    in him. At that time, she felt a little resentful. She carried him for nine months, and yet he looked like


    the man she almost never saw.


    Though as the days passed, she began to like the idea he resembled James so much. It gave her a


    warm feeling in her heart.


    Having a family and a baby with the man she loved was every woman''s dream, wasn''t it?


    It began to drizzle, but Maria still stood in front of the window, lost in her memories.


    She liked rainy days, but hated them too.


    She liked the feeling of rain drops, the sound of rain falling on the ground, and the warmth of the


    quilt on rainy days.


    But she didn''t like being caught in a downpour. She''d have to wash her hair after that. Nor did she


    like puddles. The puddles that formed on the ground would get mud on her shoes, her skirt, even


    pants.


    Raindrops fell on her exposed arms, but Maria didn''t seem to feel anything. She looked at the tiny


    hat in the showcase and slowly walked forward.


    The high-heeled shoes were a little painful, but the pain in her heart was greater. She ignored the


    feeling.


    The Song banquet continued without Maria. James left first, escorted by Alina. yton figured


    those two might need a little alone time, so he didn''t follow them out.


    Outside the hotel, Alina straightened the man''s tie and said gently and considerately, "James, thank


    you for apanying me to attend my family gathering."


    Looking at her, James replied tly, "That''s what I''m supposed to do."


    "I won''t waste too much of your time. Have a safe drive." Alina waved goodbye.


    James nodded and got into the car.


    As soon as he left, Alina took out her phone and made a quick call. "Where is she?"


    "I don''t know. She left in another car."


    "Did she sign for the package?"


    "Yes, she did. I think she read it." The smile on Alina''s face couldn''t be more obvious. "I see. Stop


    following her. Stand by for more orders.


    ''''Yes, Ms. Tang.''''


    In the ck Harkim, Lorenzo reported on the progress of theirtest project. "Fosun Entertainment


    took that project away from us, Mr. Xi. Mr. Zheng from HM Group has invited you to a business


    dinner to talk about Fosun ¡ª "


    "Did she get thewyer''s letter?" James interrupted Lorenzo, changing the topic.


    Lorenzo was startled at first. After thinking for a while, he finally understood what James meant. "I


    think so. Ms. Tang hired someone to get it to her."


    Thewyer''s letter waspleted two days ago. Alina waited for a suitable opportunity to send it to


    Maria.


    James said nothing. He wondered if Alina and the Tang family did this maliciously. They invited


    Maria to attend the family party, recited a litany of Maria''s faults in front of everyone, and even


    Maria''s own parents were in on it. After Maria had beenpletely humiliated, they served her with


    thewyer''s letter. If things didn''t go her way, she might be thrown in prison.


    The rain was getting louder and heavier, and James could hear it hitting the car now.


    He didn''t like rain, so this didn''t help his mood any. He loosened his tie, and selected a bottle of red


    wine from the minibar. He poured himself a ss and gulped it down.


    Traffic ran slower than normal because of the rain, so the Harkim traveled more slowly as well.


    James'' gaze fell on a figure dressed in red, standing on the sidewalk. She was dejected, having lost


    all her pride. Her long hair was soaked, hanging heavily from her head. She was barefoot, holding


    her high-heeled shoes in her hands. She had a look of despair.


    The Harkim sped up and thedy in red disappeared from view.


    Lorenzo knew his boss was in a bad mood, because James never drank alone.


    Just now, he had drained a second ss of wine.


    Now the car was stuck on the main drag. Lorenzo wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and


    comforted the man. "Please don''t worry, Mr. Xi. I''ll turn off on a side street and bypass this mess."


    "Hmm." James put a hand to his forehead in exasperation. No one could see his expression.


    After turning a corner at the intersection, Lorenzo nned to take a small twone road. Almost no


    one used it.


    To his surprise, the road was riddled with potholes. Although it was not as jam-packed with cars like


    the main street, he could only go about 20 miles an hour.


    Soon, the car had to stop at a hill.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    The man in the back seat frowned more deeply, looking as if he were profoundly bothered by


    something. He was about to pour himself another ss of wine. The woman in red fell into his view


    once more.


    The rain wasing down in buckets now. In the deluge, Maria pushed a rather full shopping


    trolley toward the hill, her high-heeled shoes hanging from her little finger.

 Chapter 59 An Incurable Disease

    Chapter 59 An Incurable Disease


    A small old woman was in front of the tricycle. She was wearing a shabby raincoat that barely


    protected her from the rain. She was pulling the tricycle with difficulty, and Maria was helping her to


    make it move upward.


    An elderly woman and a beautiful woman in a red dress working too hard under the heavy rain


    resulted in a very touching scene.


    Perhaps Maria had pushed the tricycle so hard just now that when it reached the upslope, she lost


    control of it. Before she could know it, she had already released her hold on it, and she fell to the


    ground kneeling.


    She felt a sharp pang on her knees, and it took a long time before she could get up.


    When she raised her head, she saw that the old woman was having difficulty stopping the tricycle


    that was going down the slope. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to stand up, throwing away her


    high heels, and hobbled towards the old woman. She exerted all her remaining strength to pull the


    tricycle to a stop.


    Maria breathed a sigh of relief when the tricycle finally stayed in ce. Fortunately, it was not


    motorized. Otherwise, she wouldn''t be able to catch up with it. The old woman thanked her again


    and again. Maria just smiled and said, "You are wee, Granny. Please go home now. The rain is


    getting heavier. You might catch a cold, and it''s too dangerous for you to stay outside."


    Maria cared about the old woman so much because the old woman reminded her of her maternal


    grandmother. Her grandmother, who was born and raised in the countryside, was also a petite


    woman but very capable. Her grandmother did all the housework and farm work alone.


    The old woman thanked Maria onest time before she turned around and left. All of a sudden,


    Maria seemed to have thought of something. She opened her purse, quietly caught up with the


    tricycle, and slid some cash into itspartment without the old woman''s knowledge. She then


    stopped and watched the old woman and tricycle slowly disappear from her sight.


    Maria then turned back to look for her high heels. It seemed that the rain wouldn''t stop until the


    morning. When she crouched to pick up her high heels, raindrops fell on her scraped knees. But


    she didn''t mind the pain at all.


    As she stretched out her arms, the rain suddenly stopped above her head, and a pair of shiny ck


    shoes appeared in her sight.


    She withdrew her hands and looked up.


    "Teaching people to fish is better than giving them a fish," said a maic voice that sounded so


    pleasing to the ears.


    Maria looked back at the old woman who had already disappeared in the dark night. It seemed that


    James had witnessed everything.


    She wanted to give him a big hug, but she was soaking all over.


    Maria nced at the Harkim that was parked not far away and curled her lips. "Who''s the assistant


    with you right now? How can he be so irresponsible to let you get out of the car and get wet in the


    rain? And are you not afraid that your shoes will dirty the road washed clean by the rain?"


    James stared at Maria in silence. Her long wet hair clung to her shoulders and face. The makeup on


    her face was ruined, and her wet red dress tightly hugged her perfect figure.


    Right now, Maria was totally out of poise.


    Upon hearing what she said, his face darkened. "I''ll give you a chance to take back your words just


    now and say something pleasant to hear." James must have been hexed by Maria. He didn''t even


    know why he got out of his car under such heavy rain. It seemed that he had been cursed by her,


    and he got an incurable disease that was overwhelming his heart.


    As expected, Maria just turned a deaf ear to him. She picked up her high heels and said, "I don''t


    want to repeat my words anymore. My knees are too painful for me to keep on talking." Looking up


    at him, she added in a pitiful voice, "James, can you take me in and treat my wounds?"


    James remained motionless as he was in a dilemma. If he picked her up and took her in, she might


    dare to get into his bed tonight.


    However, she was the reason why he got out of his car despite the heavy rain. His efforts would


    onlye to waste if he would just leave her alone here in the end. Thus, he decided that he would


    take her back to the hotel where she stayed.


    James turned around to leave, thinking that Maria would stand up and follow him. But when he


    didn''t feel any movement behind him, he frowned, turned back, and snapped, "Are you not


    coming?"


    "My knees hurt."


    "So what?"


    "Come here and pick me up. I''ll hold the umbre for you."


    James didn''t say anything.


    When they were in her hotel room, Maria wiped herself with a bath towel. James was about to leave


    when she stopped him. "Are you not worried that I will have a feverter? I''m all alone here. If my


    fever gets too high, no one can take me to the hospital. Will you let me die just like that?"


    James halted from his steps. Then without turning his head back, he replied indifferently, "It would


    be better if you die." He needed to be firm so that this inexplicable thing that seemed to have been


    controlling his behavior wouldn''t win over him anymore.


    Maria wrapped her hair with the bath towel and held his arm. "Please stay for a few hours. Or just


    wait for me to finish taking a shower before you leave. I''m afraid that I''ll pass out in the bathroom."


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    James slightly turned around and looked at Maria''s pleading eyes blinking at him. "Does it have


    anything to do with me?" He thought that Maria made no sense at all. Why would she take a shower


    when her knees were wounded? Didn''t she know that the water from the shower might infect her


    wounds?


    "Of course it has," Maria reasoned as she pulled him to sit on the sofa, ignoring his unwillingness.


    She promised herself that from the moment he got out of his car, she wouldn''t let this tongue-in-


    cheek man get rid of her anymore.


    James had been sitting on the sofa for about two minutes, and he started to get irritated, feeling


    worse than being stuck in heavy traffic. With a frown, he took off his tie, unbuttoned his shirt, and


    stared on the wall, lost in thought. In the bathroom, Maria pulled back the shower curtain.


    This was something unique in this hotel. The shower room had a French window wherein if the


    curtain was not drawn, the person in the bedroom could see what was going on in the bathroom


    and vice versa.


    This was exactly the reason why she pulled back the curtain.


    From the bathroom, she defiantly met James'' eyes while hanging the bathroom towel on the rack.


    She then took her wet dress off.


    Maria was confident of her body. She was slim but not bony. She had perfect curves.


    James stretched his arms and put them at the back of his head. He leaned against the sofa and


    looked at Maria expressionlessly. In such a posture, he was like an emperor watching over his


    territory.


    ''James, she''s just a woman. Don''t get aroused,'' he warned himself.


    Maria looked away from James with a smile and turned on the shower.


    As soon as the warm water poured on her body and slid down to the wounds on her knees, she bit


    her lower lips because of the pain. Actually, she didn''t want to take a shower. But she had been in


    the rain for a long time, and her body was so dirty. She couldn''t bear toy on the bed like this at all.


    Thus, she decided to take a quick shower and then apply some medicine to her wounds after.


    James noticed that a thinyer of mist started to cover the bathroom, making the scene inside


    hazier and more enchanting.


    It made him recall some memories in the past when he and Maria had just gotten married. Since he


    could only take over HL Group if he could give Augustine a great-grandson, he went back home to


    have sex with her whenever he was free.


    The silk-like feeling when he touched her skin and her soft cries for mercy in the dark shed back


    in his mind. James felt like he was about to lose control.


    He did his best to calm himself down and fumbled for a cigarette in his pocket. However, there was


    nothing in there. He looked around the room and saw a pack of cigarettes for women on the table.


    He stood up, took one stick, and lit it.


    Standing in front of the window with his back to the bathroom, he took a deep drag.


    After a few seconds, he stepped back and drew back the curtain.


    There was a high-rise condominium building opposite the hotel. He didn''t want her to be watched by


    any of the residents there.


    James finally calmed after smoking. He walked to the table and stubbed out the cigarette in the


    ashtray. After taking ast nce at Maria, who was now washing her hair, he left her room.


    Maria heard the sound of the door opening and closing, so she knew that James had left.


    s, she failed again. She nned to throw herself at him after she freshened up. But he didn''t


    take her bait.


    James walked out of the hotel in long strides without even taking an umbre. Fortunately, the rain


    had already stopped.


    As soon as he sat in the car, he ordered Lorenzo in a savage tone, "Tell Joshua to speed up the


    Tang family''s case against Maria and deal with it as it should be." His chest heaved up and down


    from controlling his emotions. He didn''t want to see Maria''s enchanting face again.

 Chapter 60 Extremely Flattered

    Chapter 60 Extremely ttered


    After hearing James'' order, Lorenzo was delighted. He felt that there was still hope for him to


    continue working in HL Group. So he nodded heavily and replied, "Yes, Mr. Xi." He would definitely


    do his best to urge Joshua every day to prioritize Maria''s case.


    James'' car stopped in front of a luxurious vi halfway up a mountain in the east of H City. He got


    out of the car and said, "Don''t pick me up tomorrow morning. Just wait for my call."


    "Okay, Mr. Xi."


    James put his index finger on the gate''s electronic lock, and the whole three-story vi lit up.


    The luxurious interior of the vi was


    breathtaking. Even Lorenzo, who had been here many times, couldn''t help but gasp inwardly every


    time he saw its inside from the door. James'' vi was worth billions of dors. Lorenzo knew that


    even in his lifetime, he could never afford such an opulent dwelling. How he wished he could also


    come in and look around!


    Although he had driven James back to this vi countless times, he would only stop at the door and


    wait for James to get in. Every time he picked James up, he would only press the doorbell and wait


    outside. When James opened the door, he couldn''t resist peeping in.


    Thend surrounding James'' vi was three hundred thousand square meters, and the floor area of


    the vi itself was five thousand square meters. Behind it was the Paarl Mountain, and next to it was


    a forest that served as a natural oxygen bar. The vi looked so mysterious in people''s eyes. This


    was indeed true because aside from John, who was James'' butler, a few close friends, and his


    brother, no one else had entered his vi.


    Right after James locked the door, the phone in his pocket rang. He unlocked the screen and found


    that it was a WeChat message from Maria.


    "James, since you got wet because of me and I want to show my gratitude to you, I will buy you a


    suit."


    James furrowed his brows. Why was she his WeChat friend? Where did she add him on WeChat?


    Once again, James admitted that Maria was really capable.


    Before cklisting her, he replied, "You stained my car too. Why don''t you buy me a new car?"


    "Well, your car is worth more than a hundred million dors. I can''t definitely afford to buy a new


    one. How about I pay for the car wash? Or perhaps I canpensate you in another way. How


    about having sex with me? What do you think?" James couldn''t help but groan. He really didn''t want


    to talk with Maria anymore. When he was about to block her, the scene when she was taking a


    shower in the hotel just now shed in his mind.


    Cursing in a low voice, he tossed his phone on the sofa and strode upstairs to his bedroom. He


    wanted a cold shower right away.


    Maria waited for James'' reply, but there was nothing. She just gave it a shrug as if she didn''t care.


    She stared at the extinguished cigarette butt in the ashtray for a few seconds, then her lips curved


    into a smile.


    She was amused to find out that the famous CEO of HL Group could also smoke a woman''s


    cigarette. Maria could already imagine how bad James'' mood was just now.


    After taking a shower, James went downstairs again to get his phone. He saw another message


    from Maria sent ten minutes ago. It wasn''t flirtatious, though. "Seriously, James, why did you get out


    of the car earlier?"


    Instead of replying to the message, he locked the phone screen and opened the fridge. He took a


    bottle of water and gulped down half of it.


    But before going upstairs, he unlocked his phone again and finally replied to her message.


    "Because he is also my baby." Maybe through it, he could let her know that he also understood her


    pain. Maria was covering her face with an ice pack when she read James'' reply. For a long time,


    she just stared at the screen. She didn''t reply anymore. Did he really think that he knew her well?


    No, he didn''t understand her at all. Because if he did, they wouldn''t have divorced and ended up


    like this.


    At first, Maria didn''t want to reply to him. But suddenly, she felt the urge to do so. "Don''t forget that I


    just got pped in the family gathering of the Song family. What does it have to do with the baby?"


    James couldn''t help but sneer when he took a look at her new message. Perhaps Maria really


    believed that she had hidden herself pretty well. Eight years ago, she was too eager to cut ties with


    Song family. She even secretly ran out to stop his car. If she was able to do such a thing in the past,


    how could she let the Song family emotionally control her now?


    It was already three o''clock in the morning when Maria closed herptop and checked her WeChat.


    There were a lot of messages, but none of them was from James.


    Well, she didn''t really care.


    She turned her phone off and went to bed.


    After the not-so-peaceful night, a brand new day came.


    Today, Maria''s mission was to solve the problem caused by Alina, which was rted to thew. Her


    lawyer was not that confident that they could win against the invincible legal team of HL Group.


    After thinking for a while, she came up with a decision. Although it was the most difficult way, she


    had to talk to James.


    If she could convince him, the legal team of HL Group would definitely take their hands off the case.


    Besides, she would also piss Alina off. In case that Alina still wouldn''t give up and hire a different


    lawyer, she was confident that she could handle it well.


    As much as possible, Maria didn''t want trouble. So she took a shower, dressed up, and went


    straight to HL Group to see James.


    As expected, she was stopped in the lobby. This time, she had no other choice but to ask for


    someone''s help to achieve her goal.


    She took out her phone and called Lawrence. "Hello, Lawrence. I''m so sorry to trouble you again.


    But don''t worry. It''s not a big deal this time..."


    Three minutester, Lorenzo showed up in front of her.


    A trace of disgust shed across Maria''s eyes the moment she saw him. James must have sent


    Lorenzo down on purpose because he knew how much she disliked Lorenzo.


    Tofort herself, she just changed her way of thinking. She didn''t like to see Lorenzo, but on the


    bright side, he must have felt bad too. He had always been proud and arrogant because he was the


    special assistant of the CEO. But this time, he was only sent downstairs to greet her and lead her


    the way.


    Maria felt relieved at this thought, and she couldn''t help smiling. Since she was now in a good


    mood, she eximed, "Wow! Lorenzo, are you here to personally wee me? I''m extremely


    ttered."


    Lorenzo didn''t bother to conceal the disgust in his eyes when he looked at her. He nodded


    indifferently and said, "Ms. Song, this way, please."


    He didn''t know what kind of spell Maria cast on James. Last night, James sent her back to the hotel


    despite the inclement weather. This time, James asked him to personally pick her up in the lobby.


    James could have just called the receptionist to tell Maria to go upstairs.


    Lorenzo couldn''t help ncing at the two paper bags in Maria''s hands, and he recognized the logo


    printed on them. It was an international brand of men''s wear. As he peeked, he saw ck clothes. It


    was very likely that they were for James.


    ''Humph! She''s only not seducing Mr. Xi, but she''s also trying to please him,'' he thought inwardly,


    despising Maria in his mind to the extreme. When Lorenzo and Maria entered the sightseeing


    elevator together, thetter turned around and looked outside. She suddenly said, "Lorenzo, I heard


    that James has given me three hundred million dors as alimony. Do you know about it?"


    Upon hearing her words, Lorenzo''s contemptuous expression remained the same. But his voice


    was not as arrogant as before. "I''m sorry, Ms. Song, but I don''t know about it. When you and Mr. Xi


    got divorced, I was in the United States for my master''s degree." At that time, Lorenzo had just


    joined HL Group. Judy was the one who helped him work part-time for James while he was


    completing his master''s degree.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Maria sneered. She crossed her arms over her chest and turned to look at Lorenzo, who was


    pretending to be calm. "Haven''t you contacted your aunt recently?"


    She couldn''t help wondering why she hadn''t seen Judy even once ever since she came back.


    Lorenzo had definitely told Judy that she was in H City again. If Judy had known that she was trying


    to get close to James, she would surely take action.


    "Ms. Song, you seem to care so much about my aunt and me. Why don''t you worry about your


    lawsuit instead?"


    Ding! Before Maria could retort, the sound of the elevator indicated that they had arrived on the


    sixty-sixth floor. Lorenzo went out first, then Maria unhurriedly followed.


    She noticed that everyone on that floor was busy working. Lorenzo approached one secretary and


    ordered to prepare a cup of tea before he went back to his desk, leaving her alone.


    Maria didn''t mind at all. Anyway, she could manage by herself. She looked around, but she couldn''t


    see Summer. And since she was not familiar with the other employees there, she decided to go to


    James'' office directly. She gracefully walked in her red high heels and pushed the door to the CEO''s


    office open without bothering to knock.

 Chapter 61 Hard And Soft Skills

    Chapter 61 Hard And Soft Skills


    In the office, James was talking with his top management team. Seeing here in, the senior


    executives immediately stood up and closed their folders. One of them said, "I think we can break


    here, Mr. Xi. I''ll ask them to redo this and get it on your desk as soon as possible."


    James nodded and the senior executives left.


    Maria and James were the only left in the office. The man leaned back on the sofa, his legs crossed


    gracefully. "You went to a lot of trouble to see me. Why?"


    With two paper bags in her hands, Maria sat beside him without missing a beat. She carefully


    removed the suit from one bag and held it up for him to see. "Check this out, James. I picked out


    two suits for you myself. They are really heavy. I''m exhausted!"


    She didn''t ask the shop to deliver, preferring that personal touch. It would mean more if she gave


    them to James herself. "I put these together. Remember to iron them before you put them on.


    The man looked at the clothes she''d gotten him. It was ck formal wear with dark embroidery on


    the chest pocket and cor. James watched the woman silently, as she took out the second dark-


    colored suit.


    "This one has dark patterns. I know you usually wear formal clothing, so I bought you tailored suits.


    Surprised?" After the woman chattered, she tilted her head slightly and looked at the man


    expectantly.


    The innocent look on her face didn''t match her usual image at all. Nor did her slip dress, for that


    matter.


    He didn''t seem impressed at all. "You came here just to show me two suits?"


    "Yes, they''re top quality. Touch them and see!" As she spoke, she grabbed his hand and ced it


    on the sleeve of a suit jacket. "Isn''t that something? They cost me a cool mil each." Out of the three


    million dors she got for the earrings.


    James was speechless. Her hands felt good, even softer than the suit. And her scent was exquisite,


    ents of tuberose and musk. This really turned him on.


    James withdrew his hand, as if trying to hide something. He stood up from the sofa, put his hands in


    his pockets, and turned his back on her. "I don''t need them. If there''s nothing else, Ms. Song,


    please leave. I have business to attend to."


    Maria smiled quietly. She stood up, walked over to him, and gave him a hug. The woman pressed


    her face against his back and said, "Fine, I''ll leave you alone then. But I have another favor to ask."


    James lowered his head and looked at the pair of arms encircling him. He noticed her slender


    hands, decorated with burgundy-red nail polish and sequins. "Maria Song."


    "Yes?" Sensing the warning in his tone, Maria let go of him.


    "Get out!"


    Maria circled around him and raised her head slightly. "I''m here to discuss something with you, Mr.


    Xi." There was an unreadable expression in her sparkling eyes. "I''m flirting with you. Don''t you think


    you should treat me with more patience? Or I might have to force you." She gently put her soft,


    white hand on the man''s cheek.


    Maria knew exactly why she was here. She was going to discuss herwsuit with him. She was


    going to be nice about it, too. If he refused to listen to her, however, he couldn''t me her for being


    rude.


    James grabbed the hand caressing his face and growled, his eyes dark. "Do you want to die?"


    "Of course not!" She threw herself into his arms and smiled innocently. "I just wanted you to see


    these. Like them? I think they got my good side. " He looked at her phone, and saw pictures of him


    carrying her in his arms while entering the hotel. Since he held one of her arms tightly, she stretched


    the free one to trace circles on his cheek.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    A hint of danger shed in his eyes, but he said nothing.


    "If I post these on the Inte, what do you think will happen? Everyone knows HL Group and Tang


    Group are going to unite through marriage.


    She couldn''t hide hercent smile.


    Gritting his teeth, James asked, "So what?" She was trying to set him up!


    "I know, I know, you''re the teflon CEO. Negative media coverage doesn''t seem to affect you.


    Everyone knows you and Alina are going to get engaged. Imagine what will happen if they find out


    you were sleeping with your ex-wife? Don''t you think it might impact the share price of HL Group?"


    What Maria hinted at was even if James didn''t care about his own image, he needed to consider his


    company''s reputation. The two were linked.


    But what she didn''t know was that the man next to her was nning her death.


    "You think you can threaten me?" James was used to this. They failed all the time. He was too


    powerful to be ckmailed. Each time, he would call their bluff. And they would fold. Maria


    underestimated him.


    Maria shook her head and answered, "Of course not. You''re James Xi! What''s a little money to


    you?" The woman''s lips slowly raised a bloodthirsty smile. "But what if I jump off this building? I''ll


    yell, ''I hate you, James Xi! You slept with me and dumped me!'' And then down I fall!"


    The crazy look in her eyes reminded James of that night in T Country. He was sure she was a


    lunatic. He couldn''t tell how he felt. He didn''t know whether he should hate her, or show her some


    sympathy. He stared at her, lost in thought.


    "Go ahead. See if I care," he said.


    Maria was a little confused. She tried all her tricks. Why didn''t he fall for it?


    James continued, "I''ll just tell people you


    slipped. HL Group is more than a hundred stories high, a few hundred meters. You''d probably hit


    the ground before you could say anything."


    Thinking of the scene he described, Maria shivered.


    She hadn''t taken her revenge yet, so she


    couldn''t die. She resolved to go nowhere near


    the top floor. He might push her off, and that


    would ruin all her ns.


    Finally, James saw a trace of fear in the eyes of this iparably strong woman. He was quite


    satisfied. He loosened her wrist, pinched her chin, and raised it. "You can post the pics as you want.


    If someone sees them, I lose."


    Thecency in the man''s eyes stung Maria''s pride, and a rush of anger came over her. She


    came to HL Group, using both hard and soft skills. She was already beaten before she began.


    She lifted her foot and stepped heavily on the man''s leather shoes. Heedless of the man''s changing


    expression, she gritted her teeth and growled, "Stay out of my fight with Alina Tang. Why is that so


    hard? Why do you love her so much? Hmm..." He gripped her jaw hard.


    Maria exhaled a sigh of pain and continued, "A marriage based on love is so different from a


    marriage without love. We were married for two years, but you never treated me like you do her.


    Alina Tang isn''t even your wife yet, but you are so protective of her."


    He squeezed harder, and she dug her heel into his shoe even further. No one would admit defeat


    first.


    Instead of answering her question, he stared daggers at her and said, "Take your foot off me.


    "Let go of me first!" Why should she make the first move? What a bastard!


    They both faced each other fearlessly, neither willing to admit defeat.

 Chapter 62 Engagement Ring

    Chapter 62 Engagement Ring


    Eventually, James shook off Maria''s chin rudely and said through clenched teeth, "If you don''t get


    out of here in one second, I will throw you out in pieces."


    Maria didn''t say anything. She just exhaled heavily and red at him.


    But when she noticed that he looked away, she took advantage of the opportunity. Before he could


    know it, she already held his hands tightly.


    James was stunned as he didn''t see iting. And while his body froze, Maria tiptoed, kissed his


    lips, and bit his lower lip to bleed.


    Before he could react, she quickly jumped away from him. The taste of blood in her mouth gradually


    dissipated her anger. She licked her lips wantonly and turned her body towards the door in an


    enchanting way. "I wonder how you are going to exin that to Alina Tang," she saidcently


    before going out.


    The bite marks she had left on his lower lip would take a few days to heal.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    "Maria Song!" James roared behind the closed door.


    Maria heard it, but she didn''t mind. Instead, she tossed her long hair behind her back and gracefully


    walked out of the HL Group, looking triumphant.


    But as soon as she got in the car, thecent look on her face vanished. Alina had done


    something to expedite thewsuit, so she had to find a way to deal with it immediately.


    Yesterday, she had just received thewyer''s letter, and the court hearing wouldmence in two


    days.


    If she didn''t abide by the requirements of thew, she would be put in jail again. When that


    happened, she knew that Joshua would do all his best to deal with her.


    Since things didn''t work with James just now, Maria had to find another way to ovee this.


    She thought for a while before giving herwyer a call. "Let''s ept the challenge. Get a copy of


    the hotel''s surveince video ready."


    After talking with herwyer for a few minutes, she called another person. "Investigate Ronald and


    Alina. Dig deeper and find all the scandals rted to them."


    Her battle was about to begin, so she needed to bebat-ready.


    She wasn''t able to provide direct evidence to prove that Alina was responsible for drugging her. It''d


    been so many years, and the person who drugged her was too difficult to find. During the entire day,


    almost all employees of the HL Group had noticed the bite marks on James'' lower lip. Alina had


    heard about it in the evening. After her work, she couldn''t wait to see James, so she rushed to HL


    Group as soon as she could.


    When she arrived, James was about to start with his scheduled conference. It was supposed to be


    a video conference, but he requested to change it into a voice conference. Alina checked his lips.


    There were a few bite marks on his lower lip.


    "James?" she eximed in a low voice, trying to suppress the jealousy in her heart. But she couldn''t


    hide the questioning look on her face.


    Alina wondered who could have done it to James. As a woman, she knew what it was. A trace of


    fury shed across her eyes as she thought who could have dared to provoke her this way.


    James nced at her, signaling to her to sit down first. His conference was more important. No


    matter how urgent Alina''s concern was, it was not his priority. He could talk about it with her after he


    finished his work.


    Alina didn''t dare to interfere with his business either, so she had to quietly sit on the sofa not far


    away.


    She took out her phone and sent a message to Lorenzo. "Who were the women who came to


    James'' office today?" Alina knew that James didn''t leave thepany today. She should have gone


    to Lorenzo''s desk first to ask everything that happened in thepany the entire day before she


    went to James'' office. But she was too excited to see James that it didn''t ur to her.


    Since Lorenzo didn''t hide anything from Alina, he sent her the names of the women who came to


    see James today.


    Alina''s eyes were glued to Maria''s name. Her hunch was right. Besides, there would be no other


    women who could be as bold as Maria when it came to James.


    ''Maria Song, you are such a shameless bitch!'' she thought to herself as she went furious. Last


    night, ine had taught Maria a lesson in front of James. She didn''t expect that Maria would still


    have the audacity toe to James today.


    When James'' conference was over, Alina had already calmed down. She looked at him with


    concern in her eyes and asked, "James, what happened to your lips? Have you applied medicine?"


    James closed hisptop and replied, "Yes, I have. Why are you here? It''s sote now."


    Obviously, he ignored her first question. Alina bit her lower lip and remained silent for a long time.


    But when she saw the puzzled look on James'' face, she came back to her senses. She faintly


    smiled and said, "Nothing serious. I just missed you. How about we go out for dinner?" "Sorry. I


    can''t go with you. I have so many things to do tonight." James opened a drawer nearby, took out a


    small box, and handed it to her. "By the way, the engagement ring is ready. Try it on."


    The words "engagement ring" sounded like music to Alina''s ears. She was so overjoyed that she


    totally forgot about the bite marks. She took the box from him with trembling hands. And as soon as


    she opened it, she gaped at it as if she had seen a treasure.


    A ring with a heart-shaped diamond that was almost as big as a dove egg on top quietlyy inside


    the box.


    Alina took out the diamond ring and was about to put it on her ring finger when something suddenly


    urred to her. She approached James, who was reading a document, and said, "James, can you


    put it on my finger?"


    Without raising his head, James continued writing some notes on the document and said, "I''m a


    little busy now."


    Alina bit her lip and just stared at him in silence. She was hurt by his attitude towards her.


    But there was nothing she could do, so she just put the ring on her ring finger by herself. It seemed


    that he didn''t know her size because it was a little tight. She then showed her hand in front of him


    and said, "Look, James. It''s just a little smaller, but does it look good on me?" She tried her best to


    sound energetic. "Not bad. I''ll ask Lorenzo to change the size tomorrow," he answered without even


    casting her a nce. Actually, when he asked Lorenzo to buy a diamond ring, he casually told


    Lorenzo the finger size that abruptly came to his mind. Before he realized it, Lorenzo had already


    left.


    "It''s all right, James. I can do it myself. This is my ring, and I want to personally take care of it," Alina


    said in a dulcet tone.


    "Okay." James didn''t insist anymore.


    Alina''s eyesnded on James'' slender and bony fingers. She noticed that he wasn''t wearing a ring,


    so she said, "You don''t wear anything on your finger. I''ll get a ring for you too."


    "No need. I''m not used to wearing any jewelry," James casually said, still looking at the document in


    his hand.


    Alina''s heart sank. She clearly remembered that James had worn a wedding ring when he was still


    married to Maria. But now that she was his fiancee-to-be, he refused her offer by making an excuse


    that he didn''t wear any jewelry.


    She concealed the sadness in her heart with a false smile and insisted, "It doesn''t matter. You can


    wear the ring during the engagement day, then just take it off after."


    "That will do. Thanks." James didn''t want to waste his time on such a trivial matter, so he agreed


    with Alina at once. "Why are you so polite? James, I''m not an outsider anymore."


    While talking, Alina''s eyes focused on his wounded lip all the time. Well, it was so eyecatching that


    it was difficult for her to ignore it. She couldn''t take it anymore, so she finally asked, "Who bit your


    lip?"


    It was only then that James shifted his gaze from the document to her face.


    His eyes looked so deep and inexplicable that Alina felt a little scared. Meeting his gaze reminded


    her of an old saying, "To be in the king''spany is tantamount to living with a tiger."


    "Go home now."


    Upon hearing those three words, she subconsciously straightened her back. James not only


    ignored her question for the second time but also drove her away. For a moment, she didn''t move.


    She thought it was so unjust and she couldn''t ept it. Almost losing her temper, she asked, "Was


    it Maria Song?"


    "Since you already know the answer, why do you still ask?"


    "I just want to hear it right from you, James. We are soon to be engaged, and she is your past. Why


    did you still allow her to do this to you? Is it because you can''t let go of her?" Alina''s eyes turned red


    as she was on the verge of crying. "You have nothing to worry about. She is not a threat to your


    throne as future Mrs. Xi."


    His words sounded like a promise to her. James loosened his tie and leaned against the back of


    chair.


    "How about you, James?" Alina walked over and hugged him, her tearful eyes begging. "You are an


    exceptional man. I know that there are thousands of women who are willing to climb up your bed


    whatever it takes. If you want to, you can fool around with them. I won''t interfere. But I only want


    one thing. Maria Song should not be one of them."


    Alina could ept anyone to be James'' mistress but Maria. She would never allow Maria to be a


    part of his life ever again.

 Chapter 63 Marriage Of Convenience

    Chapter 63 Marriage Of Convenience


    Although Maria was James'' ex-wife, Alina still felt threatened. She didn''t want to admit it, but she


    was insecure when it came to Maria.


    After all, Alina had always believed that James wouldn''t have married Maria if he had no feelings for


    her.


    James didn''t say anything. He just stared at Alina with a darkened expression.


    After a while, he said, "Once we are married, I will never cheat on you."


    He was a loyal man. Although he didn''t go home often when he and Maria were still married, he


    never fooled around with other women.


    A teardrop fell from Alina''s eyes. She cried, thenughed, snuggled her head down his shoulder,


    and confessed, "James, I love you so much. I''ve fallen in love with you from the moment I firstid


    eyes on you. I was only eighteen back then. I''ve waited for you for almost twelve years. And finally, I


    will be engaged to you soon. My dream hase true!"


    Unfortunately, James was not interested in love. So he was not moved even a bit by her confession.


    Just like sshing a basin of ice- cold water on her face, he mercilessly said, "You and I clearly


    know what will happen between us. We have nothing more than a marriage of convenience. Both of


    ourpanies can benefit from this marriage. HL Group has its own interests in Tang Group, and I


    can also help your family business prosper. Alina Tang, there should be no love involve between us,


    so you''d better control your emotion."


    Ever since James was a child, he had always believed that no one else would love and cherish him


    but himself.


    Because of that, he swore that he wouldn''t give his heart to anyone.


    For him, if he couldn''t even manage his own emotions, how could he manage the huge HL Group


    effectively?


    However, Alina had already fallen with him so deeply. It was toote for her to remove him from her


    heart. "It doesn''t matter. I will do my best to make you fall in love with me." She believed that there


    was always a way to everyone''s heart. As long as she fulfilled her duties as a good wife and she


    treated James well, there was a chance to change his mind.


    For a moment, silence filled James'' office. Then Alina let go of him and wiped her tears. "Go ahead


    with your work. I''ll go now. Just don''t stay here toote, okay? Go home and go to bed early."


    As Alina went out of James'' office, the pungent smell of her perfume that irritated his nostrils finally


    dissipated. And the frown on his face gradually loosened.


    After leaving HL Group, Alina thought for a long time. She came up with a conclusion that Maria


    could always find a reason to get close to James because of their dead son.


    She couldn''t think of any other reason for Maria to get near him.


    Inside the Night-Out Bar, the night had just begun.


    More than a dozen young men and women in a luxury private room were having so much fun,


    shaking their heads to the tune of the ear-splitting music yed by the DJ.


    But not long after, the big screen where the music videos were being shown went ck, and the


    music abruptly stopped.


    Everyone got vexed at once. One of them shouted, "What the fuck?! What''s going on?"


    "Ben, what''s wrong with you?" another one asked.


    The young man who was in charge of the projector was harshly scolded. But he also felt frustrated


    as he didn''t know what happened either.


    He was about to call someone in to fix it when the big screen lit up again. They all thought that the


    music video would resume ying. But when they took a look at the screen, they noticed that it was


    something else.


    "Holy shit! Isn''t that you, Mr. Tang?"


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    "Hey, Ronald! That''s really you. Whoa! Who is that chick with you?"


    When Ronald heard everyone mentioning his name, he walked to the front and looked at the screen


    in confusion.


    It was a video of him and the girl he had sex with in a hotelst week. On the screen, he saw


    himself impatiently taking off his clothes. Ronald was stunned in disbelief and embarrassment. He


    had never taken a video of himself in such a scene, so someone must have recorded secretly.


    Standing beside him now was his current girlfriend, whom he had exerted so much effort to win the


    heart. They had only been together for less than two months. And since the video clearly showed


    the date and time of the recording, which happenedst week, it was clear that he cheated on her.


    "Ronald Tang! What is the meaning of this?" his girlfriend muttered through clenched teeth. The


    young woman flushed with anger. She knew that Ronald had a bad reputation, especially when it


    came to women. But he had spent so much money on her and bought her everything she wanted.


    Eventually, she was not able to resist him anymore, and she epted him to be her boyfriend.


    Besides, she thought that he would change once she became her girlfriend.


    "Marsha, let me exin." Ronald had spent millions of dors on Marsha Zhao, but he still couldn''t


    convince her to have sex with him. He couldn''t let go of her just like that.


    "You are caught in the act with a woman in bed. What else do you want to exin?" Marsha shook


    off Ronald''s hand and rushed out of the private room.


    The screen continued to show the video of Ronald and the woman. Even their lewd conversation


    was too audible. Ronald got so furious and shouted, "Screw you!"


    He then picked up an armchair at the corner and smashed the screen, ignoring everyone''s


    dissuasion. A cloud of smoke rose up from the back of the screen, and the video disappeared.


    Ronald threw the armchair heavily on the floor. With his hands on his hips, his chest heaved up and


    down. He couldn''t find a way to vent his anger because he didn''t know who did such humiliation to


    him. He roared, "Go and find out who did it! I will kill him!"


    "Mr. Tang, calm down. Don''t be angry. She''s just a woman. I''m sure you can find someone much


    better than her," one of his friendsforted him.


    Ronald fell into silence. After thinking for a while, he pointed at his friend and ordered, "Find Marsha


    and bring her to me. I''ve spent millions of dors on her. I can''t let her run away just like that. Take


    her upstairs. That bitch will definitely learn a lesson she will never forget. Kent, let''s enjoy her


    together."


    Kent Jiang, the young man with a green ponytail tied at the back of his head, often shared women


    with Ronald. Since Ronald was rich, the women he could get were hot and gorgeous.


    Kent knew that Ronald was not serious about Marsha. As a matter of fact, he had already nned


    that he would take over Marsha after Ronald got sated of her. He didn''t expect that his opportunity


    woulde this soon. So upon hearing Ronald''s words, he nodded happily, made a thumbs-up


    sign, and said, "Okay!" Outside the bar, Marsha Zhao stood at the side of the road.


    Before she could even hail a taxi, two men stood beside her and took her away.


    Soon enough, Ronald received a phone call that Marsha was already in a room upstairs. He and


    Kent were about to go upstairs, but the door was pushed open from the outside.


    Everyone''s eyes widened in astonishment upon seeing a woman appear at the door.


    She was wearing a sapphire Venus cut dress, light makeup, and ming red lipstick. A lit cigarette


    lay between her slender fingers.


    "Maria Song? Damn it! Did you do all this?" Looking at Maria standing in front of him, Ronald


    realized that it was she who had yed the tricks on him.


    Maria puffed out a cloud of smoke from her cigarette, folded her arm across her chest, and admitted


    his usation without hesitation. "Yes, it was me."


    "You''re such a bitch!" Ronald rushed towards Maria furiously. But before he could get close to her,


    she kicked him, and he flew out.


    "Ouch!" Ronald felt the pain, but he didn''t want to show defeat in front of his friends. He hit the


    group of men behind him, knocking down several of them.


    But Maria was still standing there safe and sound, looking so elegant and charming. Her face


    looked so innocent as if she didn''t beat Ronald.


    This time, Ronald couldn''t take it anymore, so he ordered, "Call my men toe here!" He was


    now half lying on the floor in pain.


    Kent immediately took out his phone and made a call.


    Maria gracefully walked closer to the crowd.


    Her moves were quick and urate, and it made everyone gape their mouths in awe. Those young


    men, who got intimidated by her presence, quickly stepped back.


    Maria was like a queen who looked down on Ronald and said disdainfully, "Your girlfriend''s name is


    Marsha Zhao, right? She''s in my hands now, and I''m here to warn you. You''d better withdraw the


    lawsuit against me. Otherwise, the Tang Group will die with you."


    "The Tang Group will die? Ha-ha! You''re too hrious." Ronaldughed wildly. He then sat up from


    the floor and said with a ferocious look on his face, "Do you think you can defeat Tang Group with


    Kung Fu? You must be dreaming!"

 Chapter 64 Got The Goods On The Tang Family

    Chapter 64 Got The Goods On The Tang Family


    Instead of getting angry, Mariaughed. As she flicked the ash into the ashtray next to her, the


    burning cigarette between her fingers flickered. "Ronald, I heard you''re quite a yboy who likes


    fooling around with models."


    Staring at the big bags under Ronald''s eyes, she wondered how many young models had he slept


    with to make him look so old at this age.


    In fact, Maria was quite envious of Ronald. In order to hook up with those young models, he


    specifically started a modeling agency.


    She would also love to run an agency to hook up with different male models every day.


    "So what?" Ronald had no idea what was going to hit him.


    Maria curled her red lips. "Today, I received some videos of you, fooling around with women, but


    that''s not all. I took a look at one of them and...wow!" Thinking back to that scene, although Maria


    had only nced at it briefly, it had been enough to sicken her. "You''re really strong. You can have


    fun with a lot of women at the same time! I''m impressed!"


    However, that was not her key point. In fact, she wanted to imply that she had also seen several of


    the other men in the room, joining the group sex with Ronald.


    ording to what she found out, Maria wouldn''t be surprised if Ronald got infected with some


    venereal disease and fell dead one day.


    Those rich yboys didn''t just enjoy ying different kinds of sex games but also had some special


    quirks such as having group sex on camera.


    As they heard the woman''s words, several young men in the private room seemed concerned. Kent


    cursed and asked, "Ronald, who the fuck is this bitch?"


    Maria nced at the man and raised her eyebrows, staring daggers at him. "Kent Jiang, the son of


    YL Group''s CEO. You are Ronald''s closest friend. You two always share a woman."


    Kent shivered. He had never seen this woman before. How could she know so much about him?


    Maria put out the cigarette and looked at another man. "You''re Ronald''s college ssmate and the


    eldest son of Cao Group''s CEO. You''re gay."


    "Oh, and you''re the youngest son of Mr. Wang. You''re into both men and women," Maria said to a


    young man in the corner.


    In just a few minutes, Maria revealed the background of all of Ronald''s friends urately. At this


    time, two groups of bodyguards arrived at the door, waiting for Ronald''s and Kent''s orders. In total,


    there were more than a dozen men.


    Maria bowed slightly in front of Ronald and looked at him with a smile that did not reach her eyes.


    "Ronald, make sure to tell Alina that I also have evidence that she was the one who drugged me


    and got me mute six years ago. As soon as the court session begins, your videos and the evidence


    of your sister''s crime will be exposed to the public. Then, not only your sister''s position as Mrs. Xi


    will be in jeopardy, but also Tang Group will be involved. Your family should think thiswsuit over!"


    Ronald gasped, freaking out. Although he had never paid much attention to the family business, he


    knew that if those news about him and his sister were made public, it would bring a great negative


    impact on Tang Group.


    Still, at that moment, he could do nothing but watch Maria knock down each bodyguard at the door


    as she left the bar safe and sound.


    At the entrance of the bar, a girl kept peeking inside from time to time.


    When she saw the woman in the sapphire dressing out, she rushed over to her. "Please, wait a


    moment!"


    Once she was standing in front of the woman and sensed her powerful aura, the girl began to regret


    her decision. She hesitated and became shy.


    Maria cast a nce at her and asked, "What''s up?"


    Marsha swallowed nervously. "I... I''m here to thank you for saving me just now!" Maria saved the


    girl''s life when she was taken away by Ronald''s men. She couldn''t imagine what would happen to


    her tonight if it wasn''t for Maria.


    "You don''t have to thank me. It''s just not my style to let innocent people get hurt." Maria knew this


    was Ronald''s current girlfriend, but she didn''t mean to implicate innocent people in her feud with


    him.


    As soon as she finished speaking, Maria was about to get in the car.


    Yet Marsha stopped her again. "Wait!"


    Maria was almost running out of patience when she asked, "Is there anything else?" Since they


    didn''t know each other, Maria didn''t think there was any reason to keep the conversation going.


    Besides, there was a saying that birds of a feather flocked together, so as this young woman was


    going out on a date with Ronald, Maria didn''t think she was much better than he was.


    Marsha asked faintly, "May I be friends with you?" Maria was so beautiful and brave. Marsha


    couldn''t help seeing her as a role model.


    "Sorry, I don''t make friends with women!" Then Maria got into the car without looking back.


    Marsha was left alone in the cold night, shocked.


    She couldn''t understand why Maria said such a thing. Wasn''t she a woman herself?


    After being threatened, Ronald rushed to Alina who was in a clothing store.


    Alina was busy selecting an evening dress to attend a top-ss jewelry party in two days when she


    heard Ronald''s anxious voice. With a slight frown, she asked, "What''s the matter?"


    "Alina, Maria Song just told me she has evidence that you drugged her six years ago. She also has


    somepromising videos of mine. She wants us to withdraw thewsuit. Otherwise, she will


    expose everything she has on us. What should we do?"


    Alina''s eyes widened in fear as she heard her brother''s words. Startled, she dropped the dress in


    her hands.


    As the expensive snow-white evening gown fell to the floor, the saleswoman quickly squatted down


    to pick it up. Despite her irritation, she didn''t dare to scold Alina.


    Alina, in turn, didn''t notice the scowl on the woman''s face. All she could think about was that Maria


    had evidence she was responsible for drugging her. She couldn''t believe it. After all, Alina had


    already sent the person involved in this somewhere far away. "What did you mean bypromising


    videos of you? What kind of videos are we talking about?"


    "Videos with... women."


    Alina heaved a sigh of relief. "Well, you''re single and avable. You can fool around with any


    woman you want. Just make it public that she''s your girlfriend, and that should fix the problem."


    "You didn''t understand, Alina! I was having fun with a few women..." Ronald stammered to exin.


    If it had been just a woman in the video, he wouldn''t have been so flustered. The key point was that


    there were a bunch of them with him.


    Having grown up in a wealthy family, Alina was familiar with the circle. It was no secret that some


    dirty things happened among the most powerful and rich people. So as soon as Ronald added a


    few words, she understood exactly what he meant.


    Enraged, she yelled in disregard of her image, "What do I keep telling you? You''re more in your


    twenties! You can''t continue to chase after women all day long! Now someone else got the goods


    on the Tang family because you were caught!"


    Most importantly, Maria did. Alina had been dreaming about putting her back in jail, but now that


    Ronald suddenly told her that their cousin had something on the Tang family, everything changed.


    Unwilling to take the fall on his own, Ronald said, "Oh, save it, Alina! You''ve done a lot of things to


    hurt Maria just to get James for yourself. Now she has evidence that you drugged her and got her


    mute. Why don''t you think first about what you did before you scold me?"


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Alina didn''t know what to say. However, Ronald''s words certainly pissed her off. How dare he me


    everything on her instead of trying to figure out a solution to their problem? Only then did Alina


    realize how much her mother had spoiled her younger brother. He didn''t know how to take


    responsibility at all.


    After venting out his anger, Ronald seemed a bit discouraged as he came back to his first question.


    "Alina, what should we do? Should we withdraw thewsuit? If Maria dares to expose the videos, I


    won''t be the only one ruined, but the whole Tang Group will!"


    "Now, you realize the consequences of your actions! You..." Alina felt so dizzy she couldn''t finish her


    words. She needed to calm herself down first.


    Seeing that she was in a bad mood, the saleswoman standing aside quickly put down her work and


    helped Alina to get in the lounge.

 Chapter 65 A Plea For Help

    Chapter 65 A Plea For Help


    If Maria made those videos go viral, the share price of Tang Group would plummet, and the


    consequences would be dire.


    Taking a little time to consider this, Alina hit on a solution. "Ron, go ask James for help. Remember


    to be polite."


    She didn''t want to dismiss thewsuit¡ªshe still wanted to teach Maria not to mess with her. Herst


    hope was to ask James for help.


    "Why bother? Alina, just dismiss thewsuit. It''s that simple! We lost this one. So what? There''ll be


    another time!" Ronald didn''t want to beg anyone for help, even if it was James, his future brother-in-


    law. People always came to him for help. They tried everything, begging, ttering. Why should he


    do the same?


    "You idiot! Just do as I tell you!" Alina didn''t have many chances to lord it over Maria. So when an


    opportunity like this came along, she would jump on it.


    Alina would never give in, so Ronald had no choice but to turn to James for help.


    So, the very next day, Ronald showed up bright and early. He got some coffee from a cafe in the HL


    Group building. He hopped an elevator and got off near the CEO''s office. The man made sure to


    wait there so he could catch James as he walked in.


    Ronald almost never came here. And he''d certainly never been on the executive floor, so close to


    the CEO''s office. But that was to be expected. He and James didn''t run in the same circles. Yes,


    James was going to be his brother-inw, but that was a recent development.


    Ronald was not used to getting up early, so he couldn''t stop yawning. He was bored, so he looked


    around a bit. Staring at the ceiling, examining the decorations in the hall, he gave the designer high


    marks.


    He also nned to decorate the building of Tang Group like this when he became CEO. He just as


    quickly changed his mind. He wanted better interior design than this.


    At half past seven, James showed up.


    Ronald''s eyes lit up. He straightened up his clothes and ran to him with a ttering smile. "Hey,


    James! Remember me? Alina''s brother, Ronald."


    The man was kind enough. He stopped and looked at his future brother-inw. "What''s up?" As


    soon as James reached thepany building, he got the news that Alina''s brother was waiting for


    him.


    "Not here," said the young man. Ronald took a look at Lorenzo, The assistant stayed behind James,


    standing by. Alina''s brother was a little perturbed. "Maybe your office would be a better ce to


    talk!"


    Two men entered the CEO''s office.


    Ronald followed James and looked around. He tried his best to be unobtrusive.


    ''Holy shit!'' he eximed inwardly. James'' office was all decked out, and with myriad high-tech


    devices that he had never seen before.


    The CEO sat down at hisrge mahogany desk, took a sip of water, and said, "Go ahead."


    "Well, you see, I have this problem..." He didn''t hide his envy. Ronald sat down in a leather-


    upholstered chair, and opened his mouth to say more.


    He was interrupted by a knock at the door. It was a female secretary who came in to bring a cup of


    tea to Ronald.


    The secretary set the tea in front of the young man, and he couldn''t tear his eyes from her face.


    ''Damn! Even the secretary working for this guy is mega-hot! Wow, those slender fingers! Beautiful! ''


    Ronald was drooling.


    The secretary didn''t seem to notice anything untoward. She put the tea on the table and walked out


    of the office.


    After the door was closed, Ronald came back to his senses. That was when he found James had


    been staring at him all this time. He coughed awkwardly and continued, "Ahem! It''s Maria Song.


    After she attacked me, she got my videos and wanted to expose me! As a man, you should


    understand that affairs are personal, and should remain that way." Ronald thought that a wealthy


    guy like James should have more women than him. Perhaps he had done a better job keeping his


    private life confidential.


    The bite marks on his mouth were obvious. Who did that to him? Noticing that, Ronald wondered


    whether his sister knew.


    James kept silent.


    Ronald continued, "If this gets out, Tang Group is done! Please do something. If not for me, then


    think of Alina." He was not stupid enough to dig his own grave. "That bitch Maria Song framed Alina


    and said my sister was going to kill her. She also said she had dirt on both of us. Can you help me


    out? Please? We''re going to be family, you know."


    James didn''t want to listen to his yammering. Obviously, Ronald wanted to entangle him in the fate


    of the Tang family, stressing they''d be family soon. "Get to the point," he said impatiently.


    Noticing his impatience, Ronald stopped fawning over him. "James, can you confiscate the videos


    and whatnot that Maria is holding over us? If she doesn''t have those things, she can''t threaten the


    Tangs anymore. We can continue thewsuit against her."


    The man was unmoved. "You don''t have toe to me. You know what she wants. Why not give it


    to her?"


    James wondered if Maria wanted to fight fire with fire just because she figured out he wouldn''t help


    her.


    Since she could get the videos of Ronald''s orgy, she had someone in her corner. Someone


    resourceful.


    Certainly Ronald knew what James meant, but getting Alina to agree to it was impossible. She


    wouldn''t rescind thewsuit. That was why he came to beg James for a favor. He wanted to teach


    Maria a lesson as well. She needed to pay for attacking him.


    "I... I''m afraid it would backfire on me. That we''d cancel thewsuit against her and she''d go ahead


    and ruin us anyway. You were wise to divorce her so quickly!"


    James'' eyes darkened but he said nothing.


    "If Maria Song is tossed in prison, then she won''t be able to bother you anymore, right?" Ronald


    thought James also hated Maria. After all, she killed the man''s son.


    Ronald was right. Maria was a headache for James now. But he answered, "If she really threatens


    my interests, I won''t need others to do my dirty work for me. I''ll solve the problem in person."


    What he meant was that if he really hated Maria, he would solve it himself instead of trying to get


    Ronald to do it.


    However, Ronald didn''t get it. He was a little confused. "So do we have a deal?"


    Without answering his question, James opened the folder on the table and said, "I''m not interested


    in your feud with Maria. I got Joshua to help Alina. I don''t have time to get involved in anything else.


    So if we''re done here, leave. You look like you could use some rest." Ronald had dark circles


    around his eyes, like a giant panda.


    Ronald got anxious as soon as he heard James dismiss him. He got closer to James with a


    conspiratorial look on his face. "Alina''s been in love with you for years and has never had a


    boyfriend. She''s still a virgin. If you help me out, I''m pretty sure I could get her to give it up before


    the wedding." There was a nasty smile on his face, his eyes glinting with dirty thoughts.


    "Ronald Tang!" James'' face darkened.


    Ronald was frightened, but not that intimidated yet. "It''s all true. You''re getting married anyway.


    Maria had a secret crush on someone before she married you. We found it in her diary. Maybe she


    wasn''t a virgin when she married you."


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    The temperature in the office fell quickly, and James'' arctic gaze threatened to overwhelm Ronald.


    Mumbling, the young man met his eyes by ident. He couldn''t help but shiver. He had a hard time


    standing, as his knees wanted to buckle. He fell silent.


    After a while, he stood up from the chair trembling and said in a shaky voice, "Well, I see you''re


    busy. I''ll think of something. Thanks anyway! Bye!"


    Ronald left James'' office with as much speed as he could muster.


    He didn''t dare to breathe until the door of the office was locked behind him and he was safe from


    James'' evil gaze.


    ''That wasn''t fun! I''ll nevere here again!'' he thought to himself. Now he knew how those people


    in horror movies felt.

 Chapter 66 He Doesnt Love You

    Chapter 66 He Doesn''t Love You


    James'' office quieted down again. It was only then that the cold aura he emanated somehow


    dissipated.


    Ronald''sst sentence lingered in his mind. Was it really true that Maria had another man in her life


    before they got married? When he attended the party with Alina back then, people said the same


    thing about Maria.


    Now, James couldn''t help wondering who that man could be.


    But there was only one thing he was sure of. Maria was still a virgin when she married him.


    On their first night, he knew that she wasn''t just acting. She was really shy and nervous. Then the


    next morning, he saw some bloodstains on the bed sheet. Judy had even sent a maid to clean up


    their room that day.


    All of a sudden, James felt like his head was in a mess, particrly when Maria''s charm and beauty


    shed in his mind.


    He was so annoyed that he stood up and kicked the chair away. He then walked to the fridge, took


    out a bottle of cold water, and drank a big gulp. The bottle was almost half empty. Somehow, he felt


    that the fire that kindled inside his body was extinguished a little.


    Perhaps he had been too busy with work these past years that he had forgotten about his sex life.


    That was why he was easily affected every time Maria deliberately teased him.


    Recently, the fire in his body seemed to have be more sensitive that it easily rekindled. If Maria


    would think of sneaking into his bed one day, he must be very cautious. He had to restrain himself


    to the extreme.


    As soon as Ronald left James'' office, he called Alina. "Alina, what the fuck is James doing? He


    doesn''t even want to help his future wife and brother-inw. He doesn''t care that we''re in trouble.


    Are you still going to marry him? You''d better leave him. He doesn''t love you at all."


    Thest sentence just casually came out of Ronald''s mouth, but it severely irritated Alina.


    She had always known this fact, but she just didn''t dare to admit it.


    "Ronald Tang, you''re such a lunatic! Whether James loves me or not is none of your business, you


    loser!"


    "Why don''t you just ept the fact that he doesn''t love you? He doesn''t even want to help you with


    such a little thing." Ronald was quite angry now, so he deliberately went against Alina. After all, if it


    weren''t for her suggestion, he wouldn''t havee here so early in the morning just to be angered


    by James.


    Alina had just woken up when Ronald called. She couldn''t help scratching her disarray hair and


    said, "You must have said something that you shouldn''t have said. When I told him that I''d sue


    Maria, he was very supportive." She thought that Ronald was really a troublemaker and a loser.


    "Really? You are the best, then. So go and ask your James for help. Don''t bother me to beg your


    own boyfriend again. I don''t want to be involved in this matter anymore. If you really have no other


    way, I will withdraw thewsuit. I''m the intiff, anyway. I don''t want Tang Group to be destroyed


    because of Maria Song." The truth was, Ronald felt threatened. If Maria exposed his videos to the


    public, yton would surely beat him. And most importantly, he wouldn''t be able to continue living a


    yboy life. The gain was not worth the loss.


    When he felt that he had finally vented his anger, Ronald hung up without giving Alina a chance to


    retort.


    Looking at his phone, he shook his head and muttered in a low voice, "You are already thirty, and


    yet, you are still stupid. A great man knows when to yield and when to not. Do you have to wait for


    Maria Song to expose the evidence? You are the lunatic, not me."


    Alina tossed her phone away,y on the bed, and stared at the ceiling nkly. The more she


    thought about it, the more furious she became. She felt like her heart would explode because of the


    anger.


    But she had to remind herself not to act rashly. Maria was not the same stupid woman before. She


    had to give it careful thought.


    Hence, when Joshua called her to ask about thewsuit, she said, "Please wait for a few days. We


    just need to fix some problems first."


    She decided that she had to calm down and try a different approach. If it was true that Maria had


    solid evidence against her and Ronald, the Tang family would be in big trouble.


    The next morning, a man stopped Maria on her way out of the hotel. "Excuse, Ms. Song. Ms. Tang


    wants to invite you for a cup of coffee."


    Maria recognized the man at once. He was Alina''s assistant.


    Without saying anything, she got into the car of Alina''s assistant.


    She was supposed to go to Miracle Cafe today. And she didn''t expect that Alina would also want to


    meet her at the same ce. It was good for her, as she was able to save the taxi fare.


    Inside the coffee shop, Alina was sitting in a corner. She was wearing sunsses while reading the


    magazine in her hands. She looked like a well-breddy from an eminent family.


    Maria walked over and sat opposite Alina. She flipped her long hair backward and casually asked,


    "Alina, what can you say about the coffee here in Miracle Cafe?"


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Alina nce at her, picked up the cup of coffee, and smelled it. "Well, this coffee shop is in the


    central business district and even across HL Group. Of course, it must really have something. "


    What she meant was that the owner of the coffee shop must be capable, and the coffee tasted


    good.


    "Well, that t white you''ve ordered is actually the specialty of this coffee shop. Indeed, you have


    good taste." Alina and Maria were both aware that they were just beating around the bush, talking


    about coffee instead of business.


    But since Maria was not in a hurry, she didn''t mind at all. She would wait until Alina was ready to tell


    her the purpose of this meeting.


    Actually, the reason why Alina chose Miracle Cafe as their meeting ce was that she was hoping


    to meet James by chance. She was not interested in the coffee at all. No wonder she didn''t look so


    comfortable. Finally, she looked at Maria and said, "I''ll get to the point. I already know that you are


    threatening my younger brother. I want to see your so-called evidence."


    "Hmm...l''ve already expected this to happen. I know that once you find out, you wille to me.


    Don''t worry. I have you on my WeChat contact list. I''ll send you the screenshotster." Since she


    had guessed the reason why Alina wanted to see her, Maria had prepared the evidence on her way.


    Seeing the confidence in Maria, anger surged up in Alina''s heart. She growled through clenched


    teeth, "Maria Song, I just want to ask you, are you still a human? How dare you use your own son to


    win James'' sympathy? Do you even deserve to be called a mother? You don''t want others to talk


    about your dead child. But you yourself are using him as an excuse. What kind of mother are you?"


    Maria was still doing the screenshots when she heard Alina mention her child. The smile on her


    face faded away at once. She raised her head and looked daggers at Alina. "Is that what James told


    you?"


    Alina enjoyed seeing the sudden change in Maria''s expression. However, she had to conceal her


    emotion. She only guessed it, but it seemed that she was right. Maria was able to escape from


    James because of their dead child. She knew that James'' heart could easily soften when it had


    something to do with his child.


    Alina nodded without hesitation to answer Maria''s question. "Well, he is also James'' child. He feels


    sad every time you mention your child in front of him."


    "You are not in the position to judge whether I deserve to be a mother or not. You are just an


    outsider, so you have no right to interfere. Arthur is my and James'' child. Well, I''ve changed my


    mind. I won''t exchange conditions with you anymore. If you want to sue me, go ahead. But I''ll let the


    whole world know how filthy the Tang family is. Don''t me me for not warning you in advance. I


    don''t mind staying in jail for a few days if it will mean the downfall of Tang Group. I''m even more


    than happy to do it."


    Maria didn''t care about Alina''s threat at all. She wasn''t afraid of going to jail anymore. After all, she


    had been jailed before. Since this was what Alina and the Tang family wanted, she would go with


    the flow. Anyway, she had nothing else to lose but only her life.


    She didn''t mind if James was not willing to help her. But she couldn''t ept the fact that he had told


    Alina that she used herte son to win his sympathy. Although it was true, he shouldn''t have let


    other people know about it. No one had the right to judge what she did.


    Without waiting for Alina to say something, Maria stood up to leave. But before she walked away,


    she was so angry that she left Alina another bomb. "By the way, James told me not to take pills. But


    I was in a good mood, so I still took them. So if I were you, I''d behave myself. If I get annoyed, I


    won''t take pills anymore. If I get pregnant with James'' child before you do, how can you win against


    me?"


    Alina had pretended to be pregnant with James'' child, so Maria just wanted to give her a dose of


    her own medicine. Maria could also be so scheming at times.

 Chapter 67 The Rings Size

    Chapter 67 The Ring''s Size


    James did ask Maria not to take pills. She wanted to take some anti-inmmatory pills that night.


    That would help the pain in her knees. But he advised her not to.


    Maria knew the best path to revenge was to find out what the other party cared about and wanted


    most. She must hit a nerve to reach the goal.


    Since birth, Alina had been spoiled. She did whatever she wanted. Anything she wanted she got.


    Anything except for James, who became her lifelong obsession.


    The more she worked to gain James'' heart, the more Maria wanted to use him to hurt Alina. She


    was the nerve she wanted to strike. So she made it look like she and James were having an affair¡ª


    that would definitely anger Alina.


    She wasn''t going to have Alina beat her to it.


    Alina had the magazine in a death grip. She wanted to tear the offending page in that issue to


    pieces. "No way. I don''t¡ª" She didn''t believe what Maria said.


    "Don''t believe me? Isn''t that what you were going to say?" Maria took out her phone and tapped on


    the screen a few times. Then she found a few photos and sent them to Alina on WeChat. She left


    right after that.


    The new message tones on Alina''s phone sounded. She picked it up and swiped to unlock her


    screen.


    As promised, Maria had sent her something. First up, some pics of Ronald''s orgy. The next two


    photos were of James. It was a rainy night and the camera captured him as he headed into the


    hotel where Maria was staying, carrying her in his arms.


    Alina was on the verge of a breakdown. She wanted to scream, but she couldn''t do that in public.


    She had to struggle to maintain control.


    The ferocious expression on her face still revealed her hatred.


    Alina couldn''t do anything though. She couldn''t go to James every time Maria pissed her off. That


    man was always uncaring and cold. The only thing her fit would do was annoy him.


    Alina asked herself why she hadn''t poisoned Maria to death.


    Maria hadn''t left the cafe yet. Instead, she wandered around until she found a private booth and sat


    down. She opened the WeChat app on her phone and sent James an angry message. "I won''t bug


    you anymore. Get engaged to whoever you want!"


    Maria was patting herself on the back for her bravery. At this moment, she hated James to the core.


    How could he trash talk her like that to Alina?


    As she expected, James didn''t answer back.


    Maria had no way to vent her anger, and gradually calmed herself down.


    That evening, her phone buzzed. Maria picked it up. The number on the caller ID meant business.


    "Ms. Song, our project in T Country hit a snag. The CEO of HL Group is negotiating with them


    personally, but they''re still notmitting to anything."


    Maria thought for a bit and realized that it was necessary to bring Mr. Wang in on this. After all, he


    was in charge of the project.


    After hanging up, she called Mr. Wang. "Good evening, Mr. Wang. Do you remember me? It''s


    Maria."


    She smiled, and but she was cursing the man inwardly.


    "Oh, Ms. Song! Long time no see!" The man on the other end of the line pretended to be earnest


    and spoke very politely. Maria guessed that someone was with him.


    She continued in a gentle tone, "Indeed. Mr. Wang, I have something to discuss with you."


    "Go ahead!"


    She talked about the charity project with him. The next day, Maria was out of her mind. She opened


    her WeChat app again and sent a few more words to James. "I''ll keep bugging you. If I don''t, I can''t


    even survive in H City. I don''t want that."


    The man who saw the message just thought she was just a drama queen, and ignored it. He really


    wanted to delete her from his WeChat contact list.


    But he remembered Arthur, and decided not to.


    A famous jewelry house was hosting a banquet in town. The premiere was ted for Italy, but


    instead was held in H City when a fire damaged the venue where it was originally meant to be held.


    The guests were celebrities worth many millions of dors.


    Alina was invited, not to mention James. He was always invited to such events.


    In order to match her tailored evening dress, Alina went to a jewelry shop to choose a ne.


    After paying the bill, she took a brocade box from her handbag. "I need to you resize this ring,


    please."


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    "Okay, Ms. Tang. Please wait a moment. I''ll take your measurement."


    Alina took out her phone and sent a message to James. "James, are you free tonight? I''d like to


    have dinner with you." As soon as she tapped the "send" button, a familiar voice rang in her ear.


    "Alina, what a coincidence!"


    Alina''s face immediately darkened. She put away her phone and said coldly, "Coincidence? Hardly.


    This is a pretty small city."


    Maria didn''t mind her attitude. She smiled, pointed at a set of jewelry in the disy case, and told


    the saleswoman behind her, "I''d like to try it on. Can you arrange that?"


    "Yes, one moment please."


    ncing at the price of the jewelry set chosen by Maria, Alina sneered, "Check the price tag first.


    That''s tens of millions. Can you afford that?"


    "Not on my own. But..." Maria approached her and whispered softly, "Someone else could buy it for


    me, like your fiance-to-be."


    Alina red at thecent woman, biting her lower lip. Her chest was burning with rage. How


    she wished she could tear Maria''s face off!


    Feeling her rage, Maria chuckled and picked up the diamond ring in the brocade box next to her.


    "Don''t touch that!" Maria put the ring on her ring finger, and Alina was toote to stop her.


    "Aww, I''m just trying it on. I''ll give it back. You''re so paranoid! Is this new? It fits me perfectly!" Maria


    really didn''t know where the ring came from. If she knew it was Alina''s engagement ring, she would


    have been much snarkier.


    Looking at how well the diamond ring fit on Maria''s finger, Alina fell silent.


    Why did the engagement ring James bought her fit Maria so perfectly?


    Alina wondered if James had done it on purpose to piss her off.


    Maria didn''t know anything about it. If she''d known it was from James, she would be less casual


    about this. She took it off and put it back into the box. Without looking at Alina again, she turned


    around to try on the jewelry set that the saleswoman had taken out for her.


    When taking the measurement on her ring finger, Alina remained silent with a straight face. It was


    obvious she was holding back her rage. In fact, she really wanted to throw the ring away, but she


    couldn''t.


    After all, it was the engagement ring she got from James. If she told him it was lost, he might think


    she never appreciated anything he bought her.


    Alina felt sick the rest of the afternoon, as if she had swallowed a fly that was still buzzing around


    inside her. Then she watched Maria calmly swipe her card to pay for the high-end jewelry set she


    had just tried on. Alina believed what Maria had whispered in her ear. James was always generous


    with his money. After divorcing Maria, he even gave her three hundred million dors in alimony.


    Now that the two were hanging out again, James was spending money on her like it was going out


    of style.


    The sales clerk offered to mail it to her, but Maria turned her down. She took the set home with her.


    Before leaving, she waved at Alina and said, "See you tomorrow night, Alina!"


    Tomorrow night? Alina frowned. That was when the jewelry banquet was. Was Maria going too?


    Then who had invited her? Norman or James?


    Alina never believed that Maria would get an invitation. Maria wasn''t a woman worth hundreds of


    millions. That was what Alina thought, anyway.


    Meanwhile HM Group was holding a meeting in one of their conference rooms. Colby was upset.


    He''d already blown his top once, and the senior executives were cowed by his rage.


    Hands on his hips, he turned his back to the attendees. He looked at the business n and virtual


    products on the screen and glowered. This was not going well, and things might get worse before


    they got better.

 Chapter 68 Insider Information

    Chapter 68 Insider Information


    "Mr. Wang has just called. He said that none of our products has entered the shortlist. The three


    companies that will be promoted are HL Group, Mu Group, and Fosun Entertainment Group. It''s not


    surprising that HL Group and Mu Group have won. After all, they both belong to the top ten best


    companies in the world. I am sincerely convinced that we have lost to them. But Fosun


    Entertainment Group?"


    Colby turned around and red at the senior executives who couldn''t utter a peep. He then


    continued, "It''s just an entertainmentpany that handles models, actors, and actresses. But it


    has not only seeded in transformation but also defeated us. Our HM Group is also one of the


    companies in the Fortune Global 500. Shouldn''t our products reflect ourpany''s reputation?"


    The moment he finished his words, the senior executives couldn''t help discussing with each other in


    whispers. One of them said, "I''ve heard of Fosun Entertainment Group before. I didn''t know that


    they have also ventured into the financial industry."


    Another department manager added, "They won the bid in the government''snd development


    projectst time. I was actually surprised, but I didn''t really think about it too much. I never expected


    that they could..." He secretly took a nce at Colby first before he continued in a whisper, "I never


    expected that they could defeat HM Group in this bid. It''s understandable that Mr. Zheng is upset


    right now."


    When he noticed that the senior executives were only whispering to each other, and no one had


    even given him a satisfactory solution, Colby became more furious. He pounded the table with his


    fist. The loud thud made everyone turn to him. He was about to say something when his phone


    rang.


    He took out the phone from his pocket to check who the caller was. Upon seeing the name on the


    screen, a trace of impatience shed through his eyes. At first, he didn''t intend to answer it. But on


    second thought, perhaps it had something to do with Mr. Wang''s project, so he answered it. "Hello?"


    All the senior executives'' eyes were on Colby. None of them knew what the person on the other end


    of the line was saying, but they could clearly see that the frown on Colby''s face gradually vanished.


    He then said, "Ms. Song, are you saying that you have some insider information about Ezyhealth?


    Okay. I''m in thepany, but I''m leaving on a business trip this afternoon. Can youe over right


    now?"


    After hanging up, Colby adjourned the meeting and hurried back to his office.


    Before leaving the conference room, all the senior executives exchanged wondering nces. One


    of them asked, "Who is Ms. Song? How can she have the insider information?"


    "I have no clue either. But I''ve heard that when Mr. Zheng went to T Countryst time, he took a


    woman named Ms. Song with him. I''m not sure if the woman who called him just now was the same


    Ms. Song."


    "Really?"


    Inside his office, Colby sat and patiently waited for Maria to arrive.


    Half an hourter, he finally received a call from the receptionist that a woman named Maria Song


    wanted to see him. He calmly told his special assistant, "Go downstairs and wee Maria. I''ll wait


    for her here."


    "Yes, Mr. Zheng." The assistant then trotted over to the elevator.


    Usually, Colby would only ask him to go downstairs and wee a guest if the guest was a VIP or


    an honorable one. But today was an exemption. He was told by Colby to go downstairs and


    personally wee Maria, who was an ordinary woman with no strong backing at all. It seemed


    that she really had something important that could significantly impact HM Group.


    A few minutester, Maria gracefully walked into Colby''s office in her white high heels. Today, she


    looked totally different. Instead of her usual backless long dress, she was now wearing a pair of


    ck and white striped suit. Her long hair that was usually hung loose on her shoulders was now


    coiled neatly into a bun.


    She didn''t look hot and enchanting today. The Maria that stood in front of Colby right now was a


    neat and capable businesswoman.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Her sexy red lips moved as she opened her mouth. "Good day, Mr. Zheng. I apologize for the


    sudden visit."


    Colby motioned for Maria to sit down, took the cup of tea from his secretary, and put it in front of her.


    He then kindly said, "Maria, try this green tea. This is made from the tea leaves that I personally


    picked."


    Maria sat down, picked up the cup, and smelled the tea. "This smells good. Xinyang Maojian tea,


    isn''t it? This is one of the top quality green teas.


    "It seems that you know a lot about tea. Do you like this one?"


    Maria smiled and went straight to the point. "I know something about the bidding for Ezyhealth.


    With an expressionless face, Colby poured some hot water into her cup and said, "Let''s make


    things clear here. You are Mr. Xi''s ex-wife. Why don''t you go to him and give him the insider


    information?"


    "Why should I do that? Like what you''ve said, I''m his ex-wife. I have nothing to do with him


    anymore. After all, he is soon to be engaged to Alina Tang. What''s more, it was you who took me to


    T Country. So whatever information I have right now, he doesn''t deserve to have it." Maria


    answered Colby''s question frankly with a calm and honest look on her face. It was hard not to


    believe her.


    For a moment, Colby was stunned. But when he came back to his senses, he burst intoughter.


    "Maria Song, you are really something. You''re such an interesting woman."


    Maria grinned and said, "I''m just finding a way out for myself, Mr. Zheng. Do you know why I left HM


    Group all of a sudden?"


    Colby didn''t know what to say. He was too busy every day to pay attention to any employee''s


    resignation. For him, it was such an insignificant thingpared to his other responsibilities in the


    company.


    Knowing that he had no idea, Maria exined, "James Xi has banned me in the business circle of


    the entire H City. I had to leave HM Group. But since I want to stay in this ce, I have no choice


    but to find a backer in the fastest and simplest way." Maria paused for a moment. She slightly raised


    her eyebrows, looked at Colby, and tentatively asked, "Are you willing to be my backer?"


    As a smart businessman, Colby was not easy to fool. So he only believed one-third of Maria''s


    words. But then, he readily agreed, "Of course!" The truth was, he warned himself inwardly not to


    offend James for a woman. It was not worth it.


    Maria rested her elbows on herp and cupped her chin in her hands. She stared at Colby with


    admiring eyes. "Thank you, Mr. Zheng," she said. But in fact, she also didn''t believe in his words. All


    of a sudden, sadness shed across her eyes. She acted like she seemed to have thought of


    something and said, "Mr. Zheng, I know that you are a married man. But don''t worry. I won''t expect


    anything else from you. I just hope that you can save me when I''m in trouble. That''s all I want to ask


    from you."


    "Don''t worry. You cane to me anytime you need help." In Colby''s eyes, Maria was just any


    other woman. She wouldn''t cause so much trouble at all. He assumed that she would only need


    financial help at most.


    "Well, thank you again, Mr. Zheng." Maria smiled at him gratefully. She then took out a document


    from her briefcase and pressed it on the table. "Mr. Zheng, take a look at this document and tell me


    if I''m worthy of the favor I''m asking from you. This is the insider information that I''ve got. But I hope


    that this will only be between the two of us. Please, don''t tell anyone about this."


    Something came to Colby''s mind. After he came back from T Country, Mr. Wang called him to


    especially thank him for introducing such a stunning woman like Maria. Mr. Wang also said that he


    enjoyed Maria''spany so much and he was satisfied with her. If possible, Mr. Wang wanted to


    keep Maria in T Country all the time. Colby had an assumption that Mr. Wang and Maria had sex


    after the dinner party.


    He strongly believed that Maria had traded her body for the insider information of Ezyhealth. He


    believed it was such a wise decision that he took Maria with him to T Country.


    Proud of himself, Colby nodded in agreement. "Of course, Maria. This matter is just between us.


    You trust me so much. I won''t betray you."


    Maria choked with sobs. "I really appreciate that, Mr. Zheng. From now on, I have no one else to


    rely on but you." Maria then pushed the document in front of Colby.


    Instead of picking it up, Colby just nced at it. He wanted to show Maria that he was not in a hurry


    to read it for her to believe that he really trusted her. He held Maria''s hand and said meaningfully,


    "Maria, if this document is really helpful to HM Group, I want to do you another favor. You can move


    into my three-story vi in the south of the city."


    Looking down at his big rough hands that enveloped hers, Maria suppressed the rolling sickness in


    her stomach. She held his hands back tightly and said with a graceful smile, "Thank you so much,


    Mr. Zheng."


    To avoid causing unnecessary trouble, Maria left HM Group right after she handed the document to


    Colby. Colby didn''t stop her from leaving. He had nned to establish a closer rtionship with her


    in some way, but it was not the right time yet.


    When she was back in the car, Maria pulled out some wet tissues and wiped her hand that was


    touched by Colby. The expression on her face was scarily cold. She didn''t stop until she had nearly


    used up the whole pack of wet tissues.

 Chapter 69 Confidential Document

    Chapter 69 Confidential Document


    In the afternoon of that day, the senior executives of HL Group and Mu Group received the news.


    The Fosun Entertainment Group was removed from the final bidding of the project in T Country, and


    it was reced by HM Group.


    Inside the meeting room of HL Group, Lorenzo came in and stood in front of James, who was sitting


    in the host''s seat. He looked at James and reported hesitantly, "Mr. Xi, I heard that a woman went to


    Mr. Zheng with a document this morning. And soon after she left, HM Group made a big move.


    Then the result of the bidding changed."


    "A woman?" James looked at him with questioning eyes.


    The manager of the nning department chimed in, "Yes, Mr. Xi. I''ve heard that the woman''s name


    was Maria Song. She seemed to have insider information and gave it to HM Group."


    "Maria Song?" A deep frown appeared on James'' face.


    He didn''t expect Maria to have such an ability. HM Group had already been wiped out of the bidding


    for that project, but she helped it back.


    Lorenzo reminded him in a low voice, "Mr. Xi, when we were in T Country, Maria and Mr. Wang had


    spent time together."


    James leaned back in his chair and tapped the table with his fingers, lost in thought.


    Lorenzo continued, "Someone saw Maria get in Mr. Wang''s car. Then the car wandered around the


    city for a long time before they went back to the hotel together..."


    Bang! The loud thump on the table interrupted Lorenzo''s remaining words.


    All the senior executives who were talking about Maria also shut their mouths at the same time.


    With a hint of fury in his eyes, James said in a low voice, "Lorenzo, is this the main point of this


    meeting? We need to do our job well and win the project. That''s the most important thing. This is


    not about what a woman has done. We have our own strength to fight and win this project!"


    "I understand, Mr. Xi. I''m sorry." Upon realizing that he behaved too fervidly to speak ill of Maria,


    Lorenzo restrained himself at once.


    James cast a cold nce at all the senior executives in the room and uttered coldly, "Dismiss!"


    He then stood up, tidied his suit, and strode out of the meeting room. Lorenzo trotted behind him to


    keep up. As soon as he went back to his office, James smashed the folder on his desk, took off his


    necktie, and tossed it aside casually. He stood in front of the French window, his hands on the waist,


    his chest heaving up and down.


    He was a bit confused. If Maria had really hooked up with Colby, why was she still pursuing him?


    James had also heard that rumor about Maria and Mr. Wang in T Country. It was said that one


    night, Maria got in Mr. Wang''s car and they went to his hotel room. He gave it careful thought. They


    only stayed in T Country for two nights. On their first night, Maria was in the hotel. He knew it very


    well. On the second night, he woke up in Maria''s suite. He tied her up in a chair and wrapped her


    mouth with duct tape. He even ordered Lorenzo to send two men in her suite to take her. They even


    had a fight.


    Therefore, it was impossible that she could spend a night with Mr. Wang. It was just gossip that had


    no credibility at all.


    But the question was, how did she get such a confidential document about Ezyhealth? She even


    gave it to Colby.


    It took James half an hour to figure out the answers to the questions that were troubling his mind.


    But in the end, he still had no clue.


    Eventually, he decisively removed Maria''s image from his mind and went back to his work. As the


    evening fell, the CBD Exhibition Center became extremely vivid, adorned by dazzling colorful lights.


    The jewelry banquet was held here tonight. And two-thirds of the wealthiest and most influential


    people of H City gathered in therge hall.


    Many were saying that poor men paid attention to cars while rich ones collected watches. Also, poor


    women paid attention to bags while rich ones collected jewelry.


    No wonder most male guests attended the banquet with their dates. But not everyone went there


    because they wanted to buy anything from the exhibition. Most of them just wanted to see thetest


    and most fashionable designs of jewelry. Perhaps they would only buy if they saw something that


    they really liked.


    Since all of the jewelry cost a fortune, they were all locked in ss showcases. And one or two staff


    were guarding beside each showcase, ready to provide information about the jewelry anytime a


    guest would ask.


    All of the sets of jewelry being showcased were limited edition that could rarely be seen in jewelry


    shops. They were too premier to be shown to the public.


    But aside from the different sets of jewelry being showcased in this banquet tonight, one main focus


    of everyone''s attention was the presence of the golden couple, Alina and James. James was


    dressed in a ck suit with dark embroidery and a pair of shiny ck leather shoes. Alina was in


    her creamy white evening dress and a set of shining diamond jewelry. She held James'' arm,


    obediently following him everywhere.


    Since James had been busy socializing around the hall, Ethan had a little difficulty finding him. So


    when he finally saw James, he grabbed James'' hand, heedless of Alina''s presence. "James, I saw


    a pair of earrings over there. Come and have a look. They are so gorgeous."


    Obviously, Alina was annoyed with his behavior. Pulling a long face, she thought inwardly, ''Why is


    Ethan so impolite? Hasn''t he noticed that I''m also here?'' Ethan didn''t even say hello to her. He just


    took James away from her without casting a nce at her.


    She couldn''t help raising an eyebrow. Judging from Ethan''s outfit and the intimate way he


    addressed James, she suspected that he was gay.


    James didn''t seem to care about Alina either. He just released his arm from her grip and followed


    Ethan to one of the ss showcases where a pair of noble and elegant earrings was disyed.


    "They look domineering, aren''t they? Such huge gems!" Ethan praised with excitement.


    The gems were indeed enormous, but James wasn''t that interested in them, so he just agreed


    nasally. Since she was left alone, Alina decided to walk over to James and Ethan. To get the two


    men''s attention back to her, she took the initiative to start a conversation with Ethan. "Mr. Nan, I


    think this pair of earrings suit a dignified and generous woman. Do you agree?"


    Ethan rubbed his chin with one hand and thought about her question. After a few seconds, he finally


    answered, "This pair of earrings will definitely suit Maria." In his eyes, Maria was the most


    domineering woman he had ever met in his life. She was the type of woman who could make him


    feel secure even if he was the man.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Alina almost choked with anger. She really wanted to roll her eyes at Ethan. ''Why does he have to


    mention Maria''s name? Is he doing this on purpose to annoy me?'' she asked herself inwardly.


    Then all of a sudden, she remembered that Maria was also nning to attend tonight''s banquet.


    Subconsciously, she looked around the hall. And she heaved a sigh of relief when she hadn''t


    noticed Maria among the crowd.


    While staring at Ethan, who was attentively listening to the staff''s exnation about the earrings,


    Alina couldn''t help but sneer inwardly. ''Ethan, you''re just a poor and powerless veterinarian. If it


    weren''t for James'' backing, you would never be able to attend such an event like this.''


    No matter how much Ethan liked the pair of earrings and how much he wanted them, she was sure


    that he couldn''t afford them at all.


    Ste, who had also been wandering around, finally got an opportunity to greet James and Alina.


    She walked up to them. "Good evening, Mr. Xi. Hello, Alina. You look so gorgeous tonight."


    Alina just smiled. She had heard such


    She was with James at this banquet, so she had already expected that she would catch a lot of


    attention. That was why she also made sure that she would be the most eye-catching woman


    tonight.


    Ethan was still listening to the staff talking about emeralds when he suddenly whistled and


    eximed, "Whoa! Look who''s here!"


    Curious about who Ethan was referring to, James turned around and looked at the entrance of the


    banquet hall.


    Maria, who was walking into the hall, became everyone''s center of attention.


    As usual, her long wavy hair was draped around her shoulders. Her eyes were enhanced by the


    ck eyeliner, making them look brighter and bigger. Her rosy cheeks and earth-colored lips really


    suited her. She was also wearing a pair of ckce gloves that stretched to the crook of her arms.


    The ck satin evening dress with dark embroidery that hugged her body and revealed her perfect


    curves made her look so elegant and stunning. She was no different from an empress.


    As she walked alone into the banquet hall gracefully and steadily in her high heels, the aura she


    emanated was so striking that every man in the banquet almost wanted to leave their date and


    rushed over to her.


    As a result, all the eyes that had been on Alina just now moved towards Maria.


    From the way that Maria dressed tonight and the atmosphere she had brought to the banquet hall,


    there was no doubt that she totally won against Alina.


    Soon enough, one sharp-eyed guest noticed the design of Maria''s gown. She nudged a friend


    beside her and whispered, "Look at Maria''s ck gown. The embroidery is way too simr to the


    embroidery in Mr. Xi''s suit. The colors and the patterns are all the same."

 Chapter 70 An Apple In My Hand

    Chapter 70 An Apple In My Hand


    Although it was only a whisper, the other guests around were able to hear what the woman had


    said. Out of curiosity, their gazes swept over James and Maria. And when they noticed that the


    woman''sment was right, they exchanged intriguing nces. Then one of them eximed,


    "Indeed! Mr. Xi and Ms. Song are wearing matching outfits for a couple."


    "Are they together again? Perhaps they are nning to remarry. Otherwise, why would they wear


    the same outfit in this event?" another womanmented.


    Alina was a little confused as she couldn''t clearly hear what the crowd was whispering about. But it


    was Ethan who finally made her understand what was going on. He eximed, "Holy cow! James,


    you and Maria are wearing couple outfits tonight. Wow! I didn''t know that you can be so romantic."


    James'' raised his eyebrows. When did he be romantic? He gave Ethan a warning look and


    said harshly, "Shut up! Just focus on that pair of earrings you love."


    Upon realizing that he got too excited and Alina was with them, Ethan scratched the back of his


    head and said, "All right!" He zipped his mouth but bitched about inwardly, ''It''s too obvious that you


    are wearing a matching outfit. Why still deny it?''


    Alina, on the other hand, asked through clenched teeth, "James, what is going on?"


    James had already realized what was going on, but he didn''t answer Alina''s question. Maria had


    framed him.


    The suit he was wearing right now was one of the two suits given to him by Maria. When she


    brought them to his office, he nned to throw them away. But before he could do so, one of his


    secretaries ironed them and hung them in his wardrobe. While he was choosing a suit to wear for


    this banquet, this suit caught his eyes, so he decided to wear it. After all, the design suited his taste.


    But he didn''t expect that Maria would have an evening gown that had the same embroidery patterns


    as his suit.


    Alina was still waiting for his answer, so he just replied indifferently, "I don''t know."


    He then turned around and went to socialize with the other businessmen, as if themotion had


    nothing to do with him.


    The discussion of the crowd also reached Maria''s ears, and it made her grin ear to ear. She walked


    over to Ethan and greeted him in a brisk tone, "Hello, Mr. Nan. Are you here alone?"


    Ethan shrugged and asked, "Aren''t you alone as well?"


    "It''s not unusual for a woman like me to attend a jewelry exhibition alone. But in your case, you are


    a single man. Where is your date?" Since women were fonder of jewelry than men, it was indeed a


    bit strange for a man to attend this kind of event without a date.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Ethan snorted and said in a proud tone, "Can''t I buy jewelry for myself? Can''t you see? There''s a lot


    of jewelry for men over there."


    He raised his chin to point at the other side of the hall. Maria followed his gaze. There were indeed


    some jewelry and essories for men there.


    "All right. But I''m just curious. Despite being handsome and well-known in H City, why don''t you


    have a girlfriend yet?" Maria didn''t attend this exhibition to buy jewelry. Actually, the first phase of


    her n had already been achieved. Hence, she decided to chat with Ethan for a while to kill time.


    Ethan took two sses of champagne from a waiter''s tray, who happened to pass them by, and


    handed one to her. "Why do I have to find a girlfriend? I enjoy being single anyway."


    Maria chuckled mockingly and deliberately provoked him by saying, "Mr. Nan, being single is totally


    different from being unpopr with girls."


    Ethan got irritated at once, so the tone of his voice slightly rose when he said, "Maria Song, what


    are you saying? It''s not that I''m unpopr. It''s just that I''m not interested in those vulgar women


    around."


    Maria restrained herself fromughing, but she failed, so she burst intoughter in the end.


    The truth was, she was enjoying teasing Ethan. She liked his innocence and carefreeness. If only


    she could have a younger brother like him, she would be much happier.


    Maria''sughter attracted many people''s attention. The way sheughed right now was totally


    different from the usual. Tonight, sheughed with real brightness in her eyes and without any


    reservation, showing her straightforwardness.


    Watching herughing out loud, Ethan couldn''t help smiling. Joy also filled his charming eyes. But


    then, a sense of crisis suddenly surged up in his heart.


    He was afraid that Maria would do something to him. After all, she had a wide range of connections.


    James, Lawrence, and Norman were only to name a few. Ethan felt like he was the only one who


    had not fallen into her trap yet. At the thought of it, he reminded himself to keep calm and never


    look at her enchanting eyes.


    He believed that beautiful women were more capable of cheating on him.


    Maria stoppedughing. "Hey, why are you so quiet all of a sudden? Has the cat got your tongue?"


    Maria asked.


    When Ethan came back to his senses, he got a bit annoyed, so he asked, "Maria Song, why are


    you such a temptress?" He couldn''t understand why he couldn''t seem to dislike her.


    Maria rolled her eyes. "Mr. Nan, you think too highly of me. If I am a temptress, I already have


    James like an apple in my hand."


    "Well, for your own good, you''d better give up. You can''t defeat James. He is a man above


    everything."


    This was the fact that Maria also knew. She had already realized how difficult it was to deal with


    James. In the eyes of many men, she was an enchantress. But it had been more than a month now


    since she came back to H City, yet, she hadn''t touched even the edge of his bed. "I know that. After


    all, how can a woman like me defeat a beast? But I still want to challenge myself, so I''m giving it a


    try," she said in a low voice.


    Ethan thought for a while before he said, "Well, there''s nothing wrong with trying. And who knows,


    you may even beat him. If that happens, it only means that you are worse than a beast."


    Maria was amused by his words, but she pretended to be mad. "Oh, shut up!"


    Ethan felt proud of himself. It wasn''t that easy to win an argument against Maria, and he did. Since


    he was in a good mood now, he invited her by saying, "Maria, I just saw a pair of earrings that really


    match your temperament. Come with me. I''ll show them to you."


    "Are you going to buy them for me?" Maria asked, eyeing him.


    "No way! You''re not even my girlfriend," Ethan refused at once.


    Maria snorted, "I don''t want to have a boyfriend as young as you, okay? I don''t have the energy to


    take care of you."


    Ethan retorted, "Hey, Maria Song! Let me tell you this. If I have a girlfriend, I will be the one to take


    care of her." He believed that as a man, he should be the more emotionally stable one in a


    rtionship.


    "Bravo! So if you will have a girlfriend in the future, don''t forget to introduce her to me, okay? As


    your friend and as a woman, I can assess if she really loves you," Maria answered casually while


    looking at the jewelry in the showcases.


    She was about to turn to a corner when Ethan suddenly pulled her to the right. "Here we are. Look!


    Aren''t they beautiful?"


    Maria looked at the showcase curiously to see what kind of jewelry Ethan had been praising. It


    turned out, it was a pair of emerald earrings. The bright green precious stones were quite huge, and


    the design was magnificent. But they were not her type. "Are you going to buy it for Auntie?" she


    then asked.


    "Auntie? What do you mean?" Ethan asked back in confusion.


    "Your mom, of course!"


    Ethan blinked a few times. For a moment, the look in his eyes became a little weird. He stammered,


    "Of course not! I don''t have a n to buy them. I just thought that they''re the best pair...for you."


    "Oh, they''re indeed beautiful. But they will perfectly suit aged women more. Maybe if I am sixty or


    seventy years old, I will buy them," Maria exined.


    Ethan curled his lips. He didn''t want to give up, so he told the staff, "Take them out. Let her try


    them."


    Maria''s brow creased as she thought inwardly, ''Are all rich young men so willful? He hasn''t even


    asked me.'' She then refused helplessly, "No need. I don''t want to wear them."


    "Come on, Maria! Just try them. It won''t cost you a penny, after all." Ethan was quite enthusiastic,


    so eager to see the earrings on Maria''s ears.


    Maria red at him. "Are you a salesman here? How muchmission will they give you?"


    "Of course not! What are you talking about? Never mind. Miss, put them back in." The staff had


    already taken out the earrings and put them on top of the showcase, so when she heard what Ethan


    said, she was a little stunned. Maria shook her head. She couldn''t let the staff''s effort be in vain.


    Feeling helpless, she said, "All right. Let me try them on. Please hold the mirror for me."


    She took off the diamond earrings from her ears, sat down, and put on the emerald earrings.


    Ethan casually leaned against the showcase beside her, fixing his gaze at her ears.


    After putting on the earrings, Maria spun the chair and looked up at Ethan. "Here you go. So how do


    they look on my ears? Still like them?"

 Chapter 71 Emerald Earrings

    Chapter 71 Emerald Earrings


    "I said the earrings suit you. You don''t look old wearing them. If you don''t believe me, ask James."


    Ethan always walked the talk. True to form, he took out his cell phone and called James.


    When Maria was about divest herself of the earrings, she was stopped by Ethan''s hand. "James will


    be here soon. Don''t take them off now."


    James Xi? Maria stopped taking them off. For James'' sake, Maria just sat there and waited, wearing


    the emerald earrings.


    "Okay Ethan, what''s going on? Why do you want me to wear these?" She stared at the young man


    in front of her.


    As expected, Ethan''s expression changed. He murmured in embarrassment, "I want to buy them for


    my mom."


    Seeing that Maria was about to smack his head, he quickly added, "My mom is as domineering and


    unreasonable as you. So, if you look good in them, she will too." Dodging Maria''s attack, he ran off.


    "James! James! Help!"


    Maria was astonished by hisment-domineering and unreasonable? She had already caught up


    with Ethan and grabbed his arm, but she reluctantly let go when she saw James approaching.


    And of course, Maria couldn''t fail to notice the woman with James. Alina always stood behind him,


    worried that other women would steal this man away.


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    When Alina saw Maria with those brilliant green earrings, jealousy shed in her eyes. She asked


    sourly, "Those look expensive, Maria. Where did you get that kind of cash, anyway?"


    Ignoring her, Ethan yanked James to the side and put him face to face with Maria. "Hey James,


    check this out. You like?"


    James nced at the woman. She always emanated an aggressive beauty. Her fair skin together


    with the costly emerald earrings made her look naturally graceful and in charge. James had to


    agree with Ethan, and nodded his assent.


    Seeing that James liked them, Ethan was even happier. He asked easily, "You could foot the bill,


    right James?"


    Alina was stunned. "Mr. Nan, are you going to buy them for Maria?"


    "Why? What''s wrong?" Ethan looked at her, puzzled.


    Alina smiled awkwardly. "Nothing. Just wondering why you want to give such an expensive gift to


    Maria." In fact, what she wanted to ask most was why James had to pay for it.


    Plus, it was a gift for Maria. Alina was overwhelmed by the jealousy and anger in her heart.


    "Do I need a reason? Because it''s my pleasure!" Ethan didn''t want to waste any more words on it,


    waving his hand as if he were shooing a fly.


    He just looked at James expectantly, waiting for him to write the check.


    Without saying a word, James took out a check book from his pocket and wrote a check for ten


    million dors to Ethan. Alina was stunned.


    Maria looked suspiciously at the two men. She noticed that because of tonight''s dinner party, Ethan


    had eschewed his casual clothes in favor of an expensive pink suit.


    As for James, he was d in ck as he ever was.


    Maria recalled some of Ethan''s previousments about James. One time he said anyone would


    be lucky to have a man like him. Now she couldn''t help wondering if they were gay.


    "What''s that look in your eyes?" A cold voice interrupted her wild imaginings, bringing her back to


    reality.


    Maria saw that Ethan had gone to pay for the earrings, while James stared at her coldly. But


    curiosity was killing her. She couldn''t help but ask, "James, are you bisexual?"


    Startled, Alina choked on her own saliva. "Ahem! Ahem! Excuse me!" Realizing her gaffe, she


    apologized to James in a hurry.


    ''No way! It couldn''t be. But James did send me messages saying he was into guys when he was in


    T Country. So it''s true? And he likes Ethan Nan? Has everyone gone crazy?'' Alina screamed


    inwardly.


    Ethan was just a college student. He had a part-time job as a vet in a pet hospital run by HL Group.


    They weren''t family at all. But Alina had seem James giving Ethan money more than a few times.


    asionally, Ethan would stay overnight at James'' vi.


    Ethan was a good looking young man with innocent, puppy-dog eyes, and fair skin. The more Alina


    thought about it, the more convinced she became. James liked men.


    Hearing Maria''s silly question, James'' eyes darkened as he looked at her. Icy hatred came off him in


    waves. "You get one chance to take that back."


    Maria just ignored him. This was too fun. She really wanted to piss him off. "Oh, I''m sorry. Were you


    keeping the affair between you and Mr. Nan a secret?" Seeing her like this, Alina couldn''t stand


    anymore. "Maria Song, stop! Don''t get close to James!"


    Maria was close to James now, and the outfits they wore made them look like a couple. Alina


    seethed in anger.


    Frowning deeply, James was thinking about how to deal with this audacious woman. "You''re


    doomed this time, Maria Song!" She would be fired from that coffee shop for sure!


    "Oh really, Mr. Xi? How many men will you try to rent me out to this time? Or maybe you want me


    cuffed and stuffed by the cops, or make the coffee shop fire me, or you''ll try to have me killed, huh?"


    Maria recited a litany of all his tricks he''d tried before.


    James realized that he tried to get rid of this woman so many times, but she still stood in front of


    him, safe and sound. He racked his brain trying to figure it out. What could he say to break her? "Or


    do you want me to prevent you from going to the cemetery for the rest of your life?"


    His words really made Maria''s face change dramatically. Anger burst from within her. She warned


    him with a growl, stressing each syble, "Try it. Maybe I can''t do anything to you, but think of Alina.


    You want something to happen to her?"


    Alina was speechless. Why did Maria drag her into it? She was innocent! But she was much


    happier than anyone else to see them fighting. Hearing the threat, she moved closer to James,


    pretending to be scared. "Maria, we''re cousins. I''ve done nothing ¡ª "


    "Shut up!" Without giving her cousin a chance to finish, Maria continued to threaten the CEO. "If you


    don''t want your engagement ceremony to be a funeral, leave me alone!"


    "Are you seriously threatening me?"


    "I don''t believe I stuttered, James Xi. Yes I want to remarry you, but that doesn''t mean you can''t


    push me too far! If you continue to treat me like a whore, I''ll make sure even worse happens to


    Alina!"


    "Maria Song!" Alina gaped in disbelief. "Are you crazy?" She just kept digging, threatening her and


    James. What was she thinking?


    Fortunately, even though other people did care what they were talking about, no one dared to


    eavesdropping.


    James shook off Alina''s grip on his arm. He grabbed Maria''s wrist and dragged her aside.


    Everyone noticed what he did, and they exchanged excited nces with each other.


    The whole banquet hall went quiet.


    People were wondering what was going on. Had James abandoned his new girlfriend and gone


    back to his ex? At this moment, Ethan''s voice rang out behind them. "Wait a minute, you two. My


    earrings!"


    He watched them walk away and heard James say, "They don''t suit your mom."


    Ethan scratched his head. It didn''t matter if the earrings weren''t right for his mother, but they should


    give them back, right?


    At this moment, Ethan thought about that old saying again ¡ª"One kingdom shouldn''t have two


    kings." But this one had a king and a queen. So far, the king and the queen hadn''t dered a


    ceasefire. He could smell the gunpowder from afar!


    Alina, who was left behind, became the most embarrassed person in the hall. At first, Ste didn''t


    n to intervene, but when she saw Alina standing there, awkward and alone, she felt sorry for her.


    Also, she was afraid Alina would use her of not caring about her if she didn''t try tofort her.


    Keeping this in mind, Ste took a deep breath and approached Alina, "Alina..." she called out


    tentatively. She was afraid Alina would blow up on her.

 Chapter 72 The Simple And Naive Ethan

    Chapter 72 The Simple And Naive Ethan


    Knowing that the other guests wouldn''t notice, Alina red at Ste and just ignored her. But the


    next moment, she seemed to have thought of something, so she tapped Ste''s shoulder and


    whispered something.


    At first, confusion was written all over Ste''s face. Then it was reced by shock. She shook her


    head vigorously and said, "No, Alina. I can''t dare to do that." If James found out, she would be


    doomed.


    Alina didn''t want her n to fail, so she thought of something to bribe Ste. She looked around, but


    she realized that the jewelry and essories in this exhibition were way too expensive for a gift to


    Ste. After thinking for a while, something came to her mind. She secretly nudged Ste and said,


    "Don''t you like that dress in the fashion week? I''ll give it to you as a gift."


    That dress that Ste liked was not that expensive but difficult to get because its procurement


    required a lot of procedures. Now that Alina wanted to give it to her as a gift, she finally gave in. It


    was such a temptation she couldn''t resist.


    So she nodded in agreement and walked towards the direction where James and Maria had


    disappeared just now.


    Under everyone''s watchful gazes, Maria was taken by James to a corner at the end of the hallway.


    It was the fire exit, so no one went there.


    James loosened his grip on Maria''s wrist and faced her. He just stared at her coldly without saying


    anything.


    It was Maria who broke the silence. "Why did you take me here? James Xi, don''t you know that I''m


    so pissed off right now?" Maria was so annoyed that James had threatened her that she couldn''t


    visit Arthur''s tomb anymore. Arthur''s death anniversary was approaching, and it was impossible for


    her not to bring flowers to her son. She couldn''t forgive James so easily this time.


    James couldn''t understand what Maria was thinking about. He didn''t know whether tough or to


    cry. In the first ce, it was she who had threatened him and even doubted his rtionship with


    Ethan. Shouldn''t he be the one to get angry? "Can''t you just hold back your anger?" he tried to ask.


    "Why should I? Don''t you know that I may get ill? It''s either I''ll get hypersia or myoma. And you


    even didn''t let me kiss you. So why should I not be angry?"


    James tried his best to restrain himself fromughing as he found her reasons really amusing. She


    was so quick to change the subject. He couldn''t help thinking, ''Aren''t we supposed to fight? Why


    does it seem like she just wants me to feel that I have wronged her?''


    Eventually, Maria took a deep breath and said, "If you want to have a fight with me, I don''t care. Just


    don''t threaten me with anything rted to Arthur. You know too well that he is my rock bottom."


    James believed that Maria was only ttering herself too much. He never wanted to put up a fight


    with her at all. If possible, he didn''t want to have anything to do with her.


    When Maria noticed James'' silence, she decided to change her approach. She calmed herself


    down, threw herself into his arms, and held him tightly. She then said between sobs, "James, don''t


    use our child to threaten me again, okay?"


    James got more speechless, looking at the ceiling. He thought that Maria might be suffering from a


    split personality disorder, or there might be something wrong with her nerves. He tried to break free


    from her embrace while saying, "Maria Song, let go of me!"


    "No. I''ll never let go of you. Never!" Maria''s only goal was to win James'' heart back. If she couldn''t


    do it the hard way, then a softer way might work. But one thing was for sure. She would pester him


    in every possible way.


    For a moment, James didn''t know what to do. His body stiffened when he looked down at Maria in


    his arms. Her nonstop wailing was giving him a headache. He closed his eyes tightly, clenched his


    fists, and finally said, "Okay. I promise." There was a hint of helplessness in his voice.


    Upon hearing his assurance, Maria''s lips curved into a smile. She loosened her grip on him a little


    and raised her head from his chest. "James, there''s a ne I really love there."


    "Maria Song, don''t push your luck too much." James felt like his patience would totally run out if she


    would keep on troubling him.


    "Fine! If you don''t want to buy me anything, don''t buy for Alina either."


    "Do I have to remind you who you are to me now?" James snapped. He pushed her away and


    red at her coldly. It seemed that she wanted to meddle in his personal affairs. Of course, he


    would never give her a chance to do that.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "No, thanks. I don''t forget that I am just your ex -wife," Maria replied. She knew that it was what he


    wanted to remind her.


    James cast her a nce and said, "Good. There''s one more thing I want to warn you. Ethan is a


    simple and naive man. Don''t you dare hurt him!" He had seen that Maria and Ethan were chatting


    just now. They had been talking andughing for a long time. He was worried that Ethan would be


    charmed by her in the end.


    Maria was stunned for a moment and then burst intoughter. "Are you thinking that I''m going to hit


    on Ethan?" She couldn''t help wondering what her image was in James'' heart. Didn''t he know that


    she was very picky when it came to men? How could he even think that she would seduce such a


    young man like Ethan?


    If only she could, she wanted to smash James'' skull right now.


    With a gloomy expression, James didn''t answer her question but asked, "Aren''t you?"


    Maria was not in the mood to defend herself, so she pretended that James had really seen through


    her. "Wow! How did you know that''s my n? And now that you''re warning me not to hurt him, does


    it mean that I can do it on you instead?"


    "Hmm," James replied nasally. He was confident that he could resist her charm. She wouldn''t be


    able to seduce him.


    Maria was about to say something when she heard some light footsteps approaching.


    It seemed that the personing towards them was very cautious. But since she had some training


    in kung fu, her senses had be sharp.


    When she looked at James, she saw that he was also on alert. Obviously, he heard the footsteps


    too. They both stopped talking. The footsteps finally stopped at a distance far enough to overhear


    their conversation. Out of the blue, Maria uttered, "James, what is wrong with you?"


    Unable to figure out what she intended to do, James frowned and retorted, "I dare you to say it


    again!"


    Maria came closer to him and whispered in his ear, "You look so charming tonight."


    James didn''t say anything but just red at her.


    But when she was about to distance herself from him, his powerful long arm wrapped around her


    waist. She didn''t see iting, so she raised her head and looked at him with eyes full of


    confusion. A hint of malice shed across his eyes as he said, "Ms. Song, why are you touching


    me? We''re only here to talk, aren''t we?"


    Finally, Maria understood what James wanted to do. He wanted the eavesdropper to think that she


    was trying to hit on him. She didn''t bother to escape from his arm. Instead, she even put her hand


    on his chest and said in a coquettish tone, "Mr. Xi, didn''t you say that you are not interested in


    Alina? I''m the only one who can arouse you, right?"


    She restlessly caressed his chest for a while. And what she did seemed to have some effects on


    him. With a cold expression, he abruptly loosened his grip on her waist, not wanting to continue


    their game anymore.


    He stepped back, turned his head towards the corner, and shouted, "Get out of there!" In an instant,


    they heard some messy footsteps going farther and farther.


    Obviously, James was able to scare the eavesdropper away.


    Maria wanted to tease him more. But when she saw a red light sh on her ring, she stood straight


    and tidied up her dress. The expression on her face returned to normal at once.


    She took off the emerald earrings from her ears, handed them to James, and said, "Give them back


    to Mr. Nan. I have to go now."


    James had also noticed the red light that shed on her ring and the sudden change of her


    expression. He stared at the pair of earrings in her hand but didn''t take them. "You can either give


    them back to Ethan personally or keep them."


    Maria just shrugged, kept the earrings in her hand, and strode back to the banquet hall without


    saying a more word to him.


    James was lost in thought, watching her receding back.


    He was wondering why she became serious all of a sudden. What was she up to?


    James didn''t expect that he would get the answer soon.


    As soon as Maria returned to the banquet hall, she looked for Ethan to return the earrings.


    However, he refused to take them back. After all, James had said that they were not suitable for his


    mother.


    He shouldn''t have bought the earrings. So since he couldn''t give them to his mother, he didn''t want


    to take them back from Maria.


    While Maria and Ethan were still pushing the earrings back and forth to each other, Ste came


    over to them. She looked like an arrogant peacock as she stared at the earrings in Maria''s hand


    with disdain. "Maria Song, what kind of taste do you have? Why do you always prefer rubbish


    stuff?"


    Ste didn''t know that it was Ethan who liked the pair of earrings so much and he bought them. So


    she didn''t realize that she had unintentionally offended him.


    Maria looked at Ethan sympathetically. She could see the disappointment all over his face, and she


    could feel that his mood worsened after hearing what Ste said. To calm him down, she thought of


    something that could distract Ethan''s attention. Looking around, she saw James not far away. She


    walked up to him and said, "Mr. Xi, you know how much I''ve liked you before."

 Chapter 73 I Dont Care If You Die

    Chapter 73 I Don''t Care If You Die


    Maria suspected that Ste had been eavesdropping on them.


    Standing next to her, James realized Maria had dragged him into more drama. Again.


    Suppressing the urge to strangle his ex, he red at Ste, whose face paled dramatically. He said


    slowly, "You just insulted Maria''s taste. You do know we were married before, right?"


    Maria chimed in, "So, Miss Qin, what are you trying to say? That my bad taste led to my marriage to


    James? What do you really think of my ex?"


    The two echoed each other, making Ste burst into tears on the spot. She never expected that


    Maria could be so clever. She drew James into the conversation and turned the tables on Ste.


    "No! No! Mr. Xi, of course not. How could I ever say such a thing? I didn''t mean it like that!" She


    tried hard to exin.


    Pondering this for a bit, James called his secretary and said, "I''m not happy with that contract we


    have with Qin Group. Rearrange an open tender."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi." Realizing her remarks made Qin Group lose a hundred-million-dor ount, Ste


    panicked. She couldn''t know that James wasn''t done. A few dayster, HL Group outbid Qin Group


    on another contract.


    As soon as Alina walked over, she heard his decision about Qin Group. She was taken aback, biting


    back the question on the tip of her tongue. She originally wanted to ask James why he told Maria he


    was not interested in her.


    Trembling in fear, Ste left the hall early. She had to get home as soon as possible and admit her


    mistake to her father, or she would be so dead.


    After dealing with trifles, James was about to have a reckoning with the woman who used him, but


    Maria was already gone. Maria stepped towards the exit at the back of the exhibition center and


    hurriedly followed a group of men who were about to leave through the same exit.


    James was not interested in what she was going to do next. He wasn''t staying long anyway, so he


    sent a message to Lorenzo. "I''m ready to go.


    A little whileter, James checked his watch. Something wasn''t right. Lorenzo was usually on time.


    Eventually, he showed up, out of breath. He ran over to James and whispered in his ear, "Mr. Xi,


    something happened outside. Let''s go through the exit out back."


    James'' first instinct told him that Maria was at the heart of whatever Lorenzo was talking about.


    Alina chose this moment to use thedies'' room. James decided to leave her there and take off


    now. He asked Lorenzo to wait for her and drive her back in another car.


    Things were more serious than James had imagined. As soon as he walked out of the back exit of


    the exhibition center, something flew at him and chipped the wall behind him. When he looked


    closer, he could see a bullet embedded there. He wouldn''t have been able to dodge that. Lucky the


    unknown assassin was a bad shot.


    He didn''t hear a thing. Someone was using a gun with silencer.


    He nced at the seemingly quiet, peaceful street nearby. It was still quiet, but there was a flurry of


    activity as furtive figures stole to and fro.


    He noticed Maria wearing a half mask. The hemline of her ck dress was tied around her waist,


    her legs wrapped in ck silk stockings. She hid in a corner, reloading her Desert Eagle. When she


    was ready, she rushed out without hesitation.


    James'' bodyguards formed a human wall to protect him. The CEO watched his ex move in silence.


    In less than two minutes, his Harkim roared over and stopped in front of him, waiting for him to get


    in.


    As he moved, his eyes focused on the woman, chased by four fully-armed men.


    Maria ran along the road trying to avoid gunfire. Atst, she caught a glimpse of the Harkim. As


    soon as James was safely inside, she quickly climbed to the car roof, spun, and vaulted into the


    back seat as fast as she could.


    However, before she could get belted in, several weapons were pointed at her head.


    Maria grabbed James with a spare hand and said, "Tell them we''re on the same side."


    James was confused. Since when had he sided with her?


    Before he could say anything, the group of men who had been chasing Maria found the Harkim.


    Armed to the teeth, they rushed over and surrounded the car. More of James'' bodyguards rushed


    out of the darkness and encircled them.


    Assessing the situation, those men lowered their weapons. One of them, seemingly the leader, said,


    "You okay? We''re looking for a woman wearing a half-mask, Mr. Xi. If you see her, please hand her


    over to us. Thank you!"


    The man was pretty sure the woman they were pursuing was in James'' car, as he could see the


    bodyguards in the car pointing their guns at someone.


    Ignoring the barrels of the guns pressed to her head, Maria whispered to James, "Don''t forget


    Lawrence asked you to keep me alive. If you hand me over, I''ll be a corpse before sunrise. How will


    you exin that to him?"


    ''She''s got one foot in her grave but she''s still threatening me.'' This thought made James extremely


    unhappy. Leaning back in his seat, he said in a calm voice, "Don''t worry about that. You''re just a


    woman. I don''t care if you die."


    He had lost control once and saved her life, and he was forced to take care of her. He wouldn''t


    make that mistake a second time.


    "Okay! All right! I got it. If you don''t want to save me, at least ask your men to put away their


    weapons. This is extremely ufortable."


    James agreed. With a wave of his hand, he ordered his men to sheathe their weapons and stop


    menacing Maria.


    She took a deep breath and looked at the man seriously, her eyes full of disappointment and


    disdain. "Thanks for confirming my suspicions." She threw the pistol into the glovepartment of


    his car as she ran out of bullets. She took off her high heels and armed herself again.


    "James Xi, you really are a heartless man, aren''t you?" To avoid James actually handing her over,


    she jumped out of his car.


    While the men were talking with James'' bodyguards, they paid Maria no mind. She spun and cast a


    nce at the motionless man in the car before she disappeared in the shadows. Noticing the


    movement, the group switched on the lights attached to their weapons and fanned out, searching


    for Maria. Their beams knifed through the dark.


    The Harkim was parked on the roadside. A bodyguard asked in a low voice, "Excuse me, Mr. Xi. For


    your safety, may I advise we leave the area? We''ll drive Ms. Tang back home safe and sound in


    another car."


    The man sat in the back seat, fully rxed. He didn''t answer the question.


    The bodyguard thought he might be waiting for Alina, so he stopped asking.


    Time passed. Ten minutester, Alina still hadn''t shown up. Afraid that James would be in danger,


    the bodyguard broke the silence. "Mr. Xi, we can''t stay here long. How about I go find Ms. Tang?"


    This time, James replied with two words, "No need."


    Then he fell silent again.


    "James Xi, you really are a heartless man, aren''t you?" Maria''s words echoed in his ears.


    Was he really such a bad person?


    Probably.


    Alina spotted Lorenzo as soon as she emerged from thedies'' room. "What''s up?" she asked. "Mr.


    Xi asked me to drive you back home!"


    Alina was a little surprised. "Where is he?"


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "Mr. Xi had to leave early to take care of an urgent matter."


    Alina couldn''t believe her ears. She had chosen a set of jewelry worth tens of millions dors and


    was going to ask James to pay for it. How could he leave so suddenly? "Where is Maria Song?"


    "I don''t know," Lorenzo answered truthfully. "Did she leave with James?"


    "No."


    Alina knew that Lorenzo wouldn''t lie to her, so she gave up on that set of jewelry she wanted and


    left the hall with him.

 Chapter 74 Losing Control

    Chapter 74 Losing Control


    Alina endured the embarrassment and humiliation Maria put her through tonight. But it was only a


    matter of time until Alina got her revenge. Sooner orter, she would trample on Maria in a way the


    latter wouldn''t be able to get back on her feet.


    Half an hourter, many ambnces and police cars arrived at the exhibition center. The road near


    the banquet hall was cordoned off, preventing other cars from getting in.


    The ck Harkim, which had been parked for a long time at the roadside, slowly left at that


    moment.


    As soon as James arrived at thepany, he went back to his work. However, he seemed quite


    absent-minded, looking at the document in his hand. After a while, he thumped the papers in his


    hands on the desk and irritatedly pulled out his phone to call Lawrence. "Hey, dude. What are you


    up to?"


    "I''ve just finished my training. Now I''m on my way to the dormitory. What happened?" Lawrence


    didn''t think that James would call him in the middle of the night just to keep in touch or chit chat.


    "So you haven''te back yet?"


    "Nah. The mission isn''t over," Lawrence answered in a rxed tone.


    After a moment of silence, James finally said, "Okay, I got it. Let''s have a drink after you get back."


    "Are you sure there isn''t any particr reason for you to call me right now?" Lawrence couldn''t


    believe that James was about to hang up already.


    In fact, he seemed to have sensed something was off with James that night. Although James did


    want to ask Lawrence about Maria, he stopped on second thought.


    "Nothing. Got to go." James hung up the phone.


    Looking at the call log, Lawrence was at a loss. That was less than a minute call. He raised his


    eyebrows, wondering why his best friend was such a freak.


    At four o''clock in the morning, James finallyy in his bed. But as soon as he closed his eyes, his


    phone screen lit up in the dark bedroom.


    He stretched out his hand, but didn''t fumble for the device immediately.


    About half a minuteter, he sat on his bed and grabbed the phone on the nightstand. Annoyed, he


    opened his WeChat app.


    A message from Maria popped up. "I got injured. Won''t youe over to take care of me?" The


    nerves that had been tense all this time rxed a little after reading her message. He quickly typed


    a reply. "Do I have anything to do with it?"


    "Of course! If you had given me a ride, I wouldn''t have been so seriously injured. Don''t you think?"


    James paused for a second and thought about what she said. Then he typed again, "Don''t bother


    me anymore, or I''ll block you."


    After that, Maria was surprisingly obedient. She didn''t send him another text message within the


    next half an hour.


    Still, James couldn''t fall asleep. Lying in the bed with his eyes closed, he kept wondering about her


    injuries as her words echoed in his mind. "You''re really a heartless man."


    At five o''clock in the morning, the phone screen lit up again. This time, it was a message from


    Lawrence. "James, Maria is injured. It seems quite serious. I can''t go back to take care of her. If


    you''re free during the day, could you pay her a visit on my behalf?"


    James sighed as he read the message.


    He held himself back from saving Maria for the second time but still couldn''t escape the fate of


    taking care of her after she got injured.


    So, at half-past six in the morning, a Harkim arrived at the parking lot of a small hotel. Once the car


    stopped, a man in a white shirt and ck suit pants got out of the driver''s seat.


    Clenching his jaw, the man had a stern look on his face as he walked into the hotel with something


    in his hand.


    When the doorbell rang, Maria turned over in her bed, annoyed by the noise. Atst, she got up and


    opened the door with her messy long hair. "You lunatic! Why are you ringing my doorbell so early in


    the morning? You''re killing me..."


    When she recognized the man at the door, she swallowed whatever she was going to say next.


    Sobering up from her drowsiness, she asked, "Why are you here?" She looked at the man in the


    corridor, surprised that he hade so early.


    James, on the other hand, seemed reluctant to be there.


    Nevertheless, he noticed Maria looked a little pale in her white silk nightgown. A few stains of blood


    were also showing beneath the thick bandage around her arm.


    Not bothering to answer her question, James walked past her and came into her room. He then put


    the paper bag he brought on the table and ordered, "Eat."


    ''So, this man came all the way here to bring me breakfast at six o''clock in the morning?'' Maria


    wondered. She hadn''t had breakfast in ages. Honestly, she couldn''t even remember when it was the


    last time she had one.


    Turning around, she closed the door and leaned against it with a smile. "You can eat it for me. I


    don''t usually have breakfast, but I can watch you eat."


    Maria thought maybe she was too forgiving. Last night, she felt her heart breaking into a million


    pieces, but the moment James showed at her door with breakfast this morning, she couldn''t help


    feeling overjoyed.


    James cast a cold nce her way and said, "Go clean yourself up."


    "Okay!" Mariaplied, heading straight to the restroom.


    The scent of tuberose permeated through the woman''s room. There were several cigarette butts in


    the ashtray on the table, to which James frowned slightly. He never thought it was a good thing for


    women to smoke.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    In the bathroom, Maria didn''t bother to wash her face. She just brushed her teeth quickly before


    coming out.


    By the time she stepped back into the room, she found James quietly sitting on the sofa.


    Instead of going to the table, Maria went back to bed andy down. Next, she sighed in a soft and


    sweet voice, "Ouch! My arm hurts so much. Mr. Xi, I don''t want to have breakfast right now. You can


    leave."


    Staring at the woman who didn''t pay any attention to her image, the man''s eyes darkened. "Stop


    messing around!"


    Everything Maria did and said was on purpose. James could see through her every action.


    Lying on her side, Maria supported her head with her uninjured arm and looked back at him,


    deliberately lifting the hemline of her nightgown. "Men are born lustful, and women are born to mess


    around. There''s nothing wrong with that!"


    As she lifted more and more the hemline of her nightgown, her fair-skinned legs were exposed to


    his eyes.


    At that moment, James stood up from the sofa and walked over to the bed. Leaning over, he


    pinched Maria''s chin. "Stop pushing your luck, woman!"


    Maria took the opportunity and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. "There


    is no sane woman in this world who doesn''t want to have sex with James Xi! Come on! I can''t hold


    myself any longer. I''m ready!"


    James looked down at her without saying anything. Her lips, usually covered with lipstick, looked a


    little pale now, but it didn''t affect their charm.


    Their breaths intertwined as James bent down further. With him so close, Maria plucked up her


    courage and raised her head to kiss his tightly pressed thin lips.


    James was taken aback by the sudden attack.


    The kiss felt different from the ones Maria had given him in the past. Those were just light, gentle,


    and brief pecks. So once she took the initiative this time, James couldn''t hold himself anymore. He


    quickly responded to her, parting his lips to deepen their kiss.


    Since Maria had returned to H City, that was the first time she and James shared a real kiss. It had


    taken her almost two months and a lot of efforts, but it was finally happening.


    As Maria saw it, this had been a difficult goal to achieve. James wasn''t an easy man to seduce.


    Once his big hands felt her through her soft silk nightgown, he lost control altogether. Pressing


    Maria under him, he kissed her even more passionately.


    The two people who had been abstinent for a long time seemed like fire and gasoline burning


    together.


    At a very critical moment, James felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He opened his eyes,ing


    to his senses.


    When he looked at the woman, whose nightgown he had ripped off, regret shed through his eyes.


    Underneath him, Maria was slightly flushed. As it seemed, she had lost herself as much as he had


    in their passionate moment.


    Panting, James stood up and adjusted himself before answering the phone. "Yes. It''s me."


    Maria remained on the bed, her chest heaving. She wanted to curse. She was so close to getting


    what she wanted.


    She wondered who the hell was on the other end of the line.


    "Yes. I came to see her. She''s fine. Alright, but in the future, don''t ever ask me to do such a thing on


    your behalf again," James told him in a unfriendly tone.


    Just then, Maria figured out who was calling. Sitting on the bed, regardless of her charming curves


    exposed to the man in the room, she roared at the phone''s direction, "Lawrence Lu, you asshole!


    Couldn''t you wait to call himter?" Lawrence was always so busy training, especially during the


    night. Howe he was already up calling James this early in the morning? ''Damn it! '' Maria swore


    to herself.

 Chapter 75 Plan B

    Chapter 75 n B


    Hearing Maria''s string of curses on the other end of the line, Lawrence fell silent. It seemed he had


    interrupted them being intimate. He was amazed and amused all at the same time. Holding back his


    laughter, he said to James, "I''m so sorry! I''ll...uh...let you get back to what you were doing. Bye!"


    He was worried James wouldn''t go to take care of Maria, so he made the phone call to prompt him.


    But his timing was so bad. He didn''t do that on purpose. After hanging up, he burst intoughter.


    James put his phone back into his pocket and looked back at the woman on the bed. He was stony-


    faced as always. "I''m out of here. Don''t bother me again unless it''s urgent." He realized he was


    close to losing it. He almost fell into Maria''s trap.


    Before leaving, he blocked her on WeChat while she watched.


    Maria red at him and said nothing.


    "I think you need a man. I can find someone to help with this, if you want," he offered.


    "Fuck off!" Maria threw a pillow at him. "You fucking asshole!"


    The atmosphere was arctic, and the temperature actually seemed to drop. "Come again?"


    "You heard me! So what now? Are you mad? Go ahead. Try and hit me."


    The ceasefire had been broken, and now both sides squared off, ready for renewed conflict.


    James stepped toward her menacingly. Maria threw off the quilt she used to cover her body and


    sneered. "Mr. Xi, you haven''t gotten your rocks off either. Do you want to continue?"


    He stopped. And he stared at her. Every inch of her naked body was exquisite. He couldn''t hit her if


    he wanted to.


    Finally, he turned and strode away in a hurry. She could tell the man was embarrassed.


    It was over and things were back to normal. Maria threw herself on the bed, pulled the quilt over her


    face, and cursed Lawrence inwardly thousands of times.


    She had almost managed to get James in bed, and failed. Now that he knew what she had in mind,


    he''d be on his guard. He wasn''t dumb. He would keep his distance.


    Maria failed, and it was time for n B.


    When she waspletely calm again, Maria knew the only way things would work was if she could


    keep her emotions in check. Now that James knew her ns, he would be even more heartless and


    determined to keep her from getting her way.


    The first step was to keep calm, not let him rile her up. That way she could continue to get close to


    him again and she would have another chance.


    But sadly, she seemed to have no other choice other than to use her womanly wiles. If she had to,


    she could. Maria had nothing to lose.


    She''d made it through many times before; she''d do so again.


    So what if the past was a loss? She could make the future better.


    At least she had breakfast. She could at least be grateful to James for that. After her meal, Maria


    called Lawrence. "Are you busy now?"


    "That was quick! So are the rumors true?" The rumor about James'' premature ejaction had


    spread throughout H City. At first, Lawrence couldn''t believe it. But now...


    "What are you talking about?" Maria was dumbfounded for a second, and then realized what he


    was referring to. She rolled her eyes and said, "Yeah. My n failed, thanks to you, Mr. Lu. Your call


    ruined everything. Now I''m back to point A."


    "I''m sorry." Lawrence made a sincere apology. He really believed what she said.


    Maria chuckled, "You''re so trusting. I''m just kidding. Your best friend is really a tough nut to crack. I


    haven''t made any progress yet, so I need your help."


    How could she me Lawrence for that? If James really wanted her, he wouldn''t be thrown off by a


    phone call.


    "What can I do for you? How about I give James a roofie and deposit him in your bed?" The


    simplest and the most direct way.


    "That would knock him out. How would that help?" Under the influence of rohypnol, it would be


    extremely unlikely he could get an erection. Even if he could, he might not remember anything.


    Lawrence was really eager to help her. "So that''s out. What do you need?"


    "No hurry. Why are you anxious? When will you be back in town?"


    "In about ten days."


    Maria thought for a while and said, "Sounds good. Say, are you seeing anyone right now?"


    Lawrence didn''t know how to answer that. She was quite blunt, and it threw him for a loop. "What


    does that have to do with anything?"


    "Don''t worry. It''s all part of the n! I don''t want to screw up your personal life, though." She


    couldn''t afford the consequences. "In that case, no, I''m not seeing anyone," Lawrence answered


    straightforwardly. He was not interested in falling in love with a woman. He didn''t have the time for


    it. When he imagined chasing a woman, buying her gifts, and dealing with her mood swings, it gave


    him a migraine. ''Shoot me now,'' he thought.


    "That''s good. Well, I won''t take up too much of your time. Call me when you get back!"


    Maria hung up. Staring at his phone, Lawrence realized he still didn''t know what her n even was,


    or how he could help her.


    Lawrence wasn''t overly inquisitive. But Maria asked him when he woulde back and if he had a


    girl he liked. He thought carefully, and finally he thought he might have it all figured out.


    He sighed. He remembered how he and Maria became close friends.


    It was a rainy night. She stood there in a red dress, surrounded by men lying on the ground, whining


    and groaning in pain. Her eyes had a glint in them, a glint of confidence and power. Like a great cat,


    sated after a kill.


    She was totally different from the woman Lawrence had seen at James'' wedding. She used to be


    an introverted and gentle wife, and now she was a deadly foe.


    At that time, she could only take down at most four men with difficulties. Now she could take down


    more than a dozen without help. Every time she attacked, her aim was true. She was like a human


    fighting machine. They were destined to lose.


    And he was pretty sure he knew who had changed Maria so drastically.


    But he wanted to know for sure.


    James was confused by what Maria did next. He sometimes felt creepy and other times confused.


    Once, he was having dinner with a client at a restaurant, and Maria was sitting near his table. She


    had ordered a quite a bit but she hadn''t taken a single bite. Elbow on the table, resting her chin in


    her hand, she smiled at him the whole time. He had to try his best to ignore her and continue to talk


    to the client.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    After he was done with his business dinner, Maria started to dig in. She was starving. Seeing him


    leave, she didn''t go after him as if she really dide to the restaurant to eat.


    James wondered about the incredible coincidence, seeing Maria at dinner like this. He would have


    suspected Summer of doing this, leaking his calendar to Maria. But she was in another country,


    working on a project that he assigned her.


    He''d seen Maria several times now. This couldn''t be by ident.


    One day, several brand-new sports cars were parked at the gate of an old run-downmunity in


    the west of the city. A man stood near the first car, wearing a blue patterned shirt and shorts. He


    looked at the entrance of themunity leisurely, waiting for someone.


    Soon, a woman with a ponytail trotted over, holding something in her arms.


    The man put on a big smile and said hi to her. "Hey Marsha. You took long enough!"


    Gasping for breath, Marsha stopped in front of him. She shoved her load into his arms. "Ronald


    Tang! We''re done!" One of the limited edition stuffed animals slipped from Ronald''s arms and fell on


    the dirty ground.


    There were three luxury cars behind Ronald''s, all of which belonged to his friends. Watching this,


    they were startled as they left their cars.


    The pile of toys reached his head, and Ronald had to keep some of them from falling by squishing


    his chin down on top of them. Giving him a load like this was highly disrespectful.


    The smile on Ronald''s face disappeared instantly. "Marsha Zhao, what are you doing?"

 Chapter 76 The Graceless Patron

    Chapter 76 The Graceless Patron


    "I won''t waste my time on a cheater! Don''t call me again!" Marsha also took a bank card from her


    pocket. "I haven''t touched a penny of it. Save it for yourself!" After saying that, she pressed the card


    into Ronald''s hand, spun on her heel, and stalked off.


    "Marsha Zhao, stop!" Blushing with shame and anger, Ronald called out to the girl who just left him.


    She didn''t look back.


    Since childhood, Maria was the only woman in his life who had insulted him twice. Because of her,


    Marsha left him alone and humiliated. He was fuming because Marsha did it in front of his friends.


    Marsha finally looked back at him and said, "Remember this the next time you hook up with


    someone!"


    Ronald was stunned. "Screw you!" he cursed. Who did she think she was, anyway?


    Seeing Marsha disappear, Kent whistled and asked, "Ronald,


    what''s wrong with that chick?" "I dumped her!" said Ronald shamelessly, trying to save thest


    shreds of his dignity. It was all Maria''a fault. If she hadn''t released the video of the orgy, he would


    have slept with Marsha already.


    Anyway, he had plenty of time. He vowed to make Maria kneel down and beg for mercy.


    Looking at the gifts scattered on the ground, Kentughed. ''Somedies'' man. Looks like Ronald


    has a date with his hand tonight.''


    Kent''sughter stung like a p. Ronald stomped on the expensive gifts littering the ground to vent


    his anger. Finally, he got in the car, mming the door. He roared off.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    He didn''t stop the car until he arrived at a bar. After sitting quietly in the car for a few minutes, he


    took out his mobile phone and dialed a number. "Take fifteen men and find Maria Song. Bring her to


    me!"


    But Ronald''s men couldn''t find Maria at all. She hadn''t been back to the hotel for several days. It


    was like she dropped off the face of the earth.


    She finally showed up four dayster, but the group Ronald assembled couldn''ty a finger on her.


    To help Ronald out, Alina called James, inviting him out for coffee. "James, I''m in the coffee shop


    near yourpany. We need to talk. You free now?"


    James rubbed his eyebrows and answered, "Give me about twenty minutes."


    "Sounds good. I''ll wait for you." ''''Mm.''1


    Knowing that Maria was working in Miracle Cafe, Alina deliberately chose this ce. She wanted to


    show Maria who James really loved.


    She took a menu from a waitress and ordered a cup of freshly brewed coffee.


    "Okay. One moment please." The waitress left with her order.


    At the bar counter, Maria was teaching a new barista the ropes. "The first thing you want to do is


    submerge the tip of the steam wand in the milk, just below the surface. Angle the pitcher so you


    create a whirlpool when you turn it on ¡ª "


    "Maria, Ms. Tang just ordered a medium espresso." The waitress came over with the menu.


    Maria handed the tools to the barista. "I''ll do it."


    Maria knew the moment Alina walked in. They were busy today. But Maria took over because she


    knew Alina was going to cause trouble. Maria wasn''t going to put her employee through that.


    But Maria was too naive. Less than two minutes after they served Alina, she started calling for the


    waitress. Her voice echoed all over the shop.


    The waitress trotted over and asked, "What can I do for you, Ms. Tang?" Alina mmed the coffee


    on the table and asked, "Who made this?"


    "Our barista."


    "It smells disgusting. Did you use fresh beans?" Alina deliberately made things difficult because she


    saw who made the coffee. She wanted Maria to apologize to her personally.


    The waitressughed. "That''s impossible, ma''am. Our coffee might not be the best in the world, but


    it''s the best in the city. Besides, we''ve got an awesome barista. Are you trying to say we deliberately


    served you bad coffee?"


    Alina was irritated by her attitude. She hated it when Maria acted like she was better than her, and


    now a waitress was mouthing off to her. Why was this happening to her?


    Keeping this in mind, she stood up and raised her hand to p the waitress.


    p!


    The waitress recoiled. She covered her face and looked at Alina in disbelief.


    Alina stood there arrogantly. She wouldn''t try anything with Maria because she was a skilled kung fu


    master. But she wasfortable bullying anyone she considered weaker. "What kind of coffee is


    this? Was it freshly brewed? This smells disgusting! My good mood is ruined! The waitress held


    back her tears and exined, "It''s really freshly brewed coffee."


    Noticing the fuss, Maria strode over with a cold face and pulled the waitress behind her protectively.


    She looked at Alina in the eye and said, "I brewed the coffee myself. It''s freshly ground and made


    on the spot. Is there any problem?"


    Alina answered arrogantly, "Of course! It smells sour. How could you fool your customers like that?


    This tastes like it''s been sitting around all day! Are you really a barista?"


    Knowing that Alina was causing drama on purpose, Maria thought she needed to make things clear.


    "When the coffee beans are harvested, they''re packed in jute bags ¡ªnatural fiber bags that allow


    air to circte. Those beans are flown here. And they''re tested to make sure they''re as fresh as


    they day they were picked. Certain government offices can test these for you, Ms. Tang."


    Then she asked someone to bring a clean cup and poured out a little coffee from Alina''s cup. She


    smelt it, had a sip, and found there was nothing wrong.


    "I don''t believe a word of it!!" Alina remained arrogant and she refused to give an inch of ground to


    Maria.


    With a faint smile, Maria asked someone to bring her purse, took out a bill from it and handed it to


    Alina. "Here you go." Alina looked at the watch on her wrist and knew that James was arriving, so


    she decided to stop making a fuss. She took the money from Maria and mmed it on the table.


    "Make another two cups for me!"


    Maria didn''t move. "Ms. Tang, now that you gotpensation in double, I''ll return the p to you in


    double too."


    Hearing this, Alina hurriedly covered her face and said, "What are you doing?"


    Maria took a step forward, put her hands on the armrests of the chair where Alina sat, and trapped


    her there. The two looked into each other''s eyes. Maria gradually lowered her head and said, "Alina


    Tang..."


    "What''s going on?" A man''s voice rang out beside them.


    Maria cast a sidelong nce at the man. It was Lorenzo, standing next to James. She asked, "What


    do you think is going on?" Then she raised her hand and pinched Alina''s chin to lift it up, a


    suggestive look in her eye.


    The waitress even stopped sobbing to stare at Maria.


    Maria wore a white shirt, casually tied into a pair of high waist jeans, and her long hair was tied up


    above her head. The wound on her arm was hidden in her sleeve, so no one could see anything


    unusual.

 Chapter 77 Our Boss

    Chapter 77 Our Boss


    Alina wore a long white feathered dress and her hair hung loosely over her left shoulder.


    Maria was acting like she was flirting with Alina. The others couldn''t help but think they were well


    matched.


    Looking at Maria''s teasing grin, Alina was stunned that she forgot to push her away.


    Lorenzo awkwardly coughed while James stood still with a poker face.


    James began to feel hostile toward Maria. ''How dare Maria flirt with my woman? She is definitely


    walking on thin ice.''


    Maria hadn''t forgotten that Alina was a woman and her cousin. She didn''t do anything out of line.


    Instead, she just approached Alina and whispered something that the others didn''t hear.


    "Remember, you owe me two ps."


    Maria wasn''t stupid to p Alina in front of James. First, she thought it was not yet necessary.


    Second, it would be more troublesome to get James involved in their conflict.


    On the other hand, Lorenzo was a bit annoyed. He couldn''t understand how a woman like Maria


    was able to work in this coffee shop for a long time. Maria let go of Alina and shook off the loose


    powder from Alina''s face that clung to her fingers. She then nced at James with a poker face and


    said sarcastically, "I envy your girlfriend so much. She''s so good at putting on makeup. Unlike me, I


    can''t even put on a sunscreen lotion properly." ''But unfortunately, no matter how expensive her


    cosmetics are, they still couldn''t cover her ugliness,'' she sneered inwardly.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    James cast her a cold nce, knowing that she was just being hypocritical.


    Maria didn''t take James'' look to heart. She turned around and left. Lorenzo snorted, "How can a


    woman like her work in such a high-end coffee shop like this?"


    The waitress, who was still covering her swollen face, turned to look at him and said, "Excuse me,


    sir. Maybe you misunderstand. She is actually our boss."


    Not only Lorenzo but also Alina was taken aback. The waitress''s words were like a bomb that


    exploded in their ears.


    The expressions on their faces dramatically changed in disbelief.


    Lorenzo, who was the first one to recover from the shock, asked, "What did you just say? Who is


    your boss here again?"


    "Maria is our boss, sir." This time, the waitress was a bit confused. She thought all the while that


    they all knew it already. Alina gaped at Maria''s back. She couldn''t believe that Maria was the owner


    of this coffee shop. She subconsciously looked around.


    The coffee shop had two floors, covering an area of five hundred square meters and located in the


    prime of the central business district of H City. It would take millions of dors to put up this kind of


    business. She couldn''t help wondering how Maria was able to have such arge amount of money.


    Alina couldn''t get over it. This coffee shop was her favorite in the whole city. How could it be


    possible that Maria owned it?


    Even James was also shocked. It never urred to him that Maria wasn''t just an employee here.


    With the arrogance that she had shown them thest time, he thought that she could be a manager


    here at most. It turned out she was the one running this coffee shop.


    ''Maria Song, you are so good at hiding yourself.''


    When she returned to the counter, Maria waited for the waitress who was pped. She gave the


    waitress a half-day off. "Go to the hospital right now and have your face checked. Don''t forget to ask


    for a medical certificate and keep all the invoices. I''ll reimburse you for the expenses."


    The waitress was touched by Maria''s kindness that she was on the verge of crying. "Thank you,


    Maria. But I''m fine. I''ll just go home and use a coldpress to alleviate the swelling."


    "No. What if you''d have a concussion? Listen to me. Go to the hospital now." Maria''s tone was stern


    and firm.


    The waitress had no choice but nodded in agreement. "Okay. Thank you again, Maria."


    It had been a while, but Alina was still in shock. James sat down opposite her and asked, "What do


    you want from me?" His voice seemed to have awakened her from a dream and brought her back to


    reality.


    She stared at him nkly for a moment. Then she blinked a few times and replied, "James, have


    you seen Maria''s attitude just now? She doesn''t take us seriously at all. She..."


    He cut her off. "Tell me why you asked me toe here." He had no time to waste on evaluating


    Maria''s attitude towards them.


    Alina fell silent for a moment as if trying to organize her words. She then said hesitantly,


    "James...can you help me take Ron''s videos from Maria? To be honest, the fate of the whole Tang


    Group is now in Maria''s hands. And we are going to be engaged soon. If something happens to


    Tang Group, you may also be implicated."


    Alina was right. If something happened to Tang Group after their engagement, it would be very


    troublesome. James couldn''t just ignore it. In short, if Maria exposed Ronald''s videos to the public, it


    would be another trouble that James had to deal with. Alina was confident that Maria didn''t have the


    evidence of her drugging the other woman six years ago. She knew that Maria was just bluffing. But


    Maria wasn''t lying about Ronald''s videos. She really had them.


    ''''That''s all?''''


    "Yes, that''s all." The truth was, Alina had something else to say. But she didn''t want to bother James


    too much. After all, she hadn''t be his wife yet.


    James stood up and said, "Go home and wait for the update."


    "James, can we have coffee together?" Alina just tried her luck. She and James were going to be


    engaged soon, but until now, it was still difficult for them to sit together over a cup of coffee.


    James just nced at her and said, "I have an important meeting today. Let''s have it another time."


    "Okay." As expected, her invitation was declined. But knowing that he was always busy, Alina didn''t


    insist.


    Before James left, he said to her, "Don''t hang out in this ce again if not necessary."


    Now that James knew that Maria owned this coffee shop, he didn''t want Alina to cause more


    trouble. Every time Alina and Maria met, Alina would always provoke Maria. And he also knew that


    Maria knew how to teach Alina a lesson. It would be better if they avoided each other.


    Alina nodded obediently. Actually, James didn''t need to tell her. The moment Alina found out that


    Maria was the owner of Miracle Cafe, she made up her mind not to set foot in this coffee shop


    again. She didn''t intend to support the business of her rival.


    She would only wait until James took Ronald''s videos back from Maria. After that, she could


    continue with thewsuit against Maria.


    After walking out of the coffee shop, James stopped and looked at the building of HL Group across


    the street. He then turned to Lorenzo and ordered, "Ask Maria toe and see me in my office."


    Lorenzo was stunned for a second. But then he answered, "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    He went back inside to look for Maria. She was on the phone, so he had to wait for her at the


    counter.


    As soon as he saw her hang up, he came to her at once. "Ms. Song, Mr. Xi wants to see you."


    Maria couldn''t help raising an eyebrow upon hearing Lorenzo''s words. If James wanted to see her,


    it meant that he needed something from her. ''Every dog indeed has its day,'' she thought to herself


    with a smile. "I''m pretty busy right now. Please tell him that I''ll go when I''m in the mood." Lorenzo


    didn''t expect what she said. After all, he had the impression that she always seized every


    opportunity to hit on James. Why was she ying hard to get this time? Besides, whether she was


    busy or not, what did it have to do with her mood?


    Soon, he realized that Maria was deliberately making things difficult for him. But if he couldn''t


    aplish such a small task, his credibility in James'' eyes would definitely decline.


    "Ms. Song, you know him better than anyone else. Mr. Xi is an impatient man. He won''t waste time


    waiting for you," he said, hoping it would convince her. Lorenzo thought that if Maria was a sensible


    woman, she should go with him immediately.


    "You''re right. James is an impatient man. So you''d better call him now and tell him not to wait any


    longer. Thank you."


    Lorenzo was rendered speechless. If only he could hit Maria''s head to vent his anger. In his eyes,


    she was so shameless. "Well, Ms. Song, do you know that Summer is on a business trip?"


    "And what does it have to do with you?" Of course, Maria knew Summer''s whereabouts. She called


    Summer two days ago, and she found out that Summer was on a business trip overseas. She


    thought that it might take a few days.


    "Yes, it has nothing to do with me. But Summer is on a long-term business trip. If you go with me


    now, I can put in a good word for her with Mr. Xi. Maybe she cane back sooner."


    Maria could tell from Lorenzo''s words that things were not as simple as she thought. "How long is


    that long-term? And what makes it a long-term business trip?"

 Chapter 78 I Love You So Much

    Chapter 78 I Love You So Much


    Summer''s reassignment abroad was no secret. Lorenzo gave it to Maria straight. "Summer was


    transferred because she helped you and angered Mr. Xi." He thought Summer was really stupid,


    and brought this on herself.


    Lorenzo wasn''t lying. Summer did help her, and was punished for it. That much was true. Maria set


    her work aside, grabbed her phone, and walked out of the cafe with Lorenzo.


    The man thought he knew Maria pretty well. ording to his calctions, she''d go to HL Group


    and fight with James about this. He was ready for the inevitable fireworks show. Lorenzo was


    disappointed.


    Maria was led to the CEO''s office. When she saw James, she leaned over his desk with a bright


    smile and said, "Hi, Mr. Xi. Did you miss me?"


    Lorenzo didn''t leave the office until he rolled his eyes in disdain.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Looking at the woman in front of him, James got down to business. "Give me Ronald''s videos.


    Name your price."


    Since he was straightforward, Maria asked more frankly, "Let''s remarry?" He refused, "No way!"


    "Then call off your engagement to Alina." "No!"


    Maria didn''t get angry. Still leaning over his desk, she propped herself up on her elbows, rested her


    chin in one hand and looked at the man. "So much for naming my price. Two conditions, then."


    "Go ahead."


    "First, I want Summer back here, working for you like usual." Summer was her best source for


    inside information in HL Group.


    Eyes darkening, James said nothing. He knew the reason Maria wanted Summer working here. He


    didn''t like it.


    Maria heaved a sigh. "Some negotiation. You can''t just automatically say no to everything I want.


    That''s not how this works. Unless you don''t really want the videos..."


    "Okay, I''ll transfer Summer back. The second one?" He really underestimated the bond between


    these two women. He resolved not to make the same mistake twice. He thought the maxim "Keep


    your friends close and your enemies closer" to be quiet apt.


    Maria was overjoyed. She was finally getting somewhere. Putting her chin in both hands, she said,


    "I haven''t decided on the second condition. You''ll be the first to know when I do."


    James was now even angrier. "No. Tell me now.


    She lowered her head and giggled, "Why so anxious? Having a hard time controlling yourself when


    we''re in the same room together?"


    James blinked rapidly. He couldn''t believe what she said.


    The woman sitting opposite smiled sweetly and her eyes narrowed, as if she were in an extremely


    good mood.


    Mariaforted him, "Don''t worry. If you think I''m being unreasonable, just turn me down. I''m used


    to it."


    Then, she stood up straight, grabbed her purse and said, "Mr. Xi, if there''s nothing else, I''m out of


    here. Remember to unblock me on WeChat. Pretty hard to send the videos to you if I''m still


    blocked."


    James watched her walk out.


    Maria visibly rxed. That went better than she thought.


    Her sudden change threw James for a loop. He expected her to fly off the handle and he had gone


    over ways to subdue her if she got out of hand.


    Now it looked like that was unnecessary. Maria opened the office door. But before she left, she


    turned around and said, "I bet you''re wondering why I''m so open to persuasion today. " She looked


    James straight in the eye, her expression full of love, whispering, "It''s just that I love you so much.


    I''ll give you whatever you want."


    After saying that, she left without looking back.


    Silence nketed the office. James was still reeling from what she said.


    "I love you so much." Her voice echoed in his mind.


    These five simple words made James feel uneasy and a trace of guilt tickled his heart.


    Maria walked into the elevator and the door closed. Her expression turned cold once more. There


    was no trace of the emotions she disyed in James'' office, including the deep affection in her


    gaze.


    Her suggestions that he remarry her or break up with Alina were tests.


    James proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had no feelings for her and that he loved Alina


    deeply.


    The elevator descended quickly. Looking at herself in the mirror, Maria smiled in selfmockery. Her


    beauty and charm meant nothing to James. James was a man of action. Before Maria even had


    time to walk out of the building, she received a friend request on WeChat from him.


    She epted and sent him a message. "The videos are on myptop, Mr. Xi. I''ll send them to you


    tonight."


    After a long while, she got a simple reply from James. "OK."


    ring at the word, she locked her phone and tossed it aside.


    Qin Group took some major hits because of Ste''s behavior. Fortunately, her father loved her a lot,


    and he wasn''t as hard on her as he could be.


    She felt extremely guilty, watching her father working day and night to try and save thepany.


    She also saw how hard her father took it.


    So she went to ask Alina for help. Alina had just asked James to get Ronald''s orgy videos, so she


    couldn''t ask him for another favor again so soon.


    Thinking for a while, she promised that Tang Group would watch out for Qin Group in their business


    dealings, since she couldn''t do anything else. Tang Group would throw a few juicy contracts to Qin


    Group to get them back on their feet.


    Ste wasn''t entirely satisfied but could nothing else. The more she thought about it, the angrier she


    became. Finally she med Maria for this. Her hatred for the woman only deepened.


    If it weren''t for her, James wouldn''t have punished Qin Group. They wouldn''t have to struggle to


    restructure and rebuild.


    Getting a manicure, Alina was forced to listen to Ste''s tales of woe, and the abuse she heaped on


    Maria. And it all bored her. Alina''s mind wandered, and something interesting hit her all of a sudden.


    "Maria owns Miracle Cafe," she said.


    Hearing that, Ste was floored. "Really?" she asked. "That''s Maria Song''s cafe? No way!"


    "I wonder who bought it for her." Alina pursed her lips and didn''t realize how sour her tone was.


    "How could she afford to own a ce that size?


    I wonder if he had to do something to earn it."


    Ste was convinced that it had to be a fluke.


    Since James had handed down his edict, no one would hire Maria. Colby helped her out, helping


    her wrangle a position for herself at HM Group. She was a deputy manager in the sales department.


    Because she didn''t need to do any work there, she didn''t have any real power under this title.


    James should have known about it, but he didn''t want to waste time on it. As long as Colby still


    worked for HM Group, Maria could go ahead and keep the title.


    A shrewd capitalist, Colby intended to make full use of Maria since he hired her.


    He took full advantage of Maria''s rtionship with James to target a bid and hand the project over


    to her. She was now responsible formunicating with a cadre of employees from HL Group.


    Colby took out a bank card and a contract for her to sign. He slid it across the table, stopping in


    front of her. "Maria, I know you can do it."


    When she saw the ck card, the smile on the woman''s face widened. She pretended to turn him


    down. "Aww, Mr. Zheng, you''re making things difficult for me. James Xi won''t even meet with me.


    How can I secure a quote for you?"


    Colby smiled, "I believe in you. If you need any help from HM Group, just tell me!"


    "It''s so hard to deal with the man! Will you get mad at me if I fail?" ying with the ck card, Maria


    didn''t look like she was given an unenviable task at all.


    "Of course not! After we win the bid, I''ll take you to the UK. What do you think?" He knew what he


    asked Maria to do was not an easy task. HL Group had already had a target partner to cooperate


    with in the bidding. Now Colby asked Maria to change HL Group''s decision.


    Maria thought for a while before saying, "When you put it that way, how can I say no? On one


    condition: take me shopping when we get there!"

 Chapter 79 A Housewife

    Chapter 79 A Housewife


    Colby leaned against his chair and said, "Don''t worry. It''s not a big deal. If you make it, I won''t only


    take you for shopping. I can even buy a shopping mall for you."


    "Wow! That sounds great! Okay, then. I won''t take much of your time, Mr. Zheng. I''ll get back to


    work now." Maria took the document and the ck card before she stood up and left.


    While Colby stared at her receding back, shrewdness shed across his eyes. It seemed that she


    was doing everything for his money. But he didn''t think she was that simple. So he couldn''t help


    warning himself to be on guard at all times.


    The sun was already starting to set outside, but James was still busy in his office. He was signing a


    document when his phone vibrated. It was a voice call on WeChat. He put down his pen for a


    moment and pressed the answer button.


    As soon as his phone touched his ear, Maria''s soft and gentle voice came in. "I have my second


    condition now. I want to go to Fairview Vi tonight."


    He didn''t say anything.


    She continued, "I''ll drop by the supermarket to buy some fresh meats and vegetables. Then I''ll cook


    dinner for you at Fairview Vi tonight. You should be there."


    "Maria Song, what are you up to this time?" James thought that she was acting so weird.


    Maria chuckled. "Don''t worry, James. I don''t intend to y any tricks on you. Maybe I''m just being


    nostalgic that I suddenly miss those days we had in Fairview Vi. Besides, you haven''t tried to eat


    something I cook, right? Perhaps you don''t know that I''m a good cook. Arthur used to like my corn


    paste the most. And John has also tried the Chinese and Western dishes I''ve cooked. You''d been


    busy with your work and had no time to join us in meals. You''ve never tasted the dishes I''ve cooked.


    But tonight is your chance, so you shouldn''t miss it, okay?"


    Maria was right. James never had meals with them. Most of the time, he came homete. And he


    never informed her ahead of time, so she couldn''t get a chance to prepare some food for him.


    "Don''t worry. I won''t drug you. If you want, you can even bring some bodyguards with you."


    James'' brows furrowed as Maria kept on bbering. He felt like she was a bored housewife


    nagging on her workaholic husband.


    At the thought of it, he couldn''t help but smile. Since his mood lightened up all of a sudden, he


    replied, "Okay."


    Maria was so delighted to hear his positive response. She couldn''t conceal the happiness in her


    voice when she asked, "What do you prefer, Chinese or Western food?"


    "Anything will do." When the image of Maria''s slender hands shed in his mind, James wasn''t


    expecting that much. He was not that convinced that she could cook well.


    "All right. So you have to be self-willed today and knock off on time, okay? No overtime today! "


    James was a well-known workaholic. He never got off work early. Most of the time, he worked until


    midnight. That was why Maria didn''t forget to remind him.


    It seemed like there was some kind of irresistible charm in her voice that made him difficult to


    refuse.


    "Hmm," he replied nasally. It was enough for Maria to understand that he agreed to all that she said.


    After hanging up, Maria tossed her phone on the bed and picked out a dress from her wardrobe.


    She then took her bag and walked out of her hotel room.


    It was toote to go to the wet market at this time, so she decided to go to the supermarket and


    bought all the ingredients that she needed. She intended to cook several Chinese and Western


    dishes to satisfy James. After all, she also believed in the saying, "The way to a man''s heart is


    through his stomach." When Maria arrived in Fairview Vi, it was already dusk. She surmised that


    James had informed the security guards that she wasing, so she wasn''t worried. As soon as


    she got out of the taxi, the two security guards greeted her, "Good evening, Ms. Song."


    She nodded at them in response, then asked them to take the two big bags of ingredients from the


    trunk.


    While standing and watching the security guard open the gate, Maria looked so calm. But deep


    inside her, she was very excited. She could even feel that mice were racing inside her chest.


    Before, she promised to herself that she woulde back to Fairview Vi aboveboard. Now, she


    felt like she was on the starting line of fulfilling that promise. This time, she could enter the vi


    without climbing the high walls.


    The moment she stood in front of the electronic lock, she excitedly keyed in the passcode she had


    set six years ago. However, it was incorrect. She tried a few times, but the door couldn''t be opened


    at all.


    She took out her phone to send a message to James. It was only then that she noticed a new


    message that was sent to her a few minutes ago. Perhaps she was too exhrated that she didn''t


    hear her phone. When she opened the message, it was a six-digit number.


    The set of numbers were not familiar to her. They were tooplicated that if James had not given


    them to her, she could never figure them out all her life.


    Maria typed in the passcode, and the door opened at once. She felt so good that she didn''t need to


    break in like a robber this time.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    She pressed the switches in the living room, and it was brightly lit. Looking around, she noticed that


    everything looked the same as thest time she was here.


    Maria couldn''t help smiling happily. She took a deep breath and thought inwardly, ''Arthur, Mommy is


    here to apany you again.''


    James arrived at eight o''clock, driving by himself.


    The moment he pushed the door open, he saw Maria, wearing an apron, put a bowl of soup on the


    table. She heard the sound of the door, so she looked up. Seeing that it was him, she smiled and


    said, "I knew that you''dete, so I took a rest before cooking."


    Maria untied her apron and hung it on the wall beside the sink.


    She then tied up her long hair on the top of her head with a few strands hanging loose on her


    temples. With her simple burgundy silk strapless dress and a pink scarf she used to cover the


    bandaged wound on her arm, she looked so enchanting in a unique way.


    She walked to the fridge, took out some bottles of cold beer, and put them on the table.


    James changed into his house slippers, put his jacket aside, and walked towards the dining room.


    He noticed that there were six different dishes and a bowl of soup on the table. They were a


    combination of meats and vegetables, and they all looked really mouthwatering.


    It was his first time to see the dining table of the vi set with cuisines from different countries. It


    was as if they were having a feast.


    Maria picked up a shrimp using the chopsticks, walked up to him, and put it in front of his mouth.


    "Shrimp seasoned with lime and lemongrass. Try this one first." It was a Thai dish in which she


    made the fresh lime and lemongrass sauce by herself.


    James didn''t open his mouth. Instead, he just stared at her with his deep eyes for a long time,


    motionless.


    Maria didn''t insist. She withdrew the chopsticks and was about to put the shrimp in her mouth when


    he suddenly said, "I''ll eat that."


    James grabbed her hand and ate the shrimp. While chewing, he said, "I''ll just wash my hands.


    Maria gave him a sullen look. When she offered the shrimp to him, he didn''t even react. But when


    she was about to eat it, he just snatched it from her. Would the food taste better that way?


    After swallowing up the shrimp, he finally uttered, "Good!" He then turned around and went to wash


    his hands before Maria could even react.


    She watched his tall back, still stunned. She was wondering if he appreciated her cooking.


    When James returned to the dining table, Maria had already sat down and filled the two bowls with


    soup. He saw a set of tableware opposite her, so he took that seat casually.


    "This is chicken soup with matsutake mushroom.


    I cooked it in a y pot, so it has a special taste. Have some," Maria said as she put the bowl in


    front of him. She was like a dutiful wife serving her husband.


    James picked up a soup spoon. He was about to taste the soup when she reminded her in a soft


    tone, "It''s still hot. Be careful not to scald your tongue."


    He looked at her and said lightly, "Thanks."


    Maria put her soup aside and started putting some dishes on James'' te. "This is Chinese yam


    with osmanthus syrup. I soaked it in Sprite for two hours and then sprinkled it with the osmanthus


    syrup. This is Cooper''s favorite dish."


    Cooper Xi was James'' favorite younger brother, who was now studying in the US.


    Upon hearing his brother''s name, James'' hand holding the spoon froze in midair. He suddenly


    remembered that Cooper got along with Maria very well. They were so close that even Judy had


    thought that something was going on between them. She even snitched on Maria to James.


    James lowered his head and drank the soup, trying to hide theplex emotions in his eyes.

 Chapter 80 Beyond Redemption

    Chapter 80 Beyond Redemption


    James didn''t like to eat Chinese yam with osmanthus syrup. But as he watched Maria enjoying


    some mouthfuls of it, he felt the sudden urge to taste it too. Eventually, he picked a slice of it with


    his chopsticks and put it in his mouth.


    As the yam touched his tongue, the fragrance of the osmanthus flower spread in his mouth


    entwined with the taste of Sprite. It was sweet, but not too greasy.


    They soon had a quiet dinner. James must admit that Maria was an excellent cook. From the


    French mutton sprinkled with ck pepper, braised tofu with eggs, Chinese stir-fried vegetables


    with garlic, to the stir-fried shredded chicken with chrysanthemum, each dish conformed to his picky


    taste.


    When Maria was already full, she opened two cans of beer and put one in front of James. She then


    looked at James, whose face was full of confusion, and said, "It''s good to have beer after a meal,


    isn''t it?"


    James replied, "If my memory serves me right, your arm is injured." What he meant was Maria


    shouldn''t drink alcohol because the wound on her arm had not healed yet. Maria was a little


    stunned. She nced at the pink scarf on her arm and said indifferently, "Oh, it''s just a small cut.


    And it''s almost healed anyway."


    "I came here alone." What James meant was he drove going to Fairview Vi by himself, and he


    couldn''t go back hometer if he drank alcohol.


    Maria picked up the beer can in front of her, stood up, and walked around him. She then bent over


    beside him and reminded him in a soft tone, "This is your house, remember?"


    As she tilted her head, the strap of her dress on the right shoulder slid down, exposing her fair skin


    and swanlike neck. James couldn''t help swallowing hard secretly, restraining himself from reacting


    to the strange burning sensation in the middle of his chest.


    Maria acted like she didn''t notice anything. She casually took a beer mug, poured some beer into it,


    and leaned against the table. She then handed it to him and said, "Here, take this mug. I''m not


    picky, anyway. I can drink straight from the can."


    James took the beer mug and held it in his hand.


    Maria didn''t force him to drink. She went back to her seat and gulped down some beer from the can.


    With a smile, she looked at him and said, "You know what? I''ve been dreaming of this before. That I


    can cook some dishes for you like this, and we can eat together sitting opposite each other. But


    unfortunately, you have always been busy. I haven''t even gotten an opportunity to have you taste


    any of my cooking.


    n


    She was smiling, but there seemed to be a subtle sadness on her face.


    James could also tell when he looked into her eyes. He didn''t say anything as if he was willing to


    listen to whatever she would say.


    "In the whole Xi family, only Grandpa, Grandma, and Cooper liked me. And maybe Arthur as well.


    After all, I''m his mother." She took another gulp of her beer and continued, "To be honest, there are


    so many things I''ve wanted to tell you long ago."


    Their eyes met. Then Maria held James'' hand that was resting on the table. She just held it quietly


    for a while before she blurted out, "James, I had always been very grateful to you that you took me


    away from the Song family. Their vi was like a bottomless abyss to me. You just didn''t know how


    difficult it was for me to pluck up all my courage to ask you to marry me. I took the risk even if I


    knew that you might already have someone else in your life. I didn''t give up because I thought it


    was much better than killing myself.


    Even if our marriage wouldn''tst that long, I knew that I didn''t have the right toin. At least


    you chose me to be your wife. I didn''t intend to, but as time went by, I started to fall for you. I


    learned to love you so much that, in my eyes, you were the most handsome CEO in the world.


    There were so many sessful and good-looking CEOs, but I couldn''t ept it if someone would


    say that someone else was better than you. For me, you were the best, and you were always


    number one."


    In her childhood, Maria had longed for family affection until she grew up. When she got married, she


    longed for a husband''s love.


    But no one knew that she loved James that much. Her love for him was the secret she was willing


    to keep, even if it would mean that she had to drink three sses of wine in one go. She could


    never forget him. However, she couldn''t make him love her the way she loved him. That was her


    biggest failure in life.


    James withdrew his hand and asked indifferently, "Did you ask me toe here so you can confess


    your love to me?"


    "Whoa! You''re too quick to see through me!" Maria eximed.


    However, despite her dramatic confession, James remained calm as if he was not affected at all. He


    even said in a cold voice, "Stop your tricks and stay away from me. I will never like you."


    Why he remained calm because he could tell Maria''s words seemed to be affectionate, but in fact,


    she didn''t show much emotion. He didn''t believe a single word she had said.


    He wasn''t sure if she was really serious or she was only faking it. Maria got a little annoyed.


    "Humph! I know that I can make you love me. I''ll find another way to make you fall in love with me."


    This time, her face looked stern again. She fell silent as if she was really racking her brains for


    some ways.


    James annoyingly rolled up his sleeves, revealing his powerful arms.


    Maria stood up with the can of beer in her hand. She walked around the table and hugged him from


    behind. "James Xi, I have a secret."


    She tilted her head and slowly approached his ear.


    Her warm breath tickled him a little. He turned around to push her away, but their lips met


    unexpectedly.


    "Hmm..." Maria had really wanted to kiss him. But this time, she was not ready. It was James whose


    lips bumped into hers.


    She could tell that he didn''t mean it either. Perhaps she was just lucky that God blessed her with


    such a chance to be this close to him.


    Instead of distancing herself from him, she smiled and said, "I have a secret to tell you between


    kisses. Hmm..." She then closed her eyes, pressed her lips against his, and kissed him deeply.


    James'' face turned gloomy at once. He didn''t intend to kiss her. If she wasn''t that close to him, their


    lips wouldn''t have met when he turned around.


    At this moment, only his and Maria''s rapid heartbeat could be heard in the quiet dining room.


    Maria decisively put down the beer in her hand and wrapped her arms around his neck. She then


    boldly sat on hisp.


    They shared another passionate kiss. Maria couldn''t help but wonder if she would seed this


    time.


    Soon enough, she got the answer.


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    What she didn''t know was, James had mentally prepared himself not to fall from any of her traps


    before he came here.


    So despite that sweet kiss, he immediately came back to his senses and pushed her away.


    He then stood up and walked towards the door. Upon seeing that things had started to drift away


    from what she had nned, Maria quickly drank up her remaining beer.


    She rushed to James, jumped on him, and kissed him again crazily. While he was stunned, she


    poured the beer in her mouth into his.


    James reflexively wrapped his arms around her waist, afraid that she would fall down. But upon


    realizing what she wanted to do, he tightened his grip as if he was trying to squeeze her to death.


    Maria ignored his strength. She cupped his face in her hands and forced him to swallow the beer


    down.


    She didn''t give him a chance to get rid of her. When she seeded, she slid down from his body,


    wiped her mouth with the back of the hand, and proudly said, "You''re drunk. If you drive now, I will


    call the police and report you. You will be charged with DUI. And if it wille out on the news, I''m


    sure that HL Group will be affected. Think about it. Are you still driving away, or are you staying here


    tonight?"


    James'' face looked terribly dark now. Maria didn''t only kiss him twice, but she also even poured


    beer from her mouth to his. As a neat freak, he couldn''t ept what she did. So he said between


    clenched teeth, "Maria Song, you''re dead meat!"


    "Oh, it''s okay. You can kill me if you want, Mr. Xi," Maria replied with a wink, not showing any trace


    of fear on her face at all.


    James took out his phone to make a call. Since he couldn''t drive by himself now, he would ask


    Lorenzo to pick him up.


    Maria didn''t stop him. She just leisurely watched him with her arms crossed over her chest.


    He red at her while waiting for Lorenzo to pick. As soon as he heard a voice from the other end


    of the line, he said, "Lorenzo,e pick me up in Fairview Vi now."


    It took a while for Lorenzo to reply. He stammered, "Mr. Xi...l''m sorry. My driver''s license was


    confiscated by the traffic police earlier."

 Chapter 81 James Was Slapped

    Chapter 81 James Was pped


    The frown on James'' face deepened upon hearing what Lorenzo just said. His first reaction was to


    scan Maria''s face for some clues that she had something to do with it. However, she was really


    good at hiding herself. When he gave her a tentative look, what he saw was her confused look.


    On the other end of the line, Lorenzo was wiping the sweat on his forehead while he exined, "Mr.


    Xi, it was because of the Mercedes-Benz of ourpany. I didn''t notice that the te number was


    covered when I was driving it." He was so surprised when a few minutes after he drove out of HL


    Group, he was stopped by a traffic police. It was only then that he found out that the te number of


    the car was covered. As a result, he was charged with deliberately hiding the te number, and his


    driver''s license was confiscated at once.


    And since he didn''t have any evidence to prove that he didn''t do it on purpose, he also had to pay a


    fine of two hundred dors. Worse was, he had to go to the driving school for seven days to attend


    some driving lessons before he could take his license back. For such a busy man like him who had


    so many things to do every day, it was very troublesome.


    Lorenzo had actually regretted that he wasn''t able to quickly think of a solution when he was in such


    a predicament. He had only realized the severity of his situation when the traffic police asked for his


    driver''s license. He thought that he could have used someone else''s driver''s license for the point


    deduction. But he only realized it after he had handed his own driver''s license to the traffic police. It


    was toote for him to cheat.


    James suddenly felt that his temples throbbed. Based on Lorenzo''s words, it was very obvious that


    he couldn''t pick James up.


    But then, James realized that he really didn''t need to worry that much. Aside from the other drivers


    in HL Group, many people in H City also wanted to drive for him. It wouldn''t be difficult for him to


    find another driver. So he opened his phone again and checked his phonebook for the next person


    to call.


    He was about to call John when Maria suddenly rushed to him and held his hand. She then asked,


    "James, can you just stay here tonight?"


    "No!" James firmly refused. "Ms. Song, please keep your distance."


    Maria was stunned. "But you''ve kissed me just now. It''s toote for us to keep a distance from each


    other," she countered.


    James shook off her hand and ordered harshly, "Stand still!"


    But she didn''t seem to hear him. She kept rubbing her body against his intentionally.


    However, when she saw his expressionless face, she curled her lips and thought inwardly, ''Humph!


    James Xi, you''re such a jerk!'' Maria wanted to keep on teasing James. But when he seemed not


    affected at all, she decided to pretend that she didn''t care about him either. "Okay. You can leave if


    you want. But I have one condition."


    James had finally understood why she had asked him toe tonight. "It seems that I''ve really


    underestimated you. Your next condition has something to do with all the efforts you have exerted


    for this dinner tonight, am I right?"


    "You''re right."


    "Spit it out. I haven''t got all night for you."


    Maria put away her frivolity and said in a t tone, "Hand over HL Group''s charity project ''Helping


    Children with Cleft Lip and Pte'' to HM Group."


    "Maria Song..." James uttered calmly. But deep inside him, fury had already red up.


    Maria looked up and met his eyes fearlessly without saying anything.


    "You want to use my money on another man?" he asked sarcastically. James was not even


    confident that HM Group had the resources and abilities to work with HL Group on the said project.


    He didn''t expect that Colby would need a woman to back him up. Was HM Group on the brink of


    bankruptcy?


    What annoyed him more was that Maria had even tried to seduce him for Colby.


    It was so ridiculous.


    Instead of answering his question, Maria looked at him coldly and said, "I have the evidence of


    Alina''s crime. If you agree to my condition, I can destroy the evidence. Otherwise, if I''ll expose this


    on the day of your engagement, HL Group and Tang Group will be in trouble."


    James held her chin and roared, "How many times have you mentioned that to me? You just keep


    on threatening me again and again. Do you really think I''ll buy that?"


    "You give me no choice. You''ve chosen to fall in love with a woman who has a tainted reputation


    and insists on marrying her. You can''t me me for what I can do," Maria countered, enduring the


    pain in her jaw as James'' grip on her chin tightened. It was true that she really had the evidence


    that Alina had drugged her six years ago. Before she came here to Fairview Vi, she had even


    nned to show it to Alina. Butter on, she changed her mind. She thought that she might use it to


    negotiate with James.


    James could see the determination in Maria''s eyes, and it made him furious.


    He harshly pushed her away and shoved the dining table with all his might. In an instant, all the


    tableware fell down to the floor and shattered into pieces.


    This time, James'' eyes were burning with fury. He walked up to Maria, pressed her hard against the


    dining table, and tore her dress. He then said through clenched teeth, "If you don''t want me to throw


    you out, restrain your pride and strength. Maria Song, let me remind you. It isn''t good for a woman


    to be so strong."


    Maria gritted her teeth to endure the pain. She stubbornly reached out for his shirt and pulled it with


    all her strength. The sound of the buttons falling to the floor resounded through the dining room.


    "You''re not the only one capable of ripping clothes. See? I can also do it."


    Since James'' shirt was torn apart, his washboard abs were exposed. But Maria was not in the mood


    to appreciate them. It seemed that tearing off his shirt didn''t quench her anger. This time, she


    grabbed his belt and pulled it away. It made James realize that if he dared toy a finger on her


    again, she wouldn''t hesitate to tear his trousers apart.


    He let go of her chin, spun her around, and pressed her face tightly on the table. He then sped


    her hands behind her back, making it more difficult for her to move.


    Maria felt so much humiliation from what he did. She went furious. With a flushed face, she did her


    best to resist. But James was too strong for her, so she failed to break free from him. Out of fury,


    she cursed, "James Xi, you fucking bastard! Let go of me! I swear, I will kill you the moment I get


    away from here."


    James turned a deaf ear to her screams and said in a cold voice, "Listen! I don''t like mixing my


    professional life with my private life."


    Despite her difficult situation, Maria still countered, "You don''t really love Alina then. If you don''t care


    that I have the evidence against her, let''s wait for your engagement day toe. I am so excited to


    let the reporters all over the world know about it. Let''s see if HL Group will suffer a great loss, and


    Tang Group will be destroyed." If the media found out that Alina had drugged Maria, who was her


    own cousin, it would definitely be big news. It would cause a sensation all over the world.


    James'' left hand suddenly grabbed Maria''s hair. "Ouch!" she cried in pain.


    He leaned closer to her and said, "Your evidence is not enough to threaten me. What else do you


    have? Come on, show me!" James was now determined to teach Maria a lesson and make her


    realize the true meaning of fear.


    "Ha-ha! You want more? Well, I also have the video when Judy secretly drugged you so the girl she


    favored could get a chance to marry you. By the way, in the eyes of your grandparents, I am your


    only wife. They will never ept Alina even if you marry her. And if anything happens to me


    because of you, do you think they will forgive you?"


    After James and Maria got divorced, Augustine and his wife had sworn that they would only ept


    Maria as their granddaughter-inw. They had long forbidden Alina to marry into the Xi family. It was


    not exposed to pubic, but a lot of people including Maria were very much aware of this fact.


    When he heard her mentioned his grandparents, James held back his anger and let go of Maria''s


    hands.


    He knew that she was telling the truth.


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    The next moment, something unexpected happened. Pak! The crisp sound of a p reverberated


    around the quiet dining room.


    James didn''t expect that Maria would p him.


    He slightly tilted his head as fury started to well up in his eyes again. Maria had dared to hit Ronald


    and Alina before. And now, she pped him. In his eyes, she was absolutely dead meat now.


    Gasping for breath, Maria red at James. The coldness he emanated made her shiver. But


    although she was scared, she still said, "James Xi, you dare hit a woman, huh? You are not a man


    at all!"

 Chapter 82 She Couldnt Die

    Chapter 82 She Couldn''t Die


    First, James pinched her chin and ripped her dress, but then he dared to grab her hair and pull it


    back. If Maria hadn''t retaliated, his fist might have been the next thing to hit her.


    At that moment, James touched the cheek Maria had just pped and red at her. This woman


    really had the guts to challenge him like no one else would.


    As James kept silent, Maria continued, "I have a temper too. If you dare to tear another dress of


    mine in the future, I''ll burn your entire wardrobe! If you pinch my chin again, I''ll p you in the face.


    If you pull my hair, I''ll pull yours too! Hmm..."


    All of a sudden, Maria was caught off guard as James'' mouth came down on hers.


    With his dark eyes filled with rage, the man bit on her red lips hard.


    The pain was so intense that Maria couldn''t find her voice or make a sound.


    ''What a pervert! James Xi, you''re a real freak!'' Maria thought.


    With one hand, James held her by the waist, and with the other, he grabbed the tie he had put on


    the back of the chair. Looking into the woman''s frightened eyes, he tied her wrists together. As


    Maria thought James would throw her to other men again, he pushed her against the table and did


    whatever he wanted to her himself.


    In the following hours, Maria suffered a lot. Even the security guards outside Fairview Vi could


    hear her asional screams.


    It was only at two o''clock in the morning that the man walked out of the vi with his short hair a


    mess while smoking a cigarette.


    Wearing a shirt he had casually found in the closet upstairs, he had the same trousers he had on


    when he first came in.


    He didn''t even bother to fix his hair before getting in his car, even though it looked like a bird''s nest.


    In the Harkim, James exhaled some smoke and pulled out his phone to call the head of security.


    With his voice slightly hoarse, hemanded, "Send me one of your men. I''m in the car."


    Within two minutes, a security guard trotted towards the car. Then he sat in the driver''s seat and


    drove James away from Fairview Vi.


    The lights in the vi remained on all night long.


    By the time Maria woke up, she looked at the luxurious chandelier in the living room''s ceiling and


    wondered whether she was dead or alive.


    Gradually, the memories fromst night rushed back to her, and soon she realized she was alive.


    Somehow, she had managed to survive James'' torture.


    After a long time, she finally moved her body, but as expected, she felt pain everywhere.


    In fact, it would be odd if she didn''t feel hurt. James had seemed determined to give her a hard


    time.


    Looking around, she saw theplete mess it was left in the living room and dining room as a


    result of the fierce lesson James had taught her there.


    Last night, after James had put on his trousers, he ruthless told her before walking out, "Maria


    Song, remember that even if HM Group gets the project in the end, it was you who traded your body


    and dignity for it!"


    Indeed, she had traded all those things for the cooperation between HM Group and HL Group, not


    to mention the trust Colby would ce in her afterward.


    However, Maria believed it was worth it. She had no regrets.


    After all, the man she gave herself to in exchange for everything was none other than James Xi.


    Although the process had been a little insufferable, Maria didn''t care about it as long as she


    achieved her goal.


    She might have risked James taking his game a little too far and killing her, but she had to go


    through with it in order to gain Colby''s trust, which was a fundamental part of her n.


    Lying in the bathtub with bruises all over her body, Maria slowly sank to the bottom.


    She felt as if she was back to the day she and James got divorced.


    She recalled the downpour, the H River in the city, and every nasty word she had to endure as she


    watched the blood mix with the rainwater on the ground.


    Suddenly, her chest constricted, and she felt it was hard to breathe.


    If she died then, would it relieve her from her pain? Would she go on to a more beautiful world, with


    no sorrow or cruel people expecting for her on the other side?


    Would she finally reunite with Arthur, who was waiting for her to continue to love him in heaven?


    The sound of whipping and a woman''s mockery reached her ears.


    At the same time, she could also hear the baby crying, calling her softly, "Mommy!"


    ''Arthur! Arthur! No!'' she called for him inwardly. Because of her Arthur, she couldn''t die yet!


    Awakening from her nightmare, the woman sat up from the bottom of the bathtub. She looked pale


    as she struggled to get out of the water. With her long wet hair hanging loose over her body, she


    leaned against the bathtub, gasping for air.


    At that moment, the first thing that crossed her mind was to take her pills. So, she urgently looked


    for them.


    She remembered that she had left her medicine downstairs.


    Crawling out of the bathtub, she wrapped herself in a bath towel and rushed downstairs.


    Her long hair fluttered in the air as she moved, leaving drops of water along the clean floor.


    With her hands trembling, she grabbed her purse from the table in the living room and pulled out


    her medicine. Paying no attention to whether she got two or three pills from the bottle, she


    swallowed them dry at once.


    Shey prone on the table as the memory of Arthur''s cries and his blood on the floor still echoed in


    her mind.


    Her head then began to throb as if it was about to explode. This was the only side effect of her


    medication, but soon it would pass.


    The lights in Fairview Vi remained on. After sunrise, the front door was pushed open from the


    outside as two men in suits walked into the vi led by a middle-aged man, whose hair at the


    temples was starting to turn grey.


    Looking at the mess on the first floor, the middle-aged man sighed and turned around, ordering the


    men behind him, "Just put everything in there."


    "Yes, Mr. Zhou."


    The other two men put several paper bags on the table in the living room and then left.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    John nced at the stairs, took out his cell phone, and called two housemaids to clean the first


    floor. As for the second and third floors, they would remain on standby waiting for the woman in the


    vi to leave first.


    Honestly, Maria didn''t want to stay in Fairview Vi in such a state. She had nned to ask


    someone to bring her some clothes, but before she could make a call, she received a text message


    from John. "Ms. Song, your clothes are in the living room."


    Without hesitation, Maria went downstairs and took the bags with international brand logos printed


    on them.


    Fumbling through the bags, Maria found a dark green high-waisted dress, ck high-heels, jewelry,


    and even essories! They were all from world-famous brands. A sarcastic smile showed on her


    face upon that realization. After a one-night stand with James, she got an outfit worth a million


    dors. Undoubtedly, she had gained more than she could have imagined.


    At that moment, a small box in thest paper bag caught her attention.


    It was a box of morning-after pills.


    Maria held her breath as she stared at the box.


    She knew exactly what that medicine was for. She wasn''t stupid.


    Putting her emotions aside, she decisively took two pills.


    After Maria got dressed, she realized that some of the bruises on her body were still exposed, but


    she didn''t mind them. Once the car that came to pick her up parked outside, she got downstairs and


    decided to go straight to the hotel.


    The housemaids who John had called happened to arrive just in time to see Maria heading out.


    Although they greeted her warmly, she nodded coldly in response and left. Maria didn''t have a good


    impression of all of the housemaids.


    As soon as Maria left and the Fairview Vi was cleaned, the whole ce was restored to its


    normal, as if nothing had happened at all.


    Meanwhile, in HL Group, gossip was running wild.


    The employees kept chattering and whispering to each other on thepany premises since early


    in the morning.


    As the subject referred to James, several people would only dare to spread the news in the lounges


    or tea rooms for fear of losing their jobs in case their boss overheard them.


    However, it was by chance that the gossip reached Ste''s ears.

 Chapter 83 Womans Scratches

    Chapter 83 Woman''s Scratches


    Alina was so selfish. She wouldn''t lift a finger help the Qin family. Ste sighed when she thought of


    how toxic their friendship was.


    So she called Alina to piss her off. She kept her tone even. "Hi, Alina!"


    "What''s up?" ncing at the caller ID, Alina didn''t feel like talking to Ste. The Qin family was in


    dire straits. She didn''t want to irritate James by talking to someone he was angry with.


    "Do you know where Mr. Xi wasst night?"


    Alina was taken aback by the question. She didn''t live with him. How would she know his


    whereaboutsst night? "What are you talking about? Get to the point!"


    "Well, I have a friend at HL Group. Everyone in theirpany has been gossiping about Mr. Xi this


    morning..."


    "Okay...why?"


    Ste wasn''t going to keep her guessing. She pinned her hopes on Alina saving Qin Group, so she


    had to be nice to her. "Someone saw Mr. Xi start work early¡ªlike two or three in the morning early."


    Alina breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought it was something serious. He usually does that, right? He''s


    is a workaholic."


    "This time was weird. His hair was all mussed. He''s usually anal about keeping itbed. The real


    shocker was what his secretary saw when she pushed his door open."


    And the circumstances surrounding this made it weird, not the fact that he was burning the midnight


    oil. From Alina knew, no one ever saw James like that. His image was too important.


    Alina''s heart skipped a beat when she heard Ste''s words. She got quite annoyed. "Ste Qin! I


    don''t have the patience for this! Get to the point!"


    "The secretary saw Mr. Xi without his shirt. Underneath, he was covered in scars. These


    crisscrossed his back, like in a moment of passion. Some woman must have scratched him with her


    nails. You really don''t know?"


    Scratches? Alina''s mind went nk. Could it be Maria?


    Maria Song! She wanted to kill that bitch!


    Although Alina believed James had been sleeping with her since she blew back into town, every


    time she heard or saw them flirting with each other, Alina boiled over in anger.


    Last time, Maria bit and broke the skin on James'' lower lip, and this time she let him go to work all


    disheveled and signed her name across his back with her nails. Alina thought Maria was doing this


    deliberately to piss her off. She was practically strangled by the jealousy and fury surging in her


    heart.


    Alina made a decision to turn this around. She gritted her teeth and ordered, "Ask your friend in HL


    Group to tell everyone James stayed at my housest night!"


    Ste went silent for a moment, then said in an embarrassed tone, "Well...here''s the problem. If Mr.


    Xi hears that you and I started that rumor, he''s going to get mad. And you know what happens


    then."


    "Just do what I said!" Alina closed her eyes and tried her best to suppress her anger. ''Damn that


    Maria Song!'' she swore inwardly.


    "Alina, Qin Group is in trouble. It''s all my fault. I went to bat for you and paid the price. I ¡ª "


    Alina was annoyed by her hesitation. She knew why Ste didn''t want to do this. She also didn''t


    care. "I''ll ask Tang Group to take care of Qin Group. Just do it, okay?"


    "Really? Thank you so much, Alina. I''ll call my friend right now!" Although Tang Group was not as


    powerful as HL Group, it was on the Fortune 500 Global list. If Tang Group got involved, then Qin


    Group might be okay.


    But Ste hadn''t been thinking too clearly. A word from James put Qin Group in financial trouble. If


    Tang Group helped Qin Group, wouldn''t it look like they were against HL Group? And wouldn''t


    James try to destroy Tang Group as well? yton did his best as Tang Group''s CEO to bnce his


    business and life priorities, but satisfying his daughter''s request might bring a world of trouble.


    Following Alina''s suggestion, Ste asked her friend to spread the rumor. Everyone believed it. After


    all, Alina was James'' fiancee so it was easy to believe. They were surprised at how wild Alina was


    in bed. But it was juicy gossip and spread like wildfire.


    After leaving Fairview Vi, Maria went back to the hotel to take a nap. She didn''t get up until it was


    near dark.


    She put on a pants suit to cover the marks on her body. Then she put on some makeup and went


    straight to Miracle Cafe.


    The burgundy-red Rolls-Royce stopped at the door of the coffee shop. At the same time, the ck


    Harkim across the wide road stopped at the door of HL Group.


    As soon as she emerged from the car, Summer saw Maria across the street. She opened the back


    door without taking her eyes off the woman.


    She didn''t open the door all the way, and James had to push it open by himself. When he got out of


    the car, he found his assistant wasn''t paying any attention to him.


    Following her gaze, he saw a woman in a pink suit getting out of a Rolls-Royce. Her long wavy hair


    was draped over her shoulders, and there was a detached expression on her face.


    After getting out of the car, she didn''t look his way. She entered the coffee shop under armed guard,


    her purse in her hand.


    Somehow, the man got the impression she ignored him. Although he was pretty sure Maria didn''t


    see him, he still felt ufortable. Maria usually looked at the office block of HL Group when she


    went to work, just before she entered the coffee shop.


    Something else bothered him too. She wasn''t wearing the dress he bought her.


    She wore it when she left Fairview Vi today.


    After Maria walked into the coffee shop, James looked away and forced himself to focus on


    business instead.


    With everyone''s greetings ringing in his ears, James strode into the CEO''s exclusive elevator.


    He stood in the elevator and looked at the scenery outside. He couldn''t help but think of the


    passionate night he and Maria spent together.


    Eventually, he found it a little difficult to breathe, so he loosened his tie with his right hand. It was no


    use. It was still too hot in there. The elevator soon arrived at the floor where the CEO''s office was.


    With one hand in his pocket, James turned around and walked out of the elevator.


    Following him, Summer could feel his change in mood. The CEO was fine, but what happened to


    shift his attitude so suddenly? She couldn''t help wondering.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    As they passed the cubicles of the various secretaries and assistants, James nced at Lorenzo.


    The assistant was on the phone. The expression in James'' eyes let Lorenzo know he needed to


    wrap up what he was doing ande to the CEO''s office.


    Lorenzo nodded, quickly ended the phone call, and followed them into the office.


    James shed his suit jacket and draped it over the back of the easy chair. Standing in front of the


    French window without looking behind him, he asked, "Lorenzo, update me on the status of project


    ''Helping Children with Cleft Lip and Pte.''"


    Lorenzo looked at Summer in confusion. James usually never bothered with small projects like this


    one. Why did he suddenly care now?


    He suppressed his doubts and answered truthfully, "Everything''s going ording to n. YL Group


    are the best guys to partner with, given their phnthropic work. They''ll send someone here to bang


    out a contract tomorrow."

 Chapter 84 A Constant Thorn In Her Side

    Chapter 84 A Constant Thorn In Her Side


    The office was silent for a while, and things were somewhat depressing. Summer was trying to


    recall what she did wrong that pissed James off.


    After a bit, James said in a t tone, "This project isn''t suitable for YL Group. HM Group is far more


    experienced at charity projects than YL Group. Not to mention they turn a tidier profit doing it. We


    can work with them and cut YL Group out this time. As for them..." The man tapped his fingertips on


    the back of the chair and continued, "Give YL Group another project aspensation."


    Lorenzo and Summer exchanged nces with each other, wondering whether that was the real


    reason. Neither of them could think of a better partner in this than YL Group.


    They didn''t understand what was on James'' mind. HM Group was arge and powerful


    organization, but the bid they put in wasn''t as good or asprehensive as that of YL Group. YL


    Group even included a timeline and a possible expansion of services.


    They couldn''t help wondering what happened to James.


    Summer advised him as best she could. "Mr. Xi, I read over that project proposal YL Group sent


    over. I think they did a better job than HM Group in terms of medical equipment and children''s


    psychological guidance. Is there somepelling reason you don''t want to work with them?"


    James knew better than anyone else what Summer meant. Thinking of Maria, his eyes darkened.


    "Just do as I say."


    It''s all thanks to Maria. He cursed her name inwardly.


    "Yes, Mr. Xi." Lorenzo nodded and left.


    In Miracle Cafe, Maria was working as usual.


    After washing her hands, Maria came to the bar counter and saw a barista creatingtte art. She


    walked over and asked "Hey, Mike. Thinking of entering thette artpetition at the end of the


    year?


    Mike nodded with embarrassment. "Yeah, but I''m not good enough..."


    He''d been at it for several years, which made him a little better than the normal baristas. But he was


    far from talented enough to enter his work in apetition.


    Maria dried her hands and took the tools from him. "Let''s see if I can give you a few pointers."


    "Okay!" "The first thing is make sure you''ve textured your milk just right. And you want to clear


    anything that''s settled on the top with some cream first. Pour from a little higher up to clear that up.


    To make it look just right, pour directly into the center of the cup, following the


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    centerline all the way down..." Maria taught him earnestly, step by step, and Mike listened to her


    carefully.


    After he finished a lovely-looking leaf using her


    guidelines, Mike was about to ask the cafe


    assistant to bring it to the guest, but they were all busy taking orders. Maria wiped her hands and


    said, "Leave it to me."


    "Thanks, Maria. It''s for table No. 12."


    "You''re wee." Maria took the tray and walked towards table No. 12.


    There were three girls sitting there, chattering eagerly. When Maria came to bring them coffee, they


    were discussing the rumors about James. "Lydia identally saw the marks on Mr. Xi''s back. How


    embarrassing! We thought it was from Mr. Xi''s one-night stand. It turns out Alina Tang gave him


    those scratches. Who knew she was that wild?" one asked.


    "Who told you she did it? I heard it was someone else," another remarked.


    "Alina Tang admitted it herself. Well, her friend did, anyway¡ª"


    Maria interrupted them intentionally. "Excuse me. Here are thettes you ordered." She didn''t like


    them talking about James and Alina.


    The three women said "thank you" without raising their heads. Then they continued to gossip. "And


    the bite mark on Mr. Xi''s lip? That was Alina too, apparently."


    Maria turned around and sneered.


    So Alina was a good liar.


    If it were Alina in his bedst night, why was Maria sore? Did Alina pull James'' hair? She was


    probably too scared of him to do that.


    As soon as Maria returned to the bar counter, she made a phone call. "Go to my room and bring me


    the dress I left on the sofa..."


    She wanted to piss off Alina. She asked someone to pack up the dress and jewelry that James


    bought for her and bring them to Alina.


    Just when Alina started to feelcent about the rumors she started about her sexual


    escapades, she received a special gift from Maria, which immediately raised the woman''s hackles.


    A big man in a suit, with a bodyguard''s build and swagger, handed Alina tworge paper bags. "Ms.


    Tang, Mr. Xi bought these for Ms. Song. She says she doesn''t want them. She also says you should


    keep better tabs on your man." He ryed the message to Alina exactly as instructed. The smile on


    Alina''s face froze. With her trembling hands, she took out the dress. The faint scent of perfume


    reached her nose. Although the dress was still brand-new, it was obvious somebody had worn it.


    Maria was deliberately humiliating her and stomping on her dignity.


    Alina blushed in shame.


    ''Maria Song, you are such a bitch!'' Her feelings surfaced once more, and the familiar hatred for her


    cousin settled in her heart.


    Without any hesitation, Alina went to the offices of HL Group with the paper bags in hand after the


    bodyguard left.


    She put the bags in front of James and said, "James, Maria Song asked someone to bring these to


    me. So, whose bright idea was that? Yours, or hers?" She looked pretty calm on the surface. Only


    she herself knew how restless she was.


    He didn''t have to look at the bags to realize these were the very bags he used to transport the


    jewelry and the dress he bought her. The man put down the pen in his hand calmly. "She says you


    hurt her and she has evidence. What''s going on?"


    He noticed the panic in the woman''s eyes. Maria wasn''t lying to him.


    Alina tried her best to suppress the panic in her heart and calm herself down. She exined, "That


    wasn''t my fault. I was forced into it. Aunt Judy doesn''t like Maria, and insisted ¡ª "


    "Judy Lan?" James interrupted.


    Alina nodded and continued, "James, I love you so much that I lost my mind. I let Aunt Judy talk me


    into it. I''m so sorry, and I owe Maria an apology. After she came back, I wanted to get along. Leave


    the past in the past. But Maria doesn''t want to do that. She''s not innocent, either. Maria hit me. And


    she humiliated me, like with these gifts."


    With tears in her eyes, she added, "She knows I love you so much and always uses you against


    me. I get mad, too. I can''t fight her, though. She''d beat the hell out of me in a straight up fight. It''s


    not fair."


    Since she couldn''t beat Maria in a fight, she''d have to use more underhanded methods.


    The tears made James want to stop talking to her, but what kind of boyfriend would he be if he did


    that? So he listened and tried to be patient.


    "She asked someone to tell me that she doesn''t care about you. She asked me to keep an eye on


    you and ask you not to bother her anymore. Put yourself in my shoes. I''m your fiancee-to-be. Your


    ex always bullies me. I swear I''ve never cheated on you. You can''t just stand by and watch Maria


    Song bully me like this. Please help me!" One of the reasons James was willing to unite with Tang


    Group through marriage was that Alina''s private life was clean.


    Now he asked Alina to behave herself and she''d done just that, but he was entangled with Maria''s


    life. It was indeed unfair to Alina.


    However, he was not interested in the feud between these two women.


    "I can''t protect you all the time. I''m not interested in what women do As the future Mrs. Xi, you


    should learn to protect yourself," James said, looking at the document in his hands.


    "She knows Kung Fu. I..." Staring at him with tears in her eyes, Alina looked hurt.


    But James interrupted her. "Bring more bodyguards with you, or learn martial arts yourself." From


    what he remembered, Alina used to be the representative of the upper-ss socialite divas in H


    City. She was in charge of all the high-end clubs of Tang Group. She was quite resourceful.


    She was in her element when socializing, getting anything she wanted. James couldn''t help


    wondering what was wrong with her. She''d tangled with others, and either befriended them or


    ruined them. But Maria was a constant thorn in her side.

 Chapter 85 Miracle Cafe Was Smashed

    Chapter 85 Miracle Cafe Was Smashed


    Recently, Alina couldn''t win against Maria at all. She couldn''t even use her resources and social


    status to intimidate Maria. And every time Maria bullied her, she woulde to James and cry


    pitifully. All she could do wasin. Just like right now. James stared at her tearful face. He


    couldn''t help wondering if he had really made the right choice. Was this the kind of woman he was


    about to marry?


    In his mind, the ideal woman he wanted to marry was like Maria. She was an obedient wife and a


    good mother in the past. And now she was also an independent and strong-willed woman.


    Alina still tried to defend herself. "Yes, I do have lots of connections and resources in H City. But


    don''t forget that there is also someone like Norman behind Maria. Besides, our rtionship has not


    been made public, and we are not engaged yet. I can''t use your name in anything I do. That''s also


    one reason why Maria doesn''t take me seriously."


    In H City, the power of the Tang family was gradually weakening. Once Alina made a big mistake, it


    would only add insult to injury. She couldn''t let her family down. Hence, before she took any action,


    she had a lot of things to consider first. But if she became James'' wife, she could totally rely on him.


    Even if she killed Maria, he would definitely help her out.


    Alina knew a lot of ruthless people. But they wouldn''t dare toy a hand on Maria because they


    knew that Norman was protecting her.


    "We have already confirmed our engagement date," James said. That was the only answer he could


    give her.


    But it made Alina feel confused. Did he mean that she could now do whatever she wanted using his


    name? Or did he mean that she coulde to him anytime if Maria pestered her again? She found


    it hard to figure out the message he wanted to convey to her. Then she remembered that he had


    just said that he was not interested in the strife between women.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    For a moment, there was pin-drop silence in the office. Eventually, Alina decided to change the


    topic. Although she was here toin about Maria, as much as possible, she didn''t want Maria


    to be the center of their conversation every time she was with James. "By the way, Dad bought a


    vi for us. He wants us to move there before our wedding," she said.


    But much to her surprise, James refused, "No. We are not married yet. Living together under the


    same roof will only tarnish your reputation. We can wait until after our wedding."


    Alina was rendered speechless. Her brows furrowed in confusion. She wasn''t sure if James really


    cared about her image or he was just making an excuse. Since she didn''t know what else to talk


    about, she decided to leave. "Well, James, I''d better be going now. I know that you are busy today,


    so I won''t take much of your time." The truth was, Alina wanted to go back home, so she could have


    time alone to think of ways to fight back against Maria.


    Upon hearing what she said, James nced at her and said, "Okay. I''ll ask Lorenzo to drive you


    home."


    When Alina left, James put down the document in his hands and nced at the paper bags on the


    table. He then took a stick of cigarette from his drawer, lit it, and stood in front of the French window,


    lost in thought.


    A few days passed, and Maria didn''te to see James again. He felt like everything that


    happened in Fairview Vi that night was just a dream.


    One morning, Maria was still sleeping when she received a phone call from one of her waitresses.


    "Maria, something happened here in Miracle Cafe."


    She sobered up right away, sat down on her bed, and asked, "What happened?"


    "Please quicklye here for you to see."


    As soon as she hung up, Maria washed her face and got dressed.


    Half an hourter, she was now standing in front of her coffee shop. With her arms crossed over her


    chest, deep lines formed on her forehead as her brows creased.


    Her coffee shop was in a mess. The windows and the main door were smashed, and broken


    sses scattered on the ground. She didn''t see thising. The Miracle Cafe was located in the


    central business district of H City, where surveince cameras were installed everywhere. She had


    even installed an anti-theft rm system to make her coffee shop more secure. But still, someone


    was bold enough to ruin her business.


    Her anti-theft rm system had actually worked. The store manager and the police rushed over


    when they heard the rm. But they were toote.


    There was no else there, but only shattered sses on the ground. They were not even able to find


    any tools that the criminals used or any traces left by them.


    Maria had a lot of enemies in H City, but not so many people knew that she owned the Miracle Cafe.


    James, Lorenzo, and Alina were among those few who knew.


    But she believed that James and Lorenzo were too busy to get bored and do such a thing to her.


    It couldn''t be Alina either. After all, she was the most famous celebrity in H City. Although she was


    too desperate to take her revenge and even wanted to kill Maria, she wouldn''t do it this way. This


    kind of thing would only ruin her image.


    However, Maria also thought of another possibility. Alina didn''t necessarily need to do it by herself.


    She could easily ask others to do it if the price was right.


    Across the road, James'' Harkim had just pulled over in front of HL Group. He was about to get out


    of the car when Summer said in a low voice, "Mr. Xi, look at the other side of the road."


    James cast a nce at her before turning to look in the direction of Miracle Cafe.


    He saw that the entrance of the coffee shop was in a mess. There were also some onlookers trying


    to see what happened, and a police car was parked on the roadside. Maria, who was wearing a


    sky-blue suit, was talking to a policeman. But because of the distance, he couldn''t clearly see the


    expression on her face.


    From the looks of it, James could tell that something unpleasant happened, but he didn''t say


    anything. He just opened the door, get out of the car, and walked towards the HL Group building as


    if he didn''t care.


    After talking to the police, Maria found out that her coffee shop was in a blind spot. The cameras


    installed on the roadside couldn''t cover her building at all.


    She couldn''t help ming herself as she didn''t pay much attention to the security facilities during


    the construction.


    There was nothing else she could do in the meantime, so she asked the waitress to put a "STORE


    CLOSED" sign and got in the police car. She had to go with them to the police station for police


    blotters.


    It was almost noon when Maria got out of the police station. She had wasted her whole morning


    dealing with the matter.


    She had just left the police station when she received a call from Colby, inviting her to lunch. Since


    she was in a bad mood, she was about to refuse. But Colby said that he had something important to


    tell her, so she epted his invitation.


    Colby was already waiting in a private room that he reserved in a Japanese restaurant.


    The moment he saw Mariaing in, he smiled warmly. Pointing at the chair opposite him, he said,


    "Maria,e and have a seat."


    Maria smiled back at Colby, but she was secretly studying the expression on his face. She could tell


    that he was in a good mood, so she could roughly guess that the important thing he was referring to


    must be the charity project from James.


    At the thought of it, she said half-jokingly, "Hello, Mr. Zheng. Finally, you can have the time to ask


    me out for lunch. I''m actually disappointed, thinking that this time won''te anymore." Colby


    stood up and sat on the chair next to her. He then said in a rxed tone, "I particrly allot this time


    to keep youpany."


    As he leaned closer to her, he smelled the faint fragrance of tuberose from her body.


    The tuberose wasbined with the scent of angelica, and it created a smell of charm and


    innocence. It was so gentle in the nose. Her scent made Maria iparably beautiful.


    When he thought of his wife''s rose fragrance, Colby felt that she was way too vulgar. He must admit


    that Maria had much better taste than her.


    Maria rested her elbow on the table and cupped her chin in her hand. She slightly distanced herself


    from Colby and said with a smile, "In that case, I''ve forgiven you now. Let''s eat?"


    Colby ignored what she said. Instead, he stretched out his arm and held her waist. He pulled her


    closer to him and smelled the scent of her hair.


    Maria was making him lose his control. In his mind, he preferred to have a taste of her than to have


    lunch. She must be more delicious than any food in this restaurant. Otherwise, how could she


    subdue a man like James?


    When Colby was about to kiss her cheek, Maria covered her lips and said, "Mr. Zheng, do you know


    how I got the project from HL Group?"


    Colby was slightly stunned, but shrewdness shed across his eyes. He then shook his head,


    pretending not to know.


    Maria flipped her long hair and said, "Fortunately,


    I still remember what kind of person James is. He is a neat freak, both physically and mentally. So I


    told him that I''ve never slept with any other men except him, and I''m still in love with him. He bought


    it. He agreed to give the project to you but on one condition. I am not allowed to have an affair with


    another man. Mr. Zheng..."


    Maria paused for a second and looked around. She then continued in a low voice, "The truth is, he


    arranged some men to follow me here today. But if you don''t need to work with HL Group anymore,


    it''s okay with me. I would love to move to that vi you have offered me anytime."

 Chapter 86 Give Me The Evidence

    Chapter 86 Give Me The Evidence


    Listening to what Maria said, Colby hesitated. HL Group was a big organization that could offer a lot


    of projects, and tons of profit potential. It was another ie stream, and only a fool relied on


    merely one stream. Maria let him make his own choice¡ªwoman or profit.


    Colby was not stupid. He answered her with a question. "Mr. Xi is young and handsome. There are


    a lot of women crushing on him right now, including Alina Tang. Why does it sound like you don''t


    love him anymore?"


    He looked Maria straight in the eye to see if she were lying.


    Maria''s red lips trembled, and she returned his gaze. Tears rimming her lovely eyes, she said, "Mr.


    Zheng, we''ve known each other for a long time. You should know me by now. Do you think I would


    continue to love a man who not only divorced me when I needed him the most, a man who stepped


    on me and pushed me into a bottomless chasm? Does that sound like me? Love him? I want to kill


    him."


    She had charms and she knew how to use them. Colby''s heart hammered in his chest, spurred on


    by her morose look. The slightest change in her expression could do things to a man. Colby


    touched her long hair and softlyforted her. "Don''t be sad, Maria. When I''m done with HL Group,


    I''ll take care of you for the rest of your life."


    As he spoke, he removed his arm from around her and took a bank card from his shirt pocket.


    "There''s twenty-million on here. It''s all yours."


    When Maria saw the card, her eyes lit up. She took the card from him and hugged him. Putting her


    chin on his shoulder, she sobbed, "You''re too kind, Mr. Zheng! I''d like to be the hidden power behind


    your throne. I want to be with you for the rest of my life, but only you and I need to know."


    The man didn''t see the irony in the woman''s eyes. He patted her on the back tofort her, "It''ll


    happen soon."


    "Thank you, Mr. Zheng!"


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Colby returned to his seat and asked the waiter to serve the dishes.


    During lunch, the man put down his chopsticks. "Maria, do you know Norman Shen?" he asked,


    casually.


    Maria sneered in her heart. Colby wasn''t as dumb as he looked. He''d done a thorough job looking


    into her background. "Yeah, I do. Why?"


    "Are you two close?"


    "Kind of." Maria stopped eating and confessed, "I''m a rtive nobody. He''s a big shot. So what kind


    of rtionship is that?" They could be lovers, friends, or even just convenient for each other. Maria


    didn''t rify. In fact, she and Norman were friends after a fashion.


    Colby was misled by her ambiguous exnation. But her answer sealed his trust in her. He knew


    Norman took Maria to Alina''s birthday party. They definitely knew each other.


    But Maria loved money. Colby knew that. So he figured she was Norman''s mistress.


    He had fooled around with a lot of women, and he didn''t care if the woman he was dating was a


    virgin or not. He was not picky. A virgin was fine, but experienced ones were better in bed.


    Maria was thetter.


    So Colby was serious about everything. He was already thinking up schemes where he could use


    Maria as an "in" with Norman.


    After lunch, the two walked out of the restaurant together. When they bid each other farewell, Colby


    asked Maria if she wanted to go shopping in Italy. He could make the travel arrangements if she


    wanted.


    "I''d love to," Maria said, mustering a regretful tone. "But I promised James I''d hang out with him


    tonight. Another time, maybe?"


    Colby nodded firmly. He didn''t see anything wrong with it. The two separated. Maria went back to


    the hotel and took off her clothes that Colby touched. She tossed them in the trash. Then she took a


    shower and washed her hair.


    She found Colby repulsive, and this was the best way to feel clean after he pawed her today. She


    couldn''t just push him away-he was too useful as long as he was enamored with her.


    But it wasn''t just Colby. She''d been having second thoughts about James since the night he raped


    her.


    She didn''t have any romantic inclinations now. She just wanted to work hard and make money.


    However, on the third day after that miserable night in Fairview Vi, James came to her.


    At the sight of the man, all the vows Maria had made turned into bubbles. Bubbles which the man


    popped by his very presence.


    Looking at the arrogant man sitting opposite her, she didn''t want to focus on her career now. Maybe


    she could spare some time for this guy. He was definitely easy on the eyes.


    James never beat around the bush. "Show me the evidence you have on Alina."


    With one hand on the back of the sofa, Maria looked at the man with a faint smile. "Why should I


    give it to you?" Did he want to get pped again? "What do you want?" He was trying to negotiate


    with her.


    "What a question," Maria said. "Give me what I want, and you can have the evidence."


    That evidence was hard won. It was secondhand.


    Now that James hade to her in person, how could she not give it to him? Even if he did it for


    another woman, Maria could still fulfill his wish.


    James kept silent.


    He remembered that this woman once said seriously that she wanted everyone to die with her.


    "I want..." Maria started to say something, but she thought of a better way to put it. "The doctor said


    I have hypoglycemia."


    The man frowned. Was she sick?


    The woman''s smile widened. "I need you to talk to me sweetly. Or I''ll pass out."


    James was speechless. She was flirting with him.


    At the same time, he understood what she meant. If he wanted the evidence, he had to talk to her


    nicely. tter her.


    However, he had never felt intimidated by her, so he wasn''t in a hurry to say anything. Looking


    around him, he could see the coffee shop had been restored to its original state. There were quite a


    few obvious surveince cameras, too. He asked, "Did you call the police? What did they say?"


    Knowing what he was referring to, this bothered Maria. The police didn''t have a suspect, and had


    no leads. She looked at the man quietly. "What are you talking about? You know the cops couldn''t


    find anything."


    "I''ll have someone look into it for you. Give me the evidence."


    "And if I don''t agree?" He was extremely good at bargaining. But Maria was no pushover.


    James took a leisurely sip of coffee. "Then you''ll never know who smashed up your cafe." As soon


    as he finished speaking, he put the coffee cup back on the table.


    Maria burst intoughter. This man was still an asshole. It was as natural to him as breathing. He


    couldn''t do a better job of being an ass if he worked at it.


    Obviously, he didn''t know that she still hurt from his rape.


    She sneered, "James Xi, don''t forget that I didn''t say yes that night. In fact, I said no. You ignored


    my feelings and hurt me. If you keep threatening me like this, I will press charges." After finishing,


    he put his pants back on and left immediately. Instead of epting the consequences, he continued


    to provoke her. Maria wished that she could crush his head like a grape.


    The woman''s words soured James'' mood. That night, he was really out of his mind. Heedless of her


    resistance, he did something he shouldn''t have.


    "And how do you think that''s going to y out?"


    "I don''t have a chance of winning, but I can let the whole world know that James Xi is a scumbag.


    He raped his ex-wife and even sent her to prison to cover up what he did. What do you think that


    will do to HL Group? I can see your stock prices hitting rock bottom. They might even force you out


    to fix their image..." The most important thing for a listed group and its owner was reputation. Once


    their reputation tanked, thepany was all but finished. That was why Maria could threaten


    James like that. He knew it all too well, because he''d done that to otherpanies.


    The man didn''t retort this time, but the anger in his eyes was visible.

 Chapter 87 No Progress

    Chapter 87 No Progress


    Ignoring his anger, Maria asked in confusion, "James, honestly, I don''t get why you''re trying so hard


    to marry a criminal. There are so many nice women in town. Don''t you like any of them? Did you


    really leave me for Alina? You left our wedding reception to see her, from what I heard.


    If she could convince James to leave Alina, then that would save her a lot of trouble.


    She wouldn''t do anything to an innocent woman, but this was Alina.


    Alina, the woman who wanted to destroy her family. The woman who destroyed her vocal cords with


    a vicious concoction.


    James saw it differently. True, he did leave the wedding early. He admitted that, but it wasn''t to meet


    a woman. He had to deal with a crisis at HL Group.


    But it didn''t matter anymore. Everything was in the past. He didn''t want to dredge things up and


    exin it to her. "So, will you give it to me or not?" He was running out of patience.


    "No way!" This was her leverage. If she held Alina''s fate in her hands, then Maria could use it to her


    advantage. She needed a backup n in case things went south. So she wouldn''t hand it over


    easily, even if it was James who asked for it.


    James didn''t have much time to waste. He took two hundred dors from his wallet and pped the


    bills on the table. Then he stood up and left without saying anything more.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Obviously, no one was happy. James didn''t get what he wanted, and neither did Maria.


    After he left, Maria went to the police station to check on the vandalism case. She hoped against


    hope that there was some kind of lead on whoever trashed her cafe.


    But the policeman still said, "We can''t do anything without the surveince records."


    Then she was asked to go back home. They said they''d contact her if they made any progress.


    Maria thought maybe she was too anxious. After all, it was only two days after the incident. She


    thanked the policeman and left the police station.


    That night, James and Maria saw each other again at a dinner party.


    Maria was there with Mr. Qin, Ste''s father.


    During the dinner party, she was socializing happily with the other guests. She didn''t even spare a


    nce at James.


    Listening to theirughter, James sat in his seat and smoked silently. He had to hand it to her. Maria


    was a uniquely charming woman and had these business tycoons wrapped around her finger.


    When the dinner party was over, the guests filed out of the private room. Alina and Ste were in


    the hallway, talking.


    When the two women saw Maria in the crowd, one of them breathed a sigh of relief, and the other


    red at her fiercely.


    After all, Maria was holding a particr man''s arm. An arm belonging to none other than Ste''s


    father.


    In turn, Alina didn''t think it was a big deal as long as Maria stayed away from James. That was all


    she cared about.


    At once, Ste trotted over and asked Maria sharply, "Why are you with my father?"


    Instead of letting go of Mr. Qin, Maria drew him closer and looked at Ste like the cat who ate the


    canary. "Is there a problem with that?"


    Mr. Qin patted his daughter on the shoulder and scolded her quietly, "Ste, stop it!"


    Ste totally misunderstood their rtionship. She was so angry that she was seeing red. "Dad, this


    woman is a tramp. Stay away from her!" she yelled at her father.


    "Ste! Go home!" Mr. Qin was a little embarrassed. He didn''t expect his daughter to be so


    disrespectful.


    He heard that Maria was a lovely, charming woman, so he asked her to be his date for the dinner


    party.


    Ste was spoiled by Mr. Qin. She wouldn''t act like this around James, but she could make a fuss


    over her father.


    When the other guests in the party saw what was going on, they did their best to ignore it. They


    weren''t going to interfere in Mr. Qin''s family affairs. They all said farewell to him right away. "Mr. Qin,


    it''s gettingte. We''re gone. Good night."


    Before she grabbed James to walk him out, Alina gave Maria a disdainful look.


    Soon there were only three people left in the corridor. Immediately, Ste stepped forward and


    separated Maria from Mr. Qin. "You homewrecking bitch! Get a job instead of sponging off rich


    men!"


    First, Maria targeted James, then Colby, and now it was her father''s turn.


    "Ste! You''re embarrassing me! Stop it!" Mr. Qin chided again.


    Maria kept smiling graciously. She addressed her date, "Mr. Qin, don''t you have another dinner


    partying up? Go on ahead! I''ll catch up!" Indeed, Mr. Qin was on the way to his next dinner


    party. Time was running out. He had nned to show up with Maria, but he didn''t think Ste would


    throw a fit like this. Atst, he had to take off. "Thank you, Maria."


    "You''re wee, Mr. Qin. See you!"


    After Mr. Qin left, Ste red at Maria. "So what do you want with my father? Are you trying to piss


    me off?"


    "Qin Group is failing because of you, and you still act like this! I don''t know about you!" Maria said,


    shaking her head and looking at her polished fingernails. James had punished Qin Group because


    of how Ste behaved at the jewelry exhibition. But she still hadn''t learned her lesson.


    Ste blushed out of fury and shame. "What do you care? I''m warning you. Stay away from my


    father, or I''ll rip your face off!"


    Maria took two steps forward.


    Ste immediately took two steps back. "What are you doing?"


    The woman smiled enchantingly, a malicious glint in her eye. "Scared? Good. A word of advice:


    don''t mess with pretty women. You might be disrespecting your future stepmother!"


    Maria learned quickly. Men were animals driven by desire. Their brains weren''t in their heads, but


    their private parts. James taught her that. Control their desire, and you could lead them anywhere


    you want.


    "You!" Ste raised her hand to p her.


    Maria grabbed her wrist and made Ste p herself.


    "Ouch! Maria Song, you bitch!" Ste was angry beyond words. She almost exploded. If she had a


    knife in her hand right now, she would gut Maria like a fish without a second thought.


    No wonder every time Alina mentioned Maria, her eyes zed with hatred. Ste now knew exactly


    why.


    Heedless of the mor behind her, Maria left the hotel elegantly, her high heels clicking on the


    pavement.


    Maria went back and forth to the police station several times regarding what happened to her coffee


    shop, but there was no progress in the case. The police handling the case were quite curt with her.


    They just sat on the case and told her nothing.


    Maria was annoyed by their attitude.


    Realizing she wouldn''t get anywhere with the rank and file, she stopped a higher-up climbing the


    stairs to his office. "Excuse me, are you Mr. Li, the deputy chief?" She heard someone talking to


    him, and took a chance. Chuck Li stopped, looked back at her, and nodded.


    "I''d like to talk to you about a particr case. Do you have a minute?" Maria thought he looked


    familiar, but she couldn''t remember where she had met him before.


    She didn''t think the man knew about her cafe, so she was about to exin it to him, but Chuck Li


    nodded. "Yes. Isn''t Wace in charge of this case?"


    "Then what has he done? I''ve been here several times and got nothing. Is this the way you normally


    deal with cases?" Maria''s tone was firm, with more than a little outrage. She was determined to get


    an exnation now.

 Chapter 88 A Scapegoat

    Chapter 88 A Scapegoat


    Chuck turned around and calmly cast a nce at Wace. Wace exined, "Chief Li, I''ve already


    exined to her that we have many cases to deal with. I''ve also told her that she''s not the only


    person we are serving, and we need time to resolve the case."


    "But it''s been a week, yet you don''t even have a clue. Do you expect me to believe it?" Maria


    retorted sharply. She was not a fool to easily believe in his excuses. Every time she came here to


    ask about the progress of the case, no one could clearly tell her the current update. She felt like


    they hadn''t done anything at all. Obviously, they were ying dirty tricks behind.


    She couldn''t help wondering if it was James who told them not to work on the case. If it was really


    him, she would definitely not let him go so easily this time. Maria swore that she would haunt him


    down for a lifetime, and she would be his worst nightmare every night.


    Chuck raised his eyebrows and said to Maria, "He is telling you the truth. So you''d better go home


    and wait for our call. We will give you updates soon."


    His words enraged Maria, but she restrained herself from losing her temper. She took a deep breath


    to calm herself down and said, "Okay. But I can only hold my patience for three more days. I''m


    giving you another three days, all right? If I don''t get a result within three days..." She paused,


    looked at Chuck''s face coldly, and continued, "You will lose your job. I mean it."


    Chuck didn''t feel threatened at all. He even found Maria''s words amusing. He burst into a


    contemptuousughter and said indifferently, "Wace, did you hear that? Hurry up and do your


    job!" Inside him, he thought disdainfully, ''Who do you think you are? Threatening me in my territory?


    You must be crazy.'' He never took Maria seriously.


    Wace nodded obediently. "Yes, Chief Li." He then smiled with mockery.


    Maria could feel that no one there believed in her words. So without saying anything, she left with a


    straight face.


    When she was gone, Chuck took out his phone and made a call. "Is there someone behind Maria


    Song?" He believed that Maria would not be bold enough to threaten him if there was no one


    backing her up.


    While listening to the person on the other end of the line, he asked, "Norman Shen? Who else?" He


    was quiet for a moment and said again, "Colby Zheng? Okay. I got it." Now he knew the reason


    behind Maria''s boldness. It turned out, she had an affair with the two bigwigs in H City. Chuck


    couldn''t help rolling his eyes upon thinking about her. Then an idea came to his mind right away.


    Three dayster, Maria received a call informing her that her case had been resolved.


    She rushed to the police station, and as soon as she arrived, Wace pushed a man in front of her


    and said, "Ms. Song, this is the man who smashed your coffee shop. He has already confessed to


    us. Here is the copy. Please check, and if you have no objection, sign at the bottom.


    With an expressionless face, Maria looked at the man in front of her. He was thin and tiny, and fears


    welled up in his eyes. She then asked, "Which shop did you smash?"


    Wace was about to say something when Maria cast him a cold nce. It was a kind of look that


    made him have his words stuck in his throat.


    ''Damn it! She''s just an ordinary woman, but why are her eyes so frightening?'' he couldn''t help


    wondering to himself.


    Upon seeing the coldness in Maria''s gaze, the man seemed to have bitten his tongue. It took a long


    time for him to say, "I can''t remember anymore."


    Maria just let it pass. She raised another question. "Why did you smash my coffee shop?"


    "I...I made a mistake. I was going to smash another shop."


    That was absolutely the most ridiculous excuse that she had ever heard. She was amused by the


    way the police had dealt with her case. Fury shed across Maria''s eyes as she tore the copy of the


    man''s statement that Wace had handed to her. Wace wanted to stop her, but it was toote.


    Ignoring Wace''s dissuasion, she stormed upstairs to see Chuck.


    Some police officers followed her and tried to stop her. "Ms. Song, you are breaking thew. We can


    detain you."


    She just turned a deaf ear to all of them. Eventually, no one had seeded in stopping her.


    When Maria reached the second floor, she saw that there were several offices in there, so she


    looked around to find Chuck''s office. And as soon as she saw the sign "Deputy Chief''s Office, " she


    pushed the door open without even knocking. "Chuck Li!" she shouted.


    Chuck, who was dealing with some business, was shocked when Maria barged in. With deep lines


    on his creased forehead, he said in an official tone, "Ms. Song, how dare you!"


    But Maria was so furious that she seemed not to hear him at all. She strode forward and threw the


    torn statement in her hand to his face. "Chuck Li, how dare you use a scapegoat to fool me! Do you


    think you can deceive me? You just wait and see!"


    It was the first time that Chuck received such a treatment, so he got mad at once. He shouted at the


    police officers behind Maria, "What are you doing? Arrest this woman!"


    The police officers exchanged nces before they rushed towards Maria.


    "Hold on!" Maria snapped at them. She then looked at Chuck and added, "As far as I know, you


    were promoted step by step until you were transferred here from a county. I dared to throw a torn


    statement on your face because I have something against you. Are you sure you want your men to


    arrest me?"


    She dared to make trouble here because she was well-prepared.


    The expression on Chuck''s face changed. His arrogance vanished. He calmly told the police


    officers to go out first and closed the door, intending to have a good talk with her.


    But Maria was too angry to have a conversation with him. As soon as the police officers left, she


    also turned around and walked out of the door, ignoring Chuck''s calling.


    Chuck was left in his office, pacing back and forth anxiously. Then he made a phone call. "I''m really


    doomed this time. This is all your fault!"


    Maria returned to the coffee shop to calm herself down. The more she thought about everything that


    happened, the more she got determined not to let this matter go so easily. After a while, she went


    out of the coffee shop, stood on the roadside, and looked at the tall building across. She sighed at


    the realization that, in reality, she still had to bow.


    She really had the evidence of Chuck''s crime. But she still needed someone from the top who had


    control over things so she could seed. And to find someone to take care of this matter, she


    needed a superior leader in this field.


    She knew that any superior leader would not investigate a subordinate just because of someone''s


    words. Even if she had the evidence, it could still be difficult since the person involved was working


    for the government.


    Besides, it wasn''t even easy to find a superior leader who could help her.


    Maria didn''t want to bother Norman anymore. He had already done too many favors for her.


    Lawrence was still on a mission, so it was not appropriate that she disturbed him. After thinking for


    a while, she realized that the only person who was most capable of helping her was James.


    She went back to her office inside the coffee shop, made a copy of the video from herptop, and


    took it with her to HL Group. When she was at the entrance of the building, she made a call.


    "Summer, tell James that I want to see him now. I can give him what he wants."


    "Maria, Mr. Xi is not in his office right now. He is apanying some foreign visitors to inspect the


    factory. But I''ll let him know as soon as hees back, then I''ll call you back." Summer was left in


    the office; it was Lorenzo who apanied James to the factory.


    "All right, Summer. Thanks!" Maria could wait. She was not in a hurry, anyway.


    Summer smiled. "Don''t mention it. I haven''t thanked you yet for asking Mr. Xi to transfer me back to


    H City." She had always nned to


    invite Maria to dinner, but they were both so busy that she couldn''t find the free time to make a


    reservation.


    "You don''t have to be so polite. After all, I am also the reason why James has sent you


    overseas."


    "All right. All right. Let''s just chat more when we both have free time. I have so many things to deal


    with now. I need to go back to work. Let''s have dinner one of these days." As James''


    special assistant, Summer was so busy every


    day.


    "Sure. Don''t forget to ry my message to James, okay?"Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "Of course!" Summer could forget other things, but she would never forget anything that concerned


    Maria.


    The next morning, Maria finally got the chance to see James.


    He set their appointment at six-thirty in the morning in his office. Maria wondered if he did it on


    purpose so she would be forced to get up early.


    She wanted toin, but she had no other choice. It was she who needed his help this time.


    James was already in thepany, doing some morning exercises in the gym. He was wearing


    ck sportswear, and beads of sweat streamed down from his forehead. Working out had been a


    part of his morning routine for a long time.

 Chapter 89 Bargain

    Chapter 89 Bargain


    Since she woke up very early today, Maria felt listless as she sat in the armchair. She didn''t even try


    to be like a gentlewoman. She casually leaned against the armchair, closed her eyes, and said, "I


    need your help. And if you refuse, I will file a rape case against you."


    She gave it careful thought and eventually decided that she shouldn''t just hand over the evidence to


    him easily. She had to look for a way out so that Alina would never be able to bounce back for the


    rest of her life.


    James, who was lifting the dumbbells in both hands, nced at Maria. In his life, he had never met


    such a cunning woman like her. It was her who requested for this meeting in exchange of giving him


    the evidence. But now, she was trying to threaten him with filing awsuit against him.


    After lifting the dumbbells one hundred times, he gently put them on the floor. He then took out his


    phone and made a call. "Tell Joshua to see me when he arrives."


    Maria opened her eyes and stared at James, who had just hung up. She wondered what was in his


    mind.


    Much to her surprise, James sat down beside her. He then said, "Ms. Song, it was you who


    requested to have dinner in my vi. You even exerted so much effort to cook different dishes to


    please me. I didn''t know that you nned to seduce me. So shouldn''t I be the one to sue you for


    harassment? But if you are really determined to sue me, go ahead. I trust Joshua enough. I know


    he can handle any case you file against me very well."


    James sounded very arrogant. As soon as he finished his words, he went straight to the lounge


    without giving Maria a chance to retort.


    Maria could only watch his receding back. She was too furious to find her tongue.


    She was the one who had the evidence, so she should be at an advantage. But why was he the one


    threatening her all of a sudden?


    For a moment, Maria really wanted to file awsuit against him and Alina. She would file a homicide


    case against Alina and rape against James.


    However, she doubted if she could win against him. Perhaps his reputation would be damaged. But


    if Joshua showed the evidence that she had made a lot of efforts to seduce James, things would be


    different. After all, she had deliberately tried to hit on James many times, even in public. If Joshua


    wanted to investigate and gather some evidence, it wouldn''t be that difficult for him.


    As for Alina, James would definitely protect her no matter what. He always wanted to erase all the


    negative news about her, so if Maria sued her for homicide, he would surely help her ovee it. In


    short, Maria would only waste her time and energy if she sued the two of them.


    And whether she admitted it or not, she was only confident in fighting against her enemies if she


    could rely on James'' help. Just like today. It was she who requested this meeting because he was


    the only person she thought could help her deal with Chuck. She knew that as long as she agreed


    to his condition, and she gave him what he wanted, he would help her.


    But if she went against him, she would definitely suffer a loss.


    Maria stood up from the armchair and quietly walked towards the French window. She took a deep


    breath while looking at the view outside. James'' office was on the top floor, so from the window, she


    could see a clear view of almost half of H City.


    Looking down at the beautiful city below her, Maria felt like an empress who ruled an empire. She


    imagined all the people got down on their knees in front of her.


    This made her realize that James had really reached the highest level. He had acquired more than


    she had imagined and made HL Group a big empire. Wishing that he lost everything again was


    impossible.


    Maria had always believed that a wise person must be flexible and knew how to deal with a


    situation ordingly. Therefore, she decided not to fight against James on impulse. After a long


    time, the door of the lounge opened, and James came out. He was already in his usual business


    attire. He had neatly put on his shirt and trousers, but his suit jacket and his necktie were in his


    hand.


    Maria turned around decisively, smiled, and trotted towards him. "Hold on. Let me do it."


    She took the necktie from his hand, stood in front of him, and started tying it around his neck. Since


    she was good at this task, she was able to neatly tie the necktie around his neck swiftly.


    With a darkened expression, James blurted out, "Why are you so good at tying a necktie?"


    Maria smiled from ear to ear. "I am surrounded by many men. How can I not learn to do it?" Of


    course, she couldn''t possibly learn this skill for women.


    James fell silent upon hearing her answer.


    Maria straightened his tie and took a step back. Pursing her lips, she crossed her arms over her


    chest and said, "With a stainless steel wristwatch and a dark handkerchief, I''m sure that you will be


    the most handsome CEO in the whole world. Wait, I''ll get them for you." She then strode towards


    the lounge.


    James just watched her leave without saying anything.


    Then he heard her voice. "Where is your wardrobe? Oh, I found it. Your lounge has great design.


    The wardrobe is hidden well."


    A few momentster, she came out with a watch and a dark blue handkerchief in her hands.


    She folded the handkerchief and put it inside his suit pocket. While putting on the watch around his


    wrist, she asked, "James, do you know my favorite color?"


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    James looked at her long over-sized white shirt which half of the cor slid down, revealing her


    shoulder and the strap of her bra. He couldn''t help but reach out his hand and lift it up.


    Maria was amused by his gesture and smiled casually. "You''re an old man who knows nothing


    about fashion. Don''t worry. I''m not seducing you."


    "White," James suddenly said.


    Maria was a bit stunned as she didn''t expect him to answer her question. She thought he would say


    that he was not interested to guess.


    After putting on his watch, she tiptoed and wrapped her arms around his neck. As she pulled him


    closer, a faint fragrance of mint teased her nose. She kissed him on the lips and said, "Always keep


    this in mind. My favorite color... is the color of your lips."


    It was only then that James realized that Maria was starting to flirt with him again. He couldn''t


    believe that she did it to him in such an early morning. He pulled her arms down from his neck and


    warned her in a stern tone, "Ms. Song, you''d better watch yournguage and your behavior.


    Remember that I can use this as evidence that you are seducing me."


    Maria shook her head helplessly. Her charm didn''t seem to work on him at all. Whether he was


    naked in bed or dressed up properly, this man could always remain calm.


    If James was a calm beast with his clothes off, he was also a calm ruler with his clothes on.


    She knew once a man gotid, he wouldn''t be able to quit it.


    When they were still a couple, he never got tired of having sex to her. Why was he not interested in


    her anymore?


    Perhaps it was because he had other women to satisfy his needs. She was now dispensable to him


    when it came to sex.


    What happened that night in Fairview Vi was all because she had provoked him. He wouldn''t


    eveny a finger on her if she hadn''t annoyed him. After all, she had clearly told him that he could


    deal with her in any possible means, but she would never allow him to send her to other men. Thus,


    what happened that night was his punishment to her.


    Since Maria was lost in thought, she didn''t notice that James had already sat behind his desk. She


    only came back to her senses when she heard him say, "Do you want to leave by yourself or be


    driven out?"


    Maria picked up her purse from the sofa and took out her phone. The expression on her face turned


    cold as she said to James, "Give me your email address. I''ll send you the evidence. I want Chuck Li


    to lose his job as soon as possible. And I want to know who smashed my coffee shop."


    James picked up a sticky note from his desk and wrote his email address on it. He pushed it to the


    edge of the table and asked, "Anything else?"

 Chapter 90 The Perpetrator

    Chapter 90 The Perpetrator


    James knew very well that Maria was at a disadvantage. He wanted the evidence of Alina''s crime


    so he could keep it from being released. But if she gave it up, she would have no leverage. Maria


    should ask for more.


    But the woman took down his email and sent the evidence to his inbox. "Don''t bother ask if you''re


    not sincere," she said icily. "You know what I want but you can''t even give that much. So I guess


    we''re done here."


    This was the only way she could get his help, at least for now. She would need help with something


    else, so she was saving that. He owed her that much.


    She took her purse and left, this time without him yelling at her to get out.


    James watched her leave in silence. She was really capricious. He hadn''t counted on that.


    As soon as Maria walked out of HL Group''s elevator, James received an e-mail with a ratherrge


    attachment. He opened his inbox and downloaded the video.


    When he opened it, he saw a familiar-looking middle-aged woman. Thinking for a while, James


    finally recalled that she was the Xi family''s former maid. She worked there for a while and resigned.


    He never saw her again. She said, "Six years ago, I worked as a maid in the Xi family and took care


    of Mrs. Judy Xi. Mrs. Judy Xi hated Maria Song, Mr. Xi''s wife at the time. She made life hell for the


    poor girl in every possible way. She helped Miss Alina Tang find a special kind of herb. This


    particr one was toxic, and they mixed it into her tea. Soon after she drank it, the herb damaged


    her vocal chords, and she fell mute..."


    James clicked the pause button.


    He was taken aback. He never knew that before. And it was Judy and Alina working together.


    Maria''s facial expression when she left his office shed through his mind. She looked extremely


    aloof.


    She must be hurt by the fact that rather than protecting her, he did his best to shield his family from


    anything she might do.


    Maria had always been proud since she returned to H City. He couldn''t believe that she gave him


    the evidence just because she wanted him to help investigate the vandalism her cafe had suffered.


    James lit a cigarette and blew smoke rings. Then he clicked on the y button and continued to


    watch the video. The following content was the statement about Alina ordering others to buy the


    drug.


    He realized that it must have taken Maria a lot of effort to get this. And she gave it to him so quickly.


    James was lost in thought.


    He made a decision to help her out. That night, Chuck was suspended and found himself the


    subject of an internal affairs investigation.


    The next morning, they found the perpetrator, the one who smashed up Maria''s coffee shop.


    Raising her brows, Maria read the name with an evil smile.


    On the second floor of a chain beauty salon, a woman quietly sneaked into a private room from


    outside.


    When she stealthily made her way in, there were four women in the room. Two beauticians were


    working. Two female customers were lying on reclining chairs, seats that had been specifically


    designed for facial treatments.


    The woman walked to one of the beauticians, pointed at a woman lying on the recliner with her eyes


    closed, and whispered, "Let me serve her. I want to give her a surprise!" She had a warm smile on


    her face, showing that she was very familiar with the woman she pointed at.


    The beautician was a little hesitant, and nced at the two bodyguards guarding the door. Men


    were not allowed to go to the second floor. She realized something was wrong. When she was


    about to make an alert, the woman, Maria, quickly covered her mouth and waved a sharp dagger at


    the two beauticians. Another beautician was so frightened she covered her mouth in fear. The two


    women lying on bed were still chatting, heedless of the action in the salon. "Alina, did you go


    choose your wedding dress with Mr. Xi?"


    Alina was about to ask her beautician why she stopped, but was interrupted by Ste, who was


    waiting for someone to shape her eyebrows. Alina answered, "Not yet, but our engagement rings


    are ready. We''ll figure out the wedding dress after we get engaged."


    Ste was focused on Alina, so she didn''t pay attention to what her beautician was doing. "Alina, I


    really envy you. You get to marry Mr. Xi! " The admiration and jealousy in her tone pleased Alina


    almost more than the idea of marriage.


    Alina smiled and pretended to encourage her. "Cheer up, Ste. You''ll meet the right man


    eventually."


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    "Yeah," she said glumly. "But not as good as Mr. Xi. There''s no one better. And I''m not that lucky!"


    Ste believed if she were the one marrying Mr. Xi, she would do better than Alina had done. She''d


    have him wrapped around her finger. But she would never say that out loud.


    A woman''s voice suddenly rang out. "Miss Qin, open your eyes, please. Do you like your brows? I


    tried to give them that personal touch."


    Alina knew she heard that voice before. She couldn''t ce it, though. Then Ste''s blood- curdling


    scream was heard. "Ahhhhh ¡ª"


    Everyone else in the room was frightened, especially Alina. She sat up, pressing on her chest


    where her heart hammered from fear and shock. She was about to scold Ste when she saw


    Maria.


    Alina was shocked. She took a look at Ste, who was still screaming next to her, and finally


    uttered, "Maria Song, are you fucking nuts?" She couldn''t believe Maria had shaved Ste''s


    eyebrows off. She also saw men here. She really believed that Maria had gone stark raving mad.


    Ignoring Alina''s babbling, Maria''s gloomy gaze was glued to Ste''s face.


    Without giving her a chance to speak, she pressed a sharp dagger against Ste''s neck. The two


    beauticians couldn''t stand it any longer. They ran out of the salon, faces ghost-white.


    The two bodyguards at the door warned the people outside not to call the police. Then they closed


    the door of the private room to ensure they''d remain undisturbed.


    Maria didn''t mince words with Ste. She asked her men to tie her feet and hands up. Then she


    said in a cold tone, "Miss Qin, I know you trashed my shop. So you''re going repay me. You will open


    three coffee shops in my name. And they''d better be the same size as Miracle Cafe. Promise, or I''ll


    destroy your face!"


    She found that Chuck was romantically linked to Ste''s mother. In order to protect Ste, Chuck


    tried to derail the police investigation.


    Chuck didn''t expect that Maria was that hard to fool. She even managed to ask James to help her.


    "What? Why would I open coffee shops for you?" Ste refused to admit what she did. She thought


    Chuck would protect her.


    Maria didn''t want to waste any more time talking to her. She brought the dagger closer to Ste''s


    face, pressing on it enough to show she meant business. Immediately, Ste felt a burning pain.


    She struggled to try and free herself, but only managed to dislodge part of the cord. When she


    touched her face, her hand came away bloody. "Ouch! Help! Help me!"


    "You only have three seconds to make up your mind, Ste Qin. If you don''t agree, I''ll have my


    pound of flesh, so to speak. And you won''t have to worry about applying makeup anymore!" Maria


    grabbed a rag from one of the beautician''s tables and wiped the blood from her dagger.


    Ste finally believed what Alina said-Maria was psycho! Afraid of getting hurt again,


    Ste quickly nodded in agreement. "I''ll open them. I''ll do it..."


    Alina could only stand there, frozen. Her mouth was dry. She tried to calm herself and asked, "What


    the hell is going on?" It was punishment for Ste''s crime. Of course, Ste wouldn''t admit to


    anything, and Maria didn''t want to tell her either. Withdrawing the dagger, Maria looked at Alina. "If


    you know what''s good for you, you won''t mess with me. Or you might end up worse than her."


    Alina figured she''d settle Maria''s hash. She took out her phone and started to dial a number.


    Maria gave her a cold look. "I''d be careful if I were you. I''m carrying James'' kid. What do you think


    he''d do to you if you hurt the baby?"

 Chapter 91 Pregnant With Air

    Chapter 91 Pregnant With Air


    Giving Alina a dose of her own medicine, Maria dered that she was pregnant with James'' baby


    again. She wanted Alina to understand that the more beautiful a woman was, the more deceptive


    she could be.


    "What did you say? This can''t be..." Alina was shocked.


    Maria put her long hair behind her ear and repeated, "I said James doesn''t allow me to take pills,


    and now I''m carrying his baby again."


    Alina''s mouth fell open. So Maria was really


    pregnant again! "You..." Alina''s face turned livid with anger while she tried her best to find the right


    words to say. Atst, she snapped, "You should be ashamed of yourself!"


    How should she handle this situation now?


    James'' grandparents had been disapproving of Alina''s engagement to James. If Maria were


    pregnant, Alina''s hopes of marrying James


    would be gone.


    "Ashamed? Me? Oh, save it, Alina! Before using me of anything, you should first


    consider every time you hit on James when I was still married to him." What Maria had done to


    Alina was nothing but an eye for an eye. When Maria was still Mrs. Xi, Alina had been trying to


    seduce James. Besides everything Maria had seen with her own eyes, Dani also told her many


    details of their rtionship in order to mock her.


    Alina was rendered speechless. She knew what Maria said was true.


    Unwilling to keep the conversation with the two women going, Maria warned Ste one more time


    before waltzing out gracefully from the private room under Alina''s jealous gaze.


    As soon as Maria left, Alina put her clothes back on and asked someone to drive her to HL Group


    immediately, ignoring Ste''s cries for help.


    Lately, Alina had been showing up in HL Group with more and more frequency. Hence, once James


    saw her in his office again, he knew at once why she was there.


    Maria must have provoked her again.


    Although Alina was on the verge of breaking down, she still had to pay attention to her image. So,


    not daring to speak loudly, she tried to suppress her frustration as she asked, "James, how could


    you get her pregnant? What should I do now that she''s carrying your baby?"


    ''Pregnant? Who is pregnant?'' James looked at her doubtfully, unable to understand what she was


    talking about.


    Due to her own anxiety, Alina failed to notice the confusion in James'' eyes. However, as a man of a


    few words, he was also hard to read. Therefore, she continued to vent her jealousy. "Haven''t we


    agreed that you could fool around with any woman you want except for Maria Song? How could you


    get her pregnant? James, this news broke my heart." Tears fell from Alina''s eyes as she spoke.


    She knew better than anyone that James didn''t like women who cried a lot, but she could not hold it


    back this time. Maria''s pregnancy news had been a heavy blow to Alina, but no matter what, she


    wouldn''t dare to do anything against James'' baby now.


    It was not until then that James understood that Maria was pregnant.


    He frowned, thinking back to when he had been with Maria at Fairview Vi. This happened just a


    week ago, and he gave her some morning-after pills. So how could Maria be sure she was carrying


    his baby? James wondered if she was pregnant with air.


    Nevertheless, James didn''t exin anything to Alina. He was more concerned about the possibility


    of Maria ying a trick on him. What if she didn''t take the pills? After all, he wasn''t there to see her


    do it with his own eyes. "This wouldn''t affect our engagement."


    James knew Alina too well. He knew exactly what she wanted to hear.


    With tears in her eyes, Alina said between sobs, "But when the baby is born..."


    "It won''t stop you from bing Mrs. Xi."


    What James said was enough to make Alina stop crying. Taking out a tissue from her bag, she


    wiped the tears off her face and suggested, "Well, James, I don''t wish any harm to the innocent


    baby, so what do you think about sending Maria away? We can let her stay abroad and give birth."


    Sending Maria away from H City to a ce where James couldn''t help her would only make the


    child more vulnerable to a fatal ident. In Alina''s mind, that was the best solution.


    "There''s no hurry." James was fifty percent sure that there was no baby, to begin with. So why


    should he bother?


    Stunned for a moment, Alina misread James'' words and thought he was reluctant to let Maria go.


    "Maybe we can take the child after it''s born and raise it together." Taking on the role of Mrs. Xi in


    advance, she offered an idea she believed would sound generous.


    Although she wanted to have a child of her own with James, she never expected that Maria would


    be one step ahead of her once again.


    "Let''s talk about itter. I have a ne to catch soon. If there''s nothing else you want to discuss,


    please, go home." James didn''t lie to her. He really had a business trip to go. Alina nodded. "Okay.


    Let''s have dinner together when youe back."


    As soon as Alina left, his office became silent again. James then pulled out his phone and sent a


    WeChat message to Maria. "You want me to be the father of another man''s child?"


    James didn''t rule out the possibility that Maria might be really pregnant. After all, he had the


    impression that her private life was a mess, and he couldn''t guarantee she hadn''t been with other


    men either. The only thing he was pretty sure about was that he was not the father of Maria''s baby.


    Maria read his message about twenty minutester. As autumn approached, she was busy


    shopping for new clothes. So, without replying to the text, she put her phone away and went into


    another store.


    As she walked in, she told the saleswoman who greeted her, "I''d like to try the dress on that model,


    please."


    "Sure, ma''am. A moment please."


    "Maria?" A surprised female voice reached her ears all of a sudden.


    Maria couldn''t help but put on a sarcastic smile as she thought, ''What a coincidence!'' Following the


    voice, she spotted Dani in a dress from the new season collection, apanied by a man in a


    suit beside her. Still, Maria ignored Dani and put her bag aside to take the coat the saleswoman


    brought for her to try on.


    "Oh, this coat is from a limited edition. It''s not everyone who can afford it. Why did you let her try it


    on?" Dani approached Maria and yelled at the saleswoman next to her. In fact, she had just put


    on the coat of two million dors, but her boyfriend refused to buy it for her.


    It was a dark brown, knee-length, and free-size coat. With its smooth, high-quality fabric, it was no


    wonder it was so expensive.


    At Dani''s reproach, the saleswoman seemed a little embarrassed. Although Maria dressed in a


    low-profile way, everything about her exuded wealth.


    "Dani, are you done?" At this time, Carolina''s voice could be heard as she stepped out of the


    fitting room wearing a long gray dress. As soon as she saw Maria trying on the coat, she was taken


    aback. "Maria?"


    Instead of saying anything to Carolina, Maria greeted her with a nod.


    Honestly, none of the three Song sisters had expected to run into each other again at a clothing


    store.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    However, noticing that Dani and Carolina kept staring at the coat she was wearing, Maria, who


    had nned to pay for it herself, changed her mind. She took out her phone and replied to James''


    message unhurriedly. "Come to VVT Clothier on the second floor of JZ Mall. I''ll tell you whose baby


    this is. Bring some money with you."


    Meanwhile, as James left thepany to go straight to the airport, he received Maria''s text.


    After reading it, he checked the time and found he still had twenty minutes to spare.


    He just couldn''t understand why Maria asked him to go to a clothing store with some money. The


    last time he bought her that green dress, which cost millions of dors, she sent it to Alina''s ce.


    Why would she want him to buy her clothes now?


    After tapping the car''s armrest with his index and middle fingers for half a minute, James decisively


    ordered Lorenzo, "Let''s go to JZ Mall first." As JZ Mall was very close to HL Group, it would only


    take them a few minutes to get there.


    In the clothing store, Maria took off the coat and told the saleswoman to hold it for her. The next


    moment, she started browsing for other clothes.


    Carolina nced at the price tag on the coat and reminded Maria worriedly, "Maria, this costs two


    million dors." Carolina herself refrained from buying that coat.


    It was just a long, thin windbreaker. At most, an extravagant piece of fabric, which was not worth its


    price.

 Chapter 92 Pay The Bill

    Chapter 92 Pay The Bill


    Upon hearing Carolina''s reminder, Maria smiled and said indifferently, "It''s only two million." Of


    course, she could afford it.


    On the other hand, Dani didn''t believe that Maria could afford such a coat that cost two million


    dors. So she snapped, "Carolina, don''t waste your time reminding her. She can''t afford it for


    sure."


    For her, Maria only deserved those worn-out clothes from her and Carolina. After all, they used to


    pass down their old clothes and stuff to Maria since their childhood.


    Carolina pulled Dani''s wrist, hinting her to watch her manner. They were in a public ce, so it


    was not appropriate to bully Maria. Besides, Carolina noticed that Maria had changed a lot ever


    since she returned to H City. She had be strong and defiant. Perhaps it was because Norman


    was backing her up.


    Maria ignored Dani''s words. She sat in the VIP lounge and checked the clothes sent by the


    saleswoman to her one by one, with no intention of trying them on. Carolina and Dani sat next to


    her and watched.


    Dani''s boyfriend urged her to leave, but she refused. She wanted to wait and prove that Maria


    couldn''t really afford to pay for the coat. By then, she could mock Maria. Hence, she tried different


    clothes to have a reason to stay.


    Ten minutester, there was a suddenmotion outside. They heard all the staff of the shop


    greeted a man they called Mr. Xi.


    A smile crept across Maria''s expressionless face. James came.


    James walked towards the VIP lounge in an unhurried way. Indeed, his sudden appearance left


    Dani and Carolina agape with incredulity.


    Carolina was the first to recover from the shock and greeted him. She tried her best to look calm.


    He nodded at her, then his gaze moved towards Maria, who was smiling and sitting quietly aside.


    Dani was still at a loss.


    Maria took the coat she had tried on, stood up, and walked over to James. She handed it to him and


    said casually, "I want this one. And that purse too." She pointed at the leather purse that Dani


    had just checked,


    knowing that Dani liked it so much and was about to pay for it.


    As James'' deep-set ck eyes looked at Maria, he realized that she was using him again this time.


    But for the sake of the information, he decided that he would do whatever she asked him to do and


    give in to all her requests.


    Carolina''s and Dani''s eyes popped out of their heads when they heard James say, "Lorenzo, pay


    the bill." "Yes, Mr. Xi." Lorenzo took the coat and the purse and strode to the counter at once.


    Although he wasn''t willing to show that he supported Maria, he didn''t have a choice but to follow


    James'' order. After all, he was just an assistant.


    Before walking out of the shop, Maria held James'' arm, turned to her two sisters, and gave them a


    comcent smile. She then said, "The color and the style don''t matter. What matters is that I like it


    and I can afford to buy it. See you next time,dies."


    It was so obvious that she intentionally took away the things that Carolina and Dani liked.


    Dani was really pissed off. But with James'' presence, she could dare to blow up at all. She had


    to restrain herself until James and Maria were out of their sight. She then turned to Carolina and


    vented her rage. If Carolina didn''t stop her, she would have scolded the saleswoman who served


    Maria too.


    After walking out of the shop, Maria said in a low voice, "Thank you, Mr. Xi."


    "The baby." James reminded her.


    She put on a hypocritical look and said in a weak tone, "Before going to T Country, Alina came to


    me. She deliberately told me that she was pregnant with your child. I was so heartbroken. I just


    wanted to give her a dose of her own medicine, so she would know how it felt to be cheated. Did I


    do something wrong?" James kept silent. It turned out, everything was just a lie.


    James didn''t notice that mixed emotions surged up in his heart. He subconsciously breathed a sigh


    of relief after knowing that Maria wasn''t pregnant with another man''s child.


    As soon as they entered the elevator, James pulled his arm away from Maria''s grip and warned her,


    "Don''t do it again."


    "Don''t worry, I won''t. You can leave now. As for the money you''ve paid for the coat and purse, you


    cane to my coffee shop as often as you want. I''ll make craft coffee for you for free."


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    James abruptly turned to look at Maria. A trace of disbelief was written all over his face. How many


    cups of craft coffee did he need to drink until she could pay for that money? With the total amount of


    the coat and the purse, he could already buy a new coffee shop. She must be out of her mind.


    However, he was not in the mood to argue with her. He didn''t want to make a fuss over such a trivial


    thing. When the elevator doors opened, he walked out quickly without looking back.


    Maria didn''t walk out of the elevator. She pretended to be reluctant and waved at his back. "See


    you, Mr. Xi!"


    James paused for a moment. Then he continued to walk away without even turning back. Carolina


    and Dani had already returned to the Song family''s vi.


    Dani rushed to their mother''s room to bitch about Maria. "Mom! Why is Maria hooking up with Mr.


    Xi again? Does Alina know about this?"


    When ine, who was watering the nts, heard Maria''s name, she felt like her heart sank. She


    put down the watering can and asked expressionlessly, "What did you just say? Maria is with Mr. Xi


    again?"


    "I think so," Dani replied with a pout. "Carolina and I met her in the mall. Do you know what she


    did? She took away the coat that Alina liked and the purse that I wanted to buy. The coat was worth


    two million dors. Mr. Xi came and paid for everything. She was going too far, wasn''t she?"


    With a straight face, ine didn''t say anything.


    But she knew that Maria''s advantage was her face. She believed that Maria had used her beauty


    and charm to bewitch James again.


    "Mom, what do you think? If they are really back together now, why is it that Mr. Xi didn''t help her at


    our family gatheringst time?"


    "The members of the Tang family were there. Perhaps he only took their dignity into consideration


    for Alina''s sake," ine replied. It was the only reasonable exnation she could think of. Dani


    shook ine''s arm and muttered through clenched teeth, "If Mr. Xi wasn''t there, I wouldn''t have


    allowed Maria to take the thing I liked." The truth was, she couldn''t afford to buy a coat that was


    worth two million dors because their father had been restricting her spending recently.


    ine patted Dani''s hand tofort her. She then said, "Don''t worry. James won''t marry Maria


    again."


    "How can you be so sure, Mom?"


    "Have you forgotten what Maria did? She killed James'' son. A woman like her didn''t deserve to be a


    mother at all. Even if James would want to marry her again, I''m sure that his stepmother wouldn''t


    allow it to happen."


    After hearing ine''s words, Dani''s eyes lit up. "Mom, you are absolutely right! She can''t make


    up for what she has done. It won''t be easy for her to bounce back. Perhaps Mr. Xi is only obsessed


    with her for the time being."


    "Yes. So stop worrying for nothing. If Mr. Xi really wants to remarry her, he won''t be engaged to


    Alina." ine knew Dani very well. And if Dani was nning to do something against Maria,


    she had no ns of stopping her. She also hated Maria for taking away James before. James


    should have married either Carolina or Dani if Maria didn''t seduce him.


    Upon realizing that ine made sense, Dani thought for a moment before she said, "Well...I


    won''t do anything against Maria. I''ll let her continue hooking up with Mr. Xi and watch her suffer


    once Alina finds out. I''m sure that Alina won''t allow her to steal Mr. Xi away. Isn''t there an old


    saying, ''While two dogs are fighting for a bone, a third runs away with it?'' I will have my own time."


    "Exactly!"


    Finally, Dani calmed down. She felt much better after ineforted her. When she went out


    of ine''s room, she was already humming a tune. She went to her room with the stuff that her


    boyfriend had bought for her.


    ine was left alone, lost in thought.


    Two days ago, a special team was created to investigate Chuck. After he was proven guilty of his


    crime, he was relieved of his duties starting today. There was amotion in the police station


    when he was taken away.


    James had juste back from a three-day business trip to another city. When he arrived at the


    gate of the HL Group building, he nced at the coffee shop across the road and ordered,


    "Summer, buy some coffee for the whole finance department."


    He thought that perhaps Maria was not so busy in the coffee shop these days. Otherwise, how


    could she have the time to hit on him? Now he became kind-hearted and wanted to help her


    business, so he asked Summer to buy a cup of coffee for each employee in the finance department.

 Chapter 93 Freeloader

    Chapter 93 Freeloader


    There were hundreds of employees in HL Group''s finance department. James was in a generous


    mood ¡ªhe would treat the entire finance department out for coffee today, the design department


    tomorrow, and the secretory department the day after that, etc. All of that would be done at Miracle


    Cafe.


    Summer was a little surprised. She was not sure he meant Maria''s cafe. She asked tentatively, "Mr.


    Xi, shall I make arrangements with your favorite coffee shop?"


    "No need," James replied without hesitation. "Talk to Miracle Cafe."


    Inwardly, Summer gave Maria a thumbs-up sign. She knew that Maria could handle James well.


    "Yes, Mr. Xi. I''ll go and buy coffee there."


    Before Summer left to do just that, James said, "The coffee should be free. Just tell them I said


    that."


    Summer gaped. She couldn''t believe her ears. ''Mr. Xi is such a freeloader!''


    When she thought about it a minute, Summer had to admit it wasn''t his usual style. Maybe he had


    an agreement with Maria.


    When Maria heard that James ordered coffee for the finance department, she did some quick math.


    From what she could calcte, that was roughly six hundred cups of coffee for takeout. That would


    rapidly blow through her stores of coffee. Though she was always calm, she went crazy quickly.


    Her eyes wide open, she stared at a helpless Summer and asked in a hushed voice, "Is this James''


    attempt to collect on the three mil I owe him?


    I''d rather sleep with him."


    "You should tell him that!" Summer would be delighted to see the two remarry.


    "Humph!" Maria rolled her eyes at Summer and curled her lips. "You wish!" ''James Xi is such a jerk!


    I''m so done with that guy,'' she thought to herself in disdain.


    However, Maria couldn''t deny James had just helped her piss off her sisters. She thought it over


    and ask Summer to pass on a message to him. "I can only do three hundred cups today. I can get


    him the rest of the order tomorrow."


    "Okay." Summer would definitely agree.


    Hearing her report, James seemed to be okay with it. As long as Maria was busy, she wouldn''t


    come bug him.


    James had made a wise decision this time. Maria had been busy with the coffee shop and had no


    time to make trouble for him. At least she wouldn''t have time to think about anything else, and Alina


    would stay quiet as well. James was quite happy to have a break from it.


    However, this situation onlysted three days. On the fourth day when Maria received the order


    from HL Group, she stopped and leaned against the bar counter, lost in thought. She had been


    making coffee all the time in the past few days and she was so tired. Looking at the coffee machine


    that had been going non-stop, she came to an idea.


    A momentter, she entered the HL Group building, a cup of coffee in hand.


    Miracle Cafe had been filling coffee orders for the nearby office building every day. All the security


    guards got to know all the shop assistants, including Maria.


    Therefore, it was easy for her to get in and walk straight to James'' office.


    Getting to his floor, Maria didn''t see Lorenzo or Summer when she stepped out of the elevator. Only


    two young assistants remained in their seats.


    Maria was almost a regr visitor here, so all James'' assistants knew her by now. Seeing Maria


    walk out of the elevator, the two assistants exchanged nces and let her in.


    Maria winked at the two girls. "Thanks, you two. If you have time, pleasee to Miracle Cafe.


    Mention my name and there''ll be free coffee for you!" "Thank you very much, Ms. Song," they


    chirped happily. They liked Maria much more than Alina.


    "You''re wee. I''m here to bring coffee to your boss. I''ll go find him now."


    "Please go ahead, Ms. Song!"


    "Okay!"


    When Maria pushed the door to James'' office open, to her surprise, the man didn''t ignore her in


    favor of his documents this time, but sat on the sofa, seemingly deep in thought, eyes closed.


    Hearing the sound of the door, James slowly opened his eyes and saw the woman in a pink pants


    suit.


    "Hello, Mr. Xi! Would you like a cup of coffee? I just brewed it."


    James had been busy all night and hadn''t gotten a wink of sleep in that time. He just closed his


    eyes for a nap but was interrupted. He pressed his temples, his eyes full of fatigue. "Put it down and


    leave."


    Noting his lethargy, Maria put the coffee on the desk and stayed put.


    Contravening his orders, she walked to the back of the sofa, put her hands on his temples, and


    began to massage him. "You know what, I''m pretty good at this. Let me see what I can do." James


    was about to turn her down, but when the woman''s cold fingertips gently touched his temples, he


    fell silent.


    It was very quiet in the office. She was right; she was pretty good at this. He went with the flow.


    Leaning his head against the sofa, James soon surrendered to sleep.


    Maria looked down at the man''s sleeping face and smiled slightly. It seemed James trusted her so


    much. Wasn''t he afraid that she would kill him? If she hit his temples on purpose, he might faint or


    even die, depending on the hit strength.


    James had a good sleep. Although the position he leaned against the sofa was not cozy, it was


    enough to relieve his tiredness that he hadn''t slept for the past two days.


    It had been an hour before he finally woke up. When he opened his eyes, he saw the woman


    ying with her phone on the sofa, sitting next to him.


    As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Maria looking at him. Their eyes met. She raised her


    eyebrows and asked, "Are you awake?"


    James stood up and stretched. He was no longer tired. "Why are you still here?"


    "Well, I did get you to take a nap. That means I''m responsible. What if you fell off the sofa when you


    were sleeping?"


    James didn''t think he was that stupid. Then he recalled her words. What did she mean by getting


    him to take a nap? Did he need to be coaxed?


    Before he could correct what she said, Maria put away her phone, stood up, and walked up to him,


    pretending to straighten his tie. "We need to talk."


    The man sneered, "That''s why you brought coffee to me."


    The woman didn''t deny it and nodded.


    She never imagined that James would really fall asleep, wasting an hour of her time. She could


    make a lot of coffee in that time.


    Since she had given him a massage, James gave her a chance and said, "Go ahead."


    He walked to his desk, picked up a document, and opened it.


    Maria followed him and sat down opposite him. She got straight to the point. "I want to run a


    company."


    The man looked at her and raised an eyebrow. If it weren''t for her coffee shop across the street, he


    would have taken her as a superficial woman getting by on her beauty.


    Now she not only opened a coffee shop, but wanted open apany as well. He really had to look


    at Maria with new eyes. But he asked, "Why should I care?" "Because I need financial backing.


    From you or HL Group. You may have fifty-one percent ownership under HL Group, enjoying a


    controlling interest in thepany itself."


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    As she spoke, Maria took out a document and pushed it in front of him.


    The HL Group had enjoyed favorable conditions with otherpanies they partnered with, so


    James remained unimpressed.


    Maria continued exining. "Excluding the purchase price, rebate settlement, advertising support,


    sales performance rewards, and other costs, I will give you three percent of rebate. I must be the


    one to operate thepany. And I get five percent of the profit..."


    After listening to her for a while, the man finally raised his head. He stopped her. "You better stop


    this empty talk."

 Chapter 94 A Win-win Situation

    Chapter 94 A Win-win Situation


    Maria stopped and bit her lower lip, as James had seen through her. She coughed to clear her


    throat and continued, "Mr. Xi, you are an excellent businessman. So you must know the business


    better than me. We just need to perceive the market environment and seize the opportunity to


    cooperate. Only through profit-sharing can we coborate in-depth, right?"


    "Do I look like a fool to you?" James sneered. He knew that Maria only wanted to y a trick on


    him. ording to the contract that she drafted, HL Group''s holding would be at fifty-one percent,


    and he could get a three percent rebate.


    Even if she asked for a five percent share in the profit, he wouldn''t mind either. But James was the


    investor. Maria wanted him to open apany for her, and she would manage it by herself. In


    short, aside from her five percent share in the profit, she would also receive the regr monthly


    sry and other bonuses. Obviously, she was the biggest gainer in this deal.


    He couldn''t help but wonder if she was dreaming.


    "Of course not. Mr. Xi, you are never a fool in my eyes. In this deal, although you will only be behind


    the scenes, you are still the big boss. I won''t ever forget that. You will be the biggest shareholder,


    and I will just be next to you. We can make money together here, so it''s a win-win situation."


    Maria was trying to lure James into her offer. But unfortunately, he always had a clear mind when it


    came to businesses and investments. So, in the end, he said, "Ms. Song, I''m not interested in your


    empty talk. Please leave now."


    Also, he didn''t want to read the n she drafted anymore. He knew that she was just bluffing.


    "It''s not some empty talk," Maria denied. She bypassed his desk and approached him, trying hard to


    entrap him. "I''ll just get a little more profit, but you are still the biggest gainer."


    Everyone in H City knew that HL Bank, which was owned by HL Group, was thergest in their city.


    Its headquarters was in H City, but it had branches worldwide.


    This bank, which had been providing services in different financial centers, had around three


    hundred thousand employees all over the world. Some of its main businesses included financial


    transaction processing, investment management,mercial banking, and personal banking.


    So Maria thought that if she could open a retail financial service under the name of HL Bank, money


    would automaticallye to her pocket.


    James didn''t admit anything after having sex with her, but she must make use of this fact to do


    something. It was Colby who benefited a lot from what happened. And in return, she only gained his


    trust. It was too smallpared to the sacrifices she did at that night.


    James picked up the lighter from his desk and yed with it. A few momentster, he burned the


    document in his hand. He ran out of patience listening to Maria''s bragging, so he thought that it was


    the best way to stop her. Maria watched the me with mouth agape. He seeded in quieting her


    down.


    As she watched the white piece of paper gradually turning into ck ashes, she bit her lower lip,


    pretending that she felt a sharp pang in her heart. Anyone who could see her face would think that


    she was in pain as if a dagger pierced through her.


    James sneered upon seeing the expression on her face. Didn''t she know that he had written


    countless business ns and contracts before? Judging from the way she outlined the document


    she had shown to him, he surmised that it only took her at most ten minutes toplete such a


    business n full of crap.


    When there was only a small part of the document left in his hand, and the me disappeared,


    James threw it into the trash can beside his desk. Maria''s business n just turned into ashes.


    She deliberately put on a disappointed look and reached out her hand as if she was trying to save


    the document. He held her hand and casually pulled her into his arms. "Don''t put an act in front of


    me. I assure you, I won''t believe a word thates out of your mouth."


    Maria took advantage of the opportunity that they were very close to each other. She hastily sat on


    hisp and wrapped her arms around his neck. With a pout, sheined, "Why are you doing


    this to me? I''m your old me, after all. Why don''t you just support me for old time''s sake? I can


    give you anything you want. Just say it." She winked at him and yed with his tie.


    The look on her face and the way she spoke were both suggestive.


    James sneered, "Thank you for being so considerate."


    "Of course. For you, I can''t only be considerate, but I can also be good at stripping you off." Maria


    grabbed his tie, pulled him closer to her, and kissed his lips.


    But James just sat still with a straight face. He exposed her intention right away. "Are you trying to


    allure me with your charm?"


    "Oh, Mr. Xi. How can you be so damn smart?" she praised him. But deep inside her, she was


    cursing him for being so unromantic. She felt bored every time they talked because he always made


    things so clear at once. There was no thrill at all. "Mr. Xi, if you agree to invest in my¡ª


    "Stand up!" James interrupted. He would never agree to her nonsense.


    "I can''t. My knees are too weak to stand," Maria reasoned out. It was not easy for her to get the


    chance to sit on hisp, so she wanted to seize this opportunity.


    James sneered and retorted unhurriedly, "Well, I didn''t notice that you had weak knees when you


    beat Mr. Wang."N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Maria was shocked after hearing what he just said. Never did she thought that he knew what she


    did to Mr. Wang. But she tried her best not to show the surprise on her face and pretended to be


    confused. "Mr. Xi, what are you talking about?"


    She couldn''t help wondering how he had found out that she taught Mr. Wang a lesson. ''James Xi,


    you son of a bitch! Good thing that you mentioned that today. Otherwise, I would never know that


    you know my secret,'' she swore under her breath.


    James stared at her beautiful eyes and said word by word, "T Country. Mr. Wang. ck sportswear.


    Sack."


    She was amazed that he knew every detail. He obviously knew that secret of hers, so it was


    meaningless to continue ying dumb. She thought that he was so terrible. But how did he know?


    Did he hire someone to follow her while they were in T Country?


    "You have two seconds to stay away from me," he growled impatiently. The truth was, the scent of


    her body was tormenting him. His heart skipped a beat when he felt her soft buttocks on hisp.


    "No way," Maria refused, shaking her head. She hadn''t achieved her goal yet, so she wasn''t willing


    to let him go.


    "Are you sure?" James'' expression darkened.


    Maria hadn''t realized that the two simple words she said just now instantly changed the ambience of


    the office.


    "Yes," she said firmly.


    James'' tone suddenly changed. He said evilly, "Do you still remember what happened when you


    also refused to gost time? I wonder if the same thing will happen today." He pinched her smooth


    chin and snickered. "Who cried for mercy that night?"


    Maria gaped at him. She didn''t know if she would feel shy or excited. ''Damn it! What does he


    mean? Is he talking dirty?'' she thought inwardly.


    All of a sudden, everything that happened in Fairview Vi that night shed in her mind. Only the


    two of them knew what really happened that night.


    Maria tried her best to remain calm. She was no longer a virgin, and she had even given birth to a


    child, so she reminded herself not to blush. Trying her best to maintain the same expression, she


    looked at him when he continued, "That night, someone bit me and begged me to continue..."


    Maria covered James'' mouth to stop him from finishing his words. And to hide her panic and ease


    her embarrassment, she lowered her head for a few seconds. When she raised her head again, she


    had already returned to her usual look. She raised her right hand and said innocently, "Mr. Xi, look


    at my hand. Isn''t it good looking? How about having my handprint on your handsome face?"


    James just stared at her without saying anything. He remembered that what happened after their


    dinner that night in Fairview Vi was all because of her p.


    Anger shed across Maria''s eyes, and James saw it. He grabbed her wrist tightly, pressed her


    against the desk, and continued teasing her. "Don''t pretend. Your face is like a sun-blushed apple


    now." Maria could feel that her cheeks were hot, so she knew that she was blushing. But still, she


    pretended that his words meant nothing to her. Upon noticing the pride on his face, she couldn''t


    help but snort inwardly. ''Such a childish old man!''


    She was confused by the sudden turn of the situation. She was the one who deliberately sat on his


    lap and flirted with him. But now, it seemed that she was the one being embarrassed. Did it mean


    that James had finally learned to fight back by flirting with her as well?


    At this thought, she felt overjoyed. She blinked at him and remarked, "Mr. Xi, with just a few words,


    I''ve already aroused you." Heedless of his gloomy face, she smiled enchantingly and continued,


    "This doesn''t match your usual cold and aloof image at all. You are indeed a beast hidden in a


    man''s handsome face."


    The next moment, Maria was spun in the air and was pressed tightly on the desk.


    The smile on her lips was immediately covered by his punishing lips. She couldn''t even make a


    sound.


    For a moment, Maria was in a daze. She realized that every time James couldn''t win against her on


    an argument, he would retort to punishing her this way. This was the second time already.


    In an instant, the atmosphere in his office changed. Even if the air-conditioner was set to a low


    temperature, it seemed that the air was so hot. Good thing, Maria thought of wearing trousers today.


    At least, she didn''t look porny in her current position.


    James grasped her shirt and was about to tear it when the door swung open. "Hi, James..." The


    visitor''s voice hung in midair.

 Chapter 95 Solve It ASAP

    Chapter 95 Solve It ASAP


    Alina suddenly stopped talking because of the sight that met her eyes.


    Maria and James both were all too familiar with the voice. Maria didn''t stop kissing James. In fact,


    she hugged him tighter.


    Maria''s eyes shed with malice. The next moment, she let go of him and said, "Ouch! Honey, be


    gentle. It hurts!"


    "What are you doing?" Alina yelled. She heard rumors about them and believed that they had sex,


    and she tried to be cool about it. However, when she saw what was going on with her own eyes,


    she couldn''t keep her calm.


    Watching Maria hang all over James like that, Alina was incensed. Rage boiled inside her, and tears


    rolled down her cheeks.


    Maria looked at Alina with a scornful smile. She kept up the act. "Mr. Xi, your girlfriend''s here, but I


    don''t think she gets it. Maybe you can make her understand. I wasn''t feeling good, so you gave me


    a massage."


    James didn''t say anything. He never thought Maria could be so mean.


    He disengaged from her arms and straightened his suit. He seemed subdued, totally different from


    the arrogant, savage man who kissed her moments ago.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Maria got off the desk, flipped her long hair indifferently. Then she walked over to the weeping


    woman. She still had that evil look. "Alina, I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have done that. My bad. I should


    have locked the door."


    Ever since she got back in town, Alina had been a bitch to her. Maria just wanted to give her a taste


    of her own medicine.


    No woman could keep calm when she saw the man she loved in another woman''s arms. Neither


    could Alina. Besides, Maria kept provoking her. Alina raised her hand to give her a good p.


    But she missed.


    Maria ran back to James. She held him in her arms andined to him in an exaggerated


    childlike voice, "Oh, James! She''s so mean! You''re my ex. We''re not together. Tell her!"


    Knowing what she was doing, James felt a headacheing on. He peeled her arms from him and


    said, "You should leave now."


    "All right! I''ll take off. Remember our


    appointment tonight! Love you!" Maria stood on tiptoe and wanted to kiss James again, but he held


    her at bay with one hand. He cast a warning nce at Maria, but she didn''t mind. She smiled as


    she walked out.


    While passing Alina, Maria smiled enchantingly and arrogantly at her. Alina red back at her.


    ''Hey, when you seduced my husband and


    showed off years ago, did you think of what


    might happen?'' Maria''s inner voice asked.


    After Maria left, the office fell into an awkward silence. Neither James nor Alina spoke.


    After a while, Alina couldn''t hold it in anymore. She wiped her face and asked the man


    desperately, "James, we agreed you could fool around with anyone. Anyone but Maria."


    Standing in front of the French window, James turned and looked at the crying woman.


    Somehow, he felt a little annoyed. He strode back to his desk, took a document from the drawer,


    and ced it on the desk. After thinking for a while, he said, "It''s all my fault. You did nothing wrong.


    This is an important contract. Give it to your father."


    Alina was only confused for a few seconds, and suddenly had a bad feeling about this. She wiped


    her tears and asked in a trembling voice, "James, what are you doing?"


    James looked her in the eye and said, "Maria and I have a long history." Unfortunately, that history


    got in between him and Alina. He hurt her without meaning to. He had sent Maria back to her hotel


    room. He had raped her. And he had kissed her moments ago. If Alina hadn''t barged in, he was


    pretty sure he would have gone all the way with Maria. He underestimated how much of a hold


    Maria had on him. It was unfair to all three of them if it went on like this.


    James believed the problem should be solved ASAP.


    Alina''s heart sank fast. She shook her head and tried to deny this was even happening.


    In case it wasn''t obvious, he decided to juste out and say it. "The engagement is off!" Short


    and to the point. Like always.


    He was always a man with few words, and he meant every word he said. His style in love was the


    same.


    "No, no, James..." Alina ran to him like a lunatic and held him tightly. "If you want to be with Maria, I


    can handle that! Please, don''t abandon me, okay?"


    James neither pulled her away nor held her back tofort her. "We can''t go on like this," he said


    in a t tone.


    Arms wrapped around him, Alina said between sobs, "You told me a long time ago you didn''t love


    me. I get that, and I''m fine with it. But don''t leave me. If you really don''t want to hurt me, you should


    keep away from Maria. You can''t let her get between us, James!"


    The man said nothing. He couldn''t help thinking of Maria. He wondered how a simple woman like


    her could destroy his engagement to Alina.


    "Don''t worry about me," she continued. "I''m more worried about you! She killed Arthur! You can''t


    forget that she did that. It''s so unfair to your kid. James, I was heartbroken too when Arthur left. It


    was all Maria''s fault! If she hadn''t screwed up like that, Arthur would be seven now..."


    Alina''s words hit him like a bolt of lightning. James'' eyes widened as if he had just been jolted


    awake from a nightmare. ''She''s not wrong. What the hell am I doing?'' He couldn''t believe he let


    Maria do this to him.


    Pulling away from the woman in his arms, he said, "Go home, please." He needed to think it over¡ª


    alone.


    Alina knew that her words worked. She nodded obediently and said, "Okay, James. I know you


    have a lot to chew on. Don''t worry. No matter what happens, I''m here with you!"


    "Thank you," replied James with a slight nod.


    After Alina left, James sat at his desk and went through a litany of things that had happened since


    Maria blew back in town.


    Finally, he made a decision. He would never let a woman who had made a huge mistake keep him


    from moving on.


    But James didn''t know how deep Maria had her ws in him.


    He made an executive decision then and there. He would never let her get close to him again. The


    next day he went out looking for hookers, to prove that his loss of control when Maria seduced him


    was because he had been horny for too long. But Maria showed up and ruined those ns.


    In Room 666 of Leopard Club


    Wearing a pair of white sneakers, Ethan walked out of the room, hands in his pockets. He looked as


    if he was lost in thought.


    "Mr. Nan, what can I do for you?"


    A manager approached him. Ethan pulled him aside, casting furtive nces around the hallway.


    Sure that no one was listening, he said, "Find some hot looking whores. They need to be good and


    they need to be clean. Can you do that?"


    "I got it, Mr. Nan. May I ask who wants them?" He''d have more luck if he knew what the customer


    wanted.


    As a frequent patron of the Leopard Club, Ethan had never ordered women before. The manager


    was sure it was not for him.


    Ethan looked around again and then whispered in his ear, "James Xi!"

 Chapter 96 Inexplicably Flustered

    Chapter 96 Inexplicably Flustered


    "What? For...Mr. Xi?" the manager asked in a loud voice, in utter disbelief. James was one of the


    frequent patrons here. But he had never asked for a barmaid. Why would he suddenly want a group


    of women to keep himpany?


    "Hush! Shut up!" Ethan kicked the manager''s heels to stop him from talking.


    The manager understood at once. He scratched his head and said in a low voice, "Yes, Mr. Nan. I''ll


    bring some barmaids here." Indeed, the manager''s most important task tonight was to find some


    barmaids that would suit James'' taste the most. He racked his brains to remember the most


    excellent women in their club and called them one by one.


    After talking to the manager, Ethan went back to the private room where James was waiting.


    James had already taken off his jacket. He was only wearing a white shirt with sleeves rolled to his


    elbows. There was a ss of wine in his hand.


    When the door of the private room was pushed open, his deep-set ck eyes fixed on Ethan, but


    he didn''t say anything.


    Ethan trotted towards him, sat down next to him, and asked, "James, are you really sure about


    this?"


    James just gave him a cold nce and replied nasally, "Hmm."


    Stilling astonished, Ethan asked, "Are you celebrating the end of your bachelor''s life again this


    way?"


    Everyone in H City knew that James and Alina were soon to be engaged, so Ethan thought that it


    could be the reason.


    But James didn''t want to answer his nonsense question.


    For a while, there was a pin-drop silence inside the private room. Ethan got bored, so he stood up


    and went outside to make a phone call.


    He looked for a quiet ce and called Lawrence. "Lowrie, is something wrong with James?"


    Lawrence, who hadn''t heard anything from James for a few days now, was a bit surprised. "Why?


    What happened?"


    Ethan was so engrossed in his conversation with Lawrence that he didn''t even notice the crick-


    cracks of the high heels getting closer and closer to him. He continued, "We are in Leopard Club


    right now, and James has just asked me to find some women for him. You know, just for the night.


    Don''t you think he''s crazy?"


    Lawrence raised his eyebrows upon hearing what Ethan said. He was shocked as well. He smelled


    something fishy, so he said, "I''ll call him."


    "Oh, please don''t! I don''t want him to call me nosy again. I just thought you knew the reason, that''s


    why I called you." Ethan knew that James always disliked him for being too nosy and kind-hearted.


    "Well, if that''s what you want. I''ll hang up now. Bye." Lawrence didn''t insist anymore.


    "Okay." Ethan knew that Lawrence was also busy like James. Among the three of them, he was the


    one who had a lot of time.


    "Good evening, Mr. Nan." A gentle voice rang out behind him.


    Ethan froze. The voice sounded so soft that it sent a chill down his spine. Even without turning,


    Ethan recognized it at once. ''Why is this temptress standing behind me? When did she arrive? Did


    she hear me talk to Lawrence?'' he thought inwardly.


    "Hello? Mr. Nan?" Maria called again. She wondered why Ethan didn''t respond to her for a long


    time.


    Knowing that he couldn''t avoid her so easily, Ethan turned around and smiled brightly. He then


    greeted her in a sweet voice, "Oh, Maria, it''s you. I didn''t know that you''re here too. What a


    coincidence."


    Maria smiled even brighter than he did. "Indeed, it''s such a coincidence. Are you alone?"


    "Well..." For a moment, Ethan didn''t know how to answer her question. But eventually, he decided to


    tell the truth upon looking at her curious eyes. "I''m...with James."


    "Oh, James is also here?" Maria deliberately put on a surprised look on her face. "Come on. Take


    me to your room. I want to say hi to him." She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at his


    nervous face interestingly.


    Ethan''s gaze wandered around, not daring to meet Maria''s eyes. But then, he thought, ''Maria is


    already James'' ex-wife. She has no rights over him anymore. Why should I feel like a guilty pimp


    caught by her? I should not.''


    The realization made him calm down, so he answered in a tough tone, "Sure. You can go and say hi


    to him. But I have to let him know first. Is that okay with you?"


    Much to his surprise, Maria had no objection at all. Instead, she nodded with a smile and said, "Of


    course. No problem with me. I''ll go with you, but I''ll just wait outside the door."


    Ethan nced at her seven-centimeter high heels and shrugged. He then led her the way to their


    private room.


    Ethan deliberately walked fast, leaving Maria behind. He thought that with her high heels, she


    couldn''t possibly keep pace with him. When his distance from her was far enough, he sneaked into


    their private room before she could notice. He then rushed to James and hurriedly said, "James,


    bad news!"


    James had always known that Ethan was indiscreet and childish, so he frowned and said unhappily,


    "Go ahead."


    "The enchantress Maria! She''s there outside. What shall we do?"


    With a poker face, James nced at the group of women who had juste in. But when he heard


    Maria''s name, he got inexplicably flustered.


    He put down his ss and quickly adjusted his mood. He cleared his throat and asked, "So, what


    does it have to do with me?"


    Ethan looked at James'' calm face with confusion. ''Why is he so calm? Am I worried for nothing?''


    James'' calmness also helped him calm down. He sat on the sofa and said, "She said that she


    wants to say hi to you. Is it okay to let her in?"


    "No," James decisively refused. He scanned the line of women standing in front and added, "I''m


    busy right now."


    "Okay," Ethan replied understandingly. Since Maria''s presence in that bar seemed not a big deal to


    James, he shouldn''t panic either.


    He stood up to go out and inform Maria of James'' decision. But before he could even move, the


    door of the private room was pushed open from the outside.


    Then Maria came in and stood in the middle of the room.


    The manager, who was about to introduce the women he brought, looked at her confusedly. He


    wanted to scold her, but he was also afraid that she was personally called by Ethan toe here.


    So, he asked politely, "Excuse me, ma''am. You are?"


    Maria smiled, pointed at James, and answered, "I''m here for Mr. Xi."


    Upon hearing what she said, the manager got more convinced that she was also called here by


    Ethan for James. He nodded. However, he also wondered if James would still want to have a look


    at the women he brought. The woman who had just arrived was already enchantingly beautiful.


    Eventually, he asked, "Mr. Xi, Mr. Nan, these are the best women we have. They are all college


    students. Do you like any of them?"


    With a weird expression, Ethan''s gaze swept Maria and the other women. He wanted to say


    something, but he suddenly realized that they were all for James. Hence, he zipped his mouth and


    just watched.


    James picked up his ss from the table and took a sip of wine. With a straight face, he randomly


    pointed at two women. "You two, stay here." The manager happily asked the two young women to


    stay and took the other four out of the room.


    Maria just watched the scene with a smile. Although she told Ethan that she wanted to say hi to


    James, she hadn''t spared a nce at him yet since she entered. She then walked towards Ethan


    and sat down beside him. Pouring some wine in his ss, she said, "Mr. Nan,e, have a drink."


    "What?" Ethan couldn''t hide the disbelief in his voice and on his face. He didn''t expect that Maria


    would want to drink with him. He cast a nce at James and stammered, "Well... Maria, I have to


    go. James has something to do now, so I can''t stay here to disturb him."


    Other women would definitely understand what he meant and would leave with him.


    But Maria was different.


    She moved closer to Ethan, tugged the hemline of his shirt, and said in a coquettish tone, "Gee, Mr.


    Nan. Look at Mr. Xi. He has chosen two young women for himself. Why are you so shy? I''ll be your


    date tonight."


    Ethan shivered as he looked at Maria. He wondered how a beautiful and mature woman like her


    could be so cute. But he clearly knew that she was James'' ex-wife. How could he dare to agree to


    have her as his date tonight? "Maria, why don''t we just leave?" Maria filled two sses, one for


    Ethan and the other for herself. She then gave James a sidelong nce and found out that the two


    women he''d chosen were already starting to press themselves on his body.


    Heedless of Ethan''s objection, she held his arm. "Come on, Mr. Nan. Let''s enjoy drinking together."


    Ethan looked at James, who remained motionless in his seat. He wanted to ask for help. "James,


    I..." Indeed, he was panic-stricken. He couldn''t fathom what was in Maria''s mind, but he felt that she


    was up to something.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

 Chapter 97 Fuck Off

    Chapter 97 Fuck Off


    Maria couldn''t help but inwardly curse Ethan for being so uncooperative. Since she couldn''t force


    him to drink, she irritably put down the ss on the table. She had forgotten that he was not


    Lawrence. Unlike Lawrence, there was no tacit understanding between them at all.


    At the thought of it, she fell silent and just stared at James, who was still holding the two young


    women in his arms. Her facial expression turned cold at once. She opened her mouth, "Ja..." But


    the next second, she decided to give up and shut her mouth back. She realized that with her current


    position in his life, she had no right to ask about his sexual activities.


    However, James heard her voice. So he shifted his gaze to her and asked, "What''s up?"


    "Nothing," she replied, shaking her head. Maria scolded herself for her own impulsiveness. When


    she overheard Ethan and Lawrence''s phone call earlier that James wanted some women in their


    private room, she red up with rage and followed Ethan. As a result, she was now in an awkward


    situation sitting beside him.


    She just realized how embarrassing she was, looking like a clown who tried hard to catch James''


    attention.


    With this realization, Maria stood up, turned around, and walked towards the door. Ethan and


    James were both confused. They couldn''t understand why she would suddenly walkout.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    However, Maria stopped at the door. She was so pissed off that her body was trembling. How dare


    James openly flirt with some women after raping her!


    Her hand rested on the doorknob, ready to open it anytime. But she was still struggling inwardly.


    Ethan, who had nowe back to his senses, stood up and walked towards Maria. He held her


    hand, opened the door, and pulled her out of the private room.


    Maria didn''t see iting, so she was forcibly thrown out before she could even resist.


    Standing in the hallway, she stared at Ethan with sharp eyes. "Look, Ethan. Why are you trying to


    send me away? James is my man. I can''t allow him to have sex with any other woman after having


    sex with me."


    Ethan met Maria''s gaze. He thought that he had to make things clear to her so she would wake up


    from her dreams. "Maria, James will be engaged to Alina soon. You have nothing to do with him


    anymore. So who are you to interfere in his private affairs like this?"


    He didn''t mean to hurt her. But as a friend, he just wanted her to be sober and face the fact.


    Ethan''s words made Maria feel a little embarrassed. She knew he was right. In fact, it was also the


    reason why she hesitated just now. She was aware that she didn''t have the right to meddle in


    James'' affairs anymore. But she also justified why she went furious. James had raped her that night


    in Fairview Vi. He should not find other women and flirt with them.


    Maria stood still in the middle of the hallway, deep in thought. She wondered what she should do


    next.


    Although she knew that she shouldn''t care about this trifle, she felt ufortable every time she


    thought about it.


    She couldn''t just let them go so easily.


    "Mr. Nan? How are you?" Ronald''s voice calling out Ethan rang out in the corridor.


    When Maria looked back, she saw a group of peopleing towards them. They were Ronald,


    Kent, ine, and a pretty young woman.


    She just ignored them, pushed the door open, and went back to the private room.


    It was toote for Ethan to stop her, so he just watched her as she walked into the private room and


    stood in front of James. She then said to the two young women in James'' arms in a kind tone, "You


    two, leave now. I need to talk to him.


    However, the two young women just turned a deaf ear to her. They didn''t care about her words at


    all. Amused by her weird behavior, they exchanged nces, shrugged, and focused on James


    again. They couldn''t let this opportunity slip their hands. It was rare for women like them to hook up


    with someone like James. How could they give up such a chance just because of a strange


    woman?


    Thus, neither of them moved away from James.


    Rage surged up in Maria''s heart at once. She didn''t care if James ignored her, but she couldn''t


    allow the two young women to treat her the same. After taking a few deep breaths to calm herself,


    she turned to James. She suppressed her anger and said, "James, I know that you only want to


    have fun. But tonight, you are so unlucky that I''ve caught you. I won''t allow you to do this kind of


    thing, so you''d better tell them to leave now. Otherwise, don''t me me for what may happen to


    them."


    "What does it have to do with you?" ine''s voice came through.


    Maria turned around and saw ine and the others standing at the door and looking at her.


    She looked at her mother in the eye and sneered, "And what does it have to do with you either, Mrs.


    Song?"


    ine was wearing a ck cheongsam and a set of expensive jade jewelry. From the way she


    dressed, anyone could tell that she was a madam from an affluent family. When Maria fearlessly


    talked back to her in front of everyone, her facial expression darkened at once. She rebuked, "Maria


    Song, what right do you have to get involved in Mr. Xi''s business? Don''t forget that he will soon be


    engaged to Alina, not to you. You intervene in your cousin and her future husband''s rtionship.


    Don''t you know that you are making yourself look like a shameless mistress?"


    Maria raised her eyebrows and red at ine. She almost couldn''t believe that ine would call


    her a shameless mistress?


    Her knuckles turned white as she balled her hands into fists. ring at her mother with hatred,


    Maria said through clenched teeth, "What right do you have to say that to me? Who do you think


    you are? I just want Alina to experience all the things she had done to me years ago. And you''re


    calling me a mistress? How about Alina when she came between James and me? You are my


    biological mother, but have you ever tried to protect or defend me?" Maria wanted tough at the


    ridiculousness of things. She was ine''s daughter, but ine criticized her in front of other people


    because of Alina.


    "You are not even qualified to be called a mother. Who do you think you are to criticize my


    morality?"


    Maria''s words reminded James of the things that happened eight years ago. It was true that Alina


    was close to him. But it was only because of some businesses he had with the Tang Group. There


    was nothing between him and Alina at that time. Every time shemunicated with him, it was all


    business-rted.


    He couldn''t understand why Maria thought that Alina had ruined their marriage.


    Being rudely scolded by Maria, ine was pissed off and snapped, "Maria Song! How can you talk


    to your own mother like that?"


    This time, Ronald also took the opportunity to put on an act. "Maria, before you talk to Aunt ine


    like this, think about the baby you''ve killed. Don''t you feel sorry for the Song family and the Xi


    family? How can you still be so arrogant?" He touched Maria''s sore spot on purpose. Finally, he


    found the perfect opportunity to teach her a lesson. He would not let her go so easily.


    Maria went furious at once. Ronald had no right to say anything about Arthur. As her eyes turned


    red with rage, she picked up a ss on the table and smashed it towards the group at the door. She


    growled, "All of you, fuck off!"


    They all screamed and dodged the ss.


    "Maria Song! You don''t only disrespect your own mother. You even dare to hurt her?" Ronald


    shouted, adding fuel to the fire. He was actually having fun watching the scene.


    Maria stood still and red at Ronald, wondering if she should smash him into pieces.


    All of a sudden, the room fell into pin-drop silence.


    James, who was still sitting between the two young women, didn''t say a word either. It was Ethan


    who first broke the silence as he couldn''t stand it anymore. He took the initiative to say, "Well... Mr.


    Tang, we all know that Maria has cut ties with Song family long ago. So why should she feel sorry


    for the Song family? Mrs. Song, with regards to James and Maria''s rtionship, the two of them


    can''t even figure it out themselves. We are just onlookers here. We''d better stay out of it. Do I make


    sense?"


    ine was on the verge of losing her temper, but she tried hard to suppress it for Ethan''s sake.


    Actually, she didn''t know Ethan at all. But James had been protecting him all the time. Everyone in


    H City treated him with the utmost respect and politeness.


    Ronald knew that he made Maria unhappy. But he didn''t notice that there was already something


    wrong with her mood. His heart was filled with joy, thinking that he was able to bully her this time.


    So heedless of Ethan''s dissuasion, he arrogantly said, "Yes, Maria has broken up with the Song


    family. But she still carries the Song family name with her. Everything she does can still affect the


    reputation of the Song family. Besides, Alina is my sister. I can''t just stand at the side and watch her


    destroy my sister''s love life. Do I also make sense, Mr. Nan?"

 Chapter 98 Dont Touch Her

    Chapter 98 Don''t Touch Her


    Ethan didn''t respond to Ronald. ''Ronald Tang, you seem to think too highly of yourself. Who do you


    think you are?'' he sneered inwardly.


    When Ronald noticed that Ethan remained silent, he added, "I don''t understand you, Mr. Nan. Why


    are you protecting a murderer? Don''t you know that Maria killed her own son? She...Ouch!" Ronald


    wasn''t able to finish his words. He cried in pain, surprised that Maria had suddenly made a move


    against him.


    Everyone was taken aback when Maria walked towards Ronald, pulled him, and pressed him on the


    table. She then took out a dagger under her skirt, threw its scabbard, pressed it against his neck,


    and shouted coldly, "Apologize!"


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    In Maria''s eyes, Ronald was like a dog who couldn''t change his bad habits. She had already taught


    him a lessonst time, but he still didn''t know how to mind hisnguage.


    The reason why Ronald acted so brave right now was because of ine. He had seen ine p


    Maria during the family gathering. So he thought that Maria wouldn''t dare to fight back as long as


    she was with him. He didn''t expect that Maria would hit him unscrupulously this time.


    "Aunt ine! James! Please help me!" As he felt the cold de touched the skin of his neck,


    Ronald felt so scared that he nearly wetted his pants.


    But James was just leisurely smoking as if he hadn''t heard anything. It was ine who rushed over


    and snapped, "Maria Song! Let go of Ron!"


    However, Maria totally ignored ine. She stared at Ronald with eyes emanating a murderous


    intent and repeated, "Apologize!"


    She was demanding an apology. Ronald didn''t deserve to mention herte son, so he must


    apologize to her and to Arthur.


    ine tried to pull Maria''s hand. But the harder she tried, the louder Ronald screamed. "Ouch! Aunt


    ine, don''t touch her. It hurts!" ine''s interference angered Maria more. The dagger went deeper


    into Ronald''s flesh, and blood started to ooze out.


    This time, ine was panic-stricken. Seeing the trace of blood on Ronald''s neck, she felt like she


    was going crazy. Left with no choice, she turned to James, who was just watching the scene, to ask


    for help. "Mr. Xi, Ron is Alina''s younger brother. Please don''t just sit there and watch. Please help


    him."


    With an expressionless face, James flicked the ash from his cigarette and casually stretched his


    feet on the table. He then said something that stunned everyone. "He needs to pay the price for


    what he has said. Why should I help him?"


    Ronald had the audacity to use Arthur as an excuse to condemn Maria. For James, he deserved


    more than just a small cut on his neck.


    Upon hearing James'' words, Ronald felt helpless. If James wasn''t willing to help him, and Maria


    didn''t let him go, no one else could save him. So although it was against his will, he was forced to


    apologize to her. "Maria, I''m sorry."


    He thought that it would be over. But instead of letting him go, Maria ordered, "Kneel down and


    apologize!"


    "Maria Song, you''re going too far. I''m warning you...Ouch! James, help me! Mr. Nan, ask someone


    to take this madwoman away! Ouch! Okay! Okay! I''ll kneel down and apologize now. Just stop it!"


    Pain and fear forced Ronald to kneel down.


    Ethan didn''t care about Ronald at all, so he just stood aside and watched. He had kindly reminded


    Ronald earlier, but thetter didn''t listen. Ronald only deserved to be punished this way.


    With James and Ethan''s presence, even Kent and the pretty young woman with him dared not to


    help Ronald. Instead, they hid in the corner a little far away, afraid that they would also be


    implicated. They didn''t want to experience Maria''s rage at all.


    Since no one was willing to help him, Ronald had to beg for mercy to save himself. "Maria, I''m sorry.


    Please let me go."


    Ethan almost burst intoughter when he saw this. ine couldn''t believe her eye either. Rage


    surged up in her heart, and she roared, "Maria Song, how dare you!"


    Maria felt satisfied after getting what she wanted, so she put away the dagger. Totally ignoring


    ine, she warned Ronald, "If you dare to provoke me again, I''ll cut your lipstick next time!"


    Some turned to Maria and gave her a questioning gaze. What did she mean by Ronald''s lipstick?


    Ethan instantly got Maria''s point. This time, he failed to hold back hisughter, so his chortle


    resounded through the room.


    James, who was an old-fashioned man, couldn''t understand what she meant either. But when he


    saw Ronald subconsciously mped his legs together, he finally got it.


    ine was totally at a loss. In her mind, Maria was just trying to rebel against her. She got so


    furious that her body trembled all over.


    Maria cleaned her dagger with a tissue paper, picked up the scabbard, and put it back in it. She


    then strode towards the door and walked out of the room without ncing at anyone. No one dared


    to stop her.


    Tonight, ine only came here to Leopard Club to meet a friend. Then she found out that her


    friend''s daughter was looking for a boyfriend, and she thought of Ronald. Hence, she called him to


    come over and introduced him to her friend''s daughter. She didn''t expect that so many things would


    happen before the two could even sit down and have a good talk.


    And now that the young woman had witnessed Ronald''s cowardice just now, she might not want to


    consider him to be her potential boyfriend anymore.


    At the thought of Ronald losing an opportunity, ine was afraid that Alina would also lose her


    chance to be James'' wife. She calmed herself down and hastily walked towards James. "Mr.


    Xi, I''m so sorry. It''s all my fault. I didn''t teach Maria well enough. That''s why she keeps on offending


    you again and again. I..."


    James interrupted her. "Mrs. Song, you don''t have to apologize. Maria has nothing to do with you."


    For a moment, ine was in a daze. She wasn''t sure what he exactly meant. She didn''t dare to


    make any conjectures either. "Then we''ll leave now. Sorry for bothering your night, Mr. Xi."


    "Hmm," James responded nasally. He stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray without even casting


    them a nce.


    Right now, only James, Ethan, and the two young women were left in the private room. The two


    young women, who were also startled by the scene that Maria created a few moments ago, were


    still in a daze.


    Ethan looked at them first before asking James, "James, do you still want to continue?"


    James didn''t respond. But he stood up from the sofa, took out his wallet, and threw a bank card to


    the two young women before walking out of the room.


    After everything that happened, he was no longer in the mood to continue fooling around with them.


    As soon as she came out of Leopard Club, Maria called Norman. "Norman, I''m out of here. Have


    fun."


    "What happened?" Norman asked with confusion. He had been calling her earlier, but she didn''t


    answer her phone.


    Maria looked up at the sky, took a deep breath, and honestly answered, "I met James and the Song


    family."


    Actually, she was here in Leopard Club tonight because Norman had called and invited her. She


    didn''t expect to see James and Ethan here. And never did she think that she would have an


    encounter with ine and Ronald either.


    "I see. So, have you showed James your business n?"


    "I did. A few days ago," Maria replied with a trace of disappointment in her voice.


    Norman raised his eyebrows. "And then?" He knew that the business n itself was bullshit. He just


    wanted to know James'' reaction.


    "He is... not stupid."


    Norman immediately understood that Maria had failed.


    And he was not surprised at all. As a matter of fact, even if James epted her business n, it


    still didn''t mean that he was stupid. It only meant that she had seeded in gaining his heart.


    But since James didn''t ept her business proposal, it meant that Maria still needed to try harder.


    After hanging up, Maria sat on a bench beside the road. She wondered if James was already rolling


    with the two young women on the couch.


    She also thought about what was the use of making a fuss over it. After all, James didn''t love her.


    He wouldn''t possibly listen to her.


    When ine and Ronald insulted her in front of him, he didn''t even utter a word.


    She didn''t believe that he was afraid to say something. He was James Xi, the most powerful man in


    H City. No one would dare to ignore his words. Obviously, he deliberately didn''t say anything


    because he didn''t want to defend her.


    A strong sense of frustration swept over Maria. Every time she lost against James, she had the urge


    to give up. But if she admitted defeat now, Alina would definitely be Mrs. Xi pretty soon. If that


    happened, the ugly truth would never be revealed, and the culprits would still be free from thew.


    All the pains and sufferings she had gone through would be in vain.


    This was what motivated her not to give up. She needed justice at all costs.


    The ck Harkim slowed down. Then the window of the back seat rolled down, and Ethan poked


    his head out. He yelled, "Maria! Maria! It''s me!"


    When Maria raised her head, she saw Ethan waving at her, but the car didn''t stop. James was


    sitting beside him with eyes closed.


    Lorenzo was in the driver''s seat, and the passenger seat was empty.


    Maria''s eyes lit up. Since James was with Ethan inside the car, it only meant that he didn''t hook up


    with those two young women in the club.

 Chapter 99 A Scorpio Man

    Chapter 99 A Scorpio Man


    The unexpected encounter finally put a smile on Maria''s face. Then, raising her voice, she asked


    casually, "Mr. Nan, could you give me a ride?"


    Immediately, Ethan said to Lorenzo''s back, "Lorenzo, stop the car. Maria needs a ride."


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Lorenzo didn''t say anything. Instead, he nced at the silent man in the back seat from the


    rearview mirror, not wanting to pull over.


    Seeing that the car had already passed by Maria, Ethan became a little anxious. He patted James''


    shoulder and said, "James, Maria is sitting on the roadside alone. What if something happens to


    her? It''ste!"


    James was amused by his words. How could Ethan believe something would happen to a skilled


    woman like Maria? James opened his eyes and answered in a t tone, "She won''t die."


    Ethan felt helpless. "James, she doesn''t seem to be in a good mood. You should have more


    compassion for her. Please!"


    James looked at him, speechless.


    Two minutester, the Harkim made a U-turn and pulled over in front of Maria. The moment she


    stood up to get in the car, the back door was opened and Ethan was kicked out. As the door was


    closed again, the car roared off.


    Maria looked into Ethan''s pitiful puppy eyes, and neither of them said a word.


    While they walked in silence along the side of the road, Ethan nced at Maria''s high heels a


    couple of times and couldn''t help asking, "Don''t your feet hurt?"


    Whenever he was on a date, his female partner would cry out that their feet were sore after only


    taking a few steps in their high heels. He wondered if Maria also felt the same.


    Noticing the concern in his voice, Maria smiled. "I''m used to it. Thanks."


    Ethan nodded, scratching the back of his head. He really admired her for walking on those high


    heels for so long withoutining. "Forget it. James is too ruthless. He won''te back for us.


    I''ll just call us a ride." Pulling out his phone, Ethan made a call and requested someone to pick them


    up.


    As they waited for the car, a woman passed by them, pushing a baby stroller with a crying infant in


    it. Once they were distant enough, Maria whispered, "Ethan, do you know what day it is tomorrow?"


    "No," Ethan replied in confusion. He was aware that the Mid-Autumn Festival wasing soon, but


    it wasn''t tomorrow. Maria nced at the puzzled young man andughed at him. Changing the


    subject, she confessed, "To be honest, I envy you a lot."


    "Envy me? Why? Is it because of my wealth or my power?" Ethan couldn''t hide his interest.


    "Neither!"


    "Then what is it?" He had already thought of a way to refute each option he gave her, but Maria


    didn''t answer as he expected.


    Sighing, she replied, "I envy your personality as a whole." Ethan was an easy-going, lively, and


    cheerful young man who was always up to anything and had nothing to worry about. Maria, on the


    other hand, was too resentful to open her heart and lead a life free of worries like him.


    "Oh! I thought you meant something else!" Squatting on the roadside, Ethan exined, "My zodiac


    sign is Aries. We''re born optimistic, energetic, and lively. What about you, Maria? What''s your star


    sign?"


    Maria was taken aback by his question. She should have guessed that a guy as naive as Ethan


    would believe in such things as zodiac signs like a child would. Nevertheless, she thought about it


    for a moment and answered, "I''m a Virgo, and James is a Scorpio. Arthur was born under the same


    sign as you. He''s an Aries as well."


    It was the first time that Ethan had heard her mention Arthur so naturally. He took a moment to


    study her expression but didn''t find anything out of the ordinary. Then he asked carefully, "Really?


    What''s his birthday?"


    "March 29th."


    "Wow, he''s indeed an Aries. I was born on April 16th!"


    As she heard this, Maria looked at Ethan, unable to stop herself fromparing him with Arthur.


    She couldn''t help wondering if Arthur had been given the chance to grow up, he might have be


    an outgoing, bright young man like Ethan was.


    When Ethan met her gaze again, he was ready to say something else, but all of a sudden, he


    noticed the unusual way she was looking at him and gave up. In fact, Maria stared at him so


    tenderly, as a mother would look at her son. Ethan choked on his own saliva before saying, "Maria


    Song! Wake up! I''m Ethan Nan, not your son!"


    At the sound of that, Maria was brought back to her senses. With a slight cough, she apologized,


    "Ahem. I''m sorry, I couldn''t helpparing you two."


    Ethan pursed his lips, wondering if she had done it on purpose. She wouldn''t dare to use her own


    son to take advantage of him, would she?


    Maria didn''t want to show any sadness in front of Ethan, so she changed the subject again. "What


    about the Scorpio sign? Do you know anything about it?"


    "Of course! The first thing you should know is that there''s nothing a Scorpio man can''t do. He''s also


    the most possessive among the twelve signs, so you must be careful in the future!"


    "Be careful of what?" Maria didn''t get it.


    With a mysterious look on his face, Ethan exined, "Dealing with a Scorpio man is like taking a


    ss of strong liquor. It may look harmless from the outside like a ss of in water, but if you


    drink it by mistake, you''ll be drunk before you know it."


    Maria nodded at his words. They did make a lot of sense. However, she would prefer to refer to


    James as a ss of liquor, which was also drugged. Once someone gulped it down, they wouldn''t


    come back to themselves without somesting damage.


    "Besides, a Scorpio man isn''t tolerating. If you make a mistake, he''ll be ruthless enough to give you


    a silent treatment!" added Ethan.


    Maria gaped. Ethan was damn right. Indeed there was nothing James couldn''t do, but most of all,


    he was also ruthless.


    Getting carried away, Ethan gave her a serious but gentle warning. "The main problem is that you''re


    too strong to arouse a man''s desire to protect you. Since James is as strong as you are, he might


    require a woman who relies on him more. I think you should adjust yourself a little to meet this need


    of his."


    "Ha-ha!" Amused, Mariaughed at him. "I guess maybe you should change your profession. Why


    did you be a vet anyway? You should seriously consider working as an astrologer. I''m sure


    you''ll make a fortune out of it!"


    At that moment, a ck car stopped across the road, but neither Maria nor Ethan noticed it. In fact,


    they were too busyughing and chatting with each other.


    Shaking his head, Ethan said, "Honestly, I''m not that interested in zodiac signs myself. When I was


    still a freshman in college, several girls in my ss would take astrology books wherever they went.


    Inevitably, I overheard some of their conversations, and I remembered just now a few things about


    it."


    Maria parted her lips, ready to reply to Ethan but swallowed her words as soon as she saw the


    ck Harkim approaching them and finally stopping by the roadside.


    The rear window was rolled down, revealing the stony, cold face of the man in the back seat.


    "Ethan, get in."


    James could easily leave Maria behind, but not Ethan.


    Excited, Ethan ran over and leaned on the window. "I knew you wouldn''t leave us here alone!" Then


    he turned around and waved to the woman standing behind him. "Maria,e on in ! Let''s go!"


    Surprisingly, Maria shook her head and said, "No, thanks. My hotel is in a different direction from


    where you''re going."


    After chatting with Ethan for a while, she was finally in a better mood and wanted to keep it that way.


    Hence, she didn''t want to get affected by James.


    However, the said person took the initiative to speak, his tone slightly unkind as expected. "Why are


    you making a fuss now?" Wasn''t she having a good time with Ethan just a second ago? James


    witnessed the same rxing smile on her face that he hadn''t seen for years. He wondered why she


    got so defensive like a hedgehog as soon as she saw him.


    Maria was confused by his question. What did he mean by that? She simply didn''t want to get in his


    car. She didn''t see it as "making a fuss," as he just called it.


    Not in the mood to exin anything to that jerk, Maria sneered and rolled her eyes at James. The


    next second, she turned around and walked away in her high heels.


    As he saw the woman leaving, James'' eyes darkened. Then he looked at Ethan, who also seemed


    puzzled, and asked, "What were you talking about just now?"


    Ethan answered him honestly, "We were talking about zodiac signs. Maria told me that you''re a


    Scorpio, she''s a Virgo, and your son used to be an Aries. Oh, James! In fact, Maria took advantage


    of me!"


    James'' heart skipped a beat as he took in Ethan''s words. He hoped the young man didn''t mean it


    the way he was thinking. Then he asked him straightly, "What do you mean?"


    Failing to notice the concern in James'' eyes, Ethan told him exaggeratedly, "The moment she heard


    I had the same star sign as your son, she looked at me with tenderness as if she was looking at


    him! Can you believe her?"

 Chapter 100 Together With Arthur

    Chapter 100 Together With Arthur


    After Ethan exined what they were talking about, James'' expression softened a little.


    He touched Ethan''s head lovingly. Ethan looked up at him, astonished. "It''ll be good to have a son


    like you," said James.


    This was the second time tonight that Ethan had been bbergasted. And this time thanks to


    James. Was James taking advantage of him as well? When he had that thought, Ethan immediately


    shook off his hand andined, "You two take turns bullying me! Quit it!"


    A rare glint of amusement appeared in James'' eyes.


    Noticing this, Ethan was freaked out. "James, stop looking at me like that. It makes me think you''re


    gay. Stop it!" Ethan didn''t know whether or not James was straight. But one thing Ethan was sure of


    was his own sexuality. He was only interested in women, not men.


    Hearing his words, James'' face darkened. "You have a death wish?"


    "Oh, James! I''m sorry! Ouch! Don''t tweak my ear, dude. That''s so gay!"


    James stewed silently. The Harkim stopped at an intersection, and James kicked Ethan out of the


    car a second time.


    And this time, James went straight back to his own vi without looking back.


    Rubbing his burning ears, Ethan was speechless. He had a shot at a ride home, but he blew it.


    He was wondering if he should wait for Maria. He gave up on the idea when he thought about it.


    They were indeed heading different directions.


    Suddenly, he recalled an ancient poem. "We''re both at the mercy of this miserable life. Since we''re


    here, seize the moment and ask no questions." Heughed at himself and hailed a taxi home.


    Maria didn''t think James would give her a ride to the hotel. After the Harkim drove away, she hailed


    a taxi as well.


    The next morning, Maria went to a certain cemetery located in suburbia.


    At 9 a.m., she was there, standing in front of a tomb. She wore a simple, off-the-rack dress of ck


    silk. She had no earrings, bracelets, or makeup. Her shoes were not fancy either, made of white


    canvas.


    Her backpack was made of canvas as well. It was brown and contained several toys and candies.


    Maria felt that this would be respectful to herte son. She loved him and missed him. This visit was


    not about her, it was about him. And she had dressed like this when the boy had been alive.


    Scattering the toys and candies in front of the tombstone, Maria picked up a piece of fruit candy and


    peeled it. "Little one, I never let you eat candy before. It''s bad for you. It makes you fat and gives


    you tooth decay. But you''re almost seven now. You can eat candy. Have a taste."


    She paused, trying to get her voice back. "It took me a long time to get these. They''re made with


    fruit, and are the most expensive treats in the candy shop. You''re my son, and you deserve nothing


    but the best." Maria couldn''t continue and lost her voice, sobbing instead. ''Why didn''t you give me


    more time to love you, Arthur?'' she thought.


    In the photo, Arthur stared at her with big eyes, his tiny hand in his mouth.


    Maria fell to her knees. She touched the photo tenderly, and her heart felt like it had been torn into a


    million pieces. She could no longer hold back her tears. "Arthur, be my son in our next life, okay? I''ll


    take good care of you."


    It was cloudy that day and thick clouds surged together. It looked like it could rain at any moment.


    She sat that way for a long time, till she heard someone''s footstepsing closer and closer. The


    man stopped, and looked at the motionless woman, his eyes darkening. Then he stared at his ck


    patent leather shoes, unsure what to say next.


    Finally, James bent down to put the model ne he had bought next a dinosaur doll.


    James stepped back and gazed at the little boy''s face in the photo. Memories flooded his mind


    unbidden. He had asked himself one question countless times over the years: would things be


    different if he had spent more time with his son?


    The two adults at the gravesite didn''t say a word to each other, lost in their own thoughts.


    And maybe, at this exact moment, they could finally understand each other''s pain. Maybe their


    hearts could be a bit closer.


    After a long time, Maria slowly stood up. She was unsteady on her feet, because she had knelt


    down too long. The woman teetered back and forth, vertigo assaulted her and she started to fall


    over.


    Out of the corner of his eye, James noticed something awry. His arms shot out, holding Maria up,


    preventing her from falling.


    Feeling the warm embrace, Maria seized the moment and leaned against him till the dizziness


    passed.


    As soon as the dizzy spell faded, she immediately left his arms. Without looking at him, she walked


    off and headed towards the cemetery gate to leave.


    James called her name to stop her. "Maria Song."


    She stopped walking, but didn''t look back.


    "Do you feel guilty?" he asked in a t tone.


    Maria''s lips curled into a bitter smile. "Every day! " But the only thing she felt guilty about was not


    killing the woman responsible for her son''s death.


    James didn''t say anything more.


    Maria spun and looked at the man coldly. "You said that I didn''t deserve to be Arthur''s mother. But


    you weren''t even a father to him."


    Hatred appeared in her eyes. She added, "From the moment he was born, for the few weeks he


    lived..." Her voice trailed off and she started sobbing again. Her son had lived for more than 100


    days.


    She took a deep breath and continued, "Do the math yourself. How much time did you spend with


    me and Arthur? Not even a week. You never cared about him!"


    Hearing her ruthless words, James frowned inwardly. He didn''t understand what she meant. "What


    are you talking about? Are you crazy?" James felt insulted, but he wasn''t sure why. It was so quiet


    in the cemetery that Maria could hear her heart beating. "You think I''m crazy? You probably made


    me that way!"


    James remained silent instead of answering her.


    Since he said nothing, Maria didn''t press the issue. She stalked off without a second thought.


    She didn''t want to spend one more minute with James. He ruined her quiet vigil to honor her son. It


    was ironic, really.


    After Arthur was born, Maria''s fondest wish was that James woulde home to spend time with


    her and their son. She knew James didn''t love her, but she hoped he would do this for Arthur, at


    least. It wouldn''t take much. A short drive, a hike, even just walking around in town.


    Maria never could have imagined that she and James would be in the cemetery at the same time,


    both of them there for their son. The thing she longed for the most all those years could only


    happen after Arthur died. The ultimate irony.


    Walking out of the graveyard, Maria steadied herself near a big tree, gasping for breath. She had


    barely held it together confronting James. And all she felt now was drained.


    She told herself in silence, ''It''s all in the past, Maria. Don''t obsess over it."


    But she couldn''t help it. She leaned weakly against the tree, her eyes closed. Her mind was full of


    Arthur. He was crying,ughing, babbling, and calling her Mommy.


    "Get in the car!"


    The familiar, arrogant voice snapped her back to reality.


    Maria opened her eyes and saw a Harkim parked in front of her. James drove to the cemetery


    alone. Now he sat in the driver''s seat staring at her.


    She didn''t speak or move.


    "Maria Song, get in the car!" James repeated. His patience was running thin.


    His car was the only one in the lot. James guessed that Maria had taken a taxi here. It would be


    hard for her to get a ride back¡ªthis was farther out than a cabbie''s usual rounds.


    Nevertheless, Maria just stood there.


    So James finally unfastened his seat belt and jumped out of the car. He walked over to her, grabbed


    her wrist, and tried to drag her to his car.


    Maria shook off his hand, looked at him coldly as if she were looking at a stranger. Then she walked


    away from him.


    She was like a hedgehog these days, prickly all over. He had to be careful what he did around her.


    James just watched her go, saying, "You made the mistake, not me. Never forget that." He wasn''t


    sure who he was trying to convince, her or himself.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Maria stopped as if she heard him. She turned around, and snapped coldly, "Fuck off!"


    Who did James think he was to say that to her?


    James'' face was even gloomier than the rainy sky. He strode back to the car. He mmed the door


    loudly, hoping to demonstrate the depths of his rage. Then he started the engine and the Harkim


    roared off.


    The car sped away, leaving Maria alone.

 Chapter 101 Have Lunch With Me

    Chapter 101 Have Lunch With Me


    Maria watched the car disappear from sight. As soon as that happened, she heaved a sigh of relief.


    Slowly, she squatted down on the roadside and buried her face between her knees.


    ''What are you doing, Maria? Weren''t you going to be nicer to him? It''s not like James killed your


    son,'' she thought.


    Soon enough, the car that had once sped away was now heading back in her direction. It rolled to a


    stop next to her.


    Hearing the roar of the engine, she raised her head in confusion. She saw James leave the car,


    walking towards her aggressively. Before she could react, he hauled her to her feet, gathered her in


    his arms, opened the passenger side door, and gently deposited her on the seat.


    It was like it was one smooth action.


    Seeing that she was about to protest, the man pressed her into the seat and warned her, "Sit still!


    Or I''ll kill you."


    She was the only one in the city who had ever hit him and cursed him.


    He would never get a moment''s peace if she couldn''t settle down for a few minutes. Maria


    stubbornly stared at the man who was stopping her from moving. "Good. Go ahead. There''s nobody


    around. What''s one more body?"


    James pinched her jaw with one hand. "Think I won''t kill you?"


    However, he wondered, ''She has zero makeup on. Why is she so cute?''


    Before Maria could retort, James'' phone began to vibrate.


    Without letting go of her jaw, James fished his phone from his shirt pocket with the other hand. A


    row of numbers spread across the screen.


    Maria saw the phone number, too, and instantly knew who it was.


    James swiped his screen to answer. "It''s me," he said impatiently.


    "Hi James, are you busy now?" The phone was pretty loud, and Maria''s sharp ears picked out


    Alina''s voice.


    Maria wrapped her hands around his neck and mouthed, "Have lunch with me!"


    He stared at the woman in front of him without any reaction.


    Since he didn''t answer Alina''s question, the phone was quiet for a bit. Maria rolled her eyes at him


    and moved her head closer to his phone. When she was about to say something, he squeezed her


    hand firmly to stop her.


    James couldn''t figure it out. Maria was obviously depressed. Why was she suddenly in the mood to


    mess with him?


    Maria didn''t know what he was thinking. She just smiled and felt much better.


    James still hadn''t answered Alina''s question. After a long silence, Alina asked in confusion, "Are


    you still there?"


    This time, James shook off Maria''s hand and left the car. Once outside, he tidied up his coat before


    replying, "I''m here. What''s up?"


    "Well, you seemed pretty down today. I figure a little lunch and a little me might cheer you up. I even


    got us a table. Did you wanna go?"


    James closed Maria''s door and sat back down in the driver''s seat. At the same time, he turned Alina


    down. "I''m sorry but I have a business lunch today."


    "Oh, I see! What about dinner?"


    Leaning back in his seat, James said, "Tonight... " After he uttered that one word, a soft hand


    covered the back of his hand and gently pinched him twice, a gesture full of warning.


    He looked next to him and only saw Maria''s deadpan look. If he hadn''t seen it with his own eyes, he


    wouldn''t have believed Maria did that. The next moment, he grabbed her hand and squeezed it.


    Hard. Maria''s face paled.


    "I also have a dinner party tonight."


    He really did have a dinner party. In fact, he had three of them. He didn''t need Maria to warn him


    about anything. He drove to the cemetery after a morning conference. He was free before one


    o''clock in the afternoon, so he had time to have lunch with Maria.


    "All right. Call me when you have time!" Alina''s voice was thick with disappointment. She was


    counting on James to take her up on her offer.


    "Okay. Bye." After hanging up the phone, James put the device in the glovepartment beside


    him.


    "Let go of me!" Maria hissed. The woman massaged her hand. It was white, and just starting to get


    color in it.


    ''What a jerk!'' she thought.


    After releasing her hand, James started the engine and drove away from the cemetery.


    When the car arrived downtown, Maria said, "Can you drive me back to the hotel, Mr. Xi? Thanks!"


    Finding an opening, James nced at her and asked, "You want to get dressed for lunch?"


    "I''ve changed my mind. I''m not going to lunch. I want to go back and grab a nap." After visiting her


    late son, Maria was still moody. She had lost her appetite.


    She admitted she did that on purpose. She just wanted to feel like she had beaten James.


    James was stupefied. She threatened him to make him take her to lunch. After he gave in, she


    stood him up. What was up with that?


    ''Nice job, Maria!'' he thought to himself.


    When the Harkim was about to arrive at the hotel, Maria''s phone rang.


    She took it out and saw it was from Colby.


    She stared at the caller ID for a long time before she adjusted her mood and answered the phone.


    The Harkim stopped at the traffic lights. She swiped her screen to answer the call while James


    watched. Her voice had lost its down in the dumps tone, and she sounded cheerful. "Hello, Mr.


    Zheng. Yes, it''s me!"


    Inwardly, Maria heaved a sigh. ''This is life, isn''t it?'' She didn''t even have the chance to mourn


    properly. Now she had to force herself to cheer up and smile at the world.


    There was even a smile on her lips, which annoyed James.


    Maria was always reticent when she was around him. But another man called, and her mood lifted


    instantly. How capricious! "Oh, at noon? Of course I''m free! It''s been awhile. I missed you!"


    Listening to her conversation on the phone, James lit a cigarette, took a drag, and exhaled.


    "Okay! Where do you want to meet? I''ll be there right away!" The woman''s tone was extremely


    gentle.


    The green light was on. James sped up the car and the Harkim rushed forward.


    The car sped up so suddenly that Maria was taken aback. Her face turned pale. She covered the


    phone and scolded the smoking man in a stage whisper, "What''s wrong with you?"


    Why did he speed up the car so quickly? Was he in a hurry to meet a woman?


    Ignoring her, James kept increasing his speed.


    Colby''s voice came from the other end of the line. They both heard what he said. "I''ll reserve a


    private room in BY Restaurant."


    Maria put the phone back to her ear. "No problem ¡ª "


    She was interrupted by the car suddenly stopping, the tires squealing on the pavement.


    Maria was beside herself. Since when was James such a crazy driver?


    James sped up and mmed on the brakes so suddenly. If she hadn''t fastened her seat belt, her


    head would have hit the dashboard.


    "Are you okay, Maria? What happened?"


    Maria forced a smile. She covered her chest and stared at the man smoking next to her. "Nothing.


    The car in front suddenly stooped, so I had to as well."


    "Oh, be careful. See youter then!"


    "Okay, Mr. Zheng. Bye!"


    After she hung up the phone, James said tly, "Get out of the car!"


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Right then, Maria finally had a chance to blow up. She roared back, "You force me to get in. Now


    you kick me out. Who do you think you are, ordering me around like that?"


    "My car, my rules. Get out."


    "So what? You think you can do whatever you want?" she retorted. Maria really wondered if James


    was in his right mind.

 Chapter 102 Send A Car Here

    Chapter 102 Send A Car Here


    James looked Maria in the eye and replied calmly, "This is my car, so I am in control of it."


    "Oh yeah? I can see that you are so proud of it." Maria went furious. "Sooner orter, all the cars


    you own will be mine. And all your properties, too, including HL Group. Well...at least half of it.


    James wanted to shake his head in disbelief. Indeed, Maria''s dream was big. He wondered if she


    had the chance to make ite true in her lifetime.


    James sneered and took a drag on his cigarette. He then exhaled the smoke on her face and said,


    "I''m actually not proud of it. And you know what? Sometimes it''s also good to have such a big


    dream."


    If she could take away all of his cars and properties, then he would admit defeat.


    But he couldn''t possibly let it happen. In fact, he wanted to make her realize that even getting close


    to the door of his vi was impossible.


    ''James Xi, you''re a son of bitch!'' Maria cursed inwardly. She then raised her right hand and waved


    in front of him. "Mr. Xi, don''t I have a beautiful hand? How about having my handprint on your face?"


    she asked in a coquettish tone.


    ''Come on, not again!'' James sneered disdainfully. As the memory of that night in Fairview Vi


    shed back in his mind, coldness filled his eyes. "Have you forgotten the price you paid for the p


    you gave mest time? Or do you want me to..."


    James deliberately didn''t finish his sentence. But Maria was clever enough to understand what he


    meant.


    She blushed and withdrew her gaze away from him. She rolled down the window and ordered


    differently, "Drive."


    "Get out of my car," James ordered back. Maria wanted him to send her to meet another man? She


    must be dreaming.


    "I said drive," Maria said firmly. They were in the middle of nowhere. She could hardly see cars


    passing by. If she got out of James'' car, it would be difficult for her to hail a taxi in this ce.


    James unfastened his seat belt and was about to get out of the car.


    Maria immediately understood that he would force her to get out, so she couldn''t help ming


    herself, ''Didn''t you n to use soft tactics on him? Why are you being tough on him again?''


    With this realization, the expression on her face changed dramatically. "James..."


    James just ignored her and was about to open the car door.


    But Maria grabbed his hand and said, "I''m really in a hurry. I need to see Colby now. He''s my boss,


    so if I''mte, my sry will be deducted."


    James nced at her and said coldly, "Take your hands off me."


    "All right. But don''t leave me alone here, okay?" Maria turned into a gentle woman.


    "Why don''t you call Colby and ask him to pick you up? I''m sure he can send as many cars as you


    want," James sneered. He would not waste his time sending her to another man.


    She could make as many excuses as she wanted, but he would never give in.


    Maria was so furious that she balled up her fists, ready to smash James'' head. But she had to


    restrain herself. She took a few deep breaths to calm down. Before she could totally lose her


    temper, she sorted out her emotions and put on a pitiful look. She looked at him and pleaded,


    "Please, James. This job is more important to me than my life. When you shut me out of H City, it


    was Colby who..."


    "Maria Song, you are the owner of Miracle Cafe," James interrupted.


    What he meant was a person like Maria, who could afford to build a coffee shop in the central


    business district, would never be short of money. She was definitely just putting on an act.


    Maria wanted to see how heartless James was, so she made sure that her eyes were filled with


    sadness. She then squeezed out some tears and said, "I applied for a loan and joined a partnership


    to build Miracle Cafe. So right now, I have a debt of almost one hundred million dors. For me to


    pay it, I need to please all the business tycoons in the city, including you."


    "Enough!" James snapped. Looking at her face stained with tears, he felt a sharp pain in his head.


    Her acting skills were reallymendable. He pulled his arm from her grip and said impatiently,


    "Don''t do it again."


    "Okay," she quickly answered. She wiped her tears, leaned over, and kissed him on the face.


    "James, you are the nicest person in the world!"


    James took a wet tissue and wiped his face at once. "Don''t kiss me again. Your mouth has kissed


    other men. It''s so dirty."


    Bang! A loud thud echoed in the car when Maria pounded the dashboard with her fist.


    James stopped wiping his face and looked at her darkened expression vigntly. He was certain


    that she was prone to violence.


    Maria retorted, "You think I''m dirty? Why didn''t you think so when you forced me to moan that night


    in Fairview Vi? Do you tend to have memory loss when you have sex?" What he said really made


    her furious. Besides, when did he see her kissing other men?


    James fell silent.


    He was once again reminded of what happened that night.


    After tossing the tissue into the trash can, he looked at her and called out her name calmly. "Maria


    Song."


    "What now?" Maria snapped.


    "My car is spacious."


    "I know. I''m not blind, okay? After all, this car is worth hundreds of millions of dors, right?"


    "So tell me. Can you moan here? Hmm?" Before he could finish speaking, his lips were covered by


    her hand.


    This time, Maria had to yield. She didn''t mean to provoke him, after all. "Mr. Xi, I''m sorry. I know it''s


    my fault. Let''s leave now, okay?"


    James was really good at turning a situation around. Now, he was obviously at an advantage.


    He pulled down her hand from his lips and grinned evilly. "Beg me."


    Maria couldn''t hold back her anger anymore. ''James Xi, you are going too far. You really don''t know


    when to stop,'' she thought inwardly. She took out her phone and said, "James, stay here. I will show


    you how I can leave here today without your help. Just wait and see."


    She then opened the door and got out of the car while dialing a number. "Send a car here to pick


    me up. I''ll text you the location."


    James didn''t say anything. But deep inside, he was wondering what he had done to annoy her


    again.


    Almost half an hourter, six ck Mercedes-Benz cars pulled over in front of Maria. Then a man


    got out from the first car, trotted to her, and greeted respectfully, "Good day, Ms. Song!"


    Maria looked back at the ck Harkim and arrogantly snorted before she got in the car.


    The cars then left one after another, leaving James'' car alone in that deserted ce. James didn''t


    start his car yet. Instead, he watched as the cars disappeared from his sight, his fingers gently


    tapping the steering wheel. He was deep in thought.


    He had clearly heard the man address Maria as Ms. Song respectfully.


    As far as he knew, she was only a nominal department manager in HM Group. How could she be so


    well-respected?


    Besides, Miracle Cafe was an independent business. It didn''t belong to any group ofpanies.


    The waitresses in her coffee shop even only called her by her first name.


    If those cars were sent by Colby to pick her up, they wouldn''t her call Ms. Song either.


    James had a hunch that Maria had other properties and business aside from the coffee shop.


    But if she already had a coffee shop and other businesses, why would she stille to him? Why


    did she need to persuade him to invest in the newpany she was nning to build? James was


    a little confused.


    Soon, Maria arrived at BY Restaurant.


    Colby, who was already there waiting for her, was surprised to see her without any makeup. "Maria,


    where have you been just now?"


    Maria looked at her outfit before she answered in a low voice, "I''m sorry, Mr. Zheng. Today is my


    son''s death anniversary." She thought that there was no need to hide anything from him.


    "Oh, I see." Colby nodded, understanding her situation. "I''m sorry to bother you. I didn''t know that


    today is a special day for you." The reason why Maria and James divorced was known to the public,


    so he also knew about it. And perhaps if he did some investigation, he would know some more


    details.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    "It''s all right, Mr. Zheng. Let bygones be bygones," Maria answered. She was alsoforting


    herself by those words. "Was Mr. Xi there too?" Colby was more interested to know about it.


    "I''m not sure. I don''t know much about his schedule." Maria put on a confused look to make herself


    more believable.


    "Well, never mind about it. Let''s just eat now. I''ll tell the waiters to serve our food," Colby quickly


    said to change the subject.


    "Okay."


    The two of them sat down opposite each other and enjoyed the food and the view. The restaurant


    was adjacent to the river, and there were big French windows for the customers to see the scenery


    outside.


    They talked for half an hour. Maria was actually wondering why Colby had asked her toe over.


    She only understood why when he started to mention Fosun Entertainment Group.

 Chapter 103 Kents Birthday Party

    Chapter 103 Kent''s Birthday Party


    "We almost lost the Ezyhealth project to Fosun. We got it back, thanks to you. By the way, how


    much do you know about Fosun?"


    Maria thought for a while and answered, "The first time I ever heard about them was at that dinner


    party Mr. Xi threw. You brought up Fosun and Ezyhealth. Before that, I hadn''t heard a thing about


    either of them."


    "Oh! I wonder if Mr. Xi might know more." Colby picked up the serving chopsticks and picked up a


    piece of fish for her. "Come on, Maria, check this out. It''s leopard coral grouper. The chef''s special."


    "Thank you, Mr. Zheng! I''m not sure if James knows about thatpany. How about I ask him next


    time I see him?"


    Maria took a bite of the fish and sipped on the soup.


    "Seen him recently?" Colby asked her again.


    Maria could tell that Colby was extremely interested in that. It was like he really wanted to use her


    against James.


    She nodded, looking a little depressed. "Yeah. But you know him pretty well. He''s super arrogant


    and proud. He doesn''t care about me at all. Just likest night, when I met him in the Leopard Club,


    he had a woman on each arm. He ignored me."


    Colby smiled. "Maria, you need to try harder!"


    "Granted. But James is a smart guy. He''s always has his guard up around me. I have to be very


    careful." Maria lowered her voice on purpose, showing how disappointed she was.


    "Yes, you have to be careful. Mr. Xi was able to take the reins of HL Group in short order. He''s built


    thatpany up too. He''s not dumb."


    "I agree."


    After a moment of silence, Maria realized she was full and started on the fruit.


    She asked casually, "Mr. Zheng, can I ask you a question. Where is Mrs. Zheng? Why isn''t she


    here? Come to think of it, I haven''t seen her at any dinner party I''ve been at."


    Colby wiped his mouth, put down the tissue, and answered, "She''s been in the US tending to our


    kid. She hasn''te back yet."


    "Well, what if she finds out about us when shees back?" Maria asked hesitantly. Worry was


    written all over her face.


    Colby smiled unfathomably. "What about us?" They weren''t having sex. He only gave her some


    money, and his wife wouldn''t check his ount. Maria was stunned for a moment and then smiled.


    "Oh, right! I got it, Mr. Zheng."


    "But if you''re interested, I''ve got a vi in the south of the city. You can move in there, and you won''t


    need that shabby hotel." After she moved into his vi, he could do whatever he wanted to her.


    Right now, he didn''t give a damn about whether his wife would find out.


    "I''d love to, Mr. Zheng. James made me the same offer a few days ago, but I turned him down. If I


    moved into your vi, it wouldn''t take long before he found out. James and I probably wouldn''t be


    hanging out again," Maria said. How could she not know what Colby had in mind? So she gave him


    a wless answer.


    Although the vi was not a property in Colby''s name, it was in his assistant''s name. As long as


    James asked someone to check it out, he would know what was going on. Colby didn''t insist. He


    opened his briefcase, took out something, and handed it to the woman. "Okay, I''ll leave the key with


    you. Ball''s in your court now."


    Maria took the key, acting overjoyed. "Thank you, Mr. Zheng. That''s so kind of you!"


    "You''re worth it. By the way, you should pay more attention to Fosun Entertainment Group. You can


    ask James about them. If you hear anything, let me know as soon as possible!" Fosun


    Entertainment Group was up to something. Colby couldn''t ignore them. "All right, Mr. Zheng!"


    As Colby was quite busy, they went their separate ways after lunch.


    Maria watched the old man walk out of the private room. A few minutester, she took out her


    phone and dialed a number. "How''s the Ezyhealth project going? Okay, I see. Keep an eye on it.


    And HL Group too. If anything changes there, let me know. Good. Thank you for the hard work.


    Bye."


    Putting her phone on the table, Maria walked to the French window and looked out at the city''s main


    river, lost in thought.


    Colby was a cunning fox, who was not so easy to fool. She had to think about where to go next.


    In a prosperous city like H City, there would be no shortage of parties and banquets.


    In a rich downtown neighborhood, a car rolled to a stop in front of a vi. Maria tidied up her smoky-


    gray dress and emerged from the car. She walked up to a man in a tailored grey suit, waiting by the


    door. She put her hand in his, and finally took his arm gracefully.


    When the usher saw them, he trotted up and greeted the man. "Good evening, Mr. Shen! d you


    came!"


    Norman nodded at him in response and walked into the vi with Maria. Maria looked around the


    magnificent vi in front of them and whispered to Norman. "It''s Kent''s birthday party, so I bet Alina


    and her brother are here. If there''s any trouble, you can pretend you don''t know me." She didn''t


    want to disgrace him.


    Norman smiled slightly. "I thought you didn''t want toe. What changed your mind?"


    "The Jiang family is powerful. Since you''ll be here, how can I miss it?" Both Kent and Ronald were


    from rich families. The Tang family had be rich and risen faster than the Jiang family had, but


    they weren''t that different.


    Norman''s eyes fell on Ronald, who flirted with a woman nearby. "You''ve never done anything


    without a reason. Did the Jiang family anger you as well?"


    Maria maintained her smile. "Amazing, Mr. Shen. You can read me like a book."


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Ronald was chatting up a girl from a rich family. Alina was conversing with a woman by the


    swimming pool not far away. Maria looked around but there was no sign of James.


    James never thought highly of the Jiang family, so he likely wouldn''t be here. Norman was also no


    fan. He just came here to look for someone.


    Since it was Norman who took Maria to the party, the Tangs came over to greet them and then


    drifted away to hobnob with the other guests. The Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching, and it was


    already cold. The air was fresh because it had just rained. The ideal situation for a birthday party in


    the garden.


    Since Maria came here with Norman, many were curious and wanted to talk to her. They had a lot


    of questions. But they knew her situation was still precarious, so they didn''t get too close. After all, if


    one day she annoyed Norman and he dumped her, she''d be vulnerable to whatever the Xi family


    wanted to do to her. People she keptpany with would be implicated as well.


    Kent spotted Maria as soon as she arrived. He didn''te to greet her until Norman left her side.


    "Good evening, Maria!"


    Kent would always remember how Maria taught Ronald a lesson in the bar that night. Ronald was a


    ssic bully and needed to be knocked down a few pegs. All of a sudden, Maria showed up and


    taught Ronald a lesson. Kent knew he had to be careful around her. She had made some powerful


    enemies.


    After all, Kent was the host of the party tonight. Maria grabbed a champagne flute from the tray of a


    passing sever and greeted Kent with a smile. "Happy birthday, Kent!"


    "I wanted to send you an invitation, but my parents handled the guest list and invitations, so..." Kent


    let his words trail off, feeling a little embarrassed. She knew what he meant.


    He didn''t invite Maria. After all, they were not exactly friends. But he was the host, and felt obligated


    to exin.


    "It doesn''t matter. Where are your parents, anyway? I didn''t see them." Maria understood what Kent


    meant. It would look more than a little odd if he did invite her.

 Chapter 104 Almost Drowned

    Chapter 104 Almost Drowned


    "Yeah, they''re here. My father invited a lot of his own friends. They''re chatting as we speak."


    "All right. Please go ahead. I won''t take too much of your time." Putting aside Kent''s private life,


    Maria saw Ethan''s figure on him, sunny and energetic.


    After all, they were both young men in their early twenty''s.


    As host of the birthday party, Kent was indeed quite busy. He didn''t talk much with Maria and


    socialized with his other friends.


    Maria looked around. Ronald wasining he was bored, having apparently failed to charm the


    girl he was flirting with. Alina was still chatting with several people by the swimming pool. Norman


    and Mr. Jiang were talking, as well.


    When no one noticed her, Maria put down the champagne flute and slipped away from the party.


    The Jiang family vi was brightly lit. She walked inside and found the bathroom.


    After a while, she emerged from the bathroom and hung a right. However, after taking two steps, a


    man stepped from his post just around the corner and said, "Hello, ma''am, what can I do for you?"


    Maria seemed to be startled and hurriedly answered, "Can you help me? Mr. Shen brought me


    here, but I needed a restroom and now I''m lost."


    "It doesn''t matter, ma''am. Please follow me." "Okay, thank you!"


    Maria followed the bodyguard, looking around. She noticed a high-definition monitor installed


    overhead.


    When they arrived at the entrance to the garden, the bodyguard gestured to her, indicating she


    should enter the garden. "Here you go, ma''am."


    Maria thanked him and made her way to where Norman stood.


    As soon as she reached him, a scream came from the swimming pool. "Ahhh!"


    Another sound immediately followed the scream. Sploosh! Everyone was curious and looked in that


    direction. Someone had apparently fallen into the pool.


    If Maria was right, that was Alina.


    Immediately, the party erupted into chaos. Someone yelled, "Help! Alina Tang fell in the pool!" "Alina


    Tang? James Xi''s fiancee-to-be?" The onlookers exchanged nces with each other, discussing it


    in hushed voices. Mrs. Jiang trotted over to the pool area and gave an order to the people shrouded


    in darkness. "Save her!"


    Several bodyguards rushed out from the


    shadows and jumped in one after another to save Alina.


    The pool was long and deep. When the bodyguards rescued Alina, she was already unconscious.


    Knowing who she was, Mrs. Jiang was more than a little flustered. Ronald waded through the crowd


    and shouted in panic, "Alina! Alina! What''s wrong with you? Alina?"


    Many guests were startled and had no clue what to do.


    Someone said, "Ms. Tang is unconscious. You should check for a pulse to see if she needs CPR." It


    was not only a pleasant female voice, but also the voice of reason.


    The bodyguards were rooted to the spot. They didn''t darey a finger on her.


    Ronald kicked one of the bodyguards. "Didn''t you hear what she said? Help my sister!"


    The bodyguard was cowed by him and quickly bent down to save Alina. He listened for a pulse, and


    then put his mouth over hers, pinching her nose first, while he blew air into her lungs. It wasn''t long


    before she coughed, expelling all the water she swallowed.


    The woman who advised everyone on Alina''s condition took out her phone gracefully and covertly


    snapped a few pics. Then she left the crowd quietly to appreciate her handiwork.


    Norman came out of nowhere and found her. "You just never stop, do you?"


    "Of course. After all, I haven''t given up on James yet." Maria sent the photos she had taken to


    James through the WeChat app and added some text. "Look! Check out what your woman did at


    the party tonight! She''s not as faithful as she says."


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    With a smile, Norman asked, "Did you find anything on your self-guided tour of the vi?"


    "Besides luxurious amodations and designer decor? Not a thing!" She was telling the truth.


    "You''re ying a dangerous game. The Jiang family and Colby Zheng are both hard to deal with.


    You should get James to help. Go easy on him." But Maria had six years to think about this. She


    was apletely different woman than she used to be. Less passive, less willing to take someone''s


    shit. And more cagey and charming to boot.


    Maria didn''t expect James to reply immediately. She put her phone back in her purse and asked,


    "And James isn''t? I think he''s the hardest man to get to." That was true. Colby, the Tang family, and


    the Jiang family together were not as arrogant, proud, quick to anger, and powerful as James.


    One hand in his pocket, Norman patted her head with the other. His smile was still warm and gentle.


    "I hope you get out of all this with your hide intact."


    But Maria couldn''t smile back to him. She didn''t forget what she promised to Norman. She had


    underestimated James'' influence on her.


    After a long time, she finally found her tongue to answer Norman, "I will. Trust me." Her reply was


    not just meant to ay Norman''s fears. It was a vow she made to herself.


    Jerome nodded and said, "I trust you. Let''s go. The person I''m looking for isn''t here."


    "Okay."


    When James saw the messages from Maria on WeChat, it was already an hourter. He looked at


    the two photos, remaining motionless and calm.


    He replied, "Do you think we''re still living in ancient times?"


    Maria didn''t want to answer his reply, but she couldn''t help herself. She replied, "If I were her, I


    would have jumped into the river andmitted suicide from the shame!"


    In ancient times of course. But it was the modern day, and Alina wasn''t kissing that bodyguard.


    Instead, he saved her.


    James didn''t know how to answer her for a moment. Maria was pretending to be innocent and pure,


    and he knew she was up to something. "You''re not innocent or pure. Especially if you''re wearing


    what I think you''re wearing."


    Every time Maria attended a party she wore a tank top or backless dress. She would only dress


    formally when it was an actual business meeting. James knew her well enough.


    James received her reply right away. "Think I should undress, then? There''s a lot of bite marks.


    Someone might see." There were still teeth marks on Maria''s back, thanks to James the freak.


    Reading her message, James couldn''t help coughing. Those teeth marks were all from him. The


    man started to get hard reading what she wrote.


    Last time in Fairview Vi, in order to teach her a lesson, he deliberately bit her back to make her


    remember the pain.


    Now that this woman mentioned it, he started fantasizing.


    Before he could reply, Maria sent another message. "Mr. Xi I thought you would want to keep an


    eye on your fiancee-to-be. Looks like you''re too busy for that!" Another one came in. "Mr. Xi, did you


    enjoy the flesh feastst time?"


    James was overwhelmed by her text messages.


    A few minutester, he tossed his phone aside and went to the lounge to take a cold shower.


    Feeling the cold water chilling him to the bone, James thought Maria was too mean. ''Wow, you did a


    number on me, huh?''


    Alina fell into pool quite by ident. Kent''s two female friends, both less than twenty years old,


    identally bumped into Alina when they were teasing and chasing each other. Alina lost her


    bnce and fell into the pool.


    After they calmed down and saw what happened, the younger one was frightened to death.


    The parents of the two girls rushed to the hospital to see Alina, who was totally fine now.


    Alina was in an extremely bad mood. She chewed the two girls out in front of their parents. They


    had embarrassed her.


    Because of who she was, the two families decided not to yell back. They just kept apologizing.


    When James showed up in her ward, Alina was all sweetness and light. Her bad mood vanished


    without a trace.


    As soon as James arrived, the two families left with their daughters.


    When they were finally alone in the ward, Alinained to him. "James, I''m going to these


    parties to save your rep. But I couldn''t have imagined someone would push me in the pool. I almost


    drowned!"

 Chapter 105 You Are Swearing At Me

    Chapter 105 You Are Swearing At Me


    James had already known what happenedst night. He stood by the bed andforted Alina in a


    t tone, "They are still kids. Don''t overthink."


    "I know. James, can you stay longer? The doctor said that I still have trauma after the ident, so I


    have to stay in the hospital to recuperate." As she spoke, Alina reached out her hand and held


    James coquettishly.


    James casually withdrew his hand and looked at his watch. "I have a meeting in P City, so I need to


    go to the airport in twenty minutes. I''ll ask Lorenzo to stay here and take care of you."


    Alina knew that there would be a forum for economists in P City. Business tycoons like James,


    Colby, and the CEO of Mu Group were all invited.


    yton had also attended this forum for several years in the past. But since the Tang Group had


    started to weaken these years, he wasn''t invited to take part in any meetings anymore.


    If she and James could get engaged this year, yton would definitely be able to attend the


    meeting next year with James'' help.


    "I understand, James. Please go ahead with your work. I''ll just ask Mom to apany me."


    Knowing that the forum was quite important, Alina had no choice but to let James go.


    "Okay. Have a good rest. I''ll leave now," James said. He then turned around and walked towards


    the ward door.


    Alina was stunned. He said just now that he still had twenty minutes before he went to the airport.


    Why was he going to leave her now?


    "James!" she called out to stop him from leaving.


    James stopped and looked back at her in confusion.


    "Well, can I go with you?" she asked tentatively. Before he could answer, she added at once, "I''m


    not so busy recently, so I have a lot of free time. If you take me with you, I promise, I won''t cause


    you any trouble."


    "My schedule is quite tight, so I can''t keep youpany there. Don''t worry. I''ll be back the day after


    tomorrow. Besides, you haven''t recovered yet. You need to take a rest."


    There was a trace of finality in James'' voice, so Alina didn''t insist anymore. Eventually, she said,


    "Take good care of yourself. Remember to eat on time."


    "Hmm," James replied nasally.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    He then turned around and left. When Alina was left alone in the ward, a feeling of emptiness filled


    her heart. James had only stayed for less than five minutes. He was so in a hurry to leave. If he


    didn''t want to spend time with her, she could only imagine how lonely her life could be after


    marrying him.


    She heard that when Maria was still James'' wife, he only came back home to Maria once in a while.


    If Maria was able to put up with it and manage not to disturb him, she believed that she could also


    do it.


    Somehow, Alina felt better afterforting herself.


    In Miracle Cafe, Norman hade to see Maria.


    Maria put a cup of freshly brewed coffee in front of him and said, "Here, try this."


    Norman picked up the cup, inhaled the aroma of the coffee, and took a sip. He then remarked, "This


    is awesome! You know what? I always love the coffee you make every time Ie here."


    Maria handed the tray to a waitress and sat opposite him. "Mr. Shen, what can I do for you today?"


    "Well, I happen to pass by here, so I thought of paying you a visit. I can have a chat with you, plus I


    can get a free cup of coffee," Norman replied in a gentle tone, half-joking. From the way he smiled


    and talked to Maria right now, no one would associate him with the infamous ruthless Norman


    Shen. On the surface, he looked like a sensible man from a bookish family, gentle and elegant.


    But Maria knew Norman better than anyone else. She knew that he was joking with her, and she


    just smiled and said nothing.


    She couldn''t help criticizing him inwardly. ''I wonder who the unlucky woman is to marry this lunatic


    in the future.''


    "I can hear you''re swearing at me," Norman said, putting down the coffee cup.


    Maria''s face slightly fell. She smiled awkwardly and said, "How can that be possible?"


    She couldn''t believe that he was able to read her mind. Perhaps he was not really a human.


    Norman and James were indeed siblings.


    Although they were only half-brothers, they were both freaks.


    Norman leaned back and elegantly crossed his legs. "I turned down the meeting invitation from P


    City."


    He didn''t specify what meeting he was referring to.


    But Maria understood right away, so she nodded. "I see."


    "James and Colby will be there." She already knew. Even the members of the Mu family would also


    attend the meeting. The Mu family had always been low-key, and they had nothing to do with her, so


    Maria didn''t pay much attention to them.


    Maria thought for a while and said, "It''s just a forum that will take two or three days at most. I don''t


    think Colby will leave any clues."


    "Why don''t you go there and see for yourself?"


    She didn''t respond as she saw the mysterious smile on his face.


    P City was in the northern part of the country.


    Its temperature was much lower than that of H City. Right now, it was early autumn in H City, and


    the temperature ranged from twenty to thirty degrees. But in P City, it was below twenty.


    At night, it was even colder as the temperature fell down to fifteen degrees and below. That


    evening, a ck luxury car stopped at the entrance of a five-star hotel. The usher immediately


    walked forward and opened the rear door.


    Then a man in a ck suit and shiny leather shoes got out. The indifferent look on his face and the


    cold aura he emitted sent a chill down the spine of people around. They couldn''t help taking a step


    back and hiding from him automatically.


    "James!"


    A clear voice rang out from behind, not far away.


    James, who was about to walk into the hotel, turned around. He then looked in the direction where


    the voice came from.


    There he saw a woman in a white coat with a casual belt standing a few meters away from him. Her


    long ck hair hung loosely on her shoulders. As soon as their eyes met, she smiled brightly,


    waved, and trotted towards him.


    While she loped, her hair fluttered in the wind.


    This moment reminded Maria of her dream ten years ago.


    In her dream, she was running towards James under his gaze. It was as if she was the only one in


    his eyes and heart. She didn''t expect that her dream would finallye true tonight.


    Before he could even react, she rushed over and threw herself into his arms. Hugging his waist, she


    looked up to him and asked, "Are you surprised?"


    James looked down at her without saying anything. He didn''t know that Maria could also be childish


    at times. Just now, she was like a teenager who saw her crush.


    With a frown, he tried to pull her away. "How did you know that I''m here?"


    Maria held his waist even tighter, not giving him a chance to pull away. Clinging to him, she


    answered, "You will know how when you fall in love with someone."


    James'' frowned deepened as his eyes narrowed. If that was the case, he might have to wait for a


    lifetime.


    "I know that Alina is not here, so we are free to make love," she said half-jokingly with a cunning


    smile.


    James grabbed Maria''s hand firmly. As he stared at her, he thought inwardly, ''How dare you flirt with


    me in public!'' He spun her around, pressed her against the car door, and suggested, "How about we


    do it right here, right now?"


    Maria looked around, and her brows creased. ''Here? At the hotel entrance?'' she asked inwardly. In


    a daze, Maria decisively decided to y along. She nodded and said firmly, "As long as you don''t


    stop halfway, I can do it anywhere. " She then rubbed herself against his body.


    James'' grasp on her wrist tightened as he pulled her, closing the distance between them. He then


    asked, "Maria Song, are you having a death wish?"


    The moment he finished his words, he caught a glimpse of several furtive figures approaching them


    from the corner of his eye.


    He thought for a while before he looked at Maria, who had already buried her head in his arms.


    His lips curved into a mischievous smile and he clenched his teeth.


    He surmised that Maria had only pretended to flirt with him and even challenged him to make love


    freely. But the truth was, she was only trying to hide from the assassins who were hunting her.


    She was being chased, and she came all the way to him for protection. James was actually right.


    When Maria saw him, she decided that she would follow him wherever he went. In this way, she


    could use his bodyguards for free as well.


    He had many bodyguards, and they were all professionals. She was much safer having them near


    her than being alone.


    At the thought of it, Maria whispered to James in a low voice, "Carry me in, and I''ll tell you a secret."


    However, James didn''t believe her at all. "I''m sorry, but I''m not interested to know that so-called


    secret of yours."


    "I''m sure you will. Just trust me."


    "No way!"


    Maria heaved a deep sigh. Feeling helpless, she decided to use a soft tactic this time. "Oh, please,


    James. Carry me in. My life is in your hands now." She knew that Colby would also be arriving soon.


    And if he saw her here, all her efforts would be in vain. Thus, she had to convince James to take her


    inside the hotel.

 Chapter 106 Fearless

    Chapter 106 Fearless


    James was about to refuse again when he felt that Maria unbuttoned his shirt with one hand. She


    then bit his chest gently and said flirtatiously, "James, as long as you carry me into the hotel, I will


    let you bite me anywhere you like."


    He gritted his teeth. Knowing that Maria wouldn''t stop teasing him until he gave in, he had no other


    choice. He carried her in his arms and entered the hotel with a livid face.


    Maria smiled victoriously. She knew that men could not resist a woman''s seductive charm.


    And James was not an exception. Her tactics worked on him.


    She got a little teary-eyed. James didn''t know that she almost burst into tears while her face was


    buried in his arms.


    The fact that he didn''t refuse to help her just like thest time, she was deeply touched. She


    wondered if it meant that she had seeded a little.


    As soon as they entered James'' room, he tossed her onto the sofa ruthlessly. He then said coldly,


    "Leave now."


    Maria got up, tiptoed in front of him, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I can''t leave now. I''ll


    sleep on the sofa tonight. Let''s have dinner together, okay?"


    "Maria Song ¡ª "


    Before James could say what he wanted to say, she interrupted him impatiently, "Hush! I know what


    you want to say. James, I am living a good life, so I don''t have a death wish yet. But right now, I''m in


    a little trouble, and I need your help. Promise, I''ll repay you double in the future if you save my life


    today. What do you think?"


    "Repay me? With what? With your life?" James didn''t think that she had anything valuable or he


    could make use of.


    As a matter of fact, it was she who had used him again and again.


    Maria thought for a while. Then she smiled brightly and winked at him as if she hade up with a


    brilliant idea. "How about this? I can be your sex partner. You can sleep with me anytime you want


    until the day of your engagement to Alina. What do you think?"


    "Lame!" James pushed her away, turned around, and walked to the desk at the corner of his suite.


    He didn''t want to continue such a nonsense conversation with her anymore.


    Maria knew that his silence meant that he acquiesced in her offer. It wasn''t easy for him to admit it,


    was it?


    She just shrugged, happily ran to his bedroom, and threw herself on the big bed. She felt so


    exhausted that she wanted to take a nap.


    Watching her, James kneaded his aching forehead and thought, ''Jesus! After forcing me to carry


    her into my room, now she is upying my bed.


    Maria Song! Why haven''t I seen your boldness before?''


    There was total silence in the bedroom, so James thought that Maria had already fallen asleep. But


    what he didn''t know was that she was sending a message to someone on her phone.


    After sending the message, she put her phone under the pillow and closed her eyes with a smile.


    Today was her happiest day since she had returned to H City.


    She was happier than that night when she cooked dinner for James in Fairview Vi.


    A few momentster, the waiter brought a sumptuous meal to James'' room. On a whim, Maria took


    two photos and posted them on her WeChat Moments.


    James went out for some social engagements, so she enjoyed the dinner alone.


    There was no one suspicious on her contact list, and she didn''t even add Colby on WeChat, so she


    didn''t mind posting the photos of the delicious food she had. She felt like she had nothing to hide.


    Since the presentation of the food in a five-star hotel was quite impressive, as expected, many of


    her friends bombarded her withments, asking where she was. However, she didn''t reply to any


    of them. She just sent a private message to a few.


    Alina, who had been browsing on her WeChat Moments, saw Maria''s post. She got so curious that


    she kept on refreshing the page for the newments of their mutual friends to load, hoping that


    she could get some information about Maria''s whereabouts.


    Her heart was beating abnormally fast. What if James had taken Maria with him to P City?


    After a long time of waiting, Alina was so disappointed that Maria didn''t respond to any of her


    friends''ments on her post.


    Maria was the type of person who would burn the bridge after crossing it. So she sent the photos of


    her dinner to James with a message. "Actually, I don''t really have a secret to tell you. I just want to


    be with you. If you dare to drive me away, I will send these photos to Alina and tell her that we are


    together right now."


    James had already deduced that Maria was lying to him earlier. He knew that she only made an


    excuse for him to carry her in.


    But he didn''t expect that she would threaten him. Looking at the photos, he could imagine the


    comcent look on her face when she was sending him this message.


    An angry smile surfaced on James'' face. What Maria did only confirmed that she was such an


    ungrateful woman.


    He disliked hercency so much, so he quickly replied, "Before threatening me, why don''t you


    think of your own situation first? I can easily hand you over to them. If I tie you up at the hotel


    entrance, I believe that someone will pick you up soon."


    Maria subconsciously bit her lower lip hard when she read James'' reply. She knew him better than


    anyone else. He was a man of his word. If he would really tie her up at the hotel entrance, she


    would definitely be taken away by the other party shortly. If that happened, she had to suffer the


    pain of being skinned alive.


    Maria couldn''t help but shiver at the thought of it. She couldn''t imagine her smooth skin being


    peeled, so she decisively yielded. "James, I''ve taken a bath. I''ll wait for you toe back. I assure


    you, I can provide whatever service you want. Muah!"


    While staring at the screen of his phone, James didn''t notice that he was smiling, and his eyes


    glimmered. The assistant sitting next to him was stunned.


    He wondered if James was texting Alina. The assistant couldn''t help rubbing his eyes in disbelief. It


    was so rare for James to smile. How he wished he had capture James'' smile with the camera of his


    phone.


    When the night deepened, James decided to go back to the hotel. In his heart, there was a faint


    glimmer of hope that Maria was really waiting for him in his suite.


    He was weed by her unique scent when he entered his suite, but there was no sign of her


    inside. He took off his coat, hung it in the closet, and looked around.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    James couldn''t find Maria in his room. Rubbing his chin, he wondered if she had run away.


    He had no n of looking for her. In fact, he was even relieved that she was gone. As if her


    disappearance didn''t matter to him, he sat down at the desk and began to work.


    After a while, James felt the weight of his eyelids, so he decided to take a shower. He was about to


    go to the bedroom to take a rest when there was a beep on the door lock.


    He turned around and saw Maria in ck rushing in and hiding behind the door. She peeked


    through a small opening and looked around vigntly before she locked the door. Then she ran into


    the bedroom while taking off her outfit.


    Ignoring James'' cold gaze, Maria threw the ck sportswear she had taken off into the closet.


    She then pounced onto him and pressed him on the big bed. "Help me!"


    James was caught off guard. He was squeezed between the bed and her soft body. With a


    darkened expression, he wrapped his arms around her waist and asked, "Maria Song, what the


    heck are you doing?"


    "I have no time to exin now. Just hurry up, take off your clothes!" It was only then that Maria


    noticed that James was not wearing anything. He had just taken a shower, so he only had a bath


    towel wrapped around his waist. Luck was on her side. She reached out and pulled the bath towel


    away with all her strength.


    Stunned, Jamesy on the bed. The next moment, he was already wrapped in the quilt. When


    Maria heard some noise outside the door, she felt terrible.


    With an unfriendly look, James stared at her. Maria knew that he was so mad at her that he wanted


    to kill her. But she had no time left, so she sat on top of him and moaned. "Ahhh..."


    If the man after her put his ear on the door, he would definitely hear her groan.


    James couldn''t stand it anymore. He held Maria''s wrist, pushed her away, and got up from the bed.


    But Maria couldn''t just let him go. She jumped on his back, held his neck, and whispered in his ear,


    "James, turn around." James grabbed her wrists again and was about to say something when the


    doorbell rang.


    Maria was like a cat on hot bricks. She had done everything, but she still couldn''t turn him on. So


    she couldn''t help questioning him anxiously, "Didn''t we have sex that night in Fairview Vi? What''s


    happening to you now? Are you injured or something? What do you want me to do to arouse you?"


    James was dumbstruck by her series of questions. For a moment, he had the urge to strangle her.


    How dare she ask such suggestive questions! But he was not in the mood to have a fight with her


    right now, so he had to restrain himself from throttling her and asked, "Who did you mess up with


    this time? Who''s outside?"


    Maria moaned again before she answered, "Must be Colby''s assistant."


    James looked at her, clenching his teeth.


    ''Maria Song, you are really something!'' he thought inwardly.


    The doorbell didn''t stop ringing, so he angrily took out his bathrobe from the closet and put it on


    before he walked to open the door.

 Chapter 107 She Escaped

    Chapter 107 She Escaped


    Quickly, Maria hid under the quilt, leaving only her eyes exposed. Then she told him, "Mr. Xi, I''ll


    never forget how kind you are. Please don''t hand me over!"


    As he heard that, James turned around and cast a cold nce at her.


    Maria had no choice but to put on a bright smile in return. After all, she needed his help.


    When James opened the door, he looked at the man outside indifferently without saying a word.


    Sure enough, that was Colby''s assistant. The man couldn''t help feeling intimidated by James''


    imposing manner as he plucked up the courage to say, "Good evening, Mr. Xi. I''m sorry to disturb


    you thiste."


    "What''s the matter?" James asked impatiently.


    "Here is the thing..." The assistant peeped into the room but didn''t find anything out of the ordinary.


    "Someone broke into Mr. Zheng''s room earlier."


    "What does this have to do with me?" James was getting more and more impatient.


    The assistant broke out in a cold sweat,pletely nervous in James'' presence. "Well, I just want


    to give you a friendly warning, Mr. Xi. Please watch out."


    "If you suspect anyone, you should contact the hotel or call the police. I don''t think I need to teach


    you how to do this, right?" James'' face darkened. He was already in a bad mood because of Maria.


    "I''m really sorry, Mr. Xi!" Still, the assistant made no mention to leave. Instead, he asked nervously


    again, "Mr. Xi..."


    "James, hurry up!" A flirtatious voice rang out from inside the bedroom, interrupting the assistant''s


    words.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    The woman''s voice didn''t sound familiar to the stunned assistant. No wonder James seemed so


    dissatisfied with him. It turned out that he had interrupted his romantic evening. As he realized that,


    the assistant bowed to James immediately. "I''m sorry, Mr. Xi. I do apologize. Good night, sir!


    Hisst words had barely fallen from his lips when he heard a loud "bang." James had ruthlessly


    mmed the door in his face.


    The assistant touched the tip of his nose, which seemed intact. But for a moment there, he thought


    he would die under James'' gaze.


    In the bedroom, Maria had to cover her mouth so she wouldn''t vomit.


    That sweet voice she just made really sickened her.


    James went back to the bedroom and looked coldly at the woman lying in the bed. "Will you leave


    now, or do I have to ask someone to throw you out?"


    "Why are you so mean? I''ve warmed up the bed for you already. Don''t you want to lie down next to


    me?" Supporting her head with one hand, she crooked a finger at him.


    Maria had a n in mind. If she could persuade James to spend the night with her, she wouldn''t


    have to be afraid of Colby''s assistanting back for herter.


    James'' eyes darkened with desire as she flirted with him. In no time, he was on top of her, pressing


    his body against hers and holding her waist tightly. Then he grunted, "I''ll teach you a lesson


    tonight!"


    In that way, he would guarantee that she would behave herself for a few days.


    Maria had a hunch that what she had hoped for was really going to happen. But as she recalled


    theirst time together in the vi, she couldn''t help telling him, "Please, be gentle..."


    "So are you afraid now? Well, it''s toote for that!" He would give her a hard time and punish her


    until she begged for mercy like she did thest time.


    Maria opened her mouth to speak, but her words were choked by James'' lips.


    In the end, Maria was right. Colby''s assistant really came back ten minutester. He stood quietly at


    the door of James'' suite, trying to overhear what was going on inside.


    At that moment, James was still in a fit of anger, so he was a little violent with Maria. Her cries were


    loud enough for the man outside to hear them.


    With no other choice, the assistant went back to another suite on the same floor, which was not far


    from James''.


    Lowering his head, he reported honestly, "I''m sorry, Mr. Zheng. She escaped."


    "Escaped?" Colby''s face went dark as he heard the assistant''s words. The next moment, he


    thumped the document in his hand on the table and ordered, "Check the surveince video. Tell the


    hotel manager that something important that belongs to me is missing."


    However, the assistant had already asked someone to check the surveince cameras after they


    found the intruder. "Whoever we''re dealing with is very cautious. I requested the hotel manager


    earlier to check the surveince video of the presidential suite floor. But the system of the whole


    floor was damaged."


    Colby remained silent after hearing his response. He needed to think. The assistant wiped the


    sweat off his forehead and added, "I''ve checked the surveince video of the first floor too, but no


    one suspicious left during this period."


    Colby looked him in the eye. "So the intruder is still in the building?"


    "That was my first hunch, but I''ve checked all the suites on this floor, including Mr. Xi''s," the


    assistant responded, shivering at the thought of James'' piercing eyes boring into him.


    "What is James Xi doing?" Colby asked on high alert.


    "There''s indeed a woman in his room, but I don''t think she''s the intruder. When I got to his door,


    they were... umm...having sex. I believe we lost trace of the intruder for about two minutes."


    "Are you sure they were having sex?" Colby asked again.


    "Yes, I''m sure. A few minutester, I went back to Mr. Xi''s door, and they were being quite loud in


    there." The assistant thought there must have been some sort of forey before they got to that


    point he heard. Otherwise, how could the man get aroused so quickly? Hence, he believed he could


    only have interrupted James when he first knocked on the door.


    Colby didn''t say anything.


    The assistant continued, "Mr. Zheng, there are no surveince cameras in the emergency exit


    either. Maybe she escaped from there."


    For a few more hours, Colby''s men paid attention to all entrances and exits on the first floor, but no


    one suspicious crossed either the front door or the emergency exit. At this point, they thought


    maybe the intruder had jumped out of a window.


    However, since the person didn''t steal anything important and currently Colby was in another city,


    where he didn''t have much influence, he didn''t take the investigation further. Still, he would remain


    alert to anything strange around him.


    After midnight, the temperature in P City dropped to the lowest in that day, but it didn''t affect the


    atmosphere in James'' suite.


    Pulling the exhausted woman, James said hoarsely, "Get up, Maria."


    Despite hearing his words clearly, she pretended to be dead. She couldn''t even move her finger,


    how the hell would she be able to stand up? She thought that maybe if she ignored him long


    enough, he would let go of her and let her stayzily in bed.


    After a while, however, James picked her up and carried her into the bathroom in his arms. "Aren''t


    you a tough woman? Let''s keep going then!"


    Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed her face against his strong chest andined


    in a low voice, "Didn''t I apologize just now? Come on, Mr. Xi, don''t be so petty!"


    The way he saw it, although she did apologize, she was forced by him at the time.


    James was a man with a strong desire to conquer. So, he enjoyed forcing her to talk dirty until she


    was embarrassed and did things she didn''t want to.


    In the bathroom, James put the woman under the shower and turned it on. The cold water sprinkled


    on Maria''s naked body, making her shiver. She yelled angrily at him, "James Xi, what''s wrong with


    you? Hmm!"


    Once again, his lips crushed down on hers, choking her words. Then James approached Maria and


    pressed her back against the cold wall.


    As much as she wanted to escape, he didn''t give her a chance.


    Bringing their hands above her head, he intertwined their fingers. As the cold water gradually


    became warmer, it ran down through their hairs, faces, and bodies.


    In her head, Maria recalled that James had turned thirty this year. He always stayed upte in his


    office to review documents, attend meetings, deal with general work, and would only sleep for a few


    hours a day. She wondered how he managed to keep himself so vigorous. ''God''s so unfair! He not


    only blessed this man with a good-looking face but also with great health,'' Maria sighed inwardly.


    She couldn''t stand James'' attack anymore. All she wanted was to escape from him.


    But James wouldn''t stop until he saw her crying and begging for his mercy.


    Their night only got wilder after that.


    The next morning, Maria was still asleep when James left a note for her on the nightstand. After he


    walked out of the suite, he went straight to the airport and took a flight back to H City.


    It was not until noon that Maria slowly opened her eyes and turned over on the soft bedzily.


    ''Oh, gosh! James Xi, you bastard!'' Maria cursed him in her heart as she felt pain all over her body.


    Struggling to keep her eyes open, she looked around and found out she was the only one left in the


    room.


    Once she reached out to get her phone on the nightstand, she saw his note. "If you need anything,


    send me a message."


    Maria raised her eyebrows, wondering if that meant he had already left the city.


    James knew she wouldn''t ask him for money. So, in those two times they had been together, he left


    her with nothing but bruises. Maria felt so hopeless! ''James Xi, you are such a petty jerk!''


    Turning on her cell phone, Maria sent a message to James. "How much do you know about Fosun


    Entertainment Group?"


    "Is this your request for this time?" By the time he received Maria''s message, James had already


    finished a meeting in H City.


    "Yep." Maria quickly texted him back.

 Chapter 108 Acquiring Qin Group

    Chapter 108 Acquiring Qin Group


    "I''ll have someone look into it." James didn''t think Maria would be soid-back about this. Maybe


    this was to get him to drop his defenses before she came in for the kill.


    "No need. Just answer the question, please."


    "None." The meteoric rise of Fosun Entertainment wasrgely an enigma. They had cooperated


    with HL Group on a few projects in the past, but James had never cared overmuch. Until now,


    anyway.


    If it weren''t for the record profits they were raking in, he wouldn''t even know who they were.


    "Okay." That was the final message Maria sent him that day.


    After her shower, Maria dressed herself. She was just admiring herself in the mirror when there was


    a knock on the door. "Room service," called a voice behind the door.


    She opened the door, a quizzical look in her eyes. She took a look at thevish meal and asked the


    waiter, "What''s this?"


    "Lunch, ma''am. Compliments of Mr. Xi," he replied. "Oh, thank you!" She walked over to the


    dresser, grabbed some cash from her purse and tipped him.


    "Thanks, ma''am." The waiter bowed and left the room.


    After lunch, Maria walked down the hallway to the exit. She wanted to keep as low a profile as


    possible.


    The first thing she did when she came back to H City was heading to Miracle Cafe. Chandler was


    waiting for her there.


    Her coffee shop was always busy. When she walked in, she saw Chandler sitting in an


    inconspicuous corner sipping his coffee.


    Facing her so-called father, Maria sat opposite him and asked, "Mr. Song, does Mrs. Song know


    you''re here?"


    Chandler sighed. "No, Maria. She doesn''t know. I didn''t tell anyone this time."


    Hearing his answer, Maria gave him a mocking smile. Her so-called father came to see her, his own


    daughter, and had to sneak around to do it.


    She flipped her long hair and urged him coldly, " ''So what is it this time? And make it quick. I''m


    busy."


    "Nothing special. I just dropped by to see how you''re doing. I just found out you own this ce, " he


    said in a tender tone. Affection was reflected in his eyes.


    Maria was not impressed at all. "Eh, it''s not a bad life. There are worse jobs. Is that all you came to


    say?"


    "Who bankrolled this ce?" He didn''t believe that Maria could make that kind of money in just six


    years.


    "None of your business. Mr. Song, stop asking stupid questions, will you?" she snapped. Maria


    really didn''t understand why Chandler was even here.


    He pretended to be a loving father and showed how much he cared. She was puzzled.


    Chandler didn''t take offense at her attitude. He took a bank card from his suit pocket, pushed it in


    front of her, and said earnestly, "Your mom doesn''t know about this. I know we cut ties, and I''m


    sorry. I had no choice. This should make things easier. If you need more, ask me."


    If Maria were still seventeen years old, she would definitely cry bitterly, feeling touched.


    But she was twenty-seven years old, going on twenty-eight. She had gone through a lot in her


    young life, experienced enough misadventure that she knew the dark side of human nature. She


    pushed the card back calmly and asked, "Money? I have plenty. Need my help? I can get you a


    hundred million easy."


    Chandler could never have imagined she''d say something like that. The expression on his face was


    veryplicated. "Maria, why do you have that kind of money?"


    Maria sneered. "I''ve gotten back together with James. Why wouldn''t I be rich?"


    She made him think James was the source of her mysterious ie.


    Chandler had no reason to think otherwise.


    After all, if her money came from James, it was more convincing than Maria earning a hundred


    million or more by herself.


    "What? Really?" Chandler was shocked. "What about Alina?" He wondered why he hadn''t heard.


    "What about her? Why should I care?"


    "She''s your cousin! Maria, if you keep doing things like this, the Song family will be a


    laughingstock!" Chandler looked anxious.


    "Doing things like what? So the Song family getsughed at. How is that my problem?"


    Chandler looked a little embarrassed. "Maria, you shouldn''t be James'' mistress. It''s immoral!


    His mistress? That was the second time that her family insulted her that way. Who did they think


    they were? Maria said in an extremely cold tone, "Mr. Song, so what were you doing when Mrs.


    Song was pregnant with me? What were you doing when I was born? Instead of pointing fingers at


    me, look in a mirror some time."


    "How did you know that?" Chandler asked in a shocked voice. When ine was pregnant with


    Maria, she was not in H City. Chandler took advantage of this, and cheated on her.


    "I know way more than you think. Mr. Song, do you want a detailed list of who you were with? I have


    enough time for that."


    Chandler blushed out of embarrassment and anger. He wondered if Maria really was his daughter.


    When had she be so hard, so cruel?


    If the family resemnce weren''t there, he would have taken her to get a paternity test. Was this


    really his Maria?


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Later, Chandler left in embarrassment, taking away the five hundred thousand that he had set aside


    for Maria.


    After he was gone, Maria went back to her hotel.


    Ste agreed to open three coffee shops to repay Maria, but she dyed opening them. But Maria


    was in no hurry. Qin Group was on the verge of bankruptcy. They were no threat now and Maria


    could shut them down easily.


    The next day, Maria went to the offices of HL Group. Before the visit, she had sent James a


    message saying she wanted to talk to him, so she was able to meet him in person. It had to be said


    that James didn''t believe she had anything important to say to him, but he still let her in.


    When she got to the floor where James'' office was, Maria took her sweet time there. She chatted


    with Summer a while and promised to go shopping with her someday soon. Then she walked to the


    CEO''s office and came right in.


    As usual, James had his nose buried in documents. Maria walked over and sat down opposite him.


    She propped her head up with a hand and asked, "Why don''t you wear the other suit I bought for


    you?"


    The man raised his eyes and looked her in the eye. "I''ve been saving it for a special asion."


    Noticing the irony in his words, Maria raised her eyes and stared at him with great interest. "Tell me,


    which special asion might that be? A banquet? Or an interview? Tell me when. I''ll wear the


    matching outfit that day."


    Speaking of banquet, James put down his pen and asked, "Are you interested in the charity auction


    YL Group is holding?"


    He heard that there would be two sets of valuable jewelry up for auction. He wanted to show how


    happy he was, and intended to buy them as gifts for her.


    "Of course I''m interested. But I''ve already got the invitation of the charity auction." How could she


    miss such a good opportunity? Hearing that, James gave her a cold look.


    Naturally he believed the invitation was from


    another man, either Norman or Colby. He asked in a cold tone, "You seem to be doing well for


    yourself. Why do you need me?"


    Maria stood up from her chair, walked around him, and leaned against his desk. "Mr. Xi, are you


    interested in acquiring Qin Group?"


    "Not really!" James lowered his head and


    continued to read the document in his hands.


    He knew what she wanted as soon as she walked in. Why did this woman think that he would


    spend so much effort to acquire a


    Maria took down Qin Group with his help. If James was interested in it, he would have acquired it


    long ago.


    True, he and Maria were made love. Twice. But the business was another story. He wouldn''t


    sacrifice the business for her sake.


    "All right! That''s too bad. I''ll ask Mr. Shen. I think Qin Group has a centennial fashion brand. That''s


    right up his alley."


    "Go ahead!"


    Maria cursed the man in her heart. She still hadn''t given up. She added, "I want to buy it myself, but


    I don''t have the cash. Besides, I don''t want to see Mr. Qin again. He''s a pervy old man. I''m the


    same age as his daughter, and he still wants to knock boots with me. Talk about robbing the cradle!"


    Ophelia bmimJ

 Chapter 109 Kind-hearted People

    Chapter 109 Kind-hearted People


    James nodded in agreement. "Then you should go see Norman Shen!"


    Since she hade to James for help, Maria didn''t want to go away empty-handed. "How about I


    lend you some money, or you lend me some money? Let''s take down Qin Group together. What do


    you say?"


    However, James remained unmoved by her suggestion.


    He was also trying his best not tough. She offered to lend him money? Why would he need to


    borrow money to acquire apany? He was James Xi. He wondered if Maria were pulling his leg.


    "Leave! Now!" James gave her an ultimatum.


    Maria was a little annoyed. Why did this guy have to be so difficult? She was just worried it might be


    too hard for her to acquire Qin Group alone. She wanted some help.


    Why would she even be here otherwise?


    He didn''t agree to her business nst time, and now he shot down her idea about acquiring a


    company together. "So we''re done here? I can''t get you to agree to anything."


    "Well, we''re not quite done." He was not that stingy.


    Hearing his words, Maria''s face softened.


    "What would you like at the charity auction? Make a bid and I''ll honor it. Anything," he said


    seriously. Maria rolled her eyes at him. She didn''t know that James thought of her like that. Did he


    believe she was his mistress? "I don''t want any jewelry! And I don''t want any antiques either!" Maria


    said, and stamped her foot.


    She had read the auction brochure ahead of time. There were several things there, including


    jewelry, porcin, famous paintings, and handcraft works. She was not interested in any of them.


    "What do you want, then? HL Group? Gee, I''ll get on that right away," he mocked.


    Maria red at him. "Why not? Aren''t you a man of your word?" If James did that, she''d take over in


    a heartbeat. Worst case scenario, HL Group would go bankrupt. What else would she be afraid of?


    James sighed helplessly. He wondered if this woman would remember the lessons he taught her. It


    had been just a few days, but she''d already forgotten how she begged him for mercy.


    Maria approached, bent down, and wrapped her arms around his neck. Acting like a spoiled child,


    she begged, "James Xi, if you agree to my suggestion, I will sleep with you again."


    The man sneered, "If you have time to waste on things like that, maybe you should work on your


    stamina."


    Maria opened her mouth but couldn''t utter a word.


    James was a hardcore jackass! "Nice. Maybe you want to kick a puppy next?" Maria let go of him


    and grabbed his hand tightly. She squeezed it tighter and tighter. "You''d better pray the tables never


    turn! Otherwise..." If that happened, she would definitely ask him to kneel and show her some


    respect.


    However, she was too scared to finish her threat. She bit back her words as she didn''t have guts to


    say them. "I''ll make your life a living hell!" She could say that. She let go of his hand.


    James nced at her indifferently and made ament. "You are so naive!"


    Maria was choked by anger. She hated his insults.


    She stood there, fuming, ring at him for a time. Maria couldn''t see any way to turn this around.


    James continued reading his documents, ignoring her gaze. Finally, her eyes fell on the gray mug


    on his desk. She took out the lipstick and applied ayer of it on her lips. Then she picked it up and


    drank a mouthful of water under the man''s threatening re.


    The lipstick on the grey mug was obvious. James'' eyes were full of disgust.


    That was his exclusive mug for water. Nobody else used it. He knew Maria was doing her best to


    sicken him.


    Maria put the mug back in its original spot, and held his hand, preventing him from throwing the


    mug in the trash. She looked into the man''s eyes. "Go ahead. Throw it away. I''ll go find Alina and


    mess with her so much you''ll have to hear herin all day long."


    After saying that, she snorted coldly and walked towards the door.


    When she reached the door, she opened it and raised her voice. "Lorenzo, Mr. Xi wants to see you!"


    An obedient Lorenzo appeared at the door. He nodded to Maria politely and entered the entered the


    CEO''s office. "Mr. Xi, you wanted to see me?"


    James looked as if he wanted to eat her alive. Maria gave Lorenzo an order. "His mug is dirty. Go


    wash it." Of course, Lorenzo wouldn''t listen to her. As a special assistant of the CEO, he had never


    done a thing like that before. It was below his pay grade. Maria didn''t care. This was deliberately


    calcted to mess with him. If he refused, it might indicate that he wasn''t willing to do anything for


    James. That meant less brownie points.


    Thinking of that, Lorenzo summoned up his courage and said, "Okay. I''ll ask¡ª"


    Maria chimed in quickly, "Who are you going to ask? You don''t normally wash your boss''s mug?


    What''s the matter with you?"


    Lorenzo wished he could sew Maria''s lips shut. He gritted his teeth and said, "Fine. I''ll go wash it


    right now.


    Watching Maria for a few minutes, James finally knew what she was trying to show him.


    So he didn''t stop her this time, because he also wanted to know whether Lorenzo was loyal to him,


    or if he secretly worked for Alina and Judy.


    Lorenzo picked up the mug and left. Maria snorted at James again and left the HL Group.


    As soon as she got in the car, she called Colby. "Hello, Mr. Zheng. It''s me, Maria. I just left HL


    Group."


    Colby knew that already.


    He had eyes of his own in HL Group.


    "I asked James. He doesn''t know much about Fosun Entertainment Group. After all, thepany


    has just risen in H City. He hasn''t taken the time to look into it yet." Maria leaned back in her seat


    and looked out of the window nkly.


    What Maria said was true. Fosun Entertainment Group was a little-known in the past. Colby, too,


    didn''t pay attention to thepany until recently.


    "I see. Maria, thanks for your hard work. You can bid on whatever you want at the charity auction.


    Don''t worry about the price. I''ve got you on this one." As soon as Colby came back from P City, he


    was off on another business trip. So he couldn''t attend YL Group''s charity auction.


    Maria''s expression didn''t change, but her tone was full of joy. "Thank you, my dearest Mr. Zheng. If


    you need anything else, just ask." She didn''t even care about the auction. She didn''t care what


    James or Colby offered her. But it was useful to her to make Colby think she was incredibly grateful.


    "One more thing: HM Group has a project that we''re having a problem with. We can''t seem to make


    the client happy. Go see Mr. Qi and I''ll ask him to hand over the work to you. I hope you can take


    over and sort things out."


    "Thank you so much, Mr. Zheng, but I know what I''m capable of. And I''m not sure I''m up to it. If you


    give me something important like that, I''m afraid that..." Maria sounded hesitant.


    "It doesn''t matter. Give it a shot. There''s no harm done if you fail." Colbyforted her, making her


    thest attempt to sort out the tough client.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    "All right! I''m not busy with anything right now. I''ll call Mr. Qi right now." In fact, Maria was extremely


    busy. When she went to see James just now, it was no exaggeration to say that she had made time


    in her busy schedule.


    "All right. Bye!" Colby hung up.


    YL Group''s charity auction was held in a hotel run by the group. The guests attending the auction


    were there fishing for fame and credit. Of course, there were also some people who were really


    kind-hearted and wanted to make some contribution to charity, people like James.


    HL Group had been taking on social responsibilities all year round. Each year, it invested hundreds


    of millions of dors in charity without expecting any return.


    Maria made her long wavy hair straight, applied ming red lipstick and donned a burgundy-red


    evening dress. She was iparably beautiful.


    The moment she showed up, her imposing manner and beauty suppressed everyone. Many people


    had been fawning all over Alina earlier, but they all fell silent after seeing Maria.


    This was exactly what Maria wanted. Alina was the most famous celebrity in H City and her


    poprity had hit a new high. After all, she was part of the Tang family ¡ªold money to be sure¡ª


    and she was going to be engaged to James soon.


    s.

 Chapter 110 Competition In The Auction

    Chapter 110 Competition In The Auction


    How did womenpete with each other? They were not like men who usually resorted to physical


    fights. Most of the time, they didn''t even need to argue. As long as a woman excelled in her beauty


    and charm, like having a wlessplexion, perfect figure, elegant aura, and confidence, she


    would definitely stand out. Outstanding women usually beat other women.


    Maria was the best example. On whatever asion she attended, she could easily steal the


    limelight from Alina or any other woman. She always became the center of everyone''s attention.


    And in tonight''s auction, Alina obviously lost against Maria again.


    Whether she admitted it or not, she felt miserable inside. James, who was sitting next to her right


    now, was her only chance to save her dignity. He was her only way to make everyone fawn on her.


    Although Maria showed up in a high-profile way, she kept a low profile when she was inside the


    auction hall. She didn''t even greet anyone. Completely ignoring James and Alina, she found her


    seat, sat quietly, and waited for the auction to begin.


    James and Alina were in the first row while Maria was in the third row. Dani was also present in


    the auction. She was in the third to thest row with ine sitting next to her.


    The two didn''t look good when they saw Maria. But since they were in a public ce, they didn''t do


    anything. They tacitly treated her as a stranger. A few seconds before the auction began, Ethan


    came in. He didn''t see Maria, so he walked up to James and sat next to him.


    Maria found the auction quite boring that she didn''t even raise her bidding paddle for the first few


    items. She was about to doze off when something appeared on the stage that attracted her


    attention at once. In an instant, she sobered up.


    The bid caller announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, the next treasure is a surprise from Mr. Jiang of


    YL Group. It is a valuable Paraiba tourmaline ne called ''Angel''s Tear.'' This ne is one of


    the collections of the royal family of T Country."


    The ne was called "Angel''s Tear" because its tourmaline pendant was teardrop-shaped. It


    was one of a kind. What made it different from ordinary nes was that the tourmaline gave off


    a mysterious color. There seemed to be a magic in it that could intensely attract everyone''s


    attention. Once youid your eyes on it, you couldn''t tear your gaze away from it.


    All the women present in the auction got so excited. But since they had to care about their image in


    public, they could only express their love and longing to possess the said ne through their


    eyes.


    "The starting bid for this treasure is five million dors," the bid caller announced.


    "What? Five million is the lowest price? I have to think twice then," one woman said sadly.


    Those women who were not that rich still hesitated. But those rich ones had already started to bid.


    "Six million dors!"


    "Seven million dors!"


    The price soared up so quickly. Before everyone could notice, the bidding price had already gone


    up ten times the starting bid when thest bidder shouted, "Fifty million dors!"


    That bidder was Alina.


    Almost all of the women there turned and looked at her with admiration. They all thought that she


    deserved the ne. After all, she was the most famous celebrity in H City, and she would soon


    be James'' fiancee.


    Alina enjoyed the crowd''s attention and admiration as a matter of course. Actually, she didn''t


    hesitate to ce a bid because she was confident that James would pay for it. In her mind, even if


    she made it one hundred million dors, it was just a drop in the bucket for him.


    The bid caller called fifty million dors twice, but no one ced a higher bid. It was not that they


    didn''t have enough money. They just didn''t dare topete with Alina. After all, she was sitting next


    to James, one of the most powerful men in H City.


    The bid caller was about to announce for the third time when a woman''s voice was head. "Sixty


    million!"


    The auction hall was in an uproar after the bid. Everyone was wondering who was bold enough to


    challenge Alina. To challenge James, to be exact.


    They all looked in the direction where the voice came from, and their mouths agape when they


    found out that it was Maria.


    People started discussing. The auction hall was filled with different voices.


    One woman voiced out, "Why has Mr. Xi allowed a murderer to sit here andpete with Alina?"


    "How do you know that she''s a murderer?" her husband retorted in confusion. Another woman


    sitting next to them chimed in, "You''ve just moved to H City, so you don''t know yet. Maria Song, that


    woman who bid sixty million dors, killed her own son. It was in all newspapers several years ago."


    The man was taken aback. He couldn''t imagine such a gorgeous woman to be so vicious. ''What a


    pity!'' he thought and heaved a sigh.


    Alina didn''t need to look back to see who had challenged her bid. Maria''s voice was so familiar to


    her, and she hated it to the core.


    Instead, she nced at James beside her. He was resting his arm at the back of the chair andzily


    supporting his forehead. He didn''t have any reaction at all, so she raised her bidding paddle again


    and yelled through clenched teeth, "Eighty million dors!"


    "One hundred million dors!" Maria offered immediately. She had definitely attracted everyone''s


    attention this time.


    Dani was silently cursing Maria for her craziness. But she was also anticipating to see Maria in a


    messter. After all, she believed that Maria could never afford a ne worth one hundred


    million dors.


    The woman next to Maria didn''t know her but knew Alina. So she couldn''t help reminding Maria in a


    low voice, "Ma''am, the man sitting next to Ms. Tang is Mr. Xi. Do you think you can win against


    him?"


    Maria smiled and shook her head but said nothing.


    Of course, she knew that she couldn''t win against James in terms of wealth, but she could with


    Alina. And that was actually her purpose. She took out her phone from the purse and sent a


    message on WeChat. "It''s all right that you refused to invest in my business. But if you dare to go


    against me today, believe it or not, I can cause you big trouble." James'' phone had been in his hand


    all the time, so when it vibrated, he opened it and read the new message.


    Alina had all her attention on Maria and didn''t notice that he was reading something on his phone.


    Ethan was having so much fun witnessing Alina and Maria battling against a ne. He


    whispered to James, "Who will you support, your current girlfriend, or your ex-wife?"


    James didn''t reply to Maria''s message. He answered Ethan, "They are both the same." What he


    meant was, whoever he chose to support, he would still be the one to pay for their bids.


    Ethan was amazed by his answer. "Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Are you not afraid that Maria will scratch your


    face?"


    James just gave him a cold nce. He then said crossly, "She won''t be that bold."


    The bidding for the ne continued between Alina and Maria. This time, Alina ced a bid of


    one hundred twenty million dors.


    "One hundred fifty million dors!" Maria said calmly. She wasn''t worried at all because she knew


    that James had always kept his promise.


    Everyone waited for Alina to speak up again. After a moment of silence, they all assumed that she


    had already given up.


    It had been final. Maria got the Paraiba tourmaline ne for one hundred fifty million dors. In


    an instant, she became the center of everyone''s attention in the auction hall.


    Alina pretended to look calm on the surface. And to hide her embarrassment, she turned to the


    socialite diva beside her. "The ne is beautiful, but I''m not that stupid. It doesn''t worth one


    hundred fifty million dors at all. Let her take it away."


    The socialite diva was rendered speechless. Looking at Alina''s pale face, she exactly knew what


    was going on.


    It was James who stopped Alina continue bidding by telling her that there would be a more beautiful


    bracelet to be auctionedter. Alina understood that he just didn''t want her to go on fighting with


    Maria this way.


    Although she didn''t know why he had to do it, she had no other choice but to listen to him


    obediently.


    After signing the deed of sale for the ne, Maria''s mood lightened up. Finally, after begging


    James for so many things, he had done one thing that made her feel really happy.


    Alina patiently waited for the bracelet that James mentioned to her. It was a tanzanite bracelet that


    she liked so much. But much to her disappointment, it was Maria who got it again.


    She looked at James, pouted, and said sadly, "James, I want that bracelet."


    She wondered if he had seen that Maria was robbing her on purpose. What she wanted from him


    was his support.


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    "That''s easy," James replied with a nod.


    Alina was overjoyed at once. However, she still asked, "But how?"


    "I''ll give you one hundred million dorster. Ask her to sell it to you." Maria got the tanzanite


    bracelet for fifty million dors. James was asking her to pay it double.


    Alina''s heart sank again. If she was to ask Maria in person, she knew that Maria would definitely


    refuse. Biting her lower lip, she asked him tentatively, "Can you buy it for me? Maria may not be


    willing to sell it to me. You know, we have some small conflicts."


    James didn''t object. "I''ll ask Lorenzo to make an appointment with Mariater. I''ll talk to her alone."


    This time, Alina was stunned. James wanted to talk to Maria alone. How could she allow it to


    happen?


    In the end, she was in a dilemma.


    She only had two options now. It was either she chose James, or she showed off in front of Maria.


    &


    Ophelia Q

 Chapter 111 Way Too Stingy

    Chapter 111 Way Too Stingy


    Alina thought for a while before she came up with a decision. Even if she didn''t allow James to talk


    to Maria alone tonight, they could still get a chance to meet somewhere. After all, they were both in


    H City, and they hadmon acquaintances. It was something that she had no power to forbid to


    happen. Perhaps if she asked James to go to Maria and take the bracelet back in person, it would


    do good for her because Maria might be pissed off this way.


    So she lowered her head and said in a soft tone, "All right. Thank you so much, James."


    James froze for a second upon hearing her answer. He then gave her a faint smile that didn''t reach


    his eyes.


    The next items that were auctioned were famous calligraphies and paintings. This time, Maria just


    watched quietly.


    While Alina, on the other hand, seemed to show her love for art. She got two calligraphies and two


    paintings that were all paid for by James.


    As time went by, James began to feel bored. His patience was running out, and he couldn''t wait for


    the auction to end any longer. He looked at his watch and was about to stand up to leave when the


    lights in the auction hall suddenly went out.


    Then on the stage, a hollowed-out revolving vase from the Qing Dynasty was revealed. The bidding


    price soared up to five hundred million dors at once. And it was still going up. Since all the lights


    were still out, the audience burst into an uproar. Everyone became vignt. The assistant of YL


    Group''s CEO alerted the security guards at once. They all groped in the darkness and rushed to the


    stage to protect the vase.


    Someone from the audience took out his mobile phone and turned on the shlight. Then a loud


    bang was heard at the center of the stage.


    It was followed by the sound of porcin being shattered into pieces.


    Everyone knew that something was happening to the item on the stage.


    The rest of the crowd also turned on the shlight of their phones and aimed towards the stage. It


    was only then that they found out that a brawl was already happening up there. Chaos filled the


    entire auction hall of a sudden. Almost all of the men were wearing ck suits, so it was difficult to


    identify who were the enemies and who were not.


    Women had lost their poise, screaming in fright and running around. But before any of them could


    reach the exit, the lights suddenly went on.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Such an unforeseen urrence baffled everyone. Someone from the crowd who recovered from


    the shock shouted, "Who could have done this? How could everything be destroyed?"


    The crowd subconsciously turned their heads towards the stage. It was only then that they noticed


    how messy it was. The ss showcase and the hollowed-out revolving vase at the center were all


    smashed into pieces.


    Jonathan Jiang, the CEO of YL Group, calmly ordered his men to clean up the mess while telling


    his assistant to seal off the area.


    He then picked up the microphone and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I''m terribly sorry for what


    happened just now. This vase is actually my private collection. Sadly, it''s broken now. But of course,


    this won''t stop us from pursuing our purpose. The bid for this vase of mine has reached five


    hundred million dors, and I will pay for it. The proceeds of this auction will go to the poverty-


    stricken mountain areas under the name of YL Group. I want to thank everyone for supporting us in


    this event."


    Loud apuse broke out in the auction hall. And everyone said enormous words ofpliments.


    People couldn''t help admiring Jonathan''s kindness. He had lost an antique vase, yet he would still


    donate five hundred million dors to the poor. With such a good deed, he uplifted his own


    reputation and hispany as well.


    When James turned around, he saw that Maria was still in her seat. She was looking at the stage


    with a sarcastic smile on her face.


    Perhaps she felt that he was looking at her. She immediately stopped smiling and red at him


    expressionlessly.


    James rubbed his nose and withdrew his gaze. He then sat up straight, feeling strange. He couldn''t


    understand why, but he had a hunch that what happened just now had something to do with Maria.


    The vase was broken into pieces. The intruder really smashed it hard with something, and the


    shattered pieces mixed with the scattered ss showcase. It was impossible to repair it at all.


    After Jonathan''s people finished cleaning up the mess, the auction continued. He walked down the


    stage in a gentlemanly manner.


    What the audience didn''t see was that the moment he stepped down the stage, he felt weak all over


    and almost fainted. If his assistant and bodyguards weren''t quick to support him, he would have


    fallen to the floor.


    Trying to put up with the dizziness he felt, he asked, "How''s the investigation going?"


    "The police are still looking into it. The wires connected to the surveince system were cut off two


    minutes in advance, and the staff in the control room were nowhere to be found. The police believed


    that the crime was premeditated."


    Jonathan was taken aback. He was lost in thought. Who could have done this to him? He hadn''t


    offended anyone recently.


    No matter how much he racked his brains, he couldn''te up with a possible suspect. Whoever


    did it must have hated him so much. If not, he wouldn''t suffer a loss of hundreds of millions of


    dors.


    The auction was still going on, but Maria stood up and walked to the bathroom through the back


    door.


    Inside the toilet cubicle, she casually leaned against the wall, took out her phone, and sent a few


    messages. She then pretended to flush the toilet.


    When she came out, she saw Dani. From the looks of it, Dani was waiting for her.


    Maria threw the tissue into the trash can and asked with a smile, "Ms. Song, I didn''t know that


    you''re also here. Did you get anything from the auction?"


    Dani''s rage red up the moment she saw Mariae out. She snapped, "Maria, why do you


    have so much money? Tell me the truth, are you involved in illegal activities?"


    "Oh, that? Well, I have so many men. Isn''t it possible that each of them gives me one billion dors?


    Ms. Song, it''s such a pity that you''ve gotten yourself a stingy boyfriend. He doesn''t even want to buy


    you a coat worth only two million dors. I will never date such kind of a man even if he pays me.


    Do you want me to introduce you to someone else?" Maria took out a cigarette from her handbag, lit


    it, and took a drag.


    Dani''s eyes widened in surprise. She was in a daze. "You even smoke?"


    "Yep! Want one? Here, I can give you."


    "No way! I don''t smoke, okay? Maria, just tell me. Where is your moneying from? You seem to


    have so much of it." Dani was so persistent to know the answer. She was so jealous that she


    inadvertently showed her usual tart and mean demeanor.


    Maria didn''t want to waste her time on Dani anymore. What if she had be rich? What did it


    have to do with Dani? She took another two quick puffs at her cigarette and stubbed it out on the


    trash can. She then walked away in her high heels without even sparing Dani a nce.


    "Maria Song! You..." Before Dani could say the word "bitch," two men walked towards them, so


    she had to shut her mouth.


    Dani reached out her hand and grasped the back of Maria''s dress. Maria didn''t notice it, so when


    she took a step forward again, a crisp sound of a fabric being torn resounded through the hall.


    Everyone was stunned to see that Maria''s dress was ripped up.


    Her dress was not poor-quality. But its style was designed beautifully that both ends were just


    connected with a thin piece of silk. It could easily be pulled apart. But who would dare to tear up


    such a stunning dress, anyway?


    Ethan was about to walk towards Maria to greet her when James suddenly covered his eyes. "Hey,


    James, what are you doing?" he snapped, trying to pull James'' hand away. He didn''t hear the


    ripping sound, so he was not aware of what was happening.


    "Close your eyes!" James hurriedly ordered.


    "What is going on?"


    "Ask me again, and I won''t pay for those things you bid. " James'' warning made Ethan shut up and


    cover his eyes obediently with his own hands.


    Maria looked at her skin that was already exposed. A hint of rage shed across her eyes as she


    asked coldly, "Dani Song, are you out of your mind?"


    Upon realizing that she had gotten herself into big trouble, Dani hastily let go of Maria''s dress.


    When a passerby not far away came over, Maria leaned against the wall and wrapped her hands


    over her waist, trying to prevent exposing too much of her skin.


    Dani was scared out of her wits that James would get even with her for what she did to Maria. So


    she held the hemline of her dress and sneaked away.


    The passerby didn''t notice what was happening in the corner and just went straight to the men''s


    room.


    The only men left standing in front of Maria were James and Ethan. She looked at James with eyes


    wide open, silently asking for help.


    With a faint smile, James arrogantly said, "Beg me!"


    "What? James, what do you mean?" Ethan asked in confusion. He thought that James was talking


    to him, so he put down his hands that were covering his eyes and looked at James.


    Much to his surprise, James quickly covered his eyes again and said crossly, "Don''t open your eyes


    unless I tell you."


    -------------------------

 Chapter 112 The Bracelet

    Chapter 112 The Bracelet


    "Huh? Okay!" Ethan raised his hands to cover his eyes again. If he didn''t do that, James would not


    pay for the antique he made a bid. He had to listen to James.


    "Turn around!" James gave him another order.


    "Sure!" Ethan turned around obediently, showing his back to Maria.


    Maria red at thecent man. The jerk was taking advantage of her!


    If he thought he could control her like this, he was totally wrong. Maria didn''t beg him like James


    was hoping.


    She hugged the ripped dress closer to herself to keep it from falling off. She took a step forward,


    head held high.


    She always wore a bikini when vacationing on the beach. This was a piece of cake.


    Noticing the defiant look in the woman''s eyes, James couldn''t help getting angry. His face darkened.


    ''Damn you, Maria Song! Why do you have to y the tough girl all the time?''


    But she wasn''t going to give in. Maria stared at him in a challenging manner and walked towards


    him, graceful and totally confident. Although her dress was torn, she walked as if she wore royal


    robe.


    When she was three meters away from him, they heard footsteps not far away from them.


    He took off his suit jacket as fast as he could, strode forward, and draped it over her shoulders to


    cover her.


    Maria chuckled. Grabbing the hemline of his jacket, she said, "Mr. Xi, if you want me to wear your


    jacket, beg me! " She looked as if she would shrug it off at any minute.


    The man cast her a cold nce and whispered in her ear, "Behave, unless you want me to report


    you!"


    His threat threw her off for a second. A guilty look shed through Maria''s eyes, but she pretended


    to be confused. "Report me for what?"


    ''James Xi, you son of a bitch! Why do you seem to know everything?'' Maria said inwardly.


    James didn''t want to continue ying along. As everyone watched curiously, he walked away from


    her and went to the men''s room. He didn''t forget to grab Ethan.


    When Ethan opened his eyes and saw the suit jacket around Maria''s shoulders, he figured out what


    was going on.


    Watching the two figures leave, Maria sneered at their backs.


    He could easily afford to buy the bracelet from Maria, so James had no reason to refuse Alina''s


    request.


    He had once taken back the evidence of Alina''s criminal activity from Maria. This time, he would


    also buy the bracelet from Maria.


    Aftering out of the bathroom, James left the venue.


    Knowing that he was leaving instead of staying to the end, Alina left as well, waiting for him at the


    entrance.


    When she saw hime out with Ethan, she walked up to him with a smile. "James, can we go


    now?" But she was confused when she took a better look. ''Where''s his suit jacket?''


    Ignoring her quizzical look, he asked her again, "You sure you want that bracelet?"


    Alina was taken aback and forced a smile. "Of course. I like it a lot."


    "Okay." James didn''t say anything else. He turned to Ethan and said, "You should go first."


    "What?" Ethan was flummoxed. He didn''t drive here. He wondered where James was off to. James


    didn''t want to take him along, but why?


    The CEO paused for a moment, then turned his gaze toward the entrance. He saw the woman


    wearing his suit jacket emerge.


    He called out to her. "Maria!"


    Hearing his voice, Maria, who was doing all she could to hold her dress up, looked in his direction.


    Gritting her teeth, Alina looked at her, wondering why James had lent Maria his suit jacket. Had they


    met without her knowing?


    "Get in the car!" James said. He wasn''t talking to Alina at that point.


    Alina was a little embarrassed. She didn''t know what he was doing, so she turned to James and


    asked, "James, are we giving Maria a ride home?"


    After settling himself in the back seat, James addressed Lorenzo instead of answering her.


    "Lorenzo, call another driver and tell him to get Alina home."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi." Lorenzo took out his phone and began dialing a number. Alina waspletely baffled


    now. What was James doing, anyway? James asked someone else to get her home in front of


    everyone. Worse, he invited his ex-wife to ride in the same car.


    Even Maria was confused. She walked to the Harkim, nced at James and Alina, and finally fixed


    her gaze on Ethan, questions in her lovely eyes.


    Ethan shrugged and threw up his hands, indicating he had no clue what was going on.


    Alina was right next to them. Maria couldn''t care too much. As long as there would be an


    opportunity to piss her off, Maria wouldn''t hesitate to do it.


    She lifted her foot and stepped on the running board of the ck Harkim. Then she reached out her


    hand and said, "I''m wearing high heels."


    Obviously, she wanted him to take her hand and help her in.


    "James!" Alinained in her best pouty voice.


    But the man ignored her. After giving Maria a cold re, he reached out his hand and pulled the


    woman in high heels into the car.


    Maria pulled the car door closed after she was settled in, which blocked Alina from seeing any


    more.


    Then the car drove away.


    Alina waspletely dumbfounded by this development. Wasn''t she his girlfriend?


    She wondered what she did wrong. James seemed pretty taken with Maria. Had she driven him into


    Maria''s arms?


    Before long, another car showed up to pick up Ethan and Alina. Before getting in, he gave Alina a


    compliment. "You are so generous!" She didn''t know whether Ethan was being sarcastic or not.


    How could any woman watch the man she loved leave with another woman? ''If Maria were in


    Alina''s shoes, she would have stabbed the Harkim''s tires with her dagger,'' Ethan thought to himself.


    Alina was angry beyond words. After a while, she couldn''t help but retort, "James did this to help me


    get the bracelet back from her!"


    However, Ethan had closed the door of the car, and he didn''t hear her weak retort. Not like he


    cared.


    James had demonstrated quite clearly that Alina had to pay for what she wanted. ''Alina Tang, you


    brought this on yourself,''


    Ethan said to himself.


    In the Harkim, Maria opened her handbag and fumbled for a cigarette.


    She took one of them and lit it. Exhaling a mouthful of smoke, she asked, "Let''s hear it. What''s


    going on, Mr. Xi?"


    He left Alina behind and gave her a ride instead. She was not so naive as to think that James was


    dumping Alina and choosing her.


    Most likely, he did it for Alina.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    She guessed right. James didn''t beat around the bush. "The tanzanite bracelet."


    Maria smiled mysteriously and flicked the ash into his ashtray. "Mr. Xi, you''re a sly fox. You pay for


    my bid in public and ask for it back in private."


    James didn''t say anything, but frowned slightly when he smelled the smoke. The only ones he let


    smoke in his car were him and Lawrence. Maria was the lone exception.


    "No way." The woman wasn''t going to mince words with him, either.


    She asked him to invest in her business but he turned her down. She asked him to help acquire Qin


    Group and he refused again. Why should she give him anything? Even if he did pay for it, it was


    hers.


    "I''ll grant you two promises," James offered. "Tell me what you want."


    There was a moment of silence in the car. The woman stubbed out the cigarette and rolled down


    the window. When the smoke had almost dissipated, she rolled it up again.


    Maria leaned toward him and embraced him. James frowned, but she just giggled. "Be careful what


    you tell me. I might ask more than you can give."


    James felt helpless. Maria''s tone was whimsical, but her words were as menacing as if she''d


    threatened his life.


    Ophelia

 Chapter 113 No Business

    Chapter 113 No Business


    Nestling in James'' chest, Maria yed with his tie for a while, running her fingers along its length.


    Then she said softly, in a coaxing tone, "I started apany."


    James stuck to his guns. "No business, please."


    He never mixed business with private affairs. He could give her anything, as long as it had nothing


    to do with business.


    Maria didn''t seem to hear him. She continued, "Would you like to acquire Qin Group with me or


    invest in mypany? That''s what I want."


    It was the unstoppable force against the immovable object. Neither of them would give in. She


    wanted his investment money.


    "I''ll let you move into Fairview Vi," the man said, hoping that would prompt her to be more


    reasonable.


    Maria''s hand paused in mid-stroke. She said, "I don''t need your charity." He couldn''t figure out how


    she felt about that. She would definitely take Fairview Vi away from him, but it shouldn''t be his


    choice. He shouldn''t be using it as a bargaining chip, particrly where another woman was


    involved.


    "Don''t try my patience!" James never talked a woman into anything before, and he figured he


    shouldn''t have to.


    But Maria had been testing his boundaries this whole time. She moved onto hisp, not caring


    about the driver up front. She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear,


    "James..." She stroked his neck gently. "If you give me what I''m asking for, you not only get the


    tanzanite bracelet, but me, too!"


    James closed his eyes. She couldn''t tell what he was thinking. But the next second, he grabbed her


    hand and guided it away from his tie. "Get off me!"


    "No way!" She broke free from his grip and pulled him closer, their foreheads touching. "Give me


    what I want and I promise I won''t bother you so much. What do you say?"


    Her suggestion was the way too tempting for James, as he found himself losing ground more and


    more when he was around her.


    He opened his sharp eyes and stared at her. Maria knew he was thinking seriously about her


    suggestion.


    So there was a chance. She smiled more brightly and said in a flirty voice, "Of course, I''m just a


    phone call away. I mean, I have to keep my word and not bug you, right?


    And it''s all for you..."


    Maria coaxed him in a soft voice and yed at being cute. The man''s hard, cold face softened in


    spite of himself.


    "James..." She grabbed his hands and put them on her body. If that didn''t work, Maria was ready to


    give up. The man was unppable. He was so horrible! He could resist everything she threw at him.


    When his hands touched her slender waist, James yanked them away and uttered, "I''ll invest."


    "Great! This is your reward! Muah!" Maria kissed him happily.


    James'' breath mingled with hers.


    Lorenzo sat behind the wheel, alternating between embarrassment and boredom. James finally let


    go of Maria, and said, "Fifty percent of the shares. I won''t interfere with anything else." His voice


    was thick with lust.


    Fifty percent? He was such a jerk! She''d have to create smaller shares to sell. Maria tried to regain


    herposure. She said, gasping, "I''ll manage thepany. Twenty percent for you, fifty percent


    for me, and thirty percent for other shareholders."


    "No deal." His cold thin lips fell on her left corbone.


    "Thirty percent." Maria tried to lean away from him.


    His silence showed he was unwilling topromise.


    "Thirty-five." Maria offered a new number. She felt she couldn''t go any higher.


    James kept his silence.


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    "James!" She was about to blow up.


    "It depends on your performance," he finally said.


    Maria didn''t get it. What did he mean by depending on her performance? What kind of


    performance?


    Atst, the ck Harkim rolled to a stop at the entrance of Maria''s hotel. The man had to carry her


    out of the car. Her legs were like jelly.


    After he got out, he put her on the ground. The woman couldn''t even stand up. She was ovee


    with pleasure.


    The man ordered calmly, "Stand up."


    Maria wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him, "Let''s go in."


    James looked down at her. He made a nomittal noise, and took her arm.


    Maria stood up and walked into the hotel arm in arm with James.


    After they went inside, Lorenzo waited for James toe out. After half an hour, he was still


    waiting. He figured what was going on in Maria''s suite, so he started the car and took off.


    Lorenzo''s guess was urate.


    Since Maria had worked so hard to reach her dreams, she wouldn''t let James off the hook so easily.


    The moment they got into her suite, she threw herself into his arms and kissed him.


    While sitting in the car, she had teased James almost to the point of release. Now that they were


    alone, both of them took what they needed from each other.


    At half past six the next morning, the sun rose, bathing the world in a pale light. Summer rang


    Maria''s doorbell, two bodyguards nking her. James opened the door. He just had taken a shower


    and was wrapped in a bath towel. Summer nodded in greeting. "Good morning, Mr. Xi."


    Instead of stepping aside to let them in, he reached out his hand to the bodyguards behind her.


    "Give them to me."


    Summer was startled a second and then got what he meant. She quickly took the clothes from the


    bodyguards and handed them to James. "Here are your clothes, Mr. Xi."


    "Thank you!" He shut the door after saying that. He didn''t open the door very far anyway. And


    Summer had no chance to see how Maria was doing.


    Summer decided not to wait round. She walked into the elevator and pressed the button to go


    downstairs. She would wait for James in his car.


    ''Maria''s been here less than three months. And she got him in bed that quickly? She moves fast!


    Good job!'' She was overjoyed.


    Standing in the middle of the room, James looked at the mess on the floor and frowned. There was


    no cloakroom in Maria''s suite, just a closet and dresser. ncing at the sleeping woman, he


    wondered how she could stand to stay here this long.


    He threw the bath towel aside and could only change his clothes while standing in the room.


    Maria had been half-asleep and half-awake all the time. She knew that Summer had been here and


    that James was changing clothes next to her bed.


    Noticing she was awake, James talked to her before he left. "I never changed the passcode to


    Fairview Vi. If you want it, it''s yours."


    It was much better than staying in a dinky hotel room like this. No wonder she spent a lot of time in


    his office or the coffee shop.


    He couldn''t understand why a person who could afford a coffee shop in the central business district


    didn''t even have a house in the city. It was okay if she chose to stay in a hotel, but why this one? It


    seemed so cheap and shabby.


    That was what prompted him to offer her Fairview Vi.


    Maria didn''t reply. She smiled with her eyes closed and turned away from him listlessly.


    She wasn''t that much of a pushover, regardless of what he thought.


    The thin quilt slipped from her body, and James saw her snow-white back. His breath caught in his


    throat, and he fought down his desire. When he regained control, he walked out of the room.


    After James got in the car, Summer started the engine and drove towards HL Group. She gave him


    a status report on the way there.


    The car rolled to a stop at the entrance. James took something from his pocket and handed it to


    Summer. "Give this to Alina when you are free."


    Summer took the bracelet from him. "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    Initially, she was going to give it to another secretary. She had precious little time, and had at least a


    couple meetings to attend. But after thinking it over, she decided to take it to her personally.


    Alina was thinking about calling James about the bracelet. To her surprise, Summer came to her


    office.


    s.

 Chapter 114 Wishful Thinking

    Chapter 114 Wishful Thinking


    Alina was in high spirits upon thinking that she was about to get the bracelet that James had


    personally taken back from Maria.


    She was working in her office when Summer arrived. As soon as she saw Summer, she said in a


    lukewarm manner, "Thank you for sending the bracelet here in person. Where is it?"


    ''This woman is blind. It seems that she doesn''t see the real situation. I will soon be James''


    wife, but she still keeps on helping Maria,'' she thought with disdain.


    With a faint smile, Summer took out the bracelet from her pocket and put it on Alina''s desk. She


    then said casually, "Mr. Xi gave me this bracelet this morning as soon as he came out of the hotel.


    Ms. Tang, Mr. Xi really cares for you."


    Summer deliberately mentioned that James had just gotten out of the hotel this morning to sicken


    Alina.


    ''He got out of the hotel this morning?'' Alina reechoed in her mind. She instantly got what Summer


    was trying to say. Giving Summer a questioning gaze, she asked, "You mean the hotel where Maria


    is staying?"


    "Yes, Ms. Tang. Oh, don''t you know about it? Mr. Xi stayed in the hotelst night. He just asked me


    to send his clothes there this morning, then he gave the bracelet to me."


    Unfriendliness shed across Alina''s eyes as she stared at Summer. But still, she tried to justify


    what James did. "James went there to get the bracelet for me. Maybe he had no other choice but to


    stay there overnight."


    Summer nodded as if she understood what Alina meant. Then she asked, "Ms. Tang, do you really


    think that Mr. Xi had no other choice?"


    "What do you mean?" Alina couldn''t conceal the fury in her voice anymore.


    Summer knew that she was just James'' assistant and she shouldn''t talk back to Alina. But every


    time she remembered how Alina had hit on James behind Maria''s back when they were still a


    couple, she couldn''t restrain herself. "Nothing special. This is only my opinion. I''m not sure if I''m


    only imagining things, but it seems that Mr. Xi doesn''t really want to go against Maria."


    Alina wouldn''t tolerate anyone''s provocation, let alone Summer, who was just a mere assistant in


    her eyes. "Does James know how you talk to me?"


    "For me, Mr. Xi is a godlike man, who has led the huge HL Group to its glory. There is no way he is


    unable to deal with a woman. To put it bluntly, he probably doesn''t have the heart to go against


    Maria."


    Summer knew that James had also targeted Maria before, but she deliberately didn''t mention it. To


    piss Alina off, she focused more on emphasizing the rtionship between James and Maria.


    Bang! A loud thud echoed in the office when Alina pounded her desk. Totally losing interest in the


    bracelet because of Summer''s words, she stood up and threatened Summer, "Don''t you want to


    work in HL Group anymore?" As soon as she became James'' wife, she would definitely ask him to


    fire Summer.


    "Of course, I do. Ms. Tang, please don''t take my words to heart. Well, if there''s nothing else, I''ll


    leave now." Summer then turned around and left Alina''s office. She had achieved her goal of ruining


    Alina''s mood, so she had to stop. Alina was still James'' girlfriend. She couldn''t go overboard.


    As she walked out of the beauty salon, she couldn''t help heaving a sigh. She just didn''t like Alina at


    all because her loyalty was in Maria.


    ''Maria, please try harder. My future is in your hands,'' she prayed inwardly.


    Actually, James was in a dilemma. Right now, he had two special assistants, and he relied on both


    of them so much. However, one of them was on Alina''s side while the other was on Maria''s.


    They all knew that once the battle for the crown as Mrs. Xi came to an end, one of them definitely


    had to leave HL Group.


    After all, Maria couldn''t tolerate Lorenzo while Alina couldn''t tolerate Summer.


    That day, Maria didn''t leave her hotel room. She slept the whole day and only got up at dusk.


    She leaned against the headboard, flipped her messy long hair, and looked at the empty jewelry


    box on the nightstand with a smile.


    She didn''t regret that she exchanged the bracelet for a night with James.


    Did she suffer any loss? Not at all. It was even more worthwhile.


    She got out of bed and cleaned up the mess on the floor. After taking a shower and tidying herself


    up, she went to Miracle Cafe.


    When Maria arrived, she saw James entered the coffee shop with a man that she didn''t know. Their


    eyes met. She looked at him with interest, but James just nced at her like she was a stranger.


    With a smile, she shrugged and followed them in.


    After ordering, James told the waitress, "Tell your boss to personally make our coffee."


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    He was not satisfied with the coffee that the baristas made for him. For him, their skills needed to be


    polished. He only preferred the coffee that Maria made herself.


    Since the waitress was already familiar with James, she nodded. "Okay, Mr. Xi. One moment


    please."


    Maria was working on herptop when the waitress approached her. Upon hearing James'' request,


    she snorted coldly, stood up, and walked towards the sink. "I''ll let it pass this time. But the next time


    he asks this kind of favor, don''t forget to ask him for a tip. Tell him it''s my extra charge for my


    special service to him."


    The waitress was a little stunned. "Tip? But Maria, how much should I ask from him?"


    As far as she could remember, they had a rule in this coffee shop that they were not allowed to


    receive tips from customers. But this time, Maria was telling her to ask for it.


    Maria washed her hands and wiped them with a paper towel. She looked in the direction of James


    and said, "He''s a super-rich man. It''s not too much to ask him for ten or one hundred thousand


    dors."


    The waitress gaped at Maria. ''Wow! Maria, you''re awesome!'' she thought inwardly.


    After making two cups of coffee for James and hispanion, Maria personally served them to


    their table. While she was walking towards them, the man sitting opposite James stood up and went


    to the men''s room. She put the tray in front of him and said, "Mr. Xi, don''t forget the tip."


    James looked up at her, and the first thing he saw was the hickeys on her neck. His Adam''s apple


    bobbed. He picked up the cup of coffee, took a sip, and said in a soft voice, "I''ll invest two hundred


    million dors in yourpany. How much profit do you n to bring me in a year?"


    Maria smiled. "If you will let me use the name of HL Bank in my business, a return of millions of


    dors a year won''t be a problem."


    James was rendered speechless. Indeed, Maria had wishful thinking. Aside from HL Group,


    associating HL Bank to the name of anypany could definitely result in a steady profit even for


    startups.


    He thought for a while. Then he said, "I''m leaving for a business trip tomorrow. Let''s talk about the


    details when Ie back."


    "Where are you going?" Maria blurted out.


    James looked at her with a hint of warning in his eyes. "Why? Are you nning to use me again?"


    Maria put on a dry smile. "How can it be possible? I''m just asking, okay? But anyway, never mind."


    With a snort, she then turned around and left.


    As a matter of fact, she wasn''t really interested to know where he was going.


    Watching her walk away proudly, James couldn''t help smiling. There was a trace of amusement in


    his eyes.


    ''You are just a woman, but why are you so arrogant and proud all the time?'' he thought, shaking his


    head.


    A few dayster, Maria finally got the news that Lawrence would return to H City from his mission in


    S County. He had dealt with a major case and made great contributions in aplishing it. So now,


    he could take a vacation for some time.


    In his office, Lawrence handed over some unimportant tasks to his subordinates before calling


    Ethan and Maria for a drink.


    When Maria arrived at the bar, she found Lawrence sitting at the bar counter, surrounded by several


    women. Despite his standoffish aura, he still had a ma for women. They couldn''t stop


    themselves from approaching him.


    It was not surprising at all. With his handsome face, tall height, and sturdy, muscr physique, he


    looked stunning even in a simple T-shirt and jeans. It was as if he always had a card with him


    that said, "I''m not only rich, but I am also handsome and strong."


    But when she noticed how insensitive he was to women''s seduction like winks and flirty words,


    Maria shook her head helplessly.


    Her high heels click-cked when she walked over to them. Putting her right hand on his shoulder,


    she then said in a coquettish tone, "Honey, you''vee so early.


    Ophelia

 Chapter 115 Cooperation

    Chapter 115 Cooperation


    As he heard her voice and felt her touch, Lawrence shivered. He looked at Maria as if wondering


    whether she was in her right mind. But Lawrence wasn''t stupid. He quickly understood what she


    was up to. Smiling back at her, he pulled the stool beside him. "I''ve been waiting for you for half an


    hour. Come and sit down!"


    The women surrounding Lawrence thought Maria was his date, so they walked away to find another


    target.


    Once everything quieted down, Maria moved away from Lawrence and said, "It''s not easy for you to


    get time off. Why aren''t you on an actual date with a girl? Why did you ask me out for a drink?" As


    much as Maria thought he needed a girlfriend, he had his reasons not to date.


    Lawrence signaled to a bartender and let Maria order a cocktail before answering, "I''m not


    interested in women." If he had time to waste on that, he would rather spend it catching more


    criminals.


    Maria shook her head helplessly. "What are you talking about? Am I not a woman?" she asked,


    pretending to be angry.


    "Yes, you are, but..." Lawrence was still searching for the right words to say as he gave her a look


    that said "you know what I mean."


    Maria rolled her eyes at him and patted on his hand to stop him from trying. "I get it. Now,e on,


    dude! Let''s change the subject!" She had long known how Lawrence regarded her. If he had ever


    seen her as a datable woman, he wouldn''t have asked her out to drink in the first ce.


    Lawrence chuckled before he asked, "How''s everything going between you and James?"


    "Can we change the subject again?" Maria wasn''t really in the mood to discuss James with him.


    "I guess things aren''t going well then. Since I have time now, tell me, what can I do for you?" He


    recalled that Maria asked him for help the other morning.


    Maria didn''t refrain from asking, "I do need your help, but it will cost you. Mr. Lu, how much are you


    willing to sacrifice your reputation for my n?"


    Lawrence was a single man with a good reputation. If he were caught associated with a divorced


    woman, pretty soon, the town would be spreading rumors about them, which might have a negative


    impact on his overall image.


    At this time, the bartender put a ss of Bloody Mary in front of Maria. "Excuse, ma''am. Here''s your


    cocktail."


    "Thank you!"


    After they clinked sses and took sips of their own drinks, Lawrence put down his ss and


    looked at Maria. "Tell me your n."


    "Are you looking for a wife?"


    "Not yet." He might need a wife in the future, but definitely not right now.


    Maria scratched her head. "Would you at least consider having one now?"


    Lawrenceughed lightly. Her intentions became obvious. "So, you want me to marry you?"


    "Exactly!" Maria was sure Lawrence would agree to her n. He was a smart man. He had made


    friends with her and be close to her. She must be useful for him as well. Still, Lawrence joked,


    "I need some time to think it over."


    He understood what Maria''s n was. It wasn''t that she wanted to marry him, she just wanted to


    provoke James by doing so.


    Maria chuckled and gave him a light kick on the leg. "What do you have to think about? Am I not


    charming enough? Forget it. I don''t want to marry you anymore!"


    The man was about to respond when he suddenly felt something strange behind him. Out of the


    corner of his eye, he scanned the bar.


    It turned out that there was someone taking photos of them secretly. Soon, Lawrence identified their


    paparazzo to be Ethan.


    Pretending not to see him, he looked away and went on to say, "It''s not impossible. But there is


    James."


    Maria finished her cocktail and ordered a ss of strong liquor. Bringing a hand to her chin, she


    answered thoughtfully, "Oh, you''re worried about James. Well, he''s the reason I changed my


    original n! It''s useless to seduce him. Your friend is such a scumbag, unlike any other that I met


    before." After sleeping with her, James could pretend nothing had happened between them with


    mastery.


    "I''ve thought about it for a while. I think you''re a good man. Although you''re not as rich as James,


    you have a handsome face, a good shape, and an excellent family background!" Maria paused for a


    second and then finally asked, "How about we be together?"


    Had Lawrence not known that this woman was interested in his close friend, he would have been


    lured by her. No wonder Ethan called her an enchantress. "Fine, I agree!"


    Maria stretched out her hand and said, "May our cooperation be sessful!"


    Lawrence smiled, holding her hand. As he let it go, he said, "May our cooperation be sessful!"


    The two carried on with their pleasant conversation while Ethan watched them from afar and texted


    someone via WeChat.


    The young man hid at a corner, leaning back against the wall. He sent the photos he had secretly


    taken to James and wrote, "James, that enchantress Maria is drinking with a man!"


    When he took the photos, he deliberately chose an angle where Lawrence''s face couldn''t be seen.


    In less than a minute, he got a reply from James. "Aren''t you supposed to join them?"


    Ethan was confused.


    Somehow, James seemed to know it was Lawrence with Maria in the pictures. Did he know that


    Lawrence asked them to have a drink with him?


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Ethan was a little disappointed. James was really a party pooper. He could at least y along and


    pretend he didn''t know anything. Instead, he ruined his fun!


    "Then, why is Maria so close to Lawrence?" He sent James another message.


    "I don''t know." James didn''t care about it at all.


    "How does Maria know Mr. Shen?"


    "I don''t know."


    Ethan had no idea why, but he felt strangely ufortable seeing James so indifferent to Maria.


    With a snort, he texted again, "Alright, forget I asked!" Pretending that he had just arrived, he put his


    phone away and rushed to the man and woman sitting next to each other. "Good evening,


    Enchant..." Maria and Lawrence!" Ethan stopped and corrected himself before almost blurting out


    the nickname he had given to Maria.


    Lawrence nced at him indifferently and asked, "So you came?"


    "Yes, I''ve just arrived! I came as soon as I could." With the same lively expression he wore every


    day on his face, Ethan sat down next to Lawrence and ordered himself a cocktail.


    Lawrence did not expose that he had seen him hiding and taking photos of them. Ethan was young,


    and it was expected that he would resort to such childish tricks. Besides, Lawrence had figured that


    he must have sent those photos to James. Why else would he take them if not with that end in


    mind?


    The bar was so noisy that Maria couldn''t hear what they were saying.


    Soon the bartender brought Ethan his cocktail, but Maria robbed the ss for herself before he


    could react. Raising her voice, she challenged the young man, who was now ring at her, "Let''s


    y a drinking game, shall we?"


    Lawrence had his own habit of drinking, and he wouldn''t break it to y with her and get drunk.


    Therefore, Ethan was her only target.


    Ethan leaned closer to her and mocked, "Have you forgotten why you were at the hospitalst


    time?"


    The woman smiled. "Just tell me, are you in or not?"


    "No way! Your stomach is too fragile for that. Don''t even think about drinking that much again!"


    Ethan refused firmly, taking back his cocktail. Maria sighed heavily andined, "You guys are


    some!"


    "James has returned to H City." Lawrence took the time they were discussing to check his phone


    and told them the news.


    As she heard that, Maria''s eyes shed with interest. "Oh, really?"


    "Yeah," Lawrence nodded, looking at her.


    "Will hee over?" Maria was already scheming in her head.


    Seeing a glint of malice in her eyes, Lawrence gave up what he was going to say and reminded her


    instead, "You should think twice before you act, Maria."


    Maria rolled her eyes at him but didn''t say anything.


    Hating to feel ignored, Ethan walked around Maria with his ss in his hand andined,


    "Excuse me, you two! In case you forgot about me, I''m still here!"


    Lawrence looked at him and warned, "I advise you to stay away from her from now on." He knew


    this woman was capable of doing anything in order to achieve her goals. She wouldn''t spare


    anyone she could make use of.


    Ophelia

 Chapter 116 Trapped

    Chapter 116 Trapped


    Maria rolled her eyes at Lawrence and smiled. Then she smoothed Ethan''s hair and said, "Ethan,


    I''ve made up my mind. No drinking game today!"


    Ethan shifted her hand off his head. "Stop petting me like some kind of puppy!


    "You mean I''m not petting a puppy?" Maria asked, amusement evident in her tone.


    Watching them, Lawrence chuckled. Moderately upset, Ethan raised his ss to the woman. "Come


    on, we should start a drinking game! The loser is a puppy!"


    "No, thanks. I have ns today. Take a rain check?" Maria took out her phone and began to make a


    phone call.


    Half an hourter, Lawrence dragged Ethan out of the bar.


    At the same time, a man left the Harkim and went straight to the twenty-sixth floor of a particr


    hotel.


    Before he emerged from the car, he had already prepared himself mentally. Blue Jazz Bar was on


    the top floor of the building. Earlier, Lawrence sent him a message, asking to meet him there.


    He tried to ignore the nagging feeling there was something wrong. Why would one man invite


    another man to a hotel? James believed that the person waiting for him would be Maria.


    As soon as he stepped into the elevator, he saw a woman standing near the back, regaling him with


    an enchanting smile. James knew it was her.


    The elevator doors closed. Maria got few steps closer to him.


    She reeked of alcohol. The whole elevator smelled like it. It got almost overpowering as she inched


    closer. James frowned and wondered how many drinks she had.


    Her cheeks were red and she wore an enchanting shade of lipstick.


    No matter how good she looked, he wanted to create some distance, so he took a step back.


    Maria countered with a step forward and finally cornered the man in the elevator.


    Staring at him drunkenly, she threw herself into his arms and acted like a spoiled child. "I drank


    today."


    James looked at her with disgust. He wasn''t blind, and his sense of smell worked just fine. He could


    tell she was drunk.


    The elevator soon arrived at the twenty-sixth floor. She stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the lips.


    Before he could push her away, she let go of him.


    The elevator doors opened and she walked out as if nothing had happened, leaving the man


    standing there.


    James didn''t know what to say.


    He didn''t get out of the elevator. Outside the elevator was a long hallway where all the guest rooms


    were. Maria''s intention was too obvious.


    When the elevator doors closed again, his phone rang. ncing at the caller ID, he knew it was


    Ethan. As soon as he swiped to answer the phone, James heard Ethan exim, "James, help me!"


    He was still frowning. "Where are you?"


    "Room 303 on the twenty-sixth floor. Didn''t you agree we''d meet here? Where are you?"


    James kept silent. He thought it was Maria trying to get him alone.


    The elevator had reached the first floor. He had to press the button for the twenty-sixth floor again.


    "I''ll be there soon. What''s wrong?"


    "Maria Song tied me up!" Ethan yelled in horror.


    Closing his eyes, James rubbed between his eyebrows and asked, "So where''s Lawrence?"


    "He''s standing there watching. He won''t help!"


    James wondered what kind of hijinks were taking ce.


    Soon enough, he stood at the door of Room 303 on the twenty-sixth floor.


    As soon as he rang the doorbell, Maria answered the door in a heartbeat.


    After he went in, Maria closed the door and locked it from inside.


    Hearing the click, James didn''t panic. He looked around the room but didn''t see Ethan or Lawrence.


    He had an idea of what was going on, and he didn''t like it one bit. The man vowed he would teach


    Ethan a lesson. James would make sure Ethan would not be so headstrong from now on.


    Maria wrapped her arms around his waist. "James," the woman said softly.


    Without thinking twice, James pulled her arms away from his waist, turned to the woman, and


    snapped, "So it was you! You won''t trick me again!"


    She stood on tiptoe, put her arms around his neck, and kissed his thin lips to stop him from saying


    anything more.


    She did seed in distracting him. The only thought he had in his mind was, ''Her lips were sweet.''


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Maria''s lips were so sweet that he didn''t want her to stop. He was enticed the moment he tasted


    them.


    Maria slowly opened her eyes. The man''s eyes were closed. So she could get him all hot and


    bothered!


    She knew she could do it!


    But the man recovered his senses quickly. ''Something''s wrong!'' James warned himself. He


    suddenly opened his eyes, and pulled away from the woman to look at her.


    Maria staggered, raised her red lips, and smiled evilly. Then she calmly pulled down the strap of her


    dress.


    But the moment he took her to bed, James realized he was trapped.


    At 3 a.m., someone opened the door of Room 303. The two women exchanged nces with each


    other. Then one came out, and the other went inside.


    Later that morning, James woke up to the ringtone of his phone. He slowly opened his eyes and


    knew something was up. The ceiling looked unfamiliar. Then a pair of hands caressed his chest. He


    could hear a woman''s soft voice. "Oh! You''re awake, Mr. Xi!"


    The man suddenly sat up, and the memory ofst night washed over him. He nced coldly at the


    woman lying beside him. It was not Maria at all!


    James kept his cool. He calmly picked up the phone that kept ringing. It was Lorenzo. He swiped


    the answer key. "Mr. Xi, the morning meeting is over. You¡ª"


    Pressing his temples, James ordered, "Come to Room 303 on the twenty-sixth floor of the building


    where Blue Jazz Bar is. Bring my clothes."


    Taking notes, Lorenzo suddenly stopped. ''Isn''t that a hotel?'' But Lorenzo knew James wanted


    results, not questions. "Yes, Mr. Xi!"


    Silence nketed the room. Ignoring the woman beside him, James lifted the thin quilt and got out


    of bed. Then he walked into the bathroom in his boxers.


    Half an hourter, the man looked as ready for business as ever.


    The woman in the bathrobe said shyly, "That was incredible, Mr. Xi. But...why me?"


    James red at her icily and said, "Miss Qin."


    "Yes?" Ste looked at the man with admiration and desire in her eyes.


    "Shut up or I''ll hit you!"


    He was very irritable now and urgently wanted to get even with Ethan, Lawrence, and Maria.


    The man''s ruthless words startled Ste. She asked anxiously, "Where do I send the bill? I might be


    pregnant."


    James put on his watch and strode away without looking at her.


    Last night, no matter how out of it he was, he knew who he had sex with.


    So what if Ste was in the bed with him? That proved nothing.


    Seeing that things weren''t going as smoothly as she hoped, Ste ran to the door to block the way


    out. "Mr. Xi,st night, Maria told me that you wanted me. And now you''re trying to weasel out of it?"


    Ignoring her, James took out his phone from his pocket, dialed a number, and ordered, "Yeah, it''s


    me. I need you to do me a solid and buy out Qin Group!"


    Things didn''t go as Ste nned. She doomed Qin Group. She waspletely flustered and


    struggled to exin. "It''s all Maria''s fault, Mr. Xi. She asked me toe here! Nothing happened


    between us. Please don''t do this to Qin Group!"


    "All of you need to be punished. You, Qin Group, and Maria Song!" The man squeezed each word


    out. He would get even with them.


    James walked past the woman in his way and left the room.


    Maria knew something would happen, but she didn''t think the ruse would be revealed that quickly.


    Shey in the bed, recuperating fromst night, and was disturbed by the buzz of her phone. It was


    Lorenzo. He said in his most professional tone, "Ms. Song, Mr. Xi wants to see you. Pleasee to


    the Leopard Club now."


    Ophelia

 Chapter 117 Illegal Imprisonment

    Chapter 117 Illegal Imprisonment


    Lorenzo asked Maria to go to the Leopard Club right now. Maria knew that if she went there, she


    would be digging her own grave. Even if she could escape death, she might still end upatose.


    So she immediately refused, "Well, I''m on a business trip right now. I''ll be back in two days. I''m so


    busy, so I have to go. Bye!"


    She then hung up the phone.


    As Lorenzo heard the beeping sound, he stared at his phone with creased brows. He was


    speechless. He could tell from Maria''s hoarse voice that she had just woken up. How could she say


    that she busy on a business trip? Unwilling to give up, he called her again. However, he tried a few


    more times but got no answer.


    Lorenzo failed on the task that James assigned to him, so he had to bite the bullet. He opened the


    door of James'' office and walked in, trembling with fear. "Mr. Xi, that..."


    "Send someone there," James interrupted icily.


    He didn''t need to hear Lorenzo''s words to understand everything. He could already imagine what


    Maria had said to Lorenzo on the phone.


    "Okay, Mr. Xi."


    Maria ignored several calls from Lorenzo. She didn''t care what he would think of her. After getting


    out of bed, she put on her slippers and turned on herptop.


    Then she sent out the photos she had prepared in advance. Maria would leave Ste to Alina and


    focus on dealing with James.


    A few momentster, the doorbell rang while she was putting on some makeup. She put down the


    eyebrow pencil in her hand, walked to the door, and opened it. Without looking at the people


    outside, she said, "Wait a minute. I''m not done with my eyebrows yet."


    The two bodyguards outside the door exchanged nces. They didn''t even get the chance to voice


    out the words they prepared to say to her.


    After a few minutes, Maria picked up a limited-edition handbag, changed into a pair of golden high


    heels, and opened the door again. "I''m ready. Let''s go!"


    The two bodyguards exchanged nces again. Then one of them made a gesture for Maria to walk


    first before they followed behind her to the elevator. They were both alert and vignt, in case she


    fought with them at any moment.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    A gray Mercedes-Benz was parked in front of the hotel entrance. One of the bodyguards opened


    the door for Maria, who got in.


    The two bodyguards were in disbelief. They didn''t expect her to be very obedient and well-behaved


    all the time.


    The bodyguard in the passenger seat sent a message to James. "Mr. Xi, Ms. Song is in the car now.


    She hasn''t put up a fight."


    James frowned after reading the message. He wore a long face in the office the whole day, and


    there was a hint of suspicion in his eyes. He was wondering what Maria was up to this time.


    The two bodyguards took Maria to a shabby duplex vi. She was not familiar with the ce as she


    had never been here before.


    She stood in front of the door and looked around. The walls were almost obliterated by cobwebs.


    She wondered if James wanted to give her a horrible sleepless night by bringing her into this vi.


    One of the bodyguards pushed the door open and said politely, "Ms. Song, please go in."


    The vi was full of old and run-down furniture covered with dust. On the wall, there were several


    pictures of men and women, one of them was a gigantic portrait of a woman with long straight hair


    in a white gown. Its realistic look sent a chill down Maria''s spine.


    If it happened to be nighttime, with heavy rain, thunder, and lightning outside, and the lights


    suddenly went out, anyone would definitely be scared to death.


    Without showing any signs of fear in front of the bodyguards, Maria walked inside the vi calmly.


    The musty smell that pricked her nostrils made her wonder if this vi had been abandoned for


    dozens of years.


    Her outfit and makeup today didn''t fit into this ce. Thinking that she would be meeting James


    today, she made sure that she looked beautiful. Maria snorted derisively. She shouldn''t fantasize


    that James woulde. A neat freak like him would never condescend to step foot in a ce like


    this.


    What happened next was something she didn''t anticipate. As soon as she walked in, the door


    behind her was closed and locked from the outside.


    She trotted back to the door and pulled it open. However, it was tightly closed. Even the windows


    were all sealed. There wasn''t even a small crack or opening.


    Unhurriedly, she took out her phone and opened WeChat. She looked for James'' WeChat ID in her


    contact list and started a voice call. This time, James didn''t avoid her call. After just a few seconds,


    he answered the voice call.


    "James Xi, what is the meaning of this? Do you really have to do this?" Maria''s voice was very calm,


    and there was even a clear hint of ridicule.


    James couldn''t help but frown. Indeed, she was fearless. It might be better if he let her stay


    overnight there. He then said, "Wait there!"


    Maria didn''t get angry. After all, he just trapped her and didn''t hurt her physically. She chuckled and


    gently reminded him, "Mr. Xi, you are illegally detaining me."


    "Ms. Song, you are exaggerating," he answered at once. The tone of his voice remained the same.


    Maria smiled in silence. Of course, how could a person easily admit that he hadmitted a crime?


    She walked around, feeling bored. She then said, "Mr. Xi, you are just wasting your time. This trick


    of yours won''t work on me anymore. I''m not a little girl, and I''m not afraid of haunted vis, okay?"


    Maria had always believed that ghosts weren''t really frightening. They were just spirits of dead


    people who were missed by their loved ones, like Arthur. Why would she be afraid of them?


    This time, James felt like his blood was boiling. He should have reminded himself beforehand that


    Maria was totally different from other women. But anyway, freaking her out was not his purpose of


    sending her there. Not in the mood to argue with her more, he just said, "Have a good rest tonight."


    The truth was, James hadn''t figured out what to do with Maria yet to vent his anger more savagely.


    Maria didn''t want to continue mincing words with James either, so she hung up. She didn''t want to


    stay in this vi for a long time. She looked around, trying to think of a way to escape.


    Perhaps this ce was used to imprison people before. The windows and doors of the vi were


    tightly sealed. Even the stairs to the second floor were blocked by old furniture. It would be too


    difficult for her to go upstairs.


    If James would ask someone to set this vi on fire, she would undoubtedly die since there was no


    escape way.


    With this thought, she dialed another number. "Hello, police station? I was illegally imprisoned..."


    Half an hourter, some unexpected visitors showed up in HL Group.


    Lorenzo hurriedly knocked on the door to James'' office and came in with a slightly strange


    expression. "Mr. Xi, someone is looking for you outside."


    James looked up and was about to say something when he saw two policemen behind Lorenzo. He


    put down his pen and nodded to the two policemen. "Yes?"


    One of the two policemen stepped forward, showed his badge to James, and said sternly, "Mr. Xi,


    we''re from the Municipal Public Security Bureau. Here''s my badge. Someone reported that you


    illegally imprisoned her. We need you toe with us."


    James didn''t move.


    He sardonically smiled and asked in a t tone, "Go with you?"


    But deep inside him, he was already cursing Maria for being so bold. ''Good job, Maria Song! And


    you really dared to call the police!''


    "Yes, please," the policeman said in a serious tone. "Where''s theinant?" James asked.


    "We have already rescued her. She''s in the police station now, giving her statement. Mr. Xi,


    please?" the policeman answered.


    Still, James didn''t stand up. Instead, he nced at Lorenzo and said in an unfriendly tone,


    "Lorenzo, deal with this."


    He was the CEO of HL Group. Who would expect him to go with the policemen just like that?


    If people saw him leave thepany with the policemen, HL Group would be in trouble. Even the


    whole H City would also be in an uproar.


    Lorenzo was efficient. Within a few minutes, the two policemen received a phone call and left.


    He saw them off, so James was left alone in his office with a darkened expression.


    His hands balled into fists and he thought, ''Well done, Maria Song!''


    That day, Ethan was also brought by several bodyguards to James'' office. He actually nned to


    run away out of town, but James'' men suddenly arrived. He knew that he could not escape


    anymore.


    As soon as he saw James, he said with a pleading look, "James, I''m innocent."


    ''All right. Ste said that she was innocent. And now Ethan says he''s also innocent. So, does it


    mean that Maria is the only one who is at fault?'' James thought inwardly, feeling enraged.


    He didn''t say anything and just watched Ethan''s exaggerated performance. "James, you know that I


    will never dare to lie to you. But that enchantress Maria! She said that she is pregnant with your


    child, who is supposed to be my godson. How can I disobey a pregnant woman? Right?" For Ethan,


    he was the most innocent. He thought that Maria was only teasing James, making fun of him. But


    he didn''t expect that she would be so bold to set James up.


    Ophelia

 Chapter 118 Broken Up

    Chapter 118 Broken Up


    Maria said she was pregnant again. James felt a migraineing on, and massaged his brow. He


    was tired of this trick. He wondered if Maria were just trying to cause drama.


    "Do you believe what she said?" James stared at Ethan, pondering whether he''d always been that


    stupid.


    Ethan nodded, his face serious. "Of course. You slept with her a lot. Why wouldn''t she be


    pregnant?"


    "Who told you that?" James felt like his head was going to explode.


    "Why, Maria, of course! She told me and Lawrence. Even Lawrence bought it. Why shouldn''t I


    believe her?" Ethan had a point.


    James reminded him, "Don''t believe a single word she says!"


    "Okay, gotcha. But this is my first offense. Give me a break, okay?" Ethan said. He grinned, trying to


    look innocent.


    "Your first offense?" James cast a cold nce at him. Ethan also brought Maria into HL Group


    through the CEO''s exclusive elevator.


    "That''s right. Let me off the hook and I promise I won''t ever believe Maria again," Ethan swore,


    raising his hand.


    James was too angry to let them off without some kind of punishment. "How many valid credit cards


    do you have now?" he asked.


    "James! I''m your brother! You can''t do this to me!" Ethan cried out, knowing James was going to


    suspend his credit cards.


    "I only have one brother. His name is Cooper," James said icily.


    "James, I was wrong. I''m sorry! Please!" Ethan kept whining.


    Regardless of his whining, James pressed the button for his office internal line. "I need you to


    suspend all lines of credit for Ethan Nan."


    "James!"


    "For six months."


    Ethan was desperate. Looking at the cold expression on James'' face, Ethan gave in. ''It''s not as bad


    as it could be,'' he thought.


    But he knew he had meddled in James'' love life. That was something the CEO wouldn''t forgive


    easily.


    Maria might listen to him more readily than James would. Maybe that was who he needed to go to.


    At the University of Arts in H City, sses had just let out for the day.


    Around noon, a pink BMW slowly drove along the campus streets.


    Everyone stared as the BMW came to a stop in front of the girls'' dormitory.


    A woman in a striped long dress got out of the car. She picked the right time. Ste had just


    emerged from the dormitory, and Maria called her name.


    Ste was looking quite lovely today. She asked the beautician to re-draw her eyebrows. No one


    could tell that Maria had shaved those same eyebrows off. They''d gradually grow back, and as long


    they were nicely maintained, no one would be the wiser.


    Ste was talking andughing with her ssmates. When she heard someone say her name, she


    turned reflexively.


    However, before she could do anything else, a woman pped her. Hard. The woman pped her


    so hard that Ste''s head rocked.


    Everyone gasped, now interested in what was going on. They stood nearby to watch the fun.


    When she recovered from the p, Ste saw it was Alina that had pped her. She looked hurt at


    the betrayal. "Alina? What the hell?"


    "You should know!" Alina sneered, pping her again.


    She hit her former friend without mercy. After that, Alina''s hand was numb.


    She wanted everyone to know what Ste did. She said resentfully, "You stupid bitch! You slept with


    my man! You were my bestie, but you betrayed me!"


    Some of them recognized Alina, and knew who she was talking about. Alina was supposed to be


    engaged to James. When they figured that out, they began to whisper among themselves.


    Covering her burning cheek, Ste blushed and tried to exin, "It''s all Maria Song! She set me up!


    You gotta believe me!"


    "Believe you?" Alina was mad, and had every reason to be. She took a step forward and said, "You


    were in the same bed with James! Why should I trust you?"


    There was no denying it. She had a pic that showed them in the bed together. When Alina first saw


    the photo, she totally lost her mind. She tipped over her table, and smashed everything in her room.


    Alina had never imagined Ste would do this to her.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    She was mad enough to beat Ste senseless, and she could probably do it. The only other woman


    who had bested her was Maria.


    "But nothing happened! Ask Mr. Xi," Ste said.


    She was really framed by Maria. Why did no one believe her?


    When Maria called her that night, Ste knew there wouldn''t be a free lunch for her. She quested


    Maria if she wanted to set her up.


    Maria answered, "Your father med me for what I''ve done to Qin Group. I''m so scared and I know


    I was wrong. I shouldn''t have dragged you into this and asked James to deal with Qin Group."


    Ste bought it. In her opinion, Maria might have some power in H City, but she was far less


    powerful than her father was.


    Listening to Ste''s exnation, Alina sneered and wanted to p her again, but she had a


    reputation to protect. She exposed her lie with clenched teeth. "You still went to the hotel, didn''t


    you? You didn''t call me or anything. That means that you were still up to something! Did Maria


    kidnap you and take you there?"


    Ste didn''t know what to say. When she heard that Alina was going to marry James, she


    fantasized about how great that would be. James was a catch. Maria dangled James in front of her


    like bait. She didn''t have to kidnap Ste and take her to the hotel. Ste did that on her own.


    But when she got there, James was already asleep. She couldn''t even wake him. It waste, so she


    decided to just go to bed herself. What else should she have done?


    Before leaving, Alina clenched her fists and said, "Ste Qin, you''re dead! And so is your family


    business!"


    James had already bought out Qin Group. Alina would deal with Ste herself.


    And that was how the toxic friendship between the two women ended. They had officially broken up.


    Not long after, there was a post on the university forum. "Alina Tang pped Ste Qin for hitting on


    her boyfriend, James Xi."


    Soon it became the most read post on the forum and caused a stir in the University of Arts. Later,


    someone forwarded it to Weibo, spreading it worldwide.


    Netizens mocked Ste, and they were cruel and crude. They dug into Ste''s family background


    and disparaged anything they found.


    Finally, Qin Group suffered from the negative publicity and dered bankruptcy in two days.


    yton had just finished his phone call with Alina.


    He sipped his tea calmly while he watched the TV news. Qin Group was going bankrupt.


    Alina filled him in on what was going on.


    Qin Group might not have been the biggestpany, but it wasn''t small, either. When they


    dered bankruptcy, everyone involved in finance knew about it.


    He had to admit Maria was a cunning woman who killed two birds with one stone.


    She caused Qin Group to fall, with no small amount of help from James. And she used Alina to


    destroy Ste''s reputation.


    No one in the city talked about Qin Group or Ste anymore.


    yton had a hunch this was just the beginning, and he always trusted his instincts.


    Maria was now very close to Colby and James. Even if she pissed James off, she could still rely on


    Colby. And Norman was also her backer.


    Keeping this in mind, yton took out his phone and called Alina again. "Alina, remember, Maria


    has changed a lot. Don''t mess with her before you and James get married."


    "But, Dad, what if Maria messes with me first?" Alina was not really willing to make peace, so


    yton''s advice wasn''t wee. She remembered all the times they shed, and Alina lost every


    time.


    yton knew it was possible for Maria to gain power in the city. After thinking for a while, he said,


    "Don''t worry. When you get engaged, Sebastian and Judy will certainlye back. Know what I


    mean?"


    Sebastian Xi was James'' father,


    and Judy was James'' stepmother.


    The two had been traveling and were holed up in France for a time. yton had gotten a hold of


    them and knew that they were nning to return for James and Alina''s engagement. They weren''t


    going to miss that for anything.


    When he mentioned Judy, Alina understood everything. She snorted. Maria should be grateful for


    the good times, because things were about turn sour for her.

 Chapter 119 Too Humble To Be With You

    Chapter 119 Too Humble To Be With You


    Ever since Maria married into the Xi family, Judy had never liked her and had been against her in


    every way.


    After Arthur''s ident six years ago, Judy had put a lot of effort behind the scenes. Finally, she had


    driven Maria out of the Xi family and even of H City.


    If Maria wanted to be a part of the Xi family again, Sebastian and Judy would be her greatest


    stumbling blocks. Alina understood what yton meant, so she said, "Dad, I have a tanzanite


    bracelet that James has taken away from Maria. I''ll give it to Aunt Judy as a gift.


    "Well, it''s up to you," yton replied. He didn''t want to worry about such a trifle.


    Alina and yton ended their phone conversation with different thoughts in their minds.


    In Miracle Cafe, Maria was watching the news about the Qin Group''s bankruptcy.


    It was said that all the real estate properties under Mr. Qin''s name were sealed up and were ready


    to be auctioned. That included the vi where the Qin family members were currently staying.


    Although it was James who destroyed the Qin Group, she still felt that she had achieved her goal.


    After all, she had been wanting to witness the downfall of the Qin family. Actually, her initial n


    was to start with YL Group. But since Ste took the initiative to provoke her, she decided to deal


    with Qin Group first. Maria looked away from theputer screen and looked out of the window.


    HM Group, YL Group, Tang Group, and even the Song Group. None of them could escape her


    revenge. It was just a matter of time.


    The ringing of her phone on the table brought her back to her senses. She picked it up and nced


    at the screen. It was an unknown number, but still, she answered it. "Hello?"


    "Maria, it''s me,"


    said a familiar female voice on the other end of the line.


    Maria smiled sardonically. "Oh, Ms. Song. How are you?"


    Carolina ignored the derision in Maria''s voice. She continued, "I have something important to tell


    you. Something happened to Grandpa yesterday."


    A feeling of nervousness surged up in Maria''s heart upon hearing that it had something to do with


    Gordon. But she calmed herself down and said, "Go on."


    "He had a myocardial infarction. But don''t worry. He''s much better now. He just needs to stay in the


    hospital to fully recover."


    "Which hospital?" Maria blurted out.


    Carolina couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief when she noticed the anxiety in Maria''s voice.


    "He''s in the Municipal People''s Hospital."


    "I see," Maria said tly.


    "Right now, there are so many things to deal with in the Song Group, so Dad and I are quite busy.


    We can''t make time for Grandpa. I am calling you now because I have a request from you. Can you


    visit Grandpa more often when you''re free?" Carolina loved and hated Maria at the same time.


    "I''m afraid I can''t do that because I am just an outsider," Maria refused. "Besides, there are so many


    people in the Song family. Any one of them can take care of him."


    She knew that Chandler cared so much about his reputation. For his fame and dignity, he wouldn''t


    do anything unfilial. So she was sure that he would often go to the hospital to apany Gordon.


    Carolina heaved a sigh. "I won''t hide it from you anymore. Grandpa doesn''t want to see any of us


    now. He was calling your name even when he wasatose. I heard it myself."


    Maria didn''t say a word. Her hands slightly trembled. When the image of her grey-haired


    grandfather shed in her head, she finally agreed, "Okay, I will find time to see him."


    "Thank you, Maria. Let''s get together sometime." Since Maria wasn''t James'' wife anymore, Carolina


    hoped that their rtionship as sisters would be better soon.


    "It''s all right, Ms. Song. You are a busy person. I''m afraid that I am too humble to be with you. Well,


    bye now." Maria then hung up.


    Carolina was rendered speechless, staring at her phone in a daze.


    When she finally came back to her senses, she heaved a deep sigh and deleted the call history.


    She didn''t want anyone to know that she called Maria.


    Maria didn''t waste any more time. She decided to visit Gordon in the afternoon. She didn''t know


    what James was thinking this time to get even with her.


    After what she had done to him, she wouldn''t be surprised if he wanted to kill her. Hence, she


    decided to see her grandfather before anything could happen to her.


    Maria took a taxi to the Municipal People''s Hospital.


    As soon as the taxi pulled over at the entrance of the hospital and she got out, two cars halted


    behind her and two men got out.


    She remembered one of them. He was the bodyguard that she threatened to call James when she


    returned to the hotel from the hospital after her encounter with Ronald.


    Maria had already expected this. She knew that James would make a move very soon.


    When the bodyguards approached her, she removed her sunsses and said calmly, "Wait a


    minute. I need to see a patient first."


    The bodyguards couldn''t find any word to retort.


    Two minutester, the bodyguard who apanied Maria to the hotel before called James. "Hello,


    Mr. Xi. Ms. Song said..."


    James'' face darkened at once while listening to the bodyguard''s report. "What did she say?"


    The bodyguard looked at Maria, who walked in her high heels, before saying in a low voice, "Ms.


    Song asks us to wait for her. She wants to see a patient first."


    James was so furious that he felt likeughing out aloud. Maria asked his bodyguards to wait for


    her, and they agreed. Did those men had dignity at all? He asked them to kill her, yet, what they


    showed to her was kindness.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Obviously, Maria''s reaction was another provocation to him. Earlier, he was still hesitant to kill her.


    But now, he was more than one hundred percent sure to eliminate her.


    When Maria was on her way to the in-patient department, she happened to see someone very


    much familiar to her.


    Obviously, the other person saw Maria too because she stopped and looked at Maria doubtfully.


    "Maria, what are you doing here?"


    Maria smiled brightly and replied, "What else do you think I''ll do in the hospital? Of course, I''m here


    for my prenatal checkup."


    Maria''scency made Alina''s face turn livid at once. But since they were in a public ce, she


    did her best to calm down. It was only then that she noticed a w in Maria, so she asked, "If you


    are pregnant, why are you still wearing high heels?"


    "Oh, don''t worry about that. I''m not going to keep this baby anyway. After my checkup, I''m going to


    have an abortion," Maria answered casually. It was as if she didn''t care even if the baby she was


    about to abort was James'' child.


    Alina gaped at Maria in disbelief. "Are you really pregnant?"


    "Are you still thinking that I''m just bluffing? Gee, I didn''t know that you didn''t believe me when I told


    youst time." Maria''s lips curved into a disdainful smile. She then started to walk away. But then,


    she took a step back, took off her sunsses, and stared at Alina. "Actually, I''m in need of money.


    How about this? If you give me five million dors, I''ll have an abortion ASAP."


    As she spoke, she touched her t belly, pretending to be reluctant.


    It took a long time before Alina found her tongue. "How bold you are! What if James knows? Aren''t


    you afraid that he will do something to you?"


    Maria raised an eyebrow and replied, "Why should I be afraid? I am the mother, so I can decide


    what to do with my child. If you don''t want to take my offer, then forget about it. I''ll give birth to this


    child and ask James for monthly support."


    She put on her sunsses again and was about to walk away.


    But Alina abruptly grabbed her arm and said, "Deal!" Finally, Alina realized that it was a very good


    opportunity for her to get rid of James'' illegitimate child. At least, she didn''t need to dirty her own


    hands in doing it.


    Much to her surprise, Mariaughed out loud ironically. "I''ll send you the ount numberter. I''m


    going to have an abortion now. Just wait for the result."


    Maria decided to put on an act to make the whole thing believable.


    "Okay,"


    Alina agreed. But still, she couldn''t understand why Maria came with such a decision, so she asked,


    "Do you love James or not?"


    "James? If he stays at home, he never brushes his teeth or washes his face. His halitosis fills the air


    in the entire house. Do you think I will love a man like that? I''m disgusted with him for a long time,"


    Maria sneered.


    Alina covered her mouth. Her eyes widened in shock to hear Maria''s revtion. Maria''s words


    made her stomach turn.


    Word had it that James was a neat freak. But from the way that Maria described him, he was no


    different from a homeless man. "If he''s really like that, why did you stay with him for so long? Did


    that mean you were only after his money?''


    "Of course! James is rich and handsome. That''s the only reason I''m interested in him. Let me tell


    you this. I am picky when ites to men."


    Maria then walked away and left Alina behind.


    Alina stood rooted to the spot. She was in a total daze, wondering if Maria was really telling the


    truth.


    a


    Ophelia Q

 Chapter 120 Moving Out

    Chapter 120 Moving Out


    For the sake of five million dors, Maria didn''t mind going to the obstetrics and gynecology


    department of the hospital.


    She waited for twenty minutes to make sure that Alina had alreadye out of the hospital before


    she went to the in-patient department.


    Maria looked for Gordon''s ward. When she found it, she sent an edited photo to Alina first before


    she put away her phone, pushed the door open, and entered.


    Gordon was sleeping. And the nurse that the Song family had hired for him was sitting next to his


    bed.


    When the nurse saw here in, she stood up and greeted in a low voice, "Good day, ma''am."


    Knowing that the nurse was not familiar with her, Maria exined at once, "I''m here to visit my


    grandpa."


    A hint of confusion surfaced on the nurse''s face upon hearing what she said. As far as the nurse


    knew, Chandler only had two daughters. So she wondered where Maria was from. While she was in


    a dilemma whether to call Chandler to confirm, her phone suddenly rang.


    Seeing Carolina''s name on the screen, she walked to the corner to answer it.


    Carolina called the nurse to inform her that Maria might visit Gordon anytime these days. But much


    to her surprise, the nurse told her that Maria was already in Gordon''s ward right now.


    Carolina was a bit shocked as she didn''t expect Maria to go there so soon.


    With Carolina''s confirmation, the nurse was relieved. She then went out of the ward to give Maria


    and Gordon some private time together.


    A few minutes after the nurse left, Gordon coughed and gradually opened his eyes.


    When he saw Maria''s figure sitting at his bedside, he murmured, "I''m really old now as I am seeing


    things already. I have the illusion that Maria is here with me."


    Tears streamed down Maria''s beautiful face. She couldn''t help ming herself for being unfilial in


    the past years. Holding Gordon''s wrinkled hand, she said, "Grandpa, you''re not imagining things.


    It''s me, Maria."


    Seemed shocked, Gordon widened his eyes and took a closer look at the woman holding his hand.


    It was only then that he proved that Maria was really in his ward.


    He got so excited that he sat bolt upright in bed. He kept calling her name, "Maria...Maria..."


    Trying to restrain herself from sobbing, Maria reclined the bed and let Gordon lean against the


    headboard. "Yes, Grandpa, it''s me, Maria. I''m here to see you."


    After making sure that she wasn''t just an illusion, Gordon held her hand tightly and smiled. "Maria,


    are you really here to see Grandpa?"


    "Yes, Grandpa. How are you feeling?" Maria took a deep breath to clear her chest and sat at the


    edge of the bed.


    "I''m feeling all right. I eat and sleep well every day." Gordon chose to hide his condition because he


    didn''t want Maria to worry about him.


    What he didn''t know was that Maria had already spoken to his attending physician before she came


    to his ward. She knew all the details of his current condition. But Maria didn''t intend to expose


    Gordon''s lie, so she nodded with a smile. "That''s good to hear, Grandpa. Please take good care of


    yourself. From now on, I wille to see you more often."


    Gordon heaved a deep sigh. "Maria, I''ve talked to Chandler. I told him that I''ll move out as soon as I


    leave this hospital. They are always busy. I don''t want to be a burden to them. I''ll only cause them


    trouble if I continue to live with them."


    Maria refused at once. "No way, Grandpa! You''re too old to live alone."


    "No, dear. I won''t be living alone. Your father had hired two servants for me. That''s good enough."


    Gordon was firm with his decision. He didn''t want to live with anyone from the Song family anymore,


    especially ine, who had been bullying him mentally. She always pulled a long face when seeing


    him.


    Chandler was so busy in thepany that he rarely went home. Carolina and Dani were not


    home most of the time too. He was always left with ine alone in the house, and she was giving


    him a hard time every day.


    Maria wanted to say something to discourage Gordon from living by himself. But when she saw the


    desire and excitement in his eyes, her heart sank. Thus, she didn''t insist on convincing him. It


    seemed that he was not living a good life with the Song family.


    Since she couldn''t change his mind, she just said, "Okay. Have you decided where to move?" Maria


    was worried that Gordon would live alone. But on the bright side, she could visit him more often and


    anytime when he didn''t stay in the Song family''s vi.


    "Well, I want to live in a quiet ce, so I asked Chandler to buy me a house in the New South


    District." "New South District?" Maria echoed, stunned. The houses in the New South District cost


    an arm and a leg. If ine found out, she would definitely blow up and bitch about it.


    Gordon didn''t seem to notice the surprise on Maria''s face. He nodded with a smile and said, "Some


    of my old friends are now living in the New South District after they retired. If I live there, I won''t feel


    bored. I can hang out with them, y chess, and do other activities together."


    Maria tried to recall who his old friends were at the back of her mind.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Then she remembered that James'' grandparents were also living in the New South District. Just like


    Gordon, they were also in the business circle of H City in the past, and they knew each other.


    "Grandpa, where in New South District exactly? Have you decided yet?" Maria asked to confirm.


    "Yes. There''s a neighborhood on HQ Road where all ts are. We happened to find a secondhand


    house there. The house belongs to a general, so it''s well-taken care of. I told Chandler not to


    renovate it. We just need to buy some furniture before I move in."


    Maria had heard about themunity on HQ Road. The ce was located at the foot of a hill and


    beside a stream, so it had a beautiful environment. Although the houses there cost hundreds of


    thousands of dors per square meter, almost all elders from affluent and powerful families in H City


    lived there.


    Gordon was very much aware that James'' grandparents were also there.


    Maria didn''t know what was in his mind. But obviously, he wanted to keep in touch with the Xi family.


    So she said tentatively, "Grandpa, if I''m not mistaken, James'' grandparents also live there. You


    know, James and I divorced a long time ago. If you move there and happen to run into them..."


    Gordon smiled as if he didn''t notice the embarrassment that she was hinting. "I know that my


    rtionship with Augustine was not good before. But we are both aged men now. We''ve let


    bygones be bygones. If we meet again, we surely have so many things inmon to talk about."


    Gordon seemed so at ease while Maria felt so awkward. She subconsciously kneaded her


    forehead, still wondering what was going on in her grandfather''s mind. But eventually, she said with


    a smile, "All right. As long as you are happy." That was all that mattered to her.


    "Of course. I''m so happy," Gordon said with a nod. Indeed, he was delighted to see his favorite


    granddaughter and get a chance to stay away from ine.


    "Okay," Maria said helplessly. "But the house there is quite pricey, though." In her estimation, one


    t there would cost at least tens of millions of dors. So she took out her wallet and was about to


    give Gordon a bank card.


    However, he stopped her. "Maria, I have money. Besides, your father has already paid for the


    house. You don''t need to worry about me, okay? Take good care of yourself. You live alone."


    Maria shook her head. "Grandpa, don''t mention him. This is my gift for you as your granddaughter.


    Use this card to buy whatever you want. If you can''t go shopping by yourself, ask the servants to


    help you."


    Seeing the firmness in her eyes, Gordon didn''t insist on refusing any more. He took the card and


    sighed. "You are such a good girl. Among all my granddaughters, you are the most filial one." Maria


    and Gordon were in the middle of their conversation when the door of the ward was suddenly


    pushed open from the outside. When they both turned their heads, they saw Dani standing at the


    door. She had been eavesdropping for a long time.


    She walked in and mocked, "Grandpa, Carolina and I have served you for so long. But in the end,


    we are still the unfilial ones, and this outsider is the dutiful granddaughter. You are so unfair!"


    With the same smile on his face, Gordon said lovingly, "Silly girl. I know that you and Carolina are


    filial, too. I''m not stupid."


    Dani casually threw her handbag on the couch and took the bank card from Gordon''s hand. "Oh,


    a ck card. Maria, where did you get this?"

 Chapter 121 Against The Odds

    Chapter 121 Against The Odds


    Walking towards Dani, Maria grabbed the bank card from her hand and asked coldly, "What does


    it have anything to do with you?" Then she handed it back to Gordon and told him, "Grandpa, keep


    it safe. Don''t let anyone steal it from you!"


    At that moment, Dani looked like a cat whose tail was stepped on. "Maria Song, what are you


    trying to say?" There were only three people in the ward, so it was safe to assume that Maria meant


    to attack Dani with those words.


    Maria sneered, "I''m talking about you, Dani! If you don''t have anywhere to be now, then you


    should stay at the hospital and take care of Grandpa. Stop going around and making a fuss about


    nothing!"


    "What do you mean by going around? Are you talking about my job?" Dani asked defiantly.


    She was a travel blogger with millions of followers on social media. Her job was to post photos of all


    the ces she visited and the dishes she tried worldwide.


    As Maria didn''t want to mince words with Dani in front of their grandfather, she simply turned to


    the old man and said, "Grandpa, have a nice rest. I''m leaving now, but call me if you need


    anything."


    Although Gordon wanted her to stay a little longer, he didn''t want to make her ufortable and


    force her to endure the presence of other Song family members she didn''t wish to run into. Now that


    Dani came in and interrupted the peace anyway, there was no reason for Maria to stay. So he


    nodded. "Okay. Be careful on the way.


    "I will. Bye, Grandpa!" With those words, Maria turned around and walked towards the door.


    Dani opened her mouth to mock Maria once more before she was gone, but Gordon stopped


    her. "Dani, will you get a banana for me? Thanks."


    Looking at the shadow of the woman who had just walked out of the ward, Dani gave the fruit to


    her grandfather andined, "Grandpa, she''s no longer a member of our family, so why are you


    still so good to her?"


    With a meaningful smile on his face, Gordon answered, "Dani, Maria gave me the ck card


    even though I''ve never given her anything before. I didn''t even help her when that ident


    happened a long time ago. As for you, I''ve been supporting you all these years. Are you sure she''s


    the person I''m being good to?" He couldn''t help feeling guilty about it.


    Dani, on the other hand, didn''t know how to respond to her grandfather''s words.


    It was true that she had spent a lot of his money. No matter how much she earned with her blog, it


    was never enough to cover all her expenses. ine and Gordon had been supporting Dani


    financially all these years. As for Maria, Dani had never seen Gordon give her a single penny in


    her life. If she continued to bitch about this matter, Maria''s words would turn out to be true, and she


    would be making a fuss about nothing. Therefore, she kept her mouth shut.


    On her way out of the hospital, Maria called her driver. Once she got into the car, she sent two


    pictures notifying Alina about her "abortion."


    Soon, five million dors were transferred to her ount. Looking at her bnce, Mariaughed.


    Alina was really a fool who happened to have a lot of money.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She should have asked for fifty million instead, and her idiotic cousin would have transferred it to


    her right away.


    At this time, James'' bodyguard knocked on her window. Pressing it down, she asked "What now?"


    The bodyguard hesitated for a moment but finally said, "Ms. Song, Mr. Xi wants to see you."


    "Okay, lead the way!"


    Maria said, closing the window next.


    The bodyguard was rendered speechless. As a matter of fact, she was supposed to get out of her


    car and follow him to the vehicle James had sent.


    But before the bodyguard coulde to his senses again, Maria''s car had already driven away.


    The next moment, the man waved to the two other cars waiting outside the hospital, and soon they


    caught up with Maria.


    Maria had never nned to follow James'' bodyguards'' cars. If she had gone with them, it would be


    against the odds that she would escape.


    However, in the end, she still had underestimated James'' cruelty.


    It was not until the other three cars forced hers to stop in an isted suburban area that Maria


    realized that James wanted her dead.


    Seeing more of a dozen strong, tattooed men getting out of their cars, Maria judged from their


    outfits that those were professional killers. As Maria remained silent in the back seat, her driver kept


    asking her anxiously what to do.


    With her heart bleeding, she came to understand that she couldn''t afford to offend James.


    Pulling out her cell phone, she quickly sent a message to Colby. Then she turned it off and tossed


    the device away.


    Maria knew there was no easy way to escape that situation, so she opened the back door and got


    out of the car.


    Immediately, the men surrounded her.


    In order to gain the upper hand, Maria took off her high heels and threw each of them at two of the


    men.


    They weren''t expecting she would be so fast to attack, let alone that she would have hit them so


    forcefully.


    After that, the battle officially started.


    Although Maria had already been mentally prepared for the fight, the moment she exchanged the


    first punch with one of the men, she couldn''t help cursing James in her heart a million times.


    The group of men were indeed skilled, and therefore, they were dozens of times more difficult to


    handle than those bodyguards James had sent to her in the past.


    Meanwhile, in HL Group''s CEO office, James had just hung up the phone with one of the


    bodyguards, who informed him that Maria had already been intercepted by his men. Afterward,


    James went back to reading the documents on his desk with a nk face.


    A few minutester, there was a knock on the door, and Alina came in.


    In between sobs, Alina looked at James and told him, "James, I couldn''t stop Maria. She went to the


    hospital and..."


    "And?"


    "She said she had no feelings for you, and she had an abortion."


    James frowned upon the realization that the woman had lied again. "Is there anything else?"


    "Look at it yourself!" Pretending to be sad, Alina showed him the pictures Maria had sent her on her


    phone.


    In the first photo, there was an abortion operation sheet with Maria''s signature at the bottom.


    For a moment, James felt the urge to apud Maria.


    "It was just an innocent life. How could Maria be so cruel? I know she''s short of money, but I could


    have lent it to her!" Alina sighed, sounding regretful.


    "So you gave her money?"


    "Yes. She told me she needed some time to recover from the abortion, so I gave her five million


    dors."


    As James quietly watched Alina''s performance, he had to admit that Maria wasn''t the only great


    actress among them.


    While she pretended to be pregnant to get the money for a fake abortion, Alina pretended to be sad


    and care about his baby''s life.


    Did these two take him for an idiot? Since when had all the women around him be such good


    actresses? He wondered if he should introduce them to the entertainmentpany sponsored by


    HL Group so they could beunched to stardom.


    "What else did she say?" James wanted to hear more in order to add extra fuel to his anger. Only


    this way would he be able to convince himself that he made the right decision to kill Maria.


    "She told me that you hates to brush your teeth or wash your face and that your breath stinks."


    Alina knew Maria was lying. She might not have slept with James yet, but she had held him before


    and never caught the bad scent Maria described. In fact, he had always smelled great.


    James clenched his fists. ''Good job, Maria Song!'' He nodded with satisfaction. Maria didn''t


    disappoint him.


    After making use of him multiple times, she threatened him and even dared to drug him. If he didn''t


    kill this woman right now, she would continue ruining his reputation.


    "James, this woman is so vicious! Just be careful in the future. Don''t get her pregnant again. If you


    really want a baby, I can..."


    James interrupted her. "She won''t get pregnant again."


    Because one way or another, Maria was going to disappear.


    If she happened to be lucky and survive, she would leave H City once and for all.


    But if she weren''t so fortunate, she would vanish from the face of the earth pretty soon.


    As Alina thought James wasforting her, she heaved a sigh of relief. With a smile, she walked


    towards him and held his arm. "James, I''m so happy that we''re going to get engaged!"


    "Hmm." James nodded, feeling inexplicably upset.


    Alina noticed that James wasn''t in the mood to keep talking to her, so she said goodbye and left his


    office. After the door was closed, James put down his pen.


    He turned to look at the clouded sky outside. It seemed that it was going to rain at any time.


    &


    Ophelia EKEfi

 Chapter 122 Getting Away With It

    Chapter 122 Getting Away With It


    Later, Lawrence called James. The CEO could hear the other man quite clearly in the quiet office.


    "James, is Maria with you now? I have something to tell her, but she turned off her phone."


    "No, she''s not here," James answered.


    "All right. I''ll go find her." Knowing how his best friend was, Lawrence was about to hang up the


    phone.


    "Don''t bother." James'' tone was even.


    "Okay, why?" Lawrence realized that James was out of sorts.


    James didn''t answer him. He leaned back in his chair, and Maria popped into his thoughts. He


    recalled how she hit on him, raising her eyebrows and winking at him.


    When she suddenly showed up in P City and ran towards him, she looked innocent and adorable.


    That evening, she cried in his ears, begging for mercy. Hercent expression annoyed him.


    That he also remembered.


    She always wore dark, backless dresses and shirts, not to mention high-heeled shoes. The way she


    walked was graceful, elegant. Maria was arrogant, and there was always something behind her


    smile. And she drove him mad with desire.


    ''James?" Lawrence prompted him after a long silence. James lit a cigarette. But remembering how


    charming and sexy Maria looked when she smoked, he suddenly lost the desire to take a drag.


    "She should be half-dead now, if she''s lucky."


    It took some serious doing to find those killers. They wouldn''t let him down.


    Lawrence was taken aback. He asked, "What did you do to her? Did you finally decide to kill her?"


    "Hmm," he admitted. Maria would serve as an example. She was presumptuous. She used him.


    She threatened him. How could he let her get away with that?


    "James! What the hell, man?" Lawrence was borderline hysterical. The man couldn''t find the door


    fast enough. "You''ll be sorry!"


    He was going to save Maria if it was thest thing he did.


    He couldn''t just stand by and watch his best friend make the mistake of a lifetime.


    "You are wrong. I won''t," James answered firmly, shaking his head. His life would be far less


    complicated without Maria. He wouldn''t be stirred to extremes of joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness.


    ''Spectators see more than yers!'' Lawrence wished he would smash James'' skull in.


    The only reason why James ordered the hit was because Maria got to him. She could make him


    feel things he didn''t want to bother with. That was the only thing that made sense to Lawrence. It


    was not a good thing for James, the self-styled emperor of the city. But Lawrence didn''t think it was


    a bad thing for his best friend.


    Obviously, James refused to listen to him. Maybe he could use reason. Lawrence said in a quiet


    voice, "You''re breaking thew, you know. If something happens to Maria, I won''t let you off the


    hook. I won''t let you get away with it, even if you are my best friend!"


    James'' eyes darkened. "You want to fall out with me over a woman?"


    "Stop that. You know that has nothing to do with it. It''s thew, old friend. Besides, what if she''s not


    dead? What if she turns up safe and sound? What are you going to do then?"


    James was troubled. He had never thought about that. He believed Maria was pretty well screwed


    this time. He retorted, "Okay, so maybe she lives. But she won''t be the same. Maybe she ends up in


    a wheelchair, or worse."


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Did you forget about Norman? Do you think he''ll let you kill Maria?" In fact, when Lawrence made


    friends with Maria and got closer to her, he wanted to do a background check on Norman.


    For James, Norman was another obstacle. He had to be careful and tiptoe around the man to get


    anything done. James was annoyed by what Lawrence said. "Are you trying to irritate me? Fine. I


    set up an ambush near JH Street. But I don''t think you''ll make it in time to help her!"


    He hung up the phone and loosened his tie. He really wanted to kill Maria himself at this point.


    When Lawrence found the ce James mentioned, he didn''t see any sinister figures. But there was


    a lot of blood in a nearby alley.


    He squatted down and touched it. It was fresh and still warm.


    But there was no one around.


    He took out his phone and called James again. "Hey, It''s me. There''s a lot of blood here. Someone


    got hurt. If it''s Maria, you should tie up any loose ends and turn over yourpany to someone


    else."


    "Whatever!" James hung up on him and gulped down a ss of strong liquor.


    He started thinking about his rtionship with Lawrence. The man not only conspired with Maria to


    get him in that hotel, but was considering calling the police on him.


    He really wanted to ask Lawrence where his morals were when he decided to side with Maria to


    trick his best friend? Why was he so righteous now?


    Lawrence stared at the phone and shook his head helplessly.


    He didn''t understand why James was acting like this. James was obviously uneasy about what he


    did, but he just acted like he didn''t care.


    Lawrence was busy looking for Maria.


    It was getting dark. James walked out of his office. When he passed by the seats of his secretaries,


    he cast a cold nce at Summer, who was hard at work. He called out her name.


    Summer nodded, stood up, and followed him.


    As soon as she saw James'' expression, she knew that something was wrong. Her boss was in a


    really bad mood now.


    She followed him into the elevator. When she smelled the alcohol on him, she felt even more


    nervous. ''Drinking? During office hours? That''s not like him. Things must be really bad!'' Summer


    couldn''t help shivering in his icy presence.


    "Summer," James called out again. Summer was startled, her legs weakened. "Mr. Xi, what can I do


    for you?"


    "How do you know Maria?" he asked.


    "What?" Summer was stunned. She wondered if Maria had done something to make him mad


    again.


    The elevator arrived at the first floor. Without waiting for her answer, James strode out.


    Summer trotted to keep up with him. She answered, "I got to know her after you got married and


    asked me to send her something."


    But James seemed to have lost interest in the topic.


    He opened the rear door by himself and got in.


    Summer sat in the driver''s seat. She fastened the safe belt and started the engine. "Mr. Xi, where


    are you going?"


    "Home."


    Summer was surprised again. If she weren''t mistaken, this was normally quitting time. But not for


    James. He always stayedte. This was not James'' style. But Summer just obeyed without


    question. "Got it, Mr. Xi!" she answered.


    On his way back home, James didn''t work on anything like he usually did. He just yed with his


    phone, as if he was waiting for someone to call him.


    As time went by, Summer became more and more nervous. A world famous workaholic who


    treasured time as life was now just farting away his time. She wondered what Maria did to make


    James like this.


    When the Harkim was about to turn into James'' vi, a figure suddenly appeared in the middle of


    the road. That was unusual. It was private property. No one was supposed to be there.


    Summer couldn''t help screaming. She had been tense this whole time and this was the final straw.


    She reflexively stepped on the brakes, trying to stop before she ran the person down.


    The tires squealed loudly as the vehicle skidded to a halt.


    Summer sat behind the wheel, trying to recover. It was a violent stop.


    Frowning, James was about to say something. Then he recognized the figure in the headlights. He


    kept quiet.


    When Summer saw the figure more clearly, she screamed again. "Aaah!"


    She wasn''t easily frightened, but this was something she''d never seen. The woman that stood in the


    headlights had her hair down, and was bloody all over. Her feet were bare. This was just too much.


    After the car stopped, the woman covered in blood slowly walked towards the car. Summer watched


    and held her breath, her mouth dry.


    As she got closer and closer, Summer felt the person looked more and more familiar. Why did she


    look like Maria?


    Soon, there was a gentle knock at the rear door. James pressed a button to roll down the window. It


    was stained with blood.


    The person covered in blood flipped her long hair, revealing her face spattered with blood.


    "James..."

 Chapter 123 I Give Up

    Chapter 123 I Give Up


    Maria, who had always been morous, now looked so different because of her torn and blood-


    soaked clothes. Even her whole body was covered in blood. She appeared in James'' sight in an


    awkward and embarrassing manner.


    Summer quickly unfastened her seat belt and got out of the car when she recognized Maria''s voice.


    James'' face looked so gloomy.


    "You really want to take my life, huh?" Maria said with a smirk.


    For James, her familiar smile was so dazzling at this moment that he couldn''t help but close his


    eyes for a second.


    He kept silent as he still med Lawrence for being able to predict the situation so urately.


    "If you really want my life, why don''t you take it by yourself? You know very well that I never turn


    down any request from you," Maria continued.


    James didn''t say anything. He just sat still in the car.


    Summer trembled with fear when she got a clear view of Maria. She was so shocked that she


    gasped and covered her agape mouth. When she finally came to her senses, she eximed,


    "Maria, what happened? You are bleeding. There''s so much blood!" She reached out her hands,


    wanting to help Maria. But she didn''t know which part of Maria''s body was safe to touch or hold.


    Blood was oozing from so many wounds in Maria''s body. Mariaughed out loud. Then with a trace


    of sadness and bitterness in her voice, she answered, "Why don''t you ask Mr. Xi about it? I''m sure


    no one else knows better than him."


    Summer''s gaze swept over James and Maria. But she didn''t dare to ask James.


    Feeling sorry for Maria, she asked again in a low voice, "Maria, does it hurt?"


    The unbearable pain seemed to have slowed down Maria''s mind.


    It took her a while to answer, "Yes. It hurts everywhere." Her voice sounded so weak that even


    Summer had a little difficulty hearing her words clearly.


    Her face was pale as a sheet, and her lips were bloodless. She slowly turned around and looked at


    James, who was still silent in the car. "I''m here to tell you that you''ve won. I give up."


    She then stepped back with a smile, her eyes gradually losing focus. Staring at James'' ruthless


    face, she felt like she was looking at someone else.


    James watched Maria slowly walking away from him with his own eyes. All of a sudden, he felt like


    he was losing her.


    Without hesitation, he opened the door, got off, and stood in front of her.


    "Really, James, I give up," Maria repeated. James could feel the sadness that emanated from her


    eyes.


    Maria turned around and was about to walk away.


    However, James grabbed her wrist to stop her.


    Feeling the warmth of his hand on her wrist, she sneered. She looked down and stared at his big


    hand. "I''m really not as cheap as you think."


    She didn''t have to tangle with him anymore. She could find other ways.


    The harsh sound of tires screeching the road resounded through the stillness of the night. Then, an


    off-road vehicle stopped not far away.


    It was Lawrence, who had been following Maria''s trace. Finally, he found her.


    He trotted over to them and called, "James! Maria!"


    For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then, atst, James said in a low voice, "Let me take you to


    the hospital."


    But Maria shook off his hand and sneered, "No, thanks. Mr. Xi, how can I dare bother you?"


    "Maria..." Lawrence said. He was so anxious looking at Maria''s shaky figure. In his heart, he felt


    scared that something might happen to her.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Maria tried her best to maintain her poise as she walked towards Lawrence with a smile. She held


    his arm and said, "Honey, have you already told Mr. Xi that we are in love?"


    James thought that he misheard what Maria had said.


    With a face as cold as ice, he looked at Lawrence, silently asking for a confirmation. It was as if the


    moment Lawrence nodded to confirm, he would immediately tear Lawrence up.


    It took a while before Lawrence nodded. "Well, James, I was about to tell you earlier."


    "Mr. Xi, do you really think that I am dying to be with you? I''m sorry, but your best friend is way


    better than you. I am his girlfriend now," Maria mocked James. She then looked up at Lawrence and


    said, "Lawrence, let''s go."


    James lost his tongue from the shock. But Maria''s gentle voice reached his ears. The way she


    called Lawrence''s name pleasantly was simr to the way she called his name before.


    The shocking revtion made his heart skip a beat.


    Maria''s words brought goose bumps to Lawrence''s arms. But he didn''t show any expression on his


    face.


    Summer was also stunned. She didn''t expect to witness such a dramatic scene.


    Lawrence still wanted to say something more to James. But when he felt Maria''s gentle pinch, he


    kept his mouth shut. Anyway, he could talk to James some other time. What mattered the most now


    was for Maria to be taken to the hospital. He had to take her away as soon as possible.


    Maria was so proud of herself. Even if she admitted defeat on James, she was still able to do it


    arrogantly.


    The night was getting colder.


    James had witnessed with his own eyes how Lawrence picked up Maria and carried her in his arms


    towards the vehicle.


    Without saying goodbye, Lawrence turned to the driver''s seat, got in, and started the engine.


    The off-road vehicle made a U-turn and sped away.


    What James didn''t know was that Maria had already fainted before she could walk to the car. That


    was why Lawrence had to carry her in his arms.


    Summer started to feel the chilly wind blowing on her skin as well. But she just stood still, holding


    her breath and not daring to look at James. All of a sudden, she heard his voice that was as cold as


    the wind. "What did she say to you just now?"


    She took a deep breath before she answered, "Mr. Xi, I just asked her if it hurts. Then she said it


    hurts everywhere." A strangled sob escaped her lips when she finished her words.


    Then she couldn''t help adding, "Mr. Xi, no matter how much you hate Maria, you shouldn''t have


    done that. She is already living a hard life. Is it not enough?" She couldn''t continue as she was now


    choking with sobs.


    There was a pin-drop silence between them. Only the rustling of the leaves swaying with the wind


    could be heard. James stood in front of the car and looked ahead. After a long time, he ordered,


    "Pick me up on time tomorrow." He then turned and walked towards his vi alone.


    "Yes, Mr. Xi," Summer answered, watching his back.


    Lawrence went directly to the hospital. He didn''t leave until a doctor attended and treated Maria''s


    wounds.


    When she was transferred to a ward, he hired a nurse to take care of her while she was recovering.


    It was a peaceful and quiet night in H City. No one knew that Maria had almost lost her life tonight.


    Summer went to HL Group to work as usual the next day. But during her lunch break, she managed


    to call Maria.


    She was still on the phone when she got out of the elevator and returned to her desk. She was so


    engrossed in her conversation that she didn''t notice that her voice slightly raised. "How are you


    feeling now? Have you eaten lunch?"


    The sound of steady footsteps sounded behind Summer. Then it slowed down when it passed by


    her desk. But she was so focused on her phone call that she still didn''t notice.


    Maria might have answered her question on the other end of the line because Summer asked


    again, "Your wounds still hurt too much? Didn''t the doctor give you painkillers?" A colleague beside


    her tugged her sleeve.


    When Summer turned to look at her colleague, her colleague winked at her, hinting her to look


    back. It was only then that she noticed that James was standing behind her. She immediately


    covered her phone and greeted him in a low voice, "Hi, Mr. Xi!"


    James walked up to her and stood in front of her desk. With a darkened expression, he asked,


    "Who are you talking to?"


    "Ah..." Summer hesitated for a moment. But then, she decided to answer honestly, "Maria, Mr. Xi.


    I''m worried about her, but I don''t have time to visit her. I''m sorry, Mr. Xi. I''ll go back to work now."


    She then put her phone back to her ear and said quickly, "My lunch break is over. I have to go now.


    I''ll go visit you when I''m free. Take care!"


    Summer sat in front of herputer after hanging up. She continued with her work, trembling with


    fear.


    James stood there for a few seconds before he went back to his office without saying anything.


    The afternoon in HL Group was very busy. Summer was on her way to the finance department with


    some document when she saw Jamesing out of his office. Staring at her, he said, "Go with


    me."


    Summer looked at the document and said awkwardly, "But, Mr. Xi, the finance department wants


    this datasheet..." "Give it to Lorenzo," James interrupted. He then walked towards his private


    elevator at a fast pace without giving Summer another chance to retort.


    "Okay." Summer put the datasheet in front of Lorenzo and said, "Thank you, Lorenzo."


    Lorenzo raised his head, creasing his brows. He was speechless. Seeing that Summer had trotted


    away to catch up with James, he had no choice but to take over her work unconditionally.


    As soon as James got in the back seat of the ck Harkim and Summer in the driver''s seat, James


    ordered tly, "No. 1 Municipal Hospital, please."


    Summer immediately understood what he wanted to do, so she nodded with a smirk. "Okay, Mr. Xi."


    Thinking that James was going to visit Maria in the hospital rather than seeing anyone else, she


    seemed to see her bright future in HL Group.


    When they arrived at the hospital entrance, Summer asked deliberately, "Mr. Xi, since we are


    visiting a patient here, shall I buy some gifts?"


    James nced at her. He came here empty-handed. But then, he thought, ''It''s already an honor for


    Maria that Ie to see her. Why do I need to buy her gifts?'' So he answered, "No need." He


    remembered that Maria had been trying to convince him to invest in her newpany. He could


    just transfer the fund to her ountter. That would be his gift.


    "Okay." Summer shrugged. How could she dare to force her big boss?


    Before they got out of the car, she sent a message to Maria, informing Maria that they were heading


    to her ward. Maria was reading a document, leaning against the headboard when she received


    Summer''s message. After reading it, she immediately put the document away and sent a message


    to Lawrence. "Come here ASAP!"


    ¡ê


    Ophelia EKEfi

 Chapter 124 The Drug Was On My Lips

    Chapter 124 The Drug Was On My Lips


    Three minutester, when James pushed the door open, he saw the woman sitting up in bed and


    watching TV, alone.


    Maria saw James and Summere in. She acknowledged the man with a nce and asked,


    "What brings you here, Mr. Xi?" Her tone was cold, her displeasure obvious.


    Ignoring her, James stood beside the bed and looked her up and down. Nearly every bit of her body


    was bandaged. She was practically a mummy. "Where is he?"


    Knowing who he was referring to, Maria answered calmly, "Lawrence has been here taking care of


    me. He''s out and buying me food right now."


    As a matter of fact, Lawrence wasn''t buying food for Maria. He was at a five-star restaurant,


    attending a party with a group of people he''d known since childhood. He paused for a minute to


    read a message on his phone. He swallowed the food in his mouth and got to his feet.


    One of them asked, "Going somewhere, Lowrie?"


    Lawrence wiped his mouth with a napkin and answered, "Yeah. I gotta help my best friend woo his


    woman."


    "Really? Which friend? Do we know him?" another man asked with great interest. Lawrence had


    many friends.


    Looking at him with a mysterious smile, Lawrence kept that information to himself. He said, "I''m


    taking off now. Enjoy your meal."


    "All right. Good luck!" Theyughed.


    Back at Maria''s ward, no one wasfortable.


    It was pretty awkward in that room. James didn''t say a word. Neither did Maria. The only sound


    came from the TV, alternating between a TV show and ads.


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    In order not to disturb the two, Summer stood at the door.


    A momentter, James looked at the woman and asked, "Why did you drug me? When did you do


    it?"


    Maria didn''t have anything to hide. She answered indifferently, "Just like you said. I was using you.


    The drug was on my lips."


    And there was no antidote for that kind of drug, so she was also drugged. After they had sex, he


    was exhausted and fell asleep. Hence, she let Ste in.


    She had a blood transfusion to detoxify herselfter, so she woke up before he did.


    He was not happy after hearing her answer. His demeanor was icy, his gaze cold. He red at her,


    but there was no trace of guilt on her face. She had acent look instead. She felt that she did


    the right thing. Fighting the rage rising inside him, he finally uttered, "You know what you did was


    wrong, huh?"


    If she at least nodded, he would reluctantly forgive her this time.


    However, Maria''s pale lips were shut tight, ignoring his question. James waited for what seemed like


    an eternity, but she wouldn''t admit her mistake at all.


    A few minutester, Lawrence walked into the ward. Maria finally broke her silence. She


    comined sweetly, "I''m starving! What took you so long?"


    With two bags in his hands, Lawrence walked in. Before leaving the restaurant, he found a waiter in


    the corridor and ordered two dishes for takeout.


    The woman''s bratty tone made James frown deeply.


    Lawrence nodded at James. "I''m sorry. I got stuck in traffic," he apologized. He put the food on the


    table nearby.


    Traffic? Maria reacted quickly and smiled. "If I knew that earlier, I wouldn''t have made you go so far.


    Well, I forgive you. Are they ready? They smell yummy!"


    "Alright." When he was about to grab a pair of chopsticks, Lawrence turned around to hide his guilty


    smile.


    They were talking to each other like a normal couple, which made the dour-faced CEO frown even


    more. He pressed his thin lips tightly and saw that Lawrence took out the dishes and ced them


    on the overbed table in front of Maria.


    He barely even remembered that James was also in the room, Lawrence faked a cough and asked,


    "James, have you had lunch yet?"


    James cast a cold nce at him and asked, "When did you two get together?"


    This woman was in his bed two days ago. He didn''t believe that the two had hooked up with each


    other that quickly.


    Lawrence''s first reaction was to nce at Maria. He was really not good at lying.


    Noticing that he was quietly asking for help, Maria swallowed the food in her mouth and looked back


    at him. ''You really want me to answer? All right,'' she thought evilly. She answered calmly,


    "Lawrence had a crush on me a long time ago. But because we were married, he wouldn''t touch


    me."


    James lowered his head, lost in thought. ''Lawrence liked Maria a long time ago?


    That''s why he''s been helping her, isn''t it?'' It made sense. James was convinced.


    Lawrence stood there with a smile on his face at first, but he started frowning. Maria was taking this


    too far. He wanted to help his best friend out, but he didn''t want James mad at him. He shot a re


    at Maria.


    Ignoring the warning in Lawrence''s eyes, Maria took a sip of water and added, "But the moment you


    sent killers to deal with me, you killed the old Maria. You tried to kill me. Lawrence rescued me. He


    drove me to the hospital. See the difference? I''m not stupid. Lawrence loves me and cares about


    me. Why would I choose you over him?"


    Lawrence took a step forward and chimed in, "Excuse me, I need to say something." He was going


    to try and salvage this. He didn''t want to lose his friend over this silly ruse. He was hoping to set the


    record straight with James.


    But James acted faster than he did. "Don''t bother," he said coldly and left the ward.


    Watching his back, Lawrence was speechless. He wondered why he sided with Maria. Now he lost


    his friend.


    Seeing the man disappear, Maria hurriedly pushed the overbed table aside and said helplessly, "I


    can''t eat these dishes. Fried pork with chopped pepper? Braised pork? Seriously? I need good,


    healing food." That spicy greasy food was not suitable for a patient at all.


    Fortunately, James didn''t pay attention to what she was eating just now, or he would have figured it


    out. Apparently Lawrence didn''t take as good care of her as she imed.


    In fact, as soon as he was prepping the food for Maria, Lawrence already had his suspicions. Since


    James just stood there watching them, Lawrence could do nothing. ''Til call the nurse," he said,


    pulling out his cell phone.


    "No, thanks. I gave her the day off today." Maria had some work to do. She decided to skip lunch


    and order something better for dinner.


    "Since you''ve already dragged me into the mire, remember to visit my tomb on Memorial Day every


    year, " Lawrence said. He sounded wronged. He walked to sit on the edge of the bed, smoothing his


    short hair helplessly.


    He was wondering when he had be so kind-hearted. He even had time to y matchmaker for


    his best friend.


    Maria knew what he was referring to, but she didn''t agree with him. She said, "Don''t worry. He won''t


    do anything to you."


    "All right. Then you have to be careful." If James knew they had cooperated and lied to him, the


    vengeful man wouldn''t let them off the hook.


    "Don''t worry, I know what I''m doing," Maria assured him confidently.


    Lawrence heaved a sigh. He was trying to stay positive, but it wasn''t working. He wasn''t optimistic


    by nature.


    At the door of the in-patient department, Summer broke into a jog to catch up with James.


    She wondered why he was angry again. He was totally fine when he came to see Maria earlier. Did


    Lawrence and Maria annoy him? She studied James'' expression and couldn''t quite tell.


    While Summer was trying to figure out what was going on, James suddenly stopped. "Give me the


    car keys."


    "What? Mr. Xi, aren''t we going back together?"


    "No!"


    Summer gaped, pulling out the car keys and handing them over to him. ''What about me?'' she


    wondered.


    Two minutester, Summer watched the Harkim zoom off, and an idea hit her like a lightning bolt.


    She took another look at the in-patient department behind her. ''Oh, Mr. Xi, did you want me to stay


    and take care of Maria?''


    She decided to seize the moment, and walked back to the in-patient department.


    In the ward, after Summer came back, Maria told Lawrence to go home and get some rest.


    "Maria, Mr. Xi was pretty pissed. What did you do to him?" Summer asked. She sat on the bed, and


    looked at Maria expectantly.


    Maria thought for a while and answered, "I guess he''s mad at me for drugging him."


    -------------------------

 Chapter 125 Cunning Businessman

    Chapter 125 Cunning Businessman


    Summer was amazed. "That took some serious balls." No one had ever dared to do this to James!


    "Yeah, and I paid the price for it." Maria looked at her wounds and smiled in self-derision.


    Summer raised another question. "How did you escape?"


    Maria smiled faintly. Those professional killers were really good at their jobs. If it weren''t for the


    message she sent to Colby before emerging from the car, she would have died.


    "Someone saved me, that''s how," she answered indifferently.


    She was pretty badly hurt. Those men weren''t easy to deal with. But she didn''t fight for her life. In


    fact, she held back.


    Maria figured if she were really injured, Colby would take it as a sign she was on his side, and being


    punished for it. She also hoped James would feel bad for her.


    "Let me guess: Mr. Shen?" Summer was really curious now.


    "No, Colby Zheng," Maria answered honestly. She wouldn''t hide anything from Summer.


    Summer was surprised to hear that name. She was really in the dark. "What about you and Mr. Lu?


    Are you two an item?" Maria was forting when it came to Summer. She knew the woman was


    her friend, and she wouldn''t tell James anything.


    "I wanted to ask Norman for his help, but he''s a pretty private guy. If I told James that he and I were


    dating, James wouldn''t believe it for a minute." She paused to scratch. Maria might be on the mend,


    but she itched like crazy under the bandages.


    "Lawrence was the obvious choice. He''s busy, so it wouldn''t look weird if I wasn''t around him 24/7.


    But James hangs out with him a lot. Just picture it¡ªhis ex-wife falls for his best friend. He''d


    probably be disgusted just thinking about it. He might stew about it every time he wants to call


    Lawrence. Revenge is sweet."


    Summer didn''t ask Maria for the dirty details. She knew this was part of Maria''s n. It might be


    more fun to sit back and watch the show.


    But she had to admit that Maria might be getting in over her head. James just tried to kill her, and


    very nearly seeded. The hospital ward was proof that arrogance had a price.


    "You''ll need help. What can I do?" Summer asked sincerely.


    Maria smiled at her gratefully. "You helped out a lot already. Aren''t you afraid he''ll fire you?"


    "Of course I am. But I''ve made up my mind. If Mr. Xi fires me, I''lle work in your coffee shop. But


    you have to match my sry, Maria!" Summer said with a smile.


    "Deal!" said Maria.


    The two women looked at each other, bursting intoughter. They chatted for a while. After


    cautioning her to take good care of herself again, Summer left the hospital. Maria was alone again.


    She had time to think about what her next steps would be.


    After a long while, she took out her phone and dialed a number. "Yeah, it''s me. Spread the news


    that James gave the project, which was supposed to go to YL Group, to HM Group because of a


    woman."


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    The news traveled fast. Within twenty minutes, Jonathan Jiang, the CEO of YL Group, got wind of it.


    Rubbing his chin, Jonathan nodded. ''So it is her!'' he thought inwardly. He remembered the woman


    who attended his son''s birthday party with Norman that evening. She was hard to forget. She was


    hot, and apparently loaded. She bid on two sets of jewelry at the charity auction, and they were


    high-ticket items. And he couldn''t get over how stunning she looked.


    Maria used those charms well. Not only could she get Norman to take her to parties, but James


    listened to her advice on business matters. Jonathan was extremely intrigued by this mystery


    woman. He thought if he cultivated a rtionship with her, it could only buoy the fortunes of YL


    Group. He ordered a detachment of his bodyguards to keep an eye on the woman.


    It was evening now. Maria sat up in bed, reading the news on her phone. She perked up her ears


    when she heard footsteps in the otherwise quiet corridor outside her room. They were getting


    closer.


    Her ward was at the end of the corridor, and the mysterious people in the hallway would have to


    pass several rooms to get to her. They showed no signs of slowing down. They wereing to see


    her.


    Maria switched to the game she''d paused, andy down in bed. She wanted whoever her unknown


    visitors were to underestimate her.


    The footsteps got closer and closer, and she turned up the volume on her phone.


    Soon, someone pushed the door open. Two men came in; one of them was Colby.


    Maria stopped what she was doing and looked at the man in surprise. "Hi, Mr. Zheng!"


    Colby walked in with a big smile on his face. "Maria, I thought you''d be asleep."


    Maria showed him her mobile phone screen and said helplessly, "I''m so bored here. I booted up a


    game."


    Colby sat at the edge of her bed and locked the phone screen for her. "You''re hurt. You should get


    as much rest as you can." ''She''s so shallow. James Xi tried to kill her, and all she can do is y


    games?'' he thought to himself.


    The woman put her phone beside the pillow obediently and looked at him gratefully. "I know. Thank


    you, Mr. Zheng."


    Colby seemed more caring than James. Her ex-husband ordered her killed, and all James could do


    when he got here was make her admit she was wrong. At least Colby was nice to her.


    Colby didn''t mince words with her. He got straight to the point. "What did you do to him? He tried to


    kill you."


    He sent his men to rescue Maria. When they got there, Maria was surrounded by a dozen


    professional assassins. She had been stabbed two or three times already. If his men hadn''t arrived


    in time, one of the killers would have probably slit her throat.


    Judging from the bandages on Maria''s body, Colby didn''t think she was faking it.


    "I have a grudge against Mr. Qin''s daughter. I used Mr. Xi to acquire Qin Group. I also helped HM


    Group get the project. He realized I wasn''t loyal to him." The woman sadly pressed her cheek


    against the pillow, her hands tightly grasping Colby''s. Her beautiful eyes reflectedplex


    emotions.


    Colby patted the back of her hand tofort her and almost believed her. But he knew she was


    calcting, too. James was not an ordinary man. He didn''t get fooled very often, and if he did, he


    turned the tables quickly. He could tell if someone was using him, and Maria ran afoul of that,


    apparently.


    "I see. Take good care of yourself. Here''s a bank card, in case you need it. If you run out of money,


    just let me know." He wouldn''t mistreat anyone who helped him.


    Much to his surprise, Maria didn''t take the card this time. She hesitated. "I can''t do it anymore. I''m


    scared."


    ''She is scared? I can''t let this happen. She''s still useful to me.'' He shoved the card into her hands


    and said, "Don''t worry. Take it. Call me if you need help."


    "All right, Mr. Zheng. And thank you for rescuing me! If it weren''t for you, I''d be a corpse."


    "You''re most wee!"


    The two didn''t talk much. Before leaving, Colby suddenly asked, "Maria, Norman''s working on a


    new product. I''m sure you know about it. Have any idea when it''s supposed to be out?"


    The release date of Norman''s product? That was such a small detail. Why did he care? Maria


    realized Colby was testing her. He was indeed a cunning businessman.


    Maria hesitated for a while and answered, "I''ll check if Norman has blocked me or not." She meant


    she would contact Norman and get the details.


    Colby nodded with satisfaction. "Okay, have a good rest. I''m gone. Good night." "Be careful driving.


    Good night," Maria answered with a charming smile.


    After confirming that he left, Maria found Norman''s ID on WeChat and asked, "Norman, what new


    product is yourpany working on?"


    Norman answered, "Nothing right now."


    Hispany had been tinkering new products, but they were still in development, and it was way


    too early for a release.


    Maria was a little confused. She asked again, "Then why did Colby ask me about the release date


    for your new product?"


    After thinking a while, Norman typed, "To test you. He''s trying to see if you deceived him. And he


    wants to know how important you are to me."


    If Maria had given Colby an answer she thought sounded good, he would know she was lying.


    If Maria was honest with him, at least it meant she asked Norman. Since Norman bothered to give


    her an answer at all, it also meant the two were in contact.


    -------------------------

 Chapter 126 Bitching About Maria

    Chapter 126 Bitching About Maria


    Maria understood totally. She realized that Colby was really a cunning man. After thanking Norman,


    she called Colby. She was upfront with him, telling the businessman that Norman''spany had


    projects in the development phase, but had no ns for releasing any of them now.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Colby was satisfied with her answer. He knew the answer already, and was just testing Maria. He


    apologized and told her he must have heard wrong. The man figured Maria would ept his


    apology and be none the wiser.


    But Maria was no fool, and so she gracefully epted his apology. The two ended the call, but with


    very different views on things. Maria now knew where she stood with Colby.


    In the dead of night, the woman gritted her teeth and ignored the pain all over her body. She


    dragged herself out of bed and staggered to the bathroom to wash her hands. The sanitizer was


    sticky and smelled, but it could prevent infection.


    After all that, she still didn''t feel that good. She slowly walked to the nursing station and found the


    nurse on duty. She smiled and said, "Excuse me. Could you change my bedding, please?"


    That should have been done by cleaning staff during the day. The cleaning staff were off duty. But


    Maria lived in a VIP ward and was nice to the staff, so the nurse had no reason to refuse.


    ''Okay, Ms. Song. One moment please. "Thank you!"


    Maria slowly made her way back to the ward. The nurse followed her in, carrying a new four-piece


    bedding set and changed the sheets and covers for her.


    After that, Maria climbed into bed and closed her eyes, surrendering herself to sleep.


    The next day, the living room of the Song family had been brought to life by the guests. They were


    excited. Lorenzo was supposed to propose to Carolina today.


    In order to keep her reputation and dignity in front of Lorenzo''s parents, ine even called Alina


    over, because she was Mrs. Xi-to-be.


    As soon as the Lan family saw Alina, they knew what the Song family meant. Had they known about


    this, they would''ve called Judy and asked her to join them too.


    But the Lan family didn''t want to make that much of a big deal out of it, so they didn''t call Judy.


    The parents of Lorenzo and Carolina made conversation. The four chatted in the living room, and


    the younger generation were sitting together, gossiping among themselves.


    Somehow, Alina and Dani managed to bring up Maria.


    Dani sneered. "Maria doesn''t know her ce. She used to wear second-hand clothes that my


    sister and I didn''t want. She even called Mr. Xi to¡ª" She stopped abruptly.


    Alina was uneasy. She didn''t like the idea of James and Maria being mentioned in the same breath.


    She asked Dani, "What happened? Why did you stop?"


    Dani was emboldened, and continued her litany ofints. "We went to a clothing outlet, and


    Maria got Mr. Xi to pay for a coat worth two million bucks. She also brazenly walked out of the store


    with the purse I liked. She''s just using him for his money. I don''t mean to me you, Alina. You''re


    going to be his fiancee. You should teach Maria a lesson. Don''t let her take Mr. Xi away from you."


    Carolina didn''t like the way her sister was talking. She frowned and said, "Dani, let''s stay out of


    this. It''s between Mr. Xi and Alina."


    "But I can''t stand Maria! She''s so arrogant. Who does she think she is?" Dani rolled her eyes.


    Dani got quite upset whenever she thought about Maria.


    Lorenzo gave Carolina a look. "Ohe on, Carolina. You know how crass Maria is. You can dress


    a beggar in expensive clothes, but she won''t stop being a beggar, right?"


    He didn''t have the chance to bitch about Maria during working hours. Now that he finally found an


    opening, he couldn''t resist. "Maria asked me to wash Mr. Xi''s water mug. She deliberately left her


    lipstick mark on it. She''s done other things, too, and Mr. Xi wouldn''t punish her. Alina, you have to


    work harder!"


    Theirints shattered Alina''s good mood. She asked uncertainly, "You said Maria used James''


    mug?"


    "Yes, You know Mr. Xi has a serious case of germaphobia. Maria used his mug. He should have


    tossed the mug in the trash." But he didn''t. After asking Lorenzo to disinfect the mug, James


    continued to use it.


    Dani couldn''t stop harping on Maria. "That woman is impossible!"


    Alina gritted her teeth, but she had no choice but to suffer through it. Carolina and Lorenzo were set


    to be engaged by the end of the year, a week after James and Alina''s engagement party.


    In fact, Carolina was a little disgusted by Lorenzo''s little tale, but she kept silent. This was for the


    sake of the family business.


    At HL Group


    Annoyed, James threw the pen aside. After a while, he pressed the button of his internal line to


    summon Summer. When she walked in the office, he said, "Call Maria and tell her that I want to talk


    about herpany."


    "But she''s still in the hospital. Mr. Xi, are you going there to talk to her in person?" Summer asked.


    James nced at her coldly. "She forced me to invest. Why would I go see her? If she still wants


    the money, she cane to me!"


    Summer was speechless. Instead of saying anything else, she simply answered, "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    Then she was about to leave his office and call Maria, but unexpectedly, James added, "Call her


    here."


    "Okay." Summer almost rolled her eyes. ''Mr. Xi, are you on your period? Why are you in such a bad


    mood?'' her inner voice asked.


    Summer called Maria. "Hi, Maria. Did I wake you up? Feeling better?"


    "Here''s the thing. Mr. Xi wants to talk to you about yourpany."


    "Oh, I see. Okay. I''ll tell Mr. Xi. Remember to get lots of rest. Get well soon! Bye." Summer locked


    her phone and calmly told James, "Mr. Xi, Maria said she doesn''t need your investment anymore.


    Her boyfriend has invested in herpany."


    Her boyfriend? Frowning, James asked, "Who''s her boyfriend?"


    "Mr. Lu. Remember, Mr. Xi?" Summer reminded him seriously. ''Are you losing it, Mr. Xi? Maria told


    you she is in love with Lawrence. Why are you asking?'' Summer couldn''t help worrying about


    James'' mental health.


    James stewed silently.


    The CEO didn''t look happy at all, and Summer was too frightened to utter a word.


    She tried to think of countless excuses to leave the awkwardness behind, but she could scarcely


    force herself to say anything. Atst, James said, "Leave!"


    "Yes, Mr. Xi!" With his permission, Summer left the office as fast as she could.


    It was getting dark outside. With a cold face, James picked up his phone and called Lawrence.


    "Let''s go out for a drink," he said when he heard his friend pick up.


    Lawrence replied in an apologetic tone, "Sorry, James. I can''t make it tonight. Maria''s getting


    discharged from the hospital. I have to drive her back."


    James didn''t expect the rejection.


    Wasn''t she seriously injured? Why was she leaving so early? He couldn''t understand what Maria


    was up to.


    James asked icily, "I heard you''re investing in Maria''spany?"


    "Yes, Maria''s got a startup. I put up eighty million. She''ll be the legal representative, shareholder,


    and chairman of thepany." James couldn''t find his tongue again. He always knew his best


    friend was rich, but he didn''t know Lawrence was so generous. They''d been together less than


    three days, right? And he was willing to invest eighty million dors in Maria''spany.


    No wonder Ethan called Maria the enchantress.


    Lawrence urged from the other end of the line, "Hey, I gotta run. Maria has a short fuse, you know. I


    don''t want to keep her waiting. Bye!"


    Si


    Ophelia Q

 Chapter 127 Can Live On Only Air

    Chapter 127 Can Live On Only Air


    For a moment, James lost his tongue. He didn''t know what to say to Lawrence. In his eyes, Maria


    was a temptress who seduced his best friend.


    Eventually, James hung up the phone in silence. For the time being, he didn''t want to hear


    Lawrence''s voice.


    The light in his office was off, so it was a bit dark. James opened the phonebook on his phone and


    looked for Ethan''s number. As soon as Ethan answered his call, he said, "Let''s have a drink."


    "Okay. No problem, James," Ethan answered excitedly.


    James heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Ethan was a reliable friend. "I''ll wait for you in Leopard


    Club."


    "But James, my credit cards have been frozen. I can''t afford to buy you a drink for now."


    James couldn''t help rubbing his temple. "If you want me to unfreeze them, I''ll wait for you in the


    boxing gym," he said. All of a sudden, he felt like his fists were craving to hit someone.


    Ethan panicked at once, regretting that he joked on James. Of course, he didn''t want to be beaten


    up. "No. James, I don''t want..."


    "I''ll give you half an hour," James interrupted. He then hung up decisively without giving Ethan a


    chance to retort.


    Maria was discharged from the hospital even though she hadn''t fully recovered yet. She didn''t want


    to be alone in the hospital, so she dragged her unhealed body back to the hotel.


    After helping her lie down on the bed, Lawrence sat on the sofa and lit a cigarette. "With regards to


    the matter in yourpany, I''m afraid that James will know about it as soon as he looks into it," he


    said.


    The registered capital of Maria''spany was eighty million dors. But the truth was, it was her


    own money. Lawrence had nothing to do with it.


    "Don''t worry. He won''t," Maria replied. It seemed that she was not taking it seriously.


    She knew that James would definitely believe anything that Lawrence said. The eighty-million-dor


    investment didn''t matter to her. What she wanted was, James had to know that Lawrence invested


    in herpany.


    "You sound so certain." Lawrence was amazed by her confidence.


    "Of course!" Maria chuckled. "I''m not saying that I know James very well. But at least, I know him


    more than others do."


    "Okay, if you say so. Well, I''m leaving now. Just call me if you need anything."


    "Nothing really. I just need you to try your best to convince James that we are really in love with


    each other. Whenever he shows up in front of me, you muste to me."


    "Yes. I know what to do," Lawrence replied with a nod before walking towards the door.


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Ethan met James in the boxing gym. But he was not beaten because he was smart enough to hire


    someone who matched James'' boxing skills to fight with James.


    After an hour, James went to the shower room, panting. Ethan followed behind him. "James, I heard


    that Maria is injured. I want to see her. Want toe with me?"


    Ethan had heard the news from Lawrence.


    Earlier, he called Lawrence for some business matters. Lawrence had mentioned to him that Maria


    was injured.


    It was true that he wanted to see Maria. But his main purpose was to bitch about James in front of


    her.


    "No," James refused decisively.


    Ethan didn''t insist. He just nodded and said, "Okay. Please lend me some money. I need to bring a


    gift if I''m going to visit a patient, right?"


    "Go ahead. Just send the bill to me," James replied.


    Ethan couldn''t help heaving a sigh. Now he understood what was going on. It seemed that James''


    anger on him wouldn''t disappear that easily unless he got beaten up.


    Ethan thought for a while. Then he decided to ask Maria first if she could reactivate his frozen credit


    cards. If she could, then he didn''t need to be beaten up by James. But if she couldn''t, he would


    return to James so James could beat him up.


    His eyes lit up with the idea, and his mood lightened.


    Ethan casually waved his hand to James and left the boxing gym right away.


    Looking at Ethan''s receding back, James wondered what was going on in Ethan''s mind. A trace of


    doubt shed through his eyes. He had expected that Ethan would keep pestering him to reactivate


    his credit cards. That was what Ethan normally did to him. Ethan would always negotiate with him


    by all possible means. But today, Ethan left so decisively. He couldn''t help wondering why. When


    Maria opened the door of her hotel room and saw Ethan, she knew what he was going to say.


    Besides, his intive expression had already told her.


    To stop him from whining, she spoke first. "It was my fault that I deceived you. I''ll make it up to you


    in the future."


    Ethan snickered, followed Maria inside, and said, "Maria, don''t worry too much about it. I just felt a


    little wronged. How are you feeling? Who dared to hurt you like this in H City? Didn''t James avenge


    you?"


    Ethan only knew that Maria was injured, but he didn''t know the whole story. Lawrence didn''t tell him


    the details.


    "James wanted to kill me. Who else do you think was capable of doing this to me?" Maria replied


    with amusement.


    Ethan gaped with incredulity. "No way! There must be a misunderstanding."


    He couldn''t figure out why James would want to kill Maria.


    Maria leaned against the chair, looked at Ethan, and asked, "Didn''t James tell you?"


    "Nope." Ethan shook his head, still in a daze.


    Maria smiled. She then changed the topic. "There are some fruits on the table. Help yourself."


    Ethan paid no attention to the fruits as he was not interested in them. Instead, he took out a little


    doll from his pocket and handed it to Maria. "I wanted to give you a huge sum of money as a gift,


    but all of my credit cards were frozen by James because of what we did that evening." Maria looked


    at the pink doll and asked, "What is that?"


    "This is the hidden version of Khaki blind box. One doll is worth tens of thousands of dors. Since


    I''m fortunate enough to get one, I want to give it to you as a gift." Ethan had actually bought a pirate


    version of the blind box.


    But for him to join in the shop''s promotion, he took another two hot-selling Khaki blind boxes. As a


    result, he got the hidden version, which was supposed to be very hard to get in the market.


    Maria took the doll and had a closer look. It was exquisite. It had long golden hair, dressed in a pink


    princess dress and crystal high heels. It instantly reminded her that she was still a young girl at


    heart.


    "I heard that it''s handmade, but I don''t know much about it. I don''t like dolls, after all. I think it''s a girl


    thing. You can put it in your room," Ethan added.


    "Thank you." The doll was so beautiful that Maria couldn''t stop herself from liking it.


    Ethan sat down in the armchair and looked around the room. "Why are you still staying here?


    James hasn''t bought you a house yet?"


    "I prefer to stay here. It''s cozy."


    "Well, as long as you are happy. But I''m a little unhappy. " Although Ethan knew that Maria might


    not be capable of helping him now, he still wanted to give it a try.


    With amusement in her eyes, Maria put the doll aside and asked, "Tell me. How much trouble did I


    get you in?"


    Since James didn''t let her and Qin Group go, he might not let Ethan go either.


    "Do you know that James has frozen my credit cards for six months? It means that I can live on only


    air for half a year." As if he had found a confidant, Ethan told Maria everything pitifully with tears


    welling up in his puppy eyes.


    The truth was, there was one thing that had been bothering Maria for a while. So she took the


    opportunity to ask, "Ethan, what is your rtionship with James?" There was a stern look on her


    face when she asked the question.


    It wasn''t that she was suspecting that they had an affair. She was just curious about their real


    rtionship.


    "Just as you can see, we are best friends," Ethan answered casually.


    Maria stared at him for a while. She could tell that he was not lying. Eventually, she epted his


    answer. Maria had always felt that James was extremely good to Ethan. He treated Ethan the way


    he treated Cooper. "Since you are James'' best friend, did you attend our wedding before?" she


    asked again.


    At that time, she didn''t know Ethan yet, so she was not sure if he had attended their wedding or not.


    "No, I didn''t. I was still a high school student at that time, and I was working hard at school. James


    was also busy back then. We were not that close yet when you two got married."


    She nodded in understanding.


    When Ethan noticed that Maria seemed to be deep in thought, he said, "You have asked me so


    many questions. Will you help me or not?"


    "Ethan, I really want to help you. But as you can see, I can''t even protect my own self now. If you


    want me to put in a good word for you in front of James, I''d rather lend you some money instead."


    "No way! No matter how difficult my situation is, I won''t ever borrow money from a woman," Ethan


    refused at once. He was a man of integrity. He has a backbone.


    Actually, his sry was more than enough to support his own family. But he used to be sovish


    and spent his money carelessly. He didn''t have any savings at all. This bad habit of his brought him


    into this mess now, wherein he couldn''t even support himself.


    -------------------------

 Chapter 128 Love Him To The Bone

    Chapter 128 Love Him To The Bone


    Maria lowered her head and rubbed her temples. After giving it some thought, she suggested, "How


    about you tell me how I can help you?"


    This was really a tough situation. With a frown, Ethan pondered for a while, but suddenly his eyes lit


    up. "Why don''t we do it the simplest way? I mean, you could always use your charm and beauty."


    After all, Maria and James already had an affair.


    "No way!" Maria put an end to his delusions before he continued.


    At the sound of that, Ethan''s face fell. Then he asked helplessly, "Why?"


    "Listen to me carefully! I''m Lawrence''s girlfriend now!" Maria stressed each syble.


    "What? I beg your pardon. I think I misheard you. Who are you to Lawrence again? Would you care


    to repeat that part?" Ethan was so shocked that he couldn''t help jumping off the sofa and throwing a


    bunch of questions at Maria.


    Maria, in turn, shook her head helplessly. Ethan was just a silly young man who was easy to


    deceive. "You heard it right. I''m in love with Lawrence."


    "Why?" Ethan gaped. He couldn''t believe her.


    "And why not? Can''t we be together?"


    "Of course not! You belong with James!" Ethan was fully convinced that one day Maria and James


    would remarry. It was only a matter of time.


    "That''s in the past. As you know, he''s going to be engaged to Alina after the Mid-Autumn Festival."


    Maria shrugged.


    Of course, Ethan was aware of James'' ns. "Damn! You can''t be with Lawrence!" He stamped his


    feet.


    Maria held back herughter and reminded him gently, "I''m already with Lawrence."


    "Humph! This Lawrence Lu! How dare he seduce his friend''s wife? Had he forgotten Moses'' tenth


    commandment?" the young man asked through his teeth.


    "Moses'' tenthmandment?" Maria asked in confusion.


    "Yes!"


    "What is it about?" Maria had no clue.


    Ethan, however, was in no mood to exin it to her. "Google it yourself. All I can say is that you are


    in a huge mess. How can you be with Lawrence? Why do you keep getting in trouble?"


    Murmuring to himself, he pulled out his phone and found the WeChat group which James,


    Lawrence, and he were in. He sent a voice message, mentioning Moses'' tenthmandment to


    Lawrence as he just did to Maria.


    Lawrence and James heard the message almost at the same time. When Lawrence warned Ethan


    to delete the message, it was toote. James had already finished listening to it.


    Two words immediately shed through James'' mind: The Sinner. The man who spent thest two


    days annoyed felt better. The next moment, he replied to Ethan''s message in the chat group. "I''ve


    asked the bank to increase your credit card limit by one million dors."


    As he received this unexpected message, Ethan jumped with excitement this time, startling Maria,


    who was researching the tenthmandment on her phone.


    Ethan asked her, "Maria, do you want to go out for a drink? It''s my treat!"


    Maria sighed in frustration. Then she quietly pointed to the gauze wrapped around her arm.


    Nevertheless, Ethan couldn''t mask his delight. "Oh, I''m sorry, I forgot. Anyway, Maria, have a good


    rest. I''lle back to see you whenever I''m free! Bye!"


    Maria silently waved at him as she watched him rushing out of her suite like a crazy animal.


    In the evening, Lawrence nned to find Ethan and skin him alive. However, as soon as Ethan


    heard the news, he sought shelter in HL Group while Lawrence was still on his way.


    In the CEO''s Office, the three men exchanged nces with one another. Suddenly, they felt a bit


    awkward.


    Ethan looked at the two men up and down. Just when he thought they were about to start throwing


    punches at each other, Lawrence broke the silence and asked James straightforwardly, "What are


    you so angry about?"


    James tried to remain indifferent as he thought Lawrence was out of his mind. Or maybe he was


    joking. After all, James Xi never got angry. "Don''t assume you know me that well. Why would I be


    angry?" he asked, dodging Lawrence''s question. Lawrence smiled. "Don''t get me wrong, it''s good


    that you aren''t. But I''ve finally got a girlfriend, and I was just wondering why you haven''t


    congratted me yet."


    "Because there''s nothing to congratte you for. You''re not suitable for each other, and above all


    else, this woman doesn''t deserve you," James stated. Maria didn''t only kill his son, but also kept


    hitting on him and had an affair with him. She wasn''t worthy of a great guy like Lawrence Lu.


    "Well, in love, there''s no such a thing. James, you might not know that the person you despise is the


    one another cherishes the most but never has a chance with." Lawrence meant it. He had seen a


    man confessing his love for Maria before. He was a doctor, son of a couple of government officials.


    His background was way above hers.


    Yet Maria refused him on the spot, letting him know that she was a divorced woman.


    The man didn''t mind it at all. He even promised her that he would be good to her.


    Still, Maria insisted she loved her ex-husband to the bone.


    As he heard her refusal, the doctor had no choice but to give up.


    At this time, Ethan felt the urge to echo Lawrence''s words. "James, he''s right. The woman you


    rejected may be the goddess in another man''s eyes!"


    James'' eyes darkened as he looked at his two best friends. Although Ethan just said it casually, he


    couldn''t help thinking Lawrence was talking about himself.


    In the end, James decided to ignore the subject. Perhaps he didn''t want his two best friends to


    know what he was thinking. He just didn''t know why. Realizing James wasn''t going to say anything,


    Lawrence shook his head helplessly and said, "I''ve got to go. I have a dinner party tonight."


    James kept silent, but Ethan was too afraid to get beaten and was looking forward to seeing


    Lawrence gone. So he said eagerly, "See you."


    Lawrence gave Ethan a warning look, indicating that they weren''t done yet. Then he turned around


    and left James'' office.


    As the door was closed, Ethan walked over to James and held his shoulders before leaning to


    whisper in his ear, "James, don''t be sad. No matter what happens, I''ll always love you!"


    ''Okay, this was disgusting,'' Ethan thought, sickened.


    Fortunately, there were only two of them in the office. If anyone had heard Ethan just now, there


    would certainly be rumors about them again.


    "Fuck off!" James shoved Ethan away with a frown. He didn''t know why, but he was still pretty


    annoyed.


    Feeling a little better in his stomach, Ethan straightened up his clothes and said, "I''m d you


    pushed me away just now, or I would have puked on you. People like to gossip about what kind of


    rtionship we have, if you know what I mean. Do you think they''re blind?"


    James was in an extremely bad mood. So the moment Ethan met the sinister look in his eyes, he


    rushed out of the office without caring to say goodbye.


    Even after he was gone, he feared that James would seek him out.


    He knew James would find fault with people around him when he was furious. Since Ethan couldn''t


    afford to offend James, he chose to hide from him for the time being.


    In the next few days, James began to feel there were too many things bothering himtely.


    One afternoon, after he came back from a meeting, he overhead Summer on a phone call in the


    lounge. "Maria, how are you? Are you getting better?"


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Oh, I''m much better. I''m in Miracle Cafe now. Come over and have some coffee with me when


    you''re free," Maria said happily on the phone.


    "Okay. Wait, is that Mr. Lu''s voice? Is he there?"


    "Yes, he is."


    Summer was making tea for herself in the lounge. She turned off the tap above her cup and said


    with a smile, "Mr. Lu cares so much about you. Hees to see you every day during his vacation!"


    James stopped in his tracks, feeling annoyed by the lounge''s door.


    Although he couldn''t hear Maria''s words on the other end of the line, he remained standing there


    analyzing the door as the two women talked. "He''s my private handyman. I''ll call you back.


    Lawrence is about to change the bulb for me."


    Indeed, Lawrence was in Miracle Cafe. He was nning to just pass by and take a look at Maria''s


    coffee shop. He didn''t expect that one of the light bulbs would burn out. Since he was already there,


    Maria asked him for help.


    "Okay, I got it! Now stop rubbing this love of yours in my face! Anyway, I have to go back to work as


    well. Bye!" Summer said.


    After hanging up the phone, Summer turned around to return to her desk with the tea. However,


    unexpectedly, she found James standing behind her.


    Taken aback, she controlled her urge to scream and greeted him, "Hi, Mr. Xi!"


    With his eyes fixed on the door, James ordered, "This door is awful. Change it."


    The next moment, he turned around and walked into his office.


    &


    Ophelia Q

 Chapter 129 He Was Silly

    Chapter 129 He Was Silly


    Summer was in a daze. She looked back at the milky white wooden door to the lounge. The paint


    wasn''t faded or chipped. The door was in pristine condition. Why did James want to change it?


    But she wasn''t supposed to ask why. He ordered it, and she had to obey. So she picked up the


    phone and called in a work order.


    Half an hourter, Summer received a phone call from the moody man. "The design department


    and the publicity department have just finished their projects. They worked extremely hard. As a


    reward, each of them gets a cup of coffee from the coffee shop across the street. See to it."


    "Hmm. Okay, Mr. Xi!" Summer stood up from her seat and was about to head downstairs.


    She also did some quick math. There were more than a thousand employees in the design


    department and publicity department altogether. Summer heaved a sigh and shook her head. ''Maria


    will be super busy again.''


    But she asked, "I assume you want to me to use the corporate ount to pay for it, Mr. Xi?"


    The man''s thin lips pursed tightly. After a long time, he said, "Their boss still owes me money. We


    don''t need to pay."


    Summer gaped again. She wondered if his reluctance to pay was due to his feud with Maria, but


    she dutifully went downstairs after hanging up the phone.


    When Summer entered Miracle Cafe and told Maria about the order, Maria was also taken aback.


    She asked, "How many cups of coffee this time?"


    "Hmm...six hundred. He also said he didn''t need to pay," Summer said. Some of the employees


    were on business trips or on vacation today, so the rest could be bought tomorrow.


    "All right, fine. But he needs to tip us. Make sure he knows that," Maria said, drawing up task


    sheets. ''I need to call in more people,'' she thought. She would at least get some money back from


    James.


    Taking a sip of freshly brewed coffee, Summer looked at the woman with pleading eyes. "Maria, Mr.


    Xi has been acting weirdtely. Maybe you could text him and let him know?"


    Maria looked up at her, thinking. Send a message to James? She hesitated for a moment and


    nodded. "Sure!


    Lawrence walked downstairs right then. "Maria, I''m done with the bulb."


    "Mr. Lu!" Summer greeted him with a wave.


    Lawrence nodded at her. "Hi, Summer. What''s up?"


    Maria handed another cup of coffee to him and said, "Freshly brewed. Try it."


    Without a second thought, Lawrence took the coffee from her and gulped it down. Then he put the


    empty cup on the bar counter and said, "Thanks!"


    Maria was amazed, looking into the cup and wondering if she had handed him brandy instead. It


    was the first time that she had seen someone drink coffee that quickly.


    Summer was astonished. ''Mr. Lu, isn''t your tongue burned?'' she thought to herself. Noticing their


    shocked gazes, Lawrence shrugged them off. "Got anything else that needs doing? If not, I''ll see


    youter." He had something else to do.


    "Okay, thank you. And as for seeing youter? Count on it!" Maria waved to him.


    "Okay."


    After Lawrence left, Summer approached the woman who was washing the cups and whispered,


    "You know, he''s a great guy. Why not go out with him?"


    Maria put the washed cup into the disinfection cab. It hummed as the UV rays washed over the


    cups inside. "He''s a good man, but he''s still a virgin. I''d better not corrupt him. I''m not worried about


    James, though. He''s already corrupt."


    Summer thought it made sense. "I''m on your side!"


    "I knew you would be!" Maria smiled.


    "Of course." The two smiled at each other.


    After Summer left, Maria sent a message to James. "Mr. Xi, this is my bank ount number. The


    coffee''s free. Please transfer the tip. I still need to pay my employees."


    After a long while, James replied, "Come to my office."


    "Then forget it. That''s not appropriate." This was Maria''s reply.


    Appropriate? Reading the heartless words, James became furious. He replied, "Are you serious?


    Get over here, or no deal."


    Maria curled her lips and sent him her final message, "Stingy Xi." Then she blocked him on WeChat


    just to show her displeasure.


    James replied, "I dare you to say that again!"


    However, he saw a red exmation mark in front of his message, which showed it hadn''t gone


    through. She blocked him! No one had ever blocked James on social media before. Maria was the


    first. But he knew he''d made her mad.


    James stood up, kicked away the chair, and left the office like a tornado.


    When a secretary tried to follow him, James turned and held out a hand. The secretary stopped,


    and James continued on his way alone.


    A few minutester, someone pushed the door of the cafe open. A busy shop assistant continued


    working while saying, "Sorry, we''re closed today. Please... Oh, hello, Mr. Xi!"


    Facing away from the door, Maria heard the shop assistant greet the personing in. She smiled


    and thought, ''Why is he here in person? Was it the Stingy Xi crack?''


    Standing at the bar counter and looking at the busy woman, James calmed down.


    A memory shed through his mind. He stood there, hands on his hips. He watched the woman, but


    his mind was somewhere else.


    Maria told him out of the blue that she was dating Lawrence. It happened so fast he wondered


    whether they were pulling his leg.


    Maria turned around and asked indifferently, "Mr. Xi, what brings you here? Supervising the coffee-


    making process?" The man pursed his thin lips and looked at the woman without saying a word.


    Maria was frightened by his gaze. She knocked on the table in front of him to wake him up. "Hello?


    James, what are you doing here? Thanks to you, we''re closed today."


    He ordered almost a thousand cups of coffee again. They were shorthanded dealing with this order,


    so she had to close the shop.


    James took out his phone and said, "I ordered some coffee. I''m here to give you the tip. How much


    do I owe you?"


    Maria didn''t answer him right away. She hadn''t done the math yet.


    But she didn''t mind at all, James seemed almost eager to pay. Ignoring his change of heart for the


    moment, Maria took out a calctor and pressed buttons. "Let''s see. ounting for overtime


    compensation, bonuses, lost business...I''ll give you a discount. Say, sixty bucks a cup?" We''ll serve


    you a thousand cups over two days, sixty thousand dors total. Please transfer the money, Mr. Xi."


    James sneered. Wow. She was really sticking it to him. That was the first he heard about these


    costs being passed on to the client. While sending a message to Lorenzo, he reminded her kindly,


    "If you keep doing this, you''ll go bankrupt, Maria."


    Maria knew what he meant. She put the calctor back and retorted proudly, "Nah. I''m too pretty to


    fail. Don''t you think, Mr. Xi?"


    James didn''t answer her. "I think I''ll buy up your shop one day." He was gleefully looking at her


    expression. With that, he walked to the door without another word. Maria snorted and used his own


    words against him. "Sometimes it''s good to have such a big dream."


    James paused, but then left.


    Soon, Maria was six hundred thousand dors richer. James had deposited that much.


    She had to count it three times, because she didn''t believe it. He owed sixty thou, and he put


    $600,000 in the ount.


    She was overjoyed. Everyone knew James was rich. Now she thought he was a little silly.


    After two days of hard work, Maria and her baristas finally finished the order of more than a


    thousand cups of coffee for HL Group. She gently touched her wounds. Fortunately, they were


    healing, so she could help her baristas from time to time.


    If James gave her another order of a thousand cups of coffee, she and her employees would die


    from overwork.


    When the Mid-Autumn Festival arrived, Maria gave everyone the day off and closed the cafe. That


    was a reward for all their hard work.


    Maria slept in that day and didn''t get up until noon.


    After lunch, she went to the hospital to visit Gordon, bearing gifts.


    Gordon was in good condition. He was due to be discharged, if the exam showed no anomalies.


    After visiting Gordon, Maria went to the cemetery to give some children''s moon cakes to Arthur.


    Finally, she drove to New South District without stopping. When she arrived at the vi vicinage in


    New South District, it was getting dark. She pulled up to the gate of one of the vis. Then she


    honked the horn and soon a middle-aged woman came out. She approached the car and asked,


    "Maria, is that you?"


    &


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    Ophelia EKEfi

 Chapter 130 Funan Rosewood

    Chapter 130 Funan Rosewood


    Maria rolled down the car window and greeted her, "Hi, Tami. Yes, it''s me!"


    She then drove into the vi when the gate opened. Tami followed her in. As soon as her car


    stopped, Tami opened the door for her and said with a smile, "I''m so d you''vee, Maria. Mr.


    and Mrs. Xi have been talking about you the whole afternoon."


    Maria got out of the car and walked to the trunk. She opened it while saying, "I dropped by the


    supermarket and bought some ingredients. I''m going to cook for Grandpa and Grandma tonight."


    "You are still as filial as before. I''m sure that they will be very happy," Tami said with a smile. She


    then helped Maria carry the bags inside.


    An old woman appeared at the front door. Her white hair was set into a bun at the top of her head,


    adorned with an emerald hairpin. With the long loose ck dress with dark patterns she was


    wearing and a silk shawl on her shoulders, she was giving off an unusual temperament. She was


    Charlotte, James'' grandmother


    When she saw Maria and Tami walking towards the door, she amiably smiled. "Maria, I know that


    you are here."


    With several big and small bags in her hands, Maria walked up to her. "Grandma, I''m so sorry that


    I''m a bitte." The truth was, she felt sorry because she hadn''t visited the two elders during the Mid-


    Autumn Festival in the past years. "It doesn''t matter. You are here now, and I''m so d to see you


    again." Charlotte smiled and kept repeating herst sentence to herself.


    Maria carried all of the bags in her left hand and held Charlotte''s arm with the right. "Where is


    Grandpa?"


    "Oh, he''s in the study," Charlotte answered, smiling from ear to ear. Knowing that Maria was here,


    Augustine had deliberately put on airs.


    Before Maria and Charlotte entered the living room together, Maria put down all the bags aside and


    went to change into a pair of slippers.


    Charlotte just stood at the side and watched her. When she took off her high heels, Charlotte


    nodded with satisfaction andmented, "Maria, you have gotten so much prettier."


    Maria smiled at her, put on the slippers, and held her arm again. "Grandma, you are still the same.


    I''ve missed you so much."


    Before Charlotte could say anything, a stern old voice was heard from inside. "Humph! Don''t be


    fooled by her. She doesn''t miss you at all." Maria hadn''te to visit them for several years.


    Charlotte and Maria exchanged nces and smiled at each other. Maria stuck out her tongue,


    winked at Charlotte, and whispered, "Grandma, I''ll just go inside to greet him."


    Charlotte nodded, thinking inwardly, ''I didn''t know that this old man could also lose his patience


    sometimes.''


    Maria entered the living room with something in her hand. A thin old man was sitting on the sofa,


    looking out of the window with his legs crossed. Obviously, he deliberately looked away. Augustine


    was also like James. They were both difficult to deal with.


    Maria plucked up the courage to walk up to him and tried to break the ice. "Grandpa, I''m here to see


    you and Grandma."


    Augustine snorted coldly, still keeping an aloof expression on his face. "Well, you are super busy.


    Howe you suddenly remember to visit us? It''s unbelievable!"


    Before she could be embarrassed by Augustine, Maria hurriedly handed over the thing in her hands


    to him. "Grandpa, I''m so sorry. I''ve brought you a walking stick made from Funan rosewood."


    ''Funan rosewood?'' Augustine repeated in his mind. It was only then that he turned his head and


    looked at Maria. When he saw the walking stick in her hand, his eyes lit up. He couldn''t help but


    confirm, "Is that really made from Funan rosewood?"


    Seeing the sudden change in his expression, Maria breathed a sigh of relief. She crouched down in


    front of him, took off the wrapper, and showed him the walking stick. "Yes, Grandpa. I brought a


    string of Buddhist beads for Grandma and a walking stick for you."


    Charlotte, who followed Maria in, suddenly said in a trembling voice, "ording to the ''Annotation


    of Ancient and Modern: Grass and Trees'' of Cui Bao in Jin Dynasty, the purple sandalwood which


    comes from Funan, is also known as rosewood. This is a rare one. Good girl, thank you."


    "It''s my pleasure, Grandma." Maria took another paper bag and took out the string of Buddha


    beads. She then handed it to Charlotte.


    Augustine looked at the walking stick, smelled its fragrance, and said stubbornly, "Humph! If she is


    really a good girl, she shouldn''t have ignored us for so many years.


    With a guilty look on her face, Maria was about to exin to them. But Charlotte waved at her and


    said, "Don''t mind him. This old man is just being naughty right these days."


    As Augustine got older, he had also be more childish. The famous business tycoon in the past


    was now a naughty old man.


    Maria smiled knowingly and said, "Now that I''m back in H City, I wille to visit you more often


    when I''m free. Grandpa, I hope it won''t irritate you."


    "Of course, it will! Don''t disturb our peaceful world," Augustine snapped without even raising his


    head. His eyes were fixed on the walking stick.


    To pacify him, Maria finally said, "Okay, Grandpa. I won''te here if there''s nothing special. But if


    something happens, I''ll immediatelye to you."


    Upon hearing her words, Augustine red at her and said, "You are deliberately pissing me off,


    aren''t you?"


    Maria pretended to be innocent. "But Grandpa, it was you who doesn''t want me toe here."


    Augustine got more pissed off that his eyes widened, short of breath. Charlotte couldn''t help


    chuckling.


    After having a short chat with the two elders, Maria went to the kitchen to cook dinner. Tami came to


    help her.


    Maria was pouring oil into the pot when she suddenly remembered that she forgot the eggs in the


    fridge. She leaned back a little and yelled at the door, "Tami, bring me two eggs, please. Thanks!"


    "Okay!" Tami yelled back. After a short while, Maria heard some footsteps behind her. She was


    about to say something when she realized that the footsteps didn''t sound like Tami''s.


    She turned around. Indeed, it wasn''t Tami but James.


    He was wearing a white shirt, a ck waistcoat, and a pair of trousers. He had also changed into a


    pair of slippers. As soon as their eyes met, he handed her the two eggs in his hand.


    Maria''s heart skipped a beat when she caught sight of James. But she tried to calm herself down


    and looked at the eggs. She didn''t take them. She turned around, continued stirring the vegetables


    in the wok, and ordered, "Mr. Xi, please beat the eggs in a bowl."


    There was a trace of alienation in her voice.


    James knew how to cook, but it had been a long while since thest time he cooked.


    He didn''t refuse. Instead, he put the eggs on the table, walked to the sink, and washed his hands.


    He then went to the cab and took out a bowl.


    James was not that skilled, but he managed to beat the eggs evenly.


    When he finished beating the eggs, Maria took the bowl from him and poured it into the wok. She


    then continued to cook in silence.


    James didn''t leave. He stood beside her and watched her every move.


    With his presence, Maria felt that the kitchen became a bit crowded. He was so imposing that she


    couldn''t just ignore him. Every time she went back and forth to get something, she would


    identally bump into him. But instead of apologizing, she red at him and said coldly, "If you


    have nothing else to do here, don''t stand in my way.


    James was rendered speechless.


    He didn''t think he was standing in her way. He came in to help her, and he didn''t expect that she


    would be so ungrateful.


    James turned around and decisively left the kitchen.


    Maria breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, the pressure behind her disappeared. She could focus on


    her cooking again.


    In the living room, Augustine red at James who was now wearing a long face. "Didn''t I tell you to


    help her? What are you doing here?"


    James nced at him coldly and answered, "She doesn''t need it."


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    "Humph! You must be too dumb to do anything there. Perhaps you''re only causing trouble so she


    has driven you away."


    James couldn''t find the right words to retort. Why did he feel that everyone in the house despised


    him?


    Fortunately, Charlotte and Tami were not in the living room. He only had to deal with Augustine.


    Augustine looked in the direction of the kitchen and murmured, "Try to have another baby. It would


    be better if you can have two babies by the end of next year."


    ''Grandpa, we haven''t seen each other for only a few days. When have you started to suffer from


    amnesia?'' James retorted inwardly. He then reminded Augustine lightly, "We have divorced."

 Chapter 131 Stop Seducing Me

    Chapter 131 Stop Seducing Me


    At that moment, the memories seemed to flood back to Augustine. With a heavy sigh and tears in


    his eyes, he said, "I just want you to make up for the loss of Arthur. Why is it so difficult?"


    "I''m going to be engaged to Alina Tang. You will have a great-grandson after we are married,"


    James reminded him gently.


    "Alina Tang?" Augustine thumped on the tea table. "I won''t recognize any baby she gives birth to!


    This illegitimate child will never be allowed to be part of the Xi family!"


    Fortunately, Maria had just thrown some vegetables into the hot oil pan, and the sizzling sound


    blocked any noiseing from outside the kitchen.


    When it came to the marriage between Alina and him, James could never persuade Augustine to


    ept it, so he didn''t respond.


    "Why would a nice girl want to be with a divorced man? In my opinion, she''s desperate to marry into


    the Xi family because you''re young, handsome, and most of all, wealthy. If you were twenty years


    older with more wrinkles and less money, I don''t think she would spare you a single nce."


    James replied, "No one''s saying this marriage isn''t about money. I know that''s all Alina cares about,


    and honestly, so do I. It''s a win-win situation."


    He also wanted to marry Alina for the profits and the money. So, what was the difference between


    them? "Alright, but you''d better know what you''re doing. You''re so stubborn. I still think you''re going


    to regret it someday!" Although Augustine hadn''t taken charge of HL Group nor cared about any


    business for a long time, he still could see everything clearly.


    After that, it didn''t take long until dinner was ready.


    As Maria began to serve the dishes, James decided to be helpful and walked towards the


    kitchen to give her a hand.


    When he was about to pick up the soup, Maria unexpectedly held his arm. "Mr. Xi, please, just wait


    outside. I''ll take care of everything here."


    James looked at her hand on his arm and cast a cold nce at her. Losing his patience, he asked,


    "Maria Song, what the hell do you want?"


    Maria smiled at the question. Then she became serious again and said, "I just want to avoid


    arousing any suspicion about us. Can''t you tell? We''re alone in the kitchen. If Lawrence hears about


    it, how am I going to exin this to him? If I had known you would be here tonight, I would have


    come for a visit tomorrow!"


    This was the second time James heard her mention she wanted to avoid arousing suspicion.


    He was about to argue when Maria interrupted him, "Okay, let''s forget about Lawrence for a


    moment. You also have a fiancee-to-be. Shouldn''t you want to avoid arousing suspicion about any


    rtionship between you and your ex-wife as well?"


    James was speechless. As much as it was hard for him to admit, her words made sense.


    Losing any interest in helping, James turned around and went to the bathroom to wash his hands.


    Afterward, he sat at the dining table and waited for dinner to be served.


    In the meantime, Augustine had already arranged the seats perfectly in his mind. "Charlotte, sit next


    to me. James, you sit with Maria opposite us. Tami, remove the other chairs."


    In his eyes, they were all family members.


    "Yes, sir," Tami answered.


    Before James and Maria had the chance to object, four chairs out of eight had been removed,


    leaving the table arranged as Augustine had nned.


    After serving the dishes, Maria was thest one to sit down. As she settled next to James, she was


    facing Charlotte, who was smiling at her.


    In order to avoid any embarrassment, she picked up a piece of beef and some pumpkin with a pair


    of chopsticks before serving them in Charlotte''s bowl. "Grandma, this is beef and pumpkin curry.


    The meat is cooked longer than usual, so it''s already soft and well done. It''s easy to chew. Have a


    try."


    "Oh, good! You always cook the best dishes, Maria! Let me have a try." Charlotte took the beef to


    her mouth and soon nodded as she chewed with satisfaction.


    ncing at the woman next to him, James snorted to himself, ''She''s really good at charming the


    elders, isn''t she?''


    "This porridge takes Chinese yam, spareribs, and corn. I''ve let it cook for two hours. Grandpa and


    Grandma, I''ll serve a bowl for each of you." Maria put some porridge in two bowls and ced them


    in front of the elders.


    Charlotte said, "Maria, you''ve been busy for such a long time already. Come on, help yourself and


    eat!"


    "Okay. Thank you, Grandma!" Maria didn''t insist anymore. She leaned back in her seat and began


    to eat.


    During dinner, the four of them didn''t say anything. Except for the asional little noises Maria


    made when picking up the food or serving porridge for the two elders, they all ate quietly.


    Augustine and Charlotte enjoyed the dinner very much.


    After everyone had finished eating, Tami cleaned the table, and Maria went back to the kitchen.


    As Maria came out again, she was carrying a tray, which she ced in front of the elders.


    "Grandpa, Grandma, these are some cookies and bread I baked. They are all sugar-free and


    gluten-free. You can take them as snackster. But make sure you finish them in a week.


    Otherwise, they will start to taste bad. You may also have them for breakfast if you''d like to."


    Looking at those little cookies and bread that smelled delicious on the tray, James couldn''t help but


    feel jealous. He thought, ''Why didn''t I get such treatment when Maria asked me to remarry her a


    few weeks ago?''


    Next, he said, "I don''t have anything for breakfast tomorrow at home."


    The two elders exchanged looks, sharing the same thought. Maybe their grandson wasn''t that


    stupid in the game of love, after all.


    Still, Maria calmly refused his implied request. "Well, if you don''t have anything at home, you should


    call Alina. I''m sure she could deliver something to you tonight." Since they were divorced, there was


    no need to show off affection in front of the elders. Anyway, Maria was not in the mood for that right


    now.


    James was rather shocked to get refused like that. Besides, anything delivered at night wouldn''t be


    served as breakfast but as a night snack instead. Standing up, James grabbed Maria''s wrist and


    leaned over to whisper in her ear, "Come with me. I have something to talk to you about."


    Maria tried to get rid of his grip, but he held her too tight. Not wanting to embarrass herself in front


    of the elders, she smiled awkwardly at them while James dragged her to a room.


    Charlotte and Augustine were left shocked in the living room as they watched the scene. The man


    then whispered to his wife, "Dear, James wasn''t in love with Maria before, was he?"


    "No, not as far as I remember it." Charlotte shook her head.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    "Do you think our grandson might have fallen in love with Maria after all these years?"


    "I think so."


    Rubbing his chin, Augustine smiled. He thought the same. "Are we any closer to having a great-


    grandson?"


    "Yep, I suppose we are."


    Satisfied, Augustine nodded in agreement with his wife.


    In the room, Maria finally got rid of the man''s grip. "What''s wrong with you? Why did you have to


    drag me all the way here?"


    James didn''t say a word. He closed the door and rested his right arm in the wall behind Maria,


    trapping her.


    Once she met his dark eyes again, Maria''s heart began to pound in her chest as she tried her best


    to find her voice. "What do you want to talk about? Go ahead, speak!" In her head, she begged,


    ''Stop seducing me!''


    Still silent, James took two steps forward, forcing Maria to press her back against the wall. As soon


    as she realized their bodies were about toe together, she stretched out her hands to stop him


    from getting any near. "Just say it. There''s no need for you to get so close!"


    The man lowered his head slightly and asked, "Did you really think I wouldn''t figure out your n,


    huh?"


    "What n?" Maria asked calmly. But inside, she wondered whether Lawrence had told him the


    truth.


    "First, you hit on me to arouse my interest. Then you yed hard to get and began to date


    Lawrence, just so in the end, you could dump me after gaining my heart." He had spent thest two


    hours thinking about it before he got to this conclusion.


    Maria felt the urge to apud him but held herself back. She had to admit this man was really


    smart. He had guessed over half of her n right. She just wouldn''t tell him that, of course. "Mr. Xi,


    you''re overthinking it. I simply lost my interest in a man who keeps trying to kill me. I''ve had


    enough."


    Lost her interest? James couldn''t believe her words. Ignoring her hands between them, he bent his


    head further and closed the distance between them even more.


    &


    Ophelia Q

 Chapter 132 Moon Cakes

    Chapter 132 Moon Cakes


    Seeing James was about close in for a kiss, Maria resisted the impulse to close her eyes and kiss


    him back. She turned her head and said, "I''m Lawrence''s girlfriend now. This is so not cool! Mr. Xi,


    please don''t touch me again! I''m loyal to Lawrence!"


    ''Loyal to Lawrence? Screw her!'' His hot breath moistened her face. Gritting his teeth, he said, "You


    don''t love him. Stop ying these games! If you hurt him, I swear I''ll¡ª"


    Maria suddenlyughed, cutting him off. "You don''t want me to hurt him? So should I hurt you


    instead? But did you give me a chance? Are you willing to?" ''You son of bitch!'' she thought to


    herself.


    "I don''t want you to hurt anyone! I won''t let you!" he threatened.


    He wouldn''t let her get what she wanted. The woman wanted to hurt him? Keep dreaming.


    Maria raised her hand and shook it in front of him. She asked again, "Do you think my hand is good


    looking enough?


    You''d look good with my handprint on your face!"


    James grasped her wrist and warned her fiercely, "Hit me again, I''ll chop it off!"


    "You touch me again, and I''ll chop off your hard member!"


    After saying that, the woman broke free from his grip, spun on her heel, and left, ignoring his livid


    face. Maria tidied her clothes and went back to the living room as if nothing had happened.


    The two elders were still chatting in the living room. When they saw hering out, they


    instinctively looked past her. James couldn''t be far behind.


    James followed her out, and he didn''t look happy at all.


    Seeing that, Augustine shook his head helplessly. Although he didn''t know anything about the


    discussion those two had, he could tell it didn''t go well.


    It was already eight o''clock in the evening. Maria bid the elders farewell.


    Augustine stared at his grandson. James had been reticent since he fought with Maria. The old man


    said, "Goodbye Maria. Goodbye, James." He stressed that final goodbye. It was a sign he wanted


    James to leave as well. He was still angry at James. And why not? He failed to protect his own son!


    James quietly stood up from the sofa, put on his shoes, and followed Maria out of the vi.


    There were two cars in the parking garage, a white BMW and a ck limited edition Bentley


    Mulsanne.


    Maria hade to the vi first. When she drove in, there were no other cars around, so she just


    parked it wherever.


    The driver of the Bentley Mulsanne was careful and precise. He managed to squeeze in beside her


    BMW.


    The two elders watched them get in their cars and bade them farewell before returning to the vi.


    Maria got in the BMW and started the engine.


    James'' car was too close to hers. If she wanted to drive off, she had to do so carefully. She wasn''t


    that good a driver, and it was difficult for her to park the car in the garage.


    The Bentley Mulsanne didn''t move at all, so Maria had to move her car forward first and then throw


    it in reverse to avoid clipping his car. She moved forward, right, backward... Bang!


    Maria miscalcted the angle and she smacked right into the Bentley.


    Thanks to the dim light, Maria couldn''t see James'' expression. She could imagine it, though. His car


    was much more expensive than hers.


    He didn''t get out of the car and neither did she.


    She kept moving the car. Two minutester, she was still trying to leave the parking space.


    The tragedy happened again. Maria mistook the elerator for the brake. Her car hit the Bentley


    Mulsanne again.


    Maria was getting more and more flustered. This was annoying.


    Finally, she unfastened her seat belt, emerged from the BMW, and knocked on the window of the


    Bentley.


    The man in the car was smoking. Seeing her impatient expression, he sneered, "Are you through


    destroying my car yet?"


    "You''re the better driver. Can''t you leave first?" Maria asked. She wondered why he had to wait for


    her to drive away first. Was he doing that on purpose?


    James exhaled a cloud of smoke and looked in the rearview mirror. "I want to leave, but you are in


    the way."


    Maria looked and found he was telling the truth. She spent so much time but she didn''t reverse the


    car at all. All that time trying to reorient the car, and all she seeded in doing was blocking his


    way out.


    Realizing she was in the wrong, she tried to fix it. "Could you back the car out for me?" she


    whispered.


    Much to her surprise, James answered, "No, I can''t. It would look inappropriate. Why don''t you call


    Lawrence?"


    Maria red at him. ''Son of bitch!'' she swore at him again. Maria was about to blow up. She kicked


    the tire of the Bentley Mulsanne. "So yes or no?"


    "No."


    "Nice. You''re a real human being!" Maria suddenly turned around and yelled towards the vi.


    "Grandpa, Grandma!"


    "Fine, I''ll back the car out!" The calm man was efficient and quick. No sooner had he finished


    speaking than he was already out of the car, cigarette between his cold lips.


    Maria did not bother disguising her glee.


    After casting her an icy re, James got in her BMW and drove the car to the vi gate in a few


    seconds.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    The woman was stunned by his skills. He did what she failed to do, and in record time.


    So why didn''t he just drive off first? He was waiting for her to hit him. He knew it would happen.


    Probably so he could charge her for repairs.


    Under the woman''s suspicious gaze, James went back to his own car, started the engine and left


    the vi.


    On the second floor of the vi, Charlotte moved to the window and looked at the two cars at the


    gate of the vi. "Someone was yelling, Augustine," she said with uncertainty.


    "No. You must be hearing things." Of course Augustine heard it as well. It waste at night, and


    Maria''s voice carried.


    It was none of their business. Instead of meddling in the young couple''s matters, they should just


    pretend they hadn''t heard a thing.


    "Really?" Charlotte asked doubtfully. Did she hear imaginary voices, then?


    The two cars drove into town one by one.


    When they almost arrived at the hotel where Maria stayed, the Bentley Mulsanne, which had been


    following the BMW all the time, sped up and rode side by side with the BMW.


    In the end, the Bentley passed Maria''s BMW and stopped in front of it, blocking her way.


    James got out of the car and knocked on her window. He had forgotten to give Maria the moon


    cakes he got for her.


    Maria pressed the button and the window automatically rolled down. She was confused. "Why did


    you force me to stop? I''m going to see Lawrence. Get out of my way!"


    "Thiste? Why?" James asked.


    "Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival. I''m bringing him some moon cakes. Take your car to the body


    shop. Get an estimate and send the bill to the cafe. See you!" Finishing her words, Maria closed the


    window decisively, turned the steering wheel, and left.


    James was speechless, left behind, watching the car''s recede in the distance. Two minutester, he


    grabbed the gift box with the custom-made moon cakes from the back seat, and tossed the box in a


    nearby trash can.


    Jamesughed at himself inwardly. What possessed him to get her some moon cakes?


    Maria didn''t have any moon cakes for Lawrence. He had tons of friends, and he''d probably have too


    many moon cakes to eat in one sitting.


    She just said that just to piss off James.


    She didn''t know whether James was angry or not. Anyway, it felt really good to leave him behind


    without giving him a chance to speak.


    In the Tang family, the family dinner for the festival was finished.


    After dinner, Alina went upstairs with her phone.


    She went back to her bedroom and dialed a number. Her voice was sweet and polite when she


    spoke. "Hi, Aunt Judy, am I interrupting?"


    "Not at all. I''m shopping with Sebastian. What''s up, Alina?"


    "It''s the Mid-Autumn Festival today. Aunt Judy, did you and Uncle Sebastian eat moon cakes


    tonight?"


    Judy answered with a slight smile, "Yes, we have. Both James and Cooper sent some to us."


    Parents were like people who nted trees. Eventually, the trees grew enough to provide you


    shade. Judy was extremely happy with the trees she nted.


    Sebastian divorced James'' biological mother when James was quite young. When Judy married


    Sebastian, the two boys were less than ten years old.

 Chapter 133 Something To Do With Maria

    Chapter 133 Something To Do With Maria


    Judy tried her best to please her two step-children after marrying into the Xi family. She even gave


    up the opportunity to give birth to her own baby.


    Augustine was responsible for educating his grandkids. Now both James and Cooper treated Judy


    with filial respect. They always sent her greetings and gifts during holidays and other important


    asions.


    "That''s cool. When are youing back?" Alina asked.


    "We bought the tickets already. We''ll be there on your engagement day."


    Alina was overjoyed. "That''s great, Aunt Judy. James I will be there to pick you up."


    "Sounds good. So how are things, Alina?" Judy asked out of concern.


    Alina was waiting for her to ask. In fact, it was why she called. She pretended to mull over her


    words. Then she answered, "I''m really happy with James, but... Aunt Judy, you know what? Maria''s


    back."


    The mere mention of the name soured Judy''s mood. "I know. Lorenzo told me."


    "Maria''s more dangerous than she ever was. She has the evidence that we drugged her, threatens


    me whenever she can, and keeps hitting on James. But that''s neither here nor there. We''ll talk


    about it after you get back."


    When she heard that, Judy''s heart skipped a beat. "What are you talking about? What evidence?"


    "Remember? We drugged her and she lost her voice. She found the evidence we were behind it.


    But don''t worry, Aunt Judy. James got it back for us." "Do you mean James has the proverbial


    smoking gun?" Judy realized that probably wasn''t ideal.


    "Oh yeah. We were at a charity auction, and I took a fancy to a bracelet made of tanzanite. I was


    going to buy it for you, but Maria outbid me with James'' money. Somehow, she convinced James to


    pay for all sorts of expensive things. So I went to James andined, and he made her give it


    back. I even told her it was for you, and she still tried to get it for herself."


    Judy wasn''t interested in such trifles at first, but what Alina said got her attention. "Is she that bold


    to do things like that?" ''Maria even had the guts to take things away from Alina?''


    When Lorenzo mentioned that Maria hade back to the city, Judy didn''t take it seriously at all.


    Now she knew she had been careless and underestimated Maria.


    "And that''s not all. Did you know Qin Group is bankrupt?"


    "Yes." At present, Sebastian was still on the board of directors of HL Group. He always paid


    particr attention to the news, especially in the financial sector. He had told Judy about Qin


    Group''s bankruptcy, but she didn''t care too much.


    But now that Alina brought it up, she wondered if it had something to do with Maria.


    "Maria got James to back her up, and then took down Qin Group."


    Judy realized that her guess was right.


    That was when Judy realized Maria had not only returned, she was more scheming than ever.


    After a moment of silence, Judy said, "Okay, I gotta run. Call me if you need anything."


    Alina could sense the hidden meaning behind her words. "Okay, Aunt Judy. I''ll let you go. Happy


    MidAutumn Festival!"


    "Thank you, Alina. Good night."


    "Good night."


    After hanging up the phone, Judy went back to her bedroom, deep in thought. Sebastian nced at


    her and asked, "Who called?"


    "Alina."


    "Anything interesting?"


    After hesitating for a while, Judy told him, "Maria Song is back."


    ''Maria Song?'' Sebastian hadn''t heard that name in years. It sounded a little unfamiliar to him. But


    when he thought of histe grandson, Sebastian got angry. He threw the newspaper in his hand on


    the table and snapped, "Don''t say her name again!"


    Judy studied his expression and said, "Alina says Maria''s behind Qin Group''s bankruptcy."


    "Didn''t I tell you not to mention her?" If it weren''t for Maria, Arthur would have been in third grade.


    "It''s not like that, Sebastian." Cradling his arm, Judy exined in a gentle tone, "I don''t want to talk


    about her, but it''s about James, too."


    "How?"


    "Maria used James to destroy Qin Group."


    Sebastian kept silent for a moment. "I can''t believe James never told me." James was the CEO of


    HL Group and even established a solid rep in the city as well. Sebastian was proud of his son, but


    at the same time, he was bitter, because Augustine skipped him and gave the CEO position to


    James.


    James didn¡¯t really care about Qin Group, as long as their rise or fall wouldn''t impact HL Group in


    any way. That was why he didn''t tell his father.


    Judy knew what he was thinking. Men and women saw things differently. So she reminded him,


    "Sebastian, the point is that Maria used James."


    What she meant was that it was a ballsy move to try and manipte James into doing something.


    Who would do something like that? Almost no one.


    Now that Maria used him sessfully, what did it mean? It meant that Maria was extremely


    resourceful and dangerous.


    Understanding what Judy was getting at, Sebastian was furious. "Did he forget how Arthur died?


    Why does he have anything to do Maria?"


    A strange expression shed in Judy''s eyes. When she raised her head again, her expression had


    returned to normal. "Sebastian, it''s time for us to go back to H City."


    "Yes." Sebastian heaved a sigh. It was time to return. Augustine never approved of Alina and


    dered he wouldn''t attend his grandson''s engagement ceremony. Sebastian felt it was time for


    him to support the couple as James'' father.


    Judy didn''t say anything else. If Arthur were still alive, then Sebastian would be okay with Maria as


    his daughter-inw.


    Although he didn''t treat Maria nicely, he didn''t mistreat her. Sometimes, he even stopped Judy from


    going too far.


    It was a cool morning in H City. James was in the gym, and finished hisst few biceps curls before


    deciding his workout was over. It was half-past six.


    When he was about to take a shower, he received a call from Lawrence, saying he was headed to


    his office.


    When Lawrence arrived, James was still in the shower. He set the box he was carrying down on a


    small table. Then he sat on the sofa and pulled out his phone.


    Fifteen minutester, James walked out of the lounge, buttoning his shirt. But he didn''t spare


    Lawrence a friendly look. "What''s up?" he asked coldly.


    Lawrence ignored his attitude. He grabbed the box he brought in and said, "Breakfast for you."


    "You came this early to bring me breakfast?" James sneered. He took a cold nce at the box.


    There was no logo on it. Most likely cooked by Lawrence''s personal chef.


    "Yeah. Eat it while it''s warm." Lawrence stood up from the sofa. "I have to make a phone call first."


    Then he walked away.


    James didn''t think too much about it. He just told Lorenzo that he wouldn''t need breakfast, and then


    dug into what Lawrence had brought him.


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    His friend hadn''t skimped on the meal. The box contained a loaf of walnut bread, a fish roll with


    golden spear, a vegetable sandwich, fried eggs in a heartshape, German sausage with ck


    pepper, fruit sd, and warm walnut milk.


    James was ravenous, and wolfed them all down. By the time Lawrence finished his phone call and


    walked over, nothing was left.


    Looking at the empty box, Lawrence smiled mysteriously and asked, "How did you like it?"

 Chapter 134 Lonely And Helpless

    Chapter 134 Lonely And Helpless


    James wiped his mouth and reluctantly uttered, "Hmm!"


    "You are lucky. If I fancied Western food, I would never have brought the food to you," Lawrence


    said.


    At the sound of that, James eyes darkened as he put his hands down slowly. "What do you mean?"


    "Maria prepared me breakfast. But it''s all Western food, so I brought it to you while it''s still hot. I


    guess you owe me a thank you."


    James was taken aback. As if he had swallowed a fly, his face gradually hardened before he


    barked, "Get out!"


    That was the first time he had breakfast made by Maria. However, it was Lawrence who brought it


    to him because he didn''t like the food. All of a sudden, James felt sick.


    "All right!" Seeing the dark look on the man''s face, Lawrence was satisfied. Then he asked, "Do you


    still want me to bring you breakfast tomorrow morning?"


    James held himself back from punching Lawrence and said between his teeth, "You''d better carry


    out a mission in another city soon." At least this way, he wouldn''t be around to provoke him so


    deliberately.


    With a smile, Lawrence answered, "Don''t worry, I''ll leave soon. But can I ask you to take care of


    Maria for me while I''m gone?"


    "Can''t you stop worrying about Maria?" James asked.


    "No, not when she''s all lonely and helpless. But if you take care of her for me, I won''t have to worry


    about her, will I?" Lawrence''s words held more meaning than they sounded on the surface. If James


    were willing to remarry Maria, he would be d to step back and leave the two alone.


    James cast a cold nce at him and ordered, "Get out! Now!"


    "Okay, I''m already gone!" Lawrence didn''t hesitate to walk out of his best friend''s office. After all,


    James had already had his breakfast, and therefore, his mission this morning wasplete.


    As he left the HL Group, Lawrence looked back at the towering building and chuckled.


    ''James, you''re so smart, but you have no idea that Maria made breakfast especially for you,'' he


    thought. Earlier in the morning, he was jogging when Maria interrupted him and asked if he could


    take breakfast to James. The woman could barely look him in the eye as she handed him the box,


    embarrassed to admit that she had prepared everything for James.


    After that, it took him a while toe up with a convincing excuse to deliver breakfast to James.


    As he remembered it, Lawrence shook his head helplessly and drove away.


    That same day, Maria went to Qi Group.


    It was the third time that she showed up at thepany since Colby handed over the project to her.


    Fortunately, everything was already settled, so she just came over to sign the contract.


    However, as soon as Maria walked into the meeting room, she spotted the well-dressed Dani


    and her assistant.


    Maria whispered to the secretary who led her in, "What is she doing here?"


    The secretary followed her gaze and asked, "Do you mean Dani Song? She recently started a


    partnership with ourpany to take some photos during her travels. She''s also here to sign a


    contract."


    "Oh, I see!" Maria nodded. It seemed that Dani was doing well in her career, after all.


    As she heard some footsteps in the room, Dani looked towards the door and noticed her sister in


    a sky-blue suiting in. With a sarcastic smile, she said, "Oh, it''s you, Maria. What are you doing


    here?"


    Maria sat down next to Dani and answered casually, "What else would I be doing here if not


    business?"


    "What kind of business do you have with Qi Group?"


    Maria smiled but ignored her. She didn''t owe Dani any exnation.


    Noticing her attitude, Dani was enraged. ''Who the hell does Maria think she is? She doesn''t even


    have a family to support her anymore. What gives her the right to behave so arrogantly?''


    Then Dani couldn''t help but judge that Maria was proud because she had slept with too many


    rich men in exchange for a few favors. As far as she was concerned, Maria was a slut.


    Sometimeter, an employee put a document on the table in front of Maria and said, "Ms. Song, I''m


    sorry for keeping you waiting. There was something wrong with the printer, but here is the final


    version of our contract. Please have a look."


    Maria nodded, taking the contract over as she read it carefully.


    Upon hearing that, Dani sneered inwardly, ''Ms. Song? I could almost believe she is a real


    businesswoman!''


    At the same time, Dani''s contract was also handed to her. "Ms. Song, the contract has been


    changed ording to your requirements. If there''s nothing wrong with it, please sign it."


    Picking up the pen beside her, Dani turned to thest page without reading through the


    document and tried to sign her name with no sess.


    Perhaps the ink dried out since she couldn''t write anything.


    Dani shook the pen casually and then tried to write again. She managed toplete her first


    name, but after that, she couldn''t write another character.


    At that moment, Maria finished reading the contract and signed her name on it. Then she stood up


    to leave.


    Staring at the pen in her hand, a wicked smile shed across Dani''s face. This time, she


    positioned the pen towards Maria and shook it hard.


    Maria had just turned around to put the chair back in its original ce when she felt two small drops


    of liquid sprinkling on her face. Looking down at her clothes, she noticed several ck stains on her


    suit.


    With a frown, she nced at Dani in time to see a smug smile on her face. Quickly, she


    pretended to be sorry. "Oh! What kind of pen did you give me? Look at Maria! It sttered ink on


    her! I''m sorry, Maria. I didn''t mean to do that."


    She sounded so phony that the employees from Qi Group in the room exchanged sickened


    nces.


    Maria stood still with a sullen look on her face as the secretary hurried to clean up her suit.


    Her eyes were so cold that Dani, who was all smug a second ago, suddenly freaked out under


    the woman''s deadly gaze.


    At this time, Maria stopped the secretary from wiping her suit jacket and said, "Please bring me a


    basin full of ink. Thank you!"


    The secretary was stunned for a moment. Although she didn''t know what Maria was going to do,


    she still followed the instruction.


    The smile on Dani''s face froze as she began to panic. "Maria, what do you n to do?"


    "What do I n?" As she spoke, Maria took off her suit jacket and was left only in a white silk tank


    top, revealing her good shape.


    Putting the stained coat on the back of the chair beside her, she picked up a tissue and wiped the


    ink droplets off her face unhurriedly.


    "I didn''t do that on purpose. Don''t you think you''re going too far with this?" Dani had an idea of


    what Maria nned to do as she panickedpletely.


    Maria, in turn, nced at her indifferently and smiled. "And what exactly am I doing? What are you


    afraid of?"


    "I''m not afraid of anything, but if you have to take every little thing so seriously, this makes you a


    petty and narrow-minded person, Maria!" Despite the words she said, Dani stood up and turned


    around, walking fast towards the door. She was quite afraid that Maria would take revenge on her.


    "Stop her!" Maria unexpectedly ordered the employees. Although they worked for Qi Group, the


    woman''smand was too strong to be ignored. They all ran to the door to block Dani''s way.


    As Dani kept walking, she threatened, "Don''t you dare to stop me! My father and Mr. Qi are good


    friends!"


    By the time the employees were beginning to hesitate whether they should stop Dani or not, the


    secretary came back with a basin of ink in her hands. "Ms. Song, I''m sorry. That''s all we have."


    She spent thest few minutes asking her coworkers to pour as much ink as they could find in the


    basin. After all, people nowadays mostly used electronic devices and didn''t need to print so many


    papers.


    Maria approached her and looked at the ck ink covering the bottom of the basin. With a nod, she


    said, "It''s enough!"


    Dani was about to walk out of the door when Maria picked up the pace and reached out to grab


    her arm. As fast as Dani tried to go, her high heels slowed her down. It was really easy to catch


    up with her.


    Startled by Maria''s behavior, Dani screamed, "Let go of me!"Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

 Chapter 135 Danielas Comeuppance

    Chapter 135 Dani''s Comeuppance


    Maria ignored her, took the basin from the secretary and stared coldly at the woman struggling in


    front of her.


    "Where are the guards? Call someone! Why are all you just standing there?" Dani kept


    screaming.


    Maria raised the basin and poured the ink on Dani''s head. Everyone gasped.


    The ink Maria poured started at the top of Dani''s scalp and gathered in her hair, before


    cascading down her face in ck rivulets.


    The conference room descended into chaos.


    Dani''s longvender dress was drenched in ck ink, and her face and hair were simrly


    soaked.


    This was in sharp contrast with how she was just moments ago. She shone like a star when she


    first arrived, now she resembled a ck, starless void.


    Maria returned the basin to the secretary, walked back to her seat, and fished her wallet from her


    purse. She took a wad of cash from the wallet and handed it to the secretary. "Sorry for the mess.


    This should cover it. If you need to rece the rug, let me know."


    The secretary who watched the farce was still in a daze. She took the money from Maria without


    thinking about it. "Okay. Sure. Ms. Song."


    After this, Maria left Qi Group with her stuff, as proud as she was when she first came to work there.


    She proudly continued walking, ignoring the gazes her tank top attracted.


    Maria got back to the car and allowed her rage to wash over her and finally dissipate. She threw her


    ink-stained coat aside and stared out the window, lost in thought.


    Dani insisted on annoying her the same way Ste did. She had nned to get even with all of


    them anyway, so she started with Dani.


    Maria pulled out her cell phone, unlocked the screen, and scrolled till she found Dani''stest


    vlog. Then she sent it to someone.


    After everything was set up, she was in a better mood.


    She called Colby first to report what she knew about Qi Group. When Colby heard she finalized the


    negotiations and signed the contract, he praised her warmly. "I''ll ask the financial department to give


    you a bonus at the end of this year.¡±


    "Really? Thank you, Mr. Zheng! I didn''t expect this would go that well, either! I would love it if you


    keep me in mind for future projects, Mr. Zheng. I''ll do my best on anything you throw my way."


    Maria''s voice was full of surprise and expectation.


    "Sure. Got any ideas?" Colby asked.


    His question gave her some hope her n might work.


    This gave her a great idea. With a hint of loss in her voice, she asked, "Mr. Zheng, you know I cut


    ties with the Song family, right? It''s no great secret. Everyone in the city knows."


    Colby nodded and said, "Yes, I just found a few days ago."


    "I have an elder sister, Dani Song. She''s a professional tourist and has tons of followers on


    social media. We got in a fight. I''m so embarrassed. You know I have a short fuse, right?" She


    paused for effect and bowed her head in respect. This was going better than she thought. "Mr.


    Zheng, could you make sure she''s okay if you run into her? For me?"


    They were, after all, still sisters. Colby didn''t think it odd at all. He''d been expecting her to ask a


    favor like this.


    Colby nodded, "Don''t worry. If I can help her, I will."


    Maria was overjoyed. "Thank you, Mr. Zheng. If you need me, please let me know!"


    "Okay."


    After the call, the smile on Maria''s face totally disappeared. She lit a cigarette and took a couple


    puffs.


    She rubbed her temples and went back to work afterwards.


    That afternoon, Dani''stest vlog went viral. It was the top trending video, and all thements


    on it were ttering.


    "What a beautiful girl!"


    "Every time I see her, she gets even hotter!"


    "Pretty scenery, pretty girl! What''s not to like?"


    While all this was happening, she got 3 million more followers.


    Dani had still been in a bad mood. But when she saw thements, her search engine ranking,


    and saw her subscriber count explode, she forgot about this morning''s unpleasantness.


    She double checked and confirmed that it was indeed her vlog. She made the videost night.


    Dani was traveling in P City, taking in the incredible sights, and visiting charming local


    businesses. It was all professionally packaged. She found some cool background music on


    AudioLove, an openmunity of independent artists and music lovers. People usually liked what


    she posted, but this was unexpected.


    Dani was so happy she could hardly contain herself. She wondered if this was the break she


    needed to truly be rich and famous.


    Not long after, she received a call from her agency. Severalpanies wanted her to push their


    products, and the price was right.


    Dani jumped at the chance. She''d worked hard to be a travel blogger and get noticed in a


    crowded field.


    Ethan wanted to hang out with his best friends more often when Lawrence was on vacation. He


    believed that they should always be in touch so their friendship would remain. So he called the


    other two friends and invited them out for drinks.


    Ethan had no idea Lawrence would bring Maria along.


    After walking in, the two sat next to each other, talking and giggling from time to time.


    Ethan and James sat opposite to them-one was smoking with a frosty expression, and the other


    didn''t look happy either.


    Ethan couldn''t help butin to himself. ''I asked you guys out to drink, but I''m not here to watch


    you make goo-goo eyes at each other.''


    Maria poured herself a ss of wine and wanted to clink sses with Lawrence. When he raised


    his ss, he remembered something. "Let me drink it. You have a stomachache. You should stay


    away from liquor."


    Maria smiled sweetly. "Okay."


    All of a sudden, Ethan shivered. He nced at the air conditioner. The room temperature was


    twenty-two degrees, just as pleasant as usual, not too low. Why did he feel so cold?


    He pushed the man sitting next to him and said, "Why are you like that? This is supposed to be fun.


    You can call Alina over. Don''t mind me. I''ll just sit here, alone, watching you showing off your


    affection."


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    James cast a cold nce at him and uttered, "Fuck off!"


    "Fine! Fine! I was just kidding." Ethan was used to his attitude. Suddenly, he changed the subject.


    Patting James'' hand, he said, "I¡¯m going to get you some tangerines. Stay here. Don''t move around,


    okay?"


    ''Why did that sound so familiar?


    Oh!'' It suddenly urred to Maria that these words were from the conversation from the father to


    his son in "Retreating Figure" by Zhu Ziqing. Was Ethan taking advantage of James by calling him


    his son?


    Just when Maria thought James would yell at Ethan, the CEO replied, "I''ll eat only two and leave the


    rest to you."


    Maria was the first to burst intoughter. There was also an obvious smile on Lawrence''s face.


    James did unto Ethan what he did to him.


    James replied with another line from a famous novel. This time it was a grandfather talking to his


    grandson in "Rickshaw Boy."


    Ethan copsed right away. He yelled, "Fuck! Why did you have to go and ruin it?"


    Lawrence chimed in, "Did you expect anything else?" James wasn''t one to y along. He had to


    win.


    "My fault." Ethan agreed. James had always been cold and domineering.


    Shortly, Lawrence''s phone started ringing, and he took it outside. When he came back, Maria was


    engrossed in a mobile game. "Something came up," he said. "I have to go now." Then he turned to


    James. "Could you give her a lift home? Thanks."


    Maria didn''t know what to say, watching him stride out of the room. ''Bravo, my so-called boyfriend!''


    she thought to herself.


    As soon as Lawrence left, Maria stood up from the sofa and said, "Mr. Xi, you don''t have to do that.


    I''ll find my own way home. Have fun, you two!"


    Hearing that, James didn''t respond. Ethan followed her and stood up. He said, "What a couple of


    party poopers. We''d better leave, too, James."


    Eventually, the three left Leopard Club together. When they reached the exit, they saw it was quite


    wet outside. The rain had finally arrived. The city lights were reflected in the puddles forming on the


    sidewalk.

 Chapter 136 Because You Are Ugly

    Chapter 136 Because You Are Ugly


    When a gust of cold wind blew, Maria, who was only wearing a slip dress, shivered. She couldn''t


    help cursing the bad weather inwardly. The weather had been good in the afternoon. Why did it


    suddenly rain? She rubbed her arms to give them warmth.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    When James noticed what she was doing, he turned around to ask Ethan to lend his coat to Maria.


    But he found out that Ethan wasn''t there anymore.


    He frowned. It seemed that he was left with no choice. He took off his own coat and put it on Maria''s


    shoulders.


    When the coat touched her shoulders, Maria turned around to say something.


    But before she could open her mouth, James exined at once, "I''m a man, so this is what I have


    to do. It has nothing to do with my identity." The expression on his face did not change as he spoke.


    Maria sneered, removed his coat, and tossed it back into his arms. "Thank you, Mr. Xi. But it''s not


    necessary. That coat of yours is too expensive. I can''t afford to pay for it if it gets dirty."


    James frowned deeply. "Such an ungrateful woman!"


    Maria just gave him her usual bright and charming smile. "Mr. Xi, we should keep a distance from


    each other."


    She then turned around and got in the burgundy Rolls-Royce, leaving James behind with a


    darkened expression.


    The earthen roared away.


    James reminded himself that all Maria did was y hard to get. He wouldn''t let her get what she


    wanted.


    At this moment, he began to feel that he had made the right decision when he sent killers to kill her.


    He told himself to hold on a little longer. If he could have another chance, he would surely not let her


    go so easily.


    The next day, Maria went to visit Gordon before he was discharged from the hospital. He was now


    in stable condition. All he needed was to take his medicine on time and have a regr checkup,


    then he would be fine.


    From the hospital, Chandler took him directly to the vi in New South District. As soon as he got


    settled that day, Gordon went out for a walk in the neighborhood.


    After walking back and forth several times, Gordon ran into two people he knew. He scratched his


    forehead with his index finger, wondering if he should take the initiative to greet them or wait for


    them to do it.


    He hesitated for a while. But eventually, he decided to take the initiative. He raised his head and


    greeted the man with a smile, "Hi there, Augustine..." His words stuck in his throat when he realized


    that Augustine didn''t see him at all and had already turned to a corner at the other side.


    Gordon felt disappointed for a moment, but he didn''t give up. He believed that there could still be a


    lot of chances for them to meet in the future.


    He stood still andforted himself for a while before he returned to his vi happily.


    Ethan went to HL Group again.


    He deliberately came after work to find James. But much to his dismay, James was in an


    emergency meeting.


    But he didn''t leave. Instead, he stayed in James'' office and yed some games on his phone to kill


    time. Half an hourter, James came back to his office.


    Ethan jumped up from the sofa upon seeing him. "James! James, you know what?"


    James closed the document in his hand, nced at him, and asked, "What?"


    "Do you usually check WeChat Moments?"


    "No." James didn''t have time to waste on it.


    Ethan was speechless for a moment. He then said, "Yeah, I should know that you don''t. Well,e


    here. Let me show you something important."


    James sat down at his desk and gave him a puzzled look.


    Ethan opened his WeChat Moments and looked for Lawrence''s post. He then showed his phone in


    front of James'' face as if presenting a treasure and said, "Lawrence went to see a movie."


    James'' brows creased into a frown. He wondered why Ethan seemed to be so excited only because


    Lawrence went to see a movie. He began to feel disgusted by Ethan''s noise. "I see," he said.


    "No, you don''t get it. Have you forgotten that Lawrence never goes to the cinema? A man like him


    who never sees a movie has apanied Maria to the cinema. Don''t you think they are really in


    love?" Ethan exined.


    It was also rare for Lawrence to post on his WeChat Moments. This time, he posted two photos.


    One was two movie tickets, and the other one was a woman''s hand.


    The woman''s fingernails in the photo were painted with dark green nail polish. Taking a nce at


    them, James knew whose hand it was.


    Were Lawrence and Maria really in love with each other?


    James didn''t have anyment about it. He just felt that Ethan was getting more and more


    annoying.


    And it seemed that this annoying man didn''t intend to stop chattering. "Wow! Seeing a movie


    together? Sure enough, a man can change when he gets himself a girlfriend."


    "Get out!"


    "Huh? Why?"


    "Because you are ugly."


    Ethan was speechless for a moment. He felt like his heart was broken. He then said in a low voice,


    "But I''m very gentle."


    In the end, Ethan was still kicked out of James'' office. Upon seeing the grievance on his face,


    Summer shook her head helplessly. He must have provoked James again.


    Ethan leaned across her desk and asked pitifully, "Summer, am I ugly?"


    "Ugly?" Looking at his red lips and white teeth, Summer sincerely replied, "I think you are the most


    handsome young man in H City."


    She was not exaggerating. It was true that James, Lawrence, and Ethan were all very handsome. It


    just so happened that they were handsome in their own different ways. The thirty-year-old James


    was cool and domineering, the outdoor guy Lawrence was physically strong, and Ethan was tender


    and handsome.


    Ethan''s eyes lit up at Summer''s response. He blew her a kiss and said, "Summer, you are so sweet.


    I''ll buy you a cup of coffee some other day. Bye for now!"


    "Bye!" Summer was infected by his brightness and joy, so she was in a good mood now.


    However, her happiness didn''tst that long. James called her into his office. Without raising his


    head, he ordered, "Go to Miracle Cafe and buy coffee for all the employees of thepany."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi," Summer answered at once. But inwardly, he couldn''t help wondering, ''Can''t Mr. Xi get


    over with Maria, or with her coffee?''


    In the next two days, before Maria and her employees couldin, some employees of HL


    Group had already begun to protest secretly.


    "If I''ve done anything wrong, please let thew punish me. Don''t make me drink coffee and suffer


    from insomnia every night."


    "s, the coffee is always delivered to our department in the evening. I don''t want to drink it, but


    since it''s so expensive, I think it''s a waste of money if I throw it away. As a result, I have sleepless


    nights."


    "Forget it. I''ll just take it home and give it to my husband."


    Everyone vented out their frustrations about having to drink coffee in the evening.


    But although they wereining, they couldn''t fool themselves. The coffee made by Miracle


    Cafe was so delicious that they wouldn''t want to miss a few more cups as long as they were


    delivered to them for free.


    James and Alina''s engagement was fast approaching. Based on the schedule, it would be ten days


    from today.


    Those days could just pass in the blink of an eye.


    One of Lawrence''s childhood ymates was getting married tomorrow. He and James were both


    invited. And since Alina was James'' girlfriend, she would definitely tag along.


    Knowing that Alina was going to attend the wedding with James, Lawrence called Maria.


    Upon hearing the purpose of his call, Maria smiled. "Aren''t you afraid that if people see us together,


    I will drag your name into a scandal?" Lawrence was known to be a model of clean living in the eyes


    of everyone. He had never been involved in gossips concerning romantic rtionships.


    "Are we not nning to get married? Why are you still afraid of gossips? Let''s just take it as


    informing them ahead of time," Lawrence answered with a smile.


    Based on their original n, they would tell only James that they were getting married. But of


    course, it was not real.


    "Okay, then, I''ll go with you. I can have a free dinner anyway," Maria agreed.


    The wedding was held in a hotel. Initially, Lawrence was supposed to be the best man. But the


    groom felt afraid that Lawrence would steal the limelight, so he changed his mind.


    Since they were all childhood ymates and Lawrence knew the personality of the groom very well,


    he didn''t mind at all. Besides, he was indeed several times more handsome than the groom.


    Maria didn''t wear anything ostentatious at the wedding. Instead, she wore a low-key orange chiffon


    blouse, ck wide-leg pants, and white high heels.


    She put on light makeup and an earthy lip gloss on her lips.


    When Maria appeared in the hall, arm in arm with Lawrence, people had different expressions on


    their faces. But since today was a big day for the bride and groom, the guests didn''t make a fuss.


    James and Alina came in through another door at the same time. Soon, the four of them met.

 Chapter 137 Ability To Identify A Hypocritical Bitch

    Chapter 137 Ability To Identify A Hypocritical Bitch


    As soon as Maria saw James and Alina enter the hall, she whispered in Lawrence''s ear, "I have a


    tip for you. Listen carefully. Alina is a typical hypocritical bitch. If you find yourself a girlfriend in the


    future, you''d better be careful. Avoid women of her kind."


    With a faint smile on his face, Lawrence asked, "Then, how do you deal with such a woman?"


    Maria nced at the expressionless man beside Alina and answered Lawrence with a snicker, "Of


    course, I will give her a dose of her own medicine."


    "Isn''t it better to be a good girl? Why are there hypocritical women?" Lawrence asked.


    "Well, that''s what I''m wondering too. But let me tell you this, if you have a girlfriend in the future, you


    must have an ability to identify hypocritical bitches. Otherwise, your girlfriend will suffer."


    Lawrence disagreed with her. "If my future wife can''t even handle this kind of situation, then she


    doesn''t deserve me."


    Maria looked at him and said disgustedly, "No matter how strong a woman is, once her boyfriend or


    husband falls into the trap of a hypocritical bitch, she will definitely suffer. Hence, it''s also a man''s


    responsibility to identify and avoid those kinds of women. Lawrence, you must learn from me so that


    your future woman won''t suffer."


    "What will I learn from you?" Lawrence asked again in a voice full of amusement.


    "I am good at identifying all kinds of hypocritical women," Maria answered confidently.


    Lawrence stared at her. His eyes were filled with admiration. He was deeply impressed with her.


    The moment Lawrence and Maria finished whispering to each other, they were already standing


    face-to-face with James and Alina.


    Alina nced at the two people standing in front of her. When her eyes fell on Maria''s hand holding


    Lawrence''s arm, she got a little confused and excited. She asked cautiously, "Maria, why are you


    and Mr. Lu together?"


    Maria turned her head and exchanged a nce with Lawrence. She raised her eyebrows at him as


    if saying, "Look, the hypocritical bitch is starting with her acting."


    Lawrenceughed.


    Maria then turned to look at Alina and answered unhurriedly, "We are here to attend the wedding.


    The groom is Lawrence''s childhood ymate."


    "Lawrence? You call Mr. Lu by his first name, Maria?" Alina was stunned, surprise written all over


    her face.


    Maria nodded and held Lawrence''s arm even tighter. "Exactly. Believe what your eyes see."


    Alina''s first reaction was to look at the man next to her, only to find out that James didn''t show any


    expression at all. His cold eyes were fixed on Lawrence all the time.


    "And what about James?" Alina asked again. What she wanted to know was if Maria had already


    given up on James.


    Maria smiled slightly. With a hint of yfulness in her beautiful eyes, she responded, "James? Well,


    I''m done with him. I''ve gotten what I want. He has no use to me anymore."


    As she spoke, she looked into James'' stern eyes and added, "So, I''m giving him to you for free. If


    you want to thank me, you are very much wee, Ms. Tang."


    She then held Lawrence''s arm, turned around, and left arrogantly.


    "James..." Alina put on a depressed look on her face, trying to conceal the excitement that surged


    up in her heart.


    However, James didn''t exin anything. He just said, "Let''s go!"


    "Okay."


    The avoidance was only for a short time because Lawrence and James were arranged in the same


    private room together with several other young men. They must be former ssmates and old


    friends as they had a lot to talk about.


    Almost everyone in the private room knew the fact that Maria was James''s ex-wife. Even though


    they were curious as to why she hade to the wedding with Lawrence, no one dared to ask or


    comment. They simply ignored it.


    During dinner, all the men drank. One of them answered a phone call from his wife, who had called


    to check on him.


    After he hung up, the rest of the menughed at him. "Harry, shame on you. You are such a


    henpecked husband!"


    Harry Xu was a little embarrassed, but he still tried to reason out. "I just respect my wife."


    A man who looked so drunk said bluntly, "Women should always understand men, especially like


    James and Lawrence. They should know how hard men work to support their families." He then


    burped and turned to Alina. "What do you think, Mrs. Xi?"


    The man was talking a lot of nonsense, but the woman beside him didn''t even dare to utter a peep


    to stop him. After all, she was just his mistress.


    Alina exulted in the way the man addressed her as "Mrs. Xi." Before she answered his question,


    she nced at Mariacently.


    Seeing thecent look in Alina''s eyes, Maria rolled her eyes. ''What''s wrong with this woman?''


    she thought inwardly.


    Alina then replied to the man softly, "Yes. I agree with you, Lukas." Lukas Li''s father was a tycoon in


    H City''s catering industry. And since men were all proud, Alina didn''t think it was wrong to agree


    with him.


    The moment she nodded her head in agreement with Lukas Li, Maria now knew the reason why


    James had chosen her to be the next Mrs. Xi. How generous Alina was!


    Maria must admit that she couldn''t be that generous.


    She nced at James, who was busy typing on his phone. It was as if what they were all talking


    about had nothing to do with him.


    Lukas Liughed out loud and looked at Maria. Since he noticed that she had been silent all the


    time, he asked her, "How about you, Mrs. Lu? What do you think?"


    Maria sneered.


    In her eyes, he was purely looking for his death.


    Of course, it was not because he called her "Mrs. Lu." After all, he didn''t know the real score


    between her and Lawrence. There were some other reasons why she wanted to retort.


    She smiled weirdly and answered, "Lukas, you are right. Men work very hard to make money. So a


    woman should understand if her man cheats on her."


    Lukas Li gave Maria a thumbs-up sign and praised.


    "Good woman! Lawrence, you are such a lucky man."


    But what he didn''t know was, Maria was not yet finished with her words.


    In fact, anyone who knew her well could guess that she still had something else to say.


    Sure enough, Maria continued, "But it is also hard for a woman to give birth. Sometimes, a woman


    may bear one or two children whose father is not her husband. In that case, as a man, her husband


    should also be generous enough to understand her situation. What do you think, Lukas?"


    Inwardly, she was cursing him disdainfully, ''What kind of a man you are? You have an affair with


    another woman, and yet, you have the audacity to insult women aboveboard. You are such a


    scumbag!''


    Lukas Li was stunned. He lost his tongue for a moment, and his face flushed either because of the


    alcohol or embarrassment. After a few seconds, he finally said, "Lawrence, you must teach your


    woman a lesson!"


    Lawrence just smiled. "I think... Maria is right." He thought that there was nothing wrong with her


    answer at all.


    Although he didn''t have a wife, he knew the morals of marriage.


    Lukas Li felt a little embarrassed. But since Lawrence was sitting right next to him, he didn''t dare to


    say anything more. Instead, he changed the topic to divert people''s attention from him. "James, I


    really envy you. You have found such a gentle and considerate wife."


    James raised his eyes and nced at Lukas Li. "Today is a good day. I don''t want to disappoint any


    of my friends," he said indifferently.


    He had been in a bad mood since they arrived. And now, someone was trying to annoy him more.


    His simple reply made several people''s expressions change.


    Aside from Lukas Li, Alina''s expression also slightly changed.


    James'' attitude and his answer obviously hinted that he disagreed with Lukas Li. Not only that, it


    seemed like he also wanted to teach the scum Lukas Li a lesson. But Alina had already agreed with


    Lukas Li just now. And everyone could tell that she was not joking with her answer. It was quite


    embarrassing, wasn''t it?


    To save her dignity, Alina tried to smooth things out. "Lukas, you are really drunk. How can


    someone not care if their beloved is fooling around?"


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Neither James nor Lawrence helped Lukas Li. The rest of the men who had agreed with him


    inwardly dared not say anything either. Lawrence realized that it was their friend''s wedding, and


    they should not ruin the atmosphere at this very significant event. So he thought of an excuse for


    Lukas Li. He said to others, "Bring him a ss of water. He is drunk; don''t let him drink anymore."


    "Yes, Mr. Lu."


    Fortunately, Lukas Li was smart enough to clearly understand the situation, although he was


    inebriated. He chuckled and agreed with Lawrence, "Yes, I''m really drunk and talking nonsense. I


    won''t drink anymore."


    The embarrassing situation was dispersed by the new couple who came to propose a toast.


    After the wedding, Maria got into Lawrence''s car, and they left together.


    -

 Chapter 138 Car Accident

    Chapter 138 Car ident


    Alina, of course, got into James'' Harkim. As soon as the car drove away from the hotel, she looked


    at his expressionless face and deliberately said, "Scott''s bride is so beautiful today. I really envy her.


    James, when we get married, are we going to have a Western-style wedding or Chinese one?"


    James was a little stunned when he heard the word wedding. He looked out of the window and


    answered, "Either."


    He was suddenly reminded of Maria and his wedding. They had a Western-style one because she


    had personally requested it.


    "Okay. Let''s just talk about it after our engagement party." Alina held his arm and rested her head on


    his shoulder. "James, I''m so happy. Maria has finally let go of you, and we are getting engaged


    soon."


    James remained silent.


    "As long as Maria won''t take you away from me, I will treat her well, just like my own sister."


    Her excessive talking somehow annoyed James. He replied nasally, "Hmm."


    Gordon was taking a walk as usual in HQ Road''s sports park.


    Aside from exercising, he intentionally wandered around every day, hoping to meet Augustine and


    Charlotte again.


    Not long after, he ran into Augustine and Charlotte the second time.


    Standing opposite them, Gordon pretended to be surprised. "Augustine? Charlotte?"


    Augustine and his wife were also surprised to see him. Augustine asked, "Gordon? What are you


    doing here?"


    Gordon put on a mncholic look and replied, "I moved out of Chandler''s house. I''m getting older,


    and I don''t want to cause any trouble for my children. Chandler bought a house here for me to live


    in."


    "What a coincidence! We also live here. Actually, we have been living here all the time." The truth


    was, Augustine was a little confused. Almost all his friends knew that he and Charlotte lived here.


    He wondered if Gordon really didn''t know about it.


    "Oh, I see. Then it only means that we will be neighbors from now on." Gordon looked very happy.


    Augustine turned to Charlotte and said, "Dear, look! I have another chess mate."


    Charlotte nodded and replied, "Good for you." She then turned to Gordon and asked, "Gordon, are


    you out for a walk?"


    "Yes."


    Then the three of them turned around and slowly walked along the same path while chatting


    nonstop.


    When they were about to part, Gordon touched his forehead as if he remembered something. He


    then said, "Oh, by the way, Maria bought me a set of chess made from rosewood. Augustine, do


    you want to y chess with me tomorrow?"


    "Sure, why not?" Augustine didn''t think too much. He agreed without hesitation.


    The next afternoon, Augustine and Charlotte came to Gordon''s house to y chess. While ying,


    Gordon kept praising Maria for her kindness and filial piety in every possible way. It was only then


    that Augustine saw through his real purpose.


    Not only Augustine but also Charlotte realized it. The couple exchanged nces and smiled at each


    other. But they didn''t ask Gordon to confirm.


    It turned out that Gordon had a purpose. And his purpose was not simple.


    But actually, he didn''t need to do something. After all, Augustine and Charlotte were also on Maria''s


    side.


    Recently, Colby had proven that Maria was really capable. She had seeded in the few projects


    that he assigned to her. Thus, he learned to trust her more and more. As a matter of fact, he just


    gave her a new project two days ago. This time, he wanted to use her to build up hisworks,


    especially with HM Group''s business.


    Maria went out for a business meeting with HM Group today. As soon as the meeting ended, she


    returned to the car. She received a call from an unknown number. She answered it, and the person


    on the other end of the line said, "Hello? Is this Maria?"


    "Yes, it''s me. Who''s this?"


    "Maria, this is your aunt Ann."


    ''Aunt Ann?'' Maria tried to recall who the woman was.


    After a moment, she finally remembered. Ann was a short and chubby woman in her fifties. She had


    three kids. When Maria was little, she ate a couple of times at Ann''s house.


    "What''s up?" Maria asked.


    "Do you know that your aunt Candice has already passed away?"? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ''Aunt Candice has passed away?'' The expression on Maria''s face slightly changed. "Why is it so


    sudden? What happened to her?"


    Ann didn''t mean that much to her. But Candice was special in her heart. When she was little and


    still lived in the countryside, Candice spent most of her time taking care of her.


    "s, she had cancer. She just passed awayst night. I also called your mother. I asked several


    people for your phone number. Finally..." Ann kept babbling on the phone about how much pain


    Candice had suffered before passing away. She also told Maria a lot of things about Candice after


    Maria moved to H City.


    Maria lived in the countryside until she was eight years old. Since her grandmother was too old, her


    rtives from her mother''s side took turns in taking care of her after ine moved to H City.


    In short, she was raised by the whole vige. But it was Candice who took care of her the most.


    Although Candice also didn''t treat her that well, she was much betterpared to her other


    rtives.


    After chattering for a while, Ann said that she hoped that Maria could go back to the countryside for


    the funeral. She then hung up.


    Maria didn''t agree or object. After thinking for a while, she started the engine and left the parking lot.


    In fact, she didn''t want to go back to that ce anymore. She had so many painful memories there.


    The memories of her mother''s whip, her father''s ruthlessness, and her rtives'' ridicule flooded her


    mind all of a sudden.


    Maria was contemting whether to go to the funeral or not when a figure from nowhere suddenly


    rushed out to the road. She stepped on the brakes reflexively. The tires of her car made a harsh


    sound.


    Bang!


    It was toote for her to stop. She had already hit someone.


    Maria was a little muddled. She had run a stop light.


    Obviously, it was her fault.


    ''I hit someone. What should I do?''


    She hurriedly took out her phone to call the police. But she was so scared stiff that she didn''t notice


    that she pressed James'' number.


    Although she never called him, she had saved his number on her phone.


    Bang!


    Maria was startled when someone mmed her car window. When she turned to look, she saw a


    man ring at her. She quickly rolled down the car window.


    She didn''t notice that her phone call was already answered. The man outside her car roared, "You


    think you can hit someone just because you are driving a BMW car? Get out of your car now!"


    Maria ended the call without saying a word or looking at the screen.


    Everything happened too suddenly. She was still shocked by the news of her aunt''s death and was


    lost in sorrow. And now, she got involved in a car ident. She couldn''t help but feel scared.


    She tried to calm herself down. However, the man outside still kept roaring, "What are you doing?


    Get out of your car!"


    Maria clutched her chest, hoping to stop her heart from beating abnormally fast. Her other hand


    reached out to stop the man from roaring. He was so noisy that her head was about to explode.


    ''Calm down, Maria, calm down,'' she said to herself.


    When she came back to her senses, Maria plucked up all the courage to get out of her car, still


    holding her phone in her hand.


    There were already many people surrounding her car. A woman was lying on the ground, groaning


    in pain.


    Maria walked to the woman, crouched down, and asked, "Are you okay?"


    "Ouch! My arms and legs hurt. Am I going to die?" the woman cried.


    "No, you won''t. Don''t worry. I''ll call the ambnce." Maria stood up and called the ambnce. She


    then called the police.


    Inside the CEO''s office of HL Group, James was ready for a business trip.


    Lorenzo pushed the door open and walked in. "Mr. Xi, the ne has arrived. It''s time to leave."


    James had some important work to deal with abroad, so his schedule was pretty tight. He even


    used his private ne. The HL Group building had a helipad where he could take off andnd.


    "Okay." The man stood up and walked out of the office with his briefcase.


    When he was in the elevator, his phone in his pocket vibrated. He took it out to check, and he saw


    an unknown number shing on the screen.


    "Hello?" he answered.


    A man roared on the other end of the line, "You think you can hit someone just because you are


    driving a BMW car? Get out of your car now!"


    After two seconds, the call was ended.


    James frowned, wondering if someone was only ying a trick on him.


    He put away his phone and walked out of the elevator. But all of a sudden, he stopped.


    He remembered that Maria was driving a BMW car.


    James took out his phone again and called back the number. However, the line was busy.


    "Mr. Xi?" Lorenzo looked at him in confusion. If they didn''t board the ne now, they would bete.


    But Lorenzo didn''t dare to urge James too much.

 Chapter 139 A Rich Fool

    Chapter 139 A Rich Fool


    Without saying anything, James stood still and dialed the number several times before someone


    finally answered, "What''s up?"


    Despite the noise, James recognized it was indeed Maria''s voice. Then he asked indifferently, "Why


    did you call me just now?"


    Maria went silent for a moment as she realized the call she made to James earlier had, in fact,


    connected. However, what was the point to tell him what was going on? He didn''t care about her


    anyway, did he?


    With a sad smile, she answered, "Nothing. I''ve dialed the wrong number!"


    The second before Maria ended the call, James heard an ambnce siren in the background. He


    dialed the number again, but no one answered this time.


    Thinking back to her driving skills at his grandpa''s vi the other night, James nced at Lorenzo


    and said, "You''ll fly over and represent HL Group."


    "Me?" Lorenzo pointed at himself.


    "Yes." James handed him the briefcase and turned around, walking towards the elevator.


    Lorenzo watched him go, speechless. This project abroad was very important to thepany. How


    could a special assistant like him fly over there representing HL Group? Lorenzo wondered if this


    was some kind of joke.


    By the time his men found Maria''s whereabouts, James rushed towards the Municipal People''s


    Hospital and found her sitting on a chair in the corridor, absentminded. Next to her, a rough-looking


    man and two nagging women kept insulting her the whole time.


    "You look like a tramp. You must be some rich man''s mistress, right?"


    "That''s good. Now you can give me more money. I''ll take two hundred thousand dors and not a


    penny less!"


    "Aren''t you going to say anything? It was you who hit someone!"


    Maria, who was known to be domineering and refused to take other people''s crap, simply sat there


    without saying a word. Nobody could tell what she was thinking about.


    Feeling sorry for her, James strode over and stood in front of Maria protectively. Then he took out a


    business card from his pocket and handed it to those people who were insulting her. "I''m sorry for


    whatever she did to you by ident. Take my business card and feel free to contact me with the


    sum you need. I''ll make sure to pay you as you deserve. Now, please stop harassing her, or next,


    you''ll be talking to mywyer."


    Wherever James stepped in, he would always draw attention to himself.


    With an indifferent and arrogant look, he exuded a natural domineering aura that shut the three


    people up immediately.


    The man who was scolding Maria swallowed his words once he saw James. After a while, he


    asked, "Who are you?"


    "It doesn''t matter who I am. All you need to know is that from now on, I''ll be handling this on her


    behalf," James said coldly.


    As she heard his familiar voice, Maria looked up at him in a daze.


    The towering man stood with his back at her in his brand new ck suit as he elegantly put the


    business card box away.


    Maria wondered how he had found her. But the next second, she dismissed the thought. It was


    pretty easy for a man like James to find her whereabouts.


    The two women whispered something between themselves, and one of them plucked up the


    courage to say, "Even if the king walks in here today, he must pay for it!"


    "As I''ve told you, call me with the sum you need, and you''ll be paid!" James cast a look so cold at


    the woman that it scared her enough to take a few steps back.


    "Two..." The woman was about to say the price of two hundred thousand dors, but the man next


    to her quickly grabbed her arm and said, "My mother is still in surgery. Let''s talk about itter!" Then


    he pulled her aside and scolded in a low voice, "Are you stupid? This man is obviously very rich!


    Two million dors must be a drop in the bucket for him, let alone two hundred thousand!"


    "Then, how much should we ask?"


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Well, let me see. One million!"


    "One million dors?" the woman shouted in shock. It was toote for the man to cover her mouth


    with his hand.


    Her voice echoed so loudly through the corridor that everyone could hear her.


    Immediately, James pulled out a checkbook from his pocket and wrote down the value. After he was


    done, he handed the check to the man. "One million dors, and this is over now!"


    As the three people heard his words, they all gasped with excitement.


    Quickly, the man grabbed the check from James'' hand and counted the zeros.


    "One, two, three, four... My God, it''s really one million!"


    At the sound of his confirmation, the two women were so excited that they almost burst into tears.


    They promptly promised to James, "Okay. Alright. It''s all over! " They couldn''t help thinking this man


    was a rich fool.


    Putting away the checkbook, James turned around.


    When his eyes met Maria''s, he asked, "Where is Lawrence?" She had a car ident. Shouldn''t be


    her so-called boyfriend, Lawrence, the one toe and deal with this matter for her?


    Coming to her senses, Maria answered, "I didn''t call him."


    James didn''t know howto respond. So he just red at her.


    Maria lowered her head and looked at her shoes, still upset.


    She wondered why James came over and protected her the way he did.


    It seemed that every time she nned to let him go, he would give her some sort of hope again.


    Then, once she took a step towards him, he would push her away, and the cycle would


    rmence.


    ''Ah! People like to describe a woman as a drama queen. But isn''t James a drama king?''


    "You should have a checkup, too," James reminded her.


    "I''m fine," she told him truthfully.


    The man said coldly, "Just do as I say!"


    "No! Why should I waste more money? I''m feeling alright!" Maria raised her head and red at him.


    James was impressed at how she dared to challenge him. In fact, he just wanted her to have a


    checkup to be sure she didn''t have any head damage. After all, it wasn''t like her not to fight back


    while those three people insulted her.


    Once more, James took out the checkbook from his pocket and wrote another check of one million


    dors before throwing it at her. "Go and have a checkup."


    Maria refused at first, but on second thought, she pulled out a bank card from her handbag and


    said, "There are three million on this card. Youe with me, and the money is yours!"


    James was rendered speechless. Maria managed to surprise him yet again as she tried to actually


    buy him with money.


    The three people nearby couldn''t help being shocked at their conversation. They thought, ''Is this


    what rich people do?''


    Next, James took Maria to the outpatient department. The medical advisor told them that if they


    wanted to have a general checkup, they should go to the second floor and pay for the examination.


    Maria followed the man, who carefully read the instructions for her, and couldn''t help but sigh.


    ''Money does make the world go round. Three million was all it took for him to apany me.''


    Apparently, she couldn''t do some of the tests on the list because she already had something to eat


    a few hours ago.


    As Maria walked into the gynecology department with a prescription in her hand, she ran into an old


    acquaintance of hers, Dani.


    The moment Daniid eyes on her, she was stunned. Although she didn''t expect to see Maria at


    the hospital, she quickly came up with something to say to mock her. "Are you here to have an


    abortion?"


    Dani, who had gained quite a recognition online recently, felt overconfident in herself. She


    believed she could easily trample on Maria this time.


    Maria nodded calmly and said, "Yes!"


    "You are so shameless!" Dani snapped.


    Maria moved aside as a man approached her slowly. Looking at him, she said, "James, she said I''m


    shameless!"


    Although Maria left his sight for only two minutes while he paid the bill, she already got herself into


    trouble again.


    Realizing who wasing, Dani stuttered. "Mr. Xi... I..." She desperately wanted to exin


    herself, but she failed to put a sentence together.


    Unexpectedly, instead of reproaching Dani, James looked Maria up and down and said


    thoughtfully, "You are indeed shameless. You just got out of my bed and then got into someone


    else''s!"

 Chapter 140 Getting Married

    Chapter 140 Getting Married


    Maria was rendered speechless. She didn''t expect that James would echo Dani. Without saying


    anything, she turned around and walked away, silently cursing in her head.


    James cast a cold nce at Dani with a hint of warning in his eyes.


    He then turned around and strode to keep up with Maria, who had already entered the elevator.


    As soon as the elevator doors closed, Maria smashed the reports to James and yelled angrily,


    "Screw this fucking checkup! You need to do this when you are free. I''m afraid that you are not in


    your right mind, Mr. Xi."


    The elevator doors then opened, and she walked out decisively.


    With a face livid with anger, James walked out of the elevator and shouted at her back, "Maria


    Song, stop!"


    ''Damn this woman! I really need to teach her a lesson,'' he thought inwardly with furrowed brows.


    Maria turned around and sneered, "Why will I listen to you? I have my own dignity."


    James now felt angry beyond words.


    When Maria reached the parking lot of the hospital, she walked to her car. She was about to get in


    when a big hand grasped her wrist from behind.


    Without bothering to look back, she already knew who it was.


    James wouldn''t give her a chance to get rid of him. He pulled her into his car and said, "You are


    such a lousy driver. You don''t deserve to drive anymore."


    Maria sneered and teased him, "You want to give me a ride? How about riding with me in bed? You


    just talk the talk. You are not a real man at all."


    Upon hearing her suggestiveints, James stopped and looked back at her sternly. "I''m afraid


    that you''ll cry when I start riding on you."


    Maria red at him, not knowing how to retort. When she thought of how he made her cry every


    time, she scolded herself for being such a loser.


    However, she wouldn¡¯t just admit it to him. She countered, "Do you really think you are that


    powerful? The doctor actually said that a man who can do it for more than an hour is sick."


    James disagreed and retorted, "But did he tell you that the only exception is when both parties


    enjoy it in that one hour? As far as I can remember, you enjoy it very much everytime we do it."


    Maria''s face flushed with embarrassment. ''James, you son of a bitch!'' she swore inwardly.


    She had to admit, she couldn''t win against him in this argument. She shook off his hand and said,


    "I''m tired of always telling you how to avoid arousing suspicion. Mr. Xi, please pay more attention to


    it in the future."


    James just nced at her and opened the door to the passenger seat. "Get in!"


    "I will. Just don''t touch me." Maria got into the car and sat in the passenger seat. She was not in the


    mood to argue with him anymore. Soon enough, the Harkim roared away.


    There was a pin-drop inside the car as neither of them spoke. Maria was deep in thought, thinking if


    she should go back to her hometown in the countryside. James, on the other hand, was thinking


    about her rtionship with Lawrence.


    Instead of going to the coffee shop, Maria let James drive her back to the hotel. As soon as she got


    out of the Harkim, she looked at him in the driver''s seat and said, "Although I''m still pissed off, I


    want to thank you foring to the hospital just now."


    James nced at her and said indifferently, "Close the door."


    Maria closed the door obediently. He then stepped on the elerator and drove away.


    She was speechless while watching the receding car. He left without hesitation. He didn''t even


    respond when she expressed his gratitude to him.


    When James'' car stopped at the traffic lights, he took out his phone and called Lawrence. "What''s


    your n tonight?"


    "No ns yet," Lawrence answered. If he hadn''t been involved in James and Maria''s affairs, he


    would have already returned to the military long ago.


    He had sacrificed a lot for James, who should really appreciate his rtionship with him.


    "Let''s go out to drink."


    Lawrence subconsciously rubbed his chin upon hearing James'' invitation. He wondered why James


    suddenly asked him out for a drink. But when he thought that it could be a good opportunity to push


    the progress of James and Maria''s rtionship, he answered, "Sure. No problem."


    Since Lawrence epted his invitation, James also sent a message to Ethan, asking him out.


    Ethan happily typed in the word "Okay." But before he could send it, he realized that Lawrence and


    James were currently in a state of hostility because of the enchantress Maria. Afraid that he would


    witness some violent scenes and his shirt would be stained with their blood, he decided not to join


    them.


    Ethan deleted the word "Okay" and typed another message, saying, "Ginger is going to have a


    sterilization surgery, so I have to work overtime tonight. You two enjoy yourselves. Call me if you get


    drunk. I''lle to pick you up."


    James read Ethan''s message, but he didn''t reply. Instead, he drove to attend an important event.


    In the club, Lawrence told James in person that he and Maria would be getting married soon.


    After James heard the news, he couldn''t help himself.


    With a gloomy look, James asked, "Do you n to share a woman with your best friend?"


    Lawrence picked up the ss and drank to hide the amusement in his eyes. He then answered


    unhurriedly, "You two have divorced, so you have nothing to do with her anymore. After we get


    married, I know that Maria will behave herself. I trust her."


    James couldn''t find the right words to retort.


    He stood up, wanting to punch Lawrence in the face. But in the end, he changed his mind. Pursing


    his lips tightly, he turned around and walked out of the private room.


    As soon as James left, Lawrence sent a message to Maria. "Be careful." He could only help them in


    this way. If James didn''t buy what he said, he didn''t know what else he could do. After all, he


    couldn''t marry Maria, could he?


    But judging from James'' reaction just now, he knew that his efforts in the past few days wouldn''t be


    in vain.


    However, Maria didn''t know what his words meant, so she replied confusedly, "What?¡± "You''ll know


    later. Just make sure not to give the game away," Lawrence replied.


    Fifteen minutester, the doorbell in Maria''s hotel room rang. She cleaned up her room first before


    she stood up to open the door. This time, the person who had been pressing the doorbell was now


    knocking on the door. The knocks sounded hasty and irritable.


    Maria opened the door whileining, "Who is it? Why such in a hurry?" She was stunned upon


    seeing the man standing in front of the door. "James? What are you doing here?"


    Instead of answering, James pushed her aside, entered the room, and mmed the door. He then


    began to use her, "If you want to take revenge, just aim at me. Why do you have to marry


    Lawrence? Maria Song, what the hell do you want?"


    For a moment, Maria was in a daze. Then, she understood why Lawrence sent her a warning


    message just now. Without changing her expression, she asked tentatively, "Did Lawrence tell


    you?"


    "Who else would?" he sneered. If it weren''t for the fact Lawrence had told him in person, James


    wouldn''t have believed it.


    Maria leaned against the wall and crossed her arms over her chest. "Although Lawrence is not as


    capable and influential as you, he is still a powerful backer. He has power in the military force,


    politics, andmercial circles. That''s enough for me."


    James stared at her, looking closely at her indifferent expression. Somehow, he felt a little


    depressed.


    He didn''t say anything, so she continued, "Well, let me make it clear to you once and for all. I did


    come back to take revenge. I wanted you at the beginning, but I couldn''t get you. Lawrence likes


    me, so I chose to rely on him."


    "Didn''t Norman tell you that he wanted to marry you as well? Why didn''t you marry him? Why did


    you have to choose Lawrence?" James asked a series of questions sharply.


    Maria was a little stunned again. ''Did Norman say he wanted to marry me? When did it happen?''


    After thinking about it for a while, she guessed that perhaps Norman said it to James to irritate him.


    She shook her head and answered, "Well, Norman is different from Lawrence. I can''t see through


    him. You are Lawrence''s best friend, so you must know better than me that he is a simple man with


    integrity. I don''t have to worry that he has any evil intentions. I feel secure when I''m with him.


    Hence, I have countless reasons to marry him."


    James knew very well that Norman had always been mysterious. He was even tricked by Norman in


    business a few times. But since Norman was his halfbrother, he had to let him go. He had asked


    someone to investigate Norman. But in the end, he still didn''t get any substantial information.


    "Are you sure that Lawrence likes you?" James asked.


    "Of course," Maria replied calmly, making sure that James wouldn''t see through her lie.


    "I don''t believe it. That''s impossible." James'' intuition was telling him that Lawrence couldn''t


    possibly fall in love with Maria.


    Maria looked a little helpless. "Well, let me get straight to the point. Lawrence wants to marry me


    because of love. But for me, I will only marry him because of money. I have bowed to life. I would


    marry whoever could invest in my newpany. The truth is, Lawrence has not only offered me


    eighty million dors. In total, he has given me a hundred million."


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    One hundred million? This figure reechoed in James'' mind. He had to admit that Lawrence had


    exerted so much effort just to marry Maria.


    No wonder Ethan always called her the enchantress Maria. Now it seemed that this name really fit


    her.


    Staring at Maria expressionlessly, James threw hisst question at her. "What''s your rtionship


    with Colby?"

 Chapter 141 The Honey Trap

    Chapter 141 The Honey Trap


    "Just the kind of rtionship you''ve always thought of!" Flipping her long hair, Maria seemed really


    calm. As if she just found out a big secret, she stared at the man and said, "Mr. Xi, you came all the


    way here just to ask me these bunch of questions. You seem to care a lot about me. Are you in love


    with me?"


    "What? Dream on!" James said between his teeth. "If it weren''t for Lawrence, do you think I would


    stand here?"


    Maria heaved a sigh of relief, patting her chest. "You really freaked me out. For a second, I thought I


    was too charming for you to resist."


    The man scoffed, not wanting to let her feel too proud. "Don''t worry. I''m going to get engaged to


    Alina soon. In this case, don''te to me again if you have any trouble in the future. Lawrence


    should be more than enough to solve anything for you."


    "What a coincidence! I share the same opinion as you. Since I already have Lawrence, why would I


    still go to you?" Maria answered with a smile that didn''t reach her eyes. Walking past James, she


    opened the door behind him and pushed him out rather forcibly. "Now that everything is clear


    between us, Mr. Xi, please leave as soon as possible so that there are no misunderstandings!"


    After Maria pushed him out, James stood at the door, straightening his suit with a gloomy face.


    "You''re unreasonable!"


    Maria couldn''t help but be furious at hisment. She sneered, "Then go find your precious Alina.


    After all, she''s so gentle, kind-hearted, and most importantly, considerate. Now, fuck off!" ''Son of


    bitch!'' she cursed inwardly.


    Bang! She mmed the door in his face.


    James looked at the closed door in disbelief. It took him a few more minutes to realize that for the


    very first time in his life, he had been kicked out by a woman.


    Maria cursed James a million times.


    Aftering out of the hotel, James returned to Leopard Club. Since Lawrence was no longer


    there, he called Ethan and asked him out for a drink.


    Knowing that he couldn''t ignore a request from James, Ethan put his work aside and rushed to


    Leopard Club.


    As he walked into the private room, Ethan watched the man gulp down one ss of liquor after


    another. Although he was trembling with fear, he asked, "James, what happened to you?"


    James leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes without saying anything. The scene of Maria


    seducing him to get the project for Colby suddenly rushed back to his mind. The next moment, he


    couldn''t help but imagine her making breakfast for Lawrence, watching a movie with him, and


    sending him moon cakes.


    After a while, he opened his eyes again and stared at Ethan, who was bored, ying a game on his


    cell phone. "Ethan," he called all of a sudden.


    "What? I''m all ears!" Ethan raised his head to look at him. He thought James wouldn''t talk to him the


    whole night.


    "Do you like Maria?"


    "What? Do I like Maria? Well, I don''t hate her. She''s not annoying, you know? I guess I feel safe


    around her." As much as Ethan wanted to deny how he felt about Maria, he couldn''t help but admit


    the truth.


    James'' face became even darker as he asked again, "How much do you like her?"


    "How much? To me, she''s like an elder sister. Or maybe a female gang leader, I don''t know. But


    she''s so brave and heroic!"


    James rolled his eyes at him and poured himself another ss of liquor.


    "James, why are you asking me this all of a sudden?" Ethan was confused.


    Sliding his thumb up and down the ss, James didn''t hide anything from him. "Maria is going to


    marry Lawrence soon."


    "What the hell? No way!" Ethan was taken aback.


    He thought the two were just acting or fooling around at most, but he never expected they were


    going to get married. Ethan was indeed stunned. "Oh, Lawrence. Not even the sinner could escape


    Maria''s honey trap. She''s really good at seducing men!" James had to admit that he was absolutely


    right.


    ncing at him, James asked, "If Maria used the honey trap on you, would you fall for it?"


    Ethan rubbed his chin, seriously considering the possibility. The next second, he answered, "If


    Maria dared to use the honey trap on me, I would definitely fall for it!"


    James was speechless. He had to hold himself back from kicking Ethan out. "You''re hopeless!"


    "I''m hopeless?" Ethan pointed at himself, feeling wronged. "Well, James, since you''ve slept with


    Maria, what does that make you?" Although he already knew that Maria lied to him the other day,


    and she wasn''t really pregnant with James'' baby, the two still had slept together recently.


    Nevertheless, Ethan couldn''t understand why the woman would lie to an innocent and simple young


    man such as him.


    "Do you have a death wish?" James scolded him.


    Ethan didn''t let it go. "Humph! It''s the truth! Am I not allowed to speak the truth now?"


    "Get the fuck out of here!"


    "Why should I listen to you? I''m not going anywhere!" Ethan refused firmly.


    Upon hearing this, James wondered, slightly annoyed, ''Right! Why did I have to leave Maria''s room


    so obediently earlier?'' At that moment, he realized he should learn more from Ethan''s behavior. If


    Maria ever dared to kick him out again, he wouldn''t leave and would piss her off instead.


    As he thought of this, James put his ss down and stood up from the sofa. "You''ll get back home


    by yourself."


    "Hey, where are you going?" Ethan asked as he saw the man heading towards the door.


    James, in turn, ignored him. He had made up his mind. Since Maria wouldn''t leave him alone, he


    wouldn''t leave her either.


    About two hours after Maria had kicked James out, she was calm enough to carry on with her day.


    However, when she sat down to start working, the doorbell rang again.


    As she walked to answer the door, she wondered whether she should move to another ce.


    Looking through the peephole, she saw a man. It was James again. Why did hee back?


    She opened the door in confusion, but before she could say anything, a strong scent of alcohol


    invaded her nostrils. She recalled that when James came earlier, he had just a faint smell of alcoholBelongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    in his breath. She guessed that perhaps he didn''t enjoy himself so much at the time, so he went


    back to the club for another round of drinks.


    Leaning against the door frame, Maria deliberately didn''t invite him in as she mocked, "Mr. Xi, what


    brings such a distinguished man to a shabby hotel twice in one day? If I were you, I would be


    careful, or people would start to talk."


    The man silently walked past her and entered her room.


    "Hey, what are you doing?" Maria tried to stop him.


    Ignoring her, hey down on her bed and ordered, "Come here and undress me."


    "Oh, sure, but don''t hold your breath!" He was never nice to her, and yet he wanted to order her


    around. He must be delusional.


    Maria grabbed her phone and kicked the man''s foot. "Get up. Otherwise, I''ll call Alina toe over


    here."


    James opened his eyes and sat up on the bed. Instead of leaving, he held Maria''s wrist and pulled


    her into his arms.


    As Maria tried to protest, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing her body against his.


    "James Xi, are you nuts? Mmmph..." Her lips were sealed by his as the taste of alcohol invaded her


    mouth.


    Maria almost choked to death. She wondered how much he had drunk.


    "Leave Lawrence!" he whispered in her ear.


    The mention of Lawrence''s name brought Maria back to her senses. Pushing the man away from


    her, she scolded him breathlessly, "James Xi, you scumbag. What the hell do you want? If you don''t


    love me, why do you stille to me? Do you think I''m the kind of woman to whom you cane


    and go as you please? Or maybe that I only exist for your entertainment? Because if that''s what you


    believe, you''re wrong. I also have a temper and boundaries I''ve set for myself."


    The many on the bed, staring at the ceiling nkly while listening to her.


    He wondered, ''What am I doing here?''


    He was going to get engaged to Alina, and Maria hadn''t been pestering him recently. She could


    marry whoever she wanted. In fact, wasn''t this for the best?


    "If you still want me to leave Lawrence and have sex with you, I can do that. Just don''t get engaged


    to Alina next week. Can you do that?" she asked.


    James sat up on the bed again, staring at the angry woman in front of him, and his eyes darkened.


    Meeting his gaze, Maria felt intimidated. After a long time, she asked, "Do you still want to get


    engaged to her?"

 Chapter 142 Lawrences Grandmother

    Chapter 142 Lawrence''s Grandmother


    After calming down, James answered, "Yes."


    Maria clenched her fists, her fingernails piercing her palms. She sneered, "Do you really need a


    marriage to prop up your career, James?"


    The man stood up and walked to the window. He stared outside into the night, but the view offered


    nothing but concrete walls and alleyways. The hotel was not known for its scenery. "I don''t need it,


    HL Group does." This was an important project. If HL Group teamed up with Tang Group, they''d


    have twice the profit for half the effort.


    He evaluated this from every angle. The benefits extended beyond mere profit.


    "So you gave up your own happiness to help HL Group?" Maria asked.


    The man fell silent.


    She continued to look daggers at him, despite the fact that he couldn''t see her. She was sure he


    could feel it, though. "It''s so ridiculous! This can''t all be about business. You care for Alina, right? If


    you don''t, then why marry her? And sleep with her?"


    Without turning his head, James replied in a calm voice, "I didn''t like you back then, either. But we


    still had sex."


    Maria was speechless. He was too blunt.


    Sure enough, men were animals driven by their desires; even James was no exception.


    At the mention of sex, they both paused awkwardly.


    Maria felt a sharp pang in her heart as if it were pricked by needles. Why had she tried so hard?


    Even if she had gotten Lawrence to go along with her n, James would still be with another


    woman.


    Even if she embarrassed Alina again and again, what was the point? James didn''t care if Alina


    made a fool of herself. He was still going to marry her.


    Maria started feeling sorry for herself. Was she always going to be a loser?


    "Go! Leave! I don''t want to see you again." She didn''t want him to see the cracks in her armor. She


    was afraid that she would get physically ill if they kept talking.


    And with that, Maria pushed James out of her room. And she wasn''t kind or subtle about it. He had


    no time to resist, nor did he care to.


    He had the door mmed right in his face. That night, Maria kicked him out twice.


    In the Harkim, James closed his eyes and took a nap. When he was about to arrive at his ce, he


    sent a message to his subordinate. "Lawrence is getting married. Find a way to inform his


    grandmother."


    Since they were getting married, Lawrence''s family would find out sooner orter. He didn''t mind


    letting Elizabeth know the good news ahead of time.


    "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    If James told his men to ry a message, it would get there quickly.


    The very next morning, Elizabeth was taking a walk around the neighborhood. It was early morning,


    and few others were even up yet. She liked it that way, just her and the crisp dawn air. But it wasn''t


    just her, this time. Two men were also out for a jog, and she heard them mention Lawrence and how


    he was getting married soon.


    Elizabeth felt a little out of sorts. Why did she have to hear it from others, rather than from her


    grandson himself? Of course, these two "joggers" worked for James. It was all part of his n.


    She had been hoping Lawrence would settle down and marry a nice girl. She''d been looking


    forward to that for many years. Some time ago, she was urging him to get married. Why didn''t he


    tell her he had a girlfriend?


    Keeping that in mind, Elizabeth came back to the Lu family vi. She called Lawrence to figure out


    what was going on.


    "Lawrence, what are you doing?"


    As soon as Lawrence swiped to answer the call, Elizabeth''s stern voice came from the other end of


    the line.


    "I''m not sure what you''re asking, Grandma." Lawrence was confused.


    "You''re getting married? Why didn''t you tell me?"


    "I''m getting married? Oh... How did you find out?" Lawrence was puzzled for a moment. He wasn''t


    going to tell his family about the fake marriage.


    Elizabeth sneered. "You meant you didn''t want me to know?"


    "That''s not what I meant. I wasn''t going to tell you... Um...l mean-"


    "All right! So you weren''t going to tell me! Why not? I don''t deserve to know you''re getting married,


    is that it? Well, then I''m not your grandma anymore!" Elizabeth yelled at him and hung up the phone


    without giving him a chance to exin.


    Staring at his phone, Lawrence felt a migraineing on. He thought about this carefully. The only


    other ones who knew were Maria and James.


    Maria didn''t know his grandmother at all. There was no way she said anything.


    He certainly didn''t tell anyone. That left James.


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    He shook his head helplessly, wondering why James sold him out like this.


    After hanging up the phone with her grandson, Elizabeth immediately asked someone to look into


    her grandson''s girlfriend.


    James had prepared everything ahead of time. As a result, Elizabeth soon found out that Lawrence


    was going to marry James'' ex-wife.


    She also figured out that Maria had been with James not long ago.


    Elizabeth flew into a rage. She had been hoping he''d settle down for a long time, but she wanted


    him to marry the right woman.


    It didn''t matter what she looked like, or whether she was wealthy. But Lawrence was going to marry


    his best friend''s ex. That was where Elizabeth drew the line.


    Maria killed her kid, too. He was less than a year old back then. Why would Lawrence fall in love


    with a woman like that?


    That night, Elizabeth didn''t sleep well at all. Marriage was a seriousmitment. It was a lifetime


    deal. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that she couldn''t let her grandson do this.


    The next morning, Maria was in the hospital, having her stitches removed. Her phone buzzed and


    she picked it up. She didn''t recognize the number, but she still answered it.


    That afternoon, at three o''clock sharp, a distinguished guest visited Miracle Cafe.


    Maria came out to wee her in person. A ck


    Bentley stopped at the door of the coffee shop, and a grey-haired elderly woman emerged.


    Her bearing was very simr to Charlotte''s. One could tell this woman was either rich, powerful, or


    both.


    Maria walked forward with a smile, slightly bent down and nodded to greet Elizabeth. "Good


    afternoon, Mrs. Lu!"


    Elizabeth looked the woman up and down secretly and smiled back. "You must be Maria, right?"


    In fact, Elizabeth was obsessed with good-looking youngsters. When she first caught sight of Maria,


    she was deeply impressed by her beauty and charm.


    Maria was beautiful, but Elizabeth thought she was way too good-looking. Her grandson was not


    always home. She worried that Maria might stray, be desperate for malepany and fool around


    behind Lawrence''s back. She gave Maria a negative mark there.


    Maria nodded gracefully without any nervousness, "Yes, I''m Maria Song. This way, please, Mrs. Lu."


    The twodies entered Miracle Cafe, nked by several bodyguards.


    There were two private rooms on the first floor of the coffee shop. One of them was already taken.


    So Maria took Elizabeth into another room.


    A shop assistant brought in the coffee prepared in advance. Maria personally took a cup of


    steaming coffee and handed it to the old woman. "Mrs. Lu, this is the coffee I brewed in advance.


    Please enjoy it."


    The old woman didn''t take it immediately, but looked at the cafe assistant beside her.


    Maria understood immediately. She put the two cups of coffee on the table and asked the assistant


    to leave.


    There were just the two of them in the private room, as well as one of Elizabeth''s bodyguards.


    Elizabeth dispensed with pleasantries and got straight to the point. "Tell me, why did you approach


    my grandson?"


    Maria smiled and sat down opposite her. She answered with a question of her own. "I understand


    your concerns, Mrs. Lu. But what if I tell you I really like Lawrence?"


    -

 Chapter 143 Making Elizabeth Happy

    Chapter 143 Making Elizabeth Happy


    "So what if you really like him? You were with James not long ago. Besides, you are fooling around


    with Colby, Norman, and who knows how many others. You''re a murderer, to boot," Elizabeth said


    loudly. Her sharp eyes stared at Maria, trying to find any trace of a guilty conscience.


    Arthur! She was talking about Arthur!


    If it were anyone else, Maria would have pped them for saying that. She did not murder Arthur.


    But this was Lawrence''s grandmother, who didn''t know any better. She was the grandmother of a


    man who had helped her a lot. And she wanted the best for her family. Could Maria fault her forthat?


    Maria''s smile faded. She asked politely, "Mrs. Lu, can I ask how you know I killed my kid?"


    Elizabeth didn''t expect her to be so direct. She was startled for the moment. But she kept it together


    and answered, "Everyone in H City knows."


    "You got that right. But did you see me kill my son? I mean with your own eyes? You''re a mom, too.


    Would you kill your own son?"


    Elizabeth was silent.


    She asked Judy about it. The Xi family and Lu family knew each other for generations. And Judy


    told her that Maria had killed her child. "So you''re trying to say you didn''t do it? I didn''te here to


    talk about your crime."


    "I get it. Look, your grandson helped me out a lot. He''s been my rock through all this. I don''t want


    you to buy into all the lies."


    Maria wanted her to know she had Lawrence''s best interests in mind, and respected his family.


    Elizabeth took a sip of coffee.


    "You might want to watch your caffeine intake," Maria reminded her. "Even in the afternoon, it can


    keep you awake at night."


    "I know what I''m doing. Besides, coffee''s good for me." Elizabeth liked to try new things. She kept


    herself young by trying things that young people liked.


    Maria chuckled. "Mrs. Lu, since you came all the way here, I''m not going to go against your wishes.


    Don''t worry. I won''t marry Lawrence."


    She had offered to go and see Lawrence''s grandmother on the phone, but Elizabeth had said she


    knew Maria had a cafe and insisted on going there to talk, so Maria had agreed.


    Hearing this, the old woman raised her eyebrows and put down the coffee cup. "Really?"


    "Really."


    "Does my grandson know that?"


    Maria nodded. "Lawrence didn''t tell you we were getting married, did he?" She was pretty sure


    Lawrence didn''t tell her. They both knew they were not really getting married, anyway.


    Elizabeth was embarrassed. "Second-hand info," she admitted. She wondered if she had jumped


    the gun.


    Well, it was all her grandson''s fault. He didn''t exin it well.


    ''Second-hand? Like from someone else?'' Maria understood. She bet that someone else was


    James. She smiled and exined, "We aren''t really in love. Please don''t worry!"


    Maria had to let her in on it. She wasn''t going to worry this old woman over nothing.


    Hearing her promise, the old woman felt much better. The rest of their conversation was much more


    rxed.


    Before Elizabeth left, Maria gave her a box of instant coffee gift box. There was an exquisite cup


    inside. Although it was a small gift, it represented Maria¡¯s kindness. Elizabeth was so happy-she


    grinned from ear to ear. After getting in the car, she kept inviting Maria to visit her when she was


    free.


    Meanwhile, Lawrence went to see James in his office at HL Group.


    When he pushed the office door open, he saw that James wasn''t reviewing documents, but instead


    picking out a new suit.


    Various staff members were milling about him, asking him about this or that, measuring here and


    there.


    James picked out a dark grey suit and tried it on for size. He knew Lawrence was here, he just


    didn''t have anything to say to him until now. "How do I look?"


    Lawrence stood still with one arm around his chest and the other against his chin. "Well, I can tell


    you what I heard. A youngdy said, ''Mr. Xi looks handsome no matter what he wears. Too bad he''s


    not a model.'' I couldn''t agree more."


    Hearing his well-rehearsed ttery, James cast a cold nce at him, took off the suit, and handed it


    to his assistant. He said to Lawrence, "If you came here to butter me up, just get out now."


    Lawrence smiled. He sat down on the sofa and said, "Grandma''s in Maria''s cafe."


    James held the same expression. He looked through several rows of watches and said, ''Til buy your


    grandma a cup of coffeeter." "She''s there for Maria." As a matter of fact, Lawrence was rattled by


    the development.


    "Congrattions!"


    Lawrence knew James was mocking him, so he chose grace over grousing. "Thanks," he said.


    Neither of them said another word.


    After choosing a few new arrivals, James sent the staff out. He nced at the man rxing on the


    sofa and asked, "Why aren''t you with your grandma?"


    "Because I trust Maria," Lawrence said confidently.


    James frowned at the intimate way Lawrence said Maria''s name. He felt the name was so foul,


    coming from Lawrence''s mouth.


    James sat back down at his desk and picked up a file folder beside him. "I''m busy. See you."


    Without saying a word, Lawrence kicked back on the sofa. He feltfortable. No wonder Ethan


    liked to lie here and y games.


    Roughly fifteen minutester, Lawrence put away his phone, jumped up from the sofa, and walked


    over to James'' desk. He propped himself up, and said "Grandma left the cafe. And you know what?


    She was grinning so happily her eyes disappeared." He knew Maria could make his grandmother


    happy, but he didn''t think she''d handle her that well.


    James stared at him expressionlessly and said nothing.


    He couldn''t help but wonder whether Maria was born to charm the elders. She had his


    grandparents, her own grandfather, and now Lawrence''s grandmother all wrapped around her little


    finger.


    "Don''t look at me like that. What''s wrong? I''ve been single for more than twenty years. Now I finally


    have a girlfriend against all odds. Aren''t you happy for me?"


    Hearing Lawrence''s question, James sneered.


    There were so many women chasing after Lawrence in H City that you could line them up single file


    and they''d still reach the Pacific Ocean. How hard was it to find a girlfriend?


    James was supposed to be happy for him somehow. And maybe he was. But he had another card


    to y. "If you had another girlfriend, I''d have a wedding gift by now," James said.


    Tm kinda stuck on Maria. What are you trying to say?" Lawrence was happy and anxious at the


    same time.


    He felt anxious, because sooner orter James would see through their ruse.


    But to see James pissed off like this made him really fucking happy!


    "Get out!" James pointed at the door.


    Lawrence rubbed his nose tip. It seemed that this was the first time that he had been kicked out of,


    well, anywhere, really. "Would you like to go to Maria''s cafe for a coffee with me?"


    Usually, he was the one kicking everyone else out. No one was going to do that to him. James was


    the only one who had done so.


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    "No," answered James coldly, still pointing at the door.


    "All right." Lawrence stretched his body. "Then I''ll go shopping with Maria and buy you an


    engagement gift."


    A cold nce swept over him, but Lawrence ignored it. He turned and walked out of James'' office.


    James put down his pen and leaned back in his chair, sulking.


    The woman who had kept bugging him was getting married to someone else. He wondered if she''d


    really given up.


    He remembered the night when showed up, blood all over her body. He remembered what she said.


    "I gave up.


    I''m not as cheap as you think."


    The words echoed in James'' mind. Annoyed, he pushed the files away from him, and threw the pen


    across the room.


    -

 Chapter 144 Photos For Blind Dates

    Chapter 144 Photos For Blind Dates


    After Lawrence left HL Group, he went back home. If he wanted to drop by in Miracle Cafe, which


    was only across the street, he had to make a U-turn.


    However, when he arrived at the intersection, he forgot to changenes and drove straight. Thus,


    instead of dropping by in Miracle Cafe, he went back home.


    Inside thergest studio of H City, Dani was having a photo shoot.


    Everyone was busy giving her directions for different poses. From time to time, the photographer''s


    voice also echoed in the room, reminding her to adjust her posture. "Ms. Song, move your hips a


    little to the right. Move to the right please. To the right..."


    Danie, who was holding a basket of fruits, got irritated at once. She threw the basket away and


    comined, "I''ve always been moving to the right. How far to the right do you want me to move?"


    She then stomped off to the lounge, ignoring the people who exchanged weird nces at each


    other.


    The photographer was also very annoyed. Dani didn''t show any emotion in front of the camera.


    He was already losing his patience, but before he could even blow up, she just dumped things and


    walked out.


    He was about to follow her so he could retort when his assistant pulled him back and persuaded


    him in a low voice, "Hey, Jason. Just leave her alone. She has been popr recently and has won


    several endorsements. How can she not be arrogant?"


    Jason Zhang sneered, "I used to be an exclusive photographer of those international A-listers, but I


    have never been treated like this. How dare she show her arrogance in front of me? She''s just a


    vlogger who shoots travel vlogs, isn''t she? Who does she think she is? Does she already feel like


    an expert after shooting those lousy videos? I wonder how she has be famous.


    Actually, I''m confused. Before this photo shoot, I checked her channel. Her vlogs don''t have any


    special features at all. They are just ordinary videos. Well, maybe it''s because of her strong family


    background. After all, she is the daughter of Chandler Song. And it seems that a sugar daddy is


    backing her up as well.


    Ha! If I were a businessman, I would never choose a woman like her as a spokesperson!" Jason


    really despised superficial women like Dani. She was not capable of anything, but she knew how


    to throw a tantrum.


    The assistant tried to smooth things over. "All right. Calm down first, okay? I''ll try to talk to her


    again."


    "Go ahead. Make sure to tell her that I don''t care whether she wants to do the photo shoot or not. I


    don''t give a shit. I have no time to waste on her."


    "Okay, okay."


    The assistant then turned around and walked towards the lounge to find Dani.


    Dani was ying with her newly-painted nails while listening to the assistant. "Ms. Song, we''re


    shooting thest set of photos today. After this, I will ask someone to fix the pictures for you. I''ll


    make sure that you have the best photos to be posted. Our schedule is quite tight. Please, let''s


    continue?"


    As arrogant as she was, Dani still put on airs like a queen. "I doubt what kind of photographer he


    is. If he can''t shoot, then find another one!" She now considered herself the number one in their


    industry, so she wouldn''t tolerate any bully.


    "Jason is an excellent photographer. As a matter of fact, he has won a lot of awards. He was once


    an exclusive photographer of many international A-listers. I''m sure that you look absolutely


    awesome in those photos he has taken earlier. So let''s continue, okay?1'' The assistant was


    exhausted after coaxing such an arrogant woman.


    She was smiling all the time, but deep inside her, she was cursing Dani.


    Dani snorted. "I have to fly to Bali tomorrow, so I don''t have time to waste. All right. Let''s go."


    She was fortunate enough that she rose to fame overnight. It felt so good to be taken good care of


    wherever she went. If there would be a chance in the future, she would definitely change her career


    to an actress.


    "Great! Let''s go." The assistant couldn''t help breathing a sigh of relief.


    But she swore to herself that she would never work with Dani ever again.


    Elizabeth was very busy in the Lu family''s vi.


    With a pair of presbyopia sses, she looked at the photos on the table and made some


    comments. "Oh, this one is not good. It says here that this woman is hot -tempered. What if she


    fights with my grandson when they argue?


    Hmm...this one looks nice. She has a good family background. She doesn''t look pretty, though.


    Look at her bucktooth."


    At this time, her phone rang. She took off her sses and answered the call. "Hello? Who''s this?"


    "Liza, it''s me!"


    Liza was Elizabeth''s nickname, and only a few people called her this name. In fact, she had never


    heard someone call her this name since she got married. The voice on the other end of the line


    sounded quite familiar. "Sorry, who are you?" she asked, trying to scan her memory.


    "This is Simon Su. Do you still remember? I was the one who went to the countryside with you to


    help the poor."


    Elizabeth''s eyes lit up at once. "Yes, of course, I remember. Simon, it''s you!"


    Elizabeth was straightforward and resilient when she was young and even joined the army. She had


    many good friends, and Simon Su was one of them.


    Simon and Elizabeth chatted for quite a long time until he voiced out the real reason why he called.


    "By the way, I heard that you are looking for a blind date for your grandson."


    "Yes, that''s right. My grandson is an excellent man, but he never cares about marriage. I¡¯m starting


    to worry about him."


    She liked Maria, and she believed what Maria had told her.


    Even so, she still wanted to arrange a blind date for Lawrence. She was really afraid that her


    grandson would be ruined by Maria.


    "What a coincidence! I actually have a granddaughter who is twenty-two years old. She hasn''t


    graduated from college yet. You can rest assured that she''s a beauty. Of course, with a handsome


    grandfather like me, what do you expect?"


    Simon wasn''t bluffing because he was indeed handsome. He also had a good family background as


    he was born into a family of traditional Chinese medicine.


    Elizabeth became interested, so she asked, "What''s your granddaughter''s name? Do you have any


    pictures of her?"


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    "Her name is Meagan. She''s currently in medical school, studying Chinese medicine. We are not


    getting any younger, and we inevitably feel some difort from time to time. Although Meagan


    hasn''t mastered all the medical skills yet, it''s not a problem. I can pass on my skills to her. If your


    grandson marries her, she can also take care of you. Don''t you think it''s a good idea?"


    "Sounds good to me. Where is she right now? I want to see her," Elizabeth said excitedly.


    "Okay. She''s rtively quiet and stays with me all the time. I have watched her grow up. Why don''t


    youe to my herb garden when you have time? You can meet her there."


    Elizabeth was delighted to know that Meagan was studying medicine and liked Chinese herbs. If


    Meagan would be her granddaughter-inw in the future, Meagan could take care of her.


    Besides, Simon said that Meagan was quiet and obedient. She was a perfect match to the


    domineering Lawrence.


    She couldn''t help grinning from ear to ear, feeling that a perfect granddaughter-inw had fallen


    from the sky. She patted her thigh and agreed, "Okay. I''ll pay you a visit in the next two days. I want


    to have a cup of tea with you."


    "That''s great!"


    The two talked about some of their memories and old friends in the past for almost an hour before


    they hung up.


    As soon as he arrived home, Lawrence saw his grandmother looking at her phone happily. He


    asked in confusion, "Grandma, why are you so happy?"


    Elizabeth smiled mysteriously. "It''s a secret. I won''t tell you."


    She was afraid that Lawrence would ruin her ns.


    Lawrence''s gaze then swept over the photos on the table, and he noticed that they were all women.


    He picked up one of them and read the caption. "Yvonne Shui, 26 years old, lively." His brows


    creased as he looked at Elizabeth and asked, "What''s this?"


    "Oh, these photos? I''ve collected them because I want to arrange a blind date for you. But they are


    of no use for the time being," Elizabeth answered without raising her head.


    Lawrence was a little taken aback. He nced at the dozens of photos on the table again, and the


    corner of his mouth twitched. He then said, "Grandma, how considerate you are!"


    It seemed that Elizabeth had already known that he was only acting with Maria.


    "Of course! You are my only grandson, and Yasmin is my only granddaughter. You are both my


    treasures." That was why she couldn''t allow them to make any hasty decisions on their marriages.


    Yasmin Lu was another story, as she had always been stupid. People said that fortune favored the


    fools. Perhaps one day, she would meet a man who would love her for who she was. For now,


    Elizabeth wanted to pay more attention to Lawrence''s love life.

 Chapter 145 We Will Be Even

    Chapter 145 We Will Be Even


    Lawrence was different from Yasmin. In Elizabeth''s eyes, her grandson was the best man in the


    world, and he couldn''t just marry any ordinary woman.


    Rubbing his face, Lawrence asked helplessly, "Then why won''t you get me a blind date?" He


    wondered if Elizabeth had epted Maria or if she had found someone who fit him better.


    After asking the servant to pack up the photos, Elizabeth replied cheerfully, "It''s a secret!"


    Lawrence didn''t know what to say. Eventually, he nodded. "Alright, Grandma. As long as you''re


    happy!"


    "Oh, I''m very happy!" She had a hunch that Meagan was a perfect match for her grandson.


    If everything worked out, she would have a great-grandson soon. Elizabeth couldn''t help grinning


    from ear to ear at the thought.


    Seeing the look on his grandmother''s face, Lawrence was speechless. People who didn''t know her


    might think that she just got a great-grandson.


    Anyway, there was nothing he could do about it now. In fact, as long as she didn''tmit a crime,


    he would allow Elizabeth to do whatever she wanted if this made her happy.


    As the anniversary of Tang Group''s foundation approached, James and Alina''s engagement was


    also just around the corner.


    For this fact alone, some people were happy and others not so much.


    In a teahouse in the suburbs, Norman picked the best ck tea leaves and put them into a dark-red


    ceramic teapot. Then he filled it with hot water to wash the leaves.


    Once the tea was ready, he poured a cup for the woman opposite him and said, "They will get


    engaged the day after tomorrow. It''s clear that your fake rtionship with Mr. Lu didn''t affect him as


    you expected. I''m afraid that your efforts will be in vain."


    As the scent of the tea invaded her nostrils, Maria closed her eyes and took a sip of it. "Some of his


    actions make me think he''s notpletely indifferent to it."


    If James didn''t feel anything, he wouldn''t have gone to the hospital to see her or asked her to admit


    her mistake. And he wouldn''t have gone to her hotel room and questioned her twice about the news


    that she was going to get married to Lawrence. James wasn''t the type of man who would waste his


    time and efforts with something he didn''t care about.


    In fact, if he thought she would give up on him as she imed, he was totally wrong.


    She just didn''t know how she could still take it.


    In the face of all his indifference, Maria had thought of giving up on him many times, but she could


    never bring herself to do it.


    "There are only two days left. What else can you do?" Norman asked, taking a sip of his tea.


    "Two days? I don''t see it that way." Putting down the teacup, Maria looked into Norman''s eyes. "I


    married James and then divorced him, didn''t I? Even if he marries Alina, I make trouble for them for


    as long as I want to."


    She had to endure a lot of suffering throughout the years and wouldn''t allow those responsible for


    her sorrow to lead a peaceful life either.


    Norman smiled lightly but didn''t say anything.


    At that moment, a gust of wind blew, and the bamboo leaves outside the window swayed with it.


    "Regarding Colby, I have to be patient. He''s usually very cautious, so I haven''t had a chance to be


    in his office alone or getting into his vi yet. From what I have monitored so far, all I got was some


    irrelevant information," Maria continued. Even though Colby gave her a vi, it was a new one in


    which he had never lived before. Hence, she wouldn''t find anything important there.


    Also, she couldn''t offer to go to his own house. It could make him suspicious of her.


    "Colby is far more dangerous than he seems. Be careful, " Norman reminded her kindly.


    "Sure."


    The tea was a little cold, so Norman poured some more hot water into the teapot as he asked,


    "What about Jonathan Jiang?"


    "He has been investigating the incident at the auction. But I''ve dealt with all the leads. Soon I''ll


    release the news letting him know I have a special rtionship with both James and Colby. Then I''ll


    take care of him.''1 She couldn''t afford to be anxious to catch Colby. Compared to him, it was much


    easier to deal with Jonathan.


    "What''s your n?"


    "I found a piece ofnd, but I''ll need your help with it."


    Norman asked in confusion, "Commercial or residential?"


    "It doesn''t matter, either would do. The most important thing is that you''ll show you''re super


    interested in it." When the time came, she could go to James and convince him to try to purchase it


    as well. After all, having his name involved could grant her quick results with half the effort.


    "You want to create an illusion that everyone is interested in thend," said Norman


    understandingly.


    "Exactly."


    Maria''s weapon of choice for her revenge was to retaliate some people throughmercial


    competition. As for the number of people she hit, it would depend on how many would be willing to


    take the bait.


    "Call me when you need help then."


    "Okay, thank you, Mr. Shen."


    "You don''t have to thank me right now. When you fulfill your promise, we will be even."


    A feeling hard to describe shed through Maria''s eyes. With a forced smile, she answered, "Okay."


    Noticing the thoughtful look on her face, Norman smiled.


    ''Love can be a really scary thing sometimes,'' he thought to himself.


    ''If it weren''t for love, would I keep looking for that woman for so many years? Would I have spent so


    much money to build that castle? I doubt it.''


    On her way back to the coffee shop, Maria sent a message to Lawrence. "I''ll treat you guys for


    lunch tomorrow. I''ll cook."


    "Guys? Who are the guys exactly?"


    "You, your two best friends, and Alina."


    The next second, Lawrence sent the screenshots of the messages to James and asked, "Will you


    join us?"


    James snorted as he stared at the message.


    As far as he was concerned, that woman was up to no good.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    However, if he refused to go, it would seem that he didn''t have the guts to face Maria. Therefore, he


    epted the invitation.


    The lunch would take ce at Fairview Vi. At half past eleven on the next morning, James and


    Alina showed up at the vi together.


    As soon as they walked inside, a strong scent of food came from the kitchen. Maria was still busy


    with thest dish, which was almost ready.


    Instead of rushing to the kitchen, James went to the living room and called Lawrence. "Where are


    you?"


    "Something urgent came up. I called Maria just now and told her I couldn''t make it. Didn''t she tell


    you?" Lawrence lowered his voice as he said. It seemed he wasn''t free to speak at the moment.


    Turning around to the kitchen, James saw Alina heading towards the kitchen to talk to Maria.


    Then he replied lightly over the phone, "I see."


    Next, he called Ethan.


    Ethan answered, "James, I''m going to take part in apetition today. I can''t join you for lunch.


    Didn''t the enchantress Maria tell you?"


    James clenched his teeth. He wanted to ask his two best friends why Maria knew more about them


    than him. Did they forget they were supposed to be his friends? Why should he learn their


    whereabouts through that woman?


    If Maria hadn''t invited Alina, James would have thought she was nning to seduce him again.


    Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Maria was focused on the pan.


    Even though she saw Alinaing in, she ignored her.


    Observing her cooking skills, Alina said indifferently, "I didn''t expect to have the honor to eat a meal


    cooked by my cousin."


    Maria didn''t spare her a nce as she said, "There has been a lot of good news recently. James


    and you will be engaged tomorrow. Next week it will be Lorenzo and Carolina. And soon... I''ll get


    married to Lawrence. So I thought we should get together and celebrate."


    Alina asked, "You really don''t have any feelings for James anymore?"


    Maria curled her lips in a wicked smile. "Of course not." But that was a lie. She just didn''t want Alina


    to know how she felt.


    Once thest stir-fried egg with ck fungus was ready, Alina went over to James, who was still on


    the phone in the living room, and said, "James, lunch is ready."


    James nodded and ended the call shortly after.


    Maria ced thest dish beside the roastedmb chops and then opened a red wine she had


    taken out from the cer before pouring it into the decanter.


    The next moment, she informed the man sitting opposite her, "Lawrence and Ethan can''t make it


    today. They asked me to tell you."


    "Okay." Of course, he already knew that.

 Chapter 146 Whos The Traitor

    Chapter 146 Who''s The Traitor


    The moment Alina sat down next to James, Maria picked up her chopsticks and said, "For the two


    of you to be assured, I will try each dish first."


    James and Alina just kept silent. Alina thought that it was the best thing to do. She was really afraid


    that Maria would drug them.


    James also felt the same. After all, Maria was a little strange today. She even took the initiative to


    invite them to lunch.


    "This is roastedmb chops with ck sesame paste." As she spoke, Maria picked up a piece of


    lamb chop, dipped it into the sauce, and put it in her mouth.


    She then picked up a piece of egg. Before she put it into her mouth, she said, "This is the stir-fried


    egg with ck fungus. The ck fungus and the eggs are organic food. They taste great. And this


    one is..."


    Maria really tried every dish as she said, including the pork bone soup.


    James quietly took a sip of his wine. He somewhat felt that something was wrong. But Maria was


    acting so naturally that he couldn''t find any ws.


    So although he was still suspicious of her, he finally picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.


    When she saw that James was already eating, Alina also picked up her chopsticks and ate.


    Eventually, the three of them had lunch quietly. None of them took the initiative to start a


    conversation.


    However, Alina wanted to deliberately show off her affection to James in front of Maria, so she


    picked food for him and put it on his te. "James, the ck fungus tastes good. Try it.


    This sweet potato ball is also yummy. Have a bite."


    Maria looked up to nce at them, then lowered her head again and focused on her food.


    But it seemed that James suddenly went nuts. He picked up a piece of leopard coral grouper, put it


    into Maria''s bowl, and said, "Thank you for your hard work."


    Maria was stunned for a moment. Then she smiled at him gracefully. "Thank you." She then picked


    up the piece of steamed leopard coral grouper he gave to her and ate it.


    James'' gesture made Alina lost her appetite. He didn''t pick any food for her, but he served Maria in


    front of her.


    She stole a sideways nce at him, who was now drinking soup, andplex emotions surged up


    in her heart. It wasn''t Maria who made her unhappy today. It was he who made her feel upset.


    But in the end, Alinaforted herself inwardly, ''Calm down, Alina. Don''t panic. You have nothing


    to worry about. Tomorrow, you will be engaged to James.''


    What James and Alina didn''t see was that Maria''s eyes were already full of tears. It was only hidden


    under her drooping eyelids.


    If James served her food and thanked her for her hard work when they were still married,


    maybe she would devote all her life to him.


    But he never did. Never.


    After they finished eating, Maria waved at James and Alina. "You may go ahead. I''ll just clean up


    everything here. After all, I am more familiar with this ce."


    Although it was James who bought Fairview Vi, he rarely came back here. Maria had moved in


    here with Arthur and lived here for a few months. Hence, she was the one who was familiar with the


    entire vi, and James was only like a guest.


    Upon hearing what Maria had said, Alina held James'' arm and said with a smile, "Thanks for the


    lunch, Maria." She then turned to James. "James, let''s go."


    James turned around and walked out of the dining room with Alina.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    When she was alone, Maria tossed the dishes into the dishwasher and took out her phone. She


    sent a message to John, asking him to send a servant to clean up the vi. She then picked up her


    handbag and went out.


    There were two cars parked in the garage. One was her newly-repaired BMW, and the other was


    James'' Harkim.


    James, who Maria thought had already left, was standing by the Harkim. He was leaning against


    the car door with a stick of cigarette between his fingers. A few buttons of his white shirt were


    unbuttoned, exposing his strong and muscr chest a little. In a casual posture, hezily took a puff


    on his cigarette. He looked less meticulous than usual.


    Obviously, James was waiting for her.


    Maria nced at his car and asked, "Where is Alina?"


    James didn''t answer her question. Instead, he exhaled a mouthful of smoke and asked, "What is


    your purpose?"


    She had exerted so much effort in preparing and cooking today''s lunch, so he knew that something


    must be wrong.


    Every time Maria encountered Alina, she would either piss Alina off or make Alina believe they were


    having an affair. But today, she didn''t do any of those. She had even cooked delicious dishes


    forthem.


    With a faint smile, Maria replied, "I don''t have any purpose. I just thought that since I will be


    marrying Lawrence soon, we will also be friends and we will see each other from time to time.


    I just want to help him maintain his friendship with you guys.''1


    "Such a well-made story," James said indifferently.


    Maria was rendered speechless, her mouth agape. The meaningful look in his eyes made her feel a


    little guilty, so she stopped making up stories. She couldn''t help wondering if he had seen through


    her n.


    James flicked some ash off his cigarette and took another drag before he said, "Maria, you haven''t


    given up at all."


    "What do you mean?"


    James didn''t answer. He lowered his head and looked at his shoes for quite a while.


    Since there were only the two of them in Fairview Vi now, the surroundings were very quiet. After


    a long time of silence, Maria heard him say, "You and Lawrence were obviously acting. You said


    that you had given up. But the truth is, you haven''t yet. Maria, you won''t ever give up taking revenge


    on everyone."


    He didn''t say that Maria was taking revenge on him. But he knew that she was taking her


    vengeance on everyone, including him.


    Maria stared at him silently. But inwardly, she thought, ''Who''s the traitor?


    Is it Lawrence? Can it be Norman?


    No, neither of them will do it to me.''


    Eventually, she set her doubts on Lawrence and


    Norman aside. It had to be James. He was just too smart, no, cunning, actually.


    The smile in her eyes disappeared. She looked into his sharp eyes and said, "What good will it do to


    me? You don''t love me at all, and you won''t be jealous. So why do I have to bother?" Of course,


    Maria would never admit it.


    James realized that what she said made sense. Even if she and Lawrence were really working


    together to y a trick on him, it was meaningless. He wouldn''t be jealous or care.


    But then, he still countered, "Because you want some help from me."


    Maria thought that she failed in fooling James. So she asked tentatively, "If I make a request, will


    you grant it?"


    James looked at the vi in front of him and answered, "Sure. But, it has to be thest."


    He would be engaged to Alina tomorrow. Thus, he had to control himself and never see her again.


    Maria took two steps forward to get closer to him and raised her red lips. "I''ll buy you a drink


    tonight."


    There was a hint of provocation in her eyes. James noticed it, so he had to think it over.


    "Don''t worry. I will avoid arousing suspicion, and I won''t do anything to you. Otherwise, it will be a


    disgrace to Lawrence. I won''t do that to him."


    James saw the mockery in her eyes, and he hated it. He said in a low voice, "Leopard Club.¡±


    "It''s a deal. I''ll leave you alone now. See youter."


    Maria then got in her car. This time, she drove out of Fairview Vi without hitting his car again.


    James and Alina''s engagement day was also the founding anniversary of Tang Group. The nning


    department of thepany had started preparing for this event three months ago.


    Since the engagement party would be tomorrow, many people were extremely busy. But Alina was


    an exception. All she needed to do was make sure that she would be the most beautiful at her big


    event.


    She had already tried her dress one week ago, and there was no problem with it. She had also


    chosen the set of jewelry she would wear. She went to the salon for her manicure and facial care.


    Alina finished with her facial treatmentte in the evening, and she suddenly felt sick. Actually, she


    started feeling a little sick this afternoon, but she didn''t pay much attention to it. She just thought


    that she was hungry as she didn''t have her afternoon tea.


    Alina turned to her assistant and asked casually, "Is James still in thepany?"

 Chapter 147 She Might Do Something Evil

    Chapter 147 She Might Do Something Evil


    The assistant went outside to make a phone call. When she returned, she then reported to Alina,


    "Ms. Tang, Mr. Xi has already left HL Group. Our men said that he went to Leopard Club half an


    hour ago."


    ''Leopard Club?'' Alina repeated in her mind. But she didn''t overthink. She only thought that James


    might be meeting a client there.


    Inside his exclusive private room in Leopard Club, Maria clinked sses with James. They then


    drank up the wine in their sses at the same time.


    James slightly frowned when he looked at the empty ss in Maria''s hand. But he didn''t say


    anything because right now, he didn''t think that he had any right to remind her about her unhealed


    wounds.


    Maria poured wine into their sses again. Staring at the liquid, she said in a somewhat


    disappointed voice, "James, let''s talk about you and Alina."


    "No," James firmly refused.


    She couldn''t helpughing at his straightforwardness. "Then, how about talking about you?¡±


    "Me? We have nothing to talk about myself, either."


    "So you just don''t want to talk with me. Okay, I see."


    James fell silent.


    But Maria didn''t get angry. Instead, she took a sip of her wine and suggested, "How about we go out


    for a walk? Is that okay with you? It''s so boring for the two of us to just drink here, after all." Apart


    from getting bored in drinking, she also got bored sitting next to him, who hardly uttered a peep.


    "Hmm," James agreed nasally. It so happened that he didn''t want to stay alone with Maria in the


    same room, either.


    They then walked out of Leopard Club. When James'' driver saw them, he rolled down the window


    at once. But James waved at him, hinting him to stop.


    James then turned around and strode to catch up with Maria.


    They walked downtown together without saying a word. Maria was one step ahead of him, and he


    stayed behind her, so he could see her back.


    When they passed by a bridal shop, Maria stopped and looked at the fishtail-style wedding dress in


    the ss showcase. She then turned to James and asked casually, "Has Alina bought her wedding


    dress yet?"


    "Not yet," James replied indifferently. He and Alina were only about to get engaged tomorrow. They


    had not decided on the wedding date yet.


    Maria tilted her head and thought for a while. She then said, "Let''s go inside and have a look.


    Maybe I can give some suggestions and help you choose a design."


    James wanted to refuse.


    But she had already grabbed his wrist and dragged him inside the bridal shop.


    It seemed that the shop was about to close. There was only one shop assistant left, holding a key in


    her hand. When she saw them came in, she was about to tell them that the shop was closed.


    But the moment she had a clear view of James and Maria, she couldn''t help but exim in her


    head, ''Such a handsome man and a beautiful woman.'' She abruptly changed her mind and blurted


    out, "Good evening.


    Wee to Mood Bridal Shop. This way, please."


    The shop assistant had totally forgotten that she was supposed to go home by now.


    Maria smiled at her. "Thank you. We''re just looking around. Please go ahead with your work."


    "Okay, ma''am."


    The wedding dresses now were much more beautiful than those of seven or eight years ago. And


    back then, Maria was so happy that she was marrying James that she didn''t care about the details


    of her wedding dress at all. At that time, all she thought was that as long as she could marry James,


    she was willing to wear even a shirt and a pair of jeans.


    Maria pointed at a white wedding dress being worn by a mannequin and said to James, "This style


    is so beautiful and elegant. You can take your girlfriend here and let her try this."


    When the shop assistant overheard Maria said the words "your girlfriend," she was taken aback.


    Her gaze swept them as she wondered, ''Are they not a couple?


    What a pity! They are such a perfect match!'' She then secretly heaved a sigh.


    James was not paying attention to the wedding dress that Maria was pointing at. He was observing


    her attentively, afraid that she might do something evil.


    The shop assistant noticed that Maria was lingering around the wedding dress, so she boldly said,


    "Excuse me, ma''am. This is thetest wedding dress in our shop. If you like it, you can try it on."


    Maria was a little stunned when she heard the shop assistant''s suggestion. She then turned to


    James with gleaming eyes and said expectantly, "Can I try it on? If it fits me and Alina doesn''t like it,


    I''ll wear it at my own wedding with Lawrence."


    James didn''t say anything.


    Maria didn''t mind at all. She turned around and said to the shop assistant, "Please take this one off


    for me. I''ll try it."


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Sure, ma''am. One moment please."


    Taking advantage of the time that the shop assistant was busy, Maria moved to James'' side and


    warned him in a low voice, "Pay attention to your expression. You look like I only forced you toe


    in here."


    James looked at her expressionlessly. "Drink, take a walk, bridal shop, what''s next?"


    She pretended to be confused. "What do you mean?"


    Maria pretended to be innocent and didn''t intend to admit it, so he didn''t keep asking.


    After taking the wedding dress off the mannequin, the shop assistant led Maria to the fitting room


    and closed the door curtain. But a few momentster, Maria poked her head out and said to the


    shop assistant, "I can handle the wedding dress myself. Please help me keep an eye on him. Don''t


    let him run away."


    The shop assistant chuckled. "Yes, ma''am."


    James was rendered speechless. He walked to the VIP lounge and sat down with a sullen look.


    The shop assistant followed him and said, "Sir, please wait a moment. I''ll make you a cup of tea."


    "Thank you."


    Five minutes had passed, and James had already taken two sips of the tea that the shop assistant


    made for him, but Maria hadn''te out yet.


    The shop assistant began to feel anxious. She took a look at James as if wanting to make sure that


    he wouldn''t run away. Then she trotted to the fitting room and asked, "Ma''am, do you need any


    help?"


    "Yes, I do. But, can you please ask him toe in here?¡±


    "Okay, ma''am."


    The shop assistant rushed back to James and said, "Excuse me, sir. Your friend needs your help."


    James put down his teacup annoyingly. But since he also wanted to see what the heck was going


    on with Maria,


    he stood up and walked to the fitting room without saying a word. The door curtain was pulled open.


    Maria was standing inside, wearing the wedding dress. As soon as she saw James, she held the


    wedding dress in one hand and pointed at her back. With eyes wide open, she said innocently, "I


    can''t zip it up."


    The white wedding dress was strapless, so it exposed her sexy shoulders, corbones, and bosom


    curves to his sight.


    He suddenly remembered their wedding several years ago. At that time, she also wore a wedding


    dress, but he didn''t pay attention to it. However, he knew that it looked more conservative than the


    one she was wearing right now.


    Maria''s scent lingered in the narrow fitting room, and James felt a little difficult to breathe. Then, a


    strange yet familiar sensation gradually awakened in his body.


    Maria tiptoed and moved closer to him.


    James subconsciously held his breath and stared at her.


    Maria noticed the vignce in his eyes. She smiled and said, "Are you thinking that I''m going to kiss


    you? There is fluff on your hair."


    She reached out her hand, took it, and showed it to him. "I''m not lying to you."


    Indeed, there was really a piece of white fluff between her thumb and index finger. Perhaps it fell on


    his hair, but he didn''t know when and how.


    Then, James grabbed Maria''s wrist and pressed her against the wall of the fitting room. Before she


    could even react, he kissed her.


    Anything that she wanted to say drowned in his wild kiss. She snorted inwardly, ''Gee, this man! He


    can''t resist any temptation at all.''


    The wedding dress that hadn''t been zipped up slid down Maria''s body and fell to the white carpet.


    She was now totally exposed to his sight.


    But before James could make another move, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his lower abdomen.


    He had no choice but to stop kissing her and whatever it was that he was thinking. Maria took


    advantage of his momentary pause. She bit his neck the moment she escaped from his grip.


    James gritted his teeth to endure the pain in his abdomen. He covered his neck with one hand while


    ring at Maria coldly. He didn''t say anything. But he was seemingly confused and angry at the


    same time.


    -

 Chapter 148 Happy Engagement

    Chapter 148 Happy Engagement


    Maria put her clothes back on and picked up the wedding dress on the floor under James'' gaze.


    She then asked indifferently, "James, what''s wrong with you?"


    ''Finally, the ck fungus is beginning to take effect,'' she thought.


    James was about to say something when he suddenly felt dizzy. Staring at Maria''s red lips, he


    asked in an unfriendly tone, "Did you drug me again?"


    As if wanting to prove her innocence, Maria licked her lips with the tip of her tongue and said, "I


    really didn''t put any drug on my lips this time."


    "You''d better mean what you said. If I found out that you''re ying tricks on me again, Maria Song,


    you are doomed." James then turned around and strode out of the fitting room, enduring the


    difort in his lower abdomen.


    The shop assistant, who had been waiting outside, saw that he was about to leave. She ran over to


    him to stop him. "Excuse me, sir-"


    But the words stuck in her throat in fright when James red at her coldly. With eyes widened in


    shock, she thought inwardly, ''Oh my God! With such fierceness on his face, how can I dare to stop


    him?''


    Two minutester, Maria came out of the fitting room and said to the shop assistant, "I''ll take this


    wedding dress. Pack it for me, please."


    This time, the shop assistant was in awe. She didn''t expect to receive such a big order when she


    was already about to go home. The wedding dress was quite expensive, and she could definitely


    get a generous salesmission. After being in a daze for a moment, she replied to Maria, "Yes,


    ma''am. Please take a seat while I pack it." She then hurriedly but tidily packed the wedding dress.


    That night, not only James but also Alina was sent to the hospital.


    They showed the same symptoms: dizziness, nausea, and abdominal cramps. All were signs that


    they were poisoned.


    In a private hospital, James was lying in bed.


    The doctor, who was inserting an intravenous cann at the back of James'' hand, said, "Mr. Xi,


    based on my initial judgment, you were food poisoned. What did you eat in yourst meal?"


    ''Food poisoned?'' Right away, James thought of the lunch that Maria had prepared for them. His


    eyes narrowed as he pursed his lips tightly.


    What happened to him now must have something to do with the lunch they had earlier. He knew


    that she was not that kind-hearted at all.


    James told the doctor all the dishes he had eaten for lunch. He then turned to the driver beside him


    and instructed, "Ask where Alina is."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi," the driver answered and went out to make a phone call.


    The doctor looked at the expeditedboratory results and concluded, "Mr. Xi, the poison was from


    the ck fungus that had been soaked in the water for a long time. But don''t worry, it''s not a big


    problem. Just be more careful next time." "The ck fungus?" Of course, he ate the stir-fried egg


    with ck fungus that Maria had cooked. She had said they were organic food.


    He tried to recall the scene during their lunch. It was only then that he realized that Maria had eaten


    a bitesize of the egg but not a single bite of fungus.


    "ck fungus can''t be soaked for a long time. If it stays in the water for more than eight hours, it


    can''t be eaten anymore. If ck fungus is soaked in the water for too long, it will be contaminated


    by bacteria. It then produces some harmful substances such as atoxin and greengage toxin."


    James'' facial expression darkened at once, and coldness shed through his eyes. He was sure


    that Maria deliberately did it.


    When the driver came back soon, he immediately reported to James, "Mr. Xi, Ms. Tang was also


    sent to the hospital because of nausea and vomiting."


    "I see," James replied with a nod.


    His hands balled into fists as he thought through clenched teeth, ''Maria Song, well done.''


    After the doctor and the driver had left his ward, James called Maria. "We''re not dead yet. Are you


    disappointed?"


    Inside her hotel room, Maria gently stroked the wedding dress she had bought and smiled. "Not at


    all. I didn''t intend to kill you in the first ce."


    Of course, she would never want to be a real murderer.


    "Now tell me, why did you poison us?"


    Instead of answering James'' question, Maria asked, "Did the doctor ask you to stay in the hospital


    for observation after the intravenous infusion?"


    "Yes."


    As they talked, they were both calm. It didn''t look like one of them had poisoned the other.


    "Then, will you still attend the founding anniversary party of Tang Group tomorrow?"


    "Yes, I will."


    It was only then that James vaguely figured out Maria''s purpose.


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Maria''s hand, which had been stroking the wedding dress, froze. Her tone became colder when she


    spoke again. "It can''t stop you, can it?" It seemed that the wedding dress woulde in handy


    tomorrow.


    It was her fault to think too highly of the toxicity of the ck fungus.


    "Sorry, but it can''t."


    "In that case, let me wish you a happy engagement in advance, Mr. Xi," Maria said in the same cold


    tone.


    "I''ll take this time as paying back forst time. But I won''t tolerate you next time," James said coldly.


    He was talking about that time when he sent some people to kill her. They were even now.


    "Really?" Maria asked with derision. She didn''t believe him.


    He might haven''t realized yet that he was already not the same James three months ago when she


    just returned to H City.


    "Maria Song, I won''t allow you to mess around tomorrow."


    "All right. I got it," Maria answered in a rather brisk tone. At this time, there was a trace of


    yfulness in her voice. It was totally different from the cynicism just now.


    She would not only mess around, but also make big trouble for James and Alina tomorrow.


    James didn''t retort and just hung up the phone.


    Alina also found out the truth when she was sent to the hospital. As soon as she got theboratory


    results, she smashed her phone on the spot. "Maria Song, I knew that you are not a kind-hearted


    woman. Damn you!"


    Only Miranda and one servant of the Tang family were in her ward. Upon seeing her current


    situation, Miranda gritted her teeth hatefully. "How dare she poison you and Mr. Xi openly?! We


    must get even with her this time. I''m sure that Mr. Xi won''t let her go either."


    "Mom, don''t be too anxious. Tomorrow is important to Tang Group and me. We must make sure that


    the event goes on safely and smoothly."


    Miranda nodded in agreement. "You''re right. Don''t worry. I''ll send more bodyguards to prevent Maria


    from making trouble."


    "Ordinary bodyguards won''t work, Mom. You need to ask Dad to find some people who are good in


    martial arts." ''Maria, just wait until I be Mrs. Xi. I will definitely teach you a good lesson,'' Alina


    swore to herself inwardly.


    "I know. Don''t be angry and stay still. You are still on a drip. You need to take good care of yourself."


    "Ouch! Now that you remind me about it, my stomach hurts again. I need to use the bathroom."


    Alina suffered more. Her body was not as strong as James, and she ate more ck fungus than


    him. Now she did not only vomited but also had diarrhea.


    "Okay, I''ll help you. Be careful."


    It was already twelve midnight, but Alina was still tossing and turning in bed with her hands


    clutching her belly. She sent a message to James. "James, how are you feeling now? I still feel


    terrible. My stomach hurts a lot, and I vomit several times."


    James had just finished his infusion and was about to leave the hospital when he received Alina''s


    message. He was silent for a while before asking Lorenzo without looking back, "Which hospital is


    Alina in?"


    "No. 2 Municipal Hospital, Mr. Xi," Lorenzo answered at once.


    "Take me there."


    "Okay, Mr. Xi."


    When they arrived at No. 2 Municipal Hospital, Alina''s diarrhea had gotten a little better, but her face


    was still sallow.


    The moment she saw James, she couldn''t help bursting into tears. She grabbed his hand and said


    in an aggrieved tone, "James, I feel so terrible."


    "I know," James replied sympathetically. Seeing that she grabbed his hand, he didn''t refuse. "Don''t


    worry. No matter what happens, tomorrow¡¯s engagement ceremony will be held as nned."


    He wouldn''t let Maria get what she wanted.


    "Okay." Alina felt a little better upon hearing the assurance from him. She then asked, "How about


    you, James? Are you feeling better?"


    "Don''t worry. I''m fine now. Just take good care of yourself. Leave the rest of the matters to them."


    "Okay."


    James didn''t stay in Alina''s ward for a long time. When he came out, he immediately called


    Lawrence. "Make sure to keep an eye on Maria tomorrow."


    Maria was bing more scheming. He had a hunch that things wouldn''t go smooth tomorrow.


    "I''m sorry, James, but I can''t be there tomorrow. I have something urgent to deal with in P City. It''s


    an official business," Lawrence replied seriously.


    Since he said so, it must really be something important.


    "Take her with you," James suggested.


    "I don''t think that''s a good idea. Several government leaders are alsoing. It won''t be


    appropriate if I take a woman with me."


    James didn''t know what else to say to convince Lawrence. He felt a dull pain in his temples. "You''d


    better find a way to lock her up and don''t let her go until the day after tomorrow."


    Now he regretted that he didn''t kill Maria. She was getting more and more troublesome, always


    giving him a headache.


    -

 Chapter 149 James Manor

    Chapter 149 James'' Manor


    "I have an idea. Why don''t you keep Maria in your vi?" Lawrence suggested.


    As he heard this, James frowned deeply. How could he give Maria free ess to his vi like that?


    The man remained silent for a long time. Lawrence, who was aware that James was a neat freak,


    added, "I don''t mind her staying in your vi. What are you worried about? Maria is not an outsider,


    anyway."


    James felt a migraineing. Lawrence''s words sounded a little too weird for him to process.


    Nevertheless, James didn''t have much time to think about it. He hung up the phone and ordered


    Summer to take Maria to his vi on the hillside in the east of the city the next day. He didn''t care


    how she would take Maria there, but Summer would get fired if she failed.


    As soon as she received the order, Summer almost passed out. Why did James put her up to this?


    Why was she so unlucky?


    She was about to go to bed, but after James'' call, she didn''t think she could sleep anymore. She


    thought about calling Maria but was afraid to wake her up. With no other choice, she decided to wait


    until the next morning.


    In order to keep her bright future in HL Group, Summer went straight to Maria''s door the next day


    and rang the doorbell.


    As Maria answered the door, she found the woman with a helpless smile. Yawning, she asked,


    "What happened? Do you want to go shopping? I''m not in the mood to go shopping today."


    "Oh, we''re not going shopping today."


    "So is it breakfast? I don''t like having breakfast. Actually, I just want to get some more sleep now."


    She didn''t go to bed until 3 a.m.st night, and now it was only seven in the morning.


    "No, Maria. I''m not here for breakfast either." With a sigh, Summer stopped beating around the


    bush. "Well, are you interested in getting to know Mr. Xi''s manor?"


    "Not at all," Maria shook her head.


    Summer was about to burst into tears as she desperately tried to find the words which could


    convince Maria. "You realize that Mr. Xi''s manor is quite mysterious, right? Except for Mr. Lu and Mr.


    Nan, no one else has the chance to get in, not even me and Lorenzo. Aren''t you slightly curious


    about it, Maria?"


    "What''s so great about it? Is it the manor that''s just a little bigger than the other regr vis?"


    Maria then thought to herself disdainfully, ''Does James think I''ve never seen a manor before?''


    Summer didn''t know what else to say. Maria had a point, but she still had toplete her task. "And


    what about me, Maria? I want to have a look at it," she said with pleading eyes.


    Leaning against the doorframe, Maria assumed, "So, James asked you toe and take me to see


    his manor?"


    "Sort of..."


    Maria sneered, "What if I don''t want to go?"


    "I''m going to get fired. Don''t you feel sorry for me?" Summer blinked her puppy eyes. She had fallen


    victim to the battle between the two people.


    Maria rolled her eyes. James was really a cunning fox. He even dared to use Summer to threaten


    her. "No worries, Summer. Come in. I''ll sleep in a little longer, and then well sort this out."


    After staying up sote, if she didn''t get some more sleep during the day, she would probably have


    a sudden death.


    "Okay!"


    At noon, after Maria finally got up, the two women unhurriedly had lunch and then set off for the


    manor.


    By the time they arrived at James'' manor, Maria was forced to take back her words about the ce.


    This was far from being just a manor. It was heaven on Earth!


    From the moment they stepped into James''nd, everything changed. The air became fresher, and


    the sky was bluer.


    The hillside road they were traveling on was wide and smooth. It felt as if they were driving in the


    clouds. There was no need to worry about any danger on winter or rainy days.


    After driving about one kilometer along the road, the car finally arrived at the gate of the most


    mysterious manor in H City.


    As Summer pressed a button on the remote control, the gate opened automatically. Next, the car


    drove into the parking lot.


    When Maria got out of the car, she stood in front of the three-story vi and looked around in awe.


    "There must be more than a hundred rooms inside, right?" In fact, the ce shouldn''t be called a


    vi at all, but a castle.


    Summer chuckled. "Although I''ve never been inside, I know there are more than eighty rooms. Over


    twenty out of them are guest rooms, all of them presidential." "James does know howto be


    extravagant and wasteful! " Mariamented.


    Summer handed her an electronic key. "You can get in by yourself. I''m leaving now."


    "Did James tell you why he wanted me here?" Maria asked.


    "No."


    Maria nodded and took the key. "Okay, I guess I''ll find outter then." Maria suspected that James


    was afraid she would make trouble in the anniversary of Tang Group''s foundation tonight and


    wanted to keep her here.


    "Mr. Xi also said that you can contact John if you need anything."


    "Got it. Thanks, Summer."


    After Summer left, Maria walked to the door with the electronic key in her hand. She looked around


    a few times but couldn''t find the lock.


    When she was about to call James for help, the key identally touched a ring, and she heard a


    "ding." Right before her eyes, the door opened like magic.


    Maria was shocked.


    She looked at the ring again. The lock was really well-hidden.


    As soon as she walked into the vi, she saw a snow-white carpet by the door. Maria took off her


    shoes and changed into slippers.


    Standing in the living room on the first floor, Maria raised her head and looked at the simply-


    decorated yet luxurious vi. She couldn''t help but sigh. If James didn¡¯t keep a few mistresses living


    here, this was indeed a huge waste of space.


    Afterward, Maria took a tour in the vi and confirmed there really were more than eighty rooms on


    the premises.


    Furthermore, she found out there were three outdoor swimming pools and five kitchens. Not to


    mention a library, a cinema, resting rooms, a bowling room, an indoor squash court, and other


    facilities.


    On the balcony of the top floor, she could see a helicopternded in a small heliport behind the vi.


    Beside it, there was a stable.


    Maria couldn''t help but wonder if James was crazy. He didn''t allow other people to visit this


    incredible ce, and yet he kept multiple guest rooms in it. Did he n to gather dozens of


    mistresses so they could all live together here one day?


    Sometimeter, Maria slowly walked out of the vi and went straight to the stable.


    Although at first nce, it didn''t seem so far away, it took her over ten minutes to get there on foot.


    By the time she arrived, she found two stablemen feeding the horses. They greeted her politely


    once they saw her.


    Maria nodded in response and pointed at a very handsome horse in the yard as she asked, "Is this


    a Ferghana horse?"


    Thanks to Norman, she had not only seen a Ferghana horse before but had also ridden it several


    times. Still, horses of the breed could look different, so she wasn''t sure if her guess was right.


    "Yes, it is. There are six Ferghana horses in total here. This is one of them," one of the men


    answered.


    ''Wow! Six Ferghana horses! James is so cool!'' Maria thought excitedly. Then she asked, "Can I


    have a look at them?" The stable was kept clean, and there was no particr smell to it. In fact, this


    was the most luxurious stable Maria had ever seen.


    "Yes, ma''am. Let me give you a tour. This way, please.1'' The stablemen deemed that since Maria


    was allowed in the manor, she must be a very important person to James. Therefore, she could


    definitely visit the stable.


    "Thank you!" Maria followed him.


    There were about ten other horses in the spacious and bright stable, each had its own number. The


    stableman told her, "The five animals in this row are Ferghana horses from Turkmenistan."


    Looking at the beautiful horses, Maria was amazed. She touched the head of a white one and said,


    "They are all so handsome!"


    It was indeed good to be rich. Maybe she should learn from James and buy a piece ofnd in a


    mountainous area to build a vi and enjoy the country life. It would definitely be much better than


    living in a four-star hotel.


    "Here, we also have two thoroughbred horses. You know what they say, a Ferghana horse can


    travel thousands of miles a day and eight hundred miles at night. But thoroughbred horses are the


    fastest in the world. These two horses are both very expensive and have won prizes internationally."


    Maria had never ridden a thoroughbred horse before. So, upon hearing the man''s words, she was


    immediately interested. "Can I ride one?"


    "Okay, but I should kindly remind you that a thoroughbred horse is tall, strong, fast, and powerful.


    They are not as easy to control as the other horses. It may take a few months of practice until you''re


    be able to ride one smoothly."Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    -

 Chapter 150 Get engaged At Ease

    Chapter 150 Get engaged At Ease


    "It doesn''t matter. I have a little riding experience. May I try first?" Maria asked.


    "Okay, wait a minute."


    In the CBD Exhibition Center, the conference that James attended had just finished.


    While walking out of the meeting room, he asked Summer, "What is she doing now?"


    "Maria has just taken a tour of your vi. She''s now having an afternoon tea on the balcony."


    "Okay."


    Summer and James returned to HL Group after the conference. James had another meeting at the


    company.


    As soon as it ended, he asked Summer again, "What is she doing now?"


    Summer answered truthfully, "Maria is riding horses. She rode a thoroughbred horse just now.


    Currently, she is riding a Ferghana horse."


    "Okay. Call them and tell them to let her ride all the horses."


    "Ahem." Summer cleared her throat to suppress herughter. She then answered at once, "Yes, Mr.


    Xi."


    When it was getting dark, James called Summer and ordered, "Ask a Michelin-star chef to prepare


    dinner for her. Let her choose whatever she wants to eat. After dinner, arrange a helicopter for her


    to take her to a city night view trip. Then invite a few masseurs to give her a full-body massage."


    James wanted to keep Maria busy until his engagement party was over.


    In James'' manor, there were also two two-story vis. They were used by the staff who provided


    services for James or for other purposes.


    "Okay. I got it, Mr. Xi." Summer couldn''t help clicking her tongue after hanging up. Maria was really


    a headache for James.


    She wondered if James only cared so much about Maria that he didn''t want her to feel bored.


    Or he was so eager to marry Alina that he didn''t want Maria to sabotage his engagement party.


    Summer shook her head and thought to herself, ''Maybe both.''


    How could Maria, who was now enjoying the Michelin-star cooking, not understand what was on


    James'' mind? It was getting dark, and she knew that the founding anniversary party of Tang Group


    would start soon. But she was not in a hurry at all. She continued to enjoy the delicious meal


    arranged by James.


    Money was such a good thing. It could not only make the mare go but also allow people to do many


    things. So she didn''t need to do things by herself and dirty her hands.


    James, who was standing at the top, knew this reality better than anyone else. But he firmly


    believed that as long as Maria didn''t make trouble in person, he could easily resolve all the


    idents.


    However, most people, including him, had underestimated Maria. They didn''t know that she was a


    scheming woman who came back to take revenge.


    Compared to James'' quiet vi, the hotel, where the founding anniversary party of Tang Group was


    held, was more lively and crowded.


    Tonight, many bigwigs in the financial world were present, including Sebastian and his wife, who


    had just returned from abroad.


    And since Alina and James'' engagement was also part of this event, Sebastian went to HQ Road


    before going to the hotel to invite James'' grandparents. However, Augustine didn''t even open the


    door for him, so he had to bring Judy to support his son''s engagement.


    But Augustine and Charlotte''s absence inevitably caused a lot of rumors in the banquet hall. Guests


    were assuming that the two elders of the Xi family were against the Tang family.


    However, since it had nothing to do with them, they dared not discuss it in detail.


    Alina was sitting on the sofa in the lounge, waiting for the banquet to start. She was wearing a


    pinkish-purple evening dress and a set of expensive jewelry. Obviously, she was overjoyed as she


    was grinning from ear to ear. After all, she had been waiting for this day for too long.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    A few momentster, the door was opened, and James came in.


    Seeing him, Alina stood up happily and walked towards him. "James, here you are."


    James nodded slightly.


    However, Alina''s happiness didn''tst long. Her expression dimmed when she noticed a suspicious


    bite mark on his neck.


    She knew that no one else was bold enough to leave marks on James'' body but Maria.


    Upon realizing it, her face turned pale. She asked in a trembling voice, "James, you just sit and


    watch her provoke me like this?" ''Maria Song, you bitch! Didn''t you say you''re marrying Lawrence


    soon? And you said that you don''t like James anymore. Why did you still do this?'' she thought to


    herself, cursing Maria millions of times inwardly.


    James, who was looking at his phone, knew what she was talking about. After a moment of silence,


    he said indifferently, "If you have a problem with it, you have the right to cancel the banquet. I will


    bear the consequences."


    Alina gaped upon hearing his words. She was so close to the crown of Mrs. Xi. How could she


    cancel this event?


    Her father had just told her firmly that she must be Mrs. Xi whatever it took. Otherwise, Tang


    Group would follow the Qin Group''s footsteps soon, and she would end like Ste.


    Alina didn''t want such a tragedy to happen, so she had to endure everything.


    Eventually, she chose to swallow all her grievances and kept silent.


    It hadn''t rained in H City for a long time. But tonight, it suddenly began to drizzle.


    The banquet went on smoothly. Beforeing up to the stage again, yton checked the hall


    inside and out. He was relieved when he heard from his secretary that Maria was nowhere to be


    seen.


    Standing on the stage with his wife Miranda, he couldn''t wait to announce Alina and James''


    engagement.


    Apanied by the crowd''s warm apuse, Alina and James slowly walked to the stage arm in


    arm.


    Summer arranged for someone to substitute her and made sure that James wouldn''t be looking for


    her for the time being. She then sneaked into the backstage quietly.


    When James and Alina were already on the stage, James took the microphone to deliver his


    speech.


    Everyone''s eyes, including both of their parents standing below the stage, were filled with


    gratification.


    Miranda smiled at Judy beside her and said in a low voice, "Mrs. Xi, James is bing more and


    more excellent. You''ve really made a great contribution."


    Judy, who was wearing a brown evening dress and a set of jade jewelry, smiled back and answered


    modestly, "I actually didn''t do anything. It''s just that James is naturally a self-motivated man."


    "You are just being too modest. Everyone in H City knows how kind you are to the two children."


    Miranda didn''t mention that they were Judy''s stepchildren, but everyone already knew what she


    meant.


    "Well, it''s what I ought to do," Judy answered with a smile. Her position as Mrs. Xi definitely had a


    price.


    Before he spoke, James'' gaze swept over the hall. When he didn''t see Maria in the crowd, he felt


    relieved. However, mixed emotions also surged up in his heart. He secretly took a deep breath to


    calm himself and said, "Good evening,dies and gentlemen." Without any gorgeous introduction,


    he announced his engagement to Alina. "From now on, Alina Tang is..."


    However, before he could finish his words, loud music suddenly filled the quiet hall.


    With the rhythm of the music, two banners were then unfolded from both sides of the stage. One


    banner said, "The baby in my womb has been aborted." The other said, "You can get engaged at


    ease!"


    The guests burst into an uproar. But they were not talking about James having a mistress. Instead,


    they discussed how arrogant the mistress was that she dared to provoke the Tang family openly on


    such an asion.


    They surmised that she might be loved deeply by James so she didn''t fear anything.


    After reading what was written in the banners, Alina''s face turned pale as a sheet. She


    subconsciously looked at James beside her.


    With eyes fixed on the banner, James'' face darkened at once. ''The same old trick again?'' he


    thought.


    When everyone thought that it was over, the LED screen on the stage lit up. Then some photos


    began to y one by one with some background music.


    Each photo showed a man and a woman kissing and hugging each other. While the man''s face was


    clearly exposed, the woman was only either on a side view or back. The man in the photos was


    James.


    Actually, anyone familiar with Maria would know that the woman in James'' arms was her. Only


    those who didn''t know her were still guessing who his bold mistress was.

 Chapter 151 Part Ways

    Chapter 151 Part Ways


    Miranda was rooted to the spot in shock. On the other hand, yton wore a long face. He calmly


    ordered his secretary to shut down the projector connected to the LED screen.


    Sebastian and Judy were also very surprised. They both wondered who the woman in the photos


    was. Of course, it couldn''t be Alina.


    With a gloomy expression, James stared at one of the photos. It was taken when he was on a


    business trip in P City. It was when Maria ran to him and hugged him tightly.


    In a trembling voice, Alina whispered to his ear, "James, Maria..." ''Damn you, Maria Song!'' she


    cursed inwardly. If only she could, she wanted to chop Maria into pieces.


    James withdrew his gaze from the photo and scanned the hall to look for Summer. When he


    couldn''t find her, he asked another secretary, "Where is Summer?"


    "Mr. Xi, Summer has just left to go to the bathroom. If you need anything, please let me know."


    With a darkened expression, James ordered coldly, "Shut down the LED screen!"


    He had never expected that Maria could still make some trouble after having her being guarded


    carefully.


    However, no one could stop him from getting engaged to Alina tonight.


    "Yes, Mr. Xi," the secretary answered before he hurriedly went to the control booth.


    When the secretary left, James called John. "Where is she?"


    "Ms. Song said that she has a private pilot license, so she flew the helicopter by herself and went to


    see the night view," John answered truthfully.


    James sneered. Maria was really something. He didn''t even know that she could fly a helicopter.


    And now, she managed to flee out of his manor.


    The banquet hall was still in chaos. Fortunately, the LED screen on the stage switched to standby


    mode after five minutes. The banners on both sides had also been pulled down.


    But the discussion in the crowd continued. "Mr. Xi has always been a man who looks aloof and


    keeps distance from women. It turns out that he is just pretending. He even has a mistress."


    "I didn''t expect that the man I have been idolizing is a scumbag. He even forced his woman to have


    an abortion. I''m so disappointed!"


    "Who is that woman? She has hugged and kissed Mr. Xi freely. I envy her so much!"


    Guests, especially the women, were whispering to each other.


    A few momentster, the crowd became quiet again. They all thought that it was over. However, the


    ck LED screen lit up again.


    This time, it was a video. A woman wearing a wedding dress was standing on the rooftop of a


    building. With her back to the camera, the hem of her wedding dress and her long hair were


    fluttering in the wind.


    James recognized the wedding dress at once. It was exactly the one that Maria tried onst night.


    The woman looked like Maria both in figure and hairstyle.


    She lifted the hem of the wedding dress and walked to the edge of the roof. Everyone gasped and


    their heartbeats went abnormally fast as they continued to watch. They were worried that she would


    fall down unexpectedly.


    Finally, yton came back to his senses. He rushed to the backstage where the projector was and


    roared, "What is going on? Didn''t I tell you to turn it off?"


    The employee was at a loss. "Sorry, Mr. Tang. Theputer is not working properly."


    "Not working properly?" yton asked in disbelief. He took over the mouse and moved it twice, but


    it did not respond. He was so angry that he mmed the mouse to the floor. "Then shut it down!"


    The man answered in a weak voice, "I''ve tried several times but it didn''t work either." They were not


    computer experts, so they only knew basicputer operations.


    With his trembling fingers, yton pointed at theputer and ordered, "Smash it!"


    "Yes, Mr. Tang," the staff answered, lifted theputer, and smashed it on the floor.


    Finally, the video on the screen disappeared. But it was toote. Everyone had already seen


    enough information to gossip.


    In the video, the woman on the rooftop sat down on the edge, which scared everyone watching.


    She then turned around.


    James felt a little relieved when he saw her face clearly. She wasn''t Maria.


    The woman only had a figure and hairstyle very simr to Maria''s.


    As the cold rain fell on her hair, the woman looked at the camera and said with a smile, "James,


    Alina has poisoned me to get you. But you still want to get engaged to her even though you know


    how vicious she is. Now that you''ve dumped me, what reason do I have to continue living? James,


    you know how much I love you. Remember, I die for you."


    The woman then stood up from the eaves and stretched out her arms. When she was about to jump


    off the building, the screen went ck.


    The crowd burst into an uproar because they wanted to see what happened next. They all


    wondered if the woman really jumped off the building.


    In the end, regardless of Alina''s and the Xi family''s persuasion, James turned around and left the


    hall with a livid face.


    On his way out, he inadvertently saw Summer standing in the corner, so he said coldly, "Whoever


    dares to spread a word about what happened tonight is against me!"


    "Yes, Mr. Xi," Summer replied with a nod. She felt like her heart almost jumped out of her throat.


    When she saw that James was leaving, she quickly took out her phone and dialed a number.


    "Maria! Maria! Mr. Xi has left! I guess he will look for you. You''d better run away now."


    Maria, who was directing the woman to act on the rooftop, trembled when she heard Summer''s


    warning. The script in her hand fell to the floor. As soon as she came back to her senses, she


    ordered the stylist and the photographer to leave separately.


    She then took out a card and gave it to the actress. "Hurry up. Take this card and go away. The


    farther, the better."


    The actress, who was also trembling with fear, nodded vigorously. "Don''t worry. I have already


    booked a flight. I will nevere back to H City for the rest of my life." Actually, she was also afraid


    that James would kill her, but she couldn''t resist the temptation of the amount that Maria had offered


    to her.


    "Go now! Go!"Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    When James arrived at the rooftop, the spot had been cleaned up, and there was not even a slight


    trace of the woman.


    He took out his phone and made a phone call. "I want Maria''s whereabouts in ten minutes!" The


    anger in his cold voice was very apparent.


    The rain gradually became denser. James went down of the building and got into his car. He


    thumped the steering wheel heavily and cursed inwardly, ''Damn you, Maria Song!''


    Thanks to Maria, James made a fool of himself for the first time in his entire life.


    A few seconds before the tenth minute, James received Maria''s exact location. She was heading to


    the Lu family''s vi. His ck Harkim immediately made a U-turn and sped up towards that


    direction.


    Maria intended to seek refuge in Lawrence. However, before she could even see the gate of his


    vi, she was stopped by the ck Harkim.


    James got out of the Harkim and walked towards her car. He knocked on the window of the back


    seat.


    Maria''s heart was hammering. She couldn''t believe that he would find her this fast.


    "Open the door!" James roared. Obviously, he had already lost his patience.


    Finally, before he could smash the window, Maria opened the door.


    Before she could even get out, she was pulled by his long and muscr arm. He pressed her


    against the car and mped her chin tightly. "A baby? Maria, I don''t know when you have be


    capable of getting pregnant after taking contraceptive pills."


    The rain started to pour down on Maria''s long hair. She smiled apologetically and said, "James, take


    it easy. It''s all a misunderstanding."


    ''Misunderstanding?'' The strength of James'' hand holding her increased. "If you dare show up in


    front of me again, I will not only make you pregnant but also dig out the baby in your belly!"


    After saying those words, he forcefully released Maria, who bumped into the car embarrassingly. If


    she hadn''t been holding the door handle, she would have fallen to the ground.


    As the rain was getting denser and denser, James turned around and left.


    Maria looked at his receding back and sneered, "James, I wish that you and Alina part ways as


    early as possible.


    James paused. His assistant immediately walked over to him and held an umbre above his head.


    -

 Chapter 152 Become Famous Overnight

    Chapter 152 Be Famous Overnight


    James didn''t turn around immediately. He calmly took out a cigarette from his pocket, put it to his


    mouth, and lit it with a match. The assistant took the matchstick James had extinguished. He would


    throw itter if he got a chance to see a trash can.


    Then, James turned around and stared at Maria, who was still leaning against the car door. His


    eyes were full of malice.


    ''Gosh, I''m doomed!''


    Maria thought to herself. Her first reaction was to run away, but she wasn''t able to move. James


    took a few drags on his cigarette and stubbed it out. He then threw it to his assistant and strode


    back to her right away.


    Soon, she was captured by him.


    James grabbed her wrist with one hand and opened the rear door of her car with the other. He then


    squeezed her into it rudely despite her screams and struggles. After getting in, he closed the door


    and pressed his body against hers.


    "Get out!" he shouted at her driver.


    The driver was scared out of his wits upon hearing James'' thundering voice, so he got out of the car


    immediately, leaving James and Maria alone in that narrow space in the back seat.


    Now that only the two of them were left in the car, James instantly ripped Maria''s dress off with his


    big hand.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Maria''s facial expression drastically changed upon realizing what he was doing. She wondered if he


    was going to have sex with her in the car.


    She quickly grabbed his hand and pleaded in a trembling voice, "James, I''m your best friend''s


    girlfriend. And you are also engaged to Alina."


    Maria still hoped that it was not toote for her to admit that what she did was wrong. She knew that


    she shouldn''t have provoked him.


    James retorted with a straight face, "Even if you are pregnant with Lawrence''s child right now, I still


    won''t let you go!" What was more, he still suspected that Lawrence and Maria were just putting on


    an act in front of him.


    At this moment, the phone in his pocket began to vibrate.


    Maria heaved a deep breath and reminded him in a soft voice, "Your phone. Answer it first."


    However, James just took out his phone and pressed the power button. He turned it off without even


    checking who the caller was.


    Maria knew that she didn''t have any way out this time.


    It was raining cats and dogs outside, but it didn''t affect them having sex inside the car.


    In the hotel, the founding anniversary party of Tang Group had to end early. In the lounge, not only


    the members of the Xi family and Tang family were there but also the members of the Song family,


    including Carolina and Dani.


    Alina sat on the chair and sobbed quietly with her head down. She didn''t say anything.


    Carolina was frowning while Dani just watched the scene with a gloating expression in her eyes.


    Since James hadn''te back yet, Sebastian went out to call him. Without Sebastian''s presence in


    the lounge, Judy had tofort Alina on his behalf. "Alina, I will ask James to give you a proper


    exnation of what happened tonight."


    "This must be Maria Song''s trick!" Miranda chimed in with a trace of hatred in her voice.


    She carefully thought of the photos shown on the screen just now, and she was convinced that the


    woman in James'' arms was Maria.


    She didn''t know that woman in the video, but since she knew that Maria was in the photos, she


    knew for sure that the video was also Maria''s scheme.


    Maria''s name was mentioned again.


    And everyone''s facial expression changed upon hearing it.


    When ine saw the look in Judy''s eyes, she quickly exined to save the Song family''s face.


    "Mrs. Xi, Maria is no longer a member of the Song family. We cut ties with her for a long time now.


    So I have no objection on whatever you want to do with her."


    She hinted that Judy could deal with Maria without hesitation because they didn''t care about Maria


    anymore. But she didn''t know that Judy sneered in her heart upon hearing her words. Of course,


    Judy wouldn''t do anything to offend James.


    At the thought of it, Judy continuedforting Alina. "Alina, don''t cry now. I won''t leave H City for


    the time being. I won''t let go of Maria this time. And although the engagement ceremony is not


    complete, you are already my daughter-inw, so you have nothing to worry about."


    Alina choked with sobs. She nodded and said, "Thank you, Aunt Judy."


    Sebastian tried to call James several times, but his phone was powered off. Finally, he gave up and


    went back to the lounge.


    A little whileter, only Alina, Miranda, ine, Carolina, and Dani were left in the lounge.


    Miranda held Alina''s hand and said seriously, "Alina, you should listen to me from now on. Do what I


    tell you to do, okay?"


    Alina looked at her doubtfully. "Mom, what do you mean?"


    "From now on, don''t mind any gossips rted to Mr. Xi, especially if it involves Maria. Just do things


    ordingly as his wife." This time, Miranda was determined to give Maria a hard time.


    She might not be able to kill Maria, but she surely wouldn''t let her go so easily.


    "Mom, do you think I can do it?" Alina asked between sobs.


    "Of course, you can. Trust me. All men like generous women. They don''t like women who cry and


    whine to them from time to time. You have made such a mistake before, so you must pay more


    attention to it in the future."


    Withplicated emotions in her eyes, Carolina looked at Alina and Miranda. She wanted to say


    something but was stopped by ine''s nce.


    Alina thought about Miranda''s suggestion for a long time and finally decided to give it a try. After all,


    she currently had no other better way.


    It was gettingte, so ine and her two daughters left the hotel. There was still a downpour


    outside. ine got into the car first and left.


    Carolina and Dani followed behind her. While waiting for their car, Carolina turned to Dani.


    "Dani, I''m going to visit Grandpa tomorrow. Do you want to go with me?"


    "I can''t. I''m so busy recently. I have a lot of endorsements and a few trips. I don''t have any free


    time." Dani believed that she was now at the peak of her career. She was very busy every day.


    Her grandfather could wait for her visit anytime, but the job opportunities wouldn''t wait for her. She


    must grab them.


    Carolina sighed inwardly and looked at the hotel. Seeing Miranda and Alina at the lobby waiting for


    yton, she sincerely said, "If possible, we should help Maria more in the future." For her, the Song


    family really owed Maria so much. Maria was their youngest sister. They should have supported and


    protected her.


    Dani gave her a strange look. "Carolina, are you insane? Maria has just ruined our cousin''s


    engagement. You still want me to be nice to her? Are you nuts?"


    "But hasn''t Alina also destroyed Maria and Mr. Xi''s marriage before?" Carolina asked. There was


    always karma. Sometimes it just needed time. Alina had cried so sadly today, but Carolina didn''t


    feel sorry for her at all.


    She was more worried about Maria''s safety. James was a proud man and had never made a fool of


    himself in public. He wouldn''t let Maria go this time so easily, would he?


    When the driver drove the car over, Carolina asked before getting into the car, "Where are you


    going next?"


    "I have an appointment with Mr. Jin. You go first," Dani answered while waving at Carolina. Mr.


    Jin was a big shot. She couldn''t wait to meet him.


    Carolina was about to get in the car, but she stopped. She turned around and asked with a frown,


    "Mr. Jin of TF Group?" "Yep," Dani answered.


    "He is not a good man. Don''t meet him alone. Take someone with you," Carolina reminded her


    kindly.


    "Carolina, what do you mean? Are you envious of my sess? This is such a good opportunity for


    me. How can I bring someone else? Go home now. Just leave me alone here." Dani hated


    Carolina''s nagging, so she pushed Carolina into the car, urging her to leave immediately.


    But Carolina didn''t move. She looked at Dani expressionlessly and asked, "Don''t you feel it''s


    weird that you''ve be famous overnight?" In the past, Dani was just an ordinary vlogger and


    not even that popr. But now, she didn''t only break through, but she also rapidly approached the


    entertainment business.


    "I''m not the only person who became famous overnight. What''s so strange about it?" Dani


    sneered. She never thought that her sudden rise to fame was a big deal. There were too many


    people in the entertainment industry who had be instantly famous.


    Carolina knew Dani very well. Since Dani didn''t worry about it herself, she decided not to


    insist any more. She believed that she had already done her part by reminding Dani. If she


    talked too much, Dani would be pissed off. Hence, she shut up and got into her car.


    When Dani saw that Carolina got in the car and was about to leave, she sneered inwardly,


    ''Carolina, are you getting jealous of me now?''

 Chapter 153 Admit Defeat

    Chapter 153 Admit Defeat


    In Maria''s car, after teaching her a lesson, James straightened himself up and got out of the vehicle


    without hesitation. He looked as calm as if they had been talking about the weather the whole time


    they were in the car.


    Maria, on the other hand, was left in the back seat with a messed up hair and a torn dress.


    ''Damn you, James! You son of a bitch! You''ve almost killed me!'' Maria cursed inwardly.


    Just as Maria finally gathered the strength to get up, she received a text message from James. "If


    you dare to take pills, I''ll kill you myself."


    Raising her hand with difficulty, she texted back, "You don''t want me to take the pills? Do you n


    to dig out the baby after I get pregnant?"


    "Yes."


    Maria tossed the phone away, leaning tiredly against the seat. In terms of ruthlessness, she had to


    admit defeat. There was no way she could beat James in that.


    By the end of the night, Summer was the one toe to Maria''s rescue, bringing her some clothes


    despite the heavy rain.


    The incident that took ce at the anniversary of Tang Group''s foundation that night was spread all


    over the Inte, but soon the videos got blocked.


    Then not even Tang Group''s employees were allowed to talk about the matter. The event had


    turned into aplete taboo topic in the whole H City.


    After returning home, Maria didn''t take pills, but not because she wanted to get pregnant. In fact,


    she knew that her period was about toe, eliminating the risks of an unwanted pregnancy.


    As shey down in the bed, she didn''t think she would be able to have a nice quality rest anytime


    soon, which proved to be correct.


    Early the next morning, John came to Maria in person and helped her move into Fairview Vi.


    Then, in the next few days, James showed up every night at the vi to have sex with her. After


    that, he would leave in midnight.


    Maria wasn''t even allowed to go to her own coffee shop. After three days, she couldn''t stand it and


    protested, "I''m your best friend''s girlfriend. You can''t do this to me."


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    "Break up with him!"


    "No!"


    James'' eyes darkened as they bore into hers. The following moment, he reminded her, "I don''t care


    whose girlfriend you used to be. From now on, you''re my woman, and no one else''s!"


    "Huh! James, don''t you have any principles? Or would you rather throw them away in order to take


    revenge on me?"


    The man looked at her calmly. "Thanks to you, I have lost all my dignity already. Why should I care


    about any principles?"


    "Why are you making things difficult to me alone? Why don''t you give Lawrence a hard time


    instead?"


    "Don''t worry. He will go on a blind date tomorrow."


    "What? What did you say? A blind date?" Maria was shocked at James'' words. She wondered why


    Lawrence hadn''t told her anything about that.


    As soon as James left, Maria called Lawrence. Since she couldn''t drink alcohol during her period,


    the two of them decided to meet in a restaurant.


    "Why are you going on a blind date?" Maria couldn''t help but ask Lawrence the question the


    moment she saw him.


    With a helpless smile, Lawrence handed her the menu and answered, "My grandma is eager to


    have a great-grandson."


    "I heard the news through James. Do you think he knows we''re faking a rtionship?"


    "I suppose so." Lawrence was slightly uneasy. In fact, he wanted to pack and run as far as possible.


    He knew James wasing for him next.


    Maria was a little flustered as she pointed to a set on the menu and told the waiter, "I''ll have this


    one. Thanks. " Then she turned to Lawrence again. "And what should I do now?"


    Lawrence didn''t bother to read the menu. He just ordered the same as Maria before answering her,


    "I didn''t think you would be afraid of him." In his opinion, she was quite fearless.


    He had heard about the incident at the anniversary of Tang Group''s foundation and had to


    congratte Maria for her courage.


    James cared too much about his dignity and reputation. Never had he been so humiliated in public


    like this. It would be strange if he did let go of Maria after that.


    "Actually, I wasn''t afraid at first." Maria cupped her face with both hands, a little distressed. "But


    when Summer called me and told me that James wasing furious after me, I panicked." "By the


    way, you haven''t achieved your goal yet, right?" Lawrence knew how much Maria wanted to stop


    James from getting engaged to Alina. In the end, the two still got engaged anyway, making the


    whole H City aware of it.


    "Not really." At that moment, it began to rain outside. As Maria looked out of the window, she felt a


    bit annoyed. She recalled the night James gave her a hard time in the car. It was raining as well.


    "But, Maria, I can tell you for sure that your efforts were not in vain," Lawrence said firmly.


    Maria nced at the man opposite her in confusion.


    "If anyone else provoked James like that, they would be long gone." James might not go so far as to


    kill someone, but he definitely wouldn''t allow them to stay in H City any longer. Perhaps, the person


    in question would have to leave town in a wheelchair. However, there was Maria, sitting safe and


    sound opposite Lawrence for lunch.


    Maria understood what he meant, but was forced to disagree. "Not necessarily. Men are


    complicated. If he really cared about me, he wouldn''t be engaged to Alina.


    There was a trace of disappointment in her voice that even she didn''t notice.


    Lawrence chuckled. "I guess he just hasn''t realized it yet. Keep up your good work."


    The only thing in the world a man wasn''t able to deceive was his own heart. When least expected, it


    could reveal its owner''s true yearnings and sorrows.


    James was not an exception.


    When he saw Lawrence and Maria together, the rage in his eyes was not fake. At that moment,


    James resented his friend deeply.


    As for Maria, there were some truths she couldn''t share with Lawrence, for example, that she


    intended to take revenge on James. Therefore, she deliberately showed him a bitter smile and said,


    "As a matter of fact, I know James doesn''t love me at all. I have no idea what I expect to redeem


    with all this."


    However, Lawrence was not like any other person.


    Despite her words, he could tell she was more likely to get back at James than redeeming their


    rtionship.


    "Anyway, try to think more about your future. You should take better care of yourself," he kindly


    advised her.


    ''My future?'' Maria echoed his words bitterly in her heart. "Honestly, I don''t think we''ll cross paths in


    the long run." She didn''t allow herself to expect much from the future. After all the bad things she


    had done and will do, a sinner like her must go to hell.


    At the sound of that, Lawrence''s eyes darkened as he stared at her. "You don''t n to live long and


    well?"


    "You''re quite smart, aren''t you?" Maria had no ns to live a long and happy life, which gave her


    the courage to dedicate herself wholeheartedly to her revenge.


    "The Maria I know is not like this. She may take revenge on those who wronged her, but she''s also


    brave and heroic. She''s a fighter," Lawrence told her seriously.


    Mariaughed to mask her own guilty conscience. Then she looked away, avoiding eye contact with


    Lawrence, and continued, "I¡¯m just kidding. I promise I''ll live long and well to watch you get married.


    I''ll be your baby''s godmother, right?"


    Lawrence wasn''t stupid. He could tell she wasn''t just kidding. Later, he would have a conversation


    about this with James.


    "Well. Let''s eat!" After the food was served, the two began to eat.


    After a while, Lawrence pretended to ask casually, "Are you close to Norman Shen?"


    Maria was taken aback for a second, but then she smiled. She was right about the reason


    Lawrence had approached her, after all. If she wasn''t useful to him somehow, why would he even


    decide to be friends with her?


    Nevertheless, she didn''t mind that Lawrence got close to her because of her connection to Norman.


    He had helped her a lot over time, and therefore, she was grateful. "Sort of."


    "I see," Lawrence replied lightly without adding anything else.


    Since he didn''t ask, Maria didn''t tell him more details. So the two finished eating silently, deep in


    their thoughts.


    At the CBD Exhibition Center, James had just walked out of a conference room.


    "Mr. Xi, let''s make an appointment for a business dinner soon so we can talk about this investment."


    "Sure, Ms. Li. You can call Summer to schedule it."


    "No problem!"


    -

 Chapter 154 A Tough Woman

    Chapter 154 A Tough Woman


    A group of people came out of the CBD Exhibition Center, talking andughing around a young


    man. After bidding each other goodbye, James walked towards his Harkim under everyone''s gaze.


    Summer, who came to the meeting with James, took out an umbre and held it above his head.


    She trotted a little ahead of him and opened the car door for him.


    James sat in the back seat.


    He looked at the patter of rain outside the window and suddenly asked, "Where is she?"


    Summer intuitively knew that he was referring to Maria. She had already called Maria earlier, so she


    knew what Maria was doing. "Mr. Xi, she is now at Sunshine Valley Shopping Center, having dinner


    with Mr. Lu."


    The next moment, the atmosphere in the car dropped a bit. It was a little depressing. James didn''t


    say anything more.


    But before they could reach an intersection, he instructed the driver, "Go to Sunshine Valley


    Shopping Center."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi." The driver quickly turned on the signal light and changednes. They had to make a


    detour to go to Sunshine Valley Shopping Center.


    Summer was having a second thought if she should inform Maria when the car pulled over in front


    of the restaurant on the first floor of the shopping center. James got out of the car and walked


    towards the door with an umbre in his hand.


    At that moment, Maria and Lawrence just walked out of the restaurant.


    Lawrence took the umbre from the driver and held it above Maria''s head. They then walked


    together to the parking lot.


    For James, the scene that the two of them were holding an umbre together was an eyesore. He


    just stood in the rain with a cold face, quietly watching Maria stop and say something to Lawrence.


    Then they both looked down at the ground simultaneously. No one knew what Lawrence answered


    to her, but she smiled.


    Her smile hurt James'' eyes even more.


    Actually, when Maria and Lawrence came out of the restaurant, he took the umbre from the driver


    and was about to send her home.


    But after taking a few steps towards the parking lot, Maria remembered one important thing. She


    paused and said to Lawrence, "I can''t wear my shoes in the rain."


    The shoes she was wearing had suede soles. They were bought by James for her recently.


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Lawrence lowered his head and followed her gaze. "It is indeed troublesome. How about I carry you


    to the car?"


    Maria chuckled lightly. "Is it okay with you? I''m sorry for always making you carry me."


    "Just think that I am rescuing you. You know, I have carried too many people in such


    circumstances." Lawrence basically rescued people by carrying them out. Both men and women


    were equal in his eyes.


    All of a sudden, Lawrence sensed that something was wrong and someone was watching them.


    He lowered the umbre a little and looked in the direction where he felt the gaze wasing from.


    Then he saw James standing there with a long face.


    James tossed the umbre to Summer, strode over to them, and grabbed Maria''s wrist.


    Seeing him, Maria frowned. "Hey, why are you here?"


    The smile on her face vanished at once, which annoyed James immediately. He pulled her out of


    the ck umbre that was being held by Lawrence with great strength.


    Maria''s mind was in her shoes. She felt sorry that they got wet in the rain.


    James misunderstood the sad look on her face, and he got more furious. "Did I interrupt your date?"


    he asked.


    Lawrence was rendered speechless.


    Maria nodded calmly. "Yes, you¡¯re right. We were enjoying our date, and you''ve ruined it."


    James stared at her coldly. They already got drenched in the rain. She couldn''t help cursing him


    inwardly for his craziness. Now, aside from her shoes, her hair was also messed up.


    Lawrence shook his head helplessly and tried to mediate between them. "James, it''s still raining.


    We are tough, and it''s okay for us to get wet in the rain. But Maria doesn''t wear a coat. Why don''t


    you talk about this after going home?"


    James red at Maria, who was only wearing a shirt and a skirt, and said to Lawrence, "I think it''s


    not a big deal for her to get wet in the rain. She is thick-skinned, after all."


    Maria''s eyes widened in anger. She gritted her teeth and shook her hand, trying to get rid of his grip.


    "How dare you! You are the thick-skinned one, not me! The members of the Xi family are thick-


    skinned!"


    Upon hearing her cursing his whole family, James couldn''t keep his calm any longer. With a


    darkened expression, he dragged her to the Harkim, opened the rear door, and tossed her in.


    Before getting into the car, he turned to Lawrence, who was still standing at the same spot and said,


    "You are so annoying when you are in H City. You''d better go back to your troop as early as


    possible."


    Lawrence lost his tongue again. He didn''t know whether tough or to cry. He didn''t expect that


    someone would dislike him one day.


    And that person was James, his best friend.


    The ck Harkim stopped at the gate of Fairview Vi.


    Then it slowly drove into the courtyard. James got out of the car first and walked into the vi


    without taking an umbre.


    Maria, who was still sitting in the car, shouted at his back to stop him. "James!"


    He stopped but didn''t look back.


    She said in an unfriendly tone, "The shoes I''m wearing have suede soles, and you bought them for


    me. You know that they can''t get in the water. Carry me in!"


    When James dragged her into the Harkim earlier, her shoes were soaked in the water. She checked


    them just now and found that the color had be darker. If they got wet again, there would be no


    chance to save them.


    James was speechless. He was wondering what she really meant.


    He remembered that he did buy those shoes. But then, he retorted, "If I remember correctly, you


    just walked into the car." He thought that the shoes must have been ruined already.


    James'' lukewarm attitude aroused Maria''s unwillingness to admit defeat. She sneered. If she


    walked into the vi this time, it would mean that she had admitted defeat. "My monthly period is


    coming soon. Since you don''t care whether I feel pain or not, I''ll walk barefoot going in there."


    As she spoke, she bent down and started to take off her shoes.


    Summer, who was sitting in the passenger seat, gave her a thumbs-up sign secretly. She admired


    Maria for being such a tough woman to fight against James in every possible way.


    This time, James turned around. He saw that Maria was taking off her shoes. It seemed that she


    was really going to get out of the car barefoot.


    She was about to get out of the car when he reluctantly walked back, picked her up, and carried her


    in his arms. He took her inside the vi without saying a word.


    As soon as they entered the vi, James put Maria down on the carpet. He put on his slippers and


    loosened his tie before going upstairs.


    Maria looked at his back and snorted. She really couldn''t understand why he was so pissed off. He


    just proved how mean he was.


    She also put on her slippers and went upstairs. James was in the bedroom, taking off his shirt with


    his back to the door. She stopped at the door and asked, "Why are you taking off your clothes? Are


    you staying here?"


    He turned around and nced at her indifferently. "Isn''t this what you want? As you wish."


    "What?" Maria''s voice trailed off when she suddenly realized something. He might be talking about


    the past because before, she really did want him to stay all the time.


    But it was different now. She didn''t want him to be here anymore. "That was in the past. You can go


    home now. I just want to sleep alone," she said. Besides, she would go back to the hotel tomorrow.


    If he didn''t take her here, she was already in her hotel room by now.


    After taking off his shirt, James tossed it onto the floor and walked towards her. Standing in front of


    her, he stared at her with his deep eyes and said, "Woman, are you that overconfident? After ruining


    my engagement party, do you think I''ll still let you go?"


    "I know that you don''t want to let me go. If you want me to pay, there are many other ways. I don''t


    want to pay the price with my body anymore." Having sex with James was not a loss. He had a


    great body, and his muscles felt good to touch. But still, Maria wanted to resist.


    "Apart from your body, what else can you use? Your talent in seducing men?" James asked


    ironically.


    Maria was so enraged upon hearing his mockery. She withdrew her gaze from his washboard abs


    and raised her hand to p him. But before her palm couldnd on his handsome face, he gripped


    her wrist tightly.

 Chapter 155 Unreasonable

    Chapter 155 Unreasonable


    James bent his head slightly and asked in a low voice, "What did you promise me thest time in


    bed? Oh, right! While crying, you said you would never p me in the face again, but you seem to


    have forgotten. Allow me to remind you then."


    He exerted a little more pressure to his touch, and Maria staggered into his arms.


    His every move and every word radiated true masculinity. Maria silently scolded herself for being so


    hopeless. Trying her best to suppress her elerated heartbeat, she retorted, "James, how could


    you believe the words of a woman in bed? It makes you seem inexperienced and naive."


    "Fine. Since I can''t trust your word in bed, how about I make you promise me again tonight in every


    corner of this room?"


    Flushing, Maria raised her hand for the second time, but James gripped it once more. "Still not


    willing to behave yourself, huh?"


    He pulled her by the wrist and tossed her on the sofa, pressing his body over hers without


    hesitation. cing her hands above her head, he lifted the hem of her dress with his free hand.


    "James, you''re being unreasonable. I dare you to fight me!" ''Why does he always use this way to


    make me give in?'' she wondered.


    "There are many ways to fight, and this is also one of them."


    Maria red at him. "Why not bring our fists to y this time?"


    The man snorted. "Are you serious? You may try to bargain with me again when you¡¯ve


    strengthened your muscles!"


    Maria was speechless. She was a strong woman. It was James who was way too powerful.


    "Apologize to me, or I won''t let you get what you want!"


    Unsatisfied with all the noise she was making, James bent over and kissed her on the lips to shut


    her up.


    Atst, the room became quiet.


    If she wanted him to apologize, she would have to let him get what he wanted first.


    As the rain outside was getting heavier, the voices in the room were drowned out by the sound of


    raindrops falling on the ground.


    Later that night, the man''s hoarse voice came from the bathroom. "You''re not paying attention. What


    are you thinking about?"


    ''What do you think? I want to sleep, you son of a bitch!'' the woman cursed inwardly. "I''m thinking


    about a man. Ouch! It hurts!" she eximed in pain.


    "Why did you meet Lawrence in the evening?"


    "Because I missed him."


    "I dare you to repeat that," James warned her, his voice sounding dangerous.


    She thought James was an asshole; she wished she could shoot him dead right now. In order not to


    piss him off, she had to say, "I don''t think we fit each other, so we broke up peacefully."


    This time, James was quite satisfied with her answer.


    The next day, Maria couldn''t remember what time she went to bed, but it was already 11 a.m. when


    she opened her eyes in the morning.


    As a matter of fact, she had quite a restless night''s sleep. For some reason, she kept waking up


    from several strange dreams filled with a bunch of random faces.


    When she sat up on the bed, her head pounded. She raised her hands to rub her sore temples, also


    feeling a little difficult to breathe.


    There was no one else in the room. As usual, James didn''t stay overnight and left after midnight.


    Taking a deep breath, she sniffed and noticed that her breathing was somewhat obstructed. It was


    not until then that it urred to her that she might have caught a cold.


    It must be a consequence of them having sex on the balconyst night.


    Afterward, she dragged her sore body to the bathroom to clean herself up. In the mirror, she didn''t


    like what she saw, so she put on some makeup to cover the bags under her eyes.


    As Maria went downstairs, lunch was already at the dining table. From the moment the servant


    heard her noise upstairs, he asked the cook to prepare the meal.


    Since Maria hadn''t had breakfast, she was quite starving.


    Therefore, in front of the delicious dishes on the table, she didn''t hesitate. She put her bag aside


    and began to eat.


    Next to her te, there was also a cell phone, which Maria recognized. It was the same one James


    had taken from her long ago.


    She didn''t see the point in giving it back to her now.


    After lunch, she took out a key from her bag and put it on the table. Then she sent a message to


    John. "I left the helicopter''s key on the table. Please return it to


    James when you have the time."


    The other day in James'' manor, there was a professional pilot who was going to take her to see the


    night scene. However, while he went to the bathroom, she took the key and flew out of the manor by


    herself.


    Although she didn''t have a pilot license, she had taken lessons from Norman''s pilot and knew well


    how to fly. But at the time, when she was close to take the flight test, something came up, and she


    never took it.


    Now it seemed she should consider getting her pilot license as soon as possible to prevent being


    trapped in James'' manor in the future.


    After leaving Fairview Vi, Maria went back to her hotel.


    As she passed by the front desk, the manager called her, "Ms. Song, good day."


    Maria stopped and asked, "Is there something wrong?"


    "Actually, the payment for your room expired yesterday. Will you want to renew your stay?"


    With no hesitation, Maria pulled out a credit card from her bag and said, "Sure, I''ll stay for another


    two months.


    "Okay, this way please."


    "Thanks."


    After paying for the room for another two months, Maria walked into the elevator.


    How could she not continue to stay here? Even though Colby had given her a vi, and James had


    granted her a free pass to Fairview Vi, she didn''t want to be in either ce.


    If only she knew what she wanted!


    Maria heaved a sigh, she didn''t seem to be sure of anything now.


    Still, she had to figure out her next move in regards to James. She couldn''t keep having sex with


    him in exchange for nothing.


    The only problem was that no matter what kind of facade she put on in front of James, it didn''t seem


    to be of much use. In the end, it always copsedpletely.


    Meanwhile, in HM Group, Colby was sitting at his desk when one of his assistants knocked on the


    door to report his work status.


    As he was about to leave, Colby stopped him, "Where''s Maria now?"


    The assistant replied, "We are not following her at the moment. Last time, Mr. Lu spotted our men,


    so I asked them to retreat in order not to raise any suspicion. Mr. Zheng, would you like me to


    arrange another group of men to follow her?"


    "Lawrence Lu?"


    "Yes, Ms. Song has been close to him recently."


    Colby gave it some thought and realized it would be bad for them if they offended Lawrence.


    Unlike James, who didn''t mind others'' business, Lawrence was different. Colby was aware that HM


    Group''s affairs were not something Lawrence would consider unimportant. So he didn''t want to give


    thetter a reason to meddle in his business.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    "Don''t do that."


    After learning what Maria had done at the anniversary of Tang Group''s foundation, Colby was


    almost sure the woman didn''t work for James. Her actions were proof that she had deliberately


    returned to H City to get back at him.


    If they had been really acting, as he first suspected, there would have been no need to make such a


    big fuss. James even lost his dignity and reputation in the business circle over what happened.


    "Yes, Mr. Zheng." The assistant nodded.


    "As for my wife, don''t let here back yet. Try to stall her."


    Maria was still of great use to him. Colby couldn''t let his wife get involved. If she knew about Maria,


    she would make trouble and ruin his long-term n.


    The assistant nodded again. "Okay, Mr. Zheng."


    In the vi at HQ Road, the elders of the Xi family would be getting visitors soon.


    Augustine and Charlotte were both sitting quietly in the living room for a while when they heard a


    noise outside.


    Yet, neither of them made a sound or a move to see what it was.


    They knew it was Sebastian and Judy, who came by for a visit.


    "Dad, Mom, how are you doing?" After handing the gifts he brought to his parents to Tami,


    Sebastian walked towards the living room.


    Judy followed her husband and greeted the elders in a gentle voice, "Mr. and Mrs. Xi, we came by


    to see you."


    Despite Judy being married to Sebastian for twenty years, she had never been epted by


    Augustine and Charlotte who only considered Sebastian''s first wife as their daughter-inw. Also,


    they didn''t allow Judy to call them "Dad" and "Mom," so she could only address the elder couple


    formally whenever they met.

 Chapter 156 Not Daughter-In -Law Material

    Chapter 156 Not Daughter-In -Law Material


    Augustine looked at them and said, "Well, have a seat." His attitude was cordial, but not particrly


    warm. It was like Sebastian was not his biological son.


    Wearing her presbyopic sses, Charlotte continued to read the newspaper in her hand. She didn''t


    spare a nce for her son or his wife.


    Sebastian sat opposite them with his wife. He asked, "Dad, Mom, how have you been? Need


    anything?"


    "No. We''re good," Charlotte answered and put down the newspaper. "Maria and James hooked us


    up. Food and essentials. Perfect for the Mid-Autumn Festival. We have enough to keep us going for


    a while."


    It was normal for James to visit Augustine and Charlotte. He loved his grandparents.


    But Maria came with him.


    Sebastian and Judy exchanged nces. It was obvious they were not impressed.


    Sebastian believed he should say something. Heined bitterly, "Why would allow Maria to


    visit you? Did you forget about Arthur?"


    Hearing his son''s question, Augustine''s heart sank. "Of course not. I told you what I think, and I


    don''t like repeating myself. Let''s not talk about who''s at fault for Arthur''s death. Maria is Arthur''s


    mom. The kid is gone. You ever think about how she feels? You even kicked her out of the Xi


    family."


    He hated the mere thought of it. After Arthur''s ident, he was too sad to handle it properly.


    Augustine didn''t think things woulde to this. Maria left H City and disappeared for more than six


    years.


    Judy wore an embarrassed smile. She wanted to say something to him, but she bit back her reply.


    She couldn''t disrespect them.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    But Sebastian didn''t disappoint her. He retorted, "Who cares if it was an ident or not? She is


    guilty. She was never respectful anyway, ever since she married into the Xi family. Definitely not


    daughter-inw material!"


    Charlotte took off her presbyopic sses and set them aside. She replied calmly, "That''s right. An


    evil woman would only disrupt our peaceful, quiet family."


    The living room calmed down for a moment after this.


    It seemed like Charlotte was not referring to Maria. More than likely, she was talking about Judy.


    Sebastian didn''t want to talk about Maria. He didn''t like gossip anyway, and there was something he


    wanted to say. "Mom, Dad, you didn''t attend James and Alina''s engagement ceremony. Sometimes


    I don''t know what you are thinking. James and Cooper are your favorite grandsons. Why ignore


    James?"


    "What are you doing here anyway?" Augustine looked at his son worriedly. They didn''t have


    anything inmon. "You shouldn''t havee here. Maybe you should go."


    Judy tried to mediate the dispute. "Mr. and Mrs. Xi, please don''t be angry. When we were traveling


    abroad, Sebastian missed you. He said he''de visit, but had to deal with the chaos Maria


    caused during the engagement ceremony. We didn''t have time until today. We came here as soon


    as we could."


    Augustine didn''t appreciate it, though. "I know my son well," said he indifferently. There was a good


    reason why he handed the reins of HL Group to James and not Sebastian.


    When she heard that, Judy was so embarrassed that she could hardly sit still. But again, she kept


    her thoughts to herself.


    Charlotte looked at Sebastian and asked in confusion, "So Maria made a fuss at the engagement


    ceremony. James doesn''t care. Why do you?"


    "Why do you think that is? He ordered his men to block the news. Maria humiliated him. He''s


    probably mad about it." Sebastian didn''t agree with his parents. His parents were too old to


    understand what was going on.


    Augustine didn''t want to mince words with them anymore. "All right, all right. Let''s just leave it alone.


    James can handle himself. We need to do the same. If you have nothing else to do, go home.


    You''re starting to annoy me."


    Judy wasn''t willing to leave it there. She added, "Alina wants toe by-"


    Augustine red at her. "Why? We''re fine. She can wait until we''re dead."


    Judy had to swallow the rest of her words. She felt like bursting open. She was full of unsaid words.


    Sebastian couldn''t stand his harsh words. Heined, "Dad, stop it. She''s just trying to be nice."


    "Yeah. Alina''s a good girl. Now that they''re engaged, can we really say anything else?" Judy


    supported her husband, and tried help convince the elders.


    Charlotte''s face turned cold. Before the couple left, she stared at the woman opposite her and said,


    "You''d better pray I don''t get involved. You¡¯re better off facing Maria than me, Judy." Maria tended to


    take her time. Sometimes that worked to her disadvantage. If Charlotte decided to do something,


    she wanted Judy to worry about it. She wanted Judy scared for Alina.


    Judy was visibly cowed. Frightened by the coldness in Charlotte''s eyes, Judy thought of what she


    and Alina had done before. She didn''t know how much Charlotte knew about it, so she had to nod


    helplessly. "Yes. I got it," she answered in a small voice.


    Atst, Judy dragged Sebastian out of the vi.


    Sitting in the car, Judy finally breathed a sigh of relief. Sheined, "I wonder how Maria


    managed to charm your parents. They stick up for her a lot!"


    Sebastian was also in a bad mood. With a straight face, he said, "It''s James'' fault. If he could keep


    it in his pants, Maria wouldn''t have gotten to him. Now she''s part of the Xi family again."


    But Judy didn''t think James would listen to her. All she could do was get Sebastian on her side.


    Since he was down now, she didn''t say anything.


    She''d already made up her mind to meet Maria. She wanted to see for herself how tough Maria


    was.


    In Miracle Cafe, Maria stood in front of the coffee machine, answering a phone call.


    "She''s been invited on to a variety show. It''s a lot of cash. What do you want to do?"


    "Tell the host Dani''s an awesome dancer."


    "Okay, I see."


    "Call me if you need me."


    "Yes, Ms. Song."


    After hanging up the phone, Maria took her coffee mug and put it under the nozzle of the coffee


    machine.


    Someone pushed the door to the cafe open. A woman came in wearing a long brown dress, light


    makeup, and sunsses. She also sported a set of diamond jewelry. Holding a silver-gray bag


    fashioned of crocodile skin, she had the arrogant look of a rich woman.


    After she came in, she nced around the shop and chose a corner seat. A shop assistant came


    over with a menu and greeted her, "Wee to Miracle Cafe. Would you like something to drink?"


    The woman didn''t take the menu she offered. She raised her chin and said arrogantly, "I''d like to


    see your boss."


    The shop assistant looked in the direction of Maria with embarrassment and answered slowly, "A


    moment please. Let me see if she''s here."


    "She''s here. I asked someone to check before I came," the woman said confidently.


    The shop assistant didn''t know what to say for a second. Then she said, "Okay. One moment


    please."


    She wondered if her boss was a big shot. After all, people who came to meet her seemed rich and


    powerful.


    Hearing the woman say her name, Maria looked up. The shop assistant came to get her, and


    pointed in the direction of the rich woman who had summoned her. Maria recognized her instantly.


    She had already been mentally prepared for this and knew they would meet sooner orter. She


    said to her employee, "Prepare a cup of coffee for me, please."


    "Okay, Maria."


    Maria washed and dried her hands before going over there with her own coffee.

 Chapter 157 Encountering Judy

    Chapter 157 Encountering Judy


    Maria took the fresh brewed coffee and sat down opposite the woman. As the owner of the coffee


    shop, she decided to greet her. "Hello there. Wee to my shop."


    The woman removed her sunsses. Maria''s hunch was right. She knew exactly who it was. The


    woman wasn''t frowning, but definitely not smiling, either.


    She rudely stared at Maria.


    Today, Maria wore a long ck dress, hugging her in all the right ces, which made her even


    more charming and enchanting. She sat there, a cup of coffee in hand. She was confident and


    mature.


    Compared with how she used to be, Maria had changed a lot. Gone was the simple, naive girl who


    married into the Xi family.


    Maria smiled. "Mrs. Xi, long time no see."


    Looking at the smile on Maria''s face, Judy''s bravado fled her. Without changing her expression, she


    asked, "I thought you left. When did you get back in H City?"


    "About three months ago." It seemed like just yesterday. Yet she''d been here for a while now.


    "Three months..." Judy echoed her words. "Only three months and you''re already back in James''


    bed. You''re more capable than I thought."


    Maria smiled, took a sip of coffee, and answered casually, "Men are animals that think with what''s


    inside their pants. A pretty face is their downfall. Stroke their ego a little bit and they''re trapped.


    James is no


    exception."


    The look in Judy''s eyes changed. She wondered if that was how James fell for her.


    The coffee was served. The shop assistant put it in front of Judy and said, "Excuse me, ma''am.


    Here''s some coffee for you."


    Judy didn''t move, ignoring the assistant. Her eyes were fixed on Maria. After the shop assistant left,


    she asked tentatively, "Don''t you hate James for what he did to you six years ago?"


    "Hate him?" asked Maria. Then she gave her an unfathomable smile. "Of course I hate him, but it


    doesn''t prevent me from hooking up with him. After all, he''s rich and handsome. I''m a shallow


    woman, and I eat men like him for lunch. As long as he gives me enough money, hatred is nothing."


    "Is that why you''re always trying to get between James and Alina?"


    "Of course, everyone wants to be with a great guy like James. I couldn''t do that six years ago, but


    now things are different. I''m different."


    Judy was relieved to know she did it for the money. She said, "I want you to leave James alone.


    Name your price."


    ''Price?'' Maria''s smile widened. There was a hint of the wild child there. "Three hundred million?"


    A hint of panic shed across Judy''s eyes when she heard the number, but it quickly disappeared.


    She picked up the coffee and took a sip to hide it. "Let''s make it four hundred mil. But you have to


    leave the city.


    "Now I know what you''re up to. That''s a different price. Someone once promised me a billion,


    asking me to leave the city, but I said no. You''re low-balling me here."


    Judy suddenly couldn''t find her tongue to reply. She didn''t expect Maria to be so greedy. "Aren''t you


    afraid James might find out?" ''''What about you? Aren''t you afraid of him?" Maria asked her instead


    of answering, her reply full of hidden meaning.


    Judy knew what she meant, but pretended to be confused. She asked again, "Leave the city. How


    much do you want? Maria, you know, you don''t belong here. The Song family abandoned you and


    the Xi family kicked you out. Why did youe back?"


    "I came back to look for my true love. I love James. Where else would I go if he''s here?"


    "Even if you make things difficult, he''s engaged to Alina. Apparently he doesn''t feel the same way


    about you."


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Maria put down the coffee mug, rested her chin on one hand, and leaned forward, looking pitiful.


    "So, Aunt Judy, can you help me? Help me get back to the Xi family."


    Staring at the woman in front of her, Judy didn''t know what tricks Maria was ying now. She


    looked her in the eye, but saw nothing. It took a lot to kick Maria out of the Xi family. Maria knew that


    she wouldn''t help her. Why did she even ask?


    "James loves Alina. I really can''t help you," Judy answered her.


    Pretending to be disappointed, Maria murmured, "Then I have to ask Cooper for help."


    Hearing her mention Cooper, Judy shook her head. "Cooper''s in the US. He''s noting back


    anytime soon. A slow remedy cannot meet an urgent need. I''m afraid he can''t help you either."


    "Oh, I see." Maria sighed in disappointment.


    Judy showed her left wrist and shook the bracelet on it to Maria. "Alina bought this for me."


    Maria looked at the tanzanite bracelet and nodded. James had bought it for Alina, and now it was


    on Judy''s wrist. Alina must have given it to her.


    "You know Alina was going to give it to me as a gift, so why did you take it away from her?" Judy


    asked her sharply.


    A faint smile appeared on Maria''s face. Alina lied about her again. Maria didn''t exin. Why bother?


    It was useless to even try. No matter what she did, Judy would not let her back into the Xi family or


    change her opinion about her.


    Maria sat up straight and said, "I want to take James back, let alone a bracelet. Mrs. Xi, if you can''t


    help me get back into the Xi family, I''ll do it on my own."


    "Don''t waste your time. They''re engaged. To put it bluntly, you''re his mistress now. Why get in their


    way?" Judy wouldn''t go against Charlotte. As for Maria, Judy thought the rumors oversold her. She


    wasn''t as tough as Judy had heard.


    Maria smiled. In a helpless tone, she said, "How doesn''t matter. It''s the result that''s important."


    Judy thought she was trying to convince herself. She picked up her handbag and stood up, throwing


    a few harsh words to Maria. "Alina will definitely marry into the Xi family. If you don''t want to make


    the same mistakes, leave the city."


    ''The same mistakes?'' Maria echoed her words inwardly. She picked up the coffee and lowered her


    eyelids to hide the mockery in her eyes. "See you around, Mrs. Xi."


    Judy put on her sunsses and left haughtily, just as she did when she came in.


    Maria chuckled and thought to herself, ''I haven''t get rid of one enemy, and yet another''s waiting


    around the corner. I''m too slow.


    But everything takes time. I can''t do much about it.


    Maria, don''t panic. Take it easy.''


    After leaving the coffee shop, Judy went to HL Group across the street.


    No one stopped her as she made her way there. She arrived at the floor of the CEO''s office without


    a hitch. When she saw Lorenzo, she knew James was not there. He had been invited to a car show.


    Judy stayed there, chatting with Lorenzo. She could wait.


    On the other side of town, James was ready to leave the exhibition center. The event was over.


    On his way to the exit, he heard several models talking amongst themselves. Of course, he was not


    interested in their gossip. He was going to leave through the side door quietly.


    When he stepped out, he could hear Maria''s name mentioned. He paused.


    "Do you know Maria Song? She''s so pretty!"


    "I saw Maria at a fundraiser. She wore the loveliest perfume." "I know it! It was thetest release in


    the series made for bad girls. She looks like a temptress. I guess if the shoe fits..."


    Hearing thements, the man''s eyes darkened, and he backtracked.


    -

 Chapter 158 Full Of Grievances

    Chapter 158 Full Of Grievances


    Summer, who was following behind James, also heard what the models said. She was about to tell


    him she would go over there to deal with them, but James walked towards them on his own.


    "Hey, isn''t that Mr. Xi?"


    "It''s really Mr. Xi. He''sing here!"


    "Ah! I only saw from a distance before and thought he was so handsome. Now, from up close, he''s


    even more!


    Unlike the excited women, the man had a scowl on his face as he stared at one of them and said


    coldly, "There''s nothing wrong with wearing a perfume made for bad girls. It''s way worse to stink as


    one without putting any perfume on."


    Except for one woman, the models present were quite thrilled to see James in person, not to


    mention that he came over to talk to them. As the girls were about to scream with excitement, the


    woman who had captured James'' attention sensed there was something wrong and didn''t feel like


    celebrating at all. Instead, she asked gingerly, "Mr. Xi, are you referring to me?" She hoped not.


    Staring coldly at her, he retorted, "Who else?"


    "I''m loyal to my boyfriend. I''m not a bad woman!" she exined hurriedly.


    "The way I see it, you''re scum!" She was disgusting for gossiping behind Maria''s back.


    As she heard what James said, blood drained from the young model''s face.


    Without giving her a chance to respond, James told Summer, "I don''t want to see this woman in the


    modeling business again." Ignoring the crowd''s reaction to his order, he turned around and walked


    away.


    Summer nodded, trying hard to suppress herughter. "Yes, Mr. Xi." ''So now he has be


    Maria''s defender!'' she thought, overjoyed.


    The next second, she picked up her pace to catch up with James while calling someone to deal with


    the young model''s matter.


    By the time James got back to his car, Summer hadpleted her task. The sponsor had already


    fired the young model.


    As she received a text message, Summer nced at her phone and reported to the man in the


    back seat, "Mr. Xi, Ms. Judy Lan is waiting for you in thepany."


    Promptly, James told her, "Let¡¯s go back to thepany then."


    "Okay."


    James and his younger brother had always been respectful to Judy. After all, she had looked after


    her husband''s two children for twenty years. Even if she had never made any huge contribution to


    the family, she had worked hard to be a good step-mother.


    When the Harkim finally stopped at the entrance of HL Group, James got out of the car and nced


    at the coffee shop across the street, wondering if Judy had already met Maria.


    On the CEO''s office floor, Judy chatted briefly with Lorenzo before leaving him to avoid disturbing


    his work. Then she went to sit in the lounge and browsed on her cell phone while waiting for James.


    Once she heard James was back, she put her phone away, stood up, and walked out of the lounge.


    "Hey, James," she greeted her step-son as soon as she saw him.


    James nodded at her and turned to Summer. "Make a cup of green tea."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    Green tea was Judy''s favorite.


    Judy was delighted to realize James remembered this small detail about her. Looking at the man


    who walked her way, she said lovingly, "I hope I''m not interrupting."


    "Not at all. Pleasee in." He turned and pushed the door to his office open for her.


    Judy walked in and looked around. It had been almost half a year since she came to his officest


    time. Except for some new electronic equipment, nothing had changed.


    James sat down in an armchair, while Judy sat opposite him and exined, "I¡¯m not here for any


    special reason, to be honest. I was just passing by and decided toe up. It has been a long time


    since Ist came to see you in thepany."


    "I see. Where are you heading to?"


    "A brand store called yesterday and told me they got some new handbags released for the season.


    I''m going to have a look."


    "I''ll ask Lorenzo to apany you then." In other words, James would pay the bill for her.


    Judy thought about it for a moment and then said with a smile, "Sure if you''re not too busy. Lorenzo


    and I haven''t talked for a long time. I''ll borrow him from you just for a couple of hours, I promise."


    "Okay, I''ll arrange it." At that moment, Summer knocked on the door and came in with a cup of tea.


    As she put it in front of Judy, she said, "Excuse me, Ms. Lan. Here''s your tea."


    "Thank you!"


    James then told Summer, "Lorenzo will need to go out. I''ll send you to meet the manager from M


    City instead."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi," Summer answered respectfully before leaving with a smile.


    Judy looked at her as she walked away and asked thoughtfully, "How long has Summer been


    working with you?"


    "Nearly nine years." Summer started working in HL Group as an intern. Due to her excellent


    performance, James offered her a position as his special assistant after the internship was over.


    Two years ago, James sent Summer to the United States to get her Ph.D. degree.


    "Oh, so she''s here a year longer than Lorenzo."


    After that, Judy didn''t say anything else about Summer, nor did she mention Maria. With the excuse


    that she didn''t want to disturb James'' work, she stood up to go.


    Before leaving, however, she added, "James, take the time to bring Alina home for dinner soon. I''ll


    be waiting for you.1''


    James was silent for a moment, but then he nodded. "Of course."


    "Okay, I''m leaving now!"


    "Bye, Auntie."


    Since Judy wasn''t epted by the elders of the Xi family, both James and Cooper addressed her


    as "Auntie" instead of "Mom."


    On the surface, Judy pretended not to care, but deep inside, she did. Nevertheless, there was


    nothing she could do about it.


    After Judy left James'' office, Lorenzo followed his aunt out of HL Group and went with her to a


    brand shop not far away from thepany.


    In the VIP room, Judy listened to him talking about Maria while trying on a new bag. However, as a


    shopping guide was present, Lorenzo didn''t dare to mention the woman''s name. "She tried to


    extract information from me. Although I didn''t admit anything, I''m sure she figured it out. The weird


    thing is that she didn''t tell about it to Mr. Xi, or he would definitely look into the matter."


    ''Maria didn''t tell James?¡¯ Judy thought. She couldn''t understand what Maria was nning. It


    seemed she needed a backup n for her nephew and herself. "I''ll ask someone to apply for a


    bank card in Cooper''s name and transfer the money to it. But don''t touch the money until that


    woman leaves H City. If James finds out about itter, you can tell him toe speak to me."


    Since Lorenzo was her inside man in HL Group, she would try her best not to get her nephew in


    trouble.


    "Ok, I see," Lorenzo answered obediently. He really admired his aunt. She could always remain


    calm in the face of such adversity.


    "Anything else?"


    "In fact, there is. It''s about this rivalry between her and Ms. Tang. Whether Ms. Tang is just unable


    to defeat that woman or Mr. Xi is protecting her, I don''t know. But every time Ms. Tang goes to Mr.


    Xi, she leaves full of grievances."


    Upon hearing this, Judy retained a new piece of information. As it seemed, James was protecting


    Maria. The situation was far moreplicated than she thought.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Judy decided it was best to think things over before making any move. Then she turned to Lorenzo


    again and asked, "What did James tell you when you left thepany?"


    "He asked me to pay for everything you take."


    Suddenly, Judy''s mood improved. James was so rich and generous. Pointing at a row of bags she


    had tried, she told the shopping assistant, "Pack them all!"


    "Yes, ma''am." The shopping assistant knew Judy was a big spender and had already anticipated


    she would get argemission from the sale.


    In fact, every time Judy came to their shop, she would take several bags with her.


    While she waited for her things to be packed, Judy sat next to Lorenzo and said in a low voice, "As


    for that Summer, if you have the chance..." It was needless for her to finish the sentence. Lorenzo


    would get what she meant by just one look at her.


    Also, he had already thought about this long ago. "I got it, Aunt Judy." After all, Summer took


    Maria''s side.


    "Good."


    Meanwhile, James recalled something Judy said before she left, and called Summer into his office


    again. "Go pick up some new arrivals of the season."


    "Mr. Xi, what exactly do you refer to?"


    "Outfits, shoes, jewelry, and essories. All of them."


    Summer asked in confusion, "Are you going to give them as gifts to someone?"

 Chapter 159 The Biggest Scumbag In H City

    Chapter 159 The Biggest Scumbag In H City


    "That''s right. Well, you can go through them all first, then choose the most suitable ones and send


    me their photos," James added.


    Summer wrote down everything he said. She then asked, "Do you have any special requirements


    for the brands, styles, and prices?"


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    James looked at her and replied, "Just follow her style."


    ''Huh?'' Summer didn''t understand at first. But when she raised her head and looked into his eyes,


    she instantly understood what James meant. So she said, "Okay, Mr. Xi."


    ''Oh, my goodness! Bravo, Maria!'' she cheered inwardly. She couldn''t help but rejoice for Maria in


    her heart.


    That night, Maria didn''t go to Fairview Vi. Hence, when James went there, he found nobody.


    Looking around the dark vi, he dialed Maria¡¯s number and asked unhappily, "Where are you


    now?"


    In the dark night, Maria''s voice sounded weak and t when she answered, "Of course, in my hotel


    room."


    James sensed that something wrong with her voice. He frowned when he recalled that she saidst


    night that her period wasing.


    After hanging up, James drove to the hotel.


    On the other side, Alina called Lorenzo first before she would call James. "Hi, Lorenzo. It''s me. Is


    James still in the office?" "No, Ms. Tang. Mr. Xi drove away by himself just now." "Where is he


    going?" "I think he''s heading to Fairview Vi," Lorenzo answered uncertainly. After all, James had


    been going there before going back home almost every night recently.


    ''Fairview Vi...''


    Alina thought in her mind, clenching her teeth. She got angry at once, especially when she


    remembered that day when Maria invited her and James for lunch there. She stayed in the hospital


    for two days because of it.


    If James was heading to Fairview Vi, Alina was sure that Maria was also there.


    At the thought of this possibility, she came up with an idea. She wanted to piss Maria off again.


    James parked his car in the parking lot of the hotel. Before he got out of the car, he ordered a


    takeout soup on the phone.


    Right after his phone call, his phone vibrated. He looked at the screen to see who the caller was.


    When he saw that it was Alina, he pressed the answer button and asked, "What''s up?"


    "James, something happened to me. Can youe over?" Alina''s voice sounded so anxious. It


    was as if something had really happened to her.


    The expression on James'' face didn''t change at all. He kept walking into the hotel entrance while


    saying, "Where are you now? I''ll ask Lorenzo toe to you."


    Maria was such a troublesome woman. Why would she be overwhelmed with pain when she had


    her period? Since he hadn''t checked on her yet, he couldn''t go anywhere for the time being.


    Alina fell silent on the other end of the line for a long time. She then said with an obvious


    disappointment in her voice, "Forget it. I''ll just call Ron. I won''t disturb you from your work now.


    Bye.''1


    "Okay. Bye." James then ended the call.


    Alina was rendered speechless, staring at her phone. Actually, she was only testing him. But


    obviously, she had made a stupid decision. Her heart sank.


    James went to the front desk to get the extra key card for Maria''s room. He then opened the door


    from the outside.


    Lying in the bed, Maria looked at him walking in. She thought to herself, ''Money and power are


    really good things. He can even get the key card to my room without my permission.''


    The room was very dark, so James turned on the lights. Maria covered her head with the quilt,


    refusing to look at him.


    He stopped at her bedside and stretched out his hand to pull the quilt off her head. However, she


    held it so tightly that he failed.


    "Why are you making a fuss again?" he asked.


    "What do you mean? I didn''t go to see you. I also did not call you toe over," she said in a weak


    voice under the quilt.


    James didn''t know how to retort because her words really made sense.


    He sat on the edge of the bed and said, "Since you are not feeling well, you should take more rest."


    "Am I not taking a rest right now?" she snapped. It was he who suddenly came to her room and


    interrupted her sleep. How could he say such nonsense?


    James lost his tongue again. Maria made another sense.


    He was afraid that she would be suffocated, so he pulled down the quilt covering her head when


    she was off guard.


    It was only then that he saw that her face and lips were so pale. She was not wearing any makeup.


    Her beautiful eyes also looked pitiful when she stared at him.


    James'' heart tightened inexplicably upon seeing Maria in such a situation. "How painful is it?" he


    asked.


    Maria didn''t know how to describe it for a moment. She thought for a while before she crooked her


    finger to beckon to him toe closer.


    "Come here. Let me kick your crotch, so you''ll know how painful it is."


    James'' face darkened at once. "Don''t you still know how to behave yourself even if you are sick?"


    His attitude and his words made Maria feel wronged. She choked with sobs, "Go! Now!"


    Upon hearing her nasal voice, James said, "You are sick, and you are on your period. Now you''re


    asking me to leave? Why are you so stubborn?"


    "I can call Lawrence toe over. He will take care of me. He won''t trouble me like what you are


    doing now."


    James cast a cold nce at her and asked, "Didn''t you tell me that you''ve broken up?"


    "Well, haven''t we divorced as well? But why are you still sitting here on my bed?"


    Frankly speaking, James was indeed a scumbag. He already had a fiancee, but he was still


    entangling with his ex-wife. Maria believed that he was the biggest scumbag in H City.


    James suddenly had the urge to strangle her to death. "Maria Song, why didn''t you dare to talk to


    me like this when we were not divorced yet?" She used to be so timid in front of him in the past. But


    now, she dared to retort and even p or punch him in the face.


    Maria answeredzily, "Isn''t it incredible that I can do this to you now? Mr. Xi, you didn''t expect that


    I can be such a person like this, did you?"


    James sneered with mockery. "You''ve hidden it so well."


    "Yes, you''re right. I''m tired, and I don''t have the strength to fight with you. You can leave now."


    ''Who does she think she is?''


    James wanted to hang her and beat her up. He bent over and leaned closer to Maria, who had


    already closed her eyes. He then whispered in her ear, "You really have a sharp tongue. But once


    you are being pressed under my body, you can''t do anything anymore."


    While she blushed, Maria raised her fist to hit him. However, it was easily grabbed by his big palm.


    She was not feeling well, and now James stopped her from venting her anger. She got so furious


    that her eyes reddened. She snapped in an aggrieved tone, "James Xi, you are so unreasonable.


    You are taking advantage of me."


    Upon seeing that she was in a huff, James felt relieved. He let go of her hand and pinched her chin.


    His voice returned to normal when he said, "Don''t sleep. I''ve asked someone to send over a soup


    for you."


    "I won''t drink it." Her stomach hurts so much that she didn''t have the appetite to eat anything.


    But James only thought that she was losing her temper, so he ignored her. He stood up and made a


    phone call. When he returned to check on her again, she had already turned her back to him.


    It had already been an hour, but the soup that he ordered hadn''t arrived yet. But he opened the door


    once, and someone brought something in. Maria just ignored it and didn''t ask.


    James opened the soup pot, and the aroma of mutton filled the room.


    He took a look at it and hesitated for a moment. There were only the two of them in the room. Maria


    was lying in bed and couldn''t move at all. He wondered if he should ask a waiter toe over.


    James nced at the bed again and made a decision. Anyway, this wouldn''t be the first time he


    would do it. He reluctantly poured some soup into a bowl and brought it over to her. "Maria, drink


    the soup now," he said in a t tone.


    Maria didn''t move.


    James put the soup on the nightstand, helped her up, and ordered, "Drink some soup. The chef


    added some ingredients that can nourish you."


    Maria weakly leaned against the headboard with her long tousled hair. Pressing her abdomen with


    one hand, she refused, "James, why are you so annoying? I said I don''t want to drink it."


    James just ignored her. He scooped a spoonful of mutton soup and put it in front of her mouth,


    waiting for her to take a sip expectantly.


    -

 Chapter 160 I Love You

    Chapter 160 I Love You


    Except for when Augustine was hospitalized long ago, this was the first time that James took care of


    someone in his life.


    Maria didn''t have the strength to open her mouth, let alone any appetite when she smelled the


    mutton soup. All she wanted was to sleep.


    Feeling impatient, James pried her mouth open with the spoon and fed her some soup whether she


    liked it or not.


    Maria almost choked. However, she didn''t bother to argue with the man in front of her. Knowing he


    could be more aggressive than she was, she forced herself to take a few sips.


    Fortunately, the mutton soup was well cooked and didn''t make her sick. At least, not at first.


    After a short while, Maria pushed the bowl of soup away and said, holding her stomach painfully.


    "The trash can, please."


    James was shocked at her reaction. With a dark face, he put down the bowl and took the trash can


    nearby, quickly cing it on the bedside.


    Maria grabbed the trash can and retched, but couldn''t vomit anything. She felt as if she was about


    to die.


    Standing next to her, James frowned and closed his eyes. The retching sound made his stomach


    turn as well.


    He thought about leaving but gave up once he saw the pale woman with tears on her face.


    As Mariay listlessly on the edge of the bed, James handed her a ss of water. This time, she


    didn''t refuse. She took it over and had a sip.


    The next moment, she gave the ss back to James, who immediately handed her a tissue. She


    epted it, wiping her lips.


    After throwing the tissue into the trash can, she turned over and gasped slightly.


    She swore to herself again that she would never be a woman in her next life.


    James took the medicine for her cold and gave it to her. "Take it before going to sleep."


    He had consulted in advance with the doctor whether she could take the medicine during her period


    or not. As the doctor told him there was no harm, James asked him to send the medicine to the


    hotel.


    Maria shook her head and prayed that James could leave her alone instead of keeping torturing her.


    James asked indignantly, "You don''t want to take the medicine? What if I catch your cold?"


    Maria couldn''t believe this man. If she were her usual self, she would re at him and yell for him to


    get out at once.


    But now, she had no strength to do so.


    James poured some hot water and sat down beside her, holding some pills in his hand. "Take


    them!"


    Maria looked at him and said weakly, "James, when I recover, I won''t let you get away with this."


    All she wanted was to have some sleep. Why was it so difficult? James just couldn''t miss any


    chance toe all the way to her hotel room and torture her.


    "You have to recover first then."


    Maria was angry beyond words. Although she had no choice, she didn''t want to make things easy


    for him. Therefore, she demanded shamelessly, "So feed me!"


    ncing from the pills in his hand to her dejected figure, James didn''t refuse. He helped her lean


    against the headboard and shoved the pills into her mouth one by one, giving her water next.


    Maria thanked God when she was finally able to go to sleep.


    James stood up and opened the window to get some fresh air. Then he called the hotel manager to


    ask the staff to clean up the soup and the mess in the room. After making sure Maria was fine, he


    left.


    At sound of the door being locked, Maria felt a little disappointed.


    She couldn''t help but mock herself inwardly, ''People are really hypocritical. The whole time he was


    here, I couldn''t stopining about how annoying he was. But now that he''s gone, I miss him.''


    With a silent sigh, she fell asleep.


    It would take Maria at least two days to recover, and she spent most of that time in bed.


    In fact, she was lying down, ying on her cell phone when she received the news about Dani.


    She clicked on the video someone sent her.


    It showed Dani about to perform on a variety show. The hostess looked at her and suggested, "I


    heard you''re a good dancer, Dani. Today is a great opportunity to show us your talent. Would you


    mind dancing to our audience?"


    Dani was obviously stiff. This request was not in the script.


    However, she couldn''t refuse it right away. With so many cameras around, she had to maintain her


    composure. So she replied modestly, "Not really. I don''t dance that well."


    At that moment, a special guest from the TV Show stood up and said, "Nonsense! I''ve seen you


    before, Dani. You dance really well. Don''t be too modest!"


    "Come on, Dani, please!"


    "Dance! Dance!"


    Seeing there was no way to refuse it anymore, Dani had to show them a modern dance.


    The crowd''s reaction was a little weird, but the hostess managed to keep the atmosphere lively.


    After her dance, Dani asked the staff to cut off that part when no one was noticing.


    However, as they wrapped up the shooting, she realized the dancing part was not only kept on the


    show, but it also ended up on the top trends online.


    As soon as Maria finished watching her sister''s dance, she asked someone to pay the websites to


    keep Dani''s video as the first one on the trending topics list. Then she spent a lot of money to


    delete the negativements under the video.


    Hence, when Dani checked thements section of her video, she saw that almost everyone


    was praising her.


    "I didn''t expect that Dani would be so enchanting. I loved her performance!"


    "Dani is great! Keep up with the good work!"


    "Wow, she''s such a good dancer! The dancing association shoulde to recruit her."


    It was a pleasant surprise for Dani to see so many people ttering her.


    Gradually, she indulged herself in thements. She believed that her dancing skills must have


    improved a lot after practicing with some videos online.


    At night, James went to a private room in the Leopard Club to meet with his best friends.


    He smoked while Ethan yed games on his phone. Both were waiting for Lawrence, who soon


    walked into the room.


    He came over carrying a paper bag, which he promptly handed to James. "This is a handbag Maria


    liked, but it just arrived now. If you have time, please send it to her for me."


    Looking at the paper bag in front of him, James didn''t take it. Instead, he kept smoking.


    Lawrence chuckled, putting the paper bag on the table. "If you don''t want to take it with you, I can


    send it to her myself. It''s just a few minutes driving anyway." Then he pulled out a cigarette from the


    box on the table and lit it.


    Ethan''s gaze swept between the two men from time to time as he tapped his phone screen. He


    couldn''t help wondering if they would fight each other fiercely over the enchantress Maria tonight.


    With his phone in his hand, James looked for a text message. When he found it, he pushed the


    device in front of Lawrence.


    As he read the message, Lawrence smiled without saying a word. He then looked back at James,


    still silent. He preferred not to react before James did.


    Curious, Ethan craned his neck to see what was going on. James noticed his action but didn''t mind


    him reading it.


    The message was from Maria. It read, "I love you, deeply and truly."


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Ethan couldn''t believe his eyes. He tried to imagine the look on Maria''s face while confessing her


    love for James.


    James stubbed out the cigarette butt in the ashtray and said indifferently, "She told me you two


    were acting."


    Lawrence still smiled without saying anything.


    He was afraid James was tricking him only to expose him.


    Putting away his phone, James asked, "Don''t you believe me?"


    Lawrence shook his head. "Not really. I''ll have to confirm it with Maria. It definitely didn''t happen as


    you said."


    James stared at him in silence. It was obvious that Lawrence didn''t buy it. James'' face darkened


    slightly. "How was your blind date, by the way?"


    "I didn''t go, actually. I didn''t want to betray Maria," Lawrence answered, taking a drag. He couldn''t


    fall into James'' trap.


    - Author¡¯s note


    LARK COLE SEO


    Trantor: Jessie Chen

 Chapter 161 The Fight

    Chapter 161 The Fight


    Indeed, Lawrence didn''t see his blind date because he was not interested in her at all, let alone


    getting married at such a young age. He was only in his early twenties. A bright future was still


    waiting for him. He''d rather focus on his career than wasting his time and efforts in coaxing a


    woman.


    Hence, he found an excuse to sneak away after sending Elizabeth to the meeting ce.


    Ethan looked at Lawrence with admiration written all over his face. He really admired Lawrence''s


    courage. Whether it was true or not that Lawrence and Maria were just acting, Lawrence was not


    afraid that James would take revenge on him.


    The truth was, the message on James'' phone was not sent by Maria. It was James who sent it to


    himself using Maria''s phone when she fell asleep. He just wanted to test Lawrence and confirm his


    suspicion about his rtionship with Maria.


    But it turned out that Lawrence was also a tough nut to crack. He was on military missions all year


    round, and his lips were sealed.


    Leaning against the back of the sofa, James decided to give his best friend a dose of his own


    medicine. He said, "In a word, forget about Maria. She has been living in Fairview Vi these days.


    With me."


    Lawrence remained calm and even looked more indifferent than James. Despite what James said,


    he still answered, "I don''t believe your crap. I will confirm it with Maria."


    James was rendered speechless. For the first time, he found out how single-minded his best friend


    was.


    A few momentster, Lawrence excused himself and went to the bathroom. He took advantage of


    the opportunity to send a message to Maria. "What did you tell James about us? Why did you send


    him a message confessing your love to him? You should have told me in advance."


    "Confessing my love? I just told James that we''ve broken up. Nothing else," Maria replied.


    When he received her response, the three of them had already drunk up two sses of wine in the


    private room.


    Upon reading the first sentence of her message, Lawrence couldn''t help butugh. Now he knew


    that James was indeed testing him.


    "Lawrence, why are youughing?" Ethan asked curiously.


    Lawrence put away his phone, nced at James sitting opposite him, and answered, "I''m just


    amused how adorable James is."


    "Really?" Ethan asked excitedly. "How about me? Who is more adorable, James or me?"


    Lawrence pretended to seriously think before he answered, "Well-"


    However, before he could finish his words, James chimed in with a long face, "Don''t make me hit


    you."


    The smile in Lawrence''s eyes deepened. After such a long vacation, his fists were also craving for a


    fight, so he said, "Let''s go out and have a fight, shall we?"


    James drank thest mouthful of wine in his ss and decisively stood up. He then called out to


    Ethan, "Let¡¯s roll!"


    Ethan was confused and a bit startled. ''Why are we leaving so soon? Besides, I don''t want to go


    yet.¡¯


    James took the bag from the table before they went out of the private room. But as soon as he got


    into the car, he asked Lorenzo to throw it away, so Maria would never get it.


    Lawrence also knew that since James had taken it away, Maria would definitely not get it. But he


    didn''t care anymore.


    Actually, he didn''t really buy that bag for Maria. Elizabeth had asked him to buy a gift for his blind


    date and suggested that he buy her a bag or a pair of shoes since young women all fancied such


    kind of stuff.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Before his date, Elizabeth dragged him to the mall and forced him to buy a bag. It so happened that


    the shop they went to had a BOGO promo. Hence he got two bags for the price of one.


    Since it was inappropriate to give two bags to a blind date, Elizabeth asked him to leave one of


    them in his car.


    On his way to the club, he caught a nce of the bag on the back seat and thought of pissing


    James off. So he brought the bag to the private room and asked James to give it to Maria for him.


    If James was willing to give it to her, it would be good. But if not, it was also okay with him.


    He didn''t know how to deal with women''s stuff at all.


    The three of them left the Leopard Club and drove to a boxing gym nearby.


    But since they were drunk and couldn''t drive, they all huddled up in James'' car.


    Lawrence sat in the passenger seat while Ethan and James sat in the back seat.


    On their way, Ethan took advantage of the time when James was busy answering a phone call. He


    quickly took out his phone and sent a message to Maria.


    "Maria, we''re heading to a boxing gym. If they start a fightter, whose side will you take?"


    Amused by his message, Maria replied, ''TH take your side and protect you."


    She knew that James and Lawrence were both skilled in martial arts. If she would get into their


    fight, she was even afraid that she would be hurt. She''d better stood still and watched the fun. As


    for Ethan, he looked like a puppy without a sense of security. He could easily arouse her desire to


    protect him. Therefore, she would take his side.


    Ethan was stunned for a moment upon reading Maria''s reply. He then excitedly showed his phone


    to James and eximed, "Guys, look! Maria is really the best! She''ll take my side and protect me."


    But he only received a deadly gaze from James.


    Ethan pouted and looked away to avoid meeting James 1 eyes. He then put away his phone and


    exined awkwardly, "James, it was just for fun."


    James said slowly, "You''ve been sozy that you''ve skipped too many boxing practices. If you


    continue such behavior, your skills in martial arts would be in vain. Let me review them with you


    later."


    James'' words made Ethan want to open the door and jump out of the car. But then, he pretended to


    look calm and put on a ttering smile. "James, I''m fine. I don''t need to review at all. You and


    Lawrence are great Kung Fu masters. You can certainly have a great time. I''m an amateur, so I''ll


    just watch you fight."


    But James just snorted coldly and ignored his ttery.


    Knowing that he couldn''t escape anymore, Ethan secretly took out his phone again. He sent


    another message to Maria. "Maria, didn''t you say you wanted to make it up to mest time? Now is


    your chance to repay me. Will you grab the opportunity?"


    Maria couldn''t help rolling her eyes as she read his message. He sounded so hrious.


    But still, she replied, ''''Sure.''1 How could she miss such a chance? Besides, she might also need


    Ethan''s help one day.


    "See you in BAOBO Boxing Gym then," Ethan replied.


    Maria was taken aback when she saw the name of the ce. She wondered if Ethan asked her to


    go there to get beaten up for him.


    After thinking for a while, she sent a message to Lawrence. "Where are you? Is Ethan with you?"


    Since she was not asking about something confidential, Lawrence answered frankly, "Yes, he and


    James are with me. We are on our way to the boxing gym."


    More or less, Maria could already understand what was going on.


    Perhaps Ethan was scared of being beaten, so he asked for her help.


    However, she couldn''t help wondering if Ethan had been thinking too highly of her. Was he thinking


    that she could convince Lawrence or win against James?


    Biting her lower lip, Maria finally decided to save Ethan.


    When she arrived at the ce, Maria struggled for a while before she got out of the car. She then


    walked towards the boxing gym.


    BAOBO Boxing Gym was located on the thirty-sixth floor of JD za in the city center. It had a


    membership, and only registered members were allowed to enter.


    Before they got in, Ethan had already whispered to the receptionist that a woman named Maria


    Song would be looking for himter. He instructed the receptionist to just let her in.


    When they were in the dressing room, he deliberately changed his clothes slowly. Then he ran to


    the bathroom while clutching his stomach.


    James watched Ethan''s receding back with a disgusted look. He decided to do a warm-up with


    Lawrence first.


    When Maria rushed inside in a hurry, Ethan just dodged two attacks from James. On the third


    attack, Ethan happened to catch a glimpse of her being escorted by the gym staff.


    He was so distracted by her presence that he seemed to ignore James'' punch that was about to hit


    his face.


    But Maria could clearly see what was going on, so she eximed, "James!''1 She then rushed over


    to them in her high heels.


    James'' fist almost touched Ethan''s face. But the moment he heard Maria''s voice, he paused.


    It was only then that Ethan seemed to havee back to his senses.


    At the thought of what might have happened to him if James'' fistnded on his face, he immediately


    took off his gloves, jumped off the battle ring, and ran to Maria. "Maria!" He called her name in an


    aggrieved tone of voice.

 Chapter 162 A Beast

    Chapter 162 A Beast


    The scene was as touching as seeing a wolf cub meeting its mother. Ethan''s behavior didn''t match


    that of a grown man who had six-pack abs at all.


    Standing aside, Lawrence was speechless. There was nothing he could do but watch Ethan walk


    past him and hug Maria.


    ''Bravo! He is a really good actor,'' Lawrence thought.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Every time Maria saw Ethan, her motherly instinct kicked in. He, who was over 1.8 meters tall, threw


    himself into her arms. The woman was more than ten centimeters shorter than him, so he almost


    knocked her over.


    Watching the scene, James'' face darkened as he warned, "Ethan Nan."


    Ethan shivered at the sound of his cold voice. He then grabbed Maria¡¯s sleeve and said, "Maria,


    help me, please! Or I''ll die under James'' fists."


    Maria immediately pulled him behind her, facing the man on the ring. "James, how can you bully


    someone weaker than you?"


    ''Weaker?'' James couldn''t believe she was serious.


    Lawrence couldn''t bear to keep watching Maria being tricked, so he came forth and said coldly,


    "Maria, Ethan won the free boxing championship in H City."


    "So what? You can''t...Wait. What did you just say? What did he win?" Maria suddenly realized she


    heard the word "championship.¡±


    Although the woman was ring at him now, Ethan kept his aggrieved expression as he exined


    in a hurry,


    "Maybe James has never won a boxing championship, but he''s more skilled than I am! He''ll beat


    me up if I fight against him. Do you really think it matters whether I won a championship or not?"


    Maria thought it over and had to agree with him. Indeed, it didn''t matter.


    The situation seemed a little awkward then. Maria didn''t know who to defend in this case. With a


    cough, she turned to Lawrence. "Hey, since Ethan doesn''t want to fight, why don''t you go ahead


    and rece him? I don''t think you''re afraid of being beaten up anyway."


    Ethan agreed promptly, "Yes, that''s right. You don''t know it, Maria, but I didn''t win the championship


    fairly. I only got the title because of James."


    Maria suspected that wasn''t entirely true, but she decided to nod instead of exposing him.


    Slowly, she came to understand that Ethan had been hiding his real strength all along. She


    wondered if he had hidden it from James and Lawrence as well. In her presence, he had always


    kept the act.


    Nevertheless, the wolf cub was really a quitter. Lawrence shook his head helplessly and put on his


    boxing gloves before going into the ring.


    Ethan and Maria remained there as mere spectators watching.


    James had been dissatisfied with Lawrence for a long time already, and thetter was aware of that.


    Hence, he was mentally prepared for what mighte next.


    As it seemed, a bloody battle awaited the two men.


    Maria had to confess the scene in front of her was quite alluring. She was probably living every


    woman''s dream. The two most famous handsome men in H City were topless, only in boxing pants,


    baring their six-pack abs to her. There was also a handsome young man standing by her side.


    Crossing her arms over her chest, Maria decided to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime show.


    Unfortunately, the young man next to her couldn''t keep his mouth shut. "Maria, have you really


    caught a cold?"


    "Yes, but it wasn''t serious."


    "Have you taken any medicine?"


    "Yep.¡± At that moment, Maria only had eyes for James and Lawrence.


    She felt thatpared to James, Lawrence seemed to have been out on a mission all year round


    and came back with a tan. ncing at Ethan, she thought he was a little too fair-skinned for her


    taste. James was neither pale nor dark, so Maria deemed he was the most charming man among


    the three.


    "Oh, that''s good to hear. Has James known about your cold?"


    "Yes, he has."


    "Great." Ethan didn''t keep quiet until his phone rang.


    Two secondster, he put his phone away and looked at the two men fighting fiercely in the ring. He


    couldn''t help but sigh. "I''m d I didn''t fight with James. Look at them. It doesn''t even seem they''re


    friends, don''t you think?


    They both hit each other so hard!"


    Maria, in turn, observed the two carefully and noticed that James was the one attacking mercilessly.


    Most of the time, Lawrence dodged his moves. Only asionally would he fight back when he


    could no longer avoid the other man''s offensive.


    "Do they often fight like this?" she asked casually.


    "Not really. Lawrence rarely takes a vacation, and James is also very busy, going on business trips


    and such. My schedule is more vacant, so they often ask me toe to the boxing gym with them


    at different times. Do you think I''m like some sort of escort to them? After I go out with one, I have to


    hang out with the other."


    "I suppose so."


    Ethan had expected Maria tofort him. Now he was offended. Looking at the woman helplessly,


    he said, "Maria, you''re so straightforward. I was hoping you would make me feel better."


    Maria met his aggrieved gaze and told him gently, "When you decide to go out on a date in the


    future, make sure you find a woman who''s older so she can take good care of you."


    Of course, that woman could never be her. It was okay to coax Ethan asionally when she saw


    him. But if she were his girlfriend and had to do this every single day, Maria would rather kill herself


    instead.


    Ethan didn''t agree with her, though. "It doesn''t matter whether my girlfriend is older or not, but I''m


    the one who is going to spoil and take care of her, not the other way around. Oh, wait! I changed my


    mind. She can take care of me, too. In fact, we''ll take care of each other."


    Maria red at him. "Then why did you text me? Why didn''t you feel sorry for me, knowing I''m


    sick?"


    "Why should I feel sorry for you? You are not my girlfriend. You are my best female friend, and you


    should take care of me. Otherwise, why would I be friends with you?" Ethan smirked, deliberately


    teasing her.


    Maria kept silent. She wondered why she came to rescue him in the first ce. "The same way I got


    you out of that ring, I can put you back in it. Do you wanna bet?"


    As he heard what she said, Ethan''s smirk immediately faded away and was reced by a ttering


    smile.


    "Dearest Maria, I apologize. How about we get out of here now? Let the two fight alone."


    He felt uneasy standing there as if he would be caught in the crossfire at any moment.


    "Let''s stay a little longer. It''s not every day I can witness such an alluring show. I want to enjoy it


    some more," she replied honestly.


    "Humph! Women can be as lustful as men."


    "You are absolutely right! From the beginning of humanity, it''s in our nature to be lustful."


    Ethan cast her a nce. "I dare you to say this to James'' face!"


    "What?" In fact, she would never dare to tease a beast like James this way, or else there would be a


    rough night of sex waiting for her next.


    With a knowing look, Ethan smirked as he found a seat nearby to settle. Waving at her, he said,


    "Maria, this won''t finish anytime soon. Let''s have some snacks and a cup of tea then."


    Maria sat down next to him and looked around, realizing they were alone in the gym. "Why there are


    only the four of us here? Isn''t the business good?" As far as she was concerned, the ce seemed


    decent enough.


    "James booked the entire gym. After a woman passed out, excited to see him boxing, and a man


    had a nosebleed, James was extremely annoyed. Now he onlyes to train here when he can


    have the whole ce for himself."


    Maria found it hrious. She could understand why the woman passed out, even though it was


    ridiculous. But how did a man have a nosebleed after seeing James? At the thought of that, a shiver


    ran down her spine.


    Forty minutester, in order to end the match at once, Lawrence stepped back, panting, and


    reminded the sweating man across him, "They seem to be chatting happily now. Are you sure you


    want to keep fighting me?"


    James'' eyes darkened as he nced at the two people talking. He wondered why his two best


    friends had to always make things difficult for him.


    At the same time, he couldn''t help cursing Maria. She was really a scheming woman, trying to


    seduce his best friends at every opportunity.


    -

 Chapter 163 Make A Fool Of Yourself

    Chapter 163 Make A Fool Of Yourself


    James believed that he should stop Maria from harming his best friend, so he would sacrifice


    himself to punish her.


    He took off his gloves and went down the boxing ring.


    It was only then that Lawrence finally heaved a sigh of relief. He could tell that James was still


    angry. Every time he made a move, James remained quick and urate even without taking a rest.


    He tried every means to defend himself for more than half an hour. And such a fight wasn''t


    interesting for him, so he tried to persuade James to stop.


    When Maria and Ethan saw that the fight had ended, Ethan quickly took out two paper cups and


    filled them with water.


    Just when Maria thought that he would give the water to them, he nudged her with his elbow and


    said, "Go ahead and give them water."


    She gaped. Why did it have to be her?


    Upon seeing the confusion in her eyes, Ethan smiled mysteriously and said, "Let''s see who among


    them will get jealous."


    He was referring to James and Lawrence. But to put it bluntly, he only wanted to test James.


    Maria rolled her eyes and refused decisively, "No way! That''s too childish." She had proven once


    again that Ethan was just a kid.


    Ethan put on a depressed look. "Anyway, we''re bored, and we have nothing to do. Since the two of


    them have fought because of you, can you please do it? Come on! They areing down now." He


    then hastily pushed one cup into her hand despite her unwillingness.


    Maria was speechless, so she just rolled her eyes again. She had to teach this young man a lesson.


    "Lawrence,e here. Drink some water," she said.


    Her words caught the attention of the three men.


    Ethan was astonished, Lawrence looked confused, and James looked gloomy.


    She then added, "Ethan forced me to give this to you. He is too shy to do it."


    James and Lawrence, who wereing down from the boxing ring, turned to look at Ethan.


    Lawrence looked more confused while James looked gloomier.


    With a wry smile, Ethan looked at Maria in panic and asked, "Maria, do you want me to be beaten


    by James to death?"


    Maria couldn''t help but chuckle upon seeing the fear in his eyes. She then picked up another cup of


    water, stood up, and handed it to James first.


    She intended to give the other cup to Lawrence.


    But unfortunately, James took both cups of water and gulped down in a couple of seconds. He then


    returned the two empty cups to her and said calmly, "I''m still thirsty. Give me another cup."


    After saying that, he casually took the towel beside him and sat on the chair like a boss, waiting to


    be served.


    Maria stared at him, speechless. He was now treating her like a waitress who served water, wasn''t


    he?


    Well, she was not in the mood to get even with him right now. For others'' sake, she would save his


    dignity.


    Lawrence just smiled and sat down next to Ethan. He poured himself a cup of water and drank it up.


    While pouring another cup of water for James, Maria turned her back on him. She had to pick up


    the pitcher, so she slightly bent over.


    James was wiping the sweat on his hair when he inadvertently saw a dark red stain on her trousers.


    She seemed not aware of it at all. After filling the cup with water, she turned around and walked


    towards him again.


    He tossed the towel back to the chair, stood up, and put his arm around Maria''s shoulder. He made


    her turn around again before he looked at Lawrence and asked, "Aren''t you going to take a


    shower?"


    Obviously, Lawrence was stunned. He subconsciously looked at the towel in his hand, with


    confusion written all over his face. Of course, he was about to take a shower. He just wanted to go


    to the bathroom with James. But since James had asked so, he guessed that James wanted to


    drive him away. "Yeah. I''ll go take a shower now." Lawrence then stood up and left without any


    hesitation.


    Maria was also confused. She handed the cup of water to James and said, "Here''s your water.


    Don''t you want to drink it?"


    James took the cup from her but didn''t drink it.


    She wanted to break free from his arm, but he hugged her even tighter.


    Next, James turned to Ethan and asked, "Isn''t it Dragon in your pet shop has to be ligated?"


    Ethan was about to retort that the operation had long been done. But before he opened his mouth,


    he thought about it carefully. It was only then that he realized that James absolutely wanted to drive


    him away too.


    So he quickly nodded, stood up, and walked to the dressing room. "That''s right. I have to go back


    and ligate him again."


    Soon enough, only James and Maria were left. Finally, she was able to break free from his arm. Her


    face flushed when she asked, "James, why did you send them away? Do you want to have a fight


    with me?" She hadn''t yed boxing before, so she knew she couldn''t fight with him.


    James nced at her coldly. He couldn''t believe that she was so confident to challenge him. "Stay


    here and wait for me. Don''t go anywhere."


    "Sorry, but I''m very busy. I don''t have time to wait for you here." She had a lot of things to deal with


    and take care of. Besides, why would she listen to him? She still had dignity.


    Before turning around, James said, "I don''t mind if you insist on going out and make a fool of


    yourself."


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Maria was confused. But before she could even rify his words, he was already gone.


    She didn''t figure it out until she sat down on the chair and sensed that something was wrong.


    Upon realizing it, she almost jumped back on her feet. She then quickly looked at the creamy white


    chair behind her. Fortunately, it was not stained.


    Before she came in, she went to the bathroom first to check herself. She wondered why such an


    embarrassing thing still happened.


    James sent Lawrence away first, then Ethan. It made Maria surmise that he had already seen it.


    Thinking of this possibility, she couldn''t help blushing. It was too shameful! How did he find out such


    an embarrassing thing?


    Maria was about to ask the gym staff where the bathroom was when James came back with a suit


    jacket in his hand.


    A hint of satisfaction shed across his eyes upon seeing that she didn''t leave.


    Maria lightly coughed and asked embarrassedly, "Where is the bathroom?"


    James raised his chin and pointed in the direction behind her. She then turned around and walked


    towards the bathroom at a quickened pace.


    While trotting, she inwardly swore that she would never use this brand of sanitary pads again. It was


    expensive but not convenient to use. She was already on thest day of her period, but it still


    leaked.


    When Maria came out of the bathroom, James was waiting for her at the door.


    He walked to her silently, put his suit jacket on her shoulders, and ordered in an indifferent tone,


    "Wait for me in my car."


    Touched by his gesture, Maria didn''t notice that affection filler her eyes in an instant. She looked at


    him and answered in a soft voice, "Okay. Thanks."


    James watched her back disappear before he went to the shower room to take a shower.


    There were individual cubicles in the shower room. Ethan and Lawrence had been there for a while.


    He joined them without saying anything.


    Since they knew that Maria was waiting for them, they took a shower in a hurry. She had just seated


    in James'' car for a few minutes when she saw the three of theme out of the building together.


    Actually, Lawrence and Ethan had finished taking a shower first. So they could have left ahead of


    James. But Ethan took time drying his hair, and Lawrence had to wait for him. As a result, although


    James was thest to take a shower, he was still able to catch up with them. Thus, the three of


    them went downstairs together.


    Ethan was about to get into James'' car, but James stopped him. "Go take a taxi."


    He nced at the ck Harkim first before he turned to look at James. But then, he seemed to


    have remembered something, so he said, "All right. My status has been demoted to a new low level.


    I need to take a taxi."


    Lawrence came over and patted him on the shoulder.


    "I''ll go with you. Let''s go."


    The three of them parted ways.


    When James got into the car, Maria had already taken off his suit jacket. She had also covered the


    seat with a thick pile of tissue papers. She leaned against the window and sniffed with difficulty,


    making a strong nasal sound.


    He closed the door and asked with a frown, "Haven''t you taken medicine?"


    "I have. I actually feel much better now."


    James just instructed the driver to take them to Fairview Vi and didn''t say anything more.


    But when Maria heard the name of the ce, she asked, "Do you still want to do it on this day?"


    Every time he went to Fairview Vi recently, he would only have sex with her. So she deliberately


    asked to piss him off.


    James'' thick brows tightened as his frown deepened. He then asked, "Am I that horny in your


    eyes?"

 Chapter 164 Caving For A Smoke

    Chapter 164 Caving For A Smoke


    "Well, aren''t you?" Maria asked in reply.


    James was rendered speechless. He turned his head and red at her coldly.


    But Maria didn''t show any fear at all. She even red back at him.


    Silence then filled the car. But after a while, James said, "I''ll get even with you for the incidentst


    time after your aunt Flo leaves." He was not only telling Maria but also reminding himself that he


    couldn''t just let go of her so easily.


    ''The incidentst time?'' Maria reechoed his words in her mind in confusion. Since she had done too


    many schemes against him recently, she didn''t know which one he was referring to. So she


    honestly asked, "Which incident?"


    James nced at her coldly, suppressing the urge to strangle her. "Ms. Song, have you forgotten


    what you''ve done on the anniversary of Tang Group?"


    "Oh, that? So Mr. Xi, have youe up with any good idea to deal with me?" He hadn''t made any


    move these days, so she wondered if he was only holding back his anger and nning well before


    doing anything.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Actually, James hadn''te up with any ideas yet. That was why it had been dyed.


    However, he replied firmly, "There will always be." He was answering her question and reminding


    himself again at the same time.


    Maria just shrugged. Since it seemed that James hadn''te up with any ns yet, she would


    think about how to defend herself after he figured it out.


    She leaned against the car window listlessly. "I want to go shopping in France in two days. Mr. Xi,


    can you arrange it for me?''1


    She had been short of skincare products recently, and it had been a long time since she went


    shopping. She wanted to go out for a walk.


    James was at a loss for words. He came to realize that Maria had be so arrogant. She didn''t


    care about his anger anymore.


    After pondering for a while, he reluctantly said, "My private ne can take off on the second of next


    month. Just get ready."


    Maria checked the calendar. There were still six days before the second of next month. By that time,


    her period was definitely gone. "Thank you. I will pay for the fuel and maintenance of your ne."


    James knew that she was deliberately pissing him off. So he adjusted his sitting posture and calmly


    retorted, "Since you are so generous, why don''t I sell my private ne to you? I''ll give it to you at a


    friendly price. 0.01 % off. What do you say? That ne cost nearly two billion dors. After the


    discount, it will be 1.8 billion." Maria red at him. "Don''t re at me like that. It''s useless. Cash or


    card, Ms. Song?"


    She red at him again.


    He still ignored it and continued, "If you are interested, I can personally give you a tour of my private


    ne. Just an overview, its space is around four hundred square meters. It has a luxurious living


    room, bedroom, walk-in closet, bathroom, dining room, and the most advanced cockpit. It can fly a


    maximum distance of eight thousand miles or continuous flying for twenty hours."


    "Well, Mr. Xi..." Maria took out a bank card from her handbag and handed it to him. "This is all I


    have. It has eight hundred dors in it. Is it enough to buy at least one of your private ne''s


    wheels?"


    James stared at the bank card, speechless. He couldn''t help but wonder what she was doing again.


    Maria stared at him and slightly raised her voice. She said in an unfriendly tone, "You know that I


    can''t even afford a wheel of a ne, and yet, you want to sell your private ne to me. Are you


    deliberately annoying me?"


    James reminded her, "Didn''t you just say that you would pay for the fuel and maintenance?"


    He wanted to imply that it was she who deliberately tried to annoy him first.


    This time, she was speechless. So it seemed.


    She silently put away her bank card, sat still, and asked, "Where will your private ne take off


    then?"


    "My manor."


    It was only then that Maria remembered that there were indeed two tarmacs in his manor. The


    smaller one was for his helicopter, while the bigger one was for his private ne.


    Finally, they arrived in Fairview Vi. Before getting out of the car, Maria gathered the tissue papers


    she had spread on the seat and tossed them into the trash can.


    She heaved a sigh of relief after seeing that she didn''t stain the seat of his car.


    As soon as she entered the house, she went upstairs, took out a pair of pajamas and other


    necessities from the wardrobe, and went into the bathroom, totally ignoring James.


    Since she had been staying here for a few days, John had added more clothes and essentials for


    her and James in the wardrobe.


    After cleaning herself up, Maria came out of the bathroom only to find James smoking on the


    balcony. He must have heard her noise because he stubbed out his cigarette and walked back into


    the room.


    Despite the scent of her shampoo, she smelled the cigarette. She looked at the ashtray on the


    balcony table behind him and said, "I haven''t smoked for a few days. I''m caving for a smoke. Mr. Xi,


    please give me one stick.''1


    James red at her coldly. "I don''t like women who smoke," he said.


    Sheughed ironically. "It doesn''t matter to me whether you like it or not. I''m not your fiancee,


    anyway." It turned out that he had double standards. As a man, he was allowed to smoke. But he


    didn''t like women who smoked.


    Displeased, James closed the balcony door to stop her from going there. He then squeezed her into


    the bedroom and snapped, "Do what you should do!"


    "Fine, Stingy Xi!"


    Maria then went to find a hairdryer and started blowing her hair.


    James was sitting on the sofa and talking with someone on the phone when she finished. She


    surmised that it was either Summer or Lorenzo because she heard him talking about business all


    the time.


    A snicker shed across her eyes as she went back to the bathroom to get her body cream. She


    then handed it to him, and said softly, "Help me apply it."


    James nced at her but didn''t take the cream.


    Maria didn''t give up. She sat on hisp, wrapped her arms around his neck, and whispered in his


    free ear, "I can''t reach my back. Hurry up."


    She then held his hand and put it on her waist.


    Maria had just taken a shower, and her body exuded a refreshing fragrance. It had caused some


    desires to arouse from James. Unconsciously, he stopped talking on the phone.


    On the other end of the line, Lorenzo waited for his reply for a long time. When he was still silent,


    Lorenzo said, "Hello, Mr. Xi?"


    Lorenzo''s voice made Jamese back to his senses. He then held Maria''s waist tightly and said


    to Lorenzo in the same tone, "Well, just follow thest contract. I will go to thepany tomorrow,


    so leave other things to me."


    He then hung up.


    Maria was not afraid at all. Anyway, she was on her period. She stuffed the bottle of body cream


    into James'' hands and continued to act like a spoiled child. "I seem to have gained weight recently,


    so I can''t reach some parts on my back. Come on, help me now."


    She deliberately approached him. The neckline of her pajamas was low-cut, so her skin and curves


    were exposed when she moved a few times.


    Her purpose was so obvious. To prevent her from seeding, James pulled her down and ordered


    in a deep voice, "Lie down!"


    "On the bed? Are you going to start?" She said that on purpose.


    His Adam''s apple bobbed in his throat as he warned her coldly, "Maria Song, stop your little trick."


    Looking at the stern look on his face, Maria snorted with disdain inwardly. ''Humph! You''re just


    pretending to be serious.'' She then turned around andy on the bed, looking like she would just let


    James do whatever he wanted to do to her. "Come on! I''m ready!"


    James said nothing.


    He put the bottle of body cream aside, stood up, and walked to the bathroom to wash his hands. It


    was also a way to calm himself down.


    When he came back, he had already returned to his usual self, so he was ready to apply the body


    cream to her calmly.


    But the moment he opened the buttons of her pajamas, he paused. Maria snickered in her heart.


    She then quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, ignoring his refusal.


    After the kiss, she whispered in his ear, "Mr. Xi, your body is more honest than your mouth."


    James remained silent.


    Obviously, he had fallen into her trap again. He was aroused, and yet he was unable to have sex


    with her. Finally, he went to the bathroom to take a cold shower with a long face.


    While he was in the bathroom, he heard Maria''scentughter. She had seeded in


    teasing him.


    But wasn''t it too early to be smug? After all, her period woulde to an end sooner orter. James


    wanted her to wait and see how he would punish her then.


    When he came out of the bathroom, Maria was already leaning against the headboard and ying


    with her phone. She didn''t even look at him.


    "Why didn''t you take your medicine?" he asked.


    "My medicine is in the hotel. You''ve just brought me here without saying a word."


    Once again, James lost his tongue. He took out his phone and made a call. "Ask Dr. Su to prescribe


    some cold medicine and bring it here."

 Chapter 165 Gifts For Her

    Chapter 165 Gifts For Her


    Maria put her phone away and said, "Thank you. I''ll get some sleep now. You can leave."


    James approached the bedside and looked down at her as hemanded, "Come with me."


    Then he turned around and walked out of the bedroom.


    Maria gaped. She didn''t want to move unnecessarily for fear that her pants were stained with blood


    again.


    However, before she had the chance to protest, the man had already left the bedroom.


    With no other choice, Maria followed him all the way to the study. Leaningzily against the door


    frame, she looked at him and asked, "What''s the matter?"


    James'' eyes fell upon the things on the desk as he replied, "They are all for you."


    Following his gaze, Maria noticed many paper bags from several different brands, all of which were


    well-known internationally. She asked suspiciously, "What for?"


    James walked towards the door and said, "These are thetest arrivals of the season. If you like


    them, just keep them. If you don''t, keep them as well." He would never allow her to refuse anything


    he gave her.


    Maria didn''t know what to say. She wondered if James had indeed bought all those things especially


    for her.


    While Maria was unwrapping the gift boxes, she heard a faint sound of a car engine starting


    outside.


    She knew immediately that it was James leaving the vi.


    A trace of disappointment shed through the woman''s eyes, yet she didn''t stop what she was


    doing.


    It took Maria half an hour to open all the gift boxes. Inside them, she found handbags, shoes,


    clothes, jewelry, and essories.


    As she looked at herself in the mirror, holding a handbag over her shoulder, her phone rang. Pulling


    out the device, she checked the caller ID and answered, "Hi, Summer. What''s up?"


    "Hey, Maria. Could you open the front door for me please?"


    Maria didn''t go to her. Instead, she told Summer the passcode of the lock over the phone and asked


    her to meet her upstairs.


    Summer was bringing Maria the medicine for her cold when she found the woman cleaning up the


    torn gift boxes and unwrapped papers in the study. "Maria, Mr. Xi asked me to deliver you the


    medicine. Oh! These are the gifts Mr. Xi picked up for you. Do you like them?"


    Maria separated some of the trash and answered with a smile, "How could I not? Every woman


    loves to receive gifts from famous brands, right?"


    Despite what she said, her smile did not reach her eyes.


    Noticing this, Summer held her hand andforted her, "Don''t worry, Maria. Mr. Xi doesn''t care so


    much about Ms. Tang."


    Nevertheless, Maria felt sad, especially since James left right after he had given her the gifts. Still


    with a smile, she asked, "If he asked Lorenzo to buy gifts for Alina, would you know it? Maybe he


    asked you to buy these for me and sent Lorenzo to get even more shiny things for Alina."


    After all, Alina was his fiancee. How could a man as wealthy as James be stingy with his own bride-


    to-be?


    Summer was reticent. She wasn''t sure whether that was the case or not.


    Maybe James bought gifts for Alina as well.


    Summer sighed. "Maria, don''t overthink this situation. Look how much progress you''ve made with


    James since you got back to town!"


    She couldn''t help recalling when Maria had juste back to H City. Every time James heard about


    her, he wouldn''t react or show any sign of emotion.


    Now, not only he visited Maria often, but he also got some nice gifts for her.


    Unexpectedly, Maria held Summer''s face between her hands and teased, "Oh, Summer, you''re still


    as nice as you always were. You''re so good atforting me. In fact, you''re much better than that


    son of a bitch!"


    ''Son of a bitch?'' Summer wished she had time to cover Maria''s mouth before she uttered those


    words. "Be careful, Maria. Aren''t you afraid that Mr. Xi mighte back all of a sudden and teach


    you a lesson?"


    Maria shrugged. "Don''t worry. He won''te back." When she was still his wife, he would return to


    Fairview Vi and rest beside her for a few hours after they had sex.


    But now, whenever he came to have sex with her, he would always leave no matter howte it was.


    He just wouldn''t spend a whole night with her.


    Summer shook her head helplessly, removing Maria''s hands from her face. "Go take your medicine.


    I''ll clean up here."


    "Just separate the trash. A servant wille help clean the house tomorrow."


    "I see. Now, go!"


    Maria grabbed the medicine and went to the kitchen.


    After the boiled water cooled down, she took the pills ording to the instructions.


    By the time Summer went downstairs, she saw Maria taking the medicine, and said, "Go to bed


    after you''re done. Don''t stay upte."


    "I know. Thank you!" Maria smiled at her, feeling a mix of warmth and helplessness inside.


    As Summer was about to leave, Maria suggested, "Why don''t you stay over tonight? I''m alone here


    anyway."


    "Oh, I''m sorry, but I have to go. My husband is waiting for me!" Summer answered in a low voice,


    blushing.


    Maria drove her towards the door. "I get it! Go! Go! Drive carefully."


    "Okay. Good night, Maria."


    "Bye!"


    After sending Summer away, Maria looked at the empty vi, and her eyes fell on a certain spot.


    She couldn''t help but hear Arthur''s voice calling her "Mom" again.


    She then shook her head frantically and thought, ''I''m sorry, Arthur.


    If I keep missing you like this, I''ll never be able to recover from that tragic day.''


    On the eve of Carolina''s engagement, she called Maria and invited her to the ceremony.


    At the sound of that, Maria sneered, "Aren''t you afraid I''ll make trouble?"


    Carolina choked at her harsh words. However, she quickly regained herposure and said


    seriously, "Maria, in the past..."


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    "Let''s not talk about the past!" Maria raised her voice, interrupting her.


    "Maria, I just want to apologize for not being there for you when you needed me the most. I know I


    was wrong. Can you forgive me?"


    "Forgive you?" Maria thought about it for a moment and then asked her, "Do you mean from the


    moment I stepped into the Song family when I was eight, or just after I got divorced six years ago?"


    Carolina took a deep breath and muttered, "Maria, don''t me me. If you hadn''t married James, I


    wouldn''t have been against you or ignored you when you asked for help."


    As far as she was concerned, Maria stole her chance to marry James.


    "Carolina Song, you know what?"


    Carolina held her breath when Maria called her by her full name.


    "Once I returned to the Song family as a child, I used to tell everyone I met that I had a smart,


    pretty, and kind-hearted elder sister. I loved to show off when you tied my hair, whether it was on a


    ponytail or a bun."


    Maria shed a happy smile as she recalled her childhood memories with Carolina. "One day you


    gave me a beautiful dress and a tiara. Although I knew you just gave me those because you didn''t


    want them, I didn''t care at all. I always preferred you to Dani, and everything you gave to me was


    special."


    As she listened to Maria''s words, Carolina couldn''t help but remember the bubblegum pink dress


    and the princess tiara.


    At that time, Maria had juste back to the Song family, and Carolina was very curious about her


    youngest sister.


    She wondered how a girl could get so dirty every day. Maria''s hair was always messy, and her face


    seemed to have never been washed in her entire life.


    Despite changing clothes every day, the young girl found ways to either tear or cover them with dust


    before lunchtime.


    Carolina believed that Maria''s odd behavior was a result of her growing up in the countryside since


    she was little.


    Once, when Maria got up, Carolina came to her room and asked her to take a shower because she


    wanted to dress her up.


    -

 Chapter 166 A Buddha-like Boss

    Chapter 166 A Buddha-like Boss


    The nine-year-old Maria opened her eyes. She was still a little sleepy, but she listened to Carolina


    and still went to the bathroom happily. When she came out, she already looked fresh and smelled


    good.


    At the age of nine, Carolina and Dani still had to rely on their maids to take a bath. But Maria


    could do it alone, including washing her hair.


    Carolina put Maria''s hair up into a bun. She then told Maria to put on the bubble skirt and the tiara.


    Maria looked totally different now.


    Sure enough, the saying "Clothes make a man" was correct. There was really a considerable


    change in Maria''s appearance this time.


    Especially when she smiled and walked around the room, her whole body seemed to shine.


    When Dani came in a few momentster, she looked at Maria in surprise and asked, "Who are


    you? Why are you in my house?" She then froze. As she looked at the little girl in front of her


    carefully, she was utterly shocked upon finally recognizing the little girl''s face. "You are... Maria?"


    Maria, who looked like a noble little princess right now, smiled sweetly and nodded at Dani. She


    then circled in front of them and asked, "Carolina, Dani, do I look beautiful?"


    Did she look beautiful?


    Of course!


    Maria had always been exquisite since she was born.


    But she had never dressed up before, so no one had realized how beautiful she was.


    Jealousy was an uncontroble feeling. And that was what both Carolina and Dani felt at the


    moment. So then, Dani answered Maria''s question against her will. "No. The bubble skirt doesn''t


    look good on you at all!" ''You still fit in shabby clothes,'' she thought to herself.


    Carolina didn''t say anything. She just put down theb in her hand, turned around, and left.


    As a sensitive girl, Maria quickly took off the bubble skirt and the tiara when she saw that her two


    elder sisters looked unhappy. She then tucked them into her closet and never took them out when


    someone was around. She only dared to wear them secretly at night when she was alone.


    "Maria... I''m so sorry," Carolina choked with sobs on the other end of the line.


    She didn''t expect Maria to still remember such things that happened a long time ago. And she also


    didn''t expect that Maria had liked her so much when she was a child. Carolina had only put all her


    care, love, and attention on Dani.


    "You don''t need to apologize to me. We all have our own fates. Besides, you are just my sister. You


    don''t owe me anything."


    "No, Maria. As your sister, I didn''t fulfill my duties to you. Please forgive me, okay?"


    Maria smiled and asked, "Are you not afraid that ine will be unhappy if she knows that you''ve


    invited me to your wedding?"


    Carolina was rendered speechless because she knew better than anyone else how much ine


    hated Maria. She had witnessed it for so many years.


    Maria took advantage of Carolina''s silence and continued, "Don''t waste your energy on nonsense.


    Besides, I won''t go there and ask for trouble. By the way, I won''t mind offending you, so I''ll tell you


    something directly. I won''t wish you a happy engagement because, for me, Lorenzo is not a good


    man. He is not worthy of you. Although you are a little indifferent to me, there is something wrong


    with Lorenzo''s personality. If at any time you regret marrying him, you''d better end your marriage as


    soon as possible."


    Carolina was still silent.


    Without waiting for her reply, Maria hung up. Carolina had been doing business all year round. How


    could she not see Lorenzo''s shorings?


    But the Song Group had been continuously declining these years. She currently had no other better


    way to save it.


    Ethan rang the doorbell of James'' manor, and the door automatically opened the next moment.


    He went in, changed into a pair of slippers, and went straight to the second floor.


    Ethan started looking for James in the study. When he couldn''t find James there, he searched every


    room on the second floor while calling James'' name. However, he got no answer, and he couldn''t


    find James either.


    He knew that James hid on purpose to give him a hard time looking everywhere. Staring at his


    phone, he snorted coldly and continued to open and close the door of each room one by one.


    Those who didn''t know James might think that there was something wrong with him. His manor had


    so many rooms. Actually, there were more than twenty guest rooms in total.


    James was a neat freak, and he didn''t allow others to enter his territory. But he had built so many


    luxurious guest rooms in his manor. Didn''t he have a problem?


    In the library on the second floor, James was already in his pajamas. He was leaning against the


    sofa and reading a book. Finally, Ethan found him and sat next to him, feeling exhausted and


    helpless. "James, I want to borrow your private ne."


    "When?"


    "Next month. On the second."


    James refused without changing his expression. "It''s not avable on the second."


    "Oh? Where is it going to fly?"


    James, who was flipping through the book, paused for a moment. He then said truthfully, "Maria


    wants to use it, and I''ve agreed."


    "The enchantress Maria?" Ethan asked and thought for a while. He then added, "She ruined your


    engagement party and spent your money. Now, she would take your private ne. If you haven''t


    loved her for decades, how could you allow her to do these things to you?"


    James slightly frowned upon hearing what Ethan had said. ''What are you talking about? I''ve loved


    Maria for decades? What a joke!'' he sneered inwardly. Then he snapped, "Fuck off!"


    But Ethan didn''t move. Instead, he brown-nosed, "James, can you borrow one for me? You know so


    many big shots who have private nes. There must be no problem."


    "Take the helicopter."


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    "Oh, no. I''m going to France. I can''t fly there by helicopter."


    James raised his head and nced at Ethan. "What are you going to do in France?"


    "Something happened at the winery, so I have to go there."


    "The employees went on strike again?" Ethan was a Buddha-like boss. He neverpeted in the


    market nor advertised his wine. He only relied on destiny in selling their products, so his employees


    were not so satisfied.


    "Of course not! It only happened once. By the way, where is Maria going? Can she give me a ride?"


    James didn''t answer Ethan''s question.


    What a coincidence! Maria and Ethan were flying to France on the same day.


    When he thought of Maria and Ethan being together, talking andughing, his face darkened.


    James still didn''t answer Ethan''s question. He took out his phone and called Lorenzo. "Arrange a


    private ne to fly to France on the second next month."


    As soon as he hung up, Ethan jumped up from the sofa and winked at him. "Thank you, James. Do


    you need me to sleep with you tonight?"


    James nced at Ethan coldly. Seeing the look on his face, Ethan pretended to be sad and


    disappointed and heaved a sigh. "Sure enough, you forget me when you have a new girlfriend.


    Okay, I''ll go. I won''t bother you any longer."


    Ethan then fled away from the library quickly before James punched him.


    ''Phew! I almost got beaten up again,'' he thought to himself.


    But he didn''t go out of the manor. Since he was already here, he didn''t intend to leave today.


    He randomly opened a guest room that was like a presidential suite, went into the bathroom, and


    took a shower.


    After taking a shower, he went out of the guest room and found James'' cer with ease. He took out


    a bottle of red wine from it, opened it, and poured two sses-one for James and one for him.


    Perfect!


    With two sses of wine in his hands, he walked for a few minutes before he reached the library.


    He put the red wine on the table beside James and suggested, "Would you like to go to the


    balcony? We can watch the night view together."


    "No," James refused firmly.


    "All right." Ethan didn''t insist. He went to the balcony alone to enjoy the quietness and tranquility of


    the ce.


    After Maria had arranged domestic affairs, she went to James'' manor in the morning. She was flying


    to France today.


    James was having breakfast when she arrived there. She sat opposite him and asked, "Do you still


    have avable breakfast? I left in a hurry, so I haven''t eaten anything yet."


    James nced at her indifferently as what Ethan saidst night reechoed in his head-"She ruined


    your engagement party and spent your money. Now, she would take your private ne." And now,


    she came to his manor to eat breakfast. "No. Go cook for yourself," he answered.


    -

 Chapter 167 Fall Into Her Trap

    Chapter 167 Fall Into Her Trap


    Maria pursed her lips when she heard what James said. She stood up from her seat and went to the


    kitchen. There, she saw a tray on the countertop. It was full of small porcin bowls with lids.


    She curiously opened each bowl and found out that their contents were the same as what James


    was eating. So she surmised that these dishes must be for her breakfast.


    Maria went back to the dining room with the tray of breakfast in her hands and deliberately sat next


    to James. "I''m done! And I''ll have the same breakfast as yours. Don''t you think I''m fast?"


    "Women can''t be too fast," James replied indifferently.


    "Huh?" Holding the spoon in her hand, Maria raised her eyebrows and looked at him in confusion.


    When James noticed her gaze, he met her eyes and exined calmly, "If women are too fast, men


    won''t have a sense of conquest."


    Maria was rendered speechless. She hadn''t realized at first that he was cracking a dirty joke.


    Wasn''t it still early morning? She choked. "Are you going to be my pilot this morning?" she then


    asked.


    "You want me to take you to France personally? No way! " He wouldn''t fall into her trap this time.


    Maria snorted coldly. But since she would be taking his privateer, she didn''t intend to argue


    with him. "Do you want... Forget it. I don''t think you''re short anything."


    There were too many people who wanted to buy gifts for James. She was just a nobody, and her gift


    shouldn''t be that important.


    "Yes, I do."


    "What? What else don''t you have?" Maria took a sip of bird''s nest soup from her bowl. It was only


    then that she noticed that James didn''t seem to have the same soup as he was drinking yam


    congee.


    James had finished eating his breakfast, so he wiped his mouth and stood up. He then walked to


    her, bent over, and whispered something in her ear.


    Maria almost choked on the bird''s nest in her mouth upon hearing what he whispered to her.


    Fortunately, she didn''t spit the soup out.


    "Ahem!" She cleared her throat. James must have been restraining his sexual desire so hard during


    those days that she had her period. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have kept telling her dirty jokes early in


    the morning.


    She didn''t expect that he would do such a thing.


    Maria took a piece of tissue and wiped her red lips. She then turned around and looked at James,


    who was standing there, tidying up his clothes. With her eyes wide open, she pretended to be


    innocent and asked, "Should I buy it as a wedding gift for you and Alina?"


    James¡¯ hands that were tidying up his tie paused. He looked at her and changed his mind.


    "Stop eating now."


    "Huh? But why?"


    Instead of answering her, he grabbed her wrist, pulled her up from the chair, and dragged her


    upstairs. "Go upstairs. There is something more delicious in my room."


    Maria staggered. She was confused. She couldn''t understand what was going on. However, he held


    her so tightly that she couldn''t break free from his grip. Eventually, she was dragged by him all the


    way up.


    When Maria was pushed down to the king-sized bed, she immediately understood what he meant.


    And what else could she do to retort? She just reminded herself to learn more dirty jokes after she


    returned from France. Otherwise, she could never win against James on this matter.


    They only had one round of sex. But Maria was so tired that she couldn''t even raise her hand.


    Everytime they had sex, she always ended up like a fish in a frying pan, allowing him to fry her over


    and over again. And he seemed to be very patient doing it.


    When James came out of the bathroom, Maria was still in bed, lying on her stomach. The flush on


    her face hadn''t vanished yet. Her long hair was casually scattered on the pillow, and her eyes were


    closed, looking worn out totally.


    James sat on the edge of the bed, took out a ck card from his wallet, and put it on the nightstand


    next to him. "This card is unlimited. As long as you have the ability, you can bring back everything


    that shopping malls in France have."


    "Don''t worry. I won''t fail in my mission," Maria answeredzily without opening her eyes.


    James stretched out his arm and ced his big palm on her head. "The house cleaner will arrive in


    half an hour."


    It meant that she only had half an hour to clean herself up.


    "I don''t have luggage with me." Since she was going shopping, she didn''t bring anything with her.


    She would like to buy everything she needed there. She had not anticipated that something like this


    would happen before she could even set out. So how would she change her clothes now?


    Upon hearing Maria''s words, James stood up and went to his closet. He took out a bathrobe and


    threw it beside her. "Summer will be here soon. Go downstairs and get your clothes from her."


    Maria opened her eyes and turned over. The thin quilt slipped from her body, but she didn''t mind.


    Panting, she refused, "I don''t want to. I''m too tired. Bring them upstairs for me."


    The scene before his eyes was so beautiful that James'' eyes darkened at once. His voice became


    hoarse when he spoke. "I''m going to thepany."


    Maria grabbed his hand and pulled him towards her. "Why didn''t you say that when we were in bed


    just now? You just don''t want to do it. All right. You go now." She then let go of his hand and turned


    over again, giving him a view of her beautiful back.


    James had always known that Maria''s back was a sight to behold.


    He grabbed her waist with one hand, bent over, and whispered in her ear, "If you dare to order me


    again, I''ll let you know what regret is." He then bit her ear gently.


    Maria rubbed her ear with disgust andined, "You''ve already bitten me twice today. James,


    are you a...?" She was about to say "dog." But she immediately swallowed the word back. "Are you


    a human being?"


    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    James released her waist. "Go and take a shower."


    Maria turned around again and winked at him. She stretched out her arms and acted like a spoiled


    child. "Take me to the bathroom."


    "Maria, you¡ª"


    Before he could even finish his words, Maria red at him and interrupted, "I am your woman right


    now, am I not? It''s all your fault that I can only lie in here, and I don''t have any strength to stand up.


    But you don''t want to take me to the bathroom. Don''t you wish to have sex with me again!"


    James lost his tongue.


    Indeed, he couldn''t refuse both Maria''s soft and hard tactics. In the end, he carried her in his arms


    and took her to the bathroom.


    Standing in the bathroom, Maria watched James'' receding back. She couldn''t help but snicker when


    she remembered the unwilling but helpless expression on his face.


    Ten minutester, she came out of the bathroom, wrapped in a bath towel. James was still in the


    bedroom, talking with someone on his phone. James heard the sound behind him, so he turned


    around. He then raised his chin, hinting at her to look in the direction of the sofa.


    She followed his gaze and saw several paper bags on the table not far away.


    Maria walked over, took the clothes out, and changed in the bedroom without avoiding his stare.


    The zipper of the dress was a bit long, and it was not convenient for her to pull it up by herself. So


    she came to James, flipped her long hair, and turned her back to him. Her purpose was very


    obvious.


    But instead of zipping up her clothes, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her closer to


    him, and kissed her back.


    Maria shivered. She patted his hand on her waist and reminded him in a low voice, "Hurry up."


    James finally let go of her and zipped her dress up.


    While Maria was fixing herself up, he was talking on the phone all the time.


    When the two of them went downstairs together, the cleaner that James hired to particrly clean


    the vi had already arrived and was cleaning the kitchen and the dining room.


    James stood in the living room and handed his tie to Maria naturally.


    Maria took it. She red at him and began to tie it around his neck.


    Looking down at her, who was seriously tying his tie, he said, "Summer will fly with you to France. If


    you need anything, tell her at any time."


    Maria stopped what she was doing and looked up at him. Meeting his eyes, she asked, "Does that


    mean you are monitoring me?"


    James also stared at her. "Monitor you for what? Do you intend to betray me?"


    -

 Chapter 168 Shopping In France

    Chapter 168 Shopping In France


    Maria just smiled and continued what she was doing. Then after a while, she answered, "Yeah. If I


    go to France alone, I am thinking of finding a few male models to apany me while shopping,


    eating, or taking a tour of the Eiffel Tower. But if Summer goes with me, then everything I do will be


    under your watch, won''t it?"


    "Well, I think Summer is closer to you. Isn''t she?"


    Upon hearing James'' words, Maria realized that he wanted her to admit that Summer was on her


    side. She had the urge to strangle him with his necktie, but she tried hard to restrain herself.


    Instead, she smiled brightly and answered, "Of course not. We''ve only known each other because


    of you. She has been in HL Group for so long, so she''s definitely much closer to you than she is to


    me."


    James pulled out his tie from her hand, put on his suit jacket, and buttoned two buttons neatly. He


    then looked at her and sneered, "Maria, I''m not blind."


    He was well aware that his two special assistants were divided into two factions. One was on Judy


    and Alina''s side while the other was on Maria''s side.


    Perhaps it was time for him to train a new candidate to rece one of them at anytime.


    Maria pretended to be indifferent and said, "Well, there''s nothing I can do if you don''t believe me.


    Just forget about it then. I''m flying abroad anyway."


    She then turned around and left.


    Maria was putting on her high heels at the door when her wrist was grabbed by James from behind.


    And before she could say anything, he pulled her into his arms and sealed her red lips with his own.


    Since she had no way to speak, all she could do was swallow back her words.


    But deep inside her, she couldn''t help wondering what was wrong with James today. He was


    behaving so abnormally.


    Early in the morning, he kept telling her dirty jokes. Then after having sex with her, he still didn''t stop


    harassing her.


    This wasn''t the usual him. James was acting so horny that Maria wanted to give him a punch.


    After kissing her, he cupped her face with both hands and said, "You can stay in France for a few


    more days if you want."


    Maria raised her eyebrows, wrapped her arms around his neck, and nestled in his shoulder. "Why?


    So you can have some peaceful days with Alina?"


    Anger shed across James'' eyes, but he didn''t deny what she said. In the end, he even


    complimented her. "Smart woman!"


    "Don''t worry. I won''t let you get what you want." Maria then let go of his neck and went out of the


    vi without looking back.


    Leaning against his car, James was smoking while watching his private ne gliding slowly through


    the manor. He waited until it finally left the ground and flew to the sky.


    The private ne got smaller and smaller and finally disappeared from his sight. It was only then


    that he stubbed out his cigarette, got into his car, and drove to thepany unhurriedly.


    While on the road, he reflected on one question. Maria only went to France to go shopping. Why did


    he feel like he was missing something?


    When they arrived in France, Maria and Summer checked in at the hotel booked by Summer in


    advance.


    It was a five-star hotel with an airstrip.


    And since they were good friends, Summer booked only one suite that they were going to share.


    It was already past ten o''clock in the evening. If Maria wasn''t dyed by having sex with James,


    they would have arrived around six or seven o''clock in the evening.


    But it was still afternoon in France. They had dinner on the ne, and they were not hungry yet, so


    they decided to go shopping right away.


    Before they came out of the hotel, Summer had arranged two bodyguards to follow them. Aside


    from keeping Maria safe, they were also responsible for carrying things for her.


    Maria was here to buy things she wanted, so she spent money extravagantly. Whenever she saw


    something she liked, especially luxury items, she took them and paid the bill without thinking twice.


    While working overtime for an emergency meeting in HL Group, James kept on receiving messages


    on his mobile phone, updating him of the overseas consumption of his card.


    He was able to read the first two messages. They were 153,621 dors from one shop and 699,999


    dors from another shop.


    Then the next messages, he could already guess the amounts even without reading them.


    But when he got a short free time, he sent a message to Maria. "You''ve only spent less than ten


    million in two days. Your shopping ability needs improvement."


    What she had spent so far was far from the price of a watch he bought.


    Maria was standing inside a jewelry store in the shopping mall when she received James'' sarcastic


    message. She snorted and thought, ''What''s the hurry? I''m just starting.''


    She then turned to the saleswoman and said, "I''ll get those kite-shaped earrings. Please wrap them


    for me. Thank you."


    The saleswoman nodded and asked Maria to wait in the VIP lounge while she packed the earrings.


    As soon as theye out of the jewelry store, Maria handed the earrings to Summer and said,


    "Keep them."


    Summer was stunned. Her eyes widened in disbelief. "They are for me?"


    "Yup! I actually don''t like this style. I bought them, especially for you," Maria replied casually, tucking


    her long hair behind her ear.


    Summer smiled, shook her head, and gave the earrings back to Maria. They were worth more than


    one hundred thousand dors, and she couldn''t possibly ept them. "Traveling with you for free is


    already good enough for me. It will be too much if I receive any gift from you."


    However, Maria didn''t take no for an answer. "I didn''t buy them using my own money. It was James


    who paid for them, so you could take them as part of your employee benefits. If you insist on


    returning them to me, I''ll send you back home right away."


    Summer was left with no choice. She had to ept the earrings.


    After shopping for almost the whole day, they found a sweet shop to sit and rest. Maria rested her


    elbow on the table and propped her chin in the palm of her hand. She thenined, "James


    mocked me for spending less. Will he feel sorry if I buy the entire shopping mall?"


    Summer chuckled. "Don''t worry. Even if you really buy a shopping mall, it''s just a drop in the bucket


    for Mr. Xi. It''s impossible for him to feel sorry."


    Maria was rendered speechless. After thinking for a while, she agreed that there was nothing wrong


    with what she said.


    After eating desserts, they felt like they already had a good rest, so they continued to shop. This


    time, they went to the cosmetics section.


    While watching Maria trying one lipstick, Summer asked in a low voice, "Maria, won''t you buy


    something for Mr. Xi?"


    "Of course, I will." How could Maria not buy something for James? Where in fact, this morning, he


    asked her to bring him condoms back. It was as if he was challenging her because he thought that


    she was afraid to buy them. Maria put back the lipstick lid and added, "But I''ll only buy something


    for him after I''m done buying everything I need." After all, James was not number one in her heart.


    Summer shrugged. "Okay."


    Actually, Maria''s shopping ability should not be underestimated. She didn''t care about the brands as


    long as she liked the products, even for lipsticks. It didn''t matter whether they were from Chanel,


    Armani, or Dior, which one lipstick cost at least a few thousands of dors.


    She didn''t even care if the cashmere dress worth tens of thousands of dors. For whatever she


    liked, she would ask the shop assistants to swipe James¡¯ card without hesitation.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After shopping for a few days, Summer noticed that the most expensive item Maria bought was the


    66-carat dark red diamond ne and the three-leaf clover emerald ring. The cheapest she


    bought was the limited edition Christian Louboutin lipstick.


    The two bodyguards went back and forth to the hotel at least twice a day. And each time, they could


    hardly hold so many shopping bags in their hands.


    Summer could only heave a sigh. Indeed, rich people were willful.


    But then, she changed her mind. She thought, ''Oh, no. A woman spoiled by the rich CEO is willful.''


    In H City, James was currently attending a banquet.


    Finally, Miranda got a chance to run into James at the same banquet. So she waited until there was


    only Lorenzo left by his side. Then she approached him to talk about some private matters. "Mr. Xi."


    With a ss of red wine in his hand, James turned around and nodded slightly. "Hello, Auntie.¡±


    Wearing an amiable smile on her face, Miranda gently said, "Are you free right now? I want to talk


    to you about something."


    James raised his hand and looked at his watch. He then nodded and replied, "I have ten minutes."


    "That''s enough for me."


    When they went to a corner where there were only a few guests, James spoke first. "Auntie, please


    go ahead."


    -

 Chapter 169 She Is A Mistress

    Chapter 169 She Is A Mistress


    "Well, here''s the thing. James, I just want to know. When is your n to hold the wedding


    ceremony? Is it before the New Year or after?" Miranda was very much aware that too many women


    were after James. They were willing to do everything just to marry him. And the biggest threat to


    Alina was, of course, Maria.


    Therefore, she wanted Alina and James to get married at the soonest time possible. Alina must take


    the crown as Mrs. Xi.


    James replied in a low voice, "I will be too busy before the New Year. I''ll talk to Alina about itter."


    "Okay." Thinking that she would soon have such an excellent son-inw, the smile on Miranda''s


    face never disappeared. "James, I have one more thing to ask you."


    The next moment, the smile on her face vanished, and her expression slightly changed. Upon


    seeing it, James already had an idea of what was going on.


    As he expected, Miranda said, "That video of the woman on the rooftop ruined the Tang Group''s


    anniversary party and your engagement party. Are you going to let go of it so easily?"


    Miranda knew that the person to be med was not that woman in the video but Maria. But she


    deliberately didn''t say it out loud, pretending not to know.


    James thought for a while before asking, "Auntie, what do you want me to do?"


    This time, Miranda was at a loss for words. What did she want him to do?


    James didn''t wait for her answer. He continued, "Shall we cancel the wedding?"


    Miranda was more astounded as she didn''t expect him to say such words. She wanted to say


    something but found herself choked. Obviously, James was protecting Maria. Upon realizing it, she


    couldn''t help but smile awkwardly. "Marriage is not something to trifle with. We can''t just cancel it so


    easily. How about this? Let her apologize to us. Am I asking too much?"


    She didn''t dare to ask too much for the time being.


    "I see," James replied, but he didn''t answer her question.


    In fact, he felt like Miranda had put him in a dilemma.


    Maria was such a proud woman. How could she be willing to apologize to the Tang family?


    James'' reaction made Miranda feel a little embarrassed. She was dealing with a younger


    generation, yet she had to show respect to him. "Then Mr. Xi, when do you n to have Maria


    apologize to us?"


    James put down his empty ss on the table and put his hands into his pockets. "How about having


    Alina apologize to her first for drugging her years ago? Then she can apologize to you afterward.


    What do you think, Auntie?"


    Miranda''s face fell. She couldn''t smile anymore. In fact, she became a little anxious. "Mr. Xi, don''t


    forget that Alina is now your fiancee. You make her feel wronged every time you try to protect Maria,


    but she has never quarreled with you. Now you want her to apologize first? I don''t think that''s a


    good idea!"


    James'' expression remained the same. "It''s my fault to make Alina feel wronged. But what does it


    have to do with Maria?" "She is a mistress."


    Those simple words made James unhappy at once. Displeasure was written all over his face. He


    said, "Maria just gave Alina a dose of her own medicine. But what you''ve told me made me feel that


    Alina has indeed been wronged. All right, I know what to do now."


    However, the project between HL Group and Tang Group had already started. He had to be


    responsible for bothpanies. So what he could do now was find a way to minimize the risk of


    Tang Group and then stop cooperating with them.


    "Mr. Xi, what do you mean by that?" Miranda had a bad feeling.


    James nced at her and answered, "Auntie, I know how much you love Alina. She''s your


    daughter, after all. Since I''ve done something wrong, I will minimize the harm to her."


    Miranda''s face turned pale as a sheet. She wondered, ''Does he mean he is going to cancel the


    wedding?'' In an instant, she panicked. "No, it''s not what I mean. Mr. Xi, I just think that Maria is not


    good enough for you. She killed your son, so..."


    "Auntie, if there''s nothing else, I will go ahead. Bye." James nodded at her and left.


    Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    All throughout their conversation, he acted like a real gentleman. Miranda couldn''t find any ws in


    him except for his kindness to Maria. He was obviously protecting Maria.


    Looking at his receding back, Miranda finally realized that she had made a big mistake. What


    should she do now? Two days ago, she was stillforting Alina to calm down. But now she was


    the one panicking.


    Indeed, Miranda had made a big mistake. Because at this moment, James had already thought of


    canceling the wedding.


    Then he began to think about the worst result in case HL Group withdrew from that project with


    Tang Group.


    Miranda was not in the mood to attend the banquet anymore. On the surface, she seemed to be in


    a good rtionship with yton. But the truth was, they both had affairs secretly. The affection


    between them had long been gone. If yton found out that she made such a stupid mistake, he


    surely wouldn''t let her go.


    On theirst day in France, Maria and Summer strolled arm in arm around various men''s brand


    shops. Maria knew nothing about what was going on back home.


    Aside from buying a few boxes of condoms, she also racked her brains to figure out what else to


    buy for James, who seemed to have everything.


    Although she didn''t know his favorite thing, she still had to do something to impress him, right?


    Hence, she randomly picked a few things and brought them back to him.


    As soon as James'' private nended on the manor, Summer got off and called four cars to carry


    Maria''s shopping bags. They were stuffed not only in the trunks but also in the back seats of all the


    cars.


    Maria thought for a while. She couldn''t put all of these items in her hotel room. And James definitely


    wouldn''t allow her to stay in his manor. Eventually, she told the drivers to take everything to Fairview


    Vi.


    She also stayed there for a while to recover from jetg before she got dressed and went out.


    In a Porsche parked in the garage of Fairview Vi, Maria put some shopping bags in the back seat


    and drove to HL Group.


    She went to the coffee shop first and gave her gifts to her employees. She handed over a huge


    shopping bag to the shop manager and told him to distribute it to everyone. Then she went to the


    building across the street.


    Since she was driving James'' car, no one dared to stop her when she drove to the underground


    parking lot.


    When Maria arrived on the floor where the CEO''s office was, Summer had juste to work too.


    Seeing Mariaing out of the elevator, she looked a little awkward. "Hi, Maria," she greeted Maria


    in a low voice.


    Maria didn''t notice the look on Summer''s face and walked straight to James'' office. While walking,


    she said, "I''m giving him my gifts."


    Watching her back, Summer hesitated for a while before trotting to follow her. She was about to


    knock when Summer whispered, "Maria!"


    Maria looked back. It was only then that she noticed that something was wrong with Summer.


    "What''s wrong with you, Summer?" she asked.


    Summer hesitated for a moment. But knowing that she couldn''t hide it from Maria, she answered,


    "Alina arrived here just now."


    No wonder Summer looked agitated. But Maria just smiled. "Then I have to go inside and take a


    look."


    Summer didn''t know what to say. She did expect that Maria would do so. But she didn''t stop Maria


    anymore.


    Maria, who at first wanted to knock, just pushed the door open and walked in. As expected, Alina


    was there. As usual, James was sitting at his desk. Alina was leaning over in front of him with a


    tissue in one hand. It was as if she was trying to wipe something off.


    Upon hearing the noise, the two of them looked at the door at the same time.


    They then saw Maria standing at the door, wearing a light blue fashionable suit which made her skin


    reddish-pink. She was also wearing a set of diamond jewelry she had just bought in France. Her


    style looked quite simple and low-key.

 Chapter 170 Gifts For Him

    Chapter 170 Gifts For Him


    Seeing that James and Alina were so close to each other, Maria pursed her red lips tightly. She


    couldn''t hide the anger in her beautiful eyes.


    She only had a short rest because she was so excited to give her gifts to James. But what was he


    doing? The scene before her eyes made her wonder if James and Alina were together all the time


    these past few days that she was away.


    Maria was so angry that she even forgot to fight. She just tossed the things she brought into the


    nearby trash can, turned around, and left without any hesitation. She didn''t even notice that the


    trash can got almost full of the things she stuffed in there.


    While walking out, she couldn''t help asking herself what she was so angry about. Of course, she


    was mad that she had no right to pull the two of them apart and p Alina in the face.


    Although Maria didn''t say a word, James didn''t ignore the fury in her eyes.


    Alina, on the other hand, was stunned for a moment. But when she looked at the paper bags in the


    trash can, her mood lightened up at once.


    Before Maria came, Alina said that his face was a little dirty. She then took out a piece of tissue and


    was about to wipe his face, but he refused. But she insisted. "It''s okay. It''s just a little dirt. Let me


    clean it up for you," she said.


    It was the time that Maria pushed the door open and came in.


    James'' eyes also fell on the trash can not far away from him. Alina reached out her hand with the


    tissue again, but he still refused, "Thank you. I can do it myself." "Okay," Alina answered. She was


    so delighted. It was such a pleasant surprise for her.


    James stood up and walked towards the lounge. But before he entered, he didn''t forget to tell Alina,


    "I am going to attend a seminar in five minutes. If you have nothing else to do, you can leave now."


    "Okay. I won''t bother you now then. Bye."


    Alina picked up her handbag and walked to the door. Before she went out of James'' office, she


    nced at the trash can for thest time.


    Maria wanted to give some gifts to James. Did she really think that he would treasure them?


    Sitting at her desk, Summer felt sorry for Maria.


    Maria walked in and out of James'' office in a very short time and left without even saying a word.


    Summer could roughly guess what had happened in there. Seeing that Alina was also walking out


    of James'' office with a smug look, she decided to speak for Maria. "Hi, Ms. Tang," she greeted.


    Upon hearing her voice, Alina gave her a scornful look and said in a strange tone, "Hi, Summer.


    What''s up?"


    "Nothing much. I just came back from a shopping trip to France with Maria. I only want to check if


    you need anything. So that if Mr. Xi arranges his private ne''s schedule for Maria''s next shopping


    trip abroad, I''ll ask Maria to buy it for you." As she spoke, Summer put on a gentle smile.


    Alina was not stupid. Of course, she knew what Summer meant. Her good mood vanished in an


    instant.


    Summer had just said that James let Maria take his private ne to go shopping in France. It only


    meant that what Maria had thrown in the trash can just now were the things she brought back from


    France for him.


    Jealousy surged up in Alina''s heart. And knowing that Summer was telling her these things to


    deliberately piss her off, she repeatedly reminded herself to keep calm.


    But no matter how hard she tried, she eventually failed to control her temper. "You are just an


    assistant. Who do you think you are? How dare you talk to me like this! Do I look like Ick


    anything?"


    When she officially became James'' wife, his private ne and helicopter would be hers too. Screw


    Maria Song!


    Seeing that the smile on Alina''s face disappeared and she became angry, Summer knew that she


    had achieved her goal perfectly. So she nodded and said, "Yes, Ms. Tang. You are right. I''ll go back


    to work now."


    Alina didn''t intend to let Summer go yet. But before Summer could take a step away, she received a


    call from James. She answered her phone immediately. "Yes, Mr. Xi. I''ll be there right away."


    Summer straightened her back, turned around, and walked towards the CEO''s office.


    Alina stood rooted to the spot with a straight face. She could only re at Summer''s back. She only


    walked to the elevator when Summer entered James'' office and disappeared from her sight.


    Her mind was in a mess thinking about the fact that James had arranged his private ne for Maria


    to go shopping in France. She felt like she would die of jealousy. Why did it have to be Maria? She


    was James'' fiancee now. She should be the one enjoying such a privilege.


    After leaving HL Group, Alina took out her phone and called her assistant. "Send someone to follow


    Maria Song. I want evidence that she is having an affair with James," she said. Once she got the


    evidence, she would post it online. Maria would then be a hateful mistress who would be


    scolded by millions ofizens.


    When Summer entered James'' office, she saw several paper bags in the trash can. She wondered


    why those bags were in there now. They were the gifts bought by Maria for James. Shouldn''t they


    be in his hands?


    She looked at him in confusion. But the moment their eyes met, she quickly put away her cranky


    thoughts and walked over to him. "Hi, Mr. Xi. Are you looking for me?"


    James pursed his lips tightly before asking, "What are those things she threw in the trash can?"


    It turned out that it was Maria who threw them. Summer looked back at the trash can again. She


    was with Maria all the time, so she knew everything that Maria bought for James. She answered,


    "Those are the gifts she bought for you."


    James fell silent for a moment.


    After a while, he said, "Pick them up, unpack them, and throw the wrappers away."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi. I''ll do it now." Fortunately, the cleaner had just changed the trash bag not long ago.


    And James didn''t have any visitors today, so there was nothing else in the trash can yet except for


    the shopping bags thrown by Maria.


    Summer took out everything with only their inner packaging and threw away all the paper bags. She


    then put all the items on James'' desk one by one.


    There were Bluetooth headsets, a scarf, a bottle of men''s perfume, a watch, and a necktie. They


    were all suited to James.


    After putting everything on his desk, Summer then said in a low voice, "Mr. Xi, Maria ran to many


    different shops and personally chose these gifts for you. She knew that you already have


    everything. But she still thought that she should buy you gifts."


    "I understand."


    When Summer left, James took the blue printed tie and yed with it in his hand. It was made of


    genuine silk that felt good to touch. The style was also in line with his taste.


    ''Not bad. She thought of me while she was shopping for herself,1 he thought to himself.


    Maria stormed out of HL Group in an imposing manner. But when she looked back at the towering


    building, she immediately regretted it.


    Those things were worth millions of dors. She wondered if James would really let them stay in the


    trash can and dump them all.


    She resisted the urge to return to his office. Instead, she crossed the street and went to her coffee


    shop.


    It didn''t take long before she received a message from James. "I don''t like the smell of the perfume.


    Come back here and take it for yourself."


    Maria was startled while staring at her phone. Did the neat freak James really pick up her gifts from


    the trash can?


    She was about to reply when a call came in. It was Colby calling.


    She went to a private room and adjusted her mood before answering the phone. "Hi, Mr. Zheng.


    You finally remember to call me."


    Colby chuckled. "I have been busy these days. But I have a dinner party tonight. Can youe with


    me?"


    "What kind of dinner?" Maria asked casually.


    "It was organized by some bureau chief. Almost all CEOs, including Mr. Xi and YL Group''s Mr.


    Jiang, will also attend." ''James and Jonathan?''


    Maria rolled her eyes and said, "Okay. Shall I go there by myself?"


    "I''ll pick you upter. Where are you now?"


    "Me?" Maria paused for a moment. Knowing that she couldn''t hide her trip to France from Colby,


    she added, "I just came back from abroad. I''m in the coffee shop in the same building with your


    company."


    "I''m not in thepany right now. I''ll let my assistant pick you upter. Let''s meet at the restaurant


    then."


    "Okay."


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    After the phone call, Maria put away all her emotions and began to think. Since Jonathan would


    attend the party tonight, she believed that it was a good opportunity for her.


    But the problem was, James would also be there. It would be difficult for her to carry out her n,


    so she might need to make some adjustments.


    However, when she thought of what happened just now, she snorted and thought, ''Fine! It doesn''t


    matter if he''s there. He doesn''t mind what I have done anyway.''


    Since James didn''t receive any reply from Maria, he knew that she wouldn''te back to his office


    anymore. Although he didn''t know why she got so pissed off all of a sudden, he didn''t call her.


    Instead, he went back to his work.


    Deep into the night, Maria arrived at the dinner party with Colby. She only wore a simple dress and


    light makeup tonight. They ran into James, who had brought Summer with him.

 Chapter 171 Second-hand

    Chapter 171 Second-hand


    When James saw that Maria was with Colby, his icy gaze swept over her and then he looked away.


    Summer greeted Maria quietly before she found a seat near the door and sat down.


    Meanwhile, Jonathan was really curious about Maria, especially that she was personally brought by


    Colby to this dinner party. Besides, he also noticed that James had stared at her for a while. Thus,


    he got more eager to get to know her.


    Since all of the invited guests had arrived, the dinner soon started.


    Maria was the most beautiful among the women present at the party, so she naturally became the


    center of men''s attention.


    Even the bureau chief who organized this event wanted to talk to her from time to time. He would


    also take care of her asionally. "Ms. Song, do you drink?" he asked.


    Maria put down her chopsticks, smiled at him, and replied, "Of course, I drink. But I''m better at


    pouring wine." She then picked up a bottle of wine, walked towards the bureau chief, and filled his


    ss while he wasughing heartily.


    James just silently smoked while watching Maria wander around men skillfully and with ease. He


    never said a word.


    The bureau chief kept on praising Colby for finding a good manager for HM Group. Colby just


    smiled and nced at James. He then tried to sound out Maria for thest time. "Maria is Mr. Xi''s


    ex-wife. Of course, she is excellent."


    Since the bureau chief was only transferred from another city not long ago, he didn''t know many


    things in H City yet. So obviously, he was interested in what Colby said. His gaze swept James and


    Maria and said, "Well, Ms. Song and Mr. Xi..."


    James didn''t react. It was as if the chief wasn''t talking about him.


    With the same smile stered on her face, Maria put her elbow on Colby''s shoulder and said in a


    sweet and coquettish tone, "Well, I''m not good enough to be with Mr. Xi now. But Mr. Zheng treats


    me better."


    Men were always too proud, so Colby was overjoyed by her ttery.


    He tested her several times, but the results showed that she had nothing to do with James


    anymore. Finally, he was convinced that James and Maria had nothing to do with each other now.


    Everyone knew that Colby had a wife. But this kind of affair was verymon to sessful


    businessmen. It happened everywhere. Thus, they all tacitly did not mention his wife.


    This time, Jonathan chimed in, "Mr. Xi is so handsome and rich. Ms. Song, don''t you miss him?"


    For a moment, everyone''s gaze fell on Maria again.


    She was still pissed off, so she answered, "Mr. Jiang, Mr. Xi already has a fiancee. Of course, I can''t


    possibly get back to him. Why should I miss him? At most, I just wanted to fool around with him. But


    Mr. Zheng treats me better."


    ''Fool around?'' These two words from her reechoed in James'' mind. Although he remained quiet, a


    hint of irony shed across his eyes.


    Maria was so bold that she dared to say something like that. He decided to piss her off too. At the


    thought of this, James stubbed out his cigarette and said in azy tone, "There are thousands of


    women in the world. Maria is just a second-hand woman. If her boyfriend really doesn''t mind it, then


    he seems to truly love her.¡±


    ''Truly love her?'' These words sounded really ironic.


    No one could guarantee that businessmen like them loved their wives truly. Almost eighty percent of


    these men had a marriage of convenience. They valued power, money, and business than love.


    Maria got more pissed off by what James said. Thest time she was in his manor, it seemed that


    he really had a great time ying with her before she flew to France.


    On the other hand, Colby felt a little embarrassed by James'' words. But he tried to smooth things


    over with a smile. "We are now living in modern society. Maria is beautiful and has a good figure.


    How can a man not fall in love with her?"


    "Yes, you''re right. As a matter of fact, I''m so envious of your luck, Mr. Xi and Mr. Zheng," Jonathan


    said.


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    The obscenity in his words made Maria almost throw up.


    After pouring wine into the men''s sses, she didn''t return to her seat. Instead, she walked up to


    James with the bottle and her ss. She poured wine into his ss and asked with a smile, "Mr. XI,


    can we still hang around in the future?"


    It was hard to read the emotion in James'' eyes. After a while, he sneered, "I''m sorry, Ms. Song. I


    don''t want to betray my woman."


    Maria wanted to thank him for his indifference and cold refusal at this moment. But she pretended to


    be embarrassed and tried to smooth things over for herself. She threw up her hands at the other


    men and said, "See? I''m really not good enough for Mr. Xi."


    "Mr. Xi always behaves himself. It''s normal," Colby said while waving at her, hinting her to go back


    to her seat.


    Maria got his silent message, so she walked back to her seat and said, "Exactly. Oh, I''m sorry for


    taking so much time filling your sses. Please go on with your discussion. I won''t bother you any


    longer."


    The men smiled at her and continued with the topic.


    After two hours, the dinner ended. Maria held Colby''s arm, watching James leave with the bureau


    chief. She then got into Colby''s car.


    Inside the car, Colby talked to his assistant for a while. He then turned to look at her and asked,


    "Maria, do you know who is in charge of the project of Tang Group and HL Group?"


    "I don''t know. I actually didn''t pay much attention to it. Mr. Zheng, do you want me to check on it?"


    Maria looked confused. It seemed that she really didn''t know.


    Colby shook his head and grabbed her hand. "No need. I''ll ask my men to look into it. I have to go


    to thepany first. Shall I ask someone to send you to my vi?"


    He looked at her with a strange light shing in his eyes. His words were full of implication.


    Maria pretended not to understand. She rested her head on his shoulder and yawned, trying to


    muddle through. "No, thank you, Mr. Zheng. Please go ahead with your work. Anyway, we''re near


    the hotel where I''m staying. I''m so tired today, so I want to sleep. Just call me if you need anything,


    Mr. Zheng."


    Colby looked at her sleepy eyes that were about to close. She seemed really exhausted, so he


    didn''t suspect anything. "Okay."


    A few minutester, they arrived at the hotel where Maria was staying. When she got out of the car,


    Colby rolled down the window and looked at the small hotel in front of him. "If you don''t want to stay


    in my vi, why don''t you buy a house for yourself? Tell me which one you like, and I''ll ask someone


    to buy it for you."


    Maria leaned over and smiled happily. "That''s great! I''ll look for a house in the next two days. Thank


    you, Mr. Zheng. Have a safe trip home." She then blew him a kiss, took a few steps back, and


    waved at him.


    Colby had wanted to do something when she leaned over, but she didn''t seem to have such an


    intention. Instead, she said goodbye to him. He had no choice but to also wave at her before telling


    the driver to leave.


    As soon as the car drove away, Maria breathed a sigh of relief. She put her smile away and turned


    to enter the hotel.


    But after taking just a few steps, she heard a sound.


    It was the sound of a lighter.


    She paused and looked in the direction of the noise. There, she saw a familiar Harkim parked at the


    entrance of the hotel. The man in the driver''s seat rested his elbow on the window frame and slowly


    lit a cigarette.


    She remained where she stood and looked in the direction where Colby had left just now. James


    must have seen everything.


    Thinking of it, Maria quickened her pace to her room, intending to stop James before he could get


    in.


    However, she had underestimated him.


    As soon as she locked the door of her room from the inside, her phone rang. She took it out and


    checked the caller. It was James.


    She leaned against the wall and pressed the answer button. "What''s up?"


    "You have ten seconds to open the door."


    Maria rolled her eyes. "What''s wrong with you? Why should I open my door for you? Go to your


    Alina!"


    "You have seven seconds left. If you don''t open the door, I will ask someone to call Colby and tell


    him that you and I had sex in my manor."

 Chapter 172 Living Ten Years Less

    Chapter 172 Living Ten Years Less


    At that moment, there was a click as Maria opened the door. Then the two people on the phone


    were standing face to face.


    Maria was the first to hang up. She asked nkly, "What do you want?"


    James put his phone away and didn''t answer her question. Instead, he approached the woman and


    forced her into the room.


    As the door closed automatically behind him, he pressed her against the wall and asked, "What do I


    want? I want you."


    Maria was speechless.


    The man picked her up and strode towards the bed.


    Maria struggled. "I don''t want this. Get out!"


    Throwing her on the bed, James caged her between his arms and stared deeply into her eyes. "I''m


    not angry right now. Why are you?"


    "It has nothing to do with you. I''m just angry with myself!


    James held her wrists tightly as he said, "You owe me a detailed exnation."


    Since she had no other choice, Maria exined thoroughly, "I brought you gifts from abroad and


    wanted to give them to you. But when I got in your office, I saw you so intimate with Alina. I was


    upset, even though I had no right to stop what was going on between you two. Anyway, how could I


    feel happy about it?"


    James fell into silence. He recalled the day when he was with Alina. What kind of intimacy was


    there between them? There was none. Wait! He was just misled by her. "Alina is my fiancee. What''s


    wrong with me being intimate with her?"


    "Nothing. I''m just angry with myself, okay?"


    "Okay." Getting off her, James warned with a gloomy face, "I advise you to stay away from Colby


    Zheng. He''s not as simple as you may think."


    Maria was well aware that Colby was more dangerous than what met the eye, but she couldn''t


    afford to step back now.


    Just like she knew it wouldn''t be easy to deal with James, she insisted on getting close to him and


    annoying the hell out of him, regardless of the consequences.


    Therefore, Maria didn''t respond to the man''s warning.


    James was pissed. "When he frames you one day, don''te and ask for my help!" He had noticed


    how hard Maria was trying to get close to Colby and earn his trust.


    "Why would I do that? I can always turn to Mr. Jiang, Mr. Wang, or Mr. Li instead of you. After all, I''m


    just a second-hand woman."


    At the sound of that, James rested his hands on his waist, enraged. How dare she say such a


    thing? Who was the one to pick up a fight during dinner just now? "You''re right. At most, you''ll fool


    around with me. How could I think you''lle to me for help? Maria Song, I hope you won''t go back


    on your word."


    Maria didn''t know what to say.


    Suddenly, it urred to her this was not how she wanted things to go.


    Sobering up, Maria realized her emotions almost got the best of her just now.


    She warned herself, ''Maria, think before you speak. Don''t let your heart rule your head.''


    Her future depended on James, so how could she note to him in a time of need?


    At that thought, the woman sat up on bed and wrapped her arms around the man''s neck while


    ying with his tie. When she spoke again, her tone was gentle, totally different from before. "I was


    just kidding. Don''t be angry with me!"


    James didn''t buy her act, so he pulled her away with a sneer. "What trick are you ying now?"


    "There''s no trick. I was just pissed off and wanted to vent my anger. Now I''m fine. Give me a hug!"


    She shamelessly rubbed herself against him.


    James pulled her away again. "So, you want to just fool around with me?"


    "No. I love you, James. I mean it! If I could be with you for the rest of my life, I wouldn''t mind living


    ten years less."


    ''Huh! She''s a really good actress,'' the man thought to himself. Next, he uttered, "I wonder where''s


    the woman who said she wanted to marry Lawrence just two days ago!"


    Maria gritted her teeth discreetly. She thought women were the ones supposed to hold grudges, not


    men. But she was wrong. Instead of provoking him, she smiled apologetically. "I guess I''m


    changeable. Now that I''ve realized how nice you can be, I don''t want him anymore!


    How could James believe a word she said? He took her arms away from him and turned around,


    walking towards the door.


    But since he hade all the way to her room, she wouldn''t let him go so easily.


    Still clenching her teeth, Maria ran after him and jumped on his back.


    With the impact, James stretched out a hand to support her for fear she might fall while he tried to


    regain his bnce.


    The woman whispered in his ear, "I bought a bottle of perfume in France and sprayed it on my


    underwear. Do you want to smell it?''1


    James was speechless. He pulled the woman from his back into his arms and looked at her.


    Maria undid his tie with a smile. "This one doesn''t look good on you. Remember to ask Summer to


    bring you the tie I bought for you tomorrow."


    "Don''t you mind my rtionship with Alina?"


    "Not at all. You''re a businessman. I don''t mind how many women you may have."


    "You just don''t care, then?"


    Enduring the urge to blurt out that she wanted to p each of those women, Maria shook her head.


    Then she threw the loosened tie aside and answered insincerely, "No, I don''t."


    Immediately, James pulled the woman down with a nk face.


    As her feet touched the floor, Maria asked in surprise, "What''s wrong?"


    James buttoned up his shirt and said, "I''m going to find another woman."


    His words made Maria''s blood boil. She was just trying to please him. How dare he act so


    arrogantly? Too nauseated to keep staring at the man''s face, Maria strode to the door and opened


    it. "Goodbye!"


    James left with no hesitation.


    Bang!


    She mmed the door so hard that the impact made the windows shake.


    Once again, the two people parted ways in discord.


    The next morning, Maria left H City by herself without telling anyone.


    In a vige, hundreds of kilometers away from H City, Maria was taken to the fields by a middle-


    aged woman in a shabby shirt and jeans.


    Finally, she stopped in front of a tomb. "Maria, this is where Candice lies."


    The vige wasn''t very advanced, and burial was moremon than cremation.


    Pulling out some cash from her bag, Maria gave it to the woman. "Aunt Ann, thank you for taking


    care of me in the past. It''s not much money, but I want you to have this as a sign of my appreciation


    for everything you did. Please, take it."


    The woman''s eyes widened when she saw the thick stack of money in Maria''s hand. There were at


    least ten thousand dors in it.


    In a hurry, she put the basket she was carrying on the ground and nervously rubbed her hands on


    her clothes in order to clean them. Still, she didn''t dare to take the money immediately. With a faint


    smile, she said guiltily, "No, I didn''t do anything. How can I take it?"


    "Just do it! It''s yours." Maria then stuffed the money into her hands. "Now, if you don''t mind, I''d like


    to stay here alone for a while. Please, Aunt Ann, if you have something else to do, go ahead. I can


    get back on my ownter."


    Ann was so excited that she almost burst into tears.


    "Okay. Why don''t youe over for dinner tonight? I''ll cook your favorite meal from when you were


    a child."


    Her favorite meal? When Maria was a young girl, she loved eating almost everything because


    hunger was part of her everyday life.


    Not wanting to embarrass Ann, however, she nodded. "Thank you. I''lle overter."


    "Alright, I''m leaving now. Call me if you need anything."


    "Okay."


    The next moment, Ann left, leaving Maria alone.


    In the countryside, whenever someone visited a tomb, paper-made money were taken with them.


    dly, Ann had already prepared those in advance for Maria.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Looking at the neatly arranged paper-made money in the basket, Maria squatted down. Then she


    took the lighter and lit a stack. "I''m sorry I haven''te back to see you until now, Aunt Candice."


    In fact, she had never returned since she left at the age of eight.


    Sometimeter, Candice went to H City looking for ine twice. Maria was at school at the time, so


    they didn''t get a chance to meet.


    After burning everything there was in the basket, Maria stood up again and whispered, "Take care of


    yourself in heaven. If you happen to meet Arthur, please take care of him for me."


    -

 Chapter 173 Rescue At The Village Entrance

    Chapter 173 Rescue At The Vige Entrance


    Later, Maria decided not to go back to Ann''s house. She gave Candice''s children some money. As


    long as they spent it wisely, they wouldn''t have to worry about money again.


    She wanted Candice to take care of Arthur in heaven. At the same time, she would help Candice''s


    children here. She felt better doing that.


    By the time she drove out of the vige, the sun was setting, and it was growing dark. Maria didn''t


    want to stay here overnight-she wanted to keep driving till she hit H City.


    As she drove on the only road, a tractor pulling a wooden open-air two-wheeled cart was heading


    into the vige.


    The road was narrow, and the tractor had no intention of making way. Maria had to move to the side


    of the road to get around the tractor.


    A man in his forties was driving the tractor, and another guy sitting in back of the two-wheeled cart.


    The cart itself was full of hay. Maria saw something unusual in the haystack. A girl''s head poked out


    of the hay.


    Most others would be shocked by this, but not Maria. The girl was still alive, so there was no reason


    to be worried.


    As she drew closer, she realized something was wrong. The girl''s mouth was taped. When Maria''s


    gaze met the girl''s, thetter''s eyes went wide in surprise.


    Maria drove slowly past the car, and desperate tears rolled down the girl''s face. It looked as if she


    were drowning in hopelessness.


    Looking at the girl in the haystack, Maria was confused. What was going on there?


    And that pair of eyes looked achingly familiar.


    Maria slowed down to get a better look. The man in the cart looked in the direction Maria was


    looking.


    He found the girl had managed to pop her head out of the haystack.


    He looked at Maria again in panic. Maria had already looked away, and the man sighed in relief.


    The man pressed the girl''s head back down, submerging her in the hay. "Stop moving around!" he


    whispered to her.


    But Maria''s car made a U-turn, and started following the cart under the man''s confused gaze.


    "Das! Das! Speed up!" He had a guilty conscience.


    Das also felt guilty. As his buddy demanded, he sped up the tractor. But no matter how much he


    sped up, he couldn''t outpace the BMW. The car raced past them.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Maria was not the best driver, and the road was narrow. She was having a hard time overtaking


    them, so she stopped the car, and ran after the cart as fast as she could.


    She was gaining on the cart now. The man sitting in the back yelled, "What are you doing? Das,


    speed up!"


    When the tractor sped up, Maria grabbed the jacket of the man sitting in the cart.


    There were only two low nks on either side of the cart, so he went flying out, flung to the ground


    by Maria.


    The man hit the ground hard. "Ow! Damn bitch!"


    Maria moved forward and began tearing apart the haystack, grabbing fistfuls of straw and flinging


    them aside.


    Hearing the noise behind him, Das braked the tractor. When he saw Maria, he screamed, "What


    are you doing? Bitch!"


    Maria ignored him and soon saw the girl at the bottom of the haystack.


    The girl wore expensive designer clothing and urban fashion pants. Her hair was messy, her face


    stained. Errant strands of straw clung to her hair and clothes. She was tied up with a thick rope, and


    her mouth was tightly sealed. When she saw Maria, she burst into tears.


    She sobbed and babbled, but Maria couldn''t understand a word because her mouth was sealed.


    But she could tell the girl wanted to be rescued.


    Of course Maria would save her. And she knew she could.


    It didn''t matter whether she knew her or not. It was the right thing to do.


    This was Sandra Shen, who embarrassed Alina once.


    It was Kent''s birthday. When they were partying at the Jiang family vi, Sandra was horsing around


    with her bestie and identally knocked Alina into the swimming pool.


    Sandra was also in the pics Maria had sent to James. That was by ident. Sandra wasn¡¯t who


    she wanted to capture in the frame.


    But Maria wondered why a girl from a rich family would end up here.


    Before Maria could figure it out, Das rushed over. "Who are you? What are you doing? Come


    down! Ouch!"


    Before Das could get close to the cart, Maria knocked the wind out of him with a kick to the sr


    plexus.


    The man that she threw from the cart had recovered and caught up to them. He reached for Maria,


    and she gave him another kick. He fell to the ground again.


    Das took out his phone and made a call. "We''re at the entrance to the vige. We''re under attack.


    I need more men, stat!"


    Maria tried loosening Sandra''s bonds, but to no avail. They made their knots tight! They really didn''t


    want her to escape.


    Maria jumped out of the cart and tried to drag Sandra out of it, but Das ran over immediately after


    hanging up the phone, a stick in his hand.


    He swung the stick at Maria, who dodged it handily. The stick hit the cart instead.


    The impact made Das''s hands go numb.


    Das had already called people over, so Maria had no time to waste. She had to be quick.


    She had to give up the idea of dragging Sandra out of the cart. She jumped up and kicked Das in


    the chest.


    Maria knocked Das to the ground, twisted and brought his arm behind his back. It made a


    sickening crunch as she broke it mercilessly.


    "Ahhh!" The man''s scream echoed through the countryside.


    The other man was more cautious. He and Maria circled around the cart.


    Maria was annoyed by this. She jumped into the cart and kicked the man.


    She jumped down again, and broke one of his arms too. Then, she went to pull Sandra down.


    But Sandra was too heavy for her. She couldn''t pull the girl out of the cart. And Sandra couldn''t help


    her. They heard the sound of engines rumbling nearby. Maria looked around and saw several


    motorbikesing towards them.


    Then she looked back at her car, dozens of meters away. She decisively let go of Sandra and said,


    "Wait a minute."


    Sandra nodded with tears in her eyes.


    Maria ran back to the car as fast as she could, grabbed a dagger from the glovepartment, and


    ran over to Sandra again.


    The motorbikes were bearing down on them.


    Maria hastily cut the rope with the dagger, and then began to tear off the tape wrapped around her


    mouth.


    Seven motorbikes stopped, and more than a dozen vigers dismounted and rushed towards them.


    The tape on Sandra''s mouth wasn''tpletely off yet. Maria stood with her back to the vigers.


    Sandra patted her on the arm anxiously.


    Maria smiled and continued to carefully remove the tape from her mouth. "Don''t move. Your skin is


    too tender and soft. If you move, it''ll rip your skin off," she said half-jokingly. The young woman was


    fair and tender. Maria wondered how those two man could be so hard-hearted toward her.


    Sandra was deeply moved by Maria''s actions. Recalling the rumors in town, she wondered why


    they called Maria a murderer. This woman was lovely and gentle. She seemed almost above it all,


    and she was an amazing fighter. How could she be a murderer?

 Chapter 174 Too Embarrassing

    Chapter 174 Too Embarrassing


    The vigers quickly surrounded them, and one shouted at Maria, "Which vige are you from?


    How dare you to hurt the people of our vige!"


    Maria removed thest piece of tape from Sandra''s mouth and pulled her up. She then patted the


    dust off her own hands and said, "I was merciful enough to just break their arms. If you don''t let us


    go,e and fight!"


    The vigers exchanged nces. Finally, two of their men rushed over.


    Maria might not be able to beat a dozen of professional killers. But with these unskilled vigers,


    she was confident that she could deal with them with no difficulty at all. She knocked all of the


    vigers down in just a matter of three minutes.


    Ignoring the wailing of the vigers lying on the ground, Maria grabbed Sandra''s wrist and walked


    towards her car.


    Sandra looked at her and said sincerely, "Thank you."


    She was choking with sobs. This incident must have scared her out of her wits.


    Maria nced at her and said with a smile. "I never do things unrequited. You don¡¯t have to be too


    eager to express your gratitude. I will get my reward from you soon."


    "That won''t be a problem. As long as I can do it, I won''t hesitate to help you," Sandra said. She


    quickened her pace to keep up with Maria.


    "It''s a deal then!"


    As soon as they got into Maria''s car, Sandra called her family to inform them that she was safe.


    She then told Maria what had happened in detail. "I''d been dating a guy on the Inte, and we


    agreed to meet in a bar. I thought he was a businessman. But when I saw him, he didn''t look like


    one. He put some drug in my drink, and then he sold me. These past three days, I was transferred


    to several cars. I didn''t have any idea where they were taking me. Fortunately, I met you here.


    Thank you so much, Maria."


    If it weren''t for Maria, Sandra would have been sold to a man in the vige to be his wife.


    Maria smiled at her and asked, "How old are you?"


    Sandra felt a little embarrassed. "Neen," she answered.


    "I don''t know what you were thinking. But I couldn''t believe that you have fallen for this kind of trap.


    Didn''t you know that when you''re in a bar, you shouldn''t continue drinking a drink that has left your


    sight?"


    "I knew that. But I just trusted him too much. After all, we''d been in love with each other for almost


    two years now." Sandra had never thought that her boyfriend was a human trafficker.


    "You must always remember this incident and learn from it."


    Sandra nodded and promised, "I''ll never go to a bar again." She was really terrified at the moment.


    Sandra had seen a lot of news on TV about university students being sold to the countryside. And


    each one was tied up at home and could not go out. It was impossible for them to escape. There


    were a few lucky ones who got a chance to leave. But many were so unlucky that they would never


    be able to go out for the rest of their lives.


    But regardless of being lucky or not, every woman sold to the vige was forced to give birth to


    several children.


    They were so miserable. And she almost became one of them. At the thought of it, she couldn''t help


    but shiver.


    Maria was driving, so her eyes were on the road. But still, she teased Sandra, "Aren''t you afraid that


    I will take you away and also sell you?"


    "No, you won''t. I know it."


    Maria chuckled. "How can you be so sure? You still trust other people so easily." She shook her


    head and clicked her tongue in disapproval. Sandra was way too simple and naive.


    However, it was only normal for girls of her age. Maria used to be like her before as well.


    Sandra shrank in her seat and whispered, "If you are a bad woman, Mr. Xi won''t be with you."


    "But we have divorced." Everyone in H City knew this fact.


    "But in a rainy day, I saw Mr. Xi and you in the car..." Sandra''s voice trailed off. She was too shy to


    completely describe what she had seen.


    At that time, the car shook violently. She was not a three-year-old kid, and she knew what was


    happening inside.


    Maria was rendered speechless. It was her first time having sex in James'' car, and someone had


    seen it. How embarrassing!


    She coughed lightly to ease the embarrassment. "You know that James is engaged to Alina, don''t


    you?" "I know. But Alina doesn''t deserve Mr. Xi at all," Sandra said indignantly.


    "Well, although the status of the Tang family is declining day by day, Tang Group used to be one of


    the top multinational corporations. And as the most famous celebrity in town, how can Alina not


    deserve James?" Maria countered.


    "I don''t understand why Alina has be the most famous celebrity in H City. She is arrogant and


    always looks superior. She doesn''t deserve Mr. Xi. Actually, my cousin is better than her, although


    my cousin''s family background is not as good as hers. Anyway, I really hate her." Sandra just


    despised Alina, especially after the ident that happened in the Jiang family''s vi.


    Maria shook her head helplessly. Sandra was indeed young and innocent. This was their first time


    to talk, but Sandra had already expressed frankly to her how she hated someone. "Aren''t you afraid


    that I will tell Alina?" she asked.


    "I know you won''t because you don''t like her either. The enemy of an enemy is a friend. So we are


    friends." Sandra could more or less figure out the conflict between Alina and Maria.


    Maria was amused by her again. Their trip on the way back to H City was not boring because she


    was with Sandra. "Do you hate her so much just because you identally bumped her into the


    swimming poolst time?"


    "No, not only because of that. We have met each other many times before. There was even a time


    when she snatched a dress from me during a fashion show. It was actually my favorite brand.


    Obviously, that dress was not her type. But she insisted on taking it from me. She did it on purpose."


    Maria didn''t say anything butughed inwardly.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Just as Maria thought, Sandra didn''t want to stay in a county on the way back to H City either. So


    when they reached a service area, Sandra offered to drive. However, she refused because she was


    worried about Sandra''s driving skills.


    In the end, Maria drove while they continued to chat. There was no dull moment until they arrived in


    H City at past midnight.


    It was almost one o''clock in the morning, but the Shen family''s vi was still brightly lit. All the


    members of the Shen family were waiting for them.


    The Shen family had been looking for Sandra for two days. So, upon seeing that she was now


    home safe and sound, her mother cried on the spot. Knowing that everything on her was normal


    except for her dirty clothes, they all felt relieved.


    After expressing his gratitude to Maria, Sandra''s father contacted the police immediately.


    The chef of the Shen family had also prepared a sumptuous meal for all of them. Sandra''s mother


    insisted that Maria should stay for ate dinner, so Sandra took Maria to the dining room. Maria


    didn''t refuse anymore. Besides, she was also a little hungry, so she stayed with the Shen family for


    ate dinner.


    After eating, Sandra tried to convince Maria to spend the night in their vi. However, Maria refused,


    saying that the hotel where she was staying was only nearby.


    Maria finally arrived at the hotel at two o''clock in the morning. But the moment she pushed the door


    of her hotel room open, she sensed that something was wrong.


    She felt so exhausted just now, but she suddenly became vignt.


    Although the lights were off, she could tell that someone was in her room.


    Since the sound when she opened the door was quite loud, Maria knew that she had already


    alerted whoever it was inside her room. So she just simply turned on the lights.


    As soon as brightness filled the room, she saw a man sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed. He


    was staring at her without saying anything.


    A strong smell of cigarette smoke infiltrated her nostrils, and there were several cigarette butts in


    the ashtray.


    When Maria saw James'' face clearly, she wanted to swear. It was already dawn, but he was still up.


    He even sneaked into her room and almost freaked her out. She wondered if he was on his right


    mind at the moment.


    After tossing the car keys aside, she changed into her slippers.


    James looked at his watch and said, "It''s 2:19 a.m. I have been waiting for you for three hours.


    Where have you been?" He took a client to her coffee shop earlier, but he didn''t see Maria there.


    Until his meeting with the client ended, she still hadn''t shown up.


    Aftering out of thepany, he went to Fairview Vi. But she wasn''t there either. That was


    why he decided to go to the hotel where she was staying.


    Maria rolled her eyes. What did it have to do with him wherever she had been? "James, I didn''t


    expect you to be so idle now,¡± she answered.


    With a deep frown, James asked in an unfriendly tone, "Who did you go out with this time? Mr.


    Zheng, Mr. Jiang, or Mr. Jin?"


    -

 Chapter 175 You Are Awesome

    Chapter 175 You Are Awesome


    Maria was taking off her ne when she heard his question. Suppressing the urge to throw the


    jewelry on his face, she answered, "Right, I hung out with all three of them. Now it''s your turn to


    enjoy mypany. Are you happy, Mr. Xi?"


    James stood up from the sofa and walked to the dressing table. As he leaned over, he pinched her


    chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Can''t you say something nice?"


    "Of course. What do you want to hear, Mr. Xi? You are awesome! Great! Splendid!"


    James wished he could sew her lips together. Squeezing her chin tightly, he said, "You''re such a


    liar! It''s time to teach you a lesson."


    "So what now?" she asked provokingly.


    The man pulled her up so she could face him. However, Maria deliberately avoided making eye


    contact with him.


    James tried to force her to look at him but to no avail. "I''ll teach you a lessonter, then!"


    "Mr. Xi, weren''t you pissed off at mest time? Why are you here?"


    James stared nkly at her. As far as he was concerned, it was Maria who was pissed off at him


    first, not the other way around. He wondered if she had amnesia. "I want you to apologize to me."


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    "For what?"


    "For the trouble you caused on Tang Group''s foundation anniversary." James racked his brains to


    figure out a way to punish her for what happened in the event, but this only led him to a terrible


    headache. Hence, he decided to give up and simply demand an apology.


    Maria sneered, finally looking him in the eye. "Yes, I did. But what if I don''t want to apologize?"


    "Just do it so we can move on."


    The way James said it made Maria feel as if he was begging her to apologize to him. But why


    should she do as he wanted?


    Maria refused and pushed the man away, beginning to drive him out. "I''m tired, Mr. Xi. You can


    leave."


    Not giving her a chance to kick him out, James held her in his arms and leaned his head to kiss her


    red lips.


    Maria felt helpless. After spending a whole day on the road, she was really exhausted. There was


    nothing she wanted to do more than to go to bed.


    She managed to push him away again before muttering, "Please, I''m really tired."


    The weariness on her face was quite obvious. James'' eyes darkened as he asked, "What did you


    do today?" He wondered what could have worn her out in this way.


    "I drove."


    "Didn''t I tell you not to drive? You''re not good at it."


    She thought his words sounded ridiculous. Although he obviously didn''t love her, he still pretended


    to care. "And how am I supposed to go out if I can''t drive myself?"


    "I''ll arrange a driver for you."


    "No, thanks. You can go home now, Mr. Xi. I''m going to bed." Breaking free from his arms, Maria


    headed to the bathroom.


    Distressed, James realized this was the third time she kicked him out. He thought perhaps the


    kindness he had been showing hertely was making her bold.


    While Maria took a shower, she vaguely heard the door outside being closed. Once she came out of


    the bathroom wrapped in a towel, she realized she was indeed alone in the room.


    She smelled the light scent of tobo in the air and sneered. ''What kind of ce does James take


    my hotel room for? Whenever he wants to have sex with me, hees here, and after he''s done,


    he leaves. He doesn''t even have the decency to stay overnight.''


    Once again, Maria felt small in front of him.


    She didn''t want to feel this way, but reality kept pping her in the face, leaving her with no choice


    but to surrender to her own helplessness.


    It was getting cold in H City at night. James leaned against his car and smoked. He didn''t leave until


    he saw the lights of Maria''s hotel room go off.


    Since that asion, Maria''s life had returned to normal. She hadn''t seen James in the coffee shop


    or Fairview Vi for several days.


    She couldn''t help feeling disappointed. Yet, she didn''t take the initiative to go after him either.


    In a private room at some restaurant, Maria showed up in a long ck dress and high heels, as she


    usually liked to wear. It was obvious that she carefully put on some makeup and took her time to


    dress up beautifully. As a result, she looked stunning.


    Trying his best to hold back his desire, Jonathan filled the woman''s ss with wine. "Ms. Song, it''s


    so difficult to get you out for dinner."


    Maria blinked as she replied gently, "Mr. Jiang, since we metst time, I''ve been looking forward to


    having dinner alone with you. This is a really rare opportunity. I think we should toast to it."


    Her words were exactly what Jonathan wanted to hear. "Ms. Song..."


    "Mr. Jiang, please call me Maria." Maria looked at the man seductively as she clinked sses with


    him.


    Jonathan, in turn, was fascinated by her beauty. He couldn''t stop smiling at her. "Okay, okay. Maria,


    then. What a beautiful name! Let''s have a toast!"


    "Mr. Jiang, if I hadn''t known it before, I wouldn''t have guessed that you have a grown-up son like


    Kent. How did you manage to take such good care of yourself? You look about the same age as


    James!"


    ''James?'' Jonathan was ttered by herment. Although he was in his fifties, Maria had just


    compared him to a man who was twenty years his junior. Regardless whether she meant it or not,


    he really appreciated hearing that.


    After a while, Maria got close to Jonathan and suggested, "Mr. Jiang, there are many people here.


    How about we take this conversation somewhere else?"


    Promptly understanding what she was implying, Jonathan boldly put his hand on her waist and


    asked, "Should I pick where we go?"


    Maria agreed, "Okay, but make sure Mr. Zheng doesn''t know it. I didn''t tell him I came to see you."


    "No problem. Just a minute." Jonathan released her and sent a message to his secretary.


    It didn''t take long for the two of them to leave the restaurant and get into their respective cars as


    they headed the same way.


    In the vehicle, Maria dialed a number. When the call was connected, she said coldly, "I''m going to


    the hotel now. Post that thing online. Ensure it reaches as many people as possible."


    "Yes, ma''am."


    Jonathan was the first to arrive at the hotel room his secretary booked for him.


    As soon as Maria rang the doorbell, he hurriedly dragged the woman inside and pressed her


    against the door. When he was about to lean for a kiss, Maria pushed the man away and said, "Mr.


    Jiang, I''m sorry. I''m a neat freak. Would you mind taking a shower now? Or shall I go first?"


    "Well, how about we take a shower together?"


    The smile on Maria''s face remained intact as she said, "Sure!"


    At that very second, Maria''s phone rang. She quickly fumbled for it in her bag and swiped to


    answer. "Hello, it¡¯s me. What did you say?"


    Jonathan saw as her smile vanished, giving way to an anxious and then tearful expression.


    Once she finally hung up the phone, Maria started to cry copiously.


    The man''s heart sank. Sitting down beside her, he asked softly, "What''s wrong, Maria?"


    The woman stood up and said, "I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Jiang. I have to leave now."


    He was shocked to see his prey about to flee. After a long time lusting for Maria''s beauty and


    intelligence, Jonathan wouldn''t allow her to escape that easily. "Calm down. Tell me, what


    happened?"


    She bit her lower lip, hesitating to say anything.


    Anxious, Jonathan insisted, "Tell me, and I''ll help you!"


    "Here is the thing. I just started apany, right? James invested eighty million dors in it.


    Lawrence twenty million, and Colby promised to invest fifty million. The day before yesterday, Colby


    gave me thirty million, but the rest of the money hasn''t been transferred to my ount yet.


    Unfortunately, the most important project of thepany depends on this amount to be carried out.


    I don''t know what to do!" Maria exined in tears.


    Jonathan held his breath.


    It was, after all, twenty million dors. Not two million.


    He wouldn''t hesitate to give Maria two million just to have a one-night stand with her.


    But the problem was that now she needed ten times that sum. He had to think it over.


    Maria studied the man''s expression discreetly. Noticing his hesitation, she took her handbag and


    walked towards the door. "Colby is abroad now. It will be toote if I wait for him toe back. I''ll


    go find Lawrence. Mr. Jiang, we''ll have to hang out some other time!"

 Chapter 176 Marias Secret

    Chapter 176 Maria''s Secret


    "Wait a minute!" Seeing that Maria was about to leave, Jonathan really didn''t want to let go of this


    opportunity. "Maria, let''s give Colby more time. Put the ball in his court."


    "I can''t wait. The project needs guaranteed capital before we can even think ofunching it, Mr.


    Jiang." Maria had an idea. She looked at Jonathan. "Maybe I could borrow twenty million dors


    from you?"


    The man remained silent.


    Maria sneered in her heart and pretended to be sincere. "All you have to do is loan it to me and I''ll


    pay it back when I can. You know me. You know where I live. What are you afraid of?"


    Jonathan had to admit she made sense. What was there to be afraid of?


    Her obvious physical charms brought him around. He pulled out his phone and called his secretary.


    "I need you to transfer twenty million to this ount number." Then he rattled off a sequence of


    numbers. "I need it done ASAP."


    After hanging up the phone, he saw Maria on her phone, engrossed in conversation. "I met a nice


    man who has the twenty mil... That''s right, I won''t be back tonight. You can go there with the money.


    Don''t worry. Everything''s all set up."


    Jonathan eavesdropped on her conversation. He remembered only one sentence-"! won''t be back


    tonight."


    After a while, Maria put her phone on mute and whispered to Jonathan, "Mr. Jiang, have you


    transferred the money?"


    Jonathan took a look at his phone and found that his secretary had sent him the receipt, along with


    the message saying, "Mr. Jiang, it''s done."


    He showed the message to Maria.


    Maria smiled at him gratefully, and then got back to her call. "Hurry up and funnel that money into


    the project. Leave me out of it for now. You can handle this on your own."


    After the phone call, Jonathan couldn''t wait any longer and grabbed Maria''s hand. He said,


    "Showering is a waste of time. Let''s go to the bathroom after we''re done."


    Maria almost threw up when she saw the obscene look on Jonathan''s face.


    Jonathan was usually serious in public, but he dropped all his self-respect when he was face-to-


    face with a beautiful woman.


    "Okay! Well shower togetherter!" The two walked towards the bed together.


    ''One. Two. Three,'' Maria counted inwardly while walking.


    A tone rang out. It was from Jonathan''s phone this time.


    Jonathan did his best to ignore it, but his phone kept ringing, so he had to let go of Maria''s hand. He


    pulled out his phone and looked at the caller ID. Then he swiped the answer key irritably and said in


    an unfriendly tone, "What now?"


    "Bad news, Mr. Jiang!"


    "What is it? Spit it out!" Jonathan''s face changed dramatically.


    "The video of hundreds of people defending their rights in the sales department has been uploaded


    to social media, and things are out of control. It''s gone viral. All the members of the board of


    directors are at thepany now. They need you to preside over the meeting."


    This kind of scandal needed to be handled as soon as possible. It could tank their stocks, and take


    thepany with it. It had to be dealt with quickly and carefully.


    After hanging up the phone, Jonathan nced at the woman sitting on the bed. He wanted to say


    something, but thought better of it.


    Maria pretended that she didn''t know what was going on. "Come on, Mr. Jiang," she said in a


    teasing tone.


    "No! There''s an emergency at work. I have to go."


    "Mr. Jiang, don''t go please!" Maria stood up and threw her arms around him, pretending to be upset.


    "Don''t leave me alone here."


    "Honey, things fell apart at work. I have to go there and help! I''ll be back soon."


    "Well, I''ll wait for you here!" Maria had to let go of him.


    "Okay. Bye." Jonathan wasn''t in the mood to say anything more. He left the hotel in a hurry.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Maria was alone in the room. She went to the bathroom and carefully washed her hands with hand


    sanitizer.


    After wiping her hands with a small towel, she dialed a number and asked, "Has the money been


    transferred?"


    "Yes, Ms. Song.¡±


    "Okay, thanks."


    Jonathan was tied up until 3 a.m. He rushed straight back to the hotel room, but there was no one


    there.


    Looking at the empty room, he wondered if he had been deceived.


    In the next few days, Maria didn''t go anywhere. She stayed at Fairview Vi, as James'' ce was


    the safest.


    She knew that she couldn''t hide forever, but she was safe for the moment.


    Hiding in the vi was not enough. She hesitated for a long time and finally sent a message to


    James. "Do you want to do it?"


    A few minutester, she sent the second message: "Sorry, I was too impulsive. Are you there?"


    James was speechless. He threw his phone aside and ignored her.


    But it didn''t work. Maria went so far as to call him. "Don''t you want to hear my apology? I''ve calmed


    down and thought for a while. It''s all my fault. I want to apologize to you."


    "No need." The man refused coldly.


    "Are you hungry? I''m cooking tonight. Drop by for dinner?"


    "You put poison on your lips first. Then, you used ck fungus to poison me. What''s going to


    happen this time?"


    "Still holding a grudge, I see. I swear I won''t do anything this time. I just want to apologize to you.


    Trust me!"


    Of course James wasn''t about to trust her. He hung up on her.


    Since he didn''t say yes, Maria wouldn''t give up. She kept sending him messages for the next three


    days.


    She even unblocked his WeChat ount and sent him pictures of the dishes she cooked every day.


    James didn''t really care.


    On the fourth day, Maria sent him a message. "I had been looking forward to making you a meal


    before we divorced. Now we''re back where we started. I''ve been missing you day and night. I made


    the same mistake again."


    On the fifth day, she sent another message. "I know I was wrong. I was wrong because I was so


    ignorant and naive when I married you back then. I was wrong to fall in love with you so deeply. I


    was wrong to return to the city..."


    Staring at the message, James didn''t know what to think. But he didn''t text her back.


    Since James stayed away from Fairview Vi, Maria wouldn''t leave. If she had herptop along, she


    could work from anywhere.


    On the tenth day, Maria had juste out of the guest room, and to her surprise, there was a man


    standing there, waiting for her.


    Thinking of what she had just done, she quickly closed the door behind her and blurted out, "Why


    are you here?"


    The man noticed the strange look. It was almost if she were hiding another man here in the vi. He


    asked indifferently, "What were you doing?"


    Why was she so surprised to see him? Didn''t she always send him messages asking him toe


    over?


    "Nothing. Have you had dinner yet? Let''s go. I''ll cook for you!" The woman came over, held the


    man''s arm with a smile and tried to escort him downstairs.


    Instead of following her, James was about to push the door behind her open.


    Maria was anxious and held his hand. "There''s nothing in the room!" She couldn''t let him discover it.


    She was trying to lead him away. It was so embarrassing.


    The more flustered she was, the more suspicious James was. With a gloomy face, he pushed the


    door open anyway.


    But he wasn''t prepared for the sight that met his eyes. How could he be?


    In the spacious guest room, there was a huge bed upied by more than a dozen cute dolls. There


    were also more dolls arranged on the rug.


    There were several ss showcases on the table next to them. There were many small dolls in


    those as well. About a hundred of them were neatly arranged.


    Silently, he cast his gaze around the room. Wherever he looked, there were dolls.


    He nced at her, raising his chin towards the dolls. "That''s it?" he asked.


    The woman didn''t say anything, but she did blush.

 Chapter 177 Her Purpose

    Chapter 177 Her Purpose


    People said that every woman was a young girl deep inside no despite her age, and Maria was not


    an exception. However, she didn''t dare to expose this side of her. After all, she was almost thirty


    years old.


    The dolls were all limited editions that she brought back from France.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    There were also those little dolls in the showcases that belonged to the Princes Khaki series. Ethan


    was to be med on this one. Because if he hadn''t given Maria a blind box from the Khaki series


    last time, she wouldn''t get hooked into it.


    Consequently, she bought hundreds of blind boxes, which cost her millions of dors. But when she


    opened all of them, she wasn''t able to find any hidden edition again.


    James was at a loss. Putting his hands in his pockets, he didn''t know whether tough or to cry.


    Indeed, one could really not judge a person by physical appearance.


    It was almost incredible that the seemingly strong Maria had such a childish and adorable side.


    When Maria saw the amusement in James'' eyes, she flushed and pushed him out of the room. "Get


    out! Go!" If she had known it earlier, she wouldn''t have left all the dolls here. But she didn''t expect


    that James would suddenlye back and catch her in the guest room.


    The gloom in James'' heart these past few days disappeared because of this small incident.


    Instead of going out of the room, he turned around and grabbed Maria''s hand. "I''m hungry." "So?


    You can keep up being hungry then," Maria said crossly before closing the door.


    James'' eyes darkened at once. "Don''t you have something to ask from me?"


    Maria gaped. ''How does he know? Was I acting too obviously?''


    Unwilling to admit it easily, she opened the door, walked past him, and went downstairs. "I can only


    cook noodles. Nothing else," she said.


    "That''s all right," James replied from behind.


    Maria walked to the kitchen without saying anything.


    She made him a bowl of noodles with chicken and mushrooms and two poached eggs on top.


    James sat at the dining table and ate in silence.


    Maria cleaned up the kitchen first before sitting opposite him. She rested her elbows on the table


    and cupped her chin in her hands, watching him eating elegantly. From the way he looked, it


    seemed that he wasn''t eating noodles, but a pleasing top-notch meal.


    "Speak up if you have something to say," James said without raising his head.


    Maria blinked. "It''s getting cold in here. Let''s talk about it in my bed."


    James paused for a while upon hearing her words. But he said nothing.


    With her chin still resting in her hands, Maria asked with a ttering smile, "James, which do you


    prefer, every first of the month or end of the month?"


    James then realized that she was flirting with him. This time, he looked her in the eye and


    answered, "Neither. I prefer every day."


    Maria was rendered speechless. She wanted to give him a thumbs-up sign. He was indeed


    experienced in this aspect.


    But what she didn''t know was, he was wondering why she suddenly behaved like this. He was


    thinking about what could be her purpose.


    Maria was neither cold nor warm to James before. But all of a sudden, she became so passionate,


    throwing all kinds of sweet words to him. Who was she plotting against this time? "I''m giving you


    onest chance. If you miss it, you won''t have another chance," he said impatiently.


    "All right. All right." Maria stood up. "Take your time. I''m going to take a shower first." She then went


    upstairs without waiting for James to answer.


    Only in bed could she feel a bit confident.


    James continued eating his noodles silently.


    When he went upstairs, Maria had note out of the bathroom yet.


    He stood on the balcony and lit a cigarette while reading Alina''s message on WeChat. "James, are


    you busy now?"


    "Yes," he replied.


    "Okay. I won''t disturb you then."


    James didn''t reply anymore. He suddenly thought of something, so he called the general manager


    of HL Group. "Give me an estimate of how much loss HL Group and Tang Group will suffer if we


    terminate the contract of the current project with them. If the loss is too high, find the nearest


    termination time that''s eptable to HL Group."


    If the project was terminated, he would be responsible for the losses of bothpanies. The


    premise was to minimize the losses.


    The general manager couldn''t help asking, "Mr. Xi, the project has just started. What are you


    nning to do?"


    James looked in the direction of the bathroom and answered, "Nothing. Just do what I say."


    "Okay, Mr. Xi. I get it."


    James had his own ns and schemes. But he had never expected that he would cross paths with


    Maria again.


    Now, it seemed like he only had two options. He could either break up with Maria totally or cut ties


    with Tang Group.


    Maria was not that easy to deal with because he knew that she wouldn''t give up on him. So he


    could only start from Alina.


    When Maria, who didn''t know anything, came out of the bathroom, the manager of HL Group called


    James back. "Go ahead,¡± he said after pressing the answer button.


    "Mr. Xi, I asked the factory just now. We need to wait for at least half a year before we can terminate


    the project. If we terminate it right now, all the investment and efforts we have spent in the early


    stage will be in vain. I''m afraid that we even need to pay double for thepensation."


    The twopanies had invested over ten billion dors in the early stage, and HL Group ounted


    for the majority. If they broke the contract before they withdrew their funds, they would lose at least


    twenty billion dors.


    On the other hand, if the contract continued, bothpanies could gain over ten billion dors


    profit.


    James fell silent for a moment. The estimation of the factory was the same as he had thought. After


    a while, he said, "I see. Stop the estimation, then. Continue the project."


    ''James, you can''t be so selfish to let HL Group suffer such a big loss because of a woman,'' he


    warned himself inwardly.


    "Okay, Mr. Xi." Obviously, the general manager breathed a sigh of relief.


    Maria was already in her pajamas and leaning against the headboard. When she saw that James


    put away his phone, she said coquettishly, "Hey, honey,e here. Let''s have some fun!"


    James turned around and stared at her for a few seconds before he made a move.


    Maria was confused by theplicated emotions in his eyes. "Why are you looking at me like that?"


    she asked.


    "What can I do for you this time? Just tell me." James was not in the mood to y with her right


    now.


    Seeing the stern look on his face, Maria stopped teasing him. She crossed her arms across her


    chest and answered earnestly, "There is and in the south of the city. Can you show some interest


    in it?"


    James remained silent, so she added, "You don''t need to buy it. Just pretend that you''re interested


    in it." It was really unfair. James had the ability to drive the economy of H City with just a little


    performance.


    "Location." He couldn''t just do whatever she told him to do. He had to ask someone to investigate


    first.


    "The one near the orphanage."


    There was no need to investigate. James knew thatnd, too, and he had already asked his men to


    look at it.


    It was actually a problematic piece ofnd, and the soil quality was not suitable for building houses.


    "Let me think about it." He had a hunch that Maria had a dangerous idea behind this.


    ''How cunning he is!'' she thought. Since James didn''t give her a definite answer, Maria thought that


    she hadn''t done enough. With this, she walked over to him, held his waist, and said, "Didn''t you


    want me to apologize to you? If you agree, I will apologize to you. Is that okay?"


    The familiar scent of tuberose tickled his nose. And because of what she did, James, who was not


    in the mood, was gradually aroused.


    He pressed Maria against the wall behind her and clung to her tightly. His hoarse voice rang in her


    ears. "It will depend on your performance."


    Maria rolled her eyes secretly. She knew what he meant. She had to serve him well in bed and


    make him happy.


    Well, if she wanted her n to work, she had to do her best.


    After all, she didn''t have any bargaining chips in front of James. Maria didn''t mind using her beauty


    and charm as long as she could achieve her goal.


    Maria took the initiative the entire time. It was already midnight when James finally let go of her. She


    was almost dying while he was panting heavily.


    He was right that her n was not simple this time. Otherwise, how could she give in to him so


    easily?


    James had an important meeting the next morning. So after taking a shower, he went to the


    company as usual, leaving Maria alone in Fairview Vi.


    With James'' backing, Maria, who had stayed in Fairview Vi for more than ten days, was finally


    willing to step out of his territory.


    Jonathan had been looking for Maria recently. He even sent some people to know her whereabouts.


    When they finally saw her appear at the door of Miracle Cafe, they immediately called Jonathan to


    inform him.

 Chapter 178 An Advanced Hypocritical Woman

    Chapter 178 An Advanced Hypocritical Woman


    Maria had already known that Jonathan''s men were watching her in the coffee shop. But she didn''t


    mind it that much. She just worked busily as usual.


    When she was on break, she opened Weibo and logged in to her dummy ount-"Someone


    James Longs For.


    She then uploaded two photos and captioned, "I ran into James Xi. He is really handsome!" She


    also tagged the location of her coffee shop before finally pressing the post button.


    Afterward, Maria asked some people to follow up, share her post on major social tforms, and


    bought a hot search with the keywords e across James Xi."


    James had always been mysterious. Since he took over the position as CEO of HL Group, he had


    only epted an interview from a financial magazine once. There were also no photos of him


    attending any events.


    Shortly, the pictures of him drinking coffee on Weibo caused a sensation on the Inte.


    And since Maria bought a hot search, the keywords e across James Xi" and other relevant


    tags ranked first on Weibo topics pretty soon. It was followed by the words "explosive news."


    Netizens were all screaming in thement section. Almost all of them were impressed by James''


    handsome face.


    James had no idea what was going on online until Lorenzo told him. Obviously, the photos were


    secretly taken from the bar counter of Miracle Cafe. It was not hard to guess who had taken those


    photos.


    He was about to tell Lorenzo to deal with it when he received a message from the perpetrator. "Mr.


    Xi, would you like toe for a cup of coffee? It''s for free!"


    He sneered and replied, "I''m busy."


    "It''s okay. You can always bring your clients here anytime. I''ve reserved a private room only for


    you."


    James snorted. Did she intend to use him to advertise her cafe? "You have ten minutes to delete


    the post," he replied.


    "Oh, no! We are friends, aren''t we? I''ll remove it, but let''s wait a little longer, okay? Muah!"


    Standing next to James, Lorenzo noticed that James had not said anything for a long time, so he


    asked tentatively, "Mr. Xi, shall I let someone deal with it?"


    "No need. Someone will handle itter," James replied with a straight face.


    "Okay, Mr. Xi."


    In just a matter of two days, the coffee shop was full of people. They came not only to buy drinks but


    also to try their luck toe across James.


    Of course, most of them were women ranging from thirteen years old to eighty.


    Needless to say, Miracle Cafe gained in poprity as more and more people saw the post.


    Everyone in the coffee shop was busy. They felt like they had returned to the days when James


    ordered coffee for his employees in HL Group.


    Maria''s operation had also attracted the attention of many TV stations. They even began to make


    appointments with her to discuss cooperation and renting her coffee shop to shoot their variety


    shows.


    However, Maria refused for the time being. She wanted to stabilize the customer base first before


    she started to develop another business.


    Alina was having some facial treatment in a beauty salon when she saw the hot search topic while


    browsing Weibo.


    She had been to Miracle Cafe several times, so she knew that James'' photos were taken there.


    But since he warned herst time, she had never gone back to that coffee shop.


    Soon, she saw many live streamers currently taking their videos in Miracle Cafe. They were all


    saying that the business of the coffee shop was doing really good. Although they didn''t see James,


    they were still under the illusion that they mighte across him. After all, hispany was just


    right across the coffee shop.


    By chance, Alina heard one live streamer introduced Maria, who was busy at the bar counter. "One


    special thing about this coffee shop is that it has a very beautiful manager. I''ll change the camera to


    focus on her so everyone can see. I heard that her surname is Song. She is so beautiful, isn''t she?"


    Looking at Maria, who was smiling sweetly in front of the camera, Alina clenched her teeth. Why


    could Maria take advantage of James to rise to fame while she, who was his fiancee, was still


    unknown?


    She took off the facial mask on her face and ordered the cosmetician, "Apply the skincare products


    on me now. I''m leaving."


    "Okay, Ms. Tang."


    After her beauty treatments, Alina left the beauty salon and went straight to Miracle Cafe. Indeed, it


    was as crowded as it was shown in the video.


    Fortunately, she had asked someone to book a seat for her in advance. So when she arrived, she


    went straight to the prime spot of the coffee shop.


    Seeing her, Maria put down her work, took the menu next to her, and walked towards Alina. "I have


    been wondering who could have booked this seat. Turns out it''s you, Ms. Tang."


    She put the menu in front of Alina and said, "Please check our menu and see what you can drink


    today."


    Alina gave her an unprecedented smile and ordered her drink without even looking through the


    menu. "Thank you. Cafe Americano, please."


    Maria stopped one waitress passing by and said, "Make a cup of Cafe Americano for Ms. Tang,


    please."


    "Okay, Maria," the waitress replied with a smile.


    Maria then sat opposite Alina and asked, "Ms. Tang, what are you doing here?" She had a hunch


    that Alina came here with ill intention.


    Alina didn''t answer Maria''s question. Instead, she took out her phone and made a call while looking


    at Maria.


    Maria was confused for a moment. Then she heard Alina say on the phone, "James, I''m at the


    coffee shop across HL Group building now. I already know what to do with the bidding case of Tang


    Groupst time, but I still don''t understand a few things. Can youe and see me for a moment?"


    Alina was asking James to see her in Miracle Cafe. As Maria nced at the customersing in


    and out of the coffee shop, she could already tell what Alina was trying to do.


    She waited for Alina to hang up before she started chatting. "Alina, have you ever seen a manor


    covering an area of hundreds of thousands of square meters? It''s actually next to a natural forest


    oxygen bar, and it has more than eighty rooms. There is also a private stable where six Ferghana


    horses and two purebred horses are kept."


    The smile on Alina''s face gradually disappeared as she kept on reechoing Maria''s words in her


    mind. She couldn''t help wondering if Maria was referring to James '' manor in the east of the city.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    "You can also see some pure gold wine goblets there. It''s a kind of goblet wherein the body is made


    of ss while the bottom is pure gold. Then there are three golden dragons holding the body of the


    ss. To be honest, it''s my first time to see such luxurious items. Not to mention the wine cer, the


    library, the cinema, and the art collection. The manor is way too luxurious!"


    Normally, Alina would have been furious when she heard that Maria had entered James'' private


    manor.


    But surprisingly, today, she didn''t. Instead, she smiled and answered Maria, "Maybe I haven''t seen it


    for now. But it doesn''t matter. Soon, I will be the hostess of that manor you''ve mentioned just now."


    Her answer and reaction made Maria look at her with new eyes. It seemed that Alina had be


    an advanced hypocritical woman under the guidance of an expert.


    "Well, I am looking forward to it."


    Of course, Maria wouldn''t admit defeat.


    Without showing any sign of embarrassment, she stood up and left Alina''s table gracefully.


    But when Alina couldn''t see her anymore, her face instantly darkened.


    ''Damn you, James Xi!''


    The reason why Alina had asked James toe over was that she wanted to show off. Since there


    were so many customers in the coffee shop right now, she wanted all of them to know that she was


    the soon-to-be Mrs. Xi.


    The more Maria thought about it, the angrier she became. She went back to the bar counter and


    took off the ck apron she was wearing. She then picked up her handbag and strode out of the


    coffee shop.


    Maria went straight to HL Group across the street.


    James was a regr customer of Miracle Care, so Maria had gotten acquainted with the security


    guards of HL Group. Hence, she entered the building easily.


    When she passed by the special assistants'' area, neither Summer nor Lorenzo was there. She only


    saw a few assistants working. Seeing Mariae out of the elevator, they didn''t stop her. They just


    greeted her and let her in.


    She was walking towards James'' office when the door opened, and he walked out while talking with


    someone on the phone.


    Maria walked over to him expressionlessly, raised the handbag in her hand, and smashed it on him.

 Chapter 179 Farewell Gift

    Chapter 179 Farewell Gift


    James gaped at her. He wondered what was wrong with Maria this time. Although he blocked her


    attack with his elbow, she managed to throw two other blows his way.


    The woman kept hitting him with her handbag several times before stopping. When she did, she still


    red at him as he answered the phone.


    James ended the call as soon as possible. However, before he could say anything, Maria shouted,


    "Who told you to get engaged to that woman? Did you know I had to hear her brag that she''s going


    to be the hostess of your manor?"


    James was surprised to learn the reason behind Maria''s fit of anger. Knowing exactly who she


    referred to as "that woman", he said lightly, "I didn''t expect you to be so pissed off by Alina."


    Indeed, it didn''t happen very often.


    Maria red at him fiercely. "It''s all your fault! She is in my coffee shop now. You''re not allowed to


    go there!"


    The man looked displeased to hear that. "Maria Song, it''s none of your business where I go."


    Maybe he had really been too nice to her recently. Now she thought she could control his


    whereabouts.


    Maria was shocked by his attitude. Taking a deep breath, she asked, "Won''t you listen to me, then?"


    "She wants to talk business with me."


    "What fucking business? All she wants is to meet you in public and show off how in love you are


    with each other while my cafe is full of customers!"


    "Maria Song!" he warned her.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    James didn''t like to hear the woman swearing.


    "Fine, you''re right." Maria suddenly calmed down, but her eyes didn''t hide the fact that she had


    broken heart. "She''s your fiancee, and I''m just an ex-wife who you have sex with from time to time. I


    don''t even have a ce in your heart, so how can I have a say in where you go?"


    James'' attitude towards her made her realize that she had been acting too arrogantly in front of him


    lately.


    Seeing her disappointment, the man''s heart tightened. He wanted to say something tofort her,


    but Maria didn''t give him a chance. Carrying her handbag, she turned to leave.


    James watched her walk out of his office, speechless.


    After leaving HL Group, Maria didn''t go back to the coffee shop. She was in no mood to watch her


    ex-husband and cousin showing off their love.


    In the meantime, Alina had been waiting in the coffee shop for over ten minutes, yet James never


    showed up. Instead, he called her. "I''m sorry, an important partner came to see me in the office. I


    can''t leave now. I''ll ask Lorenzo to deal with the project."


    Alina inhaled and looked at the bar counter unconsciously. She didn''t know when it happened, but


    Maria was gone.


    She wondered if the woman had left to see James. Could it be that she persuaded him not toe


    over?


    At the thought of this, Alina clenched her phone, trying her best to remain calm. Next, she said, "It''s


    okay. Let''s talk about it another day. I happen to have something to take care of as well." "Okay," he


    said before hanging up. Alina nced at the cup of coffee, which she had only taken a sip of, and


    then at the strangers taking pictures of the coffee shop. Suddenly, she felt like a fool.


    How could she have thought James woulde as soon as she called him?


    He was a shrewd businessman. He didn''t love her. The only reason he got engaged to her was that


    he wanted to bring Tang Group back to life while making billions of dors as its partner.


    Alinaughed, mocking herself. She wondered if Maria used to wait for James to return home like


    this every day when they were married. And yet Maria got nothing in return.


    James was a heartless man and he wouldn''t love anyone. Therefore, anyone who fell in love with


    him was destined for a lifetime of sorrow.


    By the time Maria returned to the hotel, she received a call from Lawrence. "Hey, Maria. I''m leaving


    in the next two days. I''ll have dinner with James and Ethan tonight. Would you like to join us?"


    "Okay. Shall I bring a bottle of wine or something?"


    "No, thanks. James has everything under control. Juste here. I''ll send you the addresster."


    "Alright."


    The gathering was meant to be a send-off. Every time Lawrence went on a mission, he would leave


    for a month or two at least. After giving it some thought, Maria got changed and went out to buy him


    a farewell gift.


    The banquet was held in a high-end club. Lawrence didn''t invite anyone else, so only the four of


    them attended.


    As Maria was thest one to arrive, the three men had already started drinking.


    Walking into the private room, she handed Lawrence his farewell gift and said helplessly, "It''s quite


    difficult to pick a gift for someone who was born in a wealthy family. You have everything! After


    spending a whole afternoon looking for something, I decided to buy you a pair of deerskin gloves.


    The saleswoman told me they were thetest. Inside they''re made of silk lining. I thought it sounded


    fancy. Try them on."


    Lawrence took the gift and said, "Thank you!" Pulling out the gift box from the paper bag, he opened


    it and showed everyone the gloves.


    Ethan asked, "Maria, when I go abroad next time, will you give me a gift too? I''m the only one who


    hasn''t got any gifts from you."


    Maria smiled at him. "Of course. Just tell me in advance when you are leaving!"


    Ethan mumbled wistfully, "I''ve juste back from France. I don''t think I''m going anywhere anytime


    soon."


    "France? When did you go there?" Maria asked casually.


    At that moment, James, who had been silent this whole time, ordered, "Ethan, go get a bottle of red


    wine."


    The other three people''s gazes fell on the bottle of red wine in the middle of the table at the same


    time. Confused, Ethan said, "There''s already one here."


    "It''s not enough for all of us," James replied calmly.


    Ethan thought he was nning to drink a lot with Lawrence, so he didn''t argue anymore. Standing


    up, he nodded. "Okay!"


    As he left, the conversation between him and Maria ended naturally.


    Lawrence took out the pair of gloves from the gift box and put them on. They fit perfectly. "Don''t you


    think it''s a bit early to buy me gloves, though?"


    There were still a couple of months before winter came. Also, the gloves seemed a little thick for


    Lawrence to wear them while on a mission.


    Maria brought a hand to her head and said helplessly, "As I said, you''re wealthy. You have


    everything. I really didn''t know what to buy, so don''t make this even more difficult than it already is


    for me. Anyway, you don''t have to wear them now. Wait a month or two.¡±


    With a faint smile, Lawrence nced at the man sitting next to him and said, "Sure. I will."


    Maria served herself with some of the cold dishes on the table and asked, "Will you be back for New


    Year''s Day?"


    "I don''t think so. I rarelye back for the holiday." In the past ten years, Lawrence had spent New


    Year''s Day only once at home.


    Maria nodded and continued to eat in silence.


    Soon, Ethan came back with a bottle of red wine in his hand. After putting it on the table, he turned


    to James. "Is this wine of your taste?"


    The man took the bottle and looked at it carefully beforementing, "More or less."


    Ethan nodded. "Thest bottle of good wine they had was already with us. How about I ask


    somebody to get another one from my ce?"


    "No, thanks. This will do." James put the bottle back on the table, facing Ethan again.


    Ethan pushed it aside, not ready to open it yet.


    Turning to Maria, he resumed their chat. "Maria, as we were talking..." "Ethan, ask them to serve the


    hot dishes now," James interrupted them again.


    Ethan scratched his head in confusion. ''Does James take me for a waiter?''

 Chapter 180 What Are You Making A Fuss For

    Chapter 180 What Are You Making A Fuss For


    Ethan pressed the service bell, and when the waiter came, he said, "Serve the hot dishes, please."


    "Yes, Mr. Nan. Please wait a moment," replied the waiter courteously.


    Ethan then turned to Maria. "Maria, I..."


    But before he could even say something, James interrupted him. "Ethan." For the third time, James


    called his name in a voice that sounded like a devil.


    Ethan almost went bananas. "James, what are you doing? Isn''t there a waiter to call? I just want to


    have a chat with Maria," heined.


    James looked at him and asked, "How are your credit cards?"


    At the mention of this, Ethan told James, "There''s still one frozen. Do you want to unfreeze it for


    me?"


    "Okay."


    Ethan looked back at Maria excitedly. He wanted to share his joy with her.


    But much to his surprise, Maria picked up a piece of fried fish with the serving chopsticks and


    stuffed it into his mouth when he was about to say something. She then said, "Have a taste. It''s


    delicious."


    ''Ethan is so naive. He can''t tell that James doesn''t want us to talk right now,'' she thought to herself,


    amused.


    She had to stuff Ethan''s mouth with something to stop him from bbering before James tortured


    him.


    However, she didn''t expect that what she did would darken James'' expression at once.


    Lawrence, who was watching them quietly, noticed the sudden change in James'' expression. So he


    prayed for Ethan secretly.


    Ethan wanted to thank Maria. But as soon as he opened his mouth again, Maria picked up a piece


    of mushroom and put it into his mouth. "I don''t want to talk to you for the time being,¡± she said.


    He had no other choice but to chew silently. He started to wonder if he had offended Maria by any


    chance.


    James nced nkly at Ethan, who was still chewing the mushroom, and decided to teach him a


    lesson in the future.


    Holding back hisughter, Lawrence stood up and poured a ss of wine for Ethan. He then picked


    up his own ss and clinked sses with him. "Come on, let''s drink."


    Ethan was so touched that he swallowed the food in his mouth right away. "Oh, Lawrence, you love


    me the most. Come on, let''s drink cross-cupped wine and ignore them."


    Lawrence got disgusted with him in an instant. "Stay away from me!" He regretted that he cared and


    talked with Ethan.


    Maria chuckled slightly. She put down her chopsticks and said jokingly, "I haven''t seen anyone


    drinking crosscupped wine. Can you guys show it to me?"


    "Do you really want to see it?" Ethan asked.


    Maria nodded with a smile.


    "Well, I want to see it too. Why don''t you and James drink cross-cupped wine, so we can all see?"


    Maria was rendered speechless. She didn''t expect that Ethan would say those words, so she said


    hastily, "Well, I''m not interested to see it anymore."


    She then continued eating, pretending that she had said nothing.


    Lawrence''s gaze swept James and Maria. Finally, he confirmed that they were at odds.


    But since neither of them showed any signs of guilt or anger, he couldn''t tell who had caused the


    problem.


    The dinner of the four went on smoothly. When they finished eating, they walked out of the club


    together.


    Maria walked with Lawrence behind Ethan and James. She said to him in a low voice, "I forgot to


    ask you. What did you mean by saying that I confessed to Jamesst time?" It was true that she


    confessed her love to James verbally all day long. But she wondered how Lawrence knew.


    Lawrence felt that it seemed meaningless to tell Maria the truth now. After all, that message was


    sent by James himself. If Maria, who was a proud woman, knew that James had made such a


    move, she would probably make a fuss. So he just said, "Nothing. It''s over now."


    But Maria didn''t want to let it pass so easily. She tugged on his sleeve and said, "Tell me. Don''t


    worry. I won¡¯t get angry. I''m just curious."


    Ethan inadvertently saw what they were doing, so he turned around and asked, "Lawrence, Maria,


    what are you guys doing behind us?"


    Lawrence didn''t know what to say.


    Maria was not able to retort either.


    As expected, James also turned around. His gaze fell on Maria''s hand on Lawrence''s sleeve. A


    trace of darkness shed across his eyes.


    The temperature in the corridor dropped a few degrees in an instant.


    Maria was a little depressed. But on second thought, James'' reaction had nothing to do with her. It


    would be best if he got pissed off.


    Lawrence pulled back his sleeve. He wanted to leave the city safe and sound the next morning, so


    he walked over to Ethan and put his arm around Ethan''s shoulder. "What are we doing? Come on,


    let me show you what we are doing."


    "Hey, you are holding me too tight. Let go of me!" Ethan''s wailing echoed in the corridor while being


    forced by Lawrence to walk forward.


    Maria stayed behind and followed the three men out of the club quietly.


    At the entrance of the club, Ethan had already gotten into Lawrence''s car. Lawrence said to James,


    "James, Ethan and I are heading the same way, so I''ll drive him home. Please send Maria back."


    Maria didn''t know if she and James were going the same way, but James knew that they lived in


    totally different directions.


    She waved at Lawrence and said, "Don''t worry about me. Go home now. Good night!"


    "Call me if anything happens," Lawrence replied.


    "Bye, Maria,¡± Ethan said as he also waved at her.


    When Lawrence''s Mercedes-Benz drove away, Maria walked to the side of the road to hail a taxi


    back to her hotel.


    While watching her back, James'' expression darkened. "Stop!"


    Maria heard him, but she just ignored him. She didn''t want to talk to him, so she quickened her


    pace.


    At this moment, there was not even a single taxi on the road, so she had to walk forward.


    She had been walking for almost three minutes when a car stopped by the roadside. Maria nced


    at it from the corner of her eye, and found that it was James'' Harkim.


    James got out of the car and grabbed her hand forcibly before she could say anything. His voice


    was a little harsh. "What are you making a fuss for?"


    Was she making a fuss? And why was he shouting at her so angrily? If he didn''t want to see her, he


    should have just left. Why did he need to follow her? And he even got out of his car.


    Maria didn''t say a word. She only red at him, shook off his hand, and continued to walk forward.


    James strode to catch up with her and grabbed her hand again to stop her. He snapped, "Say


    something!"


    She turned around and looked at him angrily. "I don''t want to talk to you!"


    With a gloomy face, James grabbed her hand and dragged Maria towards his car. But she shook


    his hand off, turned around, and left.


    However, his next move was beyond her expectation.


    James lifted her up and carried her on his shoulder. "Ahhh!" she screamed.


    "James XI, what''s wrong with you? Put me down!" Her stomach was pressing hard on his shoulder,


    so she felt like she was about to throw up.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    James turned a deaf ear to her protest. He continued to carry her and walked towards his car. After


    opening the car door, he put her down and was about to push her in. Regardless of her churning


    stomach, Maria stood up and pulled the door handle, refusing to get in.


    James put his arms on the door beside her, held her in his arms, and said in a deep voice, "Don''t


    force me to do something to you."


    "Do whatever you like. But I won''t get in your car today."


    James frowned. He wanted to know why she was so angry at him. "Is it because Alina asked me to


    come to the coffee shop?"


    "What else do you think?" Maria admitted frankly.


    "Alina is my fiancee. Isn''t it only normal for me to meet her?"


    He said it right in front of her face that Alina was his fiancee. Maria felt so heartbroken that her eyes


    reddened in an instant. "It''s certainly normal. That¡¯s why I won''t bother you anymore. So Mr. Xi,


    please stop pestering me, okay?"


    James snorted. Was he the one pestering her? "I wonder who sent me the messages and asked me


    to go to Fairview Vi."


    James snorted.


    Maria looked at him and sneered. "Fine. It''s me who is always pestering you. So now, I won''t pester


    you any longer." As she spoke, a teardrop ran down her cheek.


    James fell silent upon seeing that tear. His jaw tightened in anger, but he did not let her go.


    - Author¡¯s note


    i ark cm f nrtrni


    w-


    Trantor: Jessie Chen

 Chapter 181 A Huge Sum Of Money

    Chapter 181 A Huge Sum Of Money


    At that moment, a little girl''s voice came from behind them. "Uncle, you made Aunt cry. You''re not


    good to her!"


    James and Maria turned at the same time and saw a little girl running out of nowhere with braided


    hair. She stared at them with her doe eyes.


    Maria looked quite wronged. Choking a sob, sheined, "Look! Even a child can see that you


    aren''t good to me. You mistreat me!"


    James was speechless. Seeing the aggrieved look on her face, his anger disappeared.


    The little girl''s mother rushed after her. She apologized to James and Maria as she dragged her


    daughter away.


    "Stop crying," James said awkwardly.


    "No! You aren''t good to me!" Maria kept weeping.


    James sighed helplessly. "What do you want?"


    Maria took a deep breath. Holding back her tears, she looked around. Finally, her gaze fell on the


    milk tea shop. It wasn''t far from where they were, but there was a waiting line. "I want to have my


    first cup of milk tea in autumn. Go and buy it for me to warm up my heart."


    She hadn''t had a single cup of milk tea the whole summer, let alone in autumn. She just wanted to


    see how sincere James was.


    ''A cup of milk tea will warm up her heart? I don''t think Einstein could understand a woman''s


    cravings,'' James thought.


    Looking at the milk tea shop nearby, James noticed that over a dozen people were waiting in line.


    With a slight frown, he asked, "How much is a cup of milk tea?"


    Since he never had milk tea before, and there was no such shop under HL Group, Maria picked a


    number of her own choice. "Five hundred and twenty-one dors." The pronunciation of the number


    sounded quite simr to "I love you" in Mandarin Chinese.


    James pulled the phone out of his jacket pocket and transferred 5,210,000 dors to her. Then he


    said, "The money has been transferred. Take it and buy it yourself.


    As she heard the message alert, Maria took out her phone and looked at it in astonishment.


    It wasn''t a big deal that James gave her the money, but he transferred millions of dors to her in


    the blink of an eye. He was indeed rich!


    Once again, Maria had her theory proved right. Wiring someone a big sum of money was a more


    effective way to make them happy than caring for her verbally.


    In any case, her broken heart was mended immediately.


    "Are you leaving or not?" the man asked again.


    Maria nodded decisively. "Sure."


    The two then got into the car together. Once the door was closed, the car started and roared away.


    It was not until James looked out of the window that he realized something important.


    There was no reason for him to treat Maria well.


    He was hasty to give in.


    He frowned, wondering if Maria had deliberately sent that cute little girl to soften him.


    "I want to go back to my hotel room," said Maria. She had things to deal with at night.


    James nced at her and replied, "No, let''s go to Fairview Vi."


    "I must go back to the hotel. I''m not in the mood tonight."


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    As their eyes met, it was clear neither of them wanted to give in. But in the end, James


    compromised and didn''t force her. After dropping her off at the hotel, James asked the driver to take


    him back to thepany.


    In her room, Maria spent the night working. It was quitete when she went to bed.


    Early the next morning, Lawrence left H City. James couldn''t help but feel at peace knowing this.


    Although he realized that Lawrence and Maria were in a fake rtionship before, he still didn''t like it


    one bit.


    In the vi


    Furious, Maria kicked James'' table and said, "Why are you so arrogant? You know what? It doesn''t


    matter because one day, I''ll make you kneel and admit you were defeated by me!"


    As he heard this, James answered listlessly, "I didn''t mean to be arrogant."


    "Well, then you''d better remember this conversation so it won''t happen again! Ha-ha!"


    The next moment, she woke upughing.


    Once she opened her eyes and saw the hotel room ceiling, Maria''s grin disappeared.


    Sitting up on the bed, she looked at her surroundings and exhaled in frustration.


    It turned out that she was dreaming just now. What a pity! Whenever she thought of how James


    apologized to her in the dream, she wished it could be true.


    Then Maria checked the time on her phone, and it was eight in the morning.


    From her dream, it could be said that she didn''t have a good night''s rest.


    However, despite feeling a bit tired, she didn''t go back to sleep. After she got up, she washed up


    and got dressed to go to the coffee shop.


    As the day ran smoothly, at noon, she took a nap on the sofa in the establishment''s private room.


    It was getting dark when Maria left the cafe with her handbag.


    Yet, before she could take two steps away from the ce, a man in a suit walked towards her.


    "Good evening, Ms. Song."


    Maria looked him up and down. She didn''t recognized the man.


    He exined politely, "I work for Mr. Jiang. He asked me to invite you to meet with him now."


    Apparently, Jonathan had made his move. It just cameter than she had expected.


    Maria nced at the queue of cars behind him and saw other men sitting in them. It seemed


    Jonathan was determined to take her away this time.


    Considering this, she answered with a smile, "Oh, Mr. Jiang? Okay, let''s go!"


    As Maria followed the man into one of the cars, she pulled out her phone and sent a message to


    someone. "Notify Jonathan''s wife. I''ll send you the location soon."


    Maria only found out where she was going to meet


    Jonathan once she arrived at a private club.


    Before getting inside, she sent another message with her location.


    In the club, Maria followed the man who apanied her there straight to the second floor.


    Coincidentally, she met a familiar face-ine.


    The woman was alone this time. She wore a suit and ck trousers while carrying a green


    handbag. Her face didn''t show any sort of emotion at first, but as soon as she saw Maria, her


    features hardened.


    Maria looked away as if she didn''t know ine.


    At this moment, Jonathan''s subordinate pushed open the door to a private room for Maria. ine


    took a few steps towards her in time to see a man standing inside with his back to them.


    ine looked at Maria again, even more disgusted.


    The next moment, mother and daughter brushed past each other as if they wereplete


    strangers. While one headed out of the club, the other stepped into the room.


    Maria put her handbag on the table and greeted the man with a smile. "Mr. Jiang, you''ve finally


    made time to see me!"


    Smoking a cigarette, Jonathan turned around and looked at her coldly. "Ms. Song, you came!''1


    Maria sit on the sofa, blinking innocently as she asked, "Why are you calling me Ms. Song? Mr.


    Jiang, please call me Maria."


    This time, Jonathan was more careful with the woman in front of him. He kept reminding himself


    that Maria was too cunning. He couldn''t let his guard down around her.


    Stubbing out the cigarette in the ashtray, he made his way towards her. He only stopped when he


    was close enough to touch her.


    He then raised her chin and looked into her almond-shaped eyes. "Maria? Okay. Could you please


    exin to me what happened at the hotelst time?"


    Maria felt her stomach churn. Taking the man¡¯s big palm away from her chin, she held his arm.


    "Why are you asking me this? I thought you weren''ting back.


    I didn''t dare to ask around about you for fear that your wife might find out. Mr. Jiang, I''m here with


    you now, right?"


    Jonathan would be a fool to believe this woman''s words again. He pressed her against the sofa and


    suggested with a nk face, "If that''s so, how about we do it right here right now?"


    "Right here?" Maria looked around. "I don''t think that''s a good idea. How about we get a room?"


    Jonathan sneered and asked, "What tricks are you ying this time?"


    -

 Chapter 182 I Think I Killed Someone

    Chapter 182 I Think I Killed Someone


    Maria resisted the impulse to p him and continued to smile. "I''m not ying any tricks. There''s no


    bed here. That could get ufortable.''''


    "Why do you need a bed? We could just do it right here."


    Maria pretended to be coy. "If you don¡¯t care, Mr. Jiang, neither do I. Could you hold on a sec? I just


    found out something that Mr. Zheng might be interested in. I need to let him know."


    She tried to buy time and knew what might catch Jonathan''s attention.


    And she was right. Jonathan knew about her rtionship with Colby, and figured it might be


    something rted to corporate espionage. He was definitely intrigued.


    Looking at the woman who pulled out her phone, he asked tentatively, "What kind of information?"


    Maria looked embarrassed. "Well...that''s private. I''m working for Mr. Zheng, and as a businessman


    you should appreciate discretion. And now, Mr. Jiang, if you''ll excuse me."


    The woman was a consummate actor, and thoroughly fooled Jonathan. "Look, I''m right here," he


    said. "Tell me what you know. If I like what I hear, I have another bank card here."


    At the mention of money, her eyes lit up. She answered quickly, "There''s a parcel ofnd in the


    south of the city. Mr. Zheng is interested, but he¡¯s not sure if he''ll buy it. I''ve looked into it for him.


    Turns out both Mr. Xi and Mr. Shen are interested in it, too."


    "In the south of the city? Where?"


    The fish had taken the bait!


    "It''s next to the orphanage. Next year, H City will focus on developing the south of the city. I think


    Mr. Zheng wants thend because it''s profitable. I don''t know anything else."


    Jonathan was happy. He didn''t need to know anything else. ''This woman is really something. She


    gets a snippet of news, and it involves a few majorpanies, 1 he thought to himself.


    But Jonathan didn''t trust her that much. He wrote down the address and ordered his secretary to


    look into it. He had more important things to do.


    He took out a bank card from his pocket and waved it in front of the woman. "If you can make me


    happy, there is two million in this card."


    ''Stingy!'' Maria cursed him inwardly. She smiled and wanted to grab the card, but Jonathan held it


    just out of reach. "What''s the hurry? Let''s have some fun."


    "Of course. But I need to call Mr. Zheng," she said. "Time is of the essence."


    Jonathan nodded in agreement. "Go ahead."


    If she really called Colby, then what she was saying was true.


    Maria moved a short distance away, and unlocked her phone. She opened her contact list, found a


    phone number, and dialed it. "Mr. Zheng, I''ve inquired about thend for you. I just had dinner with


    Mr. Shen yesterday, and he''s put in a bid already. So has Mr. Xi. I''ve heard that he will send


    someone to inspect the spot soon."


    What Jonathan didn''t hear was that the person on the other end of the line said, "They''ll be there in


    three minutes. Ms. Song, please buy more time."


    "You''re wee. I''ll follow up on it. I know you trust me."


    She spent more time on the phone mentioning this or that.


    Jonathan had made up his mind. He wouldn''t let Maria go no matter what.


    However, as soon as he jumped on top of her, pressing her body into the sofa, someone kicked the


    door open. A loud roar made the whole room tremble. "Jonathan Jiang!"


    Hearing the voice, Maria breathed a sigh of relief, Jonathan was so scared he left the sofa


    immediately.


    A strong-looking woman dressed in brand-name outfits with essories of gold and diamonds


    rushed into the room. Her lips were blood red.


    When she saw the man and the woman on the sofa, she was furious. Jonathan was standing


    between them. His wife rushed over to them and pulled him away.


    As soon as Jonathan saw his wife, he acted like a different person. "Honey, it''s not what it looks like.


    She hit on me. She even cheated me out of twenty mil. If you hadn''te along, who knows what


    would have happened?"


    Hearing the man throw her under the bus, Maria despised Jonathan even more.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    The woman believed her husband''s lies. She stalked forward, intending to p this woman and


    teach her a lesson.


    Jonathan''s wife might not be good at anything else, but she was good at catching her husband''s


    indiscretions and beating up potential paramours.


    Pak! She pped Maria in the face before she could react.


    "You''re pretty good at this for being so young. Bitch!"


    Then she picked up the liquor ss beside her and threw the contents into Maria''s face.


    The liquor dripped off Maria. She looked quite embarrassed. Jonathan''s wife felt a little better.


    But Maria wasn''t one to stay cowed. She grabbed the ss from her hand and smashed it into the


    other woman''s head.


    "Ah-" Jonathan''s wife''s screamed like a pig being ughtered. It echoed in the private room. It was


    so loud and shrill that Jonathan tugged at his ear, trying to rid himself of the ringing.


    "Damn bitch! How dare you hit me! I''ll kill you! Argh!"


    Her gaze fell on Maria''s cold eyes. She stopped, still holding her head, and trembled.


    Maria wasn''t done. She grabbed the ashtray and threw it at her.


    "What the-" Once she was hit in the head again, she passed out.


    Even Jonathan knew this was bad.


    He hurried to get her to her feet. "Honey? Ah! She''s bleeding!" Blood flowed down the woman''s


    head.


    Now worried about his wife Jonathan asked his secretary, who stood nearby, to call an ambnce.


    He didn''t really care much about Maria anymore.


    Maria calmly wiped the liquor from her face with a tissue and smoothed her long hair.


    Finally, she sat back on the sofa and lit a cigarette.


    She blew a puff of smoke and red at Jonathan coldly. He called several men in to carry his wife


    out and wait for the ambnce at the entrance to the club.


    When she was all alone in the private room, Maria pulled out her phone slowly and dialed James''


    number. Looking at the blood on the floor, she said, "James, it''s me. I think I killed someone."


    James had just left a dinner party and was about to go to the next.


    And that was when Maria called him.


    Both the man and the woman were calm. James asked, "Where are you now?"


    Maria told him her location.


    "Okay." And that was the only response that Maria received.


    The man didn''t say he would go there, nor did he refuse.


    Maria didn''t care whether he woulde or not. She just felt better when she heard his voice.


    Sometimes, that was enough to make everything alright.


    If he didn''te, she wouldn''t me him. She could handle it by herself.


    After she finished smoking, Maria closed her eyes and leaned back on the sofa, thoughts racing.


    She smelled like liquor. It was from the ss she had just poured for Jonathan, and he didn''t even


    get a sip of it.


    She didn''t hit Jonathan''s wife hard enough to kill her. It was probably a mild concussion.


    Aftering to that conclusion, she lit another cigarette.


    James rushed over there. He pushed the door open before she finished her second cigarette.


    He burst into the room suddenly and aggressively, followed by Summer, who was hurrying to keep


    up with him.


    After figuring out Maria was fine, Summer quietly left the room and closed the door, leaving the two


    alone.


    -

 Chapter 183 Make Her Go Nuts

    Chapter 183 Make Her Go Nuts


    As soon as he walked in, James didn''t ignore the bloodstains on the floor. He then looked at the


    woman who was sitting still. Her hair was wet, and some parts of her chiffon shirt were blotted with


    some kind of red liquid.


    He strode over to her and grabbed the cigarette from her lips. Seeing that the ashtray was on the


    floor, he plunged the cigarette but into an empty wine ss.


    It was only then that he noticed that her right cheek was red and swollen. A hint of coldness shed


    across his eyes.


    He quickly picked her up, carried her in his arms, and walked towards the door.


    "Wait a minute. Where are we going?" Maria asked.


    "To the hospital."


    "No need. I''m fine," she said in a light tone.


    James stopped and looked at her. "What happened?" Maria''s body was reeking of alcohol, but her


    mouth wasn''t. If he was not mistaken, someone had deliberately poured liquor on her hair and


    clothes.


    Maria tightly wrapped her arms around his neck and did not answer. She just stared at him with


    eyes filled with passionate love.


    James waited for her answer. But after a long time and she still remained silent, he slightly frowned.


    Maria leaned forward and kissed his thin lips.


    ''James, it''s so good to see you at this moment,'' she thought to herself.


    James didn''t expect what she did, and he froze.


    But after a few seconds, he avoided her kiss and said in a deep voice, "We need to settle this first."


    "Put me down." Maria felt like she had gained some weight recently. She was afraid that he would


    laugh at her.


    As soon as James put her down, she wrapped her arms around his waist and put on a pitiful look.


    "Jonathan''s wife caught us cheating on her. She pped me in the face and poured wine on me."


    James was rendered speechless. It was his first time to see a mistress who felt so wronged after


    being caught by the wife cheating with her husband.


    ''Wait! She was caught by Jonathan''s wife cheating with him?'' James'' eyes darkened. "Don''t talk


    nonsense."


    "I am telling the truth. She came here and hit me..."


    "What were you doing with Jonathan?" he interrupted. He wanted to know the whole story.


    Maria''s red lips pouted as she yed with James'' tie casually. She looked up at him and asked, "Do


    you care?"


    "Maria Song!" James called out her name in a voice full of warning.


    "All right. All right. I just lied to him and got twenty million dors from him. He wanted to sleep with


    me, but he didn''t make it."


    "Are you running short of money?"


    "No, I''m not."


    "Then why do you have to lie to him for twenty million dors?" If he remembered it right, he had


    just transferred more than five million dors to her ount not long ago.


    "Can I not tell you the reason?" Maria asked in a low voice.


    James'' eyes emitted coldness. With a stern, he asked, "What do you think?"


    Maria stood straight and said, "Let''s not talk about it anymore. Don''t worry. I won''t spend the money


    because it doesn''t belong to me. Rx, okay? I can''t even handle you. Do I still need to look for


    other men? Besides, I don''t like Jonathan. I will never sleep with him."


    ''She can''t handle me?'' These words made James remember those nights that she was begging


    him. He swallowed hard, thinking that she was praising him in a different way.


    The next moment, he snapped coldly, "Yourbat effectiveness has greatly declined. If you have


    time, you should practice more. You let a woman p you in the face and pour wine on you? Maria


    Song, if you continue being such a loser, don''t tell others in the future that you know me. And don''t


    ever call me again."


    Maria was so angry. Why was he still giving her a blow in this situation? She retorted discontentedly,


    "She was only able to do it because I wasn''t paying attention to her."


    How dare he call her a loser? She was so furious.


    "I''m just trying to teach you a lesson. If you are not willing to ept it, then resolve the rest by


    yourself."


    "Oh, don''t do that, James." When James was about to leave, Maria hurriedly caught up with him.


    She still needed his help on something else.


    The two of them walked out of the private room, tangling with each other.


    Summer was amused to see the scene, but she didn''t dare tough.


    Aftering out of the club, Summer drove Maria back to her hotel first. She then drove James to


    the next dinner party.


    When they got out of the car, James ordered, "Have someone investigate Jonathan Jiang


    thoroughly." He knew that Jonathan wouldn''t just let this matter go so easily. So he needed to have


    a grasp of some of Jonathan''s weaknesses. He needed them to take the initiative to negotiate with


    Jonathan in the future.


    "Yes, Mr. Xi," Summer replied obediently. ''Is he Mr. Jiang from YL Group?'' she wondered. Summer


    had only waited at the door earlier, so she didn''t get the chance to ask Maria what had happened.


    And now that she heard James'' order, she guessed that it must have something to do with


    Jonathan.


    After Jonathan''s wife was sent to the hospital, she was diagnosed with mild concussion. She was


    still in aa.


    Maria was not worried about what they would do at all. She had a bunch of dirt on Jonathan; he was


    much easier to deal with than Colby.


    When she had free time, she checked what was going on with Dani recently.


    Dani was bing more and more popr each day. She had almost stepped into the


    entertainment industry.


    But her boyfriend, who was from an affluent family, was dissatisfied with her. She had been too


    busy, and he also found out that she had an affair with another man. They frequently had heated tiff


    even over something petty.


    One day, when her boyfriend sent her to her workce, Dani found a lipstick in his car, which


    wasn''t hers.


    She confronted him, and they once again fought. This time, they broke up.


    After getting rid of her rich boyfriend, Dani threw herself into the arms of a big shot who could


    give her resources in the entertainment industry.


    Upon hearing this news, Maria sneered and thought, ''The entertainment industry has always been


    chaotic. Why is Dani such in a hurry to jump into trouble? Does she think she''s not popr


    enough?'' She then ordered her subordinate, "Make an arrangement for Dani to participate in the


    most popr dance show."


    "Yes, Ms. Song."


    If the heavens wanted someone to perish, they had to make them go nuts first.


    Maria figured it was time for her to make a move. ''Dani Song, since you''ve dared to provoke me,


    you have to bear the consequences.''


    In the hospital, Jonathan''s wife was finally awake. She had been in aa for two days.


    The moment she opened her eyes, she didn''t see Jonathan. When she found out that she had a


    mild concussion, she remembered what happened. She started to make a fuss. She even


    threatened to sue Maria.


    At this moment, Jonathan was in thepany. His secretary was telling him the information on the


    land that Maria mentioned. "Not only James Xi and Norman Shen, but several otherpanies are


    also interested in buying thisnd. I heard that the government is going to develop the south of the


    city. The orphanage will be moved out of that ce at anytime."


    Upon hearing this, Jonathan was thrilled. "Okay. Go and check thend yourself. But keep it as low-


    key as possible." "I got it, Mr. Jiang."


    "Also, find out who the current owner of thatnd is. We need to know everything before making a


    move."


    "Yes, Mr. Jiang.''1


    ''''Well, if there''s nothing else, go ahead and start doing your task." ''Maria, you little bitch! You''ve lied


    to me and taken twenty million dors from me. But it''s okay. It''s worth getting such big news,''


    Jonathan thought to himself.


    "By the way, Mr. Jiang, Mrs. Jiang is already awake. She is insisting on seeing you. And she said


    that she''s going to sue Ms. Song. She''s talking with herwyer right now."


    ''She wants to sue Maria?'' Jonathan was afraid that such a move wouldn''t work. His face darkened


    at once. "I see."


    After meeting his secretary, he decided to go to the hospital right away.


    In the evening, Maria took the initiative to call James when she finished her work. "Don''t eat a lot at


    the dinner party. I''m cooking dinner for you."


    "Have I already agreed to go there?" asked James. Knowing that Maria was trying to tter him


    again, he put on airs.


    Maria rolled her eyes. But the tone of her voice was gentle and soft when she said, "No, you


    haven''t. So I''m begging you now, pleasee here for dinner, Mr. Xi."


    Obviously, James bought it. "Wait for me."


    Before seven o''clock in the evening, James arrived at Fairview Vi.


    Maria was still cooking. She was not in a hurry because she thought that James woulde at


    around eight or nine o''clock.


    So when she saw him appear in the living room, she


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    immediately sped up. "I''ve just started. Please wait for a moment."


    "Okay," James replied while taking off his coat and hanging it on the hanger.

 Chapter 184 Collecting Evidence

    Chapter 184 Collecting Evidence


    An hourter, dinner was finally ready. When James sat at the dining table, Mariadled out a bowl


    of minced pork congee with century egg and put it in front of him. "Here you go. It''s hot. Be careful


    not to scald yourself."


    She was smiling. He nced at her and realized that she wanted something from him. "Thank you,"


    he said casually.


    Maria picked up a piece of fish and put it into her mouth. After chewing it casually for a while, she


    swallowed it and asked tentatively, "Shall we talk about something?"


    James asked seriously, "About love?"


    Maria choked. She rested her elbow on the table and cupped her chin in her hand. "Love my butt.


    It''s about Jonathan." Of course, she also wanted to talk about love and romance with him, but she


    knew that he didn''t want to. What could she do?


    "Let''s eat," James said.


    Maria understood he was unwilling to talk about Jonathan yet. So she had to answer, "Okay."


    When they finished eating, James went upstairs to take a shower while Maria was left in the dining


    room cleaning up the table.


    She became less anxious this time. Actually, she could carry out her n by herself, and she didn''t


    have to ask James to do it for her. Maria didn''t know why, but she just wanted to listen to his advice.


    When James came out of the bathroom, Maria was already on the balcony, smoking. He frowned as


    he always thought that smoking was her bad habit.


    He threw the towel aside, strode towards the balcony, and grabbed the cigarette from her lips.


    "Don''t let me see you smoke again in the future," he snapped.


    Maria was speechless for a moment. Then she retorted, "But you smoke too."


    "It''s different. I''m a man, and you''re a woman."


    "And what''s the difference? We''re not living in a feudal society anymore. Nowadays, women''s


    status has risen, even surpassing men."


    "Let me tell you what''s the difference then." James took a drag on the cigarette, puffed out smoke,


    and stubbed it out in the ashtray.


    He then pulled her over and went back to the bedroom together.


    He threw her on the bed and pressed on her. "Men can fuck women. Can you?"


    Maria was at a loss for words. She couldn''t retort this time.


    James'' hands kept moving, and he continued what he was doing. Then he asked again, "Do you


    have such a function?"


    Maria was totally defeated now.


    After a long time, she felt that she would die if he still didn''t end it. Finally, he finished.


    He carried her in his arms, took her to the bathroom, and cleaned her up. He also cleaned himself


    before he carried her back to the bed. Then he lit a cigarette and sat down on the sofa. "Tell me!"


    However, Maria was totally worn out. Shey in bed drowsily and said, "I want to sleep."


    She felt like she was crushed by a truck. But why was James still so energetic?


    "You can sleep after you talk."


    Maria rolled her eyes. What else could she do?


    She turned over and faced him. "It''s about thend in the south of the city. Can you help me buy off


    the government officials?"


    "What do you want to do?" She wanted to buy off the government officials. How bold she was!


    "I''m afraid that they will be suspicious, so I have to do something to erase their doubts."


    ''They?'' James reechoed the word inwardly. He wondered who else had she framed aside from


    Jonathan.


    Flicking his cigarette, he asked, "Do you think Jonathan is easy to deal with? Do you think he can''t


    tell the difference between soft and hard soil? Or even if he can''t tell, how about those engineers


    doing the geological exploration?"


    Maria couldn''t agree with him more. Upon realizing that it was a big problem, she became


    energetic, and her sleepiness vanished. She looked at James seriously and asked, "What should I


    do then?"


    James thought for a while before he answered, "Since we have already started, we can''t leave any


    evidence."


    That night, several trucks loaded with hard soil pulled over on thatnd in the south of the city. The


    hard soil was then spread evenly over the entirend in a thickyer, creating an illusion that there


    was no problem with it at all.


    The next day, some residents in the vicinity also received red packets. The hush money was to


    prevent them from disclosing embarrassing or discreditable information about thend.


    Everything was done before Jonathan sent his men to inquire about thend.


    As for Mrs. Jiang, she insisted on suing Maria. Jonathan wasn''t able to do anything about it. After


    all, he only had a low status in his family. All he could do was watch Mrs. Jiang and herwyer go


    through the judicial process.


    As soon as Maria received the subpoena, James also heard about it. He made time to go to the


    coffee shop across the street.


    The fans who had been waiting for him for a few days were so excited that their eyes turned red.


    However, since they heard that he was a cold man, no one dared to go forward to ask for his


    autograph or take photos with him.


    They could only watch him enter a private room while taking photos of him secretly with their mobile


    phones.


    The second wave of hot searches hit the Inte again. And the topic was still about "Meeting


    James Xi."


    Many fans posted their photos on Weibo with captions about how handsome the bossy CEO was,


    how they couldn''t breathe when they saw his gorgeous face, and so on.


    Maria entered the private room with a cup of coffee in her hand. Everyone was so envious of her.


    James didn''t take the coffee she handed over. Instead, he asked, "Do you need me to handle it?"


    "You already know?" Maria still insisted on handing over the coffee to him.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    "No, thanks," James refused.


    "Why not? It''s my personal mug. I made the coffee for myself. I just can''t finish it."


    James was rendered speechless. It turned out that she only wanted him to finish her leftover. He


    really needed to teach her a lesson.


    Determined to let him take the coffee mug, Maria continued, "I know that Jonathan faked the


    ounts, but I don''t have any evidence yet. I just knew it." She was sure that the ounts of YL


    Group were not clean. It was just that she was still collecting the evidence.


    James'' eyes darkened. He said in a deep voice, "You can do whatever you want. I have the


    evidence."


    Maria was slightly surprised. "You have? How?"


    A trace of uneasiness shed across James'' face. He lowered his head and took a sip of coffee to


    hide it. Then he said, "HL Group has cooperated with YL Group before. Knowing oneself and one''s


    enemy ensures victory."


    He had done some research on YL Group long ago, but it was only a rough investigation. Since the


    company''s shady deals didn''t affect their cooperation, he just ignored them.


    Later, he asked Summer to investigate again and found out that Jonathan had a lot of scandals and


    dark secrets.


    "Oh, I see." Maria believed in his words.


    "Call him. Let him know that you the evidence of his fake ounts and tax evasion," James said.


    Maria couldn''t help admiring James secretly. She looked at him with admiration in her eyes. "You''re


    awesome!" She had been trying to collect evidence for a long time, but she only got a little until now.


    The look in her eyes made James feel happy. Upon realizing that he couldn''t restrain himself from


    smiling, he immediately pulled a face and said, "Hurry up! I have another meeting to attend."


    Maria noticed the change in his expression. She silently endured his rudeness. After all, he had an


    advantage over her.


    As soon as she dialed Jonathan''s number, the call was answered at once.


    "Hello, who''s this?"


    "Mr. Jiang, it''s me."


    Jonathan recognized Maria''s voice. "Ms. Song, what can I do for you?" he asked.


    "I have received the subpoena that Mrs. Jiang''swyer sent." Maria leaned against the sofa and


    watched James took another sip of her coffee. Her lips couldn''t help curling up.


    "Well..." Jonathan sounded a little embarrassed.


    "You don''t have to say anything, Mr. Jiang. I just want to tell you that I have all the evidence of your


    fake ounts and tax evasion. If you don''t want them to be sent to the relevant departments


    tomorrow, please let her behave herself." Maria didn''t need to act in front of Jonathan anymore, so


    her voice sounded a little cold on the phone.


    As expected, Jonathan became really nervous. "What the hell do you want to do?" First, she


    defrauded him for twenty million dors. Now, she wanted to ckmail him.


    Maria replied with a smile, "Well, I don''t have any other purpose. I just owe tens of millions of dors


    recently, so I want to borrow some money from you. Last time, you didn''t seize such a good


    opportunity. So you can''t me me for anything."


    She owed tens of millions of dors? James sneered. He could see that she was talking nonsense.


    "You''re doing this just for money?" Jonathan asked.


    "What else do you expect?" Maria asked.


    As she spoke, she stared at James, who was sneering silently, wondering what he wasughing at.

 Chapter 185 Beautiful Women Are Vicious

    Chapter 185 Beautiful Women Are Vicious


    On the other end of the line, Jonathan was convinced by Maria that she only wanted his money, so


    he rxed his vignce. It was never toote for a man like him to take revenge. He believed that


    there would be a chance that he would catch Maria and make her spit out the twenty million dors


    in double.


    "Okay, I will do my best to convince my wife. Ms. Song, I hope you will abide by the rules of the


    game."


    "Of course, Mr. Jiang. Thank you!"


    "Not at all, Ms. Song. I''m busy, so I have to go. See you." Jonathan swore that he would never


    touch Maria again.


    He had proven that the more beautiful a woman was, the more vicious she would be.


    After hanging up the phone, Maria couldn''t wait to ask James, "What are youughing at? Did I say


    something funny?"


    "You owe tens of millions of dors?"


    "Oh, that..." Maria put her phone away and took her mug from his hand. "James, are you going to


    pay it back for me?"


    "No problem as long as you are willing to trade yourself with it."


    Maria couldn''t help wondering what he took her for. She raised her mug, pretending to hit him. But


    of course, she could only frighten him. She then sneered, "I don''t care about your stinky money. Get


    out of here if there''s nothing else."


    "Well, you were very happy when you received the money I transferred to your ount.¡±


    Maria stopped and red at him. She tried to recall if she really acted so obvious at that time.


    When James stood up and passed by her, he said, "It''s not right to say yes and mean no." He then


    tidied up his suit, returned to his usual appearance, opened the door, and walked out.


    Maria was left inside the room, speechless. She cursed in her heart, ''Son of a bitch!''


    In YL Group, Jonathan sat in his office worriedly.


    His secretary knocked on the door, entered, and reported to him, "Mr. Jiang, I''ve already sent


    someone to investigate on thatnd. Two years ago, a smallpany won the bid for thatnd. But


    now, thatpany is facing bankruptcy, so they are nning to sell thend to otherpanies."


    ''That''s why. Big shots are really big shots. James and Norman are sure well-informed,'' Jonathan


    thought.


    He wanted to make a quick move before James or Norman did something. "Ask them to prepare for


    the bidding. Then go to the ce personally and inspect the surrounding environment. Bring a


    surveyor with you to check the quality of the soil."


    "Yes, Mr. Jiang," the secretary answered at once.


    He then rushed to the location of thend. When he arrived there, he was surprised to see a


    woman. He told the surveyor not to get out of the car first. He got out of the car and walked over to


    the woman alone. "Good day, Summer," he greeted.


    Summer turned around and saw the man who greeted her. Smiling a bit awkwardly, she asked,


    "Fisher from YL Group, right?" It was James who asked her to wait here, saying someone from YL


    Group woulde. Indeed, they really came.


    "Yes, I am. How are you?" Fisher Feng looked quite friendly. "Why are you here, Summer?"


    Summer deliberately put on a hesitant look. Then after a while, she pointed at the orphanage not far


    away and said, "I brought some supplies to the children." She did deliver some supplies to the


    orphanage. It was a part of James'' order.


    Fisher studied her expression and mistakenly thought that HL Group really took a fancy to thisnd.


    He believed that HL Group used the excuse of delivering supplies to the orphanage to investigate


    thisnd. It was just that she was not willing to tell him the truth.


    Summer then asked, "How about you? What are you doing here?"


    Fisher smiled and replied, "Just like you, I''m here to give some donations to the orphanage."


    "Fisher, you are such a kind-hearted person. Well, I won''t take so much of your time. Go ahead,


    please," Summer said.


    "Okay, I''ll leave now. See youter, Summer."


    "Okay."


    Since Fisher was forced to make an excuse of giving some donations to the orphanage, he called


    Jonathan and told him about it. Of course, he didn''t want to use his own money to donate. Jonathan


    said, "Donate one million dors under the name of YL Group."


    "Okay, Mr. Jiang."


    Summer was talking with someone on the phone when Fisher came back to the location of thend.


    He happened to overhear her conversation. Summer said, "Once we get thisnd, we can develop


    this. We can build some vis and even create an artificialke. This is a great prospect. A bright


    future awaits thisnd."


    Fisher got a little excited with what he heard.


    "The day before yesterday, a feng shui master visited thisnd. He said that the feng shui here is


    quite good. As long as the buildings will be built facing north with doors facing the south, it will bring


    good luck,"


    Summer continued talking on the phone as if she hadn''t known that Fisher hade back. Upon


    hearing that even a feng shui master had already visited thend, Fisher got even more excited.


    Summer got in the car while still talking on the phone.


    And soon as she left, Fisher asked the surveyor to get out of the car to start exploring thend.


    When he grabbed a handful of soil from the ground, he found out that it was hard enough to build


    houses there.


    While the surveyor was working, Fisher visited some residents nearby to investigate. He was told


    that there was a n to construct some high-rise residential buildings, but they didn''t know why the


    project had stopped.


    ''You don''t know why? Of course, because that smallpany doesn''t have the money to start the


    construction,'' Fisher thought inwardly.


    After examining thend, the surveyor said that there was no problem with the soil quality. It was


    suitable for building construction.


    Jonathan was so happy to know that thend had no problem in all aspects. Overwhelmed by joy,


    he immediately called for a board meeting to discuss this matter.


    Thend alone cost almost two billion dors. If they added it up to theirter investment, it would


    cost more. Eventually, the board of directors agreed reluctantly.


    Maria knew that Jonathan had totally taken the bait. So she arranged several more people to


    spread the news until it reached Judy''s ears.


    Over the years of being Mrs. Xi, Judy had gotten a lot of money in her hands and had done all kinds


    of investment and financial management.


    However, before she made any investment, she would always ask Lorenzo to ask for James''


    opinion. If he agreed, she would believe in him and invest.


    Judy heard about thatnd in the south of the city from her best friend. The profit of the project that


    she had invested in previously was declining day by day. She had long wanted to change projects.


    So after learning about thend, she immediately asked Lorenzo to ask James about it.


    Lorenzo didn''t make her wait for too long. He took the time to ask James. "Excuse me, Mr. Xi. Many


    companies in H City are currently taking a fancy to thatnd in the south of the city. Is ourpany


    really interested in acquiring it?"


    As he met James'' questioning gaze, he hurriedly exined, "I just casually asked because I heard


    a lot of people talking about thatnd."


    James nodded and answered, "Yes, I''m a little interested." No. Actually, he was forced to be


    interested.


    Lorenzo understood. "Okay, Mr. Xi."


    As soon as Judy heard that James was also interested in thend, she immediately prepared fifty


    million dors for the project. She then asked some people to find out whichpany was more


    likely to win the bid so she could invest in them at once.


    Several invisible hands were secretly pushing thend in the south of the city, making it extremely


    popr in the business circle.


    Right now, Maria was in the study in Fairview Vi, calmly looking at the calendar on her phone.


    James'' birthday was approaching.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    If she had known it earlier, she wouldn''t have given him all the gifts she had bought for him in


    France. She would have kept them until his birthday.


    After finishing her work, Maria opened Weibo on herptop. Her post a few days ago about meeting


    James was still on the top of the search list.


    It already got millions of likes and hundreds of thousands ofments. Theizens were all


    wondering how there could be such a handsome man in the world.


    Maria sneered. She was also beautiful, so she couldn''t help wondering if theizens would also


    wonder how there could be such beauty in the world. If she posted one of her photos using a


    different ount, would she also get positivements?


    ''Forget it. I''d better not be so smug. If someone finds out that it''s my own ount one day, won''t


    everyone in the world think that I''m narcissistic?'' she thought to herself.


    She saw that someone in thement section mentioned Lawrence and Ethan unexpectedly.

 Chapter 186 I Want Them All

    Chapter 186 I Want Them All


    Maria got interested when she saw thement. It seemed that this follower was in H City.


    Otherwise, they wouldn''t have known about Lawrence and Ethan. After all, they had always kept a


    low profile.


    The follower asked, "Who is the most handsome among James Xi, Lawrence Lu, and Ethan Nan?


    And if you will be asked to choose one of them to be your boyfriend, who will you choose?"


    Using her dummy ount "Someone James Longs For, " she replied, "Only fools will choose. I


    want them all." But of course, James was her number one.


    Maria was so engrossed in exchangingments with theizens that she didn''t notice the


    footsteps approaching behind her.


    She was sending the reply when the man stood beside her.


    ''Someone James Longs For, '' the man read her username in silence. Not only the content of her


    reply caught his attention, but also the username she was using.


    Maria suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. She raised her head to look at the sky outside the


    window when she unexpectedly met a pair of deep-set ck eyes.


    She immediately closed herptop and put on a bright and sweet smile. "Hi, James! You are back. I


    know that you''re always busy. Why are you home so early today?" She sounded so polite, but deep


    inside her, she was already bitching about him. James walked like a ghost, so she didn''t notice that


    he had entered the study.


    It seemed that he was right. Now, not only herbat effectiveness but also her perception had


    declined.


    James stared at Maria without saying anything. Obviously, he had seen the username she was


    using and her reply to thement.


    Maria had to endure his deadly gaze.


    But after a while, she couldn''t take it anymore. She stood up and held his waist. "What did you see?


    You didn''t see anything, right?"


    James pursed his thin lips, and his jaws tightened. "You don''t only want to be someone I long for,


    but you also want to hook up with Lawrence and Ethan. Maria Song, how bold you are!" Both of


    them were absolutely intolerable to him.


    ''Good lord! He''s staring daggers at me.'' Maria was petrified. She secretly swore that she would


    never talk nonsense again in the future.


    Maria had to please James, so she hurriedly took the coat from his arm and walked towards the


    clothes rack, saying, "Oh, I didn''t write that. Maybe you''ve just misread it."


    James was rendered speechless. Did she think he was blind?


    He just let her take off his tie and then his shirt.


    As she unbuttoned his shirt one by one, her fingertips always touched his chest. He wasn''t sure


    whether she was doing it intentionally or not. When she finished unfastening all the buttons, she


    stretched out her hand and felt his pecs. ''So strong,'' she thought to herself.


    James'' face darkened. He knew that Maria was taking advantage of him aboveboard.


    "Where is that thing I''ve asked you to bring me?" He didn''t ask her earlier, but she didn''t take the


    initiative to bring it to him either.


    "Well, didn''t you throw it in the trash canst time?" At the thought of it, Maria''s mood went bad in


    an instant.


    Seeing her lying, he sneered, "There was no such thing in the trash can."


    "Did you pick it up?" Maria looked at James with amusement.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    A trace of embarrassment shed across his face. "Summer did."


    She believed him. She rolled her eyes and was about to leave.


    However, James stretched out his arms and held her waist. He lifted her up and put her on the desk


    behind her.


    The desk was not low, so their sights were parallel when she sat there.


    Maria was about to push him away. But when she remembered what had happened just now, she


    wrapped her arms around his neck and suggested with a smile, "Shall we go back to our room?"


    Then she added, "That thing I brought for you is in the bedroom."


    It was true. She put it in the bedroom''s drawer. Of course, she couldn''t carry such kind of stuff with


    her all the time, could she?


    "Wait a minute. We¡¯re not in a hurry anyway."


    Maria was rendered speechless. What else could she do? She had to agree.


    James''rge palms hovered around her waist. Then he pulled her closer to him.


    Maria was wearing a brown long sleeve dress and a pair of ck stockings. It was his first time to


    see her wearing stockings. After all, it was summer when she came back. It was only recently that


    the weather had started to turn cold.


    But what a pity that with a little strength, the pair of stockings ended its life in his hands.


    Maria lost her tongue again. She wondered why he had to tear her stockings off.


    James began to nibble her ear affectionately. Then his hot and wet lips moved down to her neck


    and corbones. She couldn''t help but shiver and close her eyes.


    While she was savoring the heat of his kisses, she heard him ask, "How many men are you


    interested in?"


    "Hmm... only one¡ªonly you." ''Gosh, I am being forced,'' she eximed inwardly.


    "Tell me."


    What else did she have to tell him? She had just answered his question, didn''t she? She had told


    him that she was only interested in him. Wasn''t that enough?


    After a long time, Maria said, almost crying, "Listen to me, okay? I''m not interested in Lawrence or


    Ethan anymore. Otherwise, I will be a puppy." ''Woof! Woof! Woof!" she barked inwardly.


    How could she not be interested in them? Lawrence and Ethan were all handsome like James. She


    was a normal woman.


    But after this, she should not be interested in them anymore. Or at least not to show it in front of


    him.


    "What else?" James asked again.


    ''What else?'' Maria reechoed in her mind. She thought for a while and realized perhaps he was still


    annoyed with her username.


    So she reluctantly promised, "I will change it after getting down from this desk."


    James was too greedy for the pleasure ofpletely conquering Maria. Hearing her beg for mercy


    made him happy both physically and mentally.


    He didn''t care what kind of method he had to use on her as long as he could make her give in.


    At two o''clock in the morning, James carried Maria out of the bathroom and put her on the bed. He


    then turned around and went back to the bathroom.


    He was so busy bathing her just now that he didn''t have time to care about himself.


    Twenty minutester, he finished tidying himself up and walked out of the bathroom. He thought that


    Maria was already sleeping.


    But she wasn''t.


    Shey on the edge of the bed, squinting and watching his every move.


    James went to the closet to get his clothes. When he walked out, Maria was still in the same


    position. He threw the bath towel aside and asked, "Aren''t you sleepy?" It seemed that her energy


    had not been drained yet. He admitted that it was his fault.


    "I am." Of course, she was very sleepy. It was just that she had something more important to tell


    him than sleeping.


    "Go ahead." He seemed to have read her mind.


    "Lay down beside me. Let''s sleep together," Maria saidzily.


    James'' hands that were buttoning up his shirt paused for a moment. He then turned to her and said,


    "I''m not used to sleeping with someone beside me."


    It wasn''t a lie. He was really used to sleeping alone.


    Maria knew that he wouldn''t stay, but she didn''t buy his excuse at all.


    She was getting used to it anyway. So why would she expect him to stay? "Forget it."


    She turned over and covered her head with the quilt. In an instant, she didn''t want to say anything


    anymore.


    Maria felt annoyed.


    But James remembered something. He put on his pants and sat on the edge of the bed. "Don''t pull


    Judy into the mire."


    He was sure that she heard him.


    Under the quilt, Maria couldn''t help but sneer. How confident was he that she would listen to him?


    Who did he think he was?


    Just as many people could thatnd pull down, she wouldn''t let go of any of them.


    She pretended not to hear him. And when she showed her head again, her expression had returned


    to normal. "I''m going to have dinner with Mr. Wang of YM Group in the next two days. Would you


    like to join us?"


    James wondered if she wanted him to be a middleman.


    "For Mr. Wang, yourpany is not enough to cooperate with hispany," he reminded her in a


    t tone. Herpany was just a start-up and didn''t meet YM Group''s standards.


    -

 Chapter 187 Scheming

    Chapter 187 Scheming


    Maria moved and rested her head on James''p. She then wrapped her arms around his waist and


    said, "I know. Otherwise, why would I ask you to join us?"


    James was rendered speechless. He realized that Maria was really scheming.


    He raised his hand and stroked her long hair. It was a little wet because the showerhead


    identally sprayed some water on it when he washed her just now.


    "Please..." Maria acted like a spoiled child in his arms.


    James couldn''t help but curl his lips. He said in a cold tone, "All right. But I won''t do anything else to


    help you during the dinner."


    Upon hearing his words, Maria pulled down his neck and kissed him on the lips.


    He didn''t dodge. Instead, he pressed her head and deepened the kiss.


    But when he pressed her under his body again, she closed her eyes and said in a daze, "I''m


    sleepy." Then she yawned.


    James could only stare at her helplessly. He knew that she did it on purpose.


    As soon as she finished using him, she kicked him away.


    But it seemed that he was left with no choice. Taking a deep breath, he let go of her and tidied up


    his clothes.


    On James'' thirtieth birthday, Maria didn''t buy him a gift because she saw Alina''s gift to him in her


    WeChat Moments early in the morning. Hence, she was not in a good mood all day long and lost


    the motivation to buy him a present.


    Before his birthday, Maria had never heard that James was going to hold a birthday party. After all,


    he had never held a birthday party all his life.


    When they were still married, she used to buy birthday gifts for him. But he could only receive them


    when he got home several days after his birthday. Then he would put them in the cab or in the


    wardrobe. He never used them.


    The more Maria thought about it, the more annoyed she became. Finally, she went to the


    supermarket to buy some ingredients and took them to HQ Road.


    She nned to go see Gordon first, then she would visit James'' grandparents. She would also ask


    their permission personally. If they agreed, she would go back to Gordon to pick him up. They would


    spend the rest of the day in the Xi family and have dinner together.


    Maria went to Gordon''s house without informing him in advance. As a result, she didn''t know that he


    was not home. She called him and found out that he went back to his hometown early morning the


    previous day. He wouldn''t be back until the day after tomorrow.


    She had no other choice but to turn the car around and went to the Xi family''s vi.


    Of course, Charlotte and Augustine were both at home. And when Tami told them that Maria was


    coming, Charlotte waited for her at the door.


    "Maria, what brings you here so suddenly?" Charlotte asked curiously.


    Carrying the bags of ingredients in her hand, Maria answered her honestly, "I''m in a bad mood


    today, and I don''t want to work. So I decided to visit you and Grandpa and have a rest."


    Amused by her words, Charlotte said with a smile, "Let''s go inside. Then tell me why you are in a


    bad mood."


    "Okay. I bought some ingredients. I''ll cook for uster."


    "You''re such a good girl. You cook every time youe here. Why don''t you ask Tami to do it


    instead?"


    Maria helped Charlotte into the living room with one hand and said with an unchanged smile,


    "Cooking is the only thing I can do for you and Grandpa. So please don''t stop me from doing it."


    When Charlotte thought of how the Song family had treated Maria and what happened to Maria and


    James, she felt sorry for Maria. "Okay, okay. Anyway, we both love the dishes you cook so much."


    "Who said that I liked them?" An old man''s voice was heard from the tea room.


    Maria and Charlotte exchanged nces and shook their heads helplessly.


    Maria put the bag of ingredients down and looked at Augustine. "Grandpa, are the dishes I cook


    really not delicious?"


    Augustine was wiping his tea set. When he heard her question, he nced at her and said, "Do you


    want me to praise you? That is impossible."


    Amused by his words, Maria couldn''t help but smile secretly. "No, Grandpa. I know that my cooking


    skill is far worse than Grandma''s."


    "Hmm, it''s good that you know. But you are not that hopeless. Anyway, where is James? When is


    heing here?"


    Maria was stunned for a moment. "I don''t know. Today is his birthday. He should be with Uncle


    Sebastian and Aunt Judy." "You don''t even know where your husband is. What are you doing? No


    wonder he can be taken away," Augustine said, looking unhappy.


    "Grandpa, we have divorced. He''s not my husband anymore. I''m already his past, and he has a


    new fiancee now."


    "His past? You are so disappointing!" Augustine put down the tea set and red at Maria. He then


    shouted to the living room, "Charlotte, call your son and tell him to ask his son toe here."


    Maria couldn''t help rolling her eyes. Sheined inwardly, ''Grandpa, why don''t you just call


    James?'' For her, Augustine sounded funny when he said the words "your son" and "his son."


    Charlotte picked up thendline phone and was about to make a call. But when she thought of


    something, she put it down.


    It was too early to call Sebastian.


    She turned around and looked at Maria, who was trying to appease Augustine. Then she called


    Tami over and said in a low voice, "Check Sebastian''s schedule today."


    "Yes, ma''am.¡± Tami understood what she meant.


    So she secretly called her friend working in Sebastian''s house. She then reported to Charlotte, "Ms.


    Lan knew that Mr. Xi never celebrates his birthday, so she asked the chef to prepare the dinner. She


    nned to ask Mr. Xi to bring Ms. Tang over and have dinner together to celebrate his birthday


    tonight."


    Charlotte had already expected that it would happen. She nodded and said, "Tell me as soon as


    James arrives there."


    "Okay."


    It was getting dark, so Maria and Tami started to get busy in the kitchen.


    In the living room, Augustine frowned and asked, "Why are you not calling James yet?"


    "Why are you in such a hurry?"


    "Judy is holding a banquet in the Imperial Vi. She has asked James to bring Alina there, and he


    has agreed. If we don''t hurry, this idiot Maria will shed tears," Augustine answered.


    Although Maria didn''t say anything, he could figure out why she was unhappy today.


    Today was James'' birthday, but she had no right to celebrate it with him openly. How could she not


    feel bad?


    Charlotte said nothing and just smiled.


    Augustine red at her but didn''t say anything. He knew that his wife must have her own n.


    A few momentster, Tami came over and reported to Charlotte, "Ma''am, Mr. Xi has already arrived


    in Imperial Vi with Ms. Tang."


    Charlotte picked up thendline phone calmly and asked Tami to dial the number in Imperial Vi.


    James had just parked his car in the garage of Imperial Vi.


    He didn''t unfasten his seat belt until Alina got out of the car first.


    When the servant invited Alina in, Maria suddenly came to his mind. He wondered where she was


    and what she was doing right now.


    Alina was about to reach the door when she noticed that James was not following behind her. She


    turned around and found that he was still standing by the car and lighting a cigarette.


    She didn''t do or say anything but just entered the vi. After smoking, James waited for the smell of


    the cigarette to dissipate before he stepped into the vi.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    As soon as Judy saw himing in, she walked over to him and said with a smile, "Happy birthday,


    James!"


    "Thank you," he replied lightly.


    "Dinner is ready. Let''s go to the dining room."


    "Okay."


    As soon as all of them sat down at the dining table, thendline phone in the living room rang.


    One servant walked over to answer it. When she saw the number on the screen, she said to


    Sebastian in the dining room, "Mr. Xi, your father is calling."

 Chapter 188 Vindictive

    Chapter 188 Vindictive


    There was pin-drop silence in the dining room. Sebastian then stood up, went to the living room,


    and answered the phone. "Hello?"


    "It''s me." Charlotte''s voice came through on the other end of the line.


    "Mom. How are you? Have you had dinner yet?"


    "Not yet. Let me talk to James," Charlotte said without even asking if James was there.


    Sebastian was confused. If she wanted to talk to James, why didn''t she call James'' mobile phone?


    He turned his head and looked at the dining room. Everyone else''s eyes were fixed on him. He


    nodded and said, "Okay." Sebastian looked at James and said, "James, your grandma. She wants


    to talk to you."


    James stood up and walked to the living room. He took the phone from Sebastian. "Hello,


    Grandma."


    "James, Maria has cooked dinner. Now that you have gotten off work, why don''t youe over and


    have dinner with us?" Charlotte''s voice sounded kind and loving, but it was also firm, indicating that


    she could not be refused.


    James thought for a while. Then he nodded and said, "Okay, I''ll go there now."


    After hanging up the phone, he went back to the dining room and told Sebastian and Judy, "I''m


    going to see Grandpa and Grandma. Please go ahead with the dinner. Don''t wait for me." Then he


    turned to Alina. "I''ll ask the driver to send you backter."


    Judy was startled by James'' words. How could the two elders ask him to see them right now?


    Feeling disappointed, she couldn''t help but wonder if they did it on purpose. She had exerted so


    much effort nning this birthday dinner for James. She carefully picked the dishes that the chef


    cooked. And now that the dining table was full of sumptuous dishes and they were about to eat,


    Charlotte suddenly called and asked him to leave.


    Judy asked in confusion, "Are you in a hurry? Can''t you just go there after dinner?"


    James looked at her and answered, "Yes, I am." He didn''t bother to give any more exnation.


    Since he said that he was in a hurry, no one dared to say anything more.


    Alina knew that Charlotte and Augustine didn''t like her, so she didn''t dare suggest going with


    James. She felt very ufortable, but she had to pretend to be considerate. "Go ahead. I''ll have


    dinner with Uncle and Aunt. Drive safely."


    "All right," James said with a nod. He then turned around and left.


    As soon as the door closed, Judy sat down and asked, "Sebastian, it was your mom who called?"


    "Yes."


    "Then why didn''t she call James directly? Why did she call us on thendline?" Judy fell into deep


    thought. She had to figure it out.


    Actually, Sebastian had already known the answer. Charlotte did it on purpose, but he didn''t want to


    admit it. "Stop overthinking. She might have forgotten to call James'' phone. It''s just a meal. There


    will be plenty of opportunities in the future. Alina is still here anyway. Let''s eat now."


    Upon hearing Sebastian, Judy came back to her senses. She turned to Alina and said, "Alina,e


    on. Let¡¯s eat."


    "Thank you, Auntie." Alina forced a smile. She wanted to show that she appreciated Judy''s


    kindness.


    When she heard Judy''s question to Sebastian just now, she also suspected that Charlotte


    deliberately asked James to leave. After all, neither of his grandparents liked her.


    James arrived at his grandparents'' house fast. As soon as he entered, he smelled the delicious


    aroma of the food.


    He put on his slippers and walked into the living room where Augustine was watching TV and


    Charlotte was sitting next to him.


    He peeked into the kitchen and saw two women busy cooking, simr to the scene when he came


    overst time.


    When Charlotte saw him walking in, she turned around and gave him an order. "The dishes should


    be almost ready. Go help them prepare the table."


    James couldn''t think of any words to say. So he just nodded, turned around, and walked into the


    kitchen.


    Tami saw himing in, so she smiled and greeted, "Hi, Mr. Xi. You are here."


    "Hmm."


    Tami was quite sensible. She walked out of the kitchen with two dishes in her hands.


    Maria was chopping some ginger for herst dish. When she turned her head and saw James, she


    was a little shocked. Then she felt a pain in her hand. She quickly put down the kitchen knife in her


    hand.


    She was an experienced cook, but she got her finger cut. How embarrassing!


    James strode over, grabbed her hand, and asked with a frown, "Why are you so careless?"


    The wound was neither deep nor shallow, but it began to bleed.


    "Who knows that you will suddenly appear?" His sudden appearance startled Maria.


    James'' face darkened at once. "Are you ming me?"


    "Yes."


    He was not in the mood to argue with her, so he called Tami. "Tami, the first aid kit." While waiting


    for Tami, James put Maria''s bleeding finger under the faucet to wash the blood away.


    Augustine and Charlotte heard him asking for the first aid kit, so they rushed to the kitchen together.


    "What happened?" Augustine asked.


    Maria felt a little embarrassed, so she quickly withdrew her hand from James'' grip and turned


    around. "It''s nothing, Grandpa. I just cut my finger by ident. Nothing serious."


    Augustine frowned. "What is wrong with you?" he asked.


    Maria thought that Augustine was talking to her. But when she looked back to exin, she found


    that he was looking at James.


    James met Augustine''s eyes and was silent.


    Augustine continued scolding him, "Why are you looking at me like that? Yes, I''m ming you.


    You''re a man who doesn''t even know how to take care of his wife. Look at you. You just watch


    Maria cut her finger."


    Everyone else was rendered speechless.


    Maria didn''t know whether tough or to cry. She tried to exin, "Grandpa, it was not his fault. I


    was just careless."


    "You don''t need to speak for him. You were fine before he came here. As soon as he entered the


    kitchen, you cut your finger. He must be the reason."


    Charlotte, who was standing next to Augustine, just watched the scene with a smile. She didn¡¯t say


    anything.


    With James and Maria''s presence, the atmosphere in their house became more harmonious.


    James cast a cold nce at Augustine and said, "Something''s wrong with your eyes. I''ll ask John to


    arrange a doctor to check you tomorrow."


    "You brat! There is nothing wrong with my eyes. I still have a perfect vision. Unlike you young


    people, most of you are nearsighted."


    Tami came with the first aid kit, and Maria was about to take it.


    However, Augustine stopped her. "Your hand is injured. What else do you want to do? James, why


    are you still standing there? Don''t you know what to do? You can''t me me for scolding you. You


    are not sensible at all!"


    James remained silent, and Maria was amused by the look on his face. She almost burst into


    laughter. She didn''t know that James could also be humble and pitiful.


    James took the first aid kit from Tami. He stared at Augustine coldly and retorted, "Then why are


    you still standing here? Do you want to be the third wheel?"


    This time, it was Augustine who was rendered speechless. ''All right, all right, '' he thought inwardly.


    He then turned around and walked to the living room, mumbling to Charlotte, "Let''s go. We are not


    needed here."


    Maria smiled, but she didn''t dare to make a sound.


    Before walking out of the kitchen, Charlotte told Tami to finish cooking thest dish and asked


    James to take Maria out to clean her wound. She then followed Augustine back to the living room.


    James opened the first aid kit. He took out the tincture of iodine and started to disinfect Maria''s


    wound. He felt that her body was trembling, and he knew that it was because she was holding back


    herughter. He raised his eyes to look at her and asked, "Is it so funny?"


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    James didn''t find it amusing at all. In fact, he felt that Augustine was getting more and more


    unreasonable.


    Finally, Maria couldn''t hold back anymore and burst intoughter. "Yes, it''s so funny," she answered


    betweenughs. James was scolded but didn''t dare to retort. This was really funny.


    Casting her a sidelong nce, James said tly, "It seems that it doesn''t hurt anymore. How about I


    disinfect it with alcohol?"


    Maria shut up. He was indeed a Scorpio. He was so vindictive.


    After disinfecting her wound, James took out a Band-Aid and threw it to her. "Put it on."


    Looking at the Band-Aid in front of her, Maria picked it up silently and walked to the living room. "I''ll


    ask Grandma to help me."


    "Wait!"


    Maria tittered. But when she looked back, her expression had already returned to normal. She


    pretended to be confused. "What''s wrong?"


    James grabbed the Band-Aid from her hand, tore it open, and ordered impatiently, "Give me your


    hand." "Mr. Xi, I''m so sorry for bothering you to put the Band-Aid on my finger. But thank you."

 Chapter 189 Taking Care Of Your Own Wife

    Chapter 189 Taking Care Of Your Own Wife


    James sneered. "Why didn''t you thank me back when I personally bathed you?"


    Maria blushed. She nced at the two elders in the living room. Fortunately, they didn''t seem to


    have heard what he had just said. "Grandpa and Grandma are both here. Watch your mouth!" she


    said in a low voice.


    "Why should I? If anything, Grandpa wants me to be more intimate with you so he can have a


    greatgrandchild as soon as possible."


    A great-grandchild... It made Maria think of her Arthur.


    She cleared her throat, trying to tamp down the sadness she felt. "A great-grandchild? Dream on.


    You said you''d dig the baby out of my belly." Maria had thought that bearing a child would make her


    get what she wanted. Now she wouldn''t even dare entertain the thought of getting pregnant.


    James finished putting the Band-Aid on her finger as he smirked. She believed what he said to


    scare her. How stupid!


    Augustine and Charlotte whispered among themselves while Maria and James were dealing with


    their own business.


    They had finallye to a decision and Augustine would take action.


    With Tami''s help, Maria had made a total of eight dishes for dinner, six of which were all vegetables


    while the other two were meat-based.


    Watching his grandson practically bury his head into his bowl as he devoured his food, Augustine


    piped up. "How do you like the dishes, James?"


    Noticing the cunning glint in his eyes, James swallowed his food before replying. "Grandpa, didn''t


    you teach me not to talk while eating?"


    Augustine almost choked on his own food, but then he continued eating.


    He wasn''t letting James off easily though. After a while, he looked at Maria, who seemed to be


    picking at her food. "James, Maria''s hand is injured, isn''t it? Can''t you take care of her?"


    Her wound was not serious at all, at leastpared to her previous injury. Maria hurried to protest.


    "I¡ª" She was about to tell Augustine that she could take care of herself, but that single word out of


    her mouth was immediately met with a re from the old man.


    The rest of her words died in her throat. James calmly out down his chopsticks. "You''re very


    sprightly yourself, Grandpa. Why don''t you feed her?"


    Without missing a beat, Augustine plucked a piece of potato from one of the dishes and ced it in


    Charlotte''s bowl. "I have my own wife to look after. You should take care of your own."


    James gaped, speechless. He hated rehashing things over and over with Augustine.


    For her part, Charlotte felt caught in between. In attempt to pacify things, she patted Augustine''s


    hand and said, "Just eat. There''s no need to school James about these things. He''s a grown-up


    now, he knows what he''s doing."


    "Humph! And yet he''s severelycking in emotional intelligence. If I don''t teach him things here and


    there, a good girl like Maria might just run away with another man. Well, I suppose we''ll see what he


    does if that ever happens." He remembered the rumors about Maria nning to marry Lawrence.


    Unlike James, Lawrence knew what a good woman Maria was.


    Touched by the old man''s words regardless, Maria''s eyes misted.


    ''Maybe Augustine and Charlotte are the only ones thinking I''m a good girl.''


    She smiled at them in gratitude. "Grandpa, Grandma, you are the only people in the world who love


    me so much."


    Her voice cracked at the end, prompting James to turn to her with a frown. He didn''t understand


    why she was so moved by Augustine''s words.


    Augustine waved his hand. "Not really. Gordon loves you too."


    Maria perked up in surprise. "My Grandpa?"


    "That''s right. Since Gordon has moved in, he sings praises of you whenever we run into each other.


    I''ve had to endure several minutes of his monologues before he let me go." A look of disgust crept


    into Augustine''s expression as he talked.


    Maria pondered on this new information. She had never expected her grandfather to have thought


    of her in such a way. This was news to her indeed.


    Well, she had always known he loved her, of course. But he had openly favored her older sisters


    more. Now, it appeared that he might have misunderstood her grandfather all this time.


    Picking up on the girl''s somber mood, Charlotte nudged Augustine, silently telling him to get back to


    his food.


    Then she gave James a pointed look.


    This time, James obliged, picking food from the dish nearest Maria and cing them in her bowl.


    "Eat!" he ordered.


    Maria stared at the braised eggnt in her bowl and felt even sadder. James would never do things


    like this without his grandfather''s coercion, would he?


    The meal ended without further events and Maria proceeded to help Tami clean up.


    As they left the dining hall, Charlotte handed her grandson a thick red envelope. "Happy birthday,


    James. I wish you happiness, safety, and good health. This is love from your grandparents. Take the


    money and buy something for yourself!"


    James epted their kindness openheartedly and thanked his grandparents.


    Maria watched from a distance, rubbing her hands together in embarrassment. She hadn''t prepared


    anything for James.


    "Maria!" Charlotte called all of a sudden.


    Maria walked over to the living room. "Yes, Grandma?"


    "Let''s go out for a walk. Augustine wants to talk business with James."


    "Sure." Maria helped the Charlotte up, ncing quickly at James before heading to the front door.


    There was a small park next to the vi, where residents frequented for evening walks. At the


    moment, there were only a few people around.


    Charlotte held Maria''s hand tightly before speaking. "Maria, there''s something I haven''t asked you


    yet. Where were you thesest six years? What were you doing?"


    This was a question Maria had never expected toe from the old woman. It wasn''t like this was


    difficult to answer; she hadn''t had a lot of ces to go after all.


    But in order to keep Charlotte from worrying, she decided to make her reply short. "I was mostly


    practicing martial arts. I also learned to manage apany, make gourmet coffee, and a host of


    other things to improve myself." "Oh, really? Who did you learn from?" Charlotte was quite satisfied


    at what she had just heard. In her opinion, the most important thing for a woman was the constant


    development of her inner qualities.


    Maria hesitated for a moment before saying, "From Norman Shen."


    While people might know them to be friends, she personally regarded Norman as a master of sorts.


    Charlotte knew the man, of course. He was not her grandson, but Norman was James'' half-brother


    from the same mother.


    She couldn''t help but sigh at the thought of James'' biological mother. "s! Judy Lan came


    between them."


    Thement confused Maria, but she assumed that it probably had to do with the Xi family''s


    private affairs, in which case she was in no position to ask about the matter.


    "How did youe to know Norman?"


    Maria wouldn''t hide anything from Charlotte, so her answer was pure and simple. "He saved me."


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    There was no point in covering things up anyway. Augustine and Charlotte knew a lot of things.


    More importantly, Maria knew that they would never hurt her.


    "I see." Charlotte could sense that there was something more to their rtionship. "Are you and


    Norman...?" Maria knew what she meant.


    "Grandma, don''t worry. Even though James and I are divorced, you could probably tell that I still


    love him. So I won''t have an affair with another man no matter what." Maria was not a woman with


    loose morals.


    Charlotte believed her words and found some relief.


    "Don''t be afraid of Alina Tang. She might have gotten engaged to James, but we will never let her


    marry into the Xi family. But you need to do your best and win James'' heart. Do you understand?"


    "Yes, got it. Thank you, Grandma."


    It was easier said than done, though. How in the world would she win James'' heart?


    She had her own reasons for not getting rid of Alina right away. Recently, she had gathered


    memories of what had happened in the past and managed to find clues.


    First of all, she realized that James didn''t care about her at all.


    LARK COLE HIM

 Chapter 190 Reprimanded

    Chapter 190 Reprimanded


    James was always backing Alina up. Maria would put it past him to do something if she ever took


    action against Alina. There was no way she could defeat that man.


    And so, Charlotte was right, in a way. She needed to win James'' heart first, then the rest would run


    along smoothly.


    Besides, the woman she had been waiting for hadn''t shown up yet. Maria was aware that she had


    managed to provoke a good number of people. It would definitely make matters more difficult if her


    enemies somehow decided to band together.


    She had already analyzed the key yers involved in her ns.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    People like Ste, Dani, and Jonathan amounted to nothing more than appetizers.


    Judy and Colby ranked a bit higher, because while they weren''t as tough as James, they were


    definitely harder to crack than the other three. After all, Judy was James'' stepmother. Colby, on the


    other hand, was not as simple as he portrayed himself to be.


    Alina couldn''t afford to stir up any trouble at this point anyway. The most she could do was probably


    to deliberately annoy Maria. Maybe some verbal altercation here and there, but those still counted


    as trifles. Maria was confident she could handle things well for the time being.


    "Don''t be afraid of doing anything, Maria. Just do what you want to do. How can you stand firm by


    James'' side without any means?"


    Charlotte reminded her. Maria kept silent for a while.


    The truth was that she had no intention of staying by James'' side any longer than necessary for her


    to exact her ns.


    But she still had to get there. She stood her ground and didn''t refute Charlotte''s words. "I''m afraid


    he will always defend Alina anyway."


    "If he does that, then you can juste to us." Charlotte believed that James wasn''t stupid enough


    to fall out with his grandparents for some worthless woman.


    Maria linked her arm with Charlotte''s and spoke with sincerity. "Thank you so much, Grandma. And


    I''m grateful to Grandpa, too."


    "Don''t be so formal with me. You''ve been a member of the Xi family since you married my


    grandson. You''re just like my own granddaughter. And so will Cooper''s wife be in the future. I do


    believe that boy also has good taste." With that said, how could she, as an elder, just stand by and


    watch as her granddaughter faced a daunting undertaking?


    But Maria''s attention snagged at the mention of Cooper. "I haven''t been able to contact Cooper for a


    good while. Will he being back anytime soon?"


    "Not in the near future. He still has a lot of things to take care of. He also has to help James with the


    management of the branchpany and go to college. I will ask about his return when the Spring


    Festival draws near though." Charlotte was quite satisfied with her two grandsons.


    Thedies carried on with their walk, chatting all the way.


    In the end, Maria worried that the old woman might get too tired, so she took her back to the vi.


    Inside, James and his grandfather were still discussing business affairs.


    When the women entered, James turned to Maria and stared for a moment before looking away. He


    said nothing.


    "Augustine, it''s gettingte. We should go to bed," said Charlotte.


    "Okay." Augustine rose from the sofa.


    At their age, they rarely sleptte.


    James and Maria helped them back to their room; then thetter fetched some warm water for the


    elders to wash their feet with.


    Sitting next to them, James watched Maria tend to his grandparents as Augustine kept on berating


    him.


    Heined how Maria was so much better than James in every aspect, and insisted that he


    learn from her on how to be a filial grandson. The most irritating of all was how his grandfather


    repeated his reminders that James be good to Maria, and call off his wedding with Alina as soon as


    possible.


    James stewed and sneered at Maria. She had willingly acted on his own duties as the grandchild,


    so why was he the one getting scolded for that?


    In all honesty, he had his suspicions that this woman was more cunning than Alina. After all, she


    knew well enough to focus on the two elders and gain their favor. Alina, on the other hand, was


    more focused on winning him and Judy.


    They remained in the room until his grandparents were finally all set for bed.


    Once they were alone in the corridor, James snorted. "How filial you are, Ms. Song."


    His way of addressing her somehow jarred Maria to attention. Was he being sarcastic just now?


    "Not at all. Certainly not as good as you, Mr. Xi."


    "Stop joking around, Ms. Song. You know Grandpa is very satisfied with you. One can tell from his


    simplest reactions that you are doing so much better than I can ever hope to do myself."


    Maria rolled her eyes, resisting a sudden urge to give him a kick. "I''m grateful, Mr. Xi, but with all


    these praises you keep singing, I think it''s natural to expect you to learn from my example and strive


    to be filial yourself."


    "You don''t really know how to be modest, do you?"


    "Why should I be? Mr. Xi''s praises are few and far between. I have to cherish what few I get."


    Then Maria hastened her pace, too annoyed at him to y nice any longer. Just as she was about


    to take a step at the stairs, James grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms with little effort.


    She looked up at him in confusion and he leaned over until their faces were close to each other.


    "You''re so glib. See you in Fairview Vi?"


    Maria gaped. ''See you in Fairview Vi?'' The way he had spoken made it sound like he was saying


    something else entirely. "Why don''t you just say see you in bed? It''s not like it''s your first time, you


    don''t need to beat around the bush."


    His grip tightened at her waist as he glowered at her, looking like he wanted to have sex with her at


    that moment. "Dare you go or not?¡±


    "Ha! Why don''t I dare? You''re the one who''s going to be worn out then."


    Her response stunned him speechless. He felt even more furious; this woman just had the gall to


    provoke him in such a way.


    James let go of her and straightened his clothes.


    "Today I''ll let you see who is going to be worn out."


    "Sure! Let''s go then! Do you think I give a damn?"


    James stepped past her and bounded down the stairs first, and Maria followed at his heels. But


    then she felt something was wrong.


    She wondered btedly if she had let herself be goaded by his words. She must have fallen into his


    trap.


    They stopped at thending on the foyer and James asked, "Have you seen my car keys?"


    "No." She had no idea where he put them, and she didn''t care. She reached over to grab her own


    car keys, only to discover that they weren''t on the key rack by the door either.


    James looked for Tami and demanded where their keys were.


    "There''s no need for you to search for the keys. James'' grandpa took them away. I have prepared a


    room for you as per his request. He was afraid that you might get noisy through the course of the


    night and disturb their rest, so he arranged for you to stay on the first floor."


    James'' and Maria''s jaws hung open, the both of them at a loss for words.


    Augustine was indeed trying his best for his pursuit of a great-grandchild.


    They exchanged a look, then Maria made a decision. "I''ll go upstairs and get the keys," she


    announced, her voice firm. The vi was located near the outskirts of the city, so taking a taxi wasn''t


    much of an option. Plus, it was alreadyte into the night. If they had nothing to drive, they would


    have no choice but to walk all the way back downtown.


    She was about to go up the stairs when James grabbed her hand. "What are you doing? Do you


    want to stay here?" she asked.


    The man gave her a cold look. "You don''t have to waste your energy. Grandpa won''t give them to


    you anyway."


    "How do you know if you don''t try?"


    "I know him best."


    Maria couldn''t argue with that.


    She conceded and finally followed James to the guest room. It was spacious, at least.


    She pondered the arrangement. They were in Augustine''s house, and she didn''t want to have sex


    here. "Excuse me, Tami. May I sleep in another room?"


    Tami smiled. "The other rooms have been locked by James'' grandpa, and the keys are all in his


    safe. Well then, have a good night."


    Maria had to give up then.


    She ventured into the room, annoyed at running out of options.


    The door closed behind her and it was just James and her, He began to take off his clothes, asking,


    "Do you know what day it is today?"


    "It''s your birthday," she answered nonchntly as she surveyed the room.


    It was quiet all of a sudden.


    Maria pulled herself together and looked James in the eye. "I didn''t buy you a birthday gift." In fact,


    she hadn''t expected to see him today.


    "It doesn''t matter, you''re here. I don''t care whether you have a present for me or not." He could just


    take her as his birthday gift.


    Maria stared at him with wide eyes. She took a shower first. After shower, James pulled back the


    quilt and held her in his arms. Maria rolled over and looked at him with a serious expression. "I don''t


    think it''s a good idea


    to be doing...this thing in someone else''s home."

 Chapter 191 A Guarantor

    Chapter 191 A Guarantor


    "This is not someone else''s house, we are in Grandpa and Grandma''s house. And I bought it for


    them." Technically, it was also James'' house.


    His hot breath drifted gently over Maria''s ears, tickling her skin. Still, she stuck to her guns. "But


    they are light sleepers, and you always get carried away and lose control. We''re bound to wake


    them up with all the racket."


    "The windows are tightly closed, and they''reposed of threeyers of hollow ss. This room is


    practically sound-proof."


    Maria shut her mouth then; she didn''t have much else to her argument.


    Fortunately for her, James really did restrain himself, at least to some extent. Their night activity


    was shorter than it usually was.


    Sometime in the middle of the night, he walked to the bathroom and took a shower. When he


    returned, he grabbed his phone and settled on a small couch on the other side of the room.


    Maria sat up in bed with a t expression. "Since you dislike me so much, why don''t you just give up


    having sex with me altogether?"


    James looked back at her in silence. The thing was that he wasn''t used to sleeping with another


    person in the same bed.


    But he read the disappointment in her eyes, and he put his phone away and climbed onto bed.


    He had barely settled under the covers when Maria promptly turned her back to him.


    James reached out to turn the bedsidemp off and snuggled against her. His hand began to roam


    over her body in the darkness, only to be shaken off by her with more force than necessary.


    That took him aback, and he sighed. Were women always this fickle? He had alreadyin beside


    her, why was she still mad?


    His hands ventured out for the second time, and she shook them off again.


    When he was brushed away the third time, James finally lost his patience. He turned Maria over


    andy on top of her, pressing her into the mattress with his body. "What are you making a fuss


    for?" he asked in a deep voice.


    "I''m not making any fuss, I just want to sleep. If you keep touching me, I can''t sleep."


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Her reasoning was pretty logical, but the bite in her words didn''t escape James.


    He rolled her over so she was cocooned in his arms again. "Now sleep, I won''t move," he said,


    trying to be patient.


    ''Yeah, right!'' Maria retorted in her mind and rolled her eyes in the dark.


    She squirmed in his embrace, and James finally snapped. Without a word, he pinned her under his


    body once again, with more aggression this time.


    His intentions hit Maria then, and she scrambled to stop him. She might let him have his way back


    in Fairview Vi, but only because there was nobody else in the house besides themselves. If he did


    whatever he wanted here, however, they would definitely make too much noise.


    She knew James probably had no shame about the act, but Maria still wanted to maintain some of


    her dignity.


    She grabbed the waist band of her pajama bottoms at the same moment he started to pull them


    down her legs. "I''m sorry. Let''s go to sleep, okay? You can hold " me.


    Her apology appeased James and hey back beside her with satisfaction.


    He slid one arm under her head while the other curved around her waist.


    Maria thought she could finally get some much-needed rest.


    But she was wrong.


    As seconds ticked by, the pure, womanly scenting from her supple skin wafted over James,


    and he started to sniff and nip at her soft nape. A fire was burning in his body, demanding to be


    released.


    Every time he tried to take it a notch further, though, Maria would be quick to stop him. "Don''t


    move!"


    He would pause for a beat then, before going back to rubbing and pressing her arms and thighs.


    Who would have thought that the cold and domineering CEO, James Xi, would turn into a restless


    and clingy man at night?


    Maria regretted. She realized that she was wrong. She would never ask him to stay overnight in the


    future.


    Maria eventually fell asleep, not able to hold on any longer. She had no idea what time James slept


    though.


    When she woke up the next day, she was alone in the room.


    She fumbled for her phone and looked at the time. It was almost nine o''clock in the morning.


    She knew the elders got up early, probably around four or five in the morning. And yet here she


    was, some five hourster and barely out of bed.


    She spent a moment to curse James for not waking her up earlier, then she hurried to the bathroom


    to tidy herself up.


    She went downstairs in her slippers, expecting the man to have left already. To her surprise, she


    was greeted by the sight of James chatting with his Augustine in the living room.


    His usual cold demeanor was back in ce, the total opposite of the needy man who never stopped


    moving against herst night.


    Charlotte was sitting next to them, listening to their conversation with a smile.


    When they heard her shuffle at the foot of the stairs, all three pairs of eyes turned to look at her in


    unison. Maria smiled awkwardly and stepped forward. "I''m sorry, I got upte."


    Charlotte cocked her head and gave her a smile. "Don''t worry about it, dear. James told us you


    were too tired fromst night. Go ahead and have some breakfast."


    Maria immediately red at James. What the hell was he telling his grandparents?


    Why did he phrase the excuse like that? More to the point, why didn''t hee up with some other


    reason?


    Her sharp re just bounced out of him, however, and James ignored her as though nothing was


    wrong whatsoever.


    She had no choice but to nod along in agreement. "All right, Grandpa, Grandma. Please enjoy your


    chat. I''ll join youter."


    Before she turned away, she caught Augustine ncing pointedly at her belly. It rmed Maria, and


    she unconsciously put a hand over her abdomen and rushed to the dining area.


    Was this family nning to actually dig a baby out of her body?


    She shook her head vigorously. She wasn''t even pregnant yet.


    She rxed only when Tami ced the dishes in front of her, and she directed her thoughts to


    enjoying her meal.


    As the morning grewte, Tami returned James'' and Maria''s car keys and they stepped out of the


    vi together.


    But Maria hung back when they got to the parking lot. She had learned her lesson. She sat inside


    her car and waited for James to drive away first.


    Only when the Harkim left the yard did she start to slowly back her car.


    Maria just drove out of the vi area when James'' car was already more than a kilometer away.


    When they reached downtown, the two of them went their separate ways.


    James went straight to thepany while Maria proceeded to the cafe across the street.


    After brewing a few cups of coffee at the bar counter, Maria found a seat in a quiet corner and


    began to work.


    Two days ago, she had secretly asked someone to arrange for Dani to participate in a talent


    show.


    The clueless girl had agreed immediately after the offer had been made. The news made Maria


    sneer at her screen.


    Dani had really be arrogant over the days. She herself was well aware of her severeck of


    talent, both in singing and dancing, and yet she had barely hesitated from jumping to join such a


    show.


    How did the saying go again?


    "Pride goes before the fall."


    James had made an appointment for Maria to meet Mr. Wang from YM Group that evening, and he


    sat next to them, listening as they talked about business.


    Mr. Wang was mature and straightforward, but he already had two failed marriages under his belt.


    Maria obviously couldn''t talk to him about family matters.


    And when it came to finances and investments, the presence of a big shot like James made


    discussion on that topic awkward for the other two.


    So Maria decided to get right to the point after a brief exchange of pleasantries. "Mr. Wang, I know


    ourpany is not qualified. After all, it''s nothing more than a start-uppany at the moment. But


    my team and I are really working hard, Mr. Xi can give his guarantee on that. Please be assured,


    Mr. Wang."


    James nced at her sideways then, wondering just when he had ever agreed to be her guarantor


    in any way. All he had promised was to be a middleman.


    Being a guarantor was a far cry from being a middleman, and both terms upheld entirely different


    duties.


    Ignoring his warning look, Maria continued to coax the other man calmly. "Mr. Xi has promised to


    arrange a meeting between me and the official called Mr. Soren Li. When that timees, I will


    have secured the protection of the government. There would be no other cause for you to worry


    then, Mr. Wang."


    There was an open secret within the financial circle that corporate figures sought out a cooperation


    with the local government. Both entities benefited from each other, withpanies garnering official


    backing while lining the government''s pockets under the table.


    And everyone knew who Soren Li was. As this new development in their conversation unfolded,


    James found himself raising an eyebrow while muttering under his breath, "Maria Song..."


    -

 Chapter 192 Respect Dancing

    Chapter 192 Respect Dancing


    "Mr. Xi, please don''t worry. We''ll talk after I''ve finished the conversation with Mr. Wang." Maria


    wanted to buy some time so that she could think about how to make James happy. After all, she


    made a lot of promises to Mr. Wang without even telling James in advance, which made her feel


    guilty.


    James fell silent.


    Mr. Wang was not stupid. He smiled and pushed his sses on the bridge of his nose. He had


    already made up his mind.


    Honestly, he did not really believe Maria, much less thepany that she had just started.


    Since she could make James the guarantor and she dared to interrupt him for a conversation, Mr.


    Wang could tell that the rtionship between the two was not ordinary. He would like to cooperate


    with her for the sake of James. If anything happened in the future, he nned on going straight to


    James.


    Mr. Wang cleared his throat and said, "Ms. Song, I understand what you''ve said. Everyone knows


    that quality is the most important in a project. If you can guarantee that the quality of the product is


    excellent and it speaks for itself, I''ll be fine with that."


    Maria was overjoyed upon hearing his words. She nced at James, who was wearing a slightly


    sullen expression, and reassured, "Of course! I am an honest businesswoman. I''m eager to gain a


    firm foothold in the city. You can rest assured that I''ll definitely do this project well."


    What she had promised actually came from the bottom of her heart. Mr. Wang had experienced the


    same situation she was currently in, so it was natural for him to understand where she wasing


    from. Thepany''s initial development relied on its reputation. It needed time so that Maria could


    gain what she wanted in H City.


    Mr. Wang nodded in response. "Mr. Xi and Ms. Song, if you are free, you can have a tour of my


    company. If you have no other concerns, we can sign the contract then."


    As a matter of fact, he wanted to maintain a good rtionship with James. But in order to do so, he


    had to cooperate with Maria.


    Knowing that she had gained the opportunity to work with Mr. Wang on the project for certain, Maria


    felt relieved. She poured a ss of liquor for him and said, "That''s not a problem. Just tell us when


    you''re free, Mr. Wang."


    "How about the afternoon of the day after tomorrow? I''ll be on a business trip tomorrow and will


    come back by then."


    "Deal!"


    An hourter, Mr. Wang left. Maria sent him off herself. When she came back to the private room,


    she closed the door and sat on James''sp. She then wrapped her arms around his neck and


    coquettishly said, "James, we made it! I''m so happy. Why do you seem discontented?"


    Maria was ecstatic. On the other hand, James did not seem so. She tricked him! Why should he be


    happy? "The guarantor? Soren Li? Give me an exnation." If he was not mistaken, he had to be


    the middleman for Soren and her.


    Maria did not take his outburst seriously. Instead, she pecked on his lips and said seductively, "Oh,


    I''m sorry. Would an apology suffice?" "Nope." "An apology can''t even satisfy you? Hmm. How about


    this? I''ll give you fifty person of my first return on investment of this project." Maria believed that her


    offer was generous enough to make him feel better.


    However, James was unconvinced. He pulled himself away from the woman who was trying to dwell


    on the trivial facts and avoid the important matters. "It''s not about the money."


    Maria decided not to pester him anymore. Instead, she got up and sat next to him. She then picked


    up a piece of pork using her chopsticks and brought it to his lips. "I know that, but it''s not your loss.


    Don''t be mad anymore. Please forgive me, okay?" she said with a smile.


    James looked at the pork that was being served to him and replied sternly, "I don''t eat pork. I eat


    human flesh."


    Hearing this, Maria choked. She knew what he meant, and she had to satisfy him. With that, she


    stood up and held his arm. "Let''s go, Honey. I''ll take you out to eat human flesh."


    A smile shed across James'' eyes, but he returned to his normal self right away. "Let go of me. It''s


    not appropriate for you to do this," he said in his usual cold tone.


    Maria looked at him and gritted her teeth in response. "You''d better think the same wayter."


    James lowered his head and sealed her lips with a kiss. "You''d better be arrogant as wellter," he


    retorted with his lips attached to hers.


    Maria fell silent. When facing a beast in bed, there was no way she could continue being arrogant.


    In the evening, the battle in Fairview Vi was quite intense.


    Perhaps it was because of Maria''s protest at James'' grandparent''s house that he did not leave the


    Fairview Vi immediately after.


    Later that evening, Maria had no idea whether James slept soundly or not. Nevertheless, she had a


    good sleep because he had warmed her bed up. When she woke up in the morning, he had already


    left for thepany to work.


    Everything was going well ording to Maria''s n. Not long after, Dani joined the reality show.


    After her performance, one of the judges criticized her unexpectedly. "Did you pay someone to join


    this program? Did you really think that that was dancing? Could you respect dancing even a bit?


    Besides, what the hell were you singing?¡±


    The atmosphere suddenly became cold, and the audience burst into an uproar. Embarrassed, there


    was nothing Dani could do but smile awkwardly at the judge.


    "What are you smiling at? I''m not kidding!" the judge snapped.


    Dani was furious that she was being humiliated, so she fired back, "I''ve attended a variety show


    before and got a prize. You can search for the video if you don''t believe me."


    On the electric screen, someone yed the video of her dancing in another show to win the prize.


    To everyone''s surprise, the judge began to express his displeasure after watching the video for only


    thirty seconds. "Did you think you looked good in that dress? Wasn''t that thetest arrival of


    Fashion Gxy? You looked like a vige girl who was trying hard to be pretty. Thanks to you, the


    dress ispletely ruined."


    The audience burst into an uproar once again. Meanwhile, Dani could not help but cry on the


    stage because of the judge''s mean remarks.


    ''Who the hell is this judge? Wherever I go, I''ve always been everyone''s apple of the eye. Nobody


    dared to talk to me like that! Right now, there are thousands of people watching the show!'' she


    thought to herself while she was choked in sobs.


    Although she looked pathetic, the judge''s heart did not soften because of her tears. He stood up


    and asked loudly, "Where''s the director? How could you put such a person on the stage? You just


    wasted my time! Don''t you know that you''re also insulting the artists who are more qualified to join


    this program?"? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    The scene was very awkward. None of the people present stood up for Dani. The audience were


    unsure whether it was because nobody dared to do so or because nobody was willing to stand up


    for her.


    The show was being broadcasted live. It was already toote to cut off that segment, so everyone


    who was watching saw everything. In an instant, the video garnered fierce reactions and heated


    debates on the Inte.


    Tear-stained, Dani left the filming site at once. Her assistant, who was sitting in the car, was too


    scared and panic-stricken to speak.


    Dani cried for a while, and took out her phone to browse the social media. Aside from her, there


    was another person who was trending.


    That person was trending at the moment because of her.


    Like Dani, that person started her career as a celebrity by shooting travel vlogs. Dani opened


    that person''s home page and found that she had about ten million fans, several million more than


    her.


    She clicked thement section of the first video. The topment read, "Compared to yours,


    someone''s video is just rubbish and boring! Guess who? Her surname is Song."


    "We''re all here to see the scenery. Who even wants to look at her face? She''s not pretty anyway.


    Her face and figure aren''t even that good."


    "I have no idea why she suddenly became famous. I heard that she has a backer."


    Thement section of the reality show was swarmed with negativements. Netizens were


    tantly cursing and insulting her. Some even sided with the judge. They said that he was


    absolutely right for doing that to her, and it was actually a gentle remark to save her dignity.


    Dani was so furious that she almost smashed her phone into pieces. She thought hard for a long


    time and finally realized that these negativements muste from those paid Inte trolls.


    She guessed that the person behind these paid Inte trolls must have been jealous of her and


    wanted to give her a hard time.


    -

 Chapter 193 It Must Be You

    Chapter 193 It Must Be You


    Dani took out her phone and dialed Mr. Jin''s number. She needed his help. He had always given


    her the means and resources to get out of any trouble.


    Much to her surprise, however, her calls all went unanswered. She kept trying nheless, and


    ended up with twenty missed calls.


    Days had already passed, yet the inte''s vitriol against her had never dissipated. If nobody took


    her out of this predicament, her career just might be over.


    She finally decided to go straight to Mr. Jin''spany and demand to see him. He was the only one


    who could help her.


    She arrived at the offices, and before she could find Mr. Jin, two women walked toward her. One of


    them was tall and quite robust in stature, and wore luxury brands on her body.


    Dani knew the woman¡ªshe was Mr. Jin''s wife.


    Instant guilt came over her and she made an effort to walk to the side so as to avoid running into


    them.


    The truth was that Mrs. Jin was very much aware of her husband''s affair with Dani because


    someone had sent her photos of the two sleeping together inside a hotel room.


    The other woman also knew who Dani was, and when she spotted thetter, she gleefully


    tapped herpanion''s arm in anticipation of a good show. "Look over there! That''s her. That''s


    Dani Song."


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ''Dani Song?'' Mrs. Jin had been nning to hunt the woman down. How fortunate that Dani


    had voluntarilye within her range. The legal wife sneered with the full intent of teaching the


    mistress a hard lesson this very day.


    Without any warning, she pounced on the young starlet, who happened to be wearing a golden


    dress. "Stop right there, Dani Song!"


    Dani paled, then ducked her head and quickened her pace.


    But there was no way Mrs. Jin was letting her go. She stepped into the middle of the hall and


    commanded the attention of all the employees present. "Security, go and catch that bitch!"


    "Yes, Mrs. Jin!" Two burly men ran to the direction she pointed and pursued Dani.


    Then Mrs. Jin turned to her friend and said, "Call Paulette and the others over and let''s deal with


    this woman together!" As fate would have it, some of her peers were shopping at the stores nearby.


    She had been about to join them. But now that her husband''s mistress had decided to drop by,


    there was a change in her ns.


    "Yes, of course! I''m calling them right now!"


    Dani was wearing high heels, so catching her didn''t take much effort. "Let go of me!" she


    screamed in horror as they grabbed both of her arms.


    Unfazed by her shrieks, the security guards dragged her back to the lobby of thepany.


    Mrs. Jin eyed Dani''s face with disdain. "Let''s not do this here. Let''s get out of thepany. I


    want people to see just what kind of person she is!"


    Then Dani was taken to the square near the Jin Group; a crowd had gathered. They had their


    own personal business, of course, but after noticing themotion, many of them stopped what


    they were doing and began to watch what was happening.


    Mrs. Jin''s friends had driven over and were all present. As the saying went, "Birds of a feather flock


    together."


    They were all about the same size as her¡ªall bulky and clearly capable of considerable physical


    strength. The shortest among them was almost six feet tall, while the tallest one measured way


    beyond that. One would infer, then, that none of these women probably weighed less than 80


    kilograms.


    Well, the thing was that they had all been members of the underworld in the past, only leaving the


    lives they had led after they had gotten married to their rich husbands.


    The men threw Dani to the ground, and the women immediately surrounded her, their


    expressions hostile. She cowered and stepped back until she couldn''t step any further. "I''m warning


    you. My father is the CEO of Song Group. I dare you to-Ahh!"


    "Screw you!" Mrs. Jin had pped her soundly before she could even finish her words.


    Dani''s lips were bleeding, a testament to the amount of force her face had been hit with.


    Since Mrs. Jin had made her move, her friends proceeded to roll up their sleeves, ready for a brawl.


    "I''ll kill you, little bitch! How dare you to hit on my friend''s husband!"


    "Agnes, tear her clothes! I''ll take pictures."


    "We''ve seen a lot of bitches like you. I''ll teach you a lesson today and let you know the


    consequences of going for a married man!"


    They all kept hitting and cursing her. Dani held her clothes desperately and begged them for


    mercy.


    But nothing got through to them. If anything, their fists came down even more swiftly.


    It was still in the early cusp of autumn, so Dani wasn''t wearing much. She had on a long-sleeved


    dress, and not much else over that. The fabric of her clothes was expensive and delicate, and didn''t


    stand a chance when pulled apart by strong hands.


    A good number of onlookers had closed in at the square, watching the scene unfold with rapt


    attention. When they heard that the ruckus was all about the legal wife beating the crap out of the


    mistress, nobody made a move to step in and interfere. On the contrary, most of them took out their


    phones and started recording.


    Dani''s voice had gone hoarse from yelling and pleading, but the women didn''t stop.


    It didn''t even take an hour before photos and clips of her getting beaten out on the streets were


    posted on the Inte. A few more minutes and she became the most trending topic on major news


    and social media tforms.


    After all, this was the sort of scious scandal that the audience wanted to see-a mistress being


    shown her ce by the legal wife.


    In her case, though, the fire was fueled further by her very own poprity. The rising star, Dani


    Song; there was no mistaking her on the videos.


    Moments passed, then the Inte was in a bigger uproar. This time, the posts were shots of her


    sleeping with some big shot personality in a hotel room.


    The scandal burned hot for three whole days before it began to slowly die down.


    Inside her hotel room, Maria watched the video where Dani was beaten and humiliated in public.


    She smirked to herself. ''Dani Song. Don''t think this is over just yet.''


    Then she dialed a number. "Keep posting" was all she said to the line.


    "Yes, Ms. Song."


    Dani''s public disgrace had barely dwindled into murmurs when another bunch of scandalous


    photos emerged online. She was still in a hotel room, and was in an undeniably obscene situation,


    but now she was with a group of influential men. Not just one, but a number of different men. The


    private parts were blurred, but her face remained exposed on purpose. One needed only to nce


    at the pictures to know that it truly was Dani in them.


    Within the span of a single week, Dani fell from her perch in the skies to the depths of hell. She


    was banned from the industry.


    And as a consequence to her fall from grace, the Song Group''s stock prices plummeted drastically.


    Carolina was on the verge of exploding. Thepany was her life; she ate and slept in her office


    almost every day.


    As these went down, Maria, on the other hand, was off thinking about another problem after having


    dealt with Dani.


    That was, she had been feeling like there was something wrong with her bodytely. She had


    somehow been itchy down there, even after showering several times a day. She thought long and


    hard, but couldn''t say for sure what was causing the problem.


    So one night, she asked James, ''''Tell me the truth. How many women have you slept with


    recently?"


    She knew he was a neat freak, and was a frequent taker of showers himself, but she still had to


    ask.


    James was taking off his clothes. Upon hearing that, his hands paused, and he turned to look at her


    in silence, his eyes brimming with pure displeasure.


    Maria started to exin. "I think I have some inmmation down there. Who else could cause it


    besides you?" She had never experienced this before, and she couldn''t help wondering if she might


    have been infected by something unclean from him.


    James kept his silence, but his face darkened.


    Maria couldn''t say anything more either. ''What''s with him? He did what he did, but he doesn''t have


    the balls to admit it!''


    "You''re not allowed to touch me until I get examined at the hospital!" With that, she burrowed into


    the bed, turning her back to him and pulling the quilt over her head.


    James stood by the bed for a moment, then he walked out of the room and left Fairview Vi without


    a single word.


    Maria could only gape at his audacity. She might have not wanted to sleep with him, but he should


    have stayed regardless! Not to mention, she very well might be ill right then, how could he just leave


    like that?


    He only ever came to her for sex, didn''t he?


    The thought made her furious. She just knew that her infection was all James'' fault! She was still


    seething the next morning as she drove to the hospital and made an appointment at the gynecology


    department.


    -

 Chapter 194 Insulting Questions

    Chapter 194 Insulting Questions


    When the results came out, the doctor looked at Maria and said in a calm voice, "Miss, you have


    some inmmation caused by excessive cleaning."


    "Huh?" Maria gaped. She must have misheard! The doctor read the look on her face and nodded to


    confirm that she had, in fact, heard correctly. This was all so confusing.


    Maria pondered carefully. She had always been afraid of bacterial infections, so every time she had


    sex with James, she would use a medical solution to wash her private parts afterward. And


    repeatedly, too. "Is this perhaps because of that medical solution?" she asked.


    "It could be. Excessive use of the unnatural substances destroys your body''s ability to resist


    bacteria and causes inmmation instead."


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Maria was at a loss for words. She understood it now, more or less.


    She shouldn''t have used James and put all the me on him right away.


    Her anger disappeared in an instant.


    James was aware that Maria had gone to the hospital, thanks to a text message she had sent


    earlier. It read, "If the test results show that this is all because of you, you''re dead, James Xi!"


    He drove back to Fairview Vi early that evening, looking forward to witnessing her


    embarrassment.


    Maria was in the downstairs, but the moment she heard the rumbling of his car engine, she ran up


    to the bedroom as fast as she could and crawled into bed.


    Tears had always been a woman''s weapon, and tonight they would be hers. She struggled to twist


    her expression and get some tears going. She needed to act like he had some grievances that had


    to be settled.


    Soon enough, tears were streaming down her face.


    And when James walked into the room, the first thing he saw were her flushed face and wet eyes.


    "What happened?" he asked.


    Maria jumped out of bed and ran over to him, clutching his waist. She proceeded to cry in earnest,


    albeit quietly.


    As the trope went, this was supposed to be the time where the man panicked and the woman


    exacted the rest of her scheme.


    And James yed his role perfectly.


    Although he didn''t exactly panic, he still responded in the way that Maria had expected.


    Frowning, he tipped her chin upward with his finger and looked into her eyes. "Didn''t I tell you that


    you''re only allowed to cry in bed? Don''t shed a single tear otherwise."


    Maria ignored his words and continued to cry.


    He wrapped his arms around her tightly then. "What, didn''t you hear what I just said?"


    "Answer me. How many other women do you have aside from me? Have you kissed Alina Tang?


    Did you sleep with her?"


    James was really not in the mood to answer her questions, and his mouth shut.


    He found these sort of queries not only boring, but also insulting in a way. He had never been the


    type of man to sleep around so easily.


    But Maria didn''t pick up on his mood, and he raised her dramatics up a notch further. The longer he


    kept silent, the more fervent she cried.


    Her sobs felt like ws tearing at his chest, and James rubbed the bridge of his nose before finally


    giving an answer. "No. Never."


    Her crying came to an abrupt halt. "How many women have you had then?"


    "That''s none of your business." Her tears welled up again, and James heaved a sigh of resentment.


    "You are the only one!" He must have gone insane already.


    Why was he telling this woman so much?


    Then, out of the blue, Maria snickered against his chest. "The doctor said it was a bacterial


    infection. I honestly thought it was because of you."


    Her words suddenly brought something to his mind. "Then is there something wrong with Colby


    Zheng or Norman Shen?"


    That jolted Maria out of her mischief, and her face instantly became nk.


    She broke free from his arms and took a few steps away, resisting the urge to p him. "Given


    these thoughts of yours, I wonder why you still keep sharing my bed. Don''t you think I''m dirty?


    Aren''t you afraid that I might infect you with something I got from other men?"


    "You were the one who seduced me!" James retorted in a firm tone.


    She was rendered speechless, but in her mind she was cursing him. ''This son of a bitch! So you''re


    just going to push all the responsibility to me? It''s not as if all the sex was non-consensual!''


    Anger was surging inside her chest. "Mr. Xi, there are two yers in the game of seduction. No


    seduction happens without someone getting seduced. You could have just easily refused me, but


    you didn''t!"


    Caught in his zing gaze, James could not utter a word. The truth was that he had wanted to be


    seduced.


    "Oh, fuck off! Don''t evere to me again!" Maria was not putting up with this any longer. She had


    enough of him. She was kicking him out tonight.


    But before she could do anything else, he had already grabbed her hand. "What the hell is it now?


    Wasn''t I just telling the truth? Are you covering up your shame with all that anger?"


    Maria sneered. "Exactly. Your date has slept with not only Colby Zheng and Norman Shen, but also


    other countless men. However, you slept with me only. It seems I''ve taken your advantage." She


    was purposely poking at his sore spots, and she got the result she wanted.


    His expression livid, James flung her hand away and turned on his heel, walking straight to the


    door.


    "I hope you get pissed off to death!" Maria yelled at his back, egging him further.


    Seeing him so furious brought her a measure of joy for some reason.


    But then fate made a hard left.


    James was at the door when he suddenly stopped.


    He turned around to look at her for a moment-a woman so angry, her chest was heaving up and


    down with the strain of her emotions. A thought snagged in his mind.


    His reaction was confusing Maria. What was he doing now? Wasn''t he furious just a second ago?


    James looked around the room before fixating on the table, where her handbagy.


    He strode over to retrieve it.


    Maria followed his movements with her eyes and realized his intent.


    She scrambled to get to her handbag before him.


    But his legs were longer, and he already had the bag in his hands when she reached him. It took


    him barely two seconds to fish a piece of paper inside.


    She didn''t give up, though, hopping from one foot to another in an attempt to take the check-up


    results from him. s, James was far taller than her as well.


    He read the written findings of the examination. It said inmmation caused by excessive cleaning.


    It also had a prescription below.


    James snorted. He had almost been fooled by this naughty woman.


    Knowing her options had run out, Maria fled. As soon as James had held the document to his eyes,


    she had rushed to the balcony and locked the door from outside.


    James, on the other hand, returned the piece of paper inside her bag, then put the bag back in


    ce. Then he met her eyes through the ss, and walked toward the balcony in a calm manner.


    "Maria, you can run away from me now, but you can''t run away forever."


    "It doesn''t matter. I just need to run away from you right now, then I can make my grand escape


    later." She plopped on her belly on the chaise lounge outside, resting her chin on her hands as if


    she didn''t have a care in the world.


    James knocked on the balcony door once in frustration, then he turned back to the bedroom. Once


    again, he surveyed the ce until he found herptop.


    He picked up the device and settledfortably on the bed, making sure theptop was in full view


    from the balcony. Then he opened the screen.


    Important secrets were held inside thatptop, matters that James should never know.


    Maria slid into her slippers and unhurriedly unlocked the balcony door. She opened it in onenguid


    motion and leaned against the doorjamb, batting her eyes at him. "Hey, you. What''s so good about


    some old, shabbyptop? Come y with me!"


    Of course James was not interested in herptop at all. Oh, he knew it contained confidential


    information, but he wasn''t one to pry into her privacy.


    It was all a ruse to coax her back inside, and he was d that his method proved useful.


    Since she had opened the door, he closed theptop without another word and set it aside.


    It only took him a few strides before he was before her, grabbing her chin and rubbing it between his


    fingers. He looked deep into her eyes for a while before speaking. "You seem really happy when


    you pissed me off just now."


    "Of course not!" Maria held onto his waist. "I''m only happy when you are happy. Your happiness is


    my greatest happiness!"


    James snorted and rolled his eyes. ''You can''t possibly expect me to believe that.''


    He lowered his head with the goal of covering that spunky mouth of hers with his, but she raised a


    hand and stopped him. "The doctor said I''m not allowed to have sex while under medication."

 Chapter 195 At Your Side

    Chapter 195 At Your Side


    James stared at Maria in silence. He had only meant to kiss her; he never said anything about


    having sex.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    He relinquished her and said, "Go to bed early. Good night."


    Then he turned around and left the room.


    Maria watched him disappear through the door, her thoughts running wildly in her head. ''I knew it.


    I''m nothing more than a ymate in bed for him.


    After learning that we wouldn''t have sex, he just left like that.


    Surely, he is the biggest scumbag in town,'' she thought to herself.


    In the days that passed, Maria wasn''t really in a mood to make any contact with that bastard, but


    she needed his help to deal with various issues. She had no choice but to curb her personal


    sentiments.


    It was something that she had to do again today. After keeping her temper in check, she sent him a


    text message. "What else should I do with thend in the South District?"


    James was a generous man and wasn''t bothered by her attitude. His reply was quick. "Once the


    has been cast, all one needs to do is wait for the fish toe. Don''t overdo your efforts, your


    schemes will risk exposure. Just stay still and wait for the time being."


    His words did make a lot of sense. Jonathan had already been preparing for the bidding, and it


    wouldn''t be long now until the results came in.


    Maria was quite happy with how things were turning out, and if she was happy, that meant that


    James had a shot at being happy as well. "Do you know which side my heart is?" she asked.


    "Huh?" James didn''t understand what she was saying. Did her heart happen to be on the right side?


    "You''re thinking it''s on the left side, right?"


    Well, of course. James was getting confused. Wasn''t it true for most human beings? Just what on


    earth was she getting at? Was this her way of letting him know that she had some physical


    abnormalities?


    Maria sent another message. "It''s not. My heart is at your side."


    James didn''t know how to respond.


    Was she teasing him just now?


    Pleasure coursed through his veins at the realization, and his eyes sparkled with glee.


    He put his phone down, only for the message alert tone to ring. "James, will you oblige me to a


    candlelight dinner tonight?"


    He replied, "I can''t. I have an important dinnerter."


    Though disappointed, Maria knew he was a busy man. If he said he had an important dinner, then it


    must be so.


    Night fell, and since her invitation had been turned down by James, Maria didn''t have much else to


    do but concentrate on her work.


    It was almost nine in the evening when she exited the cafe and walked to her car. She ced her


    laptop on the passenger seat, thinking to grab something to eat before going back to her hotel and


    mulling her options.


    She was alone anyway, so she could have anything she wanted. Maria drove to a shopping mall


    and parked her car, then went to the building''s food court on the third floor.


    She was looking around when her eyes snagged on a man and a woman sitting inside a Western


    restaurant. She knew the man, of course, but she could only see the side of hispanion''s face.


    Nevertheless, Maria could tell for certain that it wasn''t Alina.


    Maria was furious. ''This son of bitch said he had an important dinner, and here he is enjoying the


    company of a woman!''


    It was alreadyte at night and they were still at it. So this was what he meant when he said he had


    no time.


    He was probably hooking up with another woman since she herself could not tend to his needs.


    She whipped out her phone and took two photos of the scene.


    She now had irrefutable defense. ''Let''s see how you wriggle your way out of this.''


    Maria''s appetite was now gone, but then how could she hope to get a fight on with James if she was


    hungry? She needed all her strength toy it on the bastard.


    She resolved to put off storming downstairs and smashing his head, and get some sustenance first


    instead.


    By the time she walked out of the mall, the couple were gone from the restaurant. So they had left.


    Maria dialed James'' number? "Where are you?" she demanded, her tone unpleasant.


    "The manor," James answered.


    The manor? He had just been here. She supposed he might have taken the woman back to his


    manor then. Maria was itching to expose his lies and humiliate him, and she ended the call without


    saying anything else.


    James stared at his phone, confused.


    Half an hour after that, James was in the middle of another phone call and sipping his water when


    his doorbell rang. He walked over to check on the security monitor.


    When he saw Maria outside, he went to open the door for her.


    The first thing she did was push her way into the foyer, kicking off her shoes and storming into the


    living room without bothering with slippers. "Where is that woman?" she asked while walking


    around.


    James frowned, wondering what she meant.


    Then Maria swiveled in his direction. "Is she upstairs?" She looked every bit like a wife who had


    come to catch her husband in an adulterous act.


    "What woman?"


    Maria''s jaw hung open. Was he not going to admit it? "The woman you brought back home!" Gritting


    her teeth, Maria strode over andnded a punch on the table beside him.


    She miscalcted, though, and ended up putting her fist through one of his artworks that had been


    perched on said table.


    James was silent as he eyed the smashed piece of art. Then he looked at the seething woman,


    saying nothing.


    Maria''s hand was stinging, and she discovered toote that she had missed her target and


    damaged something else.


    ''How did that happen?'' She had been going for the table, nothing more.


    Then she looked back up at James to check his reaction, but he remained silent.


    She decided to brush her guilt aside and put all the me on him. "I''m sure you don''t know this, but


    that was the first time I ever invited someone out to a candlelight dinner. You reject my invitation


    with nonchnce, saying you were busy, but then you go out on a date with some other woman. I


    know you don''t have any romantic feelings for me whatsoever, but you could have been truthful to


    me at least!"


    ''Went on a date with another woman?'' James echoed her words in his mind. Then something


    clicked; Maria must have seen him on his dinner with a client.


    But he didn''t exin himself. Instead, he quietly took her hand. Maria immediately pped it away


    of course, stepping away from him with burning eyes. "What do you think you''re doing?"


    For the moment, James couldn''t find the right words to speak, so he maintained his silence. He took


    a step forward and reached for her hand again, examining her wound. She wasn''t able to shake him


    off this time.


    Then he took out his phone and called someone. "Bring me a first aid kit."


    Maria had been waiting for him to say something in his defense, but none hade. "Won''t you say


    something? Aren''t you feeling guilty at all?" she asked in a sulking tone.


    James put away his phone and asked casually, "Why should I feel guilty?"


    "Because you refused my invitation and went on a date with another woman, of course." The photos


    she had taken came to mind and she scrambled to show them to him, so he wouldn''t be able to


    deny anything.


    Well, it turned out that she had been practically outside the restaurant earlier that night. "This


    woman is a client of HL Group. I was supposed to meet two clients tonight, but the other person had


    a car ident on the way and was sent to the hospital," James exined.


    It was her turn to go quiet. She wondered furiously if that really was all to it. "Who knows if you''re


    actually telling me the truth?" she muttered under her breath.


    James looked at her with a nk expression. "I''ll be visiting that other client in the hospital


    tomorrow. Do you want to go with me?"


    "Forget it, I''m busy." Maria supposed she could believe this liar for now.


    "Go and wash your hand." Her injury was nothing serious, but ceramic shards were still stuck on her


    skin.


    She obeyed and went to the bathroom to run her hand under the tap, taking the opportunity to calm


    herself down.


    "The wound isn''t that bad. Who did you call? Just tell them to disregard your request," she told him


    when she returned.


    She found it weird that he didn''t have a first aid kid in his residence to begin with.


    But he was ignoring her again. Of course he knew she wasn''t seriously injured.


    Otherwise he would have driven her to the hospital.


    The doorbell rang again, and Ethan came in bearing the first aid kit in question.


    "Hey, James. What''s up? Oh, Maria is also here." Ethan rushed inside in a hurry.

 Chapter 196 Too Attractive

    Chapter 196 Too Attractive


    James fell silent.


    With an intense re, Maria scolded him, "I got injured. Why did you call a vet?!1''


    "Come on, Maria!" groaned Ethan.


    Realizing that her manner of speaking was not appropriate, Maria turned to him and quickly


    exined, "I didn''t mean that."


    "It''s okay. I understand," he replied with a smile.


    "You were injured. What''s wrong with me calling a doctor over?" James asked indifferently.


    Well, a veterinarian was still a doctor. There was nothing wrong with what he had said.


    In order to appease Ethan, whose heart was slightly hurt because of her words, Maria stretched out


    her hand and asked him to deal with her wound.


    "James, you have a first aid kit here, right?" she asked.


    "Yes." James did not deny it and even smiled in response.


    He must have called Ethan toe over and poke fun of her.


    Maria realized what he wanted to do. Sadly, she had no choice but to endure it.


    She did not want to say anything more that would offend Ethan and make him misunderstand her.


    After dealing with her wound, Ethanined, "It''s just wound dressing. It''s not a big deal. Why


    did you have to call me and make mee here all the way? Anyway, James, pay the medical fee


    please. I will be a chief physician in the future, so I''m going to charge you one hundred thousand


    dors."


    "Fuck off!"


    "Fine!" Ethan packed up the kit and walked towards the door without even receiving his payment.


    As Maria watched the scene, she was speechless. How could James do this to Ethan? Thetter


    came all the way here to help her. But as soon as he was done, James kicked him out without even


    saying thank you.


    At the thought of this, Maria ran towards Ethan and shouted, "Wait for me!"


    He looked back at her in confusion. "Aren''t you going to stay here?"


    "Why should I do that? I just came here to visit." To be frank, she felt guilty. James did not want her


    to sleep here overnight, nor did he want to sleep in the same bed as her. If so, what was the reason


    for her to stay here and ask for trouble?


    "Well, even if you really don''t want to stay here, I will. After all, James'' bed is so cozy to sleep in."


    Maria rolled his eyes at him upon hearing his words. "Fine. You can stay here. Anyway, I''ll go now."


    A snicker appeared at the corners of Ethan''s mouth. "Forget it. It''s alreadyte. The road is already


    dark all the way to the foot of the mountain. Let me show you the way."


    "Thank you!" With that, the two walked towards the door, as if nobody else was with them.


    Just as Maria was about to put on her shoes, a stern voice of a man called her name. "Maria Song.¡±


    "Yes?" She turned around, yet she did not stop putting on her shoes.


    "Did I say you can leave?"


    ''So he wants me to stay? But I won''t.'' She curled her lips and retorted, "Mr. Xi, you didn''t ask me to


    stay either. I''d better leave now."


    Regardless of the man''s reaction, she walked out of the door with Ethan.


    As they reached the parking lot, Ethan looked back at the vi and asked, "Why didn''t you stay? All


    the beds in James'' manor are so cozy to sleep in. You could sleep for three nights, and you''d still


    want to sleep in for another day."


    "Do you think I can''t afford a bed?" Why did she have to sleep in a bed that obviously did not belong


    to her?


    Ethan opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. It turned out that this woman was too


    naive to get his point. Regardless, he decided to drop the subject. There was no reason for him to


    get involved between James and Maria anyway.


    A few momentster, they went back to the downtown in a separate car. Ethan drove his car in


    front, followed by Maria. Before they went their separate ways, they bade each other goodbye.


    Instead of going back to the hotel room, Maria went to Fairview Vi.


    She opened the door of a room and turned on the light. On top of the bed were numerous dolls. Not


    only that, but there were dozens of unopened blind boxes beside the table as well.


    Despite the clutter, she found herself a ce to sit down. With her legs crossed, she began to


    remove the wrapper of the blind boxes one after another.


    She tore them open one by one. The angrier she felt, the more aggressive she opened the boxes.


    She tore open the wrappers of more than thirty boxes. Sadly, not one contained the hidden design.


    While enduring the urge to burn all of the boxes, she called Ethan on the phone. "Hey! Let''s go


    shopping tomorrow."


    "What? Just the two of us?"


    "Yes. Let''s go buy some blind boxes." The first time Ethan opened a blind box, it had the hidden


    design. He was so lucky. Maria wanted to have the same luck as him.


    "You are not a fun of blind boxes, aren''t you?" Ethan asked.


    "It''s all because of the Khaki blind box you gave mest time. I just thought that it was so beautiful


    that day. Then, I started buying blind boxes. I''ve even bought hundreds of them," Maria answered


    exasperatedly.


    A single blind box cost over 10, 000 dors, and she bought hundreds of them. Ethan was at a loss.


    He could not help but heave a heavy sigh as he realized how a woman, who had been raised by a


    wealthy man, could be so willful.


    However, he was scheduled to perform an operation on a kitten tomorrow morning. "Sure, but I''m


    only free tomorrow afternoon. Is that okay?"


    "Deal!"


    "Okay."


    The next day, Maria did not get up until noon. Before she did, she sent Ethan a message. "Shall I


    invite you for lunch? I haven''t eaten the rice noodles near the No. 3 Middle School for a long time."


    Coincidentally, Ethan was working overtime, so he had not eaten yet. He agreed to her invitation


    without hesitation.


    Maria sighed and thought that that young man was courteous and a gentleman. She could not help


    but wonder if James could be like that one day.


    Before she dressed up for the day, she received a message from James. "What''s your n this


    noon?"


    "Go shopping with a friend," she replied.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "A friend?'' James thought of Summer, who was busy in her office right now. He didn''t know Maria


    had another good friend other than her. Thinking of this, he sent her another message. "A man or a


    woman?"


    Staring at the message he sent, Maria could not help but sneer. ''It''s none of your business! You''re


    just a nobody to me,'' she thought.


    With that, she tossed her phone on the bed and went to the bathroom to shower.


    Although Maria did not reply to James, Ethan gave him a call.


    "James, Maria and I will go shoppingter. Do you want to join us?" Ethan pondered for a long time


    and thought that it was better to inform James about it. After all, Maria was this business tycoon''s


    date.


    As it turned out, the friend whom Maria was going to shop with was Ethan. James frowned at the


    thought of his. "Why does she want you to go shopping with you?"


    "She wants me to go with her to buy some blind boxes. She thinks that she''s unlucky that she didn''t


    get the hidden design even after buying hundreds of them. She must be envious because I got the


    hidden design after buying one.


    James, am I really lucky?" James felt his head hurt because of what Ethan informed him. Ethan was


    indeed childish. "No, thanks. I have a meeting this afternoon. Enjoy yourselves." "Alright then. Don''t


    worry, I''ll keep an eye on Maria for you. I won''t let any man get close to her."


    "There''s no need for that." "Why not? Aren''t you worried that men would be attracted to her?"


    "What I mean is, you should look at yourself. Stay away from her."


    Ethan snorted. "I know that. I''m not Lawrence. There''s no way I''d steal my friend''s wife."


    With a sneer, James reminded Ethan, "If that''s the case, then who told mest time that he would


    fall into Maria''s honey trap if she dared to use it on him?"


    "Ha-ha! I wasn''t serious. She isn''t my cup of tea. I can''t deal with her, and only you can do that.


    You''re the best match for her," Ethan replied fawningly in order to tter James.


    "Fuck off! Remember to pay her bill, okay?"


    "Double reimbursement?"


    "Come here, and I''ll tell you."


    "I don''t have to. She''s a woman, so I''ll always be willing to pay her bills."


    James rubbed the crease between his eyebrows in exasperation. "Ethan, if you don''t stop talking


    nonsense, I''ll pull your tongue out."


    ¡ª

 Chapter 197 Run Into Judy

    Chapter 197 Run Into Judy


    "Alright. Bye, James." Ethan knew what kind of man James was like, so he hung up the phone


    without waiting for a response.


    Then, he obediently drove to the hotel to pick up Maria, and together they went to the rice noodles


    restaurant she talked about.


    The restaurant was quite small, but business was booming. When the two arrived, the restaurant


    was teeming with students from the nearby middle school, elbowing each other in the queue.


    Ethan asked Maria to save them two seats while he went and lined up to order. After a couple of


    minutes, he came over with two bowls of steaming rice noodles, some snacks, and ice cold drinks.


    Starving, the two dug into their bowls hungrily. Maria, who was used to takeout food, was


    unbothered by such a simple lunch.


    Ethan often went out for dinner with his ssmates to small, hole-in-the-wall restaurants such as


    this one, so he was also very at home here.


    The two slurped their bowls in satisfied silence.


    However, a couple of minutes into their meal, Maria set her chopsticks down abruptly and took out a


    napkin to dab at her lips expressionlessly.


    Eyeing her bowl of rice noodles, Ethan felt puzzled. "Why did you stop eating? There''s still a lot


    left."


    Maria shook her head calmly. "No reason, just keep eating your food. Don''t mind me." ''Okay then."


    Concluding this woman had the appetite of a mouse, Ethan shrugged it off and continued slurping


    up his noodles.


    When he was full, he let out a satisfied burp and was about to gather his things to leave. Just then,


    Maria''s arm shot out and she yanked his arm, urging him to look at her bowl.


    Picking up her chopsticks, she poked a stray noodle out of the way and a small, ck thing floated


    to the surface of her soup. Ethan''s eyes nearly popped out of his head and his stomach churned


    violently.


    The small, ck thing turned out to be a disgustingly huge cockroach. The rice noodles they had


    were from the same pot.


    He was torn between retching on the spot and fainting. Fortunately, he did neither. Instead, he


    managed to run outside to the nearest trashcan as fast as he could and unleashed his lunch there.


    Maria had followed after him concernedly, but just as she got close, Ethan said through gritted teeth,


    "That''s it. It''s over. We need to break up!¡± Why hadn''t she told him earlier? Instead, she let him


    finish his entire bowl of noodles before she said anything.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Maria was also disgusted, albeit reacting less dramatically. She decided she would never return to


    this restaurant, but she was in no mood to call out the owner over this mishap.


    So instead, she helplessly threw her hands up in the air. "I didn''t want you to lose your appetite, you


    looked like you were enjoying the food."


    Ethan wanted to strangle her.


    In a fit of rage, he began to stomp back towards the restaurant. "I''m going to ask the owner to


    compensate us threefold!"


    "Forget it, it''s just a little money." It wasn''t that big a restaurant. A bowl of noodles cost only a little


    over ten dors. Combined with the snacks and drinks, it only amounted to a little less than fifty


    dors. Fifty times three only meant a hundred and fifty dors.


    "No, I can''t ept this. Plus, the trauma they¡¯ve caused me should amount to at least a hundred


    thousand dors."


    Maria grabbed his arm. "Please, don''t waste your time. Let''s go. We''ll nevere here again!"


    Ethan snorted and mentally shook his fist at the restaurant. "You should take a photo and post it on


    the Inte," he said, reluctantly acquiescing.


    The business must''ve been too busy that they decided to pursue quantity over quality.


    "Okay, go back and have another bowl. I''ll take a picture." Maria rolled her eyes.


    "Eww! Even if you offered me ten million dors, there''s no way I''d go back there ever again!" Ethan


    scoffed.


    Maria nodded in agreement. Neither would she.


    The two of them had rtively free schedules that afternoon, so they decided to wander around for


    a bit before buying the blind boxes. They didn''t want to go shopping with the blind boxes in tow, so


    they decided to buy them right before leaving instead.


    When they passed by a high-end electric appliance store, Ethan mentioned that the vacuum cleaner


    in his apartment was broken, so he insisted on taking Maria in to have a look.


    Maria meekly followed him into the shop and waited idly as he browsed among the vacuum


    cleaners.


    The saleswoman saw that she seemed aimless, so she quickly approached her. "Excuse me, miss.


    You should check out our new fruit dehydrator. Your fruit leftovers can be dried and then stored for a


    longer time."


    A fruit dehydrator? Maria entertained the idea. Yes, it was true, she did oftentimes buy fruit and


    failed to finish it all, leaving a lot of fruit waste. Maybe this appliance would be useful to her after all.


    Just then, Ethan popped up beside her. "What are you looking at?"


    "Sir, I''m showing this fruit dehydrator to your friend. It has just been imported from the United


    States. Please have a look!"


    Ethan nodded and studied the shiny appliance. "It looks futuristic and stylish. Just buy it!"


    Maria nced at the price tag and nearly fainted. Fiftyeight thousand dors!


    Just to dehydrate fruits, was it really worth that much money?


    Maria tore her gaze away from the shiny appliance. "Ethan, didn''t you say you were looking for a


    vacuum cleaner?"


    "I was, but they don''t have the style I like."


    "All right then, let''s go!"


    "Just wait a minute, I want to see this fruit dehydrator..."


    Maria interrupted him. "I can eat all the fruit. All of it."


    She had her answer. Sixty grand was not worth it.


    With that, she dragged a confused Ethan to the exit. Each time he tried to protest, Maria would


    shoot him a murderous re, shutting him up.


    When they finally made it out of the appliance store, Maria finally exined, "That thing costs sixty


    thousand dors. I might as well buy a bottle of high-end skin care essence instead."


    Ethan was speechless. So, skincare products were worth that much money? He shook his head. He


    gave up trying to understand women.


    Just then, two people were walking over in their direction.


    When he saw who was approaching, Ethan muttered, "What a small world!"


    Maria also saw them, but she made no move to greet them first. Hence, with a heavy sigh, Ethan


    stepped forward to make the first move. "Hi, Aunt Judy, Ms. Tang."


    "Hi, Mr. Nan, what a coincidence!" Judy greeted them amicably, albeit secretly wondering why the


    two were together.


    It was not the first time that she sighed that Maria had changed a lot. Maria seemingly had changed


    to a totally different person.


    She was sporting a burgundy silk shirt, the hemline of which was tucked neatly into a pair of high-


    waist ck jeans, entuating her slender waist. Her long curly hair hung on her shoulders, and


    her delicate lips were covered with raspberry-colored lipstick.


    The other woman, Alina, just smiled and nodded in greeting.


    Seeing Judy''s visible confusion, Ethan decided to exin. "Well, I''m buying some stuff with Maria,


    under James'' orders." With a bright smile stered on his face, he seemed not to know who he was


    talking to.


    Judy''s and Alina''s expressions changed slightly, but since they were in public, Alina didn''t want to


    openly offend Ethan.


    ncing at Maria who ignored them, Judy smiled sarcastically. "Did James ask you to take her


    out?" "Yes, he had a meeting this afternoon, so he wasn''t avable to apany her himself. But


    Maria was so insistent on shopping today. You know how it is, Aunt Judy, I''m the idlest one after all."


    Judy feigned a smile and nodded. ''What did he mean by that?'' She knew nothing.


    She barely knew Ethan, they were practically strangers. "Well, go ahead and do your shopping. I''m


    taking Alina to the weddingpany. After all, her wedding with James can''t be postponed any


    longer. Mr. Nan, when their wedding date is set, I''ll ask James to inform you."


    Ethan''s heart skipped a beat. He looked at Maria from the corner of his eye.


    When Maria saw his concerned look, she put on a sad expression. "Didn''t James mention that he


    was forced into this engagement? He said he was going to call off the wedding. Ethan, was he lying


    to me?"


    Ethan, immediately seeing through her farce, almost burst intoughter. He couldn''t help but


    secretly praise Maria''s acting skills.


    He decided to y along. "I don''t think so. How about we finish shopping quickly and go back?


    Then you can ask him face-to-face.¡±


    "Yes, that sounds like a good idea.¡±


    -

 Chapter 198 Straight Men

    Chapter 198 Straight Men


    Ethan looked at Judy and Alina. "Aunt Judy, Ms. Tang, please excuse us. We need to go now. See


    you around."


    "Yes, take care, Mr. Nan," Judy answered wryly.


    The moment they were gone, Alina turned to Judy with fire in her eyes. "Just look at Maria, Auntie!


    I''m sure she was bluffing just now. That woman is always so arrogant."


    Judy''s reply, however, was calm. "Well, I don''t know if she was bluffing. I think you should be more


    concerned about whether James really said those words or not."


    "Yes, of course you''re right, Auntie. But how would I confirm it?"


    "Don''t worry. I''ll ask James myself when I find the time."


    "That''s good then. Thank you, Auntie."


    "All right, let''s go." They weren''t actually visiting a weddingpany; Judy had only said so in an


    attempt to rile Maria up.


    Meanwhile, Maria was patting Ethan''s head as they ducked out of their enemies'' sight. "Thank you,


    Ethan!"


    He rubbed his hands together and spoke with enthusiasm. "I do admire your acting skills, Maria."


    "You should learn from me then! Who knows, you might end up as an actor one day. If you be


    famous, don''t forget me."


    "You have my word!"


    Mariaughed, amused at their easy bickering. "Okay. There''s nobody else here now, you can


    stop."


    Ethan''s expression rxed and turned normal again. "Do you think they were really going to a


    weddingpany?" "No, I don''t think so. Judy probably said that on purpose to piss me off." She


    had failed to stop their engagement ceremonyst time.


    If James ended up actually marrying Alina, Maria would be too ashamed to live in this world.


    "I agree. Listen, do you need me to find out what James thinks about all this and report it to you?"


    "Thank you, but you don''t have to do that. You''ll only be courting trouble for yourself. If he suspends


    your cards again, I''ll be the one dealing with all your whining."


    Nathan nodded. "You have nothing to worry about, Maria. You''re family to me. If you end up


    remarrying James and holding the purse strings, please be generous to me."


    Maria chuckled. "I have a question, by the way. But please don''t take this in a negative light; I am


    genuinely curious. Why do I feel like James has been supporting you financially? Is it just me?"


    "Oh, it''s not you, he is indeed supporting me. I ask him for every penny that I spend." Ethan didn''t


    hold back anything. "My sry is well enough to support me through a month. But James gave me


    a bunch of credit cards for fear that I''m broke."


    ''His words sounds strange somehow, '' she thought. "But you aren''t rted to each other or


    anything. Why would he concern himself to that extent? Is it just because you''re close friends?"


    People who knew nothing would indeed have doubts about the two men''s rtionship.


    Ethan looked at her confused expression with a serious one of his own. "I will only tell you that he is


    like an older brother to me. I won''t say anything else. And we''re not gay either. We are both straight


    men. Don''t think too much, Maria."


    He was living a happy life now, he didn''t want all those horrible things from the past toe


    knocking on his door again.


    "Well, it doesn''t matter. If you want to keep it a secret, then I won''t pry further. Everybody has their


    own secrets," Maria said with a smile.


    "You really are a rare beauty-smart, gentle, considerate. I am so lucky to know you..."


    She hissed at him. "Stop it!" Goose bumps popped out all over her arms at his words.


    Ethan nodded jovially. "Yes, yes, I know. I felt rather sick saying those things, too. It''s good that


    you''re not very fond of gettingpliments since I don''t like giving them either."


    Maria gaped and shook her head. This guy was really... She racked her brains to find a suitable


    word for his personality. In any case, his personality was certainly something else.


    Then they went to the blind box counter and ordered all their Khaki blind boxes, as well as a few


    Pop Mart blind boxes. Maria took out her wallet and was about to pay the bill when Ethan hurried to


    stop her. "My treat! It''s my treat!"


    "How can I let you pay? I have money, let me do it."


    He waved his hand nonchntly. "It''s not my own money anyway. It would technically be James''


    treat. I surely can''t afford this much with my current sry." He could only buy one blind box in a


    month at most. He found himself swallowing in self-pity as he acknowledged the truth out loud.


    Maria didn''t insist anymore.


    They came out of the shopping mall and Ethan helped her arrange for nearly one hundred blind


    boxes to be sent to Fairview Vi. Then they went their separate ways.


    When James arrived at Fairview Vi that night, he didn''t find Maria in the bedroom.


    A thought urred to him almost instantly, and he walked back to the hallway and turned to another


    room.


    Sure enough, there she was.


    The room was in a mess, and Maria sat in the midst of it all, surrounded by arge pile of trash that


    she had extracted from the blind boxes.


    She caught sight of him and asked in confusion, "Why are you here?" She had been opening the


    blind boxes for the longest time and was just about to lose her mind.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    She was sporting a very rare expression, piquing James '' interest. He motioned at the boxes with


    his chin. "Is that really so interesting?"


    Maria nodded, then sulked. "I still haven''t found the hidden design though."


    ''Why is she so eager to get a hidden design?'' James really didn''t understand.


    He walked into the room and found a space among the melee. He squatted on the floor and picked


    one of the boxes she had yet to touch.


    He opened it and poured out its contents on hisp.


    As he did so, a card dropped and fell lightly on the carpet near his feet.


    "Ah!" Maria eximed suddenly.


    He turned to her with a mix of surprise and rm.


    She picked up the card, then grabbed the box out of his hands. She fished the package nestled


    inside and tore its wrappings open. "James, behold the hidden version of Princess Khaki! Ahhh! I''ve


    been looking forward to getting my hands on this for a long time."


    James was at a loss. He had only taken a box at random.


    And what was that, a doll? He couldn''t understand why a person, almost thirty years old, was this


    delighted over finding a single piece of toy.


    He suspected that some of Ethan''s childishness might have rubbed off on her. They had been


    interacting with each other quite often these days after all.


    "Muah!" Maria nted a big, sound kiss on his cheek, prompting James to turn to her with a nk


    expression. Well, this sort of happiness was lost on him.


    What he was sure of then, however, was that it was gettingte and she should be in bed. "Go to


    take a shower," he ordered.


    "No way, I have to sort these out first. You go on ahead. " Then just like that, her attention was once


    again on the dolls. She would have to ssify them one by one and buy more ss showcases


    tomorrow.


    James started to brood where he sat.


    "I don''t want to go shopping again tomorrow," Maria said absentmindedly. "Please ask someone to


    send several ss showcases here. I''ll disy the dolls in this room. Oh, but if you mind, you can


    send them to my hotel instead.¡± She was nning to buy herself a house anyway. She just needed


    a ce to house her dolls first.


    ''If you mind...'' James repeated her words inwardly, his eyes darkening. He ignored her words and


    grabbed her wrist. "Get some rest first. I''ll have these cleaned upter."


    Maria took hisck of response to mean that he did, in fact, minded. She only shrugged before


    following him into the bedroom. "Just send them to the hotel I''m staying. The number of showcases


    would depend on their unit size. If a showcase can hold one hundred dolls, you can order four...no,


    five of them!"


    "Quiet!" The man interrupted with obvious disgust.


    Maria nced at him, but she did shut up obediently.

 Chapter 199 Infinite Warmth

    Chapter 199 Infinite Warmth


    Maria decided to look for a house for herself. She was nning to buy a big vi, in which she


    would allot a big room for her dolls.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    It had been almost ten days since she went to the hospital. Since then, James had not had sex with


    her.


    In the bathroom, he kissed her earlobe.


    Maria shivered and wanted to refuse. "I''m notpletely recovered yet."


    Upon hearing this, James snorted. "I have the results of the reexamination from the hospital you


    went to yesterday. Do you want to check them again?" He was actually afraid that she would lie to


    him, so he called the hospital and asked for her results.


    Usually, men were supposed to be the ones who were good liars.


    However, in James'' mind, Maria was a bigger liar.


    "Did you send someone to follow me?" Maria asked while ring at him.


    "No. I just asked the hospital for the results." Thest time James read her results, he found out that


    she went to the hospital ran by the HL Group. Seeing this, he ordered Summer to contact the


    director of the gynecology department.


    ''You son of a bitch!'' she swore inwardly.


    As revenge, she bit him in his chest, leaving a shallow bite mark. James looked down at the mark,


    and his eyes darkened with desire.


    Almost instantly, he sealed her red lips with his. He pressed her against the wall of the bathroom


    and began to have sex with her.


    As usual, James left at midnight. Maria was now used to it that she did not say anything. As if


    nothing had happened, she just turned over and fell asleep again.


    Maria was so busy these past two days that she forgot what she had asked James to do. One day,


    while she was at a voice conference, James called her, asking her to go to his manor.


    "I can''t go there right now. I''m busy."


    James was well aware of what Maria was busy with. She was in charge of her start-uppany.


    Even so, she did not have to go to thepany in person because all her work was on herptop.


    "Bring yourptop with you then," he said indifferently.


    "Can I just not go?" she replied helplessly.


    "No! I''m out of town on a business trip at the moment. I''m not going to sleep with you. Just go there


    and stop talking nonsense!"


    What choice did she have? He was the boss after all.


    With that, Maria closed herptop and drove to his manor as ordered.


    When she arrived, she entered the passcode. Once done, she was finally able to enter his territory


    smoothly.


    While she was changing into slippers, her phone rang again. She looked at it to see who it was. It


    was James.


    "Go to the second floor."


    "All right!"


    While she went upstairs to the second floor, she listened to his instructions on the phone carefully.


    Not long after, she found a room and pushed the door open.


    As she did so, she was stunned.


    "Do you see them?¡±


    Maria nodded. It took her a second before she realized that he could not see her. "Yes, I did," she


    quickly answered.


    "Okay." With that, he hung up the phone.


    The bedroom was huge that it nearly covered a hundred square meters. The entire wall was


    covered with white wallpaper, and about ten ss showcases were next to it.


    The dolls and blind boxes in the Fairview Vi had been moved into the manor. All of them were


    neatly arranged inside the showcases.


    The lights in the room were so bright that they reflected on the crystals which were embedded on


    the dolls. It looked dazzling from afar. It was undeniably beautiful and breathtaking.


    The unopened blind boxes were also there. They were neatly ced in a big box next to the


    showcases as though they were waiting for her to open them.


    Meanwhile, therger dolls were atop the huge lightyellow bed in the center of the room.


    Maria''s girlish personality that was hidden deep beneath her resurfaced because of what she was


    seeing.


    Upon realizing that James did all of this for her, she felt an infinite warmth in her heart.


    She was so happy at that moment that she forgot all the bitterness in life.


    She could not wait to call him back and express her gratitude. "James, you brought all of them here!


    What should I do if I want to see them in the future?"


    "The password changes every now and then, and only my phone has it. Wait for me. Once I get


    back, I''ll record your face into the security system, so you''ll be able to ess it yourself through the


    face recognition."


    Maria''s eyes turned red upon hearing his response, but her voice remained the same. "What if I


    suddenlye over and see you and Alina in bed?"


    James'' smile faltered, and he suddenly felt an urge to tape her mouth. "Join us then."


    Join them? Maria gaped at her phone, bbergasted at his words. The warmth in her chest


    dissipated all at once. "Fuck off! You''re so disgusting!"


    What a coincidence! James was also disgusted.


    "Anyway, you can use that bedroom temporarily." His master bedroom was right next to this one.


    "But I met your fiancee and Ms. Lan the other day. They told me that they would go to the wedding


    company to prepare for your wedding. If you got married, what would happen to my dolls?" She was


    about to ask what she should do, but decided to change her words halfway.


    "Who told you that?" James wondered why he had no idea that about the preparation of the


    wedding.


    "Ms. Lan, of course. If you don''t want to believe me, you can ask Ethan. He can vouch for me that I


    didn''t make this up."


    James was silent for a moment. When he finally spoke, he did not reassure her anything. "Let''s talk


    about it next time."


    Maria pursed her lips. What a shrewd capitalist! He did not even reassure her. Was he afraid that


    she would pester him if he did?


    If so, James could rest assured.


    Once she was through with her grudges, she would kill herself so that she could keep Arthur


    company. She would no longer pester James, who turned out to be a scumbag.


    Not wanting to dwell on the topic anymore, she casually asked, "When will youe back from the


    business trip?"


    "Why? You want toe to me?" She had done that before anyway.


    Maria rolled her eyes and fired back, "I just asked. It would actually be better if you don''te back


    for a year or two."


    If that happened, she would not be tortured by him every night.


    "Sadly, if I don''te back, how can your ns work?" His question hit the nail on her head.


    Taken aback, Maria cleared her throat and answered in the softest tone possible, "James, although


    it''s only been two days since west saw each other, I miss you so much. Pleasee back soon.


    Allow me, your loyal maid, to pick you up at the airport and help you rx."


    ''My loyal maid?'' James began to imagine what she would look in a red ancient costume. "I¡¯m not


    sure yet. I''ll let you know when the timees."


    Maria red at the phone again. She just said it out of politeness. However, he took it seriously.


    But for the sake of the beautifully decorated room before her, she decided not to argue with him.


    "Okay then."


    Once the call ended, Maria threw herself on therge bed and fantasized while holding her two big


    dolls. If she and James had a lovely daughter, she would definitely buy her the most beautiful dolls


    in the world.


    Unfortunately, that was impossible to happen.


    Whenever they had sex, James always wore a condom. If he did not, she would take contraceptive


    pills afterwards, so there was no way she would get pregnant with his baby.


    When Judy bumped into Maria the other day, she felt quite uneasy. For some reason, she always


    felt that Maria was not as weak as she seemed. To make things worse, Alina kept telling her all


    sorts of bad things about Maria. This made her even uncertain who thetter really was.


    Judy pondered for a long time. It took her two days before she decided to deal with Maria. However,


    she did not want to do it on her own.


    She had several people at her disposal, and she had to think carefully about who the best person


    for the job was.


    On the day James returned from the business trip, Summer went to the coffee shop and brought


    Maria a set of clothes. "James asked you to wear this tonight. You can choose between Fairview


    Vi and his manor," she whispered in Maria''s ear.


    Summer''s words were suggestive. Maria looked through the paper bag and saw a burgundy-red


    ancient costume. She was a little confused. She never thought that James would have such a


    fetish.


    Maria tossed the paper bag aside and said straightforwardly, "Tell him I won¡¯t wear it. He can ask


    anyone else to wear that, but not me." She was not into ancient costumes after all.

 Chapter 200 Possessed

    Chapter 200 Possessed


    Summer snickered. Fortunately, James had already anticipated Maria''s reaction. "Mr. Xi said it


    doesn''t matter if you don''t want to wear it. He won''t make things difficult for you. But he also wanted


    me to remind you that tomorrow is the day for the bidding of thend in South District."


    At the mention of the property, Maria instantly perked up. She understood what James was trying to


    say. She retrieved the paper bag without another thought. "I will put this on, okay? I''ll wear anything


    he wants even if it''s a pair of bikini!"


    Summer broke into softughter. "I''ll take my leave then. I still have things to take care of back in


    thepany."


    "All right, take care on your way."


    Maria emerged from the coffee shop early that evening and headed straight to Fairview Vi to fix


    herself some dinner.


    After finishing her meal, she went upstairs to take a milk bath with a few drops of essential oils.


    She had made up her mind to serve James very well tonight.


    She stayed in the bath until the water turned cold, then she proceeded with her skin care routine,


    carefully applying serums and creams on her body.


    For the final touch, she patted her long hair dry before sprinkling a few dabs of essential oil on it as


    well. She took out the ancient costume he had sent then, and changed in front of the mirror inside


    the cloakroom.


    The lining of the costume was white, while the main fabric was burgundy red. This color


    combinationplimented Maria''s creamy skin perfectly.


    She hadn''t worn this sort of costume before, so she had had to patiently study the steps on how to


    put it on.


    She just couldn''t understand what was possibly going through his head this time. Why had he asked


    her to cover up with so manyyers? Wouldn''t it be far sexier if she wore close to nothing?


    Maria took a deep breath as she finished tying thest knot on the outfit, then she sprayed some


    perfume on her wrists and neck.


    She nced at her watch, noting that it was almost time for James toe home.


    Shaking her sleeves, she took position in the middle of the bedroom and made a deep bow. "Good


    evening, Mr. Xi."


    She cringed at the gesture almost immediately, and cursed James in her mind. What the hell could


    have propelled him to buy her an ancient costume?


    Little did she know that the spark of this whole situation was her very own words¡ª"your loyal maid."


    James arrived at Fairview Vi ten minutester than usual. He locked the door behind him and


    looked up to find her standing on thending of the second floor.


    Maria waved a handkerchief at him and winked. "Hello, Mr. Xi. Pleasee upstairs and enjoy


    yourself."


    He was shocked to his core. This scene was just too absurd and hrious, he suddenly had the


    urge to turn on his heel and walk out the door.


    He had bought her the costume on a whim, but he had never expected her to go as far as behaving


    like an ancient courtesan to go along with the clothes.


    Seeing that he had frozen in ce, Maria smiled even more brightly. "Come now, Mr. Xi! I''ve been


    waiting for you for quite a while."


    She had been stewing over her predicament since earlier in the evening, and her temper only kept


    growing hot by the minute. She had decided, therefore, to turn the tables on James until he himself


    conceded his own scheme.


    As things were going, it appeared that she was seeding in making him sick with the role ying.


    Maria cackled with glee inside her mind.


    But at the same time, a part of her was afraid that he might just leave her like this. She ended up


    dropping her act prematurely.


    Even so, James turned around and stepped toward the door.


    But Maria had already made preparations to prevent his inevitable escape.


    The moment he pivoted, she grabbed the rope she had installed beside her earlier and used it to


    leap downstairs.


    By the time James turned around to find the source of the thump that followed hernding, she was


    already pouncing on him.


    He wondered at the back of his mind how she had managed to be so agile and light on her feet.


    Then he looked past her and spotted the rope hanging from the second floor ceiling.


    Maria wrapped her arms tightly around his body and crooned in a tone not unlike a spoiled child''s.


    "You''re finally back. I miss you so much!"


    James said nothing.


    But he did cock his head to survey her appearance up close. The costume fit her to a T.


    His gaze moved back to her face, her lips that sported an enchanting smile and her eyes that


    sparkled. Her slender waist was tied by a belt, and it looked so thin.


    His interest that had gone out the window mere moments before now stormed back in full force.


    He picked her up and carried her in his arms in one fluid motion. With her face so close to his like


    this, James found himself sniffing at the faint fragrance of her hair in an attempt to sink into the


    source of her scent.


    Maria draped her arms over his neck and whispered in his ear, "I''ve bought a new bottle of perfume.


    Do you like it?"


    The fragrance was indeed refreshing and seductive, and he kept his strides long as he went. "Let


    me take you upstairs and I will take my time examining this new scent you''re using."


    In the bedroom upstairs, he settled her on therge bed and made for the bathroom, intending to


    take a quick shower. Maria was quick to grab his arm and pull him back. "Just showerter, I don''t


    mind."


    Then her lips closed in on his tie, pulling the knot loose with her teeth.


    That single action was like a spell being cast on James, and the next thing she knew, he was


    pressing her down beneath his body and kissing her passionately.


    The night grewte. The ancient costume was torn and tossed on the floor, no longer suitable to be


    worn.


    After taking his shower that night, James stayed in Fairview Vi.


    Maria had been too exhausted to get up from bed, let alone take her own shower. He obliged by


    wiping her face and body with a wet towel before lying beside her on the same bed.


    She rolled over toward him, then one of her arms came over his torso.


    He hesitated for a brief moment, but he didn''t shake off her hold. On the contrary, he held her in his


    arms, their breaths intermingling within the tiny space between them.


    Maria smiled contentedly in the dark.


    The bidding day of thend in South District rolled in quietly. Maria was keeping an eye on the


    situation in a private room inside the coffee shop when a noise came from outside.


    She perked up and heard some shouting going on.


    She put down her phone and walked out the door.


    In the hall outside were more than a dozen men, each of them wearing fierce expressions and


    carrying sticks and other makeshift weapons in their hands. "Where is Maria Song? Tell her to get


    out here! Otherwise, I will smash this shop to pieces today!"


    Most of the patrons inside the shop had scrambled to the exit, frightened by the presence of these


    obvious rioters, leaving the ce empty.


    The door of the coffee shop was closed. Someone smashed the table with a stick, and several


    coffee cups on it broke.


    Maria walked over to the men, her demeanor cold and intimidating. "Ronald Tang, what the hell is


    wrong with you?"


    "What is wrong with me? I should be the one asking you that!"


    "What do you mean?"


    "Huh? Was it you who made trouble at my sister''s engagement ceremony?" When Ronald heard


    this news, he wanted to kill Maria on the spot.


    ''So he''s here on some revenge plot on behalf of his sister.'' Maria had to admit that Alina had a good


    brother. She pulled a chair over and sat, all calm and casual. "I also saw the video from that day.


    The person in question lookedpletely different from me. You can''t nder me like this."


    "Stop pretending! I know it''s you, and I''m going to make you pay for it today."


    He seemed so confident about his actions. Maria gave Ronald a sideways nce. "Who told you I


    did it? How dare this person nder me? I won''t let this pass, you know."


    It was almost certain that someone else had instigated this, provoking Ronald to act as a pawn.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Maria felt strange as Ronald didn''t dare to act arrogant in front of her since what had happened


    between themst time.


    Ronald sneered. "Who do you think you are? You won''t let her go? Maria Song, you are nothing


    without Norman Shen!"


    ''Her? So the mastermind is a woman.'' "Are you saying that Norman is no match for her then?" she


    asked.


    "Of course! Her stepson is very powerful. Norman Shen is in no position to disrespect her!"


    -

 Chapter 201 Smash This Place

    Chapter 201 Smash This ce


    Maria understood then; Judy was behind this.


    And Ronald didn''t even know that he was being used as a pawn.


    Her hunch was correct; it was indeed Judy.


    Judy knew Ronald was impulsive and self-righteous, and paid no attention to the possible


    consequences of his actions. He would never let Maria go.


    And so, Judy had orchestrated an "idental" meeting with him, wherein she asked about her


    sister with false concern. "How is Alina? Is she all right? Did she end up going to Maria Song?"


    "Why would my sister go to that woman?" Ronald asked in confusion.


    "Wasn''t Alina angry with Maria for ruining her engagement ceremony? Weren''t you informed about


    it?"


    At that time, Ronald really didn''t know.


    He had never imagined that Maria had something to do with it.


    He and Judy parted ways not long after.


    He discovered that Maria was often in her coffee shop, so he bought a group of men here.


    Since Maria now knew who was behind this, she decided to face him head on. "So, what are you


    doing here?"


    An evil smile spread on the man''s face. He gestured to his men. "Smash this ce! I will reward the


    person who wreaks the most damage!" "Yes, Mr. Tang!"


    Just as they were about to make their move, Maria jumped to her feet and pounded on the table


    beside her. "Who dares?" she snapped.


    Ronald took two steps toward her. "Wow, you''re still acting so high and mighty, huh? My dear


    cousin, I would love to see just how long you can keep acting tough! Smash this ce, now!"


    What followed was the chaotic sound of sses breaking and furniture getting banged up. The


    shop employees were all detained at the bar counter. Some of Ronald''s men were guarding them


    closely so as to keep them from calling the police.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    As the ruckus ensued, Maria strode to the nearest man and pulled him over. Then she proceeded to


    break his arm, topple him over, and kick him to the floor in one fluid motion.


    She found another man and did the same thing. Before she could teach a third one the same


    lesson, however, she felt something cold pressed against her temple.


    The staff back at the bar screamed at the sight of the gun against her head.


    Maria slowly stopped what she was doing. She knew it was a gun, of course. So this was why


    Ronald had been so confident.


    "Well, weren''t you bragging just a while ago? Come on then! Keep at it!" Ronald cocked the


    hammer and put his finger on the trigger.


    People from rich families were always like this, weren''t they? Living in mansions worth hundreds of


    millions and doing whatever the hell they wanted with the weapons at their disposal.


    Maria said nothing.


    Ronald took note of her silence andughed wildly. "Come on! Tie her up!" He was wary of this


    woman''s fighting skills. She didn''t seem fazed by his gun at all. It would be better to tie her up


    before it was toote.


    "Yes, Mr. Tang!"


    Soon enough, Maria''s wrists and ankles were bound tightly.


    So Ronald could actually be smart, too, sometimes. If she had not been tied up, she would have


    definitely kicked his weapon off his hand.


    She said nothing and began to think of a way to get out of this.


    The only option was to ask for help from others.


    She nced at the shop assistant who was the only one standing, winking at him.


    Unfortunately, the man was still badly shaken up by the presence of a gun in the picture. He held his


    head in his hands, trembling and panting in fear.


    "Maria Song, I bet you never expected that a day like this would evere to your life." Ronald


    toyed with his gun as he spoke.


    It really was a handy trinket to carry around. Sure he had to spend a boat load of money to get it,


    but it turned out to be worth every single cent anyway.


    "What the hell do you want to do?"


    "You should be asking what I want you to do. I want you to apologize to Alina and James and swear


    that you''ll never seduce him again."


    Maria narrowed her eyes and kept her mouth shut.


    "Who do you think you are, huh? Are you really going to keep acting like this? I swear, I will make


    you weep!"


    She didn''t seem daunted at all, and it grated at Ronald''s fury.


    Still, Maria didn''t respond.


    Pak! He hit her face.


    Her head was thrown back, and her vision blurred. It took her a moment to return to her senses.


    Ronald was feeling excited now. It was as if all of his evil streaks had been turned on by that one


    act of physical violence.


    "Take this woman away! I will be taking my time torturing her." He wanted to degrade her as much


    as possible.


    Maria shot him a disdainful re. "You''d better make sure you kill me today, Ronald, or you will be


    the one to die!"


    "Don''t worry, Maria. I will fulfill your wish. This will be yourst day alive. Take her to the factory!"


    James was Alina''s fiance; there was nothing in the world that man could not cover up, let alone one


    measly murder.


    "Yes, Mr. Tang."


    As they pulled her to her feet, Maria looked at Mike who was standing behind the bar counter. "Call


    the police and tell James," she mouthed.


    Mike was still rather stunned. He couldn''t figure out what Maria mouthed, but he could tell she


    mentioned James.


    He knew that man was Maria''s good friend anyway, so informing James was probably the right thing


    to do.


    Maria was dragged into a minibus that quickly swept her away from the ce.


    When they were gone, Mike immediately made a run for to HL Group across the road, hell-bent on


    seeing James.


    But he was just another ordinary person. Even if he had known that his target was inside this


    building, it didn''t mean that he could just meet him out of the blue.


    He circled around the gate anxiously for several minutes until a security guard approached him and


    made an inquiry. "Excuse me, sir. Do you have some business here?"


    Mike pounced on this opportunity. "Sir, I work at the coffee shop across the street. Something


    happened to our boss and I need to inform Mr. Xi right away. Is there any way you could let me in?"


    The security staff hesitated for a moment. "You can''t just walk in there, that''s for sure. Wait here for


    a moment, I''ll go ask the receptionist."


    The guard was aware that Maria often came to HL Group, so he wasn''t quick to dismiss Mike, no


    matter how unusual the situation was.


    "Thank you! Thank you so much!" Mike followed him back to the lobby.


    The security staff made a phone call and was eventually transferred to Lorenzo''s line. "Mr. Lan,


    here''s the thing. The boss of the coffee shop across the street has had an ident and her


    employee wants to see Mr. Xi."


    ''Something happened to Maria?'' Lorenzo was quite d to hear that, so he answered calmly, "Mr.


    Xi is busy. He''s not free at this moment."


    "Okay, I see."


    The security personnel hung up and turned to the fidgeting Mike. "Mr. Xi is busy at present. You''d


    better call the police as soon as possible instead."


    Well, someone had already called the police, given the state the shop was in. So there was nothing


    Mike could do at this point.


    He gave his thanks to the security staff, then turned and walked back to the coffee shop.


    He was barely at the door when he ran into a girl eyeing the shop from outside. "Sorry, miss, we''re


    closed today," he said in a disheartened tone.


    The girl looked at him curiously. "Why?"


    "We''re cleaning up the shop. We apologize for the inconvenience."


    "Is Maria here?"

 Chapter 202 Bring Our Men There

    Chapter 202 Bring Our Men There


    At the mention of Maria, Mike looked the girl up and down. She looked to be about twenty years old,


    had fair skin, and dressed rather delicately. It was easy to tell at a nce that she came from a rich


    family.


    "Do you know Maria?"


    The girl nodded. "Yes. Why are you being so weird? Is she here or not?"


    Mike''s adrenaline shot up again. "Maria has been taken away not long ago. She asked me to look


    for James Xi just before she was dragged out of the shop, but I wasn''t able to see him. Can you


    help me contact Mr. Xi or do anything that might help save Maria?"


    "Maria was taken away?! Who the hell would do that? Have you called the police?" Sandra''s voice


    was raised and full of concern.


    All she had heard was that Maria often came to the coffee shop to work, but she had never


    imagined to encounter such a predicament the first time she came here.


    "Yes, we already called the police. I don''t know that man, but I heard that his name is Ronald Tang."


    "Ronald Tang!" Sandra knew the man, of course. That person was filled to the brim with evil and


    had never done a single good thing in his life. If he had indeed taken Maria, then that would be an


    extremely big deal.


    She quickly took out her phone and dialed a number. "Dad, do you have Mr. Xi¡¯s phone number?"


    "No, I don''t. Why are you asking that sort of thing?" "Maria is in trouble. Do you know how to get in


    touch with him?"


    Hearing that something had happened to Maria, Sandra''s father was instantly worried. "What


    happened? Don''t panic just yet. Let me call him for you."


    "Okay, hurry up please, Dad."


    In the end, her father managed to get hold of Summer''s contact numberthrough his own personal


    connections.


    At that moment, Summer was apanying James in a factory inspection. When she got the news


    that something had happened to Maria, she put the call on hold and immediately ran to James.


    "Excuse me, Mr. Xi! " she called in a shrill voice.


    The man stopped and turned around.


    She leaned over to discreetly report the issue. "Mr. Xi, something happened to Maria. Ronald Tang


    has kidnapped her."


    James'' eyes darkened dangerously. "Are you sure?"


    "Yes. Sandra Shen called and ryed the incident." Summer was not familiar with Sandra at all,


    and had probably only met the girl once. But Maria''s safety was on the line here, so she chose to


    believe thetter without hesitation.


    ''Sandra Shen?'' Although he didn''t remember who she was, James knew it wasn''t the time to think


    about this. "Investigate their whereabouts. And tell Ethan to bring our men to that location."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    Summer went back to her phone as she hurried out of the factory. "Don''t worry, Miss Shen. We will


    handle the rest." "Okay, that''s good. Thank you so much, Summer!" Sandra was truly reassured.


    "You''re wee. That''s what I ought to do."


    Summer tapped their resources and obtained Ronald''s location, then gave the details to Ethan.


    Ethan, meanwhile, was in the middle of a ss. But when he received news that Maria had been


    taken away, he ran out of the ssroom. He rushed over to the location Summer had sent him,


    bringing a group ofbat-skilled men with him.


    The factory was in downtown, and it had been abandoned for over a month now. The moment they


    stepped foot on the property, the strong smell of gasoline assaulted them.


    The police arrived shortly after, and when they all stormed inside, Ronald was in the act ofnding


    multiple kicks on Maria.


    He and his men were quickly surrounded, and Maria fell to the floor. Ethan happened to witness


    Ronald kicking her when he busted through the door.


    He strode toward Ronald, his pace firm with resolve.


    For his part, Ronald was still caught up on the confusion of seeing Ethan in this ce. Taking


    advantage of his disorientation, Ethannded a solid kick on the other man''s chest. Ronald


    screamed before falling on his back. "Hey, hey! What do you think you''re doing?"


    Ethan ignored his wails and followed up with a punch to Ronald''s face. "How dare you kidnap


    James'' woman? I''ll beat you to death!"


    The police untied Maria, and she gasped and panted as she wiped the blood on the corner of her


    mouth.


    She took a moment to collect herself, at which point he saw Ethan grabbing Ronald''s cor. She


    rushed over and punched the man in the gut.


    At this point, Ronald''s face was swollen from Ethan''s beating, and he had lost two of his teeth.


    Added with


    Maria''s hit, he almost fainted on the spot.


    But not just yet. Maria and Ethan proceeded to pin him on the floor before giving him the beating he


    deserved.


    It was not until Ronald was nearing death''s door that Ethan finally pulled the breathless woman


    away. "Don''t beat him to death, Maria. There will be many chances in the future, trust me. Keep him


    alive for now and you can prolong his suffering."


    She eyed the motionless heap on her feet and withdrew her fists.


    Ethan was right; she should keep this bastard alive for the time being.


    The police took the suspects away, and Ethan drove Maria down to the station to make her


    statement.


    His phone rang as Maria talked to the officers. "Hello, James."


    "How is it going?" The man''s voice was as cold and deep as ever.


    "Maria is currently putting things on record. Her injuries are nothing serious, though. I''ll take her to


    the hospital once we''re done here." He understood why James had asked him to rescue Maria


    instead of doing it himself. Ronald was involved in this matter, and it wouldn''t be a good thing for


    James to step in.


    "Okay, call me if you need anything."


    "Got it."


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    Ethan hung up and walked over to Maria.


    They wrapped up the statements, and when they came out of the police station, it was already dark


    outside. "What do you n to do to him?" Ethan asked.


    "What can I do? Thew will take care of him for me." Ronald might have pped and kicked her,


    but she had already paid back the favor ten times over.


    But if Ronald thought this was the end for him, then he would find out that he was utterly wrong.


    Maria had her wounds tended at the hospital, but she didn''t go back to the hotel afterwards.


    Instead, she went straight to the coffee shop.


    The ce had been cleaned up for the most part, but all the fixtures that had been damaged


    needed to be reced before they could open again.


    The staff had long gone now. She pulled out a chair and plopped down helplessly. Ethan sat next to


    her.


    Maria was quiet as she came to terms with the feeling of loss.


    Then after a while, she let out a derisive chuckle. "I think I might be the bad luck charm of this store.


    First there was Ste Qin, and now Ronald Tang."


    "None of that matters," Ethan said soothingly. "These material things aren''t worth much anyway. I''ll


    ask someone toe in tomorrow and rece them."


    "Thank you, but no. I can just ask my employees to do it." Maria looked at Ethan then. "Did James


    send you to find me?"


    "Yes. You know he is Ronald''s future brother-inw. It would be inappropriate for him to get


    personally involved."


    Of course. Ethan needn''t even exin. She was already moved by the fact that James hadn''t


    turned a blind eye to her kidnapping.


    Maria didn''t say anything more. She opened theputer and retrieved the surveince footage of


    Ronald stirring up trouble, then copied the clip to her mobile phone.


    Ethanter drove her back to the hotel, then he went to


    find James.


    The first thing Maria did after getting inside her hotel room was to contact herwyer and ry the


    evidence to him. She voiced out her intentions decisively. "Sue him, and make sure he stays in jail


    for as long as you could put him there."


    "I understand, Ms. Song. That won''t be a problem, I assure you. His camp doesn''t have an ounce of


    advantage in this case."


    "I''m d. Thank you."


    No sooner had she hung up than the doorbell of her room rang.


    She looked through the peephole and found James standing in the hallway.


    Maria took a deep breath to calm herself. When she did open the door, her eyes were red and


    watery, and her voice was cracking. "James, you''ve finallye."

 Chapter 203 Ronald Was Arrested

    Chapter 203 Ronald Was Arrested


    When the door opened, the first thing James noticed was how wet her eyes were. Half of Maria''s


    face was swollen, and she looked to be in much pain. His heart tightened without his bidding. He


    walked into the foyer and took her in his arms, lowering his face and nting soft kisses on her hair.


    Maria smiled against his neck. "It looks like my fighting skills have truly be worse. How could I


    have let myself be kidnapped by Ronald?"


    "That''s only because he cheated and pulled out a weapon on you." Ronald had the audacity to


    abduct someone in broad daylight. James wondered whether he was too bold or stupid.


    Maria clung tightly to his neck, then pulled back to look him in the eye. "James, if I seek retaliation


    against him, whose side will you take?"


    He nced once again at the red handprint on her face, his eyes taking on a sharp glint. James


    decided then that Ronald had to be taught a lesson. Still, he made his answer vague. "On the side


    of justice."


    He knew better than anyone that Maria had been pretending since he had stepped foot into the


    room. She wasn''t as weak as she made herself to be.


    James needed to make sure he didn''t get tangled up in her schemes; he had to hold himself back


    every now and then.


    Maria stifled the urge to curse him and buried her face in his chest instead. "I see."


    He lifted her up and carried her over to the bed, smoothing her hair after carefully depositing her on


    the mattress. "Don''t go anywhere in the next couple of days. I''ll have Summer deal with things at


    the coffee shop."


    "James." Shey on her side and propped her head on one hand, staring at him.


    "Yes?"


    "Do you know what Judy Lan and her nephew have done to me?"


    "What are you talking about, exactly?"


    Maria knew that there was no need to keep up with the act. "Back when we were still married, she


    always wanted to kick me out of the Xi family. You should know at least that much, even if I never


    told you, right? This time, before Sandra called Summer up, I asked my employee, Mike, to run to


    yourpany and ask for your help. He was refused by none other than Lorenzo."


    This hade as no surprise to her; of course Lorenzo would never help her when she was in


    danger. That made Maria want him to disappear from HL Group all the more.


    James'' eyes darkened, but he remained silent.


    "Well, you don''t have to do anything if you don''t really care me. I won''t mind. I''m quite used to it,


    actually."


    "I will deal with Lorenzo, but not now." The people employed under him were all valued highly within


    the industry. Of course, Lorenzo was no exception. More importantly, he had taken a lot of


    assignments throughout his career; James could not afford to fire him so suddenly.


    "Of course. Okay then." As long as he had given his word, Maria didn''t feel the need to push him


    too much.


    But he had more to say on the matter. "You should know that I won''t easily give up the services of


    talented people for a woman. I never let personal affairs derail my business."


    It meant that he wouldn''t be dealing with Lorenzo just because she asked him to.


    Maria chuckled. "Ah, James. HL Group is truly blessed to have you as the CEO." He was calm and


    reasonable.


    "No," he refuted, surprising her. "I''ve already made too many exceptions for your sake, so you need


    to think long and hard about how to please me."


    She narrowed her eyes, wondering if there was something more to thatst part of what he had just


    said. Maria eyed him pensively before asking, "Does this mean that you will never pull strings for


    me in the future?"


    "Exactly, especially when mypany gets dragged into the situation." In truth, he didn''t care much


    if it were just him, but he refused to get anyone from HL Group in trouble.


    Maria''s heart broke at his words.


    Not that it worried her; the final winner of this battle was yet to be decided. A word or two from


    James could not intimidate her at all. She would definitely think of a way to make him pull strings for


    her someday.


    He left shortly after that, but not before giving her a few more reminders.


    When she was alone again, Maria did not rest. She still had a lot to take care of, and going to bed


    was not an option.


    Meanwhile, chaos reigned in the Tang family vi.


    Miranda and Alina paced and fretted anxiously, like ants dancing on a hot pan.


    yton stormed into the house, having rushed home from another city. "What the hell happened?"


    A wave of relief washed over Miranda after seeing him. "Ron went to Maria Song''s coffee shop and


    made some trouble. Now he''s locked up." She was confident that yton would find a way to get


    the man out.


    "Damn that arrogant brat!" His daughter''s issue had barely been settled and now it was his son


    causing problems.


    "Stop cursing him already, yton. The most important thing right now is to get Ron out of jail."


    That ce was a miserable hole, and her darling son had never been under such circumstances in


    all his life. The mere thought of Ron cowering in that dirty ce distressed Miranda immensely.


    Her son might be a huge pain in the ass, but he was still her child. She would save him no matter


    what.


    The Tang family might be considered as rtives by marriage by the Xi family at this point, but


    yton didn''t want to bother James. He pondered his choices before finally saying, ''TH try making


    a few calls."


    He would run to the Xi family only when he was out of options.


    He proceeded to dial contact numbers one after another, but his pleas were all in vain. Ronald had


    broken thew, and he was now being detained as a criminal. He naturally didn''t meet the


    conditions for bail, and for the moment, there was nothing they could do besides await his trial.


    Investigation was still ongoing, and the case would have to go through various procedures before


    an official trial. Ronald would remain in detention the entire time.


    yton ryed the news to Miranda, who began to wail and almost fainted.


    "Why are you crying?" yton roared at her. "He''s still alive!"


    That managed to shut her up, and she tried to calm herself. Then she turned to her daughter, who


    had been silent since the beginning. "That Maria Song is insisting on suing Ronald. Alina, you must


    borrow Mr. Xi''s legal team again! If he helps us, I''m sure Ronald will be fine."


    "No way! You can go and talk to James yourselves." James might get annoyed with her if she


    bothered him too much. She had already used hiswyer when she had sued Maria before.


    Miranda looked at her daughter in disbelief. "Alina, Ronmitted that crime for your sake! How


    can you just abandon him like that?"


    Alina jumped to her feet. "Yes, yes, I know he did it for me! If you want to make James hate me so


    badly, then fine, I''ll go!"


    "Why are you saying this?"


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    "I already borrowed hiswyer for Maria''s case, and while it has never been pursued, I caused


    James a lot of inconvenience for it. How can I have the nerve to do that all over again?" More to the


    point, James didn''t like her one bit, and she knew it. She had been trying so hard to change her


    image in his eyes, she needed to stay away from this issue. It would be far better if her parents


    approached James by themselves.


    "What are we supposed to do then?" Miranda shrieked. "Am I supposed to beg Maria Song for


    mercy? Huh! She can dream all she want, but that will never happen!"


    "I''m going upstairs!" Alina announced. She didn''t want to get involved any further, and her mother''s


    voice was grating at her nerves.


    yton watched his daughter go and turned to his wife. "Alina is right. Stop panicking. We can go


    find James if nothing works in the end." After all, he was to be that man''s father-inw. He was sure


    that James would do them this favor as a show of respect.


    Little did they know that Maria had already consulted


    herwyer about the case. Ronald''s crimes consisted of uwful use of weapons and kidnapping.


    For the first crime, he could face up to three years in prison.


    For the second crime, he might be sentenced to more than five years to ten years.


    Either way, Ronald was sure to spend a considerable amount of time in prison.

 Chapter 204 A Share

    Chapter 204 A Share


    Maria collected all the evidence and submitted it to the police. Ronald was now arrested.


    The next step was to conduct a criminal investigation. If it went well, the case would soon be


    reviewed and prosecuted.


    The result of thend in the South District hade out. As expected, YL Group had won the bid.


    Of course, Maria knew that James was the most important maniptor behind this so that the YL


    Group would get thend.


    Hearing that YL Group had won the bid, both Tang Group and Song Group rushed to talk about


    cooperation with Jonathan in hopes of getting a share.


    YL Group and the real estatepany, which was the original owner of thend, signed thend


    transfer agreement. Everything went smoothly.


    Many people wondered how YL Group defeated two giant real estatepanies: one owned by


    James, and the other, by Norman. Jonathan saw that these twopanies were not in the bidding


    documents. It bewildered him, so he asked the head of thepany, who owned the right to use


    thend.


    He was told that James did not take part in the bidding because Judy thought highly of YL Group


    and invested in it.


    Jonathan realized that James had done this because he was filial to his stepmother.


    On the other hand, Normal had spent all his money on the castle he built. As a result, he was short


    on finance, so he had to give up the bidding.


    Everyone in H City knew that Norman had built a castle. Just like James'', its investment was worth


    a lot of money that it was the talk of the town. After all, they both spent billions of dors on those


    projects.


    Meanwhile, Maria heard that the Song Group had also attended the dinner with Jonathan the other


    night. She felt frustrated.


    Carolina was in charge of Song Group now. Maria knew that the scandals brought upon Dani


    caused negative impacts on thepany.


    Maria thought of the past. She reminisced when Carolinabed her hair and gave her a beautiful


    dress when they were little. The more she thought about that time, the more her frown deepened.


    At that moment, James arrived. As soon as he did, he saw the worried look on Maria''s face. He sat


    down beside her and asked, "Aren''t things going well?"


    As far as he knew, YL Group was ready to start the construction at any time. They had already paid


    everything they needed to pay for and signed everything which should be signed.


    Albeit hearing his remark, Maria remained unmoved. "James, I''m so tired." It was obvious in her


    tone that she was exhausted and worn out.


    The recent events made her feel more tired than usual. Many things troubled her these past few


    days, overwhelming her as they flooded one after another. She had overestimated herself. When


    things started pressing on her one by one, she felt overwhelmed.


    James was aware of most of the things she had done so far.


    To Maria, Jonathan''s matter was a little too troublesome while Dani and the coffee shop were


    mere trifles. However, she also had to exert more time and energy into her newpany and to the


    things she had to hide from him.


    If it were not for Ronald, Maria would have handled these things as nned. Unfortunately, the Tang


    family had spent a lot of money on Rona''s case, making it moreplicated as time went by. The


    repercussions caused by this all rested on Maria''s shoulders.


    "Maria, don''t you forget the reason you came back," said James lightly.


    From this moment on, there was nothing he could do for her. There was no going back. She had to


    stand up and carry it all by herself.


    ''Why did I evene back?1 Maria echoed his words inwardly. Of course, the purpose of her return


    was revenge.


    "Now that you remember your purpose, think about how those people had treated you in the past.


    The Song family, the Xi family, the Tang family, and... me."


    Maria looked at James in surprise. His solemn expression, on the other hand, remained unchanged.


    James was well-aware of how much Maria hated him. She had always been reluctant whenever


    they had sex, but she had no choice.


    With aplicated smile, Maria said, "James, you may not know this, but the one I want to deal


    with the most is not Song family, Tang family, Xi family or you."


    "Colby Zheng? Perhaps someone else?" he asked.


    Maria did not answer.


    She had no intention of letting him know about it despite how intimate they were now.


    Besides, she did not think that he would believe her even if she told him the truth about the past "It


    doesn''t matter if you don''t want to tell me. However, you should know that if you can''t hold on before


    you take any actions on the person you want to revenge against, you can only watch that person be


    free all your life without being able to do anything. Because of your exhaustion that would onlyst


    for a while and your walls that you let down, you would certainly sink into the bottom."


    Maria suddenly became annoyed. "What do you know? How dare you judge me like that?" she


    asked while ring at James.


    How could she give up? As a matter of fact, she would never give up.


    "I don''t have to know anything. I only know that your mental state is stagnant. Your enemy may


    strike you at any time before you know it. You won''t even have the strength to resist if someone


    stabs you in the chest."


    Maria was infuriated by his words. She stood up from her seat and came to James. She looked


    down at him menacingly and yelled, "No, I''m not. I''m just in a bad mood right now. Don''t think that


    you know me so well!"


    Her words only made the corners of James'' mouth curl into a sneer. "As a matter of fact, I do. I


    know every inch of your skin."


    Maria gaped. He was shamelessly teasing her again despite the circumstances. Because of this,


    she raised her fist and hit him on the shoulder. "Shut up!"


    "I know your favorite position."


    "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Maria repeated while punching him.


    James neither stopped her fists from falling on him nor did he stop teasing her. "You love it


    whenever I call your name in your ear."


    "James, I''m going to kill you!"


    In Maria''s mind, he was vile and disgusting. How dare he tease her when she was in a bad mood?


    Although what he had said was true, now was not the time for him to say that.


    When she had gotten tired of punching him, James grabbed her wrists and pulled her into his arms.


    Without giving her a chance to speak, he held the back of her head with his big palm and kissed her


    red lips fervently.


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    The moment his lips touched hers, Maria was unable stop herself from falling into his enchantment.


    A few momentster, James finally let go of her. "I know you''re angry, so I''ll sacrifice myself so you


    can vent your anger and frustrations," he whispered into her ear.


    Maria just looked at him, out of breath. She wondered if he did this out of sincerity, or perhaps he


    had an ulterior motive to coax her into satisfying his needs.


    After a good exercise in bed, James surprisingly did not go for another round. Instead, he threw


    Maria into the bathtub, and she soaked in a milk bath.


    Meanwhile, he showered for a while and walked out of the bathroom as soon as he was done.


    After tidying himself up, he nced at the bathroom behind him. Seeing that Maria was still inside,


    he took out his cellphone and dialed Joshua''s number. "Contact the court and tell them to enforce


    laws impartially. Don''t show mercy to Ronald Tang for my sake."


    "Understood, Mr. Xi." Despite his response, Joshua was actually confused.


    Ronald would be James'' brother-inw soon. Who in their right mind would treat their brother-inw


    like that? James should have told him to ensure that Ronald would be released as soon as


    possible, should he not?


    About the matter concerning thend in South District, James had already done everything he was


    supposed to do. If Maria was still too exhausted to continue her n, he would rather have her rest


    on the bed and do nothing.


    Once Maria was done bathing, she leaned over the bathtub and yelled, "James!"

 Chapter 205 I Want To Move Out

    Chapter 205 I Want To Move Out


    After a few minutes, the bathroom door swung open.


    "I''m done," said Maria.


    James frowned slightly. "Done? Then,e out already."


    ''What does she want? Order me around?'' he wondered.


    Sure enough, what she said next proved his guess.


    "I don''t have the strength to move, my legs are buckling from under me. This is all your fault." She


    looked at him withrge, innocent-looking eyes.


    James was speechless. This woman was really something.


    He grabbed a bath towel in exasperation and hastily wrapped her up. Then he carried her in his


    arms and put her in the bed.


    Maria threw her hands around the man''s neck and nted a kiss on his lips. She enjoyed seeing


    how James was forced to help her.


    James tucked her under the quilt and snapped impatiently, "Go to sleep."


    "Fine. Are you leaving now?"


    "Yes." He couldn''t take sleeping in such a small hotel.


    Maria knew that, but was still disappointed.


    After briefly tidying up the bathroom, James came out and told the sleepy woman, "Figure out when


    you''ll check out from here. You can stay in the Fairview Vi." Actually, he had brought this up more


    than once, but she had stubbornly turned him down each time.


    "No thanks. I have to move out when you and Alina get married. Why bother?" she answered in a


    sleepy voice.


    "I''ll ask Summer to transfer ownership of that vi to you."


    "No, thanks. That vi is way too old."


    "Then I''ll buy you a new one," James said patiently.


    "No, thanks. I have money."


    That shut him up. He put on his clothes in silence and left the room.


    With James gone, a hush fell over the room. Maria pursed her lips in disappointment.


    ''How could he be so picky? He could''ve refused toe here if he didn''t like the hotel.''


    But his proposal lingered in her mind. The truth was, Maria also felt that it was time to leave the


    hotel, she was tired of staying there.


    As soon as James got in the car, his phone rang. To his surprise, it was Maria. "I''ve thought about it.


    Buy me a house. I want to move out."


    James was speechless for a moment. Infuriated, he had half a mind to go back up there and kill that


    woman. "You have money, don''t you? Buy yourself a house."


    "I don''t have enough to buy an entire house. I could only afford a bathroom."


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "Then just stay in a bathroom!"


    "Do you want to have sex with me in a bathroom?" she asked.


    Once again, James was floored by her words. Without another word, he hung up on her.


    Maria stared at the phone in her hand and giggled. She knew James would end up buying her a


    house.


    Right now, she was more than willing to ept any money. She didn''t want to be an independent


    woman, she just wanted to rely on James.


    To put it bluntly, she was nothing but a mistress to James now. In this society, money was


    everything. Since that was the case, she couldn''t afford to put on any airs.


    If anyone was going to offer her any, she was going to take it.


    Before long, the verdict of Ronald''s first trial came out. He was sentenced to three years and six


    months in prison.


    But he refused to ept it and the Tang family scrambled to find a goodwyer to make an appeal.


    Ronald''s parents, worried about their son, went to pay James a visit to ask for help.


    Inside his office, James sat down opposite to yton and his wife. "Uncle, Aunt, please have some


    tea."


    yton nodded, "Thank you, James. If it weren''t for the gravity of the situation, I would''ve made an


    appointment in advance. Are we disturbing you?"


    "Uncle, please don''t worry about it. You and Aunt are always wee here."


    yton''s wife, Miranda, looked at James gratefully. He was such apetent man. However, this


    made her think about her own son, and her grateful expression turned to one of anxiety.


    The two men continued to talk about business for a while. After a few minutes, Miranda couldn''t


    take it anymore, so she quietly but urgently tugged at yton''s shirt.


    yton fortunately took the hint. "James, actually, I''vee here to ask you for help," he said


    furtively.


    James nodded expressionlessly. "What is it, Uncle?"


    "It''s about Ron. James, you must have heard what happened to him, am I right?"


    "Yes."


    Miranda couldn''t keep silent no more. "Ron knew it was Maria who ruined your engagement party.


    He was so angry, he tried to scare her. He never expected things would get so serious. Don''t you


    think three years'' imprisonment is too much?"


    To her surprise, James''s expression remained indifferent. "It''s not up to me to decide how many


    years he will be sentenced. I have no power over thew. Your son is an adult, he should be able to


    face the consequences of his actions."


    "Yes, that''s true. But James, it was Ms. Lan-"


    yton interrupted Miranda with a loud grunt and shot her a sharp nce. "James, as parents, we


    just want our son to suffer less. We don''t mean to spoil him or anything like that. Maria refuses to let


    him go. We were hoping you would do something about it."


    Miranda reluctantly shut up. They had analyzed the matter carefully and concluded that Judy must


    have done it on purpose. And even if she didn''t do it on purpose, she was the one who caused it all.


    After a brief pause, James said, "Uncle, do you still want to protect your son after what he did? Are


    you going to wait until he does something even worse, marring the name of the Tang family, before


    you do something about it?"


    Knowing what kind of person his son was, yton smiled awkwardly. "James, you''re absolutely


    right."


    The way James was acting made him realize his trip here might''ve been futile.


    However, Miranda was still unwilling to give up. "Ron did do something wrong. He might learn a


    thing or two from being locked up for a few days. But three years?"


    After a moment''s silence, James cleared his throat. "How about this? Call of the engagement


    between Alina and me or shorten Ronald''s sentence. Take your pick."


    "What?" The expression on yton''s face changed slightly. It seemed James had this on his mind


    for a while now.


    For the sake of the Tang family, he knew the answer to James''s proposal in an instant.


    Gritting his teeth, yton said helplessly, "You''re right, James. Ron needs to learn from his


    mistakes." The truth was, if Alina didn''t be Mrs. Xi, the whole Tang family would be doomed.


    Miranda knew which option was more important, so she had no choice but to keep silent, tears in


    her eyes.


    How she wished she could kill Maria right now. In that moment, she decided she was going to give


    Maria a hard time.


    "It''s good that you''re in your right mind, Uncle. You should tell your son to behave while he''s in


    prison. That might get him a chance at early parole." After a while, James added, "I''ll send someone


    to the courtter to try and help him."


    James'' words made yton feel a bit better. "James, thank you so much. I''ll talk to Ron." Then he


    stood up and helped his wife up, and the two bid James goodbye.


    By his office door, James found Lorenzo standing outside. "Please apany them to the


    elevator."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi," Lorenzo answered. Then he turned to the Tangs. "Mr. and Mrs. Tang, this way,


    please."


    yton and his wife left, apanied by Lorenzo.


    When he returned to his office, James called Maria. "How long do you want Ronald to stay prison?"


    Maria was stunned. "I have the final say?" she asked uncertainly. She had long thought that


    Ronald''s case went too smoothly.


    "Basically, yes."


    "If you think three years is too long, then, one year should do."


    "Okay." After all, women were softhearted. Maria was no exception.

 Chapter 206 Just For Fun

    Chapter 206 Just For Fun


    Without another word, James hung up the phone.


    At noon that day, Carolina was holding a lunch meeting with a client in the HC Restaurant. During


    the meeting, she focused all her attention on the client and barely touched the food.


    After the client had left, she ordered a serving of wheat noodles.


    Just then, the door to the private room was opened. Without looking up, she thought it was the


    waiter bringing in her noodles. Pushing the tableware in front of her to the side, she said


    absentmindedly, "Just set it down here. Thanks."


    "Hi, Carolina. Are you here alone?"


    Carolina raised her head in surprise. "Maria, what are you doing here?"


    "I had lunch with a client and heard that you are also here, so I decided to drop by." Maria sat next


    to her.


    "I heard that you''re also running apany-Golden Real Estate, am I right?" Not long ago, Golden


    Real Estate had emerged victorious over older, bigger firms in a big bid from Mr. Wang''spany,


    which earned it its fame.


    Maria rested her chin in one hand and said casually, "I was so bored that James ended up investing


    in apany for me to kill time."


    ''James?'' When she heard that name again, Carolina didn''t feel jealous anymore.


    Just then, the waiter came in with the food she just ordered. Maria nced at the newly-served


    tter and asked, "Why did you order more food? There are still untouched dishes on this table."


    She gestured at the leftovers from Carolina''s lunch meeting.


    Carolina shrugged indifferently. "Something''s been up with my tummy recently. I can''t eat any


    greasy food." As Dani had gotten the Song Group into trouble, Carolina had been working


    double time and found herself exhausted all the time recently.


    She often missed meals and therefore suffered from constant stomachaches after a few weeks of


    living like this.


    Maria didn''t say anything. She nced at her newly manicured nails and said nonchntly, "I heard


    that you are also interested in theter investment stage of thend bought by YL Group."


    Carolina paused eating, food midway to her mouth. "How did you know?"


    "That doesn''t matter. I just wanted you to know that thend is a bad investment. If you don''t believe


    me, then whatever." And with that, she stood up to leave. She had done what she hade to do.


    "Although Mr. Xi didn''t bid for thend in the end, his stepmother invested in it. That''s a good sign,


    right?"


    "Judy Lan did invest in thatnd, but what does that have to do with James? He didn''t ask her to."


    Maria shrugged.


    Then, she ced her hand on the doorknob.


    Carolina stood up and called after her. "Maria!"


    The woman didn''t turn around. Instead, she pulled open the door and started to walk out.


    "You''re the one who''s behind what happened to Dani, aren''t you?" Carolina had felt uneasy


    when Dani had be famous overnight.


    To her, it was obvious that someone had nned this.


    Maria turned around and winked at her. "You can''t use me without any evidence. Anyway, I have


    ns, so please excuse me."


    Without waiting for a response, she walked out.


    Carolina slumped back down in her seat, deep in thought. Maria''s reaction basically proved her


    theory.


    However, Carolina didn''t have the time to dwell on this. The Song Group was more than enough to


    keep her preupied. It was not easy for her to take interest in a project, but thisnd investment


    project did tickle her fancy. Moreover, the bank loan was ready. However, Maria''s words were


    enough to make her falter slightly.


    After returning to thepany headquarters, she called Chandler and told him about her encounter


    with Maria.


    When he heard what Maria said, Chandler snorted. "Why should we listen to her? Come on. Have


    you forgotten she''s hell-bent on bankrupting ourpany? Keep on working with Mr. Jiang. Just


    ignore her."


    "Alright."


    Later, Carolina sent a message to Lorenzo. "Do you know about thend in the South District? How


    does Mr. Xi feel about it?"


    Lorenzo''s answer was the same as what he told Judy.


    After asking around, Carolina finally decided to invest in thatnd.


    Nowadays, Dani lived like an object of hatred. To avoid confronting people, she hid within the


    confines of her home and didn''t dare to go out unless necessary. The scars on her face and body


    left by Mrs. Jin and her friends took more than a month to heal.


    One day, as it was getting dark, Dani realized she was running out of food. So she went out to


    shop. On her way back home, she passed by a hotel. There, she saw Maria and Mr. Jin enter a


    restaurant together. Confused, Dani watched them carefully. Then, a thought urred to her.


    The more she thought about it, the more Dani felt she was right. She hurried home, put the


    groceries away, put on a cap and rushed back to the hotel.


    She didn''t have a reservation, so there was no way she could get in the restaurant. Desperate, she


    snuck in from a side door when no one was looking.


    She carefully made her way around the restaurant, eyes peeled for Maria. Finally, she caught side


    of hering out of a private dining room. Just as Dani was about to confront her, Mr. Jin came


    out, too.


    She quickly backed away and hid behind an adjacent wall.


    She overheard Maria saying, "Mr. Jin, thank you for helping me in the past. If you need anything in


    the future, just call me."


    Mr. Jin chuckled. "Ms. Song, you''re wee. We''re all just after the same goal."


    "That''s true-"


    "Maria Song! It''s really you!" A voice suddenly interrupted the conversation.


    The two looked towards the voice simultaneously. It was Dani, who couldn''t take it any longer


    and was rushing towards them angrily.


    Maria smiled at Mr. Jin sweetly. "Mr. Liu and others are waiting for you inside. Please leave this to


    me."


    "Okay, thank you, Ms. Song." He didn''t want to deal with the woman he had already got tired of in


    bed.


    "You''re wee, Mr. Jin."


    When Mr. Jin had safely retreated to the private room, Dani red at the woman he left behind.


    Maria was dressed in a burgundy-red suit, looking confident and capable. This made Dani


    nce down at her own shabby ensemble.


    ''Since when did Maria be fashionable?'' Dani thought, green with jealousy. However, she


    tore her gaze away from Maria''s clothes. "Do you think you''ve won, Maria? What are you so proud


    of? You are just a bitch who has grown up wearing the dumped clothes from Carolina and me!"


    Maria smiled slightly. "Well, I''m no longer that girl. Look at me now-my clothes are ten times better


    than yours. You see the suit I''m wearing? I had it delivered from France. It cost 880 thousand


    dors."


    Dani''s jaw dropped in shock. ''880 thousand dors?'' The jealousy came crashing down on her


    like a surging wave. "Maria Song, I''m your sister. How could you be so heartless? Is this how you


    treat your sister?"


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    "What did I ever do to you? Driven by sheer vanity, you actively jumped into the trap. Who should


    you me for it? Besides, how dare you call yourself my sister? I lived like a servant in the Song


    family. When I got into trouble, who in the Song family helped me?"


    She bitterly recalled the indifference her family had treated her with.


    When she had reached out to ask the Song family for help, no one even opened the door for her.


    -

 Chapter 207 A New Apartment

    Chapter 207 A New Apartment


    Not only did no one in the Song family open the door to let Maria in, Dani even heckled her from


    the second-floor balcony like some tyrannical queen.


    Maria would never forget that scene and all the pain that came with it.


    The reason why she had asked Colby and Mr. Jin to help Dani was that she wanted her to


    be famous first.


    If Dani rose in fame, so would her scandals, which would impact her reputation and the Song


    group.


    As for the judge who harshly criticized Dani in the dancing show, Maria had nned to buy him


    off, but he had been known not to ept bribes.


    But the result was just as she had wanted. The judge ended up berating Dani even more


    ruthlessly than Maria had expected.


    "Why should we help you? You deserved it! Mr. Xi might marry me, but you tried to seduce him! You


    deserve everything that''s happened to you and more!"


    "I deserved it? You deserved what happened to you, too!


    Maria saw the man behind Dani.


    Dani raised her hand and was about to hit Maria.


    Maria didn''t even attempt to dodge Dani''s p, but her hand nevernded.


    Her wrist was firmly held by a big hand. Turning around, Dani trembled when she saw who the


    man was "Mr.


    Xi!"


    The man had a naturally cold aura about him, and the coldness in his re sent a shiver down her


    spine. "I dare you to try toy a finger on her," he growled.


    ''Jesus! Good job, James!''


    Maria cheered inwardly. She threw herself into James'' arms. "You came!¡± Leaning against his chest,


    she smiled at him enchantingly.


    Ethan, who had arrived with James, whispered to the guy beside him, "Do you see that woman in


    James'' arms?"


    The man nodded.


    "You''d better not mess with her!"


    The man nodded again. If James was willing to protect her in public, she was something.


    Dani struggled to free herself from James'' grasp. When he finally let go, she rubbed her aching


    wrist like a wounded puppy. "Mr. Xi, don''t date her. She''s way too vicious. She ruined me!"


    James eyed her coldly. "Who I date is my business and mine alone. Just who do you think you are


    to tell me who I can date?"


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Dani was floored. She didn''t expect that he would answer her that way.


    Seeing her strategy didn''t work, Dani changed tactics. Pouting piteously, she said, "Mr. Xi, I don''t


    know how I have offended you. Why do you hate me so much?"


    "You''re overthinking."


    Dani''s eyes shed delightedly. She thought he was going tofort her, but to her surprise, he


    continued insulting her. "You don''t even have to try to offend


    others. You''re already extremely annoying."


    With that, he walked away from Dani, held Maria in his arms and left.


    Ethan hurried to follow them. When he passed by Dani, he made a face at the woman and


    rebuked her. "Bad woman, you overestimated yourself. You deserve it!"


    "Why, you¡ª" Dani choked with a sob. This was too humiliating!


    Once they were out of sight, Maria pulled away from the man and she dropped her charming


    expression. "Mr. Xi, you can go ahead. I have another dinner to attend to."


    James was speechless. This woman always tossed him aside when he was no longer useful.


    However, he didn''t get angry. He would have plenty of opportunities to teach her a lesson in the


    future, so he was willing to let her growcent for the time being. He nodded and said, "Wait


    for me at Fairview Vi tonight."


    "Sorry, I have other ns. I might not make it."


    "I doubt your ns will take all night. I''ll see you in Fairview Vi. Tonight." He stared down at her


    firmly. If she dared to keep him waiting for her, she would have been punished severely.


    Maria felt distressed. She told herself that she would never be arrogant with him again.


    Ethan, who had overheard their conversation from behind, waved at her and mouthed, "Good luck!"


    Maria sighed and nodded at James.


    However,ter that night, when Maria got to the Vi, she received a call from James saying he''d


    work overtime all night.


    ''Excellent!'' Maria was overjoyed. That night, she rxed in the James-free vi.


    James, on the other hand, busied himself and saw to it that Maria had a new ce to live. He had


    multitudes real estate properties under his name, so he had one of them-a two-story apartment-


    transferred to Maria.


    The apartment was fixed up a bit and the furniture was removed to allow Maria the freedom to


    choose what furniture she wanted for her home.


    Upon seeing the apartment, Maria''s eyes gleamed happily. She was lucky to get such a big


    apartment without spending a single penny. Moreover, it was located in one of the most expensive


    apartment buildings in H City. She was more than satisfied with it.


    She texted him, asking, "Shall we browse the Inte for some furniture this evening?"


    When he saw her text, James postponed his dinner ns and replied, "See you after five o''clock."


    "Okay, I''ll be waiting for you in Fairview Vi."


    "Come and pick me up," he replied.


    "Aren''t you worried I¡¯m a bad driver?"


    "Drive the car here. I''ll drive to the vi."


    Maria pondered over this for a while before replying, "Okay."


    Sure enough, by five o''clock, Maria had her BMW parked in the basement of the HL Group.


    Five minutes past five, James emerged from the elevator exclusive for his office.


    Maria''s car was parked nearby, so it didn''t take him long to spot it.


    When she saw himing, Maria scooted over from the driver''s seat to the passenger''s. James got


    into the car and wordlessly tossed his briefcase onto the back seat.


    As he was turning around to face the front, Maria leaned over and wrapped her arms around his


    neck.


    The two were so close that James automatically lowered his head to kiss her lips.


    The innocent peck soon turned into passionate kissing, which was risky in a parking lot where


    people might see them.


    When they finally pulled away, Maria''s lipstick was smudged. She calmly pulled out a tissue and


    dabbed at her lips as James started the car and drove out of the parking lot.


    "I''m going to the US on business for a week tomorrow," he announced tly, looking straight ahead


    at the road.


    Maria eyes lit up. "Oh!" ''Go! Go! Go! That way, I''ll have more freedom,'' she thought happily to


    herself.


    "You seem to be very happy." Although he was driving, James still noticed her change in


    disposition.


    "What are you talking about? You''re leaving me for a whole week. What if I end up missing you?"


    "Come with me?"


    "Forget it. I have a lot of things on my te right now, so I can''t leave H City for the time being."


    James didn''t reply. Silence fell over the car.


    Just then, a bike suddenly rushed out into the road in front of them and James mmed his foot


    onto the brake.


    The BMW skidded to a halt so abrupt that if Maria hadn''t fastened her seat belt, her forehead would


    have collided with the dashboard.


    "What happened?" She looked at the man, rmed.


    With his jaw tightened, James unfastened his seat belt and got out of the car. Maria followed him


    immediately.


    They found a middle-aged woman sitting on the ground in front of the car, her bike lying askew on


    the road. When she saw someone getting out of the car, she started the writhe in pain, groaning,


    "Ouch, it hurts so much! Young man, you''re a terrible driver!"


    Taking stock of the scene before him, James halfsquatted down and asked, "Are you all right?"


    The woman quickly scanned the clothes he was wearing and secretly got excited. She began to


    wail even more dramatically. "I think you broke my leg-the pain''s killing me!"


    Maria snorted. The audacity of this old woman!


    James could tell that she was overreacting, but he didn''t think it was necessary to waste time over


    such a trivial event. "How do you want to resolve this?"

 Chapter 208 A Fierce Woman

    Chapter 208 A Fierce Woman


    When she heard James¡¯ question, Maria walked over to him and pulled him aside. He was the type


    of person to throw money at his problems. She realized this from how he had dealt with the family


    that time she got into a car ident.


    Maria red at the woman sitting on the ground. "I''ve seen a lot of people like you, faking a road


    crash to impensation."


    "What are you talking about? Didn''t you see how he hit me just now?"


    If it was Maria driving the car, she might''ve just believed she actually hit the woman. But it was


    James who was driving. He was an exceptional driver. It was highly unlikely he hit her. "We have a


    dash cam in the car, we''ll just review the footage." Then she pointed at a nearby surveince


    camera. "Look there. There is a surveince camera over there. Ma''am, you must be a green hand


    in doing this, aren''t you? Do you want me to teach you?"


    The woman shrank under Maria''s ferocity, utterly floored.


    Maria triumphantly crossed her arms over her chest. "I might be young, but I''m a pro at ckmailing


    others. I have been through a lot, which made me as capable as I am today."


    By then, James had had enough. He grabbed Maria by the hand and tried to pull her aside, wanting


    to deal with this situation himself. Nothing was a problem if it could be solved with money. He didn''t


    find it necessary to talk to that woman.


    But Maria just shook off his hand and shouted, "Don''t touch me! I''m going to get her to show you


    her true colors!"


    Then, turning back to face the cowering woman, she continued. "If you don''t admit it now, I''ll call the


    police. This man has money and power. He will put you in jail for a year or maybe more. Ma''am,


    how''d you get up by yourself? I thought you said your leg was broken."


    As Maria was talking, the woman had gotten to her feet and was picking up her bike.


    As she wheeled her bike away, she addressed James, "Young man, it''s rare to find such a spirited


    girlfriend. You should cherish her. Anyways, I''ll be leaving now!"


    ''Spirited?''


    James was amused by the word. Taking a look at the outraged woman in front of him, he found that


    the word was very apt.


    When she was pissed off and determined to stand her ground, even he wasn''t able to stop her.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "What''re you looking at?" Maria asked grumpily.


    Eyes twinkling in amusement, James replied, "You are indeed spirited."


    Maria rolled her eyes. They got back in the car.


    As Maria was fastening her seat belt, sheined, "I don''t want to use this car anymore.


    Whoever drives it will hit someone, the car''s feng shui isn''t good!"


    The man nced at her from the corner of his eye. "Don''t be too superstitious."


    "It''s not superstition. Ever heard of that saying? ''The end of science is mystery, and the end of


    mystery is divinity.'' Get it now?"


    James didn''t reply. Instead, he smiled slightly.


    Once they arrived at the Fairview Vi, Maria started preparing dinner. While she was busy cooking,


    James took out his tablet and started browsing through the pictures of furniture his assistant had


    sent.


    Maria didn''t expect that they would share taste in interiors. When the two of them poured over the


    pictures of furniture, she liked whatever he picked out, and he had nodded silently at the ones she


    had chosen.


    Before he left on the business trip to the US, James had a special assistant purchase all the


    furniture they picked and had him make sure they''d be delivered to and set up in the apartment


    within the week.


    When he returned from his trip, he found that Maria''s apartment was spruced up already, and that


    she had actually been living there the past two nights.


    When he dropped by to visit, he found that the lock on the door was installed with a face recognition


    system and a password. However, Maria deliberately kept the password a secret from James.


    Thus, each time he came over, she had to open the door for him personally.


    One day, after they had sex, something suddenly crossed James'' mind. "Stay indoors the next two


    days."


    "What?" Maria stared at him nkly.


    The man nced at her, eyebrow raised. "Your period," he said tly.


    It wasn''t until then that Maria understood what he was talking about. To her surprise, he had been


    keeping track of her menstrual cycle. Clutching a pillow tightly to her chest, she looked at him with


    wide eyes. "I haven''t had an appetitetely and I''ve been feeling nauseous. Do you think I''m


    pregnant?"


    James was pulling on his pajamas when he heard her question. He stopped. Then he turned


    around and gazed at the woman intensely. He couldn''t rule out this possibility. After all, they had


    been together a lot recently. Although they had been cautious most of the time, there was one or


    two instances he didn''t have the time to put on a condom.


    He said decisively, "Take a pregnancy test."


    Maria then burst intoughter. "Oh, I''m just kidding. You wear condoms most of the time, and those


    few times you don''t, I take pills. Don''t worry." Her eyes gleamed mischievously. She was just teasing


    him.


    The man sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her seriously. "I''ll take you to the hospital then."


    Maria gaped at him. She wondered if she had gone too far. "I really don''t need to. My period will


    come the day after tomorrow at thetest. I just wanted to make fun of you, that''s all. I didn''t expect


    you would take it so seriously."


    "Do you not have the guts to go?"


    Maria''s lips parted hesitantly. "Shut up, I''ll be there!"


    She wasn''t worried in the least. Her period had arrived on schedulest month, perhaps it was just


    a littlete this month.


    On the morning of the second day, just when Maria thought that James had forgotten about it, he


    called. "Are you awake?"


    "Yes." She was having breakfast.


    "I''ll pick you upter."


    "What for?"


    The man was silent for a moment. "To go to the hospital."


    Maria was speechless. "Are we really going?" "Mhm." ''Fine. I''ll go. I''m sure I''m not pregnant


    anyway. It''ll just be a check-up!'' she told herself.


    An hourter, the two of them emerged from the outpatient department and got in James'' car


    together.


    The man was expressionless, whereas the woman was in a good mood. She hummed a happy tune


    as she retouched her makeup.


    On their way back to Maria''s apartment, James didn''t utter a single word. Eyeing at his strange


    expression curiously, she asked, "What''s the matter with you? Are you happy or unhappy knowing


    I''m not pregnant?"


    She had told him she was just joking about the pregnancy, yet he had insisted on having her


    checked at the hospital.


    The test confirmed she was indeed not pregnant.


    James answered her in a light tone, "I''m not happy that I can''t dig the baby out of your belly."


    "Jesus! You freak!"


    "Stop cursing me, Maria Song!"


    "Why should I? You''re such a pervert!" No one would happily have a child poached, yet James


    seemed to be an exception. What was wrong with this man?


    James was a little annoyed at her outburst. He pulled over on the side of the road.


    "What are you doing?" Maria demanded.


    She didn''t think herment was that bad.


    The man didn''t say anything. Instead, he took out a pack of cigarettes from a hiddenpartment


    and took out one. He cracked open the window and lit it.


    Maria stared at him, dumbfounded. "I''m going to quit smoking," she said icily. "Aren''t you?"


    James ignored her and took a long drag from his cigarette.


    Enraged, the woman snapped. "Get out of the car!"


    Why was he acting so strangely?


    James obediently stepped out of the car.


    Maria was speechless, angry, and confused. She mbered from the passenger seat into the


    driver''s seat and locked the doors.


    Starting the car, she stepped on it and drove off, leaving James in the dust.


    James watched the receding car. She actually left him behind.


    He pulled out his phone and tried to call her. Maria knew it was him without needing to check the


    phone, so she didn''t answer it.


    In the end, she had no idea how James made it back to the office. Despite this, she left the Harkim


    in the parking lot of the building and left the car keys with the security guard, instructing him to give


    them to Summer.


    The two began to give each other the silent treatment. James didn''t go to the apartment to look for


    her, and Maria didn''t take the initiative to contact him, either.


    -

 Chapter 209 Back To The Song Family

    Chapter 209 Back To The Song Family


    One day, an uninvited guest came to the cafe. It was ine.


    Maria was not there at that time, so the shop assistant called her saying that someone was looking


    for her and that person looked like her mother.


    Since they were blood-rted, they had an uncanny resemnce. Not only that, but their auras


    were quite simr, so the shop assistant figured out at once that she must be Maria''s mother.


    Maria wondered why ine came to her. It took her a while before she understood the reason why.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    "Tell her that I''m busy these past few that I don''t go to the shop every day. Ask her toe back


    another day," she said to the shop assistant. ''Does ine still think that I''m trying to please the


    Song family? If so, she''s absolutely wrong,'' she thought to herself.


    "Got it, Maria."


    Since ine was not able to meet Maria, she became frustrated. However, she could not lose her


    temper in public, so she decided to go home for the time being.


    As she returned home, she did not return to the coffee shop soon. It took her three days before she


    returned there.


    This time, her efforts were not in vain.


    Maria was making a cup of coffee for a customer. As soon as ine entered the shop, Maria saw


    her at once.


    Before Maria came to ine, she sent the customer off first. She was aware that meeting the


    woman was inevitable. With that, she walked to the spot where ine was sitting and sat down


    opposite her.


    ine was looking at the menu at that moment. Meanwhile, a shop assistant was standing next to


    her, taking her order.


    "One t white please. Thank you."


    "Yes, ma''am. One moment please." The shop assistant left as soon as she got her order.


    Now, mother and daughter were the only ones left at the table.


    Maria looked out of the window and gazed at a pot of green vines, saying "Mrs. Song, you''vee


    to our shop twice. What can I do for you?"


    Recently, the temperature in H City had dropped that people had to wear thin down jackets


    whenever they went out. It was so cold that the green vines were almost unable to withstand the


    harsh, cold winds. They turned yellow because of the weather.


    Before ine could speak, Maria beckoned to another staff by the bar counter, and thetter came


    over quickly.


    "It''s cold. Please put the green vines indoors."


    "Okay, Maria." The shop assistant turned around and went out to do as told.


    ine''s face darkened. She wondered if Maria was deliberately showing off her power and status in


    front of her.


    Maria waited for a long time, but ine didn''t speak. She looked at ine in the eye and said, "Mrs.


    Song, if you don''t have anything to say, I''ll go back to work now. Suit yourself."


    "Wait!"


    Upon hearing that, Maria she sat back again. "Okay."


    "Well, I''ve already heard what happened to Ron. Maria, he''s still your cousin no matter what. How


    could you be so cruel to your family?"


    Maria suddenly burst intoughter. "My cousin?"


    ine must have realized something that she seemed to be somehow embarrassed and annoyed.


    "Didn''t the Song family cut ties with me? Now that he''s in trouble, he''s my cousin again. How


    ridiculous! Sadly, I don''t deserve to be his cousin."


    Being mocked by Maria, ine''s face turned livid. "Maria, you should know by now how to show


    mercy andpassion at the right time."


    "Mrs. Song, you''re being ridiculous. Why should I show mercy? For what? So he can bully me


    again?"


    "Your aunt..." ine paused for a moment and continued, "Ron''s mother said that if you agree to


    show him some mercy, she would personally take Ron to apologize."


    Maria sneered. Although the woman in front of her was her own mother, not once had she cared


    about her. "Mrs. Song, you should know that it''s better to educate your daughter than to worry about


    someone else''s son. With such a big scandal, I''m afraid that Dani won''t be able to save her


    upper-ss status in H City anymore."


    At the mention of Dani, ine felt her head throb in pain.


    Sometimes, she wondered if there was something wrong with the way she had educated her


    daughters. In the past, it was Maria who made her lose face.


    And now, it was Dani. The Song family was not the only one who had been humiliated by her, but


    also the


    Song Group.


    "Maria, you''re so cruel!" Dani had told ine everything.


    The corners of Maria''s mouth curled into a smile, but her eyes did not seem happy at all. "I''m


    ttered, Mrs. Song. Don''t worry, I just doubled my sufferings from before. I only let Dani taste


    the feeling of being abandoned by the world. That¡¯s all."


    "What''s the point of retaliating against Dani? She didn''t hurt you!"


    "Do you mean I should fight back after she hurt me?" Maria sneered.


    ine did not expect that Maria would grow a sharp tongue. Her daughter was now the opposite of


    what she was back then. She was submissive and timidpared to now.


    "Maria, please have mercy! Free Ronald and yourself!"


    Despite ine''s pleas, Maria just looked at her nkly and asked, "Mrs. Song, as my own mother,


    what did you do when I was in trouble?


    Did you show me some mercy?" Maria''s questions rendered her speechless.


    "You didn''t. Instead, you denied me of myst desire for family affection. Why are you asking me to


    do something you can''t even do yourself?"


    ine still could not find her tongue. She stared at the woman in front of her and asked herself, ''Is


    this really Maria?''


    In a slight panic, she picked up her cup of coffee and took a sip. After pondering for a moment, she


    finally spoke. "Just give Ronaldst chance. If you do, I''ll let you go back to the Song family." "Go


    back to the Song family?" Maria echoed. She scoffed at her so-called mother''s bargain. "Then


    what? All the pain and sufferings I''ve gone through will be forgotten just like that?" ine wanted


    her to return to the same family who trampled her dignity for the fun of it.


    Maria couldn''t believe her ears. Did ine think she was a saint?


    She did not want to forget or let go of her sufferings in the past.


    ine was getting annoyed by her remarks and questions. "What did the Song family have ever


    done to you? We gave you water to drink and food to eat. We even gave you your own room for you


    to stay. We supported you while you study in college. Why do you think we owe you?"


    "If it weren''t for Grandpa, would Chandler bring me to H City from the countryside? Would you even


    remember me as your daughter?"


    ine felt guilty upon hearing Maria''s words.


    The day when Chandler picked up Maria and brought her home, ine had a big quarrel with him.


    She did not want a burden to the family.


    However, Chandler had no choice but do that because Gordon had given him a strict order.


    While Maria was with the Song family, she tried her best to please everyone. Sadly, they disliked


    her because she was from the countryside. Nobody even wanted to talk to her.


    When ine was in a bad mood, she would beat and scold Maria to vent out her anger. Maria was


    like a punching bag to her. Only when Maria cried would ine feel better.


    Before her emotions copsed, Maria stood up from her seat and said in a stern tone, "I won''t let


    Ronald go. Just give up!"


    With that, she left without any hesitation.


    ine was dumbfounded while she watched Maria go.


    That night, Maria went home to change her clothes. Once done, she hailed a taxi and went to a bar


    nearby.


    It was packed with patrons. Even the dance floor was filled with people who were dancing their


    hearts out without shame.


    Maria pulled out a high chair in front of the bar counter and put her purse aside. "Whisky, please.


    Thank you!" she said to the bartender.


    -

 Chapter 210 A Scumbag

    Chapter 210 A Scumbag


    The bartender was a blond man with blue eyes, and he eyed Maria up and down. The woman


    before him looked enchanting, her makeup alluring despite being rather heavy, and her red lips was


    just begging attention. She was wearing a ckce dress, and a coat of the same shade was


    draped casually over her shoulder. A pair of strappy, ck high heels adorned her feet.


    He picked up a bottle of whiskey and asked, "With coke or green tea?"


    "On the rocks, please." Maria''s reply was brief and a little absent-minded.


    "Coming right up."


    Soon enough, a ss of amber liquid was ced in front of her, and she instantly took one big gulp


    of the drink.


    The whiskey slid smoothly down her throat, cold and burning, and warmed her stomach as it settled


    there. Maria had to crouch slightly and take a deep breath to steady herself.


    She had be a target of most of the bar''s patrons since the moment she entered the


    establishment. After seeing that she had consumed a measure of alcohol, one of the men didn''t


    hesitate to approach her. "Hello, beautiful. Are you all by yourself?"


    "Fuck off!" Maria responded without bothering to raise her head.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    This was annoying her. She hade out with the intention of enjoying a drink and her own


    company; she didn''t want to be bothered by anyone.


    To his credit, the man only smiled awkwardly before turning away and leaving.


    But now that someone had broken the ice, other men followed suit and went up to her. Maria drove


    them all away one after another.


    She had lost count of how many she had refused when another one came, and this one dressed up


    like a gentleman. "Miss, I''ve been watching you for quite some time now. Women shouldn''t be


    imbibing in such strong liquor, you know." He then addressed the bartender. "Excuse me. Please


    make thedy a ss of Tequ Sunrise."


    "Yes, of course. One moment please."


    At this point, Maria was sipping her third ss of whiskey, and her face was flushed. But her eyes


    remained clear.


    She eyed the man and sneered, "You want to pursue me then?"


    In light of what had happened so far, it appeared that she would be unable to quietly enjoy the night


    by herself.


    The man chuckled and drew closer to her. "May I?"


    "Of course you can. But... I don''t know, you might not be able to handle the consequences." He


    would almost certainly get beaten if he kept at this.


    But he remained unaffected by her words. He could tell that she didn''t have an easy temperament,


    and that only excited him more. "Well, I''m single. What about you?"


    "Me?" Maria scoffed. "I have a sugar daddy, and I have other lovers as well. How does that sound?


    Do you think you want to be one of them?"


    The man''s face fell a little. He hadn''t expected the woman to lead such a colorful life. He found it


    absolutely marvelous.


    He wasn''t looking for a rtionship anyway; he was only her for a one night stand. Perhaps, if she


    proved herself skilled, then he might change his mind. ''Til pay for your drinks. Will youe home


    with me tonight?" "Thirty thousand dors and I''ll say yes," Maria countered.


    ''Thirty thousand dors?'' "Are you making a fool of me?" he asked in disbelief.


    Just then, the bartender ced a ss of Tequ Sunrise in front of Maria. She pushed it toward


    the other man. "Can you not afford it?" She stared him down for a beat before adding, "Then, fuck


    off!"


    How dare he chase after her when he couldn''t even shell out a measly thirty thousand dors?


    Maria imagined spitting on his face.


    The bartender looked back and forth between the man and woman in silence. The man felt


    humiliated.


    He whipped out his phone and made a call. "There''s a chick out here. Will youe? Okay, good.


    I''ll wait for you."


    He hung up and pushed the cocktail drink back over to her. "If you have some any sense in you,


    then take this and just drink. Otherwise, you might find yourself suffering quite a bitter."


    Maria picked up the ss and inspected the drink.


    It looked like he had seeded in intimidating her and she was about to do as he had asked. His


    face softened. "Thirty thousand dors is nothing. I can give it to you, but you know that means


    we''re going to have to do it more than once." What he meant, of course, was that he was willing to


    give the money to her if she agreed to service him in equal worth. Sexually.


    "More than once?" Maria cocked her head and smirked


    at him.


    The sarcasm and derision in her demeanor didn''t escape the man.


    Without warning, Maria lifted the ss of cocktail over the man''s head andnguidly tipped it over,


    pouring the drink on him. Not content with that, she then proceeded to smash the ss against his


    head. Shards fell all over the ce, on the countertop, the nearby stools, and the floor.


    Several patrons within range dodged away from their seats.


    The man wiped the liquid off his face, which had taken on a malicious expression. "You bitch! How


    dare you hit me!"


    Maria grinned wide and spoke in a singsong voice. "Oh I just really, really wanted to smash you to


    death! You scumbag!" She all but screamed thosest two words.


    She might have known much about the man, but she had been sure he was stupid right off the bat.


    He hadn''t even taken off his wedding band before trying to hook up with her.


    The man was furious now, and he had a burning urge to just grab her and take her away by force.


    He reached out for her hand, but before he could even touch her, Marianded a solid kick on his


    chest.


    He wailed and crumpled to the floor.


    Fights were an ordinary urrence in the bar, so not a lot of people reacted to the scene that was


    unfolding. Still, most of the patrons watched avidly.


    The many on the floor for a good while, presumably knocked out. Shortly after that, a group of


    men rushed inside. They were clearly the people he had called earlier.


    Two of them walked over and helped him up. "Paulette, what''s wrong with you?¡±


    He pointed to Maria, who had resumed drinking at her ce in the bar, all calm and carefree.


    "Teach that bitch a lesson!"


    "Okay! Guys,e on!"


    Four men quickly surrounded her. In response, Maria shifted in her seat¡ªalmostnguidly¡ª


    stretched her neck from side to side. The seat was pushed back a meter, and the person who


    pounced on her missed, almost falling to the floor.


    When they went for her a second time, Marie leapt out of her chair, grabbed the one next to her,


    and threw it on her attackers.


    What Maria did pissed them off and they pounced at her. After she defeated about thirty men, there


    were still other men pouncing on her.


    "Stop!" A voice boomed from among the crowd.


    Someone greeted the man, "Good evening, Mr. Jiang!"


    "Mr. Jiang is here."


    ''Jiang?'' Maria wondered who the man might be. She swiveled to find Kent standing behind her.


    Hands in his pockets, he was nked by a man and a woman.


    With his arm still crossed over his chest, Paulette asked, "Do you know this bitch, Mr. Jiang?"


    Pak! Kent hit the bastard. "Bitch, you say? This is Maria, and you should respect her."


    The man looked perplexed. "Who is she?"


    Kent surveyed the ce. Dozens of men were injured, and one lone woman remained standing in


    the middle of the melee, unscathed. He tipped his head toward the man and whispered, "Mr. Xi''s


    woman."


    This wasn''t enlightening to Paulette at all. "Which Mr. Xi?"


    Kent took a frustrated breath and kicked him in the shin. "Is there another Mr. Xi in the city?"


    Paulette finally understood then.


    "Yep."


    ''Good heavens! So she is Mr. Xi''s woman!'' Paulette hurried over to Maria and apologized. "Ma''am,


    I''m so sorry for offending you! I do sincerely apologize. Please forgive me!"


    Alcohol was taking its toll on Maria''s body by that point, and she struggled to hold the dizziness at


    bay. "Get out! " she spat.


    "Yes, of course. Let''s go, everyone!"


    Paulette was afraid that Maria might change her mind, so he left as quickly as possible.


    When they had all finally gone, Kent walked over to her. "Are you okay, Maria?"


    "What the hell did you tell that weasel just now?" He had changed his tune so suddenly, she


    couldn''t help getting curious about the cause.


    "Nothing much, just that you''re Mr. Xi''s woman." After all, everyone in H City knew of James Xi.


    ''What?'' She had never seen thising.


    "All right then. I''m going now, bye." She felt like vomiting.


    She went back to her seat to retrieve her purse and walked out of the bar without a backward


    nce.

 Chapter 211 James Got Jealous

    Chapter 211 James Got Jealous


    Maria actually had no clue that her purse had been stolen amidst her heated fight with those men


    just now.


    Fortunately for her, as the thief was passing by Kent and the man, he overheard that the owner of


    the purse he had plucked was none other than James'' woman, so he quietly put her purse back.


    All this was unbeknownst to Maria when she grabbed her purse and headed outside the bar. Once


    outside, she drank the fresh air greedily, d to be free of the alcoholic smell of the bar interior.


    A gust of cold wind enveloped her, and she shivered.


    After sending his two friends off, Kent found Maria standing motionlessly in front of the bar. He


    trotted over and said warmly, "Maria, I haven''t had any drinks. I can drive you back."


    Maria shot him a peculiar nce. "How old are you?"


    Though confused, Kent answered honestly, "22." He was one year younger than Ronald.


    "Don''t hang out with Ronald anymore," Maria said seriously. She believed Kent could grow up to be


    a fine young man if he was set on the right track.


    "Didn''t Ronald go to jail?" He raised an eyebrow. Kent had heard all about how it was this very


    woman in front of him who had sent Ronald to jail. While he might not have known how true this


    was, he didn''t dare to ask anything more.


    "Yes, he did," Maria said indifferently. "Let''s go. I didn''t bring a car here. Please give me a ride."


    "Okay, I''ll get my car."


    Kent drove his car over and stopped in front of her. Then he got out of the car and opened the door


    to the passenger seat for her.


    Maria took her seat graciously. "Thank you."


    "You''re wee. Where do you live, Maria?"


    "Golden Mansion."


    "Okay." ''Golden Mansion is home to the most expensive apartments in H City. There is no way she


    is able to afford a ce there on her own; James must''ve bought her a unit.''


    Truly, it was good for a man to have money-and better for a woman to have a man with money.


    When they arrived at the Golden Mansion, Kent parked the car beside Maria''s building.


    Kent got out and quickly trotted over to the other side of the car to open the door for Maria, holding


    out one hand to support her.


    Maria waved his hand away dismissively. "I''m not drunk, I had only three sses."


    She was telling the truth. Other than feeling a bit lightheaded, she was sober.


    Kent let go of her arm submissively. "Okay. Then, I''ll let you go upstairs by yourself."


    Maria wanted to nod, but then she caught a glimpse of something from the corner of her eye. A


    familiar car was parked nearby, and a man who looked even more familiar was leaning against it,


    gazing at them intently.


    Smiling, she flung one arm around Kent''s shoulder, while she used her other arm to support her


    head. "Ah, I feel dizzy."


    Kent, on full alert, caught her immediately. "Maria, if you don''t mind, I''ll walk you upstairs." He had


    no malicious intentions. He had seen how feisty Maria could get if anyone made one wrong move


    with her. He dared not overthink the situation.


    "Okay!" Maria smiled at him sweetly, which made Kent almost forget to breathe.


    Kent muttered awkwardly, "Sorry if I offend you." Then he held firmly onto her arm around his


    shoulder with one hand and used his other to support her by the waist. The two started to walk


    towards the apartment building a little unsteadily.


    However, before they could even take two steps, a voice interrupted them. "Maria Song, what time


    is it now?"


    The cold voice sent a shiver down Kent''s spine. Looking up, he saw a domineering figure of a man


    in front of them. He immediately let go of Maria. "Hi, Mr. Xi."


    Fortunately, Maria was not actually drunk. When Kent suddenly let go of her, she lost her bnce


    for a moment but was eventually able to find her footing. Ignoring James'' question, she held Kent''s


    arm tightly and held her chin up high. "You almost threw me to the ground."


    The man didn''t reply. Under the dim streetmp, his cold gaze fell on the arm she was clutching,


    which made Kent extremely ufortable.


    It was almost one o''clock in the morning, but to James'' disgust, Maria had been out hanging out


    with another man. He wondered silently if he should teach her a lesson.


    In Kent''s eyes, James was like a cheetah hiding in the darkness, waiting patiently to pounce on his


    prey. His eyes shone sharply, a frightening aura emanating from him. Kent felt like he was the prey,


    trembling out in the open with no ce to hide.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Kent tried to pry Maria''s hand off his arm, but she held on stubbornly. "Stop it!" she whined.


    "Maria! Please, please let me go. I''m the only child in my family. Please let go of me for the sake of


    the Jiang family. On behalf of my family and our ancestors, I beg you..."


    Kent whispered desperately, effectively making Maria feel guilty.


    Finally, she let him go, and he hurried back to his car and sped off as fast as he could.


    Maria helplessly watched as the car left. She regretted not asking him to take her with him.


    Taking a deep breath, she staggered forward. Chuckling at the man in front of her, she asked,


    "What''re you doing here, Mr. Xi? Waiting for me? Did youe here sote to sleep with me? I''m


    telling you¡ªit''s not going to happen!"


    Then, she lost her bnce and fell forward, into the arms of the man.


    James was taken aback.


    He lowered his head to look at the woman in his arms. She reeked of alcohol and her face was


    flushed a bright red. "Get away from me," he said tightly.


    Maria didn''t listen to him. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in closer. "If


    you wanted me to stay away from you, why did youe to see me?"


    "I passed by to get some documents," he answered defensively.


    "Oh, sure," Maria said knowingly, winking at the man. "Guess if I believe you or not? I know you


    want to sleep with me. You should''ve just said so. Don''t use documents as someme excuse.


    Liar!"


    He slipped his hands around her waist. "Where did you go?" "I went to a bar." Unfortunately, a gang


    of men ruined the night for her.


    He tightened his grip on her waist.


    Maria cried out in a soft voice. "You''re hurting me!1''


    The woman''s cries of pain sounded quite sensual in the dark.


    After the man loosened his grip a little, Maria punched him on the shoulder and whined. "You hurt


    me. That means I get to hit you back in return."


    James leaned against the car with ease, watching her in amusement.


    The woman didn''t disappoint him. She became very bold when the alcohol hit.


    After she gave him a light punch, she started throwing a couple more punches, hitting harder each


    time.


    Not only that, she pinched and scratched him. After crying andughing for a while, she said, "I


    sacrifice my sleep time to satisfy your sexual needs every day, only for you to lose your temper with


    me! You''re a jerk! Why don''t you just ignore me? Don''te to me ever again!¡±


    Maria had wanted to hit him for a long time now, but she never found the chance. Now that she


    finally had an opportunity to do so, she tried to make the most of it.


    "I''m very vindictive. You can''t sleep in my bed tonight. If you insisting to my apartment, you will


    have to sleep in the bathtubter. The bed is mine."


    "Are you done yet?"


    "Shush! Don''t interrupt me. I''m not done yet. I want to give you two more ps. What do you think?"


    "How about I tell you the answer in bed?"


    "Forget it. I know you won''t agree, you petty man." Maria threw herself at him. "Carry me upstairs."


    "Walk by yourself!" He plucked her off him impatiently.


    In less than three seconds, Maria flung herself at him again. "You scared the young man away! He


    could''ve carried me upstairs. Call him back."


    Hearing the woman mentioning about the young man, James felt quite annoyed. "What? Am I that


    old?"

 Chapter 212 Ronalds Sentence

    Chapter 212 Ronald''s Sentence


    "You''re like, seven or eight years older than him. How can you say you''re not old?"


    Maria retorted impatiently. ''So what if I''m seven or eight years older? I just celebrated my thirtieth


    birthday.1


    At that point, James couldn''t take it anymore. He scooped the woman into his arms and strode


    inside the building.


    In the elevator, Maria pushed him into the corner and pressed her lips against his. "Do you


    remember how,st time, in the hotel, I kissed you the same way?"


    He eyed Maria''s red lips. He remembered the poison on her lips that day.


    When the elevator doors opened, James propped her up and carried her out. "The password," he


    demanded, referring to the passcode lock on her door.


    "I won''t tell you. I''ll open it myself." Maria stubbornly pushed him aside and came to the door for


    face recognition. Soon, they heard a click and the door was unlocked.


    James was not interested in a drunkard. Once they got inside the apartment, he guided Maria to the


    bathroom. "Take off your clothes."


    "What? Fine. Help me then. My hands are too weak," sheined, pouting.


    "Maria Song!" James''s expression darkened.


    "Haven''t you already stripped my clothes off before? Why are you pretending to be prude now?


    Come on!


    Hurry up!" She was constantly challenging his patience. She wondered when she would finally be


    able to drive him off the edge.


    James gave in as he undressed her and sat her in the bathtub.


    He wanted to take a shower too, but he didn''t have the chance. Maria looked up at her and said, "I


    want some red wine."


    "We don''t have any."


    "Of course we do. The wine you bought is in the wine cab."


    James had indeed asked someone to furnish the apartment with a wine cab, and they even


    made sure it was filled with bottles of red wine and champagne. But she had drunk so much


    already, he didn''t want her to drink anymore. "I drank all of it," he replied tly.


    "Really? Let me check." The woman in the bathtub stood up, water sloshing out.


    "Maria Song!" He was on the verge of breaking down.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Maria blinked at him nkly. "I just wanted a bottle of wine. Why are you so impatient?"


    James rubbed his aching temples. ''Will it always be this difficult to deal with her when she''s drunk?


    Is she doing this on purpose?''


    Whether she was driving him mad on purpose or not, he needed to put his foot down-and the


    sooner, the better.


    The man briskly began to untie his tie. Then he strode over and grabbed the woman¡¯s wrist. "You


    want a drink, you say? Okay, I''ll get it for you!"


    Maria''s heart skipped a beat, wondering what he was going to do. Did he n to tie her up again?


    She quickly got shook him off and sat back down in the bathtub. "I don''t want it anymore." ''Oh? Why


    are you such a coward now?'' James sneered. Casually throwing the tie aside and took off his


    clothes.


    Heavy breathes, passionate moans, and affectionate words filled the bathroom as their bodies


    merged into one.


    When he was done, he carried her back into the bedroom.


    Her long hair was dripping wet. Jamesid her on the bed while he fetched a hairdryer and tossed it


    at her.


    The woman didn''t move.


    "Get up and dry your hair!"


    The woman still didn''t respond. She was exhausted, yet he still wanted her to dry her hair. Dream


    on!


    The man stood there with his hands on his waist. Finally, he picked up the hairdryer and began to


    dry her hair himself.


    It was not hard to tell that this was the first time that James had dried a woman''s hair.


    Maria silently endured the pain of her hair being tugged at and burnt. She wanted to let James


    practice more; only then would he be better at it.


    A good man''s characters wasn''t intrinsic, some were developed.


    Sure enough, James''s character was improving.


    In the end, Maria found herself nodding off to sleep,forted by the fact that her hair was dried by


    someone else.


    What she didn''t expect was that he didn''t let her go in the second half of the night. She was so


    sleepy but he still forced her to have sex.


    Atst, Maria had to promise to James that she would never go to a bar alone with a man again in


    the future, although she had gone there by herself earlier that night.


    She also promised that she wouldn''t get drunk, nor would she ask a man to drive her home, and so


    forth. She almost felt like getting up and drafting up a contract before James finally left her alone.


    It turned out no matter how hard they fought, the conflict could always fixed by having sex.


    The following morning, the war between the man and the woman ended.


    James called someone to bring breakfast to Maria and dragged her out of bed to eat with him. Then


    he left the apartment for work.


    As Maria was crawling back into bed for a nap, she pondered over something. She wanted James


    to leave after they had sex. He could sleep wherever he liked, as long as he was not here with her.


    That day, the verdict of Ronald''s second trial was released. He was sentenced to one and a half


    years of prison time.


    Although it wasn''t the three years he was initially sentenced to in the first trial, Maria was satisfied


    nevertheless.


    Even though she knew that James had a hand in this lighter sentence, she didn''t care. What


    mattered was that Ronald was going to be locked up for at least a year and a half.


    The Tang family were on the verge of copsing, but other families didn''t sympathize with them. In


    fact, after hearing that Ronald had been sent into the jail, a lot of people took pleasure in his


    misfortune.


    They all believed that such a scumbag should reap the consequences of his actions and be taught


    a lesson or two.


    One day, Sandra strolled into the coffee shop to find Maria. She insisted on having her shop with


    her.


    Maria had been so preupied with work recently, she realized it would be a good idea to let loose


    a little and go shopping. The two women happily went about, shopping until their arms were lined


    with shopping bags.


    Dinner was on Maria. She wanted to thank Sandra. "If it weren''t for you, I''d hate to think of what


    might have happened to me. So, this is on me. I must treat you!"


    "If you hadn''t saved me first, I wouldn''t have had the chance to contact Mr. Xi!"


    "I don''t care. I don''t usually talk sweetly, but let me treat you to a meal as a sign of my gratitude."


    Sandra felt helpless and finally conceded. "Okay, okay. Anyway, we will have many chances to go


    shopping in the future. It''s my treat next time."


    "Let''s talk about itter." Sandra was a student. How could Maria have the heart to let her pay for


    their meal?


    During the meal, Maria asked, "By the way, have you solved the matter fromst time?"


    "It''s settled. You know what? The man who kidnapped me and the vigers have finally been


    arrested. The police followed some clues and were able to rescue another eight female college


    students!"


    "Eight of them?" Maria was slightly taken aback. When she lived in the vige before, she had


    never heard of college student trafficking.


    "Yes, but the officials were afraid that the news would cause a panic, so they kept it from the public."


    "Oh, I see." Maria sighed with emotion. A single slip might causesting sorrow. Even though the


    students had been rescued, they would still feel traumatized, wouldn''t they?


    Sandra also wore aplicated expression. "I have decided not to have a boyfriend for five years.


    I''m really scared."


    -

 Chapter 213 Going Bankrupt

    Chapter 213 Going Bankrupt


    Maria chuckled. "No one in the world will treat you well without a reason, unless you are particrly


    beautiful or on the verge of death."


    "No, no, no. Our parents will treat us well no matter what..." Sandra trailed off. She sheepishly


    looked at the expressionless woman before her and apologized profusely. "I''m sorry, Maria. I didn¡¯t


    mean it."


    Maria kept on smiling. "There''s nothing to be sorry for. You''re right, but unfortunately, not all parents


    are that way. You''re lucky your parents are good to you. You should be good to them, too."


    "Maria..." Sandra felt rather sad. She had already known that the Song family had cut ties with her.


    "Why the long face? I''m not sad, you shouldn''t be either. " Maria picked up a piece of cooked fish for


    and put it on Sandra''s te. "I''m happy I left my family."


    Although she was not happy all the time, at least she had experienced some happiness in shopping


    with Sandra.


    "Okay." Sandra didn''t dare to say anything more and lowered her head meekly to eat.


    Afraid that the girl might overthink this, Maria changed the topic. "I''m going to meet a client. Will you


    be heading back to school?"


    "Yes, I have a group study with my ssmates in the library tonight."


    "What''s your major?"


    "I''m in the chemistry department."


    "That¡¯s good. There are a lot of jobs relevant to it in the market. Are you enjoying your major?¡±


    "Yeah." Sandra nodded.


    Maria envied Sandra, since she was able to choose any career path she wanted. Maria herself


    needed to give up her studies in order to marry James.


    Over the past six years, she had specially attended a lot of sses to improve herself, and she had


    also obtained a few certificates, but she always felt that there was something missing in her life.


    After dinner, Maria drove Sandra back to the school. She left until she saw Sandra disappear


    behind the school gates.


    The property right of thend that Jonathan had won in South District was good for seventy years,


    but at present, it had fifty years left. Not to mention, itcked five certificates and two statements


    that the government had been asking for. As a result, the property was at a standstill as the


    construction permits were being processed.


    Jonathan, who wanted to get things moving, asked his men to look for people on the inside to


    speed things up. However, he was told that those insiders were either out on business trips or had


    been transferred away.


    Just as he thought things couldn''t get any worse, another piece of news came to suffocate him.


    Apparently, because of the heavy pollution, thatnd had been closed off temporarily and the lift


    date was undisclosed.


    Once thend was sealed, development woulde to a screeching halt. This was bad news


    indeed. Most of the money of the investors were dedicated to the early stages of the development.


    If the seal on thend was lifted in the future, they could at least continue the project. If not, their


    money would go to utter waste.


    For a while, this matter drew its investors'' attention. Some found that they couldn''t eat in the


    daytime nor could they sleep well at night.


    After waiting quietly for a few days, Judy finally made a move. She approached Jonathan and


    asked, "Mr. Jiang, can''t you think of a way to lift the seal on thend?"


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "Mrs. Xi, don''t worry." Jonathan smiled helplessly. He really couldn''t do anything.


    "How can I not be anxious? I withdrew the money from several other projects and invested all of


    them in thisnd!" Judy was at a point where she was practically pulling out the hair on her head.


    "I tried to have the seal removed, but then I found out that..." Jonathan''s voice trailed off and ended


    in a heavy sigh. "Thend is also involved in anotherwsuit case, and we can''t go through the


    turnover procedure."


    Things seemed to be getting more and more troublesome.


    Judy''s face fell. "What? Didn''t you investigate before you bid for it?"


    "No, I didn''t." s, he had acted too rashly.


    He had spent loads of money on this project, and no one in the previouspany had informed him


    that thend was about to be sealed. Even the contract made no mention of it.


    He tried to contact the former real estatepany, but he couldn''t get in touch with the person in


    charge. To his horror, it turned out to be a shellpany.


    Seeing that Jonathan was in the dark about everything, Judy couldn''t wait any longer and called


    James.


    In her haste, she didn''t even bother to greet him when he picked up the phone. "James, I need to


    ask you something. Remember thend in the South District, next to the welfare house?"


    "Yes."


    "Didn''t you n to bid on it before? Why didn''t you bid for it in the end?"


    James fell silent for a moment. He realized that it seemed Maria had seeded. "There is


    something wrong with thatnd," he answered.


    Judy''s expression darkened. Apparently, he had already known. It was only natural he hadn''t


    warned her; after all, she hadn''t informed him that she had invested in the YL Group.


    The reason why she didn''t choose to cooperate with HL Group was that she was afraid that James


    might not be willing to give her dividends once they were making profits. If he didn''t give her the


    money, she wouldn''t be able to get her investment back. That was why she turned to the YL Group


    and kept it a secret from James.


    However, she pushed these thoughts to the back of her mind and told James everything. "Here''s


    the thing. Mr. Jiang from the YL Group and I invested in thatnd, but now thend not onlycks


    permits, it is also closed off. Can you help me ask what''s going on?"


    "I''ll see what I can do." James found that he couldn''t refuse her.


    Hearing that, Judy heaved a sigh of relief. "Well, thank you, James. Then you can go ahead with


    your work. I won''t disturb you. I''ll wait for your call."


    "Okay."


    After hanging up, James stared at his phone, lost in deep thought.


    He had always known about Judy''s investments. He didn''t warn her about this particr investment


    because she had kept it a secret from him. Moreover, he wasn''t a huge fan of how she asked


    Lorenzo to inquire about his attitude.


    Nevertheless, he couldn''t refuse his stepmother, so he asked Lorenzo to find out more about it.


    When Judy heard the report from Lorenzo, she practically fainted.


    It turned out there was a big problem with thend in South District. Not only was the soil quality


    poor, thend itself was covered in slopes and potholes. As if that wasn''t enough, there was


    widespread contamination, which was why thend was sealed off in the first ce. If they insisted


    on pursuing developing thend, the foundation would be unstable and might end up copsing.


    If they couldn''t continue with the development, they wouldn''t be able to get their deposit back, and


    the investors would lose all their properties.


    Judy, Jonathan, the Song family, the Tang family, and all those minor investors had already


    dedicated all their cards to this project. It didn''t take long before the house of cards copsed, and


    the first one to go bankrupt was the Song family.


    When Carolina heard the news, she sat in her office dejectedly.


    Just then, Chandler knocked on her door and let himself in. "How did this happen?"


    Carolina was speechless.


    It might''ve all been a trap that Maria had set up for the YL Group, and investors like the Song family


    were but coteral damage.


    Maria had warned her in advance, but she didn''t believe her.


    Anxious at his daughter''s silence, Chandler pressed her.


    "What''re you thinking about, Carolina? I asked you a question."


    "Dad, Maria warned me before, but..." What could she say? She didn''t listen, neither did her father.


    "Maria?" Chandler was a little taken aback. Then, he suddenly recalled that Carolina had indeed


    mentioned this to him before, but he''d told her to ignore it.


    Carolina looked at him nkly and nodded.


    "What exactly did she tell you?"


    "She just told me that thend was not suitable for investment." But she had been a fool and chose


    to ignore the clear warning.


    "How did she know about thend?" Chandler asked again.


    Carolina didn''t say anything. She had guessed what had happened, but it was only a guess, and


    she wasn''t about to share it with her father.


    -

 Chapter 214 Help The Song Group

    Chapter 214 Help The Song Group


    Seeing his daughter fall silent again, Chandler took a moment to gather his thoughts. "Was it Mr. Xi


    who told her?"


    Carolina shook her head. She knew nothing about Maria and what was going on with her.


    "There''s no use talking about her now. What''s done is done. What are we going to do next?"


    "Borrow money from some bank." That was the only way.


    "Alright, fine. Say you apply for a mortgage loan, but what will you pledge as a coteral? The Song


    Group?" Chandler asked.


    It seemed that this was the only one way indeed. Given the current situation, it was likely that no


    bank would be willing to lend them money.


    James strode into a restaurant quickly, Lorenzo at his heels.


    When they reached the door to a private dining room, Lorenzo walked ahead to push the door open


    for his boss.


    "Good evening, Mr. Xi," Carolina greeted him.


    James stepped into the room. He nced at the woman in front of him briefly and said, "You''ll only


    have ten minutes."


    Carolina nodded. She looked at Lorenzo gratefully, as he arranged the short dinner meeting for her.


    In order not to waste time, Carolina cut straight to the


    point. "Mr. Xi, you must have heard that my investment mistake has caused Song Group to fall into


    a crisis of capital turnover. I need to ask you for a loan, with the Song Company as coteral, of


    course. As for the amount we need, I want five billion dors."


    ''Five billion dors?''


    Without batting an eysh, James said ruthlessly, "Even if the Song Group wasn''t in a financial


    crisis, it wouldn''t be worth five billion. If you''re really only after securing a loan for the Song Group,


    Ms. Song, why don''t you follow the normal application process?"


    Carolina''s heart ached as if though she had been stabbed in the chest. Forcing herself to keep


    calm, she pressed on. "Mr. Xi, I know my request is a little excessive. If five billion is too much, we


    can settle for three billion."


    Ever since Dani''s scandals had gone public and put thepany in ruins, Carolina constantly


    found herself regretting not having been the one to marry into the Xi family.


    If she had married James, she wouldn''t have had to stress herself every day trying to save her


    family''spany.


    "Ms. Song, you know the situation of Song Group best. I''m sorry. I never take a loser''s deal. Once


    again. If you need a loan, please apply for it ording to the normal process.


    If there is nothing else, I will go now."


    The man stood up. Carolina watched the man leave.


    Lorenzo shot her a quick nce before following James out, but said nothing.


    When Carolina was left alone in the room, she buried of face in her hands and tried to suppress her


    sobs. There were eight delicate dishes sitting prettily on the table, untouched.


    James hade and gone, with few words exchanged in between.


    If the HL Group wouldn''t lend her money, nopany would.


    The fact that thend in South District was sealed up made Jonathan''s position in thepany on


    the verge of copsing. His proposal of acquiring the shares of RC New Energy was approved by


    the shareholders. But, his twenty proposals, such as raising ten billion matched funds, were not


    sessful under the joint efforts of the shareholders.


    The value of the shares of YL Group dropped at the opening of the market, falling a total of ten


    points at the end of the day. The market value lost two billion dors within just one day.


    Several shareholders of YL Group were distraught, ready to kick Jonathan out of the office and vote


    for the next chairman of the board.


    The bystanders in the financial circle of H City could more or less see that Jonathan had been


    secretly set up by someone, and they all agreed that it was harsh.


    But it was difficult to tell who was behind all of it.


    Although Jonathan didn''t have a high position in the financial circle of H City, he still had a little


    impact, which was not something that ordinary people had.


    Everyone guessed who that person was, and everyone had different guesses.


    Maria, on the other hand, was busy dealing with erasing all traces left after setting up Jonathan,


    because he had paid a hefty sum to hold a secret investigation.


    In her apartment, Maria whipped up dinner while waiting for James toe over.


    She had called him earlier that day and he had agreed toe after work.


    She also opened a bottle of red wine for the Westernstyle food she prepared tonight. When


    everything was ready and set up, her phone rang.


    Thinking it was James, she picked up the phone without ncing at the caller ID. "Where are you


    now?"


    "Maria, it''s me."


    It was Carolina''s voice.


    Maria nced at the caller ID. "Oh, what''s up?"


    "The Song Group invested in thend in the South District."


    "I know." Maria sneered. Carolina didn''t listen to her, and Maria was under the impression that she


    had done all she could to warn them.


    After a moment''s silence, Carolina took a deep breath and said, "I know I shouldn''t say what I''m


    going to say next, but I have no other choice." The woman''s voice was full of exhaustion.


    Maria didn''t say anything. She already knew what Carolina was going to say.


    "I asked Mr. Xi for a loan, but he refused. Other banks have heard that Mr. Xi has refused me. You


    know how it works." Many of the banks that had cooperated with the Song Group before began to


    avoid meeting their employees.


    If she couldn''t get the money, Song Group would really go down in mes.


    "So, Maria, I''m begging you. Please help me and the Song Group."


    Maria sneered. She knew it.


    While she knew what she was going to say, she still found satisfaction in how Carolina, who had


    always been arrogant, had to step down from her high horse.


    She answered in a low voice, "Carolina, you may have asked the wrong person. I can only run a


    coffee shop or a smallpany. What can I do to help you?"


    "Can you talk to Mr. Xi for me and ask him to loan some money to the Song Group? I know I ask for


    a lot, Maria, but really¡ªI have no choice." Carolina, in that moment, wanted to crawl into a hole and


    die.


    "So you know you ask for a lot, huh? Do you think James will listen to me? Why don''t you just go


    and ask Alina for help? Don''t forget that she is James''s fiancee. I''m just his ex-wife."


    ''Alina?'' "Mr. Xi didn''t help the Tang family when Ronald got in such a big trouble," Carolina pointed


    out bluntly. "She is not that important to James."


    If James truly was willing to help, he would''ve found a way to get Ronald out of trouble, even if he


    killed a person.


    But James didn''t do that.


    Besides, it was rumored that Ronald had kidnapped Maria.


    It didn''t rule out the fact that James was trying to get Ronald back on the right, moral track, but the


    truth was, he was protecting Maria. So Carolina believed that Maria was the one in James'' heart.


    Only she could convince James.


    Maria turned over what Carolina said in her mind, and she found that it was reasonable. If James


    had insisted on getting Ronald out, she wouldn¡¯t have had a say in the matter. Her powerful


    surveince evidence would''ve been buried by money and power.


    "I can help you, but just because it was the Song family who raised me."


    Tears started to stream down Carolina''s cheeks.


    "Thank you, Maria."


    "Don''t thank me now. You and I both know that James clearly draws the line between public and


    private interests. All I can do is put in a good word for you. As for whether he will agree to help or


    not, I can''t guarantee it."


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Carolina nodded. "Okay."

 Chapter 215 Acting Coquettishly

    Chapter 215 Acting Coquettishly


    "Once this matter is settled, please don''te to me for anything ever again. The Song family and


    the Song Group have nothing to do with me. And stop trying to manipte me just because the


    Song family raised me."


    Maria''s tone was firm. If she somehow managed to convince James to help Song Group, she would


    owe nothing to Chandler and ine in the future. She never wanted to hear things like family


    affection from these people again in the future. In fact, she didn''t want to have anything to do with


    them anymore.


    Caroline was silent for a while before finally responding, "I got it. I''ll tell Mom and Dad."


    Maria hung up the phone and looked at the tableden with dishes and two full sses of wine, her


    face twisted into a sneer.


    She had wanted to thank James and celebrate the sess of her scheme against Jonathan, but


    now it looked like the purpose of this meal was going to change.


    She lifted her gaze to the ceiling, feeling helpless. And beneath that was a whole bundle ofplex


    emotions, too.


    While she was indeed rich, she was not capable of producing the amount the Song Group needed


    in such a tight time frame.


    And she didn''t want to use herst trump card just to save the Song Group.


    She needed to find a way to persuade James.


    Maria plucked one of the sses and downed its contents.


    When James arrived half an hourter, she had already drunk several sses of wine.


    He rang the doorbell, and she went to open the door on unsteady beat.


    When she saw him standing outside, she pounced on him and clung to his arms like a spoiled child.


    "Why are you sote?¡±


    One of his arms snaked around her waist and he led her back inside the apartment. "Traffic jam."


    Those two words were exnation enough.


    They had taken only a few steps into the room when Maria kicked the door closed, then proceeded


    to kiss James, who had been about to change into his slippers.


    He returned her embrace without missing a beat and kissed her back just as fervently.


    He soon realized, however, that Maria seemed to be acting a little strange.


    He pressed her against the shoe cab by the door, and the loose sleeves of her dress slipped


    from her shoulders and now draped over her arms. The sudden cold it brought to her body sobered


    her up in an instant. James had buried his face on the crook of her neck, nting kisses on her


    skin. She pulled at his nape. "Let''s eat first."


    He ignored what she said for several seconds before finally nipping gently on her lips and pulling


    away.


    He headed to the bathroom, and Maria settled at the dining table and waited for him. She perked up


    and patted the chair beside her when she saw him approach. ¡°Sit here!"


    He did as she asked, casting a sideways nce at her as he sat.


    Maria ced a ss of red wine in front of him. "Let''s make a toast."


    "Did anything special happen today?" She had cooked dinner and opened a bottle of wine. There


    must be something.


    They clinked sses and Maria took a sip before saying, "It''s Valentine''s Day."


    Valentine''s Day? James had to wonder if he had been so engrossed with work that he had forgotten


    the date, or if Maria was extremely drunk already. She had, after all, reeked of alcohol since the


    moment he hade home.


    She leaned on his shoulder, chuckling gently to herself. "Every day I spend with you is Valentine''s


    Day in my book."


    He said nothing. She was definitely up to something again.


    But if Maria wasn''t going to be out and open with what she wanted, he wouldn''t take the initiative to


    ask her about it either.


    She fished a forkful of lobster meat from one of the dishes and put it against his lips. "Here, try


    some lobster."


    James paid no heed to the food, and looked into her eyes instead.


    She personally prepared dinner, made out with him, and fed him. It was not easy for James to


    realize that she had a big favor to ask of him.


    "What are you looking at? Aren''t you going to eat?" Her eyes drifted over to the lobster. "Perhaps


    you don''t like seafood?"


    James opened his mouth and ate the forkful of food she was feeding him.


    "Is it good?" she asked expectantly, tilting her head to look up at him.


    James chewed, swallowed, and nodded. "It''s not bad."


    Maria smiled happily. "I learned it from a chef. Thank God my lessons didn''t go to waste."


    "How long are you going to keep saying things you don''t want to?" James snorted.


    Her expression didn''t change. She continued to smile, and when she spoke, her tone was gentle.


    "You misunderstood. What I said is true."


    ''Oh really?'' James decided not to expose her just yet and watch how her performance would y


    out.


    "This dish is called mustard oyster. The oysters were shipped all the way from New Zend. Here,


    let me dip this in my special mustard sauce."


    "No, thanks. It''s not the season for oysters yet."


    "That''s fine. How about foie gras then?"


    James matched her every blow. "No, thank you. It''s grown cold."


    "Oh, yes, a little. I''ll make another serving for you. Have somemb chops while you wait." No


    sooner had she said that than she was bounding off her chair and rushing to the kitchen.


    James watched her disappearing back in pensive silence. His eyes darkened.


    He would like to see just how long she could keep up with this act.


    Back at the kitchen, Maria hurriedly washed her hands and took out some goose liver from the


    freezer. She sliced it with practiced speed and seasoned the pieces with salt and pepper.


    After eating the foie gras that she had just fed him, James quietly watched her every move in the


    kitchen. He had kept wondering what she might be nning ever since he had noticed how out of


    the ordinary she was acting.


    Things had gone smoothly with the Jonathan issue. And she hadn''t had any contact with Colby


    recently, much less anyone from the Tang family.


    But then he thought of the Song family, and that brought a frown on James'' face. Was it possible


    that this had something to do with them?


    If that were true, he needed to devise a method to deal with this new matter at hand.


    What could he do, exactly?


    In the end, he had to face the reality that there was no other way to refuse Maria; he would have to


    be blunt about it.


    Soon enough, the fresh batch of foie gras was ready, and Maria served the dish on a te and


    ced it in front of him. "Careful, it''s hot. Go on and have a taste."


    James took his knife and fork and cut himself a piece, looking at her as he ate. "Sit down," he said


    when he finished swallowing.


    "Oh, okay." Maria returned to her seat, but not before refilling his ss with wine.


    She turned to her own te and started to eat. She would need sustenance in order to deal with


    this man.


    The dinner went very well, and if Maria hadn''t kept on urging him to drink, James would have been


    immensely pleased indeed.


    They managed to finish an entire bottle of wine. All flushed, Maria hupped as she stared at the


    man sitting so still across the table. "Why don''t we go open another bottle, James?"


    He reached over and grabbed her chin between his fingers. "No, thanks.


    What are we going to do next?" "I''m going to wash the dishes of course. You can just go ahead with


    your work. " Then, without waiting for a reply, she stood up and started to clear the tes from the


    table.


    "Put them down," James ordered out of the blue.


    She turned back to him and asked innocently, "Do you want to do them? Thank you!"


    James scoffed in disbelief. Wasn''t her goal supposed to be to please him? Was she actually asking


    him to do the dishes right now?


    "You can use the dishwasher," Maria continued, oblivious to his mood. "The detergent is in the


    cupboard. I''m going to mop the floor." Then just like that, she was out of the dining room.


    James looked at the tes and the leftovers, and gritted his teeth. "Maria Song!"


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Get back here and do the dishes yourself."


    "Are you mopping the floor then? I''ve prepared the mop and the bucket anyway. You can go start."


    Maria walked past him and resumed picking up the tes.


    James watched her, speechless. But as he saw her circling the table and going back and forth


    between the kitchen and the dining room with dishes in her hands, a sense of guilt came over him.


    She had prepared the food by herself, but it fed the both of them. How could he just sit and watch


    her get busy all by herself?


    He went to pick up the mop for the first time in his life.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Seeing him head over to where the mop and bucket


    were, Maria smiled to herself. "Remember to wipe the floor with that white duster over there before


    you start mopping."

 Chapter 216 Normans Phone Call

    Chapter 216 Norman''s Phone Call


    James swiveled. "Maria Song, you really..."


    Maria promptly turned her back on him and went into the kitchen.


    Once again, he watched her departing back with gritted teeth. Then he took a couple of calming


    breaths. He would teach her a lessonter.


    After putting the tes into the dishwasher, Maria changed her mind. The possibility of James


    agreeing to loan the Song Group money was close to none. Oh, she could ask him, of course, but


    she doubted that he would agree. That man drew a clear line between business matters and


    personal affairs.


    She had no choice but to give up asking him for help on this one.


    They eventually finished tidying up the ce, but Maria didn''t appear to have any intention of


    speaking her mind, so James went on to take a shower.


    While he was in the bathroom, Maria took out her phone and sent a WeChat message to Norman.


    "Good evening, Mr. Shen. There''s something I need to talk about with you. Are you avable?"


    Several moments passed, but Norman didn''t reply; he must be busy at this time.


    After taking a shower, James called out to the woman who was staring at her phone dully, "Go to


    take a shower." "Oh. Okay." She casually tossed the device on the table and entered the bathroom.


    James was in the process of putting on his pajamas when her phone rang.


    He walked over to check who was calling, and saw Norman''s name sh on the screen.


    His eyes darkened. Why the hell was Norman calling her thiste?


    Without another thought, James picked up the phone and answered it.


    Norman''s gentle voice came from the other end of the line. "Hello, Maria. Do you want me to loan


    money to the Song Group? Have you forgotten everything they did to you back then? Are you sure


    about this?"


    James didn''t speak, but his gaze turned icy cold. So Maria had chosen to go past him and run to


    Norman for help.


    The memory of the day she had returned to H City surfaced in his mind. Norman had told him then


    that he would marry Maria.


    The rtionship between these two had always been close. They seemed to be in rare contact with


    each other, but in the few times that they were together, Norman was always extremely good to


    Maria. When he was with her, he didn''t look like his usual ruthless self at all.


    James'' heart unexpectedly filled with jealousy.


    "Hello, Maria, are you listening? Hello?" Norman removed the phone from his ear and stared at it in


    confusion. His phone appeared to be working properly, and the call was still connected.


    James hung up without uttering a single sound, his expression terribly ominous.


    Maria was still under the spray of the shower when he pushed the door to the bathroom open. He


    strode over to her, not minding the water, and pressed her against the wall. His eyes were burning


    with fury as he stared her down.


    Maria was both shocked and rmed at his actions. "What are you doing?"


    He was fully clothed, and was effectively getting himself wet again. He didn''t seem to notice,


    however. "What is it that you''ve been itching to ask me the entire night?" he demanded.


    She swallowed. "Nothing. I wasn''t going to ask you anything." She had already sent a message to


    Norman anyway, so there was no point in bringing up the matter to James anymore.


    Then in one fluid motion, James turned her around and pushed her front against the wall. He leaned


    over to whisper in her ear, "I''ll give you thest chance."


    He knew how Maria had flirted with other men, but this was the first time he felt so furious at the


    thought.


    "What is wrong with you, James Xi?" Why was he being like this? Couldn''t he at least let her finish


    showering first?


    "Tell me!" He pulled her hands behind her, locking them in a vise grip and preventing her to move


    between his body and the cold, hard wall.


    Maria struggled nheless, all to no avail. "Let go of me first!" she shouted.


    James ignored her words and didn''t move an inch. He wouldn''t let her go unless she told him what


    he wanted to hear.


    She cursed under her breath. "Fine! I did have something I wanted to speak with you about, but let


    go of me first! Let''s talk this over properly."


    He finally relinquished his hold, and Maria turned to face him, shivering. "I''m cold," she dered,


    making her displeasure known.


    James silently turned off the shower and picked up the bath towel from the rack. He wrapped her


    with it haphazardly before locking her once again in his arms. He had said he wouldn''t let her go,


    and he meant it.


    "What is wrong with you? James, why are you mad?"


    Judging by her words, he realized that she wasn''t nning to tell him at all.


    His demeanor turned even colder. "This is yourst chance," he said slowly in a deep voice.


    Maria stared at him with wide, wary eyes. She wondered btedly if he had perhaps identally


    received Norman''s response. What if Norman had called and James answered? Norman had the


    habit of getting to the point of business as soon as the line connected. He wasn''t a big believer of


    pleasantries and small talk.


    She swallowed a huge lump of air before asking tentatively, "Did you use my cell phone?"


    "Yes."


    James didn''t deny it.


    "Did Norman call?"


    "Mm." He wasn''t denying this either.


    Maria''s heart sank, but she still fond his reaction weird. "Why are you so mad anyway? Norman


    called to talk about business, didn''t he?" It was even more baffling to her.


    "You''re my woman now. Why don''t you ask me for help? Just what are you thinking, Maria Song?"


    James asked.


    She gaped at him. He did have a point, but there was no way she would agree with him so easily. "I


    know you well, that''s why I wouldn''t ask for your help. I refuse to humiliate myself like that."


    "You feel humiliated to ask me for help? Did I ever make you feel that way?" "Didn''t you? Didn''t you


    say that I was a second-hand woman?"


    ''You want to rake up the past, don''t you?'' James thought. "You said you were fooling around with


    me first."


    Maria knew she lost this argument, but she wasn''t backing down. She red up at him. "James Xi,


    are you going to argue with a woman like this?"


    He met her re in silence, before issuing her another reminder. "If you don''t take thisst chance


    I''m giving you and speak, then just forget about it."


    He pulled at the bath towel around her body.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Realizing what he intended to do, Maria pulled back the towel. "Stop being so unreasonable! You''re


    just bullying me since you lost the argument.¡±


    "Yeah, yeah, I''m bullying you. What are you going to do about it?"


    Her eyes widened into saucers, and her jaw fell. She raised a hand and pointed a finger at his face.


    "You..." How could he say that with such a self-righteous expression? She had never met any


    person who would act this way except for James.


    That night, James had sex with her again and again.


    When morning came, the first thing Maria did was to call Norman back and exin what had


    happened the previous night. "Hi, Mr. Shen, I wasn''t the one who answered your callst night.


    What did you say, exactly?"


    Norman chuckled. "Was it James then?"


    She didn''t know how to answer that. People were right to call Norman terrible. He knew perfectly


    well whom she had been withst night. "Yes."


    "So, do you want me to lend money to Song Group?"


    "Right."


    "With their current situation, they need to secure a loan of about two to three billion dors.


    Unfortunately, I can''t promise you anything in that respect."


    Maria''s heart plummeted. "Why not?" Norman had always been there to support her. It never


    urred to her that a time woulde when he wouldn''t be backing her up.


    She wondered why. She knew for a fact that it wasn''t because of the daunting amount of money on


    the line.


    Norman smiled. "No particr reason."


    It was just that, if he readily agreed to help her with this matter, then how could he gauge Maria''s


    position in James'' heart?


    As far as anyone could see, there were only four conglomerates in H City capable of lending the


    Song Group billions of dors at the drop of a hat, without any pressure applied on either party.


    HL Group was one of them, of course. And then there was Norman''spany. The third one was


    Colby''s HM Group, and thest one was the Mu Group.


    He had refused, and they both knew that the HM Group wouldn''t be agreeable either. Maria had


    never established any connection with the Mu Group, so that would bring her back to James.

 Chapter 217 Demand For Investment

    Chapter 217 Demand For Investment


    Maria''s temples throbbed. "Mr. Shen, I..." James had taken the initiative to breach the subjectst


    night, but she had stubbornly refused to tell him anything.


    She couldn''t afford to change her mind just like that and go to him with a changed tune. She had too


    much self-respect forthat course of action.


    The secretive smile remained on Norman''s lips. "I know you can do it, Maria." Then he hung up


    without even waiting for an answer.


    Maria stared at her phone in disbelief.


    She started to bite her thumb. If she had known that Norman would be this way, she would have just


    laid it all out before James the night before. Oh, why was she so bullheaded? She was now


    regretting her actions.


    Well, in hindsight, why was she being so softhearted toward Carolina anyway?


    She had no choice now but to figure out a way to get James to help her.


    She had already used her appearance in the past, so that was not an option this time. Not to


    mention the fact that she was rather tired of that particr method herself.


    James was an impregnable man when it came to business. There was no one who could ever hope


    to dissuade him from his corporate principles.


    That made beauty and business out from her list of arsenal now.


    Maria racked her brains toe up with another way.


    She headed over to the offices of HL Group.


    Later inside the CEO''s office, Maria clung to James'' arm as she tried to coax him in a honeyed


    voice. "You see, mypany needs a huge investment fund, so I have no other choice but to


    borrow some money from you."


    He shot her a look of disdain and pulled his arm out of her hold. "How much do you want to


    borrow?" he asked, all business.


    She raised a palm and stretched out her fingers. "Five billion dors."


    ''They are sisters indeed. Even the tricks they y are the same.'' James looked at Maria, his face


    devoid of emotion. "You actually only need three billion, don''t you? You''re asking for five so that you


    can haggle if I don''t agree the first time. And once I give you the money, you''re actually going to


    changenes and hand it over to Song Group. Am I wrong?"


    Maria said nothing. He had everything right.


    "Weren''t you so dead set on not telling me anything? I thought Norman had already agreed to be


    your white knight?"


    ''I knew it!'' Maria snapped inwardly. This man would definitely not an opportunity to mock her pass.


    But she was the one at a disadvantage this time around, so she would do best to concede to him.


    James continued, "Just what do you think of me? Another fish in your pond of suitors? You will


    consider me as an option when the other men refused you, huh?"


    Maria''s face darkened, and a muscle ticked in her jaw. She did her best to suppress the anger that


    was slowly rising in her chest.


    "Why aren''t you saying anything? Aren''t you always so glib?"? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    She took a deep breath to calm herself before looking him in the eye. When she spoke, her voice


    was steady and resolute. "If you lend me the amount I need, I promise I won''t appear before you


    again. I won''t be pestering you anymore. I know you''ve always wanted this, so surely this counts as


    a benefit for you. I will promise you, and I will keep my word. If the Song Group fails to pay you back


    in the future, you can have someonee to me and I will pay it back out of my own pocket. We


    can draft a contract today and I will sign an IOU note."


    She was capable of raising three billion dors, albeit only barely, but she wouldn''t be able to do so


    on such short notice. She could only run to James for now.


    A tense silence fell in the room after she had said her piece. James'' lips tightened into a thin line.


    What she promised was an undeniably attractive offer.


    A part of him had always put all the responsibility for their current rtionship on Maria, ming her


    for seducing him at every turn.


    "You''re seriously willing to risk everything for the Song family when they''ve already cut all ties with


    you."


    The irony in his tone was not lost to her. She ignored his words and threw him another bait. "I can


    also leave H City if you want."


    Leave H City? His hands clenched into fists and his eyes took on a piercing edge. "Didn''t you want


    to take your revenge?"


    "There are many ways to take revenge, and I''ve somehow chosen the stupidest and worst possible


    option. I just need to regroup and amass a fortune. Even if I''m no longer in H City, there are still


    plenty of opportunities to exact my vengeance in other ways. Money makes the world go round after


    all. Retaliation would just be a piece of cake." "Get out!"


    Maria stared in shock at his response. ''What the hell does he mean by that?''


    She didn''t move from where she stood.


    "Get out!" James yelled again.


    "Does that mean you''re going to lend the money?" She couldn''t afford to leave this ce empty-


    handed.


    "I don''t like your attitude. I won''t give it to you." How could she cling to her pride like that while


    begging for his help in the same breath?


    Maria gritted her teeth and straightened her spine. Then she slowly undid the waistband of her


    trench coat. Beneath it, she was wearing nothing more than a long, nude slip dress.


    James frowned. ''Why is she fond of wearing these flimsy clothes during cold days?''


    Her coat fell to the floor, the metal buckle nging against the marble tiles.


    And then the dress followed,nding in a soft thump at her feet.


    In the end, she still had to resort to this method.


    Despite having shared James¡¯ bed multiple times, this was going to be a far cry from all those other


    instances.


    This time, she would use every trick she had in order to secure that three billion dors. She was


    desperate to cut off her ties with the Song family for good, once and for all. This was herst shot


    for a lifetime of freedom.


    She didn''t want to hear any drivel about how they had raised her for two decades, and that she was


    indebted to them and must repay their kindness. Such words were nothing short of lies anyway.


    "Maria Song!" James would always call her by her full name when she infuriated him. He did so at


    the moment with a hint of warning.


    She ignored his words and kept her gaze level as she continued to strip her undergarments.


    The office''s heater had not been turned on, and she stood there naked and shivering.


    James was livid. He pulled Maria by the wrist and took her in his arms. "You''re really going to do


    anything for the Song Group?"


    "Yes."


    "And if I never agree?"


    She reached out to wrap her arms around his neck and smiled up at him. "Then I''ll just have to


    sleep with Norman and Colby and see if they''ll give me what I need. One of them is bound to do it,


    don''t you think?" Her head was pulled back and she felt a painful grip at her neck.


    James gradually squeezed his hand. "Don''t try to provoke me any further, Maria Song."


    Maria had run short of breath, and she had to swallow several times before speaking. "You better


    make sure you strangle me to death right here right now. Otherwise, I just might pester you for the


    rest of your life."


    His grip loosened then, and she added, "Well, if you kill me, I will turn into a ghost and haunt you for


    the rest of your life."


    James was quiet, still seething. Them without warning, he picked her up and dumped her


    unceremoniously on his desk.


    He pressed a button which automatically locked his office from the inside. Then he lowered his face


    and ravaged Maria''s mouth, even as she gasped for breath to regain her bearings.


    Soon enough, she was melting against him.


    Maria never walked out of the CEO''s office for the remainder of the day. She took a shower at some


    point, and rested in his lounge for several minutes before he came over and resumed his torture.


    A few hourster, something urgent came up in thepany, and he had to let go of her to deal


    with the problem.


    Maria retired to the lounge and slept in therge bed. She would wake from time to time, then drift


    back to sleep. When she was finally and totally awake, it was already dark outside.


    Her first instinct was to check the time, but she discovered that her phone was nowhere in sight.


    Exhaustion, both physical and mental, took over once again, and she decided to sleep some more.


    She had no idea how long she had slept for; the next thing she knew, James was shaking her


    awake, telling her that dinner was ready.


    Maria dressed and tidied herself up in sluggish motions. When she came out of the lounge, James


    was in the middle of receiving a report from Lorenzo. "The contract has been prepared. We can


    have them sign it tomorrow."


    James didn''t look up at the sound of the lounge door opening and closing, but Lorenzo did turn in


    her direction. After a quick nce, he looked away again.


    She ignored both of them and walked over to the table.


    A lone lunch box was sitting there, and she opened the lid and began to eat.


    Maria realized just then that she had been starving. Luckily, everything in the box was delicious.


    Lorenzo left shortly after, and James put down the files he had been reading and sat across from


    her.


    "Are you willing to admit that you''ve done wrong?" She had, in fact, already apologized in bed


    earlier, but he wanted to hear it again when she was wide awake and sober.


    "Mm," she muttered, not bothering to stop eating.


    Somewhat satisfied, James picked up a second pair of chopsticks. "Eat more. You''re too skinny."


    ¡ª

 Chapter 218 The Grace Of Raising Her

    Chapter 218 The Grace Of Raising Her


    Upon hearing James''ment on her figure, Maria fell silent. She had always been happy with the


    way she looked. "Are you not satisfied with my figure? Or are you already tired of me?"


    Maria asked in a harsh tone.


    James put down his chopsticks again. "I get it, you''re mad at me.1''


    Indeed, Maria was angry with the way he had treated her in bed. He was much too rough, she felt


    suffocated.


    The woman couldn''t keep it in any longer. Throwing her chopsticks across the table, she hissed,


    "You ate the food I cook. I said so many honeyed words. We had sex the whole afternoon. What


    more do you want? If you don''t want to help me, then just say so. Quit ying tricks with me!"


    ''y tricks?'' He pursed his lips in silence, trying to figure out what to say.


    But before he could utter a word, Maria''s phone rang.


    Her head swiveled in the direction of the ringtone. The phone was lying on James'' desk.


    She stood up and walked over. The caller ID showed it was Carolina calling.


    Maria picked up the phone but didn''t even wait for her sister''s greeting. "Carolina Song, don''t you


    ever call me again! I don''t have the ability to persuade James. He has a fiancee, why don''t you


    contact her instead? Anyway, I have cut ties with the Song family. I don''t care what anyone thinks of


    me. You can say whatever you like, words won''t kill me."


    After a long pause, Carolina finally spoke up. "What are you talking about, Maria?"


    Maria choked. "Don''t you get it?"


    "HL Group just asked us to sign the contract tomorrow. I was calling to say thank you. Didn''t you


    hear about it?"


    Maria was stunned. "What contract?" The man responsible was sitting right behind her. She didn''t


    dare to look back.


    "Mr. Xi has agreed to lend us three billion dors. Did you not know?" Summer had called her. She


    said that Mr. Xi had only granted the loan for Maria''s sake and that this would be the only time he''d


    extend such grace.


    Maria was floored. She looked like a fool just now, since she was kept in the dark and James never


    bothered to mention anything.


    Carolina didn''t know what happened between them, so she didn''t dare ask anything more. "Maria,


    thank you so much. The Song Group would''ve been in ruins if it weren''t for you."


    "Don''t mention it." The woman''s tone went t, as though all the anger just now had evaporated into


    thin air.


    What the hell was going on? How on earth could she face that man after having such a revtion


    over the phone?


    Therefore, Maria decided she wasn''t going to face him.


    Still on the call, she clutched the phone tightly and strode around the office as though nothing had


    happened. Once she gathered her things into her bag, she walked to the office door and left without


    looking back.


    When she passed by the area where the secretaries were positioned, they stared at her with wide


    eyes.


    This was the woman who had stayed in the CEO''s lounge the whole afternoon. It was likely they


    were just chatting inside, but two hickeys that shone red on Maria''s neck said otherwise.


    As Maria was leaving the HL Group headquarters, Carolina had already hung up the phone since


    she had nothing more to say. But since she was too embarrassed, Maria continued to pretend she


    was on the phone.


    Maria didn''t feel a sense of relief until she was safely within the confines of her coffee shop. She


    decided to avoid James the next couple of days.


    In the Song family vi


    Chandler, ine, and Dani had received a call from Carolina to wait up for her, so they were all


    waiting anxiously in the living room.


    When Carolina finally arrived, it was almost midnight. "Hi, everyone."


    "Carolina, what happened? Have you found a bank that is willing to loan us money?" Chandler


    asked expectantly, albeit sleepily. He had juste back from a business trip.


    While he focused on overseas branches, Carolina was in charge of the Song Group overall.


    Carolina shook her head. Chandler''s and ine''s faces fell.


    Eyes sweeping over the luxuries of their vi, ine sighed sadly. "There''s no way God will


    abandon us!"


    Chandler said nothing.


    Dani, on the other hand, lounged on the sofa as though none of this was her business. However,


    the whole reason why the Song family was in a crisis now was because of her scandal. Chandler


    was nning to send her back to his hometown in the countryside, so she had been trying to act on


    her best behavior as ofte.


    Standing in the middle of the living room, Carolina looked at her family with a calm expression.


    Finally, she smiled bitterly. "Dad, Mom, if it weren''t for Maria, the Song Group would have been


    doomed."


    Chandler was confused. "What do you mean?"


    At the mention of Maria''s name, ine wrinkled her brow in annoyance. "Why mention her?"


    Dani was even more furious. She jumped up and pointed at her sister usingly. "Carolina


    Song, don''t you dare mention that name in front of me anymore. I''m going to kill her!"


    Seeing how violent her family''s reaction was, Carolina couldn''t help but feel a little downcast.


    "Originally, no bank was willing to lend us the money. Three billion dors is too much, even for a


    mortgage loan. It''s all thanks to Maria, I swear. She managed to persuade Mr. Xi to lend us the


    money. Tomorrow, I''m going to sign the contract with the HL Group."


    The three of them were speechless from shock.


    Dani seemed to know something, but she didn''t want to admit it. She said sourly, "How is this


    possible? Howe Mr. Xi listens to her?"


    "Carolina, are you sure? Couldn''t it have been Alina?" ine asked in disbelief.


    Chandler, on the other hand, was so excited and grateful that his lips trembled and his eyes turned


    red. The Song Group was finally saved, and by the most unlikely person, too.


    "No, Mom. It was really Maria who did this," Carolina said firmly.


    "How could she be so kind? I don''t believe it!" ine turned away, visibly ufortable.


    However, it didn''t matter whether she believed it or not. Carolina continued, "Maria was willing to


    help us because she wants to make a clean break with the Song family. She doesn''t want to owe us


    anything anymore."


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    A silence fell over the Song family vi.


    Chandler nced at ine and said, "ine, Maria helped us in our time of need despite


    everything that happened. Treat her better when you see her in the future. After all, she is our


    daughter."


    Unconvinced, ine sneered. "James is so kind. Or has he already forgotten how Arthur died? How


    could he still hang out with Maria like this? Isn''t he afraid that the baby will stand at the head of the


    bed and look at him when he sleeps at night?"


    "That''s enough, ine Wen!" No matter how heartless Chandler was, he was still grateful. Saving


    the Song Group from ruin was no easy feat, and it was all thanks to Maria. He didn''t expect that


    ine would still shun their daughter despite the kindness she extended to them.


    "Mom, do you want Mr. Xi to withdraw the loan from us? Then thepany will apply for


    bankruptcy. Everything will be taken from us to pay our debts-this vi and everything in it. Will you


    really be happy living in a small house in the countryside?" Carolina asked in a low voice. She didn''t


    expect her mother to be so mean. Everything ine said just now was utterly uncalled for.


    ine opened her mouth, but no words came out.


    -

 Chapter 219 Investigation

    Chapter 219 Investigation


    ine was in the countryside when she gave birth to Maria. Although Chandler had mistresses, he


    never let her suffer after she returned to H City. She did not want to return to the countryside


    anymore, fearing that she would have to bear sufferings again.


    Meanwhile, Dani only cared about one thing. "Carolina, if thepany runs well as it used to,


    will my pocket money be the same as before?"


    Carolina nced at her and answered indifferently, "Dani, not a singlepany is willing to


    employ you. You should just stay at home and lie low for now. Next month, you''ll work in our


    company."


    "Carolina, I can''t do that!"


    "You should learn from me then. I believe that you have a knack for business. Look at Maria and


    me. You should also be the same." This time, Carolina would no longer allow Dani to do


    whatever she wanted after everything she had done. What was more, she herself would not make


    harsh decisions again.


    Chandler agreed with what Carolina had said. "Dani, your sister is right. If it weren''t because of


    you, ourpany wouldn''t have ended up like this. Dani begged everywhere just for a loan. As


    her sister, don''t you feel sorry for her?"


    "Dad-"


    "Enough! If you don''t do as she says, you won''t have any pocket money." Chandler then looked at


    ine with red eyes and added, "If you dare to give her even a single penny, I will suspend your


    bank ounts as well.


    ine gasped in horror and was infuriated by his words.


    "Chandler, you-"


    "Why? What''s wrong with it? That''s final. Is there anything else you want to say? If there''s any, you


    can go and borrow three billion dors. Only then will I listen to you! If you can''t, just shut your damn


    mouth!"


    ine pursed her lips at once.


    She wasn''t able to borrow that amount of money.


    Chandler turned to look at Carolina. His expression softened. "You must be tired. Go to your room


    and have a rest," he said gently.


    "Okay." Without saying anything more, Carolina turned around and went upstairs.


    When she disappeared at the corner of the stairs, Chandler took his coat and walked to the front


    door.


    ine was mad that he was going out again, so she held him back. "Chandler, where are you


    going?"


    Chandler merely shook off her hands to get rid of her grasp and answered, "I''m annoyed. I''ll just go


    out for a drink. Go to bed early."


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "Going out for a drink? Are you going to that bitch again?"


    Chandler was exhausted. It did not help that ine was doubting him at the moment. "It''s none of


    your business."


    With that, he walked out of the vi and did not even look back.


    Meanwhile, Dani did not want to interfere with her parents'' quarrel, so she sneaked up stairs


    without anyone noticing.


    ine sat back on the sofa and began to sob. What a miserable life she had! Thepany was


    going bankrupt, and her husband seldom came back home.


    To make things worse, he had a mistress. Now, she was alone and pathetic.


    After Maria left the HL Group that night, she started to deliver a cup of coffee to the CEO''s office


    every day.


    She did not care whether James would drink it or not. She just made sure she did it every day.


    Sometimes, she would take advantage of the time whenever James was in thepany. She would


    sneak into his manor and organize her blind boxes there.


    One early morning, a woman in ck leather jacket and leather pants quietly exited from the side


    door of a hotel.


    She found a car that was about to be scrapped. Then, she took out the car keys and revved the


    engine. Once the engine was working, she headed north.


    When she arrived at her destination, she parked her car on the roadside near a vi area and left it


    there. She lowered the brim of her cap and hid from the cameras. The woman was practically


    invisible as she walked forward.


    The ce was quiet and was only lit with dim street lights. She took a look at her watch. It was half


    past twelve. By now, most of people had already fallen asleep.


    The woman found the No. 12 vi easily. She stopped briefly in the dark and observed the


    surroundings.


    The temperature was a bit low, but not to the point that it was freezing. Since it was alreadyte at


    night, no one was outside except her.


    She paused for a moment and assessed the perimeter. Then, like a professional, she nimbly


    climbed a two-meter wall. Once she reached the top, instead of jumping down, she sat quietly there


    for a few minutes.


    It was pitch ck inside.


    After making sure that there was nothing wrong, she finally jumped into the yard. While avoiding the


    cameras, she quickly slipped across the wall.


    She fumbled the window quietly to open it. To her surprise, it was already open.


    The woman was bewildered. She wondered why the window was open in such a cold night.


    Confused, she peeped into the vi through the open window.


    The vi was silent and empty. It was so dark inside as the only source of light was the street lights


    outside.


    Without any hesitation, she jumped in from the window. Perhaps she had not done this for a long


    time that her movements were a little clumsy. Nevertheless, she was still undeniably better than


    ordinary people.


    She did not find anything unusual on the first floor, so she decided to move on to the next level.


    However, just as she was about to go up the stairs, a figure suddenly emerged from the shadows.


    The woman got so frightened that she almost screamed. The person must have realized that she


    would react this way, so he immediately covered her mouth with his hand.


    She kicked and fought back to get out of the man''s grasp, but to no avail. In order for her not to


    scream, he decided to release her. However, the woman still was not finished fighting back. "It''s me!


    It''s me!" he whispered while avoiding her moves.


    It was not until Maria heard his voice that she recognized that it was Lawrence.


    Panting, she clutched her chest to ease her pounding heart. "What a coincidence, Lowrie!" she


    eximed in a low voice.


    How could the two of them meet each other in such a ce? Well, it was normal for Lawrence to go


    there, but how about Maria? How was she going to exin to himter?


    At the thought of this, her head slightly ached.


    Lawrence was not better. Like her, he was dejected. ''Not meeting her at all is actually better than


    meeting here,'' he thought to himself.


    He pulled Maria aside. Only then did Maria notice that several others were lurking in the shadows,


    wearing camouge uniforms.


    Seeing them emerge from the dark, Maria was dumbfounded. There were so many men hiding in


    the dark, but she did not notice any of them until now.


    If Norman found out about this, she would be an utter disgrace to him.


    "What are you doing here?" Lawrence asked.


    "Looking for someone."


    "Who are you looking for?" Judging from her outfit, Lawrence could tell that she came here for


    something more important than just finding someone.


    Instead of answering his question, Maria asked him, "What are you doing here?"


    Lawrence did not answer her either. "If I''m not mistaken, you came here for the person in the


    master bedroom."


    Maria decided to tell the truth. "No. I swear I just came here to investigate."


    The truth was, she was afraid that Lawrence would take her away and interrogate her.


    Hearing her response, Lawrence chuckled. However, he thought that that was not the right ce for


    them to chat. "Wait here. Let''s go upstairs first."


    Maria did not respond. She neither agreed nor disagreed in his instruction.


    As she watched Lawrence and his team, she was impressed that they only took a few seconds to


    go upstairs silently. Compared with him, she was still undoubtedly a rookie.


    Maria followed them after a moment. Although she was not as good as them, she sessfully went


    upstairs without making any sound.


    There were around five or six men who went straight to the master bedroom.


    Meanwhile, Maria stood by the stairs and observed her surroundings. She indeed came here to


    investigate. She had no ns of killing anyone tonight.


    All of a sudden, an rm red in the vi.


    Shit!


    It was a trap!


    That was the only thing in everyone''s mind at that very moment.


    Lawrence stared at the carpet beneath the door. There must have been a detector hidden


    underneath it.


    Everyone retreated at once. When they finally reached the stairs, Lawrence grabbed Maria and


    dragged her downstairs.


    To make things worse, more and more rms went off at once as they shuffled in the dark.

 Chapter 220 Known As A Murderer

    Chapter 220 Known As A Murderer


    Lawrence guessed that a sensor must have been installed under the carpet covering the stairs.


    That would exin why there had been no rm earlier¡ª they hadn''t stepped on the carpet.


    And now that they were running downstairs, their only goal was to escape from the scene as soon


    as possible. As a result, they triggered the rm.


    The vi was brightly lit at this point, since the lights had all turned on.


    Lawrence''s men had already jumped out through the window, the sense of urgency propelling them


    to move faster than usual.


    Maria, however, discovered to her dismay that she had stepped on something.


    Lawrence was about to make his own exit when he realized that she had not been following him. He


    craned his neck and whispered, "Hurry up!"


    The rm in his voice prompted Maria to do as he ordered. She was about to lift her foot when he


    caught sight of what was under it. His expression changed. "No! No, no, don''t move!"


    He trotted back and squatted beside her. "Don''t move your foot. You''ve stepped on the switch of a


    shock trap. This thing has a wide range of cover. The trap''s current is so strong, it''s enough to


    knock out an adult elephant in the blink of an eye. If you release the trigger, we''re sure to meet a


    fate worse than the elephant''s." "What''s going to happen?" Maria''s heart was caught in her throat.


    "We''ll be electrocuted," he said.


    She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "What a coincidence then. My outfit today is specially


    made of insting materials. Come on, let''s go."


    "No, wait!" Lawrence was caught between crying andughing. "You might be wearing suitable


    clothes, Maria, but I most definitely am not. If you choose to move from that spot, you will have no


    choice but to carry me on your shoulders all the way out."


    And if he chose to leave first, then Maria would be left here, unable to escape.


    One of his men poked his head through the window. "Sir, I saw a shock trap. Come out quickly.


    Don''t touch the switch!"


    The man''s warning was futile. Maria had already stepped on the trigger.


    Noises came from upstairs, and both Maria and Lawrence noticed that. Then she pushed him away.


    "You go first. I''ll cover you and followter."


    His protest was instant. "No way! How can I¡ª"


    "Okay, enough with this! I told you, my clothes are made of insting fabric. Can you say the same


    for yourself? Besides, you and I are different. I''m an infamous murderer. You, on the other hand, are


    nothing short of a national hero. You still have a lot of responsibilities, and many people look up to


    you. Now hurry and leave this ce!"


    He opened his mouth to argue, and Maria punched him impatiently. "Stop being a pussy! Why are


    you hesitating?"


    Lawrence stood his ground. "I refuse to let a woman cover our escape!" "Are you serious right now?


    Do you even know what year we''re currently in? Gender equality is on the rise, my friend, even


    within the battlefield. Do you understand what I''m saying here, Mr. Lu?"


    He had nothing to say to that. And they were truly running out of time. Lawrence relented. "We''ll be


    waiting for you outside," he assured her before moving to the window.


    "Yes, yes, now go!"


    He swung out of the window and scaled the side wall as fast as he could go. When he was at a


    manageable distance from the ground, he jumped.


    He crouched low in the darkness, intending to wait for Maria from this spot. But then one of his


    subordinate''s voice came through his earpiece. "Sir, something is wrong! You have to get here right


    away!"


    Lawrence nced back at the window he had exited a few seconds ago. He would have to leave


    from his station for the time being.


    A man appeared at the second floornding. He had a gun in his hand, and he pointed it to the


    intruder standing in the hallway. "Who are you?"


    The first thing that Maria saw was the weapon. She then turned her head slightly to check the time.


    Lawrence should be well out of range by now. Thinking fast, she released her foot and rolled on the


    floor to hide from view as the man proceeded down the hall. When he was walking down the stairs,


    swinging his gun from side to side, Maria dashed to the window and climbed down the wall.


    No sooner had she done this than several cars screeched to a halt at the vi gates. Several men


    rushed out of the vehicles and stormed into the yard.


    They saw her clinging to the wall, and one of them produced a gun and aimed at her.


    Fortunately for her, none of these men were skilled enough, and she easily dodged the bullets they


    fired as she slid down the wall.


    She went running the moment her feet touched the ground; pursuers were already at her heels. She


    made for the road as fast as she could.


    Then a car suddenly thundered down the road, its headlights blinding Maria. Although the driver


    stepped on the brake pedal, she still ended up crashing into the vehicle.


    As luck would have it, she didn''t get any serious injuries.


    Maria rubbed her aching leg as she came to her feet. What the hell! She couldn''t believe that


    someone was actually cruising down the streets at this ungodly hour.


    A woman stepped out of the car and approached her, and when she recognized who she had run


    over, she screamed. "Maria Song? What the hell!"


    Maria sighed in resignation. It turned out that she wasn''t so lucky after all. To think that she would


    meet Dani, of all people, under such circumstances.


    For her part, Dani was just on her way home from her ex-boyfriend''s ce. She was just as


    surprised to see Maria here.


    Hurried footfalls soon came from behind Maria, and she braced herself for another run.


    Before she could take another step, however, the other woman grabbed her arm and refused to let


    go. "What are you doing here sote at night? Tell me the truth! And why are you dressed like this?"


    "What the hell is your problem?" If Dani wasn''t a woman, Maria would have kicked her without


    hesitation.


    She could hear her pursuers get closer and closer. She might have to kick Dani after all.


    But it was toote.


    The men had caught up to her and were only a few meters away now. One of them pointed at Maria


    and pulled the trigger three times in a row.


    She wasn''t able to dodge in time, and the bullets sailed into her body. She crouched in pain and


    tried to staunch her wounds, struggling to regain her bearings.


    Dani let out a short scream and let go of Maria, terrified at what she had just witnessed.


    She scrambled back inside her car and turned the engine on to run for her life.


    Maria watched as the car disappeared into the night, cursing Dani over and over inside her head.


    Then she gritted her teeth and mustered all the strength left in her body to run away from the road.


    She ran and ran, pausing from time to time to hide and make sure she wasn''t being followed. After


    what felt like forever, she finally got rid of the people chasing her.


    She found herself in a residential area somewhere, and she stumbled into one of the many gates


    lining the road. Maria bumped into a woman who had been on her way out of this particr vi,


    and they both fell to the ground at the impact.


    "Who are you? So careless!" The girl''s voice was gentle and soft, albeit a little irritated.


    But then she noticed the metallic scent of blood.


    She quickly rose and came over to Maria. "You''re wounded!"


    The girl looked to be the same age as Sandra, and had fair skin and a delicate appearance. Maria


    caught a whiff of antiseptic from her clothes, the kind one would smell upon entering a hospital.


    Maria looked at her coldly without saying anything.


    "Hang in there for a bit, I''ll help you," Meagan Su said.


    "No, thank you," Maria refused point nk as she tried to get back on her feet.


    Meagan nced at her warily, thinking, ''What a cold woman.1


    Maria looked like she nned to leave, and Meagan hurried to stop her. "I''m a doctor," she


    exined patiently. "Although my medical skills aren''t exactly renowned, I assure you that I won''t


    hurt you. Please let me help you."


    Her wounds had never stopped bleeding, and Maria knew she had already gone pale. She looked


    at the girl for a good while, weighing her options. Finally, she agreed.


    Meagan assisted her into a car parked by the side of the road and produced a medicine boxden


    with all sorts of pills and bottles.


    She disinfected Maria''s wounds and applied two types of medicine to make the bleeding stop. "We


    must get you to the hospital for an immediate operation," she said as she bandaged the wounds. "I


    can''t do any more than this."


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    "Thank you." In truth, Maria was barely hanging on.


    They bullets seemed to have been infused with something; the pain she was feeling was far worse


    than anything she had ever encountered in other previous injuries.


    Meagan took out her phone and made a call. Shortly after, a driver came rushing out of the vi.


    "Felix, please take us to the nearest hospital." "Yes, ma''am."

 Chapter 221 She Must Have Surgery

    Chapter 221 She Must Have Surgery


    In the car, Maria struggled to speak. "Excuse me, miss. May I use your phone?"


    "Sure. What''s the number? I can dial it for you."


    Maria ryed to Meagan a string of numbers and the call was quickly connected. Meagan propped


    the phone next to her ear. "James, I''m finally dying. Are you happy now?" If she was out of the


    picture, no one would pester him like she would.


    James didn''t bite the bait. Instead, he asked her where she was in a t tone.


    "All you need to know is I''m on my way to hell," Maria snapped. Without waiting for a response, she


    dropped the call.


    Then, she called Lawrence''s number, but someone else picked up the phone. She asked the


    receiver to inform him that she had left already.


    A couple of minutester, James tried to call back the number Maria used, but to his surprise, a


    young woman answered the phone. "Hello?"


    "Where is she?"


    Meagan looked out the window to check where they were. "We''re nearing the No. 6 Hospital."


    The man thanked her.


    "You''re wee. It''s just that she''s in bad condition and will need surgery. Are you her boyfriend?


    Please hurry."


    Those words surreally echoed in James'' ears over and


    over again.


    When they made it to the hospital, Maria was ced on a stretcher and was wheeled to the


    operating room.


    Meagan left after that. After all, there was nothing left for her to do.


    In the dark of night, a Harkim was racing on the wide road, speedily making its way towards the No.


    6 Hospital.


    Just then, James'' phone rang. He nced at the screen and saw Lawrence''s name blinking on it.


    If it were someone else, he wouldn''t have answered the phone. He pressed a button on his


    Bluetooth earpiece. "Hello? It''s me."


    "James, something happened to Maria," said Lawrence worriedly. When he had gone back to look


    for Maria, he found a trail of blood, with Maria herself nowhere to be found.


    But they didn''t hear any gunshots, so it was possible the perpetrators used silencers.


    With his eyes fixed on the road, James kept silent for a while. Finally, he asked, "How did you


    know?"


    "Did you already know?" Lawrence countered.


    "Yeah."


    "I met her on a mission tonight," Lawrence said after some thought.


    James pressed his foot onto the pedal, speeding up the car. "I''ll call you backter." Now he needed


    to focus on driving.


    "Okay."


    After Lawrence ended the call, one of his subordinates ran over and said, "Sir, someone called you.


    If I''m not mistaken, it was the woman we met just now."


    Wasn''t Maria''s phone turned off? Lawrence took his phone from him and checked his call log. Sure


    enough, minutes earlier, he had received a call from an unfamiliar number. After confirming with his


    subordinate that this was the number Maria used to call him, he tapped on the strange number.


    The call connected almost immediately. A young girl''s voice came from the other end of the line,


    very clear and pleasant to the ears. "Hello, are you looking for the girl who got hurt?"


    Meagan''s tone was polite, but she felt a little confused. If the previous man who called her was that


    girl''s boyfriend just now, who was this guy?


    "Yes, I am. May I know who you are?"


    "She was injured. I saved her before it was toote, I think. She is undergoing surgery right now at


    the No. 6 Hospital, but I''ve left already."


    ''Surgery?'' Lawrence was shocked. "How was she hurt?"


    "I checked and found that she had three gunshot wounds." For a moment, Meagan idly wondered if


    those two men behind the calls were good looking. Their voices were so pleasant to hear, so she


    was under the impression that they were pleasant to look at.


    ''Sure enough. Friends of beautiful girls are good-looking too.''


    Lawrence fell silent for a moment. "I see. Thank you."


    "You''re wee. Again, I''m sorry, but I''ve already left. You can go to the hospital to see her for


    yourself."


    "Okay."


    When she dropped the call, Meagan let out a yawn. She was so sleepy; all she wanted to do now


    was to go home and sleep.


    She had gone to her grandfather''s ce earlier; she didn''t expect toe across a seriously


    injured girl there. Actually, it was lucky she had found the poor girl. If she was found minutester,


    she most probably would''ve died before reaching the hospital.


    Meanwhile, James finally made it to the hospital.


    He was the first one to arrive. In the quiet corridor of the hospital, he was like a lone ranger. He


    stood motionlessly before the sign that said "Operating Room."


    Nothing but a door stood between him and the woman, yet the life on one side of the door was


    teetering dangerously on the edge.


    The man stood in silence, eyes fixated on the door of the operating room.


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    After a while, the door swung open and a nurse emerged. "Oh, excuse me, sir. Are you rted to


    the woman inside?"


    The man nodded stoutly. "Yes, I am."


    "Here is the thing. The patient is in a critical condition now. The doctor is operating on her as we


    speak. Please sign here." The nurse handed James several assorted statements detailing the


    procedure of the operation.


    After skimming through them roughly, James took the pen from the nurse''s hand and decisively


    signed his name on the documents.


    The nurse looked at the man with admiration. ''Wow, he''s not only good-looking, he also has perfect


    penmanship,'' she thought to herself. She couldn''t help but feel envious of the woman inside the


    operating room.


    When he saw the question of the rtionship between him and the woman inside on the statement,


    James paused hesitantly for a while before finally writing down a single word on the document


    ¡ª''''spouse.1''


    The nurse''s eyes had been twinkling. When she saw that one word, the light was instantly


    extinguished.


    James then handed her the signed documents.


    The nurse nodded. "Thank you. Please pay at the cashier''s counter."


    "How is she doing?"


    The nurse shook her head remorsefully. "I''m sorry, I don''t know the details. Please wait a little


    longer."


    The man nodded and didn''t say anything more. He thanked her curtly and then turned around to


    head for the cashier counter.


    Hours had passed. James stood rigidly at the end of the hall, looking out the window. He watched in


    silence as the night sky gradually turned into day.


    The sign of the operating room was still brightly lit.


    Not far away from him stood his assistant who had arrived in the middle of the night. He was the


    one responsible for having Maria transferred to another hospital, and he had already taken care of


    the paperwork.


    As the sky was gradually turning pink, the light of the operating room sign finally went out.


    James, who had not slept all night, had bloodshot eyes and a stubbly chin.


    Soon, a group of people trickled out of the operating room. Someone shouted, "Who is the patient''s


    family?"


    The assistant trotted over and said, "Doctor, thank you for your hard work. How is the patient?"


    The middle-aged doctor took off his surgical mask wearily. "The situation has stabilized. Are you a


    family


    member?"


    The assistant nced at James, then stepped aside.


    "I am," James cut in tly, walking over.


    "The bullets in her body have been removed and her condition has stabilized. However, there is still


    poison remaining in her body, thanks to the bullets. As of now, we can''t determine what this poison


    is, and we need to consult¡ª"


    "What''s the poison''s effect on her?" James frowned.


    "I¡¯m not sure yet..." The doctor had never encountered this poison before, so he dared not draw any


    conclusions.


    The man''s eyes were full of displeasure, but he didn''t say anything. After all, they had just saved


    Maria''s life. He then turned to his assistant. "Ask them toe over."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi." The assistant immediately pulled out his phone and made a call for the arrangement.


    The moment when Maria was wheeled out of the operating room, she was led to a special


    ambnce from the private hospital run by the HL Group. Because she wasn''t in the best shape,


    she was sent to the ICU first.


    It was the second morning after all the procedures werepleted.


    As soon as she got the phone call from James at the crack of dawn, Summer rushed to the hospital.


    -

 Chapter 222 In Shock

    Chapter 222 In Shock


    Summer stood outside, looking at Maria through the ss window. Maria was wearing an oxygen


    mask that was connected to tubes. Her eyes blood red, Summer asked the man beside her, "Mr. Xi,


    what happened to Maria?"


    "I''d also like to know what happened to her," he answered.


    Maria was fine thest time he saw her, but then she was suddenly sent to the hospital and nowy


    in the ICU.


    He had to admit that this woman was something else, given that she made this happen to herself


    overnight.


    He was really pissed off.


    Lawrence called back. James nced at the caller ID and said to Summer, "I''m going back to the


    company. Call two nurses to look after her."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    Before leaving, the man took onest look at the woman inside the ICU.


    After entering the elevator, he answered his phone. "What''s up?"


    "How''s Maria doing?" Lawrence had just finished his work and he wasn''t able to sleep all night.


    Judging by the tone of his voice, he was exhausted.


    On the other hand, James sounded annoyed. "She''s not going to die!" She wasn''t allowed to die


    without his permission.


    "James, aren''t you wondering why I met Maria while I


    was on a mission?" Lawrence asked seriously.


    Obviously, James was curious.


    But before he could answer, Lawrence continued, "I have reason to believe that Maria works for


    Norman Shen."


    "It''s obvious that she works for Norman." James had known about this matter ever since she


    appeared in public aftering back to H City.


    "I mean, it¡¯s apparent that Maria is not as simple as we think she is."


    His reminder silenced James.


    She was good at fighting. Over and over, people came after her, and yet she was able to destroy


    the antique at Jonathan''s auction. But today, she was lying in the hospital, and her life was hanging


    by a thread.


    Norman employed many assassins. It seemed that the answer was obvious.


    "If she''s really an assassin trained by Norman, then you must proceed with caution, James." It was


    widely known that James and Norman were business rivals. If Norman had sent Maria to get close


    to him, it was possible that she had ulterior motives.


    Lawrence used the same tactics by getting close to Maria, in order to gain information about


    Norman.


    James went into his car, sped the steering wheel, and uttered, "She wouldn''t dare!"


    If Maria dared to betray him for Norman''s sake, then he would dispose of her himself.


    "It''s fine if you know what you''re doing. Anyway, I need to go and get some rest," said Lawrence.


    "Alright."


    After the call, James lit a cigarette, took a few puffs before starting the engine.


    From the very beginning, he knew that Maria had ulterior motives when she approached him.


    Had she done it for revenge, then it didn''t matter to him.


    On the contrary, if she truly did it for Norman''s sake, then...


    James put out the cigarette, stepped on the gas, and left the hospital.


    After that day, he didn''te back to the hospital again. When she was done arranging everything


    in the hospital, Summer went back to thepany.


    The following day, James went on a business trip. Two dayster, he returned to H City.


    Unfortunately, Maria was still in aa, and there was still no sign of her waking up.


    Standing in front of the French window, James immersed in his thoughts. Momentster, Summer


    knocked on the door and entered. "Mr. Xi, the hospital called and said that Maria has regained


    consciousness, but..."


    Quietly, he looked at her, waiting for her to proceed.


    In a disheartened tone, Summer continued, "She is suffering a great deal. Mr. Xi, aren''t you going to


    visit her?"


    "What do you mean by that?" As usual, his tone was indifferent.


    Summer was unable to exin it properly. "The doctor said that there is poison in her body. She is


    in great pain because of that."


    There was a moment of silence in the office. Grabbing his phone and car keys from the desk,


    James strode out of his office.


    In the VIP ward of the hospital, the hospital''s dean and several doctors were standing beside the


    bed next to James. They were all looking at the woman as she endured the excruciating pain that


    made her bellow continuously.


    Maria''s face turned ghastly pale, and sweat was trickling down her forehead. She stared into the


    man''s eyes with her reddened eyes, and with great difficulty, she said, "Give me the painkillers!"


    The chief physician sighed and repeated what he had said countless of times today. "Mr. Xi, we


    cannot give her painkillers. The poison in Ms. Song''s body and the painkillers'' chemicals neutralize


    each other. If her condition worsens, it could lead to epileptic shock."


    "Is there any way to cure her?"


    "Yes. We''ve checked several databases, and the same poison has appeared in Q Country. Our


    dean has asked the doctors in Q Country to send the medicine here. It''s probably on the ne right


    now, so I''m afraid that Ms. Song must hold on a little bit longer."


    Maria sped the sheet tightly. "No! I don''t want to die of pain! Give me the painkillers now!" If she


    had to die, she wanted to die a peaceful death.


    After a while, James said, "You can leave now."


    "Okay, Mr. Xi." The doctors left the ward, leaving the two of them alone.


    Maria kept gripping anything she could grab, trying to endure the searing pain. "Give me some


    painkillers. I''ll do whatever you want me to do."


    James took two paces forward, silently taking out a piece of tissue from the box beside him, wanting


    to wipe away her sweat.


    However, Maria knocked his hand away with the remainder of her strength. "James Xi, you bastard!


    Just tell them to give me some painkillers!"


    It appeared as though she had been drugged, and now she had a strong desire to have painkillers.


    James didn''t get angry, but he still looked indifferent. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he asked,


    "Does it hurt?"


    "Of course it does!" Maria gritted her teeth.


    A few secondster, she could no longer stand the pain, so she bit her arm to relieve some of it. But


    it was no use. The pain couldn''t be redirected.


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    Upon seeing this, James removed his coat, unbuttoned his shirt cuffs, rolled up his sleeves, and


    ced his muscr arm near her lips. "Bite me."


    Right now, Maria was in so much pain, so she didn''t think too much. She grabbed his arm and bit it.


    When she bit down, the man frowned slightly, but there was no other reaction.


    It seemed that Maria''s pain was somehow alleviated.


    The bite mark on his arm was quite evident. If she bit him any harder, his arm would be bleeding


    right now. Maria showed no signs of letting go, and James had no intention of backing down.


    Soon, Maria could taste the blood on her tongue.


    She had torn through the skin on James'' arm.


    Fortunately, Maria was calming down little by little, and the searing pain gradually dissipated.


    She let go of the man''s arm, gasping for breath. Her pale lips had gotten stained with blood, and her


    forehead was drenched in sweat.


    Suddenly, Maria lost consciousness without saying


    another word.


    James took another piece of tissue and wiped away her sweat.


    After making sure that she was asleep, he tossed the tissue into the trash bin and stood up to deal


    with his wound.


    By the time Maria woke up again, it was already dark.


    Ethan was sitting by the bed. And when he saw her open her eyes, he approached her and asked,


    "Maria, are you awake?"


    She nodded.


    -

 Chapter 223 Reborn

    Chapter 223 Reborn


    "Are you hungry? I bought some food for you."


    Indeed, Maria was quite hungry because she hadn''t eaten for several days. "Sure," she answered.


    Ethan called a nurse to help Maria sit upright and lean against the headboard.


    The dinner was nutritious and well-prepared. It was purely vegetarian, most of which were liquid


    food. Ethan handed the spoon to Maria. "Are you strong enough to eat by yourself? Do you want


    me to feed you?"


    Shaking her head, Maria smiled. "You don''t have to do that, Ethan. I can do it myself."


    "Oh, good."


    Ethan watched her eat, and asionally spoke to her.


    But because she was tired, Maria didn''t eat that much. However, she still didn''t feel sleepy yet.


    After tucking her in, Ethan noticed that her eyes were still red. "Does it still hurt?" he asked. James


    had told him that if Maria ever groaned in pain again, he should let her bite his arm to alleviate her


    sorrow.


    "It doesn''t."


    "Then why are you crying?"


    Maria forced a smile. "I''m not crying." In reality, she was just touched that Ethan not only visited her,


    but also took the time to take care of her.


    On the other hand, James had only visited her once during her whole stay in the hospital. He didn''t


    spend more time with her.


    "You''re lying. Your eyes are red."


    "Oh," she replied. "That''s because the ashes of my ex-husband got into my eyes."


    Outside the door, the man who was about to enter halted.


    Ethan burst intoughter. "Aren''t you afraid that James would teach you a lesson?"


    She was afraid.


    If James really wanted to punish her, he could kill her with a snap of his finger right now.


    But Maria had always been a proud woman, so she couldn''t bring herself to admit it. "Why should I


    be scared of him? He''s nobody to me, and I have the freedom of speech."


    "The freedom of speech?" That cold voice came from the door.


    The look on their faces drastically changed. Ethan looked like he was enjoying a good show; on the


    other hand, Maria looked disheartened. It was difficult for her to say something bad about James,


    and she got caught for doing so. Her recent misfortunes made her wonder why she was so unlucky


    lately.


    "Do you want to go shopping with me some other day?" she asked Ethan.


    Ethan was confused. "Why? Are you still nning to buy those blind boxes?"


    "No, I''m going to buy a bead of luck this time."


    Ethan was rendered speechless.


    Secondster, James entered, took off his gloves and overcoat, and hung the coat on the coat rack.


    Afterwards, he nced at Ethan.


    Immediately, Ethan understood him and said to Maria, "You don''t have to go there yourself. I have


    some spare time on my hands right now, so I''ll go and buy one for you. Please wait for me toe


    back."


    "Wait a minute. Hey! Ethan!" Maria watched the young man run out of the ward without even looking


    back.


    Now, only James and Maria were left inside the ward. He sat beside the bed, staring at her. "Who


    am I to you?"


    "Nobody."


    Once again, James asked calmly, "Is your ex-husband dead?"


    "Yes. In my eyes, he''s been long dead," she replied. It turned out that he had heard everything.


    As of this moment, she was a patient, so she had the final say. She didn''t think that he''d do anything


    to her. Hence, she remained proud.


    "Do you think that I won''t dare to punish you just because you''re bedridden?"


    Maria mmed up. She wondered if he could read her mind. "Yes." It was as if she was certain that


    he could not harm her right now.


    In an indifferent tone, James asked, "I heard that you met up with Lawrence."


    "Is there a problem with that?" It was needless to say that Lawrence must''ve told him.


    The man stared at her intently. "Maria Song, I''ve never once thought of having you investigated.


    How would you like me to revive your ex-husband in your eyes?"


    "What are you implying?" She had a bad feeling about his question.


    "You''ll remember me forever because I''ll make you hate me even more." "And why should I hate


    you more?"


    Instead of answering her question, James took out his phone and dialed a number. Once the call


    was connected, he looked at her and told the person on the other end of the line, "Investigate


    everything about Maria Song."


    Maria was dumbfounded. She wanted to grab his phone at once.


    Sadly, she not only failed to reach his phone, but also caused her wound to reopen. It was so


    painful that she could not breathe at all, and her outstretched arm was frozen in midair.


    Upon seeing her reaction, James quickly dropped the call. "You''re injured and yet you tried to


    move."


    ''If it weren''t for you, would I have tried to move?'' she cursed inwardly.


    "What are you hiding from me? All I said was that I wanted to run a background check on you, and


    yet you reacted so strongly."


    After she got ahold of herself, Maria answered, "Everyone has their own secrets. Even you, James


    Xi, have secrets that you can''t tell me, but I haven''t had you investigated. You should learn to


    respect my privacy. Call off the investigation."


    "I''ll let you investigate me if you want," he answered without hesitation. "But... what will you even


    find out?"


    It wasn''t because he was underestimating her, but he was sure she could not find out anything that


    he didn''t want her to know.


    His words left her so angry that her face turned pale. "What are you even doing here? Can''t you just


    leave me alone?"


    Ignoring her words, James answered, "Just lie down in silence. You''re injured after all." He then


    helped her lie on the bed.


    "It''s none of your business!" she rebuffed.


    Casting her a cold nce, James said, "If you don''t behave yourself, I''ll have someone investigate


    every single detail about you." If she didn''t believe him, she could try.


    Hearing that, Maria changed her manner of speaking all of a sudden. "Don''t interfere with my


    personal life!"


    James ignored her bullheadedness and asked, "Why didn''t you call me the moment it happened?"


    Instead, she called him after she had gotten injured.


    With regards to that, Maria felt a bit aggrieved. "Didn''t you tell me not to call you? You said that you


    disliked my poorbat prowess..."


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    This was the first time that she was obedient to him. "I''ll ask someone to find out who attacked you."


    "Are you nning to avenge me?"


    The man fell silent.


    Maria was currently his woman, and he would strike down anyone who would try to harm her.


    She relentlessly refused the idea. "You don''t have to avenge me, and I wouldn''t appreciate it either


    way." If James investigated her assant, the enemy would be rmed. She didn''t want someone


    else to pay for her own mistakes.


    Besides, it had nothing to do with him. She didn''t wish to cause him any trouble.


    James'' face turned grim as he stared at her. "Do you think you''re capable enough?" ''Of course not.


    But this matter has nothing to do with you. Look, I do appreciate your kindness, but I''ll investigate


    my attacker by myself," Maria said in a cold tone,pletely rejecting James'' kindness towards her.


    Standing up, he frigidly responded, "Since you''re clearly not going to die, I''m not going toe


    back here. Besides, I''m quite busy nowadays. Take care of yourself."


    After that, he took his coat and strode out of the ward.


    In silence, Maria watched him walk away.


    Unbeknownst to James, the moment he left, the poison in Maria''s body began to take effect again.


    The medicine from Q Country had been injected into her bloodstream already, but its effect was


    limited. Only a certain amount of poison could be removed after each injection.


    If she had any hope of ridding her body of poison, she needed to be injected at least three more


    times.

 Chapter 224 A Quarrel

    Chapter 224 A Quarrel


    The pain was alleviated somehow, but only the slightest bit.


    Maria was alone inside the ward. She closed her eyes tightly and rolled from side to side on the


    bed.


    She felt like she was about to die. Just then, Alina walked into the ward and came to her bedside.


    She looked down at Maria as thetter writhed in pain.


    Maria nced at her visitor and said nothing. She gritted her teeth and moved her hand beside the


    pillow.


    Recognizing the anger in her eyes, Alina smirked and asked, "Oh, dear. What seems to be the


    problem, Maria?"


    Meanwhile, down at the parking lot, James sat inside his car without turning on the engine. Instead,


    he took out a cigarette and lit it.


    He blew the smoke at his windshield, wondering why he had resorted to arguing with a patient just


    now. Besides, why did he have to listen to her anyway? Sure, she didn''t want him to look into her


    affairs, but that didn''t meant that he would justply willingly.


    He finished a single stick, found himself walking back into the hospital.


    As James approached the ward, the first thing that caught his attention was the fact that the door


    was open. He stepped inside and saw Maria, who had beenfortably settled on the bed only a


    few moments ago, crumpled on the floor.


    His breath caught in his throat and he hurriedly strode over to her. "Maria!"


    She was pitifully curled into herself, her face white as a sheet, her body trembling slightly. There


    was blood at the back of her hand, probably caused by her fall, since the needle of her IV drip had


    been yanked out in the process.


    He moved to pick her up, but Maria pped his hand away as soon as he touched her. "Don''t touch


    me!"


    "Stop being so willful," he said.


    Those words again! Maria clenched her fists, tears sliding from the corners of her eyes. "No! I will


    make you all restless and uneasy. I will haunt you..."


    Why did hee back? Did he and his future wifee to mock her?


    James dismissed her harsh words, thinking how much she must be suffering at the moment.


    Without another word, he took her in his arms and lifted her to the bed.


    When she finally raised her face, he saw traces of blood on her lips, making him wonder if she had


    identally bitten her tongue. Or did she bite her arm or something?


    With thatst thought, he pinched her chin and forced her to open her mouth. "What did you bite


    just now?"


    Maria couldn''t shake him off this time. She just didn''t have the strength. "It''s none of your business!"


    she retorted, panting.


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    James didn''t ask again. He let her go and pulled back the sleeves of her hospital gown. He found


    teeth marks on both of her arms, but her skin had luckily not been broken by the bites.


    He pressed the bell for the nurse. "Check her. Did she bite her tongue?"


    The nurse nced at him nervously, looking like she had something she wanted to say, but fearing


    the consequences.


    James was quick to pick up on her hesitation, and his instincts screamed at him that something had


    undoubtedly happened here while he was gone. "Tell me!" he said, scowling.


    The nurse took onest nce at the patient, who was grimacing in pain on the hospital bed. She


    was no match against James'' intimidating aura, and she finally opened her mouth. "A woman came


    in here just now, and Ms. Song bit her."


    "Who?"


    The nurse answered honestly, "She wrote her name on the file record-Alina Tang."


    Alina Tang? What an unexpected visitor indeed. James spected on the possible reasons the


    woman might have foring here, his scowl only growing deeper the longer he pondered.


    Then he came to his senses and asked the nurse to administer the infusion to Maria once more.


    The girl did as he asked, and when she was done, she took a cotton swab to wipe the dried blood


    from the patient''s lips.


    When they were alone again, James fetched a basin of warm water and a towel. He sat by the bed


    and wiped Maria''s face. She seemed to have recovered from the pain, but she was still trembling


    ever so slightly.


    Soon, color returned to her cheeks, and she settled against the pillows. He tossed the towel back


    into the basin with a sigh.


    Maria''s eyes were closed, but James knew that she was still awake.


    "What did Alina say to you?"


    They must have had another quarrel. Why else would Maria end up on the floor?


    Shey still and silent on the bed, pretending to have not heard.


    James obliged and didn''t press her any further. Just then, his phone began to vibrate inside his


    pocket. He pulled it out and saw Lorenzo''s name shing on the screen.


    He nced at her before walking to the window to answer the call. "What is it?"


    Maria was still very weak, and she fell asleep before James even hung up.


    The sound of her steady breathing drifted over to him, and James lowered his voice. "Let''s talk


    about this tomorrow. That''s all."


    "Okay, Mr. Xi."


    He picked up the basin and went to the bathroom to pour out the used water. Then he dialed


    Summer''s number before returning outside. "What is the working schedule of the caregivers?"


    "Mr. Xi, they are supposed to work on different shifts so that someone is with Maria at all hours of


    the day. But Maria said that she was not used to being stared at 24/7 and asked that they be


    present only in the daytime."


    "Arrange several armed bodyguards to be on duty 24 hours a day. No one is allowed to enter the


    ward without my permission. If someone persists on breaking in, tell them to just do what they are


    hired to do. I''ll take care of the consequences."


    "Understood, Mr. Xi."


    Summer was quite efficient; within half an hour, two burly bodyguards in ck suits entered the


    ward and reported to James.


    James nodded, "You don''t need me to repeat my instructions, do you?" "No, Mr. Xi. Summer has


    been clear with your orders and we have taken them to heart."


    "Okay then." Then, without saying anything more, James left the hospital.


    The night rolled by quietly.


    When Maria woke up the next day, the doctor had already finished with his rounds. The caregiver


    was sitting patiently beside her bed, waiting for her to wake up.


    It wasn''t until after breakfast when she learned that two bodyguards had been stationed at her door,


    and by the order of James, no less.


    She realized then that Alina''s surprise visitst night had nothing to do with James.


    Three days passed in continuous infusion until the poison was finally cleared out of Maria''s system.


    The poison did not rpse again.


    It was getting colder and colder in H City. Maria hadn''t seen James for several days now.


    Still, she did nothing to contact him and stayed quietly in the ward to recuperate.


    During this period, Lawrence expressly made time to visit her. He kept apologizing and thanking her


    again and again. And when he had tried to breach the topic of her unexpected appearance in the


    vi that night, Maria drove him away by saying she was tired and sleepy.


    He understood what she was doing, of course. Lawrence just smiled, said nothing more, and left


    her to rest.


    There was still half a month left before the Spring Festival. Maria was standing in front of the


    window, looking at the dark sky outside.


    She was thinking that it would be a good idea that Jonathan would spend his holidays behind bars.


    Less than two dayster, she saw the news reports regarding Jonathan.


    His name was stered on the headlines. A whistleblower had revealed his dark secrets and


    provided evidence showing that he was the mastermind of thergest Ponzi scheme in H City.


    The report said that he had managed to extort billions of dors from investors in just five years,


    conning many officials and enterprise executives in his schemes.


    The matter was such a huge deal, and was so far-reaching with its implications, that many citizens


    found themselves unable to sleep or eat well in the face of such news.


    Even HL Bank was involved in the case, with a hefty amount of money getting dragged into


    question. It was said even the president of HL Group himself had been taken away for further


    investigation.


    -

 Chapter 225 Dearest James

    Chapter 225 Dearest James


    Maria chuckled upon hearing the news. How could she have James taken away for investigation?


    She didn''t have enough power to do something that drastic to him.


    From the very beginning, she never had to stand out to deal Jonathan the final blow. At that


    moment, she secretly contacted someone to encourage the investors to sue Jonathan together,


    escting the gravity of this matter. She never surrendered despite the fact that James could be


    dragged into itter.


    During the Festival of the Kitchen God, snow was falling from the sky. This was the first snowfall


    that H City experienced since the winter started this year.


    Maria had been working on herptop for quite some time and she was now exhausted. She


    dragged her feet around the ward, circling the room to rest her eyes.


    Just outside the door, she could hear some people chatting about James.


    And thus, she wondered if James dropped by.


    Maria scoffed. She had believed that she wouldn''t see him again during her stay at the hospital.


    To ensure that she heard it right, she made her way towards the door and peered through the


    window.


    As soon as he got off the ne, James rushed to the hospital instead of going to thepany.


    But the moment he walked through the corridor, he ran into an old acquaintance, his former


    neighbor. "Hello, Uncle Aaron," he greeted him.


    "James, what a coincidence! What are you doing here?1T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ncing at a particr ward, James replied in a steady voice, "I''m here to visit a patient. What


    about you, Uncle Aaron?" "The same. Jenna! Come here and see who I ran into!" Aaron Luo was


    calling someone in the ward nearby.


    Secondster, a middle-aged woman came out, followed by a youngdy.


    When the middle-aged woman saw James, her confused expression turned into surprise. "Is that


    you, James?"


    "Yes, Aunt Jenna. Long time no see." James nodded at her.


    "My dearest James!" The girl behind Jenna was delighted to see James. She threw herself into his


    arms and greeted him in a sweet voice.


    She appeared to be seventeen years old, had an innocent face, and was quite infatuated with


    James.


    Craning her neck, Maria''s face was almost pressed against the ss when she ascertained that the


    girl had indeed thrown herself into James'' arms.


    And although he wasn''t holding her, he didn''t push the girl away either.


    Staring at the middle-aged couple, James asked them, "Is this Candice?"


    "Indeed, she is. Candice,e here. Don''t hug James like that." Embarrassed, the middle-aged


    woman scolded her daughter.


    Amused, James said, "You''ve grown up, Candice."


    "That''s right," Aaron answered with a smile. "When we moved out, Candice was only six years old.


    More than a decade has passed by in a blur."


    Candice was one of James'' loyal fans. She had wanted to meet him again for a long time, but she


    had never gotten the chance.


    And now that she saw him, Candice was very excited. She circled around him, and said, "I didn''t


    expect that you''d be so powerful now. You know, all of my friends are your fans, and so am I."


    Her parents shook their heads helplessly. Trying to smooth things over for their daughter, Aaron


    said, "James, don''t mind her please. Candice has admired you ever since she saw you on the


    news."


    James shrugged. "It''s not a problem."


    Candice burst into tears of excitement. "James, can I ask for your autograph?"


    Back when she was just an infant, James had held her in his arms, so he had no reason to refuse


    something that trivial.


    After James gave Candice his autograph, she was about to ask him if she could add him on


    WeChat. However, Aaron intervened, fearing that James would be put off. After saying goodbye to


    him, he dragged his daughter out of the hospital by force.


    After seeing them bid each other farewell, Maria withdrew her gaze, gritted her teeth, and went back


    to bed.


    Pushing the door open, James entered the ward and saw that Maria was leaning against the


    headboard with a nk expression. Before he could speak, she said, "My dearest James."


    She was imitating the tone of the youngdy, and deliberately tried to vex him.


    James was speechless. His face turned grim when he realized that she had heard his conversation


    earlier.


    "I didn''t expect that you''d be so powerful now." Maria echoed Candice''s words earlier with a tone


    laden with jealousy.


    Standing at the bedside, James stared at her, noticing that her mental state had improved. "It


    seems that you''re feeling much better now. In that case, let''s leave the hospital!"


    Maria ignored his suggestion. "I''m so envious of your rtionship to that girl."


    It was actually fine for the young girl to admire James because Maria thought Candice didn''t know


    about his beastly nature. But the most important part was how he reacted when the girl was


    hugging him. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be a neat freak? He didn''t dislike Candice at all, and it even


    seemed like he was interested in her, which pissed Maria off.


    With darkened eyes, he said, "Maria Song, don''t you have a brain? Or have you be impaired


    after being confined in the hospital for a long time? Didn''t you see how young she is?" He was right.


    He could even be considered as Candice''s uncle.


    "Did I spoil your n? Look at your face now. It''s as long as a donkey''s face." Maria goaded him on


    purpose. James'' face was far from a donkey''s.


    ''A donkey''s face?'' James thought to himself.


    He took off his gloves and threw them at the end of her bed, saying, "We haven''t seen each other


    for a long time. It seems that you''ve forgotten how to speak with respect, haven''t you? Do you need


    me to teach you?"


    "No, thanks. Mr. Xi, you''re probably too busy to do that, so I won''t trouble you."


    That was exactly the reason why James came here. Not wanting to argue with her anymore, he


    asked, "Were you the one who caused those recent things to happen?"


    "What are you talking about? I don''t get it." Only a fool would admit to their crime. Even if she was


    facing him, there was no way she''d admit.


    What if he was here to take revenge on her? In Maria''s opinion, if he told others that she was the


    one who orchestrated the n against Jonathan, she would be marked as a target.


    "You''re more capable than I expected." Even HL Group got involved, leading to further chaos in the


    bank under hispany.


    Smiling, Maria said, "Mr. Xi, I''m far lesspetentpared to you. But what are you afraid of?


    You didn''t do anything illegal, did you?"


    Of course, James didn''tmit a crime. But because of what happened, he found a few corrupt


    men, who were part of the bank''s senior management. Dealing with these bad men, finding


    someone to rece them, and auditing the ounts caused him a lot of trouble.


    "If you don''t have anything to do these days, just stay at home." If his guess was right, then


    someone had already suspected her.


    Or maybe one of Maria''s men betrayed her.


    ording to the bodyguard''s report, there were a few people wandering around the hospital


    corridor and behaving strangely. They paid attention to this ward specifically.


    Therefore, because of James¡¯ words, the woman who had been staying in the hospital for almost


    twenty days, left the hospital.


    After leaving the hospital, she went back with him to his manor.


    She chose a suitable room, and stayed in the manorfortably.


    Three days before the Lunar New Year, Maria was taken to a coffee shop by bodyguards. Business


    in the coffee shop was still booming.


    Her wounds hadn''tpletely healed yet, and there was nothing she could do about it. Bored out of


    her mind, she ran across the street, nning to tell James that she was going back to her


    apartment tonight to get something.


    -

 Chapter 226 Pillow Talk

    Chapter 226 Pillow Talk


    On the same floor as the CEO''s office, there was a designated area for the CEO''s assistants.


    Currently, only Lorenzo was there, along with another nameless assistant.


    When he saw Maria approaching the CEO''s office, Lorenzo got to his feet. "Ms. Song, please wait a


    moment."


    She didn''t respond, but she did shoot him a look of cold nonchnce.


    "Do you have an appointment? If not, please go to the reception on the first floor and make one."


    He was unfazed, and he carried on with his usual professional manner.


    "I didn''t know I needed to make an appointment just to see James," she replied sarcastically.


    "You are a senior executive of HM Group, which is in great trouble now. You can''t show up here


    uninvited." Lorenzo kept his tone light, but the sting was there in his words, and Maria did not miss


    it.


    Her gaze turned piercing. Just then, a ding came from the elevator, followed by the unmistakable


    sound of the elevator stopping on this floor. The doors opened and closed, and soon footfalls came.


    Maria didn''t bother to turn around and see who it was. Instead, she kept her eyes at Lorenzo and


    continued her sparring with him. "What if I say I want to see him as his ex-wife? If that still doesn''t


    qualify, we can just say I''m his sex partner. That would be rather crude though, wouldn''t it? How


    about lover then? You might not believe me capable of this, but a single bout of pillow talk with


    James could mean your doom."


    She had enough. It was high time she dealt with Lorenzo.


    Lorenzo''s face flushed with anger, but James was standing right behind Maria so he was powerless


    to give in to his emotions. "Are you threatening me?" was all he could say, and stiffly at that.


    "Obviously." A chill appeared in the area, making Maria aware of who was behind her without even


    a backward nce. She brushed the knowledge aside and keptying it on Lorenzo. "Remember to


    keep yourself in check before you speak so rudely to me. One is the general manager of the Song


    Group, while the other one is James'' assistant. You are about to be married, too, aren''t you? If I


    were you, I would definitely have long resigned from your position!"


    Lorenzo instantly understood what she meant. His eyes darted awkwardly to the man behind her.


    "Mr. Xi..."


    Maria looked back then, looking straight into James'' eyes. "I''ve been trying all day but I couldn''t


    open the bathroom door in the manor. I almost called the police. Who was responsible for installing


    these fixtures? They''ve done a hell of a poor job. You''d want to look into it, don''t you think?"


    Several people''s expressions changed at every word Maria said.


    Summer''s eyes widened, her heart caught in her throat. She had disclosed some information


    regarding the manor to Maria, information that was supposed to be confidential.


    If James did decide to investigate the matter, a lot of people would get implicated. And the first one


    to go would be none other than Lorenzo himself.


    "Summer, contact the team in charge of the interior design of the manor." After saying that, James


    strode into his office without waiting for an answer.


    "Yes, Mr. Xi," Summer said to his back.


    Maria turned to Lorenzo, who had gone pale, and sneered. ''It looks like you''re about to receive one


    heavy blow, '' she thought to herself with cruel glee. She had yet to reveal that Lorenzo and his aunt


    had stolen the three hundred million alimony that she had been meant to receive.


    The truth was that there was no problems with the bathroom door.


    Maria had juste up with the idea when she had first learned that Lorenzo had a hand in hiring


    the people who had worked in the manor''s design. James must have known her intention. Since he


    was willing to investigate, it meant he was going to deal with Lorenzo.


    Maria didn''t follow into James'' office. Instead, she turned on her heel and exited the building,


    heading straight back to Golden Mansion.


    Seated at his desk, James felt his temples throb, and he reached to rub the ache away. He had to


    give it to Maria¡ªshe truly had a penchant for making trouble for him.


    Shortly after, Summer knocked at his door and ushered a few men into his office. They had all been


    involved in the overall nning of James'' manor.


    Lorenzo had seen them go inside; they had passed by his table. He had been on edge since Maria


    had left, and sweat now beaded profusely on his forehead. He knew that this could very well be the


    end of his career, here and now, so he pulled out his phone and hurriedly called Judy.


    James inspected the men


    as he put down his pen and waved his hand. "Go ahead then," he said casually.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Those few words were enough to make the men tremble, so great was the weight of pressure in his


    voice.


    Two of the workers exchanged a look before one of them stepped forward. He swallowed nervously


    and opened his mouth. "Mr. Xi, with all due respect, I may just be a construction worker, but I have


    been in this industry for more than a decade. My work speaks for itself, and I assure you that I


    wouldn''t have been hired by yourpany and offered a high-paying contract if I were ipetent


    in any way. I can give you my personal and professional guarantee that when I installed the doors in


    the manner, I didn''t ck off one bit. I never left a screw loose or a nail un¡ª"


    "Well, it turns out that something is now wrong with the bathroom door. What do you think is the


    problem?" James asked.


    The man turned red with embarrassment. He was caught between a rock and a hard ce. It only


    took him a second, however, to recognize which was the more dangerous option. He knew clearly


    who he was facing today, and he wanted to keep his job. "The quality of the doors... do not match


    the standard for the rest of the manor."


    Surely, a man like James Xi understood what he meant without him having to spell out the shameful


    facts.


    The person next to him spoke up. This other man was the person who had specifically handled the


    door frames. "Mr. Xi, I had nothing to do with this either. Our task was the instation of the fixtures.


    We had no say on the quality and design of the materials used throughout the construction."


    Another person stepped forward. "I was the one who purchased the doors. But it was Lorenzo who


    told me to buy those doors." It looked like this worker was part of the procurement team. Everyone


    was desperate to escape from having to take responsibility for the problem.


    Fortunately for them, their stories all corroborated with each other, and the answer became rather


    obvious after a while.


    His expression remaining cold and nk, James pressed the button of his internal line and called


    Lorenzo to the office.


    "You wanted to see me, Mr. Xi?" Lorenzo had gone back to his normal self.


    "Go on." James nodded to the other people in the room, and someone took over the reins. "Mr. Lan,


    you knew it when the doors for Mr. Xi''s manor were being manufactured. We ordered them


    ording to the price you offered."


    Lorenzo''s voice died in his throat.


    That single statement alone was incriminating enough, and James had no need to keep listening to


    this garbage.


    He sent everyone away until it was just him and Lorenzo in the room.


    The moment Summer got back to her desk, she dialed Maria''s number. "Hey, Maria! Listen to this,


    you wouldn''t guess just how bold Lorenzo is! He actually had the audacity to gain a kickback on Mr.


    Xi''s property!"


    Maria smiled wryly from her end. "Oh, he''s much bolder than you could think." Take the alimony for


    example.


    "Well, I don''t think Mr. Xi will let this slide this time around."


    Maria didn''t say anything. She knew for a fact that James would not let this slide.


    Lorenzo had always been against her, but this was not important. The most important was that he


    acted as a stooge for Judy and Alina. James had also wanted to deal with him for quite a while now,


    so he just might take advantage of the mess she stirred up and use it to get rid of a traitorous


    subordinate.


    Meanwhile, in the Imperial Vi, Judy paced back and forth in the living room as she gnawed on her


    thumb.


    Something had happened to her nephew, and she didn''t know how to help him. Should she just


    stand by and watch James fire Lorenzo?


    If that happened, not only would she lose her spy in HL Group, Lorenzo would also be unable to


    stay in H City anymore.


    ''Maria Song! Maria Song! It''s all because of that damned Maria Song!'' she cussed inwardly.


    In the end, she decided to call Sebastian, who was in the middle of a meeting with a client.


    "Sebastian! Something happened to Lorenzo!"


    Before her call ended, she saw another iing call from Alina.


    Judy hurriedly nagged at her husband to help Lorenzo before answering the other call. "Hello, Alina.


    What''s up?"


    "Auntie Judy, I have something important to tell you. Are you free right now?"


    "Is it super important?"


    "Yes, it is!" Alina was very excited to share the news. It might spread throughout the city soon.


    Judy wasn''t in the mood to go out at first, but Alina seemed hyped for some reason, and the girl did


    say it was important. So they decided on a ce, and she took her purse and rushed out of the


    vi.


    -

 Chapter 227 Too Poor

    Chapter 227 Too Poor


    In the HL Group


    James made his decision, paying no heed to Lorenzo''s weeping. "Go to the personnel department


    and submit your resignation."


    "Mr. Xi, I promise, this will be thest time. I..." Lorenzo sobbed.


    He was interrupted by the vibrating of James'' phone. James nced at the caller ID and swiped to


    answer. "Hello, Dad."


    "James, I heard what happened with Lorenzo. Listen, he''s no stranger to us. Can''t you give him


    another chance for my sake? If hemits another mistake in the future, I won''t interfere no matter


    what you decide to do to him." Lorenzo was Judy¡¯s nephew after all; Sebastian had to do at least


    this much.


    James frowned after hearing what his father had said. He nced back at the pathetic man in front


    of him and thought, ''Judy is rather quick on the uptake, isn''t she?"


    "Anything else?" he asked in a cold tone.


    "No."


    "Bye." Then James hung up.


    Sebastian pulled back and stared at his phone in disbelief. His son hung up without warning. He


    seethed silently.


    James was not acting like his son at all. How rude!


    s, the mey on him for not disciplining his boy properly.


    James pocketed his phone and fished the pen he had discarded earlier. "Tender your resignation or


    be a manager in the West District branch. The choice is yours."


    Lorenzo didn''t answer immediately. Manager? This might look like a promotion, but in truth he was


    being removed from the headquarters.


    He didn''t want to leave HL Group, so there wasn''t much of a choice in the matter.


    In another part of the town, Judy walked into the Dawn Cafe.


    Alina was practically jumping on her seat before the older woman even had the chance to sit down.


    "Aunt Judy, what would you like to drink?1''


    "Nothing. Go ahead and order on your own." Lorenzo''s career was in jeopardy, how could anyone


    expect Judy to leisurely spend some time in a cafe? If Alina hadn''t told her that this separate matter


    was important, she wouldn''t havee out of their vi at all.


    Alina noticed her foul mood and didn''t press any further. "Auntie Judy, I just got intel about thend


    in South District. Someone is purposely plotting against Mr. Jiang."


    "What? Who would dare?" More to the point, who would have the means to do so? Judy couldn''t


    think of a single person.


    Alina leaned close and whispered a name.


    "What did you say?" Judy eximed, gaping at the younger woman.


    "That''s right, Aunt Judy. Mr. Jiang is hunting her as we speak. Well, not just him, but all of the


    investors are looking for her right now."


    Judy was still in shock. "But how could she be capable of such a thing?"


    "I don''t know either. Mr. Jiang only told my father that Maria set a trap for him, and he fell for it. It


    was also Maria who told him of the news regarding the South District property. Even before that,


    she had already cheated him out of twenty million dors. I heard she even hit his wife!"


    This effectively made Maria the mastermind of the scheme that had made the investors go


    bankrupt.


    Maria again! Judy gritted her teeth as she thought of that dreaded name. "I''ve terribly


    underestimated that bitch."


    She had always believed that Maria was not the aggressive type. She knew better now, in addition


    to the knowledge that the woman was a damn good actress.


    Alina could tell that her goal today had been achieved when she saw Judy''s face twist into a


    ferocious expression.


    She smiled in satisfaction. Judy was not the only one; the n was to let all the investors know of


    theirmon enemy. Everyone would be targeting and hating on Maria before the day ended.


    She couldn''t wait to see just how long that bitch could keep acting arrogant.


    Maria soon learned that Lorenzo was being transferred to a branchpany, thanks to Summer''s


    information leak.


    When she next visited HL Group''s building, she found Lorenzo turning over his documents to


    Summer and two other assistants.


    He saw her emerge from the elevator, but he ignored her and carried on with what he was doing.


    Summer, on the other hand, walked over to her and ushered her to the CEO''s office. "Mr. Xi has just


    come back," she whispered.


    "That''s good.''1 That would mean that Maria had note here in vain, at least.


    Summer opened the door for her, and Maria walked inside.


    James was in the middle of a phone call. When he saw here in, he just stared at her.


    This went on for two more minutes before he ended the call.


    He frowned, his eyes fixed on her bare legs. "Can''t you afford any trousers?" he demanded with a


    frown.


    Maria looked down at her outfit. She had on a beige cashmere overcoat over a tight, knee-length


    skirt. She finished the look with long, ck boots. It was fine, wasn''t it? Oh, but her knees were


    exposed. It wasn''t like she was cold; she seldom went out on the streets anyway.


    She smiled. "As a matter of fact, I can''t. I''m so poor I can''t even afford to pay for my meals."


    James instantly took out his checkbook from one of his desk drawers. He scribbled on it and signed


    his name before tossing it over to her. "Go get some proper clothes. Don''t let me see you like this


    again."


    "Copy that!" Maria picked up the slip of paper bearing a seven-figure amount and nted a solid


    kiss on it before disappearing through the door.


    In Xi family''s vi


    Augustine and Charlotte were in the living room, listening to John''s report with rapt attention. "Mr.


    Jiang of the YL Group will soon be apprehended and put to jail. Meanwhile, Tang Group has lost a


    huge amount of money. Ms. Lan lost about one hundred million..."


    "Where is Maria staying now?" Charlotte asked, interrupting the butler.


    "Mr. Xi transferred the deed of Golden Mansion over to Ms. Song. She currently resides there."


    "And James?"


    "His schedule remains irregr, but he would asionally retire to Golden Mansion."


    "asionally?" Charlotte pried stubbornly.


    "Yes," John answered honestly.


    Augustine nced at his wife. "Well? What are you nning to do?"


    Charlotte paused for a while before calmly giving out her orders. "Buy some Vitamin C pills and


    rece Maria''s birth control pills¡ªthe pills both in Golden Mansion and Fairview Vi."


    Augustine gaped at her with wide eyes.


    "Understood," John replied, unppable as ever.


    On the day before the Chinese New Year''s Eve, Maria returned to the hospital for a reexamination.


    Thankfully, her wounds seemed to be having a smooth recovery.


    Still, she made an appointment for a scar removal session scheduled after the spring festival.


    On New Year''s Eve, the usually bustling H City fell into quiet, and very few people could be seen in


    the streets.


    Maria closed the coffee shop. Her employees had already left for the holidays.


    A gust of cold wind swept past her, and she took a good look at the quiet surroundings. Only then


    did she fully realize that a new year was indeed about to begin.


    She left her things inside her car and proceeded to walk down the street.


    She wasn''t aware how long she had been walking.


    Snow began to fall. She reached up to catch some of the frosted kes in her hands, only for them


    to melt at her fingertips.


    She spotted a convenience store nearby and headed inside, buying two cans of beer. It was only a


    few steps to the square, and she found a ce to sit and enjoy her drink.


    It was past six in the evening. Everyone should be gathered with their family at this hour, sharing


    their New Year''s Eve dinner at home.


    Despite herself, Maria could not help wondering about James. Perhaps he was having dinner at this


    time, too.


    In the past, Sebastian would take Judy and James to have dinner with Augustine and Charlotte.


    They had always celebrated Chinese New Year together. She guessed they must still be keeping


    this tradition to this day.


    Just then, her phone rang from inside her pocket. It was a call from Ethan.


    Maria had to stifle the disappointment that came unbidden, and swiped on the screen to answer.


    "Happy New Year, Ethan!"


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    "Maria! Happy New Year! Where are you right now? Let''s meet up."


    "Why do you want to meet up now of all times?"


    "Well, I happen to be celebrating the New Year all by myself. I feel so cold and lonely. You should be


    the same as me, right?"


    -

 Chapter 228 III Intentions

    Chapter 228 III Intentions


    Maria smiled. "I''m nowhere near as miserable as you. At least I have someone to apany me."


    Arthur was with her all the time. She was not alone.


    "Who? James? He dumped Alina to be with you? Wow, he must be head over heels in love with


    you."


    ''Alina?'' "So, Alina is celebrating the New Year''s Eve with the Xi family?" Maria asked.


    "Yes. Did you not know?" Only then did Ethan realize he had identally spilled the beans.


    While the smile on Maria''s face didn''t change, internally, she felt a bit suffocated. "I didn''t know.


    Why would I?"


    Ethan wanted to p his own self across the face. "Anyway, it doesn''t matter. Don''t be sad. Just tell


    me where you are right now, I''ll join you."


    "You''d better note over, it''s very cold here. I''m afraid you''ll freeze to death."


    "Then I''ll bring you a warm coat."


    Maria felt a sense of warmth in her heart. Ethan always knew what to say. "Alright, I''ll send you my


    location."


    "Okay."


    Half an hourter, dressed in a down jacket, Ethan trotted over towards her and sat down beside


    her. "It''s freezing cold. Aren''t you cold?"


    "I''m wearing a down jacket, so I feel fine." James had bought her that down jacket, and it had cost


    hundreds of thousands of dors. Of course, it did its job and kept her warm.


    She handed him a can of beer. "Drink with me?"


    "Sure! Come on! Cheers!" Ethan reached out and took the can gratefully.


    The two clinked cans and took a sip simultaneously.


    After a moment of silence, Maria asked, "Why don¡¯t you go home to celebrate the Chinese New


    Year with your family?"


    "Let''s just say, we''re in the same shoes. I don''t have a home to go to, either!" Ethan scratched the


    back of his head sheepishly. He didn''t know how to exin it to her.


    The unconcealed chagrin on the young man''s face made Maria smile. "All right. It seems fate has


    brought two lonely souls together. Cheers!"


    "Yes, cheers to that!"


    In the Xi family vi


    The atmosphere at the dining table was a little awkward. Augustine and Charlotte sat on the ends of


    the table in silence, staring at the dishes on the table without any intention of eating.


    James and Alina sat side by side, opposite Sebastian and Judy.


    Finally, Augustine broke the silence. "Sebastian, James, could you please save me some trouble?"


    Sebastian frowned. "Dad, it''s the New Year''s Eve. Let''s have dinner first. We can talk about itter."


    Charlotte tugged at Augustine''s sleeve and said, "Yes, let''s eat first."


    After calming himself down, Augustine picked up his chopsticks reluctantly.


    The most embarrassed ones at the table were Judy


    and Alina.


    Judy winked at Alina, hoping to send her a message. Alina immediately understood and picked up a


    pair of chopsticks. She plucked a piece of food and ced it gently into Charlotte''s bowl. "Mrs. Xi,


    please taste the taro. It''s soft and easy to eat."


    Charlotte looked at the food in her bowl glumly and sighed. "Maria is able to cook this. Where is she


    now? How is she doing? Is there anyone apanying her?"


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    Another awkward silence fell over the table.


    James was frowning deeply, his chopsticks left untouched.


    Sebastian said discontentedly, "Mom, why do you keep mentioning her? Alina is here. Let''s just eat,


    okay?"


    "What''s wrong? Are you saying I can''t speak in front of her?" Charlotte demanded nonchntly,


    putting on airs.


    If she didn''t have two excellent grandsons, she would have died from shame by now. How could


    she have such a disappointing son?


    Sebastian''s jaw tightened. Seeing that the two of them were about to quarrel, Alina hurriedly cut in.


    "I''m sorry, Mrs. XI. I don''t think Uncle Sebastian meant that. Somehow I sense that you don''t like


    me. I don''t know why. But I really do love James and am willing to do anything for him. Mrs. Xi, I


    hope you''ll ept me."


    "I''m talking to my son. Why did you chime in? You''re just an outsider." Charlotte scolded her


    mercilessly.


    Alina bit her lips and said nothing more.


    James knew that the only way to solve this was to get Maria toe to the dinner. Excusing himself


    from the table, he made a call. "Maria, where are you now?"


    "What¡¯s up?"


    "Come to the dinner." "No, thanks. It''s your family reunion. Why should I go there?"


    James'' expression darkened. "Are youing or not?"


    "No." She meant it. There was no way she was going to dinner when Alina was also there. Did


    James just want to date two women at the same time?


    Dream on!


    Without waiting for a response, she hung up the phone.


    Seeing his grandson put down his phone, Augustine couldn''t help but ask, "What now? Is she


    coming?"


    With a gloomy face, James uttered one word. "No."


    Augustine and Charlotte were instantly depressed. Charlotte grumbled sadly, "She must have


    known that someone who isn''t wee is here."


    "James, go and pick up Maria," Augustine ordered.


    Sebastian pressed his fingers against his temples. "Dad, Mom, is this really necessary? Are you


    saying we can''t eat without Maria Song?"


    Charlotte red at him angrily. "Huh? You are heartless. We are not like you. Maria gave birth to my


    great-grandson. The boy might be gone, but her role in the Xi family won''t be erased just like that!"


    Just then, James stood up abruptly, turned around, and walked out. "You guys eat first," he said on


    his way out.


    "Where are you going?" Sebastian demanded.


    Without looking back, he answered, "Grandpa and Grandma are getting old.


    I want to please them while I still can." Sebastian opened his mouth but couldn''t utter a single peep.


    Judy couldn''t keep silent any longer. She started to say gingerly, "Mr. and Mrs. XI, Alina is still here."


    Charlotte sat upright. "Ms. Tang," she said authoritatively. Taking advantage of this opportunity, she


    wanted to say a few more words to put Alina in her ce.


    Hearing her domineering voice, Alina felt that her scalp tingle, but she humbly answered, "Yes, Mrs.


    Xi?"


    "The Xi family used to be an aristocratic family, and there were always many women who wanted to


    marry into our family. Do you know how I managed to marry Augustine?"


    Alina didn''t dare answer. Instead, she waited for the answer.


    Charlotte''s eyes sparkled with wisdom. "I defeated five women like you!"


    Alina was speechless.


    "All they wanted was to marry into the Xi family. They were all vicious and had ill intentions, and yet


    they pretended to be innocent and pure. You remind me of them. Men might fall into your trap, but I


    won''t!"


    Her words made Alina want to pick up the knife on the table and stab herself.


    She sat there silently with tears in her eyes, and Judy didn''t dare speak up to help her. She knew


    clearly that Charlotte was also talking about her.


    "I won''t kick you out this time for the sake of my grandson. I don''t want others to think that James


    wronged you. I am an old woman, and I have no qualms about breaking thew. I will have no


    problem drowning these ill-intentioned women in a river or selling them to some human trafficker. I


    have many other ways, too. If you are interested to learn more, I can demonstrate each one to you."


    Upon hearing these harsh words, Alina felt her legs go weak.

 Chapter 229 Loneliness

    Chapter 229 Loneliness


    "Don''t you dare cross Maria''s path, I won''t let you get away with it," Charlotte finished, eyes shing


    dangerously.


    The young woman couldn''t take it anymore and burst into tears. It was Judy who had brought her


    here, so Judy smiled diplomatically and tried to mediate the dispute. "Mrs. Xi, Alina is still a little


    girl..." ''So please don''t speak so harshly to her,'' she finished in her head.


    "A little girl? The moment she turned sixteen, she grew out of the ''little girl'' title. She''s already thirty!


    She''s a mature woman already, but she doesn''t know anything. Please, I''m doing her a favor by


    teaching her the ways of this world, for the sake of the Tang family. I dare yton to stop me!"


    Judy was rendered speechless. Her mouth shut up immediately.


    Charlotte continued, "If you are sensible enough, you should cancel the engagement. I will treat you


    like a guest if youe to Xi family in the future. If you continue this stubbornness, don''t me me


    for being rude to you.


    Last but not least, let me tell you that my grandson, James Xi, has only one wife, and her name is


    Maria Song! They are divorced, but in my eyes, Maria is my granddaughter-inw."


    In the end, Alina left in tears without having eaten anything. The Xi family driver took her back to the


    Tang family.


    Sebastian and Judy were also driven away by Augustine. The two returned to the Imperial Vi,


    infuriated with how the events unfolded that night.


    Meanwhile, Maria and Ethan were happily chatting over several cans of beer, blissfully ignorant of


    the drama that took ce in the Xi family.


    Ethan was bragging, and Maria kicked him. "Why didn''t you tell me you''re the lost heir of the royal


    family?" she demanded.


    "That''s an exaggeration. If I were the hair of the royal family, I wouldn''t have run away from home."


    In that moment, Maria instantly understood something. This brat had run away from home.


    Just then, a ck Harkim stopped quietly beside the square. James looked at the two who were


    talking andughing not far away, displeasure raging in his eyes.


    Just then, the sound of fireworks blooming rang from the sky.


    The two in the square looked up at the same time. Ethan pointed at the sky and said excitedly,


    "Look! Fireworks!"


    Maria rolled her eyes. "Chill, it''s not my first time to see fireworks."


    Putting down the can of beer in his hand, Ethan asked, "Do you like watching fireworks?"


    "I like all beautiful things." After all, she was human. Humans were drawn towards beauty.


    Just like James-he was so handsome that her heart always leapt out of her chest whenever she


    saw him.


    "I''ll call someone and have the fireworks on all night!" As he spoke, Ethan pulled out his phone.


    Maria knew that he was a man of his word, so she gently pushed his phone away. "It''s fine, Ethan,


    there''s no need to do that. I''m fine with this." A number of fireworks bloomed in the air, lighting up


    half of the sky of H City.


    Ethan shook off her hand and proceeded to dial a number. "We can''t let the loneliness get to us, we


    should have our own fireworks show!"


    Maria stood up and grabbed his phone to stop him. "Finish your beer!" she urged.


    When Ethan tried to grab his mobile phone, Maria dodged. Atst, Maria, who was wearing high


    heels, identally missed a step. Seeing that she was about to fall backward, Ethan quickly


    grabbed her wrist and yanked her hard towards him. Maria, obedient to thews of gravity, couldn''t


    help but throw herself into his arms.


    Just as Ethan was about to make a snide remark about her clumsiness, he heard a cold voice


    behind him. "Ethan Nan."


    ''James?'' Both Ethan and Maria were taken aback when they heard James''s cold voice. ''Shouldn''t


    he be having dinner with the Xi family on New Year''s Eve?'' Still in a daze, the two forgot to let go of


    each other and looked at James, dumbfounded.


    James'' face was as cold as the arctic ice. Even though he didn''t say anything more, his eyes were


    quite telling. He gazed at Ethan sharply, like daggers stabbing into his flesh.


    This sent shivers down both Ethan''s and Maria''s spines.


    James stepped forward and firmly pulled the woman in the arms of Ethan into his own, coiling his


    arms around her waist tightly. "What''s the difference between you and Lawrence? Huh?" he spat.


    Ethan gaped at his usation. ''No, James! You''ve got it all wrong,'' he whined to himself.


    Maria tried to shrug off James'' grip, but to no avail. He was too strong. After a while, she finally


    sighed in defeat. "What''re you doing here, Mr. Xi?"


    The man''s icy cold gaze shifted from Ethan to her. "What''s wrong? Did I ruin your romantic date?"


    He had thought Maria was alone. Apparently, he thought wrong; she seemed quite happy in the


    arms of another man.


    "Yes, you did. Can''t you see we''re in the middle of celebrating?" Maria retorted in annoyance.


    "No, no, you''ve got it all wrong, James," Ethan cut in immediately. He valued his life and didn''t want


    to die a horrible death. "James, we didn''t n this. Don''t get me wrong. Just take her away already,


    please!"


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    Maria red at him. Through gritted teeth, she hissed, "Ethan, didn''t you say you were cold and


    lonely?"


    James'' sharp gaze fell on Ethan again, causing him to sweat nervously. He was scared his credit


    cards would be frozen again. "I''m neither lonely nor cold. I just happened to be in the area and saw


    you by sheer coincidence. I was worried for your safety, so I stayed and kept youpany,"


    Ethan exined. Maria found herself unable to utter a single sound.


    James, however, didn''t believe a word he said. But there were more important things to deal with,


    so he decided he would take care of Ethanter.


    Thus, he forced the two of them into the Harkim and drove back to his grandparent''s vi in HQ


    Road.


    James not only brought Maria back, but also Ethan. Augustine and his wife, who had been glum the


    entire evening, finally had smiles on their faces.


    Ethan was a sweet talker. He had met the two elders before, and knew how to cheer them up. It


    only took a few words from him to delight James'' grandparents.


    Over dinner, Charlotte had the dish that Alina had touched removed and asked Tami to serve


    another dish. Only then did they enjoy a good dinner.


    When everyone was done eating, the three youngsters chatted with the two elders while the Spring


    Festival G yed on TV. They also received three thick red packets from the two elders.


    The three exchanged nces with each other and epted the packets in silence.


    Finally, the eventful night came to an end, and it was time for the elders to retire to their bedrooms.


    Maria ushered them to their room before leaving.


    Ethan was about to sit in the passenger seat when James grabbed him by the arm and yanked him


    to the back seat. The passenger seat was reserved for Maria.


    When they arrived at downtown, James sent Ethan back home first. Then, he started to drive


    towards his manor.


    Maria had been gazing out the window intently and noticed the direction they were headed. "Please


    drop me off at the Golden Mansion."


    "It''s toote. I don''t want to change routes."


    Maria didn''t say anything else.


    Upon arriving, Maria was about to go to the room where all her blind boxes were, but James


    stopped her. "Go take a shower first," he ordered.


    "You can go ahead. I want to have a look at my blind boxes."


    "You don''t need to, they''re fine. Go and take a shower." His tone was not unkind, but it was firm.


    Again, Maria decided not to retort. Instead, she secretly wondered if there was something wrong


    with him. Why did he care whether she took a shower or not?


    Maria rolled her eyes and decided not to stir up a fight in the spirit of Chinese New Year. She


    walked slowly towards the guest bathroom.


    However, she was stopped by the man yet again. "The bathroom door of the guest room is still


    under repairs. Use the one in my room."


    Maria nodded absentmindedly. Fine.


    She chose to believe him.

 Chapter 230 Claytons Plan

    Chapter 230 yton''s n


    In the Tang family vi


    The atmosphere was a far cry from the lively mood in the Xi family residence. Miranda silently


    plucked a piece of food for her weeping daughter. "Eat first. Don''t starve yourself.¡±


    "I have never offended James'' grandparents. Why are they so against me? Maria Song must have


    spoken ill of me behind my back!" Alina sobbed and whimpered to her food.


    This year had not been kind to their family. Ronald was still in prison.


    And tonight, Alina had return from the Xi family vi bawling her eyes out. yton and Miranda lost


    their appetites, distressed at Alina''s situation. "There''s nothing wrong with you, Alina. You have the


    perfect face and figure. I don''t know why they don''t like you."


    yton ignored his wife''s nagging and kept smoking.


    "Dad, I don''t want to put up with it anymore!" Alina suddenly dered. "I must teach her a lesson!1''


    If Maria weren''t in the picture, James'' grandparents wouldn''t treat her like that.


    yton still said nothing.


    He was in a worse mood, so Miranda didn''t press him further. She chose to deal with her daughter


    first. "Don''t worry, Alina. Sebastian and Judy are on your side, and you are engaged to James. I''m


    sure Maria Song won''t be able to do anything to jeopardize your position."


    "You keep telling me not to worry, but Maria has moved into James'' manor. How can I not worry?"


    Alina''s voice rose, and her tone sharpened.


    Miranda could only heave a sorrowful sigh.


    yton chose that moment to finally speak. "You should call Mrs. Xi."


    "Why would I call her at such a time?"


    Hatred shed in the patriarch''s eyes. "Tomorrow, HM Group will be hosting a banquet. Maria is the


    vice manager of thepany, and the person in charge of the HD Project. She would certainly be in


    attendance."


    "So what?"


    "James has never been interested in these sort of events. Even if he may make an appearance, he


    will leave soon."


    "What are you getting at?" Miranda asked, getting more confused by the minute.


    yton leaned back casually against his chair. "I will give Mr. Jiang a callter. He has been dying


    to take his revenge on Maria, but he never got his chance. You can contact ine as well. The


    Tangs, the Songs, the Xis, and Mr. Jiang...we will all band together. Maria has no hope of ever


    standing against us."


    Jonathan alone was desperate to ruin the woman, not to mention a number of other people who


    had been harboring grudges against her all this time. They would finally get to trample on her at the


    party.


    Norman would surely not take part in the event, and neither would Lawrence. James probably


    would, but only briefly. There would be nobody there toe to Maria''s rescue.


    Alina still wasn''t following. "Dad, we can''t just kill her in public, you know that. What''s the use her


    being there?" "Of course we can''t kill her. But hasn''t Maria been acting high and mighty? We will


    remind her of her ce.


    I will let you vent out your anger by thrusting her intomunal hatred by everyone around her."


    Maria would never be able to escape such a widespread animosity.


    "Stop worrying," yton said to his daughter. "There are many people who are more than willing to


    finish her off; we''re not the only ones. Mr. Jiang himself was quite vocal with his desire to kill her,


    don''t you remember?"


    A part of him wanted to keep Alina in check. Her youth and arrogance might get her into a difficult


    situation.


    Miranda pondered her husband''s n and decided that it would work. "Do you remember how your


    aunt taught that bitch a lessonst time during the family feast? Didn''t Maria cower and leave, all


    embarrassed and humiliated? Tomorrow will be the same as that time."


    Alina did remember. "All right, I got it," she nodded. They had no better options at present anyway.


    They might as well give this n a try.


    "Now eat your dinner. Tomorrow you will dress yourself up and be the most beautiful woman in


    the party, the only woman worthy of being James'' wife." Miranda started to put food in her


    daughter''s bowl again, this time with more enthusiasm.


    Alina picked up her chopsticks. "Thank you, Mom."


    "Silly girl, it''s New Year''s Eve! You can''t be anything else but happy tonight."


    "Okay."


    In the Golden Mansion, Maria was checking her wounds. They were almost healed now, so she


    decided to take a shower.


    She came outter in a bath robe, and found that James had already taken a bath. In fact, he had


    been waiting for her in the bedroom, d in his gray pajamas.


    Maria eyed his still damp hair. "Isn''t there a problem with the bathroom door?"


    "Yeah."


    "Then where did you take a shower?"


    "In the bathroom. I just left the door open."


    She let out a soft snort, amused at his reply. Then she realized that there was no one else in the


    house, so she could take a bath without closing the door.


    James took her hand and led her out of the room. "Where are we going?" she asked.


    "You''ll know when we get there."


    Maria narrowed her eyes at his back.


    A few minutester, James finally stopped. He pushed the door to a room and ushered her inside.


    They were in his private cinema.


    "Would you like to watch a movie?"


    "Sure."


    James didn''t have to do much. He just picked a movie on his mobile phone and projected it on the


    huge screen.


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    They settled on the double sofa, and next to it was a coffee tableden with fruits and snacks. Maria


    leaned on his shoulder and munched on the cherries. "When did you prepare all these fruits and


    snacks? Why didn''t I see them earlier?"


    "John took care of it."


    "Oh, so John is also here?" She hadn''t seen him since she''d returned.


    "All the time."


    "Oh. Okay."


    The movie was an American blockbuster, and even as it yed, messages kept popping up on


    James'' phone, invading the upper tab of the screen.


    They were all about work. Maria spat cherry seeds into her hand and asked, "Aren''t you afraid I


    might see some confidential information regarding thepany?"


    He was unperturbed. "Not at all."


    "Aren''t you worried I might sell the information to rivalpanies?"


    "You can go ahead if you dare."


    Maria pulled back and stared at his face. As it happened, she actually had the guts to do just that.


    They resumed watching, but a call went through a few minutester. Ethan''s name shed on the


    screen, making James frown.


    He swiped to answer and Ethan''s voice boomed all over the room. "James! I have something nice


    to share with you. Check it now!"


    Ethan was almost certain that James and Maria were currently together, so he had made up his


    mind to be a good friend and give the couple a little encouragement.


    He ended the call just as suddenly, not bothering to wait for James to say anything.


    Maria reached for a bag of potato chips and inspected it. Thebels were all in a foreignnguage,


    but the one she had picked appeared to be tomato-vored. She opened the packet and put a chip


    in her mouth without a care in the world.


    She moved her eyes back to the screen. Ethan had sent James a video clip.


    It started out fairly normal and innocent-a beautiful woman was swimming gracefully in the pool.


    She had such a perfect figure, even Maria couldn''t help but marvel at it. She leaned close to


    whisper something to James. "This is the kind of gorgeous bombshell that all men dream of, right?"


    He rolled his eyes and elected to ignore such a worthless question.


    Soon after, a man came into the scene, approaching the woman. They chatted for a while before he


    jumped into the water. And then he was holding the woman in his arms and kissing her


    passionately.


    Maria thought it all quite ordinary still, until the man started to peel the woman''s swimsuit off her


    body.


    Maria''s jaw hung open, the chips inside her mouth forgotten. She stared with wide eyes as the


    scene became steamier and more erotic.


    James scowled. He imagined shaking the life out of Ethan as he wondered if this sort of


    pornographic material truly counted as "something nice."


    Then came the voices. The heroine in the video was moaning breathily through the screen, and the


    next thing Maria knew, a click sounded and the room went dark.


    -

 Chapter 231 Sleep Through New Year

    Chapter 231 Sleep Through New Year


    Maria threw the bag of potato chips aside and swiveled to him. "What''s wrong? Keep ying the


    video. I want to see! I''ve never watched this kind of movie before."


    And it was true, hence her overwhelming curiosity.


    James expression grew darker even under the dimness of the cinema. "Let''s just watch another


    movie."


    "No, please! Let me look at the man." It would pain her to admit this, but she had never seen


    another man''s private parts, only James''.


    James grabbed his phone and dialed a number. "Send ten women to Ethan''s apartment and lock


    them in. No one is allowed toe out before sunrise!"


    ''Ten women?


    Wow.'' Maria''s jaw hung open for a second time.


    "Can you just send the video to my phone then? Please? I''ll watch it by myself, okay?"


    "No way!" he thundered.


    "Oh, don''t be so petty! It''s just a video."


    He was being petty? Didn''t she just want to see another man''s private parts? There was no way in


    hell he was going to let that happen!


    Maria matched his stubbornness, however. "Come on," she whined, shaking his arm. "Let me watch


    and learn different positions. I''ll be sure to give you even better experiences in the future."


    James said nothing.


    He took hold of her waist and pulled herto him until she was straddling hisp. She gazed down at


    him, her confusion clear in her eyes.


    The tips of her long, fragrant hair teased his nose. His hands slid to her nape, and he slowly pulled


    her face down until he was devouring her lips.


    He didn''t let her go for a while, and when he finally did, they were both panting. "How about I teach


    you the techniques myself?" he whispered in a hoarse voice.


    All too sudden, she didn''t feel like learning anymore.


    Escape was impossible, of course. Before she knew what was happening James pressed her into


    the sofa and forced the questionable education upon her.


    As the clock neared midnight, everyone in the city was celebrating the New Year. The downtown


    square was full of people who were waiting for the countdown.


    Maria pulled the reluctant man behind her, who was sporting casual street clothes, and they joined


    the crowd. They managed to get to the center of the square just to minutes before the New Year


    came.


    The only thing James wanted in that moment was to sleep with this woman through New Year''s


    Eve.


    But Maria had insisted on taking a second shower right after their first round, and had begged him


    to drive downtown and celebrate with other people.


    Excitement vibrated in the air as the clock''s minute hand went closer and closer to 12. Most of the


    people here were young, and they didn''t appear to feel the cold at all.


    The HL Group building was not far from here, and they had mounted a LED screen outside that


    disyed the time in digital format.


    Just then, Maria grabbed his hand urgently and stood on her toes to whisper in his ear. "Look over


    there!


    Someone is cheating on his woman!"


    Following her gaze, he saw two women and a man standing a short distance from them. The man


    was standing on the left, and he was holding hands with the woman standing on the right, behind


    the back of the woman in the middle. The woman between them was oblivious.


    James quickly looked away and nced at her in silence.


    Maria rolled her eyes. This guy was a total killjoy!


    The crowd around them started to chant to the countdown, and Maria held onto James'' arm. "Let''s


    count together!"


    He kept his mouth shut, wondering to himself, ''Shouldn''t I be looking down at H City from my perch


    on the top floor of that building, all warm and cozy?'' Why, then, was he out her in the cold, looking


    up at his office instead?


    "Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven!" The people''s voices grew louder as the numbers neared one.


    Maria was shouting along with them. "Five! Four! Three!"


    The moment they all yelled the number one, the time stamp on the LED screen changed to a new


    year.


    Al around them people cheered, screamed, andughed. It was like something out of a superstar''s


    concert.


    Maria looked up at James, feeling happy. This was the first time they had spent the New Year''s Eve


    together.


    If she died one day, she would make sure to carry this beautiful memory over to the next world so


    she could rey it in her mind from time to time.


    ''I love you, James,'' a voice inside her said.


    Then that very same voice added, ''I hate you, James.''


    She hated him just as much as she loved him.


    James had no idea what was going on inside her head, but the atmosphere of the ce was getting


    to him. He smiled at Maria and bumped her forehead with his as he looked deep into her eyes.


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    She returned his smile before going thatst small distance and touched her lips to his. He kissed


    her deeply, and she closed her eyes and held onto his waist, quietly relishing this small moment of


    joy.


    On the morning of the first day of the New Year, Maria woke to James'' hot kisses. She opened her


    eyes, and the first sight to greet her was his handsome face.


    "Hmm..." Maria groaned, pushing him weakly. "Your stubble is chafing my skin."


    He ignored her halfhearted protests and pinned her underneath his body. He didn''t let her go until


    they were both satisfied and breathing heavily.


    He rose from the bed and took a shower while she went back to sleep.


    As per usual, James headed straight to thepany, and Maria slept until noon. It was around that


    time that she received a call from one of the assistants in HM Group. "Happy New Year, Ms. Song!


    Are you ready for the New Year''s banquet tonight?"


    The New Year''s banquet? She remembered then. Colby had sent her a message a few days ago


    informing her of this event. "Yes, I''m ready. I''ll be there tonight. Have you finished all the


    preparations?"


    "The guests will have dinner on the thirteen floor after arriving, and then attend the banquet in the


    main hall on the first floor afterwards."


    "I see."


    "All right, Ms. Song. See you there."


    Maria was aware that this event attracted not only personalities from the financial circle, but also the


    elites from various other fields and industries all over H City.


    She finished her brunch and went to choose her wardrobe for tonight''s affair.


    She had been perusing for a while when something urred to her. She grabbed her phone and


    sent a message to James. "Will you attend the banquet tonight?"


    HM Group must have invited Jonathan and yton, and she knew those men wouldn''t miss any


    chance to get their vengeance.


    "No, I won''t. Summer will be there on my behalf." He had to spare some time for his client visits in


    theing days, so he needed to take care of the work that was bound to pile up when he was


    away in advance.


    "I see."


    Maria mused for another moment before sending another message, this time to Ethan. "Ethan, do


    you have any engagement for tonight?"


    He didn''t reply for a long time, leaving her to wonder what he could be possibly busy with. But then


    his message came. "I was taken home by Grandpa. I can''t go anywhere at the moment. Why,


    what''s up?"


    "Nothing. I was just asking randomly. Okay, have a good one then."


    Then, Ethan sent her a red packet on WeChat. Maria clicked on it and saw 66, 666 dors with the


    words: Happy New Year.


    She chuckled-he really was filthy rich. She replied, "Thank you. I wish you grow even more


    handsome and find a girlfriend as soon as possible!"


    Ethan didn''t send a reply after that, and Maria tossed her phone aside. Well, this shouldn''t be a big


    deal. Ethan must have his own affairs to attend to at home, so she should stop bothering him.


    So neither James nor Ethan would be at the party. Norman wouldn''t attend either; these events only


    bored him. And Colby and Lawrence were both out of town at present.


    As her principles went, it was better to rely on herself rather than relying on others after all.


    Maria took a deep breath and braced herself. There was another tough battle to be fought tonight.


    She settled on a tight, off-shoulder, crimson evening dress with longce sleeves. She draped a


    white mink shawl over her shoulders, and the stark contrast of the colors somehow lent a rosy glow


    to her skin. She looked ethereal.


    She had curled her long hair into waves, and they bounced daintily over their shoulders. She wore


    ck diamond jewelry she bought in France. She carried a limited edition, creamy white purse to


    She signed her name at the reception and handed the shawl to the attending server by the


    entrance. Now without the cover of the fluffy fabric, she glided gracefully inside in all her glory.

 Chapter 232 Snag A Rich Husband

    Chapter 232 Snag A Rich Husband


    Summer had arrived early in the evening, and she was talking with someone near the stage when a


    buzz went around the hall.


    Maria''s appearance caused an uproar at the entrance, and it carried over in waves until even


    Summer''s attentions was caught.


    She turned her head and could not help sighing at the sight of Maria. ''She is so beautiful! No


    wonder Mr. Xi could never seem to resist her.''


    Her crimson dress wrapped tightly around her curves, and showcased her smooth, delicate


    shoulders. She had applied ck eyeliner on her wide, piercing eyes, and a rusty red shade


    adorned her lips. Maria was the kind of beauty that was aggressive and unapologetic, the kind that


    was sure to take your breath away at first nce.


    She now walked toward Summer with a smile, and thetter found her breaths running short. They


    were both girls, but Summer was still quite entranced by Maria.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    "Good evening, Summer." The gentle voice finally shook Summer back to her senses, and she


    leaned close to Maria to whisper what was on her mind. "Good lord! You look absolutely gorgeous


    tonight. Everyone''s eyes are on you."


    Maria lifted her eyes surreptitiously and surveyed the hall in secret. Then she shed a provocative


    smile. "Of course. If I don''t dress up like this, how in the world would I be able to snag a rich


    husband?" "How dare you try to hook up with another man? Aren''t you afraid that I will rat you out to


    Mr. Xi so he locks you at home every day?"


    "Oh please, you won''t do that," Maria replied jovially.


    Summer had to shake her head. "You are right."


    This was met with a carefree chuckle. "Have you eaten yet?"


    "No, I don''t have the time. I only came to sign in. I have another dinner party to go to in five minutes.


    Otherwise I won''t get the time off to visit my rtives tomorrow."


    "Oh my. Is this how James oppresses his employees? It''s the Spring Festival, and here you are,


    attending dinner parties left and right." Maria inspected her nails and blew on an inexistentyer of


    dust.


    "I could have taken a day off tomorrow, but Lorenzo has just been transferred elsewhere,


    remember? I can''t just dump all the work to those junior assistants for the time being. I have no


    choice but to ve away on my own until things settle down." Of course Summer had be even


    busier after Lorenzo had left.


    But she much preferred her current circumstances over having to see Lorenzo again.


    "Remember to ask James to give you a pay rise."


    "In that case, Ms. Song, please put on a good word for me when you get the chance."


    The mirth never left Maria''s eyes. "You''re quite mistaken, Summer. I am not nearly as important to


    him as you are."


    James always put work first. As far as he was concerned, an assistant would undoubtedly be more


    preciouspared to a leech cadging off him.


    The two women kept at their banter, until someone stepped up in front a few minutester and


    informed the guests that they were to move to the thirteenth floor.


    Everyone started for the elevators, but Maria stayed behind and continued to talk to her friend. She


    was in no hurry anyway.


    But then a woman leaned over between them. "Good evening, Maria, Summer."


    It was Sandra.


    She was wearing a fluffy pink evening dress and sported a princess braid. She looked cute and


    rather endearing.


    They exchanged pleasantries briefly before Summer nced at her watch. Then she waved at


    them. "You two should go upstairs to have dinner. I''m leaving now."


    When she was gone, Sandra took Maria''s arm and they walked toward the elevators side by side.


    There was nobody else in the elevator they had taken, and they chatted all the way to the thirteenth


    floor.


    Maria had expected Western food to be served for dinner, but she was wrong. She saw a lot of


    Chinese dishes on therge, round table.


    Name cards were assigned, and a server at the door assisted Maria to her ce.


    She was sitting separately from Sandra. Well, it was only a business matter, anyway, so it didn''t


    really matter who she sat with. They would still be able to mingle downstairs after the meal.


    Maria pushed through the door of her designated private room and found a round table decorated


    with pebbles and flowing water at the center. It looked to be able to amodate more than thirty


    people.


    The room was practically full of people when she arrived, and they fell silent as she stepped inside,


    all of their gazes zeroing in on Maria.


    Spotting a few special people in the room, she smiled.


    The Tangs, the Xis, the Songs and the Jiangs were there. There were also a handful of others she


    didn''t recognize.


    It appeared that someone had deliberately prepared this arrangement, no doubt with the purpose of


    giving her a hard time tonight.


    Maria ignored the stares and headed over to gracefully slide into her seat.


    Two men nked her on both sides. She didn''t know who they were, but she could tell right away


    that they weren''t good people.


    Kent picked up on weirdness of the seating arrangement, and he rose from his chair, intending to


    exchange seats with one of the men beside her. His mother was quick to stop him, however. "Kent,


    where are you going?"


    Her sharp tone rang around the quiet room and drew everyone else''s attention.


    Embarrassed at being the sudden focus of the crowd, Kent balked. "I was just about to go to the


    bathroom, Mom. What are you doing?"


    His mother looked clearly relieved at his answer. "Go on then."


    Kent stuck to his excuse and made a beeline for the bathroom.


    Brushing off her initial anxiety, Kent''s mom proudly exined herself to the room. "I''m sorry. I have


    to keep an eye on my son. He is still young and thoughtless, and I don''t want to be seduced by


    some tramp."


    A waiter appeared and poured Maria a cup of tea. She picked it up, her neutral expression never


    wavering, and smelled the aroma.


    The tea was good, but the leaves had unfortunately been steeped in the water for a long time. It


    ruined the overall taste.


    Judy had seen that it was Summer who hade tonight, so she knew that James wouldn''t be


    making an appearance. And now that someone had gotten the ball rolling, she didn''t want to miss


    out on the fun. She jumped right in on Mrs. Jiang''s ims. "You''re absolutely right, Mrs. Jiang.


    There are quite a lot of those women nowadays, women who just can''t recognize their position in


    society and even dare to try and marry into a rich family. My goodness, they''re everywhere!"


    Carolina frowned slightly. It sounded like they were talking about Maria. But she couldn''t do


    anything to refute their words, so she remained silent and listened.


    The Tang couple exchanged a look, Miranda feeling proud of herself. This game that they had set


    appeared to be unfolding perfectly in ordance to their n.


    The servers sailed into the room just then, serving cold dishes one after another.


    Jonathan poured a ss of wine and handed it over to Maria. "Ms. Song, I heard that you''re a good


    drinker. Most of the guests here tonight are your elders; shouldn''t you propose a toast to us as a


    sign of respect?"


    Maria took a long, leisurely look at the ss of liquor in front of her. "The elders?" she echoed, her


    smile still in ce.


    "Well, aren''t we?"


    "That''s true." Then she cocked her head at him. "But why should I be the one to propose a toast?


    I''m not the only young person here."


    Many people in the room had already known what she had done. And they all hated her for it. She


    was aware of this, too, so what use was there in keeping up her act?


    Jonathan had received an outright, public refusal, but he didn''t get mad. "I really do admire you,


    Maria Song. Six years ago, you killed your son and cut all ties with the Song family. And you


    managed to set a wless trap for me. To think that an industry veteran like me would fall at the


    hands of a beginner. It''s really quite embarrassing."


    Throughout his tirade, only the mention of his son poked at Maria''s sore spot.


    The smile slowly slipped away from her face, and the hand holding the teacup tightened its grip.


    "While we''re on the subject of ruthlessness and cruelty, I''m afraid I am no match to you at all, Mr.


    Jiang. Especially given everything you used to do..." She drifted off and did not finish her sentence


    on purpose, and now the others'' curiosity was piqued.


    People from the Tang, Song, and Xi families watched quietly as Maria had a face-off with the head


    of the Jiang family.


    Alina, in particr, was watching the exchange with glee. She liked it when the smile disappeared


    from Maria''s face. How fun it would be if she actually cried in the end.


    Author¡¯s note


    I ARK cm F OBM


    Trantor: Jessie Chen

 Chapter 233 Kick Your Daughter

    Chapter 233 Kick Your Daughter


    ''What I used to do?'' Jonathan frowned as he wondered what else Maria knew about him.


    Seeing that her husband went quiet, Mrs. Jiang continued, "To be honest, I''m curious about one


    thing. Ms. Song, how many men did you sleep with to achieve your achievements?"


    Seeing that they went too far, Chandler, who had not uttered a word for a long time, cleared his


    throat and said, "The food is getting cold. We should eat now."


    ine tugged his sleeve and whispered, "Why did you have to interrupt them?"


    Chandler, who had a long face, pulled his sleeve out of her grasp.


    Regardless of his order, nobody at the table obeyed him.


    With a sneer, Judy chimed in and echoed Mrs. Jiang''s words. "Well, I''m not surprised. It¡¯s only


    normal for a promiscuous woman like her to do such a thing. She seduced her husband''s younger


    brother while she was still married."


    Her husband''s younger brother? Was she pertaining to Cooper?


    The others dumbfounded upon hearing the news that Maria had once seduced Cooper. They


    believed what Judy had said. Suddenly, a chatter erupted at the table.


    "It''s fortunate that the Song family decided to cut ties with that shameless woman!"


    "That''s right. I''m d that Mr. Xi divorced her."


    Meaningless usations and spections came one after another.


    People must live a life full of integrity, no matter how rich or poor they may be.


    Despite being the source of a canard, Maria seemed unfazed. She nced at the others


    indifferently and asked, "Can''t we just eat?"


    She was aware that it was almost impossible to share a meal with them. Even so, she felt an urge


    to ask them that question.


    Well, even if they did not want to eat, Maria did not mind making a fuss.


    Just as ine was about to say something, Carolina interrupted her. "Mom, let''s talk about itter.


    Let''s ask them to serve the hot dishes now. The banquet will begin soon, and it''s now gettingte."


    Without waiting for ine''s response, Carolina motioned to a waiter not far away to start serving the


    hot dishes.


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    "Do you think that she still has the gall to eat with us?" ine asked while ring at Carolina, who


    seemed to be helping Maria.


    So as not to be heard by anyone else, Carolina retorted in a low voice, "Mom, don''t forget who


    helped the Song family get through the crisis. I''m not asking you to be good to Maria, okay? I just


    want you to shut up."


    "You..." ine was taken aback by her daughter''s response, rendering her speechless.


    Although ine did not dare to speak again, it seemed that others wanted to. Today, Maria came


    there alone. This day was a rare opportunity for those who wanted to seek revenge.


    Mrs. Jiang sighed heavily and said in a helpless tone, "I can''t bring myself to eat when I see her


    face. If it weren''t for this bitch, our family wouldn''t be reduced to this."


    The truth was, if she had not asked her father to pull some strings, Jonathan would not be able to sit


    here, unscathed. It was only for the time being, though. Jonathan was still in big trouble.


    Maria smiled sweetly and asked, "Mrs. Jiang, since you can''t eat, why don''t you just leave? Don''t


    ruin our appetites."


    "Who is the one ruining our appetites? Maria, you really are an insolent woman!"


    The hot dishes were served shortly after. Even so, nobody moved their chopsticks yet.


    Meanwhile, Alina was watching the waiters as they served the dishes. While doing so, a


    mischievous idea came to her mind.


    She casually picked up her wine ss and quietly walked aside. While the others were too


    preupied to notice her, she came up to a waitress and whispered something in her ear.


    The waitress nced in Maria''s seat and nodded.


    A few moments after, Alina walked towards Maria''s direction and greeted with a smile, "Mr. Jin..."


    The person whom she called was sitting next to Maria.


    At that very moment, the waitress came back with a scalding bowl of soup and walked towards


    Maria.


    Everything happened in an instant. All of a sudden, the waitress screamed in horror. Before Maria


    could even look at what had happened, she felt an excruciating pain in her back.


    ng! The bowl fell to the floor, spilling its contents on


    the carpet.


    "Oh my God! How could you serve dishes like that? Look! The soup scalded the guest," Alina


    reprimanded the waiter.


    Seeing the disaster, the waitress trembled in fear. The tray, on which the bowl of soup was ced,


    fell to the floor with a loud sound.


    She wanted to defend herself, but seeing Alina''s menacing look, she knew that it was better to keep


    her mouth shut.


    Maria''s face was pale and it was obvious that she was in extreme pain. Carolina stood up from her


    seat and went to Maria''s aid right away. "Are you okay, Maria?" she asked with concern. She then


    turned around and scolded the waitress. "What did you do?! Bring your manager here and tell him


    to bring a scald ointment. Quick!"


    "It''s not me..." the waitress mumbled.


    Maria''s eyes were closed while she held Carolina''s hand.


    After a moment, she suddenly opened them, and she stared daggers at Alina. Before Alina could


    even react, Maria pped her across the face. The p was so strong that the sharp sound echoed


    in the ce.


    "Maria, what are you doing?!" Miranda was infuriated with what she had seen that she pounded the


    table angrily.


    Judy also stood up and chimed in, "How dare you do this to my future daughter-inw?"


    While enduring the sharp yet constant pain in her back, Maria pped Alina in the face for the


    second time. "Do you still want to show off your cheap, dirty trick?"


    She knew at once what had happened. She did not even need to ask. She knew at a nce that


    Alina must have bumped into the waitress, who was carrying a steaming hot soup that time, on


    purpose. As a result, almost half of the hot soup spilled on her back.


    Maria had always tried to protect herself from Alina. However, thetter unexpectedly seeded


    tonight.


    Alina touched her cheek that had been hit. With tears in her eyes, she asked, "Maria, are you


    crazy?!"


    "You''re right. I''m indeed crazy!" A murderous look shed across Maria''s eyes and she weakly


    added, "I''m crazy that I''m dealing with you slowly."


    Miranda pulled Maria aside and shouted at the top of her lungs, "How dare you hit my daughter?!"


    With a sneer, Maria replied, "Don''t worry. I won''t only hit your daughter, but I will also kick her!"


    As soon as she finished speaking, she bypassed Miranda and kicked Alina, who was clutching her


    bruised face, in a sh.


    "Ah!" Alina screamed and staggered backwards.


    Maria kicked Alina so hard that thetter almost felt like she was dying.


    At that moment, yton could not sit still any longer. He strode towards Maria and shouted, "Maria,


    stop it! You''re so vicious!"


    However, she was not yet finished. Seeing that yton was rushing towards her, she stretched out


    her arms and waited for him to get near enough. Once he did, she performed a suplex on him with


    all her strength.


    "Ah!" yton shouted. He fell to the floor with a loud thud. Since he was a man in his fifties, what


    Maria had done to him rendered him unable to move for a long time.


    "Honey!" Miranda was in a dilemma. She was panicking that she did not know whether to check on


    her daughter first or her husband.


    Fearing that Maria would do something next, Carolina pulled Maria while thetter was walking


    towards Alina. "Maria, please don''t...."


    "Get out of my way!" Nobody could stop Maria from teaching Alina a lesson. She shook off


    Carolina''s hand and red at the woman who was helpless on the floor. "Do you remember how


    you kicked me back then?"


    When she returned to H City, James forced her to drink. That evening, Alina kicked her mercilessly


    as shey on the floor.


    To Alina''s surprise, Maria pulled her up and kicked her again, even harder than the first one.


    "Ah!" Alina screamed in pain. Maria''s kick sent her flying to the wall.


    At that moment, the door opened, and James walked in. He happened to see Alina on the wall.


    Then, his gaze shifted to the murderous woman on the scene.


    The man''s eyes widened in shock. It seemed that he came a little toote.


    While he was working, he received a call from Summer. She said that Maria might be in trouble


    because she would be meeting the Tang, Song, and Jiang families in a private room at the same


    time.


    He knew right away that she would be in trouble.


    After hanging up the phone, James put down his work and rushed over as soon as possible.


    -

 Chapter 234 An Outburst Of Anger

    Chapter 234 An Outburst Of Anger


    The moment James appeared, many people in the room greeted him.


    Maria didn''t turned around and pped Alina two more times. "That was for what you did to my


    shop assistant! I''m paying you double today."


    At that point, Miranda paid no heed to James and rushed over. "Maria Song, you bitch! Don''t touch


    my daughter again!"


    Judy, on the other hand, ran to James. "James, hurry! You need to stop Maria, or she might beat


    Alina to death!"


    Alina spat a mouthful of blood, feeling more wretched by the minute.


    Maria forcefully pulled Miranda away from her daughter andnded her third kick on Alina. Just


    then, her wrist was grabbed from behind.


    She swiveled to find James standing there, his face devoid of any emotion.


    "Mr. Xi!" Miranda sobbed and pleaded. "Please save my daughter. This bitch is crazy!"


    "Get your hands off me, James Xi," Maria said in a cold and steady tone.


    She was determined to teach Alina a lesson here and now.


    "That''s enough, Maria," James said tly.


    Enough? Who was he to say when it was enough? Maria yanked her hand from his hold and


    screamed, "It is not enough! It will never be enough!"


    Then she turned around and gave another kick to Alina, who had just been helped up by her


    mother.


    "Mr. Xi, please help Alina!" Miranda was hysterical.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "Maria Song!" James thundered in a dangerous voice.


    Maria turned and red daggers at him. "Don''t you dare say my name, James Xi! These people


    need to learn that I, Maria Song, am not some pushover they can just trample on to their hearts''


    content!"


    A tense silence fell over the room.


    Judy was fuming. She couldn''t believe that Maria would go against James. "It looks like your time in


    prison hasn''t taught you your ce!"


    Maria cocked her head in the woman''s direction and took a deep breath to reign in her temper.


    Then a bright smile lit up her face. "That''s right. Mr. Xi should have asked the authorities to lock me


    up for a few additional years instead of letting me go after two years."


    Two years in prison? James frowned, his heart pounding furiously in his chest. "What are you


    talking about?"


    "What am I talking about?" Maria sneered. Was he so forgetful that he didn''t remember he had


    thrown her into jail right after divorcing her?


    Now faced with James, Maria''s emotions wed into the surface. She could still manage keeping


    up a strong front before her enemies earlier, but not anymore.


    Tears slipped from her eyes, and sheughed derisively at herself. "Stop pretending to be innocent,


    you bastard.


    He stared at her in silence, his eyes swirling with unnamable emotions. He had just been called a


    bastard in public, and he didn''t refute it.


    Just then, a couple of security guards came into the scene and grabbed Maria by the arms.


    She did not struggle; instead, she looked deep into James'' tormented eyes. "Didn''t you say that I


    was crazy, ruthless, and what was the word¡ªinhumane? But you''ve never actually been kind to me,


    have you? ine asked me to be generous.


    She said let bygones be bygones. Why the hell should I? My Arthur would have died in vain then!


    I''ve suffered a lot in prison and trained so hard for my revenge. I won''t let it all be in vain!


    Did you know, James Xi? When you forced me to gulp down three bottles of that damn strong


    liquor, I had a bout of stomach hemorrhage. Alina came back and kicked me in the stomach. She hit


    me when I was already dying! It would never be enough even if I kicked her dozens of times today."


    yton jumped to his feet and muttered an order to the guards. "Coverthat woman''s mouth!"


    As they were going to do so, James raised a hand to stop them. "Go on," he said in a hoarse voice,


    nodding for Maria to continue.


    It was like a dam inside of her had been opened, and she no longer cared if she became the


    laughingstock for what she was about to admit. "After we married, Alina would always call and brag


    that she was with you. We divorced, but she wasn''t satisfied. She had someone poison me, and


    while I lived, I ended up bing mute. You made me surrender the proof that I got drugged so


    you could protect her. Answer me, James Xi, are you not the more ruthless of us two?


    You threw me away and the Song family cut all ties with me. Then your beloved stepmother hired


    people to torture me in prison, I was practically half-dead those entire two years! I''d already lost my


    child, I had nothing then. Why did you still treat me like this?" Then, without warning, Maria broke


    free from the guards and hit James in the chest, hard.


    Judy chose that moment to hurriedly clear her name. "Don''t try to nder me, Maria Song!"


    "Me, nder you? Then tell us where the three-hundred-million-dor alimony James provided for


    me went! You would know more than anyone else, wouldn''t you?" Maria stared daggers at the older


    woman, her eyes brimming with hatred.


    The three hundred million? James listened quietly, his own eyes growing ominous as he seethed.


    "There was nothing between me and Cooper, but you used me of seducing him. Don''t you know


    why he''s noting home? He just wants to avoid arousing any further suspicion.


    I only married James because I wanted to leave the Song family. He agreed to marry me of his own


    ord. I didn''t force him. I didn''t y any dirty tricks. So why were you all ganging up against me?


    What did I ever do to you?" In the past, if James had refused her proposition, she would have dly


    found another way to leave Song family. She wouldn''t have bothered him anymore after that.


    But he hadn''t refused.


    Maria took a deep, ragged breath, and stepped away from him. Because of her high heels, though,


    she stumbled and fell awkwardly on the carpeted floor.


    James instantly leaned over to help her up. "Don''t touch me!" She pped his hand away.


    Then she removed her heels and threw them aside before staggering back to her feet. "All I wanted


    was to leave the Song family. Why were you all doing this to me?"


    She cast ast look at the people in the room, then walked toward the door. She would be better off


    alone at the moment.


    James strode after her, ignoring the mor of the other


    guests who tried to stop him. He caught her up to her soon enough, and only then did he notice how


    Maria''s back was exposed to the cold air. Despite that, her bare skin was red and raw.


    His expression darkened even more. He grabbed her hand. "Maria¡ª"


    She shook him off and quickened her pace, entering one of the elevators just as its doors opened.


    She turned back to James before he could follow her inside. "Don''t you dare follow me, or you will


    watch me die today!" He remained rooted on the spot.


    The doors of the elevator closed, and he rushed to the one next to it and pushed the button.


    When he arrived at the first floor, Maria was nowhere in sight. He ran out of the hotel, ignoring the


    appalled nces from the crowd milling around the lobby.


    It was snowing outside, but she didn''t seem to notice it. Maria held onto the hem of her dress as she


    trudged barefoot on the snow.


    James caught her, of course. He took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. Despite her


    struggles, he took her in his arms and held her close to his body.


    "Let go of me!"


    He only held her tighter. "I really didn''t know what you went through," he said, his voice low and full


    of regret.


    There he was, a man who had never believed in having to exin himself to anyone, baring his


    transgressions to Maria for the first time in his life.

 Chapter 235 Prove My Innocence

    Chapter 235 Prove My Innocence


    Finally, Maria gave up struggling in his arms. She smiled bitterly. "So what? Back then, I lost my


    child, marriage, family, and friends. It didn''t matter where I was-whether I was dead or alive."


    James looked at her remorsefully but said nothing.


    Delicate snowkesnded on her long jet-ck hair like tiny jewels. He quietly observed this as he


    took out his phone and made a call. "Drive the car over here."


    After hanging up the phone, he carried her in his arms to a nearby bench to let her sit down.


    Then, he squatted in front of her and gently ced her ice-cold, reddened feet on his thighs.


    Tears started streaming down Maria''s cheeks silently. However, she defiantly withdrew her feet and


    propped them on the freezing cold bench. "I don''t need your pity, James Xi!" she said coldly.


    Even now she managed to hold her head up high. Even if she was in a mess, she refused to make


    herself small in front of anyone, nor would she ask for help from anyone, including him.


    The man said in a hoarse voice, "I will investigate the matter of your prison sentence and prove to


    you I''m innocent."


    "No, thanks!" She refused decisively. "First off, I don''t believe you. Second, even if you find out I


    wasn''t lying, so what? Can you turn back time and give me back the two years I lost?" She had


    been sentenced to five years in prison back then, but it was Norman who helped reduce her


    sentence.


    James stared at her in silence. What she was saying was true, money couldn''t buy back time.


    Just then, the car arrived. "I''ll take you to the hospital," James offered.


    "No, thanks." Maria stood up from the bench.


    She shook off the coat James had wrapped around her and started to hobble away, bare feet on the


    snow-covered, ice-cold ground.


    James couldn''t bear to see the blistering red skin on her back. Stubbornly, he strode over to her in


    two swift steps. "You''re going to the hospital," he ordered.


    The shivering woman shook him off once more. "If you follow me again," she started to say, pointing


    at the nearby bridge, "I''ll jump down from there."


    James looked at the direction she was pointing and didn''t say anything more.


    Satisfied with his silence, the woman continued to walk forward.


    James gritted his teeth. He couldn''t bear to see her self -abuse. He quickly caught up to her again


    and picked her up and walked towards the Harkim with her in his arms.


    The driver was quite sensible. When he saw his boss carrying the woman towards the car, he


    immediately got out and opened the door. James didn''t get inside the car until he had safely tucked


    the woman inside.


    Seeing the two were finally seated, the driver promptly shut the car door and trotted over to the


    driver''s seat. "Turn on the heat to its maximum and head for the hospital," James ordered.


    "Yes, Mr. XI."


    Knowing that she couldn''t escape now, Maria epted defeat and slumped into the seat. She


    buried her head in between her knees and said nothing throughout the entire trip.


    James draped his coat around Maria''s shoulders again before carrying her out of the car. Then, he


    hurried over to the outpatient department.


    Finally, he set her down on a stretcher, where shey, pale as a corpse. The doctor inspected the


    scalding on her back with a grim expression.


    After disinfecting her wound, the doctor warned her, "Ms. Song, it might be a little painful when I


    apply the medicine. Please bear the pain."


    Maria didn''t respond.


    James answered for her. "Go ahead and apply the medicine."


    "Okay."


    The cotton swab swept over the scalded part, and the medicine felt like boiling hot water on her


    wound. Maria shut her eyes tight from the excruciating pain, biting down hard on her lower lip to


    avoid crying out.


    James saw this and quickly grabbed her chin to stop her from gnawing at her lip. Sure enough, she


    had bitten down hard enough to bust her lip, and scarlet blood oozed out of the wound. In a low


    voice, he said to her, "Cry out if you feel pain."


    Maria opened her eyes to re at the man. Gasping for breath, she said slowly but clearly, "I will


    make Alina Tang pay double the pain I suffered today."


    The man didn''t say anything, but kept a firm hold on her chin to prevent her from hurting herself


    again.


    The process of applying medicine seemed tost forever. However Maria didn''t make a sound the


    whole time. Finally, the doctor finished his work with a wrap of gauze on the wound, sealing in the


    medicine.


    Before leaving, the doctor reminded her, "Your wound can''t get wet. Also, don''t exercise too much.


    Come back in two days for me to reexamine the wound."


    After leaving the hospital, James took Maria to his manor in East District.


    There, he carried her to the bedroom and gentlyy her down on the queen-sized bed. Her mud-


    encrusted feet identallynded on his bed sheet. On reflex, she scooted her feet to the side so


    they hung over the side of the bed.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    The man noticed this. For a moment, he was stunned. When he regained his senses, he promptly


    went to the bathroom.


    When he came out again, he brought a basin of warm water.


    He put it by the bedside, dipped a towel in the basin, and gently wiped her feet.


    Feeling the warmth of the water on her feet, the woman lying on the bed burst into tears.


    Why did he treat her well after hurting her?


    When he was done washing her feet, the man stood up and leaned over Maria to take off her dress.


    Maria''s hand shot up to hold his. "The doctor said I can''t exercise..." she said in a hoarse voice.


    James'' eyes widened. What did she take him for? A selfish beast? How could he possibly want to


    sleep with her at a time like this?


    But he didn''t bother trying to exin himself. Heedless of her objection, he carefully peeled off her


    evening dress.


    Then, he pulled the quilt over her and tucked her in. "Stay here from now on."


    She had made too many enemies, and Golden Mansion was not as safe as his manor here.


    ''Stay here?'' Maria frowned. She took stock of the luxurious yet minimalist bedroom. She was


    nobody to him. It was not proper for her to live here. Why should she?


    She looked at him with teary, swollen eyes. "You don''t have to do this, and you don''t have to try to


    pay me back. It''s useless." Even if he spent his whole life atoning for his sin, she refused to forgive


    him and everyone else involved.


    James calmly put his hands into his pockets and said, "I will exin everything in due time."


    "I don''t want an exnation," she said huffily. "Will you give up on marring Alina Tang?"


    James fell silent again. He averted his gaze and looked at the floor.


    He couldn''t call off the engagement for the time being, but he would do it in the future.


    His silence made the woman''s heart sink. Maria smiled bitterly. "Thank you for helping me just now.


    I''m going to sleep."


    She was nodding off from the exhaustion of the day; she didn''t even have the energy to remove her


    makeup.


    The mockery in her smile was not lost on James.


    He turned off the bedsidemp for her and headed to the study.


    This whole time, he had ignored his constantly ringing phone. Only now did he check what he had


    missed.


    Looking through the records of missed calls, he found that there were calls from Sebastian, yton,


    and other important clients.


    He walked into the study, lit a cigarette, and only returned calls to the important clients.


    After work, James began to think about Maria''s matters.


    After divorcing her that year, he was supposed to give her three hundred million as alimony¡ªafter


    all, she had fulfilled her responsibility as a wife. He had asked Lorenzo to take care of that, but only


    today did he find out that she never got the money.


    Not only that, but she also suffered in prison.


    It was not difficult to guess who were behind all this.


    He just didn''t expect that the bad blood between Judy and Maria would be so serious, and he didn''t


    expect that Judy and her nephew would be so daring.


    -

 Chapter 236 Badly Injured

    Chapter 236 Badly Injured


    Maria''s eyelids fluttered open. Taking stock of the empty bedroom, she wondered if James had slept


    in the same bed; she had fallen into too deep a sleep to tell.


    After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she found women''s clothes in his wardrobe and put


    them on.


    Apparently, James had arranged for her clothes to be brought here. She gingerly pulled on her


    clothes, careful to avoid the wound on her back.


    Once she was all dressed, she eyed the clothes in the wardrobe warily. Then she made the


    decision. She pulled out a suitcase she found and swept all the clothes into it.


    Breakfast, along with John, was waiting for her downstairs. Seeing her lug a heavy suitcase


    downstairs, he called out to her. "Good morning, Ms. Song. Breakfast is ready."


    "Thank you, John. But I have something important to do right now," Maria said apologetically.


    John said, "Mr. Xi will be back soon."


    "I see. It''s not easy to hail a taxi from here. John, could you please arrange for a driver to take me?"


    "Okay, Ms. Song."


    Since she insisted on leaving, John couldn''t force her to stay. Obediently, he called for a driver.


    As soon as she was gone, John called James. "Mr. Xi, Ms. Song has left."


    The man didn''t reply for a while.


    Finally, he asked, "Did she say anything before she left?" "No, but she was carrying a suitcase. I


    don''t know what was in it, though."


    "I see."


    After the call ended, James stared out the window absentmindedly, deep in thought.


    When he returned to the manor, he went to check his bedroom. Just as he suspected, the clothes


    he had left for her in the wardrobe were all gone.


    Standing in the middle of the bedroom, looking at the neatly made queen-sized bed she had slept


    in, James pursed his lips tightly.


    Finally, he pulled out his phone and made a call.


    A couple of ringster, she finally picked up. "Hello?"


    "What do you want?"


    "Let''s have a face-to-face talk in recent two days," Maria said.


    His expression darkened. He guessed what she was going to do. "Okay."


    Before he could say anything else, she hung up the phone.


    Late that night, an Audi was making its way to the Song family vi when a ck SUV violently


    swerved in front of it.


    Right before the Audi collided into the ck car, its driver mmed her foot on the brakes.


    Before Dani could gather her bearings, several men climbed out of the SUV and swarmed the


    Audi. Frightened to bits, she didn''t dare open the door, despite the men''s incessant knocking on the


    window.


    Thest man who came out of the car carried a hammer. Seeing she had no choice, Dani gulped


    nervously and opened the door. "Who are you? What do you want?"


    "Did you go to Vi Green on the first night of thest month?"


    Dani was a little shocked but hurriedly tried to exin herself. "I just wanted Mr. Bai to help me. I


    won''t pester him anymore, I swear!"


    Suddenly, she felt the cold de of a dagger pressed against her neck. Eyes wide, she started to


    scream.


    "Shut up!"


    She immediately shut her mouth and shrank into her chair, trembling, trying to keep as far away


    from the man as possible.


    The man hissed at her ruthlessly, "Who was the other woman you ran into that night? If you even


    think about lying, you won''t make it back to the Song family vi tonight."


    The woman she bumped into? Dani was confused, then finally, her eyes flickered with


    recognition. "You mean the one who was shot?"


    "Yes."


    "I know who she is. Will you let me go after I tell you?"


    The man nodded.


    Dani swallowed and then said a name.


    Fortunately, the man kept his promise. After getting the answer he was after, he turned around and


    left with the other goons.


    When the ck SUV was out of sight, Dani, who had been holding her breath, finally heaved a


    sigh of relief. Luckily, they were not looking for her.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    At the HL Group


    James was seated in his office and signing some documents. When he was done, he stood up and


    prepared to leave.


    Just then, he heard a knock at the door. "Mr. Xi, Ms. Lan is here to see you," Summer announced.


    The man''s expression darkened and he reluctantly sat back down. "Please prepare some tea and


    bring her in."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    Judy then waltzed into the office in a dark purple mink coat. As usual, she greeted him kindly, "Hi,


    James. I''m not disturbing you, am I?"


    "No," James replied tly. The man organized the documents on his table before finally looking at


    the woman in front of him.


    Before Judy could say something more, Summer came in with a cup of tea and put it on the tea


    table. "Ms. Lan, please have some tea."


    Judy turned around and thanked her with a smile.


    "You''re wee." Summer left.


    Judy then took out a bank card from her pursed and ced it on James'' desk. "There¡¯s three


    hundred million dors in it."


    James eyed the bank card on his table silently.


    "I called, but you didn''t answer. I happened to be in the area today, so I decided toe here and


    exin it to you in person," Judy said grimly.


    "Maria lived with the Xi family for over a year. That was more than enough time for me to get to


    know what kind of person she is. I knew she didn''t deserve to be your wife, so I didn''t like her from


    the very beginning. You had three hundred million prepared for her in alimony, but I didn''t turn it


    over to her because I didn''t think she deserved it. So I had it transferred to Cooper''s name and


    nned to tell youter."


    James tore his gaze away from the card to lock eyes with Judy, sending a chill down her spine.


    But she continued, "Moreover, Arthur''s gone because of her. Since so many years have passed,


    you might have forgiven her, but I haven''t. After all, I''m Arthur''s grandmother. I was there when he


    was born. Back when we all lived together, Maria made it perfectly clear that she wanted to move


    out. You know this."


    Judy smiled unnaturally, perhaps due to her overarching nervousness.


    Of course James knew Maria wanted to move out with their son; she had told him on numerous


    asions. So eventually, Maria got her wish and moved to Fairview Vi with little Arthur.


    "But even then, she neglected her own child. Arthur oftentimes cried in hunger, but she ignored him


    and busied herself, ying on her phone. Arthur tried to reach out to her, but she still concentrated


    on her phone! I was just so angry, so... I suppose I didn''t treat her that well."


    She was rambling at this point, but still James made no moves to speak. Judy couldn''t figure out


    what he was thinking or whether he believed her.


    "I have never used the money in this card. Although I am not your biological mother, you know that I


    have always treated you and Cooper as my own sons. I felt sorry for you. I felt sorry that you


    worked so hard to earn that much money, only to give it to that ruthless woman."


    Finally, James reacted. "If that''s the case, why was she in prison for two years?"


    Judy broke out into a cold sweat. Willing herself to keep calm, she answered shakily, "I don''t know.


    Maybe shemitted some other crime. Anyway, James, the truth is you don''t know that woman at


    all. Don''t be fooled by her appearance. She has had dubious rtionships with Colby, Norman, and


    Lawrence. She''s even tried to seduce Jonathan!"


    James nodded expressionlessly. "I see."


    Hisck of emotion made Judy''s scalp tingle. "James, you should go to see Alina when you have


    time. She''s still in the hospital. She was injured badly."


    Alina? Yes, he was definitely going to visit her.


    "Mm."


    Judy didn''t dare say anything more and left thepany, leaving the cup of tea Summer prepared


    for her go cold.


    James'' gaze returned to the bank card on his desk. Then he asked Summer to have it checked.


    Indeed, there was three hundred million in it, with interest.


    He slipped the bank card into his drawer, then left thepany.

 Chapter 237 Apologize

    Chapter 237 Apologize


    The coffee shop hadn''t opened for the day yet. James took out his phone and called Maria before


    getting into his car. "Where are you?"


    "The apartment."


    "I''ll pick you up."


    "Where are we going?"


    "To the hospital to get your dressing changed."


    He remembered that she had been scheduled for a reexamination. "Oh, right. Okay."


    James drove over by himself, and Maria came out of the apartment wearing a long, white down


    jacket and a red scarf.


    She opened the door of the passenger seat and got inside.


    It was warm in the car, so she removed her scarf and reached over to ce it on the back seat.


    Her wound appeared to be healing well. "Come here once a week for the next two weeks," the


    doctor advised. "You should be fully recovered by then."


    "All right. Doctor, thank you."


    "You''re wee, Miss Song."


    They left the hospital and James took them to a restaurant.


    He had reserved a private room with a view of the H River, and they settled into their seats. The


    table was yet to be filled.


    James sat across from Maria and pushed the menu toward her. "Order whatever you want to eat."


    She obliged, listing off several dishes to the server who waited on them.


    The server soon left, and then it was just the two of them in the room.


    Maria removed her jacket and draped it on the chair next to her. James eyed her casually before


    asking, "What did you want to talk about?"


    "Let''s have lunch first."


    He said nothing.


    And then the dishes were served. She had ordered the restaurants specialties, the first course


    being roasted duck.


    The chef was slicing it at the scene.


    The chef ced a dollop of caviar over the slices of meat before cing the tes in front of the


    couple.


    Maria took a bite, the forkful of duck and caviar melting in her mouth almost immediately. The dish


    was very good.


    It didn''t take long for her to finish the whole te, and she dabbed at her lips with the napkin only to


    find that James'' te had remained untouched.


    "Aren''t you going to eat that?" she asked innocently.


    "No."


    Well she wasn''t expecting that. What a waste! "Give it to me," she said bluntly.


    James lifted his te and ced it in front of her, and Maria wasted no time in eating his share.


    Neither said anything else, and the meal proceeded


    quietly.


    When they were having dessert, Maria suddenly spoke. "James, let''s end things where they are,


    okay?"


    He gently put his chopsticks down and wiped his lips with the napkin.


    Without missing a beat, Maria took a bite of the avocado. It was a little greasy, but she didn''t think it


    was too bad. She turned to James again. "How about going back to being strangers to each other?


    Let''s just pretend nothing ever happened between us, and I won''t be bothering you again in the


    future. What do you say?"


    "You said you wanted to talk about something," he said, his voice low and his tone sharp. "This is


    what you wanted to discuss, huh?¡±


    "Yeah.


    What do you think?"


    James threw his napkin forcefully on the table, causing her to pause with her eating.


    She watched as he carelessly pushed his chair back and got to his feet. He turned away and kicked


    the chair aside, obviously mad as he headed for the door.


    "No, wait!" she called after him.


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    Thinking that she had regretted her own offer, James was somewhat mollified. He looked back at


    her with a nk expression.


    "Don''t forget to pay the bill," she said. After all, she had ordered the priciest dishes on the menu.


    She would be quite sorry, indeed, if this meal put a dent on her wallet. James, on the other hand,


    didn''t give a damn about measly expenses such as this.


    He looked away again and closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. Barely resisting the urge to strangle


    her, he strode out of the room, mmed the door behind him, and left the restaurant.


    It wasn''t until Maria was walking out of the establishment that she realized she had left her scarf in


    James'' car.


    Well, a scarf was just a scarf. She should just forget about, or she would be betraying her own


    words when she had told him she wouldn''t be bothering him anymore.


    In a hospital


    Alina was asleep and Miranda was sitting near the hospital bed when James showed up.


    Miranda immediately shook Alina awake.


    "What are you doing, Mom?" Alina mumbled in a daze, clearly annoyed at being disturbed. She was


    feeling pain all over her body, and wanted nothing more than to just sleep.


    "Mr. Xi is here."


    That woke her up instantly. Alina turned to the door, her eyes wide with excitement. "James, you''re


    here."


    He nodded and said nothing.


    "I''ll go check with the doctor," Miranda said, rising from her chair. "Why don''t you two have a little


    talk?"


    Alina struggled to sit up as the door shut behind her mother.


    James walked over and helped her lean against the headboard, his face still devoid of any


    expression.


    "James, I missed you so much," Alina whispered.


    He finally spoke then. "How are you doing?"


    "I''m much better, but it still hurts..." She looked up at him with tears in his eyes. "I didn''t mean to


    knock the waitress, I swear. I didn''t mean to hurt Maria."


    She had already given the waitress hush money for the incident, and the girl had devised an excuse


    to resign.


    "I''m not here to question you."


    Alina''s mood lifted in a sh after hearing that. "It''s good that you don''t me me, James. But it was


    still because of my carelessness that Maria got injured. I''ll make sure to apologize to her once I


    recover."


    "You should apologize."


    "Yes."


    "I came here to tell you that I''m cancelling our engagement." He wouldn''t be able to do it right away,


    but he still had to notify the Tang family and prepare them for the inevitable.


    Alina''s jaw hung open in shock.


    Maria had not seen James for over a week since they had lunch together.


    When her wound finally healed, she bought gifts and went over to pay her New Year greetings to


    James'' grandparents.


    Gordon was celebrating the New Year with the Song family that time, and she made ns to visit


    him once he came back to his own vi after the Lantern Festival.


    As Maria prepared their dinner, Charlotte gave James a call. He bluntly refused the invitation for


    dinner, saying that he had an important meeting that night.


    Maria was not aware of this, but as she headed to the living room to tell them that the food was


    ready, she happened to overhearthem whispering with each other. "What meeting? Such ame


    excuse! He just doesn''t want toe over," said Augustine.


    Charlotte shook her head, disagreeing with her husband. "There must really be something important


    he has to deal with. He wouldn''t have refused otherwise, especially since he knows Maria is here."


    "Well whatever it is, it can''t be more important than his wife, can it?"


    Despite herself, Maria''s heart broke at their words.


    She stepped away, embarrassed, and pretended to clean the kitchen.


    She waited for a few more minutes before heading back to the living room and called the old couple


    for dinner, as though nothing had happened.


    Perhaps by mutual understanding, neither Augustine nor Charlotte mentioned James throughout


    the meal. And it might have been for the best, because they enjoyed dinner immensely.


    Maria walked out of the viter in the evening after making sure that the elders were both


    comfortably settled.


    She had mentionedst time how she wanted to change cars, but then she had forgotten about it. It


    was only when Summer had driven over in a red Porsche that Maria had remembered about that


    particr whim.


    She now cruised on the road inside the red luxury car. She turned a corner and entered a small


    street, which was the only way that led back to downtown.


    All of a sudden, several cars appeared up ahead and blocked the road.


    It was the ninth day of the Lunar New Year; people shouldn''t even be back at work just yet. They


    should all be back in their hometowns, all warm and snug with their families. And so, there was


    nobody else in sight in that ce and time, except for Maria and whoever were in the vehicles in


    front of her Porsche.

 Chapter 238 Indeed Capable

    Chapter 238 Indeed Capable


    From the rearview mirror, Maria saw another two cars behind her.


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    Obviously, this whole thing had been nned meticulously, but she wasn''t sure who was behind all


    this.


    One of the men approached the Porsche. Maria quickly took out a dagger from the hidden


    compartment beside the driver''s seat and stashed it in the seam of her clothes.


    Then she quickly took out her phone to call for help, but just as she unlocked the screen, her phone


    died.


    Maria stared at the dead screen, speechless. Out of all the times to run out of battery, the phone


    chose now to screw her over!


    Just then, the men reached the side of the car and knocked on the window.


    Maria warily lowered the window but put on a charming smile. "Are you guys here for me?"


    There were about thirteen men standing outside, each one carrying a weapon.


    Seeing the woman''s enchanting smile, the man in the lead was slightly stunned, softening his fierce


    features. "Are you Maria Song?" he asked.


    "Yes, who wants to see me?"


    A man next to the leader saw how distracted he was and hissed, "Raymond, snap out of it!"


    The man called Raymond suddenly came back to his senses and wore a fierce expression again.


    "Get out of the car! Otherwise, I''ll ask my men to smash it!" "No, please don''t. This is a limited


    edition model and is quite expensive. Let''s just talk it out." Summer had told her that James asked


    her to buy a cheap car to let her practice driving.


    However, the cheap car in James'' eyes was someone else''s luxury. This car in particr cost five


    million and eight hundred thousand dors.


    Maria opened the door and got out.


    Under the dim streetlight, the woman straightened her clothing while cautiously eyeing the men


    surrounding her. Then, she heard someone swallow loudly from behind her.


    "Raymond, can you let us have a taste of her first before sending her away?"


    "Yes, yes. I have never seen such a beautiful woman in my life."


    Raymond thought for a while. "Okay, fine." But not until he had a taste of her first. "Take her away!"


    he barked.


    At hismand, several men approached Maria.


    What a group of obscene men!


    Before the men were able to grab hold of her, Maria threw a roundhouse kick, knocking down


    several men like dominoes.


    Realizing this woman was not going down without a fight, Raymond touched the tip of his nose and


    said, "Fortunately, we have a trump card."


    Five men in ck suits stepped out of a car behind the Porsche.


    The second Mariaid her eyes on them, she knew there was something about these men in ck.


    She quietly took out the dagger she had stowed away, threw away the scabbard, and stood in a


    defensive posture.


    The men in ck suits knew Kung Fu, so they each assumed their posts nearby, poised to strike at


    any moment.


    The men were really good at fighting. At first, Maria was able to hold them off a little, but then she


    slowly felt the wound on her back taking a toll on her.


    Just then, she saw a dagger de shing towards her heart.


    Maria dodged quickly, sidestepping out of the way just in time. The dagger shed at her coat, but


    fortunately, she was unscathed.


    However, she knew she wouldn''t be able to keep this up. She needed to find a way to escape.


    But no matter where she turned, there was no window for escape. The men surrounded her, closing


    in on her tightly.


    Just as she was growing desperate, a ck car turned a corner and was steadily approaching their


    location. The man in the driver''s seat frowned slightly when he saw the cars in the middle of the


    road, blocking his path.


    He looked over at his rearview mirror, backing the car a few meters to turn around and leave. Just


    as he was U-turning, his car light illuminated a couple of figures on the road. One of those figures


    was a woman.


    Her long, jet-ck hair fluttered in the air as she moved.


    The man was very familiar with that figure.


    Realizing something, his expression darkened. The car, which was just about to U-turn, suddenly


    was put in forward gear.


    Bang! The ck car collided with one of the cars in the middle of the road, sending it flying to the


    side and out of the way.


    Everyone turned around in surprise, only to see a ck luxury car rushing towards them, and it


    showed no signs of stopping. All the goons hurriedly dodged to either side of the road.


    Seeing the car speeding over, Maria also wanted to dodge, but her enemy did not give her a


    chance.


    Just as the car was about to hit her, it came to a screeching halt.


    Then a man got out of the car.


    He was wearing a ck coat, a dark suit, gloves, and dark brown leather shoes.


    He took off his gloves, coat, and suit jacket. He threw all the articles of clothing into the car and


    closed the door.


    With a gloomy face, he rushed over and grabbed the man nearest him and kicked him in the gut.


    Maria was exhausted, and her adrenaline was waning. She watched helplessly as another dagger


    came her way, knowing she was too tired to dodge it.


    Just then, a slender hand shot out and caught the wrist of the dagger-wielder.


    The dagger stopped right before her eyes.


    She shifted her gaze from the dagger to the man who had saved her. When she saw who it was,


    her heart fluttered excitedly.


    Under the dim streetlight, James stood before her, one hand hanging by his side and the other


    firmly gripping the wrist of the man holding a dagger. He stared down at the goons with his cold


    eyes.


    The scene before her was seared into Maria''s brain. She will never forget how strong and


    handsome he looked.


    James threw the man to the side and stood in between the woman and the rest of the goons.


    His movements were swift and urate. Within minutes, the group of men who had attacked Maria


    all retreated to their cars and made a run for it.


    James didn''t chase after them. Instead, he watched them leave, staring daggers into their backs as


    they did so.


    With the cars gone, James and Maria were the only ones left. An eerie silence filled the air.


    "Thank you," Maria finally said, breaking the ice.


    The man turned around and said nothing.


    "Why are you here?"


    James straightened his sleeves and looked at her coldly. "You are so good at provoking people."


    Maria didn''t expect thisment from him.


    "Maria Song, were you just standing there, waiting to be killed?"


    Maria was speechless. She had tried to defend herself, but...


    "You''re not even capable of protecting your own self. I don''t know what makes you think you have


    the courage to stop bothering me."


    Maria felt a lump in her throat. She couldn''t find the words to say.


    Well, she knew she had gone wrong somewhere. It was her fault she didn''t have the stamina to


    fight off those goons.


    "Where are the men you ran off to? Where is Norman or Colby? Where is that Kent? You were


    about to die. Why aren''t any of them here by your side?"


    Maria still kept silent.


    His series of questions rendered her speechless.


    It was a quiet night. Maria stood still and looked at him helplessly.


    James took a step forward and pulled her into his arms, enveloping her in his warmth. Gently, he


    said, "Since you can''t take care of yourself, keep pestering me."


    Smelling his familiar scent, Maria closed her eyes. "You mean...I''ll continue to be your...mistress?"


    James didn''t answer.


    Maria pushed him away. "When I was in prison, I kept fantasizing the million different ways I could


    destroy you. Whenever I thought about you, I wanted to give up, knowing it''d be so hard for me to


    get close to you.


    Do you know what made me hold on?"


    -

 Chapter 239 Peggy

    Chapter 239 Peggy


    "When the police took me that night, they told me that it was for killing my own son. I went down to


    the station and made a statement. Then I asked them who was suing me. Can you guess the


    answer?


    They said that it was none other than my ex-husband who had filed a case against me, and that I


    was sentenced to five years in prison."


    Maria''s expression remained neutral, and her gaze was steady as she looked up at James. Then


    she smiled. "At that time, I felt like a barrage of arrows went through my body all at once."


    He said nothing, but a muscle ticked at his jaw.


    "I''d never expected you to hate me to that extend. You had practically killed me back then, you


    know."


    James opened his mouth to speak, but he ended up closing it again without uttering a single sound.


    "To make matters worse, I had the so-called special treatment inside the prison. For the first three


    months, not a day passed when I wasn''t bloody or ck and blue. All I''d ever eaten in there was


    sloppy leftover. I''ve tried to kill myself, too, a lot of times. So many times. But I always failed. I


    eventually realized that it wasn''t my time to die just yet, so I stopped courting death and face


    torment head-on instead."


    She had only known salvation when Norman had appeared.


    "I''m telling you all these things now, but not for you to pity me. I don''t want your pity. But then, I


    guess you won''t pity a woman anyway. You''ve always been cold like that. I just want you to know


    that I got this far thanks to the hatred burning inside me. It gave me the strength and courage to


    survive, to live every day as ites."


    And it was true. Hatred brought her here.


    Hatred for him.


    James knew this, too.


    "You say that you had nothing to do with it, but that won''t make me hate you any less. Why should


    it, when during my lowest, you were on their side?"


    "Why did you stille to me then?" he asked, his voice hoarse. He knew why, but he still wanted


    to hear ite out of her lips.


    "To use you, of course. After all, you have the power to make my revenge hurt twice as much with


    half the effort on my part." And the perfect examples would be Ste, Ronald, and Jonathan.


    In spite of it all, Maria recognized the deep affection for James that lingered in her. It was just that


    she refused to acknowledge its existence. She had always turned a blind eye to the truth it


    presented.


    "I know you are aware of my intentions, so why are you asking me? When we are together, you


    devour me for my beauty, and in return, I bask in the power you wield on my behalf. I''m sure your


    purpose runs deeper than it looks, doesn''t it?


    I will never let Alina or Judy get away with what they did to me. So if you n to protect them, I


    suggest you find someone to dispose of me as soon as possible."


    They stood under the streetlights, both unmoving forces of nature, and locked gazes for a moment.


    Then Maria turned away and made to get inside her car.


    "Let''s get you to the hospital first."


    She opened her car door and paused to look at him.


    "Thank you, but no."


    Then she slid into the driver''s seat and started the engine, and drove away without sparing him


    another nce.


    In the Leopard Club


    Ethan put a few bottles of liquor on the table. "Come on! Let''s get hammered."


    James was slouched on the couch with his eyes closed. He ignored the other man and said


    nothing. Ethan took the initiative to pop a bottle open and handed it to him. "Given your current


    mood, I think it''s better for you to drink straight from the bottle."


    James red at him silently. But he epted the bottle and clinked it with Ethan''s ss.


    "Okay, so let me hazard a guess. Your being like this must have something to do with a woman, and


    the only women in your life worth noting are Maria and Alina. Only Maria has the power to reduce


    you too such a state."


    Ethan was feeling smug about his smart deduction, but then he remembered one crucial thing. The


    smile instantly disappeared from his face. "James, I heard that she was put to jail in the past. Is this


    true?"


    He had heard what had happened in the banquet. The news shocked him greatly.


    "Mm." James never kept anything from Ethan. "She thinks I was behind all of it."


    He heaved a defeated sigh. He had to admit that Maria wasn''t the only one responsible for Arthur''s


    death. He had been just as liable¡ªhe had spent all his hours working, and had never made any


    time for his wife, much less his son.


    He had arranged for three million dors as alimony, but it turned out now that the money had never


    reached


    Maria.


    Ethan spoke again. "Maria''s family disowned her, she lost her son, and your own family kicked her


    out. Her husband not only forsook her, but also sent her to jail. No wonder she hates you.''1


    James took a sip of his liquor. If it hadn''t been for the debacle at the banquet, Maria would never


    have told him everything she had gone through in the past, would she?


    "Well, what are you going to do now? Are you still going to marry Alina?"


    "No," James answered shortly.


    "When will you cancel the engagement?"


    "Not right now. I can''t risk getting the wholepany in trouble for the sake of my private affairs."


    Ethan nodded in agreement. "Maria is so pitiful."


    James ignored him.


    A momentter, his phone vibrated. It was Lawrence.


    "James, I''ve confirmed that Maria indeed has a criminal record. She was sentenced to five years


    and seven months for murder charges. She was apprehended one month after Arthur''s ident."


    James took a deep breath, his eyes taking on a dangerous glint.


    Lawrence continued with his report. ''''She served time at the women''s penitentiary for a year and


    nine months, then somebody bailed her out."


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    "Who was it?"


    "Norman Shen."


    James fell silent again.


    Maria drove to the hospital after she had parted with James. Her wound had been almost healed


    just a day ago, but now her skin was red again.


    She gritted her teeth as the nurse applied ayer of medicine on the wound. When the treatment


    was over, she returned to her apartment.


    Maria had grown used to James''pany, and now that she had beening home alone and


    spending her days by herself, she couldn''t help feeling like something was missing.


    It was quiet inside the apartment. Shey in the bed and forced herself to sleep.


    Even so, it wasn''t until three in the morning when she finally drifted into oblivion.


    Day broke, and her rm rang precisely at seven o''clock. Maria opened her eyes and got out of


    bed.


    She went through her usual routine-she washed, got dressed, applied makeup, and ate breakfast.


    Before long she was putting on a ck coat and a brown scarf, and then she was walking out of the


    apartment.


    In the reception area of H City''s women''s penitentiary, Maria sat and waited quietly. Ten minutes


    later, two people came into view.


    One of them was a handcuffed woman, and the moment she caught sight of Maria, her eyes lit up.


    "You heartless bitch! You finally came to see me!"


    Maria smiled, thinking how this woman was still very beautiful though they had not seen each other


    for quite a long time. The inmate sported a shaved head, and there were more fine lines on her face


    now that she wasn''t wearing any makeup. "I''m sorry, Peggy," Maria said.


    The woman sat opposite her, all casual and nonchnt. "You''re apologizing as soon as you see


    me. What, are youing back? You promised me to live well after you were let out of prison."


    Maria only gazed at her in silence.


    Peggy looked her up and down before nodding in satisfaction. "Your face is fair and rosy, so much


    more beautiful than when you were here. Your skin is glowing, too.


    You must be living a happy life with your man, eh?" Maria rolled her eyes and sighed. "You''re still


    the same as ever."


    -

 Chapter 240 Lost Contact

    Chapter 240 Lost Contact


    Peggy chuckled and casually leaned against the back of the chair. Despite the handcuffs on her


    wrists, she looked cool and casual. "You hadn''te to visit me for a long time. That bitch Lauren


    has been mocking me all day long, saying that you have forgotten about me. I''ll make sure to let


    that bitch know you''ve just proven her wrong."


    Maria let out a soft sigh, and gently replied, "It''s almost done. Wait a little longer."


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Such a reply would be vague for others, but Peggy immediately knew exactly what she meant.


    Peggy''s expression remained constant, but her eyes were shining with excitement. She uttered in a


    cracked voice, "But you can''t involve yourself in this."


    After all, she still had eight years of time to serve in jail. It was not easy to help her out ahead of


    time.


    "I will try my best,"


    Maria solemnly replied. She heaved a sigh of relief shortly after leaving the women''s jail.


    She turned to nce over at the high walls and the terrifying electric fencing behind her. Such was


    the nightmare she suffered all this time. If it weren''t for Peggy, she would never take a single step


    into that ce again.


    Peggy had been physically abused by her husband and inws for years. Since she couldn''t have


    possibly file for a divorce, she was left with no choice but kill them all ten years ago. She was


    sentenced to eighteen years in prison.


    Not long after she was put into prison, she showed her strength and few people dared to mess with


    her.


    Maria got to know her three months after she was thrown into jail. The friendship between the two


    grew rapidly. This was proven by the fact that it only took one month for Maria to be a person under


    Peggy''s protection.


    As a result, those who had nned to take down Maria didn''t dare to act recklessly.


    Maria herself beat the people who had bullied her in jail under Peggy''s encouragement.


    Lauren was another powerful figure among the prisoners. She and Peggy were against each other.


    The day before Maria was released, she left a few words of promise to Peggy. "If I can get settled


    down to start a new life and gain power, I will make sure to help you."


    After leaving the prison, Maria didn''t go back to her apartment, nor did she return to the coffee shop.


    Instead, she went straight overseas with her luggage.


    For the next ten days, not one had seen Maria in H City.


    James waspletely oblivious until Summer told him that Maria was out of town.


    Summer knocked on his office door. The moment she stood in front of him, one could tell how


    worried she was by the look on her face. "Mr. Xi, Maria said she was going on a trip, but I never


    heard from her for ten days now. I called her two days ago, but I couldn''t reach her. Her phone was


    powered off."


    James coldly looked at her in silence.


    "I''m sorry to trouble you. But can you ask someone to go and look for her? I just need to know if


    she''s okay. I''m starting to get worried that she..."


    It was known that Maria had made a lot of enemies within H City, so it was only natural for Summer


    to be worried about her safety.


    It was three dayster that James found Maria in a hotel on an ind.


    PW Lake was located in D Country. The ce resembled that of a giant vase if seen from bird''s eye


    view. Theke itself alternated from blue and green hue. It was stunning.


    It was surrounded by a range of mountains with thick, green trees. It was a certainty that people


    would be rxed whening here because of the fresh air, and the azure sky and water.


    The heater was humming and the ambiance was warm enough for one to rx in a wooden house.


    Maria, in a white sweater, was in her seat in utter silence, and beside her was a cup of steaming


    tea.


    The faint scent of sandalwood in the air would sure wee anyone who set foot inside the ce.


    All of a sudden, the wind-bell rang. Its sound reverberated across the room. The woman who was


    upied with making tea turned around with wide eyes.


    James sported a dark business suit and wine red tie, coupled with a in white shirt with an


    overcoat on his shoulders. Even his genuine leather shoes shone.


    He was standing at the door, and the spacious room feltpacted because of his presence alone.


    Although he was the one who took the initiative to find her here, he didn''t say anything and just


    stared at her.


    Finally, Maria couldn''t help but break the ice. "It''s so expensive to stay here. It costs more than six


    thousand for a single night. I haven''t even paid the bill yet."


    The man looked around and examined the room. It was ake-view suite with area of nearly three


    hundred square meters. The equipment and facilities avable were built with a sense of modernity.


    The kitchen, study, and gym were all avable. To stay here, one would certainly feel like the six


    thousand dors per night rate was a reasonable price.


    She noticed that he didn''t have the intention of answering, so she continued in a steady voice, "I


    knew you woulde here to find me.


    So I''ve been waiting for you to pay the bills.


    I''ve been staying here for eleven days now. I also spent some money on other things, about a


    hundred thousand or so in total. Do you think my vacation is too expensive? If you are here to pick


    me up, I''m afraid I may let you down."


    "So, you''re not going back?" he asked. His voice was slightly deeper than usual.


    "No, I''m not." Maria stood up and slowly approached him. She grabbed his hand to take him to the


    room, and handed him a cup of hot tea. "Alina hasn''t left the hospital yet. There is no need for me to


    rush."


    The implication behind those words were quite obvious.


    Instead of drinking the tea, James ced the cup back down on the table. Maria observed him as


    she smiled. "That''s my cup. I seem to have be a neat freak myself, all thanks to your


    influence. I don''t want to use the tea cups that were used by others, so I asked the hotel owner to


    buy a new set for me."


    James looked at the cup with not a single wording out of his mouth. It seemed that, out of


    modesty, he was left without a choice but to drink this cup of tea.


    Maria came closer to take off his coat, and hung it on the hanger for him.


    "You won''t be able to leave today. How about we take it easy and go fishing? There is an indoor


    fishing area here, but I don''t know how to fish. Perhaps you can teach me?" She squeezed over to


    his side and gently held his arm. Her caresses were as soft and delicate as ever. She whispered to


    him like she used to when they were still together.


    To him, the way she was acting was quite strange. It was as if nothing had happened at all.


    He looked down and observed her hands gripping his arm. "You resent me, don''t you?"


    "What good would that bring me? On the contrary, I couldn''t be more happier seeing you around


    here. I can''t control my heart!"


    Indeed, she couldn''t.


    The man pinched her chin, and said, "Thene back to me. We can start over with a clean te."


    As for all the grievances she had suffered, he nned to investigate and go to the bottom of it and


    even willing to avenge her. He would do anything for her, as long as she was willing toe back to


    him.


    ''We can start over with a clean te?'' Maria showed no sign of anger at all, and her voice remained


    gentle. "Do you feel something is missing in your life without me pestering you? Or do you think I''m


    so spineless that I''lle back the moment you issue an order?"


    "Can''t you say something nice for once?¡±


    "What do you want to hear? Mr. Xi, I thought you heard enough ttery. But if you''re so inclined,


    then I''ll humor you. You''re so handsome, I''m fascinated with you. Mmmph..."


    She fell into the man''s arms and her cherry red lips were soon covered by his.


    The door was still open, and the two of them passionately kissed without a care in the world.


    It had been a long time since they had been intimate with each other. Naturally, a mere kiss couldn''t


    satisfy him at all, but James tried his best to keep his cool and control himself.


    After quite some time, he let go of her, and whispered in her ear, "Come back, okay?"


    Maria arched up a gentle, slight smile. She ran her hand over his chest, and replied, "Mr. Xi, if I''m


    not mistaken, it seems that I still have a ce in your heart."


    He grabbed her hand, and answered, "That''s right. After all, you''re the only one who can please


    me."


    As one would expect, there was no hint of surprise on her face. She gracefully withdrew her hand,


    and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Mr. Xi, why do I feel that you came all the way here just to


    sleep with me? Could it be that all those women in H City couldn''t satisfy you in bed?"

 Chapter 241 Too Lazy To Charge

    Chapter 241 Too Lazy To Charge


    Ignoring her pointed question, he demanded, "Why is your phone powered off?"


    It had taken him a lot of effort to find her.


    "Oh, it ran out of battery. I was just toozy to charge it.


    James grew quiet. A part of him knew that her answer was just a careless remark, and probably


    untruthful at that.


    "Hey, let''s go fishing!" she said out of the blue, hugging him and kissing his cheek like a spoiled


    child.


    "Why, is there a rich man out in the water who has caught your eye?" This was the second time that


    she brought up fishing.


    "You''re right here. Why would I go looking for another rich man? I saw someone else fishing, and I


    felt like giving it a try."


    "Maria Song, I didn''te all this way to fish. Especially not after spending several hours on the


    ne."


    "Aw,e on. Come fishing with me, hmm? I''ll make it up to you tonight."


    That made him pull away from her abruptly.


    "Maria Song!"


    She pretended not to hear and continued. "Although it''s a little chilly at the open-air balcony, the


    room itself is facing the mountains. It''s like a secret, hiddenir. Oh! And get this, they have an


    open-air bath right next to the room. We simply must try it."


    James quieted down and swallowed.


    Maria won in the end. At least temporarily.


    The fishing house wasrge and connected to theke. When they arrived at the indoor fishing hall,


    other people were already inside.


    It wasn''t crowded, though. Aside from the hotel staff, only two other couples were there.


    Maria pulled James to a spot next to one of the couples. They had a pretty good distance between


    them, but not so much that they would have to yell out in conversation.


    As soon as James and Maria sat down, the other woman struck conversation. "Ms. Song? How did


    you manage to secure this man to keep youpany?"


    The neer was, after all, a hundred times more attractive than the man she hade with.


    James upied himself with assembling his chosen equipment. Maria nced at him before


    turning back to the other woman, who must have gone through stic surgery. "He''s my husband. I


    doubt you can ever find another man who can match his looks and social standing."


    Thatst part was unnecessary though, since her im of being James'' wife was enough to defeat


    the other woman. Unfortunately for thetter, she was in the middle of an inappropriate rtionship


    with the man next to her.


    Well, Maria technically didn''t have an official rtionship with James. But the other woman didn''t


    know that, and she certainly wouldn''t admit it!


    ''Her husband?'' James felt his heart pick up its pace when he had heard her address him that way.


    Endearments were not a thing for them, and they sounded straight and foreign, even though they


    had been married before.


    Maria had never addressed him as that before. The most intimate namesake she had for him was


    probably James.


    Nevertheless, Maria had managed to make the other woman jealous; she snorted once and said


    nothing more.


    Maria wasn''t in the mood for inane pleasantries either. She linked her arm around James'' and


    watched him.


    And then something urred to her. "Can you fish?" she asked in a low voice.


    He nced at her with a raised brow. "Cook for me tonight."


    After adjusting the size of the float, he hung the bait on the hook and threw his line to the water.


    Maria pouted. "What if you don''t catch anything? Don''t embarrass yourself for my sake."


    "There''s nothing I can''t do,¡± he retorted.


    "Well, are you capable of giving birth?"


    James was rendered speechless for a moment. "You know I can''t. But I can give you the baby to


    carry."


    Maria pinched him. "Oh, I must definitely sleep with you tonight!" she dered.


    "Why? Is it because you want to call me your husband in bed?"


    "Stop being so shameless!" She had only said that to undermine the other woman earlier.


    "I can be even more shameless, you know. I can show you when we get back to our room."


    It was Maria''s turn to gape. Couldn''t he just concentrate on fishing?


    An hour passed. The other man from the couple next to him had spent the entire time talking on his


    phone. Their bucket remained empty.


    James had also answered calls from time to time, but their bucket already contained a considerable


    number of catch.


    Maria was leaning her head on his shoulder. They had grown quiet andfortable.


    She yawned, then she asked a question. "James, have you missed me these past few days?"


    "I have." He wasn''t going to hide anything from her.


    "What did you miss about me?"


    "I miss how you look when you''re pressed against my body." He had thought about her every night


    before he went to bed, and then he would miss her, and he would have to take a cold shower to


    calm himself.


    And in the daytime, he would think about her grievances.


    Maria rolled her eyes at him. As soon as she treated him even a little bit nicer, he would always start


    flirting with her.


    "Stop trying to flirt with me. I haven''t forgiven you yet." Her tone turned low and serious.


    "I know, but this and that aren''t mutually exclusive of each other." Just like how she kept holding him


    even though she hated him. Both could be true at the same time.


    Maria didn''t reply. But she knew, too, that he had a point, and that he was right.


    Another hour passed, and the couple next to them soon rose and left arm in arm. When they walked


    past Maria and James, the woman scoffed and rolled her eyes after seeing how they clung to each


    other.


    Her reaction didn''t escape Maria''s notice, but she didn''t care.


    That woman had been showing off to here for all of the three days they had been here. It was only


    right for her to take her sweet revenge with James tonight.


    When dusk fell, James'' bucket ended up being filled to the brim with several types of big fish. Maria


    took plucked tworge ones and gave the rest to the hotel staff.


    Since there wasn''t a lot of ingredients at her disposal, she ended up preparing four dishes for


    dinner, two of which were fish.


    One was steamed, while the other one was stewed.


    James had never been a picky eater; he would eat whatever Maria cooked.


    After dinner, an assistant brought over James'' suitcase while he was in the shower.


    Maria knew this man. He was one of James'' assistants and rarely said anything.


    He greeted her politely. "Good evening, Ms. Song."


    "Hello." Maria grabbed the handle of the suitcase from his hand. "Here, I can take care of it."


    "Okay, thank you."


    "Not at all."


    Maria closed the door as the man left and set the suitcase aside.


    She nced at her watch. It looked like she could spare some time for a good soak in the bath.


    It was so cold, however, so the open-air bath was out of the question. The bathroom would have to


    do for now.


    She called the front desk and asked for some flower petals to be brought to their room. Paying no


    heed to the man taking his shower, she poured the petals into the bathtub and turned on the tap.


    They she poured some milk into the water before leaving the bathroom without a single nce at


    him.


    James stood under the spray of water, speechless as he watched her go about her business


    without a care in the world.


    He hurried to finish his shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. Then he stood guard at the


    bathtub, waiting for the water to fill itpletely before turning off the tap and walking out the door.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    In the bedroom, Maria was lounging casually and watching TV. She turned around when she heard


    him step out. "Is my water ready?"


    "Mm."


    She turned off the television and headed to the bathroom.


    At ten o''clock that evening, James, who had been working diligently, frowned.


    Maria smirked slightly. She was already used to it. She leaned back against the headboard and


    continued to read in the midst of all the noisesing from the next room.


    As far as she was considered, the hotel was an excellent establishment. The only problem was that


    the walls weren''t soundproof. And she had the misfortune of having very loud neighbors.


    And Maria had been suffering through this in the past three days.

 Chapter 242 Go To Jail

    Chapter 242 Go To Jail


    Maria had asked the hotel for a new room, but it was useless. The couple, who were sitting opposite


    Maria and James in the indoor fishing hall earlier, were upying the room next to theirs.


    In the study, James closed hisptop and went to the bed. As he did so, he looked at Maria.


    Maria snapped her book close and looked at him in the eye. "Now you know why I want to sleep


    with you, don''t you?


    No wonder she took the initiative this afternoon. Now, he figured out her purpose.


    "In that case, what are you waiting for?" James untied the bathrobe belt around his waist and threw


    it aside.


    Maria gaped. He was in such a hurry! Actually, she wanted to wait five minutes after the room next


    to theirs quieted down.


    James was now into it. He took the book from her hands and cast it aside. Then, he pressed her


    body under his and whispered in her ear, "Don''t worry. We''ll outshine them."


    Maria rolled her eyes. How could he be so confident?


    At about eleven o''clock, there was a knock on the wall. Maria looked at James in the darkness and


    whispered, "She''s angry."


    "Moan louder,"


    he ordered.


    At about twelve o''clock at midnight, the knocks on the door grew louder and faster. They were so


    loud that they could tell the impatience of the person who was knocking.


    James was about to get out of the bed to answer the door, but Maria pulled him back. "Let me do it."


    She stood up and fixed her hair for a bit. Then, she wrapped herself in pajamas and opened the


    door.


    As expected, the woman who was knocking was the person they had met during the day. Maria


    leaned against the door frame and saidzily, "It''s alreadyte. Why aren''t you sleeping yet? Is


    there a problem?"


    The woman scoffed and answered angrily, "How dare you to ask me that? How can we sleep?


    You''re so loud!"


    She peered inside in hopes to see Maria''s partner. Unfortunately, the bedroom was deep inside, so


    she was not able to see him.


    "So? Your man isn''t good at it, is he?"


    Maria''s words poked the woman''s sore spot. "You did it on purpose!"


    "I''m d you know. I specifically asked my husband to humiliate you. What do you think? Isn''t he


    much better than your man? Well, you don''t have to be envious of me. Just find another date."


    "Where can I find such a man?" The woman looked Maria up and down and asked tentatively, "How


    about you lend me yours to me so I could have a try?"


    Upon hearing their conversation, James felt so ufortable with it that he got up, put on his


    pajamas, and walked over. "Close the door," he ordered.


    Hearing his voice, Maria stood straight and asked the woman with a sneer, "Lend him to you? Are


    you prettier or sexier than me? Besides, do you really think that my man will be willing to sleep with


    you?"


    When James came over, Maria held him in her arms and said coquettishly, "Honey, kiss me."


    Since their sex was interrupted, he wanted to close the door and continue where they had left off.


    But upon hearing Maria''s words, he lowered his head and kissed her on the lips.


    The two acted more intimately as if nobody else was around. The woman, who was standing


    outside the door, was so mad and embarrassed that her face turned red.


    Unable to do anything, she snorted heavily and left.


    Once the woman was gone, James closed the door with his foot. Maria saw this as an opportunity,


    so she held his face andined about the woman. "She said that she was interested in you.


    She also said that she wanted to sleep with you. How shameless!"


    "She doesn''t deserve me."


    "Anyway, I think you''d better leave tomorrow. Or better yet, you should go now. Ugh! It hurts!"


    James sneered. Every time she was done using him, she would throw him away.


    Their exercisested until thetter half of the night. The next day, Maria no longer saw the woman


    and her partner next door.


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    In the afternoon, she saw someone cleaning the room next to hers, so she asked the cleaner where


    the upants were. It turned out that they had already checked out.


    Maria breathed a sigh of relief.


    She stood beside James, who was currently working on hisptop, and asked, "Could you ask your


    assistant to book a flight for you tomorrow?" Now that the couple next door were gone, she could


    finally rest peacefully.


    James turned around and stared at her. Tve already asked him to do so."


    Maria was taken aback by his response. He had always been so efficient ever since.


    When the night came, it was Maria who first went to bed.


    James came over and held her, but she pulled her arms away. "I''m sleepy. I want to sleep." In her


    tone were alienation and impatience.


    "Maria Song," James said angrily in the dark.


    "Why? Didn''t we do itst night? I''m still sore." Maria felt quite helpless.


    "But I just took a shower," James said.


    "I know," she answered casually with her back to him.


    "Remember what you did in my officest time?"


    Of course she remembered. As a matter of fact, it was still etched in her mind.


    "I know you still remember it. Let''s do it again."


    ''Tve already forgotten it," she retorted quickly, but her fingers were touching her lips.


    "It doesn''t matter. I''ll make you remember it." Never in his life would he allow her to discard him


    easily after using him.


    His words rendered Maria speechless.


    In the end, she remained adamant in her refusal.


    Her refusal, surprisingly, did not make him angry at all. Instead, he held her in his armsfortingly,


    and he eventually fell asleep next to her.


    Early the next day, Maria was woken up by his kisses.


    In a daze, she patted James and protested sluggishly, "I''m so sleepy."


    "You can continue sleeping."


    Maria rolled her eyes at him.


    How could she continue sleeping if he was bombarding her with kisses?


    They started their day with a bang. Quite literally. They had sex at five o''clock in the morning. At


    seven o''clock, James got up, packed up his things, and left.


    Maria was crestfallen. She could stay here as long as she wanted. James, however, could not.


    There was a bigpany that was waiting for him to go back.


    Before he left, he renewed her room rate for two weeks.


    Maria woke up at noon. Although she had already prepared herself, she felt destion in her heart


    upon seeing that she was alone in the room.


    His short stay there felt like a dream. If it were not for her sore body, she would have thought that


    she was only dreaming. In her imagination, James was pressing on her as he whispered in her ear,


    "Maria..."


    She did not stay abroad for a long time. As soon as she received an urgent phone call, she returned


    to H City at once.


    It was Colby. ording to him, something happened to HM Group.


    Someone reported that the managers of HM Group took part in the Ponzi scheme rted to


    Jonathan. Although he was arrested a week ago, many people still got involved with him.


    The police investigation revealed that HM Group was involved in the matter. As a result, Colby


    wanted Maria to take the me.


    The person who should shoulder the repercussions was one of Colby''s cousins. However, the said


    cousin was skillful and had made a lot of contributions to the group before. Colbypared his


    cousin and Maria. Since he decided that his cousin was indispensable, he chose to dump the other.


    As soon as Maria returned, she headed straight to HM Group and met with Colby.


    Despite Maria''s jegged appearance, Colby went straight to the point. "Admit to the police that it


    was you who did it. I''ll find a way to get you out of prison as soon as possible." With that, he took


    out a bank card from his drawer. "There is one hundred million dors. Do what I say, and it''ll all be


    yours."


    Maria stared at the card for quite some time without saying a word.


    To put it simply, she had to go to jail in order to get the money.


    This Ponzi scheme involved arge sum of money. Those people who got involved in that scheme


    would have to serve at least ten years of imprisonment.

 Chapter 243 Mind Reader

    Chapter 243 Mind Reader


    Maria didn''t immediately agree, and to his credit, Colby didn''t press her. "I''ll have someone take


    care of yourpany," he said in a tentative tone. "And in the future, I will put yourpany in the


    highest priority in terms of coborative endeavors. If it turns out that you can''t get out of jail


    anytime soon, I will take care of you for the rest of your life."


    ''Gee, '' Maria sneered inwardly. ''He''s really fond of making promises, isn''t he?¡¯


    She shot him an aggrieved expression. "But why me? I''m just another woman."


    "First of all, you are the deputy manager of HM Group. Your confession won''te as a surprise to


    the public given your position. Secondly, the Songs have cut ties with you; there isn''t anyone in the


    city you''re significantly affiliated with. Thirdly, and most important of all, won''t you take this


    opportunity to see if James or Norman would be willing to rescue you?"


    Maria shook her head in false disappointment, her eyes red with unshed tears. "Norman won''t help


    me, much less James. After all, he was the one who put me in prison.¡±


    The truth was that Colby was already aware. He had also been present at the New Year''s banquet;


    he just happened to have been assigned to a different private room.


    The guests had all been abuzz with talk, saying that Maria and James had a very big, very public


    quarrel.


    Now, however, he pretended to be surprised by her words. "Is that true? Howe you''ve never


    mentioned this before?" He had also hired people to investigate Maria, but even this information


    had not surfaced in the reports he had received.


    "Why should I mention such a disgraceful thing?"


    Colby nodded at her answer-she had a point.


    He appeared to ponder for a while. "If you feel that one hundred million is not enough, then I''ll turn it


    into an initial deposit. After you go down to the police station and make your confession, I will add


    another fifty million into your ount."


    Maria began to cry. "Mr. Zheng..." Then she covered her mouth as if to stifle her sobs.


    Colby fell for her act and took her in his arms. "Maria, I know this is painful for you. I promise I will


    try my best to get you out of this as soon as possible."


    She sank into his embrace and sobbed against his chest.


    "Mr. Zheng, I will agree to do this. But..."


    "Go ahead."


    "There''s someone I still need to repay. I owe her a favor, you see." She proceeded to tell him about


    Peggy.


    Colby frowned as he listened.


    Maria handed him back the card. "If you can get Peggy out of jail, I will do as you say without the


    money. Please give her the other fifty million. You will take care of me, won''t you?"


    He nodded without hesitation. "Of course."


    "She is my best friend. You need to help me; I won''t be assured while serving jail time otherwise."


    "Yes," Colby finally agreed.


    On the day that news of the Ponzi scheme broke in H City, Maria''s name sat clear and


    unmistakable on the list of suspects, right next to her title as a senior executive of HM Group.


    James was oblivious to what was happening, until Ethan stormed into his office and told him all


    about it. "James! James, something is wrong!"


    "What is it this time?"


    "Maria has been arrested!"


    "What?" His face darkened.


    "It''s all over the news! She was taken away on charges of being part of the Ponzi scheme."


    How could she have been dragged into suspicion over that matter? The logic was lost to James.


    Weren''t the senior executives of HL Group suspected of fraud over this same issue? Howe


    Maria was also implicated in it?


    The Ponzi scheme had its veins running through several conglomeratepanies.


    As a possibility presented itself in James'' head, his dark expression took on a dangerous edge.


    Inside the detention room of the police station, Maria sat in a corner. Leaning against the wall, she


    closed her eyes.


    Awyer representing HM Group entered the room and approached her. "Hello, Ms. Song."


    She opened her eyes then, and knew instantly that her visitor was awyer. "Hello."


    "Mr. Zheng asked me toe here. As you may know already, this case involves a wide group of


    people. You have to understand that you might not be able to get out of this ce for a good while."


    "Yes, I know." Maria had to control her expression so she didn''t sneer. They had all known


    beforehand that once she confessed, the problem wasn''t about her not getting out soon, but not


    being able to get her out at all.


    "Mr. Zheng asked me to tell you not to worry. He will figure out a way."


    "Of course. Is there any chance I can see him? This ce is very scary." She projected the picture


    of a weak and timid woman.


    Thewyer heaved a subtle sigh. How could she expect Colby toe to her in such a situation?


    He was a CEO, and Maria was practically inside a jail cell. But what he said was, "I will convey your


    words to him and see what we can do."


    "Okay, thank you very much."


    Then after a few more inane pleasantries, thewyer rose and left the room.


    Maria was detained for an entire day as the case got more and moreplicated. And as new


    revtion surfaced, people became less and less concerned about her.


    On her third day of detention, someone came to tell her, "Maria Song, you can leave now."


    She wasn''t surprised by this turn of events, but she did wonder who had brought it about.


    Unfortunately, she was only getting released on bail; her name hadn''t been cleared yet. She was


    notpletely free.


    She signed the necessary papers and came out of the police station to find a ck car parked out


    front.


    She recognized it to be Norman''s.


    Disappointmentnced through her heart.


    The chauffeur opened the door to the back seat and


    Maria got into the vehicle.


    Norman was donned in a silver suit, and a pair of gold-rimmed sses sat on the bridge of his


    nose. He looked elegant even with his legs crossed in the tight space.


    "Thank you," Maria said.


    He only smiled. "Were you disappointed to discover that I''vee instead of him?"


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    She said nothing, frustrated as she wondered if Norman somehow had the ability to read her mind.


    Unfortunately for her, he wasn''t the type who was afraid of hurting her feelings. "James knows what


    happened to you. But he did nothing about it."


    He had given the man one day to make his move, but James didn''t appear to be scrambling to


    rescue Maria.


    Norman was sure James knew about it.


    Maria stared at her hands on herp. "Do you think you can arrange a meeting between me and


    Jonathan?"


    "Right now?"


    "A littleter, maybe. I need to go home and change my clothes first."


    "Sure."


    The car screeched to a halt in front of Golden Mansion, and they exchanged their goodbyes before


    Maria got inside.


    Her movements were quick and calcted¡ªshe took a shower and changed her clothes. And then


    she was driving out of themunity.


    Maria knew she was bound to return to jail within a matter of days, and while she was sure that


    Norman wouldn''t let her rot in there, she still felt the need to see Jonathan before she stepped back


    into prison. If things went awryter on, it would only be harder to see the man.


    Maria and Jonathan faced each other in the visiting area of his detention facility. She wore an


    imprable, icy expression, while he looked like he had grown ten years older in these past few


    days.


    Hatred was bursting forth from his manic eyes. "I knew it was you, Maria Song, you bitch!"


    She put a hand on her waist and looked at him indifferently. She was wearing a long ck coat over


    a delicatece dress.


    She always made it a point to look wless and magnificent in front of her enemies.


    Maria didn''t beat around the bush. "Jonathan Jiang, do you still remember Siena Mo?" she asked


    quietly.


    It had been so many years now, but the moment he heard that name, his face went pale and his lips


    trembled. His previously aggressive stance turned fearful in the blink of an eye. ''How does she


    know that name?'' He had spent millions of dors in the past just to make sure that name was


    buried and never saw the light of day again.


    But Maria''s question was a rhetorical one, and she didn''t really need an answer. "For your


    information, she was my best friend. She was even my maid of honor when I married James."


    Realization dawned on Jonathan then, and it reflected in his eyes. "You did all this to avenge her, is


    that it?"


    "Precisely!" Maria met his gaze with a fierce expression of her own. She was not going to hide


    anything anymore.

 Chapter 244 Retribution

    Chapter 244 Retribution


    At the age of 18, Siena Mo fell in love with Jonathan, who had been 38 years of at the time. He had


    been married then, but had imed to her that he was still a bachelor.


    Back then, YL Group was nowhere near its current status in the industry. For a long while, the


    company had struggled with capital turnover, and Siena had to funnel funds from her family and


    friends in order to provide the five million that Jonathan had needed.


    It had helped, and within a few years, thepany had started to thrive. Not once, however, had


    Jonathan ever mentioned paying back the money he had owed her.


    "Five million dors. You never had any intention of returning the money to her, despite the fact that


    she had five of her unborn children aborted for your sake! You are an animal, Jonathan Jiang."


    Maria did not hold back andid it all out on the man.


    Jonathan said nothing, but he trembled in the face of her wrath.


    When Siena had learned that not only was Jonathan married, but that he also had a son, she had


    snapped. She had gone through a mental breakdown and ended upmitting suicide.


    She had wasted seven years of her life for him, and had eventually ended it also because of him.


    "You were together for seven years. She offered you the best years of her youth, and how did you


    treat her? You are much, much worse than animal!" Thinking back at how her best friend had died


    so young, Maria had to fight back the urge to physically tear this man to pieces.


    Jonathan covered his face in shame, unable to say anything to defend himself. Everything Maria


    was saying was true.


    And he had been at fault for underestimating her this whole time. He had been overwhelmed by the


    gratification of his greed that he had grown careless. And now look where thatnded him. "You


    bought off the official, didn¡¯t you?" he asked, his tone usatory.


    Maria sneered at him. He was already in such a state and yet instead of repenting, he was still


    refusing to let the matter of the South District property go. What an absolute bastard!


    She would not admit it. "That no longer matters. What matters is that you will nevere out of this


    prison''s walls for the rest of your life."


    Jonathan red at her with wide eyes, his breathing ragged, his voice stuck in his throat.


    When Maria stepped out of the facility, she took the time to look up at the dark sky and take a deep


    breath. ''Siena, no matter how cunning Jonathan Jiang is, he can''t escape from jail. Please rest in


    peace.''


    She drove to the northern suburbs, to an old neighborhood. She parked in front of a building,


    climbed up to the third floor, looked for a particr door, and pressed the buzzer.


    "Who is it?" An old woman''s voice came from inside.


    Maria didn''t say anything and pressed the buzzer again.


    The security door opened, and there stood an elderly woman with short hair. "Auntie, it''s me,


    Maria."


    The woman squinted, and when she saw the face of her visitor more clearly, her eyes widened.


    "Maria? Is that really you?"


    "Yes, it''s me."


    The woman suddenly burst into tears. "Maria. Oh Maria,


    why are you here?"


    They hadn''t seen each other for several years; she must be over 50 years old now. There were


    lines in her face, and her hair had turned gray. "Auntie, can Ie inside?"


    "Yes, yes, of course! Hurry ande in." The woman stepped aside and held the door open.


    Maria entered the apartment and looked around. The unit had one living room and two bedrooms,


    with a total of about seventy to eight square meters in area. For many, it was a tight space for three


    grown people to live in.


    "Maria, where have you been all these years?" the woman choked as she wiped her tears.


    "Please don''t cry, Auntie. I''ve been well."


    "That''s good then."


    "Where are Uncle and Dexter?"


    "They''re at work right now. My health isn''t as good as it was, so I stay home most of the time."


    Maria had note here to catch up and reminisce. She rummaged inside her purse and produced


    a bank card; then she handed it to the woman. "Auntie, there''s thirty million dors in here."


    She had managed to swindle twenty million from Jonathan, and had transferred another ten million


    from her own personal ount.


    "Ah, where did you get so much money?" The woman''s eyes watered again, but her shock was


    evident behind her tears.


    Maria hesitated for a while before finally deciding to tell the truth. "I got it from Jonathan Jiang."


    This woman was Hattie, Siena''s mother, and this apartment was her family''s home.


    Hattie''s face changed. She pped the bank card against Maria''s palm and dered, "I don''t want


    it! We don''t any money from that bastard even if we end up dying in hunger and poverty. What I


    want is his life for my daughter''s!"


    The Mo family had owned a medium-sizedpany in the past, but they had to sell it at some point


    in order to fund thewsuit they had filed against Jonathan.


    "Auntie, please don''t get worked up and listen to me first." Maria grabbed Hattie''s hand. "This is


    actually¡ª''''


    "Were you sent here by Jonathan Jiang in order to bribe us? I''m telling you now, Maria Song, I will


    never let him go." Hattie was now trembling at the weight of her emotions.


    "No, Auntie, it''s not like that. Please trust me. Listen, Jonathan Jiang is in prison and he won''t be


    getting out of there in this lifetime."


    Hattie had already known that he had been jailed. After all, the whole family paid attention to any


    news concerning him. They were all waiting for reports toe saying that he had finally died.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "You''re lying! He hasn''t been sentenced yet. How can you even know that he won''t get acquitted?"


    Maria struggled to calm the elder; it took her a lot of convincing. In the end, she said, "Even if he


    won''t get the death penalty, his sentence won''t be any less than life imprisonment. He''s going to rot


    and die in prison."


    Hattie had to pause and digest everything she had just heard, then sheughed out loud. "Oh,


    Thank God! Jonathan Jiang finally got the retribution he deserves. Oh Siena, my daughter, did you


    hear that? Maria said that Jonathan Jiang won''t get out of prison ever again." The woman burst into


    tears again.


    "He finally got his retribution. Jonathan Jiang, the


    asshole."


    Maria kept herpany as Hattie sat on the couch and cradled Siena''s portrait,ughing and


    weeping at the same time. They stayed like that for a long time before the woman finally gathered


    herself.


    Maria handed her the bank card once more, telling the old woman that it wasn''t nearly enough


    payment for what Jonathan owed Siena. Then she left the apartment before the men returned


    home.


    In the Jiang family vi


    Kent stood to the side of the living room, watching in silence as people in uniforms rushed back and


    forth through the front door. They were confiscating everything inside the house that was of value.


    His parents had been taken away just a few days ago. One had been apprehended under suspicion


    of fraud and tax evasion, while the other was facing charges of fraud and illegal financing.


    Before Jonathan had been dragged out of the house, he had given Kent a parting im. "It''s Maria


    Song. Kent, this was all done by her!"


    "Do you know who broke my headst time? It''s also that bitch, Maria Song," his mother had said.


    And just like that, the Jiang family had copsed overnight. All of their properties were confiscated


    and auctioned, and the vi was sealed up.


    Jonathan had indeed left his son arge sum of money, but that, too, was frozen by the bank after


    the investigation. Kent, who had grown up surrounded by luxury, was now reduced to a penniless


    boy.


    Dusk fell outside, and the once-bright vi of the Jiang family also descended into darkness. The


    last of the staff fastened the seal at the gates of the property and drove away.


    Kent just stood at the road, gazing back at his home without a word.


    Back at Golden Mansion, Maria was standing by the window as she dialed Norman''s number. "I


    found out who told them I was behind the downfall of the Jiangs. It was Dani."


    "Dani Song..." Norman''s voice took on a mocking tone. "What a good sister she is."


    Maria didn''t respond.


    On the other end of the line, Norman knocked his cigarette case against his desk and popped out a


    stick. He put it between his lips, but he didn¡¯t light it. "You don''t have a lot of time in your hands.


    What''s the next step of your n?"


    "You can just go on ahead with your own affairs. Leave everything else to me."


    He chuckled, pleased with her words. "I was right in choosing you. I''m growing very fond of your


    cruel streak."

 Chapter 245 Get Sentenced Again

    Chapter 245 Get Sentenced Again


    It was rather certain that Colby wouldn''t be keeping his promises, and if Norman wouldn''t take care


    of this for Maria either, she just might get sentenced to jail time again.


    This was no longer amusing. Of course, she wasn''t holding out any hope for James. She had no


    choice but to secure a way out here and now. "Give me a month. I''m still in there by then, I''m afraid


    I''m going to have to trouble you again."


    "You don''t believe in James?¡± he asked.


    She said nothing.


    It wasn''t that she didn''t trust James, just that she never knew what he was going to do next. She


    could never fully understand what went on in that man''s head.


    "All right, don''t worry about it. I won''t step in in this matter even if you beg meter." And just like


    that, Norman had effectively blocked her only way out.


    She had always known of his capacity to be ruthless. And now she experienced it again.


    Norman didn''t exin himself. This was turning out to be a contest of sorts between Maria and


    James. Why should he meddle in their business? Wouldn''t it be more fun if he just stood to the side


    and watch the fun unfold?


    Besides, at the rate that things were going, it looked like James didn''t even care about his own


    woman. Surely he couldn''t be expecting Norman to swoop in and rescue her on his behalf, could


    he?


    On the day that the police knocked on Maria''s door, she gave Sandra a call. "Sandra, I need you to


    do me a favor."


    Even if she had to stay locked up for a few years, there was no reason why she should halt her


    revenge on Alina.


    At the HL Group


    James was reviewing a batch of documents when his phone vibrated on his desk. The caller ID told


    him it was his grandfather. He swiped at the screen and tightened his lips in preparation for what


    was toe.


    Before he could say anything, Augustine was already scolding him from the other end of the line.


    "Do you even see yourself as a man? Your wife has been put to jail and you don''t do anything? I


    can''t believe I have a grandson like you! What, now that you''re all grown up, you think I can''t do


    anything to you anymore, huh? You punk!"


    James blinked twice, speechless. He had expected that this call would be because of Maria.


    Augustine cussed him out some more before pausing, presumably having grown tired from his


    exertions. "Why aren''t you saying anything?"


    "Because it''s disrespectful to interrupt you, Grandpa," James answered calmly.


    "This punk! Don''t think I believe you for a minute! When Jonathan Jiang was keeping himself busy


    extorting all that money, Maria wasn''t even back in H City yet. How could she have been involved in


    the case? Are you even using your brain or not?"


    "Grandpa, why should I concern myself when she is willing to take the me for him?"


    "Oh, so you would rather do nothing then? Maria is a fool to take the me for someone else. But


    you have to do something to help her. You must be nning to use this opportunity to get rid of her


    for good and marry that good-for-nothing Alina Tang!"


    For the second time in less than an hour, James was rendered speechless. ''What does any of this


    have to do with Alina?''


    "All right, fine then. I don''t want to keep discussing worthless things with you. Just tell me this¡ªare


    you going to help Maria or not?"


    "Nope."


    Augustine''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets at James'' answer, and his breath caught in his


    throat. "Great! This is just great! You truly are my grandson after all! You got that stubborn side of


    yours from me, and I''m sure I did my part in teaching you to be ruthless, too. But I never taught you


    to be ruthless to your own wife! Ah, forget it! Why do I even bother? I''m better off treasuring my own


    wife."


    He hung up the phone then, just as abruptly as he had called.


    Well, as a matter of fact, it was Charlotte who had tapped on the end call button. She shot her


    husband a pointed look. "If I had only been listening and not watching the whole time, I would have


    fallen for your great acting skills."


    Augustine snorted. "It''s not often that I get a chance to scold that brat."


    "Well, in any case, you''ve vented your anger now. All that remains is for us to wait and see what our


    grandson does next."


    "You''re right."


    The truth was that they had never doubted James. They were certain that he would take action, it


    was just a matter of time.


    It was only bad luck that Augustine had grown bored and impatient and wanted to usher his


    grandson forward.


    Back at the office, James had barely put down his phone when Ethan burst through the door.


    "James, James! Maria has been arrested again!"


    "Mm." He didn''t appear at all affected by this piece of news.


    "Well? Have you sent someone to get her out of there?"


    "No.¡±


    Ethan''s heat sank, and he frowned. "Then how can you be here all calm and collected? Do you


    realize what''s happening? Maria is going to get sentenced again."


    ''Again?''


    That one word bore a heavy weight.


    James'' grip on his pen grew tighter. "I know," he said, his voice low.


    "You know?" Ethan scoffed, unable toprehend this man. "Are you sure you want to be this


    cruel?"


    "Why, are you going to worry for her all the time?"


    "Of course! I''m not like you. Ah, forget it. I''m staying out of this, I''m not her boyfriend anyway. That


    very man himself couldn''t care less, so why should I lose sleep over it?"


    James said nothing, wondering since when Maria had be his wife in people''s eyes.


    Ethan plopped on a chair and turned pensive. "I''m pretty sure Norman is going to make a move.


    Didn''t he say he wanted to marry Maria? This would be the perfect opportunity for him to assert his


    intentions¡ªsaving her when she''s in distress."


    Hismentary was met with silence, so he continued.


    "I mean, if I were him, I would definitely grab this chance. Vulnerable people are quite easy to


    convince; it won''t take much. And Maria is in a very fragile state at the moment, don''t you agree?


    Just picture it. She stays locked up in prison for several days, and then Norman takes her out of her


    cage.


    Besides, he hase to save her a handful of times already. She is bound to be moved. I would


    certainly want to marry my savior, if I were in her ce."


    James was ring at him by this point.


    "But I do understand your side of things. Your fiancee is Alina Tang, and no one else. You didn''t


    even lift a finger when Ronald got arrested, so why should you make a move for the sake of your


    ex-wife? I won''t be disturbing you anymore, please carry on with your work."


    In Ethan''s opinion, he had already said what he wanted to say, and the ball was now firmly in


    James'' court. If the man still chose not to do anything, then there wasn''t anything anyone could do


    to force him.


    "Fuck off!"


    James yelled, taking Ethan aback.


    He snorted and rose from his seat, giving the massive CEO desk a couple of knocks before heading


    for the door. Ethan was already looking forward to the time when the mighty James Xi would have


    to woo Maria again.


    Inside her detention room, Maria kept her eyes closed most of time, her head tilted back against the


    wall.


    Perhaps she had grown ustomed to this ce already; she no longer felt the fear and dread that


    had haunted her in the past.


    Colby''swyer hade again, urging her to sign the confession statement. She told the man she


    wanted to wait, since Colby had given his word that he would do everything-everything-in his power


    to keep her from getting jailed.


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Thewyer could only eye her in disdain. ''What a stupid broad! She''s just another significant girl


    now. Did she really expect Colby Zheng to do so much just to save her?''


    The Tang family had learned of Maria''s arrest, and the previous haze that had fogged their family


    now lifted. The Tang couple, in particr, were often sporting smiles these days.


    Alina could not bring herself to share in their positive outlook, though, given that James had told her


    he would break off their engagement one day.


    Days passed, and a dinner party was held for the big shots in H City. A lot of financial celebrities


    were in attendance, as well as several government officials.


    Norman would normally pass up asions like this, but he attended this time around, offering a


    rare sight to the rest of the guests.


    When James arrived at the scene, Norman and Colby were in the middle of a discussion.


    Of course, conversations halted when he came in, and everyone gave him their greetings.


    After James sat down, Norman turned back to Colby to continue their talk. "Where were we, Mr.


    Zheng?"


    "Maria Song," Colby said with a look of regret. "Tomorrow is her appointed deadline to sign her


    confession. I want to help her, I really do, but I just can''t. This matter has escted to disastrous


    proportions, and a lot of names were already dragged into the mud. I''m afraid my hands are tied."


    "She has been in jail for a whole week now, right?" Despite his words and tone, Norman was


    smiling gently.


    "I believe so. As the chairman of thepany, I truly feel a huge sense of regret to lose a good


    business partner like her." "Don''t me yourself too much, Mr. Zheng. She will be sentenced to five


    years at most. You can make it up to her after shees out. You know how women are; they''ll do


    anything for money."


    Colby nodded eagerly. "Of course I will make it up to her. I just can''t help feeling the guilt."


    Norman''s eyes took on a sharp edge. This man had the gall to act remorseful, but they both knew


    he had no intention whatsoever to do anything about his so-called guilt.

 Chapter 246 Have A Death Wish

    Chapter 246 Have A Death Wish


    Although James was sitting opposite them, he did not seem to heartheir conversation. As usual, he


    discussed the new project with the officials.


    Two hourster, the dinner party came to an end.


    Men in crisp suits and leather shoes walked out of the restaurant one after another. At this moment,


    one of Colby''s assistants trotted over and whispered in his ear, "Mr. Zheng, something happened to


    Maria."


    With a frown, Colby asked the assistant, "What happened?"


    "She got almost raped in prison. Then she was forced to sign the confession in advance."


    Colby nodded, his gaze drifting off in contemtion. "I see."


    Truth be told, he had no ns on taking action at all.


    The doors of James'' and Norman''s cars closed at. They both roared away at the same time.


    Just when Norman''s car was about to stop at the Shen Group, James'' car, which was closely


    following behind, elerated and overtook the other. It stopped in front of Norman''s car with a loud


    screech.


    Norman''s driver mmed the brakes. Norman, who was sitting in the back seat, was unhappy


    about it. "What''s the matter?"


    "Mr. Shen, it''s Mr. Xi''s car." ''James?'' An inexplicable smile appeared on Norman''s face.


    Ten minutes had passed, yet nobody got out.


    After a while, Norman opened the door, got out of his car and leaned against the door. Without


    taking another step away from the car, he lit up a cigarette and puffed it leisurely.


    On the other hand, James did not make a move.


    Once Norman finished his cigarette, he stubbed the cigarette butt and walked over to James'' car.


    The car window rolled down, revealing James'' expressionless face.


    As usual, Norman''s smile was gentle. "Mr. Xi, what do you mean?"


    James opened the door and got out. The two men now stood face to face to each other.


    It had been six months since theyst faced each other like this. Today, it happened again because


    of a woman.


    "Tell me. What''s your n?" asked James tly.


    Norman could have saved Maria, but he did not.


    With a chuckle, Norman replied, "What should I do then? Maria was willing to take the me


    herself. What does it have to do with me? She was not taking the me for me. Mr. Xi, I think you''d


    better go to Mr. Zheng instead."


    James put his hands in his pockets and reminded Norman in a cold voice, "You bailed her outst


    time, remember?"


    "Yes, and? Do I have to get her out again?"


    James'' jaw tightened. "Norman, you took her out, trained her, and nted her by my side. Your


    motive has been exposed. Does being pretentious amuse you?"


    The smile in Norman''s eyes faded away. "Let me correct you. It was not my idea to let her sleep


    with you. After all, I also want to marry her."


    "Marry her?" James scoffed, and his lips curled into a sarcastic smile. "Norman Shen, how could


    you let the woman you want to marry sleep with another man?"


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Surprisingly, Norman did not feel even an ounce of humiliation. "Mr. Xi, what exactly do you want to


    achieve by blocking my way?"


    "I''m not going to fall into your trap. I''m going to rescue her this time since she has slept with me


    countless times. Also, if you dare to use her again, I won''t show mercy to you just because you''re


    Norman Shen."


    Norman frowned and said in a pathetic voice, "Maria is so pitiful, isn''t she? She''s be a


    ything for men."


    "If she''s indeed just a ything, she''s my ything only!"


    "I don''t think so. You divorced her, didn''t you? After I took her out of the prison, she stayed in my


    vi," Norman said with a smile.


    James'' anger that he had long bottled up shattered in an instant. He swung his fist at Norman.


    Of course, Normal would not allow himself to lose. He dodged James'' fist and fought back.


    The two men brawled in the dark.


    After quite some time, their drivers pulled away their bosses, whose faces were now ck and blue.


    Unfortunately, the drivers got involved in Norman and James¡¯ fight as well. As a result, their faces,


    like their bosses'', were beaten and bruised.


    Two dayster, Maria was quietly taken out of the detention room. Summer was waiting for her


    outside. Seeing Maria get out of the room, Summer grabbed her hand and whispered, "Maria, are


    you okay?"


    Maria nodded in response. "Not bad."


    Summer nced at the wound on Maria''s forehead and sighed helplessly. "Mr. Xi is really pissed


    off."


    "I know."


    How could he not? His woman took the me for another man. She did not even call him for help.


    As soon as she came out, she saw that the Harkim was parked by the gate.


    Summer opened the back door for her, and Maria sat in the back seat.


    The atmosphere in the car was a little daunting. Although Maria was right next to James, his gaze


    fell outside the window. She could only see one side of his face.


    Sitting in the front passenger seat, Summer said to the driver, "Go to Golden Mansion."


    There was a long moment of deafening silence in the car.


    Nobody uttered a word until they arrived at their destination. James did not even nce at Maria


    even once.


    As soon as the car stopped, Summer winked at the driver and said, "Winston, do you know where


    the nearest convenience store is? I''m a little thirsty."


    Winston Wang was smart enough to understand what she was trying to say. He unfastened his seat


    belt and offered, "Let me show you the way."


    "Okay. Thank you, Winston. Mr. Xi, I''m going to buy something to drink. Please excuse us."


    James did not respond.


    Before Summer got out of the car, she nced at Maria and gestured a cheer for her. Afterwards,


    she closed the door and left.


    James and Maria were left in the car. Maria thought that it was only appropriate to express gratitude


    to him, so she said, "Thanks."


    When she spoke, her voice was slightly hoarse.


    She waited for a long time for James'' response, but none came.


    "Get out of the car."


    James interrupted her coldly.


    Maria was taken aback.


    She hesitated for a while but decided that it would be best to do as told. Before she got out, she


    leaned over and hugged James tightly. "Please don''t let Colby know that I''m already out," she


    pleaded.


    With a sneer, James looked Maria in the eye and retorted, "If that''s what you what, was I wrong for


    letting you out so early?"


    His gaze shifted from her eyes to the wound on her forehead. His eyes grew even colder.


    The light from outside made its way into the car. Because of this, Maria saw the bruise on James''


    lips. "Are you injured?"


    James'' expression remained unchanged. He turned his face away and said, "I said, get out."


    She did not move, not even a bit. Instead, she rested her face on his shoulder and closed her eyes.


    "I couldn''t rest well in the jail. Could you hold me even just for a moment?"


    "Didn''t you say that we''re going to be strangers? Isn''t that right?"


    "You came to the resort, slept with me, and saved me from imprisonment. How can we be


    strangers?" she said helplessly.


    "So what? Was it all my fault then?" His icy cold voice echoed in the car.


    "No," Maria replied with a sigh. "Anyway, I stink."


    "How dare you hug me when you stink? Do you have a death wish, Maria?" James asked, his face


    turned dark.


    ¡±1 want to take a shower, but I can''t walk. I''m injured."


    "Your forehead is the one that''s wounded, not your legs, " he spat.


    "Then pretend that my legs are injured."


    After a while, James got out of the car and then picked up Maria. With her in his arms, he walked to


    her apartment.


    Meanwhile, Summer and Winston were watching from afar. Seeing the scene, she whispered to


    him, "Let''s go."


    "Okay."


    -

 Chapter 247 Hospitalized

    Chapter 247 Hospitalized


    However, as soon as Summer got into the car, James called. He seemed to have known that she


    was about to leave, because his order was, "Wait right there."


    That certainly took her aback for a moment. "Yes, Mr. Xi, " was all she said. ''Isn''t he going to keep


    Mariapany?'' she wondered.


    He came over shortly and let himself into the passenger seat.


    "Drive back to thepany."


    "Very well, Mr. XI."


    Maria, on the other hand, had known that James would not stay, so she didn''t bother asking him.


    Sure enough, he stormed out of her apartment as soon as he set her down.


    She didn''t see him again in the days that followed, and they didn''t have any contact with each other.


    Carolina was not aware that Maria had already been released, and when she ran into James on


    one of the social gatherings, she tried to arrange for a visitation using his help. He refused her


    request on the spot.


    She had no choice but to give up.


    Mariater learned from Summer that Norman and James had a fight. Shocked at this unexpected


    incident, she immediately gave Norman a call.


    "You fought with James? Why?"


    Norman smiled, "If you have any conscience to speak of, why don''t youe over to the hospital to


    visit me?"


    "You''re in the hospital?"


    "I''m afraid so."


    Maria hurriedly ended the call and grabbed her purse. She was in the hospital grounds in less than


    an hour.


    She sent James a message on her way: "If you''re angry, James Xi, thene directly at me. Our


    problems are between us two, Norman has nothing to do with any of it. No matter what happens, he


    is still your younger brother. Show him some mercy, please."


    James sneered as he read her text. Then he replied, "My younger brother? When did I ever


    acknowledge him as such?"


    A feeling of helplessness came over Maria. She had never wanted to get involved in his family


    affairs, but it looked like she was doing just that. "Regardless, you shouldn''t have beaten him to the


    point that he needed to be admitted to the hospital."


    ''Norman is in the hospital? Seriously?'' James couldn''t believe his ears. Yes, they had a fight, but


    they were evenly matched. Howe Normal was in the hospital?


    James scowled and he didn''t reply to Maria''s messages again.


    Inside one of the VIP wards of the hospital


    Maria gazed down at the man sitting on the bed. He was in the middle of receiving an infusion.


    "Where did you get hurt, Mr. Shen?" Except for some faint bruises on his face, she couldn''t find any


    other visible injuries.


    "Oh, my stomach hasn''t been feeling very good. The doctor said it was acute gastroenteritis."


    Maria gaped. "Weren''t you admitted because of your injuries from the fight?"


    Norman pretended to be confused. "Is there some sort of misunderstanding here? What made you


    think that James Xi was capable of beating me up?" It was pretty embarrassing enough to be


    wearing bruises on his face. If he was in the hospital because of James, how could Norman have


    the face to stay in H City?


    Maria was at a loss. Norman had purposely misled her during their previous conversation; it wasn''t


    her fault for misunderstanding, was it?


    As she thought of the messages she sent to James, her mood instantly turned glum. ''Maria Song,


    why are you so impulsive?''


    But before either person could say anything more, James appeared at the door of the ward.


    She looked at him with wide eyes, speechless.


    Norman put on a smile. "What brings you here, Mr. Xi?"


    "I want to find out how hard I hit you that you had to be hospitalized?"


    James mocked.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    "Don''t worry. I don''t think you have the capacity to beat me up."


    James shot a cold nce at the woman standing by the bed, then looked at Norman again. "Well,


    Mr. Shen, if you feel inclined to see for yourself whether I have the capacity, I''ll be much obliged to


    provide you the opportunity."


    "Sounds good. Shall we make an appointment?"


    "Oh I wouldn''t want to take advantage of your current situation. Let us revisit this conversation once


    you''ve recovered."


    Norman nodded. "No problem at all."


    Maria stepped forward and came between them, facing James. "Juste to me if you have any


    comints, James Xi. Whatever grudges you may bear against me,


    Mr. Shen has nothing to do with it."


    James narrowed his eyes, his expression darkening. "Maria Song." His voice held an undercurrent


    of danger and warning.


    "Look, I take responsibility for the misunderstanding. That was totally my fault. It turns out that Mr.


    Shen is here for acute gastroenteritis. If you still want to hurt him, you''ll have to go through me first."


    ''Go through her?'' James'' lips curled into a sneer.


    It was Norman''s turn to look between the other two, and he did so with glee. He was having fun


    watching them act like this, and he chuckled smugly to himself.


    He had spent a long time training Maria, and he could now see the fruits of hisbor for himself.


    She truly had the talents to piss James off, and Norman felt pretty damn good about the fact.


    But James turned the tables in the blink of an eye.


    He grabbed Maria''s hand, and threw her forcefully on the bed. It was fortunate that Norman was


    sitting on the bed, and they didn''t hit each other when Maria fell on the mattress.


    Then James leaned over and put his arms on either side of her head, blocking any escape. "Have


    you forgotten exactly whose woman you are now? Have you forgotten who''s been fucking you day


    and night?"


    Norman''s jaw dropped, his eyes popping out.


    Maria choked on air at the words slung at her. She tried to push James back, but he never moved


    an inch despite her best efforts.


    He wasn''t done yet, though. "Since you seem to enjoy a good show, Mr. Shen, I''ll provide you with


    as much entertainment as you want."


    He gripped Maria''s wrists and pulled them to his belt


    buckle.


    Maria''s face flushed after realizing what he was nning to do. She struggled against his hold.


    "Stop being so shameless, James Xi!"


    "Mr. Shen likes to watch the show, so we''d better give him something good, hmm? As his elder


    brother, I might as well teach him some excellent positions in bed.¡±


    Norman pressed his lips together at that, wanting to kick the other man to the floor.


    "Get the hell of me right now!" Maria screamed, furious and mortified at the same time. "If you don''t,


    I swear I''m


    "What? What are you going to do, hmm? Beg me for mercy? Just like that one time, when you


    admitted that you were wrong and pleaded for me to be gentler?"


    Maria was thinking about killing herself at this point.


    The smile on Norman''s face had long disappeared. "Enough!" he yelled in a chilly voice.


    James cocked his head at the other man and smiled mockingly. Tm a few years older than you. If


    you want to pick a fight with me, you should acknowledge that first. Then maybe I''ll consider


    teaching you some additional techniques."


    Norman scowled. "Sure, you''re my elder brother, happy? Now can you give me Maria?"


    It seemed that Norman still wanted to make use of Maria.


    James had grown tired of this worthless talk, but that didn''t mean he was letting the woman go. In


    one fluid motion, he tore Maria''s coat open and sent buttons flying into the air.


    She opened her mouth, probably to scream, but he immediately covered it with his before she could


    even get a single sound out. He ravaged her there and then, his hands roaming ruthlessly over her


    body.


    The atmosphere in the ward becameplicated.


    Norman was so shocked he could only gape speechlessly for the first few moments. Then he lifted


    his foot from beneath the quilt and aimed a kick at James.


    The other man was quick with his reflexes, and he managed to deflect the attack. He had been


    holding Maria in his arms when it happened, and he was still holding her when he flipped them over


    andnded with their positions switched. She was now the one on top.


    Maria felt so humiliated, she pounced on James and bit his shoulder.


    James just snorted and ruffled her hair. "Baby, you know I like it when you''re rough. Come on, the


    harder you bite, the more it entices me."


    She finally gave up, loosening her jaw and lying on top of his chest in resignation. ''He is so


    shameless!'' How she wished that a bolt of lightning struck him to instant death.


    Maria took a deep breath and pulled away, looking him in the eye with a serious expression. "James


    Xi, if you keep doing this, I''ll leave."


    James thought it was time to put an end to the show as well, and he pulled them both back to their


    feet.


    Maria tried to smooth her clothes before turning to Norman awkwardly. "I apologize, Mr. Shen. If


    there''s nothing else, I''d like to take my leave now."


    "Fuck off right this minute!" Even though it was Maria who had addressed him, Norman was ring


    at the arrogant jerk who was acting as though nothing had happened. His words were for James,


    too.

 Chapter 248 He Loves Maria

    Chapter 248 He Loves Maria


    James shot Norman a piercing gaze. "Don''t force my hand; I just might do something to Shen


    Group."


    Norman shook his head ever so slightly. "I''m looking forward to it."


    Maria grabbed James'' hand and pushed him out of the door, growling as she followed behind.


    "Come on, let''s go. Hurry!"


    The man said nothing, but let himself be bodily removed from the ward.


    When they were out in the hall, she immediately shook off his hand and strode to the elevator


    without a backward nce.


    James remained standing where she had left him, staring first at his discarded hand, then at Maria''s


    back. "Maria Song, you must know that it''s a hundred times easier for me to put you in jail


    compared to getting you out."


    She was just about to step inside the elevator in that moment, but she paused and took a deep


    breath. She turned around and pasted a fake smile on her face. "Here we are, Mr. Xi, the elevator is


    here. After you."


    Her grievances seemed to be piling up rapidly in just one day. She had yet to get over his little show


    back at the ward, and he wouldn''t even afford her a proper way to vent her anger.


    Indeed, he made his satisfaction at her change in attitude known, and she sauntered over to the


    elevator with a smug face. Of course, once he was inside, he made sure to pull Maria with him.


    She could only grit her teeth and maintain her silence.


    She walked away from him again when they reached the parking lot, and Maria got inside her car in


    a huff. She mmed her car door hard enough to make the vehicle shake a little.


    But then in the next second, rapid, sessive knocks came at her window.


    She rolled her ss down and asked impatiently, "What can I do for you now, Mr. Xi?"


    He ignored her obvious anger and spoke in a light tone. "Let''s continue what we were doing back


    there this evening. I''ll see youter."


    And then he turned around without waiting for her answer.


    "I refuse!"


    "You have no right to refuse."


    Maria swallowed hard, too furious to even retort.


    She knew she couldn''t win this one, and begrudgingly decided to let him do what he wanted.


    It would just be sex anyway, right? She could just consider this as payment for taking her out of jail.


    It was already past midnight when James arrived at Golden Mansion, and Maria happened to be in


    the middle of a call.


    She opened the door of the apartment with the phone still against her ear. "Yes, I know. Transfer


    some money to her ount. Yes, I''ll tell you the rest tomorrow. That would be all."


    She ended the call and watched as James closed the door behind him before changing his shoes


    and taking off his coat.


    Maria had her arms crossed over her chest the entire time, silent and waiting.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    James walked into the living room and threw his suit jacket on the sofa, followed by his tie.


    "Why are you still up sote?"


    "I''ve been waiting for you, of course," she replied with just the slightest hint of sarcasm. "I mean,


    how could I dare to sleep without you?"


    He paused in the act of unbuttoning his shirt, then pulled her into his arms without warning. "Figure


    out a way to exin why you chose to take the me for the crimes of the HM Group''s senior


    executive. I''ll go take a shower in the meantime."


    Maria hesitated. Was there a way for her to avoid having to tell him the truth?


    The answer to that would definitely by a resounding no.


    And James knew a wealth of methods to force her to speak.


    In the end, she told him that she had asked Colby for help in getting a friend out of jail, and the price


    she had to pay was to go in herself. She deliberately omitted the rest of the story, and was adamant


    with herself that if he pried further, she would let loose with her long-withheld rage.


    James left early the next morning and headed straight to thepany.


    Maria ate breakfast alone, then armed herself before driving to the coffee shop.


    When she arrived, she found a man waiting for her.


    Maria took off her sunsses and stared at the young man in front of her. "Are you kidding me?"


    she asked after a while.


    "I''m not. You must have heard about what happened to my father, right? I have to support myself


    now. Please give me a chance, Maria. I''m willing to start from the grassroots level."


    She said nothing.


    ''Why did Kente here of all ces for a job interview? Is he not aware that I was the one who


    sent his father to prison?''


    "Have you made up your mind? Your sry will be less than the cost of your regr meal."


    Kent smiled wryly. "Of course I''m sure about this. I''ve shed the life I lived in the past. Now I can''t


    afford to even dream of an expensive meal."


    Maria was silent again. Kent was technically innocent of his father''s crimes. "All right, you can start


    working tomorrow. But I''m telling you now¡ªI won''t be giving you any special treatment."


    "Yes, of course. Thank you so much, Maria."


    Kent rose and was about to leave when she stopped him. "Is your maternal grandfather okay with


    you doing this?"


    As far as she knew, Mrs. Jiang''s family was also a rather prominent, upper-ss family in H City.


    Although they might be more or less implicated in the issues of Jonathan and his wife, that would


    probably amount to nothing in terms of their established power in the society. Kent could just work in


    his grandfather''spany.


    "Of course not. But they can''t tell me what to do," Kent said with a small smile.


    Maria shrugged. Kent soon left and got into a shabby Audi his grandfather had given him.


    The soft smile on his face disappeared.


    He looked out of his window back at the coffee shop and his hands clenched around the steering


    wheel.


    Maria, meanwhile, was inside the private room, smoking a cigarette.


    Alina was set to be discharged from the hospital in a couple of days. She was Maria''s next target.


    And James was also her target.


    James didn''t contact her in that day or the next, and Maria was actually grateful since she had


    matters to take care of.


    Two dayster, James was walking down the underground parking lot


    and was about to get into his car when Ethan burst out running from the elevator. "James! Thank


    God I''m fast or I would have missed you!"


    He trotted over to the Harkim, panting.


    "What''s up?"


    "Oh, nothing much. Where are you going?"


    "Alina will be discharged from the hospital today."


    Ethan had been about to let himself into the car uninvited, but he took a step back after hearing


    James'' reply. "Okay. You should go then." He didn''t want to see that nasty girl, Alina.


    But he was grabbed by James and deposited inside the vehicle. "You''reing with me."


    Ethan gape, too shocked to protest.


    They came to the ward, where a servant was packing up Alina''s things.


    "James, Maria beat me up, and I had to remain confined for so many days. I am still your fiancee,


    even only in name. Won''t you seek retribution for what she did to me?" Alina asked.


    James'' eyes darkened. "I won''t hold her ountable, just like how I didn''t hold you ountable for


    poisoning her in the past."


    Alina was not expecting this response, and she swallowed the lump in her throat. "I know it was my


    fault," she rushed to exin.


    "You''ve done a considerable number of wrongdoings." James shot her a cold and indifferent look.


    "You should apologize to Maria formally." For everything, including the fact that she had scalded


    Maria on purpose.


    Alina didn''t know what to say. James was telling her to apologize to Maria! But it was her who had


    been in the hospital all this time! "But why, James? I am your fiancee, not her!"


    Ethan, who had been trying to blend into the wall till then, coughed conspicuously. He couldn''t stop


    himself from butting in just then. "It''s just a title though, you even said so yourself. Even if you were


    Mrs. Xi, James wouldn''t love you."


    Alina gaped, her eyes wide, and a tense silence fell over them. The words she had heard just now


    were heartbreaking more than anything else.


    When the servant finished packing up, James took the lead out of the ward. "Let''s go."


    Ethan sidled up next to the woman who seemed rooted to the spot from the shock she''d been


    served. "Since you don''t seem convinced, I will exin it to you on behalf of James. There really


    isn''t much to say, though. The reason is that he loves Maria." After saying that, Ethan strode to keep


    up with James.


    Dread filled Alina, in addition to the pain and humiliation that had already been swirling inside her.


    Thosest words were like the nail to a coffin.


    They were barely out of the hospital building when James'' phone vibrated. He nced at the caller


    ID and turned to the two behind him. "Get in the car first."


    He swiped on his screed to answer. "What is it?"


    Maria''s voice came from the other end of the line. "If I''m not mistaken, you should be at the hospital


    now, right?"


    -

 Chapter 249 Her Fever

    Chapter 249 Her Fever


    "Yes." James didn''t intend to hide anything.


    "It seems that I have a fever right now. I don''t have any medicine in my apartment. So pleasee


    over and take me to the hospital. If you can''t make it, I''ll call Norman instead," Maria said lightly.


    James knew she did it on purpose. "I''ll ask Ethan to take you to the hospital."


    "No way. I have something to share with you. Come on, please? Take me to the hospital yourself. I


    really don''t feel well." She acted like a spoiled child.


    He fell into silence once again. Finally, he hung up the phone.


    He turned around and went straight back to the car. Then he knocked on the window of the


    passenger seat. Ethan lowered the window and asked, "James, what''s wrong?"


    "Send her back home. I have something important to deal with right now."


    "Me?" Ethan pointed at himself. He really didn''t want to send Alina back home. He''d rather spend


    time with Sunny, the stray dog.


    "Yeah." James took a step back away from the car, and then told the driver, "Send them back."


    "Okay, Mr. Xi."


    Alina''s heart sank. She rolled down the window and asked, "James, where are you going?"


    "I have to take care of something." He signaled to the driver as soon as he finished. The car roared


    away without further ado.


    Inside the car, Ethan looked back at the woman in the back seat. She a long face. "You know that


    James isn''t interested in you at all. Are you sure it''s worth it to pester a man who doesn''t love you at


    all?"


    "Why not?" Alina replied.


    Ethan painted a sarcastic smile on his face. "Nothing forcibly done is going to end up well, Ms.


    Tang. You can just find someone who loves you. Why does it have to be James?"


    "Did Maria ask you to say that?¡±


    "No. She is a proud woman. I reckon she probably wouldn''t waste time on a hypocritical woman like


    you anyway.


    I''m just speaking my mind from a spectator''s perspective, that''s all."


    At the Golden Mansion


    Maria, who was still in her pajamas, opened the door as soon as James rang the doorbell. She


    threw herself into his arms. "You''re finally here. I miss you so much."


    "Maria Song, you said you wanted us to be strangers, yet you''re here telling me that you miss me.


    That is kind of ironic, don''t you think?¡±


    She shook her head while still grasping his arm. "You should know by now that when I hate you, I


    always think of breaking up with you. But after you helped me, I admit that I was touched by your


    gesture, and I began to miss you again. It''s not ironic at all."


    No words came out of his mouth. ''She is so bold!''


    He carried her in his arms. "Go get changed. I''ll take you to the hospital."


    Maria wrapped her arms around his neck and answered,


    "We don''t need to go to the hospital. Just ask someone to send me some antipyretics." "No. You


    have to go to the hospital." He was persistent. He entered the walk-in closet, grabbed a ck


    overcoat, and wrapped it around her. Then he walked out with her in his arms.


    They were about to pass by the bedroom when Maria told him to stop. "Wait a minute. I forgot to


    bring my phone."


    James nced at her bedside, and spotted a phone on the nightstand.


    Maria quickly got out of his arms and threw herself on the bed. "To be honest with you, I don''t really


    need to go to the hospital." She had only a mild fever and there was no need to go to the hospital.


    She knew that James would pick up Alina from the hospital today, so she tried cooking up a n in


    order to prevent him from doing that.


    He stared at her with an intimidating gaze, and asked, "Didn''t you call and say that you needed to


    go to the hospital? What changed? I''m send you there now."


    There was nothing wrong, of course.


    She nestled in his arms as he forced her to get into the car. She turned her phone on and yed a


    recording.


    It was none other than Alina''s voice. James could clearly recognize it.


    "Oh, Maria. What''s wrong with you this time?" Of course, it wasn''t a question with genuine concern


    for Maria''s well-being. In fact, she was mocking her.


    After a brief silence, Alina continued, "Does it hurt? I''m d to see you suffer. You deserve it. Every


    time I see you with James, I feel the same pain.


    You deserve it, Maria Song. I''m d to see you being tortured by the poison.


    Please, hurry and go to hell already. After you die, James will be all mine. You''re divorced. Why did


    you stille back to bother him?


    It''s a great pity that I didn''t personally get to see you suffering from the poison I gave you years ago.


    But today, I''ll make sure to see you suffer as the poison tortures you to death.


    To tell you the truth, it was James himself who asked me toe here. We came here together. He


    is downstairs right now. He asked me toe up to check on you. You are in this condition now. Do


    you know what I can see from your face right now? I can only see a face of a beggar. A poor,


    measly, beggar. Ha-ha!"


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    The recording ended.


    After that, Maria had tricked the vile woman to her bedside. "Come here. I have something to tell


    you."


    Without a doubt, Alina had walked over and looked at her with pride. Maria had grabbed her hand


    and pulled her over with all her strength. Maria had bitten her arm with all the force she could


    muster in her jaws.


    The nurses had heard the noises from inside the room and rushed over to break up the fight


    between the two.


    Alina''s arm had been covered with blood.


    The blood on Maria''s lips that James had seen had been Alina''s blood.


    Maria turned off the phone and examined his reaction. "Did you hear all of that? This is your


    fiancee, Alina Tang. This is the woman you are about to marry. When I was in the hospital, she


    came over to mock me deliberately. James Xi, the woman you chose is nothing but a mediocre, vile


    woman. Do you still want to marry her?"


    He could do and say nothing but gnash his teeth in anger.


    She wondered why he didn''t answer at all. She started to get infuriated.


    About ten minutester, he entered the outpatient department of the hospital with Maria in his arms.


    The doctor took her temperature. Then he looked at them and said, "37.1 degrees centigrade. If you


    came a littleter, her fever would''ve already gone."


    James didn''t respond. Her lie was exposed, wasn''t it?


    Maria kept her silence. She had already told him not toe to the hospital, but he insisted.


    She gazed over at the doctor and gave him a slight, discreet re.


    The doctor smiled. "You are both adults, so stop messing around. Don''t you havemon sense?


    Just go back for now and drink more water. Also, make sure you have plenty of rest."


    Maria came out of the hospital the same way she went there.


    So did James.


    He carried her out all the way to the car the same way he carried her to the hospital.


    The doctor didn''t even bother prescribing any medicine. After all, a temperature of 37.1 degrees


    centigrade wasn''t even considered a fever at all.


    "Do you feel ashamed?" he asked.


    She settled herself to thefort of his arms and casually replied, "No."


    He left shortly after sending her back to her apartment.


    In the evening, Maria received a call from Lawrence. He stated, "I''m in the Leopard Club right now.


    Do you think you can make it here tonight?"


    "Like right now?" It was getting prettyte and the only sound she could hear outside was the


    howling of the wind.


    "Yes."


    She stood up and got dressed. She put on her makeup and walked out of the ce with her high


    heels.


    -

 Chapter 250 Secret Admirer

    Chapter 250 Secret Admirer


    When Maria arrived at the Leopard Club, she found only one person in the private room.


    Putting her purse aside, she sat down opposite him. "Lawrence, where are your two buddies?"


    "Ethan is on his way, and James might take a while."


    "Why did you invite me here?" she asked bluntly. The three were having a gathering, and it had


    nothing to do with her.


    "Have you recoveredpletely?"


    "Yeah, it''s been a while, actually." The hospital that James had put her treated her with the best,


    most effective medicine in the country.


    "That''s good." Lawrence poured a ss of wine and slid it across the table, right in front of the


    woman. "Actually, I wanted to ask you something about Norman Shen."


    Maria smiled. "Why don''t you ask him yourself?"


    "We don''t know each other that well." Norman wasn''t going to tell him anything, even if he did ask


    him.


    "Fine. What''s up?"


    "Does he train killers?"


    "Isn''t that kind of an open secret by now?" Everyone in H City should''ve known about this already.


    At the very least, anyone in the upper echelons of society should''ve known.


    "Are you one of them?" Lawrence looked at Maria carefully, trying to read her expression.


    However, the smile on the woman''s face remained unchanged. She nonchntly took a sip of wine


    and answered, "Not really."


    "What do you mean?"


    "I haven''t killed anyone, so I''m no professional killer." However, she was trained alongside those


    killers, so she had picked up on some martial arts.


    "Do they kill people?"


    Maria frowned ever so slightly. "We may be good friends, Lawrence, but even I can''t tell you things I


    don''t know. Why don''t you investigate it yourself?"


    Lawrence didn''t answer. Instead, he eyed the wine ss in Maria''s delicate hands as he silently


    pondered over something.


    After a moment of silence, Maria finally stood up. "Maybe you could invite Norman to dinner now.


    He might talk to you if he''s in a good mood," she said airily. This woman couldn''t possibly be


    serious, could she?


    Maria briskly picked up her purse and said, Tm taking off. I don''t want to run into James."


    Lawrence raised an eyebrow. "Haven''t you two made peace yet?"


    "''Peace''?" Maria rolled her eyes. "I doubt that''ll happen in my lifetime. Anyway, I''ll get going now."


    And with that, she turned around abruptly.


    However, just as she swiveled around, the heel on one of her high-heeled shoes suddenly broke off,


    flinging her off bnce and twisting her ankle.


    Fortunately, she was able to catch herself by grabbing the sofa arm.


    Lawrence stood up, worry written all over his face. "Are you okay?" he asked, rushing over to her


    side.


    Excruciating pain shot up from her ankle, paralyzing Maria. Stiff as a board, she answered in a low


    voice, "Not really..." Great, this was just her luck. How did she manage to break a heel just like that?


    Lawrence helped her up and made her sit down on the sofa. "Let me have a look."


    "Okay. Thanks."


    He lifted her ankle gently and examined it. Then, he asked her an abrupt question. "What makes


    you say you and James will never be reconciled?"


    "Well, it''s because he''s¡ªouch!" Just as Maria was exining herself, Lawrence''s hand moved like


    lightning.


    "Try moving your ankle," he instructed.


    The woman obeyed, cautiously wiggling her foot. It didn''t hurt as much now. "So you asked me that


    question as a diversion to set back my bone?"


    "That is correct." Lawrence''s eyes twinkled mischievously.


    Maria bit her lower lip. "Thank you so much!"


    "But you still have to go to the hospital, just to be sure," Lawrence said firmly.


    "Okay, please help me up."


    Eyeing her high-heeled foot, Lawrence asked seriously, "Do you n on spraining your other foot?"


    Maria red at him.


    "Take off your shoe," Lawrencemanded, amusement in his eyes.


    Maria decided to obey. After all, it''d be better to walk around barefoot than to wear a single shoe.


    However, once Maria stripped off the other heel, Lawrence scooped her up into his arms.


    Her lips parted slightly, as though she was looking for the right words to protest. The thought of


    James shed in her mind. He had always been iffy about her rtionship with Lawrence. "How


    about we wait until James arrives? Then I''ll go see a doctor."


    She couldn''t help but feel a little bit guilty, despite the fact that there was nothing between her and


    the man carrying her.


    Lawrence chuckled. "Don''t worry. James is a reasonable man. Also, I don''t know what time he''s


    coming. I''ll call him as soon as we get to the hospital."


    "Okay." This sounded reasonable.


    It was the second time Maria had been to a hospital that day. Fortunately, this was a different


    hospital from the one earlier.


    Meagan was an intern in that very hospital. She had just gotten off work around the time Maria and


    Lawrence arrived.


    Just as she was waiting for the elevator, she caught a familiar-looking face from the corner of her


    eye.


    A woman with long hair was sitting on a bench in the corridor. She was stunning; everyone who


    passed by couldn''t help but stare.


    Just then, a man in military fatigues emerged from an orthopedic doctor''s office nearby and carefully


    picked her up.


    The man was very handsome, with skin as tan as leather.


    ''He must be her boyfriend,'' Meagan thought to herself.


    ''He must be head over heels in love with her. After all, he picked her up so carefully!''


    But before long, another man appeared. This one was also extremely handsome, but he was in an


    expensive-looking suit as opposed to the first man''s military fatigues.


    It was obvious that he was a CEO of some powerfulpany.


    Meagan watched, entranced, as the military man carefully ced the woman into the CEO''s arms.


    The woman''s hands instantly shot up and wrapped themselves around thetter''s neck.


    If she remembered correctly, the woman hadn''t acted as intimately with the military man.


    ''So, which one is her boyfriend?'' she wondered.


    Was it the domineering CEO? Was the military man a secret admirer? ''Well, that seems to be the


    case, '' she concluded to herself.


    What a pity!


    The two men shifted their gaze in her direction.


    One gaze was cold, and the other, deep.


    Meagan was startled by their sudden attention. Being stared at by two handsome men at the same


    time, she couldn''t take it. Panicked, she jabbed a finger on the elevator button anxiously.


    Fortunately, the elevator doors slid open and she got in as fast as she could.


    Following the gaze of the two men, Maria happened to see Meagan''s side profile. She quickly cried


    out, "Stop her, James Xi!"


    "What''s wrong?"


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    "She was the one who saved me that night. Lawrence, run after her! I haven''t had the chance to


    thank her!¡±


    Lawrence was confused. "If she saved your life, why did she run away when she saw us looking


    over at her?"


    "Beats me. Just go!"


    Lawrence sprinted towards the elevator and checked to see what floor she''d get off. The elevator


    stopped on the ground floor, and he quickly got into the other elevator.


    When he alighted on the right floor, he saw the girl taking deep breaths in the corner of the hall, as


    though she was trying to calm herself down. "Excuse me..."


    She suddenly turned around and found the man in camouge uniform trotting towards her.


    Frightened, Meagan turned around abruptly and started to brisk walk away.


    As soon as she started running, Lawrence also quickened his pace to catch up to her.

 Chapter 251 Indeed Ugly

    Chapter 251 Indeed Ugly


    Just as Meagan made it to the gate of the outpatient building, Lawrence grabbed her by her cor.


    Meagan gasped and tried to break free for a while, but in the end, she gave up the struggle.


    Lawrence, amused by the woman''s arms and legs iling, asked her with a serious look, "Why are


    you running?"


    "Why are you chasing me?" she retorted.


    Lawrence tried to keep himself from smiling. The woman had a point. So, he set her down gently


    but blocked her escape. "Tell me, miss. Did you do something bad?"


    Meagan''s eyes widened and she averted her gaze from the tall man in front of her. He looked


    handsome and strong. "I... How did you know?"


    Sure enough, she looked guilty. Lawrence was confident that she had done something wrong.


    "What did you do exactly?"


    Under his gaze, Megan felt pressured to speak up. Stammering, she lowered her head dejectedly.


    "I...I ttened the hospital director''s tires. Is that a crime?"


    ttening the tires? Seeing how guilty this woman looked over such a trivial matter, Lawrence had


    to stifle hisughter. "Come with me," he said after a while.


    "Wait! Where are we going?"


    Meagan raised her head, bringing her small face into full view. Her innocent eyes widened in


    confusion.


    "The woman you saw just now wants to see you.


    Meagan finally felt some sense of relief.


    The two returned to the floor of the department of orthopedics. There, Maria was sitting on James''


    lap without a care in the world, her head leaning on his shoulder.


    When the elevator doors slid open, Maria''s gaze instantlynded on Meagan. Excitedly, she


    struggled to get on her feet, but seeing as she had no shoes to wear, she eventually gave up. So


    she resigned herself to smiling brightly at the girl who was approaching. "Hi!" she cheerily greeted


    once the two were within earshot.


    That night she got shot, she was too consumed by the pain from her wounds and didn''t get a good


    look at her savior. But now, she could see clearly that Meagan was actually quite beautiful.


    Seeing Meagan and Lawrence walking side by side, Maria smiled to herself. They looked good


    together, almost naturally-as though they were husband and wife.


    Meagan smiled back shyly. "Hello!" she answered timidly.


    "Thank you so much for helping me back then, I don''t think I would''ve survived without you. Sorry, I


    haven''t had the proper chance to introduce myself-my name is Maria Song. Any chance I could buy


    you a midnight snackter?"


    Meagan automatically shook her head without even giving it much thought. She had been pouring


    all her time and energy into studying Chinese medicine the past couple of years, so her social skills


    were a bit rusty.


    Moreover, there was no way she was going to hang out withplete strangers. She didn''t feel


    particrly at ease with these strangers, especially what with the cold gaze of the man in the suit


    and the firm hand of the man in the fatigues. Their auras were way too intimidating.


    "I have other ns, sorry. Also, don''t worry aboutst time, it''s what anyone would''ve done." After


    all, Meagan was studying medicine to save people.


    Noticing her uneasiness, Maria didn''t try to force her. She pulled out her phone and said, "How


    about we add each other on WeChat? If you need anything, feel free to contact me anytime."


    "Oh...okay." Meagan hesitantly took out her cell phone from her pocket, and the two women added


    each other as contacts.


    James stood up and carried Maria to the elevator.


    When they reached the hospital lobby, Maria turned to Lawrence. "I''m leaving with James. Could


    you take this youngdy home please?"


    It only urred to her then and there that she hadn''t even asked for the girl''s name. She made a


    quick mental note to ask her for it over WeChatter.


    Before Lawrence could say anything, Meagan shook her head vigorously. "No, thanks. I can take


    the subway."


    Maria smiled in amusement. "Please don''t be afraid. I think you can tell this guy is a good man. You


    have nothing to worry about.¡±


    Of course, it didn''t take a genius to know what sort of business Lawrence was in, judging from his


    military uniform. The thing was, Meagan didn''t like inconveniencing other people. "No, it''s fine. I can


    take the subway, it''s a really quickmute. Please don''t bother. Anyway, I really have to go now.


    Bye!"


    Without waiting for a response, the girl scuttled off hurriedly.


    Lawrence watched her receding figure, dumbfounded. It was the first time a woman treated him like


    this. She acted as though he were some snake, poised to strike her. Interesting.


    Maria giggled. "Lawrence, you totally scared her off! Guess you''re too ugly for her, huh?"


    Lawrence shook his head with a sheepish smile.


    He was considered the handsomest among his troupe. Why was he suddenly the ugly one?


    James carefullyid Maria into the car and then shut the door. Then, he looked back at Lawrence


    indifferently and said, "You are indeed very ugly."


    Just as Lawrence was about toe up with a retort, James trotted over to the other side of the car


    and got in, mming the door shut.


    Then the Harkim sped away.


    Lawrence watched them go, deep in thought.


    He scratched his short hair and murmured to himself, "You guys don''t know what you''re talking


    about." Surely, James was just jealous. That would''ve exined hisment just now.


    The Harkim drove into James'' manor and parked neatly. James got out of the car and reached in to


    scoop Maria into his arms. He then carried her up the stairs to the front door, as though she


    weighed as much as a feather pillow.


    Even when they got inside the manor, James didn''t put her down. He maneuvered within the house,


    carrying her up to the second floor. "You will stay here until your ankle recovers," he said firmly.


    Maria tilted her head and looked up into his eyes. "I''m afraid of staying here alone." Such a huge,


    empty manor gave her the heebie-jeebies.


    James cast a nce at her., one eyebrow raised "I thought you were fearless, Ms. Song." "It


    depends." She was not impervious to fear; there were some things that scared her, and a big empty


    house was one of them.


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    "Don''t worry, I''lle back."


    "Fine." Maria sighed heavily, making it obvious she was unhappy.


    James resisted the urge to drop her right then and there. Gritting his teeth in silence, he carried her


    into his bedroom.


    The truth was, Maria''s ankle wasn''t in terrible shape, thanks to Lawrence''s help. Even the doctor


    said it was nothing serious. She had only allowed James to carry her this whole time because she


    didn''t have any shoes on.


    Once James put her down, the woman limped to the bathroom and ordered the man, who was


    loosening his tie just then, to help her get a pair of slippers.


    Her tone was very natural, as though she was ordering a servant.


    James''s eyebrows shot up. He watched silently as the woman went inside the bathroom.


    As she was closing the door, Maria stuck her head out and said, "Thank you."


    He obediently turned around and went out to get her a pair of slippers.


    Just as Maria was finishing up her bath, he stepped inside the bathroom, burning with desire.


    He scooped her up into his arms once more and carried her to the bed, careful not to hurt her ankle.


    He needed to satiate his hunger.


    When they were done, he applied medicine on her wound, as though he felt a little guilty for having


    sex with an injured woman.


    Then, Maria fell into a restless sleep. She didn''t wake up until noon the following day, feeling tired


    from the previous night''s events. Dizzily, she sat up in bed.


    John knocked on her door curtly. "Lunch is ready."


    When she opened the door, she greeted, "Hello, John."


    "Ms. Song, lunch is ready. Shall I bring it to you now?"


    ''TH go downstairs to eat."


    "Mr. Xi said that your ankle was injured and he isn''t allowing you to move around. There is a dining


    room on the second floor. I''ll bring the food there."


    -

 Chapter 252 Plane Crash

    Chapter 252 ne Crash


    "All right, thank you, John."


    "You''re wee, Ms. Song." Stoic as ever, the man then turned around and left.


    Maria had lunch and then went to her own room.


    She had no idea when James had done it, but a lot of limited edition dolls and blind boxes had been


    sent over. There must be a hundred of them at least, sitting neatly in a corner and waiting for her to


    unwrap them.


    Maria settled in afortable position on the carpet by the bed and began to go through the boxes


    one by one.


    She had been sitting there for a good while when Summer called.


    "Maria, I was busy just now so I missed your call. What''s up?"


    Maria had called the assistant around lunch time. "Is James going on any business trips any time


    soon?"


    "Yes, he has to go to N Province the day after tomorrow."


    "How long will he be gone?"


    "It''s just a one-day trip."


    Maria pondered this for a moment. "Well, are there other business affairs that might keep him away


    from town for two days or more?"


    Summer understood what the woman was asking. She looked through James'' schedule and


    checked. "He''s leaving for the US in half a month. He should be there for at least three days."


    "I see. Okay, thank you." "Maria, do you want to go with him on a business trip, by any chance?"


    ''A business trip with James?'' Maria smiled derisively. "Nope."


    "Oh, All right then." They chatted some more before ending the call.


    For some reason, Maria was no longer in the mood to open the boxes after that conversation.


    Instead, she picked up her phone and dialed another number. "Did you find anything?"


    "Yes. We learned that Alina Tang is looking to seal the deal in two days. We''ve already asked


    someone to buy some time."


    "How much does that person want?"


    "He asked for ten million, but Ms. Tang offered to give him eight million."


    ''Eight million dors?'' Alina appeared to be desperate to please James'' grandparents at this point.


    "Give him nine million and take it."


    "Understood."


    Augustine''s birthday party was just around the corner. If Alina wanted to marry into the Xi family,


    she needed to secure the patriarch''s approval first. Of course, Maria wouldn''t just stand by and


    watch the other woman pursue her goal without doing anything about it.


    James wouldn''t be overseas until two weekster, and she had a n in her mind.


    When her ankle was almost healed, Maria left the manor.


    Then she asked Summer to mention to James that she was nning to travel abroad.


    James and Maria had no contact in the days that followed her departure from the manor, and he


    never asked anything pertaining to her trip.


    On the day Maria was going abroad, Summer burst into James'' office in a panic.


    "Mr. Xi, bad news!"


    James raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"


    "It''s Maria. Something happened to her."


    He put down the document he had been looking at and sat up straight. "Make yourself clear."


    Summer swallowed, her eyes red with unshed tears. "Maria is travelling abroad. The ne she''s on


    crashed when it took off."


    ''The ne crashed?''


    ne crashes were no joke, and in most cases, there were no survivors. James rose from his chair


    and strode over to Summer, his face dark. He grabbed her shoulders and squeezed. "What did you


    say? What happened to Maria? Say it again!"


    Veins were standing out around his temples.


    "Something happened to Maria," she repeated.


    "Where is she?"


    His grip was starting to hurt Summer, and she paled. "All of the passengers were taken to the


    hospital near the airport."


    James let go of her then, with so much force he practically threw her on the floor. And then he was


    rushing out of the office.


    A lot of people witnessed as the usually cool and dignified Mr. Xi sprinted out of the elevator with a


    panicked expression. He ran to his car and sped out of thepany premises, leaving his


    employees looking at each other, shocked and bemused.


    News of the ne crash had already exploded through the media and the Inte. So far, the victim


    count had already reached 56. It was all over the radio and TV.


    It haunted James all the way to the airport, no matter if he was stopping at a red light or cruising


    past giant LED screens onmercial buildings.


    He drove fast, reducing the hour-long drive to the hospital in half.


    A doctor led him to what looked to be a ward and said, "I''m afraid the identity of the dead has


    already been confirmed to be Maria Song. Unfortunately, she acquired some major burns from the


    crash, and her face waspletely destroyed. She lost too much blood, and that was ultimately


    what caused her death."


    The doctor left after saying that. James remained standing outside the ward for two minutes before


    taking a deep breath and opening the door.


    A person was in the bed. No, more specifically, a body was in the bed. A white cloth had been


    draped to cover it.


    He walked quietly to the bedside and stood still, gazing down at the shrouded figure. Everything


    was happening so fast, he had thought that Maria was just ying a trick on him again.


    "Maria Song," he called in a hoarse voice.


    He was met with silence, of course. With his lips pressed into a thin line, James reached out to pull


    the cloth off the body.


    His hand trembled, and it hovered in the air for a moment.


    The doctor had said that her face was ruined. She would probably be unrecognizable now.


    Maria had always cared about her appearance. He was sure that she had never expected her face


    to meet such a fate upon her death.


    He braced himself and pulled the cloth in one clean motion. The sight that greeted him was indeed


    horrible, perhaps enough to send people to a faint.


    But this was James Xi, and he had gone through a lot of horrible things in his life.


    The body was that of a female, this much was obvious. It was still in a hospital gown, which was


    stained with blood all over.


    His hands clenched into fists. He had no choice now except to face the truth, and James almost lost


    his mind.


    His breath came in short pants, and a heavy lump was choking his throat. He braced his arms on


    the bed and hung his head, his eyes shut tight as he screamed Maria''s name over and over inside


    his head.


    ''How can you leave without my permission?''


    When he opened his eyes again, they were wet and bloodshot, and his gaze happened to fall upon


    the woman''s hand.


    Something was wasn''t right.


    Maria had fair hands, and she had always sported a perfect manicure. This woman before him, on


    the other hand, had very short nails, and her skin was quite dark.


    James blinked twice as something clicked in his mind, and he stood up straight. He took the white


    cloth all the way off the body and inspected it with sharp and renewed eyes.


    The height wasn''t right, either.


    The sorrow he had been feeling gradually morphed into anger. He whipped out his phone and


    dialed Summer''s number. She was still sobbing when she answered, "Yes, Mr. Xi?"


    "Who told you that Maria was dead?"


    The cold edge in his voice jolted Summer out of her grief. "Someone called me. He said he was part


    of the hospital''s staff. He said they had a patient named Maria Song."


    Someone from the hospital called her? "Where was Maria going?"


    "Switzend."


    James closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Summer, have you even seen the


    news?"


    He flipped the white cloth over the body again before turning to leave the ward.


    ''You''re dead meat, Maria Song!'' he promised to himself. He would definitely kill her with his own


    hands this time!


    Summer finally realized that there was something wrong. "I''m sorry, Mr. Xi, but I haven''t really..."


    Maria had just died, how did he expect her to pay attention to anything else, much less the news?


    James drew a frustrated breath. "The ne that crashed was headed for M Country."


    -Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

 Chapter 253 Your Final Journey

    Chapter 253 Your Final Journey


    Summer fell into silence. After a while, she gulped nervously. "I''m sorry, Mr. Xi. I was careless."


    This was all Maria''s fault. Why didn''t she inform her about her n?


    On the bright side, however, it was not Maria who had gotten into an ident, so Summer couldn''t


    help but feel a sense of relief.


    James sneered. "From now on, don''t believe a word thates out of that woman''s mouth!"


    "Okay, Mr. Xi."


    "Also, purchase the hospital and fire that Dr. Liu."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi. I understand."


    Dr. Liu passed by them just as James mentioned his name. He quietly touched the bank card in his


    pocket and chuckled to himself. He didn''t give a damn if he was fired, he had enough money to


    open his own clinic. Finally, his days of overtime were over.


    Later that day, at six o''clock in Zurich, Maria found herself nodding off to sleep.


    After all, it was one or two o''clock in the morning in H City.


    She didn''t force herself to stay awake. She climbed into bed and slept soundly.


    Several hours of blissful slumber went by. She didn''t even stir when someone entered her room.


    It wasn''t until she felt something heavy pressing on top of her body that her eyes popped open in


    surprise.


    "Maria Song." A man''s gloomy voice rang in her ears.


    "It''s you," said Maria, still in a daze from having just woken up. Then, she came back to her senses.


    "Wait, how did you know I was here?" She warily eyed at the man on top of her.


    Resisting the urge to strangle her, James hissed, "Aren''t you supposed to be dead? If you want to


    die so badly, I''ll personally send you on your final journey and pour your ashes into the H River!"


    Maria''s jaw dropped. She didn''t expect him to find out so soon.


    Quickly regaining herposure, she wrapped her arms around his neck and batted her eyshes


    at him. "James, are you here for me? Oh, I''ve missed you so much!"


    "Yes. "I''m here to fuck you." There was no way he was going to let her off the hook. He was


    determined to teach her the price of having lied to him.


    Without giving her a chance to respond, James sealed her lips with his own and began the torture-


    filled night.


    Maria had visited Zurich for fun and leisure, but James was determined to put an end to that.


    He didn''t allow her to leave the hotel room, leaving her with nothing to do but y with her


    cellphone.


    Even in Switzend, James was so busy that Maria couldn''t see him that much.


    He only came back when he felt like torturing her, usuallyte at night when she felt the sleepiest.


    On the fourth day, Maria couldn''t take it anymore and secretly purchased a return flight, nning to


    go back to H City alone.


    But it was futile.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    As soon as she bought the ticket, James found out. He then asked his assistant to book a ticket on


    the same flight back, eyeing Maria sharply the entire time he was on the phone.


    Maria rolled her eyes. This man was such a nuisance, pestering her like a relentless ghost.


    That evening, as she was drifting off to sleep, James reached out and pinched her chin. "Did you


    think this was over? Dream on!"


    He wanted her to know that frightening him had heavy consequences. That kind of practical joke


    was not funny at all.


    Summer heaved a sigh of relief when she saw James and Mariaing out of the VIP passage.


    Maria looked fine.


    She trotted over hurriedly and grabbed Maria''s hand. "What happened?" she whispered.


    The man next to them nced at them indifferently. "I''ll give you a minute."


    Then he walked away.


    Seeing him get in the car, Maria squeezed Summer''s hand apologetically. "I''m sorry, Summer. I lied


    to you."


    The truth was, she was worried Summer would spill the beans to James.


    Summer felt helpless. "You knew I wouldn''t lie to Mr. Xi, didn''t you? That''s why you lied to me?"


    "Summer, you are really smart."


    Summer sighed. "Why did you pretend to be dead?"


    Maria absentmindedly ran her fingers through her hair.


    "I needed to make him believe I was dead. He needed to feel sad, or at least remorseful. I wonder


    how he felt when he heard the news." "He wasn''t just sad, he ran out of the office that day. Maria,


    imagine¡ªhe is our CEO, James Xi! He ran in broad daylight, as though he didn''t give a damn about


    his reputation. The look on his face when he heard the news..." ncing warily at the Harkim that


    was approaching them, Summer lowered her voice and continued, "His face could''ve scared


    someone to death. I think Mr. Xi loves you deeply, Maria."


    Did he love her deeply? Maria shrugged the thought off with augh. "Save it for some teenage girl,


    Summer. I don''t believe it." How could a man as cold and aloof as James fall in love with a woman?


    Anyway, she didn''t believe it.


    Summer shook her head helplessly. She couldn''t do anything if Maria didn''t believe her, so she


    decided to drop the subject. "Well, don''t do it again. I''m worried Mr. Xi will have a heart attack


    because of you!"


    Maria smiled wryly. "Fine." Why should she care how James felt?


    Linking her arm into Summer''s, Maria smiled apologetically. "Well, let me make it up to you. I''ll treat


    you to dinner tonight."


    "No, thanks. I''m afraid Mr. Xi will look for you tonight. Let''s have dinner when he''s on a business


    trip!"


    Maria shrugged. "Okay."


    The man in the car rolled down the window and impatiently looked at the two women who were


    busy whispering with each other. "Maria Song." He called her name coldly.


    Hearing his grating voice, Maria pursed her lips in annoyance. Together with Summer, they got into


    the car.


    After leaving the airport, James headed straight to thepany headquarters.


    He didn''t forget to order the driver to take Maria to his manor. Maria had nned to go to the coffee


    shop, but when she recalled that Colby still didn''t know that she was out of the jail, she decided


    against it.


    So she went to the manor and took a nap. When she woke up, it was already dark outside.


    She washed her face and got to work.


    Picking up her phone, she called someone. "Is Colby Zheng still working on Peggy''s case?"


    "Ms. Song, I just inquired about it yesterday. Mr. Zheng spoke with someone on the inside, but I''m


    not sure when Peggy will be released."


    Hearing this, Maria breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Colby was on the move, it wouldn''t take too


    long.


    "What about Alina Tang?"


    "She wants to take that antique and has been in touch with the seller."


    "Okay, I see. Hurry up. I don''t have much time, I''ll be needing that thing soon. If he doesn''t bite the


    bargain, just raise the price. You need to get it before the deadline I set."


    "Yes, Ms. Song."


    "By the way, focus on Colby, Peggy, and Alina. Don''t bother with other things now."


    "Okay."


    After hanging up the phone, Maria sat quietly in James'' study, staring at theptop screen in front of


    her in a daze.


    If Colby could have Peggy released, she''d feel much


    more at ease. In that case, she wouldn''t have to bother James again.

 Chapter 254 Not Pregnant

    Chapter 254 Not Pregnant


    There was one more thing that bothered Maria. Today, Summer mentioned that James loved her


    deeply.


    She didn''t think so. At best, that man probably was just interested in her body.


    Maria gnawed at her lip anxiously, wondering whether she should enact her next n without


    waiting for James to go on his business trip.


    After a while of pondering, she dialed another number. "Get me an obstetrician."


    It was gettingte, and the night was quiet.


    Once she had made arrangements, Maria nced around the luxurious study and sighed. If her


    n worked out sessfully, the best case scenario would be James leaving her alone once and


    for all. In the worst-case scenario, she might be banished from the H City.


    She couldn''t help but wonder if she was doing the smart thing, toying with James.


    The truth was, not only was it unnecessary, it was unwise.


    But Maria couldn''t shake off her anger from what happened in the banquet hall. James had stopped


    her from teaching Alina a lesson.


    While he did exin to herter that he wasn''t the one putting her into jail, her hatred to James still


    festered in her heart.


    She couldn''t stand looking at him or allow him to live in peace.


    In the afternoon of the next day, a woman in a dark brown overcoat and high heels walked into the


    HL Group headquarters.


    When the receptionist saw her approach, she immediately perked up and smiled politely. "Good


    afternoon, Ms. Song. How are you?"


    Summer had instructed her to amodate Maria whenever she visited. Moreover, she was


    informed that Maria didn''t need to set an appointment beforehand.


    Smiling enchantingly, Maria took off her sunsses and said, "Hi there."


    "Let me take you to the elevator."


    Maria waved her hand dismissively. "Thank you, but there''s no need. Please go back to your work. I


    can go upstairs by myself."


    "Okay. Have a nice day, Ms. Song!"


    Maria walked towards the elevator, her high heels cking on the polished floor as she went.


    While she was waiting for the elevator, some employees whispered among themselves. "Is Mr. Xi


    going to remarry her?"


    "I think so. She''s been here a lot recently, while I rarely ever see Ms. Tang. Whenever she visits,


    she goes straight to the CEO''s office. How many people are able to do that?!"


    "Mr. Xi should just remarry her. She''s so beautiful and elegant. Next to her, Ms. Tang pales in


    comparison."


    "True..."


    And the discussion went on.


    Maria arrived at the floor of the CEO''s office; there were only two assistants there. She didn''t see


    Summer.


    When the assistants saw her, they both stood up to greet her. "Good afternoon, Ms. Song. Mr. Xi is


    in his office now." "Okay. Thank you."


    Maria nodded with a smile and strode over to the CEO''s office.


    Along the way, everyone she encountered greeted her politely. Moreover, the trump card in her bag


    made her feel especially good.


    She pushed open the door of the CEO''s office and found the man inside talking on the phone. He


    nced up at the woman approaching, eyeing her carefully as he spoke on the phone.


    Then Maria stopped beside him, took out a piece of paper from her bag, and slid it across the table


    until it was in front of him.


    When James looked at the paper, his expression changed.


    The paper showed Maria was ix weeks pregnant.


    James''s mind was reeling. In the past, there were a number of times Maria would im she was


    pregnant.


    But now, with the test results, James felt she was telling the truth this time.


    "I''ll call youter." He ended the phone call immediately.


    He put his phone down and threw his arms around her in a tight embrace.


    He whispered into her ear hoarsely, "Are you pregnant? Tell me the truth."


    He believed her this time.


    Sometimes he didn''t use condoms, and she wasn''t on any pills. It wasn''t impossible she was


    pregnant.


    Feeling how tight his embrace was, Maria felt the smallest tinge of regret. "No, I''m not."


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    James frowned. The tests results said otherwise. "What do you mean? Isn''t it my baby? If not,


    who''s the father? Tell me." His tone remained unchanged.


    Maria sat quietly on hisp, pondering her next move in silence.


    He took her silence as fear, so heforted her gently. "Just stay in my ce and wait for the baby


    toe out. I''ll be home as much as possible."


    The truth was, James had regretted neglecting her when she had Arthur and wanted to make up for


    it.


    Maria closed her eyes and buried her face into his neck to hide her guilt. "Fine. I''ll stay at home and


    give birth to the baby. But are you going to let others call the baby an illegitimate child?"


    "No, of course I won''t. I promise that I''ll fix everything before the baby is born."


    Maria knew what he truly meant. He was referring to his engagement to Alina.


    James seldom made promises to others. When he did, he was sure to keep them.


    Maria felt conflicting emotions surge within her.


    Ever since Arthur''s passing, the two of them were very sensitive to the topic of babies. If they really


    ended up having another child, it might''ve healed their old wounds.


    Unfortunately, the harsh reality was Maria was not pregnant at all.


    She couldn''t help but say, "How about you take me to the hospital? Let''s see if I''m really pregnant."


    She wanted to let the doctor to tell him that she was


    not pregnant at all.


    Much to her surprise, however, he shook his head. "I don''t think that''ll be necessary. Didn''t you


    come from there? But don''t worry, I''ll go with you on your next appointment."


    As far as he knew, ultrasounds were unsafe for the fetus, so, except for the necessary examination,


    he was not about to let Maria go through it again anytime soon.


    Maria was at a loss for words.


    He lifted the hem of her sweater with one hand andid his palm on her belly. He tried to pull her


    closer to him, but she resisted stubbornly. "Don¡¯t, I''m wearing lipstick," she protested.


    He pressed his lips against her cheek.


    His eyes shed yfully. "It wouldn''t be my first time to eat lipstick, would it?"


    Maria didn''t answer.


    It was true, he had kissed her many times before, regardless of her rich-colored lipstick. Maybe that


    was why she kept running out of lipstick.


    He proceeded to kiss her passionately, despite her resistance. Before she knew it, she was being


    pressed against the desk behind her.


    After a while, he finally let go of her and reached for a tissue to wipe the lipstick off his lips. "I just


    realized I won''t be able to sleep with you as much, now that you''re pregnant."


    Maria frowned. That was what he was thinking about?


    "James," she said.


    "Yeah?"


    Ever since finding out she was pregnant, his disposition towards her softened.


    Maria swallowed her nervousness. "Now that I''m pregnant, I want you to give me a house and a


    car."


    "Why only that? Don''t you want to be Mrs. Xi again?"


    Maria paused hesitantly. "Are you willing to leave Alina Tang?"


    James'' brows furrowed deeply. Why wouldn''t he be? "I don''t love her. Besides, I''ve already


    mentioned to her I want to call off the engagement, she should be mentally prepared already.¡±


    "When did you do that?" Maria was taken aback.


    She wondered if he was telling the truth. Or was he just coaxing her into carrying his non-existent


    baby?


    He gently stroked her cheek and answered, "When she was in the hospital."


    "Did she agree?"


    "Not yet." But he would eventually make her agree.


    She looked at him in the eye. "Then you have to promise me one thing."


    "Go ahead."


    "The position of Mrs. Xi only belongs to me," Maria said.


    -

 Chapter 255 Gone On A Business Trip

    Chapter 255 Gone On A Business Trip


    Maria flushed under James'' gaze. "If you don''t want to-"


    "Okay,"


    he interrupted.


    His answer was so firm and sudden that she was taken aback.


    Maria couldn''t help touching her t belly. ''The prospect of having a child is truly a blessing," she


    thought.


    Unfortunately, while James had abstained from using condoms every now and then, she had been


    diligent with her birth control pills. Her ever conceiving his child would be next to impossible.


    Believing her ruse, James sent her back to the manor in East District. "Don¡¯t go anywhere for the


    time being," he cautioned. ¡±1 will arrange for two bodyguards to be with you 24/7. Make sure to take


    them with you if you want to go for walks."


    She had made a number of enemies; if they learned that she was carrying his child, he was sure


    that they would plot something against Maria again.


    She nodded and went along with his orders, and calmly watched as he gave instructions to John


    concerning nutritionists and servants to attend to her needs.


    In the days that followed, no matter how busy he might be, James always spare some time during


    the day toe home and check on her. And if he couldn''t leave thepany, he made sure to call


    her.


    In the evenings, he came home to her, except for the few times when he needed to go on a


    business trip.


    But what surprised Maria the most was the fact that James had informed his grandparents about


    her so-called pregnancy.


    The elders wasted no timeing to visit her at the manor. They were obviously pleased, and they


    kept ncing at her belly with joyful smiles. For her part, Maria wasn''t able to muster a smile at all.


    Before leaving, Charlotte tried to persuade her to stay with them, saying that she wanted to


    personally take care of Maria and her unborn baby. James happened toe in that exact moment,


    and he was the one to refuse his grandmother.


    One day, Summer came to the vi with a bunch of spring maternity dresses. The first thing she


    said was, "When did you get pregnant, Maria?" She had no idea at all, and she would have


    probably remained oblivious if James hadn''t sent her to shop for the maternity outfits.


    Maria nced at the bodyguards carrying the shopping bags.


    "Hey, what''s wrong? Wake up!" Her silence brought on a curious look from Summer.


    Maria came to her senses then and stepped aside. "Pleasee in first."


    "What? Can I really go in?" Summer asked cautiously.


    "Of course." Maria smiled. "Come on, were you expecting me to move these bags by myself?" She


    was sure James wouldn''t have prevented Summer toe into the vi.


    "Of course not, you''re pregnant! Okay, here, let me do it. " Summer stepped into James'' manor for


    the first time in her life, and the bodyguards followed inside.


    The men set down the packages before leaving through the door to give them some privacy.


    Summer looked around in amazement at the majesty of the ce, while Maria started to look


    through the clothes. "How far along are you? Howe you never told me? When Mr. Xi told me to


    shop for maternity clothes, I was stupid enough to ask if he was nning to give them to a client-"


    "I''m not pregnant," Maria dered abruptly, interrupting Summer''s excited chatter.


    "What did you just say?" Summer eximed.


    Maria nodded calmly and looked straight into the other woman''s eyes. "I am not pregnant."


    Summer''s jaw hung open. "Maria! This isn''t funny at all."


    They were alone in the manor at the moment, so Maria didn''t hold anything back. "I''m not joking,


    okay? But please pretend that you don''t know. James believes I''m pregnant."


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    "What are you up to, Maria?"


    What the hell was she nning this time? Maria inhaled deeply, her eyes taking on a cynical glint.


    "You know how James treated me in the past. Did you honestly think I would let myself get pregnant


    with his child again?"


    "Why did he say you were?" This wasn''t making any sense to Summer, but she could tell that


    something serious was afoot beneath the surface.


    "Because I told him that I was."


    Summer shook her head, at aplete loss.


    Maria put away the dresses and came up to Summer. "It''s okay. This is between James and me.


    Just act like you don''t know the truth. If he asks youter, you can just tell him that I was very happy


    to receive the gifts and they suit me very well."


    Summer couldn''t utter a single word, but she eventually agreed.


    When she finally left, Maria sat by herself in the middle of therge living room, looking at the bags


    printed with logos of international brands. She drifted into a somber silence.


    James went home earlier than usual that evening, and they had the leisure to eat dinner together.


    Afterwards, he took her for a walk in the yard.


    He had noticed since earlier that there was something wrong about Maria''s mood. "Is there anything


    bothering you?" he asked gently.


    She stopped walking and turned to him, but said nothing.


    She just looked at him, and James chose not to press her.


    The silence that descended them was deafening.


    Maria was struggling with herself on whether to be truthful or not, but she decided to carry on with


    her original n in the end. "It''s nothing, really. I opened more than ten blind boxes today, but I


    haven''t found a single hidden style. I''m just a little disappointed."


    His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. She couldn''t say for sure if he believed her, but he dismissed the


    query. He held her shoulders and said, "Then you should open more tomorrow."


    She let herself fall against his chest. "Mm."


    "I''m going to the US for a business trip. I''ll be gone for about five days. Make sure you take care of


    yourself while I''m gone." He had every intention toe back to her as soon as possible.


    "All right," she mumbled.


    There was obviously something in her mind, and it wasn''t about the boxes at all.


    But if she didn''t want to tell him, then he wouldn''t force her. He should take her out for some fun and


    rxation once he came back.


    James'' flight was in the afternoon, and Maria was still napping when he left so she wasn''t able to


    see him off.


    The moment hended in the US, he sent her a message. "I''ve arrived safely. Don''t worry about


    me."


    Maria was in his study when her phone pinged, and she read his text in silence.


    In New York


    Two very simr-looking men were sitting across each other in the middle of an upper-ss


    apartment. One of them looked aloof and unapproachable, while the other gave off a gentle and


    kind temperament.


    They clinked their sses and sipped at their wine. "How has Maria been doing recently?" Cooper


    asked after putting down his wine ss.


    It was James'' third day in New York, and he stayed at Cooper''s ce.


    They had been amicably catching up with each other until then, but the mention of Maria made


    James purse his lips. He eyed his younger brother unhappily. "Why do you care about her so


    much?"


    Cooper raised his eyebrows at the sudden animosity. "It''s just that I haven''t seen her for a long time.


    I miss her." In any case, it appeared that James and Maria''s rtionship had vastly improved.


    "Well, don''t. She''s doing very well with me by her side."


    Cooper was relieved to hear that. "You should have brought her with you."


    "She''s pregnant, she shouldn''t be traveling anywhere for a while."


    "Pregnant? With your child?" Cooper was visibly surprised.


    James rolled his eyes and cocked his head to the side. "What do you think?" He''d like to see Maria


    dare to bear another man''s child.


    See if he didn''t dig the baby out of her belly with his own bare hands.


    Cooper chuckled. "Congrattions, James!"


    "Thanks," James replied, weing his brother''s blessing.


    Just then, his phone began to vibrate on the table. It was Summer, and James picked up the device


    and swiped to answer. "Hello."


    "Bad news, Mr. Xi!"


    Bad news? His intuition told him it had something to do Maria. "What happened, exactly?"


    "Maria..." Summer''s heart was thundering furiously against her chest. She was terrified to tell him


    the rest.


    James'' intuition was right; something had indeed happened to Maria.

 Chapter 256 I Will Kill You

    Chapter 256 I Will Kill You


    "Summer, this is yourst chance. Just say it," James said in a cold and threatening voice.


    "Maria has gone to hospital."


    "What the hell for?" Anxiety was wing under James'' skin, demanding to get out.


    Summer choked on a sob. Maria truly was a troublemaker. "She went for an abortion."


    James'' entire body went cold.


    He rushed to his feet, his thunderous expression wiping the smile off Cooper''s face.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    "How dare she?" James whispered to the phone, his tone low, his breathing heavy.


    "She''s already taken the medicine."


    Bang! James kicked the table in front of him, toppling it over.


    Cooper could only stare silently at what was unfolding before his eyes.


    James had never lost his temper like this for as long as he could remember.


    Was it because James had somehow changed in the time they were apart? Or was the news he


    had just received exceedingly grave?


    Summer heard the crash from the other end of the line, and she shivered. "Mr. Xi..." "Where the hell


    is she now?" "She''s currently resting in the ward. I came toote. I wasn''t able to stop her. I''m so


    sorry, Mr. Xi." This part was scripted, of course. Maria had specifically fed her these lines so as not


    to drag Summer into any trouble.


    James ended the call abruptly and switched to Maria''s contact number.


    Cooper took the opportunity to ask, "What happened?"


    James said nothing, but his face continued to grow darker and darker as he waited for the call to


    connect.


    When it finally did, he didn''t beat around the push. "Maria Song, tell me what you''ve done. I want to


    hear it straight from you. Are you ying a prank on me again?"


    There was a moment of pregnant silence, and James heart felt heavier as the seconds ticked by.


    He finally snapped and yelled into the phone. "Maria Song, how dare you!"


    How could she get rid of his baby?


    "Are you heartbroken, James Xi?" she asked, her voice calm and gentle.


    It was his turn to go quiet.


    "Because if you do, then that''s great. I''m sure it''s just exactly how I felt all those years ago. I''m d


    someone can finally understand." She gave a small chuckle then, which somehow sounded


    sorrowful and self-derisive.


    "I don''t believe you," James muttered firmly.


    "What don''t you believe, exactly? That I had your child aborted just now?"


    Maria scoffed. "James Xi, did you honestly forget that I''m only staying with you for the sake of my


    revenge?"


    That rendered him speechless.


    He ended the call without saying anything and called his assistant. Ignoring the fact that it was


    almost midnight, he asked his assistant to arrange for a private ne to take him home as soon as


    possible.


    He then headed to the door, only to be pulled back by Cooper. "James, hang on a second there."


    James stopped and turned to look at his brother.


    "I don''t know what happened, but Maria must have her own reasons. Don''t give in to your impulses.


    Just hear her out first, okay? Show her some mercy. Please."


    Mercy? James snorted. "Even when she didn''t show me any mercy? Keep your kindness in check,


    Cooper.


    It could get you killed someday."


    James flew back to H City. He hadn''t even packed or brought any of his belongings back with him.


    Cooper knew his brother very well¡ªhe wouldn''t let go of Maria so easily.


    He rushed to call his man stationed at H City. "Keep an eye on James and Maria. If anything


    happens to her, please inform me immediately."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    At Golden Mansion


    James appeared before Maria the next afternoon, looking all haggard and exhausted. She knew he


    would return in a hurry, but she had never expected him to be back so soon.


    She hadn''t even had a chance to pack her things yet.


    James strode over to her with a dangerous glint in his eye. He grabbed her by the hand and


    dragged her out of the apartment.


    "Where are you taking me?" Maria demanded, flustered at suddenly being manhandled.


    "The hospital," he spat out without even turning back to look at her.


    He wanted to check for himself if his child was indeed gone. He wasn''t willing to believe her just yet.


    Perhaps she was nning to go into hiding and keep his child away from him.


    Maria breathed easier after hearing his answer, and she gently pulled him back to a stop. "We don''t


    have to go. I have the prescription, I can just show you."


    That hit a nerve in James, and he had to stifle the urge to strangle the life out of her. He pulled the


    woman close until their foreheads touched, and said through gritted teeth, "I swear, Maria Song, if I


    find out that you killed my child, you will follow him to the grave this very day!"


    Maria was powerless against him, and she eventually found herself inside one of the hospitals


    under the HL Group. James stormed into the ultrasonic room with her and demanded for an


    immediate ultrasound examination in his presence.


    They went through the necessary procedures, and after a while, the doctor nced back at them.


    "Mr. Xi, Ms. Song is not pregnant."


    ''Not pregnant.'' The first thought that came to James'' mind just then was that Maria had not lied


    about the abortion.


    He pulled her out of the bed rudely, leaving her staggering to her feet.


    She tried to shake off his hold. "Let me put on my shoes first!"


    James watched her put on her shoes. The second she was finished, he was dragging her again, all


    the way out of the hospital.


    James drove home at a furious speed, and they were back at Golden Mansion in a matter of ten


    minutes.


    He pulled Maria inside, and when the door closed behind them, he grasped her by the neck and


    pressed her against the wall. She coughed in a panic, unable to breathe.


    James expression was murderous. "How dare you, Maria Song!"


    She gasped repeatedly, attempting to say something but couldn''t. Her face was starting to turn red.


    Just when she thought she was about to faint, he let go of her and flung her to the floor.


    Maria coughed, her spittle flying out as she wheezed.


    Shey there miserably, gasping for air.


    When she finally regained some of her senses, she looked up at James and shed him a smile.


    "Shouldn''t you be thankful, James Xi? You don''t have to deal with the baby anymore, since I''ve


    handled it myself. So how does it feel, losing another child?"


    His fury erupted again, and he pulled her off of the floor and drew her close. "Who the hell gave you


    the right to kill my child?"


    "I only wanted you to know how it feels to lose your child. Well, how do you like it, Mr. Xi?"


    He didn''t know what to feel anymore. He was livid, shocked, upset... And he wanted to kill her.


    "Since you seem to have a death wish, let me oblige and fulfill it for you." He reached for her neck


    again, but before he could even squeeze a second time, Maria shouted, "Let me tell you a secret!"


    A secret? What was it this time?


    Maria pulled away from him and squatted on the floor.


    She made a show of smoothing her clothes before looking up at him, straight in the eye. "This is


    already your third child."


    And just like that, it felt like James'' world had exploded all over again. He narrowed his eyes at her.


    "What do you mean?1''


    Her lips curled into a sneer. "Remember how you came home, drunk, a month before Arthur''s


    ident? You crawled into my bed, did you forget?"


    James tried to look back carefully. He had slept with Maria back when they were married, of course,


    but it hadn''t been often. But something did click in his memory. "What about it?" he asked.


    Maria choked on what sounded like a sob and augh at a same time. "I got pregnant then," she


    announced with tears in her eyes.


    "Where is the child?" James asked immediately.

 Chapter 257 Insignificant

    Chapter 257 Insignificant


    "That child?" Maria closed her eyes and tears streamed down her cheeks. "I had a miscarriage on


    the day I was brought to prison."


    Shock and disbelief were overwhelming James at this point.


    "It was raining heavily that day. I was at the bridge over H River. I bled all over the ground, and the


    next thing I knew, the police were taking me away."


    She opened her eyes, and he could see that she was lost in her memories even as she continued


    to recount what had happened. "I had begged the Song family, Sebastian, Judy...and even the Tang


    family. No one was willing to help me, no one would take me in."


    And she had decided to jump off the bridge and end everything once and for all. But reality had


    been cruel to her, to the point that she had even been denied the chance to die.


    "It''s not like I didn''t understand them though. After all, I was just a woman kicked out of the Xi family.


    If anyone had the guts to help me back then, they would have had to deal with the wrath of your


    family.


    James Xi, what you lost was just another significant woman and a dispensable child. But I lost my


    two children and the whole world."


    ''An insignificant woman and a dispensable child...''


    James clenched his hands into fists.


    "I won''t forgive anyone in this life, not even you! I won''t allow any of you to live in peace. We will all


    descend to hell together. I want you to know how it feels to lose your child."


    However, what Maria didn''t know was that she would eventually forgive James only because she


    loved him deeply.


    James slowly fell to his knees in front of her. He held the back of her head and forced her to look at


    him. "You have a hundred possible ways to make me suffer. I would dly taken them all on. I


    would wee your revenge. But you chose to do it this way. Why did you have to go this far,


    Maria?"


    She had extinguished a small life. Their own child. How could she bear to do such a thing?


    He had never imagined that her hatred for him would reach an extent where she could no longer


    see reason.


    "Why don''t you just kill me then? I''m pretty tired of this miserable life, too, actually."


    She hated him very much, but she still couldn''t help getting close to him. She loved him and couldn''t


    help wanting to hug him and kiss him.


    James'' eyes zed with furious resolve. "I won''t kill you; that would be giving you the easy way out.


    Instead, will torture you slowly. From now on, you are not allowed to go anywhere. You must pay for


    what you did to my child!"


    "Do you mean to lock me up?" She looked at the man, incredulous at the words he was spouting.


    "You can call it whatever you like."


    Maria shook his hold away and struggled to rise. "No¡ª"


    "You have no right to refuse!" he snapped, putting an immediate end to her efforts to protest.


    She took a deep breath and said, "I don''t want this house, you can take it back. We''re even now.


    What I do with my life after today has nothing more to do with you!


    Then she pushed him away with all of her strength and hurried to the door.


    James was quicker, though, and he instantly grabbed her hand and pulled her back. "And where do


    you n to go? Colby Zheng or Norman Shen? That''s never going to happen, Maria Song!"


    She tried to get away again. "Let go. I don''t want to be with you anymore. Let go of me, James Xi!"


    "If you don''t want to be imprisoned here, then there''s another way you can choose."


    That made her pause, and she felt hopeful for a brief moment. "What is it?"


    "Apologize to me!" If she did, he would forgive right away.


    ''Apologize?'' The woman sneered and pped his hand away. "Why should I? I suffered in jail for


    two years. You im you didn''t do it, so who should apologize to me?"


    "I''m already investigating this matter."


    "Forget it. You don''t have to, because I don''t care. Just let me go. You don''t have to cancel your


    engagement to Alina Tang either. You can marry whomever you want."


    "Why, so you can be free to go to another man?"


    "That''s none of your business."


    James grabbed her again, more forcefully this time, and dragged her to the bedroom.


    Maria panicked. "James Xi! The doctor said I''m not allowed to engage in sexual activities!"


    He stopped at his pace and turned to her with mockery in his eyes. "I''m not interested in sleeping


    with you!"


    She quieted down, feeling somewhat relieved.


    He proceeded to throw her on the bed and gaze down at her. "I don''t care whether you spend your


    days here working or just staring at the walls and ceiling. Either way, you are forbidden from


    stepping out of this room without my permission!"


    Then he turned on his heel and made for the door.


    "James Xi!"


    He stopped at her call, but he didn''t bother looking back.


    "It''s not like you love me, anyway, you don''t even like me. You just happen to like having sex with


    me. I have the skills, and I don''t cling to you. You just don''t want the hassle of finding another sex


    toy at your disposal, do you?"


    A pregnant silence fell and hovered over them for a tense moment. Then he nodded. "That''s


    precisely how it is."


    Maria didn''t speak again, and he walked out of the door, leaving her alone in the empty apartment.


    She had never imagined things to turn out this way. She had thought that after the abortion issue


    unfolded, James would break up with her.


    James never set foot in the Golden Mansion for the rest of that week.


    Maria didn''t set foot outside either. Every day, a chef came to cook for her, and a servant came to


    clean the ce.


    On the tenth day of her confinement, she opened the front door and saw two bodyguards. They


    stepped forward and blocked her way. "Excuse us, Ms. Song. We apologize, but Mr. Xi''s


    instructions forbid you from leaving the apartment."


    Narrowing her eyes, Maria took out her phone and dialed James'' number. The line rang two times


    before connecting, but she was met with silence on the other end.


    "I''m going to visit your grandparents."


    The call ended.


    In the next second, one of the bodyguards'' phone rang. In the next two minutes, Maria was leaving


    the apartment.


    Her bodyguards were with her, of course.


    She headed to Augustine''s vi.


    They had already known about her recent quarrel with James.


    She now sat facing them inside the tea room, all three of them quiet and expressionless. After a


    moment, Maria spoke up. "Grandpa, Grandma, I want to tell you something."


    Charlotte heaved a sigh. "I''m so disappointed in you, Maria."


    She had learned about the abortion from her grandson, albeit he she ended up having to force him


    to tell her.


    "Well, the truth is..." Maria had never intended to lie to these two since the beginning. "I wasn''t


    pregnant at all, so I never took any abortive substance. I just... I lied too James. I wasn''t expecting


    him to tell you everything."


    James had never been the talkative type, after all. Indeed, she had been surprised to find that his


    grandparents had known of her "pregnancy" so soon.


    Augustine snorted angrily. "What a load of nonsense!"


    Maria hung her head, willing to ept any criticism.


    "You must have known," Charlotte said slowly. "What you''ve done has no other effect except harm


    on your rtionship."


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Maria remained silent. Her goal had indeed been upset the man. The results might not have


    brought him at death''s door, but she had at least managed to shatter his heart.


    But she had never ounted for the possibility of Augustine and Charlotte being upset as well.


    The tea room grew quiet once again. The floral scent of tea wafted into the air and lingered there.


    Augustine sighed inwardly. It was, overall, a good thing that Maria hadn''t been pregnant. Compared


    to his earlier depression, he was only feeling disappointed now. He cast a long nce at the silent


    girl, feeling sorry for her. It seemed as though she had been suffering all her life.


    "There is a way to make us forgive you," he said out of the blue, his voice deep and full of resolve.

 Chapter 258 Another Baby

    Chapter 258 Another Baby


    "What would that be?" Maria asked and raised her head.


    "Do your best to give us another grandson. Once the baby is born, you are free to raise him by


    yourself. And if you don''t want to, then you can just leave him to us."


    Maria gaped at the old man.


    "You may leave now, Maria. Don''te to us again unless you''re carrying our future grandchild,"


    Augustine said.


    Maria got into her car and drove back downtown in a sluggish pace.


    To say that she had totally offended James would be an understatement. How would she manage


    getting pregnant with his baby at this point? Augustine had handed her a rather difficult task indeed.


    But she couldn''t refuse. Augustine and his wife had treated her so well all this time, and she had


    already let them down. How could she bear to do it again?


    s!


    She nced at her rearview mirror and looked at the car tailing her. She grew more irritable.


    Maria swerved at the next corner and headed to a nearby bar.


    The bodyguards were quick to alert James. "Mr. Xi, Ms. Song has made a stop on her way back


    home. She''s currently at XY Street."


    ''XY Street?'' James recalled that one time Maria had been drunk. She hade out of a bar in XY


    Street and had been brought back to her apartment by Kent.


    "I see."


    He hung up the phone and stood from his seat, buttoning his suit jacket as he made his way to the


    door.


    "James!" Ethan called from the table he had just vacated. "Where are you going?"


    "To a bar."


    "What? Why, so suddenly?" Ethan was perplexed. "And a bar? Isn''t the wine here good enough?"


    James didn''t even bother looking back when he answered, "Maria is not here."


    Ethan''s eyes widened in surprise. James had recently been acting like he had broken up with Maria


    for good. What was with this new, 180-degree development?


    Well, he might as well return to his own apartment. He walked out of the establishment with James,


    but when they passed thetter¡¯s car, Ethan was pulled along into it. Once again, he ended up


    tagging along against his will.


    Ethan sighed in resignation. He hated having to be subjected to this couple''s public disys of


    affection.


    They walked into the bar in question.


    James'' eyes zeroed in on the woman singing onstage. She had taken off her coat and was sporting


    a ck, figure-hugging dress.


    Her long hair fell in a curtain over her shoulder as she crooned a sad melody into the bar. "We are


    all living hard. We have won and lost in love and hatred, and we have been brilliant and


    disappointed, without any regret. I believe that at the end of suffering is a gain."


    Despite the nature of the bad she was singing, the men all around didn''t seem affected. They all


    stood at her feet under the stage and looked up at her in adoration.


    A few patrons who seemed to share a streak of lovesickness were singing along. "There are a few


    twists and turns on the way to grow up..."


    Ethan had to raise his voice inside the bar for him to be heard. "James, shall we ask the


    management for a private room upstairs?"


    There were exclusive VIP rooms on the second floor, and they had usually stayed there whenever


    they came to this ce.


    James surveyed the hall before saying, "That won''t be necessary." Then he went straight to the bar


    counter and sat on one of the stools.


    Ethan followed suit and ordered drinks for them while they waited for the end of the performance.


    They had a perfect view of the stage from their chosen spot.


    The big screen behind Maria showed all sorts of gifts sent to her by the men in the bar.


    The items were just popping up incessantly one after another-different kinds of wine, cocktails, and


    flowers.


    Soon her slot was full.


    Ethan propped an elbow on the countertop and perched his chin on his hand. "Maria truly is an


    enchantress, and a very tempting one at that. One random song was all it took to bring these men


    to their knees."


    James said nothing.


    She used to go on and on about how he had a string of women willing to do his every bidding.


    Now he took into ount all the men fawning over her and the gifts she had been offered. They


    were the most expensive gifts on the table, too, costing hundreds of thousands of dors. And they


    were all hers.


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    She also had a string of men who would enve themselves to her whims, didn''t she?


    Maria sang thest notes of her song and ran her fingers through her hair in one sultry motion


    before walking off the stage. The men instantly moved in unison, clearly about to surround her, but


    the appearance of one man made them pause. Maria smiled and waved at him, and he escorted


    her to what appeared to be their table.


    Ethan peered at them with great interest from the bar. "Kent Jiang? He seems to be quite close with


    Maria."


    James'' face was devoid of any emotion; he just fixed his eyes on the woman.


    They watched and sipped their drinks as the other pair chatted for a while. Well, they weren''t


    exactly able to talk much, because different men kept walking up to their table and tried to invite


    Maria for a drink.


    Ethan nced at James. "Are you sure you won''t go over there?"


    James seemed to possess the ability to stay calm in the face of his woman getting surrounded by


    so many men.


    A bunch of women had been eyeing the two men, too, of course. But none of them dared to


    approach because of the cold energy James was giving off. Ethan soon grew bored of the evening


    and let his mind wander. "James, what if Maria wasn''t pregnant at all? I mean, we all know she


    hates you a lot. She might have lied to you on purpose as a part of her revenge."


    James was about to bring his ss to his lips, but Ethan''s words made him pause. It seemed to


    make sense to him somehow.


    Now that the possibility was out in the open, other loopholes in Maria''s pregnancy narrative were


    appearing in his mind.


    First, Maria had gone to the hospital by herself; the results she had shown him afterwards could


    very well be a fabrication.


    He hadn''t been present either when she had aborted the child. Why did she chose to do this at the


    exact time period when he was abroad?


    The baby had gone just as suddenly as it had appeared.


    James narrowed his eyes at her from the distance, wondering if there was any truth to her


    pregnancy at all.


    Shortly after that, Maria stood and picked up her coat, walking toward the door without any of the


    gifts.


    James downed his liquor and strode after them.


    Ethan rushed to keep up, but not before telling the manager, "Please charge it to James'' ount."


    "Yes, of course. Take care, Mr. Xi, Mr. Nan!"


    James'' long legs proved to be an advantage this time; Maria and Kent had just emerged from the


    bar and had barely said anything to each other when he reached them. He grabbed Maria''s arm


    and pulled her to the side of the street. He dragged her behind him as he walked to his car.


    Kent stepped forward to pull Maria back when Ethan appeared in the next moment and blocked


    him. "Kent, hi. Come on, I''ll buy you a drink. Let''s go."


    "Ethan? Why are you here?"


    Ethan''s smile was fixed on his face. "Coincidence."


    Kent opened his mouth to say something else, but he was taken away before he could utter a word.


    "What do you think you''re you doing, James?" Maria demanded as she jogged after the man.


    James flung her against the door of the Harkim and braced his arms on either side of her, trapping


    her between the car and his body.


    "What is wrong with you?" Maria tried to break free, finding herself almost lip to lip with him all of a


    sudden.


    Their eyes met as their breaths mingled in the small space between them.


    James drew close subconsciously, and just as they were about to kiss, he seemed to return to his


    senses. He stopped and whispered, "Maria Song."


    His breath was hot and carried a faint scent of alcohol, making Maria swallow. "Just get to the


    point," she said coolly, averting her eyes.


    "Why did you go to the hospital that time?"


    "What time?"


    "That time you discovered you were pregnant."


    She didn''t answer right away. Her heart was pounding inside her chest, and she wondered if he had


    discovered something. Maria gritted her teeth and stifled her guilt. "I wasn''t feeling so well at the


    time, so I decided to get a check-up."


    -

 Chapter 259 I Didnt Lie

    Chapter 259 I Didn''t Lie


    "What were your symptoms? Where did you feel unwell?" James pressed.


    Maria pretended to lose her patience and snapped, "I felt terrible, James Xi. The baby is gone now.


    What more do you want from me?"


    James sneered. Judging by her reaction, he was almost sure of the answer. "Ms. Song, good job."


    He had been fooled by her.


    Maria raised her head and stared at him. "What makes you think I faked it? I''m telling you, I didn''t


    lie."


    With one hand pinching her cheek, James asked in a low voice, "You just don''t want to admit it, do


    you? Tell me which doctor found out you were pregnant and which doctor prescribed the aborticide


    for you."


    He vowed to himself that he''d get the answers from those doctors.


    Pak! Maria pped away his hand harshly and pushed him away. "Get out of my way! A good dog


    will yield to its master."


    A good dog?


    After taking but two steps, Maria was yanked backwards by a strong arm. Before she knew it, she


    was in a tight embrace. James lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers.


    "Mmmph..."


    After a long time, James finally let go of her, leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "Maria Song,


    apologize to me right now. Then I''ll forgive you."N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    His voice was hoarse and deep, which made Maria think that he was lusting for her.


    Maria took a deep breath and came back to her senses. "Dream on!" she spat. How dare he ask


    her for an apology?


    James red at her coldly. ''This damned woman!''


    "Even if I were in the wrong, I wouldn''t apologize to you. Besides, I''m not in the wrong, so I refuse to


    apologize!" Maria would never admit that she lied to him.


    And if he found out the truth, she still wouldn''t apologize.


    James was floored. Her stubbornness gave him a migraine.


    Maria wiped any trace of him from her lips and scowled at him. Then she turned around and left


    without giving him a chance to say anything.


    With an expressionless face, he watched as she got in her car and drove away.


    The next day


    In the CEO''s office, Summer had been called in two minutes earlier, but not a word had left James''


    lips in that entire time. Instead, he just stared at her intently, sending shivers down her spine.


    Finally, just as Summer felt like she was going to explode from anxiety, James asked, "Was she


    pregnant or not?"


    "What? Who?" Summer asked, wrinkling her brows in confusion. Then, it dawned on her. "Maria?


    But Mr. Xi, shouldn''t you talk to her about this?"


    "Summer, you know what I mean." He seemed to have caught a cold. His voice was hoarsely nasal,


    but it did not affect the coldness in his tone.


    Summer swallowed nervously. She did know what he meant, but she tried to avoid the question.


    She didn''t want to betray Maria. "Mr. Xi, I heard the news that Maria was pregnant. But I don''t know


    why she had the abortion¡ª"


    "Summer!" James interrupted her harshly, veins popping out from his temples.


    Summer shut up immediately. ''Oh my God! Where are you, Maria? Come and save me! I can''t take


    this anymore!" she prayed inwardly.


    "Right now, Lorenzo is the manager of the branch in the West District. I think you are more capable


    than him. You can be a deputy CEO there."


    Summer slowly took a deep breath. "Mr. Xi, it''s not wise for you to do this. Joanna isn''t able to


    undertake the tasks alone. Gary''s only a genius in the electronic field. And although Kason is


    capable, he isn''t ready yet to take on more responsibility. Please think twice."


    "Are you saying I can''t work without you?"


    "Mr. Xi, do you really think it''s worth it to let your personal life encroach upon your professional life?"


    James sneered.


    He had to admit that Maria was a force to be reckoned with. Her friend was so loyal to her and kept


    her secret, even at the risk of leaving the HL Group headquarters.


    "Get out!"


    "Yes, Mr. Xi." Summer scuttled out of the office.


    When she made it back to her desk, her heart was still racing in her chest. Panicked, she sent a


    quick message to Maria, rying the events of what just happened.


    Just then, the elevator arrived on their floor. She nced up from her phone and saw Alina


    approaching.


    Alina heard James had caught a cold and came as quickly as possible.


    However, before she could take another step, Summer materialized in front of her. "I''m sorry, Ms.


    Tang. Mr. Xi is not feeling well today, so he won''t meet any guest for the time being."


    Staring at the woman in front of her, Alina asked, "How dare you stop me? Do you think I''m just


    some guest?"


    Summer smiled. "I stop all the womening to the HL Group, except Maria."


    As a special assistant to the CEO, she had the right to do so.


    "How dare you!" Alina raised her hand to p her, but the blow nevernded. Summer caught her


    hand and was firmly gripping her wrist. "Ms. Tang, if you hit me, it''ll be considered an upational


    injury. Are you sure you want to make trouble for Mr. Xi?"


    Alina yanked back her wrist and hissed through gritted teeth, "James is sick. I have to go inside and


    take care of him. I advise you to be sensible, Summer."


    Summer stood her ground. "There are so many women who want to take care of Mr. Xi. But how


    many of them are actually capable of doing so?"


    "How dare you!"


    "Oh, I''m sorry, Ms. Tang. I have poor memory, but if I recall correctly, Maria is the first and also the


    only one."


    Alina couldn''t believe that a mere employee-someone way beneath her-would treat her like this.


    She tried to p Summer again, but Summer managed to dodge her. On the other hand, Summer


    knew it was time to stop provoking the other woman. She turned to her assistant and said, "Go and


    report this to Mr. Xi. We can''t stop Ms. Tang. She insists on seeing him." "Yes, Summer." The young


    assistant hurried to the


    CEO''s office.


    He repeated Summer''s words to James.


    Soon, he came out of the CEO''s office and smiled to Alina. "Ms. Tang, I''m sorry but Mr. Xi is not


    feeling well now. If it''s nothing urgent, please leave. Mr. Xi said he''ll get in touch with you some


    other day."


    Alina felt her face flush from embarrassment. She was James'' fiancee, for Christ''s sake! Even if he


    wanted to call off the engagement, it hadn''t been done yet. Why was he so cruel?


    She didn''t dare cross the line, so she had to leave. "Fine. I''ll go visit Uncle Sebastian and Aunt Judy


    then. Please take good care of James. If anything happens, feel free to contact me."


    "Okay. Take care, Ms. Tang."


    Seeing Alina off, the assistant breathed a sigh of relief.


    In her heart, Summer prayed that Maria would turn up soon. If she continued to confront Alina like


    this, the day Alina married into the Xi family would be the day she would be fired.


    Augustine''s birthday party this year was different from the previous ones. In the past, he insisted on


    having only family members over for dinner. But this year, he said that he nned on inviting some


    good friends over to have a get-together.


    Of course, this was no problem with James. He left the matter of the birthday party preparations to


    Summer.


    The venue was a high-end hotel owned by the HL Group. Even though there were not many people


    invited, James still chose the main hall, which could amodate over a thousand people.


    On the day of the birthday banquet, a few hundred people showed up.


    It was so rare for Augustine to celebrate with people other than his family; everyone invited was


    expected to show up, out of respect.

 Chapter 260 Augustines Birthday Banquet

    Chapter 260 Augustine''s Birthday Banquet


    One of the prominent families invited was the Tang family. The Tang couple considered the birthday


    banquet a perfect opportunity for their daughter to get on Augustine''s good side. yton recalled


    with bitterness how Charlotte humiliated Alina at the dinner on the lunar New Year''s Eve, but he


    knew she needed to please Augustine and Charlotte. He believed that it would be better to have


    Alina apany James to attend this banquet. With James around, his grandparents might not be


    harsh on her.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Augustine, in a Chinese tunic suit, was sitting in the hall. Next to him was Charlotte, who was


    sporting a dark blue cheongsam. The two of them were smiling politely as they received birthday


    blessings from the guests.


    John stood to the side, ready to receive gifts. He would then hand them to the bodyguards behind


    him.


    Ethan showed up by himself. After exchanging a few words with the two elders, he left them


    grinning from ear to ear and handed his gift to John.


    Just then James and Alina arrived-perfect timing, too. There weren''t too many guests yet.


    Today, Alina was garbed in a light blue cashmere overcoat. Her long hair hung loose over her


    shoulders, parted neatly from her face thanks to a diamond-studded hair band. On her delicate feet


    were expensive high-heeled shoes. After James was done greeting the two elders, Alina stepped in.


    "Happy birthday, Mr. Xi! I wish you and Mrs. Xi a long and prosperous life. Here is a red sandalwood


    ornament I bought specially for you. I hope you like it, Mr. Xi."


    It was no secret Augustine was fond of red sandalwood


    ¡ªin fact, many of the gifts tonight were made from it.


    Perhaps it was because they were in public, Augustine didn''t make things difficult for her. As she


    held her breath anxiously, he nodded ever so slightly. "Thank you, Ms. Tang."


    Just as John was about to hand Alina''s gift to the bodyguard behind him, Augustine held up one


    hand. "Open it and let me have a look. I''m curious to see what she got me."


    "Yes, sir."


    John opened the gift himself, carefully unraveling the silk ribbon. Inside the box was an ornament


    with twin lions ying with a ball.


    The workmanship was exquisite.


    Augustine took it in his hands and examined it up close. After a while, he nodded in satisfaction.


    "Good."


    Seeing his nod of approval, Alina finally let go of the breath she was holding.


    However, before James could take her aside, a girl''s voice chirped from behind him. "Mr. Xi, happy


    birthday. I wish you and Mrs. Xi good health and prosperous lives."


    Upon hearing that familiar voice, Alina whipped around.


    ''What''s Sandra doing here?'' she thought to herself, frowning unhappily.


    Augustine squinted at the girl questioningly. "May I know who you are?"


    Sandra handed the gift to John. "I''m Sandra Shen. Actually, I''vee here on behalf of Maria; she


    couldn''t make it."


    "Oh, I see." Then, turning to a servant, he asked, "Show Sandra to her seat."


    "Mr. Xi, I hope you like Maria''s gift. She knew you like red sandalwood, so she had her men search


    for this piece some time ago. Why not take a look at it?"


    Augustine raised his eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. He gestured to John to open the gift box.


    Once the lid was removed, everyone nearby gasped softly. Alina practically choked, unable to


    believe her eyes.


    John took out the gift. Whispers began to spread around the hall.


    The ornament was exactly the same as Alina''s. One of them must be a fake.


    Alina was confident hers was the authentic piece. After all, she had been paying attention to it a


    long time ago. The second she heard there was a red sandalwood antique on the ck market


    worth nearly ten million, she had her people inquire about it. They had found out that truly, the piece


    was from the Tang dynasty.


    When she snapped back to her senses, she said hurriedly, "Mr. Xi, I spent eight million dors on


    this gift, so surely it''s the original one. I don''t know where Maria Song got that fake one."


    Not only was it expensive, Alina had gone through lengths to authenticate the piece. There experts


    had confirmed that the material of the piece truly was red sandalwood, and that it was an antique.


    Things were getting heated. Sandra stepped forward and cleared her throat. "There is only one


    authentic antique. Since Ms. Tang insists hers is the real deal, why don''t we ask a professional to


    identify the fake from the authentic?"


    Alina narrowed her eyes. She wondered why Sandra was so confident. Perhaps it was because the


    girl looked up to Maria. Alina smiled mockingly. "Miss Shen, you are young and naive; you don''t


    even know you''ve been deceived. But it doesn''t matter. Consider this a teaching moment."


    Among the guests who hade here today, there was a number of dealers and collectors familiar


    with red sandalwood.


    One of them, a middle-aged man with grey hair lightly brushing his forehead, stepped forward. "Mr.


    Xi, please let me have a look!"


    This man was considered an expert with red sandalwood, and Augustine knew him well, so


    Augustine nodded at him calmly. "Give him both pieces, " he said to John.


    "Yes, sir."


    While everyone held their breath in anticipation, the middle-aged man put on his sses and


    carefully examined the two treasures. After a while, he even took out a portable magnifying ss


    from his pocket and studied them up close.


    At longst, he took off his sses and turned to face Augustine. In his hands was the piece Alina


    had procured. "This one is..."


    The hall fell into silence, waiting impatiently for his answer.


    "This is rosewood," he said decisively.


    Then he pointed at the identical piece sent by Sandra and said, "That''s the real antique from the


    Tang Dynasty."


    "No way!" Alina raised her voice in protest.


    The middle-aged man red at her. He was quite angry that someone questioned his authority on


    the matter. Calming himself down, he started to exin, "There are fifteen kinds of sandalwood, two


    of whiche from our country. One is red sandalwood, and the other one is rosewood. Modern


    botany dictates that rosewood refers to wood that''s hard, resistant to corrosion, and durable. They


    grew in the tropical and subtropical areas. Rosewood is very different from traditional red


    sandalwood, so we do not regard the two woods in the same way. However, because of their simr


    appearance, they are often mistaken for each other."


    Alina remained unconvinced. "Even though it might not be the best red sandalwood, it is still an


    antique from the royal collection!"


    The middle-aged man smiled. "Ms. Tang, do you think the royal family would have a piece that isn''t


    even made from red sandalwood?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "Among the fifteen kind of sandalwoods we know about today, except for the ruddy sandalwood


    produced in Mysore State in southern India, they are all called scented rosewood. Rosewood is only


    a variety of the scented rosewood. No matter which kind of rosewood it is, its color, texture, and


    hardness cannot bepared to red sandalwood. In short, your piece is a fake!"


    Chaos broke out among the crowd.


    All the color drained from Alina''s face. She hade here to celebrate Augustine''s birthday, yet the


    birthday gift she offered was a fake.


    It would be theughingstock of the town.


    Sandra raised her chin triumphantly and stuck her tongue out at Alina. "I knew yours was the fake.


    Maria started paying attention to this piece two months ago. She''s always been treating Mr. and


    Mrs. Xi as her own grandparents. Also, she has the money. Why would she buy a fake?"

 Chapter 261 Deceived

    Chapter 261 Deceived


    Alina opened her mouth to defend herself, but Augustine quickly cut her off. "That''s it then. Ms.


    Tang, I appreciate your kindness."


    "Mr. Xi, this really isn''t..." Alina flushed with embarrassment. She turned to the man standing next to


    her. "James!" He had been silent this whole time.


    James said tly, "You''re not a professional yourself. You might have easily gotten yourself duped.


    Just let it go, Grandpa won''t hold it against you. I''ll have someone investigate the matterter."


    Alina hung her head, unable to utter another word. Since she had been dismissed-more than once-


    there was nothing more she could do.


    All the other guests looked at her strangely for the remainder of the night.


    Even Judy herself gave her the cold shoulder. After a casual pat on the back, shepletely


    ignored Alina. Instead, she stuck next to Charlotte and looked after her mother-inw quietly.


    In the end, Alina fled to the bathroom to regain herposure.


    When she came out, she bumped into Sandra, who had been waiting for her. She blocked Alina''s


    path. "Why if it isn''t the esteemed Ms. Tang who gifted Mr. Xi a fake antique in public."


    "Tell me the truth!" Alina demanded with an angry re. "Did Maria Song rece my original gift?"


    Sandra was unfazed. She had been wanting to take revenge on this woman for a long time.


    She hadn''t meant to knock Alina into the swimming pool, but the bitch had pped her and her


    friend. It was indeed a blessing that Maria had granted her this opportunity to humiliate Alina. "I


    don''t know what you mean. What I do know, though, is your grand ambition to take the title of Mrs.


    Xi from Maria. I can''t even imagine where you got the guts to do so. How can a woman who can''t


    even appease Mr. Xi''s grandparents ever hope topare with Maria? After all, she''s kind and


    beautiful, and a total opposite of the likes of you." Sandra slowly approached as she said her next


    words with deliberate provocation. "You''re just some cheap scum who could only afford an antique


    as fake as yourself."


    "You!" Alina tried to p Sandra, but thetter was quick and able to dodge. "Just try and hurt me,


    you bitch! See if I don''t ask Maria to teach you a lesson again! She said that if you dared toy a


    finger on me, she''s going to send you to the hospital and make sure that you stay there for another


    couple of months."


    Alina fumed, unable to retort as the words hit home. Sandra turned and walked away from her. Alina


    jolted back to her senses and tried to catch up to the other woman, determined to teach her a


    lesson herself.


    Unfortunately for her, Sandra was wearing t shoes, in contrast to Alina''s high heels. She soon


    disappeared from Alina''s sight.


    Unwilling to let her rage go untended, she tried to look for Sandra throughout the party, to no avail.


    Unbeknownst to either woman, Augustine had been standing in a nearby corner and had overheard


    their conversation.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    On top of there being a fake antique, why had Maria just sent an identical item? It turned out to be


    all in the purpose of humiliating Alina in public.


    Now that he knew the truth of the matter, Augustine wasn''t the least bit mad at all. In fact, he was


    quite satisfied with the oue.


    He was firmly on Maria''s side, through and through. Just as his wife had put it, Maria needed to be


    resourceful or she would risk making the same mistakes from the past.


    John nced at the old man who appeared to have be lost in his thoughts. "Excuse me, sir.


    Do you still want to go to the bathroom?"


    "Of course. Do you expect me to ruin my prostrate?"


    The butler bowed and assisted Augustine in silence.


    Over the course of the night, something urred to Alina.


    She told James, "I''ve been deceived."


    The man nced at her briefly and said nothing.


    "Listen, when I made the deal, there was something wrong with the POS machine. The transaction


    got dyed for ten minutes before proceeding sessfully. Those ten minutes probably had


    something to do with the fake antique. Maybe they switched the items then! And Maria Song


    definitely cooperated with them to pull it off."


    James pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine, I understand. I''ll have someone look into it."


    "Okay. Please, you must let them prove my innocence." Given tonight''s debacle, Alina knew her


    chances to win over James'' grandparents had gone from slim to nothing.


    "Fine."


    Later, after taking Alina home to her family, James headed to another dinner party.


    He was not at all surprised to find Maria when he walked into the restaurant. She still had his


    bodyguards tailing her, after all.


    She had also heard that he was to be in attendance, so her expression remained neutral when she


    caught sight of him.


    Maria was the hostess of this little gathering, and the guests of honor were Mr. Du and the CEO of


    anotherrgepany. James only came because Mr. Du had called him; they were in the middle


    of a project where HL Group also happened to be involved.


    When the table wasid, Maria ended up sitting opposite to James, and next to Mr. Du.


    Their conversation was about environment protection, but then someone asked out of the blue,


    "How is your son, Mr. Du? Has he recovered?"


    Mr. Du''s face quickly turned worried. "He''s not in a good condition at all. He has uremia and needs


    a kidney transnt. These days, it''s very difficult to find the right organ donors." His son was only


    18 years old, and the only thing keeping him alive at the moment was his frequent dialysis


    treatments.


    Mr. Du''s family had spent millions of dors to save his son''s life, but they had never managed to


    secure a suitable donor.


    A thought clicked inside James'' head. He tapped the armrest of his chair twice and cocked his head


    at the man seated beside him. "Mr. Du, I remember from yourst physical examination that your


    blood type is B. I wonder if your son shares the same blood type."


    "Yes, he does," Mr. Du answered hurriedly. "Do you happen to have resources in the area, Mr. Xi?"


    He was excited when James breached the subject. He was aware that this young man was far more


    powerful than him, so he might have his own ways in finding a kidney donor sooner.


    James'' eyes flitted over to the woman across the table. Maria was a little stunned when their eyes


    met, and she wondered why he was looking at her in a strange way.


    What he said next brought her enlightenment on this, but also a heavy dose of dread. "If I''m not


    mistaken, Ms. Song is also type B, and I don''t know her to have any chronic illnesses. You want to


    strike a cooperation with Mr. Du, right? Why don''t you...?"


    While Mr. Du''s excitement now mixed with pleasant surprise, Maria found herself slowly spiraling


    down to hell.


    No, more to the point, James had just intentionally thrown her to hell.


    Mr. Du turned to her, struggling for a moment to find the right words to say.


    Maria ignored him and narrowed her eyes at James. She had a good guess as to what he was


    trying to do. He wanted her to bow to him like she had done many times before. If she apologized to


    him, he would forgive her and have someone else take care of Mr. Du''s problems.


    And if she still refused to yield to him, she might have to lose one of her kidneys, which could prove


    dangerous to her in the future.


    Well, he was going to be in for a surprise, because she was about to defy his desired expectations.


    She quickly adjusted her mood and smiled at Mr. Du. "If my conditions meet the requirements, Mr.


    Du, then I would be happy to donate a kidney for your son."


    She sounded genuine and rxed about the whole thing, making the others'' expressions change.


    For his part, James'' face took on a cruel and malicious edge. "Maria Song!" he snapped in a low


    voice, his toneden with threats.


    Nobody seemed to notice as Mr. Du wept on the spot. "I would dly turn over twenty percent of


    the shares of Du Group to you in return for this favor."


    Twenty percent of the shares; the annual dividends


    alone would amount to hundreds of millions of dor i A parent''s love was always touching.

 Chapter 262 A Good Match

    Chapter 262 A Good Match


    Maria shook her head. "Don''t get yourself too worked up just yet, Mr. Du. We still don''t know if I''m a


    match to your son. I''ll have myself examined tomorrow."


    "Yes, yes," Mr. Du replied, trying to calm himself. "You''re quite right. But in appreciation of your


    kindness and generosity, even if the resultse out negative, I give you my word that we will


    remain friends in the future!"


    "Oh, Mr. Du. You think far too highly of me, but it really is my honor." Then Maria made it a point to


    smile at James.


    James wanted to see how far she would go, didn''t he? Well, she might not be able to defeat him,


    but she sure as hell wasn''t going to let herself fall behind.


    After dinner, Mr. Du offered to drive Maria back to Golden Mansion, and they discussed the kidney


    donation process all the way there.


    Maria watched as his car drove away from her apartment, and her pleasant expression slowly


    disappeared.


    She hadn''t lied.


    If she was a match, she would donate her kidney.


    After all, she wasn''t nning to live long.


    She let herself in, and no sooner had she gone past the foyer than the doorbell rang. She already


    knew who was on the other side of the door without having to check.


    As she pondered whether to let him in or not, her phone rang. Her uninvited guest was calling. She


    swiped to answer. "I know you''re in there," James growled. "Open the door!" "It''ste, Mr. Xi. I want


    to go to bed, so it''s best that you leave."


    Her words only fanned his fury. "If you don''t open this door in the next minute, I''ll break it down


    myself."


    Maria sighed.


    She knew he was a man of his word, and that somehow made her even angrier at him. She ended


    the call and pulled the door open. "Are you out of your mind, James Xi? If so, may I suggest


    admitting yourself to a psychiatric ward and have an expert take a look at you?"


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Bang! He stepped inside and mmed the door close behind him. His rage was palpable in the air


    around him. "Do you want to die that badly, Maria Song?"


    She matched him with a mocking sneer. "How forgetful you are, Mr. Xi! Weren''t you the one who''s


    been wanting that all this time? Didn''t you say it yourself, that you wanted to kill me?


    Why are you asking me such a stupid question now?" James red at her, the muscle in his jaw


    working as he gritted his teeth. "Apologize to me. You don''t have to go to the hospital tomorrow." He


    had only wanted to scare her a little, of course, and he had never expected her to make such a


    promise to Mr. Du.


    "I''m afraid I''m about to disappoint you again, Mr. Xi." She strode past him and opened the door.


    "Like I said, it''ste. You''d better go."


    In the next second, James grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her into his arms. Before he could do


    anything else, she shouted, "If youy a single finger on me, I will call the police and file a rape


    comint!"


    It was still her choice whether to get pregnant or not, and at the moment, having James'' baby was


    thest thing she wanted.


    "It won''t be good for you to anger me so much."


    "You''re not a child, Mr. Xi. You know better than anyone else that we should take responsibility for


    the things we say. Didn''t I y ording to your intentions back there? I did my best so that you


    wouldn''t lose face during dinner.


    What else are you dissatisfied with?" There wasn''t a single thing he was feeling satisfied about!


    James held the back of her head and forced her to look at him. "Make sure you don''t live to regret


    this!"


    "Don''t worry, I won''t."


    "You''ve got quite the nerve, Maria Song!" And with that, he shook her off and stormed out of the


    apartment.


    The door mmed shut into its frame, followed by a deafening silence. Maria''s tense nerves


    gradually eased, and soon she felt the beginning strains of exhaustion.


    She went to the bathroom and sluggishly filled the bath with water. She kept telling herself not to


    dwell on matters, not to think of anything at all, and just take a shower and go to bed.


    The next day, Mr. Du sent a car to her apartment to take her to the hospital.


    Both he and his wife were waiting for her at the lobby, and as soon as they saw her, they walked


    over, their eyes brimming with emotions.


    Mrs. Du was in tears as she thanked her repeatedly. Mariaforted the couple, and after a wile of


    reassuring them, she followed the doctor into the examination room.


    It took two hours to finish all the tests. Mr. Du requested the hospital to speed up the progress in


    order to obtain the results sooner.


    What was supposed to have taken several days only


    took two.


    Maria didn''t go anywhere during this period and just stayed in the apartment. When Mr. Du called to


    give her the news, she had been looking out the window in a daze.


    His voice sounded rather strange. "Ms. Song, you are a match to my son."


    ''A match?''


    Maria felt hollow. And oddly enough, Mr. Du seemed to be feeling the same. Shouldn''t he be happy


    with the results? Why didn''t she hear any excitement or joy?


    Then his next words struck her like a thunderbolt from the sky.


    "But I''m afraid a kidney transnt would be impossible. You''re pregnant, Ms. Song." Mr. Du was


    quite depressed at this turn of events. It truly was a pity.


    "What did you say? I''m pregnant?" Maria asked, rising from her chair in one sudden motion.


    Mr. Du sighed. "Yes, the doctor said you''re ten weeks along and advised against the transnt for


    the time being."


    ''Ten weeks pregnant?'' She tried to recall when herst period was-two months ago. The time frame


    seemed to fit.


    But it still didn''t make any sense. When James had returned from the States, she hadn''t been


    pregnant then. And afterward, they had never been able to get along well enough to get intimate in


    bed.


    "Perhaps there''s been a misunderstanding, Mr. Du. Is James Xi with you?" ''This was probably just


    another one of his tricks,'' Maria thought.


    "Mr. Xi? No, why would he be? Anyway, why don''t youe over to the hospital first? You can


    confirm it for yourself then. Your results here show that you''re pregnant."


    Maria ended the call.


    She didn''t believe any of it, of course. She hurriedly changed her clothes and rushed to the hospital.


    To her dismay, the attending doctor only repeated what Mr. Du had told her over the phone. She


    was indeed pregnant.


    And the results couldn''t be wrong since they had been obtained through a blood test.


    She still refused to believe it, though, so they arranged for a color ultrasound examination. It


    showed a tiny little bean inside her belly.


    She held the slip of paper bearing the results with trembling hands. She really was pregnant.


    The doctor had even done her the favor of calcting the time difference between herst


    ultrasound and this recent one. It turned out that she had been pregnant back then, too, but only for


    about a week. That being the case, it was still impossible to make out anything resembling a fetus.


    Though disappointed, Mrs. Du walked over to her with a smile. "Maria, it''s good to be pregnant.


    Babies are a blessing." The older woman sighed inwardly, feeling sorry for her own son.


    ''A good thing?


    Is it really a good thing?'' Maria''s thoughts were running amok in her head, and while her face was


    nk, her eyes held a wealth of confusion in them.


    She knew who the father was; who else could it be?


    When Mr. Du came out of the doctor''s office, Maria looked at him and spoke with resolve. "Mr. Du,


    I''d like to ask you for a favor..."


    At HL Group


    James had spent the past hour sitting in front of floor-to-ceiling windows of his office with his eyes


    closed and his thoughts in disarray.


    Summer knocked on the door and walked inside. "Excuse me, Mr. Xi. Mr. Du called to say that the


    test results havee out."


    He didn''t say anything, and Summer wondered if her boss had fallen asleep. "Excuse me, Mr. Xi?"


    "Go ahead."


    "Maria''s a match to Mr. Du''s son."


    ''A match?'' James'' eyes opened wide.


    Without saying anything more, Summer left the office quietly.


    James sat there staring at the ceiling for a while more before he called Maria.


    She didn''t answer. He called again. He was at his ninth call when Maria finally picked up. "Hello, Mr.


    Xi. I''m assuming you''re already aware of the results? Well, are you satisfied now?"


    James said nothing.


    After a moment of dead air, Maria sneered. "What exactly are you doing, Mr. Xi? Why did you even


    bother to dial my number if you don''t have anything to say?"

 Chapter 263 Let Go Of Each Other

    Chapter 263 Let Go Of Each Other


    "Why are you so stubborn, Maria Song?" Jams finally spoke, his voice hoarse.


    She chuckle softly. "I''m not sure either. I just know that after letting you know all that I''ve been


    through, I might never be able to give in to you again."


    He grew silent again, and she continued.


    "I do have a question for you, James Xi. Are you feeling a little guilty?" She had suffered in prison


    for two years, and she had borne the loss of their two children by herself.


    James'' lips tightened into a thin line. He didn''t say anything.


    Of course he felt guilty.


    But to him, his guilt for what she had gone through was an entirely different thing from what she was


    putting him through. She had lied to him.


    He was willing to make up for her, but he expected her to apologize for having lied to him again and


    again.


    Maria waited, but he never answered her question. In the end, she said, "The transnt operation


    will take ce a weekter. You''re wee toe, maybe you can set up a victory banner for me


    in my hospital ward."


    He ended the call without another word.


    In her apartment, Maria leaned back on the chaise lounge, her hand on her still t belly.


    The baby hade so suddenly, she hadn''t evene to terms as to why she had gotten


    pregnant. James


    usually used condoms, and careless to do so, she had morning pills.


    even when he had been made sure to take after


    She wondered if she could keep the baby. She had taken pills several times.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    This baby had undoubtedly ruined everything she had nned for the rest of her life.


    She had just started on her attack against Alina, and she hadn''t even begun her revenge on Judy


    yet. There was Colby, too, and that woman-the woman she hated the most. She hadn''t even made


    an appearance yet.


    More importantly, with a child to take care of, she had effectively been deprived of the right to die


    peacefully after seeing her ns to fruition.


    The day before her supposed operation, James received an email


    from Cooper, who was in the US.


    The next day, Maria went to the hospital by herself. Though she was only putting on an act, she


    needed to go all out. Of course, the bodyguards reported her every move to James.


    She waited inside the doctor''s office for an hour, but the man she had been expecting to see didn''t


    show up.


    Her heart sank lower and lower as the minutes ticked by.


    Finally, she stood up and was about to leave when a nurse rushed inside. "Excuse me, Ms. Song.


    Mr. Xi is outside with some of his men."


    Maria''s eyes lit up and she scrambled to lie back on the examination bed. The doctor then hovered


    her and started to do a mock inspection of her organs.


    They heard footsteps drawing near. She winked at the doctor, who was very nervous about this


    whole affair.


    The poor man cleared his throat and said in a trembling voice, "There is nothing wrong with your


    kidneys, Ms. Song. You may proceed with the operation as scheduled. I''ll have you taken to the


    operating room now."


    "Okay." She got off the bed.


    James burst into the room, his face dark and ominous. He strode forward and took Maria into his


    arms.


    "This operation can''t be performed!" he announced in a strained voice.


    "Let go of me, Mr. Xi. We''re wasting time! Mr. Du''s son is waiting." Maria''s face was a little paler


    than usual, which was all thanks to ayer of powder she had especially applied earlier.


    Not only did James refuse to let her go, but he also dropped a kiss on her forehead before picking


    her up and carrying her out of the room.


    The terrified doctor gaped, wondering if he just saw a public disy of affection.


    Paying no mind to anything else, James strode out of the hospital and deposited her inside his car.


    "Behave yourself."


    "But Mr. Du is still waiting back there!" Maria protested anxiously, looking all worried and guilty.


    He ignored her and closed the car door. "You don''t have to worry about him."


    "What the hell do you want this time? Are you honestly going to leave Mr. Du hanging just like that?"


    "No, another donor has stepped in to take care of the transnt."


    Maria looked at him in shock. Howe Mr. Du hadn''t been able to find a single match in all of two


    years, and yet James had managed toe up with two in a matter of weeks? "Who is that


    person? Did you find the donor yourself?"


    "No. Cooper did."


    "Cooper?" Maria gaped. "How did he even know that I was going to have a kidney operation?"


    James face hardened. "I also want to know. Maybe you should just ask him yourself." How could his


    younger brother, who was in the US, know what was going on with Maria all the way here in H City?


    The mail he had received contained the information of the other donor.


    James was mad. Cooper might be his younger brother, but James was still jealous.


    Maria pondered this turn of events in silence, and the car grew quiet. Later on, she leaned against


    the window and diverted her attention to the scenery they were passing by.


    The car finally stopped at James'' manor. Maria said, "I''m quite tired, James." Her tone was gentle,


    and she made no indication of getting out. She did look exhausted.


    James sat back in his seat, his expression straight and collected.


    Sensing the mood inside the vehicle, the driver quietly let himself out.


    "I want a good rest. Let''s not see each other for the time being.


    I find it difficult to breathe whenever you''re around. It won''t take long, I promise. Just give me a year


    on my own." By then, the baby would be born, and she would have finished the recuperation period


    necessary after childbirth.


    "Maria Song, you were the one who came back to me, and now you say you want to stay away?


    What makes you think I''ll let you do whatever you want?"


    He took her back from the hospital not because he wanted her to piss him off, but because he


    decided to forgive her because she had already suffered so much before.


    "I just want to take a breather in peace. I went to PW Lakest time, and I really enjoyed my time


    there. I want to spend more time rxing in that ce."


    "All right. If you want some fun, then I''ll make arrangements."


    The woman shook her head. "No, I don''t want a vacation under your watch. Don''t you understand?


    That would be no different from actually being with you."


    "You want to get rid of me that badly?" He was no longer as angry as he had been when she had


    first broached the subject. In fact, he was calmer this time.


    "Yes," Maria answered without hesitation.


    With a child in her belly, she needed to leave H City and find a ce where nobody knew her so


    that she could give birth safely and peacefully.


    "Let me remind you again, Maria-I''m not the type of man you can approach and leave as you like."


    Meaning that if she insisted on leaving him now, there was no telling if she could get him back


    again.


    "I know," she whispered, closing her eyes. It would probably be impossible for them to be together


    in the future anyway.


    She looked tired, and his heart ached at this realization.


    "Okay,"


    he finally said, the word hanging heavy over them in the tight space of the car.


    Before anything else, however, James took her in his arms and kissed her passionately.


    Without missing a beat, Maria wrapped her arms around his neck and responded just as fiercely.


    This was going to be their goodbye kiss.


    But he had other ns. Contrary to her expectations, James went beyond kissing. He pressed her


    down on the back seat and slowly made love to her, ignoring her mild protests.


    Fortunately¡ªat least to her mind-he stopped after doing it once.


    As he straightened his clothes, he told her softly, "Remember to take the pill."


    "Of course," she drawled. "I wouldn''t want to have a baby."


    Bang! James got out of the car and mmed the door shut behind him.


    Maria was sent back to her apartment by the driver, and when afternoon came, all the blind boxes


    and dolls she had in James'' manor followed.


    She wasn''t in a hurry to leave H City. If she just disappeared, there was bound to be suspicion on


    her reasons and whereabouts.


    She got in touch with Cooper some timeter. It was the first time they ever had contact in recent


    years.

 Chapter 264 Give Birth Abroad

    Chapter 264 Give Birth Abroad


    "Cooper!" Maria eximed with a smile. "I see you never changed your phone number, what a


    pleasant surprise!"


    "Well, it''s too troublesome to change my contact details."


    That made sense. People like James and Cooper must possess a wide range ofwork and


    connections. Of course they couldn''t just change numbers as they liked.


    "I wanted to thank you for what you did. I do have a question though. How did you know that I was


    about to donate a kidney?"


    "Well, you did lie to my brother about your abortionst time, and I got worried you two might get


    into a serious fight. So I asked my men to keep an eye on you. You''re not mad at me for doing this,


    are you?" Cooper exined in his usual gentle manner.


    She wasn''t entirely sure just yet. ''So he was there when James answered the phone that time.'' She


    answered, "Why would I be mad at you? I know you had my best interests in mind. But where did


    you find the donor?"


    "That''s a secret."


    Maria burst intoughter. "We haven''t seen each other for years and you''re still keeping secrets


    from me?"


    "Can''t I? I''m a twenty-something grownup now, you know."


    "Well, anyway. I just called to let you know that I¡¯ve broken up with your brother. Will you still be


    willing to help me when I''m in trouble?"


    "You broke up with him?¡±


    "Yeah." They even had the breakup sex to ount for it.


    "Of course I will help you. You will always be my sister-inw." To Cooper, only Maria was deserving


    of that title.


    She went silent for a moment. "I have something to tell you. Can you promise me not to tell


    anyone? Including your brother."


    "Sure."


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    Then she dropped the bomb.


    "I''m pregnant with your brother''s child. I intend to go to the US and give birth there. Do you think


    you can help me keep the whole thing a secret?" Cooper was rich anyway, it wouldn''t burden him


    too much if she came to him for help.


    Besides, the child was his nephew, too, so he bore a measure of responsibility in raising it.


    Cooper was unable to respond for a good while as his eyes bugged out of their sockets and his jaw


    hung open.


    Muchter, Maria went over to Miracle Cafe.


    She had rarely dropped by recently, and when she did, she had often chosen to do so at night.


    If the shop assistant hadn''t called her and told her that ine had brought someone here to make


    trouble, she wouldn''t havee. She didn''t want Colby to know she was discharged from prison.


    Most of the staff were already off duty when she arrived, and only Kent and a female clerk were left


    behind, cleaning up the mess.


    ine hadn''t actually wrecked the whole store; perhaps she had feared the same retribution that


    Ronald had reaped. Instead, she and the men she brought only smashed a handful of furniture.


    Maria stepped inside. Kent paused what he had been doing and walked over to her. "You''re here,"


    he nodded.


    "Yeah," she replied, taking off her sunsses. "I see you''re still working. Thank you for your hard


    work."


    "Not at all," Kent smiled.


    Maria eyed the rest of the mess that hadn''t been cleared yet. "Do you know why ine did this?"


    "Yes, I think so. She kept cursing you over and over for having her daughter donate her kidney."


    ''A kidney?'' She had to wonder whether the donor that Cooper had found was Carolina or Dani.


    Maria''s face changed slightly. She took out her phone and called Carolina.


    "Maria!" Carolina answered in obvious surprise. "Are you released?"


    "Where are you now?"


    "I''m at thepany, why? What''s wrong?"


    So it wasn''t Carolina. "Where is Dani?"


    "She was taken away," Carolina said after a short pause. "It looks like she was forced to donate her


    kidney against her will. She''s still recovering at the hospital." ine had been insisting that Maria


    was behind Dani''s predicament, but Carolina had always said that was impossibly. Maria was


    supposed to be still in jail after all.


    It turned out that she had already been free all this time. That would make more sense to Carolina,


    though. There was no way James would just stand by and watch his woman stay locked up in


    prison.


    Maria, meanwhile, was exhaling a slow sigh of relief.


    ''So it was Dani. Well, it doesn''t matter as long as Carolina is okay.''


    As for Dani, Maria didn''t give a damn that the bitch now only had one kidney left.


    "Maria, do you know anything regarding this matter?"


    "I do, actually. But I won¡¯t tell you anything."


    Carolina sighed and shook her head. "All right then. I won''t pry any further." In her eyes, this could


    have easily been the karma that Dani had been courting all along.


    "Don''t tell anyone that I called you."


    "Okay."


    Maria''s enemies still thought her to be in jail, and it would be to her advantage if they kept thinking


    that way.


    They ended the call, and Maria instantly dialed Cooper''s number. "Dani Song is the donor,"


    she stated without preamble.


    "Yeah." He hadn''t expected her to find out so soon. "Remember how you ended up in the hospital


    several weeks ago? That was her doing. You know those men you encountered on your way back


    to the city aftering over to my grandparents'' vi?"


    This was old news to her, however. She had already hired someone to investigate that incident.


    That might also be the reason why she wasn''t feeling sorry for the now chronically incapacitated


    Dani.


    "You already knew, didn''t you?" Cooper guessed.


    "Right."


    But she had to admire him for being resourceful. He was based in the US, but he seemed to be up


    to date with all the happenings in H City.


    And he was just as ruthless as his brother, a frightfulbination given the amount of power they


    yielded. They did lie low for the most part, but when they did take action, the repercussions were no


    joke at all. Case in point, Dani Song.


    "Well, I''m sure it''s gettingte over there. A pregnant woman shouldn¡¯t be up at this hour. Go to bed


    already."


    "Yes, yes. I know. Bye."


    Maria ended the call and motioned to Kent. "I need you to do me a favor. I need you and Mike to


    take care of the coffee shop in the next few months."


    "Why? How about you?" Kent asked, visibly confused.


    "I haven''t been feeling goodtely so I decide to go on a trip," she answered off-handedly.


    Kent believed her. Just a few nights ago, she had been in an extremely foul mood back at the bar.


    Maria made all other necessary arrangements for the temporary turnover of the cafe before walking


    out into the night.


    She walked to her car but didn''t get in immediately. Instead, she stood there and took in the


    cityscape around her, her gaze pausing at the high-rise buildings across the street. The HL Group


    building had more or less be a cityndmark over the years, and everyone dreamed ofnding


    a job in one of its offices.


    And standing at the top of its one hundred floors was James, the ultimate dream guy of every


    woman. Maybe she just had an unnatural stroke of luck, having managed to marry him in the past.


    And now, she was once again carrying their child inside her.


    This time, Maria swore that she would definitely protect the baby from any harm.


    On the other side of the road, the ck Harkim screeched to halt at thepany entrance, a


    familiar figure emerging from the ss doors of the HL Group lobby. He was wearing his signature


    tailored dark suit and shiny leather shoes, and as usual, he was nked by two of his assistants.


    Holding herptop with one hand, Summer trotted ahead to open the door to the car''s back seat.


    James paused to unbutton his suit jacket, and as if drawn by an invisible string, he turned to the


    direction where Maria was standing.


    Their gazes met, clear and steady even across the distance.


    And for some reason, Maria''s guilt started to prick in her chest. She instantly turned away and


    opened her car door. Within a matter of seconds, she started the engine and was speeding away


    from the coffee shop.


    James stood in ce and watched her go.


    Meanwhile, Judy was pacing back and forth. She had slowlye to the realization that she


    couldn''t just sit still and wait for Maria to deal her a fatal blow. Given that woman''s renewed


    personality, Judy was sure that she woulde for her. Besides, she couldn''t figure what James


    was thinking either, and what the reasons were for his recent actions.


    She had thought about it over and over, and had finally decided that she couldn''t let Maria have the


    chance to attack first.


    The others had no idea she was out of jail now, but Judy knew all about it. She had even heard that


    Maria had gone looking for James in thepany.


    She had promptly sent her men to investigate the woman''s whereabouts, and they had reported just


    now that Maria often went shopping in HX Street.


    Bit by bit, an idea was forming inside Judy''s mind.

 Chapter 265 James Was Paying The Bill

    Chapter 265 James Was Paying The Bill


    Over the past couple of days, Maria had rested within the confines of her apartment, studying new


    recipes in her spare time. She didn''t have any first-trimester nausea and had a healthy appetite.


    One evening, just as she was tossing the dinner tes into the dishwasher, her phone rang.


    Reading the caller ID, she recognized the name. It was the manager of an international luxury bag


    store.


    Maria had an inkling as to why she was calling, so she swiped to answer. "Hello, Ms. Sun. How are


    you?¡±


    "Hello, Ms. Song. I''m sorry to bother you at this time."


    "Not a problem. Why did you call?"


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    "Ms. Song, recently our boss came back from Italy with several fresh handbags. Do you have time


    toe over and have a look? I''ve kept them for you so you can have first pick."


    Sure enough, Maria''s hunch was right. Such a case was nothing new; salespeople often called her


    when their storesunched new products.


    The store wasn''t far from her apartment, so she decided it would be nice to go for a walk. "Okay. I''ll


    be there soon."


    "Great! I''ll wait for you in the shop."


    "Alright. See you."


    After tidying up the dining room, Maria stripped off her pajamas and got changed. When she was


    finally ready, she strutted out of the apartment in a pair of ck boots.


    The weather in H City was gradually warming up by now. She wore a thin, medium-length


    windbreaker and took her time walking along the road towards the HX Street.


    The HX Street was located downtown, and upying half the street was arge shopping mall.


    Maria glimpsed into the morous storefront windows as she made her way towards her


    destination. Finally, she stopped at the door of a four-story shop.


    Two saleswomen were standing by the door. The moment they saw her, they moved aside and


    opened the door for her. "Wee."


    Ms. Sun, who had called Maria, was also waiting for her. At the sight of Maria, she approached her


    with a big smile. "Ms. Song, you came!"


    It was said that Maria was James'' woman, so Ms. Sun told herself to serve her well.


    Maria nodded politely and entered the shop.


    There were only a few guests already in the store, browsing casually. Ms. Sun directed her to the


    VIP room, where she sat on a luxurious sofa.


    "Ms. Song, there are desserts and fruits here. Please help yourself. Miss Li, please go and get Ms.


    Song a ss of water."


    "Okay. A moment please."


    The service in the shop was phenomenal, but Maria didn''t touch the desserts. After all, she was


    quite full from dinner. "Where are the bags? Can I see them yet?"


    ''TH get them for you."


    Maria waved her hand and stood up from the sofa. "It''s alright, I''ll go check on them myself."


    "Okay."


    Maria was led to a room on the upper floor, where dozens of limited edition bags from a new


    collection were sitting on backlit pedestals. The lighting was quite dramatic, making the bags look


    even more luxurious.


    Ms. Sun took out the key and unlocked the showcase where the bagsy tantalizingly. "Ms. Song,


    which one do you like? I''ll show it to you."


    Maria nodded and began to browse at a leisurely pace.


    Any of these bags would cost at least a million dors. Maria picked three without batting an


    eysh, asking Ms. Sun to kindly pack them for her. Then she climbed upstairs to see more of the


    bags.


    Just then, another group of guests entered the shop.


    Maria was standing at the railing of the fourth floor. She looked down to see who had entered the


    shop. Even from all the way up there, she could recognize their faces.


    ine, Miranda, Alina, and Judy.


    Maria pursed her lips. This couldn''t possibly be just a mere coincidence!


    She calmly pulled out her phone and dialed James'' number.


    Maria didn''t know why, but she was confident he would pick up the phone and help her, despite


    them having just broken up.


    The call was soon connected. "Hello, Ms. Song," James answered in a deep voice.


    ''Ms. Song?''


    Maria wore a sardonic smile. "James, I want to buy a few handbags."


    "I''ll pay." Even if they had cut ties, he was never stingy with her.


    This man was always so generous.


    "I want you toe over," Maria said, as amand rather than a request. After all, Judy and her


    posse wouldn''t leave her in peace. Moreover, she was pregnant now and vulnerable. She asked


    James toe over for two reasons. One was to protect the baby in her belly, and the other was to


    show off in front of those bitches.


    The man chuckled. "Aren''t you tired of seeing me?"


    Maria had expected this reaction. She stroked the handbag in front of her and said, "ine,


    Miranda, Alina, and Judy are all here. I don''t like them. I promise this''ll be thest time. Are you


    coming or not?" Still on the phone, Maria cupped her hand over it and ordered the shopping


    assistant to pack up the handbag.


    The shopping assistant nodded, but reminded her in a low voice, "Ms. Song, you bought a bag with


    the same style but different colorst month."


    "I know. Just wrap it up for me!"


    "Yes, Ms. Song." ''Rich people are so willful, '' the shopping assistant thought.


    James said over the phone, "The address."


    It seemed this woman was ying the same trick asst time when she had encountered her


    sisters in the mall. She wanted them to know he was paying her bill.


    As soon as she told him the address, she hung up the phone. Before she could do anything else,


    she heard a familiar voice from behind her. "That woman looks so familiar. Wait, is that Maria


    Song?"


    Maria turned around and found that the four women had already reached the fourth floor when she


    was talking with James on the phone.


    Ignoring her, Maria said to the shopping assistant loudly, "I also like these two. Wrap them up for


    me, please."


    After all, James was paying the bill.


    The way she bought all those bags so casually made the four woman stand up straight. While


    money was not a problem for the four, they didn''t make the money themselves. They never


    squandered money so recklessly.


    Staring at the woman, ine wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Such a waste!"


    Maria chose to ignore her. She was pregnant. It was wiser for now to just wait for James toe to


    her rescue.


    Pretending she didn''t hear a word they said, Maria circled them and went downstairs calmly.


    Just as she had expected, the four spiteful women didn''t leave her alone. They followed her


    downstairs.


    However, just then, the doors to the shop were kicked open violently and a group of armed men


    rushed in.


    Judy and Alina, who had been standing in the center of the store, shrieked helplessly as they were


    surrounded by the gang. With a weapon held against her head, Maria stood less than three meters


    away from them.


    The saleswomen were then forced to hand over their phones. Then, they were made to squat in the


    middle of the hall.


    Everything happened so quickly. Everyone was under the gang''s control before they were able to


    call the police. The lights in the shop were all lit earlier. Now, the lights on the second to the fourth


    floors were turned off, leaving only the two lights on the first floor.

 Chapter 266 Self-protection

    Chapter 266 Self-protection


    A man aimed his weapon at Maria, and she held up her hands calmly. The man approached until he


    was close enough to press his gun against her head. "If you move an inch, I''ll shoot you," he hissed.


    There was a man in the center of the store; he seemed to be the leader. Walking up to the group of


    trembling women, he demanded, "Who is Judy Lan? And who is Alina Tang?"


    The two women, at the mention of their names, trembled in fear. ine pointed a shaky finger at


    Judy. "She''s Judy Lan."


    The manughed, sending shivers down their spines. "Now that I have Mr. Xi''s mother and fiancee,


    I''ll ask the Xi family to give me two billion dors."


    Maria watched the scene in silence, not daring to act rashly.


    From the corner of her eye, she studied the gangster holding a gun to her head. He had a ck silk


    stocking on his head, concealing his facial features. But it was easy to see he was muscr, and


    Maria figured he was a skilled fighter. Her mind raced, trying to find a way to contact James without


    the gangster noticing.


    But perhaps she might not need to. The store was near the HL Group. James was most likely on his


    way already, and would arrive there shortly.


    The gangster took out Judy''s phone from her bag and shoved it into her hands. "Make the call now!


    Two billion dors, not a penny less!"


    Judy was trembling violently. It was obvious she was about to cry. Holding the phone in her hands


    gingerly, she said in a shaky voice, "Okay."


    Just as she unlocked her phone, they heard a ruckus from outside. Secondster, a man strode into


    the store.


    Immediately, several weapons swung about to face him.


    When the gangsters saw who it was, their expressions hardened. Judy''s shaking hands lost their


    grip on her phone and it ttered to the marble floor with a loud crack.


    "James Xi!" The gangsters started to panic.


    In the heat of the moment, the goons guarding Alina and Judy pressed daggers against their necks,


    their eyes darting wildly.


    The man at the door nced at everyone unhurriedly as though he was on a leisurely stroll. When


    his eyes fell on Maria, he paused for a bit before looking somewhere else. Then he took a few steps


    forward, regardless of the gangsters'' jeers. "I am James Xi. If you want something,e to me. Let


    go of the women."


    The leader sneered. "We want two billion dors!"


    James frowned. "So this is a hostage taking?"


    "Will you give it to me or not? You¡¯re rich, I''m sure two billion is spare change for you. If you don''t


    give it to me, I''ll kill them!"


    "I need time to prepare the cash." There was no trace of panic on James'' face. It was as though he


    was addressing a regr client.


    "Have it ready by tonight. And don''t even try to get clever with me. You have a bank, two billion in


    cash shouldn''t be difficult for you."


    James nodded. "It won''t be. Now, let them go." His cold gazended on the two women in the


    gangsters'' hands.


    Of course, the kidnappers were not stupid. "Well take a hostage first. I''ll release her as soon as we


    get the money. Pick which one we should release."


    "Let her go," James said without hesitation, pointing at Judy.


    Judy almost burst into tears. She couldn''t believe James chose her.


    Of course, Miranda wasn''t going to sit by and watch her daughter get taken away as a hostage. "Mr.


    Xi, Alina is still a virgin. If something happens to her, the consequences will be dire."


    Before James could react, ine bolted towards Maria.


    The gangster in the lead snapped, "What do you think you''re doing? Take one more step and I''ll


    fucking kill you!"


    Seeing her despicable mother closing in on her, Maria eyed her vigntly.


    Finally, ine stopped right in front of Maria, staring at her stonily. "Maria Song, don''t you know


    Kung Fu? You can defend yourself. Alina is weak. If something happens to her, she won''t even be


    able to protect herself." Then she said to the gangster standing next to Maria, "Kidnap her instead!


    She''s James'' ex-wife!"


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    Maria frowned deeply as strange emotions surged within her. Her own biological mother offered her


    as a hostage to the gangsters. What a crazy bitch!


    After a slight pause, Maria smiled. "Should I be the one taken as hostage just because I know Kung


    Fu? What''s up with your logic, Mrs. Song?"


    But despite her words, a cold dagger was pressed against her neck. The leader announced, "I don''t


    care what she knows. We just want the money. I''ll give you one day."


    Maria craned her neck carefully, feeling the coldness of the de on her skin. She turned to look at


    James. Their eyes met, but he said nothing.


    She realized he had no problem with it.


    As expected, the gangsters let go of Judy and Alina. With that, Maria was the sole person left in the


    shop with a gun pointed at her and a dagger pressed against her.


    Maria smiled bitterly. When she called James, she wanted him to protect her and her baby. Never in


    her wildest dreams did she think he would cause her such danger instead.


    A man rushed in from the outside. "Hurry up! Someone called the police."


    "Go!"


    Maria was shoved roughly by the man. She was forced to exit the shop with them.


    When they walked by James, James could see the tears in Maria''s eyes, as well as the hatred in


    them.


    James remembered what Maria had said before. "Why should it, when during my lowest, you were


    on their side?"


    As they locked eyes, James said, "I won''t let anything happen to you."


    However, Maria just sneered and ignored him.


    When they brushed past each other, a tear fell from the woman''s eye.


    As soon as James turned around to watch them leave, he saw the tear drop.


    He pursed his lips and watched their receding figures in silence.


    Minutester, the police arrived. It was James who had called them over before walking into the


    shop.


    With the police swarming the ce, he picked up his phone to make arrangements to gather the


    money.


    Then, he ordered his men to locate Maria. However, when they arrived at the location Maria was


    supposed to be, they found the ce empty.


    Apparently, Maria had managed to escape the gangsters'' grasp.


    It was not until James and his men caught one of the goons that they found out how Maria found an


    opportunity to beat them up, managing to escape by herself.


    An hour past midnight, James'' car parked outside the Golden Mansion. He waited and in car,


    watching the lights in her apartment go out.


    Then he got out of the car and strode into the elevator.


    He entered the password and pushed the door open. It was pitch ck inside the apartment.


    Despite the fact that Maria had gone through lengths to keep the password a secret from him, he


    found it out easily.


    Maria heard the door of the apartment swinging open. She immediately knew who it was.


    A couple of footstepster, the bedroom door was pushed open, and a tall figure walked in.


    He stopped by the bed and turned on the bedsidemp.


    The woman was lying in the bed, staring at the man expressionlessly. "Mr. Xi, I didn''t know you


    were into sneaking into someone else''s home in the middle of the night."


    Her voice was cold and distant.


    James sat on the edge of the bed and began to stroke her forehead and long hair.


    Maria didn''t resist his touch. She didn''t react at all.


    James said slowly, "Didn''t you believe that I could rescue you?"


    -

 Chapter 267 It Was An Act

    Chapter 267 It Was An Act


    "Yes, I did. But this isn''t about whether or not you could rescue me, nor is it about whether or not I


    know Kung Fu.


    If you truly loved me, you would never let me be in danger to begin with."


    Maria sounded calm as she spoke.


    Herst sentence, however, was ringing in James'' ears, bouncing against the walls of his mind.


    The night grew quiet. Perhaps he was feeling guilty, or perhaps he just couldn''te up with a


    retort. Either way, the man was silent for a long time.


    Maria closed her eyes, forcing herself to fall asleep without paying any head to his watchful gaze.


    Finally, James lowered his head and kissed her forehead. "I''ll keep youpany," he whispered in


    a hoarse voice.


    She resisted the urge to sneer at him. ''This man sure is cheeky!''


    Maria didn''t reply; she rolled over and turned her back to him.


    To his credit, James perfectly understood her silent refusal.


    But his intuition was telling him that she needed someone to be with her at the moment.


    He rose and took off his coat, hanging it inside her closet. Then he headed straight to the bathroom


    for a shower.


    The moment he disappeared behind the door, Maria sat up on the bed and called after him in an


    irritable tone. "James XI, I''m currently on my period so I''m afraid I won''t be able to satisfy you


    tonight. It''s best that you leave."


    He paused in the act of unbuttoning his shirt. Did she think that he only stayed for the purpose of


    sex?


    He ignored her and proceeded with his shower. He would prove his word to her for the rest of the


    night.


    He went over to the bed and pecked at her lips once before holding her and settling into a


    comfortable position. He didn''t do anything else.


    Maria was already exhausted from the ordeal, not to mention the strains that her pregnancy was


    causing. She had nned to remain on guard against James, but she eventually sumbed to


    sleep in the end.


    At eight o''clock the next morning, she rolled over and blinked her eyes open.


    It slowly dawned on her then that James had stayed the night. She sat up abruptly and turned to the


    other side of the bed. It was empty.


    Then she looked down to check on her pajamas. They were fine.


    She slid into her slippers and made her way out of the bedroom. The ce was quiet; he must have


    left already.


    She was about to return to the bedroom when her eyes snagged on the handbags sitting on the


    sofa. She walked over to take a look and discovered that they were all the ones she had chosen the


    night before, every single one.


    Maria huffed at the items and sneered before stomping back to the bedroom.


    She picked up her phone to check the time and saw that she had an unread message from James.


    "Heat up your breakfast in the microwave.1''


    Then there was nothing else.


    She gaped at her screen.


    So James hade to her in the middle of the night, held her in his arms as they slept without


    touching her inappropriately, and prepared breakfast for her in the morning. She couldn''t help


    wondering if he had done these things because of guilt. Maybe wanted to make it up to her.


    Maria snorted. It didn''t matter what his motivations were; she didn''t give a shit about his guilt.


    At HL Group


    James was discussingst night''s events with his father when Judy chimed in. "James, don''t you


    think Maria Song was behind this?"


    His eyes darkened at the impertinent question.


    Judy rushed to exin, "I don''t mean to presume, but why were you at the shopping mallst


    night?"


    James tried to think back. Why had he gone there? Because Maria had called him.


    Judy continued, "Maria Song was taken away, but she leftpletely fine. It''s entirely possible that


    she put on a show for us."


    A show? Again? James certainly wouldn''t put it past that Maria.


    "Why were you with herst night?" he asked Judy.


    "I invited Alina and her mother to go shopping. Miranda and ine happened to be at Alina''s beauty


    salon, too, so they all came over. We often shop here, just ask your father. He has kept me


    company on a lot of my sprees."


    Sebastian nodded his affirmation. "That''s true."


    "I suggest that you don''t jump to any conclusions before the truth is determined. I have a meeting


    later so please excuse me."


    Judy gaped, speechless. Wasn''t James being too protective of Maria? She had barely begun


    badmouthing Maria and yet James was already kicking her out. How ridiculous!


    Sebastian turned to his son. "Look, James, regardless of whether Maria was acting or not, the thing


    is that you''re engaged to Alina. It would be better for all three of you if you keep your distance from


    your ex-wife."


    James'' expression didn''t change. "I know what I''m doing. I have my own ns."


    Sebastian grunted with obvious displeasure, but didn''t say anything more.


    The couple left, and James stood in front of hisrge windows as he pondered what had happened


    last night.


    If it had indeed been all an act, what would be Maria''s purpose in orchestrating it? Did she do it just


    to see whether he would choose her over Alina?


    Just then, a knock came at the door and Summer walked inside. "Excuse me, Mr. Xi. The


    kidnappers were caught. The police said..."


    James turned around and saw the hesitant look on her face. "What?"


    "The kidnappers said they were hired by someone to act out the crime."


    "Who was it?"


    Despite her reluctance, Summer gave him the name.


    When he was alone again, James called Maria. "The kidnappers have been caught. ording to


    them, you paid them to put on a showst night. What do you have to say for yourself?"


    His tone was t and casual, as though what he was saying was not at all a big deal.


    Maria''s hand clenched into a fist. "What do you think?"


    "Haven''t you put on enough shows in the past? You pretended to be sick, dead, pregnant, then


    have a miscarriage... You''ve lied to me so many times, Maria Song."


    She smiled bitterly to herself. His trust in her must bepletely shattered now. "All right then,


    believe what you will and takest night''s incident as just another one of my shows."


    She couldn''t prove anything anyway; she had no choice but to take the me for the time being.


    Besides, even if she exined, she doubted that the man would listen to her at all.


    "Don''t make it sound like this is my fault, Maria Song. Behave yourself from now on." Otherwise, he


    just might lock her up and teach her a hard lesson.


    Maria roared, "You stay the fuck away from me from now on, James Xi! I never want to see your


    fucking face again!" Then she hung up.


    James stared at his phone, his eyes burning with furious disbelief.


    Did that woman really think he wouldn''t be able to live without her?


    She wanted to stay away from him for a year. Well, he would let her be for two whole years!


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    They days passed, and soon Maria was in her fourth month of pregnancy. Her belly was starting to


    protrude, but she could still keep it hidden by wearing loose clothes.


    The person Cooper had sent to pick her up was already in H City, but she wasn''t ready to leave just


    yet.


    She had onest thing to do, and it was going to take another half a month.


    Spring came. The air was warm, and flowers were in full bloom everywhere. H City had the luxury of


    enjoying good weather.


    A significant event wasing up-it was the 52nd birthday of Parker Xu''s wife. He was a tycoon


    particrly prominent in the city¡¯s clothing industry, and a banquet was naturally to be held, in a


    luxury hotel no less.


    A lot of guests were in attendance, and among them were Judy and Alina.


    Judy and Ruth Duan, Parker''s wife, happened to be best friends, having sustained their rtionship


    for more than two decades.


    Ruth spotted her guestsing over and greeted them warmly. "Wee, Judy, Alina. I''ve been


    waiting for you for a while now."


    -

 Chapter 268 A Gamblers Daughter

    Chapter 268 A Gambler''s Daughter


    The women exchanged pleasantries. Judy and Alina handed over the gifts they had brought. Judy


    bought Ruth a dress, while Alina bought her a bag.


    "When is the wedding date of James and Alina?" Ruth asked with a smile.


    The other two women''s faces instantly changed. Judy didn''t want to hide anything from her friend.


    "James hasn''t informed me yet, and I''m afraid I can''t press him when ites to these things. Let''s


    just wait and see."


    Alina, on the other hand, was silent. She hadn''t told anyone yet that James had been nning to


    break off their engagement.


    Ruth nced at the young woman and noted how the atmosphere had turned awkward. She quickly


    changed the topic, her smile still in ce. "Well, I can understand since James is a very busy man.


    Oh, my birthday cake has arrived, let''s go take a look."


    "Sure, let''s go."


    The party didn''tst long, and Parker and Ruth retired to their home soon after sending thest


    guest away.


    Parker took a shower while Ruth busied herself with unwrapping her birthday presents in the next


    room.


    She liked the dark brown evening dress that Judy had given her. Thinking of Alina, Ruth rummaged


    through the pile for the bag the girl had brought.


    The material of the purse was alligator skin, and it looked to have cost somewhere between one


    hundred and two hundred thousand dors. Ruth''s lips curved downward. She was slightly satisfied


    with the gift. For a woman who was to be James'' future wife, her gift was truly shabby.


    More importantly, the bags that Ruth usually carried with her cost no less than five hundred


    thousand dors.


    She opened the bag and flipped through itspartments. She was just about to put it aside when


    she spotted a folded piece of paper in one of the tiny pockets inside.


    She picked it up, confused, and read its contents.


    It took less than a minute before she recoiled from it, pale and stunned.


    The note said, "When you were in France nine years ago, your best friend slept with your husband


    and aborted his baby."


    Ruth trembled all over as the facts clicked into ce inside her head.


    Nine years ago, she had indeed gone on a trip to France, along with her husband, Judy, and


    Sebastian. One night, she had gone to the hospital for an infusion. Since the ward hadn''t afforded


    any amodation for the patient''s family, she had asked her husband to retire to their hotel for


    the night.


    And after they hade home to H City, Judy had had an abortion. Ruth had known that the child


    was not Sebastian''s, but she had never imagined it to be her husband''s.


    She stormed into the bathroom and ambushed her husband, who was still in the middle of his


    shower. "Did you sleep with Judy Lan nine years ago when we were in France?" she demanded.


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    Parker paled at the words. He turned off the water and wrapped himself with a towel before


    approaching his wife.


    They looked at each other for a long time before he finally asked, "How did you find out?" ''What? So


    it is true after all.'' Her husband and the woman she considered her best friend had betrayed her.


    She broke down as the scene yed out in her head.


    Parker embraced her. "Honey, listen to me. It was just an ident. I-''1


    Pak! Ruth''s palmnded square on his cheek. "Don''t touch me! You make me sick!"


    A fight ensued in the Xu family residence, and it continued long into the night. In the end, Parker


    left, mming the door behind him. Ruth was left sobbing in the bedroom, feeling like the whole


    world had betrayed her.


    At six o''clock the next morning, Judy''s phone rang while she was still in bed.


    She fumbled for it in a daze and saw that it was a call from her best friend. She swiped to answer.


    "Hello? Why are you up so early?"


    Whatever was said on the other end of the line jolted Judy awake, and her eyes shot wide open.


    "What did you say?"


    "Judy Lan, did you have an affair with my husband?"


    Judy couldn''t find her tongue.


    That had been so many years ago, and neither of the parties involved had ever mentioned it again.


    She wondered why it was suddenly exposed now.


    She stared at the empty space on the bed next to her. Sebastian had fortunately gone on a


    business trip yesterday, and she was the only one at home at the moment. Judy pressed at her


    temple and answered, "It was just an ident, okay? We haven''t even contacted each other since


    then."


    Whatever littleposure Ruth had mustered crumbled again. "Judy Lan! He is your best friend''s


    husband. How can you be so disgusting? You bitch!"


    "Calm down. I can exin. Of course I was never in love with your husband, how could I?"


    "And yet you fucked him! Do not forget, Judy Lan, you were lucky that you married into the Xi family.


    You were nothing more than a gambler''s daughter. Have you somehow developed some


    undeserved sense of superiority all these years that you no longer know your ce?"


    "Ruth Duan, I dare you to say that again!" Judy''s background had always been a taboo. No one had


    ever dared to mention it in her presence since the day she had be Sebastian''s wife.


    The friendship between these women was now at its breaking point.


    "Oh, I will dare! I''ll say it again and again, as much as I want to! What are you going to do about,


    huh? What now? Are you still proud of yourself after sleeping with someone else''s husband? I''ve


    been so nice to you all through these years, Judy Lan. Thankfully, Alina Tang told me the truth, or I


    will remain a fool, calling a snake my best friend!"


    Alina Tang?


    So Alina was the one who had told Ruth this secret.


    Later, at around ten in the morning, Judy stormed into Alina''s office. The girl herself had barely just


    arrived.


    Alina was taken aback, but quickly regained her senses. "Auntie Judy, what brings you here so


    early-" Pak!


    "Ah!"


    The sound of skin hitting skin echoed in the room.


    Alina covered her burning cheek and looked at the angry woman before her in disbelief. "Aunt


    Judy? What happened?"


    Judy sneered with disdain. "I''ve been trying so hard to help you get the position of Mrs. Xi, and this


    is how you repay me?"


    "Repay you? What do you mean? What on earth happened?"


    "I finally understand why James¡¯ grandmother keeps saying that you''re just pretending. Your acting


    skills are truly outstanding!"


    "I didn''t do anything!" Alina was starting to panic amidst her confusion.


    "Stop with yourme excuses! I already know about the note you gave Ruth. You''d better behave


    yourself starting today, Alina Tang!"


    "Aunt Judy, what note?"


    Judy gritted her teeth. "Fine, you can act innocent all you want, but don''t expect me to help you


    anymore in the future."


    And then she turned on her heel and left, leaving Alina baffled and aggrieved.


    At Golden Mansion


    Maria was looking out the window as she stroked her swollen belly. Her phone was perched on the


    table and on speaker mode. "Ms. Song, Ruth Duan and Judy Lan have fallen out, and both women


    believe that Alina Tang was behind the note. Judy was seen heading over to Alina''s office earlier; by


    now, they should have fallen out as well."


    "All right, good."


    The call ended.


    Maria smiled. ''Weren''t Judy and Alina in such good terms? To think that they would turn against


    each other over a measly note, and without even listening to each other''s side? Their rtionship


    must have been just for show, huh?''


    It wasn''t that Maria had not wanted to do anything to Judy all this time. The woman just happened


    to be careful and thorough with her schemes and shenanigans, and she rarely ever left any trace.


    It had taken Maria a great deal of effort to find out this piece of news.


    Everyone had their fair share of hidden pasts that they never want uncovered, and Judy was no


    exception. In fact, not only was her past kept a secret, it was also a very sore taboo for her.


    Unfortunately for the woman, the more she wanted to hide, the more Maria wanted to smoke her


    out of hiding. Now that Judy and Alina had parted ways, all that was left was for Maria to sit back


    and watch the fun unfold.


    - Author¡¯s note


    ¡ê I ark cm f


    ''W-


    Trantor: Jessie Chen

 Chapter 269 Taking The Initiative

    Chapter 269 Taking The Initiative


    At HL Group


    With his eyes closed, James listened to Summer''s report. "Your father has returned to the city. It


    appears that Ruth Duan has called him, and the two couples are to have a confrontation. Ms. Lan


    has gone to Alina Tang''s beauty salon. It''s said that Alina exposed the scandal on Ruth''s birthday


    banquet."


    The room descended into silence for a moment. "What are the updates on the alimony


    investigation?"


    "The card does contain three hundred million dors. I''ve checked the transaction history of the


    ount, and the money was transferred not too long ago. It is highly probable that Ms. Lan


    transferred the money into that ount after the truth was exposed."


    "Where is she?" James asked.


    Summer mustered up her courage and pretended not to understand. "Excuse me, Mr. Xi, who are


    you talking about, exactly?"


    He opened his eyes then, and cast her a sideways nce. Frightened, Summer bit the bullet. "Did


    you perhaps mean Maria? We talked on the phone just yesterday. She¡¯s been staying in her


    apartment and hasn''t been anywhere else recently. But she does have ns to travel in the next


    couple of days or so."


    "She''s behind this, isn''t she?"


    James hadn''t even known that Judy had aborted Parker''s child.


    "Do you me Maria, Mr. Xi?" If he did, then Summer


    would feel terribly sorry for her friend.


    He raised an eyebrow. "How would I dare?" His tone was wry, but it spoke his true thoughts.


    "Ms. Lan and Alina Tang nned the kidnapping and pinned the me on Maria. You can''t me


    her for taking revenge on them."


    James frowned at the hint of grievance in her voice. "Summer, why are you being so protective of


    her?"


    Summer lowered her head. "Not really. I just feel sorry for Maria. She''s been through so much,


    and..." She paused and took a breath before continuing, "Mr. Xi, you''ve known all this time that she


    didn''t hire the kidnappers. Why did you forbid me from telling her?"


    In fact, this wasn''t the only thing James knew; he had also learned that Judy, Alina and her mother


    were behind this.


    "She seems very capable now," he replied. "She''s been trying to draw a line between me and


    herself, again and again. Tell me, Summer, do I seem like a man who won''t be able to live without a


    single woman?


    Or do I seem like a very patient person for that matter?" As far as she knew, it was true that Maria


    had been repeatedly trying to get a clean break from James. "But Mr. Xi, you have to admit that


    Maria is different from all other women you''ve met before.¡±


    "And so what? It doesn''t mean anything at all." Did her being different from the rest mean that he


    had to beg her to stay with him?


    "Women need to be coaxed. I know Maria appears strong, but don''t forget that she is also a woman,


    Mr. Xi. Why don''t you try a more gentle approach to win her over?"


    ''Coaxing Maria?'' James thought his assistant was getting bolder and bolder. "By any chance, are


    you pleading Maria''s case in front of me?"


    Summer promptly shut up. At the end of the day, she was still just an assistant, and he was the


    boss. She wasn''t in a position to criticize his decisions.


    After saying all that, she was aware that she was now treading on thin ice. It was already quite the


    miracle that James wasn''t outright furious at her. "I''m sorry, Mr. Xi. I was just feeling sorry for Maria,


    that''s all. If there''s nothing else, I''ll go take my leave and return to my work."


    "Get out!" His voice took on its usual cold edge.


    "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    Summer quickly removed herself from the office. She closed the door behind her and leaned


    against it as she patted her chest to calm herself. The full weight of her words and actions fell on


    her then, followed by a primal sense of fear. How could she have gone unhinged in front of James


    like that?


    ''Maria, please make peace with Mr. Xi soon, or I might find myself unemployed sooner orter, '' she


    prayed inwardly.


    James lit a cigarette and pondered over Summer¡¯s words.


    Did Maria feel wronged?


    She probably did, and well she should.


    She hadn''t seen a single penny of the three hundred million alimony meant for her. One of her


    children died in an ident, and she had a miscarriage. To top it all off, she had been framed and


    imprisoned for two years.


    Of course he couldn''t me her for taking her revenge on Judy and Alina.


    After a while, he tucked the cigarette in the corner of his mouth and called Summer. "Won''t there be


    a dinner party hosted by Mr. Chen and Mr. Li tonight? Make the necessary preparations. I''m


    attending."


    He hung up and pulled another hit on his cigarette, the smoke shrouding his expression.


    Summer took care of the arrangements for his attendance, and she discovered that a number of


    senior executives from DS Group was expected at the dinner. It might be Maria.


    Putting two and two together, she wondered if James had somehow heeded her advice and


    intended to take initiative this time around.


    Night fell in the city. Several luxury cars paraded on the streets and stopped at entrance gates of a


    famous restaurant. Ushers were waiting as the guests alighted the vehicles, making sure that no


    one was neglected. Everyone invited to the party was either rich or powerful, after all, or both.


    Summer and James arrived to find that the guest listprised of men. Not a single woman was in


    sight.


    They learnedter on that a general manager of DS Group, instead of Maria, came to the banquet.


    Summer found herself drinking a few sses of wine after dinner, but James didn''t touch any of the


    alcohol.


    As the party dwindled, they emerged from the restaurant and spotted a familiar figure in the


    distance.


    Just beside the parking lot, Maria stood talking to a man. Her face was bare of any makeup, and


    she sported a loose, billowing skirt and light green ts.


    As though feeling their gazes on her, she turned to their direction.


    Maria waved at Summer with a smile, then turned away to continue her conversation with the man.


    Shortly after, they appeared to bid each other goodbye and walked to their own, separate cars.


    Maria got into the driver''s seat and drove away without another backward nce.


    James didn''t know it then, but this would be thest time he would see Maria in the next eight


    months or so.


    She went on her trip the next day, and very few people knew exactly where she had gone to.


    Judy''s association with Ruth waspletely dissolved, and her rtionship with Sebastian had


    descended to dire straits. Rumors even said that there had already been talks of divorce.


    As for Alina, she was keeping a low profile now that she lost Judy''s support and Maria was currently


    out of the picture.


    Two monthster, James overheard Summer talking to Maria on the phone. It sounded like they


    were making ns to meet up for dinner.


    Sure enough, when business hours were over, Summer went to his office to inform him that she


    was unavable for overtime due to a prior engagement.


    James narrowed his gaze at her and agreed to let her go.


    In a restaurant, Summer gaped at the pregnant woman in front of her.


    She never had any idea that Maria was pregnant!


    She was six month along then, bordering on seven.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    "Where have you been staying? A lot of people were looking for you. Most of them thought you


    were in jail."


    Maria''s face was glowing with health, all thanks to the care of a handful of hand-picked servants


    and chefs. Tve been in the US all this time. I only came back for some quick business, and I''m


    leaving again tomorrow."


    "Then, the baby you''re carrying..." Summer nodded at her huge belly with a measure of caution.


    Maria grabbed her hand and smiled.


    "You already know what to do about this, right?" Summer said wryly, "All I want to do is to break up


    with you."

 Chapter 270 A Baby

    Chapter 270 A Baby


    "Summer!" Maria chided her softly.


    "I am honestly terrified that I''d end up getting fired when Mr. Xi discovers everything.¡± It was just


    inevitable!


    "That won''t happen. And even if it does, I will be able to protect you.¡± Maria winked at her.


    Summer sighed and leaned over to touch the other woman''s bulging belly. "You''re just saying that


    now. You have no idea how scared I was when I defended you in front of Mr. Xi. It felt like my heart


    was going to jump out of my chest. It was lucky that he didn''t me me. And now here you are,


    pregnant with his baby! It''s no small matter. I really admire your courage, Maria."


    Maria motioned for her to take a seat. "There was a time when I wanted to tell him about the baby."


    She had pondered over it for so long before arriving at that decision. She thought that he could at


    least protect her and their baby.


    "Well, howe you didn''t?"


    Maria looked back on what had happened and smiled self-derisively. "I gave him a callte one


    night and Alina Tang was the one who answered his phone.¡±


    To be precise, it had been nine o''clock in the evening when she had called. That was already


    consideredte, and yet he was still in Alina''spany. Maria remembered feeling like a bucket of


    ice had been dropped on her head, and whatever desire she had to tell him had immediately


    disappeared.


    Although she had been fairly certain that nothing would happen between the two, she had still been


    unhappy about the fact that they were together at that time of the night.


    "There is nothing between them," Summer asserted, armed with the knowledge that with the way


    things were now, it would be extremely difficult for Alina to even see James.


    "I know, I know, but I still don''t like it." Maria shrugged. "I''m based in New York now, anyway. Cooper


    hired the best people to cook and guard me. I''m living quite the life."


    "Wait, what? You''re staying with Cooper?"


    "What? No way! Cooper is a bachelor, as you know. Even if we have servants living under the same


    roof, it still won''t be proper for us to stay together. I''m residing in an apartment close to his vi."


    When she had first gone to the US, Cooper had initially proposed they live together so he could


    take proper care of her.


    Her refusal had been blunt and immediate. What if he was seeing someone? Their living


    arrangements could cause a misunderstanding. In the end, she had only spent two days in his


    ce before moving out to the apartment.


    The women spent their evening chatting and catching up on each other''s life. Later, they went


    shopping to walk off their meal, and didn''t part until about nine o''clock.


    And, just as she had said, Maria flew back to the US the next day. She would never step foot on H


    City again before giving birth.


    Three days before her due date, Maria started to feelbor ins. Cooper was still on a business


    trip in San Francisco, and she didn''t bother informing him of the sudden emergency. Instead, she


    asked the bodyguards to fetch the bag she had prepared beforehand, then head to the hospital by


    herself.


    A few hourster, she was crouched against the wall of the hospital''s stairwell, enduring the bouts


    of continuous spasms in her belly. The cervix hadn''t opened yet, and the doctor suggested she walk


    up and down the stairs to encourage dtion.


    She had been on it for a while, and now she was groaning on the handrail at the onught of pain.


    A young nurse passed by and stopped to throw her a snide look. "So now you know how painful it


    is? You should have considered this first before having your fun with a man."


    Maria red at the nurse and grabbed her arm. "Apologize to me!"


    The nurse shook her off with a disgusted expression. "Why? I was only telling the truth. You must be


    another mistress kept in the dark. Look at you, near bursting and about to give birth, why would you


    be here all alone otherwise?"


    Maria gritted her teeth and bore the pain, then dragged the nurse to the director''s office. She threw


    the other woman in front of the director.


    The director got to her feet when she saw Maria. "Ms. Song! Hello, what brings you here?" This


    was, after all, where Maria had been getting all her pre-natal examinations. Cooper had even


    spoken to the senior executives personally, and the director was very familiar with her.


    "Is this woman working in your department?"


    The director nced at the nurse and shook her head. "No, she''s a surgeon nurse. Why, what


    happened?"


    Sweat was dripping from Maria''s forehead at this point, and her face had gone pale. Still, she


    persisted to ry the events from earlier, ending with, "She insulted me, and I expect an


    exnation from you!"


    The nurse didn''t look the least bit daunted, but the director flushed with mortification. She asked


    Maria to take a seat first. "It would be best for the dean to deal with this matter!"


    Maria frowned, confused. This was just a trifling matter, why would they have to bother such the


    dean?


    But soon, the man in question appeared. He looked to be in his sixties. "I''ll take my leave, there''s a


    patient waiting for me," the director said before scampering off.


    When only three of them were left in the room, the nurse quickly came over to the dean and


    embraced him before he could say anything.


    Maria watched in astonishment as the nurse proceeded to act like a spoiled child, clinging to him


    and peppering him with kisses.


    The man quickly pushed her away and turned to Maria awkwardly. "I deeply apologize, Ms. Song."


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    The nurse nced at Maria and pouted. "Why are you apologizing to her?"


    "Isis, thisdy is Mr. Xi''s family. Hurry up and apologize to her now!"


    ''Mr. Xi''s family?'' Isis'' eyes widened and color drained from her face. She lowered her head and


    begrudgingly gave an apology.


    But Maria was in too much pain to pay attention. She closed her eyes and demanded, "Arrange a


    C-section for me, please.


    I don''t want to wait any longer."


    When Cooper returned from San Francisco, Maria had already given birth.


    He learned about the debacle with the nurse from the hospital, and she was fired that same day.


    A monthter, a white car stopped in front of Augustine''s vi in H City.


    The driver got out of the vehicle and rang the buzzer.


    Tami answered on the screen. The car window was rolled down, and a familiar face was revealed.


    "Hi, Tami. It''s me."


    Tami was surprised. "Hi, Maria. Come on in!"


    The gates opened and the car cruised into the driveway, stopping at the vi''s parking area.


    Momentster, in the study located on the second floor, Augustine inhaled a deep breath. He had


    been silent this whole time, engrossed in his calligraphy. "You may ask me to help you, but only


    after you pass my cultural test."


    "Of course, Grandpa." Maria had already prepared herself for this.


    "Tell me about ''Six Chinese Characters'' and ''Nine Positions of Calligraphy''," Augustine said.


    Maria answered them all with breeze. She had fortunately done her homework beforeing over.


    She knew the old man was going to test her; he had done the same when she had just married


    James.


    He was still using this trick even after all these years.


    Augustine nodded with satisfaction. "Good. Well? What do you want me to do for you? Tell me."


    Maria said nothing as she turned on her heel and left the study.


    Charlotte was confused. "What is she doing?"


    "Oh, settle down. Maybe she''s getting something."


    He was right. Maria did go to get something.


    When she returned with the bundle in her arms, the elders'' faces instantly lit up, their eyes wide


    open.


    Tears were pooling in Augustine''s eyes. "Whose baby is it?"


    Maria answered in a neutral tone, "It''s my own baby."


    Charlotte blinked, her mouth opening and closing several times before she managed to say


    something. "Just a month old, right?"


    "Yes, Grandma."


    Maria was holding a pink, chubby baby, sound asleep with a pacifier in his mouth.


    "Does James know?" Charlotte asked.


    "No, he doesn''t."


    "Where did you give birth?"


    "In New York."


    Augustine processed this for a while. "Has Cooper been taking care of you?"


    "That''s right."


    At that, the elderly couple exchanged a look.


    -

 Chapter 271 Are You A Fish

    Chapter 271 Are You A Fish


    Maria could tell Augustine and Charlotte couldn''t wait to hold their great-grandson, so she smiled


    and gently ced the baby in Charlotte''s arms.


    Charlotte instantly lit up, watching the baby with delight. Even Augustine couldn''t help but soften at


    the sight of such a cute little thing. "Grandpa, Grandma, could you look after the baby? There are


    some thing I need to take care of first," Maria said.


    "Is that what you want?" Augustine couldn''t tear his gaze away from his great-grandson.


    "Yes, Grandpa."


    "Okay then," Augustine said a little too quickly. His eyes shone as he watched the baby wriggle in


    Charlotte''s arms.


    Maria had the baby¡¯s luggage carried into the vi. After that, she instructed the driver to take her


    back to the Golden Mansion.


    Ever since shended, she hadn''t had the chance yet to go home. When she finally arrived at her


    building, she had all her luggage taken to her apartment.


    When thest of her luggage was dropped off at her apartment, Maria stood in the middle of the


    room and sighed. "I''m back, H City."


    Meanwhile, in the HL Group headquarters, a meeting was being held among the senior executives


    of thepany.


    Because the data presented didn''t yield satisfactory results, the man sitting in the chairman''s seat


    looked extremely unhappy.


    Just as he was scowling at the figures, his phone rang. Glimpsing at the caller ID, he swiped to


    answer the call. "Hello, Grandpa."


    "James, Charlotte and I stumbled upon a baby on the street when we were out on a walk. Do you


    think we should keep it?"


    James was silent. ''A baby?''


    "The baby is so cute, James. It''s about one month old. Charlotte and I have grown rather fond of it,


    actually."


    James pursed his lips, still keeping silent.


    He decided to see this baby for himself.


    The moment James entered the vi, he found the baby lying in a crib in the middle of the living


    room.


    The baby had just woken up looking at his surroundings with wide, curious eyes.


    Wearing a light-colored jumpsuit, the baby sucked on its little paw, his deep ck eyes watching the


    stranger approaching him.


    James recalled the first time heid his eyes on Arthur. This baby reminded him of Arthur, observing


    the world around him with such curiosity.


    As the two of them locked eyes, the baby seemed to instantly like the big man. He cooed and


    gurgled with a happy smile, wriggling his little arms and legs excitedly.


    James just watched him in silence. What made the little fellow so happy?


    Finally, he withdrew his gaze from the baby in the crib and addressed his grandparents in the room.


    "Where did you find it?"


    Charlotte answered calmly, "At a corner of the street."


    Augustine added, "I''ve sent someone to investigate. It''d best if we can find its family."


    At this moment, the little guy spat out a bubble from his mouth. Seeing this, James frowned slightly.


    "Are you a fish?"


    The boy spat out several more bubbles in response.


    James found himself stretching out a finger to poke each bubble, one after another.


    Seeing the way their grandson acted, the two elders couldn''t help but snicker under their breaths.


    Before leaving, James said, "If you two really want to, take care of it for the time being until we find


    his family."


    He could tell the two elders loved the little guy as if he were their great-grandson.


    Augustine nodded. "Sounds good. You must send two servants here. Charlotte and I aren''t strong


    enough to look after an infant by ourselves."


    "Alright." Of course, James wouldn''t refuse. He would do anything to please his grandparents.


    Once he left, he did what he promised to do and sent two servants to the house. He also asked


    Summer to buy some baby''s supplies and have them sent over.


    It had been six months and twenty days since James saw Maria again. The second he entered the


    Leopard Club, he recognized a familiar feminine voice bickering with Ethan in the corridor. "You''re


    deaf and blind!"


    She seemed to be a little plumper, though she still dressed the same. Somehow, she looked even


    more charming and mature.


    Ethan was at a loss for words, unable to retort. However, from the corner of his eye, he saw the


    man approaching them. "James, your woman just hurt me. Teach her a lesson! If you won''t, I will!"


    Completely disregarding the banter the two were having just now, James said to Ethan


    expressionlessly, "Mr. Liu is waiting inside. Are youing or not? If not, then go home."


    Of course, Ethan knew what the answer to that question was. Giving Maria onest snort, he stuffed


    his hands into his pockets and strode into the private room, followed by James.


    Maria smiled to herself proudly, watching the two head towards the private room.


    ''You might be smart, James Xi, but you still haven''t figured out that I''ve given birth to your son.''


    Just then, someone called her name, gesturing for her to hurry up. Snapping back to her senses,


    she scuttled to the private room.


    The reason why the three of them were at the Leopard Club that night was there was a bid for a


    project that aimed to help stray animals in H City.


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    There were manypaniespeting, including the HL Group and Maria''s DS Group. Ethan was


    there acting as a volunteer vet.


    That night had also been Ethan''s first time to see Maria in a while, so naturally he struck up a chat


    with her. The chat shortly led to bickering, which made things feel like the good old times.


    Just now, the words "your woman" from Ethan did not cause any romance between James and


    Maria. The two of them separated after entering the private room.


    When they were all inside the private room, Ethan pushed Maria towards James. "Sit over there,


    next to James."


    Maria lost her bnce from Ethan''s shove. ''Ethan, I''m going to kill you!'' she cried internally.


    Before she was able to regain her bnce, her hand brushed against James''.


    Mortified, she immediately drew her hand.


    James noticed how quickly she had retracted her hand and his expression darkened. It didn''t take a


    genius to tell he was extremely unhappy.


    Feeling the coldness emanating from the man beside her, she guessed it was probably because he


    was unhappy she was here. Through gritted teeth, she yanked Ethan by he arm and forced him to


    sit between her and James.


    That way, James wouldn''t be able to use her of seducing him the second she was back in town.


    Sitting between the two, Ethan was equally unhappy. If he stood up, it would be too obvious, maybe


    even rude. If he stayed seated, he''d have to y the third wheel between Maria and James. How


    annoying!


    But he didn''t feel annoyed for too long, because a few minutester, someone shoved him aside.


    Ethan quietly eyed the two women Mr. Liu sent to please James. They were hired for James and


    James alone, so they ignored Ethan and even had the audacity to shove him. Ethan nced at


    Maria, who was busy chatting with other people. Seeing he was left to his own devices, he huffed in


    frustration.


    The two women, with heavy make-up and curvaceous figures, practically threw themselves onto


    James. Their intentions were painfully obvious.


    This was nothing out of the ordinary. After all, James was handsome and rich; multitudes of women


    fawned over him.


    Maria seemed oblivious to all this, so Ethan decided not to bring it up. Instead, he sipped from his


    ss of wine and took out a pack of cigarettes.


    He automatically offered one to Maria. "Smoke?" In the past, Maria was a casual smoker.


    However, to his surprise, she just smiled at him sweetly and said, "No, thanks. I quit smoking."


    She hadn''t lit a cigarette ever since she found out she was pregnant.


    Hearing this, Ethan was stunned. He scooted over to her and asked, eyes wide, "Can you teach me


    how to quit smoking?"


    Maria chuckled. ''Get pregnant,'' she thought to herself.


    -

 Chapter 272 Bitten By A Cat

    Chapter 272 Bitten By A Cat


    But Maria couldn''t tell him the truth. "Just eat something when you feel like smoking,¡± she answered


    instead.


    "Is that how you gained some weight?"


    Maria blinked, taken aback by Ethan''s off-handed remark. She wanted to kick him out of the room.


    Although she knew that she had indeed gained weight, the fact remained that no woman ever


    wanted to hear such a thing.


    Realizing his error, Ethan rushed to undo his carelessment. "I didn''t mean that you''ve be


    fat or anything. I mean, well, you are a little plumper, but I don''t think that''s a bad thing at all. I


    personally find you more attractive now."


    She had given birth just a little over a month ago, and her figure had yet to recover. "You''re such a


    sweettalker, Ethan," she said, rolling her eyes.


    "I swear to God, it''s not empty ttery. I''m just telling the truth." He had a serious expression.


    Maria smiled. "I know."


    "Well? Where have you been these months?" In truth, Ethan wasn''t particrly interested about


    this, but he was raising the question for someone else''s sake.


    "I went on a trip. I ate and drank to my fill, slept andzed around all day. That''s how I gained all this


    weight, actually," Maria said helplessly.


    "Wow, you must have had a grand time, you''ve been gone for nearly half a year! But howe you


    never got a tan?"


    Once again, the desire to throw him out rose to the surface. Why couldn''t he just stop asking his


    stupid questions? If he poked any more than this, he might arrive at the truth sooner orter. Maria


    took an exasperated breath and rolled her eyes again. "Because I can afford a thousand-dor


    sunscreen with miraculous effects, as well as a trusty umbre."


    "I see. Will you be on another trip soon?"


    "No, I''m tired. I''ve just returned and I want to just rest for a while." Being pregnant and giving birth


    were no joke after all. She needed her respite before dealing with her enemies.


    They continued to chat leisurely, and the women sitting next to James started to squeeze


    themselves against his body. Still, his expression remained cold and indifferent.


    The one of them asked out of the blue, "Mr. Xi, what''s wrong with your arm?"


    Her words gained most of the people''s attention, Maria included, and they all turned toward the


    direction the woman was looking at. Maria could make out a faint bite mark on James'' thick arm.


    The mark did not look recent, either. It was clear that it had been there for quite some time.


    The man huffed at his cigarette and nced at the scar. "I used to have a cat," he replied casually.


    "She did that to me."


    Mari almost gaped at him.


    She was the one who had bitten him at the hospital.


    Did he see her as nothing more than a cat he once had?


    The party dwindled, and just before it was over, Maria got to her feet. She bid the others farewell


    and walked out of Leopard Club.


    Before she could get inside her car, however, a familiar voice stopped her. "Maria Song? Stop right


    there!"


    She swiveled to find Judy


    striding angrily toward her.


    Maria shed her a mocking smile. "Oh. It''s you, Mrs. Xi."


    Judy had been looking for her for several months, but she never did find Maria. Now that she was


    right in front of her, there was no way she was letting the bitch go.


    She drew close to Maria and demanded with a re, "Were you the one who exposed my affair?"


    Maria subtly rummaged through her purse and took hold of a recording pen. She pressed on the


    record button and pretended to take out a small packet of tissues, pulling out a sheet and wiping her


    lips with it. "Did you steal the three hundred million dors that was supposed to be my alimony?"


    "Yes, I did. So what? What can you do to me?" Judy''s eyes were wide, her nostrils red.


    Maria''s smile deepened. "I can''t do anything to you, of course, Mrs. Xi." But someone else definitely


    could.


    Judy snorted haughtily. "Aren¡¯t you supposed to be in prison? How did you get out?"


    "Hmm, what are you referring to, exactly? Do you mean my most recent arrest, or the time when


    you sent me to jail?" Maria''s gaze sharpened and she looked straight into Judy''s eyes.


    Judy''s expression instantly changed. "What nonsense are you talking about?"


    How could have Maria known that she was behind it? She had paid a good amount in hush money


    to everyone involved.


    "Well, I''m sure you know best whether it''s nonsense or not. Now, Mrs. Xi, if you there''s nothing else,


    please excuse me."


    "Stop!" Judy hadn''t gotten even with her yet. She quickly pounced and grabbed Maria''s arm.


    Maria didn''t bother facing her, but she did nce at her sideways. "Let go!"


    "Never! Who do you think you are? How dare you order me around?" Judy was enraged with her.


    She had lost her best friend of twenty years, and Sebastian had given her the cold shoulder ever


    since the scandal had broken out. Her title as Mrs. Xi was now on the line.


    Since Maria had been so gracious as to appear before her, she refused to let the opportunity pass


    without doing anything.


    Maria finally turned around then, then said slowly, "You must know this better than anyone, Mrs. Xi. I


    have been in prison before, and I managed to get out safe and sound. Twice. I''m sure you can


    imagine all the things I''ve experienced in there."


    Her tone was arctic and even, making Judy shiver despite herself. Her lips trembled, and she wasn''t


    able to utter a retort in the end.


    The hand gripping Maria''s arm gradually loosened.


    Maria stepped forward and leaned close to her. "Do you have any idea what it''s like when you''re on


    the death row? When they inject you with the deadly chemical? Would you like to try it? There''s


    nothing to be afraid of, since it wouldn''t hurt at all. The modern methods are much more dignified,


    you see."


    Judy retreated with visible fear, and Maria followed. "The whole process itself wouldn''tst more


    than sixty seconds. Once you get injected, you will first lose consciousness, and then¡ª" "Stop it!"


    Judy interrupted, breaking down. "Shut up, shut your mouth!" She finally realized that Maria was


    nothing short of a demon.


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    Maria chuckled. "And then you will stop breathing. And then your heart will stop pumping. But you


    won''t necessarily be aware of it. It won''t hurt. I totally rmend that you try it."


    "Ah!" Judy screamed, staggering on her feet and falling awkwardly on the ground.


    At that moment, a man emerged from the club. "James! James! Come and help me!"


    James came out with Ethan, and looked over after hearing Judy''s desperate calls. He spotted the


    two women in the distance and walked toward them.


    "What happened?" he asked as he helped Judy to her feet.


    It looked like an ally hade for her. Judy pointed at Maria. "This woman wants to kill me! You


    have to help me!"


    Maria sneered her eyes full of mockery. "Who would dare kill you?"


    "It''s her, I tell you! She keeps saying how she wants me on death row, she wants to kill me!"


    James'' eyes darkened. He turned to Maria and asked, "Did you say those things?"


    "Yes, I did," Maria answered calmly.


    There was a pause, then he ordered, "Apologize to her!"


    "Apologize to her?" Mariaughed heartily, as if she had just heard a most amusing joke. "She


    deserves no such thing." "Maria Song!" His voice wasden with dangerous threat.


    But Maria ignored them and headed to her car. She let herself into the driver seat and started the


    engine before rolling down the window. "Mrs. Xi, I suggest you be extra careful with your life from


    now on. Have a good night!"


    Then she stepped on the gas and her car sped away.


    It wasn''t until she disappeared from sight that James turned to Judy. "I''ll ask the driver to send you


    back."


    "No, thanks, I have my driver with me. Listen, James, that woman wants to kill me! She¡ª"


    "She won''t kill you," the man cut her off immediately.


    "Well, even if she doesn''t, I''m sure she''ll find ways to hurt me. James, I''ve taken care of you and


    Cooper all these years. You can''t just stand by and do nothing!"


    -

 Chapter 273 Chop Off His Hand

    Chapter 273 Chop Off His Hand


    James'' eyes narrowed. "Don''t worry about it. I won''t let her hurt you."


    Judy finally breathed a sigh of relief. She put great faith in James'' word.


    After she had gone, Ethan came up next to James andined. "I haven''t seen enough yet,


    why did they both leave so soon?"


    That earned him a chilling nce.


    Ethan touched his nose. "Your stepmother was really scared, and all it took was a few words from


    Maria. I really can''t imagine that Maria used to be timid woman when you were still married."


    James said nothing and made his way to his car.


    Ethan followed him, and soon the Harkim was driving away from the club.


    An ident had urred up ahead on the street, and they found themselves stuck in traffic a few


    minutester.


    Ethan eyed James, who was busy texting beside him. "Hey, James."


    "What?"


    "Do you want to see Maria?"


    He looked up abruptly and red at Ethan before getting back to his phone.


    "Listen, I have a n. You can pretend to be drunk and I''ll take you to her ce. She won''t refuse."


    "If you have nothing else to do, you might as well get out of the car and walk back home by


    yourself."


    "I''m indeed quite idle at the moment, almost as much as you''re lonely right now. I''d better call her


    and see what she''s up to." As a man of action, Ethan quickly whipped out his phone as soon as the


    idea urred to him. He browsed for Maria''s number.


    James didn''t bother to stop him. He just continued to deal with his assistant''s questions in their


    company group chat.


    The call connected after a couple of rings, making Ethan snicker as he turned his phone on speaker


    mode. Maria''s voice rang clear insider the car. "Hello, young man. What''s up?"


    "Where are you, Maria?" he asked with a grin.


    He sounded so bright and endearing, she couldn''t find the heart to shoot him down right away. "I''m


    almost at my apartment. What''s wrong?"


    "So here''s the thing. James is drunk. How about I send him to your ce?"


    ''James is drunk? Wasn''t he fine when I saw him outside the Leopard Club just now?'' "If you take


    him here, we both know he''s going to suspend your credit cards first thing tomorrow morning."


    "Oh, pssh. No way. James is not that kind of person."


    James finally raised his head and cocked it at Ethan. Then he reached out a hand with the intent to


    end the call once and for all.


    Ethan quickly dodged. Maria continued to speak. "Anyway, didn''t you see that he was interested in


    those two gorgeous women? You should send him to them. Who knows, if he enjoys a whole night


    of threesome, he might even increase your credit limit tomorrow morning."


    James'' eyes widened at what he had just heard.


    ''Threesome? Maria sure has a wild imagination.'' Ethan hurried to contradict her. "James isn''t even


    remotely interested in them! Anyway, it''s a deal, okay? I''m taking him over to your apartment right


    now."


    "Please don''t, I have a prior engagement. I''m going to see Normanter."


    "What? But it''s sote already, what are you going to see him for?" Of course, this question was not


    something that lived in Ethan''s mind alone, but also in the mind of the man sitting next to him.


    "I''m afraid I can''t give you the details. But listen, since James is drunk, just send him to Alina''s


    ce. That would make everything so much easier. Okay, I''m pulling over at my apartment now.


    Bye." Then she ended the call before Ethan could even say anything else.


    As the silence in the car grew heavier, the two men exchanged a look.


    Ethan instantly broke down and begged for mercy. "I''m sorry, James."


    Not only did Maria refuse James'' presence, she even she had an appointment with Normante into


    the night. It was like James had been dealt with a doublekill strike.


    Seeing that the other man was about to lose his temper, Ethan said, "James, aren''t you interested


    in finding out what they''re up to in the middle of the night?"


    "No, I don''t. But I do want to kick you out of the car."


    "No, James! Aren''t we brothers?"


    "Stop the car!"


    Tires screeched against the asphalt, and in the next moment, Ethan was removed from the car.


    He ran after the Harkim as it sped forward, crying and begging for the car to stop. He finally ceased


    his theatrics when he noticed passersby giving him strange looks.


    Ethan thenposed himself and properly hailed a taxi to take him home.


    Maria parked in the garage of Golden Mansion, turned off the engine, and leaned against the back


    of the driver''s seat as she reyed her phone call with Ethan.


    It seemed like James wanted to sleep with her as soon as she came back to town. Well, he would


    just have to dream on.


    Days passed, and Augustine informed his grandson that they still hadn''t found the child''s family.


    James dropped by their vi one afternoon.


    Augustine was holding the little boy in his arms. When he spotted James, he remarked, "You''re just


    in time! Come and hold him for a moment. I need to go get something."


    Before he knew what was happening, the baby was deposited into his arms. He was so small that


    he barely filled James'' tworge hands.


    It had been a long time since he hadst held a baby. He hadn''t even held Arthur all that much in


    the past. As it was, James felt awkward having a baby in his arms, no matter which position he put


    it into.


    He settled with one hand holding the baby''s head, while the other cradled its little butt.


    The little boy wasn''t crying or fussing; he was just sucking on his thumb. When he noticed James


    peering at him, however, he pulled his thumb out of his mouth and hummed.


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    James looked disgusted as he wondered what this gesture could possibly mean.


    Then the baby let out several weak groans, and James learned the truth of the tragedy that was


    happening in his hands.


    First, he felt a hot, wet substance trickle down his wrist, then came the smell. The cursed little bean


    paid no mind to his displeased expression and continued to exert himself.


    Dreading the worst, James turned his head slightly to inspect the sticky substance adorning his


    hand. He almost lost allposure right there and then.


    "Tamil Tamil" His usually calm demeanor gone, he yelled for the servant with what would sound like


    desperation to most people.


    Tami had been drying the baby''s clothes, and she rushed over in rm. "Oh, you''re here, sir," she


    greeted James.


    With a dark and ominous face, James practically pushed the baby in her arms and ordered, "Throw


    him out!"


    Tami instinctively drew the boy close. "But it''s a baby, Mr. Xi! How can you say such a thing?" ''More


    importantly, it''s your own baby!'' she added inwardly.


    Thoughts were raging inside James'' head, too. ''So what if it''s a baby? It''s not mine anyway!'' He


    looked at his hand with disgust, his eyes burning with anger. "Get away from me right now." He had


    carried his very own son before, and Arthur had never dared to poop on him. Now some


    unidentified child came along and just dumped his shit on his hand as much as he liked.


    Tami couldn''t helpughing at the scene before her. "Oh, the little guy just pooped, there''s no harm


    done. It''s all right, Mr. Xi, you can leave the baby with me. Please go ahead and wash your hands


    first."


    On his way to the bathroom, James ran into his grandfather, who happened to be brandishing a


    diaper.


    Augustine narrowed his eyes and asked, "James, what''s that in your hand? Oh my, it looks like


    poop."


    James gritted his teeth and stifled the urge to yell out in rage. He stormed into the bathroom without


    saying anything.


    First, he took a wet tissue to wipe the disgusting thing off his hand. Then, he turned on the tap and


    washed his hands with soap. He rinsed his hands, then washed them again with soap. He repeated


    his ministrations thrice.


    And yet, despite his efforts, whenever he recalled the scene, he couldn''t help himself from wanting


    to cut his hand off altogether.


    After tidying himself up for a good, long while, James finally walked back to the living room. The


    baby was now lying face down on the sofa, all behaved and obedient as the maid wiped his butt


    and put a clean diaper on him.


    Augustine wasughing the whole time, undeniably pleased. "He''s such a good boy! He only ever


    cries when he''s hungry. He''s exactly like James when he was a child."


    James gaped. He walked over and dered, "Grandpa, you know some random child can''t just


    follow my childhood habits."


    -

 Chapter 274 Natural Connection

    Chapter 274 Natural Connection


    "I''m saying it as it is! He''s just as well-behaved as you were as a baby," Augustine muttered with


    discontent.


    James didn''t want to argue anymore and plopped on the sofa. He leaned over to look at the little


    boy. "Have you found his family yet?"


    ''Whom should I be looking for? His family is right here in this room.'' But out loud, he said, "No, no.


    Not yet."


    James frowned and was about to say something when


    Charlotte came downstairs. She had overheard the conversation. "Why do you dislike the boy so


    much? Don''t you think he looks a little like Arthur?"


    James'' frown deepened at her words. He had nothing to do with this stray baby, so why was he


    hearing that he looked like his own son? "Nope." Exactly which part of the baby looked like Arthur


    anyway? He was so small and wrinkly. Why were his grandparents thinking this way?


    The old couple exchanged a furtive nce. Augustine helplessly shook his head while Charlotte


    sighed. How could James be so dense in the face of the obvious hints they had been handing out?


    He''d better not me them in the future.


    The maid finished fixing up the baby and ced him in the stroller. Then she pushed it out into the


    balcony to let the boy bask in the sun.


    "What brings you here?¡± Augustine asked his grandson dryly.


    "I was just passing by. I wanted to see if the baby''s family had been found." "Why are you in such a


    rush to get rid of him? We''ve never asked you to take care of him, have we?"


    James shut his mouth. Even if they had, he would never agree. That little monster had been cheeky


    enough to blow bubbles at him during their first meeting, and now it pooped in his hand.


    Instead, he turned his attention to the tea a servant had brought in. "What''s his surname anyway?


    And what''s his full name?"


    Augustine snorted. "You honestly expect the child to have a surname after knowing his


    circumstances? Why don''t we just give him yours then?"


    James'' bodynguage immediately shifted to a firm refusal, and his tone was cold as he said,


    "You''re the one who picked him up. You should give him your own surname."


    "You share the same surname though," Charlotte piped up.


    "It''s not entirely the same," James quickly retorted. "It may look and sound alike, but they carry


    different meanings."


    What if Maria were to learn of this someday and misunderstand? What if she thought that he had an


    illegitimate child? Besides, it wasn''t as if he was incapable of siring his own children, why should he


    keep someone else''s child?


    He was busy pouting to himself that he didn''t notice Augustine''s face light up with mischief. "If the


    child takes my surname, then you''ll have to address him as Uncle from now on. If he takes yours,


    you have the freedom to ask him to call you however you want. Well, which choice do you prefer?"


    James gaped at the old man, speechless.


    Did he honestly mean to make him call a one-month-old baby Uncle? He had the urge to throw the


    child away again. In the end, though, he said through gritted teeth, "Whatever."


    In any case, the child''s family was bound to be found sooner orter. In the meantime, they could


    name him however they wanted.


    "Let''s wait and see how things turn out. It would be best to reunite the baby with his family, of


    course. But if we don''t find them, you can just keep him as your son."


    "No," James dered. "I will have a son of my own flesh and blood in the future." He wasn''t so


    pathetic that he needed to raise someone else''s son.


    There was a moment of silence before Augustine said, "You seem to be very resistant to this child."


    "Precisely. He''s not my biological son, he''s in no way rted to our family. I have no reason


    whatsoever to like him."


    The couple sighed and said nothing. ''James is a fool through and through. Why can''t he recognize


    his own son? What about the so-called natural connection and emotional draw between parent and


    child?''


    James didn''t stay long, but before he left, he repeated the offer he had made countless times


    before. "Should I just ask Summer to look for the child''s family?"


    Charlotte instantly shook her head. "No, no. Thank you, but no. Clues are going to appear soon, I''m


    sure. You''re busy enough as it is without us causing more trouble for you."


    James eyed his grandparents, and it urred for him for the first time that something was not right


    with the situation. He just couldn''t figure out what it was.


    As he made his way to the door, he heard the maidment that the little guy was pooping again.


    His face twisted into an expression of disgust. ''What is wrong with that boy? Is there anything else


    he does besides shitting all over the ce?''


    At Miracle Cafe


    Maria and Kent were sitting face to face. She spoke first. "I heard that you''ve been working hard


    during my absence. I just want to express my thanks."


    "You''re wee, Maria," he answered with a smile. "This is something that I should do anyway.


    Since I''m working for you now, I''ll do my best and won''t cause you any trouble."


    "Well, I''ll stay in the shop in the next couple of days. I''ll give you and Mike a week off each. You can


    take turns and take a breather."


    Kent scratched his head sheepishly. "Thank you, Maria. But I''m fine, really. I don''t have any ce to


    go anyway. Please let Mike take the break instead."


    Maria studied the boy in front of her quietly. Kent had never been simple or honest. When he had


    been friends with Ronald, he was a yboy who would fool around with women all day long. Now


    he was acting all sincere and well-behaved. She couldn''t help wondering if reality had indeed done


    it part in smoothing his rough edges, or if he was acting this way on purpose.


    She nodded slowly. "All right, then I''ll convert your vacation time into a cash incentive. Thank you for


    your hard work."


    "Not at all. Will you be going on a trip again?" His question sounded casual, like some other


    everyday thing.


    "Not for the time being. I''m exhausted from traipsing around in thesest months. Now that I''m back


    in town, I just want a good, long rest."


    "But I''ve never seen any sceneries on your social media posts while you were on leave. I did see


    some shots of delicious food here and there though. If I didn''t know better, I would have assumed


    that you were in H City this whole time."


    Maria kept her expression neutral. "Do you think I''ve gotten fatter?"


    Kent flushed and shook his head. "Yes, a little, but it''s not that obvious. It doesn''t lessen your beauty


    at all."


    She chuckled and leaned back in her chair. "I''m afraid I never paid much attention to the views


    afforded by the ces I visited; I was more focused on food. My weight gain is quite the testament


    to that."


    He shed her another smile. "I see. M Country is known for itsrge variety of delicacies; we


    should go out together when we get the chance."


    "Oh, for sure"


    They continued to exchange inane pleasantries, and when Kent exited the room, Maria put away


    the smile she had been sporting.


    He was no child. She could tell he was clearly aware of what she had done to his parents. She was


    sure Kent harbored some hatred or, at the very least, some resentment toward her.


    He hade to work specifically in her coffee shop for a reason.


    Maria looked out the window. When she had left H City, the weather had been getting warmer. Now


    that she had returned, the city was on the cusp of autumn.


    After leaving the cafe that evening, she headed to Augustine''s ce residence to see her son.


    The little boy seemed to be well taken care of by the maid they had hired. The old couple had even


    moved their bed room to the first floor in order to amodate the child''s needs. It was more


    convenient this way.


    Despite having a maid nursing the baby twenty-four hours a day, Charlotte refused to let her guard


    down and insisted on keeping him in sight at all times.


    Maria held her little boy and cradled him to sleep, stroking his smooth and tender face lovingly. He


    was such a good boy.


    After tucking him in his cradle, she knocked on the door of the couple''s bedroom.


    Fortunately, they were still awake. Maria dispensed with the greetings and walked right it, closing


    the door behind her. She went straight to the point. "Grandpa, Grandma, please ask Tami to sleep


    with the baby during the nights."


    When she had been herest time, she had also asked them to make sure Tami was the one taking


    care of the baby as much as possible.


    Her concerns about the hired maid didn''t go unnoticed of course. Augustine nodded. "Okay, I


    understand. Don''t worry, I''ll see that Tami does so."


    "Thank you, Grandpa, Grandma. I''m leaving now, have a good night."


    "Yes, you, too. Drive carefully."


    "Okay, bye."


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    After she had left, Charlotte turned to her husband. "Have you noticed how Maria seems to be


    worried about the maid we hired?"


    -

 Chapter 275 My Ex-Husband

    Chapter 275 My Ex-Husband


    "Yes, I have. I wonder why."


    After a moment of silence, Charlotte continued, "What happened to Arthur seemed to have


    something to do with the nanny." Of course, they couldn''t know for sure. Maria never told them what


    happened.


    Augustine heaved a sigh. The thought of Arthur made him extremely sad. "We must learn from our


    mistakes in the past. This time, I won''t let anyone hurt my great-grandson. Anyway, let''s stop talking


    about this and go to bed. In the morning, we can take the little guy to see the maple leaves in the


    park."


    The days were getting colder and the nights were getting longer. Subsequently, the maple leaves on


    the maple trees were turning red this time of year.


    "Okay, turn off the light," Charlotte agreed.


    The next morning, Maria got up early and went to the DS Company office.


    Ever since thepany was established, Maria rarely went to the office. She usually worked


    remotely, attending important meetings through video calls.


    However, now she decided she would try her best to further the development of her career and the


    DS Group.


    Thanks to James¡¯ help, the DS Group had a couple of projects.


    But it didn''t bring much profit. Things only took a turn for the worse when Maria went to the US.


    Moreover, their partnerpanies pulled out when they heard Maria had been jailed. At present,


    thepany was in bad shape.


    Maria was wearing a pink zer over a white blouse and white trousers. Her seven-centimeter high


    heels paired with her chic bag elevated her look even more. She looked like a stylish boss woman,


    which was exactly the look she was going for.


    The second she appeared, she drew everyone''s attention.


    "Good morning, Ms. Song!"


    "Hello!" Maria replied, smiling at her employees charmingly.


    When she made it to her office, the assistant rapped at her door lightly. "Good morning, Ms. Song!"


    The assistant was sporting a bob-cut wig, a white sweater, and an ankle-length leather skirt. If it


    weren''t for thepany''s rules, she would have worn some exaggerated jewelry.


    Maria looked at the woman and smiled. "You look very handsome in that! You should keep this


    hairstyle."


    Peggy tugged at her short hair and giggled. "The truth is, if I wasn''t so worried I''d freak you out, I''d


    just go out bald!"


    Maria chuckled. "All right, my dear assistant. How''re your studies going recently?"


    Peggy had been released from jail four months ago. And she was Maria''s secretary.


    "Oh, it''s been difficult. Fortunately, you''re here. Can''t I just attend dinner parties with you from now


    on?" Peggy ced some documents on Maria''s desk, looking into her eyes pleadingly.


    "Sure, but honestly..." Maria looked at the woman in front of her. "I think you should be promoted to


    the fashion department instead of being my assistant."


    The two women had met in prison. Maria had only ever seen Peggy in the prison uniform. This was


    her first time to see the woman in casual clothes, and she had to admit: the woman had taste. One


    nce at her and you wouldn''t know she had been isted from society for years.


    Peggy pondered over his, ncing down at her own clothes. "I honestly just saw these clothes on a


    magazine and decided to try them on. I didn''t expect to look good in them. Let me work for you first.


    Then, when I have enough experience, I''ll run a fashionpany myself and be a girl boss


    like you!"


    Maria smiled. "Well, it''s gettingte. We should go back to work, my dear assistant."


    "Ms. Song, allow me introduce myself again," Peggy said, eyes shing yfully. "My name is


    Peggy. I''ll be your assistant from now on. I''m on call twenty-four hours a day. I''ll do anything for you


    without hesitation!"


    The two women giggled so hard, Peggy''s eyes turned red fromughter. She held Maria''s hands


    tightly and said solemnly, "Maria, no words can express my gratitude. Seriously, if you need


    anything, just call me!"


    Maria nodded. "Okay, I will."


    "Okay? Otherwise I''ll be upset."


    "Yes, yes, I promise!"


    Maria waved her assistant away and then focused all her attention to her work, analyzing in detail


    the reason as to why the DS Group was on the decline.


    From that moment forward, she decided she didn''t want to work with thepanies that had


    abandoned her once they found out James had cut ties with her.


    Neck deep in work, Maria was busy for another two weeks.


    One day, Peggy burst into her office. "Maria, the construction project was snatched from us."


    "''Snatched?'' Didn''t you say that we were going to sign the contract with them soon?" This project


    was vital for the DS Group''s survival. Maria had worked hard to secure this deal, taking out those


    officials to dinner every night for a week. Finally, they had agreed to it over a toast. Why were they


    suddenly pulling out?


    Peggy reported the information she had heard. "They said that the HL Group robbed it, and that


    they signed the contract immediately."


    ''HL Group? James! That son of bitch!''


    Maria clenched the folder in her hand tightly. She didn''t believe for a second that James didn''t know


    that the project belonged to the DS Group.


    Peggy, blissfully unaware of the rtionship between the two CEOs, huffed indignantly.


    "When I ran into that James Xi, I couldn''t help but fall head over heels in love with him. I mean, he is


    so handsome! Anyway, I didn''t think such a good-looking man like him would do something as


    terrible as this!"


    Maria kept silent for a while before finally saying, "I''m going to talk to him."


    She had been back nearly a month now, but she hadn''t seen him since their encounter in the


    Leopard Club.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    She wasn''t sure what was going on in James'' mind, nor did she know what happened between him


    and Alina. She didn''t talk to him at all that night.


    "Do you know him?" Peggy was a little surprised.


    Maria stood up and started to gather her things. Not wanting to keep secrets from her friend, she


    said calmly, "He is my ex-husband."


    "Wait, what did you say?" Peggy gaped, utterly baffled.


    ''Maria and James Xi?''


    "You didn''t hear it wrong." When Maria was in jail, she had mentioned to Peggy that she was


    divorced, but she never told her who she her ex-husband was.


    Peggy was totally shocked. ''James is my bestie''s ex-husband? Oh my God!''


    When the Peggy came to her senses, Maria had already packed up her things. "Come with me,"


    Maria told the stunned woman.


    "Me? Why do I have to be a third wheel?


    Maria nced at her, almost amused. "We''re divorced. We haven''t been in contact for a while. It''s


    hard to say whether he''ll see me or not."


    Peggy couldn''t think of any retort. Left without a choice, she could only follow her boss out of the


    office.


    Just as Maria feared, she was stopped not on the first floor, but on the floor of the CEO''s office.


    It was none other than Summer who stopped her.


    Summer looked at her sadly. "Sorry, Maria. Mr. Xi instructed me to tell everyone they need to set an


    appointment to see him."


    She decided to omit the fact that James was talking about Maria specifically.


    Maria snorted. "Is he inside?"


    "No, he''s not. He just came back from a business trip. Now he''s having a meeting with the design


    department.


    -

 Chapter 276 Passionate And Unrestrained

    Chapter 276 Passionate And Unrestrained


    Maria nodded. "I''ll wait for him here then!" There was a reception room on the floor of the CEO''s


    office.


    Summer ushered them inside. "All right, I''ll find a chance to let Mr. Xi know that you''re here."


    "Okay."


    Once the assistant left, Peggy moved closer and muttered, "Is your ex-husband always so ruthless


    to you? To actually require you to make an appointment first? Why didn''t you p him?"


    Maria looked at her helplessly. "I haven''t seen him yet, have I? At this rate, I might never p him


    no matter how much I want to."


    "Oh, that''s right. Well, you''d better hit him when you see himter."


    "Let''s just stop talking about it, okay? If I know him, and


    I do, he won''t see me at all." If that jerk decided to make things difficult for her, she was sure that he


    wouldn''t meet her.


    Peggy took a deep breath. "So I guess it''s safe to say that you love each other just as much as you


    want to kill each other."


    Maria didn''t answer. While the part about loving each other was pretty doubtful, it was rather certain


    that they wanted to kill each other.


    An hourter, an assistant pushed through the door. "I''m sorry, Ms. Song. Mr. Xi has gone to see a


    client. If you have something urgent to discuss with him, please make an appointment first."


    ording to the assistant, even if there was something urgent, she still needed to make an


    appointment and wait, didn''t she? Maria stood up. "It doesn''t matter. Since Mr. Xi is quite busy, I''ll


    talk about it to himter."


    The word "appointment" had just effectively be taboo in her vocabry.


    After leaving HL Group, Maria went straight back to herpany. She had made up her mind to


    forget about the project since it had already been taken away. Retrieving it would be impossible at


    this point. More importantly, she didn''t want to have anything to do with James.


    She might have been able to bear it once or twice, but she refused to do it over and over again.


    "The project was bidden by anotherpany at a high price," Peggy reported.


    "Whichpany?"


    "HL Group."


    Maria fumed.


    This was just too much. She became furious.


    She grabbed her purse and stormed out of her office in her high heels with Peggy in tow.


    "Where are we going?" Peggy asked, tugging at Maria''s arm.


    Maria turned around, eyes full of anger. "To put up a fight with James Xi."


    "But he refused to see you, didn''t he?"


    "I''ll meet him today no matter what!"


    Peggy shut up and followed Maria.


    At HL Group


    As per her usual, Maria managed to reach the CEO''s floor without a hitch. Summer blocked her way


    to James'' office. "Maria, Mr. Xi said¡ª"


    "Summer." Maria shot the assistant a pointed look.


    Summer sighed helplessly. "I''m sure you understand..." ''Mr. Xi did it on purpose.'' She didn''t want to


    be involved in this matter either, but James had been clear about not admitting Maria inside.


    Maria narrowed her eyes. Understand? Of course she did. It was exactly because she understood


    that she was so pissed off.


    She nodded subtly at Peggy''s direction, and a silent message passed between the two. Peggy


    walked up to Summer and pulled her in an embrace, effectively getting her out of Maria''s way.


    "Maria tells me that you''re good friends! Since I''m also good friends with her, what do you say we


    go grab some drinks?"


    Unbeknownst to the two uninvited guests, Summer used Peggy''s interference to her own


    advantage. The moment she was hugged, she purposely stepped aside to let Maria pass. Then she


    whispered to Peggy, "You should follow her inside. Those two are bound to get into a fight."


    "All right then, I''ll treat you to a meal some other time." Then Peggy nted a kiss on Summer''s


    cheek.


    Summer was stunned. This Peggy character was quite passionate and unrestrained, wasn''t she?


    In the CEO''s office


    By the time Peggy caught up to Maria, she was striding over to the massive desk in the office and


    started to whack him with her purse. Gone was the elegant and dignified image she had always


    associated with her friend.


    As she looked more closely, however, Peggy realized that the man taking a beating was probably


    the most handsome man she had ever seen in all her life. He was wearing a tailored ck suit, a


    white shirt, a dark blue tie, and a tinum diamond mechanical watch on his wrist.


    He had perfect features and an imposing aura about him. Even as Maria let loose on him, his eyes


    seemed to glint with pleasure.


    He didn''t resist at all, but he did tilt his face to the side in case it might get injured.


    Then Peggy''s eyes drifted over to Maria, who still hadn''t stopped hitting the man with her purse.


    ''What if Maria destroys this extremely attractive man with her rage? That will surely be a pity, and a


    great loss for womankind.


    No wonder Summer asked me to follow Maria inside.''


    As Peggy contemted whether to pull her away or not, Maria finally stopped. "James Xi, you did it


    on purpose, didn''t you?"


    He raised an arrogant brow at her. "Do you have any evidence?"


    Maria was so angry she burst into mirthlessughter. What evidence was needed for such an


    obvious thing? She gritted her teeth and asked, "Would HL Group be interested in such an


    insignificant project anyway? You not only took away my project once, but also kept doing it. What


    do you want?¡±


    James made a show of smoothing his clothes before asking, "Maria Song, who gave you


    permission to barge into my office? Who gave you the guts to hit me?"


    "What''s wrong with hitting you? I''m already being kind by not killing you off once and for all!"


    Sensing that the situation was about to get out of hand again, Peggy quickly stepped forward.


    "Maria, why are you fighting him? That''s not what you said just now. Didn''t you say that you would


    take back those projects even if you had to sleep with him?''1


    Maria swiveled, confused. ''When did I say this?''


    She looked back at James and noted his disdainful re. "I never said that!" she denied


    vehemently.


    Peggy chimed in again. "I mean, he really is a very handsome man. So do you want to sleep with


    him or not? If not, then I''ll take one for the team!"


    Maria gaped.


    James, too, was rendered speechless.


    The atmosphere in the office became awkward.


    Peggy surveyed the room once and instantly regretted her words. ''Oh my God, did they


    misunderstand? I just wanted to prod Maria.''


    In order to prove her innocence, she pushed Maria into the man''s arms and said, "Go sleep with


    him, or such a handsome man will be taken away by someone else!"


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, James wrapped his arms around Maria and whispered,


    "Throwing yourself at me?"


    The faint scent of roses wafted from her hair to his nose. She might have indeed grown plumper,


    and he liked it. She felt so soft against his body, so nice to hold.


    Maria was furious. "Didn''t you see that she pushed me?"


    "No. You are the only person in my eyes."


    His sweet-talking was unwarranted, and while it surprised Maria, her next thought was that James


    was lying through his teeth.


    She took a deep breath and said, "Let go of me first."


    He didn''t budge. "Under these circumstances, I''m afraid I have to return the enthusiasm."


    "James Xi, I dare you!" He had stolen her projects, and now he intended to take advantage of her.


    This man was truly full of himself.


    And Peggy was still there, too! Was there no end to his shamelessness?


    "Get out!" James bit out tersely, and everyone knew he was talking to Peggy.


    Peggy hesitated for a moment, wondering if leaving was the right thing to do.


    She shifted slightly, and Maria immediately reacted. "Stop, Peggy! If this man dares toy a finger


    on me today, we''re going to fight him to death!"N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.

 Chapter 277 Stepping In

    Chapter 277 Stepping In


    Peggy stared at Maria in disbelief. Even if they worked together, they were obviously no match for


    James. Maria thought much too highly of her indeed.


    James turned and took a proper look at Peggy for the first time since they had stormed into the


    office. It took him less than a couple of seconds before he asked her point nk, "Do you want to


    witness some R-rated scenes?"


    R-rated? Peggy''s eyes widened, the question jolting her back to her senses.


    Then she shook her head vigorously, herrge hoop earrings swaying back and forth with the


    movement. She yelled a hasty goodbye to Maria and hightailed it out of the office.


    When they were finally alone, James loosened his hold.


    Maria didn''t get to her feet right away, though, and instead took the time to re at him and sneer. "I


    didn''t even seduce you; I didn''t expect such an immediate reaction from you after merely holding


    me against your body.''1


    James'' eyes darkened. "Aren''t you seducing me right now?" he asked, his voice hoarse.


    She stood up then, rather abruptly, and straightened her clothes. She ignored his remark and turned


    the tables against him. "We haven''t seen each other for a long time. And yet, Mr. Xi, you are still so


    weak in front of seduction.¡±


    "So you admit it?"


    "Of course not. James Xi, don''t forget that you set me up first. As for the seduction, you started to


    hit on me


    first.''1T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    His eyes narrowed at her. "You. Get out of here as well!"


    "You can tell me to leave all you want. But since I''m here now, I refuse to go empty-handed. Give


    me back Mr. Li''s project!"


    "Give it back to you? Why, have you already signed a contract with him?"


    She stuttered into silence. She hadn''t signed any contract yet, but this joint venture with Mr. Li was


    ted to seed. If only HL Group hadn''t stepped in the way, of course.


    In any case, Maria was furious now. "Are you going to interfere with all other projects of DS Group


    in the future?"


    "That would depend on my mood."


    This man was really asking her to murder him. ''What a fucking asshole!'' she cursed him inwardly.


    "DS Group is a very insignificantpanypared to HL Group; killing it would be a mere trifle to


    a man such as yourself. So tell me, James Xi, what do I have to do to stop you from targeting my


    company?"


    A hint of emotion shed in his eyes, but it was gone in the next second, before Maria could even


    put a name to it. James took a deep breath and answered casually, "Be my woman.¡±


    His woman? His engagement to Alina immediately loomed over Maria''s head. She shot him a


    mocking look. "Your mistress, you mean?"


    He was silent for a moment. He had meant to ask her to be his woman in the truest sense of the


    phrase, but she seemed to have taken it the wrong way. He did not bother correcting her, though.


    "Temporarily." "Be your mistress? Why would you make such a shameless proposition?" She wasn''t


    sure whether to cry or tough. Where was he getting the gall to tell her to be his side-woman?


    "I didn''t say mistress. You said it yourself."


    "I don''t care for your offer," Maria sneered. "If the worsees to the worst, I''ll just have to give up


    mypany."


    She stressed each syble, then she turned around and left before waiting for his response.


    James was left alone in silence.


    Peggy was waiting outside, chatting with Summer to bide the time, when Maria strode out of the


    office, obviously fuming.


    One look at Maria and Peggy knew it would do her good to run. And so, she bid a hasty goodbye to


    Summer and jogged to the elevator.


    "Peggy," Maria called out from behind. "You''re not leaving without me, are you?"


    It was toote to escape. Peggy turned around with a wide smile. "Ms. Song! Here, I was trying to


    hold the elevator for you.1''


    Maria drew closer, her high heels cking loudly against the floor. They entered the elevator


    together, and as soon as the doors closed, she grabbed Peggy by the neck. "You''ve been enjoying


    your petty little revenge on me, aren''t you?"


    Peggy coughed and gasped for air. "Maria! Please calm down."


    Maria didn''t let go of her until Peggy''s face started to turn purple, just in time for the elevator doors


    to open to the lobby.


    Peggy clung to her arm and tried to cate her. "I just thought that since he is your ex-husband


    anyway, it shouldn''t have been a big deal. Besides, he''s such a handsome man, so I didn''t think you


    would suffer any losses." "Well, you''re wrong," Maria corrected her dryly.


    "So you''re just going to stand by and watch thepany slowly fall into ruin? We''ll be bankrupt


    sooner orter, Maria."


    "You know, I used to think the same way as you, that all my problems would be solved by a night


    with James. But I was the one who asked for a clean break from him. I asked for a year, and that


    was just a few months ago. There''s still some time left until the time period ends. I can''t yield just


    yet." James had probably started to aggressivelye for herpany in order to force her to give


    in to him before the year was out. Unfortunately for him, Maria refused to lower her head this time


    around. More importantly, she also relished the opportunity to piss him off at every turn.


    "But why not? That''s James Xi we''re talking about. This is no time for you to prioritize your dignity."


    Peggy had learned a few days ago that Maria had turned out to be a very proud person in the time


    they hadn''t seen each other.


    There was nothing wrong with being proud, but Peggy didn''t think it would be necessary when it


    came to James. What she didn''t know, however, was that it was exactly when Maria was in front of


    James Xi that her pride rose to its pinnacle.


    "Didn''t you say you wanted to sleep with him? Go ahead, be my guest," Maria said casually.


    Peggy let go of the other woman''s arm like it was made of hot coal. "Don''t misunderstand me," she


    said with all the sincerity she could muster. "You know how I am, I was just kidding. If James wasn''t


    your man, I might have already had sex with him. But I know very well that he is off-limits, so please


    don''t overthink."


    She might be a murderer, but she was a murderer with principles.


    Never mind the question of James returning the attraction, how could she even bear to seduce a


    man who belonged to her best friend and benefactor?


    Her reaction amused Maria. "I know. If I hadn''t coaxed James while we were together, I would have


    fought with him every day. If you actually hooked up with him, tomorrow''s headlines would probably


    be about the richest man in H City being found dead on the street."


    Peggy breathed a sigh of relief. Judging from this light banter, Maria didn''t seem to take her earlier


    comments to heart. "That would probably be true. I don''t even know the man, but I can tell right off


    the bat that he''s cold and domineering. He must have a bad temper, doesn''t he? People who get


    fawned over all their lives usually do."


    Maria nodded in agreement. "You are absolutely right about that."


    They walked amicably to the car and drove to thepany with the weight of a failed mission on


    their backs.


    As it was, Maria couldn''t help ranting about everything to Peggy. "That bastard actually asked me to


    be his mistress! What, did he somehow delude himself that I''m the type of person who wouldn''t be


    able to live without him?"


    Well, he probably had, since she had alwayse to him for help whenever something happened


    to her. She had seldom turned to Norman or any other man, so her actions had no doubt fueled


    James'' illusion.


    "Why a mistress, though? Why not his wife or girlfriend?"


    His girlfriend? It urred to Maria then that there was something that Peggy might not have known.


    "He has a fiancee."


    Peggy choked on her saliva and began to cough violently. "So you mean he is seeing two women at


    the


    same time?"


    "Basically, yes. But I did initiate our intimacy when I first returned, because his fiancee is my cousin


    who poisoned me and made me mute in the past."


    "That bitch!" Peggy knew about Alina; Maria had told her the story when they were in jail. "Maria, I


    suggest you agree to be his woman. You should take this opportunity, even if it''s just to be his


    mistress."


    Maria frowned with displeased confusion. Why was Peggy backtracking on her own words so fast?


    "Haven¡¯t you always wanted to take revenge on your cousin, that scheming bitch? This is the


    perfect chance! Get his man and make him yours day and night. That''s sure to piss her off. You''re


    single, anyway, so you should have sex with James as much as you can. You''d better gain back the


    position of Mrs. Xi no matter what it takes!"


    ¡ª

 Chapter 278 Involved In A Dispute

    Chapter 278 Involved In A Dispute


    While waiting for the green light, Maria took the chance to look at the woman in passenger seat.


    "You don''t think I''ll ever take back my position as Mrs. Xi unless I use my body, do you?"


    "Well, there is still another way." Peggy shrugged. "You still have Bob."


    They had nicknamed her little boy Bob in honor of the bubbles he seemed to be fond of blowing.


    "Forget it then.¡± Maria didn''t want her son to be involved in this or be a weapon for her


    revenge. She would have kept him by her side otherwise, instead of entrusting his care to James''


    grandparents.


    "A pretty woman like you can easily get what she wants. What''s more, you are his ex-wife. You


    need to win his heart and make him dump Alina. Then deal with his evil stepmother as soon as


    possible."


    "I didn''t even seed on that first task," Maria confessed. "James is the total opposite of romantic.


    Sometimes I feel like he doesn''t even have a heart. He only married me in the first ce because


    his grandfather required a firm alliance with the Song family, and he got the HL Group in exchange


    for this sacrifice. Even now, he only got engaged to Alina for the interests of thepany."


    At some point in the past, she had presumed that he was actually in love with Alina, but he had


    cleared that up once and for all by dering that he had no such feelings for her whatsoever. With


    all that said, James was a man who was willing to give up his lifelong and personal happiness for


    the sake of his business. He had no room for romance in his life.


    "Well, since it appears that he obeys his grandfather, it''s probably more important for you to have


    his grandparents on your side. We can discard the n about sleeping with him then."


    Maria nodded in agreement. "I don''t think my efforts were in vain; his grandparents are truly very


    good to me. They also detest Alina, and are very vocal with their support for me to remarry James."


    "That''s great! I honestly don''t think you need to worry too much. Now you even have James'' son.


    What are you afraid of?" Peggy cocked her head to study the woman in the driver''s seat.


    "I''m not afraid of anything. I''m doing well in taking my revenge on Alina, but what frustrates me is


    James'' refusal to do anything to aid my ns." To Maria, she had done enough where Alina was


    concerned. For his part, James should have known by now just what kind of person Alina was. And


    yet he never seemed inclined to break off their engagement. This, above all else, was the root of


    Maria''s frustration.


    Unfortunately, Peggy couldn''t give her any suggestion on this matter. She had no way of guessing


    what was on James'' mind either. "Cheer up. If all else fails, you can just tell him about Bob. If he


    doesn''t cancel the engagement to Alina even then, you can just run away with his son and get


    married to another man. You should know better than I do that the rich families attach great


    importance to their heirs. Who knows, if you reveal the truth about Bob, you might be able to


    remarry into the family in the blink of an eye."


    Maria didn''tment. Would she really have to resort to using her son to achieve her goals in the


    end? This realization made her deeply upset. She decided to just forget it for now and think about it


    in the future.


    In the Leopard Club


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    A manager opened the door to a private room and Ethan walked in while whistling. Inside the room,


    James was sitting on the sofa and talking on the phone. There were several bottles of Bacardi rum


    in front of him, and he had already drunk one ss.


    Ethan was used to this scene. In the past half year, James had often asked him out for a drink.


    The manager poured a ss of liquor for Ethan, bowed, and left.


    When Ethan overheard James mentioning about a child on the phone, he instantly perked up.


    James had barely ended the call when Ethan asked, "James, whose child were you talking about?"


    "Some baby Grandpa found on the street."


    "A baby found on the street?" Ethan looked at him suspiciously.


    James set his ss down and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yeah."


    "How old is the child? Is it a boy or a girl?"


    "About a month old, I guess. It''s a boy."


    How could a child just suddenly appear out of nowhere? Ethan pondered the odds for a while, then


    uttered another one of his random theories out loud. The words, however, struck James like a bolt


    of lightning. "Is it possible that the boy is actually your own son?"


    James instantly felt the urge to throw the other man out of the room. "Impossible!"


    Only Maria could have given birth to any child of his, and she hadn''t.


    "But Maria has been gone for half a year, hasn''t she? She could have easily given birth in secret


    during this time."


    James had considered this before as well, but the presumption had no truth to it. "I''ve calcted the


    time frame. Maria was not pregnant at a time when the baby was supposed to have already been


    conceived."


    "Well, what if the baby is premature?"


    "I''m afraid he isn''t. Grandpa took the baby for a checkup shortly after he was found. He was carried


    for a full term."


    "Okay. I see. But why your grandpa of all people? Don''t you think the baby''s mother left it at your


    grandparents'' door on purpose? Maybe it''s your son from a one-night stand? Think long and hard


    now. Did you spend the night with another woman while you were on a business trip? Or perhaps


    on a whim?"


    James threw the empty ss in his hand at Ethan.


    "Shit!" Ethan cursed before dodging sideways. The ss hit the wall and broke into pieces.


    "I''m just kidding. James, I know you''ve always preserved your moral integrity. You only have two


    women in your life¡ªAlina and Maria. Oh, no! Only one¡ª Maria!" Ethan quickly corrected himself


    before the liquor bottle sailed into the air.


    "It seems that all those women didn''t satisfy you that night, Ethan." There was a hint of danger in


    James'' tone.


    At the mention of the ten women sent to him the other night, a wave of disgust hit Ethan. "Where did


    you even find them? I almost choked to death in their perfume. It took three days for the awful smell


    to disappear from my apartment."


    "Do you want to experience it again?"


    "No. James, you''ve always been the only one to treat me the best. I''ll send you to Maria''s bed right


    now in return for your many, many favors. How about that?"


    James'' lips pressed into a thin line and a look of displeasure came over his face. "Don''t bother. She


    might have already found a man who can protect her."


    "How is that even possible? Maria has caused trouble everywhere and made a lot of enemies


    around town. You''re the only one in H City who can protect her!"


    "Well, you''re wrong. That woman is very capable."


    He had learned earlier that the assistant who was working for her now had been saved by Colby


    from jail.


    "Why did you give her the opportunity to hang out with other men? You should have just kept her for


    yourself." In Ethan''s opinion, only James could make Maria obedient, inasmuch as she was the only


    one who could tame him.


    James'' eyes looked far into the distance, and after a while, he said, "She wille back sooner or


    later."


    After he had canceled the engagement to Alina for her sake, there was no way Maria could keep a


    distance from him.


    Two dayster, Maria went to Augustine'' home to see her son. Much to her surprise, she was


    greeted by the sight of James holding Bob in his arms.


    She had put on her slippers and made a beeline for the living room, where their gazes met in an


    instant.


    She froze on the spot, scared to death for half a minute at this shocking turn of events.


    Charlotte nced at the young man and woman and cleared her throat. "Maria, why are you here


    all of a sudden?"


    Maria''s face turned pale, and her eyes darted to her son, who only knew how to suck on his finger.


    "Hi, Grandma. I just wanted toe over to see you and Grandpa." "Come and sit here." Charlotte


    greeted her warmly and winked at Maria when James wasn''t looking.


    Maria took a few steps forward. When she noticed that James was about to say something, she


    beat him to the punch by saying, "James, is this your son?"

 Chapter 279 Why Are You Fussing Over him

    Chapter 279 Why Are You Fussing Over him


    James'' voice died in his throat. He looked at the baby closely. How could he have spawned such an


    ugly son?


    Maria drew closer, her attention all on the child. "The little guy is quite cute. Can I hold him for a


    while, please?" Even as she spoke, she nced sideways at him to study his reaction to her every


    word.


    Before James could say anything, however, the little boy fidgeted. He stopped sucking his thumb


    and turned to Maria''s direction with an excited hum.


    Then, ignoring the man, Maria went ahead and plucked the child out of his hands. "I''ve heard talk


    that you have an illegitimate child. So it is true after all."


    Charlotte smiled and didn''t say anything. Maria was really good at ying tricks.


    James refuted her with obvious displeasure. "I don''t have a son."


    Shaking the babbling baby in her arms, Maria pretended to be surprised at his denial. "You can''t


    expect me to believe that you just found this baby on the street!"


    James'' mouth opened, obviously to voice out another refusal, but he couldn''t utter a sound. How


    could he prove to this woman that the boy had indeed been found on the street by his grandfather?


    Maria asked another question then. "Does Alina know about this?" "Of course not." Why would Alina


    have to know?


    "As your fiancee, she is quite pitiful," Mariamented


    thoughtfully.


    "He is not my son," he emphasized again.


    The woman didn''t take it seriously and crooned to the little boy in her arms. "This is your dad. Call


    him Daddy. Say, Daddy..."


    James gaped at her. Why was she being so silly? How could she expect a child barely two months


    old to talk and address anyone?


    He realized a moment toote that she was deliberately taunting him.


    Maria looked up at him then, ignoring his sullen expression. "His mother should be very beautiful,


    right? Since he is so handsome!"


    Charlotte held back herughter and kept watching them. ''Maria is really good at praising herself.''


    James sneered. "His face is all crumpled up; there''s no way he could have beautiful parents."


    Maria curled her lips and retorted, "He''s still a baby and hasn''t grown up yet. He will be a handsome


    man when he grows up, you''ll see!" And even if he turned out to be ugly, it would only be because


    of the genes he had inherited from James.


    "It has nothing to do with you anyway, so why are you reacting so violently?" James scowled,


    thinking how she always wanted to quarrel with him over the littlest things.


    She had to calm herself down. "What violent reaction? I just don''t want to hear a grown-ass man


    calling an innocent baby ugly. If you think he''s ugly, then you can go ahead and make a good-


    looking child for yourself!"


    His reply to that was somber, his tone low. "Make a baby with you?"


    Maria froze for a moment. His grandparents and the maid were all in the same room. Why was he


    being so shameless?


    Augustine''s voice broke into their banter. "I agree. Lily, please take the baby. You two should go


    upstairs and start making a very attractive baby right away."


    James and Maria gaped at the old man.


    Before they knew it, the maid had approached them and took the child from Maria''s arms. "Excuse


    me, Ms. Song. I''ll take care of the child. Please head upstairs with Mr. Xi."


    Maria red at the maid with wide, shocked eyes. It took her a couple of seconds to recover, but


    then she took a deep breath and decided to pretend like nothing had happened. "Grandpa,


    Grandma, I only dropped by to visit you. Since there is nothing else, I''ll be leaving now."


    "Wah!" The only response to her farewell was Bob''s wail of protest.


    Maria panicked immediately and walked over to the maid. "Why is he crying? Here, let me hold


    him."


    Noticing the panic on the woman''s face, James'' eyes darkened. "Maria Song, he is not your son.


    Why are you fussing over him?"


    Maria''s heart skipped a beat; she didn''t know what to say to that.


    Fortunately, Charlotte helped her out. "You don''t understand. Only a mother would react like this.


    Even if it is not her own, a baby''s cry will always tug at her heart. Maria, you shoulde and see


    this poor child more often from now on."


    Her unexpected words reminded them of Arthur, and the atmosphere inside the room turned glum.


    James only pursed his lips and kept silent.


    Maria gently swayed the baby in her arms to quiet him.


    "If no one would mind, then sure, I''lle here more often."


    Augustine sat on the sofa. "Why would we mind? I would have let you take him away so you can


    raise him yourself. But I don''t think James would agree. And we love the baby so much."


    Bob was still crying, and Maria whispered to the maid, "Do you think he''s hungry? Go and prepare


    some form milk for him, please."


    "Sure."


    Then, worried that her lie might be exposed, Maria followed Lily into the kitchen with the boy in her


    arms.


    James sat on the sofa with his grandparents. "I think Maria likes the child very much," Charlotte


    remarked casually. "In the future, you can bring him to see Maria more often."


    James withdrew his gaze from Maria''s receding back. "If she likes him, she can juste over


    often. I''m busy."


    Inwardly, Augustine cursed at her idiot grandson. ''He''s so dense he couldn''t even see that I was


    trying to create opportunities for him to spend more time with Maria.''


    Maria stayed with Bob and fed him with the form milk until he fell asleep.


    Then she gently put him inside his crib and left the room, closing the door behind her with great


    reluctance.


    Since James was here, she didn''t want to stay too long. After she returned to the living room, she


    said goodbye to the two elders. "Grandpa and Grandma, I have work to do, so I''m leaving now. I''ll


    come to see you another day." "Okay, be careful while driving on the way," Charlotte said.


    "Yes, I''ll see you again soon."


    Augustine nced at his grandson, who remained lounging on the sofa. "Why are you still here?


    Leave!"


    James wondered if it was his illusion. Why did it seem like his grandfather was getting more and


    more unfriendly toward him?


    The man and woman walked out of the vi one after the other. Just as Maria was about to get in


    her car, James stopped her. "Wait."


    She turned around. "What now?"


    "Do you really like that child?"


    She narrowed her eyes. "What does it matter whether I like him or not?"


    That made him pause. What he had wanted to say was that if she liked the baby, they could give


    themselves a try so she could give birth to their own child. But when he saw how her eyes had


    instantly sharpened, his mood turned sour and he changed his mind altogether. "Nothing. Never


    mind."


    Maria looked at him as if he were out of his mind. Why did he call out to her if he had nothing to say


    anyway? It was downright unsettling.


    The reason why she wasn''t able to prepare herself earlier was that James had driven a Rolls-Royce


    Wraith over. She hadn¡¯t seen this car before, and therefore had no idea that he was in the vi.


    Now they entered their own cars and went about the understanding they had long established


    between them. James backed his Rolls-Royce first, and then it was Maria''s turn. Thanks to this


    arrangement, they had never been in the same ident like that one time in the past.


    After leaving the house, the two of them drove back to downtown and then went on their separate


    ways.


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    In order to avoid James from taking herpany''s orders again, Maria took on another project and


    specially sought a cooperation with Norman''spany.


    She''d like to see if James would persist on antagonizing her if it meant going against his rival.


    Norman didn''t give a damn about James at all, and no matter how capable thetter was, he


    couldn''t snatch the order from DS Group again.


    In the end, the project with Norman''spany went along smoothly.


    But two dayster, Maria found herself in another dilemma. DS Group couldn''t rely on Norman for


    survival, could it? If her operations kept up this way, then what was the whole point of starting her


    ownpany?

 Chapter 280 The Couple Fell Out

    Chapter 280 The Couple Fell Out


    It couldn''t go on like this. Maria would have to ask her subordinates to try to gain projects from other


    companies.


    If the bigger ones would end up being taken away by James anyway, then she would just have to


    sign smaller contracts.


    Despite her struggles with her business affairs, however, she still made sure to keep abreast with


    the other matters.


    These days, rumors had been running rampant about how Judy''s status in the Xi family was in a


    risky position. Sebastian had apparently been treating her coldly. He couldn''t seem to get over the


    fact that his wife had slept with another man and had aborted his child.


    Judy and Sebastian had made ns to travel to L Country this year, but in light of their recent


    scandal, there was no way the trip was happening now. Sebastian had been ignoring her all this


    time.


    Instead, he had been pouring all of his attention on his work and often went in and out of HL Group.


    Judy couldn''t believe her eyes when she had first taken notice. Ever since James had taken over


    thepany, Sebastian had left it alone and never interfered with business affairs. On the one


    hand, he felt wronged at having been bypassed in the session of the CEO position. On the other


    hand, James had the final say in all matters regarding thepany anyway. With things the way


    they were, Sebastian no longer wanted to take part in the business. But now it appeared that he


    was feeling differently, and Judy was having a hard time coping with this abrupt change.


    As she examined her options, not for the first time, she pulled out her phone and opened the


    application for her bank ount. She proceeded to transfer the funds under her name to another


    one under her sister''s name. She needed to establish a way out for herself in case of emergency.


    The truth was that she didn''t have a lot of money anymore, after failing to invest in thend in South


    District and having to pay back the three hundred million to James.


    Just as she was about to enter the password to conclude her transaction, the sound of footsteps


    came from outside the room.


    She quickly keyed in her code just as the door opened and Sebastian walked into the room.


    Judy locked her phone screen and came over with a smile. "Honey, why are you home so early


    today?"


    Sebastian looked at her with a nk face and questioned, "Judy Lan, who told you that Gabri


    and Mitchell Shen entered the hotel together at that time?"


    Gabri Zhong was James and Cooper''s biological mother, while Mitchell Shen was Norman''s


    father.


    The reason why Sebastian had divorced Gabri was because of her affair with Mitchell. Although


    he hadn''t seen any proof with his own eyes, Gabri had admitted it herself when he had asked her


    at some point.


    Judy''s heart skipped a beat at his unexpected question. It had been so many years ago, why was


    he bringing it up now?


    When he saw the fear in Judy''s eyes, Sebastian finally realized what he had missed for so many


    years.


    All at once, he felt hatred toward this woman. He despised her to the core. But not quite as much as


    he hated himself in that moment. He hated himself for giving up on Gabri in exchange of this


    deplorable woman in front of him.


    "Sebastian, it''s been a long time." Pak!


    "Ouch!"


    The sound of skin hitting skin rang out in the room. Pressing her hand against her burning cheek,


    Judy stared at her husband in disbelief. "Sebastian Xi, you..."


    He had pped her!


    Sebastian was giving off an ominous pressure that was just as suffocating as James'' intimidating


    aura. And when he spoke again, his voice held a hint of danger. "Gabri didn''t cheat on me with


    Mitchell at all! But you, you truly betrayed me and our marriage when you slept with Parker Xu! Judy


    Lan, I''ve been wrong about you all these years."


    She whimpered and tried to exin. "How would I know whether she cheated on you or not? I just


    saw them check into a hotel room together, and that''s that! And how many times do you want me to


    exin to you about what happened between me and Parker? It was a mistake that night!"


    She had gone to see her best friend at the time, but Ruth had not been in their hotel room. Parker


    was, though, and as luck would have it, he was very drunk and had mistaken her for his wife.


    So why was she getting all the me? Who should she me then?


    "Then let me ask you this-why did you take the alimony James had set aside for Maria?" It was


    bing clear to Sebastian now, how his second wife was nothing more than a gold digger.


    Judy choked. "That money shouldn''t have been given to Maria Song in the first ce. She killed her


    son!


    Besides, I didn''t spend a single penny of it, I just put it in a separate ount to return to James


    later. And I''ve done just that! He has the money back now, so why are you still mentioning this?"All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    "Even if she really did kill her own son, what does the alimony have to do with you? What right do


    you have to take it? More to the point, Arthur died in an ident. He wasn''t murdered by Maria!


    Don''t twist the facts." He wouldn''t even have known what kind of woman Judy was if he hadn''t seen


    the evidence James had provided.


    Judy could keep insisting that she had only been keeping the money from Maria''s hands, but why


    hadn''t she given it back to James in the past six years? She had countless opportunities to do so.


    What she had done instead was to im the money as if it were her own. Now that the secret was


    exposed, she was pretending that she had been safekeeping it and had never spent a single dime.


    The truth, of course, was that she had needed to piece the whole amount together from various


    sources.


    Judy sneered at her husband. "What''s this? Are you and James just going to forgive that


    murderer?"


    "It''s none of your business whether James forgives her or not. No wonder my parents never


    acknowledged you throughout the years. I''ve been around this world for decades, and I always


    thought I''ve seen all there is to see. But I wasn''t capable of seeing the true colors of the person


    sleeping next to me!"


    Judy took a deep breath, knowing that it would be futile to face Sebastian head-on. She needed to


    take a softer approach. She promptly burst into tears and clung to his arm. "Sebastian, I know I was


    wrong. It''s all my fault. Please don''t divorce me, okay? I swear that I will correct my mistakes in the


    future!"


    He frowned and said nothing.


    "Twenty years have passed since I married into the Xi family. I''ve treated you well and treated


    Gabri''s two sons as my own. I even chose not to have my own children. You know this, too!


    Honey, I really want to be with you forever. I only lost my head back then because I didn''t like Maria


    Song. Will you please forgive me?"


    Her words only made Sebastian feel very exhausted, both physically and mentally.


    He pushed her away and spoke in a weary tone. "We need to calm ourselves down for a while."


    He had initially thought about divorcing her, but the whole process and its aftermath would be too


    troublesome. In the end, he decided to observe this woman further before taking on any drastic


    measures.


    Judy whimpered again. "Okay, as long as you don''t leave me. I have no children, Sebastian. I only


    have you..."


    Herst sentence made his heart sink. They would have had a child in the past, but for James and


    Cooper''s sake, Judy had insisted on getting an abortion.


    In her own way, she had done a lot for the Xi family.


    Sebastian strode out of the bedroom. The expression on Judy''s face instantly turned ferocious.


    ''Maria is to me for all of this. Damn you, Maria Song!''


    At Elite Fitness Club in H City


    This renovated club was a newndmark in H City. Many of the town''s elites had applied for VIP


    cards here, and the membership fee amounted to tens of thousands of dors.


    Taking advantage of her spare time in the evening, Maria came to get herself a VIP card. The


    private coach assigned to her came over and reached out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Song.


    I''m Caiden Su. I''m d to be your coach." "Nice to meet you, Caiden!" The two shook hands and


    she took the opportunity to look him up and down.


    The man was about 1.85 meters tall, dressed in an allck sportswear, and was fairly muscr. It


    was obvious that he had spent a lot of time working out. Aside from his good figure, he was also


    quite handsome. No wonder young girls wanted to have the gym coaches as their boyfriends.


    "Ms. Song, please follow me and I''ll show you around."


    "Okay. Thank you!"


    -

 Chapter 281 Open The Door

    Chapter 281 Open The Door


    Caiden and Maria were about the same age. He smiled at her, his pearly whites greeting her


    brightly. "My coworker must have just introduced our courses to you already, right? We have group


    fitness sses, Ptes, personal training courses, as well as indoor and outdoor swimming pools. If


    you have nothing else to do, I can assure you there will be something here for you."


    Maria nodded. "I''ll most probably be here in the mornings. I''ll let you know beforehand."


    "Okay, sounds great!"


    At this moment, a familiar voice called her. "Hey, Maria!"


    Maria turned around and found it was Kent.


    He was wearing white sportswear, sweating profusely. Next to him was a man about his age, also


    sweating. The two of them seemed to have just finished an intense workout.


    "Hi Kent!" Maria returned his greeting with a charming smile. "Are you also a member of this club?"


    It was not surprising that Kent was a VIP member here before his family went bankrupt.


    Kent nodded. "I got a VIP membership here a while back and it still hasn''t expired. I headed here


    once I got off work this morning." Maria, what about you? I haven''t seen you here before. Did you


    just join?"


    "Yeah." Maria waved the shiny new card in front of him as proof. "Recently, everyone''s been saying


    I gained some weight, so I''m here to lose a couple of pounds."


    It was true she had gotten a little plump, but after all, she had just given birth. Back when she was in


    the US, she worked out almost every day. After she came back, she totally abandoned her workout


    routine.


    Kent chuckled, looking her up and down. "Maria, you should beat the crap out of those people. You


    don''t look fat at all, you look just right."


    Maria shrugged. "All the same, I want to shed the extra fat. Are you guys leaving already?"


    "Yeah, we''re headed for the shower. Maybe we cane here together someday. Anyway, enjoy!"


    "Okay, bye."


    After parting with Kent, Maria changed into gym clothes and did an hour of entry level exercise


    under the guidance of the coach.


    It was already eight o''clock in the evening when she emerged from the gym, fresh from a shower.


    She was too tuckered out to cook that night, so she decided to eat at a restaurant on the way home.


    Meanwhile, at the H City Grand Hotel, a group of drunken men exited.


    With the business dinner meeting over, the attendees had let loose and had one too many drinks¡ª


    James included. Summer hurriedly opened the door to the Harkim as her boss staggered towards


    the car, halfsupported by another assistant. Finally, the assistant was able to plop the CEO into the


    back seat.


    In an instant, the entire interior of the car reeked of alcohol. Wrinkling her nose, Summer whispered


    to the assistant, "How much did he drink and why didn''t you stop him?"


    The newly promoted assistant was in a dilemma. Sighing helplessly, he answered, "It was hard to


    tell him what and what not to do."


    "I see," Summer said, shaking her head. If she had been with them in the dinner just now, she


    wouldn''t have let James drink so much. After all, it was part of her job to look out for him.


    The driver started the engine and shot Summer a questioning nce, as if to say, "Where next?"


    Sitting in the passenger seat, Summer turned around and asked, "Mr. Xi, shall I send you back to


    the manor or thepany?"


    But the man didn''t seem to hear her. He closed his eyes and leaned against the backrest, as though


    he had passed out.


    Summer repeated her question, but James still ignored her.


    Distressed, she wanted to tear the hair out of her head. She had never encountered such a


    situation before.


    James had drank a lot of her before, but it seemed no matter how many drinks he had downed, he


    had never gotten drunk. Or at the very least, he had been able to tell her where he wanted to go.


    Summer and the driver exchanged worried nces. At a loss for what to do, she instructed him,


    "Please just drive. I''ll figure out where to in a bit."


    "Okay."


    Ten minutester, Summer turned around again. "Excuse me, Mr. Xi. Are you feeling better? Do you


    need some water?"


    She was greeted with silence.


    The man''s eyes were closed. The phone in his pocket kept vibrating, but he didn''t budge.


    Summer had no clue as to how to deal with this.


    The car drove on the road very slowly, like a sloth climbing a branch. Atst, something urred to


    her. She pulled out her cell phone. Hesitantly, she punched in some numbers, then finally made a


    call.


    It was nearly half past ten in the evening. Maria, who was working in the study, closed theptop


    and breathed a sigh of relief, ready to call it a day.


    Suddenly, her phone started ringing. ncing at the caller ID, she swiped to answer. "Hi, Summer!"


    "Maria, are you home now?"


    "Yes, I am. Why?"


    "I''ming over in a bit. Please let me in, okay?"


    "Okay. What happened?" It was rare for Summer to see her sote at night.


    "You''ll know it soon. Wait for me, okay? Well be there in maybe ten minutes!" After saying that,


    Summer hung up the phone.


    ''We?'' Maria stared at her phone, speechless.


    Sure enough, roughly ten minutester, her doorbell rang.


    As soon as she opened the door, the smell of alcohol hit her.


    Standing by her doorway were three people. Summer, James'' driver, and a drunkard leaning on the


    driver. Maria''s eyes widened once she recognized who the drunk man was.


    "James Xi? Summer, what is this about?" Maria didn''t like where this was going.


    Summer started to exin. "Maria, Mr. Xi is drunk. I''m in a hurry to go home, and so does the driver,


    so..." As she spoke, she pushed James into the woman''s arms.


    Before Maria had the chance to protest, the tall and heavy man was already leaning on her. She


    took a step back to steady herself under the weight of the drunkard.


    "No, Summer Wait! I never agreed to¡ª"


    Summer cut her off hurriedly, "Thanks for taking care of him, Maria! Gotta go!"


    "Don''t go, Summer! I refused to take care of him!" He took away herpany''s projects, yet now he


    expected her to take care of him? Dream on!


    But the driver and Summer didn''t give her the chance to refuse. Both of them quickly backed away


    until they reached the elevator, desperately jabbing at the buttons.


    The elevator doors slid open and swallowed the two. Just as the doors were closing, Summer


    sped her hands together and shouted, "Thanks again, Maria! Bye and good luck!"


    Maria was speechless.


    She was almost buckling under the weight of James'' drunken body.


    She angrily tried to shift his weight so she would be morefortable, but to no avail. "Why did you


    have to drink so much? Why didn''t you go to Alina instead? Do I look like your fiancee?"


    Maria cursed at the unconscious man, dragging him into the apartment.


    Once they were inside, Maria kicked the door of the apartment close. As she did so, she resisted


    the urge to kick the man instead. "James Xi, take your shoes off," she barked.


    The man suddenly opened his eyes, looking straight into Maria''s.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Maria''s mouth snapped shut when they locked eyes. Was he awake?


    "Why are you holding me?" he asked in an extremely hoarse voice.


    Maria frowned impatiently. Was it worth it to exin to him that it was Summer who brought this


    upon her? "If you were able to stand, I wouldn''t need to hold you," she said sardonically.


    "In that case, go ahead and hold me." Then he closed his eyes again and slumped over.


    Once again, Maria almost buckled over under the weight of this tall man. "Don''t you dare fall


    asleep," she grumbled. "Take off your shoes first!"


    "Okay."


    Instead of bending down like he usually did, he started to kick off his shoes.


    Surprised, Maria looked down, only to find that the man had already kicked off his shoes.


    It was her first time to see James remove his shoes so haphazardly. ''Wow! He must really be


    drunk!''


    "If you''re able to take off your shoes, then you can walk.


    I can''t carry you."


    "Okay." The man put one of his long arm on her shoulder, using the woman as a crutch as they


    hobbled into the bedroom.


    Finally, he copsed onto the bed.


    She took a deep breath and kicked the man. "Get up and take a shower. Don''t pretend to be dead.


    I''ll throw you out if you do."


    "Slippers," the manmanded with his eyes closed.


    Maria red at him. Then, she reluctantly acquiesced and went to fetch his slippers.


    Her footsteps faded away as she left the bedroom. The man on the bed cracked his eyes open, and


    they were indeed sober.


    Then, when he heard the woman''s footsteps approaching, he closed his eyes once more.

 Chapter 282 Kindness

    Chapter 282 Kindness


    Squatting by the bed, Maria peeled James'' socks off his feet and helped him put on his slippers.


    Then, she sat down next to him and looked at him sternly. "James XI, go take a shower! No shower,


    no bed." After a pause, she changed her mind. "Fine. Don''t shower. But you will have to sleep in the


    other bedroom."


    The woman stood up, deciding she''d make the bed in the other bedroom. However, before she


    could take one step, James grabbed her wrist and yanked her back. In one swift movement, he had


    pulled her onto the bed.


    Before Maria could protest, James was already on top her, pressing his lips roughly against hers.


    Everything had happened so fast.


    Maria found herself unable to utter a sound at all.


    She helplessly watched the man on top of her ravish her body, wondering if this had all been an act.


    How could a drunk man act so quickly?


    His breath reeked of alcohol, causing Maria to suffocate. Finally, she found an opportunity to break


    away from his grip and gasped for air. ring at the man, she shouted, "James Xi, get out and take


    a shower right this instant!"


    "Run some water for me." His voice was surprisingly gentle.


    Maria shivered, pushed him away once more and scuttled off to the bathroom.


    As she ran hot water in the bathtub, Maria reflected on what just happened. Gritting her teeth, she


    seethed with rage. What had she done to deserve this?


    She rolled her eyes in exasperation. There was nothing she could do about it now, except deal with


    it. She turned around to fetch James, only to find him standing behind her. She screamed in


    surprise.


    Apparently, James had quietly entered the bathroom without her noticing.


    Clutching her chest in shock, Maria tried to calm herself down. "James Xi, leave! Hurry up!" If he


    was going to stay longer, she would lose her temper and beat him up.


    However, the man remained motionless. After a while, he slowly staggered towards her.


    Maybe he really was drunk. His eyes shone as he approached her, and there was even a smile on


    his face.


    Once he''d finallye close enough, he loomed over Maria, breathing heavily.


    Maria stepped back and looked at him warily. "What do you want? Are you trying to hit on me?"


    He took another step forward in response. Maria took another step back and felt the cool surface of


    the tiled wall behind her. She was cornered, sandwiched between the wall and the tall man in front


    of her.


    He raised his hand to touch her, but he identally brushed the switch to the showerhead.


    The cold water instantly spurted forth, drenching his suit jacket.


    Maria reached out to turn off the shower and frowned at his wet clothes in disdain. "Look at you,


    you''ve wet all your clothes! I don''t have any of your clothes here. I guess you''re going to have to


    leave here naked!"T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Maria helped him remove his sopping wet coat and ced it on the bathroom counter. Then, her


    slender fingers reached up to loosen his tie as though it was second nature to her.


    "Stop squirming," she hissed. "If you keep moving, I''ll leave you to unbutton your shirt yourself!"


    Heedless of her warning, James slipped his arms around the woman''s waist and pulled her close to


    him, resting his chin on her shoulder.


    Just as she was about to snap at him, the man whispered her name into her ear. "Maria..."


    Maria''s heart began to race.


    This man had only been this affectionate with her in bed.


    Maria sighed. Even if he was drunk, he still managed to make her heart flutter.


    A hush had fallen over the bathroom, save for the sound of running water.


    James moved his head slightly, only to nt his lips on her neck. "Did you miss me?" he asked.


    Maria closed her eyes slowly, allowing her to feel the warmth of his lips against her skin. "Hmm..." It


    was true. She had missed him.


    The sound she made reminded James of the child in his grandparents'' home. He started to chuckle.


    "You sound just like the fish, Bob!"


    ''Bob?'' At the mention of her son''s name, Maria snapped to her senses. Her eyes popped wide open


    and she shoved the man away. "James Xi, if you want to sleep with me, then dream on!"


    The sensual atmosphere in the bathroom evaporated in an instant.


    Frustrated, James leaned against the wall and looked at the woman who was ring at him.


    "I''ll drive you home once you''re done showering." After saying that, she went and turned off the tap


    above the bathtub, then hurried out of the bathroom.


    This time, James didn''t follow her out. He finally obeyed her and took a shower.


    When he came out, Maria had already changed into proper clothes, ready to take him home. She


    stood in the center of the bedroom and looked at him expressionlessly. "Okay, let''s go."


    James looked down at his stark naked body, save for a bath towel wrapped around his waist. "I


    can''t go out like this.¡±


    "Don''t worry, it''ll be fine. It''ste at night, I can guarantee no one will see you."


    His expression darkened. "You really want me to go out like this?" The bath towel was dangerously


    low, clinging to his wet body for dear life.


    "Yes, I''ve made up my mind. Mr. Xi, since you are so hell -bent on taking down an insignificant


    company, I don''t want to have anything to do with you. If the worsees to worst, thepany


    will be shut down and I''ll quit." If that did happen, Maria was determined to open anotherpany,


    and another, and another, until James lost interest in herpletely.


    She was determined to bepletely independent, relying only on herself. After she became


    rich and powerful, she might be able to defeat James.


    "''Shut down''?" The man turned over these two words in his mind.


    "Yes!"


    James'' jaw clenched. ''This woman needs to be taught a lesson.''


    He strode over to her and pulled her into his arms. Ignoring her struggle, he allowed the bath towel


    around his waist to drop to the floor, then he took her to the bed.


    "James Xi, how dare you?¡±


    "I''m already here. There''s no use resisting." He looked down at the woman who was burning with


    anger. However, he was even angrier.


    What grinded his gears was that she kept pushing him away.


    "Stop it!" She was angry at the thought that he had snatched herpany''s projects. Why should


    she let him sleep with her?


    She already had ns. She was going to take Bob away and remarry another man, letting James''


    son call another man his father.


    "It''s not up to you!" A year ago, James had agreed to part with her temporarily, not forever. Now


    Maria was right in front of him. If he didn''t sleep with her, wouldn''t he fail Summer''s kindness?


    Maria red at the man on top of her, at a loss for words. It never urred to her that James would


    force her. ''Jackass!''


    The moon hung low in the sky, shrouded in clouds. The two spent the night tangled in bed, doing


    anything but sleep.


    The following morning, the apartment''s doorbell rang. James got up and answered the door. He was


    wearing only the bath towel from the night before around his waist. The assistant, who hade to


    pick up James and deliver some clothes, was extremely flustered to see his boss''s chiseled


    physique.


    Stammering, he handed some bags to James. "Good morning, Mr. Xi. Here are your clothes and


    breakfast." "Okay, I''ll be downstairs right away."


    "Okay, Mr. Xi."


    He then closed the door. Maria was still sound asleep in the bedroom.


    Without waking her up, James got dressed, set up breakfast in the kitchen, then left.


    Later that morning, Maria woke up to the sound of her phone ringing. She answered the phone in a


    daze. "Yes, Peggy?"


    "Maria, did you just wake up? Everyone is waiting for you to start the meeting!"


    "What time is it now?" Maria bolted out of bed with disheveled hair.

 Chapter 283 So Annoying

    Chapter 283 So Annoying


    "It''s already half past nine," Peggy answered. "The meeting was supposed to start half an hour ago.


    Did you oversleep?"


    "Yeah," Maria admitted guiltily. This was all James'' fault.


    Only then did Maria realize James wasn''t in the apartment and that she was alone there. There was


    no trace of the drunken man from the night before.


    She would''ve thought she had dreamt the whole thing up, if it weren''t for her sore body.


    "So what should we do? How about I let Mr. Qian take charge of the meeting?"


    Peggy asked.


    "Okay." After hanging up the phone, Maria angrily tugged at her hair. ''Damn it! James Xi strikes


    again!''


    But didn''t he say that if she left him, there was no turning back? Then what wasst night about?


    She couldn''t help but wonder what was going on in his mind. Perhaps he was putting on an act,


    pretending he didn''t want to let go of her.


    Unfortunately for him, she was not a teenage girl anymore and was not about to fall for his trap.


    Meanwhile, at the HL Group headquarters, James'' morning meeting had just adjourned and he


    headed back to his office.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Summer came in to report to him thetestpany data.


    After she was done talking, James asked, "When was thest time you were on leave?"


    Summer nced at her boss in confusion. "Not too long ago, sir. I had two days offst month."


    However, two days off was a luxury for any assistant of James.


    "Hand over your work to Gary and take the next couple of days off."


    ''What? Did I do something wrong?'' Summer panicked. "Excuse me, Mr. Xi, did I present wrong data


    just now?"


    James, seeing that she misunderstood him, just added in a light tone, "It''s a paid leave."


    Realizing what was going on, Summer was overjoyed. "Thank you, Mr. Xi!"


    "Now, get back to work."


    "Okay."


    Suppressing the excitement in her heart, Summer hastily gathered her files and returned to her


    desk happily. She sent a text to Maria, saying, "Ms. Song, thanks to you, I can have a few days off. I


    got a paid leave!"


    Maria, who was neck deep in work, spared Summer a second of her time and replied with a


    question mark.


    However, Summer suddenly needed to deal with a distinguished guest who had just arrived at the


    HL Group offices, so itpletely slipped her mind to reply to Maria''s questioning text.


    That evening, Maria visited Augustine again, where Charlotte strongly urged her to stay the night.


    She agreed, and put her work aside to y with Bob. The mother and son finally shared a bed.


    Listening to his son''s steady breathing, Maria lowered her head and gently kissed the baby''s plump


    face over and over again.


    She had wanted a naturalbor. Unfortunately, to her displeasure, she was forced to have a C-


    section when the time came for Bob to enter the world.


    Last night, James had gently traced the scar on her belly with his finger. "What happened here?"


    Fortunately, Maria had been prepared for this question. "I had appendicitis."


    Back when she had Arthur, she had given birth to him naturally, so James had no experience with


    C-sections and consequently had no clue what kind of scar it would leave. Maria''s mind wandered


    to the previous night. She still remembered his gentle kisses on her scar.


    Her eyes popped open and she shook her head, as though she could physically shake off the


    memory of the man from the night before. Her gazended on her baby''s dimpled face, and she


    reached for his cheek and gently pinched it. "Your father is the worst. Please don''t grow up to be


    like him."


    However, the little guy shifted in his sleep and turned to his other side, leaving Maria with only the


    sight of the back of his head.


    ''Is this his answer?'' she wondered.


    These days, the air was getting colder and colder. Maria went shopping to buy some winter clothes


    for the baby, as well as other necessities.


    As soon as she was loading her shopping bags into the trunk, her phone rang. It was Sandra


    calling. "Hi, Sandra. What''s up?"


    "Maria, do you have a regr membership at the SOE?" Sandra asked in a low voice.


    Maria frowned slightly. "I''ve bought some of their stuff. Why?" "Can I use your membership pass


    please? There''s this really gorgeous limited edition bag I want, but since I''m not a member, they''re


    requiring me to buy other goods together with the bag. Also, Alina Tang is here. I didn''t want to lose


    to her, so I called to ask you for a favor." Maria could tell from Sandra''s tone that she was a little


    embarrassed buttrusting.


    Everything sold in SOE was very expensive. If Sandra was required to buy a number of products


    along with the bag, she probably wouldn''t be able to afford it.


    "Where are you now? I''m not busy, I can go find you."


    "I''m at the International Shopping Mall on SY Road. Shall I wait for you?"


    "Okay. See you soon."


    A few minutester, at the SOE''s gship store, a woman wearing sunsses and an ankle-long


    beige windbreaker strode in.


    She had ming red lips, a pop of color against her fair skin.


    "Hello, Ms. Song." The store manager greeted her personally.


    Maria took off her sunsses and said indifferently, "My friend is shopping here. I''m looking for her."


    "Oh, you mean Miss Shen, right? She is in the VIP reception room. Allow me to show you the way."


    "Thank you!"


    In the VIP reception room, there were several women sitting at the lounge with saleswomen


    standing beside them, serving them champagne and desserts.


    Sandra was one of the seated women, primly eating a dessert. When she saw Maria, she quickly


    abandoned the dessert and waved at her. "Over here, Maria!"


    In response, Maria strode over to her friend, her heels cking authoritatively on the marble floor.


    At the sound of those heels, Alina, who was busy trying on some jewelry, turned around to see who


    wasing.


    The windbreaker made Maria look tall and slender, and she wore a pair of ck high-heeled shoes.


    Her aura was as strong as ever.


    As soon as she showed up, she drew the attention of everyone in the VIP room.


    Completely ignoring others'' gazes, Maria strolled right up to Sandra and said, "You called at the


    perfect time. I was nearby and was just about to leave."


    "Were you shopping too?"


    "Yeah, but I''ve already bought all the things I needed. What about you? Which bag were you talking


    about on the phone?" Maria sat down beside Sandra and carefully tucked her sunsses into her


    bag.


    Sandra pointed to a sling shoulder bag in the hands of the saleswoman next to her. "Isn''t it pretty?"


    The saleswoman handed the bag to Maria, who then took a close look at the bag Sandra was


    raving about. It was a light pink suede with gold detailing in a style popr among younger girls.


    She nodded and smiled. "Yeah, it''s pretty alright, though I''m not sure it''s for me. After all, you kids


    have different tastes from us."


    Sandra pouted. "It''s worth seven hundred thousand, but they won''t let me buy the bag alone. I don''t


    have enough money to buy other products with it."


    Maria returned the bag to the saleswoman. The manager, who had been observing the situation


    from the side, served some fragrant tea to Maria. "So you and Ms. Song are friends. I''m sure it''ll be


    fine with my boss if you purchase the bag by itself, Miss Shen."


    Sandra''s eyes lit up. "Thank you so much!"


    "You''re wee!"


    While Sandra was taking care of the bill, Maria inspected a brooch. When Sandra was done, she


    deliberately passed by Alina, waving the bill in her hand. "You''re the best, Maria!"


    Before Maria came, Alina had been ridiculing Sandra.


    "You asked someone else to get it for you. What makes you so proud?" Alina sneered.


    "At least I have someone to call for help. Aren''t you Mr. Xi''s fiancee? Why don''t you call him and ask


    him to buy you the whole shop? Oh wait, never mind. I doubt he would be willing to marry a woman


    who bought a fake antique for his grandfather." Sandra triumphantly returned to her seat and


    happily watched the saleswoman pack up the bag for her.

 Chapter 284 Colbys Daughter

    Chapter 284 Colby''s Daughter


    Alina''s heart stung. Ever since the incident at Augustine''s birthday, she had been aughingstock in


    the upper ss of H City. Many people gossiped about her and worse, mocked her to her face.


    Others just looked at her strangely, alienating herpletely.


    Alina red at Sandra. "Even if James refuses to marry me, he won''t marry you, nor will he marry


    some woman who pretends to be pure and clean!"


    The so-called "pure and clean" woman was admiring a brooch. "Excuse me, Ms. Tang. I heard


    there''s a new restaurant along the H River Road. How about I invite you and Ms. Lan out for dinner


    together?"


    Maria smiled sweetly. After the fight between Judy and Ruthst time, Judy hadpletely cut all


    ties with Alina.


    She had even blocked Alina''s number on her phone.


    Upon hearing this thinly veiled jeer, Alina gritted her teeth but kept silent. The friend who was


    shopping with her saw Alina''s face reddening from anger and came to defend her. "Just who the


    hell do you think you are? Don''t you know that Alina is the future Mrs. Xi? How dare you talk to her


    like that?"


    Sandra tittered. "Miss Zheng, get your head out of a book sometime, will you? This is the Maria


    Song."


    "Oh, so she is Maria Song?" The name seemed to ring a bell. "Isn''t she Mr. Xi''s mistress?"


    Alina nodded to her friend and warned her in a low voice, "Don''t provoke her. She''s crazy."


    ''Mistress?'' With a smile stered on her face, Maria stood up and put the brooch away.


    Sandra, on the other hand, was young and spirited. She sprinted towards the two women and


    jabbed her finger at them. "What the hell are you talking about? You believe whatever Alina Tang


    says, don''t you? Alina Tang is the mistress, not Maria Song, got it?"


    "Alina and Mr. Xi are engaged. Obviously, Maria Song''s the outsider." Joslyn Zheng pouted.


    Maria pulled Sandra, who was about to get into a catfight with the two women, to the side, standing


    in front of her.


    She smiled, "Miss Zheng, right?"


    The girl looked young, but dressed maturely. The way she dressed made her look like she was in


    her early thirties.


    Joslyn looked down on Maria. "I was wondering how you could be a member of SOE. It turns out


    you''ve been riding on Mr. Xi''s money to get here!"


    Alina, on the other hand, knew that Maria was not to be trifled with. She urgently tugged at the


    hemline of her friend''s blouse and whispered, "Don''t mess with her, you don''t know what she can do


    to you."


    "I might not have been in H City for a while, but no one''s allowed to treat me like this!" Joslyn shook


    off Alina''s hand and faced Maria head on.


    The smile on Maria''s face widened.


    "You think you can bully Alina just because you''re sleeping with Mr. Xi, huh?"


    "What else did Alina say to you?" Maria looked at her own hand idly and found that her nails were


    too long. She decided to have a manicureter.


    "None of your business!" Joslyn''s attitude was like that of a spoiled child. "If I were Alina, I would''ve


    beaten you up to a pulp already."


    Pak!


    Before Joslyn finished speaking, she heard a loud ringing noise in her ears and her cheek stung.


    Bewildered, she covered her burning cheek and looked at the woman in front of her in disbelief.


    "How dare you hit me?"


    "Oh. I dare!" Maria smiled and inspected her hand as though nothing happened. "Didn''t Alina Tang


    tell you that I never show mercy when I beat people?"


    Joslyn was speechless. Indeed, while Alina had been trying to warn her, she hadn''t gotten to that


    part yet.


    "Didn''t you want to beat me up to a pulp? Come on over here and prove it." Maria crooked her


    finger at her.


    Joslyn''s eyes widened in disbelief. How dare this woman insult her like this? She angrily pulled out


    her phone and shouted, "I''m calling my father! He''ll definitely kill you!"


    Only then did Alina finally say something. "Maria Song, you''d better apologize to her. Don''t you


    know who she is?"


    "Does it matter who she is?" Maria nced up from her fingernailszily.


    Alina locked eyes with her. "Joslyn is Colby Zheng''s daughter."


    ''Colby Zheng?'' Maria frowned, wondering if this girl was the daughter of Colby and his ex-wife.


    "What now? Are you scared? It''s toote!" Seeing Maria''s changed expression, Joslyn felt better


    and gloated. She knew that everyone was afraid of her father.


    Shortly after, the call connected. "Hi, Joslyn, what''s up?"


    Joslyn put the phone near her ear. In a baby-like, whiney tone, she cried, "Daddy, someone''s


    bullying your precious daughter!"


    "Oh? Who would dare? Don''t you have bodyguards with you?"


    "It''s Maria Song, Daddy!"


    At the mention of that name, Colby was taken aback. "What did you say?"


    "Maria Song! Daddy, do you know her?"


    Maria sneered. If only this naive little girl knew that her father was not only familiar with her, but that


    he knew her very well.


    "How''d you two run into each other? There must be some kind of misunderstanding," Colby


    answered perfunctorily, quietly wondering when Maria was released from jail. Why didn''t anyone tell


    him?


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    Joslyn pouted discontentedly. "There''s been no misunderstanding. She hit me, so now my face is


    swollen. Daddy, you should have her arrested and locked up!"


    Colby kept silent for a while before finally saying, "Let''s talk about itter when youe back."


    "Dad, what did you say?" The baby girl act was dropped in an instant. Obviously, Joslyn hadn''t


    expected that Colby would say that.


    This was the first time that Colby didn''t immediately ask someone to deal with his precious


    daughter''s adversaries.


    "Joslyn, Maria is my friend. You must''ve misunderstood each other. I''ll ask her about it sometime.


    Anyway, be good." In that moment, Joslyn realized that Maria was not as simple as she looked.


    "I don''t care if she''s your friend, you have to deal with her for me!" Joslyn kept pestering him.


    Colby had no choice but to say, "Joslyn, my good girl, I said we''ll talk about itter. I have a meeting


    to attend. Enjoy your shopping."


    Then, without waiting for a response, he hung up the phone.


    Joslyn stared at her phone in disbelief. When she came to her senses, she became angrier and


    red at the woman in front of her. "You bitch, did you hit on my father?"


    Maria raised her hand again as a warning.


    Joslyn quickly covered her face like a wounded puppy. "Do you want to hit me again?"


    "Yes. I''ll teach you how to treat people with respect!" Although she had indeed tried to hit on Colby,


    it was not what Joslyn thought, and she should not be questioned by Joslyn in this way.


    Pak! With Joslyn was off-guard, Maria pped her across her face again.


    Joslyn was stunned by the second p. She had never been hit before, not by her father or her


    stepmother. Yet now, she was pped twice in a row by a woman just a couple of years her senior.


    This infuriated her no end.


    She called her bodyguards using her phone. "Come in now!"


    The bodyguards were on standby at the door of the shop. They rushed in in less than a minute after


    receiving the phone call.


    Pointing at Maria, Joslyn ordered arrogantly, "Tie this woman up!" "Yes, Miss Zheng!"

 Chapter 285 Two Slaps

    Chapter 285 Two ps


    Before any of Joslyn''s bodyguards were able to get close to Maria, she had already sent one of


    them flying backwards.


    Taken by surprise, the bodyguards left standing stared at their fallen colleague in a daze. Maria


    calmly returned to a rxed posture, as though she didn''t just roundhouse kick someone in high


    heels.


    Snapping back to reality, the other bodyguards charged at Maria, but they didn''t stand a chance.


    She dodged and parried every blow whilending a few kicks and punches on her enemies.


    The employees in the store held their breath, anxiously watching this scene unfold before them.


    Everything in the VIP room was very expensive. If the fight went on like this, they would inevitably


    break some stuff.


    Seeing that her bodyguards couldn''t beat Maria, Joslyn shouted in frustration, "Are you even men?


    Why can''t you beat a single woman?"


    But her jeers were futile. The bodyguards'' morale was dropping by the second as they realized


    Maria was a master of kung fu.


    It didn''t take long before all of Joslyn''s bodyguards were on the floor, writhing from pain. Maria


    pressed her high heel against the back of one of them, her lips curling at the ends to form a


    triumphant smile. "Miss Zheng, let''s call it a day. I don''t have time for people like you. Also, beware


    who you befriend; they might just be using you." As she spoke thesest words, she shot a


    meaningful nce at Alina.


    "What do you mean? Are you saying Alina''s just using me? Bullshit! Alina''s my best friend!"


    Maria smiled sardonically and ignored her question. Turning to face Sandra, she asked, "Are you


    done here?"


    "Yes, let''s go!" Sandra, who waspletely awestruck by Maria''s performance just now, happily


    skipped over to the counter to pick up her newly-packaged bag. The two walked out of the store


    together.


    Once the elevator doors slid close, Sandra looked at Maria sheepishly. "Sorry, Maria. I didn''t expect


    things would get out of hand."


    "Don''t worry about it. It¡¯s not like I got hurt or anything." Actually, Maria was quite pleased with how


    things unfolded. It gave her a chance to intimidate Alina, which was something she liked to do from


    time to time.


    "But we need to be careful. I think we upset Joslyn Zheng pretty bad, I doubt she''ll just let this


    slide."


    Maria shrugged indifferently. That girl couldn''t touch her. However, a thought urred to her. "Did


    shee back from abroad alone? Doesn''t she have a stepmother?"


    "Yes, she came back alone. She even held a huge party when she returned. Some people at the


    party asked about her stepmother. She hasn''te back yet because she needs to take care of


    Joslyn''s half-sister."


    Maria nodded thoughtfully. "How does she get along with her stepmother?"


    "I don''t think their rtionship is great. I mean, Joslyn is a spoiled brat with a bad temper who


    comes from a wealthy family. I''m sure she only has friends because of her money." Sandra told


    Maria everything she knew.


    "Oh, I see."


    "What''s wrong, Maria?"


    Maria looked at her friend with a serious expression. "You''re more in contact with them than me.


    Can you help me keep an eye on the Zheng family? Especially


    Joslyn Zheng''s stepmother."


    "I don''t see them that often, but I''ll do my best."


    "Okay. Thanks, Sandra."


    After leaving the mall, the two parted ways and Maria went to her office.


    Later that day, Joslyn stormed through the ss door entrance to the HM Group headquarters.


    No one dared to cross her path. Her high heels cked against the polished floors, all the way until


    she reached her father''s office. She pushed the door open without the slightest hesitation and


    demanded, "Dad, what on earth is wrong with you?"


    Colby was on the phone. Seeing here in, he motioned for her to sit down first.


    A few minutester, he put down the phone.


    "How did you meet Maria Song?" he asked.


    "While I was shopping with Alina, I ran into Sandra Shen. That woman didn''t even have a


    membership at SOE, so she had to call Maria for help.¡±


    Joslyn herself didn''t have a membership with SOE, but that was because she didn''t like the store''s


    aesthetic. If she did, she would''ve already been a VIP member.


    "So how did you end up in a fight?"


    "Alina said Maria is a mistress. So, I scolded her, and she pped me. Dad, why are you friends


    with someone''s mistress?" Those kinds of women were the worst. Joslyn cringed at the idea of her


    father being associated with one.


    "I have many friends. She is also prominent in the financial circle, so you shouldn''t be so shocked


    that we know each other." Colby studied the light red bruising on his daughter''s cheek and said,


    "Call Alina Tang and ask her when Maria Song was released from jail."


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    "''Jail''? Dad, did she go to jail?" "Yes, thanks to mypany, actually. That''s why dealing with her is


    a difficult matter." Colby spoke honestly. He didn''t want to hide anything from his daughter.


    Joslyn, however, was unconvinced. "If she didn''tmit a crime, why would she have been


    arrested? She must be guilty of something!"


    "It''s not what you think. Just do as I say. Now!"


    Frowning at how her father raised his voice at her, Joslyn reluctantly pulled out her phone and


    punched in Alina''s number. "So, you''re just going to let her get away with pping your own


    daughter?" she asked while waiting for the call to connect.


    "The whole city knows that she has bad blood with the Tang family. You''d better not mess with her


    in the future." Of course, while he felt bad that his daughter was pped, he still didn''t know if Maria


    was friend or foe. Until then, he was unsure as to how to deal with her.


    However, if he determined that Maria was an enemy, he would definitely make her pay double.


    For now, he would just have to let things slide.


    "Daddy! I''m your precious daughter. Or do you consider the daughter of that woman your only child


    now?" she spat. Joslyn was obviously very unhappy with her father''s inability to take action.


    Colby softened his tone. "No, you''ll always be my baby. But you''re still so young, you can''t possibly


    understand what''s going on."


    Wrinkling her nose in displeasure, Joslyn didn''t understand at all. Just then, the call connected and


    she asked Alina what Colby wanted her to ask.


    Alina thought for a while before saying, "She has been out for several months, I think. All I know is


    she was still in jail during Augustine''s birthday, but I ran into her two days after. The next time I saw


    her was a while ago."


    At the time, she had wondered how Maria suddenly got out of jail.


    She wouldn''t have known it if Judy hadn''t mentioned it to her.


    "Okay, thanks." Upon hanging up the phone, Joslyn ryed to Colby what Alina had just told her.


    His expression darkened. It turned out Maria had been a free woman for some time now. About four


    months ago, he had asked someone to find out if Maria was still in jail, and she was.


    Joslyn, on the other hand, was still fuming. She hade here to demand Colby''s help, but got


    nothing. Instead, she was warned by him not to provoke Maria again, which made her even more


    irritable. Never in her wildest dreams would she have expected to lose against some tramp.


    Meanwhile, in Miracle Cafe, Maria was putting down her bag when her phone started to ring.


    A dash of slyness shed through her eyes when she saw who was calling. She found a quiet


    corner in the cafe and answered the phone. "Hello, Mr. Zheng."


    "Maria, it''s really you! When Joslyn told me that someone bullied her just now, I thought I had just


    misheard her." Colby''s voice was gentle and friendly.


    Maria said in a sad voice, "Yes, it''s me, Mr. Zheng. I actually got out of jail a long time ago, thanks to


    James Xi. However, he forced me to stay in the manor all this time, and I wasn''t allowed to talk to


    anyone. So I was pretty much still imprisoned, just not inside jail."

 Chapter 286 Shield The Criminal

    Chapter 286 Shield The Criminal


    Based on what Alina said, it was true that Maria had indeed gone off the grid for a few months, so


    Colby took her word for it.


    However, he pretended to hear this for the first time. "Really? Why did Mr. Xi get you out of jail?"


    "Why else?" Maria sprinkled her tone with hints of bitterness. "Men can''t resist a beaut. He did all he


    could to get me out, only to keep me hostage in his own house. I was only able to go out today


    because his guard was down. Mr. Zheng, you need to rescue me from him!"


    "Well..." Colby hesitated. "You''re his ex-wife, after all. I wouldn''t really call this my area of expertise."


    "Mr. Zheng, I tried to contact you before, but the signal in the manor was cut off. I couldn''t contact


    anyone. Mr. Zheng, how are you doing recently? When are you free? I''lle to you."


    The woman''s voice sounded genuine over the call.


    "Did Mr. Xi let you out now?"


    "Yes, Mr. Zheng. Oh my God, James Xi is just a creep. I don''t want to be with him any longer."


    "Okay, I''ll make some arrangements."


    "Thank you, Mr. Zheng. My hope''s in you!" Maria said, faking a sob.


    Sometimes, a woman''s tears were as sharp a weapon as a man''s gun. Although Colby couldn''t see


    Maria''s crying face, his heart was moved. "I''ll do what I can as soon as possible." "Okay. Thanks,


    Mr. Zheng."


    After the call, Maria idly looked at the scenery framed by the cafe windows. She wondered if she


    was the reason why Joslyn''s stepmother, Colby''s current wife, hadn''te back from abroad.


    That night, Maria went back to James'' grandparents'' house as usual, but was greeted by an


    unexpected sight.


    "Cooper? Gosh!" In the living room, a man in ck and white street wear was cradling a baby in his


    arms.


    Cooper turned around to face her, all smiles. "Maria, my dear sister-inw!"


    "When did youe back? Why didn''t you call me in advance?" She was thoroughly surprised. No


    one had told her Cooper would be here.


    T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    "I missed the little guy, I went straight here from the airport." He jutted his chin towards a corner of


    the living room.


    Maria followed his gaze and saw a pile of luggage neatly stacked.


    Before she could respond, her phone rang. Taking out her phone, she didn''t recognize the caller ID


    shing on its screen. Frowning, she swiped to answer and heard an anxious voice on the other


    end of the line. "Hello, is this Maria? This is Sandra''s mother."


    "Hello, Auntie. Yes, it''s me."


    "Is Sandra with you now?"


    "No, we were together yesterday afternoon but we didn''t see each other today. What happened?"


    Sandra''s mother soundedpletely flustered. After all, Sandra had been kidnapped by human


    traffickers before. "Her phone has been unreachable since this evening. She hasn''t been to school,


    and I''ve already checked the ces she frequents. Moreover, her ssmates haven''t seen her. I''m


    just so worried that..." ''...Sandra''s been kidnapped again.'' She didn''t finish.


    "Auntie, please don''t panic. I''ll try to find her and get back to you ASAP."


    "Okay. Thank you, Maria."


    After hanging up, Maria tried ringing Sandra''s phone, but sure enough, the call didn''t connect.


    Cooper, seeing the worry lines on her face, asked with concern, "Maria, what happened?"


    Without ncing up from her phone, she answered, "Well, one of my friends is missing."


    Just as she was about to instruct her men to look for Sandra, her mother called again. "Maria, I


    asked around. I just heard that Sandra wasst with a friend, when suddenly, a woman approached


    them saying your driver was picking her up. Her friend thought Sandra had some ns with you or


    something, so she left without suspecting anything."


    Maria frowned. She didn''t send any driver for Sandra.


    So, who on earth went to find Sandra, iming it was her?


    Just then, her phone pinged. An unknown number sent her photos.


    ncing at the photos, Maria clenched her fist and gritted her teeth, seething with rage.


    In a dimly lit, dark space, Sandray on the concrete floor, beaten ck and blue. Blood was


    trickling down the side of her mouth, and her eyes spoke of excruciating pain.


    The events of the previous day suddenly shed in


    Maria''s mind. Was this Alina''s or Joslyn''s doing?


    Narrowing her eyes, she made some calls to find out the whereabouts of these two women.


    "Is there any way I can help?" Cooper asked, his forehead creased with worry. He could see that


    she was very anxious.


    "Maybe. Wait a moment." Maria proceeded to make several more calls without pausing in between.


    Twenty minutester, Cooper carefully handed the baby over to Tami, and he drove off with Maria in


    the lead.


    Maria raced to the Leopard Club, followed by Cooper''s car.


    A few minutester, the door to a VIP room of the Leopard Club was kicked open.


    Bang!" The several people inside all whipped their heads towards the door in shock.


    A domineering woman stood at the doorway.


    "Maria Song? What is she doing here?"


    "I don''t know. Is she here for Mr. Xi?"


    Maria flicked on the lights. With a gaze as cold as ice, she searched the faces in the room that was


    suddenly as bright as day.


    She identified James, Ethan, Alina, Joslyn, and some other people she knew, but there were other


    faces she didn''t recognize.


    Ethan whispered to the man beside him, "Your woman looks very angry. Is she here for you?"


    James didn''t say anything. Obviously, Maria didn''te for him.


    The woman''s faze was fixed on the two women next to


    him.


    In one swift motion, Maria pounced on Joslyn and pressed a sharp dagger against her neck. Joslyn


    screamed, while everyone else in the room was stunned.


    Alina quickly moved aside, shying away from Maria''s dagger.


    "Where is she?" Maria hissed.


    All the color drained from Joslyn''s face. "If you dare touch me, I''ll have my father kill you." Feeling a


    sharp pain, she cried out. A red sliver of blood appeared on her delicate neck.


    Maria paid her threat no heed. "If you don''t tell me now, I will kill you and your grandfather!"


    Ethan stood up calmly and asked, "Maria, just wait a second. What happened?"


    "She asked someone to take my friend away," Maria exined briefly.


    "Do you have any evidence it was me?" Joslyn tried to sound brave, but she was trembling all over.


    She anxiously eyed the phone on the table, wishing she could call her bodyguards.


    Maria pressed the dagger against Joslyn''s neck with one hand, and with the other, she took Joslyn''s


    hand and caressed it gently.


    "It will be deemed minor injury if I chop off your little finger, but it''ll be serious injury if you lose your


    thumb. Which one do you think I should pick?"


    Joslyn''s eyes widened in fear. "Alina, please help me!"


    Alina nced around helplessly, until her gazended on James. "James, get Maria to calm down!


    She''s cut Joslyn''s neck!"


    With all eyes on him, James stood up and looked down at her coldly. "Are you asking me to shield a


    criminal?"


    The man rejected her in front of all these people, embarrassing her profusely.


    In a low voice, she apologized to her friend. "I''m sorry, Joslyn. It''s not that I don''t want to help you.


    You saw what just happened."


    -

 Chapter 287 Care For Cooper Deeply

    Chapter 287 Care For Cooper Deeply


    "Miss Zheng, if you don''t answer me in three seconds, I''ll chop off your little finger and feed it to a


    dog!" Maria snapped impatiently. "Three, two..."


    "Alright, I''ll tell you!" Joslyn looked at her with wide, frightened eyes and whispered the location.


    Maria looked at the girl expressionlessly. Still pressing the dagger against her neck, she fished her


    phone out of her pocket. "Hi, Cooper. She''s in a small hotel in the west of the city."


    ''Cooper?''


    James, who had just stood up to leave, frowned at the mention of his brother''s name.


    He knew that Cooper wasing home, but he didn''t know he was already here, let alone with


    Maria.


    Maria pocketed her phone and gazed at Joslyn icily. "Because your father and I are on good terms,


    I won''t chop off any fingers for now. But if anything happens to Sandra, I guarantee that not even


    your grandfather will be able to protect you from me."


    Joslyn nodded without so much of a squeak. She was deathly afraid of this woman now, what with


    the cold dagger digging into her skin. Sure enough, it was just like Alina had said: Maria was indeed


    a lunatic.


    Maria withdrew her dagger and, shooting Joslyn one more icy nce, walked out of the room.


    However, as soon as she stepped outside, a big hand grabbed her arm.


    She didn''t even need to look at the man, she could tell who it was just by his scent. "James Xi, I


    don''t have time for this. I need to take care of something."


    "Where is Cooper going?"


    "Why don''t you ask him yourself?"


    Maria tried to free herself from his grasp, but to no avail. The man was too strong.


    "Tell me. Now."


    Maria rolled her eyes. "He went to some hotel to the west of the city to save Sandra."


    "You asked Cooper to save her?¡±


    "Not exactly, he asked me how he could help." The truth was, she didn''t want Cooper involved.


    But this was a matter of life and death for Sandra, and time was of the essence. It was better to get


    all the help avable to her.


    "Maria Song, if anything happens to Cooper, I''ll skin you alive!" With a stone cold expression,


    James dragged Maria to his car. Together, they headed to the hotel.


    The entire ride, Maria kept silent. She had heard before that James cared for his brother deeply.


    And it turned out it was true.


    Meanwhile, Cooper had already reached the small hotel in the west of H City. The hotel was so


    dingy, he figured it didn''t even make it to a one-star ranking.


    But the priority now was to rescue Sandra.


    Clenching his fists, he strode into the hotel.


    At the reception counter, an expressionless woman shot him an indifferent nce.


    Shortly after, Cooper found the room where they were keeping Sandra. The room wasn''t


    soundproof, he could hear muffled sounds from within. Without hesitating any further, he kicked the


    door open.


    The room was roughly ten square meters big. A girl with tape on her mouth was tied to a bed. Two


    men had been ripping her clothes off when Cooper burst in.


    The girl''s eyesnded on him. She looked extremely scared, which made Cooper''s heart ache.


    He didn''t waste any time. He rushed in and grabbed one of the men on top of her and threw him


    against the wall.


    Cooper was about twenty years old. While his features were chiseled to perfection, he knew how to


    throw a punch, albeit elegantly.


    Sandra was sure she had never seen this man before. Realizing that he was here to save her, she


    burst into tears.


    In her eyes, he was a god who hade to her rescue at her most vulnerable point.


    Fortunately, the two thugs were terribly fighters. It didn''t take long before they were both knocked


    out cold by Cooper.


    When Cooper saw that there was no one else after them, he carefully untied Sandra and gently


    removed the tape over her mouth.


    The whole time, Sandra couldn''t tear her eyes off him.


    Even when she was freed, she didn''t move. Cooper softened his expression. "Please, don''t be


    afraid. I''m here to save you."


    His smooth voice was like velvet, and if she could, Sandra would''ve wanted to wrap herself in it.


    She was absolutely enraptured.


    Worried that she had been frightened to death, Cooper scooped her up in his arms and said, ''Til


    take you to the


    hospital."


    He carried her to his car. Sandra sunk into the passenger seat silently, pulling her knees to her


    chest.


    Cooper sat in the driver''s seat and pulled out his phone. "Maria, I''ll take her to the hospital."


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    "How is she doing now? Is she all right?" Maria asked worriedly.


    Cooper nced at the woman who was curled into a ball in the passenger seat. He saw her bruised


    and bloodied face. "She''s pretty banged up."


    "Text me the address of the hospital. We''ll go to the hospital directly."


    "''We''?" Cooper raised his eyebrow.


    "Your brother was afraid that you''d get hurt, so he insisted oning with me."


    "Well, tell him I''m totally fine."


    "Got it."


    At the hospital, after Sandra had been treated and cared for, Cooper briefly talked to the attending


    physician.


    The girly on the hospital bed, shivering violently. When Cooper came back, he sat next to her on


    the bed.


    Sandra''s eyes fluttered open. When she saw who it was, she whispered in a hoarse voice, "Thank


    you."


    Cooper put on a smile. "It''s my pleasure." Maria''s friends were also his friends.


    He fished something out of his pocket and pressed it into her hand. "I was going to give this to my


    friend, but I think you might need it more right now. The green mchite symbolizes safety,


    happiness, and the power of healing. Miss Shen, if you don''t mind, please ept


    this gift!"


    Sandra stared at the delicate bracelet quietly.


    Emotions surged within her and her mind raced. The Egyptians had called the green mchite the


    "divine stone." In ancient times, green mchite was so expensive that ordinary people never even


    laid their eyes on it.


    It was Cooper who rescued her, yet now, he was giving her a gift.


    She was already embarrassed enough. How could she possibly ept the bracelet?


    Sandra asked in a soft voice, "What about your friend?"


    "Don''t worry about her, I''ll get her another gift."


    "Please excuse me if thises across as rude. Was this supposed to be for your girlfriend?"


    Sandra gnawed her lower lip. If that was the case, there was no way she was going to ept it.


    Also, she wanted to know if he had a girlfriend.


    Cooper seemed to be taken aback by her question, so Sandra quickly added, "Please, don''t get me


    wrong. I know how women think. If a man gives a gift meant for his girlfriend to another woman, his


    girlfriend will definitely be unhappy."


    Cooper chuckled softly. "Don''t worry, it''s not like that." He had no girlfriend yet.


    Hearing this, Sandra heaved a sigh of relief. She closed her fingers around the bracelet and said


    gratefully, "Okay, I''ll take it. Thank you. I''ll get you something too some other time."


    Cooper just smiled. He figured she was just saying that to be polite, and didn''t take her seriously.


    After a short while, James and Maria entered the ward. hand in hand. James had been holding


    Maria¡¯s hand all the time, but Maria didn''t want him to hold her hand.


    Maria scanned Cooper up and down before finally turning to the man beside her. She said crossly,


    "Do you see what I''m seeing? He''s safe and sound. Can you let go of me now?¡±


    After making sure that his younger brother was fine, James let go of the woman''s hand.


    -

 Chapter 288 Dont Call Me Your Sister-in-law

    Chapter 288 Don''t Call Me Your Sister-inw


    Maria shot James an angry re before turning on her heel to check on Sandra. She hurried to the


    girl''s bedside. It wasn''t until she saw Sandra''s face that her expression softened. "Sandra, are you


    okay?¡±


    Hearing the concern in her voice, Sandra''s eyes started to glisten with tears. "Maria, I''m so sorry."


    James and Cooper took this as their cue to leave the two women alone, so they quietly exited the


    ward.


    "What are you sorry for? This is all my fault. They wouldn''t have done this to you if it weren''t for me.


    Did they...?" Maria trailed off, as though she was too scared to finish the question.


    However, Sandra understood what she meant to ask. "No. They were about to, but that man came


    just in time."


    Just then, it dawned on Sandra that the two men outside her ward looked extremely simr. Putting


    two and two together, she figured the man who rescued her was James'' brother, Cooper.


    "Well, that''s good." Maria felt relieved. "Anyway, I''ve called your parents. They''re on their way here."


    "Okay.¡±


    Maria reached out a slender hand and smoothed out Sandra''s tangled hair. She looked at the blue


    bruises on her face and felt another wave of guilt. "Don''t apologize to me, okay? If I hadn''t hit Joslyn


    Zheng, she wouldn''t have done this to you."


    It never urred to her that, while she was invulnerable to Joslyn''s threats, those around her


    weren''t as untouchable.


    "Maria, you were there because I asked you to. If I hadn''t insisted on getting that stupid bag, you


    wouldn''t have crossed paths with Joslyn Zheng at all." Sandra''s lower lip trembled. She med no


    one but herself for what had happened.


    Maria shook her head. "Sandra, you are too naive. Even if I didn''t meet you at the mall yesterday, I


    would''ve crossed Joslyn''s path, sooner orter."


    Even if they didn''t meet in the mall, they would''ve met somewhere else in the future. Whatever


    happened yesterday was meant to happen eventually.


    A couple of minutester, Sandra''s parents arrived at the hospital, only to be greeted by the two


    brothers at the door to Sandra''s ward. Recognizing who they were, Sandra''s father immediately


    bowed. "Good evening."


    James nodded slightly in response.


    Cooper, on the other hand, received them more warmly. Shaking Mr. Shen''s hand, he said, "Please,


    go in and be with your daughter!¡±


    "Okay, thank you. We''re going in now."


    After excusing themselves, Sandra''s parents went inside the ward. When they saw how badly


    beaten and bruised their daughter was, they felt a wave of remorse washing over them. "My child,


    who did this to you?"


    Sandra''s father sighed heavily. He only regretted not being able to protect his own daughter.


    "Mom, I''m fine, thanks to Maria and Mr. Xi''s brother." Sandra smiled at her parents weakly.


    Just as Sandra''s parents were thanking Maria for her bravery, Maria exined what had really


    happened.


    However, the Shen couple didn''t me her for what happened. Instead, they thanked her profusely


    for saving their daughter.


    After doting over their poor daughter, the Shen couple went outside to properly thank the Xi


    brothers.


    When Maria saw that Sandra was going to be taken care of, she decided to take her leave.


    At the hospital entrance, Cooper had his hands in his pockets and was staring thoughtfully into the


    night sky. "James and my dear sister-inw, we''re not too far from my ce. Let''s go to my house


    and have a drink. Think of it as my own weing party!"


    Maria chuckled. She had no reason to refuse, not to mention, Cooper had done her a huge favor


    just now. "Okay, but I didn''t drive here. Can I ride with you?"


    Cooper hesitantly shot his brother a nce, but James said nothing.


    Instead, he got inside his own car and drove off.


    With a shrug, Cooper opened the door to the passenger seat of his car and let Maria in. "Cooper, I


    have something to tell you," she said.


    "Go ahead." Cooper spoke nonchntly and kept on driving.


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    "Your brother and I divorced a long time ago. Yes, I might have borne him a son, but I have no ns


    on remarrying him, so please don''t call me your sister-inw from now on."


    "I see." Cooper maintained his neutral tone.


    Maria heaved a sigh of relief. Changing the topic, she asked brightly, "How long will you be in


    town?"


    "Around ten days, maybe more. I just wanted to see my grandparents and little Bob." ''Well, I have a


    coffee shop across your brother''spany. Drop by and have some coffee when you''re free."


    Cooper looked at her from the corner of his eye and smiled. "If you have zero ns to remarry


    James, why did you open a cafe right in front of his building?"


    "Well, at first, I did want to get back with him," Maria said honestly. "I thought that the closer I was to


    him, the bigger the chance that that would happen. But after a while, I realized your brother had no


    interest in love and marriage at all. Thepany interests are of utmost priority; nothing else


    matters to him. There''s nothing I could do to stop him from marrying another woman."


    ''Another woman?'' Cooper figured she was talking about Alina.


    When he heard about their engagement, he didn''t congratte them ore back from abroad.


    After all, he preferred to keep quiet if he had nothing good to say.


    Maria smiled sardonically and continued. "Even when he found out that woman was nothing but


    evil, he still pushed through with the engagement. She bought your grandfather a fake antique for


    his birthday, for Christ''s sake!"


    She had proved to James time and time again that Alina was a bad egg, yet he still insisted on


    marrying her. At this point, she no longer saw the point in trying to change James'' mind. It only


    painted her in a bad light.


    Cooper frowned, perplexed. He had heard that James had cancelled the engagement to Alina. Now,


    he wondered if it was all just hearsay. Was it not because of Maria that his brother had cancelled


    the engagement?


    Cooper decided not to say anything until he knew the facts.


    But all the same, he felt the need tofort Maria.


    "Don''t worry, Grandpa and Grandma have made it clear that Alina Tang is not going to join our


    family. As for my brother, he tends to overthink things. I usually can''t tell what''s on his mind. But I


    can tell you this: he looks at you differently."


    "No surprise there, I''m his ex-wife!" Maria chuckled.


    "I didn''t mean it that way. You know, my brother hasn''t been with any woman besides you, and Alina


    Tang doesn''t count." Ever since the divorce, James had led a squeaky clean personal life, and


    everyone around him could see forthemselves.


    Maria raised one eyebrow. "She counts if she marries him."


    "All the same, stop overthinking this, Maria. You have Bob now. If you tell James the truth about the


    child, he''ll marry you in heartbeat."


    "But I don''t want to remarry him just because I bore his son, and I don''t want Bob to be hurt in the


    process." If word got out that she and James had a child, that child''s life would be in danger.


    Cooper understood where she wasing from. "Well, if James found out about Bob''s true identity,


    he would definitely go through lengths to protect him." The incident with Arthur was unspeakably


    painful among the Xi family. No one in their right mind would want to repeat the same mistake.


    A hush fell over the car, save for the soft music ying on the radio. Finally, Maria said, "I used to


    think your brother could protect me and our family, but I turned out to be wrong. Just a few months


    ago, I was kidnapped. Yet your brother chose to protect Judy and Alina instead of me, just because


    I know some martial arts!"

 Chapter 289 Locked In

    Chapter 289 Locked In


    "Surely, my brother had no idea you were pregnant then, Maria. Otherwise, he would never let a


    single inch of you get hurt."


    "Perhaps. But Cooper, should I just willingly volunteer as a hostage just because I know kung fu?


    Should I just let myself be taken away and wait for him to save me because he is capable?" Months


    had passed since that incident, and while Maria hadn''t gotten hurt in the ident, she still couldn''t


    find it in herself to forgive James.


    It was one thing to choose to be a hostage; it was another to be forced by ine. In Maria''s eyes,


    James shouldn''t have let the kidnappers take her away.


    Cooper remained silent. He chose to be on Maria''s side on this issue.


    "The most absurd of all, is that after everything I had to go through, he even used me of staging


    the whole thing. He probably thought I plotted the incident to serve as a test on who was more


    important to him¡ªme or Alina."


    Cooper said nothing.


    The car finally screeched to a stop in front of a duplex vi. When Maria got out of the vehicle, the


    ck Harkim was already parked in the yard. James was leaning against the hood of his car,


    smoking a cigarette. Since the moment they had driven into the grounds, his eyes never left the


    pair.


    They all entered the vi together, and Cooper made a beeline for the drinks nestled on a table by


    the sitting room. He opened a bottle of red wine and started to pour into three goblets.


    He handed the drinks to his guests, and they clinked sses. "My dear brother and sister-inw,


    cheers!"


    Maria shook her head slightly. "Haven''t I just told you... ?"


    Cooper nodded nonchntly. "Yes, yes, you have, and I''ve heard you. But how I address you is my


    own prerogative."


    She took a deep, steadying breath. So everything she had said back in the car was worthless,


    wasn''t it?


    James shot her his usual cold nce, wondering just how close Maria and Cooper had be.


    With such distasteful thoughts in his head, he threw back the drink and gulped down the wine in one


    go.


    The other two eyed him in astonishment, but neithermented.


    They settled into their seats and the brothers began to chat and catch up with each other. Maria


    would chime in asionally, especially when there was a lull in the conversation. At some point,


    she asked, "How is Coco doing?"


    Coco was Cooper''s poodle, and it had snow-white fur that Maria found particrly lovely.


    "How do you know Coco?" James asked in obvious confusion before his brother could even


    answer.


    Maria''s heart caught in her throat. She had been careless just now. "I stopped by the US during my


    trip a while back," she replied calmly. "I was fortunate enough to make the acquaintance of our dear,


    adorable Coco."


    James bought it.


    In fact, while she was pregnant and staying in the US, she would asionally visit Cooper and y


    with Coco.


    Cooper''s smile widened. "I left it at Stephen''s ce in the meantime." "But isn''t Coco at odds with


    Stephen''s Tibetan mastiff?" Maria blurted out before she could stop herself.


    "They''re being kept in two separate rooms. Stephen has also assured me to take good care that


    Coco doesn''t get hurt."


    The back and forth between Cooper and Maria was perfectly normal, and there was nothing


    suspicious about their words. But at the same time, something was not quite right about their


    conversation.


    Maria seemed to know a lot of intimate details about Cooper, and it made James ufortable.


    Cooper took note of James'' shifting expression, and he casually poured some more wine into his


    own goblet. Then, when both James and Maria weren''t paying attention to him, Cooper subtly


    tossed his goblet and made it look like an ident.


    More than half of the contents of his goblet sloshed into the air, arching perfectly toward Maria''s


    direction.


    By the time she had been alerted by the impending disaster, it was already toote for her to jump


    out of the way. The winended squarely on her and promptly seeped into her clothes.


    "Oh, no! I''m so sorry, Maria. My hand slipped." Cooper''s apology was immediate.


    "It''s no big deal. Hand over those tissues." As Maria tended to her wet clothes, the Xi brothers


    exchanged a meaningful look.


    Amusement was dancing in Cooper''s eyes, making James narrow his own as he caught on the hit


    of mischief in his brother''s expression.


    Maria had wiped most of the wine with the tissues, but she was wearing a light gray, cashmere


    sweater, and the stain was rather distinguishable.


    Cooper charged head-on and voiced a proposal. "James, since you and Maria have both consumed


    alcohol, why don''t you just stay for the night? I just returned and haven''t gotten round to hiring a


    driver yet, so there''s no one to take you home anyway."


    Maria paused what she was doing. She nced down at herself before looking up at Cooper. His


    smile looked innocent enough, but she was feeling something wrong about this situation.


    James, meanwhile, had no objections. "Right, shall I take the room opposite yours then?"


    "Of course."


    "I''ll go upstairs to take a shower first." James removed himself from the room, and Maria leaned


    over to Cooper.


    "I don''t want to stay here! It¡¯s dark outside anyway, no one is going to notice my clothes."


    "Oh, don''t worry about that. I''ll have someone bring you a new set of clothes."


    "No, thanks. That''s not necessary. It''s not like I''mpletely soaked."


    But Cooper ignored her and was already dialing a number on his phone. "Send over a set of


    women''s clothes. Maria, what size do you wear?"


    Maria opened her mouth to protest, but ended up breathing a helpless sigh. "Size 4."


    She had always worn size 2, but she had unfortunately switched over to size 4 after giving birth to


    Bob.


    Cooper put away his phone like he didn''t have a care in the world. "Let me take you upstairs. You


    should take a shower to get rid of the smell of alcohol." "You''re right. Okay." They made their way to


    the second floor, where Cooper stopped in front of a door and opened it for her.


    "Ladies first."


    "Thank you, Cooper."


    Maria walked straight into the bedroom, not suspecting anything.


    The next thing she knew, Cooper was closing the door without following her inside. She even heard


    something click into ce on the other side.


    Confused, she cocked her head and stared at the door, wondering if Cooper had indeed locked her


    in. But he had no reason to do such a thing, so in the end, she decided she must have been


    imagining things.


    She found to her horror that she had been sorely mistaken for trusting that brat! It was toote when


    she noticed the man using the bathroom inside the suite.


    Seeing something she shouldn''t have, Maria averted her eyes, her face heating up. "Why are you in


    here?" she asked crossly.


    James took his time tidying up and fastening his belt before pressing the flush button of the toilet.


    "This is where I stay every time Ie to see Cooper. Why, is there a problem? How about you?


    Why did youe in while I was using the bathroom?"


    Maria couldn''t utter a sound. If she had known that James was staying in this room, she wouldn''t


    have walked inside even at gunpoint.


    She swiveled and strode to the door, intending to ask Cooper to give her another room to use for


    the night.


    But he had well and truly locked the door from outside.


    Maria red at the knob in silent outrage. "Cooper Xi!" she yelled.


    "Stop shouting," James drawled from somewhere behind her. "He''s not going to open that door


    even if you scream all night until your voice turns hoarse."


    She ignored him and furiously pulled out her phone, punching in Cooper''s number. Fortunately, the


    call connected. "Cooper, why the hell am I locked inside this room with your brother?"


    Cooper chuckled. "Yes, well, the lock broke just now. Please make do with the situation and just


    spend the night here."


    "Yes, of course, I''m staying. But give me a different room, please." She didn''t want to share James''


    bed again.


    "No way. It''s only natural that my brother and sister-inw slept in the same room. Changing suites


    is too much of a hassle, andpletely unnecessary. Oh, by the way, the clothes I asked to be


    brought over aren''t here yet. They''ll arrive tomorrow morning, so you''re going to have to make the


    best of what you have at the moment. Well, sleep tight, Maria."


    Maria was at a loss. She had known Cooper for a long time, but this was the first time she had ever


    thought him despicable.


    "If you didn''t want to stay here, then why did youe inside in the first ce?" James asked, his


    voice low. He was leaning against the door frame of the bathroom, his muscr arms crossed over


    his chest.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    "Do you think I wanted this? It''s all Cooper''s fault!" Maria retorted impatiently.


    "I''m just saying, it''s not like he couldn''t have forced you into entering the room if you really didn''t


    want to."

 Chapter 290 Her Mother-in-law

    Chapter 290 Her Mother-inw


    Maria''s jaw hung open. She understood what James was trying to imply. "I never knew you were


    here to begin with, so I walked in by myself."


    "In any case, the fact remains that you entered this room. Now that you''re here, you might as well


    take a shower. We''d better get to bed early." James took off his coat and loosened his tie.


    Maria didn''t want to give in so easily, but there wasn''t much else she could do. Cooper had


    effectively sealed her inside with this man, and she knew he wasn''t going to open the door anytime


    soon.


    She looked at the stain on her clothes and stomped into the bathroom in a huff.


    She had slept with James many times before anyway, so it wasn''t as if she had anything to be


    afraid of at this point.


    She was in the process of taking off her ruined sweater when the bathroom door suddenly opened


    and James sauntered inside.


    Maria gaped at him with wide, rmed eyes. "What are you doing here?" she demanded, resisting


    the urge to throw her sweater at his face.


    "I''m taking a shower."


    "Can''t you see that I''m in here, about to do my own business?" "Of course. Just soak in the bath,


    and I''ll take the shower. It should be fine."


    Maria took a deep, fortifying breath. The bathroom was indeedrge, amodating both a bath


    tub and a shower room on top of other necessary faculties.


    Still, James was acting like an incorrigible rascal! She red at him with contempt. "I don''t want to


    take a bath, I want a shower! Now, get out!"


    "Well, we can just take a shower together."


    Maria sputtered, her eyes wide with outrage. "James Xi, are you forgetting what you said a year


    ago?" she asked slowly through gritted teeth.


    "I say a lot of words; what are you referring to, exactly?"


    "Before we broke up, you told me I would have a hard timeing back to you. It seems to me,


    however, that the total opposite is happening at the present. Why do I feel you''re actually trying to


    cling to me?"


    James'' expression remained unaffected as he discarded thest of his clothing. "Just take it as me


    clinging to you then!"


    Maria had nothing to reply to that. They hadn''t seen each other for a considerable amount of time,


    and it appeared that James'' capacity to be shameless had grown exponentially over that period.


    He stepped into the shower room and turned on the knob, then unceremoniously pulled her inside.


    Jets of warm water washed over them, soaking their bodiespletely.


    "Are you insane?" Maria asked, shivering slightly.


    "You can just take that I''m insane, too."


    This was getting ridiculous. He was brushing her remarks off so casually, she wanted to beat him to


    death right there and then.


    "You and your brother likely nned this and set me up, " she muttered under her breath and flung


    her now wet clothes aside. All things considered, it was much too suspicious how Cooper had


    suddenly spilled the wine on her just as James had decided to stay in the vi for the night.


    "Oh please," James scoffed. "I''m not that bored." He didn''t know if Cooper was that bored, though.


    Maria had resigned herself to having to take a shower with him, but she discovered toote that she


    had thought too highly of the bastard.


    She had raised her head to wet her face, but before she could open her eyes, a warm mouth cover


    her lips.


    Her eyes shot wide open then, unheeding of the water streaming down her head, and she gave


    James a piercing re.


    How many times did this make? Twice! This was the second time he had forced himself on her after


    her return to town.


    Maria became sullen. Even if she was reluctant, she couldn''t bring herself to protest. This man had


    the ability to tame her.


    The next morning, Maria woke up to hear that breakfast was ready downstairs. James had


    personally asked her to dine with him, and handed her a set of new clothes.


    Momentster, she was seated for breakfast with her chin cupped in her hands as she stared at the


    Xi brothers across the table. There was some enjoyment to be derived from watching two


    handsome men eating well.


    Noticing her gaze, James frowned and asked, "Maria, do you have a death wish?" Not that he cared


    that she ogled him, but her eyes was also glued on Cooper''s face from time to time.


    Maria snorted. "Maybe I do. Why, would you like to give me a ride?"


    "Why not? We might as well do it right here, right now." James'' tone was thick and heavy with


    innuendo, causing Cooper to cough in surprise. ''What the hell is this?'' he grumbled to himself. He


    never signed up to be the audience to their lewd disys of affection. "Stop! James, please. I want


    to eat my meal in peace."


    Maria shot James onest re before concentrating on her own breakfast.


    When they finished eating, Cooper walked to Maria and pressed something against her palm. "It''s


    for you. I didn''t have a chance to give it to you yesterday."


    She looked down to see the sky blue bracelet sitting on her hand. "The turquoise?"


    "Yeah. The turquoise represents victory. You can say it''s the stone of sess." And to him, Maria


    had indeed gone a long way in seeding her goals.


    Unnoticed by both Maria and Cooper, jealousy hung heavy in the air around them. "Cooper," James


    interjected with a scowl. "Howe I''m not getting any gift?"


    Cooper threw up his hands and looked at his brother in exasperation. "You don''t wear a bracelet, do


    you?" He had bought two bracelets and sent them both out already. Even if James asked him for it,


    he had none.


    James said nothing, no longer in the mood for conversation. Without warning, he grabbed Maria''s


    hand. "Let''s go," he muttered in a grumpy voice.


    Maria hurriedly waved at Cooper. "I''ll call you again when I''m free. We''re leaving now, bye."


    "Bye, drive safely."


    They walked to the Harkim and Maria settled in the passenger seat. She didn''t want to talk to


    James, so she pretended to do something important on her phone throughout the drive.


    But when a pharmacy came to view, she suddenly perked up. "Hang on a second!" They hadn''t


    used any contraceptivesst night.


    James pulled over before turning to her in confusion. "What''s wrong?"


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Maria ignored him and got out of the car.


    When he saw her sprint toward the pharmacy, James realized what she was up to. His face


    instantly darkened.


    When Maria came back, she was holding a box of birth control pills. She opened a bottle of water


    and swallowed a pill in front of him.


    James'' hands instinctively clenched around the steering wheel. "Maria Song!"


    "Why, what''s wrong?" she asked, a curious look on her face.


    He gritted his teeth. Without another word, James started the engine and the car was soon


    speeding into the road.


    They separated once they got back downtown. Maria thanked him when he dropped her off. Then


    she walked into herpany without a backward nce.


    Unbeknownst to her, he didn''t drive away immediately after she disappeared inside.


    Instead, he turned off the engine, rolled down the window, and lit a cigarette. James sat there,


    looking at this tiny, weak business bearing the name DS Group, lost in his thoughts.


    He wondered if he should just take over thepany andy his im on her.


    At Miracle Cafe


    Ady entered the cafe, and Kent greeted her


    cheerfully.


    Her long, ck hair was coiled on the top of her head, and her face was delicately made up. She


    wore mauve red on her lips. The woman was sporting a ck overcoat and an expensive handbag


    hanging by her wrist.


    Kent approached her and she said lightly, "Please take me to the private room booked by James


    Xi."


    Kent had been in a daze since he hadid eyes on her face, but her voice instantly jolted him back


    to his senses. "Ah, yes. Of course, Ms. Zhong. This way, please."


    "Do you know me?" That piqued Gabri''s interest. After all, she had seldom appeared in public in


    recent years.


    Kent smiled. "I was lucky enough to meet you at the Shen family''s banquet two years ago."


    Gabri nodded slightly and said nothing more, and he guided her to a private room.


    Kent returned to the bar counter and leaned close to Maria, who was in the middle of making some


    coffee. "Your mother-inw is here. Have you seen her yet?"


    ''My mother-inw?'' Maria was confused. "What is Judy doing here? More importantly, she''s not my


    mother-inw anymore."


    "No, not her. Your real mother-inw, you''re husband''s biological mother." Kent''s family used to be


    rich, and he knew a handful of important figures in the society.


    Maria looked stunned as well. "You mean Gabri Zhong is here?" She had never seen her


    biological mother-inw before, much less met her. Gabri hadn''t shown up at her and James''


    wedding either. That woman was quite an enigma.


    "That''s right, and she ordered a cup of freshly brewed coffee. Why don¡¯t you go and bring it to her


    yourself?"


    Maria hesitated for a moment, but she finally prepared a cup of the beverage and walked toward the


    private room.


    She knocked on the door and walked inside.


    -

 Chapter 291 Doubled Price

    Chapter 291 Doubled Price


    Inside the room, Gabri was standing in front of the window and enjoying the scenery outside.


    Hearing the noise, she turned around.


    "Good day, ma''am. Here is the fresh brewed coffee you ordered."


    Gabri took a look at her coffee and asked, "Pretty soon, isn''t it?"


    "Yeah." Maria put the coffee on the table, stood up, and answered truthfully, "Your timing is quite


    good. When you came, I was making coffee. I''ll bring it to you when it''s ready."


    Sure enough, as James'' biological mother, Gabri had many simr features to his, especially the


    emotions between her eyes and brows and her expression.


    Gabri looked at the woman in front of her, who acted neither humble nor pushy, and said in a


    calm tone, "You are the boss. Do you always serve the guests in person?"


    "It''s my pleasure."


    The door of the private room was pushed open again. It was Summer who pushed the door open,


    and James followed her in.


    He looked at the two women in front of him and told Maria directly, "Same as hers."


    Maria rolled her eyes at him in an angle where Gabri couldn''t notice. James didn''t want to go to


    so many high-end clubs or coffee shops, but had chosen her ce. She wondered what he was


    doing.


    "One moment, please." She turned around and left.


    The door of the private room was closed. When he looked away, James saw that Gabri was


    looking at him. "Have a seat," he said.


    "She has been very popr in the financial circle of H City in the past two years."


    Of course, James knew whom she was referring to.


    "Sure." He didn''t exin anything.


    Gabri sat opposite him, picked up the coffee brought by Maria, and smelled it. "Why did you ask


    me out today?"


    "How does Mitchell Shen treat you?"


    "Are you caring about me?" asked Gabri with a faint smile, but her eyes remained serious.


    "Cooper asked me to ask this question." If he wanted to know, he would have someone investigate


    it directly.


    Gabri looked at his face and said, "If you have anything to tell me, go ahead."


    James nodded. "I found out what had happened that year when I investigated Judy. Nothing


    happened between you and Mitchell Shen at that time. Why do you admit to my father that you


    have cheated on him?"


    "I just didn''t love him anymore," said Gabri indifferently.


    "Do you still love Sebastian Xi?"


    "Does that still matter?" Gabri didn''t intend to answer. "Did you ask me out because you wanted


    to know what happened between us in the past?"


    James didn''t answer but asked, "Who is Norman Shen''s father?"


    Gabri didn''t drink the coffee. She put the coffee mug back and said in the same tone, "Mitchell


    Shen."


    "There are not many good days left for Judy. If you are willing to solve the misunderstandings with


    my father..." James meant to ask her to return to the Xi family.


    "I don''t want to," Gabri refused bluntly.


    James fell into the silence.


    After a while, he asked, "What makes you so cruel to leave your two biological sons alone?"


    "Mr. Xi, are you ming me? I don''t think you are a person who needs the family affection and


    maternal love." Gabri sneered.


    Everyone in H City knew that James was cold and arrogant. He treated everyone, including his


    family in the same way.


    "I really don''t need it."


    Gabri''s heart skipped a beat, and her nails cut into her palms.


    "You are the biological mother of me and Cooper. Although you didn''t do your duty, you gave birth to


    two of us. If you don''t lead a good life, Cooper and I will not just watch and do nothing."


    "Do you want to be a dutiful son?"


    "You can understand in that way."


    Gabri chuckled. "Mr. Xi, why didn''t you and your brother do anything in the past years, then?"


    "Judy had treated me and Cooper wholeheartedly before. She would rather abandon her own child


    for the sake of us both. Over the years, she had been working quite hard even without any


    contribution. It''s not until now that I know she is not qualified to be a mother-inw and a


    grandmother. And because she has evil thoughts since she has be a mother-inw, the Xi


    family can''t keep such a person any longer."


    "Do I have to go back since she is not qualified? If she is not qualified to be a mother-inw, can


    you guarantee that I would be?" Gabri thought her son was quite ridiculous.


    Right then, Maria knocked on the door and the two stopped talking for the time being.


    She put the steaming coffee in front of James and left the room silently.


    Gabri noticed the look in James'' eyes. As long as Maria appeared, he would not look at anyone


    else. But Maria didn''t even spear him a nce.


    She chuckled, "Are you going to remarry her?"


    "No one can guarantee whether you are qualified or not. I asked you toe back for the sake that


    you are my biological mother. I don''t want to interfere in the matter between you and my father. I just


    think it''s a good opportunity for you toe back to our Xi family."


    "I know. I will think it over." Gabri stood up and was about to leave.


    However, she was stopped by James, "Wait a minute."


    She looked at him in confusion.


    Looking at the cup of coffee across the table, James said, "You must drink some coffee. You didn''t


    attend our wedding back then, but now you don''t drink the coffee she made at all. Are you


    dissatisfied with her?"N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Confused, Gabri looked at the coffee and said, "I''m not interested in coffee, OK? Look at you,


    James! I haven''t gone back to the Xi family yet, and you force me to drink coffee now. I''m worried


    about my status as the mother-inw aftering back!"


    Without saying a word, James picked up the coffee cup in front of him and drank some.


    All of a sudden, Gabri felt that everything was quite amusing. "It''s okay for you to amodate


    her mood. Why do you want me to amodate her too? There were too many customers here


    who don''t drink coffee or don''t think she''s good at making it... Is she so mentally fragile?"


    "She isn''t mentally fragile. I just think drinking a little is a respect for a barista," replied James tly.


    Upon hearing that, Gabri was speechless. She knew that James was always a man of his own


    free will. Since when did he care about the feelings of a barista?


    The man stood up and walked out of the private room to the bar counter to pay the bill.


    When he came out, Maria was staring nkly at the door of their private room with a cup of coffee


    in her hands. As soon as James came out, their eyes met in the mid-air.


    Maria was speechless. Fortunately, she was not eavesdropping at the door.


    The man came to her, tapped his knuckles on the counter in front of her, and said, "On my ount,


    please."


    Maria gaped at him. She wondered when she had agreed to keep a bill payment ount for him.


    "The bill payment? The price is doubled, then."


    James stared at her and said, "Come to me with the bill at the end of this month."


    Maria leaned forward and asked, "Your mother and you-


    "Are you curious?"


    It would be a lie if Maria said she was not curious. After all, she had known James for a long time. It


    was the first time that she had seen Gabri and her son gathering together.


    She didn''t hide anything and nodded to admit.


    The man stared at her with his deep eyes. "Come to my manor tonight. I''ll tell you."


    Maria''s face immediately fell. Maria put down the coffee mug and began to work. "I''ll double the


    price for HL Group''s ount. I''ll take the bill to you at the end of the month. Take care!"


    There was a slight smile in the man''s eyes, but he did not leave immediately. He raised his chin to


    the disy cab and said, "Make a set of seafood pizza and a sandwich for me. Send them to my


    office." Then he added, "Three times the price with the tip."


    Maria was speechless. Could she tell him that she didn''t care about such small money? Even three


    times the price would be less than one thousand.


    -

 Chapter 292 He Wont Marry Me

    Chapter 292 He Won''t Marry Me


    However, before she could reject, James turned around and left.


    A few minutester, Gabri also walked out of the private room. She put on her sunsses, cast a


    nce at the bar counter, and walked out of the cafe.


    When Maria came out of the operation room to fetch something, she saw Mikeing out of the


    room with coffee mugs in his hands. She nced at the two mugs. There was only half left in


    James'' mug, and Gabri''s mug waspletely empty.


    Maria curled her lips. It seemed that Mr. Xi didn''t like the coffee she made. Next time, she would ask


    the shop assistant to make it for him.


    Half an hourter, she made pizza and the sandwich. For the sake of three times the price, she


    added an extra fruit tter for him.


    Maria didn''t n to send it to him in person, so she sent Kent to his office instead.


    Seeing that it was Kent who delivered the food, James didn''t say anything. He just wanted to ask


    Maria to fire this young man someday...


    The night was as dark as ink. In a vi, a middle-aged woman in pajamas leaned against the sofa,


    reading a book.


    A maid came over and reminded her, "Mrs. Shen, it''s time to go to bed." It was already midnight.


    Gabri kept her eyes on the book and said, "You may go to sleep. I''m not sleepy yet."


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    "Mrs. Shen, did you drink coffee today?"


    She nodded. "Yes."


    "You don''t sleep well all the time. Mr. Shen asked me to remind you not to drink any coffee. But


    now..." The maid looked worried.


    Norman had explicitly told the maids to keep an eye on Gabri and try not to let her drink coffee,


    especially in the afternoon. Because of her poor sleep, she couldn''t have a good rest for the whole


    night if she had coffee in the afternoon.


    Gabri didn''t take it seriously. "Just don''t tell him."


    "Okay. Mrs. Shen, please be careful in the future. Mr. Shen did it for your own good."


    "I know. You can go to bed now."


    "Yes, Mrs. Shen. Good night."


    Silence returned to the vi. Gabri moved her mind from the book to the crystal photo album not


    far away.


    It was a photo of her and Norman taken in the North Pole.


    In fact, she was very proud of her three outstanding sons: James, Cooper, and Norman.


    However... Should she go back to the Xi family?


    She raised her head and looked at the luxurious and quiet vi. There was no trace of liveliness,


    and she had been used to this kind of life for many years.


    In the elder''s house of the Xi family, after coaxing Bob to sleep, Maria drove back to her apartment


    alone.


    She had a party to attendter, so she speared something to take a look at her son before it.


    She heard from Augustine that Bob was a nice boy with a good appetite, and his face had turned


    around in such a short time.


    Knowing that he was fine, Maria wouldn''t worry too much when she couldn''t see the baby.


    The party was held in a high-end club. When Maria parked her car in the parking lot, she happened


    to see James'' Harkim.


    Then she looked aside and saw Colby''s Rolls-Royce Ghost and the cars of several other big shots.


    It seemed that it would be very lively here tonight!


    In the party Maria attended, there was neither James nor Colby. She just celebrated the project she


    had just signed with the managers of several smallpanies.


    On her way to the bathroom, she received a call from Sandra. "Hello, Maria, I saw your car. Are you


    in the club too?"


    "Yes, I am. Where are you?"


    "I just arrived and entered the entrance of the club. What about you?"


    Maria came out of the bathroom, turned on the tap, and put the phone between her head and


    shoulder. "I just came out of the bathroom. Come over."


    "Okay!"


    After finishing the call, Sandra showed up pretty quickly, but she was still wearing a mask to cover


    the scars on her face.


    Maria looked her up and down and asked, "You haven''t recovered yet. Why did youe out?"


    Sandra held her arm with a smile and the two walked towards the private room while chatting. "I''m


    going to attend the ssmate reunion. I''ll leave as soon as I can. Did I disturb you?"


    "Nope. This kind of party is not interesting at all, but I had toe here. How did you get here?


    Shall I drive you backter?"


    "Great! I took a taxi here."


    "Okay. Call me when you are done."


    Sandra nodded with a smile.


    Just then, the door of a private room in front of them was opened and a familiar figure came out.


    It was Colby.


    Maria immediately pulled Sandra to hide aside. Looking at Sandra''s confused face, she lowered her


    voice and said, "Shush... Sandra, do me a favor, please."


    "Oh, sure."


    The footsteps were getting closer and closer. About three or four people were walking towards them


    and they could hear the voice of Colby''s assistant. "I''ll go there with the documents tomorrow..."


    At the corner, a woman''s voice sounded, "Maria, are you still with Mr. Xi?"


    Maria?


    Upon hearing the name, the assistant''s voice suddenly stopped. He looked at the three men who


    were slowing down beside him and said nothing.


    Maria heaved a sigh. "James Xi won''t marry me. He is a heartless man. I won''t stay with him for too


    long."


    After being startled for a moment, Colby looked at the expressionless man next to him and studied


    his reaction quietly.


    "So, that means... You just want his money, don''t you?"


    "I just want his money. I can make money without him.


    If I don''t want his money, can''t I enjoy my life alone?"


    The crisp female voice continued to ask, "Does Mr. Xi know it?"


    "How dare I to let him know? In fact, I don''t want to be with him for a long time. It''s just that he has


    saved me and I can''t leave him."


    "Oh, I see..."


    "Maria, what a coincidence!" Colby uttered words first.


    Maria looked back in surprise, "Hi, Mr. Zheng?"


    When she caught a glimpse of the man from the corner of her eyes, her heart skipped a beat. She


    was really shocked. Why didn''t she see James just now?


    Colby nced at the two. "Well, why are you here?"


    "Oh, I''m here for a party." Maria smiled awkwardly. She didn''t dare to look at James.


    "Maria Song,¡± said James abruptly. There was no emotion in his voice.


    The woman who was called shivered and forced a smile. "Mr. Xi, well, I..."


    "It seems that I have saved the wrong person."


    Maria was confused. She didn''t understand what James meant. "I... I..."


    "Should I let you go?"


    Maria looked at the man in front of her in astonishment. Was he acting with her for the show? Then


    she closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and said, "Mr. Xi... I... I''m sorry. I really don''t love you. I just


    want my freedom."


    Colby watched the man and the woman in front of him with great interest. Maria asked for her


    freedom in public. It seemed that James had really restricted her.


    Without saying anything, James strode away.


    Before leaving, Colby whispered to Maria, "Maria, I''ll wait for you. I can give you whatever you


    want."


    Maria was speechless. Inwardly, she snorted. She wanted him to die. Could he afford it?


    There were only two women left at the spot. Sandra heaved a long sigh of relief and asked, "Maria,


    why did you do that?"


    Maria''s face returned to normal. Looking at the direction in which the group of men disappeared,


    she answered indifferently, "I still need the trust from Colby Zheng."

 Chapter 293 Not Again

    Chapter 293 Not Again


    Sandra was totally lost. "Will Colby trust you after you''ve left Mr. Xi?"


    Tm not certain. But if I don''t get rid of him, Colby Zheng won''t believe me at all."


    Sandra was speechless. She couldn''t find any word to reply.


    At the end of the party, Maria received a call from Sandra. Then Maria left the club in advance and


    sent Sandra back first. At least, she returned to Golden Mansion.


    There was a Harkim parked downstairs, but Maria didn''t see it, because she drove the car into the


    underground parking lot today, and then took the elevator upstairs directly.


    Until the light in her room was on, the man downstairs narrowed his eyes, stubbed out the cigarette


    in his hand, and opened his mouth lightly, "Summer."


    Then he gave her an order.


    When Maria was about to take a shower, the doorbell rang.


    She was confused, wondering if it was James who came to find her.


    While she was hesitating, Maria''s phone rang.


    The phone was connected and she heard Summer''s voice. "Maria, help!" "What happened?"


    "I have something urgent to talk to you. Could you please open the door? I''m right outside your


    door," said Summer while gasping for breath.


    Maria walked out of the bedroom and asked, "Is James Xi here too?"


    "Please open the door first!"


    Maria fell into the silence.


    When the door of the apartment was opened, a man with the strong smell of alcohol came in and


    fell into Maria''s arms.


    Maria gaped at him in silence. Again!


    She tried to bnce herself first and stared at the woman outside. "Summer, why did you bring him


    here again! Is this the emergency you said?"


    Besides, when they were in the club, James was fine, wasn''t he? Why did he get so drunk in a short


    time?


    Summer shrugged innocently. "Yes. Mr. Xi is drunk like this, and he is still calling your name. Isn''t it


    an emergency?"


    What Maria didn''t see was that the man in her arms twitched his mouth corners when he heard


    what Summer said.


    The next moment, Maria refused decisively and pushed the man out, "Get him away. I won''t serve a


    drunkard!" He would always trouble her once he came to her.


    "Maria, Mr. Xi is your man. Is it appropriate for you to push him to me?"


    Maria was speechless. Her man? He was not anymore. "Then remember to send him to Alina Tang


    next time."


    The man, whose eyes were closed, opened his eyes and looked at Summer who was standing at


    the door. As soon as she met his eyes, Summer was frightened and turned around to run away.


    "Maria, I''m a married woman. You can send him if you''d like. Bye!" "Summer Jin!" Maria shouted,


    but Summer ignored her and went straight into the elevator.


    Maria looked down at the man leaning on her shoulder, rolled her eyes at the air, and said in a low


    voice, "I''ve told you that if I''ll see you again, you''re a hog! You even came to see me again. I don''t


    know Mr. Xi has a quirk of being a hog."


    In James'' opinion, his woman could fight against him but shouldn''t humiliate him.


    At the thought of it, the man who had his eyes closed suddenly stood up, held the woman in his


    arms, and lowered his head to kiss her.


    Maria gaped.


    She wondered if he had heard what she said. Didn''t Summer say that he was so drunk?


    The door of the apartment was kicked closed by James, and Maria was pressed on the cab at


    the door and kissed passionately.


    She decided to let him do what he wanted. For the sake of his cooperation with her acting in front of


    Colby tonight, she decided to take him in for another night!


    However...


    The man, who was kissing her hard, suddenly let go of her and asked, "Why is there a milk smell on


    you?"


    It smelled like that of Bob.


    The woman, who had been fascinated by the man''s charm, became sober at once when she heard


    his question. After hesitating for a moment, she raised her arm and smelled it. Pretending to be


    confused, she asked, "Do I? I just held my friend''s baby earlier. How could I get the baby¡¯s smell so


    simply? James Xi, do you have a dog''s nose? I can''t even smell anything." "Maria Song!" Just now


    she said he was a hog, but now she said he was a dog!


    The man lifted her up, carried her in his arms, and strode to the bedroom.


    Maria wrapped her arms around his neck and frowned, "Aren''t you drunk? Why do you look so


    sober?"


    "I was drunk." The man kicked open the half closed door of her bedroom and said, "I''m so angry


    with you that I''m sober now."


    Maria was rendered speechless. That was just an excuse, wasn''t it?


    Later, when Maria was about to beg for mercy and apologize, she unterally dered in her mind


    that the Summer would no longer be her good friend. How could Summer cooperate with this son of


    bitch to cheat her?


    In the middle of the night, James put the woman who had taken a shower back to the bed. Hey


    down beside her, pinched her cheek, and made her look at him. "Do you still want to go against


    Colby Zheng?"


    Tired, Maria muttered, "So annoying. Let''s talk about it tomorrow. I need to sleep."


    "Colby Zheng is a tough man to deal with." He needed to remind her again.


    "I know!" She knew that Colby was indeed a tough person to deal with, so she didn''t take action


    recklessly. Otherwise, she would have reported Colby to the police already.


    Thinking that she was perfunctory, James frowned and said, "Maria Song..."


    "James Xi, one more word and you should get out of here!" "Maria Song, who did you ask to get


    out?" The man''s voice was full of danger.


    Noticing that, Maria became a coward. Maria pulled the quilt and wrapped it on her whole body.


    "Good night, Mr. Xi."


    Instead of lying down and sleeping next to her, James couldn''t help but gazing at the woman''s wrist,


    on which there was a turquoise bracelet. Without hesitation, he took off the bracelet, opened the


    drawer of the nightstand, and threw it into it.


    He didn''t sleep with her in his arms until there was nothing on her wrist.


    In the afternoon of the second day, Maria, who was in thepany, was called to the coffee shop


    by Sandra.


    In the shop, she looked at the young woman in front of her and asked, "Sandra, you asked me to


    come here just to learn how to bake from me?"


    Sandra smiled and held her arm. "Yes, Maria. Cooper saved me. I want to repay him."


    "Are you going to repay him with two pieces of bread?"


    "No. No. No. Of course not! Can you teach me? Please! Please!"


    Maria said helplessly, "Well, as far as I know. Cooper doesn''t like food that are too sweet. I''ll teach


    you to make a blueberry toast first."


    "All right, Master. This way, please." Sandra smiled and made a gesture to show Maria the way.


    When the doorbell of the vi rang, it was seven o''clock in the morning. Cooper had just finished his


    morning exercise and was about to go upstairs to take a shower.


    Hearing the doorbell ringing, he walked to the monitor and saw a fair face.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Cooper was a little stunned, wondering why she was here. It was still so early.


    Half a minuteter, the door of the apartment was opened. He greeted the girl politely, "Good


    morning, Miss Shen."


    With her hands behind her back, Sandra blushed and said in a low voice, "Hello, Mr. Xi. Did I disturb


    you?"


    With a faint smile, Cooper said, "Not at all. Have the wounds on your face recovered?"


    He looked at her closely and found no obvious traces.


    Sandra answered in embarrassment, "Not yet. I just used foundation to cover it."


    "I see. What can I do for you since you came here?"


    It was not until then that Sandra remembered her purpose ofing here. She quickly took out the


    things behind her and said, "I couldn''t find a gift for you in a short time. To show my sincerity, I made


    blueberry toast for you. I hope you wouldn''t mind. I just learned it from Maria. There are also a ss


    of milk and some fruits in it. You can have them as breakfast."


    Author¡¯s note


    LARK COLE EES


    Trantor: Jessie Chen

 Chapter 294 Have A Niece

    Chapter 294 Have A Niece


    Cooper nced at Sandra, hesitated for a moment, and epted the gift from her for the sake of


    her friendship with Maria.


    Much to his surprise, Sandra would bring him breakfast at seven o''clock every morning for the next


    few days.


    The breakfast of the second day was dark chocte toast, milk, and pizza. For the third day, it was


    bread with green onion, milk, and fruit tter. For the fourth day, it was French sea salt toast...


    Other women had sent such gifts to him before, but Cooper never epted them. Since Cooper


    had epted the breakfast from Sandra, he didn''t waste anything and ate all the food she brought.


    On the fifth day, looking at the bread in front of him. Cooper said helplessly, "If I continue eating


    bread, I''ll be bread myself."


    Sandra was stunned for a moment and answered naturally, "How about having Chinese food


    tomorrow morning, like steamed stuffed buns, soy bean milk, and dim sum?"


    Cooper smiled helplessly. "Miss Shen, I''ll leave the day after tomorrow. You don''t have to bring me


    breakfast in the future. Thank you for doing it in the past few days."


    Sandra gaped. She didn''t expect that Cooper was leaving soon. Sandra realized that he was going


    back to M Country.


    She nodded thoughtfully, "Okay."


    Then she turned around and left.


    Cooper was speechless when watching her receding back.


    Unexpectedly, Sandra came to his vi again at noon.


    She took a paper bag along and handed it to him. "I went to the shopping mall and picked a set of


    sportswear for you. You can do more exercise there when you have time. It¡¯s good for your health!"


    She felt sorry for him as she had noticed that Cooper was quite slim.


    A hint of emotion shed across Cooper''s eyes. He knew what she meant.


    He wondered that if he should lift up his clothes and show her his washboard abs.


    Cooper took over the sportswear and said calmly, "Thank you, Miss Shen."


    "You''re wee. Have a nice trip!" Her love was flying to M Country.


    Sitting in the car, Sandra felt so heartbroken that she wanted to burst into tears.


    She touched the bracelet he gave her. In fact, what Cooper didn''t know was that besides being an


    amulet to protect the safety, the mchite also had the meaning of "wife''s happiness" in Brazil. At


    the same time, it could also attract the arrival of true love, which was usually given to someone''s


    wife...


    Indeed, Cooper didn''t know that, because the jewelry salesman forgot to tell him.


    Until the day Cooper was about to leave, James gave Maria ten bracelets in the presence of him.


    "You can change to wear a new one every day. I''ll buy you one for every day a year if they are not


    enough."


    Maria was speechless. She pulled out a mchite crystal bracelet from them, which was different


    from the one Cooper gave to Sandra, but made of the same material.


    She put the bracelet in front of James and asked, "The mchite is usually for a man''s wife. Is it


    appropriate for you to give it to me?"


    How could James know the meaning of these jewelry? He replied indifferently, "You don''t need to


    concern about it. Since I''ve given it to you, just wear it." James didn''t want her to wear the one that


    Cooper gave her all day long. It was an eyesore to him.


    The smile on Cooper''s face froze. A gift for a man''s wife? Why didn''t anyone tell him about it


    earlier?


    He thought for a while and thought that Sandra wouldn''t misunderstand. Besides, he couldn''t take


    back the gift that he had given. Hence, he gave up.


    It was true that Sandra didn''t misunderstand, but she was quite happy. Every night before going to


    bed, she would take out the bracelet to have a look.


    When Cooper left, it was James and Maria who sent him to the airport together.


    Before leaving, Cooper reminded the two, "James and Maria, I don''t have any other wishes this


    year. I just hope that you two can remarry as soon as possible, and try to let me have a niece again


    soon as possible."


    This word "again" was quite meaningful. Maria red at him secretly and said in an unchanged


    tone, "I''m afraid you have to wait a little longer." She had just given birth to Bob. How could she


    have the mood to give birth to James'' daughter?


    James patted Cooper on the shoulder and said, "Come back as soon as possible."


    "I must be there when you remarry my sister-inw."


    Maria was speechless. She wanted to kick Cooper out, so she said lightly, "You''d better look


    forward to your brother''s remarriage. It''s more realistic."


    Hearing this, the Xi brothers exchanged a nce at each other. There was a meaningful smile on


    Cooper''s face. "I''m taking off. You can go home now. James, take good care of my sister-inw."


    "Have a good trip!" James waved at him.


    On the way back from the airport, Maria asked the man next to her, "Where are you going?"


    "Have lunch."


    "Then send me back to mypany, please."


    Without turning his head, James said, "Let''s go there together."


    "No, I don''t want. I''m going to thepany for staff lunch." The canteen in herpany was also


    good.


    James ignored her refusal. "It''s up to me since I''m driving."


    Maria red at him. She cursed him inwardly.


    "You are swearing at me!"


    Depressed, Maria asked, "Do you know mind reading?"


    When the traffic light turned red, James braked, put his hand on the back of her head, and leaned


    over to kiss her lips.


    The kiss fell on her lips when she was caught off guard.


    After the kiss, James whispered in her ear, "Give me a kiss and I''ll tell you."


    Maria pushed him away and reminded him with a red face, "Green light now! It''s time to move!"


    The man didn''t even look at the red light and said, "There are still ten seconds left. It''s enough for


    you to kiss me."


    Maria turned her head and looked at the traffic light in front of them. She kept silent. There were


    really ten seconds left, changing to nine seconds now.


    "There are still eight seconds left. I''m OK if you don''t kiss me. I''ll turn off the engine." James stared


    at her.


    "What a rogue you are!" From the rearview mirror outside the window, she saw a dozen cars lined


    up behind the Harkim.


    There was only three seconds left before the traffic light turned green. Maria reminded her that it


    was just a kiss. Not a big deal. Maria pecked on his lips decisively.


    Although it was just a simple peck, the man seemed to be very satisfied. When the green light was


    on, he released the brake.


    Maria didn''t utter a word afterwards.


    In Miracle Cafe


    With tears in her eyes, the young woman looked pitifully at the woman sitting opposite her. "Maria, I


    didn''t expect that I would be so sad."


    Maria felt a migraine and closed her eyes. She just asked Cooper to help her save Sandra. How


    could there be a romance after he had done that?


    Fine! She sighed, "Don''t wait for an opportunity to knock on your door. If you don''t take the initiative,


    you will never have a chance to win."


    Sandra nodded. Sandra choked with sobs. She also wanted to make a move, but Cooper had


    already flown away. She couldn''t even move as he was ten thousand miles apart.


    C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    "Why are you looking at me? If you really like him, follow him to M Country!" Maria said helplessly.


    "To M Country?" Sandra was so shocked that she forgot to cry.


    "Or what?"


    The young woman wiped her tears and said, "How about you give me his We Chat ID so I can chat


    with him first?"


    Maria didn''t refuse, "It works, but I have to get Cooper''s permission first."


    "Well, then we''d better not. It will be awkward if he refuses," Sheryl said in a low voice.


    "That makes sense. You''d better fly to M Country directly!"


    "I can fly to M Country, but if I can''t see him or he refuses me, will I be more embarrassed?"


    Maria was speechless. She tossed a piece of tissue to Sandra and said, "Then stop crying. Let


    nature take its course! Cooper wille back sooner orter."


    Sandra sniffed and said, "Can you help me ask if I can add him to my We Chat ount? In this


    case, I''ll have a hope. What if I seed?"


    Maria heaved a sigh.


    -

 Chapter 295 He Is The Grandson

    Chapter 295 He Is The Grandson


    Fortunately, Cooper didn''t refuse after Maria asked him for permission.


    Sandra added his We Chat ID as she wished. Much to her surprise, before she could say hello to


    Cooper, he had already sent her a message.


    "Hi, Sandra. It''s my pleasure that you like me. I''m really grateful. But I don''t want to have a girlfriend


    now. You''re so kind and cute. There would be a better man to take care of you. Goodbye."


    "WA!" Sandra burst into tears.


    Her love was already over before it had started.


    As soon as Maria sent away the brokenhearted Sandra, she received an unexpected guest.


    "I''m here for you," Judy said directly.


    Maria nced at her and said, "Have a seat."


    She sent the used coffee mugs to the bar counter and tabbed on her cell phone twice. Then she put


    the cell phone back to her pocket and sat opposite to Judy.


    In less than ten minutes, Judy left the coffee shop.


    Maria paused the recording and saved it. Then she turned around and went to the elder''s house of


    the Xi family.


    It was getting colder and colder in H City. Augustine called James and asked him to buy a pair of


    shoes for Bob when he came over.


    Of course, James wanted to refuse. But Augustine said in a low voice, "You can ask Maria to go


    with you. After you pay the bill, she can send them to my house."


    "I''ll ask Summer to do it."


    "No way, it''s rare for me to ask you to do something. Can''t you do it?"


    "Give me a reason."


    "Because you are my grandson and I am your grandfather." The first pair of shoes for Bob must be


    bought by his parents, which was really wonderful.


    James kept silent.


    This reason made James speechless. After all, he was Augustine''s grandson, wasn''t he?


    After a while, he called Maria. "Let''s go shopping."


    Maria was confused. Mr. Xi suddenly asked her to go shopping with him. He didn''t invited her for a


    meal, to work, or get a room in the hotel. Instead, he invited her to go shopping. Maria was


    surprised and amused.


    "What do you want to buy?"


    "Grandpa asked us to buy shoes for Bob, our little fish."


    Our little fish? "James Xi, you are the fish!" ''Your whole family are fishes!'' she cursed inwardly.


    "I didn''t offend you, did I? Why are you so protective of him?"


    Maria rolled her eyes and said, "Since you begged me to go shopping with you, you should be


    polite. Otherwise, I won''t go and let you go shopping alone. You can''t exin it to Grandpater."


    James was speechless. Did he have a bad attitude? "I think you also need a few pairs of shoes. I''ll


    buy you some as well."


    Humph! Maria smiled, "That''s nice. Come and pick me up!"


    An hourter, the ck Harkim arrived at the gate of DS Group.


    When Peggy heard that Maria was going to go shopping with James, Peggy even pulled her to sit


    down and put on makeup for her. Peggy insisted that Maria shouldn''t be too casual. She should go


    to see James with a beautiful look at any time.


    Maria said helplessly, "Peggy, my darling, I''m always very beautiful, aren''t I?"


    Peggy reapplied lipstick for her. "You can be more beautiful!"


    After waiting downstairs for twenty minutes, James still didn''t see Maria in person. He became


    impatient. He dialed Maria''s number, "What''s going on?"


    "Almost done. Don''t you know that women need to put on makeup when we go out?"


    James was speechless. Didn''t shee to work every morning after putting on makeup?


    Another half an hourter, when James was already numb about waiting, he finally saw her with


    makeup.


    Sitting in the car, he looked at her face indifferently. Indeed, she had put on makeup, a little heavier


    than usual. Her Eyeliner was slightly raised, making her look more enchanting.


    Maria fastened her seat belt and put her face in front of him on purpose. She blinked and asked,


    "Am I beautiful?"


    "Yes, you are beautiful, but it''s not the time when you look the most beautiful."


    "When am I the most beautiful?" She was a little confused.


    The man stretched out his long arms and held her in front of him. He lowered his head and kissed


    her lips with red lipstick.


    Hmm... She had just reapplied severalyers of lipstick on her lips.


    After the kiss, the man whispered in her ear, "You look the best when you are naked."


    Maria gaped. Being molested, Maria stretched out her hand to give him a punch, but her hand was


    quickly grasped by the man. "Give me the tissue."


    Maria couldn''t utter a sound at all. The words that he had said were exactly like what she often said


    after they had sex.


    Maria withdrew her hand, took a piece of tissue, and wiped the lipstick on his lips for him. "Why did


    you do it? You have to wipe it off after the kiss. I have to fix my makeup as well. Don''t kiss me next


    time when I have the lipstick applied."


    "Next time?" The man caught the point and looked at her with a yful look. "You''ve agree to be my


    woman, haven''t you?"


    Maria was speechless. She realized that he was ying a trick on her. She wouldn''t make his wish


    come true easily. ¡°You wish!"


    Harkim was started and it roared away. The man said lightly, "I''ll give you three days to think about


    it."


    "What if I don''t agree?" She looked at herself in the mirror, cleaned the lipstick around her lips, and


    applied two moreyers.


    "Disagree?" "I''ll find a way to make you agree," James added with a sneer.


    Maria gave him a cold look. "It''s not impossible for me to agree."


    "Name it."


    "After all, it''s not proper nor an honor for me to be your mistress. I have sacrificed so much. Won''t


    you give me somepensation?"


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    The man didn''t say anything, waiting for her to continue.


    "You must take back your words that I couldn''te back to you at will. Also you should admit that


    you are a hog. Then I will agree!"


    James was annoyed. "Maria Song, are you tired of living?" If he wasn''t driving now, he would have


    strangled her on the spot.


    "Yes, I am. Kill me. Come on!" She was very arrogant because he was driving and couldn''t do


    anything now.


    The man pressed his lips and suddenly sped up the car.


    The original speed of sixty yards suddenly rose to ny, and he kept speed it up.


    There was a Volkswagen wobbling slowly in the middle of the road. Maria saw that two cars were


    about to hit each other, and her heart suddenly rose to her throat.


    She clenched the seat belt tightly and shouted, "James Xi, are you nuts?"


    James turned the steering wheel sharply and bypassed the Volkswagen when Maria was about to


    burst out screaming.


    Maria red at the man and roared angrily, "This kind of joke is not funny at all. No one dares to


    joke about life!"


    It was true that she wanted to die, but that was before when she hadn''t given birth to Bob yet. Now


    with this little concern, she did not want to die at all!


    Seeing her anger, the manughed, "Are you afraid?"


    Maria pressed her lips and said nothing.


    He was like a lunatic. It would be strange if she was not afraid.


    "Didn''t you ask me to kill you? Did I do anything wrong to follow your instruction?"


    Maria was furious. Maria gritted her teeth and said, "I asked you to kill me, but I didn''t let you get


    innocent people involved."


    Laughing in a low voice, James asked, "Did I get them into trouble?"


    "Almost! James Xi, stopughing!" Maria was almost pissed off, but James was stillughing.


    The traffic light turned red at the crossroad. James stepped on the brake, grabbed the woman''s


    hand, and said in a suspicious gentle voice, "What are you afraid of? Don''t you believe my driving


    skill?"


    Maria shook off his hand. "If you keep doing this, I''ll call 110 to report that you exceeded the speed


    limit and ask them to arrest you."


    "I dare them!" The man''s voice was not angry but powerful.


    Maria was speechless again. Was it good for him to be so self-conceited?


    In the shopping mall


    As soon as Maria saw the baby''s stuff, she couldn''t move. Staring at a beautiful little dress, he


    muttered, "If only Bob could be a girl!"


    -

 Chapter 296 Bob Is A Fish

    Chapter 296 Bob Is A Fish


    The man took a pair of small shoes and nced at her. "Why do you care about that fish so much?


    If you want a baby, you should give birth to your own."


    Maria was speechless. She withdrew her gaze and stared at the man. "I dare you to call Bob a fish


    again!"


    Ignoring her anger, the man raised the baby''s shoes in front of her and asked, "How about this


    pair?"


    "Ugly." They were actually adorable shoes, but Maria was angry. This man always said that her son


    was a fish, but why didn''t he say that he himself was a fish instead?


    With a straight face, James put the shoes back and said, "Okay, they are ugly. Let me change


    another pair."


    Atst, the two of them picked a lot of things for Bob. When they were about to pay the bill, Maria


    suddenly held James'' arm and tilted her head on his shoulder. With a sweet smile, she said,


    "Brother-inw, please pay the bill!"


    The two shop assistants gaped. They looked at them both in a strange way.


    James looked at the woman with his darkened eyes and acted with her calmly. "How about I break


    up with your sister and be with you?"


    "Great!" Maria kissed him on the cheek.


    Seeing the scene, a shop assistant took the card from James and her hands shook. The card fell on


    the table. "I''m sorry. My hand slipped."


    ''Gosh, it''s so exciting. The woman is cheating on her sister with her sister''s husband, and they want


    to get rid of her sister. There is nothing strange in the world!'' the shop assistant thought to herself.


    While the shop assistant was swiping the card, James asked Maria beside him, "Your husband was


    gone this morning. And now you''ve agreed to be with me. Is it really appropriate? My dear sister-in-


    law?"


    Maria gaped. She wondered howe suddenly she had a husband. But she still answered him


    with a smile, "Of course it is. Why not? If you don''t want to be with me as soon as possible, why do


    you piss him off to death?"


    The shop assistant''s eyes almost popped out. What kind of soap opera was this?


    "He died too fast! Was it because he witnessed that... I fucked you?" Since she wanted to y, he


    would y to the end.


    Maria was almost choked by her own saliva. She could not believe that James could even be such


    shameless in order to win her. "Dearest brother-inw, don''t let my sister hear it. Or you probably


    need to kneel on the ground for the whole night!"


    Maria, obviously, didn''t know how to continue this y now.


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    However, James became more shameless. With one hand around her slender waist, he continued,


    "I don''t want to kneel on the ground, I want to kneel... by your side."


    There was a deep implication in this sentence. One of the shop assistants had a child already and


    the other one was a young girl. The child''s mother understood immediately. The girl continued to


    listen to the conversation between the two in confusion, and a dramatic soap opera had been


    yed in her mind.


    Maria wanted to find a hole in the ground to hide herself. She had never thought that James would


    be so shameless! She acted coquettishly to cover her gritted teeth. "Ah, you are so bad!"


    James put away his bank card, raised her smooth chin, and pecked on her lips. Then he threw the


    last bomb to the shop assistants and said, "Let''s go and send these things to our son."


    The shop assistants was rendered speechless and agape.


    Maria suddenly looked at him and studied his expression seriously.


    "Our son" mentioned by James made her a little flustered. Although she knew what he meant, Maria


    felt flustered and nervous at the thought of these wordsing out of his mouth.


    The two were walked out by the shop assistants. Before they walked two meters away, four or five


    shop assistants had already gathered behind them and discussed the big scene just now.


    The cashier, a young girl, asked the child''s mother, "Holly, why did the man say that he didn''t want


    to kneel on the washboard? Why did he want to kneel beside her?"


    Holly tittered. "It''s not good for children!" Wasn''t it a man kneeling when the two were having sex?


    A careless saleswoman next to her exined directly, "That man is flirting with his sister-inw,


    which means he wants to sleep with her!"


    The girl was suddenly enlightened. She clicked her tongue and said, "It''s so exciting! Rich families


    are really dramatic." The two people just now were either rich or powerful, especially the man, who


    was extraordinary and handsome. If she was his sister-inw, she would also be attracted to him,


    wouldn''t she?


    "It''s just that they both are not good. The woman had sex with her brother-inw in front of her


    husband, which really pissed her husband off to death! The man seduces his sister-inw in public.


    TSK. TSK. TSK..." They were good-looking but shameless.


    The discussion went on and on.


    Outside the shop, Maria had already guessed what would happen after they left. She pinched the


    man''s arm andined discontentedly, "You are so shameless!"


    "I''m ying along with you. Why aren''t you happy?"


    "Yes, you are acting with me, but I didn''t let you surpass me, nor did I let you ruin my image!"


    Raising his eyebrows, James asked, "Didn''t you do it first? Right, my sister-inw?"


    "But I''m telling the truth. You are Alina Tang''s fiance, my cousin''s husband, and I can call you


    brother-inw. How could you make up a husband who died because of us? Don''t you think that''s


    kind of ruining my image?"


    James was speechless. He almost forgot that in her eyes, he was still her cousin''s fiance.


    Then, James apanied her to a shoe store. Instead of buying shoes, they went to a jewelry


    store, and James bought her two ne.


    When he was paying the bill, James ran into an acquaintance -- a woman who had a good


    rtionship with Judy.


    The woman was shocked to see the amount of money he had paid.


    As soon as they left, the woman called Judy. "I met your son, James Xi. Do you know how much


    jewelry he has bought for that woman?"


    "How much?" How could she know that she wasn''t here?


    "Sixty-eight million! Sixty-eight million! I saw your son pay the bill in person! Only two nes! It¡¯s


    too


    extravagant!"


    The two nes cost about seventy million. Judy felt extremely jealous! Even Sebastian had


    never been so generous to her.


    While they were still talking, the woman began to disgust Judy. "Mrs. Xi, you can''t do that. You


    haven''t had the same status as an ex-wife in the Xi family yet. Come on!" It was said that Judy had


    lost her status in the Xi family recently. The woman wished that she could be kicked out of the Xi


    family as soon as possible!


    Judy looked down upon her before. If she was kicked out of the Xi family, the woman believed that


    she would have a chance to step on Judy.


    Being satirized, Judy knew clearly that her marriage with Sebastian was not as good at it used to


    be. Hence, she didn''t retort as she would do usually.


    Instead, she kept this grudge in her mind. She would revenge on the woman for her mockery today


    when her rtionship with Sebastian returned to normal!


    After hanging up the phone, Judy went back to the living room from the balcony and saw Sebastian


    coming back home.


    It seemed that something terrible had happened to her. "Sebastian, you know what? James is


    tangled with that Maria Song again. Just now, Maria asked James to buy her jewelry in the mall. Do


    you know how much did it cost? About seventy million!"


    Sebastian remained silent.


    He didn''t say anything, but Judy thought he was unhappy as well, so she continued, "There are only


    two nes, about seventy million. Do you think that James..."


    After Sebastian took two steps inside, two more people walked into the living room.


    Seeing the two clearly, the voice of Judy suddenly stopped. "Madam Charlotte?" her voice was like


    squeezed between her teeth.


    Tami and Charlotte were standing right at the door.


    Charlotte stood there with a straight face and looked at her solemnly with sharp eyes.


    Judy was scared by her gaze. She smiled awkwardly, "Hi, Madam Charlotte. What brought you here


    today?"

 Chapter 297 Transfer Of Shares

    Chapter 297 Transfer Of Shares


    Judy wondered why Charlotte came here. With the help of Tami, Charlotte entered the living room


    and sat down before she said, "Can''t Ie over?"


    "I didn''t mean it." Judy was in a panic. It had been several years since Charlotte came to Imperial


    Vi not on a holiday. It was indeed abnormal for her toe all of a sudden today.


    Thinking of what she had said just now, Charlotte retorted directly, "James earned money by


    himself, and Maria is going to remarry him. She''ll be his wife. No matter what he bought for


    Maria, who do you think you are to have the rights to judge him here? If you have the ability, you


    can make Sebastian willing to spend such money for you! If you don''t have that ability, don''t gossip


    behind others'' back. You are such a loser!"


    Upon hearing what she said, Judy''s face turned red, but she was still making a fool on the verge of


    death. "Madam Charlotte, you don''t know, but Maria Song has somehow seduced James. He not


    only bought her a lot of very expensive things, but also transferred twenty percent of his shares to


    her!"


    Twenty percent of the HL Group''s shares was a great fortune!


    Judy had been in the Xi family for twenty years, and she only had three percent.


    She had heard about it a long time ago, but she didn''t know whether it was true or not. However, in


    order to nder Maria, she had no time to care about the truth.


    Charlotte nced at her and asked calmly, "Does it have anything to do with you? Does it have


    anything to


    do with me?"


    Her tone sounded like she was talking about what he would have for lunch.


    Judy was speechless. It had nothing to do with her indeed.


    Charlotte took out her phone and asked Tami to call Mr. Zhou, thewyer. When the phone was


    connected, she said slowly, "Joshua, my husband and I need to transfer twenty percent of the


    shares. Draft a share transfer agreement for us, please."


    "Mrs. Xi, may I know whom you want to transfer it to?"


    "Oh, to James'' wife, Maria Song... Yes, all of them."


    Maria had given birth to two grandchildren for the Xi family, and they were also worth so much


    shares.


    Judy gaped. She thought to herself, ''Is this old woman obsessed with Maria Song? Or has she


    be aged and confused?''


    She looked back at Sebastian. He seemed to want to say something, but in the end he just opened


    his mouth and said nothing.


    After the phone call, Charlotte handed the phone to Tami and said to Judy, "I don''t want to


    disappoint you. You have made a lot of money in the Xi family over the years. After Augustine and I


    passed away, I''ll leave the house on HQ Road to you as your reward for working in the Xi family for


    so many years. There is nothing else. Whether you ept it or not, sign this agreement now!"


    Now it depended on whether the elders would die first or Judy would receive her retribution first.


    Charlotte was afraid that Judy would not even have the chance to live in their house.


    "What agreement?" Judy had a bad hunch.


    Tami put a document in front of her and said expressionlessly, "Ms. Lan, here you go.1''All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    When Judy saw the words on the document, her face turned pale. She suddenly stood up and


    raised her voice, "Divorce agreement? Sebastian, you want to divorce me?"


    Although she had been mentally prepared for this day, when this day came eventually, Judy still


    broke down.


    "Yes, you are right." Charlotte looked at her with disgust, "I''m here to ask you to divorce."


    "Why? Madam Charlotte, I know you don''t like me, but you shouldn''t step into your son''s marriage!


    Sebastian, please say something!" Judy looked at Sebastian for help.


    Sebastian kept silent for a while and said, "Judy, I didn''t expect you to do so many things to hurt


    Maria besides cheating on me." Those things had already touched the rock bottom of morality and


    law.


    "What did I do wrong to her?" Judy wanted to deny it.


    Charlotte snorted heavily, "I know you won''t shed tears until you see the coffin! Tamil"


    Tami took out a few things from her bag, opened her cell phone, and yed an audio. The voices of


    Judy and Maria came from it.


    Maria asked, "Then tell me first. Did you steal the three hundred million alimony?"


    Judy answered, "So what as long as I''ve done it? What can you do to me?"


    There were only these two sentences in this clip, and then there was another clip, which was the


    conversation between Maria and her when she went to the coffee shop to find Maria two days ago.


    Judy asked, "Do you know why I''m here for you?"


    "I''m not interested,''1 said Maria.


    "I know it was you who exposed my incident in Paris. Who dug out what happened between Mitchell


    Shen and Gabri back then? Is it also you?"


    "It''s really not me."


    "If you want money, I''ll give it to you. If you don''t want Alina Tang to be the daughter-inw of the Xi


    family, I can support you. But you have to leave H City forever."


    "It''s all right if you want me to leave H City. Then tell me, did you do it in the name of James to send


    me into jail back then?"


    After a long silence, Judy said, "So what that I''ve done it? But who will believe you even if you say


    something like that without any evidence?"


    When the dialogue reached this part, Judy seemed to be crazy and wanted to grab the phone, but


    Tami quickly stopped her. "Ms. Lan, what can you do even if you destroy it? Everyone has heard it.


    Any of us can be the witness!"


    Judy yelled in despair, "Maria Song, you bitch! How dare you record the talk and y tricks on me!"


    And she had done it twice!


    At this moment, she hadpletely lost her noble image as before. She roared like a madwoman.


    Tami tabbed on the phone to stop the audio. Charlotte said, "James has asked someone to


    investigate what happened to Maria exactly when she was sent to jail. It was you and Lorenzo who


    had signed on the document."


    James wanted to prove his innocence in front of Maria, so he found out all these things.


    Sebastian calmly said to Judy, "It''s true that the matter between Gabri and Mitchell Shen is not


    dug out by Maria, but by James."


    There were also many things that Judy had done wrong, which had been found out by someone


    hired by James.


    For a moment, Judy burst intoughter and cried. "James Xi is so heartless! I raised him and


    Cooper for twenty years, but he treated me like this! Isn''t he afraid of retribution?"


    Charlotte said unhappily, "James just found out the truth and didn''t do anything to you. It''s because


    you are his stepmother. I asked you to sign the divorce agreement. As for what Maria will do in the


    future, it''s up to her." They had no right to interfere Maria''s n.


    Judy looked at Sebastian and cried bitterly, "Help me, Sebastian. We have been married for so


    many years. Do you have the heart to see me being kicked out of the Xi family? Sebastian..."


    Sebastian turned his face aside, afraid that he would be softhearted when seeing her face.


    Later, Charlotte asked someone to force Judy sign on the divorce agreement. That afternoon, Judy


    was driven out from the Xi family.


    On the other side, when James and Maria arrived at the elder''s house of the Xi family, Charlotte


    hadn''te back home yet.


    Maria asked Augustine in confusion, "Grandpa, where is Grandma?"


    "Your grandmother has something to deal with. She is not at home."


    "Oh, did she go out herself?" Maria was a little surprised. It was rare for Charlotte to go out alone


    these years.


    "Yeah.''


    James looked at Augustine with deep eyes. When their eyes met, Augustine nodded and said


    nothing.

 Chapter 298 Disdained To Lie

    Chapter 298 Disdained To Lie


    Maria helped Bob put on the newly bought shoes while coaxing him. Seeing the woman''s careful


    behavior, James was lost in thought.


    Was this woman way too kind to this unidentified child?


    Was it true that women liked children very much after they became mothers?


    The shoes were a little big, but fortunately they wouldn''t fall.


    Maria put on the hat she bought for Bob, picked up the baby, and showed it to James. "Look, I think


    yellow is better, and his face is so fair, isn''t it?"


    James didn''t go to see the baby for the first time. Instead, he stared at Maria. Her face was full of a


    loving smile, which was from the bottom of her heart. He asked curiously, "Do you like this fish so


    much?"


    Maria rolled her eyes and said, "Grandpa, look at James XI. He always says Bob is a fish!"


    Augustine picked up the crutch beside him, knocked on James'' leg, and said angrily, "Give birth to a


    fish for me! Since you don''t have the ability to give birth to a baby, just take Bob as your son and the


    great-grandson of our Xi family!"


    James didn''t dare to utter a beep. He just endured the hit on the leg. Seeing that, Maria chuckled.


    James pursed his lips unhappily. "You seem to be happy that I''m beaten, don''t you?" "Of course,


    you have to be taught a lesson!" The woman swayed the baby in her armscently.


    James sneered. He thought to himself, ''It''s just a child, isn''t it? Why do they all treasure him so


    much? I''ll make a child with Maria tonight!''


    Maria was afraid that her lie would be exposed, so she held Bob for a while and handed it to James.


    "Hold him now. I''m tired."


    "I won''t hold him." He would never forget that the fish had ever shitted in his hands.


    Maria was dissatisfied. "Why are you so heartless? After all, it was Grandpa who found him back.


    He might be your son in the future."


    "I don''t want a fish..." The man''sst words were automatically withdrawn because of the woman''s


    gaze.


    Besides, Maria showed him a long face and asked, "Will you hold him or not?"


    Taking a nce at the little boy who was sucking his hands, James said, "I can hold him. You have


    to promise me one thing though."


    "Hold him first. Then I''ll promise you."


    James shut up. He took the baby over and held him with his hands as usual.


    Maria corrected his gesture. "You have to hold him like this. He will feel ufortable if you hold


    him with your hands. Yes, you put one arm like this. Right!"


    James was speechless. In the future, when the fish found his family, he would definitely ask his


    parents for a huge amount of money.


    Which family was so lucky? They not only let his grandparents to raise their child, but also made


    him to hold the baby well.


    He turned around with Bob in his arms and looked at Augustine. "How''s the matter with his


    parents?"


    Augustine had already made up an excuse, knowing that his grandson would ask. He replied


    calmly, "Many parents havee these days, but they are not Bob''s family. We are still looking


    forthem."


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    He said as if he was telling the truth. Besides, James always believed in his grandfather. In his


    eyes, Augustine was a man of integrity and disdained to lie. So he believed whatever Augustine


    said.


    Before leaving, James received a phone call before getting on the car back to the downtown. Then


    he told Maria, "They are divorced."


    "Who?" The topic was too sudden for Maria to react.


    "My father."


    Maria was a bit shocked. It happened so suddenly. "How did Judy agree to sign the agreement?"


    She thought that Judy would never sign it even if she died.


    "Grandma has gone there in person." With Grandma''s presence, Judy must sign.


    "Grandma wasn¡¯t at home just now. Was she dealing with this matter then?"


    "Yep."


    Maria nodded. "Did your father agree?" As far as she knew, Sebastian loved Judy and his heart was


    soft.


    "Yeah." Even if his father didn''t agree, his grandma would find a way to get him to agree.


    After a long while, James continued, "Judy is no longer a member of the Xi family. You can do


    whatever you want to her."


    Maria remained silent with a slightlyplicated emotion.


    "Are you serious, James Xi?" She was implying something.


    On the one hand, she asked him if he was serious about asking her to deal with Judy. On the other


    hand, she asked him if he was serious about her.


    James found an opportunity to look back at her and nodded. "I have found the evidence to prove my


    innocence. Your imprisonment at that time has nothing to do with me..." Well, it did have something


    to do with him. "I''m not the mastermind." After all, when Maria needed help most, he stood opposite


    her like everyone else.


    Maria didn''t say anything more. She needed time to think it over, and at the same time, she needed


    to think about the reason why James had done so.


    He had told her that he had nothing to do with her imprisonment. In fact, she believed him, or she


    wouldn''t have recorded her two conversations with Judy earlier.


    But James still chose to find the truth and showed her that he indeed had nothing to do with it...


    Was it necessary for him to do so?


    Maria didn''t know at this moment.


    After sending Maria back to herpany, James also went back to HL Group.


    As soon as Maria entered her office, she received a call from Mr. Zhou. Hearing his words, Maria


    asked in astonishment, "Whom did you say Grandma was going to transfer the shares to?"


    "To you, Ms. Maria Song," Mr. Zhou answered with certainty.


    Maria gaped.


    She was a little flustered. She rubbed her forehead to calm herself down and said, "Wait a minute.


    I''ll call


    Grandma."


    "Okay."


    When the call was connected, James'' grandmother''s voice came from the other end of the line.


    "Maria, did you call because of the shares?"


    "Yes, Grandma. Mr. Zhou said..."


    "Yes, he''s right. But it''s not as simple as you think to get the shares in the hands of your grandfather


    and me. The share transfer agreement won''te into force until you get remarried with James."


    Remarrying James? Maria was a little depressed.


    "Thank you, Grandpa and Grandma!" She didn''t refuse again.


    Because in Maria''s view, it was impossible for her to remarry James, and their rtionship could


    only be like what they were now...


    "Maria, please don''t make us wait too long!"


    Hearing the old woman''s eager hope, Maria was speechless and had aplicated mood.


    "Grandma, I''ll try my best."


    "Okay."


    Atst, Maria couldn''t help asking about Bob, "What is Bob doing? Did he cry?" Although she just


    broke up with her son not long ago, she still missed him very much.


    "Don''t worry. He''s a good boy. He won''t make trouble unless he''s hungry or ufortable. Your


    grandpa and I feel quite easy when taking care of him." Bob was as lovely and easy-going as


    James was when he was a child.


    "Well, that''s good, then. Grandma, I''ll visit you when I''m free."


    "Okay."


    Reluctantly, Maria hung up the phone. Then she sat in her office, lost in thought.


    Now that James had told her that Judy had nothing to do with the Xi family, she didn''t have to


    hesitate anymore. She had to strike while the iron was hot and never give Judy a chance to retaliate


    against her.


    Maria sorted out the documents in her hands, and then called James. "I want the evidence that


    Judy framed me up and put me into jail."


    "Sure."


    -

 Chapter 299 Enthusiastic Dog

    Chapter 299 Enthusiastic Dog


    James agreed without hesitation. If she guessed right, he must have some conditions.


    Sure enough--


    "Vou know what I want you to do."


    Maria kept a silent for a moment. He was lustful, and she was avenging. The both of them had their


    own goals, which was totally fine.


    No one knew how many times they had slept with each other. Maria nodded without hesitation, "My


    apartment or your manor?"


    "What do you think?"


    What did she think? Maria snorted in her heart. "I don''t know your mood today, Mr. Xi. How dare I


    make a decision rashly?"


    "I''m in a good mood."


    "Then my apartment," she answered decisively.


    "You want to take something from me, but you asked me to go to you. Maria Song, you are so


    interesting."


    Maria couldn''t help but retort, "You asked me to make the decision. Why do you me me? Do you


    want to sleep with me or not?"


    "Do you want the evidence or not?"


    Maria was choked. How could she refuse to get the evidence? If not, she had to spend a lot of


    manpower and financial resources to investigate what had happened in the past.


    The woman resisted the impulse to roll her eyes and answered with a smile, "See you in the manor


    tonight then!"


    Maria bowed to the reality again.


    "Okay."


    In James'' manor in East District


    The night was dark and the wind was strong. James and Maria were alone in the bedroom. It was a


    good chance for them to do something interesting.


    The woman was pressed against the wall, but suddenly the phone in the man''s pocket rang. At the


    same time, the doorbell of the first floor rang.


    James'' face was darkened in an instant.


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    Maria pushed him. "Go ahead. Perhaps your fiancee hase to catch adultery on us."


    James was speechless. He lowered his head and bit her lips lightly. Feeling her resistance and


    struggle, he reluctantly released her.


    When he pulled out his phone, he walked to the monitor of the room. The phone call was from the


    same person as the one at the door.


    James directly hung up the phone, but the person on the other end of the line didn''t give up and


    kept calling.


    He also shouted at the camera at the door. "James, I know you''re inside. I''ve seen your car!"


    Maria couldn''t helpughing. "Go open the door!"


    As he walked downstairs, James swiped to answer and said coldly, "Mr. Nan, you''d better have


    something very important to tell me."


    It was not until then that Ethan realized that he seemed to have interrupted something important


    going on there. He was stunned and found that there was nothing important to tell James, but he


    said, "Yes, I do!"


    When the door of the manor was opened, a "woof, woof, woof" sound came first.


    Looking at the man and the dog at the door, James frowned.


    "Don''t worry, James. I just washed it clean before I came here. I didn''t let it run off the floor. It won''t


    dirty your floor," said Ethan as he walked inside with the snow-white Samoyed in his arms.


    "You cane in, but the dog must go out!"


    "Well..."


    However, before Ethan could throw the dog out, the silly dog suddenly barked excitedly. Then it


    jumped out of his arms and ran to the stairway of the second floor as fast as it could.


    Ethan cursed inwardly, ''Oh, shoot!'' The dog''s hair would fly around in this way!


    He didn''t even have time to put on his slippers, but only wore socks to chase after the dog.


    When he reached the stairway, Ethan heard a scream. Seemingly he saw someone... fell down


    because of the pounce from the dog.


    He looked back at the man who was walking quickly. "James, is there anyone upstairs?" He


    wondered if that was Maria the enchantress.


    James looked extremely annoyed. When he passed by Ethan, he gave Ethan a kick. "Get your


    stupid dog away!"


    Maria was on the verge of breaking down. She just stood at the stairway and looked down. How


    could she attract a dog?


    It was OK if there was a dog, but it rushed to the second floor abruptly, knocking her down.


    Fortunately, there was carpet on the ground. Otherwise, even if she did not roll down from the


    second floor, her body would be injured by the knock.


    What she couldn''t stand most was that the dog was licking her face!


    Maria broke down and pushed the dog''s head away. "James Xi!" she screamed.


    James came to the second floor as fast as he could and kicked away the Samoyed. The Samoyed


    was kicked aside and barked twice.


    Maria was lifted up from the ground. The man held her in his arms, and fixed her slightly messy long


    hair with nervousness in his eyes. "Are you hurt?"


    Maria shook her head, looked at the Samoyed beside them and asked with a headache, "Ethan,


    why do you bring a dog here?"


    In fact, she didn''t hate dogs, but she dislike such... well, an enthusiastic dog a little bit.


    Ethan hurriedly held the Samoyed in his arms. "I''m sorry, James, Maria. Please wait for me a


    moment. I''ll throw the dog out right away," he apologized.


    Then he rushed downstairs with the Samoyed in his arms and ran towards the door.


    As soon as the door of the vi opened, Ethan tossed the dog out and said, "Silly dog, you have


    offended James'' woman. I have to apologize for you. Get out and wait for me next to my car!"


    The Samoyed stood at the door and barked at him, but it didn''t move.


    If it wasn''t because that he was afraid that he couldn''t get in after leaving here, Ethan would throw it


    directly into the car. "Wait by the car. I''ll feed you chicken drumstickster."


    Of course he was lying to it! If James didn''t me himter, he would feed the dog a drumstick. If


    James punished him, he would let the silly dog not eat for a day!


    "Woof. Woof. Woof." The Samoyed turned around and ran to Ethan''s car.


    When he got back to the vi again, Ethan rushed to the second floor. Maria went to wash her face,


    and only James stood at the stairway waiting for him.


    He hurried forward and pretended to be very humble. "James, I''m sorry. Don''t be angry."


    "What are you doing here now?"


    "Well, I''m bored alone. I want to see a movie with you. But I didn''t expect that Maria the


    enchantress -- oh, no, bah! Who knows Maria is here too!" What Ethan said was true. James


    wouldn''t watch a movie with him the whole night. He brought the silly dog here just because he


    wanted it to watch movies with him the whole night.


    "Get out of my sight before I lose my temper!"


    "Okay. Where is Maria? I have to apologize to her face-to-face!" It was useless to apologize to


    James. The most important thing was to make Maria happy!


    "You don''t need to."


    "Can I stay here tonight? Don''t worry. I won''t disturb you. Just let me sleep in your cinema." It was


    so cold outside. He finally managed toe here and got in, and he didn''t want to go back.


    "What a coincidence! I''m going to do her for one round in my cinema tonight," James said while


    blocking his way.


    Ethan was speechless. He couldn''t believe what kind of erotic words he had heard from James.


    "Well... I don''t mind watching the live broadcast -- ouch! Have mercy, James!''1 Before the man


    kicked him, Ethan, who had nned to leave in this way, inadvertently nced at the woman


    coming out of the bedroom.


    He immediately bypassed James and ran to Maria. "Maria, I''m sorry. I didn''t know Dan would


    pounce on you."


    Maria was speechless. So it turned out that the dog''s name was Dan. She just looked at Ethan


    without saying anything. James also kept quiet.


    Seeing that she didn''t say anything, Ethan moved closer to her and winked at her. "Did I disturb


    your romantic night?" Since the moment he showed up, he noticed that James had been wearing a


    long face.


    "Ethan Nan!" The man¡¯s gloomy voice came from behind.


    Ethan shivered. "I have to go now!" He was afraid that he would be kicked to death if he still stayed.


    "Wait a moment!" Maria suddenly stopped the young man who was about to turn around.

 Chapter 300 He Doesnt Love Her

    Chapter 300 He Doesn''t Love Her


    The young man turned around and asked, "What''s wrong? Maria?"


    "What brings you here?" Suddenly, Maria thought that Ethan came at the right time.


    The young man scratched the back of his head and said, "Nothing special. I just wanted to stay in


    James''s cinema for the whole night. I didn''t expect you to be here too. I won''t disturb you guys!" He


    was afraid that James would really let him watch the live broadcast.


    "Oh, I see. I know a new movie is on recently. How about watching the one with us before leaving?"


    If Ethan could leave in the middle of the night, then James would shorten what he was going to do


    and she could have more sleep. Hence, Maria would like Ethan to stay longer.


    "Okay!" Ethan''s eyes lit up and he agreed without hesitation.


    "Ethan Nan." The voice from hell sounded again.


    Maria went over and held James'' arm. "Didn''t you receive the invitation to have a video conference


    just now? You can go ahead. Ethan and I will wait for you in the cinema."


    The man''s eyes swept over the two people. Did they want him to leave them alone in the same


    space? He was not insane! "The video conference will be held tomorrow. I still have time to watch a


    movie tonight."


    In the end, the three of them entered the projection hall together and chose a dubious movie


    ording to Maria''s suggestion.


    James and Maria were sitting on the same sofa, while Ethan sat on a cough by himself.


    When the light was off, Ethan reminded the man and the woman beside him while the screen was


    bright, "James, you have to remember that there is a third person beside you all the time. Don''t act


    recklessly!"


    Maria sneered at the man. "Look! Your best friend knows you best!"


    James wanted to retort Ethan. Hearing what Maria said, James raised his eyebrows and asked,


    "What kind of person am I?"


    Maria tried to save his dignity and whispered in his ear, "An animal."


    To her surprise, James lowered his head and kissed her on the lips before she could be


    comcent.


    Ethan covered his eyes and said exaggeratedly, "See no evil! See no evil!" He wanted to go home


    right now. He didn''t want to grab food with Dan. He would nevere here uninvited again!


    It took Maria a long time to get rid of the man''s arms. She stared at him with a reddened face and


    whispered, "Can you have a shame?"


    "I have something more shameless. How about letting Ethan watch a movie here alone and I go to


    the bedroom to tell you?"


    Ethan''s hearing was quite good. Upon hearing it, Brian nodded in agreement immediately. "Okay.


    Okay. How about I leave some space for you guys?" It was a mistake for him to agree with Maria''s


    suggestion just now.


    In fact, Maria also regretted letting Ethan stay. She wanted to cover his mouth. "If you don''t behave


    yourself, I''ll leave now," she said to James.


    "If you leave in this way, the things you want would be gone." He didn''t forget that she asked him for


    help.


    Maria was speechless.


    The movie began to y. John brought them some fruits and snacks.


    There was a table in the middle of the two sofa. Originally, James was next to Ethan, but he didn''t


    eat anything. So Maria changed her seat with him. She ate and watched the movie with keen


    pleasure.


    Unlike the two of them, who were quite idle, James went out to answer several phone calls.


    There was a part of the movie that was a little boring, so Ethan said to the woman next to him who


    was eating dried fruit, "Maria, didn''t you go out to travel some time ago? Where have you been?


    Rmend one to me. I also want to go on a trip."


    The woman answered calmly, "You can go to N Country to see the aurora, D Country to enjoy the


    hot spring towns, South Pole to see the penguins, and North Pole to see the arctic bear, You can


    also go to M Country to find Cooper."


    "Cooper? That guy is as hateful as James!" A few days ago, when Cooper came back to H City and


    they drank together, Cooper forced Ethan to help James and Maria remarry. He also required Ethan


    to call Maria as sister-inw whenever seeing her.


    It was not that Ethan didn''t want to call her in that way, but that the way Cooper had used was way


    too evil.


    Maria smiled. Although she didn''t know what Ethan was referring to, Maria believed that there


    should be some misunderstanding between Cooper and him. "Cooper is much better than James.


    There should be some misunderstanding between you two."


    Ethan just wanted to bitch about Cooper. He found that James was indeed much gentler than


    James. He changed the topic and said, "Maria, you should be with


    James and stay with him from now on!"


    Maria paused. In the dim light, there was a trace of bitterness in her smile. "He and I... Our


    rtionship may be continue like this. I don''t have the right to step further, while I''m reluctant to let


    go of him if I step back."


    "Why don''t you have the right to step further with him?"


    Maria said helplessly, "Of course Alina Tang. His fiancee! I can''t do anything to her at all."


    Hearing this, Ethan changed his sitting position on the sofa and faced Maria. "Don''t you know that


    James and Alina Tang have broken off their engagement? Didn''t he tell you?"


    "What?" Maria was confused. She wondered if she had misheard anything. "What did you say?"


    "Don''t you know that James and Alina Tang broke off their engagement a few months ago?"


    Maria was speechless. This time, Maria was sure that she didn''t hear it wrong, but she didn''t know


    about it at all. James didn''t tell her anyway.


    She felt a little excited, but she pretended to be calm. "Where did you get the news? Who told you


    that?"


    "I saw it with my own eyes! I don''t need anyone to tell me!" At that time, when James and Alina


    broke off the engagement, Ethan was also there.


    Because of this matter, James had given several big orders to Tang Group.


    Maria gaped.


    Looking at the woman''s confused face, Ethan realized that he might have made a mistake.


    James didn''t tell Maria about that, so probably he had his own n. But now Ethan just disclosed it


    to Maria...


    "Why did they suddenly cancel the engagement?"


    Ethan felt panicked. "James doesn''t love her. It''s normal for him to break off the engagement,"


    replied Brian helplessly.


    It was normal indeed, but it was also abnormal. Would James give up the project he built with Tang


    Group at the cost of his lifelong happiness?


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    When he came back to the projection hall, James happened to see Ethan trotting out.


    When the two men met, Ethan¡¯s heart skipped a beat and ran faster. "James, I''m leaving now! See


    you next time!"


    James watched him run away. James was confused by his reaction. He looked at the projection hall


    and wondered whether Ethan had been hit by Maria.


    Ethan truly left James'' manor, together with that silly dog.


    James sat back beside the woman and pulled her into his arms. "What''s the point of watching such


    a fake movie?" The actors and actresses were too pretentious, the scene of the crime was too fake,


    and the atmosphere was not good enough.


    Maria looked at the man in front of her without saying anything. She really couldn''t understand why


    James didn''t tell her that he had broken off the engagement with Alina...


    At that time, when he asked her to be his woman, she answered that she didn''t want to be a


    mistress, but he didn''t exin.


    It was not until he saw the woman''s eyes that James realized something was wrong with her. "Why


    are you looking at me?"


    She suddenly raised her hand and gave him a punch.


    James was hit hard on his arm. He gaped at her.


    She gave him another punch, and one more...


    When she threw the third punch on him, James held her hand and asked, "What did Ethan say to


    you?"

 Chapter 301 Holding A Ghost

    Chapter 301 Holding A Ghost


    At this moment, James also figured out why Ethan wore such an expression when he left just now.


    With a guilty conscience, Ethan was afraid of being found out.


    Maria red at him. "What are you hiding from me?" she asked.


    "I don''t know which one you are talking about." He didn''t hide anything from her, but there were


    indeed a lot of things that he didn''t want her to know for the time being.


    Maria sneered. "It seems that you hide a lot of things from me!"


    James grabbed the remote control and locked the screen.


    Maria stood up and strode out.


    "Maria!"


    "Don''t talk to me!" Her voice was full of anger. She opened the door of the projection hall and


    mmed it again.


    James was speechless ''How dare she...''


    When he was left alone in the projection hall, James didn''t hurry to catch up with Maria. Instead, he


    called Ethan first. "What did you say to her?¡± he asked.


    On the other side of the line, Ethan sounded somewhat afraid. "James, don''t be angry with me. I


    know I was wrong. I''lle to you and apologize to you another day." "Tell me!" James was a little


    annoyed.


    "I thought Maria knew you had broken off the engagement with Alina, but it turned out that she


    didn''t... And when she learnt it, she got even angrier..." Ethan hunched his shoulders. He didn''t


    know what was going on in Maria''s mind. In his opinion, even if she was not happy, she shouldn''t


    have been angry.


    On the other hand, James already got the information he required. It turned out that Maria had


    known what had happened between him and Alina.


    After hanging up the phone, he stood up from the sofa.


    When he strode out of the vi quickly, Maria had already started the car. He stood in front of her


    car without hesitation.


    "Squeak-" Maria mmed on the brake.


    Looking at the man in front of the car who didn''t move at all, Maria gritted her teeth and put the car


    into reverse, intending to bypass him.


    But James followed her. Wherever she turned around, he would stand in her way.


    In the end, Maria was so angry that she lost her cool. She turned off the engine, opened the door


    beside the driver''s seat and shouted hysterically, "James, what''s wrong with you? Don''t stand in


    front of my car even if you want to die!"


    After that, she stood still, gasping for breath.


    James came to her and held her in his arms regardless of her resistance. "Maria."


    "I''m not Maria! Maria is dead!" She tried her best but still failed to get rid of his grasp, which made


    her more irritable.


    James kissed her hair and coaxed her patiently, "Then who am I holding?" "You are holding a ghost!


    Let go of me!"


    "Calm down. Let''s talk."


    "I don''t want to talk to you. Now I don''t want to see you at all!"


    With his head lowered, the two of them put their foreheads against each other and could hear each


    other''s breaths. He said in a low voice, "I can exin."


    "No need. You can do whatever you want." As she said, Maria''s eyes suddenly turned red.


    The reason why he didn''t tell her that he had broken off the engagement must be because he


    wanted her to think that she was being a mistress, which would make her feel uneasy.


    As long as she wasn''t with him openly, she wouldn''t publicize their rtionship, and she would


    never have the chance to marry himwfully. In this way, he could secretly find another woman to


    rece Alina.


    "Don''t you want evidence? I''ll get it for you!" He pecked her on her lips and then held her hand.


    Maria tried to get rid of him, but failed. She had no choice but to be dragged forward by him. "I don''t


    want the evidence anymore. You don''t need to give it to me. James, let me go!"


    "No!" He refused without looking back.


    "You bastard!" Maria choked with anger.


    It was all his fault. He made her pregnant secretly and give birth to a son for him. She didn''t even


    have the right to die.


    She decided that she would let another man adopt Bob tomorrow.


    Hearing her sobs, James finally turned around and stopped walking. He looked at her with deep


    eyes. "I said I would have a talk with you and I would give you the evidence. What else do you


    want? Aren''t you satisfied yet?"


    Tears streamed down Maria''s cheeks. She raised her head and looked at the man stubbornly, "I


    said I don''t want to talk and I don''t want evidence. Don''t you understand my words?"


    "..." Her tears, like a pair of invisible hands, grabbed and tore his heart with gradually increasing


    force.


    He held her face and lowered his head to kiss her lips.


    Maria threw punches on him, but he seemed to be unconscious and continued kissing her.


    He didn''t let her go until she was out of breath and sank down in his arms.


    Looking down at the woman, he coaxed her in a low voice, "Stop it."


    "..." Maria had no strength to retort for the time being, even though he obviously meant that she was


    making trouble out of nothing.


    He lifted her up and walked towards the vi.


    She was taken back to the second floor by him. This time, they went straight to his study. James


    took out a file bag and handed it to her. "Make good use of this."


    Staring at the file bag for a while, Maria said, "I don''t want it anymore. Let me go!"


    James'' face darkened. "Maria, don''t challenge my patience."


    The woman sneered. She decided to challenge him today. With such thoughts in her mind, she


    turned around and walked away.


    However, before she walked out of the study, James threw the file bag aside, caught up with her


    and pulled her back.


    With a wave of his hand, all the things on the desk, including the brand-newptop, were swept to


    the ground.


    He pressed the woman against the desk and looked at her with his gloomy eyes. "Now that you


    don''t know good from bad, then don''t me me for being rude!" He had tried his best to coax her,


    but she didn''t listen to him. If she continued to make a fuss, he would not be so polite anymore.


    "If you dare touch me once today, James, I''ll kill you!"


    The man held her hands above her head and kissed her on the neck. "I will not only touch you once


    today. I will touch you tens of thousands of times today! Just let me die tens of thousands of times if


    you can!"


    Hearing that, Maria was speechless. She would go crazy.


    Moreover, James kept flirting with her. "You''ve be better now. It feels so good."


    She cursed him silently. ''He means that I have gained weight, doesn''t he?''


    "Don''t re at me. I won''t stop even if you fall asleep today."


    "You bastard!" She couldn''t help cursing loudly.


    The man snorted and didn''t give her any more chance to speak. He wanted her to see what a real


    bastard was like.


    After a long time, Maria was carried back to the bedroom. She closed her eyes andy still on the


    bed, having no strength to turn over.


    Before falling asleep, James whispered in her ear, "From now on, you will be my woman again."


    She could only be his.


    "Get over yourself!" She couldn''t help cursing in a low


    voice.


    As a result, the man, who had nned to let her have a rest because of her low mood, changed his


    mind and continued to teach her a lesson until she cried and begged for mercy.


    The second morning, when Maria got up, she was alone in the bedroom, just the same as usual.


    When she went downstairs, John had already prepared her breakfast.


    When Maria was having breakfast, she received a call from Peggy, who said in a spoffish tone, "Ms.


    Song! Oh my God, Ms. Song!"


    Maria was struck dumb. She swallowed the milk in her mouth and asked, "Why do you sound so


    entric?"


    "I''m not being entric. I''m just envying you! I''m so envious of you!" "Why do you have to envy


    me?"All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

 Chapter 302 Blue Roses

    Chapter 302 Blue Roses


    It was obvious that Peggy deliberately kept Maria in suspense. "You''ll know as long as youe to


    thepany. Everyone in thepany saw it just now."


    "What did you see? Just tell me!" Maria''s curiosity was aroused by her.


    "How can I tell you in this way? Come to thepany as soon as possible! You will know when you


    come." After saying this, Peggy hung up the phone.


    Maria looked at the phone speechlessly.


    It was a lie if she said she was not curious. She finished her breakfast quickly and drove directly to


    thepany.


    The moment she entered thepany, Maria saw the envy in her female colleagues'' eyes, which


    made her get more and more confused.


    She didn''t know why until Peggy ran to open the door of the office for her and gestured her toe


    in with a mysterious smile. "Ms. Song,e in, please!"


    The moment Maria stepped into the office, arge bouquet of flowers came into her view. At the


    same time, she smelt the fragrance of the flowers.


    It was blue roses.


    It was really a big bunch of them. There were so many of them that Maria definitely could not hold


    all of them in her arms. She guessed that there were at least hundreds of blue roses in the bouquet.


    Maria looked back at Peggy and asked, "Who sent it here?"


    Of course, she had received flowers before. She had been given red roses and white roses before,


    but at most 99 of them once a time at the most.


    Previously, she had also received flowers of the same color as blue roses, but they were obviously


    all artificially dyed flowers.


    However, therge bunch of flowers in front of her eyes now was definitely not artificially dyed. It


    should be a rare kind of naturally growing blue rose.


    As long as something was rare, it must be expensive too. There were not many people in H City


    who could afford to spend money like water in this way, and James was one of them.


    Peggy lowered her head and coughed slightly to clear her throat. "The two people who sent the


    flowers here are the special assistants of HL Group''s CEO!"


    She could recognize the two special assistants because she had once been to HL Group with


    Maria, where she happened to meet the two of them there.


    ''It was him!'' Maria thought, without saying anything.


    Peggy looked at the blue roses in front of her eyes and eximed, "Wow, it''s so different to be in


    love with a rich man. They are blue roses! I thought they were artificially dyed roses, but the special


    assistants said they were not. Blue roses cost a lot more!"


    With a faint smile on her face, Maria lowered her head and smelled the flowers, on which there was


    still dew. It was not until then that she found a card among the flowers. "Ms. Song, don''t be angry."


    There was no signature on the card, but she already knew who it was.


    It was a lie to say that she was not pleased. After all, such arge bunch of blue roses was really


    adorable. Nobody would dislike them.


    Maria took out her phone and sent a message to James. "Mr. Xi, you didn''t call me Ms. Songst


    night when we were in bed. Why did you turn your back on me as soon as you got out of bed?"


    When he received the message, James was on his way to meet a client. While he read the


    message with a faint smile on his face, he replied, "I can call your name every night as long as you


    want."


    Maria was speechless. She replied to him with the eyerolling emoji and added, "You sent me so


    many flowers that I don''t know how to deal with them."


    She had thrown all the flowers that other men had given her into trash cans, and she had even


    refused to ept some of them.


    Now that the blue roses were a gift from James, of course she wouldn''t throw them into the trash


    can, let alone they were so expensive.


    "Deal with them?¡±


    James replied. Maria had to admit that her wording did seem inappropriate.


    But she could not help but silently criticize him for being so finicky. "No, no, no. I mean, I don''t know


    where to put them."


    "Just put them in your office. If others ask who gave them to you, just tell them that it was your


    husband."


    ''Husband? Does he want to marry me?'' Maria thought to herself. She would not let him get what he


    wanted so easily. "You want to be my husband? But don''t you think the cost is too low?"


    "Then you can tell them it was your man or your boyfriend." Maria decided to satisfy him now that


    he wanted to y with her.


    She looked at the phone and raised her eyebrows. "So, Mr. Xi, are you courting me?"


    Peggy, who was by her side, patted her arm and said, "I have roughly counted the flowers. There


    should be 999 or 1001 of them. So it means that he will love you forever or you''re the one in a


    thousand. I didn''t know that Mr. Xi can also be so romantic!"


    It turned out that there were about a thousand blue roses. Did James buy all the blue roses in a


    rose garden?


    "He is an old-fashioned man who isn''t romantic at all. In my opinion, he must have learnt this from


    someone else. Otherwise, how could he know about buying flowers and giving them to women?"


    Maria didn''t think that James was so romantic.


    In fact, however, she had wronged him. Last time when he went on a business trip abroad, he saw


    arge scale blue rose garden. He thought of her immediately, but she was not in H City at that


    time, so he had no chance to give them to her.


    When the blue roses were finally transported to H City by air, he happened to make her angryst


    night. So he gave them to her as an apology.


    James didn''t reply to her message anymore. The longer Maria waited, the more embarrassed she


    felt.


    While reading the documents, Maria snorted in her heart, ''It doesn''t matter that you don''t want to


    court me. But why don''t you even dare to say it to me?"


    When she went to the design department for a meeting, she finally received a reply from James,


    which contained only one word. "Yeah."


    Maria was confused for a moment. When she read the message he sent again, she concluded that


    he wanted to court her.


    If he wanted to court her, he could do it. It was her business whether she would ept him or not.


    Maria acted quickly. In only a few days, with the evidence given by James, she took Judy and her


    partners back then to court. She didn''t let go of anyone who had yed a part in the case.


    Joshua served as herwyer. Thewsuit caused a sensation in the whole H City.


    Thewsuitsted for a long time. When Judy thought she was still free, she was taken away and


    imprisoned by the police with the excuse that she was a criminal suspect.


    Knowing that she had been imprisoned, Maria was not anxious any longer. As long as she couldn''t


    be released from prison, Maria didn''t care when the proceedings came to an end. Moreover, with


    the help of Joshua, it would not be too long a time before Judy was sentenced.


    One day, in order to thank James, Maria decided to invite him to dinner tonight.


    Knowing that she was going to have a date with James, Peggy said, "Dress yourself up. And why is


    your hair always ck?"


    Maria smoothed her long hair and said, "Is there anything wrong with ck?"


    "There isn''t anything wrong with it. Your ck hair is beautiful. But Maria, you have to change your


    style. If you always look the same, men are prone to grow tired of you. In particr, Mr. Xi is a man


    who could see all kinds of beauties every day. You have to change your style from time to time in


    order to seduce... oh, no, to draw his attention!"


    Maria was speechless It was that James wanted to court her. Why did she have to take the initiative


    to cater to his taste?


    Peggy encouraged her, "I just applied for a membership card in an international brand hair salon.


    Although I don''t have hair yet, I can lend it to you first. Let''s go. Once you change the color of your


    hair, your mood will


    change too!"


    "What color do you think suits me?" Maria was sessfully tempted. She didn''t think dying hair was


    a big deal. Maybe she could have a try.


    However, after she did that, Peggy kept a distance from her, carefully looked at her face, and finally


    uttered a few words.


    It was getting dark. Maria walked out of her office. James''s Harkim was right in front of her


    company.


    It was James himself who drove the car today. He was sitting in the car and talking on the phone.


    When he saw the woman walking towards him, his expression changed obviously.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    And he suddenly stopped talking on the phone.


    -

 Chapter 303 A Trap

    Chapter 303 A Trap


    Maria went straight toward the front passenger seat and got in his car.


    Maria was confused when she saw that James was staring at her unblinkingly, but she didn''t say


    anything since he was having a phone call.


    In the end, James said on the phone, "That''s all." Then he hung up the phone.


    He asked in a t tone, "Why did you dye your hair?"


    Maria blinked and smoothed her long hair. "Don''t I look good?"


    She had taken Peggy''s advice and dyed her hair in smoky gray. Yes, her long hair was smoky gray


    now.


    "Dye it back to ck."


    "No way!" She had spent three hours to dye her hair. She could not waste her time and energy in


    this way.


    With a long face, James repeated, "Dye it back to ck.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    "Give me a reason."


    "No reason." The reason was simply that he didn''t like it.


    Maria snorted, "Go with me!"


    "Okay."


    In this way, they reached an agreement easily. Both were decisive.


    The two of them had dinner together first. James had nned to take her to the concert after dinner.


    However, he didn''t want to see her gray hair at all. He changed his n without hesitation and took


    her directly to a hair salon.


    Upon seeing James, three hairdressers hastily came to offer high-level service.


    James sat on the sofa and pointed at the woman''s long hair. "Change the color back."


    "Mr. Xi, do you mean ck?"


    "Yes."


    "Okay, no problem."


    Maria stood still. She checked the time and said, "James, it''s eight o''clock. The salon is going to


    close soon. I want to do some hair care too, but the time is not enough. How about tomorrow?"


    Before James could say anything, the manager of the hair salon said immediately, "It doesn''t matter,


    ma''am. We usually get off work at twelve o''clock. But since you and Mr. Xi are here, we can serve


    the two of you for an indefinite period of time."


    Maria was rendered speechless. The manager meant that they would not get off work until she was


    done.


    Since he said so, Maria sat down in front of the mirror and said, "Remember to do a hair care and


    maintenance after dying my hair."


    "Okay!"


    James waited for a few hours. Maria sat on the chair and yed with her mobile phone, while


    James was working on his mobile phone. The two were respectively busy with their own business.


    Five hours passed before it was done.


    Maria yawned and held the man''s arm. "I''m so sleepy.


    Let''s go!"


    After walking out of the hair salon, James asked before getting on the car, "Do you want to have


    midnight snack?"


    Maria shook her head. "No. I''m so sleepy. I have to take a shower and wash my face when I go


    back. Let''s have midnight snack another day!"


    "Okay."


    Without asking for her opinion, James took her directly to the vi in the East District.


    After taking a shower, Maria happened to meet the man who came into the bedroom. When she


    was about to say something, James spoke first. "I''m going out."


    "It''s sote. Where are you going?" she asked casually.


    Taking a look at her, James didn''t n to hide anything from her. "Alina is drunk and can''t get free.


    I''m going to pick her up."


    Maria''s heart sank suddenly and her face changed slightly. "Didn''t you break off the engagement?


    Why did she still call you when she was drunk? And the point is, why do you have to go there once


    she calls you?"


    James exined patiently, "I introduced her to Mr. Lin in the first ce. He took her to a bar


    tonight."


    Mr. Lin wanted to do something to Alina. Fortunately, James had already asked his men to stop him.


    However, Mr. Lin seemed to have been drunk too, and his men couldn''t stop him. So James had to


    go there in person.


    Maria sneered, "First of all, are you sure it''s not her trap?"


    The man frowned slightly. "Maria, I already made it clear to her when I broke off the engagement


    with her. She wouldn''t do anything to target you anymore, and you don''t have to make trouble for


    her either."


    He knew she was a strong woman who wouldn''t be willing to suffer any loss.


    "Wow, you are protecting her so well."


    How could he not understand her irony? "You don''t want me to go?" If she really didn''t want him to


    go, he wouldn''t.


    "Just go ahead. How could you not go? After all, she is a weak woman. I don''t want you to me


    me if anything happens to her," Maria said indifferently.


    "I''ll be back soon." He woulde back as soon as he finished dealing with Mr. Lin.


    "Bye!" Maria yawned and walked to the bed.


    After he James, the bedroom returned to silence.


    Lying on the bed, the woman stared at the ceiling with her eyes wide open. She had just had a


    sweet day until Alina called James.


    It had to be said that Alina was really good at ying the trick of retreating for the sake of


    advancing. Well done!


    The two of them had already broken off their engagement, but James could still treat Alina well


    openly. Did it mean that Maria, who was going to be his girlfriend, was too kind-hearted and easy-


    going?


    Thinking of this, she got up from the bed, hurriedly changed her clothes and strode out of the vi.


    She picked up a car key and drove to the downtown. On the way, she called someone. "Find out


    where Alina is now."


    Half an hourter, Maria arrived at a bar.


    It was almost three o¡¯clock in the morning. There was no one on the street, but the bar was still


    bustling with people.


    Maria went directly to the second floor. She stopped in her tracks beside a private room, where


    several bodyguards stood at the door. Seeing her, they looked at each other and immediately


    greeted her, "Ms. Song."


    Despite the greeting, they didn''t have the intention to get out of the way.


    While she listened to the sounds inside, Maria''s face darkened. "Get out of the way!"


    "Ms. Song... Mr. Xi said that no one is allowed to go in," a bodyguard said awkwardly.


    Maria cast a cold nce at him and said, "Do you think I''m someone insignificant to him?"


    "No, no, no." Cold sweat began to break out on the bodyguard''s forehead. They had been working


    for James for a long time, so they roughly knew their rtionship.


    The bodyguards obviously hesitated for a moment, and Maria''s eyes shed with anger. "Are you


    sure you won''t get out of the way? You want me to break in? If I get hurt, do you think James will let


    you go? Or do you think you can take the responsibility?"


    The bodyguards were all rendered speechless. They finally moved aside and opened the door of


    the private room for her.


    The sound instion effect of the door was very good. So Maria didn''t hear the screams until she


    entered the private room.


    There were several bodyguards standing inside. A man in a ck vest and a white shirt was


    beating up a man wearing sses.


    There was a woman lying on the sofa. It must be Alina. She kept moving around, perhaps because


    she was drunk or something else.


    How could James fight for Alina?


    This fact made Maria very ufortable.


    She stood not far away and quietly looked at the man, who was full of rage, beating the other man


    without mercy.


    Maria thought that if she called out to stop James but he pretended not to hear her, she would feel


    very embarrassed.


    "James." She couldn''t help doing it atst.


    Her voice was neither loud nor low, which could be heard in the private room without music.


    The man''s reaction made her breathe a sigh of relief.


    Hearing her voice, James stopped what he was doing and shifted his eyes to her direction. He


    gasped slightly and looked at the expressionless woman. It seemed that he hadn''t realized what


    was going on yet.


    Crossing her arms over her chest, Maria looked at the man coldly. "Why did you have toe to


    her rescue? Don''t you have a woman? Or are you reluctant to leave your ex? Or have all the other


    men in the world died? Otherwise, how could you, a man who has a girlfriend, do it in person?"


    And, were the bodyguards beside him all dead? How could they just watch James fight without


    doing anything?


    -

 Chapter 304 Burning The Bridge After Crossing It

    Chapter 304 Burning The Bridge After Crossing It


    James let go of the man in his grasp. The man fell to the ground. James walked towards Maria.


    "Why are you here?" he asked.


    "Of course I''m here to watch a show about how Mr. Xi revenge his ex-fiancee." This show was really


    wonderful. The actors and actress were good at acting, and the scene setting made her feel very


    ufortable.


    James exined, "He drugged Alina..."


    "So what? Does it have anything to do with you?" Maria could not understand.


    ¡±1 told you earlier that I introduced Mr. Lin to Alina. I''m the middleman."


    Maria looked at him with irony in her eyes. "I didn''t know that the very busy Mr. Xi would still have


    the energy to be a matchmaker!"


    The man''s eyes darkened slightly. He held her in his arms and said, "I''ll exin to you when we go


    back." He had an agreement with Alina.


    Maria shook off the man''s long arms, turned around and walked out of the private room.


    James didn''t think she would leave alone, so he first ordered the bodyguards behind him, "Throw


    him out and escort Alina back to the Tang family."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi!"


    However, when James got out of the bar, he didn''t see Maria.


    Standing by the side of the car, he called her several times, but no one answered.


    He frowned tightly and got on the car, heading to the Golden Mansion.


    However, he didn''t find her there.


    Where could Maria go at such ate hour?


    Maria didn''t drive anywhere but to a residentialmunity.


    She parked the car in the parking lot and entered the elevator, which finally stopped at the


    neenth floor.


    She rang the doorbell for a long time, but got no response. She had no choice but to take out her


    phone and made a call. The phone was quickly picked up. "It''s me. Open the door!"


    The door was soon opened from inside. Peggy yawned and said helplessly, "I thought it was a


    ghost. I didn''t know it was you!"


    Maria walked straight into her living room and said, "I need to stay over the night here. Do you


    mind?"


    "Stay over the night?" Only then did Peggy notice that Maria''s long hair, which had been dyed into


    smoky gray in the day, had turned to ck again. She closed the door and followed Maria into the


    living room. "What happened... to you and your hair?"


    Maria sat down on her sofa. "Can we talk about it tomorrow? I''m so sleepy."


    "Oh, okay. There is no bedclothes in the guest room. If you don''t mind, just sleep with me!" It was a


    rented apartment. Peggy bought the bedclothes and other things after she rented the house. Since


    she didn''t have rtives or friends, she didn''t buy too many things when she moved in.


    When Mariay beside Peggy, she suddenly lost his sleep. She tossed and turned for more than


    half an hour, but she was still totally awake.


    She turned over and looked at Peggy, whose eyes were closed. "How about I leave James to you?"


    Peggy suddenly opened her eyes and looked excited. "If you want to talk about this, I won''t be


    sleepy anymore!"


    Maria was speechless.


    "Think about it. Mr. Xi is such a handsome man. Everyone is interested in him! Didn''t you say that


    you would leave him to me? Then I will take him. I will sleep with him every day and I will show off


    our love in front of you every day..."


    "Go to sleep!" Maria was depressed.


    "Please don''t go back on your word, Maria. Mr. Xi has such a good figure. He must be able to stay


    for a long time, right? Since you don''t appreciate him, just give him to me! " In the eyes of Peggy,


    Maria was making a fuss about nothing, so she had to remind her how lucky she was to be with


    James.


    Maria simply red at her. "Can you think about something normal?"


    "Well, to be honest, don''t you fantasize about something about sex?"


    Maria was rendered speechless


    Peggy tittered. "Tell me, did you have a fight with Mr. Xi?"


    "No, I didn''t fight with him. But I could still be pissed off by him."


    "All right, all right. How can two people not fight when they are together every day? Besides, you


    and Mr. Xi are both strong-minded people. It''s a miracle that you two can be together. When a


    dispute happens, both of you have to gives in more or less..."


    In the darkness, Maria''s phone rang again. She thought it was James again who called her, so she


    intended to turn it off.


    However, she found that it was from Kent.


    Why did Kent call her at midnight? Confused, Maria slid the answer key. "Kent?"


    "Maria, it''s done." It was indeed Kent''s voice.


    However, what he said confused Maria. "What do you mean?" she asked. As far as she could


    remember, she had not asked Kent to do anything!


    "Alina is here with me. Didn''t you ask me to sleep with her? I slept with her as you said. You have to


    protect me from the aftermath..."


    Suddenly, Alina''s voice came from the other end of the line. "Maria, you bitch! How could you do


    this to me?"


    On the other hand, Maria felt like she had fallen into an ice cave. She seemed to understand why


    Kent had gone to work in her cafe.


    After hanging up the phone, Maria got up from the bed and put on her clothes in a hurry.


    Peggy also put on her clothes, though she had no idea what was going on. "Maria, what


    happened?"


    "Something bad happened to Alina."


    "It doesn''t matter if she is in trouble. Why are you anxious?" Peggy thought that it wasn''t a big deal.


    Maria looked at her and said seriously, "It''s not as simple as we think." She had to go and have a


    look.


    Peggy just followed her. After putting on her clothes, she went out of the house with Maria without


    even putting on her wig.


    The address Kent gave Maria was a hotel. When Maria arrived, she found that James was already


    at the door.


    But he didn''t go in. Instead, he seemed to be waiting for her.


    Seeing hering, he said, "They said you asked someone to send Alina back."


    Maria didn''t reply. She rang the doorbell. It was Kent who opened the door. He wore nothing but a


    pair of trousers.


    Seeing her, Kent said, "Hi, Maria. It''s done."


    "p!" Maria raised her hand and pped Kent on his face.


    The p made everyone quiet.


    Kent''s face was pped aside. He licked his lips and looked into Maria''s eyes. "Are you going to


    burn the bridge after crossing it?"


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    James kicked away Kent, who was standing at the door, and took two steps inside.


    Clothes were scattered everywhere on the floor of the room. A woman curled up on the big bed,


    buried her face in the pillow and sobbed.


    Everyone could tell what had just happened at the sight of such a scene.


    James turned around and looked at Kent coldly. "Now you can exin."


    Kent looked at Maria calmly. "Maria, didn''t you say that after I slept with Alina, you would give me


    ten million dors and help me leave H City? And you said that if Mr. Xi knew about it, you would


    protect me. What should I do now? I will listen to whatever you say."


    James shifted his deep eyes to the expressionless woman, remaining silent.


    There was a moment of silence in the room. Then Peggy scolded at Kent, "Damn it! Who the hell


    are you, you bastard?! How could you nder Maria? She was with me just now!"


    Kent took a look at Peggy and said, "I work for Maria."


    Maria sneered, "Since you said that I asked you to rape Alina, now tell me, when did I ask you to do


    that? And how did I do that?"


    "When we were at the door of the bar earlier. You said that Alina was inside and she was drugged.


    Otherwise, how could I know it?"


    Maria was rendered speechless. When she came out of the bar, she did meet Kent at the door.


    But they just greeted each other and said nothing else. Then she drove away.


    -

 Chapter 305 Sleepless All Night

    Chapter 305 Sleepless All Night


    Alina, who was on the bed, shouted madly, "Maria, I know you are unhappy that Mr. Xi came to pick


    me up! You can ask someone to beat me or scold me, but why did you ask a man to rape me?! I''m


    not married yet. Why did you choose to destroy me directly? Maria, you are such a vicious woman.


    You will die a horrible death! Hum...Hum..."


    The woman''s face was pale, and two lines of tears hung on her face. Her hair was messy. It didn''t


    seem like she was acting.


    Everything happened so unexpectedly and coincidentally.


    It was a perfect coincidence.


    Looking at the silent man, Maria asked, "Do you believe that I asked Kent to rape Alina?¡±


    Hearing that, James pursed his lips tightly. He thought of the phone call from a bodyguard just now.


    "Ms. Song asked Mr. Jiang to escort Ms. Tang back."


    In consideration to the grudge between Maria and Alina, it was not surprising if the two of them


    could have such a conflict. But he also knew that Maria was someone of principle. There was a


    bottom line that she would never cross.


    Looking at Maria, James said, "The rtion between Alina and I is not like what you think." He


    thought this might be more important, so he decided to exin it first.


    But Maria misunderstood him immediately. When she heard his words, her heart sank. She thought


    that it meant he didn''t believe her.


    With such thoughts in her mind, she smiled and said, "Kent, good job! We will leave right now, so


    you can sleep with Ms. Tang once again."


    Kent hadn''t expected her to say so. He was stunned and said, "Maria... But Mr. Xi..."


    "What''s wrong with James? Just go ahead. Sleep with her. If James is unhappy, let him sleep with


    you two! Peggy, let''s go!"


    "Stop!" A cold voice sounded out behind her.


    Maria didn''t look back, but sneered, "Who do you think you are, Mr. Xi? Stop? Why should I listen to


    you?"


    After saying that, she pulled Peggy, who wanted to say something to James, and walked out of the


    room with her.


    James was pissed off by Maria. He also wanted to hear her exnation. Why didn''t she exin to


    him?


    Then he took out his phone and called several bodyguards to send Kent to the police station.


    Now it was time to deal with Alina. He stood by the side of the bed and said lightly, "There is


    something wrong with Kent. It was not necessarily Maria who was behind it. Wait and see what the


    police will say."


    Alina closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. She said in a hoarse voice, "For a woman,


    virginity is the most precious thing, but she made a man take away my virginity, my most precious


    thing. James, do you have to tolerate her even when shemitted a crime?"


    "I have told you that there is something wrong with Kent. Let''s wait and see what the police will say."


    "I thought you wouldn''t brush me off. I didn''t expect you to introduce such a bad man like Mr. Lin to


    me. What''s more, after I was raped, you even harbor Maria, the evil backstage maniptor! Go,


    James! The agreement between us is invalid now!"


    The man looked at her indifferently. "Mr. Lin is an ident. I will do what I have promised you.


    That''s it."


    After saying that, he turned around and left the room without saying anything more.


    Alina''s cries came from behind, but he seemed not to hear her.


    Everything was quiet. It was already dawn in H City. Many people stayed up all night.


    Maria hadn''t expected that she would be set up by Kent. She learnt from Summer that Kent had


    been sent to the police station.


    Early in the morning, Summer called her and asked in a low voice, "Maria, do you know what


    happened to Mr. Xi? He already scolded several senior managers and punished the deputy CEO in


    the early morning."


    Maria sneered, "His ex-girlfriend was raped by someone else. He must be in a bad mood!"


    "Ex-girlfriend? Who? Alina Tang? Does she count as Mr. Xi''s ex-girlfriend?" Anyway, Summer didn''t


    think Alina could be viewed as James'' ex-girlfriend.


    "I don''t care whether she counts or not. From now on, don''t tell me anything about James. I don''t


    want to see him." As Maria spoke, she pulled a blue rose from the bouquet in the office and plucked


    all the petals on it.


    "Are you two in conflict?"


    "Not really. Well, I have to catch up on sleep now. I''ll call you another day." She came to the


    company early in the morning. She had just had a meeting and hadn''t had any sleep yet.


    Summer sighed on the other end of the line. "Okay. Cool down. Don''t let an insignificant woman


    impact the love between you and Mr. Xi."


    Love? "If it is true love, how could it be impacted by anyone else?"


    Maria questioned. Summer didn''t reply, but she thought what Maria said made sense. She said,


    "Kent has been sent to the police station."


    At the mention of Kent, Maria remained silent.


    After hanging up the phone, she called Peggy into the office and said lightly, "Help me dispose of


    this bunch of flowers!"


    Peggy was a little stunned. "Maria, you''d better have a talk with Mr. Xi. It''s not necessary to give up


    because of a mistress!"


    "It''s necessary! I''ve never seen a man as bad as James! " Maria suddenly became angry and


    kicked the bunch of innocent flowers. "Even if it was really me who asked Kent to do that, what can


    he do to me? Let''s wait and see if he will send me into prison for the sake of Alina!"


    Feeling sorry for the bunch of flowers that didn''t need to bear the anger, Peggy immediately moved


    it away. "Maria, each flower costs more than a thousand dors! I think Mr. Xi cares about you very


    much. If you exin to him, he will definitely believe you." Maria hadn''t exined anything to him


    since the incident happened.


    "Why should I have to exin to him? Shouldn''t he trust me unconditionally?"


    Peggy was rendered speechless. On second thought, she admitted what Maria said was


    reasonable. "All right. I''ll dispose of the flowers right now!"


    "Hurry up!" The very sight of the blue roses made Maria remember James. The more she looked at


    the flowers, the more annoyed she became.


    Peggy couldn''t hold the bouquet by herself, so she called in two security guards and asked them to


    carry it out.


    Maria didn''t expect that the flowers were all snatched away by the employees even before they


    were taken out of thepany by the security guards.


    Therefore, whichever department she went, she could see one or two blue roses there, which made


    her depressed for several days.


    Three dayster, after work, Maria went to the supermarket to buy something, nning to drive to


    the mansion of the Xi family to see Bob.


    Before that, she visited Gordon first. Since he moved out, Gordon had been in a good mood and in


    good health.


    After chatting with her grandfather for a while, Maria left.


    When Maria arrived at the mansion of the Xi family, Bob had just fallen asleep and Tami was about


    to put him upstairs.


    "Tami, leave him to me!"


    "Okay. He is a good boy. Don''t worry about him, Maria!" Bob was very cute. Tami really liked him


    from the bottom of her heart.


    Maria kissed the sleeping boy and said, "Well, Grandpa and Grandma are in their room?"


    "Yes, they just watched TV and now they are going to sleep."


    "Okay. Tami, go ahead with your other work. I''m going upstairs."


    "Okay."


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Maria went upstairs with Bob in her arms. When they entered Bob''s room, Maria didn''t put him on


    the bed in a hurry.


    She held him in her arms and kissed him affectionately again and again. Her son was so lively, just


    like Arthur.


    Just then, her phone in her pocket suddenly rang. Because it was not muted, the sound was very


    loud in the quiet room.


    Bob, who had already fallen asleep, was suddenly awakened. In a daze, he opened his eyes and


    looked around.


    Holding her son with one hand, Maria quickly took out her phone with the other hand and hung up


    the phone without looking at it.


    Then she hurried to coax the child. "I''m sorry, Bob. I didn''t mean to make the noise. Good boy, just


    sleep."


    Bob wasforted by her. He closed his eyes again and gradually fell asleep.


    However, her phone rang again.

 Chapter 306 I Wish You Get Pregnant

    Chapter 306 I Wish You Get Pregnant


    Just like he was awakened for the first time, Bob opened his eyes and looked around in confusion.


    Maria was furious. She wondered who it was.


    She put her son on the bed and took out her phone from her pocket. It was James who was calling.


    She wanted to kick him to death, so she hung up the phone again. This time she adjusted the


    phone to vibration mode, but then she was afraid that he would call her again, so she directly turned


    off her phone.


    After making sure that the phone wouldn''t ring again, Maria turned to coax her son again. However,


    after being woken up two times in a row, Bob seemed to have lost his sleep.


    It seemed that the little boy was in a bad mood. He frowned, as if he wanted to cry but did not cry


    yet.


    Mariay down beside her son and patted him on the chest gently. "My dear, your dad woke you up


    just now. Let''s beat him to revenge some other day!"


    No matter how she coaxed him, the boy didn''t seem to have the intention to close his eyes and go


    to sleep.


    Since he didn''t want to sleep, Maria went onto the bed and sat beside him, ying with him.


    On the other hand, when James heard the programmed female voice from the phone, his face


    became more and more gloomy. "Sorry! The number you dialed is powered off..."


    He hung up the phone and threw it aside.


    In his opinion, if there was any misunderstanding between the two of them, or if she had any


    dissatisfaction, they couldmunicate with each other face to face. What did she mean by


    refusing to answer the phone and even turning off her phone?


    The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He drove to Maria''spany, but didn''t find


    her there. Then he went to the Golden Mansion, but she was not there either.


    Sitting in the car and looking at the dark night, James called Augustine to ask if Maria was in the


    mansion of the Xi family.


    Maria hadn''t told Augustine that she woulde in advance, and she hadn''t seen him in the


    mansion, so the old man didn''t know she was here. So when his grandson asked, he directly said


    no.


    Since she was nowhere to be found despite his efforts, James had no choice but to go back to the


    vi in the end.


    Maria thought that she and James would be like this for the time being, but she was wrong.


    Sure enough, James failed to get into contact with her tonight.


    However, on the next day, as soon as Maria and Peggy got in the car after work, a Harkim appeared


    in front of them and blocked their way.


    The man in the driver''s seat of the Harkim just stared at the woman in the driver''s seat of the other


    car. He didn''t do anything in a hurry.


    Maria honked the horn, but the Harkim didn''t make a way but even turned off the engine.


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Peggy said in a low voice, "He must be here for you. Aren''t you going to get off the car to meet


    him?"


    Maria looked into the man''s eyes and answered lightly, "I''m not a woman who is at his beck and


    call. Why should I have to get off the car to meet him as long as hees?"


    "But even if you don''t get off the car, we can''t leave either!" James was good at choosing the


    position. There was no way back for Maria''s car.


    Maria was rendered speechless by Peggy''s reminder. She could not help but curse James silently.


    The two cars were in a stalemate for a while. The man got out of his car first and knocked on her


    window.


    Maria rolled down the window and looked at him expressionlessly.


    He took out something from his pocket and handed it to her. "Have a look. Do you like it?"


    Maria looked at the brocade box in front of her eyes in confusion, hesitating as whether she should


    take it or not. Peggy acted faster than her. She took the brocade box from James'' hand and put it in


    Maria''s hand. Then she said to James with a smile, "Mr. Xi, it''s great that you are finally here. Maria


    has been in a bad mood for two days. Please coax her."


    Maria was speechless again. Being forced to take the brocade box, she said through her gritted


    teeth, "Peggy, you''re courting death!"


    Pear smiled awkwardly and whispered in her ear, "Maria, Mr. Xi has taken the initiative toe to


    you even with a gift. You should know where to stop."


    Speechless, Maria red at the traitor in front of her. She wanted to return the brocade box to


    James. "Thank you, but I don''t want it."


    Seeing that she handed the gift back, James said slowly, "If you don''t ept it..." He looked to her


    eyes. ''Til sleep with you right here until you ept it."


    Hearing that, Maria wanted to beat him.


    Peggy was stunned. What did she hear? Very soon, she wisely opened the door of the car and said,


    "Mr. Xi, Maria, please go ahead. I''m leaving now."


    Maria didn''t know what to say.


    However, the next moment, Peggy was stopped by James. "Wait a minute!"


    She turned around and asked, "Mr. Xi, what can I do for you?"


    James reached out his hand from the window to inside the car, opened the door beside the driver''s


    seat and pulled Maria out of the car.


    He did all these so quickly that Maria didn''t even have a chance to resist. He unfastened her seat


    belt and moved her from the car to the ground.


    James pulled her into his arms and said to Peggy, "I''ll take her away. Please take care of the car,


    Ms. Li."


    "Okay, okay, okay. I''ll drive it back for her right now!" Peggy trotted to the car in her high heels and


    began to fasten the seat belt.


    Maria wanted to beat both the other two up. She patted the car window and said, "Peggy, you


    traitor!"


    James pulled her to the Harkim. He opened the door beside the front passenger seat and put her in.


    He sat back in the driver''s seat and started the car. The Harkim slowly backed off, making way for


    the Porsche.


    When the Porsche passed by, Peggy waved at Maria with a bright smile on her face. "Maria, I wish


    you get pregnant!"


    Maria was struck dumb. She rubbed her eyebrows and wondered if she should change the


    assistant tomorrow.


    After he left the parking lot and drove into the main road of the city, James said, "Open it and have a


    look. If you don''t like it, I''ll rece it with another one for you."


    Looking at the brocade box in her hand, Maria still didn''t open it. She looked at the man''s side face


    and said, "James, you may not have realized what I''m thinking. I''m keeping a distance from you,


    which means that I don''t want to be in contact with you anymore!"


    She thought James'' face would darken, but it didn''t.


    She waited for a moment. When the traffic light turned red, James reached out his hand and stroked


    her head. "Even if we quarrel or fight, you can''t leave me!"


    Maria was confused. If she didn''t see it wrong, she had seen a trace of tenderness on his face just


    now. Really? She couldn''t believe it.


    She didn''t say a word. James continued, "I allow you to be angry. You can do anything you want,


    but you are not allowed to leave me. You will never be able to get rid of me!"


    Because of her, he had broken off the engagement with Alina. But now, she wanted to run away?


    James never did a losing business. He wanted her topensate him with herself.


    For a moment, Maria didn''t know how to reply. She didn''t know if it was her illusion that this man


    was strange today.


    If it was in the past, once she said that, he might have left a long time ago. Even if he didn''t leave,


    he wouldn''t coax her patiently like this.


    When the green light was on, Maria took a deep breath and said in a sarcastic tone, "James, are


    you sure you want to be a pig?"


    "You can''t leave me no matter what I want to be," replied James calmly "You mean you admit that


    you are a pig?" Maria gloated.


    As she spoke, she opened the brocade box in her hand. There was a colored diamond brooch in


    the shape of a bee, iid with yellow diamonds in the middle, which looked very lively.


    James said, "It doesn''t matter whether I admit it or not. You have already viewed me as a pig in your


    heart, haven''t you?"


    Maria was surprised to hear that. How could he know what she was thinking?


    -

 Chapter 307 Blind Date

    Chapter 307 Blind Date


    He turned around and noticed her staring at the brooch in a daze. He continued, "The shape is cute,


    but the diamond in the middle is really spectacr."


    "You know I''m not a big fan of cute style, but you still bought me this. Didn''t you give it much thought


    when choosing the gift for me?" She deliberately pouted her mouth, making things difficult for him


    on purpose.


    James didn''t exin. He knew that she was in a bad mood, so he chose a gift for her.


    Originally, he didn''t choose this brooch, but something else. With a slight smile on his face, he said,


    "Well, it looks cute, but it matches a lot of clothes. You can try it on. If you really don''t like it, I''ll buy


    something else for you."


    It would be a lie to say that she didn''t like it. The shiny yellow diamond in the centre of the brooch


    was enough to attract all the attention of Maria.


    She closed the lid and said, "Do you think a brooch can make me happy? You are underestimating


    my appetite."


    "Of course not." He chuckled, "But I must buy you a gift first, then I can do whatever you want me to


    do."


    "Aha, now you want to do anything for me? So, Mr. Xi, are you feeling guilty?"


    He instantly nced at her, "Why should I feel guilty?"


    "You had something to do with Alina."


    "Well, how about you? Do you feel guilty?" He didn''t reply directly but instead, he projected a


    question at her.


    Maria was confused, "Why should I feel guilty?"


    "It is about Kent and Alina."


    Maria was a little angry, "Of course I''m afraid, now that you have put it this way. Mr. Xi, didn''t you


    believe that it was me who designated Kent to do the things?"


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    James controlled the steering wheel with one hand and grasped hers with the other. He said


    helplessly, "I didn''t say it was you who did it. You didn''t even give me a chance to exin."


    Maria didn''t withdraw her hand immediately, because she was slightly stunned by his handsome


    profile when he controlled the steering wheel with just one hand. He skillfully controlled the steering


    wheel back and forth, overtaking the cars on the road one after another.


    She didn''t have hand fetish but James'' hands were so beautiful that she was obsessed with them.


    Maria swallowed hard and answered stubbornly, "There''s nothing to exin. I don''t believe you, and


    you don''t believe me either. It''s fair."


    "Let''s talk about itter. Let''s have dinner now." He specifically cancelled several dinner


    appointments in the evening. He didn''t wish to waste time on talking nonsense with her, all he


    wanted was to take her out for dinner. However, they still needed to clear things out between them.


    As soon as they came back home, some exnations needed to be made.


    Maria wore a white woolen overcoat today. Before getting off the car, James gently put the diamond


    brooch on her and then he contentedly looked at her up and down. "Not bad," he chuckled.


    The style of her overcoat was not too mature, so the brooch didn''t look absurd on the coat.


    The two got out of the car. James held her hand tightly and led her to the restaurant.


    Maria struggled and wanted to break his grasp, but failed. He held her so possessively that


    eventually she gave up.


    Before the two entered the private lounge, Maria saw a familiar face in the lobby. It was Carolina.


    Opposite her sat a man, Carolina was clearly thinking about something. Her face looked all serious


    and she didn''t notice Maria and James at all.


    Maria didn''t intend to greet her, however, when she passed by their seats, Carolina suddenly raised


    her head. Apparently, Carolina was about to say something to the man opposite her, but she shut


    her mouth in surprise. Because all her attention was caught by the stylish couple not far away from


    her.


    She was obviously stunned, as she murmured, "Maria?"


    Maria felt a little helpless. She wanted to pretend that she didn''t know her, but it was obviously


    impossible.


    Her uneasy expression caught his attention, James lowered his eyes and asked carefully, "Do you


    want to say hello?" He knew that she was always kind to her sister despite what happened in the


    past, so he asked her just in case.


    "Yeah, sure."


    Seeing them walking towards her, Carolina instantly stood up and nodded at James, "Mr. Xi!"


    James just nodded slightly without saying anything.


    Maria asked casually, "Are you having dinner with your client?"


    The man opposite Carolina wore in clothes and there was nothing special about him.


    Hearing her question, Carolina looked away from their highly held hands. She shook her head and


    said, "No, he is my blind date, a university professor."


    As far as Maria knew, Dani had been sent back to her hometown by Chandler, and ine had


    been arranged to go abroad. Carolina and Lorenzo had broken off their engagement a few months


    ago.


    Maria was surprised when she heard the word "blind date", she looked at the man in front of her


    again. He was wearing in clothes and had a slightly dull expression. When the man saw Maria


    looking at him with full curiosity, he quickly introduced himself to them. "Hello, I am Ms. Song''s blind


    date!" he said earnestly.


    Maria nodded, "Nice to meet you."


    She had a good first impression of him. He looked honest. If Carolina wasn''t after money or didn''t


    need to consider Song Group, he did look like a man worth her full trust.


    Just then, Carolina opened her mouth, "Maria, are you here with Mr. Xi to meet a client?"


    James, who had been silent all the time, suddenly answered, "No. I''m lucky to have dinner with


    Maria. Just the two of us."


    Maria was speechless at his directness. She red at him, worried that his answer would give


    Carolina too much to think about.


    As expected, Carolina was a little stunned at his reply. He almost told her that he was dating with


    Maria!


    She smiled profoundly and said, "I see. Enjoy your evening then. I won''t bother you anymore!"


    "See you." Maria didn''t say anything more and followed James to the private lounge.


    After they entered the private lounge, Carolina straightened her face and turned to look at the man


    opposite her. With a calm voice, she said to him honestly, "Mr. Gong, I don''t know if they have told


    you that I was engaged once, but my engagement has since been cancelled. Now that you and me


    are both after a serious rtionship, I think you have the right to know about my past." "I know, but


    it doesn''t matter as long as you havepletely cut all contacts with your ex."


    Mr. Gong was a simple and decent man, he didn''t ask too much. All he wanted was a woman who


    could live a peaceful life with him.


    "Well, in that case, I don''t like to beat around the bush. We can start dating more frequently. What


    do you think?" Deep down, Carolina really didn''t want to waste her time on this kind of thing had


    Chandler not force her to go on blind dates.


    Mr. Gong nodded at once with a smile on his face, "Of course, as long as you don''t mind me."


    ¡±1 don''t mind at all." She was already in her early thirty''s, and all she wanted was to find a good


    man to live a peaceful life with. She didn''t care whether her better half was poor or rich, as long as


    he could be considerate to her.


    When Maria and James came out of the private lounge after dinner, Carolina had already left with


    her blind date.


    In fact, half an hour ago, she received a message from Carolina. It read, "May you and Mr. Xi enjoy


    your evening. We are leaving now. I won''t bother you."


    Walking out of the restaurant, Maria suddenly said, "I don''t want to go with you."


    Hearing that, James took out his wallet from his pocket and showed a bank card to her. He said


    half-jokingly, "There is one million dors on it. I''ll buy you for one night."


    Maria was so angry that she took out a card from her own bag and snapped, "There is three million


    dors in this card. I''ll double the price and buy you for one night." She red at him triumphantly.


    He was not the only one here who could afford to make this kind joke!


    Jamesughed heartedly. He gave her a splendid grin and said, "Sure!


    You got what you wanted!" Without any dy, he quickly snatched the card from her hand and put it


    into his wallet. He then grabbed her hand and said, "Let''s go, shall we? It''s you who paid just now.


    So let''s go to your ce tonight."


    -

 Chapter 308 His World

    Chapter 308 His World


    "......." Maria was confused. Was she trapped?


    But she couldn''t go back on her words. So she sighed in depression.


    When she got in the car, she changed her mind again. "Forget it. Let''s go to your ce. I left my


    lipstick in your ce."


    What she said was true. She did leave a lipstick in his bathroom.


    "Okay." James didn''t care where he would go as long as she was with him.


    In the vi, Maria took a shower, dried her hair and walked to the study.


    James was working in the study. He had told her to let him know when she finished showering.


    After finding his study, Maria pushed the door open and walked in. "James, I''ve taken the shower.


    It''s your turn now!"


    What she didn''t expect was that James was having a video conference in the study. As soon as she


    finished speaking, there was only silence in the study.


    After a long time, she heard the sound from theputer. It seemed that someone wasughing.


    James stared at her expressionlessly. Maria stopped wiping her hair and walked over in confusion.


    "What are you doing?"


    Then she figured out what was going on immediately. There were at least a dozen of profile pictures


    on James''puter. When she stretched her head, her face appeared in the camera of his


    computer.


    "......." James was having a video conference!


    Looking at the woman who suddenly appeared, the people at the other end of theputer were all


    stunned, and at the same time, Maria was also stunned.


    Flushed with embarrassment, Maria closed hisputer and asked James in a low voice, "Why


    didn''t you tell me that you were in a meeting?"


    "You didn''t ask me either."


    "......." Bearing the urge to strangle him, Maria asked,


    "Why didn''t you stop me when I showed up just in the camera just now? What do you think we


    should do now?"


    James raised his eyebrows and gloated. "What? What''s the problem?"


    "What should we do since all the people in thepany saw me just now?" She was not even


    James''s girlfriend, so it wouldn''t be good for their adultery to be exposed.


    "Fine, whatever. Anyway, you are my woman. What are you afraid of?"


    Maria rolled her eyes at him, "Don''t be narcissistic. Don''t forget that you forced me toe here


    tonight!" If it weren''t for him, she would be in a sound sleep now.


    "Okay." As soon as James turned on theputer, Maria took a few steps back without making a


    sound.


    James typed a few words on theputer, closed the dialog box, and finally turned off the


    computer.


    He pulled Maria into his arms, lowered his head and kissed her. "I''m going to take a shower." "Are


    you still in the mood to take a shower? I''m afraid that the news that Maria and James are fooling


    around will spread all over the HL Group tomorrow."


    Fool around? James was dissatisfied with these two words. "You are my woman. What''s wrong with


    your being with me?" He really didn''t understand what she was thinking about.


    Maria was speechless, "Don''t you feel a little embarrassed?" It seemed that he really had no


    shame.


    "Why should I embarrassed? Aren''t you tired of thinking so much? " Then James took her to the


    bedroom.


    When James came out of the bathroom, Maria was lying on the bed ying with her phone.


    Not far away, his table was upied by cosmetics and skin care products he bought for her. It


    seemed that... Well, it seemed very pleasant.


    He didn''t know since when Maria''s things began to upy his world. For example, her skin care


    products, her pajamas, and her lipstick left in the bathroom...


    Maria deliberately put all the things on his table, trying to make a mess.


    However, she didn''t expect that James considered it as a pleasant scene rather than a mess.


    Jamesy on the bed, held Maria in his arms and took away her phone.


    Maria was dissatisfied, "Your work has been finished, but I have to work now."


    James didn''t even open his eyes. Smelling her hair, James asked, "How much will you lose? I will


    reimburse you three times."


    "......." Why did he always spend money on her? But it felt


    good. "How about five times?"


    "Okay, but I have a condition."


    "What?"


    "Kiss me!"


    Maria was speechless. She raised her eyes and looked at the James''s chin. "I think three times is


    not a small amount. After all, if I lose more than three millions, you willpensate me with ten


    millions." In fact, she wasn''t working. She was texting Peggy.


    "Don''t you want ten million?" His hot breath fell on her ear.


    Maria grabbed his restless hand and said, "You made me angry! Don''t forget that!"


    "Okay." Of course he knew.


    "Do you know that you need to coax a woman when she gets angry?" She felt that James didn''t


    even know how to coax her.


    James was obviously stunned. Coaxing a woman? He was indeed not good at it, but he should


    have a try. After all, he was the one who made Maria unhappy.


    "Then I''ll give you ten million more!"


    Maria rolled her eyes, "Mr. Xi, coaxing a woman doesn''t only depend on money. You also have to


    say nice words to please me." She did not believe that James did not know how to coax a girl.


    Hearing this, James hugged her tightly and said in a low and attractive voice, "Maria, let me kiss


    you." Then they would make love.


    She endured the sexual impulse and patiently taught him. "You''re wrong. I want you to make me


    happy, not to coax me to kiss you." "Do you like sweet words?"


    "......." She didn''t quite like it, but she said, "I want to hear


    it from you."


    N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    After all, James had never said that before. And it would make her happier than get arge amount


    of money.


    "I prefer to coax people with actions. How about we make love?"


    Maria was pissed off because James only thought about making love with her. "If you keep doing


    this, I''ll be angry."


    James turned over, pushed her under his body and smoothed the hair on her forehead. He said in


    an unprecedentedly gentle voice, "Call me honey first. I''ll say whatever you want to hear."


    "......." Did he want to get the advantage first? "Then call


    me honey first."


    "Honey." James called out without hesitation.


    Maria opened her mouth wide out of surprise because she didn''t expect him to be so


    straightforward.


    "Honey, don''t be angry, okay?"


    In the quiet night, James''s kiss fell between her eyebrows, and the gentle voice instantly bewitched


    Maria. Maria sighed in her heart. She couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. James promised to give her a huge


    sum of money, and he kept calling her honey. No matter how angry she was, her anger had died


    down by now.


    She pushed the James''s strong chest and said, "Well, you shoulde down from my body now. I


    forgive you for the time being."


    "I''m not satisfied with your so-called temporary forgiveness, which means that I haven''t coaxed you


    well." "But I want to sleep."


    James''s kiss gradually went down, "Go ahead."


    '''' " It was this sentence again. Every time he said this,


    she could not sleep at all.


    "James, I''m tired." She couldn''t stand staying with him for two more days. As for James, he had


    been busy all day long, but he could still have infinite energy at night. Maria couldn''t be more


    jealous about that!


    "But I''ve already been seduced by you. I''ll try my best to be quick, but it''s not a good thing to be


    fast. You have to think it over." He was not a holy being. Holding such a beauty in his arms was a


    fatal attraction to him.


    "......." Fast? What a liar!


    -

 Chapter 309 Swindler

    Chapter 309 Swindler


    Just as Maria had expected, he didn''t let her go till quitete.


    Before passing out, she said in a daze, "Are you done?"


    He was amused by her question and chuckled, "There are some things that don''t need to be done


    in one night. We have plenty of time and we can do it every night." He wouldn''t have let her go so


    easily if she wasn''t this tired already.


    Because she was too sleepy, Maria felt like her mind was dull and slow. She wasn''t even sure


    whether he was joking or not.


    The second morning, when Maria opened her eyes, James had already washed up and was


    wearing a tie in front of the mirror. She was still angry at the thought that he tortured her like that


    last night.


    With a cold face, Maria turned over and snapped at him, "Thank you, Mr. Xi. I was very satisfied


    with youst night. I would like to pay you for your excellent service. You worked so hardst night.


    Is one hundred thousand enough?"


    James had done his tie, he didn''t even raise his eyebrows at her rude question. Instead, he simply


    took out his phone and dialed a number. "Summer, let President Yu preside over the morning


    meeting today. I''ll be thereter."


    Hearing this, Maria sat up quickly and tried to rush out of the bedroom.


    She moved very fast, but he moved even faster than her. Before she could touch the doorknob, a


    long arm appeared on her waist. "Ah!" she screamed out of fear.


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    The man''s heavy breath fell on her ear, "One hundred thousand, I''m very satisfied with the offer.


    Ms. Song, pay me two hundred thousand and I will do it to you again."


    "James, what do you think of yourself?" Maria said in a trembling voice.


    "Whatever you say." He took two steps forward, and Maria was sandwiched between the man and


    the door.


    Intimidated by his overwhelming presence, she pulled a bitter smile, "I have no money now." Even if


    she did have money, she didn''t dare to give him any.


    "Well, good for you, I have money. I''m not as mean as you. Let''s do it again. Plus what happened


    last night, I can pay you fifty million. What do you say?"


    Her face instantly went feverish. Should she agree reluctantly for the sake of this huge sum of


    money? However, she felt pain all over her body. She almost died when she ran over from the bed


    just now. "Okay, okay, but," The rest of her words were sealed by a hot kiss. She curled up her ten


    fingers on the back of the door and gazed at him, "Let''s do it again. But I will pay upter."


    "What do you think?"


    He chuckled but didn''t give her the chance to answer the question. Maria''s mind was a mush now.


    She thought his idea was simply amazing.


    However, it was a pity that he only showed her the correct answer with his actions.


    In the end, Maria had to beg for mercy with a pitiful look on her face and promised to pay him back


    in double some other day that he finally reluctantly let her go.


    Maria liked to bear grudges, so he took it as a prank on her by James and kept it in mind.


    Even after she finally received fifty million from him, her heart only softened for one second. She still


    thought him as one cruel and evil bully. Sheined in her heart and secretly took the huge sum


    of money as her own.


    The next a couple of days, she had been deliberately hiding from him and always found various


    excuses not to see him.


    The two of them had been in a stalemate for a few days till James finally lost his patience.


    She behaved like a swindler of money and lust, disappearing as soon as she got the money from


    him.


    If she thought that she could hide from him, then she must be in her dreams!


    At noon, Maria was about to have lunch in thepany''s restaurant. When she stepped out of the


    door of her office, she received a call from Summer. She casually answered the phone with a smile,


    "Hey, Summer."


    However, before the person on the other end of the line could speak, a baby''s cry came from the


    phone first.


    Maria felt the noise was very familiar.


    After about ten seconds, Summer''s panicked voice sounded in the phone, "Oh, Maria, Bob is here


    in thepany. He was fine just now, but now he is crying for no reason. What should we do?"


    Summer had no experience in taking care of a baby. Looking at the crying baby, she felt helpless.


    It turned out to be Bob crying. No wonder the noise sounded familiar. Maria''s heart clenched


    because of the continuous loud crying sound. "Why is Bob here in thepany? Who brought him


    here?" "Mr. Xi brought him here early in the morning." Several assistants as well as Summer had


    been busy looking after the baby the whole morning.


    "Bob sounds really sad! Why doesn''t he look after the baby himself?"


    ncing at the man not far away from her, Summer gritted her teeth and lied, "Mr. Xi is busy now. I


    really have no choice."


    Maria felt angry, she snapped, "Let him answer the phone!"


    Summer gently shook Bob''s cradle and then trotted over to give the phone to James. "Mr. Xi, Maria


    asked you to answer the phone."


    James took over the phone unhurriedly and put it beside his ear. He then greeted her calmly,


    "What''s up?"


    Maria was utterly speechless at his attitude. He was the one who turned right into wrong and it was


    him who asked her for help. But now he made it look like as if she was the one who begged to talk


    to him! "Bob has been crying all the time. Don''t you care about him?"


    "Does his crying have anything to do with me?"


    ''What a shameless man!'' cursed Maria in her heart.


    "Then why did you bring him to thepany?"


    "Grandpa and grandma want to have some free time of their own. I have no choice."


    Maria gritted her teeth and pretended to be cruel, "He is not my child. Fine, let him cry his heart out


    then! I''m hanging up!"


    Knowing that she wouldn''tpromise easily, he didn''t worry too much about her threat and simply


    murmured, "I didn''t bring milk powder with me when I left home. I think he must be hungry now. Let


    him cry then. He is not my son anyway. If he starves to death, it will only be his parents'' fault."


    His words sessfully enraged her. As the baby kept crying, Maria couldn''t ignore him. She


    sneered at him, "James, you are so cruel!"


    "Ms. Song, I''m ttered!" If he was not ruthless, how could he won his wife''s heart? As for the baby,


    he made sure he wouldn''t cry too long.


    "If you don''t have the ability to take good care of him, then don''t take him with you next time. You


    should know better than harm the child!" Maria was so angry that she hung up the phone without


    giving him a chance to speak.


    Deeply worried about little Bob, she quickly picked up her coat and rushed to HL Group.


    James returned the phone to his assistant and grinned, "Well, thank you for looking after the baby


    today. Go to No. 8 club to rx after work. It''s a treat you deserve. I''ll pay all the fees."


    It had to be said that Maria was good at choosing allies. Summer as an assistant was indeed more


    flexible and suitable for various asions. She did a much better job than Lorenzo.


    No. 8 club, another high-end entertainment venue in H City. Dining, drinking and clubbing were all


    top-grade enjoyment to the guests.


    Summer carefully tested the temperature of the milk before she handed the bottle to Bob. Seeing


    him happily sucking onto the bottle, she gave James a relieved smile. Then she trotted over to take


    her phone back and said, "Mr. Xi, you''re very generous. This is what I should do."


    "Thank you. You are now excused."


    "But Bob is too young to be left alone," Summer cast a worried nce at the baby. "I have to watch


    him drinking the milk in case he chokes," she quickly exined. The baby was too young to hold the


    bottle for long. What if the bottle fell off his hands and hit his little toes?


    "I will pay attention to him." The little baby had just helped him. He couldn''t be ungrateful. James


    was confident that he shall take over from here.


    Hearing this, Summer was relieved and went back to her seat.


    There were only the father and the son left in the office. James helped Bob to hold the feeding


    bottle, but Bob didn''t appreciate it at all. He stared at him with his big tearful eyes, tilted his head


    and dodged his helping hand.


    Seeing this, James frowned slightly, "Come on, are you angry with me?" He stared at the cute baby


    in disbelief.


    "Plop! Plop! Plop!" The little guy simply sucked the bottle hard and did not respond at all.

 Chapter 310 Adopt Bob

    Chapter 310 Adopt Bob


    He gently poked his soft chubby cheek with his finger and teased, "Come on, I just used you as an


    excuse to see her. You are just as stingy as that woman. However, as you have temporarily taken


    my surname, I shall treat you as my own and teach you how to be generous!"


    "Plop! Plop! Plop!"


    Seeing that he paid no attention to him, James found him more and more interesting and wanted to


    tease him. With a poker face, James pretended to be serious and said solemnly, "If you stare at me


    again, I''ll take away your feeding bottle and then you will starve!"


    The baby who was drinking form milk wasn''t afraid of him at all. Instead, he took the bottle away


    from his pouted mouth and belched at him. Then he continued to suck on the bottle as if nothing


    happened.


    James was speechless.


    All of a sudden, he came up with a bizarre idea, "How about I tell Maria that I shall adopt you?"


    Anyway, he was not afraid of raising a child. In the future, he and Maria would have two more


    children and by then, Bob can y with their children.


    In this way, his grandfather didn''t have to send people looking for Bob''s parents everywhere. If


    Maria agreed to his adoption n, it would be like killing two birds with one stone.


    On her way to HL Group, the enraged Maria hade up with multiple ways of teaching James a


    hard lesson. However, before she could get mad, the scene in front of her instantly cooled her


    down.


    In front of the French window, the man stood there with the baby in his arms and they both stared at


    her at the same time with innocent eyes. The man frowned slightly and the baby looked tearful but


    obediently leaned against the man''s arm. He had supported him easily and securely with one long


    arm.


    The scene of the father and son being together was so beautiful that Maria couldn''t help but sob.


    She controlled her mood and asked in a trembling voice, "Was he crying all this time?"


    "He''s just finished crying," replied James tly. He still had the same aloof expression on his


    handsome face.


    Maria tried to calm down and challenged at him with a cold voice, "He is your son, please don''t


    bother me next time!" She said so but she still quickly went over to pick up the baby in his arms.


    "He is not my son." He was afraid that she would misunderstand him, so he denied it again.


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    When she came to pick up the baby, he immediately let go. With a slight grin on his lips, je let her


    take care of Bob naturally.


    Maria held Bob tightly to her chest and coaxed softly, "Have you sent someone to buy more milk


    powder?"


    "He has already eaten." He was concerned that she wouldn''t believe him, so he lifted his chin


    slightly to the other side of the room.


    Following his gaze, Maria saw an empty milk bottle on the table near the cradle.


    She breathed a sigh of relief, but she was afraid that he would see through her bluffing. So she


    raised her voice and asked, "Why do you call me if you have food for him?"


    "I have no experience in taking care of children. You have." "But I''m not a nanny." James walked up


    to her and stared at her pouted angry lips. Then his eyes fell on the sleepy baby in her arms, "Do


    you like him very much?"


    A hint of vignce shed through Maria''s eyes. She quickly lowered her head and mumbled,


    "Nonsense. Everyone will like such a cute child. He wants to sleep. Keep your voice down!"


    James cast a profound look on her shy face. He wasn''t speak in a loud voice in the first ce.


    Besides, why should he lower his voice just because Bob wanted to sleep? James changed his


    mind again. He didn''t want Maria to adopt the baby anymore. He was concerned that the baby


    would bother Maria all day long in the future and he would see her less often.


    Well fed and contented, Bob fell asleep soon. Maria held him tightly and didn''t want to put him into


    the cradle. She sat quietly on the sofa and let the child rest in her arms. She gazed at his rosy


    cheeks as he was sound asleep, her heart was full of happiness.


    "He''s asleep," James reminded her.


    Maria instantly red at him, "Shut up!" She could see that Bob was fast asleep.


    James'' face darkened, he was somewhat jealous of the baby.


    A few minutester, he again opened his mouth, "The baby will go to my ce tonight. You too."


    She raised her head in confusion. When she was about to ask something, he quickly exined,


    "Grandpa and grandma want to have some free time of their own. I don''t have any experience in


    taking care of children. You shoulde and take care of him."


    Maria was not pleased with his answer at all. She stared at him hard, trying to figure out his real


    agenda. "You can ask the maid to look after the baby." Several maids in the mansion were chosen


    by Augustine himself and could be very handy in this situation.


    "You know how I feel about random strangers. I don''t like others to go there."


    "Then why don''t you tell the so called strangers off when theye and clean your house?" She


    curled up her lips scornfully.


    "They went in to do the cleaning only when I was away. I will be at home tonight and I don''t want to


    see other people. You areing with me tonight." He took it for granted and his face looked


    absolutely calm and normal.


    As a matter of fact, Maria was even wondering whether he had already known that the child was


    his.


    Atst, Maria pretended to agree reluctantly, "Okay, okay, but you have to promise me one thing."


    "Shoot."


    "Bob will be sleeping with us."


    Sure enough, when James heard her request, he furrowed his eyebrows angrily, "Why?"


    Bob was just a bait he threw out to catch her attention. Now that Maria had been hooked, Bob


    should just go away.


    "No why. I''m not like you, irresponsible. Since we have decided to take care of the child, we have to


    be responsible to him to the end. He''s only several months old. How can he sleep on his own? If


    you don''t agree, I''ll take him to my ce. I''ll personally take care of him all night long if need be. I


    shall send him to grandpa tomorrow morning."


    James almost wanted to roll his eyes. Her answer was so perfect that he couldn''t find anything


    wrong with it.


    In the end, for the first time, Bob got to be back home with his parents.


    Maria and Bob took off first. James'' driver drove them home, making sure they arrived home safely.


    Things had not been easy for Maria these days. Many people were guessing whether Bob was the


    illegitimate child of her and James.


    Now that she could be left alone with her son, Maria was definitely in a good mood. She held the


    child close to her chest and walked around the vi happily. Regardless of whether he could


    understand or not, she introduced every room to him, "This is the library. See? Your father is so


    extravagant. You must be a good child who studies hard when you grow up. This is the guest room.


    If I can''t afford you in the future, I will give you to your father. The whole house will be yours."


    In fact, Maria thought her idea was not bad. If she could tell James the truth about Bob, then


    everything of James would belong to Bob eventually.


    However, on second thought, she didn''t think it was a good idea. When Bob grew up, he should be


    able to make his own decision. Maria respected Bob''s personal will whether he wanted to be with


    her or James.


    When James arrived hometer that evening, Maria was ying with the happy baby on the sofa in


    the living room. The cook was busy preparing dinner in the kitchen.


    Hearing the baby giggling in the living room, James felt a little nervous. At this moment, he finally


    realized what he had missed.


    He had missed the young and innocent Maria and of course their Arthur.


    He changed into his slippers and walked into the living room. A beautiful smiling woman came into


    view. She was casually sitting on the sofa and Bob was lying in herp. The two of them were


    holding hands, and the little fat feet of Bob randomly kicked on her belly.


    He could feel that his chest was filled with happiness. ''It is time to have a child with Maria again,'' he


    thought.


    "Bob you are such a little cutie pie. Oh, little cutie, your daddy is home!" Maria noticed the man


    standing not far from them, he had a coat hanging on his arm.


    Hearing the word daddy, James frowned and quickly said, "Maria, you know he is not my son." He


    didn''t understand why she said so to piss him off.


    "I know. I know everything." A strange look quickly shed over her face as she picked up Bob


    gently, "Come and say hello to daddy!"

 Chapter 311 James Loses Face Because Of Bob

    Chapter 311 James Loses Face Because Of Bob


    James was speechless. Only Maria dared to ignore his words.


    Bob looked at James with a smile while sucking his fingers.


    Maria put Bob in front of James and said, "don''t keep silence. Just give the child a friendly


    response."


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    A little annoyed, James poked the little guy''s face with his finger.


    Maria was speechless


    She was thinking that it was said that the son was the natural enemy of his father. Indeed, only the


    daughter could earn her father''s heart. If Bob was a girl, would he be happier?


    She held the child with one hand and pulled the man''s hand away with the other. She said in


    disgust, "have you washed your hands, before poking the baby''s face with them?"


    "Are you detesting me?"


    "Yes, children''s immune systems are weak. What if your hands carries tens of thousands germs that


    could hurt him? Go wash your hands and then hug the baby."


    James'' face darkened. "Why are you so good to this child?" She treated the child hundreds of times


    better than him.


    Maria was stunned, "am I good to him?"


    ''Why does he seem to have a problem with it?'' Who had ever seen a mother leave her son to


    grandparents every day without taking care of him?


    "Fine." He answered affirmatively.


    "Well, that''s good. Besides, it has nothing to do with you. Go wash your hands. Dinner will be ready


    soon. ¡° She urged.


    Hearing that, James pursed his lips and looked at James who didn''t move. After a moment of


    silence in the living room, he said, "I''ll go after you kiss me."


    Maria was speechless The words ''kiss me'' have be more and more frequently recently out of


    James'' mouth.


    She rolled her eyes at the man, looked at the boy and refused, "it''s not good to do this with the child


    here."


    The next moment, a big palm covered the little guy''s eyes.


    Maria was speechless.


    "Well, you can kiss me now."


    Maria stood on tiptoe and wanted to kiss the man''s face, but as soon as James moved his head,


    she kissed his lips


    With a snicker in his eyes, James held the back of her head with another big hand and deepened


    the kiss.


    Until the little boy in Maria''s arms began to move, Maria quickly got rid of the man''s control, pulled


    away the man''s big palm that covered the child''s eyes, and whispered, "all right! The child is


    protesting!"


    The corners of James'' mouth twitched. "I''m teaching him how to chase a woman."


    "What?" Maria nced at him and curled her lips.


    James was very dissatisfied with her reaction. He raised her chin with his index finger and said,


    "Yes.


    Don''t be unconvinced. You won''t be able to escape from me all your life."


    Maria smiled. She found this man''s words very funny. "If you say that you can make tens of billions


    of dors a minute, I believe you. But, if you say that you are good at chasing women, I''llugh at


    you! That''s too funny. I don''t want to listen to you bragging. Go wash your hands!"


    James was speechless He was angry, "Okay! Wait for me."


    He would soon make her be willing to remarry him.


    "I''ll wait!" Maria made him awkward so she was in a good mood.


    Before James left, he pinched the little cheeks of Bob. He could not bully an adult like Maria, but he


    could pick up at this small child.


    Looking at the little boy who was full of grievance, Maria pped on James'' arm without hesitation.


    "Get out of here!"


    " " He thought that this woman really needed to be


    taught a lesson.


    At dinner time, Bob was lying in the cradle. Maria put the cradle beside her to prevent the child from


    leaving her sight.


    Sitting opposite to her, James was a little unhappy to see this scene. Her attention was all on the


    child.


    "I want some soup.¡± His attitude was not patient.


    "Go and drink it by yourself." The soup was put there.


    "Get me a bowl of soup."


    Maria red at him, "you don''t have hands? Do it yourself!" Maria remembered that he had asked


    the servant to leave. Why didn''t he fill his own bowl?


    James put down his chopsticks and said, "then I won''t drink the soup anymore." Then he stood up.


    Maria was confused? Was it her illusion? Why did he be so immature? "Where are you


    going?¡±


    "Send Bob away!¡± Only when the child left would Maria''s eyes be full of him.


    "Didn''t we make a deal that the child wouldn''t leave until tomorrow?" She held his hand to stop him,


    and asked anxiously.


    "He is here. I can''t eat well."


    ¡±.." Maria resisted the impulse to p James, "you just want me todle soup for you, don''t you?"


    "Yes." He didn''t deny but held her hand.


    Maria pulled out her hand. In order to let the child enjoy his father''s love, she endured it! She took


    the bowl from his hand and filled it with soup, ready to let him feed himself to death!


    James whistled at the little guy with a sense ofcency and then sat down in front of him with


    satisfaction.


    He didn''t know that Maria looked at his back as if she was looking at a lunatic. She was guessing


    whether this man had taken the wrong medicine or had a cramp in his brain today. Should she call a


    psychiatrist for him?


    During the whole dinner, James looked for trouble three times, on purpose.


    He asked Maria todle soup for him, asked Maria to feed him, and then asked Maria to promise


    him to cook dinner for him.


    For the sake of Bob, Maria held back her anger.


    After dinner, James took the baby from the woman''s arms and said, "go upstairs and take a


    shower."


    "Hand Bob to me." The child was not heavy now, so she could carry him upstairs.


    But the man didn''t give her a chance to refuse. "Save your strength. You will have many chances to


    hold your son in the future. Don''t care too much as this boy is not your own son."


    yes! James thought Maria was so good to Bob that he had the illusion that Bob was her son.


    Maria rolled her eyes at him and said, "then be careful. You seldom hold a child."


    This time, he didn''t say anything, because he seldom held a baby. He had not even held Arthur.


    If time coulde back, he would take good care of Maria and Arthur.


    At the door of the bedroom, the man stopped and stared at the little guy who was licking his own


    fingers in his arms in a daze.


    Maria walked up to him and asked, "what''s wrong?"


    James kept silent. He was wondering whether he should take the child into his bedroom. No one


    hade into his bedroom, except for Maria, and the servants who were responsible for cleaning.


    What if the child suddenly had a bowel movement in his bedroom once he let the child in?


    Thinking of this, the man turned around and said, "you have a rest first."


    Maria stood in front of him and asked, "where are you going with Bob?"


    "Send him back to Grandpa''s house."


    "Why?" She felt that there was really something wrong with his nerves.


    "What if he shits on our bed?" He couldn''t stand it.


    Maria touched her forehead speechlessly, "there is a diaper, isn''t there?"


    "No."


    "Then I''ll leave too." Maria couldn''t stand it anymore! Then she tried to take the baby back from his


    arms.


    Hearing that she was about to leave, James held her waist at once and said, "I''ll put up with it for a


    while." Not wanting Maria to leave, James agreed helplessly.


    Maria warned him coldly, "if you continue to act like this, I won''t stay here for even a second."


    " " Maria called him an insane man today because of


    Bob. How could an adult like James bear it? He swore to himself that he would take revenge on


    Bob when Bob fell asleep.

 Chapter 312 Bathe Bob

    Chapter 312 Bathe Bob


    In the bedroom, looking at Bob kicking on the bed, James said, ''Til ask someone to prepare milk for


    him."


    "He is not hungry." When they were having dinner just now, John had just prepared milk for Bob.


    James rested his hands on his hips. "How can I let him fall asleep quickly?"


    Maria sat on the edge of the bed and nced at him. "Why do you want to let him sleep quickly?"


    "Nothing. I''m going to take a shower."


    "Wait!"


    He turned around.


    Maria picked up the baby and said, "let''s bathe him first.


    "What do you mean?" He had never bathed a child, not even bathed Arthur.


    "Then you go to take a shower. I''ll bathe him alone." Maria was a little angry. She was so


    disappointed in him. She thought even if Bob was not his own child, he shouldn''t be so indifferent.


    However, she forgot that he was not only indifferent by nature, but also arrogant and looked down


    upon everything. Under normal circumstances, how could he be willing to serve someone unrted


    to him?


    Seeing Maria walking out of the bedroom with the baby in her arms, he felt a headache and called


    her, "Maria."


    But Maria ignored him.


    James was speechless He didn''t say that he refused.


    He called John and asked him to bring a set of baby bath products, and then went after Maria.


    When he pushed open the door of a bedroom, Maria had just put Bob on the bed and was about to


    take off his clothes.


    Every room was equipped with heating, so Maria was not afraid that the child would catch a cold.


    She was in a dilemma. Should she put Bob in the middle of the big bed and then prepare the bath


    water for the child, or should she ask John to do the job for her? In less than ten seconds, she


    made a decision. She called John and asked him to prepare bath water for the child.


    The moment she picked up the phone, the bedroom door was pushed open and James walked in.


    He picked up the little baby on the bed and looked at her. "Don''t be like this when we are in such a


    situation next time. Have I just told you clearly that I wouldn''t help you bathe this ''fish''?"


    "? ? ?" She understood thest sentence. But, what did the first sentence mean?


    Maria thought for a while and thought, ''Oh, he must be talking about Kent!''


    She quickly caught up with him and said, "Bob is not called Fish. Don''t call him like that anymore!" If


    he had the ability, he''d better give birth to a fish himself!


    Ignoring her, he took the baby into his arms.


    Maria was speechless But he didn''t agree to bathe Bob just now! Did he?


    When John brought the baby products, Maria was standing beside the bathtub. She nervously


    watched James put the child into the water. "Are you sure you can do it alone? Let me help you!"


    After all, she had the experience of bathing Arthur. He really didn''t have any experience at all.


    James said without turning his head, "No one knows whether I can do it or not, except you."


    "..¡± To Maria, it sounded weird.


    As soon as Bob touched the water, he became energetic. Bob waved his hands in the water, and


    James couldn''t put him in the bathtub at all.


    In the end, the couple could only struggle to bathe the child in the bathtub.


    "If Bobes here again next time, you can go to the baby bathhouse to take a shower for him in


    advance. We are not professional at all." Maria hurriedly took a bath towel and wrapped the wet


    baby in James'' arms.


    In order to help the baby take a shower, his clothes were almost wet.


    She held the baby in her arms and breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, I''ll take care of the rest. You go to


    take a shower."


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    "Can you?"


    "Well, put him on the bed and he will behave himself." The baby was too young to roll over by


    himself. Even so, the bed was big enough. It was sure the baby would stay safe on it.


    "Okay." It was indeed ufortable to put the wet clothes on his body. Without saying anything


    else, he turned around and went into the bathroom to take a shower.


    Maria applied body cream all over Bob''s body on the bed. Before she finished, he closed his eyes.


    When James came out of the bathroom, Bob had already fallen asleep.


    He held Maria who was half lying on the bed and staring at the baby, and asked softly, "Is he


    asleep?"


    "Yes."


    "Go to take a shower."


    "Okay. Keep an eye on him."


    James nodded and Maria went into the bathroom.


    Afraid that he had no experience in taking care of the child, Maria took a quick shower and came


    out.


    In the bedroom, James leaned against the bed, staring at the iPad. Beside himy a sweet sleeping


    baby.


    Maria saw the scene and she liked this kind of scene very much. She felt cozy.


    When he saw here out, he put down the iPad and took Bob back to the cradle decisively.


    Maria tried to stop him, but it was toote. "Bob can''t sleep in the cradle alone."


    James replied calmly, "I know. He is just sleeping inside for the time being."


    "Why?"


    James held her in his arms, lowered his head and kissed her lips. "Because I''m afraid you''ll wake


    him upter."


    " " Maria didn''t want to have sex tonight while Bob


    was around. She covered his lips and looked at him seriously. "I don''t want it."


    Noticing the seriousness in her eyes, he said, "Give me a reason." "The baby is here."


    "I''ll restrain myself."


    "No, I can''t do that. I can meet your needs anytime. But I don''t want now because the child is with


    us." She expressed her thoughts clearly.


    Without saying anything, he lowered his head and kept kissing her.


    Maria was speechless Couldn''t he respect her opinion?


    Just when she thought the man would take the next move, James let go of her lips and said, "Lie


    down. I''ll take him here out of the cradle."


    "You..." Didn''t he want to have sex just now? She could feel it.


    James raised his eyebrows and asked yfully, "what''s wrong? You regret?" If she changed her


    mind, he would be d.


    She shook her head and said, "I''m going to sleep."


    James turned around with a smile.


    When he saw the sleeping little guy, he couldn''t smile anymore. It was all because of him that he


    couldn''t enjoy sex tonight.


    Bob slept on one side of the bed. Maria was afraid that James'' heavy body would press the baby,


    so she slept in the middle.


    In order to leave enough space for the baby, she had to keep herself close to him. In this way, 2/3


    area of the bed was upied by the baby.


    Fortunately, the bed was big enough for the two of them to turn over.


    It was impossible to sleep sound all night with a baby around.


    At three o''clock in the morning, the child woke up. James was the first one to be woken up. He


    turned on the bedsidemp and pinched his forehead.


    Maria was still asleep. In order not to let the child disturb the woman, he quickly stood up and


    picked up the baby.


    "Shh!" He made a gesture to Bob, but the child didn''t look at him and kept groaning with his eyes


    closed.


    Then he acted as a father, holding the baby with one hand and pouring the warm water into the milk


    powder with the other hand.


    -

 Chapter 313 Calm Down And Lie

    Chapter 313 Calm Down And Lie


    He felt a little embarrassed when he noticed the baby''s diaper seemed heavy. When he left the


    mansion, Tami had specifically taught him when to change the diaper.


    He only hesitated for a few seconds before he made the decision of changing the diaper himself,


    instead of waking up Maria.


    Once Bob finished his bottle, he gentlyy the baby in the centre of the cradle and helped him


    remove the heavy diaper.


    Sure enough, his diaper was on the brim of leaking.


    James took a clean diaper in his hand and carefully studied its use.


    Fortunately, he soon figured out how to tape the diaper. James was d that he had paid attention


    earlier on when Maria put the diaper on Bob. It was not a difficult task for him at all now he had to


    do it all by himself.


    It was already half an hourter, when he finally changed the baby''s diaper and clothes.


    James put the smiling baby back to Maria''s side and stretched his arms to rx his sore muscle.


    For him, it was more difficult to take care of the child than to talk about a deal worth hundreds of


    millions.


    The three of them stayed silent for the whole night, and thanks to James''s consideration, Maria


    didn''t wake up until dawn.


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    When she woke up early in the morning, Maria immediately regained her consciousness and


    thought of Bob.


    Her beloved child.


    She suddenly opened her eyes.


    Panicked and worried, she looked around and found that she was the only one lying on the bed.


    The father and the son had both disappeared.


    As for when they disappeared, she had absolutely no clue.


    Maria patted her head in distress. Why did she sleep so soundlyst night?


    Deeply worried about her baby, she didn''t have time to wash her face or brush her teeth. She put on


    her pyjamas in a hurry, took her phone and dialed James'' number. As soon as the line was


    connected, she shouted, "Where is the baby?"


    After a short pause, James replied unpleasantly, "Hold on now, shouldn''t you ask me where I am?"


    He didn''t understand why she always put Bob first.


    Maria pressed her lips into a thin line. She found his question ridiculous. "So where are you?"


    "We are having breakfast."


    "Oh, you know how to make form milk for Bob?" She breathed a sigh of relief and went to the


    bathroom.


    James looked at the little guy who kept sucking on the bottle greedily and replied casually, "John


    made it."


    "Alright. I will be with you shortly."


    "No need. You can sleep a little longer."


    "No. It''s time for me to go to thepany anyway." She still had some work to finish.


    "Sure," he nodded.


    When Maria went downstairs, the father and the son had already finished their breakfast.


    She asked him curiously, "Did he wake upst night?"


    "No." In order not to let her know what he had done to the baby, he calmed down deliberately and


    lied to her face.


    "No wonder I didn''t wake up." It turned out that Bob didn''t make any noisest night, so she had a


    good uninterrupted sleep.


    "Who changed his clothes then?"


    James seemed to be a little impatient with all her questions, he quickly said, "You have too many


    questions. The breakfast is getting cold."


    She cast a nce in his direction and shut up. Apparently he didn''t like her being this inquisitive.


    Maria pouted her ruby lips and went straight into the kitchen.


    James then looked at the little guy beside him and chuckled, "You are so lucky to have my personal


    service. I never dressed my own son, you know? You havee to the right ce. My grandfather


    happened to find you and brought you here."


    As if he could understand his words, Bob drooled as he opened his mouth and gave him a


    wonderful smile.


    Staring at his watery mouth, James was lost at words. He couldn''t deny he was one cute little


    bubble.


    After breakfast, James drove Maria and Bob to the mansion and left Bob there.


    The two of them had been very busy recently. Looking after a helpless baby for one day was okay,


    but two days were impossible.


    After settling down the baby, Maria headed straight to thepany in the car of James.


    Before getting off the car, James deliberately locked the door. When Maria asked him to open the


    door, he grinned, "I didn''t have fun with youst night because of the baby. Compensate me


    tonight."


    "Not tonight. I have to attend a banquet." It should be veryte when she came back home.


    A banquet? James nced at her and asked, "Held by Mr. Huang?"


    She was slightly stunned at his first guess, "How do you know?"


    He didn''t answer. The fact was he was also invited.


    However, he was really curious when did Maria and Mr. Huang know each other? Why did Mr.


    Huang invite her also?


    "Are you going to attend the banquet tonight?" She stared at his face, eager to know his agenda.


    James nodded, "Yes. Mind you, Lawrence and Ethan will be there tonight."


    "Really? Lawrence hase back?"


    James sneered, "Wasn''t he once your lover? What? He didn''t inform you his whereabouts?"


    Maria was offended by his tone, she snapped, "I want to get off the car." He had already known it


    was a lie, but he still used it to tease her from time to time.


    "Give me a kiss."


    She turned her head away at his absurd request. She had enough of his jokes.


    "Think it over. I''m not in a hurry." He really didn''t seem to be in a hurry. Despite her shock, he


    casually turned off the engine, leaned against the back of the seat and waited with all the patience


    in the world.


    Maria raised her hand and asked with a fake smile,


    "James, do you think my hand looks good?"


    He held it and looked at it carefully, "Yes, it''s beautiful."


    "Since it''s beautiful, can I leave its mark on your face?"


    "Is it difficult for you to kiss me?" Ignoring her empty threat, James raised his voice and asked


    earnestly.


    Maria was speechless. Should she kiss him? Her mind was quite mushy at the moment. Why was it


    so difficult for her to kiss him? Finally she gave it and leaned forward. She pouted her lips and was


    about to kiss him on the cheek.


    Just likest night, before she could kiss his cheek briefly, he suddenly turned around and kissed


    her exactly on the lips.


    Without giving her the chance to retreat, he held the back of her head affectionately and gave her a


    passionate French kiss.


    This was his so-called kiss.


    Mr. Huang''s birthday party was held on one fancy cruise ship. Because of his renowned reputation,


    there were many important guests showing up at the banquet.


    In fact, Maria wasn''t invited. She was just a plus one. It was Norman who asked her to attend the


    party as his femalepanion.


    It was not necessary to bring a femalepanion to the birthday party. In fact, James and his


    brothers didn''t bring any dates to the venue, they all showed up on their own.


    Norman only showed up briefly. Once he took Maria in, he quickly left even before the ship sailed


    out.


    So when James arrived at the venue, he spotted Maria immediately across the room. She was in a


    ck evening dress, chatting vividly with several men around her. She had a ss of wine in her


    hand and her smile was dangerously attractive.


    The moment James showed up, he caused a stir among the crowds, just like when Maria and


    Norman showed up not long ago.


    With a stone cold face, James stared at the graceful woman who was surrounded by a bunch of


    flirting men. Instead of rushing over, he was waiting for her toe to him.


    However, he was left to be disappointed this evening.


    When Maria first arrive at the venue, she bumped into Joslyn.


    For many days straight, Joslyn had been avoiding her on any asions, leaving her no chance to


    avenge Sandra.


    However, as soon as James and his brothers showed up, Maria noticed that Joslyn was staring at


    one of them admiringly.


    When she was about to move away, she heard someone whispering, "It''s not a secret that Mr.


    Zheng''s daughter has a crush on Mr. Lu. Just look at her. She is so anxious to talk to Mr. Lu now."


    Another voice eximed, "Aha, I heard the gossip too. It turns out to be true!"


    Maria curled her lips and thought to herself, ''How interesting. Joslyn fancies Lawrence?'' She soon


    came up with a n.


    Without any dy, she put her wine ss aside, lifted the hemline of her evening dress and


    elegantly walked up to a man.


    Ethan elbowed his mate and teased, "James, here is your sassy girl. She must be looking for you."


    Taking a casual nce at the woman who was getting closer and closer, James replied calmly,


    "Good."


    He felt slightly relieved that she finally decided toe over and talk to him.


    Unexpectedly, she walked crossed the room and stopped in front of Lawrence.


    James'' eyes immediately darkened, he sneered, "Maria!"


    Maria heard him and knew he was mad, but she had something more important to deal with now.


    -

 Chapter 314 I Want To Make Him A Cup Of Warm Cephalosporin

    Chapter 314 I Want To Make Him A Cup Of Warm Cephalosporin


    Then, many people saw Maria stretching out her hand to Lawrence with an enchanting smile, "Mr.


    Lu, can I invite you to dance?"


    James was speechless He almost crumbed the wine ss in his hand.


    Ethan, "..." He wanted to take back what he had said just now. Why had he told James that Maria


    woulde here?


    After casting a nce at James, who seemed to have no reaction, and then at Maria, Lawrence


    held her hand with a faint smile and said, "it''s my honor!"


    A man and a woman slid gracefully into the dancing floor, attracting many people''s attention.


    Standing aside, Joslyn stared at the man and woman in the dancing floor, feeling very sad.


    Why wasn''t she dancing with Lawrence? But the mistress, Maria?


    Since Maria had already been James'' woman, why did she still seduce Lawrence? What a bad


    woman!


    Ethanforted, "It doesn''t matter, James. You still have me. Come on, let''s have a drink."


    Without saying a word, James clinked his ss with Ethan''s. Then he went to chat with others who


    came to propose a toast to him.


    In the dancing floor, Lawrence didn''t look at Maria and asked, "are you using me again?"


    "Well, Joslyn likes you."


    "Who?" He didn''t know her.


    "She is Mr. Zheng''s daughter. But you can''t ept her love. She is not a good person."


    "That''s all? But have you ever thought about how I exin it to Jamester?"


    "There''s nothing to exin. He broke off the engagement with Alina. If Mr. Nan hadn''t told me, he


    would hide the truth from me!" Maria was so mad, she would want to take revenge on James.


    "Well, maybe James wants to give you a surprise."


    Maria sneered, "surprise? I don''t think so."


    Meagan was forced toe to the party tonight. Before, her grandpa gave her an invitation which


    she didn''t know about.


    She had never attended such a banquet, but her grandfather said she had to attend it this time.


    However, she didn''t know Mr. Huang at all, let alone anyone present Oh, she saw someone she


    knew.


    The man and woman on the dance floor were so eyecatching that almost half of the people present


    were attracted.


    She felt that Maria was more and more beautiful. Maria was a perfect match for both the man


    dancing with her and the cold and domineering CEO.


    After the dance, the audience apuded. Meagan looked away and found an inconspicuous corner


    to stay.


    As soon as Lawrence finished the dance and came out of the dance floor, he was pulled by Ethan.


    Ethan asked in a low voice, "Lawrence, did you fall in love with Maria just now?"


    Lawrence smiled, and didn''t deny it, but he didn''t say anything. After all, opposite sexes attract each


    other.


    "If you dare to betray James, I''ll beat you to death with all my might," Ethan added.


    "Don''t worry. It''s impossible for me and Maria to be together!" Lawrence sighed. He might


    appreciate Maria, but that was not love.


    "Oh, it''s good that you know it. If you dare to let James know that you have a crush on Maria, your


    brotherhood will really be over." As far as Ethan knew, James had a terrible possessive desire for


    Maria.


    Of course, Maria also had a possessive desire for James. Although she didn''t speak out, he had a


    pair of sharp eyes which could see that.


    Taking the ss of champagne from Ethan, Lawrence said slowly, "I know which is more important,


    between women and brotherhood. James is my brother who has risked his life with me."


    He would never give up their brotherhood for a woman.


    "Good buddy!" Ethan patted him on the shoulder.


    "But, if you have a woman you like and I like her too, then let''spete fairly!"


    Ethan, "..." He frowned and said, "although we haven''t been through thick and thin together, we are


    brothers and we can''t y with each other''s wife. Why don''t you understand these principles?"


    "I''ll take you to the battlefield?"


    "Forget it. I think it''s good and enough to do my job well.¡± He was a coward and cherished his life.


    He didn''t want to deal with weapons all day long.


    The two teased each other.


    On the other side, Maria didn''t notice Meagan. When she went to answer the phone, she happened


    to see Meagan eating cake in the food section.


    She hung up the phone and greeted her, "Miss Su."


    Meagan turned around and saw her, "Hello!"


    "Are you here alone?"


    "Yes." Meagan nodded with a smile, "Miss Song... Can I call you Maria? You can call me Meagan."


    "Sure." She had saved her life. How could Maria refuse such a small request?


    "Maria. Well, what a good name." Meagan sighed.


    Maria smiled, "your name is also very lovely." Meagan was as lovely as her name.


    "I have an old name. When I was a child, my grandfather thought it was troublesome to register, so


    he changed it," said Meagan with an embarrassed smile. "From now on, I am called this name."


    "Well, that''s good." Maria felt that Meagan and Sandra were somewhat simr. Maybe it was


    because they were about the same age!


    "By the way, I just saw Mr. Xi drink a lot of wine. You can make a cup of honey water for him to


    promote the alcohol disintegration, or bring him a cup of milk for stomach protection, or hot water,


    which can help him to expel the alcohol from his body. After all, men sometimes need to be taken


    care of."


    Maria first sighed at the girl''s thoughtfulness. She looked around the crowd and soon saw the man


    who was talking with a female star. She didn''t know whether he was drunk or not, but she could tell


    that he seemed to be in a good mood.


    Maria said with a false smile, "I want to make him a cup of warm... cephalosporin."


    Meagan,"..." Did she misunderstand Maria? It was well known that if the medicine was taken


    together with alcohol, it would cause shock. If Maria was Mr. Xi''s woman, how could she want to


    hurt him? Was she Mr. Lu''s woman?


    Out of the corner of Maria''s eye, she saw the figure of Lawrence. She immediately stopped the


    man, "Mr. Lu!"


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Hearing it was Maria, Lawrence walked towards her.


    It was not until then that he found that Meagan was also there. He nodded at her as a greeting, and


    then looked at Maria, "what''s wrong?"


    With a smile in her eyes, Maria said, "Meagan, this is the famous man in H City, Lawrence Lu. Mr.


    Lu, this is Meagan. You have seen her before. I don''t want to talk nonsense. You are both single.


    Why don''t you try to make friends?"


    Lawrence,".."


    Meagan,"..."


    At the same time, they were thinking about the reason to refuse. When Meagan was about to wave


    her hand, an old voice behind them said, "Maria is right. Grandson, Meagan is the blind date I


    introduced to youst time."


    Lawrence,".." Why did grandmae here?


    Meagan, "..." The two looked at each other with different expressions on their faces.


    The sudden appearance of Elizabeth surprised all three people present.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 315 Making A Match

    Chapter 315 Making A Match


    Meagan took a step ahead and said, "Mrs. Lu, you are here too?"


    "Yes." She had arranged this meeting for Meagan and her grandson, because she knew her


    grandson was here.


    Maria chuckled, "Mrs. Lu, it seems that we have the same thought. I also think Mr. Lu and Meagan


    are suitable."


    When Meagan was about to say something, Maria held her hand and said, "Meagan, don''t worry. I


    know what you are thinking. Mr. Lu is so handsome. How can a girl not be tempted?"


    Meagan was not tempted at all. Oh, No. maybe she was tempted, but that was far from love.


    "Grandma, don''t make blind and disorderly match. Just let her find a normal person to date, instead


    of wasting her youth on me."


    "Why do you have to think that way?" Elizabeth disagreed, "my grandson is so excellent. I believe


    you can also give Meagan a happy family."


    Hearing this, Lawrence didn''t say anything more, because he knew it was useless. He believed that


    Meagan didn''t want to marry him. Let her persuade grandma!


    Sure enough, Meagan said softly, "Mrs. Lu, I''m d that you like me so much. Mr. Lu is indeed


    excellent. I think. .. As long as Mr. Lu agrees, I can have a try."


    Elizabeth smiled happily. Now that Meagan had agreed, it would be easy for her grandson!


    ''what is that woman talking about?'' Lawrence wondered? He looked at the woman with a fake


    smile. "Do you know how often Ie back to H City?"


    Meagan shook her head. In fact, she knew the answer.


    What he didn''t know was that she didn''t mind it at all. Meagan was shy. She always liked to be


    alone and quiet. If a woman had to get married all her life, it would be great if she could marry


    Lawrence.


    Lawrence barely had time toe home. It was exactly what she wanted.


    When she was alone at home, she could do whatever she wanted to do, just like when she was


    single. And just as Mrs. Lu said just now, everyone knew how excellent Lawrence was.


    A widowed marriage was also her inner desire.


    While Meagan was thinking about it in her mind, Lawrence found her very funny. "Ie back


    almost once a year, and asionally not once every few years.


    Hearing this, Meagan was so happy that she almost jumped up. He''d bettere back once a few


    years, in her thoughts, but she couldn''t show it too obviously. "It''s a pity, but I think it''s good to have


    a lot of time to apany Mrs. Lu and my grandfather."


    Lawrence was speechless


    Elizabeth was happy from the bottom of her heart. She patted Meagan''s hand and said, "I have the


    final say in Lu family now. It''s settled. Lawrence, you go to the Su family with me to propose a


    marriage in the next two days."


    Propose?! Meagan didn''t expect it to happen so soon. She opened her eyes wide and was about to


    say something, but Elizabeth didn''t give her the chance.


    "Meagan, let''s go to discuss. If you have any requirements for the engagement, I will let you off!"


    "Grandma, are you a little anxious?"


    "Yes, I''m in a hurry to see you get married!" Elizabeth made no secret of her thoughts.


    Elizabeth took Meagan to the other side, while Lawrence was left alone.


    Mariaughed, "Mr. Lu, Congrattions!"


    "Where did that womane from? Do you know her background?"


    "I don''t know. But she saved me and is about your age. I think you two are a good match. I didn''t


    expect that you two are more destined than I thought. She is the blind date that Mrs. Lu introduced


    to you. " Maria sighed, "If she doesn''t mind you not staying at home every day, don''t you think she is


    so kind?"


    "Even though she is okay with my absence of home, that doesn''t mean she is kind." The logic of


    women''s thinking was very funny.


    Maria nodded, "of course. You probably don''t know that many womenck a sense of security. You


    see, if she married you, you can''t stay with her when she needs you; you can''t take care of her


    when she is sick Why doesn''t she stay single? "


    Hearing this, Maria felt that introducing Meagan to Lawrence, was like pushing Meagan into fire.


    "So, you mean I don''t deserve to get married?"


    "No, I didn''t, when you get married in the future, remember to go home often and pay attention to


    her. Shift your attention from your career to your family." Maria pretended to be considerate.


    "It seems that I have to get married? And I have to marry that Meagan?"


    "Do you have a girl you like?"All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    "Why I need?" He had no time to waste on girls.


    Maria shook her head helplessly, "never mind. Don''t hurt Meagan if you don''t like girls. Just stay in


    your own business. I think you should find a male partner."


    "Maria." Lawrence interrupted her.


    "I think Ethan is a good man. Hecks a sense of security. You can just give him."


    Lawrence suddenly grabbed her arm and walked fast.


    He walked so fast that Maria had to trot to keep up with him. She asked in a low voice, "where are


    you taking me?"


    Lawrence said without looking back, "find someone to handle you."


    "All right, all right. I won''t make fun of you anymore. I have something else to do. Take Mrs. Lu away


    quickly. You can''t get off here when the shipunches."


    After a few steps, Lawrence pushed her into a strong arms. The next moment, a powerful long arm


    appeared around her waist.


    Maria was speechless


    "Keep an eye on your woman. She takes care of too much that is not her business." He was afraid


    that Maria and his grandmother would talk for a while longer, and he would marry Meagan


    tomorrow.


    Maria unhurriedly stood firm while she fell in James'' arms, curled his lips and said to Lawrence,


    "Waste my good intention."


    James let go of the woman and nced at Lawrence. "I don''t think she''s making a wrong match. I''ll


    ask Mrs. Lu to have a cup of coffee tomorrow and talk about your marriage. I think she must have a


    lot of opinions inmon with me, when ites to your engagement with Meagan."


    Lawrence,".." How could he forget that this guy was vindictive? Last year, he and Maria pretended


    to deceive him. James must want him to get married as soon as possible and stay away from his


    wife.


    Maria didn''t continue the topic. She raised James¡¯ wrist, took a look at the time, and said seriously,


    "take Mrs. Lu and Meagan off the boat!"


    "Tell me why," said Lawrence, confused


    Maria took a sip of wine and said indifferently, "because... There is a ckout on the ship soon."


    It was less than five minutes before the ship started. Lawrence walked quickly towards the lounge.


    -

 Chapter 316 My Woman

    Chapter 316 My Woman


    When Lawrence pushed open the door of a lounge, he saw his grandma was talking andughing


    with Meagan. "After you get married, you should have a child first and leave the child to me. You


    can do whatever you want to do with Lawrence. I won''t interfere..."


    As soon as Lawrence came in, he heard this. He looked at Meagan who was slightly stunned and


    said seriously, "I''ll ask someone to send you back."


    Looking at his expression, Elizabeth knew that something was going to happen. She stood up


    without saying anything and asked, "aren''t you leaving?"


    "I''m not leaving now. The boat will sailter." Then Lawrence and Meagan helped Elizabeth out of


    the lounge.


    At the ce where they boarded the ship, others all got on the ship, but only Elizabeth wanted to


    get off the ship. The person in charge asked casually, "Mr. Lu, Madam is going back right now?"


    "Well, grandma is getting old. She gets carsickness and can''t sit still. Let her go back first," replied


    Lawrence quietly.


    "Okay, slow down."


    "Okay, okay. My chest is stuffy. Meagan, help me up."


    Meagan replied in a low voice, "grandma, slow down. Come this way."


    In the dim light, Lawrence took a look at the girl, who was helping his grandma get off the boat


    unhurriedly.


    For a moment, he felt that the calm girl at the moment seemed to be charming.


    Elizabeth and Meagan got on the car together. In the darkness, Meagan looked back at the tall


    figure at the boarding gate. He looked east with his back to the light. A vague outline made her


    heart tremble slightly


    At eight o''clock, the cruise ship started on time, carrying hundreds of people slowly towards the


    center of the sea.


    In the cabin, Maria went to the bathroom. When she came back, the birthday party had already


    begun.


    Mr. Huang was about more than 50 years old, wearing a ck tunic suit. Six bodyguards stood


    around him, and two maids pushed a man-tall cake in front of him.


    Laughter and cheers came from the cabin. Maria drank the wine in her ss and looked around.


    Ethan wasughing with a beautiful woman, while James was talking about work with Mr. Du, and


    Joslyn, who had been ring at her.


    It was not a good thing to be stared at. At this time, a man came over and osted her. Maria


    smiled and chatted with him.


    The birthday party was still continuing. The cake was cut by the staff and ced in the dessert area.


    Maria didn''t bring her phone with her and asked the man about the time. It was half past eight in two


    minutes.


    She smiled, "I''m sorry. I''m a little hungry. You should go with your own stuff. I''m going to eat


    something.1''


    "Okay, Ms. Song."


    Maria didn''t go to the dessert area. She walked to a secret corner. On the way, she was called by


    someone to greet new people, which took up some time.


    She walked forward step by step. Looking at the night outside, she counted three numbers in her


    mind, three, two, one...


    "Crack!" The lights in the cabin suddenly went out, and the scene was in an uproar.


    A figure shuttled through the crowd, found a suitable angle and stopped.


    James had been paying attention to Maria all the time. After the power was cut off, his first reaction


    was to walk towards where she had been.


    However, he saw Maria just a few steps away.


    He could see her every move clearly. Her dress was swinging, and one of her feet was ced on


    the chair next to her. From the bottom of her dress, she took out a weapon, aimed at the man


    protected by the bodyguard on the stage, and gradually went down¡ª


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Before everyone could react, the weapon rang four times in a row.


    "Protect Mr. Huang!"


    All of a sudden, the scene was in chaos. There were screams and everyone ran around with their


    heads crossed by their hands.


    In the darkness, only Lawrence and James stood still and watched the woman finish all these


    actions. Then she quickly put away her weapon and put it back to where it was.


    Then, the light was on.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    On the stage, Mr. Huang had fallen into a pool of blood, and his legs had been hit four times. His


    face was pale and he ordered painfully, "check it out for me!"


    He felt, his legs would be broken forever... He must kill the person!


    Mr. Huang was rescued by the doctors in the cabin. The cruise ship had already started to go back,


    and more than a dozen bodyguards of Mr. Huang began to take action.


    Four or five bodyguards frisked everyone, and the other bodyguards looked for weapons


    everywhere.


    James, Lawrence and Ethan were honorable guests, so bodyguards didn''t dare to frisk them.


    Soon it was Maria''s turn. Maria smiled at the bodyguard in front of her and said, "I''m wearing a thin


    evening dress. Where can I hide it? If you insist on having an examination, I''ll take it as you want to


    take advantage of me!"


    Some women present refused like Maria. After all, there were many girls present, and some like


    Maria who refused, but Maria tried to avoid the search.


    Joslyn was one of them, but Mr. Huang and Mr. Zheng were always good friends, so Joslyn could


    avoid being frisked. Joslyn saw that Maria also wanted to avoid, as if she had found an opportunity


    to revenge on Maria.


    Joslyn stepped forward and stared at the swaying woman viciously. "Ms. Song, there are many


    ces where you can hide weapons. I''m a woman. I''ll search you for them!"


    The smile on Maria''s face didn''t change. "Okay, okay. But I''m afraid that you will cover me up!" In


    fact, she was thinking, ''it has nothing to do with you. Mind your own business! Don''t get yourself into


    trouble!''


    As a young and impulsive man, Ethan couldn''t wait to help Maria, but he was stopped by James


    when he lifted his foot. James whispered, "your help may add more trouble."


    Maria had dealt with them for a while. Although James knew that she needed help more and more,


    she didn''t seem to ask him for help...


    Just as the bodyguard was about to touch her waist, Maria took a step back and kicked away the


    bodyguard in front of her. She shouted harshly, "You dare!"


    At this time, another man came. He was tall and murderous. Maria knew him. He was the younger


    brother of Mr. Huang.


    Mr. Huang''s younger brother stared at Maria coldly, "let me frisk you!"


    Maria was a little shocked. Norman didn''t inform her that Mr. Huang''s brother was here! Maria took


    a deep breath but still stayedposed. She asked, "Mr. Huang, is it appropriate?"


    "Yes!" The man answered in a hard voice. Then he reached out his hand and was about to frisk her


    himself.


    When Maria was about to dodge, a long arm held her slender waist from behind and took her into


    his arms. He said in public, "Maria is my woman. I brought her here. She is just a weak woman. You


    don''t need to search her."


    Both Ethan and Lawrence were speechless. A weak woman? Who had ever seen a weak woman


    fighting against ten alone?


    When the man saw James, who was standing next to Maria, he hesitated, "Mr. Xi, I..."


    Hearing that, James'' eyes turned cold. "What''s wrong? Mr. Huang, you don''t want to give me face?


    "


    "Of course I want! But..."


    "Since you want, I won''t interfere with your search. I''ll take this woman away!" He held Maria in his


    arms, and was about to leave.


    Mr. Huang''s younger brother said again, "Mr. Xi..."

 Chapter 317 Please Have A Seat

    Chapter 317 Please Have A Seat


    James was obviously displeased. "Isn''t it enough for me to guarantee her innocence?"


    "It is," Mr. Huang''s brother replied. "But please wait a moment, Mr. Xi. I''ll discuss it with my brother


    first." Things were getting really tough here. Joslyn had clearly told him that Maria was the one who


    fired the gun just now.


    He strode towards Mr. Huang, who was still bleeding as the doctors were treating him.


    A man in the crowd couldn''t help butment, "What''s the point of women acting so strong and


    stubborn? They still have to lie underneath us men in bed."


    Upon hearing this vulgarment, Ethan raised his eyebrows and looked at him. Following the


    man''s gaze, he found that thement was about Maria.


    "Ha, maybe you''re right, but it depends on who she is lying under," he said scornfully.


    The man couldn''t help retorting, "She isn''t lying underneath you, that''s for sure. Why are you


    rushing to her defense?"


    "I''m not the one defending her. Did you see that guy over there?" Ethan asked, gesturing to another


    man with his eyes.


    The man looked over and found a crippled man with only one leg. Bewilderment appeared on his


    face.


    "Do you know what happened to his leg?" Ethan asked with a thin smile.


    "What?"


    "He said something nasty about Maria, so James crippled him. Do you know what will happen if


    James gets wind of yourment? You will face an even worse fate," Ethan said casually as he


    looked at the man''s crotch.


    The man''s face turned pale, and he immediately fled the scene.


    Watching his pathetic escape, Ethan snorted. Then, he approached Maria and nced at the


    people behind him. "How can you let thisdy stand here for so long? Don''t you have any sense?


    Bring afortable chair for her right now!"


    Maria''s lips twitched, but she didn''t say anything.


    Someone obediently brought over a chair and ced it behind her. "Ma''am, please have a seat."


    "Thank you, but there''s no need." Maria waved her hand slightly. However, it was pointless.


    She had barely finished her words when she found herself being pressed down onto the chair by


    James. "Sit!" he said sharply.


    Maria looked up at him nkly.


    She was the only one sitting now, which made her feel awkward.


    Soon, Mr. Huang''s brother returned. "I''m sorry, Mr. Xi. My brother has passed out, so I''ll make the


    call. I think it''s necessary to frisk her. If she was not guilty, then why would she refuse?"


    Maria looked straight into his eyes and sneered, "As far as I know, there are more than a dozen


    women who haven''t been frisked." Then, she turned to James coldly. When she spoke, her voice


    was low but clear. "James, it seems that he doesn''t take you seriously at all because he doesn''t


    want to do you this favor. In that case, just let him frisk me!"All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    Hearing what she said, Mr. Huang''s brother broke into a cold sweat. He hastily exined, "That''s


    not what I meant, Mr. Xi."


    James'' lips curled in displeasure. He took his phone out from his pocket and dialed a number.


    "Send someone to pick me up," he ordered.


    After speaking that one sentence, he hung up.


    Just then, Lawrence walked over to them and asked, "Are you Mr. Huang''s brother?"


    The man nodded. "Yes, Mr. Lu."


    "Are you in charge of the Huang family now?"


    He shook his head. "No, my brother is still in charge."


    "Do you know the lengths that your brother went to in order to invite James here today?" Lawrence


    asked, surveying the man with disdain.


    Mr. Huang''s brother''s face changed slightly at this question. He hesitated, not knowing how to


    respond.


    "James has never liked attending such events. Now that such an unpleasant incident has urred,


    you should be apologizing to him, but instead, you have the audacity to suspect him."


    "No. She''s the one we suspect." Mr. Huang''s brother threw an usatory nce at Maria.


    Lawrence sneered, "Is there any difference between suspecting his woman and suspecting him?"


    ''What an idiot,'' he thought to himself.


    Mr. Huang''s brother wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and gulped nervously. Since his brother


    was still in charge of the Huang family''s business, he didn''t dare to act recklessly. "I''m sorry, Mr. Xi. I


    didn''t mean to offend you."


    James, who wasn''t even paying attention to him anymore, didn''t respond. He had one hand in his


    pocket and the other holding Maria''s; his whole focus was on her and how she was feeling.


    Ethan was someone who believed in treating people the way that they treated others, so he didn''t


    bother to mince his words. "If you have the time to make things difficult for an innocent woman, I''m


    sure you have the time to conduct a proper investigation. You''d better carefully search the other


    guests. In the time you wasted here, the real murderer has probably escaped. If they had jumped


    into the sea, they would have swam back to H City by now. It''s good that you are not in charge of


    the Huang family. Otherwise, the Huang family would''ve been doomed by now."


    Mr. Huang''s brother was utterly embarrassed at these words, and his face turned red.


    As soon as the cruise ship reached the shore, a woman stepped onboard with more than a dozen


    bodyguards following her closely.


    Opening the door of the cabin, Summer walked towards James with the bodyguards. "Hi, Mr. Xi,


    Maria. I''m here," she said with a reassuring smile.


    James ordered casually, "Terminate the cooperation between HL Group and the Huang family.


    Remember to make an appointment for me with Director Zhang tomorrow. I want to have a cup of


    tea with me."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi!" Summer took out her phone and began to carry out his orders.


    Mr. Huang''s brother''s face turned deathly pale. He wasn''t even that worried about losing the


    cooperation with HL Group. It was the mention of Director Zhang that really petrified him. He knew


    that the Huang family was in deep trouble this time.


    He took a look at the woman sitting on the chair again. She was pulled to her feet by James. They


    walked out of the cabin, hand in hand.


    ''Who is this woman? Not only did Mr. Nan and Mr. Lu defended her, but Mr. Xi protected her at all


    costs.


    Is it just because she''s Mr. Xi''s woman?'' he wondered to himself, narrowing his eyes.


    Of course, he had more important matters to attend to right now. If his father found out about


    today''s incident, and that he had singlehandedly ruined the Huang family''s business, he would be


    finished for good.


    As soon as they got off the cruise ship, Maria took her phone back and said goodbye to Ethan and


    the others.


    Once she was alone, she called Norman. "Mr. Huang''s younger brother is also on the cruise ship."


    Normal chuckled. "I know."


    Surprise filled Maria, but it was soon reced by resentment. "If you already knew that, why didn''t


    you tell me?" she snapped. If it weren''t for James, she might have been in big trouble today!


    "Because I knew you''d be fine." The truth was, Norman had also known that both Lawrence and


    Ethan would be onboard the ship. So even if James hadn''t been around, the two of them would


    have looked after her and made sure that no harm came to her.


    Of course, Maria didn''t see it that way. She furiously said, "Norman, I could have died today!"


    "But you didn''t, did you? You''re fine," Norman replied tly. If she was really in trouble, she wouldn''t


    be able to call him.


    Maria pursed her lips in dissatisfaction. "You knew that James would help me, didn''t you? You knew


    he would stand up for me."


    "What do you think?"


    he asked in reply.


    Maria took a deep breath and suppressed all her emotions. In a muffled voice, she asked


    tentatively, "Mr. Shen, do you really think that I have such a high ce in his heart?" "Don''t you?"


    "Of course not! I just found out that he broke off his engagement to Alina a long time ago, but he


    never told me about it. I''ve always thought that I am nothing but a mistress to him. If I was really that


    important to him, why would he treat me like this?" Maria''s grievances poured out of her before she


    even realized.


    "If you weren''t important to him, you wouldn''t even have been able to be his mistress,"


    Norman pointed out in an indifferent tone.


    She opened her mouth to retort, but in the end, she couldn''t find the words to say.


    "It doesn''t matter whether he told you that he broke off his engagement or not. What matters is why


    he did it. Maria, the answer is obvious." Maria froze. Was it really because of her?


    She felt flustered. "I might have been a small reason, but I''m sure he had other reasons for doing it."


    -

 Chapter 318 I Slept With Him

    Chapter 318 I Slept With Him


    With the phone held up to her ear, Maria turned around. It was getting a little cold, so she wanted to


    get in the car.


    Just as she turned, James approached her with a coat in his hands and draped it over her


    shoulders.


    In the silence of the night, Norman''s voice was very clear over the phone.


    "It doesn''t matter. What matters is that you''ve seeded, Maria!" Looking into James'' eyes, Maria


    couldn''t say a word.


    "Why are you silent?" James asked tly, staring back at her.


    Norman heard his voice. "Is Mr. Xi with you now? Maria, let''s talkter."


    "Okay," Maria replied softly, feeling a lump in her throat.


    The call ended.


    James took her hand and silently led her to his car.


    As soon as Summer saw them approaching, she opened the backseat door.


    James got into the car first this time. Of course, Maria knew that she couldn''t run away. She had


    barely ced one foot into the car when James reached out and yanked her forward.


    Shended on his legs, sitting sideways and facing the window.


    Surprised by the scene, Summer quickly closed the door for them, trotted to the driver''s seat, and


    started the car.


    There were several Mercedes-Benz cars before and behind James'' car, and more than a dozen


    bodyguards were in these cars.


    The atmosphere in the back seat was undoubtedly tense. James'' hand reached into Maria''s skirt.


    She instantly grabbed it and took a deep breath before saying, "Thank you for tonight."


    James firmly clenched her wrist with his free hand while searching for the gun. It didn''t take long


    before he found it.


    He took it out and found that it was loaded with bullets.


    "You''re crazy," he sneered.


    Maria wanted to get off hisp, but he pressed her down firmly on his legs and hissed, "Be a good


    girl." Trying to stayposed, she asked softly, "What are you doing?"


    "What am I doing?" James raised an eyebrow as he yed with the gun in his hand. "Maria, do you


    need me to remind you whose woman you are now?"


    Maria swallowed hard, but stayed silent.


    "My woman is working for another man. How do you think that makes me feel?" he continued in an


    unsettlingly calm tone.


    Keeping her face devoid of emotion, she reached out and held down his hand that was ying with


    the gun.


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    "I know you''re angry, but you can''t do anything to hurt him. Promise me."


    A ghost of a smile spread across his face, his eyes still cold. "Why do you care whether I hurt him or


    not?" "James!" Maria looked into his eyes. "He saved my life. Besides, he''s your half-brother. It''s not


    worth it. You shouldn''t be hurting him, especially because of me!" "In my opinion, this is a


    competition between men. There is no room for considering whom he saved or whom he''s rted


    to." He closed his hand over hers and pulled her closer, making her lean against his chest with her


    face bent dangerously close to his.


    Maria shifted a little uneasily. "But why? He might be your biggest rival in the business world, but


    outside of that, he''s your younger brother. Shouldn''t you give in to him a little?"


    "Is there any rule that the elder brother must give in to the younger one? Besides, when have I ever


    said that he''s my brother?" As far as he was concerned, he only had one brother, and that was


    Cooper.


    Even if Cooper were in Norman''s position, he might be ready to give him hispany, or maybe


    even his life, but he would never give in when it came to his woman.


    Maria sighed and put her arms around his neck, trying to coax him. "Don''t treat Norman as your


    enemy. He isn''t even focusing on the finance industry now. He has no intention ofpeting with


    you."


    "Not focusing on the finance industry, but he''s in the business of training assassins?"


    Maria''s heart skipped a beat. How could he know? Had Lawrence told him about it?


    As if reading her mind, James continued dully, "Let me guess. After saving you, he trained you to be


    an assassin. But you''re not like all the other assassins. After all, you''re the ex-wife of his half-


    brother."


    Maria looked at him silently, not daring to speak.


    "He fell in love with you while training you. That''s why, when you came back to H City, he told me


    that he wanted to marry you.


    Are you the time bomb that he has trained to spy on me and take me out if need be? Hmm?" He


    pinched her chin hard, forcing her to speak up.


    The truth was, except for his guess that Norman had feelings for her, James was right about


    everything.


    "I don''t want to answer you," Maria said coldly, not flinching the slightest bit.


    James pursed his lips in displeasure. "Have you slept with him?"


    She could tolerate all his words and insults except this one. Without hesitation, she raised her hand


    and pped him.


    The crisp sound of her palm meeting his cheek resounded through the car. Summer jumped in her


    seat and almost drove the car into the median strip.


    James'' face tilted to the side slightly, but he turned back to Maria and smiled coldly as if nothing had


    happened. "Did you lose your temper because you''re ashamed?"


    Gritting her teeth, Maria yelled, "Stop the car!"


    She slipped off his legs and slid over to the door. She was afraid that if she didn''t get out of the car


    right now, she would end up pping him again.


    Summer turned the steering wheel towards the side of the road to stop the car.


    However, James asked in a cold voice, "Summer, whose assistant are you? Did I tell you to stop the


    car?"


    Summer instantly stopped what she was doing and drove straight forward. She felt a little


    aggrieved, but there was nothing she could say in her defense.


    Maria red at James with hatred. "Fine, I''ll just jump out of the moving car!"


    With that, she turned the handle to open the door.


    In her urgency to get out of the car, she had forgotten that the child lock was on, so the door would


    only open if Summer unlocked it.


    "Summer, open the door!" she yelled, desperately patting the window.


    Summer continued driving, feeling helpless. "Maria, hold on. We''ll be there soon. I will stop the car


    then."


    Maria looked at the scenery outside the window and recognized that they were on the way to


    James'' manor. "No, I won''t go to his ce. Open the door for me right now." Why did he have to


    make things so difficult for her?


    "Maria, I work for James, so I have to listen to him. Don''t worry. Once you reach the manor,


    everything will be okay," Summer coaxed, keeping her eyes on the road. She would take paid leave


    for a week, starting from tomorrow. She couldn''t afford to offend her boss at such a critical time, so


    she had no choice but to offend her friend instead.


    Maria was so frustrated that she banged her head against the back of the seat and growled,


    "James, let me get out!"


    "You want to leave after pping me? Do you think I''m a pushover?" James asked coolly, keeping


    his eyes lowered as he yed with the gun in his hand.


    It was custom-made, with small letters carved at the front end. In the dim light of the car, he couldn''t


    make out the letters clearly.


    Maria turned and looked at his side profile. All of a sudden, all her anger went up into smoke. How


    could he be so calm when she was about to explode with anger? No, she wouldn''t allow it. Raising


    her lips into a defiant smile, she said, "Since you want to know, I''ll tell you. If I hadn''t slept with


    Norman, why would he say that he wanted to marry me?"


    Just as she had expected, there was a dramatic change in James'' expression


    His sharp eyes were brimming with rage as he turned to look at her. Raising her chin with the gun in


    his hand, he said in a low voice, "Watch your words."


    But she stared at him fearlessly. "You wanted the answer, didn''t you? I''ve made it clear that I have


    slept with Norman."


    -

 Chapter 319 What Is His Logic

    Chapter 319 What Is His Logic


    A murderous look shed in James'' eyes, and he leaned in close to Maria. "Do you know the


    consequences of saying that? Lawrence has been investigating Norman recently. If he finds out


    about all this and manages to get his hands on Norman, can you imagine what he''ll do?"


    Maria swallowed hard.


    She knew clearly that Lawrence was a straightforward man, a man of integrity. If James said


    something to Lawrence, it would bring a lot of trouble to Norman.


    Moreover, she didn''t know for sure that Norman hadn''t murdered anyone in the past. If he had, he


    would have to face dire consequences.


    Besides, what she had told James just now was pure nonsense. There was nothing going on


    between her and Norman. She had only said that to piss James off.


    After weighing the pros and cons in her mind, she finally decided to give in. Wrapping her arms


    around James'' neck, she said in a much lighter tone, "Don''t you know that I said that just to piss you


    off? As you said, I''m your woman. How could I have a rtionship with Norman? Besides, I''ve


    always thought of him as my guide. Don''t get the wrong idea." Then, she touched his cheek, which


    had reddened after her p. "Does it still hurt? Let me blow on it for you."


    The corner of Summer''s mouth twitched in amusement. ''Maria, why did you give in so soon?'' she


    thought to herself.


    Raising an eyebrow at Maria, James sneered. "Maria, don''t you have any sense of shame?"


    Hearing this, she almost wanted to scoff out loud.


    What did he know about shame?


    If she possessed even half of his wealth and power, she wouldn''t have left him alive for this long, let


    alone given him a chance to insult her.


    The car drove steadily down the asphalt road, nearing their destination. Suppressing her thoughts,


    Maria kissed his cheek and said sweetly, "I''m sorry, James. I was too rash just now. I''ll be nicer."


    He grabbed her hand and looked at her seriously. "I can forgive you this time, but only on one


    condition."


    "What is it?"


    "You can''t work for Norman anymore."


    The smile slid right off Maria''s face, and she narrowed her eyes at him. "Do you want me to be an


    ungrateful person?"


    "Let me talk to him," James said firmly. Did Norman really have feelings for Maria? He wanted to


    clear this up.


    After all, if Norman was in love with Maria, why would he ask her to do such dangerous things?


    "No, thanks. The truth is, he didn''t ask me to do anything. I''m the one who asked him for a favor


    tonight," Maria exined, leaning back a little. "Someone offered fifty million to cripple Mr. Huang''s


    legs. I stood to get a generousmission, that''s all."


    Amission out of fifty million? James didn''t believe it.


    "You risked your lifemitting a crime for the money? Are you that desperate for money?" he


    asked through gritted teeth. Had she forgotten that in the past, she had been hospitalized almost a


    month?


    Maria shrugged, as if his words had no effect on her at all. "Mr. Xi, have you forgotten what you did


    to mypany? You intercepted all the orders of DS Group. In order to survive, I had to make


    some extra money.


    Is there anything wrong with that?" James pursed his lips unhappily. This woman was really good at


    reasoning. "So, it''s my fault again?" he asked.


    "That''s right. If you could guarantee that I''ll make a lot of money every day, why would I risk my life


    for money?" Maria retorted.


    Tapping the seat with his slender fingers, he took a deep breath and replied, "Okay. I promise that


    you''ll make plenty of money every day...if you promise to draw a clear line between you and


    Norman from now on."


    Maria shot him an impatient look. "You just can''t let it go, can you?"


    "I can''t."


    "Fine!" She shifted aroundpletely to face him, showing him that she meant serious business. If


    he wanted to keep stirring up trouble, so would she. "Let me ask you, Mr. Xi, why do I still have to


    be your mistress when you''ve already broken off your engagement to Alina?" No matter how she


    tried to convince herself, she couldn''t get over it. The more she thought about it, the angrier she


    became.


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    James calmly answered, "I''ve always seen you as my woman.


    You''re the one who thinks of yourself as a mistress." Maria paused in thought, but she couldn''t find


    a way to refute him. Exhaling sharply, she changed the topic. "I didn''t know that you''ve broken off


    the engagement."


    James shrugged. "I didn''t announce it to the public, so I don''t me you for not knowing." "me


    me? Why?" she asked sharply. He always found a way to flip the situation and put her in the wrong.


    What was his logic?


    "I don''t me you for not paying attention to me," he replied confidently.


    "Have you ever paid attention to me?" An incredulous look appeared in Maria''s eyes. He didn''t even


    know that she had given birth to a baby for him!


    "I''m paying attention to the rtionship between you and Norman, aren''t I?"


    James pointed out. Maria''s mouth twitched. How had he managed to steer the conversation back


    here again?


    "Aren''t you still close to Alina? You say that you''ve broken off the engagement, but she still tries to


    get close to you."


    There wasn''t the slightest flicker of surprise in James'' eyes, as if he had already expected this


    question. "Alina allowed me to break off the engagement on one condition."


    "What is it?"


    "I can''t consider the engagement broken off until she finds her true happiness."


    "Then why did you said that you''ve broken it off?"


    James took a deep breath and exined, "I promised not to be the enemy of the Tang Group.


    Moreover, I have to help her find a suitable partner, and I will. Then she agreed to break off the


    engagement ahead of time."


    "Is that why you introduced Mr. Lin to her?"


    James nodded. He had never expected that Mr. Lin, who was a good leader and a good partner,


    would turn out to be a bad man. He had drugged Alina after just meeting her twice.


    Maria became silent.


    As a man, James might not know what Alina was thinking, but as a woman, Maria knew it very well.


    It turned out that Alina was bing more and more scheming. Since James had agreed to her


    condition, he still had to meet with her and treat her well.


    Thinking of this, Maria scoffed to herself. She would never let Alina seed!


    The car finally pulled into the gate of the manor. James asked one of the bodyguards to send


    Summer home.


    Before leaving, Summer came over to Maria and whispered, "Maria, Mr. Xi stood up for you in front


    of everyone tonight. Isn''t he better than Norman, who left you alone on the ship to fend for yourself?


    And just now, don''t you think Mr. Xi only spoke so rudely to you because he likes you that much?


    He was jealous! You pped him in the face, but he let you go without any retaliation. These days,


    he has been treating you much better. So, I think you should cut him some ck and just get along


    with him.


    We''ll all be better for it." Maria knew that Summer was right, but she retorted, "I''ve known you are


    no longer on my side since you sent James to me that night!"


    But Summer pouted, feeling wronged. "Maria, do you want me to have sent him to Alina instead?


    Do you really want to let Alina win that easily? Are you out of your mind?"


    Hearing this, Maria was speechless.


    Since James was standing next to them, Summer didn''t dare to say anything more. She raised her


    voice loud enough for him to hear and said, "Maria, please be good to Mr. Xi. During the time that


    I''m away, you should also take good care of yourself."


    Maria forced a smile. "Well, I''ll ask Mr. Xi to raise your sry as soon as youe back. What a


    dutiful assistant!"


    "No, thanks. Mr. Xi is already giving me a good sry," Summer replied with a fake smile. "Well, I


    won''t disturb the two of you anymore. Bye! I''ll get a gift for you while I''m away! You can text me


    asking for anything you want. I''ll buy it."


    As she spoke, she opened the door and got into the car.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 320 Hit The Headlines

    Chapter 320 Hit The Headlines


    Maria snarled, "Get out of my sight!"


    Summer knew that she was kidding, so she gave the couple an airy wave goodbye. Even so, to be


    on the safe side, she told the driver to floor the gas pedal.


    As they entered the vi, Maria said, "Just now, Summer said that you were jealous. What do you


    think of that, Mr. Xi?"


    ''Is it toote to take back Summer''s holiday?'' James wondered resentfully.


    In a casual tone, he said, "I think we have a more important problem than that."


    "What?" Maria asked, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.


    "Think about it carefully. How can you make up it up to me for that p just now?"


    Without hesitation, Maria threw Summer under the bus. "Like Summer said, it proves that you love


    me-l pped you, but you''re not mad. You must love me that much. James, I''m so moved."


    James caught Maria as she threw herself into his arms. "Well, Summer is being delusional."


    "Mr. Xi, do you think it''s a good idea to speak ill of your assistant?"


    "I''m telling the truth." Really, the damn woman was talking nonsense. Not only did she say that he


    was jealous, she also told Maria that he was in love with her.


    Maria knew all too well that James would not let her p go so easily.


    She could only try to pacify him so that he would go easy on her.


    However, he was merciless. He didn''t stop until Maria was begging for him to stop, nor did he cease


    his relentless conquest of her body.


    ''This isn''t a good thing, is it?'' Maria thought to herself. James'' stamina was not normal.


    She was dying, but he still didn''t let her go.


    In the wee hours of the morning, Maria grumpily pulled the quilt over her weary body and turned her


    back to the man with the insatiable sexual appetite.


    She fell into an exhausted slumber so deep that when James pulled her into his armster, she


    didn''t even find out.


    Late morning finally pierced through as rays of sunlight sifted through the bedroom window. Feeling


    rxed after exertions of the previous night, Maria stretched luxuriously on top of the cool sheets.


    With her eyes still closed, she felt for her phone beside her in vain.


    As it turned out, James ced it on the nightstand, like he usually did. Her phone was powered off.


    Peeling one bleary eye open, she pressed the power button and waited for her screen to light up.


    It was half past ten!


    Maria bolted upright, only to wince in pain as her body reminded her ofst night.


    "That bastard was trying to kill me!'' Not only did he push her beyond her limitsst night but also


    turned off her phone. As a result, she missed several important meetings that morning.


    Did he think herpany was as profitable as HL Group? She didn''t have that much free time!


    DS Group didn''t make a good profit, and that was all because of him.


    Maria was good at what she did. DS Group was able to make a fortune with her on board. However,


    she had to go to the United States to give birth to Bob. What was worse, James snatched a few


    projects from herpany. Now, the ledgers of DS Group were indicating bankruptcy.


    The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She viciously punched in a message on


    her screen and sent it to him. "James, if you don''t return the projects to DS Group, you''ll be dead."


    The reply came soon after. "How are you going to do so?"


    After a long time, Maria replied, "I''ll take medicine and then wear you out in bed." ''Let''s see who


    gives up first this time,'' she thought smugly.


    "Should I give it to you myself?"


    Maria red at the screen. How could he be so arrogant? Was he really not threatened?


    Surely he must be pretending. No matter how insatiable a man was, his sex drive was still limited.


    "Give me back the projects. If not, I have to file for bankruptcy. Then, I will do nothing all day but


    stay in your house, drive your car, spend your money, and sleep in your bed!"


    "I''ll help you with the paperwork right now." ''Is this his endgame all along?''


    Maria did not reply anymore.


    She really shouldn''t take his words too seriously. Even in the worst-case scenario, she could still


    use his money to solve herpany''s financial problems.


    Now, she needed to focus on one other important thing.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    She had to fight back against Alina.


    ''She thinks she can still bug James. No way!''


    In King Bar


    The ck Harkim pulled up by the roadside. The driver got out of the vehicle and opened the back


    door. A man in an impably tailored suit emerged, calling everyone''s attention.


    Before he could take a few steps forward, a young woman with long, lustrous locks tumbling over


    her shoulders stumbled out of the bar, followed by a group of men who were obviously eyeing her.


    She grabbed her purse and artfully tripped on her high heels to uratelynd in the man''s arms.


    After an inelegant burp, she parted her lips in a wide smile. "Hello, James. You''re here."


    "Hmm." She reeked strongly of alcohol. James gently pushed the hair from her forehead. Just then,


    he noticed what she was wearing, and his eyes darkened. No wonder the men were flocking around


    her.


    One steely nce sent them all fleeing.


    Maria flung her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe to kiss him. "I''m drunk.¡±


    "I know," he replied patiently.


    His lipsnded on her hair in a tender kiss.


    Maria moved her body sensuously, and James could see the alluring curves of her breast.


    Her outfit revealed more than it concealed, giving James a clear view of her charms.


    At the same time, he could feel each curve as Maria pressed herself against him.


    "I want to go home," she murmured, blinking at him.


    "Okay." Like she weighed no more than a feather, he lifted her up and walked towards the car.


    Maria leaned against his shoulder, eyes closed like she was sleeping.


    "Who did you go drinking with tonight?" he asked carefully. Who knew if somebody deliberately


    plied her with drink and got her drunk?


    "James."


    Maria opened her eyes and stared at him in confusion.


    He was in thepany when he received her call.


    Didn''t she just dream that she was drinking with him?


    "Go back to my ce," Maria said in a daze.


    In a resigned tone, he asked the driver to drive them to Golden Mansion.


    Once they arrived, James instructed the driver, "You can leave the car here and take a cab home."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi." With that, the driver left.


    Maria tried to get away, but it was futile to struggle in his arms. Defeated, she gingerly put her feet


    on the ground and clung to him for bnce.


    James held Maria''s waist with one hand and mmed the car door close with another.


    As he held her body against him, his senses were filled with the intoxicating mix of alcohol and


    Maria''s own natural scent. One look at the slighted parted lips, and his self-control broke. He


    backed her against the car and feverishly imed her red lips.


    They stumbled their way into her apartment, never once parting from each other.


    As shey back on her sofa, Maria absently realized that she was home.


    Gently, she tugged at the hair of the man who was currently preupied with mauling her neck.


    "James."


    "Yes?" he answered against her throat.


    "Do you love me?"


    "Yes."


    Maria smiled at his response. James didn''t notice the trace of irony in her smile. At this moment,


    even if she asked him for his life, he would readily give it to her, wouldn''t he?


    It was an incredibly beautiful night for both of them, with Maria matching James'' hunger, kiss for


    kiss.


    During breakfast on the following morning, James got a call from the manager of thepany''s PR


    department. "Mr. Xi, you''re on the entertainment headlines." There was a distinct emphasis on


    "entertainment headlines."


    He was used to being on the news, but rarely had his name appeared on that particr section.


    He immediately pulled up his social media app. As expected, the hottest topic was rted to him.


    The headline of the news read, "James Xi and Maria Song were caught in a passionate kiss. They


    are possibly back together!"

 Chapter 321 Good Job

    Chapter 321 Good Job


    There were several photos in the article. The first one showed him going to King Bar to pick up


    Maria, the next one showed him carrying her into the car, and the final one showed the two of them


    kissing in the garage of Golden Mansion. The article concluded by saying that James had stayed in


    Maria''s apartment the whole night.


    Any piece of gossip about a high-profile man like James would be hot news. In an instant, it


    exploded all over the major social media and news tforms.


    Many of thementers said that they felt sorry for Alina. After all, the public didn''t know that


    James had already broken off the engagement, so they thought that he was cheating on her.


    Just then, the bedroom door swung open. Having washed up, Maria walked back in, wearing ace


    nightgown. On her neck was a mark that he had left therest night. Anyone who saw that would be


    able to tell what had happened.


    Maria innocently walked over and sat down opposite James. When she met his gaze, she was


    taken aback for a moment, but she quickly recovered and whined, "My head hurts. I want to drink


    some soup."


    James stood up and went to the kitchen to pour her some soup to help with her hangover. "Why did


    you go to a bar alone?" he asked.


    Maria drank a spoonful of soup before replying, "Well, I was in a bad mood at that time, and I didn''t


    want to disturb you while you were working, so I just went to drink alone. Why? Did I do something


    wrong?" She looked up at him in surprise.


    He had just opened his mouth to respond when his phone rang again. Once again, it was a call


    from the manager of the PR department. "Mr. Xi, YoYo Entertainment servers have crashed. Do you


    think we should remove the hot topics. If we don''t put a stop to this now, it will be toote."


    ''Mr. Xi is really awesome. Because of him, even the servers of YoYo Entertainment are down, '' the


    manager thought.


    Taking a look at Maria, who was calmly eating a sandwich across the table, James said into the


    phone indifferently, "No. Spend how much ever you need to to buy the top ten trending topics and


    title them, ''James Xi and Maria Song seem to be back together.'' Wait. Change it to ''They are ready


    to get back together.'' By the way, I want you to rify that Alina and I already had a peaceful break-


    up five months ago."


    Since a certain someone wanted to announce it in advance, James had no objection.


    But Maria almost choked to death on her sandwich. After coughing uncontrobly for a few


    seconds, she took a sip of milk to calm herself down and cried, "James, are you crazy?" When she


    had received the phone call this morning, all the social media sites were already out of control.


    And now, he wanted to take up the top ten trending topics? She was afraid that the public would


    curse him for taking up public resources.


    As if reading her mind, James put down his phone and raised an eyebrow at her. "MiChat, YoYo


    Entertainment, and Mi Browser all belong to HL Group.


    As the CEO, don''t I have the right to take up the top ten trending topics?"


    He was right, of course.


    The whole world found out that James had peacefully called off his engagement to Alina, and that


    he was going to get back together with his ex-wife.


    Of course, this meant that everyone''s attention would be on Maria now. Even if her face hadn''t been


    photographed clearly, her name would be on everyone''s lips.


    Just then, she received a text from Norman saying, "Good job, Maria!"


    In Norman''s eyes, this was worthy of congrattions. After all, James, who had always refused to


    comment on any rumors, had dered in a high-profile manner that Maria was his woman. Didn''t


    that mean that he truly loved her?


    Reading that text, Maria almost choked again.


    After getting neatly-dressed, James stood in the bedroom, looking at his phone while waiting for the


    woman who was still busy in the cloakroom.


    She poked her head out and asked, "Aren''t you leaving first?"


    He raised his eyebrows at her. "There are so many reporters waiting outside your apartment. If I


    leave alone, your money will be wasted." It was very out-of-character for her to get drunk alone and


    ask him to pick her up. Ever since then, she had been acting abnormally, and it didn''t go unnoticed


    by him.


    Maria opened and closed her mouth like a goldfish. She didn''t know what to say. How had he found


    out?


    She had secretly paid a news agency to leak the news of their affair. However, this was far from the


    result she had imagined.


    After changing her clothes, she put on a red overcoat and shot James a confused look, as if she


    didn''t understand. "What are you talking about?"


    James walked up to her, held her waist, and pulled her into his arms. "It doesn''t matter. What


    matters is that the whole world knows that you''re my woman now. You can''t go anywhere from now


    on." She had to stay by his side.


    Maria felt a little suffocated. Things had spun out of control. Did she really have to give the rest of


    her life to him?


    After walking into the garage, Maria hesitated, not knowing whether to sit in the back seat of the car.


    James opened the door of the passenger seat for her and said, "I heard that a man will only allow


    his woman to sit in the passenger seat. This is your chance. Aren''t you going to seize it?1''


    She didn''t have to be told twice.


    Clearing her throat, she climbed into the passenger seat and put on her seat belt. She had spent a


    lot of money to hire a reporter just so that she could dere her rtionship with James to Alina


    and all the other women who were coveting him.


    The car drove out of the garage towards the entrance.


    Just as James had said, there were a lot of reporters with cameras waiting eagerly outside.


    Looking at his calm face, Maria said, "I didn''t hire so many reporters." She had only made a deal


    with one reporter.


    "Yes. I hired the rest," James replied nonchntly, looking straight ahead. Since she wanted to


    make the news public, he would help her.


    As expected, this man dealt with every situation the way a CEO would.


    On a normal day, they would have been able to leave themunity in just a few seconds. But


    today, it took five whole minutes, with the help of the security of the property management, to leave.


    As soon as the reporters saw their car, they took pictures of the couple sitting inside from every


    angle.


    Once the car drove out of themunity, James held Maria''s hand and asked, "Are you satisfied?"


    There was aplex expression on Maria''s face. "How did you know it was me?"


    "No one else would dare." She was the only one who would dare to set him up.


    Maria hesitated for a moment before saying tentatively, "It''s useless for you to be angry."


    "Hmm" The truth was, James wasn''t angry at all.


    "What does that mean?" Maria asked impatiently. He had handled the whole issue in such a calm


    manner that she felt a little embarrassed.


    "I''m not angry. Like I said, you''re my woman. Even if you hadn''t leaked the news, we would have


    been photographed by the paparazzi some other day," James exined calmly. After all, they had


    started to spend more and more time with each other. It was inevitable that sooner orter,


    everyone would know.


    Maria snorted and withdrew her hand. "Why do I feel that I''ve fallen into your trap?"


    He shrugged. "You can take it that way if you want. I won''t argue with you." In his eyes, it didn''t


    make a difference.


    Now, the whole world knew that they were together again, and that was exactly what he wanted. He


    didn''t care about the means used.


    After dropping Maria at herpany, he drove alone to HL Group.


    From the moment Maria stepped into thepany building, she was the object of everyone''s stare.


    Countless women in thepany gazed at her with envy.


    She maintained an impassive expression and entered the elevator.


    Seeing her, Peggy rushed over excitedly. "Ms. Song! Or should I say, Mrs. Xi? You''re here!"


    Maria rolled her eyes at her. "Are you making fun of me?"


    "Of course not! I heard that Mr. Xi announced that the two of you are going to remarry. Is that true?"


    Maria stopped in her tracks and thought for a moment before answering truthfully, "It''s true. But he


    was so calm about the whole thing. I can''t figure out if he was sincere."


    Even though she didn''t want to care about whether he really loved her or not, she couldn''t help it.


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    -

 Chapter 322 Starry Roses

    Chapter 322 Starry Roses


    Peggy rolled her eyes. "Mr. XI is always calm, isn''t he? When was thest time you saw him get


    excited over anything? Are you expecting him to hold you tightly and passionately profuse his love


    for you?"


    Maria bit her lower lip in thought. Of course she didn''t expect him to go that far, but she couldn''t


    shake off the feeling that he was too calm, as if he was unhappy.


    Unperturbed by her silence, Peggy continued, "I mean, all the hot searches are about the two of


    you! It''s so awesome! Who paid for the publicity, Mr. Xi or you?"


    "He did," Maria answered.


    "I''m so jealous of you! You''re the only woman who he has officially admitted to dating." Peggy


    sighed and looked longingly into the distance, putting her hands over her heart.


    Maria snorted. "He admitted to being together with Alina too, remember? Are you jealous of her


    too?"


    Peggy frowned and quickly waved her hand. "Come on, that''s different! Can Alina evenpete


    with you? If you ask me, it''s all because of you that Mr. Xi broke off the engagement to her. He loves


    you so much that he gave her up for you."


    ''Does he really love me that much?'' Maria wondered. "Well, I don''t know about that, but thank you,


    Peggy."


    She turned to walk to her office, but Peggy stopped her again with a mischievous smile. "Wait! Do


    you have any idea what''s waiting for you in the office?"


    Maria turned back and asked in confusion, "What?"


    "It¡¯s a big surprise!"


    Maria shrugged and pushed the door open. As soon as she walked in, she saw a fancy bouquet on


    her desk. It almost took her breath away.


    She had never seen these flowers before. They resembled roses, but they were a brilliant shade of


    blue, like the color of a starry night sky.


    Each petal was dotted with golden and scarlet glitter.


    Peggy popped her head out from behind her back and grinned. "I had to ask Mr. Xi''s assistant to


    find out what kind of flowers these are."


    "What are they?" Maria still couldn''t take her eyes away from the beautiful flowers.


    "Starry Roses," Peggy replied, sighing contentedly. "You see the golden glitter on them? Well,


    apparently it''s real gold! I confirmed it with the assistant. Mr. Xi is really rich, isn''t he?"


    Maria finally forced her feet to move forward. Going over to the table, she picked up bouquet. There


    were not as many as the blue roses she receivedst time, perhaps because they were rare. There


    were 66 roses in total.


    What was more, these roses had a delightfully different scent from the normal ones. They carried a


    light, calming fragrance with a note of fruitiness.


    "I looked up these roses online, but I couldn''t find anything about them. Then, I asked a friend of


    mine who''s a fashion editor, and she has heard of this rose variety before. It''s very rare and


    expensive. Each rose costs nearly two hundred thousand dors," Peggy said excited.


    In other words, the bouquet Maria was holding in her hand now was worth more than ten million.


    Her eyes popped out and her heart skipped a beat when she quickly calcted the figure in her


    head. She had the urge to call James right now and ask whether he could return the bouquet or not.


    Maybe he could transfer the money to her ount?


    Of course, this amount of money was like pennies to him, and she knew well that there was no


    reason for her to return the flowers. After Peggy left her office, she sat at her desk and took out her


    phone to send a message to James.


    She had barely typed a word when she changed her mind.


    Picking up the bouquet of roses again, she took a few photos of herself holding it in front of her. She


    looked mature and charming in these selfies.


    She carefully picked a picture that she was satisfied with and sent it to him, along with the words,


    ''Do I look good?"


    James was visiting his branchpany when he received the photo from Maria. With a smile, he


    quickly typed out a reply that read, "You look best when you call me honey without wearing


    anything."


    After sending it, he saved the photo that he had received.


    Maria sent him a eyes-rolling emoji and replied, "Shut up!"


    Then, she threw the phone aside as if it was a hot potato.


    Now, it was public knowledge that she and James were together, so other women wouldn''t be able


    to cozy up to him anymore. If Alina ever tried to bother him again, she would definitely ask reporters


    to expose her nasty behavior. ''If Alina''s not afraid that her reputation will be ruined, let her try her


    luck!'' she thought to herself with a sneer.


    After work, Maria cancelled the dinner with her clients and went straight to James'' grandparents''


    house.


    She was holding Bob in her arms when she received a call from James. She answered the phone,


    not intending to tell James about her whereabouts, but Bob opened his mouth and gurgled.


    "Are you with Bob right now?" James asked tly, keenly hearing the noise.


    "Yeah, I was at the construction site earlier. I just stopped by to check on him." She tried to make


    her voice sound as calm as possible.


    "I''ll pick you up."


    Without skipping a beat, Maria refused. "No, thanks. I drove here."


    James just hung up the phone without saying anything.


    After slipping his phone back into his pocket, he leaned against the side of his car, lit a cigarette,


    and slowly smoked it.


    He couldn''t help but wonder how Bob had appeared in their lives so strangely, and why Maria cared


    about him so much.


    His didn''t buy his grandmother''s exnation at all. He knew Maria well, and he had never seen her


    dote on any other child as much as she did on Bob.


    However, if the baby was really hers, when had she gotten pregnant and given birth to him? And


    most importantly, who was the father of the baby? ''Could it be me?''


    Leaning against his car, James looked at the park not far away from him. Staring absentmindedly at


    the trees, he realized that he should start paying a lot more attention to the things happening


    around him.


    Questions about Bob, Maria, and the rtionship between the two of them flooded his mind.


    Just then, a beautiful woman sashayed towards him and greeted him in a soft voice. "Mr. Xi."


    The moment James saw her, he stubbed out the cigarette. "Miss Yu."


    The woman he was talking to was Alma Yu, the chief spokesperson of HL Group. Since she was a


    key employee, he had met her several times in the past.


    Alma smiled elegantly. "Mr. Xi, my assistant left. I don''t like eating alone. Would you like to have


    dinner with me?"


    James cast a cold nce at her. "Left? Do you mean your assistant passed away?"


    For a moment, Alma was taken aback. Then, she regained herposure and smiled awkwardly.


    "No, she just went home."


    "Well, if she''s still alive, she can have dinner with you, can''t she? Assistants need to be on call.


    What do you think, Miss Yu?" Without waiting for or caring about her response, James turned


    around, opened the door, got into the driver''s seat, and drove away.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Alma''s smile froze. ''Who the hell is this Maria? How is she able to make James remarry her? Is she


    more beautiful than me?''


    Maria was busy looking after the baby.


    Just when she finally managed to put Bob to sleep, the doorbell rang.


    Tami hurried over and opened the door, letting James in.


    The moment James saw Maria standing in the living room, holding the sleeping baby in her arms,


    he strode towards her. He just stared at her without saying anything.


    Maria gulped, feeling inexplicably nervous. "Why are you here again?"


    "I haven''t eaten anything yet."


    "Um...how about I ask Tami to cook something for you?" she asked tentatively.


    He nced at the baby in her arms with a hint of displeasure. "No. I want you to cook for me."


    His unreasonable demand made her eyebrow twitch. After pacing around the living room for a long


    time and rocking Bob in her arms, she felt absolutely exhausted. Thest thing she wanted to do


    was to cook for James.


    James stared at Bob carefully, but couldn''t find any resemnce between the two of them. He


    reached out to touch Bob''s tiny hand, but before he could, Maria shifted Bob away and said, ''''I''ll go


    and put him in his crib upstairs. I''ll be right back."


    "Wait!" James called out.


    Maria''s heart beat faster, and her throat tightened. Without turning around, she said, "We can talk


    about itter."


    James stubbornly walked over and stared at her with his sharp eyes. "He''s too heavy. Let me carry


    him. Why do you look nervous?"


    Maria''s heart almost jumped out of her throat, but she pretended as if she was fine and forced a


    smile. "Nonsense. I just managed to put him to sleep. I''m afraid that your loud voice will wake him


    up," she whispered.


    Then, she handed Bob to him with a re. "Fine, here you are. Why don''t you ask his real mother


    toe back soon?"


    James took over the baby, wanting to position him better so that he could rest his head on his


    shoulder.


    -

 Chapter 323 My Family Was Ruined

    Chapter 323 My Family Was Ruined


    Maria stopped James at once. "Don''t hold him like that.


    He''s too young, so his back and neck haven''tpletely developed yet. You should hold him


    horizontally." Obediently, James shifted the baby in his arms.


    Then, he headed up the stairs with the baby, with Maria following closely behind them.


    He turned his head toward her and said calmly, ''Til just put him in the crib. You can wait here."


    "You have zero experience with children, so I''m not sure whether you can do that properly," she


    reasoned out. Despite his insistence that he could do it alone, Maria went upstairs with him.


    With her help, James put the baby in the crib and tucked him in.


    Before leaving, Maria wanted to say something else to the maid, but refrained from doing so


    because James was there.


    Afterwards, they headed to the supermarket to buy some ingredients for Maria to cook.


    James went downstairs after his shower to find Maria bustling about in the kitchen on her own.


    Hearing a sound behind her, she ordered, "Get a tomato from the fridge, wash it, and give it to me.


    Better yet, cut it up yourself."


    Wordlessly, James watched Maria for a few moments. After seeing that she was too busy for the


    task, he turned around to do as she asked.


    Maria gave him the side eye as he stood by the sink near her. "Do you know how to cut it up?" She


    hadn''t seen James cook before.


    "I can do everything," he replied.


    With a pout, she retorted, "Then can you give birth to a child?"


    With the tomato in hand, James sidled up closer to her and asked, "Why, do you want to have a


    baby with me?"


    Maria rolled her eyes in exasperation. ''Is there something wrong with his hearing?'' With mock


    sympathy, she told him, "I''ll set up an appointment with the doctor tomorrow so we can have your


    ears checked."


    "No, thanks," he replied as he started slicing the tomato.


    Within a minute, the tomato was cut up and put aside.


    Looking at the evenly cut chunks, Maria muttered, "So, you know how to cook, after all. Why don''t


    you cook for me?"


    Washing the tomato juice off his hand, he replied, "I''ll cook for you when I''ve had enough of your


    cooking."


    Maria just stared at him for a heartbeat, and then proceeded to ignore him as she concentrated on


    cooking.


    About a quarter of an hourter, four dishes and a soup were ready. Maria ordered James, who was


    on the phone, to bring the dishes to the dining table.


    The two of them had a simple dinner. Then, as he watched Maria clean up in the kitchen after


    dinner, James asked, "How long did you stay in the US?"


    "One month. Why do you ask? Do you also want to go there for a trip?" she answered, appearing


    focused on the task at hand.


    However, her mind was in a whirl. James had been acting strange in his grandparents'' house. Now,


    he asked that question. Did he begin to suspect Bob''s identity?


    However, relief flooded her when his questioning stopped at that.


    The first trial of Judy and herpanions would take ce in a week. In prison, Kent was at a


    standoff with the police. He didn''t confess to anything, only saying that he was under Maria''s orders


    when asked.


    Maria went to the police station to visit him.


    Behind the ss wall of the temporary cell, Kent''s face was ck and blue. He looked like he lost a


    lot of weight.


    His eyes narrowed into slits when he saw Maria.


    Maria pinned him with a calm gaze. "Kent, you worked in my cafe because you had been looking for


    an opportunity to take your revenge on me, right?"


    He didn''t say anything.


    "It must have been difficult for you. It took a year to finally get your chance.1''


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Kent remained quiet.


    Despite theck of response, Maria pressed on. "I want to tell you some good news. James


    completely trusts me and has never doubted me. That is why you wouldn''t be able to leave here."


    After staring at her wordlessly for a long while, Kent spoke up in a hoarse voice. "You ruined my


    family, Maria Song. I''ve never met anyone as cruel as you. The more beautiful a woman, the more


    vicious."


    This time, Maria fell silent.


    "I had nned to rape you, you see. After all, you''re a hundred times more beautiful than Alina.


    You''re lucky that I never got the chance to do that.


    Besides, I underestimated James'' feelings for you.


    You know, I used to admire you for your courage and character. But that was before you went and


    ruined my family!1'' By the end of his speech, Kent''s once emotionless eyes were brimming with


    hatred.


    James'' contribution was one important factor of Maria''s sess in dealing with Kent''s father. What


    was the difference between James helping Maria and him doing it by himself?


    It was just a matter of time.


    In the end, the result was the same¡ªthepany went bankrupt.


    It would have happened sooner orter.


    What Kent did not know was that Maria did not hold such an outlook. For her, she took down the


    company all for the sheer pleasure of exacting her own revenge.


    She stood up straight. "Do you know why I did that? At first, Jiang family had nothing to do with me,


    and I couldn''t care less about whatever crimes your father hadmitted." In fact, it had nothing to


    do with Kent either, but he targeted her indiscriminately in his revenge and ended up sacrificing the


    rest of his life for it.


    Kent studied the woman''s porcin-like profile and the elegant expanse of neck bared by the


    impably cut knee-length coat, which made her look expensive and dignified.


    "Jonathan made a woman undergo five abortions, made her believe that he was single, and then


    borrowed arge sum of money from her without paying her back. That young woman was only in


    her twenties when your mother came to her. She had her whole life ahead of her, and she ended it


    just like that. A happy family was instantly shattered." Maria''s voice became softer. "Did she do


    anything wrong? No."


    Kent looked at Maria in shock. Nobody told him about this story.


    Under the circumstances, he knew that Maria had no reason to lie to him.


    Maria continued, "She used to be a ray of sunshine in my life. When I was at the lowest point in my


    life, she drew me out of that dark ce and saved me. She was cheerful, lively, and beautiful.


    Dancing was the thing she loved the most. She was the most beautiful bridesmaid at my wedding


    with James. But..." She slowly turned around and looked into Kent''s eyes. "Jonathan destroyed her.


    He wrecked a life that was carefully nurtured by her parents, and he didn''t even repent after she


    died. Instead, he spent money to suppress all media coverage of the scandal and threaten her


    parents so that they wouldn''t speak up.


    Her parents sold theirpany and everything else they owned to sue Jonathan, but he bribed the


    officials to protect himself. Her parents grew old before their time..."


    Kent was speechless.


    Later, after Maria left, he admitted his guilt.


    He should be sentenced to three years in prison, but the sentence was lengthened to five years due


    to the pressure the Tang family had exerted.


    The Jiang family, which used to be a prosperous, influential family in H City, had disappeared.


    Maria had no patience to wait for some certain person toe back from abroad, so she decided to


    use the fastest way. Its sess was not assured, but at least she could make some progress.


    In addition, she and James were on high-profile news, so Colby might no longer trust her


    completely. She had to do onest thing before his trust in herpletely vanished.

 Chapter 324 Put On A Play

    Chapter 324 Put On A y


    In the past, Colby had always trusted Maria. But ever since the news that Maria and James were


    back together had been released in a high-profile way, he knew that he must be a fool to continue to


    trust Maria.


    The sky was starting to get dark when Maria got into her car. She received a call from James at this


    moment.


    After hesitating for a moment, she answered the phone. "Hello."


    "Let''s have dinner together."


    "I have something to deal with now. How about another day?" As she spoke, she stepped on the


    gas and drove out of the parking lot.


    James was about to say something when he saw the familiar car pulling out of the parking lot.


    "What is it that you have to deal with?"


    "I have an appointment with someone. I''ll exin it to youter. Bye." Maria hung up without giving


    him a chance to respond.


    What she didn''t know was that James had already arrived at the gate of herpany and seen her


    driving away.


    Drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, James pursed his lips. Her response was a little


    strange and hurried, as if she was hiding something. With obvious displeasure, he followed the red


    Porsche without hesitation.


    After a while, he realized that the Porsche was heading towards a famousmunity. It was the


    most high-end real estate project developed by HM Group.


    ''HM Group...'' When James realized what she intended to do, his face darkened.


    At this moment, still unaware that she was being watched, Maria parked the car in an inconspicuous


    position, turned off the engine, and got out of the car.


    It was a cold and windy day, the kind that called for generousyers and boots, but she was only


    wearing a thin, sophisticated ck dress, and ck high-heeled shoes to match.


    After parking his car at a reasonable distance, James turned off the engine and quietly observed the


    scene.


    Standing alone at a considerable distance from the Porsche, she lifted her phone to her ear and


    spoke to someone. After a while, two men came out of seemingly nowhere and started harassing


    her.


    James'' hand immediately shot to the handle of the car door. Naturally, his first reaction was to go to


    her rescue. But just before he opened the door, he realized that something didn''t add up. Maria was


    a woman who was more than capable of protecting herself, so it was much more likely that she was


    directing and acting in a y all by herself.


    Thinking of this, he slowly leaned back, clenched his fist, and continued to watch silently.


    Two streaks of light appeared on the road, growing longer and longer before a Rolls-Royce Ghost


    came into view, with its headlights on full beam. The headlights shone on the woman, casting a


    re on her face that made her features indiscernible. She suddenly turned around and began to


    run towards the car, followed by those two men.


    A loud screech cut through the silence of the night as the driver hit the brakes, just in time for Maria


    to run into the car, haphazardly putting her palms down on the bo.


    Seeing her face clearly, the man sitting in the driver''s seat opened the door and got out.


    Mr. Zheng?''1 Maria, who was a little disheveled and trembling in panic, looked slightly stunned.


    "Maria, what are you doing here?" Colby asked calmly.


    Maria''s posture was slumped, and she continued to tremble, perfectly ying the part of a damsel


    in distress. Her eyes were wild with panic as she exined, "A friend of mine lives here. I came to


    see him just now, but he wasn''t home. When I came out, I couldn''t get a taxi, so I just kept walking


    down the road, but these men kept following me."


    Colby looked in the direction she was pointing in and saw two men fleeing the scene desperately.


    He nodded. "It''s okay now. They''re gone."


    Maria swallowed hard and nodded, as if she was relieved. "Mr. Zheng, where are you going? Can


    you give me a ride?"


    Colby nced at a vi not far away and said, "I live nearby." If this had happened in the past, he


    would have assumed that it was a coincidence.


    But now, things were different.


    Maria seemed to be surprised. "I didn''t know you lived here too, Mr. Zheng." As she spoke, her face


    contorted in pain, and she reached out to touch her arm. "Ouch, my arm is injured. Can I go to your


    ce to apply some medicine?" She rubbed the arm lightly, drawing his eyes to the obvious scratch


    that was there.


    Colby could tell that although she was bruised, it was nothing serious.


    When a woman said such words to a man thiste in the night, it could only mean one thing.


    In the end, he was tempted. Her disheveled hair and her pouted lips made her look sexy. Paired


    with her thin ck dress, which kept swishing around in the cool breeze of the night, she looked


    ripe for the taking. How could he resist?


    He drove her to his vi and invited her in. Just when the two of them were about to enter, Maria''s


    phone rang. It was a call from James.


    A hint of panic shed through her eyes when she looked at the screen of the phone. Fortunately,


    Colby was busy taking out his key to open the door, so he didn''t notice it.


    Pausing a few steps away from him, she picked up the phone. "Hello," she said in a voice that was


    barely above a whisper.


    "Maria," James greeted. His voice sounded the same as usual.


    Trying her best to suppress the unease, she replied, "Yeah, what''s up?"


    ''Til give you one minute toe out." There was an icy coldness in his tone that left no room for


    negotiation.


    Maria felt her heart twist ufortably in her chest. By reflex, she wanted to turn her head around


    and take a look, but she knew that she couldn''t afford to. "What is it?" she asked, biting her inner


    cheek.


    The night was dead silent.


    "There are fifty seconds left,"


    James warned. "If there is nothing else, I have to go." With that, Maria decisively hung up the


    phone. She was at the cusp of seeding. How could she give up now?


    Besides, wasn''t this exactly what she had always wanted to see¡ªJames suffering?


    Standing at the doorway with the door wide open, Colby pretended to ask casually, "Who are you


    talking to? Is something wrong?"


    Shaking her head, Maria turned off the phone and put it away. Then she answered indifferently,


    "There''s a man who has been hitting on me recently. He asked me out for a drink, but I refused."


    She didn''t know whether Colby bought her lie or not, but either way, he just smiled and invited her


    into the vi without saying anything.


    When James dialed her number again, he found that her phone had been turned off. A wave of fury


    surged within him.


    ''Maria, how dare you?!''


    Thinking of the possibility that she might be having sex with Colby right now, he had the urge to


    barge into the vi and kill both of them.


    He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. Then, he dialed another


    number and ordered indifferently, "Release a negative article about the HM Group. Make it blow up


    as big as possible."


    Inside the vi, Colby was applying some ointment on Maria''s arm. "It''s not serious, but you


    shouldn''t get it wet for the next two days."


    "Thank you, Mr. Zheng."


    Out of the corner of her eyes, Maria saw a figure appear at the corner of the second floor. She


    suddenly hugged Colby, who was packing the medical kit, and said softly, "Mr. Zheng, I want to


    leave H City. Can you help me?" "Right now?" Colby asked in surprise.


    "Yes," she answered firmly. "James hasplete control over me. I just want to escape and never


    see him again."


    It was not until the figure on the second floor disappeared out of sight that she released her grip on


    Colby and blinked pitifully. "He released the news about me and him on purpose. I want to-"


    Before she could finish her words, Colby''s phone rang.


    He nced at her with furrowed eyebrows before taking out his phone and answering it. "What''s


    up?"


    "Mr. Zheng, something happened to thepany!"


    Colby''s face instantly darkened, and he stood up abruptly. "I''ming right now."


    Seeing him put away his phone with a cold look, Maria was a little flustered. "Mr. Zheng, are you


    going out?" ''What a coincidence! Did James do something?'' she wondered.


    "Yeah. I''m going to thepany."


    Her tone was full of regret as she said, "What bad timing. Well, let''s talk about it another day. Thank


    you for your help, Mr. Zheng. If it''s not too much trouble, please give me a ride to the downtown


    area."


    "Okay." Whatever it was, it must be a big deal, because Colby walked out absentmindedly of the


    house in a hurry.


    After locking the door, the two of them got into the same car.


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    Colby dropped Maria at the road not far from DS Group. As soon as the Rolls-Royce Ghost


    disappeared around the corner, the sudden screech of brakes sounded beside her.


    Maria reflexively jerked her head around, just in time to see James unfastening the seat belt and


    opening the door of the driver''s seat. After climbing out, he mmed the door behind him.


    Seeing the burning anger in his eyes, Maria took a step back, contemting whether to run away.


    But he roughly grabbed her and pulled her into the car, not giving her a chance to escape.


    Maria almost tripped in the process, but he held her waist to prevent her from falling to the ground.


    In the car, James grabbed her by the neck and asked, "Are you challenging my patience?"

 Chapter 325 She Is Pregnant

    Chapter 325 She Is Pregnant


    Maria could barely breathe. She wanted to say something, but no words coulde out of her


    mouth.


    "You wanted sleep with another man?"


    his cold voice sounded, sending shivers down her spine.


    Maria struggled and tried to fight back, but it was futile. Finally, she reached up and pinched his


    cheek-hard.


    The man''s face went livid with anger. How dare she fight back?


    "Let me go!"


    Maria said through gritted teeth, pinching him even harder.


    It was not until her face turned red as a tomato and the force in her pinch grew weaker and weaker


    that he loosened his grip on her neck.


    Pak! The second she was freed, Maria''s hand shot up and pped him across the face.


    Then she gasped for breath and coughed violently, sinking into the seat.


    How dare she p him? He needed to teach her a lesson today. James'' eyes shed dangerously.


    His hand crept to her thigh, reaching under the hemline of her dress.


    Realizing what he was going to do, Maria stopped his hands firmly. "No!"


    "No? Huh! Are you saying I can''t even touch you now?¡± This angered him even more. His hand kept


    creeping


    up her thigh.


    "Wait a minute! Ahem¡ª" Maria was still trying to recover from his choke hold; it was difficult for her


    to even speak. Just as his fingers brushed against her underwear, she squeaked, "I''m on my


    period!"


    The reason why she had chosen to go to Colby today was because she didn''t want to have sex with


    him.


    James'' hand stopped abruptly. When he managed to calm himself down, he realized her line of


    thinking.


    However, this didn''t cool his anger. "So what? Some men will still have sex with a woman who is on


    her period."


    He had seen all kinds of dirty things in his time. For some men, a woman''s period wouldn''t stop


    them.


    Maria knew he was talking about Colby. So she took the initiative to hug him. "Take me to a


    bathroom." If he didn''t take her to a bathroom, his car seat would get stained.


    James looked at her incredulously. How could she pretend nothing had happened after she pped


    him? Did he spoil her too much?


    But it wasn''t like he could respond in kind. He peeled her off him and got out of the car angrily.


    Maria heaved a sigh of relief. James had almost killed her just now.


    James got in the driver''s seat and started the car. Maria shifted about in her seat and asked, "How''d


    you know I was there?"


    He ignored her.


    Maria sighed. "James, do you really love me?"


    This wasn''t the first time she had asked this question, and he had already answered itst time.


    Why did she have to ask again?


    His expression hardened and he kept silent. Maria thought she understood the meaning behind this


    silence. He had only respondedst time because he wanted to have sex with her.


    It didn''t take long before they reached Maria''s office. When he stalled the car in front of the gate,


    Maria reluctantly opened the door and got out.


    Just as she was about to say something to him from the open window, he pressed his foot against


    the gas and took off.


    Left in the dust, Maria pursed her lips unhappily.


    Alright, then. If he didn''t want to hear her out, then she wouldn''t even try to exin herself.


    Holding her head up high, she turned around and walked into her office.


    Previously, when Colby and Maria just left the vi, Joslyn picked up the phone and dialed an


    overseas number. "What are you still doing in the US? Your husband-my father-took a bitch to our


    home! Don''t tell me you didn''t know about this!"


    The woman''s face fell dramatically. "He did?"


    "Yes. I guess they are having sex in your room!" Joslyn rolled her eyes in exasperation.


    Why did Maria have to seduce every man?


    The woman on the other end of the line fell silent. She had always felt it was weird that Colby had


    kept her in the US. Now, it seemed her suspicions were being confirmed. She had always known


    that Colby messed around with other women, but she had always turned a blind eye to it. She didn''t


    want to say goodbye to her life of luxury.


    At the very least, Colby respected her enough to never bring any of his women home.


    But now that he had broken that unspoken rule, he had crossed a line.


    If she didn''t go back, Colby''s mistress might rece her, kicking her and her daughter out of his life.


    As these thoughts raced through her mind, she made a decision. ''''I''ll book the ticket right now."


    Joslyn snorted with contempt. "You''d better y your part once you get here. Don''t let that woman


    steal your position. I don''t want a stepmother at my age!"


    "Okay, I understand."


    After hanging up the phone, the woman in the US immediately dialed Colby, but he didn''t answer.


    Colby was in the middle of an emergency meeting, so he had ced his phone on silent. He had no


    clue she was calling.


    But she thought he was having sex with another woman. She felt quite uneasy.


    Later, Colby didn''t call her back. He just left her a message, saying he hadn''t been able to pick up


    because he was in a meeting.


    However, the woman didn''t believe a word he said. It was around nine o''clock in the evening back


    home; what kind of meeting was held thatte at night?


    Without any more hesitation, she booked a flight back home-without telling Colby.


    A weekter, Maria still hadn''t heard a word from James.


    But she wasn''t worried. Since she had more free time now, she visited Bob more often.


    Finally, on the eighth day, Maria''s heart softened. She was the one who had met with Colby, so it


    was only natural James was angry with her.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Taking a deep breath, she swallowed her pride and texted him first. "James, my period''s done."


    Such suggestive words made her feel a tinge of shame, but she only felt worse when he didn''t reply.


    She waited for an entire day for his text, but none ever came.


    The longer Maria waited, the angrier she became. The next day, she sent a message to Ethan.


    When Ethan read the message, his eyes popped open wide from shock. He read the text again and


    again and double checked the sender. Sure enough, it was really from Maria.


    Left with no other choice, he jumped up from his chair and ran out.


    In the HL Group office, the door to the CEO''s office burst open.


    Practically out of breath, Ethan panted, "James, bad news!"


    James frowned slightly. "Quit overreacting."


    "No, no, no. Your woman just texted me."


    ''Maria sent a message to Ethan?''


    James asked in a t tone, "What did she say?"


    As the content of Maria''s text shed in his mind, Ethan smiled sheepishly. "Why not read it for


    yourself?"


    James hesitantly took the phone from him. The message read, "Ethan, James doesn''t want me


    anymore. How about we get together instead?"


    James'' expression darkened and the atmosphere in the room dropped a hundred degrees. "James,


    put your woman in her ce," Ethan said hastily. "She''s trying to drag me through the mud!"


    James cklisted Maria''s number on Ethan''s phone before giving it back. "You can leave now."


    "Okay."


    Ethan was confused. ''Why was he so calm?''


    But there was one more thing he wanted to say. "Did you know that your woman is pregnant?" He


    figured that the reason why Maria wanted to get together with him was she wanted the baby to have


    a father.


    James was stunned. He had no idea.


    Seeing the expression of disbelief on his face, Ethan knew that he had just said something wrong.


    Averting his gaze, he muttered to himself, "This can''t be good."


    -

 Chapter 326 Shes Back

    Chapter 326 She''s Back


    James said nothing. He just stared at Ethan with his steely gaze.


    Ethan hastily tried to exin himself. "Last night, I ran into Maria at HC Restaurant. She suddenly


    felt nauseous and covered her mouth and ran to the bathroom. I asked her what was wrong, and


    she said she might be pregnant. That was how I found out."


    Everything he said was true; he did run into Maria and she did put on that act.


    James still said nothing.


    This wasn''t the first time Maria lied about being pregnant. She had done so almost two years prior.


    If she really was pregnant, shouldn''t the baby have been born long ago? That meant only one thing:


    there was no baby.


    "She is not pregnant. Don''t trust her."


    After all, James knew that just a few days prior, Maria was on her period, so it was impossible that


    she was pregnant. Only someone like Ethan would be fooled by her.


    "Oh...okay." Ethan couldn''t help but feel a little disappointed. He was hoping to be the child''s


    godfather.


    Seeing his downcast response, James frowned. "Why are you so unhappy that Maria''s not


    pregnant?"


    "Well, I was hoping she''d give birth to a child as soon as possible, so that I can be its father. Oh, no-


    l mean godfather." He felt like he was too young to get married, but he wanted to care for a child, so


    he counted on Maria.


    James cast a cold nce at him. "Why, do you want to get married and have a baby? How about I


    talk to your grandpa about this?" "Ha-ha, goodbye!" With a nervous chuckle, Ethan left James'' office


    in a sh.


    When he was gone, James took out his phone and finally sent Maria a message. "I heard you''re


    pregnant.


    Maria smiled. She knew that Ethan would tell him. "Yes." Of course, she was lying.


    "How far along are you? Do you need me to get you a doctor?" ''Call a doctor to find out how you


    could be pregnant for so long a time,'' he thought to himself.


    "Okay. Bring the doctor to your ce tonight and I''ll meet him there. What do you think?"


    She figured James would agree. After all, he was sex-depraved.


    But she was wrong.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    "Why should I? Go straight to the hospital yourself and have the baby dug out."


    Maria gasped when she read his reply. How could he talk about any unborn child that way? In that


    moment, she was so relieved she hadn''t told him the truth about Bob.


    James didn''t get any reply from her, nor did he send her any more messages. He went back to his


    work.


    Later that evening, James came home to a fully lit vi.


    He checked the time. It was already eleven o''clock.


    He was not surprised to find the lights on in his supposedly empty home. He figured Maria was


    here, waiting for him.


    When he opened the door to his bedroom, he found that no one was in it. He walked a few steps


    forward and tossed his coat to the side.


    Just then, a woman wearing nothing but a white button-down shirt of his strode out from the walk-in


    closet. She leaned against the door frame seductively. "Mr. Xi, you''re back!"


    His eyes lingered on her bare legs. Although the heater was on, it wasn''t that warm in the vi.


    When Maria didn''t get any response from him, she didn''t worry too much. She had all night. She


    spun around on one heel and went back into the closet.


    There, she found a ck shirt. She slipped it on. This piece of clothing was even shorter than the


    last, hanging a little above her knees. She sauntered back into the bedroom, hoping to catch James''


    attention.


    However, she found him busy talking on his phone. She circled him twice, trying to distract him.


    But still he didn''t respond. Maria was getting a little impatient.


    She went back to the closet once again. When she came out, she had changed into a sky blue shirt.


    Without even granting her a nce, James headed straight for the bathroom.


    Maria looked down at her outfit.


    Did it look bad on her?


    When this thought crossed her mind, she went back to the cloakroom.


    Half an hourter, James came out of the bathroom, fresh from his shower. Maria was lying prone


    on the bed, swinging her legs and watching videos on her phone.


    Hearing the mane out of the bathroom, she turned over to face him, causing the shirt she was


    wearing to cinch around her waist.


    Finally, James'' eyes lingered on her enchanting figure.


    Maria stood up, walked towards him, and took the towel in his hand. "Let me dry you up." All of a


    sudden, she was pulled into a pair of strong arms, and his lips were against hers.


    She wrapped her arms around his neck and started to flirt with him. "I''m giving you one chance:


    what color is my shirt tonight? If you answer my question correctly, I''ll stay."


    The answer could not be more obvious. Even a colorblind person would be able to tell she was


    wearing a white shirt.


    But he answered, "Red."


    Maria took a deep breath and pushed him away. Pretending to be indifferent, she sneered, "Forget


    it. I''m going to take a shower."


    James just watched her go in silence, making no attempt to stop her.


    She walked into the bathroom and closed the door. The smile on her face disappeared and she


    began to feel a little dejected.


    He didn''t want her to stay, did he? After all, he answered wrong on purpose.


    She turned on the tap absentmindedly to run herself a bath. When the tub was almost full, she took


    off her shirt and tossed it to the side.


    As the shirt arced in the air, she saw a sh of red.


    She immediately picked up the shirt again to examine it carefully. Sure enough, the hem of the shirt


    was delicately embroidered with a pattern of red lines.


    The pattern was a little small, so she couldn''t figure out what it was. It didn''t jut out against the white


    of the shirt.


    It suddenly dawned on her that James'' answer wasn''t


    wrong.


    Maria dropped the shirt and ran out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. James was just about to


    go to his study.


    He looked at her expressionlessly and wordlessly.


    She rushed to him.


    Before he could react, she had thrown herself into his arms and kissed him passionately.


    At first, James did nothing and let her actions speak for itself. Finally, he dropped the folder he was


    holding and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her back fiercely.


    He then picked her up and ced her on the bed, getting on top of her. As he was pressing her


    against the bed, he whispered in her ear, "Let''s have another child." ''A child as cute as Bob,'' he


    thought to himself.


    Maria was stunned. She opened her eyes to look at him seriously. "James, do you really want to


    have a child?"


    "Yeah," he answered simply.


    He wanted a child with her, to be more urate.


    But to his disappointed, she said, "I don''t want to have a baby now." The truth was, she had just


    given birth to Bob through caesarean section. She needed time to recover.


    James paused. Finally, he resigned himself and took out a condom.


    Although he didn''t say anything, his disappointment was tangible.


    Seeing him like this, she almost blurted out the truth about Bob. But on second thought, she


    recalled how he had been violent with her only days earlier and decided against it.


    James vented all his anger on her. He didn''t let her go that night until she was nearly in tears.


    Lawrence and Meagan were going to get engaged.


    It was Meagan who told Maria about it. The engagement ceremony was scheduled to take ce in


    half a month, because that was Lawrence''s only free day.


    The news took Maria by surprise. While she wasn''t surprised the two were getting together, she was


    shocked that they were going straight to engagement rather than getting to know each other first.


    If the engagement went smoothly, they would then get their marriage licenses when Lawrence''s


    schedule cleared up. Meagan didn''t want a wedding ceremony.


    Lawrence didn''t object. After all, he didn''t have time to hold a wedding ceremony, so he was actually


    relieved to hear this.


    A few dayster, as Maria was pouring over some documents in her office, she received a call.


    "Ms. Song, she''s back."


    The pen in Maria''s hand fell to the desk with a loud thud.


    She had waited nearly two years. Finally, the person she was waiting for came back.


    -

 Chapter 327 Why Do I Have To Kiss Him

    Chapter 327 Why Do I Have To Kiss Him


    Maria''s n worked. She had gone to Colby''s home that night so that Joslyn would see her and call


    Colby''s wife, who had been in the US. Now the woman finally came back.


    "I see. What is she doing?" Maria asked in a level, calm voice.


    "She went shopping and then went to HM Group just now."


    "Okay, keep an eye on her."


    "Yes, Ms. Song."


    Maria ended the call and took a deep breath. The reason why she had been getting closing to Colby


    was to find evidence and force his wife toe back.


    It looked like everything was not in vain.


    Her phone rang again; the ringtone interrupted her thoughts. James'' name shed on the screen.


    "Hello," she greeted him.


    "Come to mypany to pick up the fish. I''m going on a business trip."


    "Since you are going on a business trip, why did you take Bob to yourpany in the first ce?"


    she asked in a bewildered tone.


    "My grandparents are away from home for two days, and they asked me to take care of him. The


    thing is, I have to go on a business trip, so you have to take care of him." He spoke like it was an


    order.


    Maria rubbed her forehead. "For how many days will you be gone?" Did that mean that she could


    be alone with Bob for a few days? That sounded lovely.


    "At least a week."


    "Okay, I''m on my way." She stood up and began to pack up her things.


    When she emerged from her office, Maria told Peggy, "I''m going to pick up Bob, and I probably


    won''t be around for a few days. I''m leaving everything in your care. Just send the documents that


    need my signature to Golden Mansion."


    "Got it.. Where is Bob?"


    "He''s in James'' office. He''ll be going on a business trip."


    Peggy understood immediately. "Don''t worry. Go ahead and spend more time with the baby."


    "Okay. I¡¯m leaving now."


    At HL Group


    Maria stepped into James'' office. The sight of James holding the baby weed her.


    Hearing the door open, James turned around. Father and son stared at her silently.


    They made such a funny picture that Maria giggled despite herself. "If you don''t want to take care of


    the child, just don''t do it. The maids can take care of him. People who don''t know any better would


    think that Bob bullied you."


    Looking at the little boy who was markedly more cheerful than before, James frowned slightly. He


    didn''t want to take care of the boy, but his grandmother insisted, saying that she wouldn''t feel at


    easy if James let other people take care of him.


    Maria took the baby from his arms and nted a kiss on his forehead. "Hello, baby. Did you miss


    me?"


    The boy looked up at her and opened his mouth, as if trying to say something.


    Maria chuckled and gently pinched his chubby cheek. "Okay, I know you missed me!"


    James watched them silently. How could she tell that? He couldn''t tell from looking at the baby''s


    face.


    After a while, Maria seemed to remember that he was there. "Aren''t you going on a business trip?


    Just go! I''ll take care of him!"


    James nced at her and said, "You seem to be very happy to see this fish." In fact, she seemed to


    be happier to see Bob than him.


    "Of course, babies are the cutest creatures in the whole world." Her love for the baby was in for


    everyone to see.


    Summer knocked at the door and slipped into the room. "Mr. Xi, it¡¯s time for you to go to the


    airport,1'' she reminded him.


    "Okay." His coat in hand, James walked up to Maria and said, "I won''t be in H City, so just call Ethan


    if you need anything."


    "Okay. You should go, or you''ll bete!"


    However, the man didn''t budge an inch and just stared at her, motionless.


    ''She kissed Bob as soon as she saw him. Why doesn''t she treat me the same way?'' he wondered.


    Maria shot him a confused nce. "Why aren''t you leaving?"


    A bit disheartened, he lowered his head and kissed her on the lips.


    Maria''s eyes widened. Summer and Bob were still watching!


    The boy seemed to have seen something amazing, wriggling in her arms and waving his hands and


    legs in delight.


    Maria took a step back, red at him in mock annoyance, and lifted Bob in front of him. "Kiss him,


    or it won''t be fair."


    James looked at the smiling baby, annoyed. He was about to say something when Maria held Bob


    up close to his face.


    The baby then proceeded tond a wet, smacking kiss on James'' lips.


    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    His face livid, James took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the saliva from his lips. He


    asked the evidently delighted woman, "Didn''t you see him drool at the mouth?"


    "Yes, I did! I asked you to kiss him. You didn''t, so I let him kiss you instead."


    "Why should I kiss him? He is not mine."


    "He has your surname. If we can''t find his parents, he may end up calling you his dad in the future."


    James put on his coat. "If he wants to call me his dad, fine. But only if you can be his mother, and if


    you give birth to my child. Once those two conditions are met, then he can be my son."


    Rocking Bob in her arms, Maria rolled her eyes at James. "Wait a little longer, then!"


    After another kiss on her lips, James headed toward the office door. "Gary will be driving you back.


    I''ve already told him."


    "Okay."


    With that, he left Maria and Bob in the middle of the suddenly quiet room.


    Maria walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window with Bob and murmured to the baby, "Bob, do you


    want to call him Dad? How about I leave you to him in the future?"


    The baby''s happy gurgling was the only answer she got.


    Soon, she took Bob to James'' vi. If not for the reporters flocking around her ce, she would


    have brought Bob to Golden Mansion. Afraid that her son would be exposed, she opted to stay at


    James''.


    James knew that Maria and Bob were staying there and that his grandparents hadn''t returned yet.


    Every night during his video call to Maria, he was a captive audience to the baby sucking on his


    thumb and blowing bubbles.


    James didn''t particrly want to see Bob, but Maria usually left him to watch the sleeping baby


    while she took a shower.


    Fortunately, the little guy couldn''t turn over yet, so there was little danger of him rolling off the bed.


    A pang of envy filled him. The baby not only slept with his woman, but also slept in James'' bed.


    Maria came out of the bathroom wrapped in a bath towel. Her eyes met those of the man who was


    staring at her through the video. "Why are you staring at me? Keep an eye on him!" she snapped.


    "He is fine." Bob usually slept like a little pig after eating.


    Maria didn''t reach out to pick up her phone. Instead, she sat in front of her dressing table and


    started putting on skin-care products on her face as she chatted with him. "Do you know that Judy


    has been sentenced?"


    "Yes."


    Owing to irrefutable evidence and Joshua''s remarkable efficiency, the court was able to handle the


    matter quickly.


    In the end, she was sentenced to twenty years in prison for maliciously transferring Maria''s property


    and intentional wounding.


    "Are you sad about it?"


    "No, I''m not," James denied. "If she behaves well in the prison, she may get a reduced sentence


    and be freed in less than twenty years."


    Maria understood what he meant. Maybe he or Cooper had done something. After all, the woman


    took care of the both men for more than twenty years.


    "Okay."


    "Maybe you think it''s unfair to you..." He would make it up to her.


    Maria interrupted him. "I don''t think it''s unfair to me. My goal was for her to pay back double. I was


    given a five-year sentence back then. Twice that meant Judy should serve for ten years. Although


    she is vicious, she didn''t kill anyone. It''s enough for her to be sentenced for more than ten years."


    Author¡¯s note


    LARK COLE


    Trantor: Yan Rui

 Chapter 328 Young Male Models

    Chapter 328 Young Male Models


    James kept silent. He wondered whether Maria would ever be this soft-hearted towards him.


    Although the two of them were on good terms now, he knew that she wouldn''t just let the past go.


    But no matter what she did to settle their ounts in the future, he would not me her for it.


    After applying the skin-care products, Maria picked up the phone and said firmly, "You''ve been busy


    working all day. Go get some rest now."


    Her voice pulled James out of his thoughts. Looking at her with a frown, he said, "Give that baby to


    Ethan. You cane to me."


    Maria rolled her eyes, and a smirk appeared on her lips when she imagined Ethan taking care of


    Bob. "Ethan is almost a kid himself. If I make him take care of Bob, I''m afraid that he''ll cry along with


    the baby."


    "Then ask the maids to take care of the baby. If that won''t work, just bring him here with you."


    James wanted to see her so much that it hurt. He couldn''t control his emotions at all.


    "Mr. Xi, are you saying that you miss me?" Maria asked in mock surprise.


    Usually, he would have retorted, but this time, he kept silent, showing his sincerity.


    She chuckled and said, "You know, I kind of like having you want me this much without being able


    to touch me. Just put up with it a little longer!" Hearing that, James could not help but mentally


    grumble to himself about the baby. "Just leave him with John! And you, fly here to meet me," he


    snapped.


    "I can''t bother John, he''s too old for these things," Maria exined patiently.


    "Then give him to¡ª"


    She rolled her eyes and interrupted him. "Mr. Xi, didn''t you spend every day without a woman for


    the past seven years? Can''t you bear being alone for even seven days now?" Besides, he was


    already halfway through his trip, so he woulde back home in three to four days at most.


    James fell silent. It was true that he had been used to being alone before, but now, things were


    different. Ever since Maria hade back into his life, he had gotten ustomed to having her by


    his side.


    Maria clucked her tongue and continued, "If you really can''t bear it, just watch an adult movie and


    get yourself off."


    James'' eyes went wide with surprise. "Do you think I''m such a loser?" he retorted.


    "In that case, why don''t you find a woman to solve your problem, Mr. Xi?" Maria threw her phone


    onto the bed and shifted Bob closer to her.


    "Okay," James replied immediately.


    ''What? How could he agree?'' Annoyance pricked at her. However, she smiled brightly at him and


    replied, "Good. I won''t waste any more of your valuable time. By the way, do you need me to call a


    woman for you? Which kind of woman do you like? How about a woman like the one who called you


    ''dearest James?"''


    She stressed thest two words, imitating the sickeningly high-pitched voice of that other woman.


    Candice''s face popped up in James'' mind. "I want a woman like you who is experienced in having


    sex in all kinds of positions," he teased.


    Maria curled her lips in anger. "You''re the reason why I am so experienced! Anyway, it seems that


    you''re bored of having sex with me. You can find a younger and more obedient woman to do all


    those things with." James was amused by her reaction, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.


    "No. I want a woman who''s disobedient, just like you. Find me a woman who is the same as you."


    "Okay. If I can really find such a woman for you, will you be satisfied?"


    Sensing that she was on the cusp of losing her temper, James shot her a cheeky smile and said,


    "When Ie back, I''ll tell you exactly what kind of woman I want. You can wait till then."


    "Why do you want to bothering back here? Just sleep with someone else and nevere


    back," Maria snapped. She mentally scolded herself for video calling him. This was all her fault!


    "From now on, you''re the only woman I''ll sleep next to, " James said softly.


    Hearing his honeyed words, Maria blushed, and all her anger seemed to dissipate. "That''s not what


    I said."


    "I know. It''s what I said."


    "What a pity!" she teased, trying to suppress the smile that was tugging at her lips.


    "It''s not a pity at all."


    "Well, it''s a pity for me."


    Hearing this, James, who had been speaking in a reassuring tone until now, straightened up and


    furrowed his eyebrows together. "Why?"


    "I never got the chance to sleep with young male models, and now, it turns out that I never will,


    because I have to sleep by your side every day. Don''t you think that it''s a pity?" Maria looked into


    the distance and sighed dreamily, as if imagining herself with a handsome male model.


    James pursed his lips in displeasure. "It seems that I didn''t satisfy you enough while I was there."


    Recalling the things that he had done to her in bed, Maria shivered and said, "No, no, I was just


    kidding! All right. Go to sleep as soon as possible. You must be tired after working all day."


    "Okay. Just wait till Ie back."


    "Okay."


    "I''ll satisfy you so much that you''ll be too tired to get out of bed."


    Hearing this, Maria was dumbfounded. She swallowed hard and tried to calm her racing heart.


    Satisfied with her reaction, James said, "Okay, you can end the call now, but call me ''honey'' first."


    Ignoring his request, Maria turned over the phone and put it on the bed. "Just hang up. I''m going to


    sleep with Bob in my arms."


    "Maria," James called out.


    His tender voice was so pleasant to the ear that it almost stopped her heartbeat and made her


    breath hitch in her throat.


    Newspanies could hire him to be their newsreader. The audience rating would definitely be


    very high.


    "Maria," he called out again.


    Not wanting to die of happiness at such a young age, Maria hastily picked up the phone and


    whispered, "Honey."


    "Good girl. Go to sleep now," James replied before finally hanging up. He missed her even more


    now.


    On the other side, Maria put the phone on the night table next to the bed and stared at the ceiling,


    helplessly rubbing her hot cheeks. She couldn''t help but feel like a loser. All she had done was call


    him honey. But why was her body reacting like this was the first time she had been in love?


    James'' business trip was supposed tost for a week, but things were moreplex than he had


    anticipated, so he had to stay there for an extra day. It was only on the eighth day that he flew back


    home.


    Maria had promised him to pick him up at the airport, but something came up at thest minute, so


    she sent a text message to him saying, "Sorry, I can''te to the airport. There''s an urgent matter


    that I have to deal with. I''ll see youter."


    When James walked out of the arrival gate and saw the message on his phone, his eyes shed


    with displeasure.


    He immediately called Summer and ordered, "Send someone to pick me up at the airport."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    While waiting for the car, he tried to contact Maria again. Her phone rang several times, but there


    was no answer.


    He called her again and again, making more than a dozen calls in total, but there was still no


    answer. Feeling irritated, he dialed Summer''s number again. "What is my schedule for this


    afternoon?"


    "You have a meeting with government officials to discuss thend in the West District," Summer


    replied without skipping a beat.


    "Okay, I''ll be there soon."


    Summer wanted to ask him if he wanted to have a rest first. After all, he had been on a business trip


    for eight days, where he had worked continuously. Did he really want toe back to thepany


    as soon as he touched down? But after some hesitation, she just swallowed her words. After ending


    the call with him, she called the assistant who had been arranged to take James'' ce in the


    scheduled meeting and informed him about the change of ns.


    In HM Group, there was arge high-level meeting this afternoon.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    All the shareholders and senior executives were in attendance, except for Maria.


    The meetingsted for three long hours. After that, Colby dismissed everyone except the manager


    of the secretary department.


    Sitting in the huge meeting room, the two of them discussed business matters together. A while


    later, there was a knock at the door.


    Colby hadn''t even responded when the door was pushed open from the outside. A flicker of surprise


    ran through his eyes when he saw the person who walked in.


    The woman raised her red lips into an elegant smile and greeted, "Mr. Zheng!"


    Colby nced at the manager of the secretary department, and thetter immediately understood


    what he meant. "Mr. Zheng, I''ll go back and inform everyone about it."


    "Sure," Colby replied.


    The manager walked out of the meeting room and closed the door behind him, leaving Maria and


    Colby alone. Maria was wearing a dark green cashmere cloak with a long white sweater inside.


    Her high heels clicked against the floor as she strode towards him. "Is the meeting over?"


    Colby looked at her and nodded. "What brings you here? Is there something you need to say?"


    "Yes."


    A slight noise came from the door of the meeting room, and Maria noticed it. She leaned forward


    and put her arms around Colby''s neck. Her lips parted seductively as she said. "I''m here to resign."


    ''Resign?'' Colby couldn''t figure out what she wanted to do at all. He asked casually, "Everything is


    going well. Why do you want to resign?"

 Chapter 329 She Wants To Take Revenge On Me

    Chapter 329 She Wants To Take Revenge On Me


    "I heard that your wife''s back. I''m afraid that she will find out about our rtionship," Maria said with


    a seductive smile, tilting her head sideways.


    The door of the meeting room was open just a crack. When the woman standing outside caught a


    glimpse of Maria''s face, her eyes widened in shock.


    ''How could it be her? When did shee back to H City?''


    The woman closed her eyes and forced herself to calm down before taking another careful look at


    the scene inside.


    Sure enough, the woman holding her husband was indeed Maria!


    Keeping his arms rxed at his sides, Colby sneered in his head. "Do you want to resign because


    my wife''s back or because you are back together with James?1''


    She was wearing light and delicate make-up that enhanced her gorgeous features ever-so-slightly,


    and there was a faint, almost natural fragrance drifting from her whole body. She had perfect, well-


    proportioned curves that she showed off in eyecatching,plementary clothes. It was no wonder


    that she had managed to trap James in her web.


    At the same time, Colby couldn''t help but feel a stab of regret. It was a shame that he had never


    gotten to taste this beautiful woman.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Taking a surreptitious nce at the door, Maria replied, "Both. I thought I would always be your


    woman, Mr. Zheng, but it seems that we''re not fated to be. I have no choice."


    "Yeah, okay. I''ll inform the HR department."


    Seeing that the door of the meeting room was closed again, Maria leisurely withdrew her arms,


    straightened up, and smoothed out her clothes. "Thank you, Mr. Zheng. Goodbye."


    Colby nodded in a distant matter. "Take care, Ms. Song."


    He knew that this tricky woman couldn''t havee all the way here just to tell him that she was


    resigning. What was her real purpose for suddenly showing up at the HM Group?


    After stepping out of the meeting room, Maria flipped her long hair behind her shoulder and headed


    straight to the elevator.


    When she was turning the corner, she heard the sound of high heels hurrying away and caught a


    glimpse of a figure hiding.


    As she walked by the hidden figure, she slowed down with a sneer, but continued walking into the


    elevator as if she hadn''t noticed anything.


    It was not until the elevator doors closed and the surroundings returned to silence that the woman


    hiding rxed and let out a sigh of relief. She took a few deep breaths and patted her chest, trying


    to calm her beating heart.


    A cleaner came over with a trolley. Seeing her standing there, the cleaner greeted, "Mrs. Zheng."


    The woman absent-mindedly nodded at the cleaner in greeting before walking back to the meeting


    room.


    In the meeting room, Colby was still sitting at the same ce, thinking about Maria. It was only


    when he heard the sound of the door opening that he came back to his senses and looked up.


    It was his wife, Rosa Qiao.


    She was good-looking, but not as beautiful as Maria. She was wearing a long, beige-colored


    patterned dress, a short grey coat with pearl beading, and a pair of formal ck shoes.


    It was a simple and ordinary outfit that looked pleasant to the eye. Butpared with Maria, who


    was always dressed like she was walking down the ramp, Rosa''s dressing style seemed to be from


    a 1950''s fashion catalogue.


    "Have you sent him away?" Colby asked. After the meeting, he had asked her to see off a senior


    member of thepany.


    Rosa walked up to him and nodded. "Yes."


    "Good." Colby rose to his feet and took a deep breath.


    "Let''s go."


    "Colby, wait."


    He looked back at her in confusion. "Is there anything else?"


    After hesitating for a while, she asked, "Have you and Maria known each other for a long time?"


    Despite hearing the mention of Maria''s name, Colby remained calm. "Did you meet her just now?"


    "Yes."


    He nodded inly. "We haven''t known each other for long. A year, maybe. But we weren''t close."


    Rosa pressed on. "How did you know each other?"


    ''How did we know each other?'' After thinking for a moment, Colby carefully answered, "She worked


    here, but James banned her, so she lost her job." Then, raising his eyebrow, he added, "Do you


    know her?"


    "Yes." Rosa looked at him seriously and spoke in a warning tone. "That woman doesn''t do anything


    with a good intention. You should be careful in the future."


    Colby, who was not surprised in the least, smiled.


    "How do you know?" "Many years ago, she and I had a misunderstanding. Ever since then, she has


    wanted to take revenge on me," Rosa replied, pressing her lips into a hard line. She wanted her


    husband to know that Maria was their enemy.


    He nodded thoughtfully. "Does she know that you are my wife?" As far as he knew, Maria had never


    crossed paths with Rosa after returning to H City.


    "I''m not sure, but I don''t believe that all of this is just a coincidence. Working at the HM Group and


    meeting you...it can''t all just be chance," Rosa replied truthfully. The more she thought about it, the


    more she found it odd.


    "I see."


    At this moment, Colby was almost sure that Maria had been acting all along, and just wanted a


    chance to get close to him.


    At first, he had thought that she just wanted money, but now, it seemed that things were not that


    simple.


    The couple left the meeting room and went back to his office to talk about family affairs.


    Meanwhile, Maria walked out of the HM Group building and looked up at the overcast sky.


    Long ago, she had sworn to herself that she wouldn''t let go of Rosa, even it meant risking her own


    life.


    More than eight years had passed since they hadst seen each other. It seemed that in that time,


    Rosa had risen out of the ashes like a phoenix and climbed up the socialdder. Now, she was


    Colby''s wife. She was no longer the two-faced maid.


    She was also much calmer than Maria had expected. Even though she had seen Maria intimately


    holding Colby in her arms, she had kept her cool. A person like that was much harder to deal with


    than a person who would immediately lose their temper and make a fuss.


    What was more, Maria knew that Rosa would definitely warn Colby about her. It seemed that she


    would have to seek help from an ally.


    Thinking of this, she took out her phone from her purse, only to find that the battery had died.


    She had no choice but to walk to the nearest coffee shop and charge her phone.


    It was already dark by the time she got in touch with James.


    Knowing that he would be angry with her, she whined like a spoiled child as soon as he picked up.


    "I''m really craving hotpot right now, but I don''t want to eat alone. Will youe with me?"


    "Shouldn''t you give me an exnation first?" James'' voice was cold.


    "Of course I will. Come out with me to have hotpot. I will exin it to you then, okay?"


    "No," James said immediately.


    Maria pouted andined, "Come on, I called you up and offered to give you an exnation,


    but you still turned me down. Don''t you think you''re being too mean?"


    James sneered, "Is this how you ask for forgiveness?"


    Maria hesitated for a moment. Did she have to beg him to earn his forgiveness? She finally said,


    "It''s okay if you don''t want to have hotpot. But we have to meet somewhere, right?"


    In the end, the two of them met at a hotpot restaurant that James chose.


    When Maria arrived there, she looked around the restaurant in awe. This had to be the most


    luxurious hotpot restaurant in the city! The decor was luxurious and top-notch. There was no doubt


    that the ingredients would be top-notch, too.


    Almost every animal that ran on the ground, flew in the sky, or swam in the sea was served here.


    Customers could order any dish and get it fresh.


    Sitting in the private room, Maria poured juice for James and herself. "Come on, have something to


    drink."


    James silently picked up the ss of juice and clinked it against hers before taking a sip. Maria, on


    the other hand, drank it all up in one go.


    Then, she dropped the abalones into the spicy pot, and threw a mixture of vegetables into the


    tomato pot. After letting them stew there for a while, she picked them out for the two of them to eat.


    After eating some vegetables, she put down her chopsticks and said, "I need your help."


    "You asked me out to have hotpot at this time because you need my help?" James asked with his


    eyebrows raised. Dissatisfaction was written all over his face.


    Author¡¯s note


    LARK COLE QEB


    Trantor: Yan Rui

 Chapter 330 Give Me A Deadline

    Chapter 330 Give Me A Deadline


    Maria looked at the hotpot in front of her, and then at the countless ingredients that stilly


    untouched. She pointed at them and said, "Abalones, king crab legs, Australian lobsters, leopard


    coral grouper, Australian beef, Inner Mongolian mutton... All these aren''t cheap. I know you don''t


    particrly like eating any of these, but they are the most expensive ones at this restaurant. How


    else do you want me to prove my sincerity?"


    James snorted. "Nonsense. You just invited me here as an excuse to satisfy your own taste buds."


    After all, she was the one wanting to have hotpot. If it weren''t for her, he wouldn''t have stepped into


    this ce.


    Feeling a stab of guilt, Maria hurriedly put a piece of beef on his te and said, "Look, it''s really


    tender. Have a taste."


    James took a bite of the beef, but said nothing.


    When the dissatisfaction on his face dimmed a little, she continued, "Of course I won''t ask you for


    help without offering you something in return. I can give you whatever you want." As long as it was


    in her capacity, she was ready to promise him whatever he asked for.


    James put down his chopsticks and said, "Let''s have a child."


    If she birthed a child for him, she would be stuck with him forever.


    Maria''s face changed slightly, but her features soon returned to normal. "Sure, but I can''t have a


    child right now. It''s not a good time. But I can promise you that I will give you a child in the future.


    What do you think?" Even if he promised to help her, it was impossible for her to give birth to


    another baby for him. Anyway, she could always just hand over Bob.


    James stared at her for a long time before asking, "Why can''t you have a baby now? Is it because


    it''s not a good time, or because you don''t n on giving birth to a baby for me at all?"


    Maria smiled gently and picked up a piece of abalone for him. "You are my man. From the beginning


    till now, you''re the only man I''ve had. If I don''t want to give birth to a baby for you, who else would I


    do it for?"


    Her words pleased James. He cheerfully ate all food that she picked up for him, and then looked up


    at her. "Okay. Give me a deadline." Although he was happy for now, he didn''t trust her at all. He was


    afraid that she would trick him. What if she just was just ying withnguage?


    Maria stole a nce at him. After the C-section that she had had, it was impossible for her to give


    birth to another baby for him in two years. The only baby she could give him now was Bob. "You


    name it," she said.


    "Are you sure you want me to say it?" James asked her, cocking his eyebrow.


    Looking at the smug expression on his face, she hesitated. No. She was afraid that he would say


    "right now."


    She stayed silent and pondered over it carefully. Even if James agreed to help her deal with Colby


    and Rosa, the process wouldn''t be easy. It might not take years, but it would definitely take longer


    than a few months. "How about three years?" she asked tentatively.


    Perhaps, he would get tired of her and let her go in two or three years. In that case, she wouldn''t


    even have to give him Bob.


    Of course, this might just be her wishful thinking.


    "I don''t have that much patience. One year at most," James countered, not taking his eyes off her.


    One year?


    After taking a deep breath, Maria opened her mouth to speak. "Well, I guess it''s not impossible...but


    only if you agree to follow my orders this year. You have to do whatever I ask you to do. And you


    must not, under any circumstance, hold me back."


    "Maria Song."


    She held out her index finger to stop him. "Don''t call me Maria Song."


    "Maria."


    "No." She rested her chin in her hands and looked at him with a strange glint in her eyes. "You can


    call me Mia."


    "Mia?"


    "Yes, Mia. I figured you should call me by a nickname if we''re really going to be a couple. It feels


    more intimate, doesn''t it? What do you think?" Maria''s face glowed with a smile.


    ''What do I think? It''s brilliant, '' James thought to himself.


    Seeing him nod, she said, "All right, go ahead. What did you want to say just now?"


    "Don''t go too far!"


    Maria smiled, "If things go well, I may even seed in advance, which means that I can have a


    child in half a year. Do you still think I''m asking for too much?"


    James stayed silent, but she could see from the look on his face that he was moved by her offer.


    It felt so good to have a man wrapped around her finger, especially when the man was James! After


    all, this was the man who had always been aloof and arrogant, and even told her countless times


    that he would kill her. But now, she could easily manipte him. How could she not be thrilled?


    Maria took off her coat and put it aside. Closely watching her every move, James said, "Tell me


    something. Which man is so important to you that you stood me up today?"


    Maria chuckled dully. "You found out?"


    "I''ll only give you one chance to answer. Think it over first."


    "Well, can I not tell you?"


    "No."


    "Why?"


    "You make me feel insecure," James said with a trace of unhappiness.


    As soon as Maria heard the words, she almost choked on the food that she was eating. She took a


    sip of juice and swallowed hard before asking, "Are you kidding?"


    James shot her a pointed look. "Maria, ever since I broke off the engagement to Alina, I''ve been


    trying to get close to you every time. Not only haven''t you bothered toe to me, but you''ve also


    snubbed me over and over again to go and see other men."


    Hearing that, Maria froze. Why did she feel like the tables had turned, as if she was the viin


    ying with his emotions?


    Looking at him, she sighed and asked softly, "Do you love me?"


    "Are you kidding me? How could I love you?" Indeed, he didn''t dislike herpany, and he was


    even a little greedy for her body, but it was not necessarily love that he felt for her.


    For Maria, it would be a lie to say that she wasn''t disappointed. But she quickly forced a smile and


    said, "That''s good, because I don''t love you either. The main reason I''m with you is because you are


    good in bed!"


    "What a coincidence. That''s the same reason I''m with you."


    At this point, she really wanted to hit him. She dropped her chopsticks on the table with a scowl and


    announced, "I don''t feel like eating anymore."


    "What answer do you want to hear?"


    "I want you to open the door and shout ''I''m a hog'' loud enough for everyone outside to hear.''1


    James was speechless. This woman was really something! Casting a cold nce at her, he said,


    "In your dreams!"


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "Fine. You can eat by yourself. I''m leaving," she retorted angrily. Then, she picked up her coat and


    rose to her feet.


    "Where are you going?"


    ring at him, she replied, "I ate too much chili just now, so I''m really worked up. I''m going to find a


    male model to vent all this pent-up energy on."


    He leaned forward, grabbed the woman who was about to leave, and pulled her into his arms.


    Maria lost her bnce and ended up falling onto hisp. She stared at him unhappily and asked,


    "What do you want?"


    "You want to find a male model?" This wasn''t the first time that he had heard these words from her.


    "Yeah, I do. You don''t love me, right? So why don''t we just go and have fun on our own? I don''t


    need to ask for your permission all the time. I''m a free woman. I can do whatever I want, and sleep


    with whomever I want,¡± Maria snapped, trying to squirm out of hisp.


    "You need to release all that energy, and I happen to need a woman. We can work together. I''ll take


    you home." He rose to his feet, pulling her up along with him in one swift motion.


    Recalling how energetic he could be in bed, Maria didn''t want to look for a male model anymore.


    She grabbed his hand and said, "Look, that crab leg is still uneaten. Can you help me peel it?"

 Chapter 331 Bob Is Sick

    Chapter 331 Bob Is Sick


    "Let''s go home now and have hotpot again next time," James said, not even bothering to nce at


    the untouched food.


    "Wasting food is a big crime, and you''ll be struck by lightning, you know?¡± Maria asked, shifting


    away from him.


    "I''m not afraid of death."


    "But I am. If I''m dead, I won''t be able to see you again." She gave him a pitiful doe-eyed look.


    Looking at her indifferently, he asked, "What are your ns after this?"


    Maria shrugged. "After finishing the hotpot, I''ll go with you wherever you take me."


    Satisfied by her answer, James sunk back into his seat and continued eating. The two of them


    peacefully finished the remaining food.


    When they got back to his vi, the first thing James did was to take a shower. He couldn''t stand the


    smell of greasy food on him for even a second.


    Maria didn''t want to go to bed smelling like hotpot either, so she went to the guest room to take a


    shower.


    Once she was done, she walked back into James'' bedroom, wrapped only in a bath towel.


    The moment James saw her, he pulled her onto the bed and kissed her hard on the lips.


    He was about to unwrap the towel around her when his phone vibrated on the night table.


    Maria opened her eyes and nudged her nose against his. "You''re getting a call," she said softly.


    He didn''t want to bother with it at all, but she pulled away from his embrace and grabbed the phone.


    "Come on, answer it. It''s your grandfather."


    It was alreadyte in the night. Augustine wouldn''t call them at such ate hour unless there was


    something wrong.


    With a frown, James took the phone and said in a hoarse voice, "Grandpa."


    "James, Bob is having a fever. Dr. Yang said that he needs to be taken to the hospital. Are you free


    now? Come and take him to the hospital!" Even through the receiver, Augustine''s voice was loud


    and clear in the quiet night.


    As soon as Maria heard that Bob had a fever, her breath tightened, and the passion that James had


    stirred up in her just now vanished into thin air.


    James closed his eyes for a while and took a deep breath, as if trying not to get annoyed. "I''m not


    free right now. I''ll ask the driver to take the baby to the hospital."


    Augustine seemed to hesitate for a moment before replying, "Okay."


    But Maria immediately grabbed the phone and spoke hurriedly into it, pushing James away.


    "Grandpa, I''lle right now. Wait for me."


    James was shocked at her agitated behavior. The baby was just having a fever. Wasn''t she


    overreacting?


    "Oh, Maria, are you with James?" Augustine asked.


    "Yes, Grandpa. I''m on my way now."


    "Sure."


    Hanging up the call, Maria threw the phone onto the bed, red at James, and snapped, "Bob is


    having a fever! Why are you acting like it doesn''t concern you at all? How can you leave it up to


    your grandparents to take care of him? Even if he''s not your child, he is still a helpless baby who


    deserves care and attention!"


    She felt aggrieved on behalf of the poor baby. Why did he have such a cold-hearted father?


    Without waiting for him to respond, she got up and stormed into the closet.


    Feeling upset, James climbed out of bed as well and followed her into the closet.


    Maria was putting on her clothes when he grabbed her wrist and said, "I didn''t say that it didn''t


    concern me. I told Grandpa that I''d ask the driver to take Bob to the hospital first. We can go there


    directlyter."


    She paused in the middle of putting on her blouse and red at him. "Who do you think will carry


    him to the hospital? Tami is not young. How can she go back and forth to register for treatment with


    the child in her arms?" She irritably shook off his hand and resumed putting on her clothes.


    "Why are you angry with me?"


    James blinked at her innocently, with a trace of grievance in his eyes. Maria felt like shouting at him


    that Bob was their son. How could she not be angry after seeing how little he cared about the baby?


    "Why aren''t you getting dressed? Put on your clothes so that we can go get Bob!" she yelled


    instead, walking out of the closet to brush her hair.


    James pressed his lips into a thin line, frustrated by her constant demands.


    His perfect night had been interrupted by a random child. Didn''t he have the right toin? Now,


    he even had to get dressed and run errands for the baby. He didn''t know whether to cry or tough.


    When the two of them arrived, Tami was holding Bob closely to her chest and rocking him in her


    arms tofort him. She was joined by Augustine, Charlotte, and several maids, who were all


    waiting in the living room.


    "Maria, we gave Bob an antipyretic, but Dr. Yang said that he has to be taken to the hospital for a


    thorough check-up, just to be on the safe side," Augustine exined as soon as he saw the couple


    walk in. He felt a little guilty. The poor child was having a fever, but there wasn''t much he could do


    at his old age.


    Maria nodded and took the baby from Tami''s arms. His little face was warm and red, which made


    her heart ache.


    Forcing herself to get a grip, she replied, "Grandpa, Grandma, don''t worry. It''s just a fever. He''ll be


    fine. We''ll take him to the hospital now."


    "Okay, sure. Call us if you need anything," Augustine said.


    "We will." Even as Maria spoke, her worried eyes were fixed on Bob.


    Tami handed a bag of things she had prepared in advance to James and said, "Here are the


    supplies that Bob needs, like milk powder and feeding bottles. If this isn''t enough, give me a call


    later, and I''ll ask someone to deliver it to you."


    "Thanks." After taking the bag, James put his hand reassuringly on Maria''s back and led her out of


    the mansion.


    When they reached the car, he went ahead and opened the door for her. Maria slipped into the back


    seat with the child in her arms.


    She touched the little boy''s face and said softly, "My dear Bob, we''re going to the hospital now."? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    The baby didn''t cry or make any noise, and just kept his eyes closed, but his eyebrows were


    furrowed together, as if he was feeling ufortable.


    On the way to the hospital, James contacted the doctor on duty, so when they arrived at the hospital


    lobby, the doctor was already waiting there.


    James considerately took the baby from Maria''s arms, and the three of them walked towards the


    outpatient building together.


    As they walked, Maria tried to take Bob back, but James didn''t give the baby to her.


    When they reached the doctor''s office, the first thing he did was to check Bob''s temperature. It


    turned out that the baby had a shockingly high fever of 39.2 degree Celsius.


    He took off his stethoscope and told them, "There could be many possible reasons for the baby''s


    fever, but right now, we can assume that it''s a viral infection. Since he has taken an antipyretic, let''s


    wait and observe his condition. If his fever doesn''t go down by tomorrow morning, we will take a


    blood test."


    After that, a ward was arranged for Bob on the pediatric floor of the in-patient department. James


    was about toy him down on the bed when the scared baby suddenly burst into tears.


    Maria gently took over the baby and patted him on his back. "Good boy, it''s time to sleep," she said


    soothingly in a soft voice.


    The doctor whispered to the nurse next to him, "Remember to periodically wipe the child''s body with


    warm water to bring down his fever. Inform me immediately if he shows any abnormal signs."


    "Yes, Dr. Zhang," the nurse replied obediently.


    The little guy must have grasped that he was in a strange environment and felt ufortable here,


    so he kept crying and screaming instead of going to sleep.


    Holding him in her arms, Maria kept rocking him up and down and trying to coax him, but it didn''t


    work. Finally, James leaned over and said in a low voice, "Let me do it."


    She looked at him hesitantly. Then, afraid that he would be impatient and lose his temper with


    the child, she quickly said, "No, it''s fine. I''ll do it."


    Ignoring her refusal, he reached out, took the baby from her arms, and started to pace around the


    ward in steady circles.


    Soon, the baby that had been wailing gradually quieted down. His little face rested against James''


    firm chest as he fell into a sweet slumber.


    Maria was stunned at the scene. She had spent such a long time trying tofort Bob, but he


    hadn''t stopped crying at all. But after three minutes in James'' arms, he had not only stopped crying,


    but also fallen asleep.


    She walked up to James and whispered excitedly, "You keep saying he''s not your son, but look!


    He''s sleeping so peacefully in your arms. When I was holding him, he was so restless, but he


    stopped crying the moment you held him against your chest."


    He shot her an indifferent nce and said, "He must have gotten tired of crying."


    She poked her nose into the air yfully and waved her hand.


    "Excuses, excuses..."


    He gently set Bob down on the bed. After that, Mariay down next to him. Sitting on the chair next


    to the bed, James said, "Get some sleep. I''ll look after him." He knew that she was still worried


    about the baby, so he assured her that he would pay attention to him at night.


    Maria shook her head with a trace of guilt in her eyes. "James, I''m sorry for losing my temper at you


    earlier."


    He just sat quietly next to her and said nothing.

 Chapter 332 Babys Dad

    Chapter 332 Baby''s Dad


    Maria turned over and held Bob''s little hand. "Bob''s fever scared me just now, because it reminded


    me of Arthur." So that was why she overreacted.


    James'' gloom started to ebb away and his eyes softened. He took her hand in his.


    Maria continued in a soft voice. "One night when Arthur was three months old, he had a fever like


    Bob does now, but worse. His temperature was 39.5 degrees Celsius and he started having


    seizures. At the time, the maid wasn''t present, and Dad wasn''t at home either. Judy definitely wasn''t


    going to help me."


    It was the first time she had ever encountered such a situation and was on the verge of breaking


    down.


    She had called for the ambnce in a panic, watching helplessly as Arthur writhed and vomited.


    Fortunately, two minutester, the seizures stopped and she finally heaved a sigh of relief.


    James held her hand tightly and asked in a hoarse voice, "Where was I back then?"


    She shook her head. "I''m not sure, maybe in the office -but I didn''t dare to call you. I was afraid that


    if you didn''t pick up, I''d be more disappointed."


    Her words broke his heart. James got up and sat beside her, wrapping his arms around her. "Mia,


    I''m so sorry."


    He owed her and Arthur an apology.


    ''Mia...'' Maria smiled to herself, snuggling into his embrace. It was nice to hear him call her that.


    His voice sounded above her head. "Let''s have another child. Give me a chance to make it up to


    you, okay?"


    She closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks, but she said nothing.


    Why did he have to make it up to her? Was it because he felt guilty about Arthur? But Arthur was


    gone already. What was the use? Arthur would never be able to feel the love of his father.


    When James didn''t get an answer, he didn''t say anything more. Nevertheless, he was determined


    to make it up to her, one way or another.


    He had never considered Maria in his ns for the future. But things were different now.


    Just then, a nurse came in with a basin of water and a towel to wipe Bob''s frail little body. Maria


    took them both from her and wiped Bob herself, with James helping on the side.


    Seeing how careful and tender the woman was towards the baby, he once again regretted that he


    didn''t see her do these things for their son when he was still alive.


    James didn''t sleep a wink that night. Maria, on the other hand, had bouts of slumber. She would


    toss and turn, waking up every now and then whenever the baby stirred. To Maria''s disappointment,


    Bob''s high fever hadn''t gone down yet.


    Early in the morning of the next day, as Maria was finally falling into a deep sleep, a nurse came in


    to draw some blood from the little boy.


    Maria suddenly woke up when the nurse wheeled in some instruments.


    Then the nurse said, "Sir, please carry your son, and ma''am, please hold up his little hand."


    James and Maria exchanged nces, but neither spoke up to correct the nurse. Instead, they


    simply did what the nurse asked them to do.


    Truth be told, Maria didn''t speak up because Bob was indeed James'' son. James, on the other


    hand, kept silent only because Maria did, too.


    The moment the needle pricked Bob''s finger, the baby started to stir uneasily. After a few seconds,


    he finally realized he was in pain and opened his mouth wide, howling piteously.


    Maria held his little hand tightly tofort him. "Shh, everything will be okay. Good boy, don''t cry!"


    Fortunately, the nurse was fast and was able to draw the blood she needed in a jiffy.


    When it was over, Maria held a cotton swab and pressed it on Bob''s pinprick wound, while James


    patted the baby''s back gently. The two of them made a great team.


    While packing up her stuff, the nurse said pleasantly, "You two seem to love each other so much.


    I''ve seen many babies here at the hospital, but they''re only ever apanied by their mothers.


    Your child is lucky to have both his parents apany him."


    Touched beyond belief, Maria was at a loss for words.


    "Thank you," said James tly.


    The nurse smiled. "You''re wee. Anyway, the doctor said that the test would be viewed as


    urgent and the results would be avable sooner. Please don''t worry. Also, please feed the baby


    some antipyreticter."


    "Okay."


    When the nurse was gone, Maria turned to the man holding the baby. "Why didn''t you exin to


    her?¡±


    Raising his eyebrows, James retorted, "Why didn''t you?"


    Maria opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. Why would she have to


    exin? The baby was indeed theirs!


    "Since you like him so much," James started to say, pausing for a moment, "why don''t we adopt


    him?"


    ''Adopt him?''


    She was stunned. "I thought you didn''t like him."


    James looked down at the little boy in his arms. Bob had stopped crying and was only frowning


    slightly. "It''s okay with me, as long as you like him." ''So just because I like Bob, he''s willing to ept


    him?''


    Maria thought to herself. She didn''t know what to say, so she just said, "Let me think about it."


    "Okay." He nodded seriously.


    Just then, Maria''s phone began to ring. It was Augustine. "Hi Grandpa and Grandma," she greeted,


    ncing at the sick baby in James'' arms. "Don''t worry. Bob''s feeling much better now."


    "We want to visit."


    "No need, Grandpa," she said hurriedly. "It''s nothing serious. Don''t worry."


    "Alright, then. Don''t worry. The baby will be fine."


    "I know, Grandpa. Thanks." ''Bob will be fine, '' she told herself.


    James wanted Maria to go back to the manor to rest and have a change of clothes, but Maria


    refused and made him go.


    Before leaving, James had asked Summer toe to the hospital and take care of Maria.


    Summer stroked the baby''s cheek. "Is he getting better?"


    "No. His fever went downst night, but went up again sometime in the morning." Maria was a little


    worried. When the test results came out, the doctor said that Bob would need an infusion.


    "Don''t worry too much," Summer said reassuringly.


    "Bob is Mr. Xi''s son. He is blessed. He will be fine."


    "Hmm." Maria hoped that what Summer said was true.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    With James not at the hospital, Maria thought he had gone straight to thepany.


    But she was wrong. The man went back home to take a shower and change his clothes before


    going straight back to the hospital.


    When he arrived, he happened to run into Bob''s doctor. He took the results from the doctor and


    scanned through them. Apparently, the fever was caused by virus infection.


    However, something among the results caught his attention.


    Bob''s blood type


    was Rh-negative.


    The truth was, Rh-positive blood type was not rare. Many people had Rh-positive blood type. What


    was rare was the Rh-negative blood type.


    Coincidentally, James belonged to thetter.


    So he had the same blood type as Bob. He stopped in his tracks and stood in the corridor, staring at


    the test results.


    Even if it was only a coincidence that he had the same blood type as Bob, it was an even greater


    coincidence that the little baby was abandoned near Augustine''s home. What was more, Augustine


    happened to notice and took him back. They had been looking for the boy''s parents, but to no avail.


    Also, why was Maria acting strangely around the baby?


    Besides the fact that the baby was staying with his grandparents, Maria acted like a mother to the


    child.


    As his mind raced, James came to a bold conclusion.


    But just then, Maria came out of the ward and found him standing there. She cocked her head at


    him confusedly. "What are you doing there?"


    James snapped back to reality and stared deep into her eyes.


    Maria was shocked by his reaction. "What are you looking at?" she asked feebly.


    He handed over the papers to her. "Bob''s test results." At the same time, he paid careful attention to


    how she reacted.


    Maria subtly breathed a sigh of relief. It was only Bob''s test results. She took the papers from him


    and scanned through them, but found nothing unusual.


    Author¡¯s note


    LARK COLE W


    Trantor: ALibra

 Chapter 333 Take Advantage of Her Privileges

    Chapter 333 Take Advantage of Her Privileges


    James continued, "The doctor will give the baby an IV infusion, so his bangs will be shaved off


    later."


    "He needs an infusion?" Maria echoed with a frown.


    "Yes. The needle will go through his scalp."


    Maria was aware of this because Arthur was also given such an infusion before. The thought of Bob


    being subjected to something that painful at his young age made her miserable.


    She bit her lower lip. "If that''s the case, then I won''t bother to go and see the doctor."


    There was nothing remarkable about her reaction, so he calmly followed her to the ward without


    saying anything else.


    Soon after, the doctor came in with two nurses to give Bob an infusion.


    One of the nurses began to shave off Bob''s hair, and the baby started twisting back and forth


    uneasily.


    The cries of the baby in her arms tore at her heart. Maria wanted nothing more than to bear all of


    the pain and difort for her child.


    James and the other nurse held Bob''s head immobile while the doctor carefully slipped the IV


    needle into one of the small veins on the baby''s scalp.


    After a few moments and several steps, Bob''s voice had be hoarse from crying.


    His mother''s heart broke for him. Without James noticing, Maria secretly wiped her tears.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    To her relief, the baby''s fever gradually subsided after the infusion.


    Only at that time did Maria let herself feel relieved enough to go back to take a shower and change


    clothes.


    After a quick shower, she went back to the hospital. "Go to thepany, James. I''ll stay here and


    take care of Bob."


    Once the doctor had allowed Bob to be discharged, Maria gave James a call. "I''ll be staying at the


    Golden Mansion with Bob for a few days. Your grandparents are old, and the poor baby doesn''t


    have his parents with him. We haven''t been getting orders these days anyway, so I have some free


    time. What do you think?"


    She had been meaning to find out what Rosa had been doing recently, but Bob''s sudden illness


    ruined her n. Of course, her child took priority over everything else in her life.


    James asked, "Shouldn''t you call Grandpa instead? Why are you telling me?" ''Is she ming me for


    herpany not getting orders?'' he wondered.


    On her end, Maria was lost in her own thoughts. ''What does he mean? Shouldn''t I call him? Am I


    being too clingy?'' She told James in a cold tone, "I mean, I''m telling you that I''ll be busy taking care


    of Bob these days. Don''te to bother me when you''re feeling bored."


    The sudden change in her mood confused James even more. "If you want to take care of Bob, then


    fine, go ahead. You don''t need to tell me about it. After all, I''m not his guardian." He frowned at the


    mention of Bob''s guardian.


    His words were met with silence. Maria ended the call without saying goodbye.


    After telling the maid to look after the baby, she started to process Bob''s discharge papers.


    James stared at his phone, lost in thought. Then, he


    turned back to his client and said, "I''m sorry, Mr. Wang. Let''s talk about the restter. Something


    needs my immediate attention, so I need to leave early."


    He could tell that Maria was angry, so he needed to rush over to soothe some ruffled feathers.


    "That''s okay, Mr. Xi, I''ll walk you out."


    "I appreciate it your understanding, Mr. Wang. Thank you."


    "You''re wee!"


    After finishing the discharge procedures, Maria packed up their belongings. She was about to call


    Peggy to ask her to pick them up, but she saw James appear in the ward before she could grab her


    phone.


    Even so, she ignored the man and pulled up Peggy''s contact details.


    Noticing that she was busy with a phone call, James made a beeline for Bob. The baby was looking


    betterpared to thest time he saw him, and his face had returned to normal. When he saw


    James, he even stretched out his legs.


    For some reason, James felt his heart soften at the sight, and an irresistible urge to hold the baby in


    his arms filled him. Carefully, he bent over the baby''s cot and picked him up, allowing him to lie


    comfortable in his arms.


    A few minutes had passed before Peggy finally took the call. "Maria, I''m so sorry. I didn''t hear your


    call just now. What''s up?"


    "Are you busy right now? If you don''t have anything else to do, pleasee and pick us up!"


    "I''ll be right there." Peggy hade over to visit Bob yesterday, so she knew where they were


    staying.


    "Okay. Let''s talk when you get here."


    "See you!"


    All of a sudden, Maria''s phone was wrenched away from her hand. Whirling around, she saw James


    with one arm around Bob and his other hand pressing the phone to his ear. "Wait a minute, Peggy."


    "Oh, Mr. Xi?" Peggy was taken aback when she heard James'' voice.


    Taking a nce at Maria''s unhappy face, James said, "You don''t have toe over."


    "Mr. Xi, will you be driving them home?" Peggy asked. ''What¡¯s wrong with those two? Did they have


    a fight or something?''


    "Yes," James repliedconically.


    "I see." With that, Peggy ended the call.


    She didn''t have to go to the hospital. Maria had James to assist her. In her opinion, James was not


    the sort of man one could just order around. Really, Maria should take full advantage of her


    privileges.


    Maria grabbed her phone back and said in a t tone, "Why are you giving orders to my assistant,


    Mr. Xi?"


    "Ms. Song, did you not do the same to my assistant before?"


    The retort rendered her speechless. Seething inwardly, she called James every invective she knew


    in her head.


    A mischievous smile appeared on his face when James noticed how incensed Maria was. Touching


    her cheek with a gentle hand, he asked teasingly, "Why did you get angry all of a sudden? I gave up


    a big order in order to rush here. How are you going topensate me for my losses?"


    Of course, Maria thought that he was kidding. She pped her hand away and reached out to take


    Bob from James'' arms.


    He turned around, and so she failed her target.


    "James Xi!¡± she yelled in an annoyed tone.


    James nodded and replied, "Yep, I''m here."


    His light reply only served to inme her further. He was lucky that he was tall, or she would have


    smacked his head in her anger.


    "Are you done packing up?"


    Maria shot him a cold re. "That''s none of your business. Why should I tell you?" It was a distinct


    echo of what he said to her earlier.


    In a sudden sh of rity, he realized just why she was mad at him and that he needed to clear the


    misunderstanding between them. "I mean..." Either she or his grandpa could decide on what to do


    with the baby. She could make the decisions herself, so she didn''t need to ask for his opinion.


    James dropped what he was about to say and said, "It was my fault. You misunderstood me


    because of my improper wording. I''m sorry."


    "What did you want to say?"


    "What I wanted to say was that you could decide on such trifles on your own. You don''t need my


    permission." He heaved an inward sigh. ''Why is she too sensitive?''


    Maria huffed to herself. ''That''s more like it!'' She turned around and walked towards the door. "Our


    stuff are all on the sofa," she said in an authoritative tone.


    Without a word, he headed toward the sofa with Bob in his arms.


    The maid hastily offered, "Sir, let me do it."


    James held up a hand to stop her. "It''s okay. I''ll do it." He knew that it was his punishment.


    "But you are holding the baby." "It doesn''t matter."


    The people in the hospital were treated to an unusual sight-James Xi, a man who made millions of


    dors per minute, stepped out of a ward holding a baby in one arm and a heavy bag in another,


    looking like he was the child''s father.


    However, he didn''t seem like the typical parent. Even under the circumstances, his imposing aura


    was unmistakable.


    Maria slipped into the back seat. When James reached in to hand Bob to her, he stole a kiss from


    her lips.


    She was dumbfounded by the man''s audacity. ''Bastard! '' she cursed inwardly.


    James drove them to his vi.


    The scenery outside the window shed by in a blur. Trying to hold on to her temper, Maria dered


    in a low, even tone, "I am taking Bob to the Golden Mansion."


    ¡ª

 Chapter 334 Love Me, Love My Dog

    Chapter 334 Love Me, Love My Dog


    "Do you think that my bed isn''t big enough to amodate all three of us?" James asked.


    "No, I just don''t want to bother you," Maria replied softly. She was afraid that if Bob was still


    ufortable and kept crying, James would get annoyed by the disturbance.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    James clenched his jaw and said unhappily, "Maria, I don''t like it when you say such things."


    "But, Bob-"


    Knowing what she was worried about, he quickly interrupted her. "Love me, love my dog. Do you


    understand?"


    Maria was speechless. Of course she understood his words.


    He meant to say that since he loved her, he would love and ept Bob as well.


    She nced down at the little boy, who was full and happily ying on his own. "All right, but if you


    have any inconvenience, let me know."


    "What kind of inconvenience do you think I''ll have?" James felt that she was being too sensitive and


    cautious these days.


    She was acting as if she was living in his house with a child she had with another man, and she was


    afraid that she and the child would cause him some trouble.


    It was not at all like the way she had behaved in the past. Now, because of a little baby, she seemed


    to have be a different person altogether. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that


    things weren''t as simple as they seemed to be.


    The thoughtful look on his face didn''t go unnoticed by Maria, who immediately realized that she was


    being too nervous. Afraid that he would be suspicious of her, she pretended to be indifferent and


    quickly said, "I''m just afraid that you''ll try to make a move on me when the baby is around. I don''t


    care whether you like him or not. You''re the one who asked me to bring him along."


    She rushed to say all these things because she couldn''t bear to lie that Bob was not her son.


    "All right, all right. I''m the one who begged you and this little kid to live with me. Are you happy


    now?" James said in a resigned voice, knowing what she wanted to hear.


    Maria smiled and nodded. "Yes, I''m so happy! The famous Mr. Xi begged me to move in with him.


    I''m so proud of myself."


    James scoffed and didn''t say anything.


    After dropping them at the vi, he stayed for only a few minutes before heading back to the


    company.


    Maria took the opportunity to bask in the sun with Bob. She also took him to visit the stable inside


    the vi to show him how rich his father was.


    In the vi of the Zheng family, Rosa stopped the girl who was about to go upstairs.


    "Joslyn, wait a minute," she said in a kind tone.


    Joslyn rolled her eyes and said impatiently, "What''s up?"


    "There''s something I want to ask you. What¡¯s the name of that bitch you mentioned on the phone


    the other day?"


    Joslyn was already nning on hiring some people to make trouble for Maria, so when she heard


    Rosa''s question, she didn''t bother to hide anything from her. "Maria Song. She seduced your


    husband. While you were away, she even entered this vi. Keep an eye on your husband from now


    on."


    It was indeed Maria, just as Rosa had guessed. She felt disgusted as if she had swallowed a fly.


    With her arms crossed over her chest, Joslyn looked down at Rosa and continued, "I asked around


    about her. It turns out that she''s the CEO of DS Group. She''s apparently with James Xi now, but


    she has hooked up with a lot of men in the past. You should find a way to deal with her soon!"


    Ever since Joslyn had heard that Lawrence was going to be engaged to an unknown woman, she


    had been so depressed that she wasn''t in the mood to care about anybody else.


    "Okay, I see," Rosa replied inly.


    Joslyn went back to her room upstairs, leaving Rosa alone in the living room, lost in thought.


    She was really afraid that Maria would rise to power again. If that happened, she would be doomed


    for sure.


    Therefore, she believed that she had to take advantage of Colby''s current power and influence to


    attack Maria as soon as possible. She would only be able to calm down and live at peace if Maria


    was out of the picture, whether it was by leaving H City or this world altogether, though preferably


    thetter.


    It was already winter in H City. In the evening, Summer came to the vi with a stack of winter


    clothes that James had arranged someone to buy for Bob.


    Looking at the dozen or so paper bags brought in by the bodyguards, Maria asked, "So many?"


    "Yeah. Mr. Xi also chose a few thin down jackets and overcoats for you. Try them on!" Summer


    replied, beaming. She could not help but envy Maria, who was lucky enough to meet a man who not


    only had a sessful career, but also loved her truly.


    Summer had thought that she had met her true love when it turned out to be just her wishful


    thinking.


    Maria was about to take a look at the clothes when she noticed Summer standing there in a daze,


    lost in her thoughts. "Summer, what''s wrong?"


    Hearing her voice, Summer came to her senses and smiled. "Nothing, I''m fine. Go on, try them on!"


    However, she didn''t look fine at all. Maria held her hand and said earnestly, "Summer, we are


    friends, whether James is in the picture or not. If you are upset about something and hide it from


    me, I''ll be angry with you!"


    When Summer heard Maria''s words, tears sprang to her eyes. "It''s nothing, Maria, I''m fine," she


    said weakly.


    "What happened?" Maria pressed again.


    Summer hesitated for a moment, but didn''t know where to start. In the end, she just sighed and


    said, "Nothing."


    It was obvious that she was unwilling to talk about it, so Maria didn''t force her anymore. She just


    said, "Okay, well, let me know if you need someone to talk to."


    Summer nodded and took a deep breath to calm herself down. "Okay."


    After she left, Maria grabbed her phone and called James. "Are you overworking your employees


    too much?" she asked as soon as he answered the phone.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Something is wrong with Summer. I''m wondering if she is just too exhausted from her work," she


    exined. After all, she knew that James was a workaholic, and that he probably didn''t realize how


    much pressure he was putting on his employees.


    However, James felt a little wronged. "She just returned from her one-week vacation, remember?"


    "Oh..." It seemed that Summer''s low spirits had nothing to do with work.


    "Well, anyway, she seemed pretty upset about something. Why don''t you go easy on her the next


    couple of days?" she continued.


    In response, she received nothing but silence.


    A bitter smile yed on her lips. "Sorry, forget it," she said hastily. It was none of her business. She


    didn''t have the right to tell him to do anything.


    Pinching the space between his eyebrows, James called out in a low voice, "Maria."


    "Hmm?"


    "You have the right."


    His words were so cryptic that Maria hesitated for a moment before saying, "I don''t want to


    misunderstand you, Mr. Xi."


    "You''re not misunderstanding me," James replied firmly. What she was thinking was exactly what he


    meant.


    Hearing his response, Maria felt aplex emotion rising in her heart. "You won''t mind if I interfere


    in the affairs of the HL Group?" she asked tentatively.


    "That''s right," James answered without skipping a beat. She was his woman. Once the two of them


    married each other again, thepany would be their family property. Besides, she was a smart


    and capable woman who could run her ownpany, so why would he mind?


    His response made Maria''s hair stand on end. In the past, HL Group had always been his bottom


    line. As long as the fate of hispany was involved, he had been ready to turn against her.


    But now, he was encouraging her to get involved in the affairs of the HL Group! What was he


    nning? "Don''t you want to be with me anymore?" she asked all of a sudden.


    Naturally, James was taken aback. He couldn''t tell what this woman was thinking at all.


    "You want me to get involved in the affairs of HL Group so that you''ll have an excuse to kick me out


    if something goes wrong, right?" Maria continued hotly.


    James kept silent, indicating that he didn''t want to answer her question.


    "Should I take your silence as a yes?" she pressed.


    James closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down. "Do you know what I want to do now?"


    "Sleep with me?"


    Her response took him by surprise, especially since she wasn''t wrong. "I''ll sleep with youter.


    Right now, I want to pry your head to see what is on your mind," he said lightly.


    Maria pouted her lips. "I''m thinking about you, of course!"


    "I''ming home right now."


    "What? Aren''t you busy with work? Why do you want toe home now?"


    "It seems that you can''t wait any longer. Don''t worry, I''ll be there soon."


    - Author¡¯s note


    I ARK cm F HIM


    Trantor: ALibra

 Chapter 335 One Less Rival In Love

    Chapter 335 One Less Rival In Love


    Maria said hurriedly, "I was just joking. Carry on with your work. Bob hasn''t gone to sleep yet, so I''ll


    go and spend some time with him."


    "Okay," James replied with a chuckle. "I''ll finish my work soon."


    "Alright. See you," she replied before hanging up the phone.


    Sitting in the CEO''s office, James called his assistant and ordered, "Ask Summer toe to my


    office when she returns."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    As soon as Summer came back to thepany, she was told that James wanted to see her.


    Without so much as taking a sip of water, she went straight to the CEO''s office. "Mr. Xi, what can I


    do for you?" she asked politely as she entered.


    James raised his head and asked, "What work have you been doing recently?"


    Although she couldn''t understand why he was asking her such a question all of a sudden, she still


    answered him in detail.


    After thinking it over for a while, James made up his mind and said, "Hand over the trivial tasks to


    Gary. From now on, you''re only responsible for following up on the contracts at hand and keeping


    track of my daily tasks."


    "Mr. Xi, what''s wrong?" Summer was filled with dread. Why was he suddenly lightening her


    workload? Was she about to be reced?


    "Nothing. Maria has be really fond of Bob, but it''s hard for her to take care of him alone. From


    now on, you can use your spare time to help her take care of the baby," James exined


    indifferently.


    Summer breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright, Mr. Xi, understood."


    "Well, if you have nothing else to do, you can get off work now!"


    "Okay, Mr. Xi," she replied obediently, discreetly taking a nce at her watch.


    Fortunately, it was a reasonable time for her to get off work.


    Summer had barely left the office when James received a call from Ethan. "James, let''s go for a


    drink tonight!" he said in a jovial tone.


    To his surprise, James instantly refused. "No, I promised Maria that I would be home early."


    Hearing this, Ethan raised an eyebrow in disbelief. Did James really have to show off his love life


    every time he opened his mouth? "Oh, James, you''ve changed! Are you so in love with Maria that


    you¡¯ve forgotten me?"


    "Shut up."


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    "Fine, let''s go out for a drink tomorrow night. I''m sure that Lawrence will only leave after his


    engagement party is done." Tomorrow night was the night of Lawrence and Meagan''s engagement


    party. After that, Ethan would be the only single man among the three friends.


    "I''ll let you know tomorrow night," James said in a nonmittal way. He couldn''t give Ethan a


    straight answer since he didn''t know whether Maria had any ns tomorrow night.


    "Now that you have Maria, you''ve forgotten your best buddy. Well, fine. I guess I should also find a


    woman to spend the long nights with," Ethan said in mock despair.


    "Shut up, will you?" James irritably massaged the space between his eyebrows.


    "Yeah, yeah. Bye!"


    Ethan was about to hang up when he heard James saying, "I''ll drink with you tomorrow night."


    "Really?"


    "Yeah. Come to my vi when you''re free." James knew that it was good to have Ethan on his side


    when it came to certain matters.


    "Oh, my God! Are you trying to imply something? Well, anything you say, James! I don¡¯t mind being


    your lover."


    "Fuck off!"


    "Hey, don''t be so mean to your best friend! Hello? Are you still there?" Ethan lowered the phone


    from his ear and looked at the screen only to find that the call had been disconnected. He snorted,


    not at all pleased with the fact that James treated him like a piece of disposable tissue.


    Lawrence and Meagan''s engagement party was small and low-key. Their two families just gathered


    to have a meal together. The Lu family also brought some betrothal gifts to the Su family, as a token


    of engagement.


    Although it was a small party, the atmosphere was lively, with the elders of both families


    enthusiastically chatting with one another. In fact, Lawrence and Meagan were the only ones who


    remained silent, as if they were strangers.


    Of course, they had only met each other twice before, so they could barely even be considered


    acquaintances.


    As soon as the engagement party was over, Lawrence wanted to excuse himself, but before he


    could open his mouth, Meagan beat him to it. "Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle, and Aunt, I''m growing a


    herb nt at home and it needs to be watered three times a day, so I really need to get going now."


    Elizabeth urged her grandson, "Lawrence, why don''t you give Meagan a ride home?"


    "Grandma, it''s just a short walk to the subway station. I can go home by myself," Meagan protested.


    Elizabeth turned to her and clucked her tongue in displeasure. "From now on, you are part of our Lu


    family. Don''t take the subway anymore. Let Lawrence drive you home. Lawrence, take Meagan to


    buy a car when you are free."


    Meagan looked back at her hesitantly. Should she tell them that she didn''t even have a driver''s


    license?


    But before she even got the chance to say something, she found herself being ushered out of the


    restaurant with Lawrence by their overly zealous rtives.


    Standing on the pavement, the two of them stared at each other awkwardly without making eye


    contact. Needless to say, they both felt a little embarrassed.


    Atst, Lawrence cleared his throat and broke the silence. "Let''s go then."


    "Sure." Meagan didn''t want to seem uptight by insisting on taking the subway, so she obediently


    followed him to the car instead.


    The two of them stared straight ahead at the road, driving in silence. Not long after, the car reached


    the gate of hermunity. Lawrence was about to enter the gates when Meagan quickly said, "Mr.


    Lu, you can just drop me here. Thank you!"


    She hastily reached out and twisted the handle, but it was locked.


    Lawrence turned off the engine, looked at her, and asked calmly, "Have you made up your mind


    yet?"


    In the deathly silence of the car, Meagan could almost hear her heart pounding faster and faster


    against her chest. After hesitating for a while, she whispered, "Yes, I have."


    "Okay. Don''t regret itter," he said, fixing his eyes on her.


    Shifting ufortably under his gaze, Meagan looked away and nodded slightly. "I just hope you


    can keep your word."


    "What?" Lawrence frowned. He didn''t remember promising her anything.


    "You said that you''ll onlye back to H City once a year, or perhaps even once every few years. I


    hope you can stick to that," Meagan reminded, trying to keep her voice steady.


    His face twisted in displeasure. If she wanted to avoid him that badly, why had she agreed to marry


    him in the first ce?


    He felt a stab of annoyance. He leaned forward to observe whether she was being serious. His


    sudden movement sent a jolt of surprise through Meagan, who instantly shrank back against the


    door of the passenger seat.


    She looked like a deer caught in headlights. Seeing her reaction, Lawrence almost scoffed out loud.


    Was this woman afraid of him?


    A mischievous idea shed through his mind. He continued to lean closer to her. Ignoring the way


    her eyes widened in rm, he put his palm on the door next to her, trapping her in the seat.


    Their faces were so close that if he just lowered his head slightly, he would be able to kiss the tip of


    her nose.


    "What are you doing?" Meagan had never been this close to a man before. She was so scared that


    her mouth went as dry as a desert.


    The corner of Lawrence''s lips curved up into a smirk. "Since we''re officially engaged, I want to


    exercise my right as your fiance.


    Do you have a problem with that?" Meagan immediately wrapped her arms around her chest and


    twisted away from him. "No way! We are not that familiar yet."


    "Miss Su, do you n on being just a nominal wife?" he asked dully, staring closely at her reaction.


    Meagan hadn''t expected him to guess that so soon. Feeling a stab of guilt, she turned red and


    avoided his gaze. "Don''t be ridiculous. It''s just that I''m not ready yet."


    Of course, Lawrence had no intention of doing anything to her, so he just leaned back and scowled.


    Pressing the button that would unlock the car, he said, "Since Grandma likes you, you should spend


    more time with her when I''m not in H City."


    Meagan, who was in the process of clumsily unbuckling the seat belt, nodded repeatedly. "Yeah,


    sure."


    Even after she left his car, the faint fragrance of herbs lingered behind.


    By the time Lawrence reached the appointed venue, both James and Ethan were already there


    waiting for him.


    Upon seeing him, James smiled and gave him a thumbs-up sign. "Congrattions!" Deep down, he


    was happy that he now had one less rival in love.


    Lawrence, who knew exactly what was on his mind, snorted. "I appreciate your sincerity."


    "Congrattions," Ethan also said with a handsome grin. "So, when is the wedding?" "We will get


    the marriage licenses at the end of next month," Lawrence said indifferently as he poured himself a


    ss of liquor and downed it in one go.

 Chapter 336 Getting Back Together

    Chapter 336 Getting Back Together


    Ethan shook his head and said casually, "You should maintain basic decency in public. Remember


    to be respectful of your marriage.


    Don''t hurt the woman who agreed to marry you after meeting you only twice." Lawrence was


    speechless. Since when did Ethan be so mature? He shed Ethan a mocking smile and said,


    "A single man has no right toment about someone else''s marriage."


    Waving his fist in anger, Ethan retorted, "What''s wrong with being a single man? I''m still young!"


    "Being single by choice and being single because you can''t find a woman are totally different,"


    James chimed in dryly, adding salt to the wound. For some reason, Ethan found James'' words


    eerily familiar. Hadn''t Maria said the same thing to him before? "No wonder you and Maria are


    getting back together, you have a lot of things inmon," he said, scowling.


    "Yes." James didn''t deny, interpreting Ethan''s words to mean that he and Maria were a perfect


    match.


    Ethan red at him dully, unwilling to admit defeat. "James, are you really going to getting back


    together with Maria?"


    "I think so."


    "Didn''t you say that you would never rekindle your rtionship?"


    Ethan pressed. Looking at the ss of wine in his hand, James murmured, "Yeah, but what else


    can I do?" His words sounded helpless, but they were a stark contrast to his tone, which was filled


    with happiness and content.


    Ethan scoffed. "Are you that eager to jump off a cliff? Not only are you getting back together with


    her, but you also seem to be enjoying it very much!"


    James turned his head and shot him a warning nce. "Do you want to be wheeled out of here on a


    stretcher?"


    Sure enough, those words made Ethan shut up at once.


    ''Humph! You always bully me because I can''t defeat you,'' heined inwardly.


    After quite a while, James took a sip of the wine and said, "She is Arthur''s mother. Even though the


    child is gone, I owe her. Nothing I do will be enough for me to pay her back for it."


    What was more, Maria had been pregnant twice. He would never let her down in his lifetime.


    Even if the previous passion between them could not be restored, he would get back together with


    her.


    His friends didn''t know whether he was talking to himself or telling them.


    Lawrence and Ethan silently exchanged a nce. They were both thinking the same thing¡ªJames


    had fallen.


    He had fallen into the abyss that was Maria, and he would never be able to get out of it again.


    Less than two hours after they had met at the bar, James finished hisst drink and announced that


    he was leaving.


    Once he was gone, Lawrence and Ethan awkwardly made small talk for a while. But in the end,


    deciding that it was weird and boring to just have a drink alone with a man, Lawrence called for a


    designated driver to pick him up from the bar.


    Ethan hadn''t driven to the bar, so he opted to ride back home in the same car as Lawrence.


    In James'' vi, Bob had fallen asleep early.


    When James came back home, he found Maria sitting on the bed and doing some work on the


    laptop.


    She raised her head and greeted him with a smile. "Are you done with your work?"


    "I finished it a long time ago," he answered.


    It was not until he came closer that Maria smelled the trace of wine on him. "Did you go to a


    business party?"


    Sitting down on the edge of the bed, James reached out and raised her chin. "No." After saying that,


    he lowered his head and kissed her red lips.


    Maria''s brows furrowed together in confusion. ''He didn''t go to a party, but he drank. Did he have a


    drink with Ethan?'' she wondered.


    Just then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw him moving herptop aside to make some space.


    Instantlying back to her senses, she pushed him away and said in disgust, "Go and take a


    shower first. You stink of smoke!"


    James pursed his lips in displeasure. Staring at her intently, he grabbed her hand and whispered,


    "Come with me."


    The implication of his invitation was obvious. Exhaling impatiently through her nose, Maria took a


    look at the child sleeping next to them. But James said, "If you refuse me because of him again, I


    will send him to Grandpa''s house right now."


    "No," Maria said immediately. It was true that she had been using Bob as an excuse to refuse all his


    advances recently.


    But she knew that if she didn''t satisfy him at least now and then, the baby would definitely be sent


    away.


    Thinking of that, she got out of bed, leaned over to him, and kissed him on the lips. "Go and take a


    shower. I''ll put him in the cradle."


    "Okay," James replied, hiding the smug smile. ''That''s more like it,'' he thought to himself.


    At 2 am, Maria was twisting under James and biting her lower lip tightly when she heard a strange


    sound.


    Her head reflexively turned towards the direction of the cradle. To her shock, her eyes met Bob''s


    wide open ones.


    Fortunately, the only light in the bedroom came from the bedsidemp, so it was too dim for


    anything to be seen clearly.


    Nevertheless, Maria couldn''t help but let out a small scream. She quickly pulled the thin quilt to


    cover herself and patted James, indicating to him to get off her. "Bob, Bob..."


    Lying prone on top of her, James bemusedly followed the direction of her gaze. He was equally


    surprised to see that the little guy in the cradle had woken up and was staring at them quietly with


    his big eyes.


    Bob even let out a giggle, perhaps because he saw his parents looking at him.


    For a moment, James and Maria froze, not knowing what to do or how to react.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    It was only yesterday that Maria had taught Bob how to turn over and raise his head by himself. And


    today, he had seen something that he shouldn''t see!


    A drop of sweat fell from James'' eyebrow and onto Maria''s face, snapping her back to her senses.


    She casually wiped it off and pushed him away. "Get up!"


    When he finally got off her and stood up, she desperately felt around the bed for her pajamas, but to


    no avail. It was only after a few seconds that she remembered that James had discarded her


    clothes onto the floor just now.


    Still hugging the quilt around her, she leaned down and picked up the pajamas before putting them


    on. Then, she fanned her hot face and kicked the man who had casually gotten out of bed to look


    for his clothes. "I told you that we should go to sleep, but you didn''t listen to me."


    James, who was already irritated by the interruption, scowled. The little guy usually woke up after


    three o''clock in the morning. How could he have known that Bob would open his eyes in advance


    tonight?


    He put on his pajamas casually and patted slightly on the baby''s butt. Then, he picked him up from


    the cradle and put him on the big bed.


    Lying in the middle of the bed, Bob gurgled happily at Maria, waving his hands and feet in the air.


    Maria stared back at him, on the verge of breaking down. It was a good thing that Bob was too


    young to understand what he had just seen.


    After going to the bathroom and getting washed up, James took the feeding bottle and filled it with


    milk powder dissolved in water.


    Having done this for the past few nights in a row, he had already be very skilled and efficient in


    taking care of the baby. Within two minutes, the baby was clutching the feeding bottle in his tiny


    hands and drinking from it.


    Mariay next to him, still tightly wrapped in the quilt. Looking up at the ceiling in a daze, she asked,


    "James, babies don''t have memories, right?"


    James nced at her and replied, "Yes, they do. But their memoriesst only for seven seconds."


    His ridiculous response was enough to pull Maria back to reality. Wasn''t it said that the memory of a


    goldfish onlysted seven seconds?


    So, was James saying that Bob was like a goldfish? She scoffed at him. "Do you really believe in


    such ridiculous things?"


    Of course he didn''t, but he didn''t want Maria to feel bad about what had just happened.


    Just as he had thought, Bob had only woken up in advance because he was hungry. After drinking


    the milk in the feeding bottle, he soon fell asleep.


    As usual, James shifted the sleeping baby to the other side of the bed, so that he could hold Maria


    in his arms. The three of them drifted off to sleep.


    In the morning, Bob was happy and yful. It was obvious that he had fully recovered, but Maria


    was reluctant to send him back.


    However, she still had to work, so she had no choice but to send him to Augustine''s house.


    Once Maria was back at thepany, she took Peggy to the operations department.


    There was a meeting to be held there soon.


    On their way there, the two of them suddenly heard the sound of someone crying.


    Maria stopped in her tracks and listened carefully before confirming that she hadn''t heard wrong.


    She silently exchanged a nce with Peggy before walking towards the direction of the voice.


    In the fire escape staircase, a woman was sitting on thending and crying softly.


    Hearing the sound of the door swing open behind her, she immediately wiped her tears away and


    raised her head. Shock appeared in her tearful eyes as she hurriedly got up and greeted, "Ms.


    Song, Peggy!"


    "Are you from the operations department?" Maria''s eyes slid over her nametag.


    The woman nodded slowly.


    "Why are you crying here?" Maria asked.


    She kept her eyes lowered and her lips pursed for a long time, not daring to say anything.


    Peggy sighed helplessly. "Don''t just cry. Ms. Song is asking you a question. Did someone at the


    company do something to you?"


    -

 Chapter 337 I Want A Reward

    Chapter 337 I Want A Reward


    "No," the female employee said, shaking her head and wiping her tears. "Here''s the thing, Ms.


    Song. I''ve been following up a project of HM Group for about two months now. They already agreed


    to hand it over to us, and we''re so close to sealing the deal. However, I got a call from them just


    now saying that... they don''t need us onboard anymore."


    After working hard on the project for two months, she had been about to happily sign the contract,


    only to be told without warning that the project had been handed over to anotherpany instead.


    "We did preparatory work on it for three months, and I followed up on it for two months after that..."


    All in all, she had spent almost half a year on this project, so she couldn''t reconcile herself to the


    fact that it had been given to anotherpany.


    As soon as Maria heard the mention of HM Group, she understood what was going on.


    "It doesn''t matter. This is not your fault. There are a lot more opportunities out there, and the next


    one will be better. Don''t give up!" she said in a firm butforting tone.


    She already knew what project this employee was referring to, and although it was a sizeable


    project for them to take on, it was just a small project for HM Group. Colby wouldn''t be so idle as to


    keep an eye on it, so it had to be Rosa who was behind this.


    ''How dare shey her hands on my business?'' she thought irritably.


    Still unconvinced, the female employee said in a hurry, "Ms. Song, I''ve worked really hard on it and


    followed it up-"


    Maria nodded. "I know. I''ll exin the situation to your managerter. From now on, you''ll be


    responsible for the mall project with Song Group."


    "Okay, thank you, Ms. Song," she replied gratefully.


    "Okay, get back to work!" Maria said. The employee nodded and quickly left the fire escape


    staircase.


    Now that the two of them were alone, Peggy finally looked at Maria and asked, "Maria, do you know


    what happened?"


    "Yes. From now on, HM Group will not cooperate with us anymore. What''s worse, they will deal with


    us," Maria replied. It was not a big deal though, since HL Group began to cooperate with DS Group.


    Two days ago, James had even given them a big order.


    Furrowing her brows in confusion, Peggy asked, "Why? Doesn''t Colby trust you anymore?"


    "That''s one of the reasons. The other reason is his wife." As the general manager of HM Group,


    Rosa held a lot of power.


    "Did Colby''s wife misunderstand the rtionship between you and him?"


    "Yes." Maria didn''t borate further, because her mind was racing with possible ways to fight back.


    It turned out that she had been too slow to make a move this time, so Rosa had seized the


    opportunity and struck first.


    The best way to deal with the problem was to face it head-on and fight back in the same way!


    Maria took out her cell phone and dialed a number. As soon as the call was answered, she ordered,


    "Go and find out which project Rosa Qiao has been working on recently and what the progress is."


    "Yes, Ms. Song."


    Later that afternoon, she received the report of the information that she had asked for.


    After ncing through it, she called James. It rang a couple of times before the call was finally


    answered¡ª not by James, but by Summer. "Hello, Maria. Mr. Xi is in a meeting right now. What''s


    up?" she asked in a low voice.


    The meeting had to be a very important one if James didn''t want to pause it to answer the phone. At


    the same time, it was obvious that he didn''t want to miss Maria''s call, either, because he had asked


    Summer to answer it for him.


    "Well, there''s something I need his help with, but there''s no hurry. Let the meeting finish. Ask him to


    call me back when he''s free," Maria replied. She didn''t want to rush into anything in a hurry, and this


    matter had to be dealt with in a calm and patient way.


    "Okay. The meeting is supposed to end in an hour. I''ll tell Mr. Xiter," said Summer.


    "All right, then. Carry on."


    "Bye."


    Summer quietly returned to the meeting room and set the phone down on the table beside James,


    who was busy talking to several distinguished guests.


    James nced at the phone out of the corner of his eye before continuing with his work.


    Two hourster, Maria received a call from James. Picking it up, she asked, "Is the meeting over?"


    "Yes. I¡¯m on the way back to thepany now," he replied, pinching the space between his


    eyebrows.


    "Okay. Well, it''s nothing too important. I just want to ask you for a favor," Maria said tentatively.


    Every time she called him, she would ask him to do her a favor.


    "Go ahead," James said.


    "Do you know Mr. Zhao of Zhao Group? I want to have dinner with him. Can you set up a meeting


    for me?" "Well, I know who he is, but I''m not that familiar with him. Why, what''s up?"


    "We were supposed to sign a deal with HM Group for one of their projects, but someone blocked it


    at thest minute," Maria exined honestly.


    "So?"


    "I want to give her a taste of her own medicine. I asked someone to dig into it and found out that HM


    Group is set to cooperate with Zhao Group on a project."


    "Ah, so that''s why you need to meet Mr. Zhao. But as far as I know, he''s on very good terms with


    Colby''s wife."


    "Really?" Maria sounded frustrated.


    "Yeah." He wondered if the one Maria was going to deal with was Colby''s wife. He wondered what


    kind of feud there was between these two women. Was Rosa trying to sabotage Maria''spany


    because she misunderstood the rtionship between Colby and Maria?


    In his eyes, this was the only reasonable exnation.


    Taking a deep breath, Maria finally said, "You know what, it doesn''t matter. I still want to give it a try.


    What if it works?" Maria didn''t want to give up so soon. ''Rosa won''t be in charge of one project only.


    If I fail to sabotage this project, I can continue and ruin the next.''


    As for James, he couldn''t help but appreciate her persistence. "Fine, but I want a reward."


    Maria snorted. "You can''t get a reward unless I get what I want. If I fail, you''ll have to make me


    happy, or I''ll be depressed."


    Hearing this, James chuckled. "It seems that I shouldn''t have agreed to help you. Is it toote for


    me to take back what I said just now?"


    "It is! The day you had the hotpot, you became my man. It''s toote for you to run away now. Just


    ept your fate!" As Maria spoke, she leaned against the chair and looked at the green nt not


    far away with a smile.


    James raised his eyebrows and was about to continue the banter when someone came to him. With


    a sigh of resignation, he said, "Fine. I''ll ask Summer to set up the meeting. We''ll talk about itter."


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "Okay. Thank you," Maria answered chirpily.


    He kept silent for a moment before saying, "I don''t like you saying thosest two words."


    Maria was a little stunned. ''Last two words? "Thank you?" But why?''


    Without giving her a chance to speak, James added, "Don''t say that to me from now on. I''m hanging


    up."


    The call was promptly disconnected.


    That night, Maria met with Mr. Zhao for dinner as nned, and the result was as expected.


    It turned out that Mr. Zhao was an old friend of Rosa, so he didn''t care about Maria at all. If it


    weren''t for James, he wouldn''t even have agreed to this dinner.


    What was more, Maria didn''t have anything inmon with him, so the dinner came to an end


    sooner than usual.


    After bidding him farewell, Maria stood outside the restaurant and looked at the night sky, feeling a


    stab of frustration.


    A ck car stopped in front of her. The window of the back seat rolled down, revealing a familiar


    face.


    Seeing him, she opened the door and got in. "What are you doing here?"


    "I have a business meeting tomorrow, so I want to go home early and rest," James exined.


    She nodded and leaned back in the seat. It was evident from her face that she was in a bad mood.


    He grabbed her hand, and she shifted closer to him naturally, leaning on his shoulder.


    "Is this a huge blow to you?" he asked quietly.


    Of course, Maria knew what he was referring to. She shook her head and replied, "No. I''m just


    contemting a problem." No matter who she was dealing with-Alina, Judy, or Rosa-she was in a


    passive state. If she didn''t attack first, she would only lose in the end.


    "What?" he asked.

 Chapter 338 Bob Must Be Your Son

    Chapter 338 Bob Must Be Your Son


    Maria didn''t know what to say. After all, she didn''t want to talk about women scheming against each


    other.


    If she hadn''t been deeply involved, she would have stayed away from this.


    She tugged at James'' arm and changed the topic. "Ourpany is going to release a new product


    soon. Shall we hold a productunch event?"


    "Sure."


    "I''m a little worried, though." Raising her head, she looked at James'' chin. "Won''t it be a shame if


    the sales figures are low?" Many people in H City would love to see her fail, so she wanted to


    release the new product quietly.


    After all, she was now associated with James, sharing weal and woe with him. She didn''t want to


    embarrass him.


    "Why are you so unsure of yourself?" This was so unlike her.


    Maria looked up into his deep, dark eyes. For a moment, that steady regard made her feel confident


    again. She sat up straight and said simply, "Then we''ll hold an event for the new productunch!"


    James'' smile reached his eyes. "Of course."


    "But..." Maria returned his smile and threw her arms around him.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    With an eyebrow, he waited for her to speak.


    "Can you lend me some space in yourpany?" It had been on her mind for a while now to hold


    the productunch in the HL Group headquarters, but she was too embarrassed to ask James.


    James nodded. "I''ll tell Summer to handle it." As long as she stayed by his side, he could give her


    anything she wanted.


    His immediate agreement surprised Maria. However, considering that James wasn''t a narrow-


    minded man, his decision actually made sense.


    Later that night, James carried Maria into the bathroom after a particrly vigorous round of


    lovemaking.


    Leaning against the edge of the bathtub, she watched the water cascade down James'' back under


    the shower and asked in a listless voice, "What time will you leave tomorrow? For how long will you


    be gone?"


    "Morning, two days, and I''ll be back in H City the day after tomorrow at thetest."


    ''Two days?'' "Okay."


    Finally clean, the two of themy back and hugged each other. Unable to resist the urge, James


    asked, "Is there a grudge between you and Colby''s wife?" He was a perceptive man, and he knew


    that whatever the issue was between the two women was not simple. There were some vague


    rumors about Colby having an affair with Maria, but those weren''t true.


    Even so, it was normal for Rosa to misunderstand and possibly get back at Maria.


    However, Maria was not cut from the usual mold.


    After asking him for help, she chased after Rosa for retribution. He was aware that Maria asked him


    to connect her to Mr. Zhao. Her n was just in the beginning stage.


    In the darkness, Maria slowly opened her eyes. Her voice was soft when she answered, "It''s not a


    grudge. She''s my enemy."


    Rosa was her sworn enemy.


    James was confused. It seemed like there was a long history between the two women, and he


    couldn''t figure out what the bone of contention was. "You approached Colby just because of her?"


    "Yes.¡± She was d that he could understand.


    James didn''t ask any more questions.


    Hugging the arm around her closer, Maria confirmed, "You will help me, won''t you?" ''After all, Rosa


    is his enemy, too, 1 she thought.


    "Of course." He would do what he had promised.


    Moreover, he couldn''t just ignore the enmity between the two women.


    Satisfied, Maria gave his arm a final squeeze. James stroked her long hair, thinking about how


    greedy he was to have Maria rely on him.


    The next morning, James left while Maria was still asleep.


    After doing somest-minute packing, he bent over and pressed a kiss on the sleeping woman''s lips


    and then turned to leave.


    After his meeting in the afternoon, James received a call from Gary. "Mr. Xi, I''m almost done


    investigating the thing that you asked me about."


    "Go on."


    "It''s quite difficult. Colby Zheng is very thorough in covering up his tracks."


    As he listened to the long-winded report, James was quicklying to realize that Colby was a


    highlyplex character.


    The matter was extremely dangerous, and pursuing it meant stepping on a lot of toes. He couldn''t


    let Maria take the risk on her own.


    "Is Colby controlling Fosun Entertainment Group? It doesn''t matter how long it will take, we have to


    uncover the truth." Fosun Entertainment Group had been making their move in secret, but he would


    never allow them to touch HL Group.


    "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    On the second night after he came back from James'' business trip, he went to his grandparents''


    residence with Ethan in tow.


    Maria found out about it through Augustine, who called her. "I think those two are up to no good. Are


    you free toe over tomorrow?"


    His words made Maria''s heart skip a beat. "Grandpa, maybe you''re just overthinking things."


    "James didn''t say anything, but Ethan has been staring at Bob the whole time. I have a feeling that


    something''s wrong."


    "Then I''ll go there tomorrow." James would being home tonight anyway, and she would try to


    sound out the situation first.


    "Okay."


    In Augustine''s house


    As soon as he saw Bob, Ethan eximed in an exaggerated tone, "James, is this your son? He''s so


    cute! Is his mom Maria?"


    He knew about the existence of Bob all this time, yet he had never seen the boy before.


    James'' face was expressionless, yet his eyes were sharp as they nced at his grandparents.


    "Don''t talk nonsense!"


    "Can I hug him?" Ethan looked at Augustine with pleading eyes.


    Augustine nodded.


    "Wow, I''m going to be your uncle! Come on, Bob, call me Uncle. I''ll give you a big red envelope,"


    Ethan enthusiastically said, but his hands were careful and gentle as he handled the baby.


    Happy to be the focus of such a jolly character, Bob gurgled contentedly at Ethan. Then, after a few


    seconds, an unexpected sound suddenly came out of his mouth. "Mom!"


    Ethan''s face fell. "I''m not your mother. Call me Daddy. Ouch! James, why did you kick me?"


    It was just a warning kick, nothing too strong. If the child was actually borne by Maria, why should


    Ethan be the one to get called Daddy?


    Augustine suddenly rose to his feet and said, "Enjoy yourselves. I need to go to the bathroom."


    "Okay," Ethan replied with a nod.


    Cradling the little boy in his arms, he sat next to James. "James, I like him so much. He must be


    your son because I''m so attached to him. If he weren''t your son, then why would I like him so


    much?"


    James didn''t know how to respond to thatment.


    Charlotte cleared her throat and said, "Ethan, Augustine found this child at the front door."


    "I know. I was just teasing James," Ethan replied, smiling at the old woman.


    "Okay."


    A momentter, Augustine returned to the living room. "Ethan, would you like to have dinner here


    tonight?"


    "Thank you, but I''m good. James and I are just passing by, and we have to go back soon. I have


    ssester."


    "You still have sses? Okay, I won''t keep you, then. Study hard!"


    "Yes, I will."


    Soon after, James drove away with Ethan.


    As soon as the car was out of the driveway, Ethan turned toward James in excitement and


    eximed, "James, mark my words, that kid has Xi blood running through his veins!"


    James was the picture of calm as he deftly handled the steering wheel. "What else did you see


    except for that?"


    -

 Chapter 339 Paternity Test

    Chapter 339 Paternity Test


    "I''m not sure if Maria is the one who gave birth to the baby, but I''m sure that you''re the father! Think


    about it carefully. Have you ever cheated on her with another woman? Tell me the truth. Don''t worry,


    I won''t tell her about it!" Ethan said.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    James stepped on the brake impatiently and parked the car on the side of the road. "Stop talking


    nonsense and start making sense."


    Ethan sighed and clucked his tongue. He was still a little confused too. After all, he had never


    expected James to have a son! "You''ve really never noticed it before? Don''t you think the boy


    resembles you?"


    "No, I don''t."


    "Come on, you have really think about it."


    James had to resist the urge to kick him. "Get out of the car if you''re going to keep saying stupid


    things!"


    "Is this how you ask for my help?" Ethan pouted.


    "I''m going to have a paternity test," James said dully. He had wanted Ethan to help him find out if


    Bob was his son, but the young man seemed unreliable.


    "Let me tell you this, your facial features might not be that simr, but the shape of his face is


    exactly like yours, especially when ites to the ears. He is just a mini-version of you! I''m sure


    that he''s your son. You don''t even need to get a paternity test done."


    Hearing Ethan''s impassioned exnation, James lit a cigarette and slowly took a drag. "His blood


    type is also Rh negative."


    Ethan pped his hands. "I knew it! He''s definitely your son, there''s no doubt about it! Now the only


    question is, who is his mother?"


    "Who else could it be?" James snorted and tightened his grip on the cigarette.


    He couldn''t figure out when Maria had gotten pregnant and how she had given birth to Bob.


    Was it possible that the doctor had lied to him back then? That was the only possibility, and yet...it


    didn''t make sense.


    The doctor''s loyaltyy with James. How could he dare to lie to him?


    Ethan, who only saw the good side of things, beamed at him and gave him a thumbs-up sign.


    "Maria is cool!"


    James just shot him a re before taking out his phone and calling Gary.


    "Find out what Maria had done in the first half of this year," he ordered.


    "Okay, Mr. Xi."


    That night, Maria went to James'' vi early, but James himself didn''t return until almost midnight.


    Hearing the sound of the door opening, Maria, who was lying on the bed and fidgeting with her cell


    phone, stiffened. Although her heart was quivering, she pretended like everything was fine and


    turned her head to look at him. "Why are you home sote? Was there a lot of work?"


    "Yes. Why haven''t you slept yet?" James asked casually as he took off his coat and swung it over


    the chair at the end of the bed. Then, he sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Maria.


    Maria had removed her make-up, revealing her bare, clear face. Staring back at him, she smiled


    slightly. "Well, you hadn''te back yet."


    "I''m going to take a shower." James kissed her on the forehead before going into the bathroom.


    Watching his back as he walked away, Maria felt that something was wrong.


    He was too calm, almost in an unsettling way, like the calm before a storm.


    When James got out of the shower, he got into bed and made love to Maria as usual.


    Early the next morning, Maria opened her eyes as soon as she heard James walking out of the vi.


    She had a very urgent matter to deal with that day. After getting ready in a hurry, she drove to HQ


    Road.


    James discovered that he was toote. He had arranged for a DNA test.


    But when he arrived at Augustine''s house at three o''clock to take the baby, there was no sign of the


    little one.


    Looking at the two elderly people sitting on the sofa with forlorn faces, he asked, "Where is Bob?"


    "His family came and took him away," Augustine replied.


    James felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck him. Clenching his jaw in anger, he asked, "Where are


    they now? How did they find him?"


    Augustine carefully avoided his eyes as he answered, "I found the child''s family a few days ago. I


    didn''t tell you because I thought you didn''t care about him at all. Of course, I didn''t allow them to


    take the child right away. It was only after they took a DNA test proving that they are the child''s


    biological parents, that I handed him over to them."


    James narrowed his eyes. "Where do they live?"


    "I don''t know."


    "Well, what are their names? Where is the DNA test report? Show me," James pressed agitatedly.


    Augustine looked up and red at him. "Why are you asking so many questions? What do you


    mean? Don''t you believe me?" "Please answer my questions, Grandpa," James said. His steady


    voice was vibrating with an undercurrent of emotions. He could see the guilt on their faces, and it


    was obvious to him that there was more to the story than they imed.


    "Answer what? How would I know where they live? As for their names, I don''t remember. But I think


    their family name is Wang. Obviously, they took the DNA test result with them." Augustine answered


    all of his questions in a snappy way before faltering and raising his hand to clutch his chest. He


    turned to his wife and said, "I think I have high blood pressure. Give me the medicine and kick this


    ungrateful brat out!"


    James couldn''t believe what he saw and heard. How was he being ungrateful? All he had done was


    ask a few serious questions, but the old man was trying to get out of answering them by pretending


    to be in poor health.


    Charlotte looked at her grandson and said calmly, "James, it''s nice of you to visit, but we need some


    time to ourselves. We haven''t been taking Bob''s departure well. He was so cute. What a shame."


    It was only at this moment that James felt as though he received a p from reality.


    It turned out that so many people he trusted had lied to him.


    Ever since he was a child, he had trusted Augustine and believed everything he said without a


    doubt.


    But after this, he would never trust Augustine again!


    Many yearster, James would tell his son, "Don''t trust anyone, not even your own parents."


    "Then who should I trust?" "You''d better trust me." Many yearster, James told Bob a white lie and


    thetter never found out the truth.


    James didn''t bother saying anything more to his grandparents. He went upstairs and looked around


    the room where they had amodated Bob, but there was no trace of him left behind, not even a


    single hair. After seeing the empty room, he left the house without making a fuss.


    He didn''t argue with his grandparents because he believed that he would be able to find the child on


    his own. Even if Maria refused to admit the truth and kept Bob''s whereabouts a secret, he would still


    find him.


    On the way back home, he couldn''t help but think that everything was a joke. Of course, the biggest


    joke was James himself.


    He had once thought of asking Bob''s parents for a huge amount of money for raising him. He had


    even disliked Bob because all the boy seemed to be able to do was eat, drink, and spit out bubbles


    from his mouth.


    He had been deceived by Maria for so long.


    It turned out that after she got pregnant, she would give birth to their child without him knowing.


    Did that woman think she could jerk him around however she pleased?


    Well, two could y that game.


    He knew that sooner orter, he would find the chinks in her armor.


    He asked his men to secretly search for Bob, but he acted like he didn''t know anything, and just


    went about his business as usual.


    Maria, on the other hand, was constantly on edge, like a frightened bird. Sensing that he was


    suspicious, she did not even dare to meet his gaze anymore.


    In the Tang family''s house, there was a lot of


    excitement.


    Today was the day Ronald was finally being released from prison, so the Tang family were brimming


    with happiness.


    Well, except Alina, of course.


    As soon as Ronald walked through the door, they all noticed the drastic change in his appearance.


    He had a shaved head, and he had lost a lot of weight. It was obvious that he had suffered a lot in


    prison.


    Tears welled up in the eyes of both Miranda and yton. Ronald was the sole heir of the Tang


    family, but he had ended up in such a miserable state.


    Looking around at the familiar home, Ronald felt like he was dreaming.


    He couldn''t shake off the fear that he would suddenly wake up and find himself back in the cold


    prison.


    They still had the joint project with HL Group, and James had given them several other projects as


    compensation after he had broken off his engagement to Alina. The Tang Group was prospering.


    They gradually regained their glorious position in H City.

 Chapter 340 You Are Pregnant

    Chapter 340 You Are Pregnant


    yton ced a piece of braised pork into Ronald''s bowl and said, "You can rest a few days at


    home. Then,e to thepany with me to learn how to manage it."


    Ronald''s chopsticks stopped on the way to his mouth. After several moments, he shook of his


    astonishment and nodded. He''d do anything as long as he could stay away from prison.


    When Alina went back to her room after dinner, she received a call from an unknown number.


    She slid the button onscreen to answer. "Who is this?"


    "Ms. Tang?"


    A woman''s oddly familiar voice came from the other end of the line.


    "Who are you?"


    "I''m Rosa Qiao."


    ''Rosa Qiao?!'' Alina knew the woman. Rosa used to be a maid of the Xi family who ended up


    marrying Colby Zheng. The woman managed to make aplete status reversal.


    "Why are you calling me?" Alina asked in a wary tone.


    Rosa chuckled. "Ms. Tang, you don''t have to be on guard against me. An enemy''s enemy is a


    friend, right?"


    Alina paused to digest those words. Was she implying Maria was theirmon enemy?


    "I know that you are pregnant," Rosa said straightforwardly.


    "How did you know?" Nobody but Alina herself knew about it.


    The baby was Kent''s. She had forgotten to take morning-after pills, which led her to her current


    condition. Even so, she had no intentions of keeping the baby, no matter what.


    At that stage, the baby was probably still be a tiny blip. Without any dy, she made an


    appointment to have an abortion, so she rearranged her schedule for the next few days ordingly.


    "I can easily find out things when I want to, Ms. Tang. But please rest assured that I don''t mean to


    harm you. Would you like to have afternoon tea with me when you''re free?"


    Alina didn''t care for afternoon tea, and for some reason, her intuition was warning her that Rosa


    was up to no good. "Can I take a rain check? I''m really swamped at the moment."


    "Okay. By the way, I''m advising you not to have an abortion for the time being. Who knows, maybe


    you can use the baby as a tool to destroy a person,"


    said Rosa. ''Destroy a person? Maria?


    If I can really use this baby to destroy her...''


    Alina hesitated.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Ever since Maria and James became a hot topic on the news and the Inte, everyone knew that


    James had broken off his engagement to Alina.


    Her original n was to pester James, but she didn''t have the chance. She would be despised by


    the public if she did so.


    The phone conversation kept Alina awake for the better part of the night.


    Rosa also assured her that she was not afraid even if


    Maria had James behind her.


    Colby and Mr. Huang had already reached an agreement, and they now had Mr. Huang¡¯s resources


    at their disposal. If Tang Group joined hands with them, they might even overthrow James, let alone


    Maria.


    Alina didn''t know what gave Rosa the unshakeable confidence that they could bring James down


    together, but she couldn''t care less. All she wanted was to take Maria down and for her to be


    James¡¯ wife.


    Anyway, the baby in her belly would be aborted sooner orter. What was stopping her from


    agreeing?


    In HM Group


    After his assistant had finished his report, Colby gave Rosa a call. "Come to my office."


    Rosa was in her own office in thepany, which was one floor below Colby''s.


    Not long after, the door was pushed open, and Rosa strode into Colby''s office. She went straight


    into his arms and said gently, "What''s up?"


    "What''s going on between you and Maria?" Colby said in a nasty tone.


    Even so, Rosa remained unruffled. "I''ve told you that she approached you with ulterior motives. She


    had dinner with Mr. Zhao, wanting to block our project. Mr. Zhao and I are so close, so there''s no


    way that he would listen to her."


    Colby frowned. "I don''t care what you are doing behind my back, but you can''t harm the interests of


    thepany! Don''t you know that James Xi has taken action on his end?"


    She waved an unconcerned hand. "It doesn''t matter. I have talked to Alina on the phone earlier. She


    is willing to persuade her father to be on our side." "yton Tang?"


    "Yes."


    Colby remained silent. The Tang family had been steadily gaining a foothold in H City. If HM Group


    and Tang Group worked together, they might bring James down.


    "I set an appointment with Mrs. Tang one of these days, and I''ll ply her with gifts to win her over. You


    should establish a rtionship with yton. Then, HM Group will dominate H City!"


    Colby couldn''t help but admire his wife''s drive. She had evene up with a n to uproot James.


    "Don''t act too rashly. You must discuss these things with me before you do anything. James has the


    backing of the Mu Group, and I don''t know if he is controlling Fosun Entertainment Group. You do


    know that Fosun is a dark horse in the financial world, right? Never mind thatpany-with Mu


    Group and HL Group forming a strong alliance, we have no chance of winning against them!"


    "Fosun Entertainment Group? Why haven''t I heard of it before?"


    "It''s a fast-growingpany that''s been on the rise for thest two or three years. Their original


    focus was on entertainment, but it has eventually be a multi -prongedpany with a diverse


    set of industries and services. The CEO and the honorary chairman are but mere puppets in that


    company-the one who is holding the reins remains strictly behind the scenes. To date, I still haven''t


    found out anything." He had asked Maria to dig into it before, but he didn''t get any useful


    information.


    "Don''t worry. Now that I''m back, I''ll go and have teas with all of those richdies so that I can get


    you the information that you need." By doing so, she was making Colby understand that she was


    the only one who truly loved him.


    Colby gave her aforting pat on the back of her hand. "Okay, I''ll be relieved to leave some work


    to you. " They were married, and their interests were closely linked. There was no doubt that Rosa


    wanted both him and HM Group to keep getting better.


    At this point, she had proven to Colby that Maria had ulterior motives when she approached him.


    However, Colby wasn''t at peace at all. If he had known about it earlier, he would haveid his hands


    on Maria when he had the chance. He never even managed to kiss her!


    In thest two days, Maria stayed in Golden Mansion and didn''t go to James'' vi.


    One day, James didn''t tell her that he wasing. Knowing that she wasn''t in the vi, he drove to


    Golden Mansion.


    Maria was having a video call with someone, watching Bob sleeping on the screen. When she


    heard the sound from the door, she immediately ended the video and deleted the chat record.


    James walked into the room to find Maria lying on the bed and tinkering with her mobile phone.


    When they locked eyes, she greeted, "I was wondering who was at the door! Why didn''t you tell me


    that you wereing?"


    James walked over and threw her a scornful look. "What''s wrong? Were you doing some bad things


    behind my back?"


    Both of them knew what was on the other one''s mind, but they yed dumb.


    Maria snorted. "What can I hide from you? I was thinking about the coffee shop''s performance


    lately. It''s not doing well at the moment, and I''m worried. Mr. Xi, can you help me?" She found an


    excuse.


    "How?" First, she hid his child from him, and now she was asking him for help. ''What a shameless


    woman!'' he thought.


    -

 Chapter 341 Collagen

    Chapter 341 Cogen


    "The cafe is in the off-season; I want to throw an event to attract more customers," Maria said.


    "Okay," James agreed.


    Maria got up and knelt on the bed, slipping her arms around his neck as she straddled him. "Do you


    have any good ideas?"


    "Let me think about it." James had never gotten involved in the business of the cafe before.


    "How about you ask the nning elites of yourpany toe up with an event n for me?"


    Hearing this, James looked at her with a faint smile. With one arm, he grabbed her waist and pulled


    her closer. "Will you give them a bonus?"


    "Sure, no problem!" she promised, patting her chest. She didn''t intend on having a free lunch either.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "How about Ie up with an event n?" James suggested.


    A flicker of surprise crossed Maria''s eyes. "Are you serious?"


    "Of course...not!" He lowered his head and kissed her on the lips.


    Maria was speechless. How could this man joke around like a kid?


    Before she could react, she found herself being pressed down onto the bed. Leaning over her,


    James untied the belt of her night robe and whispered, "Beg me."


    "Beg you... for what?"


    "Beg me toe up with an event n for you."


    Maria couldn''t believe the nerve of this man. Sinking her nails into his back, she raised her eyebrow


    and asked, "Can I refuse?"


    "No, you can''t." James liked seeing her cry and beg while she was lying under him.


    In the best coquettish tone she could muster, Maria fulfilled his demand by saying, "Honey, help me,


    please! Can you really bear to see such a huge gap between us?"


    James'' eyes pierced into hers, as if he was thoroughly enjoying every single moment of her act. He


    replied indifferently, "I''m already used to it. The gap between us is one that can never be reduced.


    Even if you have a whole lifetime, you won''t be able to achieve the amount of wealth and power I


    have now." There was indeed an enormous difference between the amount of power each of them


    held, but the frankness of his statement was overwhelming. Feeling like a knife had stabbed her


    heart, Maria pulled a long face. "So basically, you''re looking down on me."


    James was a little stunned to hear that. He wondered which part of the things he had just said had


    given her that idea.


    "So you agree?" Maria pressed, seeing that he didn''t say anything to rebuke her. Her mood was


    sinking lower and lower.


    James leaned forward and kissed her ear. "There is a way for me to prove that I don''t look down on


    you." In fact, it was the most effective way.


    "What?"


    "Remarry me," he said.


    For a moment, Maria was stunned. It was the first time in a long time that she had heard these two


    words from him.


    She didn''t know how to react, so she just smiled and said, "Fine, I believe you now."


    Since he was willing to go so far to prove that he didn''t look down on her, she believed him.


    Seeing her calm reaction, James couldn''t help but be a little upset. Did she not want to get


    remarried?


    Well, no matter. He knew that he could make her willingly agree to it sooner orter.


    ''If he just added a few more words like "I''m serious" or "I really want to remarry you," I would believe


    what he said. But he didn''t.''


    Then, realizing what she was hoping for, she couldn''t help butugh at herself. ''Maria, you''re only


    with him because you want to use him. It doesn''t matter whether you get remarried or not. Why are


    you thinking so much about it?''


    "Mia," James called out gently.


    Snapping back to reality, Maria regained herposure and replied, "Yes?" Except for the times


    when he was angry, James was always tender in bed. She had never seen such tenderness in him


    in daily life.


    "What were you thinking about?" He bit her earlobe gently to show that he was upset.


    "I was thinking about how to defeat you, so that you''d stop being so arrogant," Maria answered


    coolly, closing her eyes.


    James let out a chuckle. "Just give up!" Was it really that impossible?


    Maria was dumbfounded. How could he be so confident all the time?


    In fact, James had also thought of using this method to make her admit Bob''s real identity, but on


    second thought, he had given up the idea.


    The result he obtained that way would not be reliable.


    She might lie to him.


    Therefore, he wanted to find Bob, get a paternity test, and then show her the result, just like she


    had brought a baby into his life. He wanted to render her speechless, so that she would admit Bob''s


    identity without making any excuses.


    After making love to her, James took a shower. Then, seeing that Maria seemed to be asleep, he


    quietly slipped back into bed and turned off the light. But all of a sudden, she kicked him lightly.


    "What''s wrong?" he asked.


    In a low voice, she replied, "If you keep wearing yourself out like this, you will have health problems


    soon. You should start restraining yourself, at least once in a while. I''m saying it for your own good."


    She couldn''t stand it anymore. How could she satisfy him every single night? It left herpletely


    exhausted. She was afraid that if things went on like this, she would have to find a younger and


    more beautiful woman for him to distract his attention.


    In the silence of the dark night, James replied coldly, "What about you? You seem to have more


    than enough energy. You''re always watching videos of other men."


    They had spent several nights together, so he was already familiar with her habits. He had seen her


    frequently watching entertainment videos on her phone. As long as a man with a good-looking face


    or physique appeared on the screen, she would ogle at him for a long time.


    Every time James noticed her paying attention to another man, he would wonder if he didn''t satisfy


    her enough in bed.


    ''Other men? Videos?'' In her fatigue, Maria''s brain was a little slow, and it took her a while to figure


    out what he was referring to. Forcing one of her eyes open, she exined, "Those men are just eye


    candy. It''s not like I''ll do anything with them."


    She didn''t even understand why he wasining about such a trivial thing. She was a woman


    who was attracted to men. It wasn''t a big deal if she appreciated good-looking men. Besides, if he


    saw a beautiful young woman, wouldn''t he ogle at her? If he said no, Maria wouldn''t believe him.


    "Like what? What other things do you want to do?" James asked lightly, but there was a hint of


    danger in his voice.


    Maria yawned and said helplessly, "Look at me. What would I want to do? I can''t even handle you


    every night. How can I handle those younger men?"


    "Maria." James suddenly turned to her and ced his hand on her waist. "I feel like you''re


    dissatisfied with my performance." There was a sour taste in his mouth. What did she mean by


    "younger"?


    "It''s good that you know it. That''s why I''m asking you to restrain yourself," Maria said, tiredly


    opening her eyes and stroking his cheek with her hand. "Be a good boy."


    James raised his hand and grabbed hers, stopping her hand in mid-air. "Do you think I''m too old?"


    he asked.


    Desperate to go to sleep in peace, Maria had no choice but to give in. "How could I? Mr. Xi, you''re


    only in your early thirties. Besides, you look way younger than that. You''re full of youthful vigor.


    I''m so jealous of you." He was not satisfied with her answer. "Maria..."


    "James, you''re being annoying! Can I go to sleep now?" Maria interrupted sharply, finally losing her


    temper.


    James pressed his lips together in displeasure. Why was she angry with him?


    Maria tugged the quilt over her head and burrowed herself under it. "From now on, for every word


    you say to me, you have to give me one hundred thousand dors! Wait, no, make that a million!"


    "I have to give you one million for every word I say? Maria, why don''t you just marry me instead? In


    that way, you will get half of my property. Think about it," James said. ''How could she threaten me


    like this?'' he thought bitterly.


    Maria murmured to herself, counting the number of words he had said. When she was done, she


    stuck her head out of the quilt. "Mr. Xi, you said thirty-three words just now, so you have to give me


    thirty-three million dors. Don''t forget to transfer the money to me tomorrow morning."


    "Okay, I will give you thirty-three million dors. But whenever you are free, you should consider my


    suggestion," James said, tapping her nose affectionately.


    "Eighteen words, which means another eighteen million dors!" This was a really cool game! She


    had effortlessly earned fifty-one million dors in the blink of an eye.

 Chapter 342 Ill Help You

    Chapter 342 I''ll Help You


    Hearing the glee in Maria''s voice, James said coldly. "Did I agree to it? What does your unteral


    agreement have to do with me? An oral agreement won''t stand in court.


    You can''t sue me." The fifty-one million dors that Maria had been about to grasp in her fingers


    seemed to disappear in an instant. In a huff, she threw the quilt over her face again and rolled over,


    turning her back towards him.


    James fondly pulled her into his arms, resting his chest against her back. "Sweet dreams," he


    whispered in her ear.


    Maria was so sleepy that she drifted off without pushing him away or responding to him.


    The next morning, James got up on time as usual. When he went to the bathroom to brush his


    teeth, Maria also got up and followed him.


    Leaning against the door frame, she let out a yawn and rubbed her sleepy eyes as she watched him


    squeeze a dollop of toothpaste onto his electric toothbrush. "You know the charity foundation that


    Rosa and Colby set up? Can you help me check who else are involved?" she asked tentatively. "I


    already asked someone to look into it, but they didn''t find out much. We can only see what Rosa


    and Colby want us to see. It''s hard to find out what''s going on behind the scenes." She didn''t want


    him to think that she waspletely relying on him. She would only ask him for help when she


    couldn''t achieve something on her own.


    James, who had already stuck the toothbrush inside his mouth, just hummed, indicating for her to


    go on.


    "I want someone to expose their shady business," Maria said. It would be strange if there was


    nothing hical going on in the charity foundation that Colby owned.


    With toothpaste foaming over his teeth, James nced at her with interest.


    "Colby has set up a lot of charity foundations, but I just want to know about the one that Rosa is


    involved in." Rosa was her current target. As for the shady business that Colby had a hand in,


    someone else would stumble upon it sooner orter.


    After all, there was no escape from the long arm of thew.


    James nodded, pulled the toothbrush out of his mouth, and spit into the wash basin.


    Then, he raised his head and said, "Whatever you want me to do, I''ll cooperate." In fact, Maria felt a


    little embarrassed for bothering James incessantly with her problems when he was already busy


    enough with his own matters.


    Seeing him rinse his mouth with her cup, she reminded him, "I bought you a separate cup, use


    that." She was afraid that he would be unsatisfied with her things, so she bought more expensive


    ones.


    "I know," James said, but he continued to use the same cup.


    "Then why are you using mine?" Maria asked. Wasn''t he a neat freak? Didn''t he think that it was


    unhygienic to share a cup? Did he use her cup every morning while she was asleep?


    Setting down the cup, James wiped his mouth and said, "Kissing you on the lips isn''t enough for


    me." Maria stared back at him in silence, feeling confused.


    "I won''t miss any chance to taste you," he exined cheekily. After saying that, he walked over,


    leaned down, and gently pressed his lips against hers.


    Maria was speechless. Was he secretly "kissing" her every morning like this?


    James turned around and walked back to the wash basin. "Like I said, I''ll help you do whatever you


    want. But keep a distance from Colby." That was his only request.


    With a small groan, Maria replied helplessly, "Ever since the day those news articles came out, I''ve


    beenbelled as your woman. That means that I have to keep a distance from Colby and all other


    men."


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    If she didn''t, she would be the one to get scolded, instead of Alina.


    James nodded proudly, satisfied with her answer. He took out the razor that she had bought for him


    from inside the drawer and turned on the switch. As he carefully slid the razor over his facial hair, he


    told her seriously, "It''s not easy to expose their secrets. They would have taken a lot of precautions


    to cover them up." Otherwise, HM Group couldn''t have reached the level that it was in today.


    "Do you have any ideas?" Maria asked eagerly.


    "It''s simple. We have to throw out a bait to lure out the enemy," he said casually, looking at himself


    in the mirror.


    "What do you mean?" Maria still couldn''t figure out what his n was.


    "Don''t worry, just leave it to me. What''s your goal? Do you want Rosa dead, or do you just want to


    hurt her? Or do you want her to suffer for the rest of her life?" James asked confidently, turning to


    her.


    Maria shook her head. "Forget it. This battle is between me and her, so don''t get involved for the


    time being. I''ll ask you for help if I can''t defeat her on my own."


    Taking revenge on Rosa was something that required patience and careful nning. She couldn''t


    be in a hurry. Of course, she couldn''t take too long to strike, either.


    She knew that if she let James handle the matter,


    Rosa would be dead in a day or two.


    "Okay," James replied, putting the razor back into the drawer. As long as she was happy, he would


    support her in any choice that she made.


    After James left the house, Maria went back to bed to continue to sleep.


    When she woke up, she groggily looked at her phone and saw that the time was half past nine.


    Then, she opened a message that she had gotten from her bank, informing her that she had


    received a sum of money. She suddenly shot up, pulled her long, messy hair into a bun, and


    counted the number of zeroes with her eyes wide open.


    ''Fifty-one million dors!''


    Clutching her mobile phone to her chest, she silently thanked James.


    When she had woken up this morning, she had already forgotten about the fifty-one million,


    because she had just been joking. She hadn''t expected him to actually follow through on it.


    She was at a loss for whether tough or to cry.


    Taking another nce at the message, she took a deep breath and decided to open another bank


    ount and deposit all the money into that ount, so that she could leave it to Bob in the future.


    After all, it wasn''t like she was short of money. Even though she oftenined to James that her


    company didn''t make money, it was all in good fun, and she still made money in plenty of other


    ways.


    Therefore, whatever money that James gave her, she would save it up for Bob, topensate him


    for theck of fatherly love.


    In the past, this thought hadn''t urred to her, so she had just spent whatever James gave her.


    After opening a new bank ount, Maria transferred the money to it bit by bit.


    Unlike James, who had the privilege to transfer how much ever money he wanted to at one go, she


    could only do it gradually, since there was a limit on her ount. She could only transfer twenty


    million at a time, so she repeated the process thrice.


    In the CEO''s office of HL Group


    After Gary finished reporting his work, James asked in a low voice, "Where''s Bob?"


    "We haven''t found him yet, sir," Gary replied sheepishly.


    "Hurry up. Use any means to find him." James had never wanted to see Bob more than he did now,


    not only because he now knew that Bob was his son, but also because, after spending so much


    time with the baby, he had grown ustomed to his presence.


    "Yes, Mr. Xi," Gary replied.


    James hadn''t ordered anyone to follow Maria, because he knew how alert she was. She wouldn''t


    miss any detail, and she would immediately pick on the fact that she was being followed.


    After Gary left, Summer walked in with a brocade box in her hands. "Mr. Xi, this just came from the


    designer.


    "Give it to me."


    Summer put the box down on the desk in front of him.


    James opened it and saw a key chain with a pendant.


    He ran his fingers over the pendant, as well as the letters that were carved on it, spelling out the


    name "Maria." "Summer, do you think she will like it?"


    Summer looked down at the angel-shaped pendant. The wings and the skirt of the angel were


    studded with diamonds. The angel was sitting on top of a piece of amethyst, where Maria''s name


    was carved.


    There was no doubt that it was very expensive. After all, it was made with diamonds and Uruguay


    amethyst.

 Chapter 343 The Expensive Gift

    Chapter 343 The Expensive Gift


    It was very extravagant pendant.


    Now that electronic locks were used almost everywhere, and only a passcode was needed to open


    a door, a key chain wasn''t particrly useful. However, it could still be used for carrying car keys, or


    hung on a bag.


    Summer nodded. "Mr. Xi, don''t worry. Maria will like whatever gift you give her!"


    James''s eyes lit up with a smile. "Go and give it to her.


    "Yes, sir."


    Summer immediately rushed to the DS Group. As soon as she entered the lobby, the receptionist at


    the front desk asked politely, "Hi, who are you looking for?"


    "I''m looking for Ms. Song. I''m Summer Jing, the secretary of Mr. Xi from HL Group. He asked me to


    bring her a gift," Summer replied with a smile.


    ''So this is the special assistant of Mr. Xi! And she has even brought a gift for Ms. Song.'' Quickly


    recovering from her shock, the receptionist said, "Wee, Ms. Jing. I''ll take you to see Ms. Song


    right now. This way, please!"


    "Okay, thank you."


    Summer followed the receptionist to the floor where Maria''s office was located. Upon seeing her


    enter the floor, Peggy immediately greeted her. "Hi, Summer." "Hi, Peggy. Is Maria here?" Summer


    asked.


    "Yeah,e on, I''ll take you to her office. What''s the


    matter?"


    As they walked, Summer showed Peggy the paper bag in her hand and said, "Mr. Xi has ordered


    me to personally bring a gift to Maria."


    Excitement flickered in Peggy''s eyes as she looked at the bag in Summer''s hand. "Ah, Mr. Xi is so


    kind to Maria! I envy her!"


    "Who doesn''t?" Summer smiled.


    Maria was sitting in her office and staring at her phone absent-mindedly, lost in her thoughts about


    Bob.


    At that moment, there was a knock on the door before the door swung open, and Peggy walked in,


    followed by Summer. "Hi, Maria," Summer greeted.


    "Summer? Why are you here?" Maria stood up and walked towards her curiously.


    Summer waved the paper bag in front of Maria and grinned. "Mr. Xi asked me to bring this to you."


    Maria asked Peggy to make a cup of tea for their guest before taking the paper bag. "What''s this?"


    she asked Summer.


    "You''ll know when you see it!"


    Maria took out the exquisite-looking brocade box and opened it. The pendant on the key chain


    dazzled, reflecting the lights in the office. "A key chain?" Why had James suddenly gifted her a key


    chain?


    Summer nodded. "A partner of HL Group gave this amethyst to Mr. Xi some time ago. Look, the


    shade of purple has a hint of wine red in it, which makes it look attractive. As soon as the partner


    left that day, Mr. Xi asked me to get the best jewelry designer in ourpany to make this pendant


    for you."


    Maria couldn''t keep the burst of joy she felt from seeping into her eyes, but she pretended to be


    unimpressed and deliberately said, "Why did he give me this? I don''t really use keys." "Don''t worry,


    I''ve already thought about that for you. You can use it for hanging your car keys, or you can hang it


    on your bag. It''s such an expensive and precious object, though. If I were you, I would keep it safe


    in my jewelry collection!"


    Maria chuckled. "Well, I think I''ll put my car keys on it." That way, she could carry James'' gift with


    her all the time.


    "Sure."


    Peggy returned with a cup of tea and handed it to Summer. The three women chatted and giggled


    about James for a while, and then Peggy saw Summer off.


    Once she was alone in her office, Maria fidgeted with the key chain in one hand and typed a


    message on her phone with the other. "Mr. Xi, you gave me fifty-one million dors in the morning,


    and an expensive gift now. Do you want me to repay your kindness with my body?"


    "No, just give me a son," came the quick reply. It was obvious that there was more to his words than


    met the eye.


    Maria stared nkly at the word "son" for a while, feeling slightly uneasy. Did he already know


    about Bob''s real identity? Or was he just speaking casually, and she was the one reading too much


    into it?


    Either way, she couldn''t give herself away, so she just replied, "No hurry. We already made an


    agreement, remember? You have to wait for a year."


    Looking at her text, James smiled. Instead of bickering with her, he just replied, "Okay."


    Anyway, he wasn''t in a hurry. He was sure that he would find Bob soon. And when he did, he


    wanted to see the look on Maria''s face.


    Maria couldn''t help but feel that something was off. Lately, he had been so nice to her, and this


    made her feel uneasy.


    She didn''t know if he was just being yful, or if he had an ulterior motive.


    After hesitating for a while, she sent him another message. "Do you miss Bob?"


    "Yes, I do," James replied. How could he not miss his own son?


    However, Maria was a little surprised by his answer. She had always thought that James didn''t like


    having Bob around.


    While she was pondering over it, she received another message from him. "Do you know where his


    family live?"


    "I don''t know."


    "Do you miss him too?" he asked.


    "Yes." Of course she missed her own son, especially since she had barely gotten a chance to see


    him recently. She was afraid that James would find out the secret, so she had kept her distance


    from Bob.


    When she received the next message, her eyes widened in surprise. "How about this? I''ll ask


    someone to investigate his parents'' whereabouts, so we can visit them together one day."


    Maria was shocked. If he investigated it, he would find Bob in a minute! Then again, she had taken


    care to hide the baby very well, so maybe he wouldn''t be able to. Suppressing her nervousness,


    she pretended to be calm and sent a message saying, "No, that''s okay. Maybe they don''t want us to


    disturb them."


    "True, that makes sense." Seeing his reply, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Little did she know that James could imagine the exact reaction on her face, and that he was even


    amused by it.


    At this moment, Norman was sitting in his vi and looking at the baby, who was sitting in the stroller


    and ying with toys.


    With a warm smile, he said, "Your mother''s such a bold woman! How dare she ask me to raise


    James'' son?"


    The baby thought Norman was ying with him, so he giggled happily and waved his hands in the


    air.


    Norman was speechless. This baby smiled andughed so much that he didn''t look like James at


    all.


    Narrowing his eyes yfully, Norman continued, "Do you think I should take you to James and ask


    him for money? The sole heir of the Xi family must be worth at least tens of billions of dors, right?"


    At this, Bob puckered his cute lips and spat out a bubble.


    Norman was amused. "You are like a fish! You really love spitting out bubbles, don''t you?"


    Bob giggled even harder, and his movements became more excited.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Seeing this, Norman tilted his head and looked at the baby curiously. What was this little guy so


    happy about?


    Babies were so strange.


    "Do you think you should call me your uncle? But I don''t want to be James'' brother."


    He pinched the baby''s cheek and said, "Call me Uncle."


    Knowing that the man was yfully teasing him, Bob giggled again.


    Norman shook his head. What would James do if he found out how happy his son was in his vi?


    In his opinion, it was meaningless for Maria to keep Bob''s identity a secret from James.


    James deserved to be tortured by the knowledge!


    Anyway, Norman had already gotten wind of the news that James was looking for a child, which


    meant that he must have already suspected Bob''s real identity.


    In fact, it would be really stupid of him to not suspect it. James was, after all, a smart man.


    ''Well, in any case, it looks like I''ll have to let Maria down again,1 Norman thought to himself.


    -

 Chapter 344 Promotion

    Chapter 344 Promotion


    A maid approached the crib nervously under Norman''s watchful eyes. Overly conscious of his gaze,


    she identally lost her grip on the baby, and Bob slid out of her hands andnded on his butt on


    the crib with a soft thump.


    Fortunately, he seemed fine. It was a shallow fall, anyway.


    Despite the baby not making a fuss, Norman still witnessed what had happened. He recalled what


    Maria had said about wanting a reliable maid to look after the child.


    His eyes narrowed before he said coldly, "Take your sry and leave."


    The truth was, Bob was barely hurt. He seemed perfectly fine, staring up at them with his curious


    eyes.


    While Norman wanted to make trouble for James, he wasn''t insane enough to put the baby''s safety


    at risk.


    The maid''s eyes widened in panic. "Mr. Shen, please forgive me! I didn''t mean to drop him!" She


    couldn''t bear to lose this job. After all, it paid much better than her previous one.


    "Don''t let me repeat myself." His lips were set at a thin line.


    Soon another maid approached silently. She carefully picked up the little boy in the crib and took


    him aside.


    Minutester, the maid who had the misfortune of dropping Bob left the vi in tears, her things in


    tow.


    That night, while Maria was in the middle of a dinner party, James called her. Apparently, he was


    about to meet some distinguished guests, and wished that she would join him. Without the slightest


    hesitation, she left the dinner party and rushed to James.


    If James said he was going to meet some distinguished guests, it meant they were too important to


    miss.


    When she arrived at the restaurant, she found a few people seated in the private lounge already. All


    of them looked foreign, except James.


    Maria''s body went slightly stiff. Her English wasn''t great, and she knew this.


    When he saw here in, James stood up and strode over to her. He took her hand in his and


    pulled her to the table affectionately.


    "This is Maria, my girlfriend. This is Mr. Alfa, the world''s number one dessert master. Mr. Smith and


    Mr. Pitt here are the top two coffee masters in the world."


    They all stood up to greet her, shaking hands with Maria warmly.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Since James was fluent in English, talking to them was a breeze for him. Maria, on the other hand,


    couldn''t understand a thing they were talking about. "Slow down, my English isn''t good!" she


    whispered.


    He smiled at her meaningfully and made her sit closer to him. "Don''t worry, I''ll do the talking. Why


    not eat something first?"


    Then he turned around and continued talking with the top culinary masters. asionally, they


    would nce at her and nod politely.


    Maria was not in the mood to eat anything. Instead, she trained her ears on their conversation,


    despite not being able to grasp what they were saying.


    Later, James exined to her what they had discussed. Apparently, he had invited these world-


    renowned masters to her coffee shop.


    Maria''s eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I just wanted to hold a simple event! How could you invite


    such important people? Don''t you think that''s a little too much?"


    Despite herints, he just smiled at her lovingly and winked.


    On the day of the event, Maria found that it wasn''t only the three distinguished guests who had


    shown up at her coffee shop.


    In addition to some TV stations, news media reporters, there were also some renowned ingredients


    suppliers specializing in coffee and desserts present.


    All of these ingredients were imported from all over the world, and only the best were selected for


    her shop.


    The truth was, the entire event was sponsored solely by HL Group. Undoubtedly, it was all for


    Maria.


    The coffee shop was brimming with people. At some point, Maria was so tired she could barely


    breathe, yet she kept a bright smile stered on her face. After all, two huge cameras had been


    trained on her. She was forced to wear a professional smile, looking elegant yet dignified.


    Finally, it came to the grand finale of the entire event: the auction of a luxurious cake made by eight


    chefs under the lead of the dessert master, Mr. Alfa. The huge cake sat on a delicate tray of pure


    gold, emphasizing its beauty.


    The starting bid price of the cake was five hundred thousand dors.


    Because the auction was online, it only took James a few taps on his phone to double the bidding


    price to a million.


    While the event had attracted thousands of people all over the world, the auction was limited to


    those in H City because the cake needed to be consumed within a certain amount of time.


    Staying with Bob in his vi, Norman wasted no time.


    With a swift tap of his finger, the price instantly went up to two million.


    The tension and excitement in the shop was so tangible, Maria felt like she was going to choke.


    Never before had she ever heard of a two-million-dor cake!


    Meanwhile, Ethan had just finished operating a kitten. Pulling off his gloves hurriedly, he quickly


    checked his phone for the status of the event. To his surprise, the price of the cake was


    astonishingly high.


    However, he just chuckled and bid on the cake, too. The cake was now valued at four million!


    In the coffee shop, Sandra clutched her phone tightly. She had wanted to help Maria, but there was


    no way she couldpete with that price.


    Once he was done with work, James showed up at the event. He made no moves to avoid the


    cameras and appeared in many photos with Maria by the bar counter.


    Heeding the cameramen no notice, Maria showed him her phone and eximed excitedly, "Gee,


    four million now!" She couldn''t believe that one simple cake would be reach such a ridiculous price!


    "Mr. Xi, can I borrow your luxury carter?"


    He gave her a toothy grin. "Which one? I''ll have the driver bring it here."


    "Of course, it has to be your most expensive one." Maria pouted coquettishly. James'' most


    expensive car was the one he drove every day: the Harkim. After being customized, its value


    exceeded one hundred million.


    "No problem." He agreed without batting an eysh.


    "Tell me, how could I possibly thank you?" Maria asked with a smile. Now that her Miracle Cafe was


    known worldwide, she figured she would never have to worry about its future.


    Obviously in a good mood, James threw his head back andughed heartily. "Coffee. Oh and, you''ll


    need to make it for me personally."


    Recalling how he had been there with Gabri thest time, Maria pretended to be offended.


    Sticking out her lower lip, she shook her head defiantly. "I won''t! You didn''t even finish your cupst


    time. Obviously, you don''t like my coffee. What if I ask Mr. Smith for help?"


    "Hey, I promise I''ll drink it up." James felt wronged. After all, he had drunk half the cupst time.


    "Do you really want to drink my coffee?" She snickered mischievously.


    He nodded seriously.


    "Well then, it''ll be a million per cup! I''ll be sure to make it with love and deliver it to you personally,


    Mr. Xi."


    "Deal!"


    As they were talking, a reporter happened to pass by and overheard Maria''s asking price.


    The rumor that a cup of coffee from Maria''s cafe cost one million started to spread. Those who


    didn''t know the context took the rumor seriously, wrinkling their nose in disgust at such an exorbitant


    price.


    Ethan, who had had his eyes set on the cake ever since the beginning, was upset to find out


    someone bid one million more than him at the veryst minute.


    The winner of the cake was unknown; no one had heard of that person before. Whoever it was


    wanted the cake to be delivered to a high-end mansion in H City.


    After the staff had carefully packed the cake, Maria''s gazended on Ethan, who had just entered


    the cafe.


    In that moment, she realized that he was indeed a handsome man. An idea suddenly urred to


    her. "Ethan!"


    At the sound of her calling him, Ethan perked up and trotted over to her. "Hey Maria, sorry about


    today. I know I told you I''d help you, but I never expected a kitten would need me at the most crucial


    hour!" "Don''t worry about it, really. But I want to ask a favor from you."


    "Anything!"


    "Well, how about this cake be delivered by none other than you, in James'' Harkim? What do you


    say to that?" Maria smiled at the young and handsome man, her eyes sparkling with joy.


    Ethan nodded generously. "Sure thing! Just leave it to me!"


    -

 Chapter 345 Sole Sponsorship

    Chapter 345 Sole Sponsorship


    The cake was packed in a matte ck box, and before the staff tied a ribbon on it, Maria stuffed a


    VIP card into the slit of the packaging. Finally, Ethan pulled on some white gloves and carefully


    ced the cake in the back seat of the Harkim. Then, when he was satisfied it would be safe, he


    got into the driver''s seat and started the car.


    Two cars filled with photographers and their big cameras followed him. After all, it was their


    assignment to cover the whole process from when the cake was sold to its delivery.


    However, on the way to the specified address, Ethan received a call from Maria. "Ask the


    photographers behind you to stop following. The winner of the cake doesn''t want to be on camera.


    You canplete the delivery yourself."


    "How can someone be so low-key?" Ethan wondered aloud.


    "I don''t know. I''ve never heard of her name before, and neither has James." But one thing was


    clear: the person living in that mansion was either rich or powerful-or both.


    "Okay.¡± After dismissing the photographers that were tailing him, Ethan went straight to the


    destination.


    When he arrived, he rang the doorbell. Shortly after, a crisply-dressed maid came to the door. "Is


    there a Ms. Wang here?" he asked politely.


    "Are you the one delivering the cake?" the maid asked straightforwardly.


    "Yes."


    "Just give it to me."


    Without so much of a shrug, Ethan bounded over to the car to pick up the cake. ''''I''ll help you bring it


    inside, " he offered. After all, the whole thing cost five million dors. It was the least he could do.


    But to his surprise, the maid refused. "No, thanks. I got it."


    "Alright then." Ethan carefully handed the cake over to the maid. "Be careful. It''s a little expensive."


    A single bite was worth tens of thousands!


    "Okay, thank you!" The maid quickly shut the door on him, leaving Ethan alone on the doorstep.


    Ethan took a step back and looked at the mansion in admiration. This buyer was really low-key!


    Later that afternoon, James sent away the masters while Maria kept herself busy. Finally, James


    grew impatient waiting for her and had more than a dozen people clean the coffee shop for her.


    Only then was he able to drag her away from work.


    However, Maria had promised to invite Sandra to dinner. When Sandra realized James would be


    joining them, she turned pink with embarrassment. "Let''s have dinner some other time. I don''t know


    Mr. Xi too well, so I''m a little shy."


    "Oh, don''t be!" Maria said reassuringly, trying to coax her into having dinner with them. "You won''t


    have to worry about a thing since Ethan is there too."


    "It''s okay, don''t worry about me! We can go shopping together sometime."


    "Well, alright."


    After sending Sandra away, Maria arranged for Mike to take all the employees out for a midnight


    snack before finally settling into the passenger seat of James'' car.


    In the back seat of the car, Ethan was ying on his phone. "I''m so tired," Maria wailed.


    James nced at her and said, "We''ll go home and rest right after dinner."


    "Okay."


    Maria looked back at the young man who was fixated on his phone from the rearview mirror. "Ethan,


    did you see the buyer?"


    "No," he said with a shrug.


    "Whoever the buyer is, she''s really mysterious. I only saw the maid." Well, it was all indeed very


    mysterious.


    "What is the name of the ce again?" James asked.


    "Golden International. And it''s also owned by HL Group," Maria answered.


    ''Golden International?'' It suddenly dawned on James who this mystery buyer might be. He had


    heard that she lived there, and she was more than capable of paying the five million.


    But James didn''t think she would do such a thing.


    Maria nced at him curiously. "Do you know who the buyer is?"


    "I''m not sure." His brows creased as his mind raced.


    "Who?" Maria persisted.


    James kept silent.


    Maria pouted in frustration. "Why aren''t you saying anything? Is it a man or a woman?"


    "The consignor is Ms. Wang, ady. What do you think?" If it was who James thought it was, then


    everything else she listed was fake, other than her gender and address.


    "Fine." Maria decided to drop the subject for now. She decided to find it out herself.


    They enjoyed a hearty dinner. Ethan and Maria drank some wine, while James, their designated


    driver, didn''t drink.


    When James and Maria got home to the vi that night, she took a quick shower and sank into bed.


    When James came into the bedroom, he found Maria sound asleep.


    The following morning, Maria calcted the cafe''s profits the previous day. In addition to the five


    million, she had earned several hundred thousand dors.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    This covered the revenue generated from the coffee and desserts and rent of the venue, as well as


    other sales.


    She pondered over this before finally picking up her phone to text James. "You must''ve spent a lot


    of money in hiring them, didn''t you? Let me pay you back."


    "No, it was on me."


    "I know. But I can''t let you pay for all of it!" In her eyes, HL Group was already famous enough, and


    they didn''t need to advertise.


    "If you really insist on paying me back, I''m in the office. Come here now. Let''s talk."


    Maria was speechless.


    It was snowing outside! Should she go or not? But at the thought that he was right across the street,


    Maria stood up decisively and walked out of the coffee shop.


    Minutester, she was in the HL Group building. When she passed by Summer''s desk, Summer


    wasn''t there.


    "Isn''t Summer here?" she asked Gary casually.


    Gary shrugged at her helplessly, looking a little lost for words. "She''s here, but... Well, she''s busy on


    the phone...l think." "Okay." It didn''t ur to Maria that Gary''s expression was riddled with worry.


    Without thinking about it too much, she waltzed straight into James'' office.


    There she found James working on hisputer. When he noticed hering in, he stopped


    typing.


    "I am here to talk with you, Mr. Xi." Maria was wearing a long, ankle-length down jacket. When she


    came in, she let it drop to the floor, revealing a thin dress underneath.


    "Take a seat, Ms. Song." James calmly pulled out his phone and shot a quick message to Gary.


    "Turn up the heat for me."


    Sitting opposite him, Maria rested her chin in her hands and stared at him. "I earned more than five


    million yesterday. I''ll give you half, okay? Otherwise, I will feel like I owe you."


    Raising his eyebrows, James asked coyly, "Really?"


    Maria snorted. "Of course. I''m not heartless."


    "I don''t want money." It was true. He didn''t care about the money.


    "Then what do you want? As long as I can afford it, I''ll give it to you."


    "I''ll tell you what I want." He motioned for her toe over to him.


    Maria strode over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, sighing. "I know what you want.


    That''s all you ever want to see me for."


    The man took advantage of the opportunity to pull her towards him, until she was forced to sit on his


    lap. "What do you mean?"


    She rolled her eyes and kissed him on the cheek. "You wanted a kiss, right?"


    "No." With the woman on hisp, he went a little out of control and his hands began to rove.


    Maria leaned helplessly on his shoulder and moaned slightly.


    James bit her lower lip. Maria didn''t try to pull away.


    Just then, there was a knock on the door. James frowned.


    Maria hurriedly shrugged him off and stepped away. "Let''s continue this tonight at home. It must be


    urgent if they knock on your door."


    After all, she wasn''t here for anything important. She knew his assistants wouldn''t bother him unless


    it was something significant.


    Just then, Gary burst in to the office. "Mr. and Mrs. Xi, something''s happened to Summer!"


    Maria initially frowned at the way Gary addressed her, but when she heard that it had to do with


    Summer, her expression changed. "What''s wrong?"


    -

 Chapter 346 Perry Tao

    Chapter 346 Perry Tao


    "I don''t know. I''ve called an ambnce. Summer is outside, and she''s bleeding a lot."


    Without waiting for Gary to finish, Maria walked out. She was in such a hurry that she didn''t think to


    even grab her down jacket.


    James grabbed it for her and hurried after her.


    In the lounge, there were several assistants standing around, watching the scene in horror. Summer


    was leaning against a wall, clutching her abdomen in pain. Her other hand was tightly gripped


    around her mobile phone. And the most horrible part was, her lower body was drenched in blood.


    Maria was so familiar with this scene that her face turned pale in an instant.


    James caught up to her and put the jacket over her shoulders. Then, he looked at the crowd and


    asked, "What''s going on?"


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    "I don''t know, Mr. Xi. I heard a scream and rushed here," a female assistant replied in a low voice.


    When James was about to say something, his hand was grabbed by Maria. He turned to her and


    finally noticed the look of rm on her face. "What''s wrong?"


    Maria''s eyes were red, and her lips trembled. "She had a miscarriage," she said softly.


    On that fateful rainy night, she had also copsed to the ground with blood staining her whole lower


    body.


    James''s heart skipped a beat, and his breathing became erratic. Naturally, he felt sorry for Maria.


    He held her hand tofort her, but she shook his hand away and tentatively approached Summer.


    Crouching on the floor, she grabbed Summer''s hand and said firmly, "Summer, the ambnce is on


    the way. You have to hold on."


    She really hoped that the baby in Summer''s belly would be strong and safe.


    Hearing her voice, Summer opened her eyes with great difficulty and smiled bitterly. "He cheated on


    me," she murmured.


    Maria stared back at her, stunned. Summer was obviously referring to her husband.


    Soon, the ambnce arrived, and the paramedics rushed in and lifted Summer onto a stretcher.


    When they wheeled her into the elevator, Maria followed them. She wanted to go along with them to


    the hospital.


    Her mind was full of worry that she didn''t have the time to care about anything else. Her clothes


    were in a disarray. James followed her into the elevator and considerately zipped up the jacket for


    her without saying a word.


    The two assistants, who had never seen him behave this way before, were dumbfounded. However,


    Maria was focused on Summer that she barely registered anything else.


    Just before Maria could climb into the ambnce, James tugged at her hand and said, "I''ll ask Gary


    to follow the ambnce. Summer''s family have already been contacted. If you need any help, call


    me at anytime." "Okay," Maria replied absent-mindedly. Then, she got in the ambnce and left.


    Along the way, Summer kept slipping in and out of consciousness.


    When she was conscious enough to speak, she squeezed Maria''s hand tightly and murmured, "I


    didn''t expect it. I really didn''t...1''


    Maria''s heart pounded against her chest as she leaned in closer to hear Summer''s words clearly.


    "The mistress sent me a message saying that she''s pregnant. She asked me to divorce him so that


    they could get married." Summer gave her phone to Maria. "Here, this is the evidence. I haven''t


    decided what to do yet." Summer was a sessful woman in her career, but she had failed in


    matters of love.


    Swallowing hard, Maria took the blood-stained phone and typed the passcode that Summer told


    her.


    After unlocking the phone, she navigated to the chat history on WeChat.


    The disy name of the mistress was Perry. Maria scrolled all the way to the top of their chat


    history and found that this Perry had added Summer to her contact list quite a while ago.


    She had sent several photos to Summer, including pictures of her with Summer''s husband, as well


    as pictures of luxury goods that he had bought for her.


    mes burned high in Maria''s beautiful eyes. The more she scrolled through the chat history, the


    more she wanted to tear Perry''s face apart. By the time she reached the bottom of the chat history,


    the anger building inside her was almost about to explode. It was worse than the time when she had


    heard that James was having an affair.


    She wanted to take revenge on that mistress right now, but Summer''s condition was still unstable,


    and she couldn''t just leave her here.


    Once the ambnce reached the hospital, Summer was taken to the emergency room. While


    waiting outside, Maria met Summer''s parents.


    Afterforting the two elders, she walked to the side and called James. "Have you informed all of


    her family?" she asked.


    "Yeah."


    "What about her husband?" Maria asked for confirmation.


    "He was informed. What''s wrong?"


    Maria exhaled sharply and cursed, "That son of a bitch hasn''t shown up yet!


    He must have a death wish!¡± James, who was a little taken aback, stayed silent. Sure, Summer''s


    husband had cheated on her, but it had nothing to do with Maria. Why was she so angry?


    "Anyway, I''ll talk to youter. I have something else to do," Maria said, not even noticing his silence.


    "Where are you going?" James asked quickly.


    At the thought of that arrogant mistress, Maria felt like she was going to explode. "You have no idea


    what a bitch that woman is! I''ll teach her a lesson today."


    She had never seen such a shameless mistress before. How could that woman brag about how


    Summer''s husband treated her to Summer herself? Maria wouldn''t be able to rest until she put that


    woman in her ce.


    "Calm down. Don''t be impulsive," James said helplessly.


    "Summer is lying in the emergency room now! How can I calm down?" she snapped. She felt that


    men were useless. How could James expect her to calm down when Summer was in such a sorry


    state?


    James realized that it wasn''t wise to argue with a wrathful woman, so he just asked, "Do you need


    my help?"


    "No, she''s just a mistress. I can deal with her alone!" After saying that, Maria hung up.


    Then, she used Summer''s phone to text Perry. "Whichpany do you work for? Let''s talk."


    Just a few secondster, she received a reply. "You don''t know whichpany I work for? I''m


    always around you. You''re so clueless."


    Maria frowned, not understanding what she meant. "Just say it," she texted back in frustration.


    "Didn''t you have a miscarriage? Why are you still texting me?"


    This woman knew that Summer had a miscarriage! Did that mean she worked in HL Group?


    Maria immediately hailed a taxi there. On the way, she called James and asked, "Is there an


    employee named Perry at yourpany?"


    "I don''t know."


    Hearing his uncertain answer, she took a deep breath to calm down. She was so angry that she


    wasn''t thinking straight. How could she expect James to know the name of every employee in the


    company? "Fine. Get someone to check. I want to find the employee in yourpany whose name


    is


    Perry."


    "Wait, that woman works in HL Group?"


    "Yeah!" Maria snapped, hanging up the phone.


    Lowering the phone from his ear, James couldn''t help but feel wronged. Women could be really


    scary when they were angry. What did he have to do with this matter?


    Anyway, he was efficient. Within a few minutes, he sent her a message saying, "Her name is Perry


    Tao. She works in the PR department."


    When Maria reached the HL Group building, her anger had only worsened.


    She stormed down the lobby and past the front desk, but turned back and asked, "Which floor is the


    PR department on?"


    "The 33rd floor," the receptionist answered in a hurry, looking like a scared mouse.


    Maria entered the elevator with a murderous look.


    After she left, everyone who had seen her in the lobby began to gossip among themselves. "Did the


    PR department offend Mrs. Xi?"


    "I don''t know. I have never seen her so angry before.


    As soon as the elevator doors opened on the 33rd floor, Maria stalked out in an aggressive manner.


    The sound of her high-heeled shoes clicking threateningly on the floor attracted everyone''s


    attention.


    The secretary of the PR department hurried over anxiously and asked, "Ms. Song, what can I do for


    you?"


    Maria nced coldly at therge office area and raised her voice. "Who is Perry Tao?"


    A woman who was looking at her mobile phone went pale when she heard this. ''Maria Song? Is she


    here for Summer?''


    The sound of Maria''s footsteps grew closer and closer. Before the woman could react, Maria was


    already standing in front of her with a cold expression.


    Towering over the woman sitting on her chair, Maria parted her red lips and asked, "Are you Perry


    Tao?"


    -

 Chapter 347 The Baby is Gone

    Chapter 347 The Baby is Gone


    With a nk expression, Perry answered, "Yes, I am. Ouch!"


    With a loud crack, Maria''s palmnded heavily on her fair cheek. Her head buzzing, Perry took


    some time to recover.


    The whole floor went so silent that one could hear a pin drop. Everyone in the PR department was


    shocked by the scene that had just yed out in front of them.


    Spections on whether Perry had slept with James were all in their minds.


    The blow was so heavy the stars danced before Perry''s eyes. With tears glittering on hershes,


    she stared at Maria and gasped out, "Ms. Song... Ah!"


    Another resounding p hit her. By now, the employees were transfixed with fear.


    However, none of them dared to stop Maria. After all, her name was widely known all over the HL


    Group.


    Moreover, the manager of the PR department came out to wee her himself when he found out


    about her visit.


    Ignoring the manager, Maria whirled to face the aggrieved woman in front of her. "Weren''t you quite


    arrogant? Now I want you to know how a mistress gets pped." "Ms. Song, you misunderstand


    me." Perry had no intentions of admitting to anything.


    "I misunderstand you?" Maria retorted snidely. "I have read all the messages that you sent her. Tell


    me, what exactly did I misunderstand?"


    Biting her lower lip, Perryined in a low voice, "You have nothing to do with her. Why do you


    care so much?" ''How could that bitch, Summer, tell Maria?''


    "Who told you that I had nothing to do with her? She''s like my sister. What do you have to say to


    that?"


    The response stunned Perry. Even so, she was not convinced. "Ms. Song, keep your nose out of


    other people''s business. This has nothing to do with you."


    Those who were eavesdropping immediately felt relieved at what they heard. As it turned out, the


    confrontation between the two women was no because Perry slept with James. It made sense,


    because who would opt for someone like Perry, who was inferior to Maria in all aspects? They


    believed that James had better taste than that.


    Maria was relentless in her verbal attack. "Is it honorable to be a mistress? How shameless! Tell


    me, who was the cosmetic surgeon who managed to give you such a thick skin? Tell us the name


    so I can have the clinic cklisted!"


    "I''ve never had cosmetic surgery!"


    Maria sneered. She was not blind, after all. Of course she could tell that the woman had never had


    anything fixed because she wouldn''t look so ugly otherwise. "Then hurry up and have one! I''m so


    disappointed-all along, I thought you were pretty. And look at your makeup. Even makeup applied


    by a robot would look better than yours!"


    Color rushed up to Perry''s face at Maria''s mocking sarcasm. She looked beseechingly at the


    manager for help, but the man dared not say anything. He could only feign ignorance and turn a


    blind eye to the cry for help written so clearly in Perry''s eyes.


    In the end, Perry could only exim, "Why are you picking on me? One cannot p with only one


    hand. She herself should reflect about her own shorings. Day in and day out, all she ever cares


    about is work."


    Maria had never met such a shameless person like Perry. "One cannot p with only one hand? Let


    me show you how to do that." Again, her palmnded on Perry''s face.


    "Argh!" By then, Perry''s face had started to swell up. However, even if she wanted to fight back, she


    didn''t dare.


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    The three ps she had managed tond made Maria''s anger abate. She warned, "If you know


    what''s good for you, you will return the vi and the luxury items that he gave you, and keep your


    distance from him."


    By then, tears were streaming down Perry''s face, but she dared not utter a peep.


    Satisfied that she was able to get her message across, Maria rearranged her expression into a


    more pleasant one and said to the others, "I''m sorry for kicking up a fuss. I only came here to help


    my friend teach her husband''s mistress a lesson. Please go on with your work, everyone."


    Soon after, the news that Perry was someone''s mistress spread like wildfire. In no time, everyone in


    thepany knew about it.


    After leaving the PR department, Maria didn''t go to meet James. Instead, she headed straight to the


    hospital.


    Summer had been transferred to the in-patient department. Maria arrived at the ward to see


    Summer''s mother shedding tears by the side of the bed.


    The older woman was effusive in her thanks. Maria said in a low voice, "Ma''am, you''re wee. I


    just did what I had to do. How are Summer and the baby doing?"


    Summer''s mother wiped the tears from her face and replied in a mournful tone, "The baby is gone."


    For a moment, Maria didn''t know what to say.


    At that moment, Summer slowly stirred, and the first person she saw when she opened her eyes


    was Maria.


    "How are you feeling, Summer? Do you feel hurt or ufortable anywhere?" Maria asked in


    concern.


    With a weak smile, Summer shook her head and said, "I''m fine, but..." With a hand on her t belly,


    she whispered, "Is it gone?" She was not ignorant. After all, she had lost so much blood, so she


    figured that it was impossible for the baby to survive.


    Maria exchanged a nce with Summer''s mother, who nodded back. "It doesn''t matter, Summer.


    The doctor said that you could still have another baby as long as take good care of yourself."


    Another baby...'' A wry smile appeared on Summer''s face.


    At that point, her phone suddenly rang. A nce on the phone screen told Maria that the caller was


    Summer''s husband.


    She was closer to Summer''s phone, so she picked it up and handed it to the woman in the bed.


    Summer only stared at the screen but made no move to take the call.


    Maria urged her, "Take the call and ask him why he''s not here."


    After a deep breath, Summer swiped on the screen and pressed the phone against her ear. Still,


    she said nothing.


    An aggressive voice came from the other end of the line. "What the hell did you do, Summer? How


    could you bully such a weak woman as her? If you want revenge, thene straight to me!"


    The man''s voice echoed in the quiet ward, and all of them heard him. Summer''s mother was


    seething with fury that angry tears flowed from her eyes unchecked.


    Maria clenched her fists. How she wished she could pull the man out of the phone and beat him up.


    ''How could such an asshole exist? His wife just had a miscarriage. He didn''te, and even


    defended his mistress!''


    Summer looked oddly calm. "Maria, did you go to see her?"


    "Yeah."


    Summer realized what had happened. With a sigh, she said, "Jamir, our baby is gone."


    "There''s nothing I can do about it, is there?"


    Maria whirled around and would have stormed out of the door if Summer hadn''t cried out to stop


    her.


    She turned back to face the bedridden woman, her shoulders tense with the effort to control her


    anger.


    "Summer, don''t stop me. I''ll kick his skull into his non-existent brain." She was itching to end that


    poor excuse of a man.


    Summer ended the call and hung her head. "I don''t want to make a big deal out of it." Summer was


    James'' special assistant. Thus, if this private matter was aired out in public, then it would adversely


    impact both HL Group and James.


    Maria took a deep breath to calm down. "All right." It was Summer''s business, so Maria couldn''t


    make the decision for her.


    "Maria, thank you." Summer was deeply moved.


    "Think nothing of it. Just take care of yourself, okay? There''s nothing more important that your


    health."


    Summer nodded. "Okay."


    Soon, Maria left the hospital to find James.


    In the office


    "All men are scum, and you are no exception! After all, you hooked up with me even after you got


    engaged to Alina! Men...humph!"


    James opened his mouth to say something, but Maria''s knife-sharp re stopped him. "Do you still


    want to refute my words?" she snapped.


    His mouth snapped shut. James was not a fool. He knew when to keep silent.


    "What about Perry Tao? What are you going to do about her?"


    "I won''t allow people of questionable morals to work at thepany."


    Satisfied, Maria nodded at him.


    James pulled her into his arms and whispered, "Don''t be angry. I didn''t cheat on you."


    "Do you even dare?" she demanded.


    ''How can I answer it without appearing cowed?'' he wondered.

 Chapter 348 Mistake Of A Lifetime

    Chapter 348 Mistake Of A Lifetime


    After a moment of silence, Maria pinched James'' cheek and stared at him expressionlessly. "You''re


    not saying anything, so it means that you will, right?"


    "No, I won''t," James promised.


    "Don''t you think you sound too guilty and insincere?"


    He grabbed her hand and looked into her eyes seriously. "I will never cheat on you. Don''t worry. I


    swear to God." In his eyes, there was no woman in the world who was more beautiful than Maria.


    "Well, if you dare to cheat on me, I will blow up your skull."


    James couldn''t help but flinch. ''She is getting more and more violent!'' "I won''t give you a reason to


    abuse me," he told her.


    "Good boy," Maria cooed, reaching over and rubbing his hair like she was petting an animal.


    James was a little unhappy, but after she kissed him on the lips, he cheered up again.


    Summer would take a long leave from thepany, and she would be temporarily reced by


    Gary. James had to hire a special assistant with a high sry.


    An idea came to James. "Mia," he called out softly.


    "What?" Maria, who was looking at her phone, raised her head to look at him.


    James sat down on the edge of the bed and said, ''TH purchase DS Group. Then you can be my


    assistant!" In this way, they would be able to see each other all the time.


    Maria rolled her eyes and thought, ''Son of a bitch! How dare he covet mypany?'' She widened


    her lips into an artificial smile and asked, "How much do you n to pay me to be your special


    assistant?"


    "Twenty percent of HL Group''s shares," he answered without hesitation, as if he had already


    thought it through.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Maria froze in shock. He wanted to pay her in shares? And that too with a whopping twenty


    percent? She asked tentatively, "You mean your grandpa''s twenty percent, right?"


    "No, I''ll give you twenty percent of my shares. It has nothing to do with me if Grandpa and Grandma


    want to transfer their shares to others."


    His idea was ridiculous! Wasn''t he willing to pay too much just to hire an assistant?


    "I''ll give you some time to think about it," James added when he saw that she stayed silent for a


    long time.


    Maria raised her eyebrows at him. "I don''t need time to think. I refuse. I don''t want to be your


    assistant! I want to seed on my own. I don''t want to depend on men." Of course, she needed


    this man''s help from time to time, but it waspletely different from being dependent on him all


    the time.


    However, James didn''t want to give up. Leaning forward, he said, "How about this? You can be my


    assistant, and still be the CEO of DS Group. I''ll find someone to help you manage DS Group."


    Being the CEO of apany waspletely different from being a special assistant. Someone


    who was able to do the work of a CEO might not be able to do the work of an assistant, and vice


    versa.


    "Can''t you find someone else to be your assistant?" Maria asked unhappily.


    "I can. I just think that you are more suitable than anyone else," James answered, giving her a


    meaningful look. To him, the most important thing was that they''d be able to see each other every


    day. And of course, she could keep an eye on him and make sure that he wasn''t seduced by other


    women.


    Although Maria was tempted by his offer, she ultimately didn''t want to take him up on it. She stood


    up, wrapped her arms around his neck, put her head on his shoulder, and coaxed, "James, I want to


    be your woman, not your assistant."


    A smile bloomed on his face as he lowered his head and smoothed her long hair. "Okay," he


    agreed. He would never force her to do something she didn''t want to.


    A peaceful silence enveloped the bedroom. After a while, Maria looked up at James and asked, "Do


    you know whichpany Summer''s husband works for?"


    "I don''t know." James had never cared about the private life of his employees.


    "Okay."


    "Why, what''s up?" If Maria really wanted to know, he could ask someone to investigate it.


    However, she shook her head and sighed, remembering that fateful ident.


    "What''s wrong?" James raised her chin with his finger and found a mncholic expression on her


    face.


    "I''m just thinking of the baby who died in the idental miscarriage,¡± she said softly. "Our baby.¡±


    At the mention of the baby, his eyes darkened. He pulled her into his arms again and said in a


    hoarse voice, "I''m sorry."


    He felt remorseful towards her and their two children. As a man, he had no greater duty than


    protecting his wife and children, but he had failed miserably.


    "Do you feel sad about it?" Maria asked.


    "Yes." Of course James was sad. Even a cold man like him had a heart. He was not a robot, and he


    felt sadness the same as he did joy or anger.


    Maria chuckled, but there was no trace of happiness in herugh at all.


    She felt as if she was going insane. She knew that James was sad, but she wanted to say


    something that would make him even sadder. "At that time, I felt that I had lost my reason for living.


    I felt like I was all alone in the world. What was the meaning of life for such a person?"


    James didn''t say anything, but held her even more tightly.


    "I didn''t know that I was carrying a second child. That night, it was raining heavily. I just wanted to


    jump into the river and die, but fate didn''t allow me to do die. Maybe God wanted to give me a


    chance to live," she continued. Her voice was devoid of emotion, as if she was already numb from


    the pain.


    She seemed to be so immersed in those memories that she forgot her surroundings. "I was sent to


    the hospital. But before I had a chance to recover, I was taken away by the police. Before I knew it, I


    received a prison sentence."


    Ever since she had been born into the Song family, she had suffered a miserable childhood. Then,


    after divorcing James, she had lived a miserable life.


    To a third person, she had just lost her glorious identity as Mrs. Xi and gone back to being a normal


    person.


    But in her opinion, she had never been happy or sessful, and after divorcing James, she had


    fallen straight to hell.


    After all, everything bad that had happened to her had happened because James didn''t love her.


    While she was in prison, she had hated him as much as she hated Rosa. In her eyes, the two of


    them were her worst enemies.


    Today, she still hated Rosa to the core, but as for James...


    She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, choosing to avoid thinking about it.


    James kissed the top of her head and said in a low and hoarse voice, "Mia, it''s all my fault. After I


    married you, I didn''t take good care of you and our children." "Yes," Maria agreed.


    She had had to bear everything on her own two shoulders. There was no other choice. She sat up


    straight and smiled at him. "But it''s toote now. Those two children can nevere back."


    James felt his throat close up. Her words were like a sharp dagger stabbing into his heart.


    Those two children were two lives that he and


    Maria had created, they were their own flesh and blood.


    For James, their death was the mistake of a lifetime. He would never be able to forgive himself for


    it.


    Bob''s little face popped up in his mind, and he blurted out, "Tell me everything about the kids."


    ''Including Bob,'' he added in his mind.


    Maria''s breath tightened, and there was a slight change in her expression. Lowering her head to


    avoid his gaze, she said softly, "Tell you what? It''s toote. As for Arthur, even if you regret it, you


    can''t change the past, can you?"


    She was right, but James wanted to take responsibility for Bob. He would never put Bob in the


    same situation as Arthur again.


    But since Maria didn''t want to talk about it now, he didn''t force her. He sincerely believed that, with


    his own power and resources, he would definitely be able to find Bob. When that happened, he


    would be able to get the satisfaction of Maria admitting that Bob was their child.


    Seeing that he didn''t say anything else, Maria thought that he had believed her words and inwardly


    let out a sigh of relief.


    The next morning, many people turned up to HL Group to attend the interview for the position of the


    CEO''s special assistant.


    There was a flurry all around the office. In the end, only one man and one woman passed all the


    interviews and came out on top. They were the only ones recruited into thepany.


    As soon as James returned to his office, Gary knocked on the door and walked in. "Mr. Xi, I''ve


    gotten some news from the US."


    Hearing that, James turned around anxiously. "What is it?"


    Startled by the intensity of his eyes, Gary took out a document and handed it to him.


    It was a photo of a male model standing in a street.


    However, the point of the photo wasn''t the model, but the person behind him.

 Chapter 349 Beat Up Jamir Yuan

    Chapter 349 Beat Up Jamir Yuan


    Photographed was a pregnant woman at an intersection, waiting for the light to turn green. It


    seemed her bangs annoyed her, because she was reaching up to tie her hair.


    As she did so, her whole face came into view of the camera.


    James'' eyes lit up. He was so sure that, although Maria had a big belly in the photo, it couldn''t have


    been taken when she was pregnant with Arthur. At the time, Maria was quite young and dressed


    very low-key.


    But this photograph showed her wearing a mature yet fashionable outfit.


    A dark green windbreaker draped over her shoulders, framing a loose ck dress underneath. On


    her feet, she wore a pair of t shoes. The delicateness of the dress''s fabric entuated her round


    belly.


    Gary gulped nervously. "This photo is from Mr. Cooper''s assistant."


    Cooper?


    James fished out his phone from his pocket and dialed Cooper''s number. Gary took the hint and


    quietly left the office.


    On the other end of the line, Cooper had just stepped out of the shower when his phone started


    ringing. ncing at the caller ID, he swiped to answer. "Hey, bro."


    "Are you sleeping?" "Not yet, I just got home." It didn''t take long before Cooper realized the purpose


    of James'' call.


    Sure enough, James didn''t beat around the bush. "Maria was in America for a while. Did you know


    about that? Were you taking care of her then?"


    "She dide to America," Cooper confirmed cryptically. But he didn''t offer any more information.


    Through gritted teeth, James hissed, "You truly are such a good brother. Even now you take her


    side!"


    "You''ll thank me."


    Thank him? James wanted to beat him up.


    Even if Cooper didn''t say anything, James got the answer he wanted and hung up the phone.


    Distressed, he ran his fingers through his hair.


    What was he going to do with Maria?


    Meanwhile, Maria had just arrived at her office.


    To her surprise, Summer''s husband, Jamir Yuan, was waiting for her there.


    At first, Maria didn''t know him; she just saw him as a shabbily dressed man in front of her


    company''s building. Summer had never gotten around to introducing him to her.


    As soon as she got out of the car, the man stopped her.


    She looked him up and down skeptically. The man was wearing a denim coat over a T-shirt and a


    pair of sneakers.


    "Who are you?" she demanded.


    "You must be Maria, right? I''m Summer''s husband. I want to talk to you." ''Summer''s husband?''


    Maria studied the man once more. He was good-looking and tall enough, but there was a certain


    rage in his eyes. It seemed he was here to make trouble.


    Seeing this, Maria felt something explode within her. However, she held back her anger and forced


    a sweet smile. "Come with me."


    She led Jamir Yuan to the reception area and the two sat opposite each other. The secretary,


    noticing her boss had brought a guest, immediately prepared a ss of tea for him.


    But when she was about to serve it, Maria said, "No, thanks. We''re not going to waste some tea on


    this jerk."


    Jamir seemed taken aback. But his surprise quickly turned to rage.


    When the secretary was gone, he hissed, "Ms. Song, I advise you not to meddle in my affairs."


    "Is that why you came here?" As she spoke, Maria typed rapidly on her phone. "Are you feeling


    better?" she texted Summer.


    "Because of you, Perry was fired by HL Group. Now, she has nothing to do but cry at home every


    day. Plus, she''s pregnant. Don''t you know how much this all will affect her health?"


    Maria ced the phone on the coffee table and locked eyes with Jamir menacingly. "She''s


    pregnant?" she asked softly.


    "Yes," he snapped. "Yet you pped her¡ªmore than once! If something happens to her, can you


    afford to shoulder the responsibility?"


    Maria crossed her arms over her chest. ''What a jerk! Summer must have been blind to have


    married him.'' "Do you know that Summer was pregnant?" she asked.


    "Yes, I know. But she had a miscarriage, didn''t she?"


    His tone was rxed, without a trace of sadness¡ª as though he said something unimportant.


    That was thest straw. Something within Maria snapped. She suddenly grabbed the phone on the


    table and hurled it at the man. "You son of a bitch!"


    Jamir managed to dodge the flying phone and it crashed into the wall behind him.


    Bang! The phone fell to the floor, its screen cracking all over.


    Ignoring the fate of her phone, Maria pped her hands on the table and stood up abruptly. "I''m


    telling you, Jamir. Even if your mistress had a miscarriage because of me, I could afford to shoulder


    the responsibility."


    Jamir gritted his teeth, knowing he couldn''t retaliate. He knew Maria was James'' woman, and no


    one dared toy a finger on her. "I just came here to talk about Perry''s job. I was hoping you''ll stop


    meddling and allow Perry to work in HL Group."


    Everyone knew how well the HL Group treated its staff. Jamir didn''t even have the chance to work


    for thepany.


    "Huh? Are you tripping? I''ll never give her job back. In fact, I''ll make sure the two of you can''t get a


    job in H City!" With a sneer, Maria went over to pick up her phone to make a call.


    However, the hairline cracks on her screen rendered it useless. In a fit of rage, she hurled it Jamir


    again.


    This time, Jamir wasn''t able to dodge. The phone collided into his chest with a heavy thud.


    "Maria Song! Don''t push me!" he growled.


    "Oh, please. Do you think that''s all I''m going to do to you?" And with that, Maria rolled up her


    sleeves and pounced on him.


    "Take this!"


    Maria threw a punch at his nose.


    Jamir thought he saw stars in his vision. Then, he felt a warm, gooey liquid trickling out of his nose.


    Wincing, he reached up to touch it. His expression changed dramatically when he realized it was


    blood. "Maria Song, are you crazy?!"


    "You''re the crazy one!" Maria shouted, adding another kick.


    Hearing themotion, Peggy rushed in to stop Maria from beating up the helpless man. "Maria,


    what on earth are you doing?"


    Maria shot Peggy an angry re and barked, "Get out of my way! If I don''t end this bastard''s life


    right here, I won''t be able to look Summer in the eye!"


    "That''s Summer''s husband?" Peggy jabbed a finger at the bleeding man. She had more or less


    heard what happened to Summer.


    "Yeah, that''s him."


    Hearing this, Peggy turned around and calmly asked the secretary to close the door. When they


    were alone, she too rolled up her sleeves and said, "Maria, let me help you."


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    The two women exchanged a knowing look. Then, they sprang into action. One held the man in


    ce while the other beat him violently.


    From outside the reception, people could hear the pained wails of the man and the angry cries of


    two women. ''TH make you sorry, you son of a bitch! I''ll blow your head right off!"


    "How dare youe to me? You''re so dead!"


    By the reception door, the two secretaries looked at each other, trembling in fear.


    Only now did they find out about their elegant boss''s dark, violent side. Hearing the man''s screams,


    they knew how ruthless Maria was being.


    Ten minutester, two security guards came up and dragged out the man covered in blood and


    bruises.


    "Get out of here!"


    When Jamir was thrown out, Maria headed back to her office and used thendline to call James.


    "I''m going to avenge your assistant! Would you like to join me?"


    "Maria, what were you doing just now?" She sounded like she was gasping for breath.

 Chapter 350 A Loyal Friend

    Chapter 350 A Loyal Friend


    Maria evaded his question. "I want Summer''s husband and Perry Tao out of the picture, but I don''t


    have that kind of power. I would have to turn to..." She wanted to say she would have to turn to


    either Norman or James, but she corrected herself on second thought. "I can only ask you for help.


    Will you help me?"


    "Did you run into Summer''s husband?" James asked.


    "Yes. I beat him up and threw him out." She didn''t n to hide it from him.


    James went silent.


    After a while, he said softly, "You know I''ll help you."


    "Well then, get them out of the financial circle of H City! Just like what you did with me back then."


    James thought, ''She knows I''ll do whatever she wants. Why did she have to bring up the past now?''


    Because he remained silent, Maria repeated herself. "If you don''t know what to do, just think about


    what you did to me before. Just follow that process."


    The truth was, she brought it up on purpose to rub salt in old wounds.


    Pressing his fingers against his temples, James said, "I''ll take care of it, don''t be angry."


    "How can I not be angry? That son of a bitch had the gall to tell me to mind my own business! He


    even asked me to give the job back to his mistress! Just who does he think he is? Does he want me


    to just forgive and forget? And what about Summer? Doesn''t he feel sorry for her? She''s still lying in


    the hospital as we speak! That man is just the scum of the earth! I should''ve turned him into a


    eunuch using a knife!"


    Maria''s harsh words took James aback. Eyebrows furrowed deeply, he continued to rub his


    forehead. "Mia..."


    "Don''t call me that!" Maria exploded, refusing to beforted. "Didn''t you do that to me back then?


    I almost forgot!"


    Knowing this was a bad time, James figured he''d better keep quiet and just listen to her.


    Maria demanded, "Why aren''t you saying anything? Do you think I''m in the wrong? Do you think I''ve


    gone too far?"


    By now, James'' head was pounding. "No, you''re right. I was just reflecting on what I did." It was


    true. He was deeply troubled by the way he treated Maria back then.


    His answer seemed to satisfy Maria. She finally calmed herself down and softened her tone. "My


    phone broke. I''ll get a new er. Anyway, I won''t stop pestering you until you get that


    shameless couple out of H City, understood?"


    With a sigh, she thought to herself, ''I can''t believe I ruined my phone over such a stupid bastard.''


    Knowing that she had calmed down, James asked furtively, "Have you discussed this with


    Summer?"


    "What?"


    "About banishing her husband?"


    "No, I haven''t." Was she supposed to? She was worried Summer would be too softhearted.


    "They''re still married, Maria," James reminded her gently. "They haven''t divorced yet so all their


    assets are tied together. What if Summer chooses to forgive her husband? Our actions will impact


    her, too."


    This time, it was Maria who went silent. After thinking it over, she agreed gloomily.


    "But how could Summer still want to live with that bastard?"


    "You''d have to ask her." The truth was, it was a piece of cake for him to have someone ostracized. If


    this was what Maria wanted, he would do whatever was in his power to help her. But he was afraid


    that she was so angry that she made the decision by herself, which would most likely affect her


    friendship with Summer.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    "You''re right. I''ll go to the hospital when I''m free." Maria sighed sulkily.


    "Well, this is about Jamir who cheated on Summer, not me cheating on you, right? Don''t let other


    people''s business cloud your judgment." James frowned.


    He should''ve expected this kind of behavior from her. Last time, she destroyed the Jiang family for a


    good friend of hers.


    This time, she poured all her energy into teaching Summer''s husband and his mistress a lesson.


    Maria pursed her lips unhappily. "You said you wouldn''t dare cheat on me. I believe you."


    James turned her words over in his head. It was true, he said he would never cheat on her. But did


    he say he wouldn''t dare? Anyway, he didn''t dare contradict her now.


    After all, she was the boss. He was willing to do whatever she wanted him to do. As long as she


    was happy, he was happy.


    That afternoon, while Maria was in a meeting, James had someone bring a new phone to Maria''s


    office.


    The phone was a sleek white, and it was the same model as James''. The only difference was his


    was ck. The two phones matched-just like their owners.


    When Maria received the package, she smiled and phoned him first. "Thank you," she said sweetly.


    As a shrewd businessman, James wasn''t about to miss such a good opportunity. "You should


    express your gratitude through your actions."


    Eyeing the Starry Roses in her office, Maria rolled her eyes. "Horny!" she spat.


    "Well, thank you for your praise."


    James took it as apliment.


    Later that day, Maria visited Summer at the hospital. There, she found Summer''s mother in the ward


    with her. When she saw Mariae in, she greeted her with a smile and found an excuse to leave


    the two alone.


    When it was just Maria and Summer left in the ward, Maria spoke up. "What''s your n?"


    Summer seemed to be deep in thought. Finally, she said, "I know he went to see you." "How did you


    know?" "He told me." Summer gave her a bitter smile. "He came to the hospital with his mistress


    with a banged up face. Before they left, she sauntered over here and made a big fuss in front of


    me."


    The truth was, she knew the cause of her husband''s injuries.


    She felt a bit guilty for involving Maria in their personal issues.


    Tve never met such a shameless person in my life," Maria growled, her anger ring up again. "And


    how dare Jamir show up at the same hospital as you after all that!"


    Summer grabbed Maria''s hand. "Thanks for helping me."


    "Don''t mention it. Summer, do you still want to live with him?"


    Summer shook her head almost immediately. "Of course not. He''s nothing to me now."


    Maria breathed a sigh of relief, "Good! I was worried you''d take things too hard. Women should be


    open-minded. If your man doesn''t cherish you, you should break up with him and find a better man!"


    However, as she spoke, Maria couldn''t help but feel a little guilty. After all, in the past, she had


    stayed with James despite him not treating her well.


    "But I don''t want to divorce him yet."


    "What? Why not?" Maria frowned.


    Summer might''ve been fragile, but she was shrewd and business-minded. "The vi and luxury


    items Jamir bought for his mistress¡ªhe bought them while we were still married. And he used my


    money. He isn''t as rich as me, nor can he earn as much. I will not only take back what he bought for


    his mistress, but also make sure he has no properties under his name." He was heartless. He


    shouldn''t me her for treating him in kind.


    Maria beamed and gave her a thumbs-up sign. "Well done!" Back then, Maria hade out of her


    divorce with James penniless. Even the three-million-dor alimony went to Judy and her nephew.


    At that time, she had nothing!


    "Anyways, I''m leaving the hospital tomorrow," Summer continued. "I n to stay with my mom first."


    Her mother actually approved of the divorce.


    Maria shook her head firmly. "No. How can you go back to your mother''s home? If you do, I bet your


    husband will make his mistress live in your house while you''re gone. Then, she''ll take over your


    house. Is that what you want? Let me tell you this: you have to keep fighting until you win the battle.


    An excellent soldier won''t leave the battlefield at will. If there is someone who should leave, it''s him.


    We have to fight to the end, Summer!"


    -

 Chapter 351 Find Bob

    Chapter 351 Find Bob


    Summer was amused by Maria''s words and thought that what she said was reasonable, but she


    said, "I don''t want to see him for the time being."


    "To be honest, his mistress is pregnant, and you two have already separated from each other. He


    won''t stay in your house, will he?" Maria said. There was no need for Jamir to maintain the pretense


    of marriage anymore. What was the point of him going back home now?


    "Maybe," Summer said uncertainly.


    Maria didn''t ask Summer if she wanted to punish the shameless couple, thinking that it would be


    better to wait for a while.


    Anyway, it wouldn''t be toote to deal with them after Summer officially got a divorce.


    In the building of HL Group, James walked out of his office and was about to enter the elevator


    when he heard someone call him.


    Turning around, he saw Gary.


    "What''s up?"


    Gary hurriedly approached him and said in a low voice, "Mr. Xi, there is a rumor in H City these


    days that Mr. Shen has an illegitimate son." Of course, this was strangely familiar to when James


    hade to thepany with Bob in his arms, and employees had gossiped that he had an


    illegitimate child.


    Smelling something fishy, Gary had rushed here to report it to James.


    However, James'' first reaction was to frown and ask, "What does that have to do with me?"


    Gary anxiously replied, "Mr. Xi, many people witnessed Mr. Shen going to hispany with the


    child in his arms. Besides, I haven''t heard any news of Mr. Shen having a woman around him! How


    could a child suddenly appear?"


    A thought suddenly urred to James. ''Could the child be Bob?1


    Pursing his lips in displeasure, he looked into Gary''s eyes, as if silently asking him the question.


    Gary nodded. "Mr. Xi, we can investigate it. Maybe it''s exactly what you are thinking."


    "Okay, go ahead," James agreed. It was very likely that this so-called illegitimate child of Norman''s


    was actually Bob. Maria wouldn''t have sent the child away from H City, and since she had a good


    rtionship with Norman, it was very likely that she had asked him to look after Bob.


    "Yes, sir!" Gary left and began to arrange people to tail Norman.


    James lingered there, pressing his lips into a thin line as a sh of resentment flickered in his eyes.


    ''Maria, how dare you send my son to Norman?''


    It had to be said that every single one of James'' assistants was very efficient. This included


    Lorenzo, Summer, and Gary.


    Within a few hours, Gary returned to James to report all the information that he had dug up. "Mr. Xi,


    the child that Mr. Shen was carrying looks exactly like Bob!"


    Hearing that, James kept silent, andplex emotions swam around in his deep eyes.


    After a moment, he ordered in a deep voice, "Go there with our men." "Yes, sir."


    "Wait!" Just when Gary was about to leave, James stopped him.


    "What''s wrong, Mr. Xi?"


    "I''lle too," he replied. He wanted to go there in person.


    Norman''s vi was located in the north of the city. That evening, after confirming that Norman


    wouldn''t be at home, James secretly went to the destination with a group of people that he had


    selected.


    His face soured as soon as he found out that there were no security guards at the gate of the vi.


    This was the ce his son was staying in, but there wasn''t even a guard to protect him!


    When he stepped into the vi, the sight that greeted him was even more surprising and suspicious.


    The house seemed to bepletely empty.


    He took his men to the second floor and asked them to check every room. Finally, they found the


    child in a bedroom, sleeping in his crib.


    On the bed next to himy a maid, who was also sleeping soundly.


    James calmly picked up the baby and held him in his arms. The little boy opened his eyes in a


    daze. But when he saw the familiar face in front of him, his eyes widened in happy recognition.


    For James, this encounter waspletely different from all the other times he had seen Bob. In the


    past, he hadn''t known that Bob was his son, but now he did. Thinking of that, his lips curled into a


    smile. This was the son he had with Maria!


    Bobughed at him and waved his hands excitedly.


    Holding him with one arm, James raised his other hand and gestured to the people behind him.


    Soon, a man opened a box, took out two cotton swabs, and said in a low voice, "Mr. Xi, we need


    two samples of his saliva."


    "Okay."


    James reached out and grabbed the cotton swabs from his hand. Then, he gently tapped Bob''s lips


    with the swabs and whispered, "Say ''Ah.'' Good boy!''1


    While the little boy was giggling, James used the opportunity to stick the cotton swabs into his


    mouth and swiped them against his cheek. Then, he took them out and handed them back to his


    employee.


    The man put the cotton swabs into two tubes and sealed them to store them safely. Then, he told


    James, "Mr. Xi, I still need some hair."


    "Okay." James nced at the crib and found tiny strands of hair fallen here and there. He asked the


    staff to take those and pack them up.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    In just ten to fifteen minutes, James had gotten everything that he hade here for.


    Instead of walking out of the vi with Bob, James coaxed Bob back to sleep and set him down in


    the crib. Then, he went downstairs and left the vi with his employees.


    When he was sitting in the car, he took onest look at the vi. He had appointed several


    bodyguards to stay behind and secretly watch over his beloved son.


    As soon as he left, Norman received the news of his visit from the maid who had been "sleeping" in


    the room.


    "Mr. Shen, I didn''t see any of their faces, but I''m sure that it was Mr. Xi and a few of his people." She


    had heard one of them call him "Mr. Xi."


    "Okay, I see," Norman replied. He wasn''t too bothered about this news. After all, James wouldn''t


    hurt his own son. He didn''t need to worry about that.


    However, he was curious as to why James hadn''t taken the baby away with him after finding him.


    What was going on in that man''s mind?


    The new productunch event of Maria''spany was held in andmark building of the new


    district. Sitting among the audience, she listened keenly as the manager of the product department


    introduced the new product.


    As he spoke, he referred to the sales data, which was projected on the big screen behind him.


    To Maria''s surprise, one of thepanies in attendance ced an order of one hundred million


    dors without any hesitation.


    The whole DS Group was excited about this order, including Maria herself. However, she couldn''t


    help but feel confused. DS Group had never done business with thispany before, so she didn''t


    understand how they trusted DS Group so much.


    Frowning, she took out her phone and looked up the name of thepany. It turned out to be a


    foreign-owned enterprise. She didn''t even know their legal representative.


    After learning that information, she didn''t think too much and just carried on with her work.


    Since their sales volume had far exceed the expectations on the first day itself, Maria was in a good


    mood. She called James and said in a cheerful tone, "Mr. Xi, would you like to have dinner with me


    tonight? It''s my treat."


    "What''s the asion?"


    She chuckled and exined, "The sales of our new product are much better than I expected."


    "Oh? Really?" James closed hisptop and focused on talking to her.


    "Yeah! A foreign-ownedpany has ced an order of one hundred million dors. Our factory


    will be very busy from now on."


    "One hundred million dors? Wow, that''s a really big order."


    However, he still hadn''t answered her question. "So, do you want to have dinner with me or not?"


    Maria pressed.


    "Of course," he answered with a smile.


    "Great, it''s a n. How about I cook for you tonight?" Maria felt like she was floating on air. At this


    moment, there was nothing she couldn''t do, including making a lot of dishes for him.


    "Sure, whatever you like."


    Feeling satisfied, Maria hung up the phone. After getting her work in order, she left the office.


    The kitchen in James'' vi was well-equipped with a variety of utensils and ingredients. Moreover,


    she had called the servants in advance to tell them what groceries to buy.


    When James arrived at the vi at seven o''clock in the evening, Maria was busy cooking in the


    kitchen.


    When she saw him approach, she greeted him in a hurry and then turned her attention back to the


    food that she was making.


    James walked into the kitchen and embraced her from behind, wrapping his arms around her waist.


    Then, he leaned in, smelled her hair, and said, "Thank you."


    -

 Chapter 352 Drunk

    Chapter 352 Drunk


    Continuing her cooking at hand, Maria curled her red lips and chuckled. "No need to thank me. I''m


    not as tired as you. Did you cancel your dinner appointment just so you coulde home?"


    "Yes, I did," James answered, nuzzling his face into her neck.


    Maria knew that if he hadn''t canceled his dinner appointment, he wouldn''t have been able toe


    home until after midnight.


    James gently kissed her on the cheek. When he was about to say something, the phone in his


    pocket began to vibrate.


    Maria tapped his chest with her elbow and urged, "Answer the phone."


    "Okay."


    James reluctantly let go of her and took out his phone from his pocket. When he saw the name on


    the caller ID, his face stiffened.


    He nced at the woman who was still focused on her cooking before turning around and walking


    out of the kitchen.


    When Maria turned around from the stove, she saw him slide the answer key and ask in a low


    voice, "How''s it going?"


    He must have gotten the answer he wanted, because he casually leaned against the wall with a


    mysterious smile. When he met the eyes of the woman in the kitchen, his smile deepened.


    Maria''s hair stood on end. She wondered who was on the other end of the line. Why did James look


    so happy over a phone call?


    Once James hung up the phone, he went straight to the bathroom as if nothing had happened.


    When he came back, he saw the dining tableden with six different dishes that Maria had


    prepared.


    A bottle of wine and a bottle of hard liquor were ced on the table.


    Maria gently opened the bottle of red wine first and poured some into two fancy sses. Then,


    taking a seat opposite James, she raised her ss in a toast and said happily, "James, thank you


    so much for your support for the research and development of our new product and, of course, for


    the venue for theunch event."


    He seemed to be in high spirits too. He kindly nodded and said, "My congrattions to you, Ms.


    Song."


    Maria smiled and downed the wine in one go.


    Then, she excitedly picked up some food for him and put it on his te. "Here, have a taste of the


    spicy crab with red wine sauce. It''s my specialty."


    "Sure." James ate the food she had picked up for him with relish. At this moment, his chest was


    threatening to explode from all the happiness he felt.


    "Try this one too! It''s made with goose and mushroom," Maria continued like an eager child.


    One by one, James had a taste of all the delicious dishes that she had prepared for him.


    By the time they finished their meal, Maria was a little drunk. Sometime during dinner, she had


    opened the bottle of hard liquor and poured a ss of that for herself as well. He gave her the


    sense of security that she needed to let herself get drunk around someone.


    Bit by bit, she started babbling because of the alcohol. Without saying anything to interrupt her,


    James listened to her grand blueprint with interest. "Do you know what my next goal is? My dream


    is for DS Group to be a listedpany," she gushed.


    "Well, it won''t be just a dream," James said sincerely, running his hand through her hair.


    "I don''t think it''s a dream, either. Oh, James, you really believe in me, don''t you?" It was obvious


    that Maria was really drunk by now. She was holding her red cheeks in her hands and staring at him


    fanatically.


    "Of course!" James had barely had any wine to drink, and he hadn''t touched the hard liquor at all,


    so he was dead sober.


    Later that night, Maria fell asleep in his arms,pletely drunk. Before dozing off, she vaguely


    remembered him asking her some questions.


    She tried her best to be on high alert, but her mind was out of control. She didn''t know what she had


    answered.


    All she could remember was that he had taken her to the paradise of joy several times that night.


    In fact, James had deliberately gotten her drunk and asked her several questions about Bob. And


    just as he had nned, she had answered each and every one of them truthfully.


    He asked, "Where was Bob born?"


    "At the OYT hospital in the US."


    "Why didn''t you tell me about his true identity?"


    "Because you''re a jerk!"


    "Bob is my son, isn''t he?" Of course, James had already known the answer to that. The result of the


    DNA test was exactly what he had suspected.


    "No!" Maria cried, lying in his arms. "He''s James'' son. But I won''t tell him!" She had let out a


    mischievous giggle after that, too drunk to see the look on his face.


    The next morning, it was almost eleven o''clock when Maria stirred from her deep slumber.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    She shook her heavy head to sober herself up.


    Fortunately, the wine and the liquor that James had brought were of good quality. Otherwise she


    would have woken up with a splitting headache. She just felt some difort in her stomach.


    At the thought of James, however, she instantly became awake.


    The hazy memory of him asking her where Bob was bom suddenly returned to her. What had she


    answered him?


    ''Shit, I forgot everything!'' she thought, burying her head in her hands. She couldn''t help but be


    afraid that she had said something she shouldn''t. What had she revealed to him?


    Meanwhile, in the CEO office of HL Group, James was working on something.


    Standing in front of therge spotless French window, he slowly smoked his cigarette. There was a


    paternity test report lying on the desk behind him.


    After he finished smoking the cigarette down to the end, he opened the window for some venttion.


    A gust of wind blew in, flipping the document open. Clearly printed on the page facing up were the


    words, "As certified by our identification center, James Xi is the biological father of Bob Xi."


    "Maria..." he said longingly, shaking his head.


    He closed his eyes and thought of her beautiful face and yful smile.


    He would happily admit that he had been trapped by this woman.


    Just then, the phone on the desk began to vibrate. He grabbed it and saw that the call was from


    none other than Maria herself.


    ''Speak of the devil, '' he thought to himself with a fond smile. ''Is she calling to find out what


    happenedst night?''


    As soon as the call was connected, Maria said, "I was drunkst night."


    "True." She had been so drunk that she had said everything that she shouldn''t say.


    "Did I tell you any of my secrets?" she asked as casually as possible, as if she was flirting with him.


    "Do you have anything to hide from me?" James asked in reply.


    "Why would I? I won''t hide anything from you since we havee to this point," she said without


    skipping a beat.


    "Well, good to know." James smirked to himself. It turned out that the love of his life could sound


    convincing even when she was lying to his face.


    "I remember you asking me about Bobst night," Maria continued. Although she didn''t want to give


    anything away, she was so curious and anxious that she couldn''t help but ask him about it.


    "Really? I don''t remember that. Why would I ask you about him since you don''t know much about


    him anyway?" James replied indifferently, as if he was discussing the weather.


    "Maybe it was just a dream. I was so drunk that I can''t tell the difference," Maria said reluctantly.


    "That''s right." The smirk on James'' face grew wider.


    After a short pause, Maria said, "I have to hang up now. I have a bad stomachache."


    "What happened?" A hint of worry appeared between his eyebrows, and the smirk on his face


    disappeared.


    "Maybe I drank too muchst night," Maria said sulkily, lying back down on the bed.


    "Don''t go out today. Just get a lot of rest. I''ll call the doctor."


    "Okay." Maria had a history of gastric bleeding after drinking, so she thought it was best to just listen


    to him right now. After all, the difort in her stomach was getting worse and worse.


    In fact, her condition deteriorated so much that she asked John to take her to the hospital before the


    doctor arrived.


    When James arrived at the hospital, he saw John anxiously waiting by the door of the ward. Inside,


    Maria was sitting up with her back against the bed rest. Her face was pale and her lips were dry.


    With a solemn look, he quietly sat next to her on the edge of the bed, took her hand, and looked into


    her eyes. "I''m sorry," he said earnestly. It was his fault for getting her so drunkst night.


    In his eagerness to extract the truth from her lips, he had ended up hurting her and making her fall


    ill.


    Maria slowly opened her eyes and shook her head. "You didn''t do anything. I''m the one who kept


    drinking."


    "Well, I''ll make sure it never happens again," James vowed. From now on, he would take good care


    of her and stop her from drinking so much.


    Looking at the guilty expression on his face, Maria sighed inwardly. She really didn''t me him for


    her condition. It was only because she had been too excited after theunch event that she''d drunk


    so much, not to mention that she had mixed both wine and hard liquor at the same time.


    Now that she was in the hospital, James decided to personally take care of her. He worked on his


    laptop at the hospital and stayed with her all day long.


    But in the evening, there was a business-rted dinner party that he had to attend, so he had no


    choice but to leave her side for a while.


    Before taking off, he informed the nurse to take good care of Maria, and told her that he would be


    back soon.


    To Maria''s surprise, it had barely been a minute after James left before Norman walked into the


    ward.


    And he even brought Bob with him!

 Chapter 353 Oedipus Complex

    Chapter 353 Oedipus Complex


    Upon seeing her son, the sickly woman cheered up instantly. "Bob, my dear, let me hug you," Maria


    said.


    Ever since she had handed the child over to Norman, she had rarely gotten the chance to see him,


    so she had missed him more than ever.


    Norman considerately put Bob down on the bed, next to her side. One of Maria''s hands was still


    connected to the IV tube and it would be inconvenient for her to hold the child in her arms, so she


    could only hold him with her free hand and y with him.


    Shoving his hands into his pockets, Norman raised an eyebrow and asked, "How did you end up in


    the hospital?"


    Maria smiled. "Nothing serious. I just drank too much yesterday."


    Norman smirked. "Is this how James takes care of you? Maybe you should consider getting a new


    man."


    In fact, there were a lot of men who had feelings for Maria, but they had either already been turned


    down by her, or they hadn''t had the chance to confess their feelings before she had be James''


    woman.


    Of course, no one in the entire H City dared to fight with James for a woman, so none of them


    would pursue her now.


    Perhaps Norman was the only exception, but what he felt for Maria was not romantic love.


    Maria patted Bob''s buttocks, which were covered by a diaper, and replied helplessly, "With this baby


    here, how can I think about that?" She had indeed thought about getting a new man before, but


    whenever she thought about Bob addressing someone other than James as "Dad," an inexplicable


    guilt came over her, and she didn''t have the guts to go through with it.


    If James found out about the truth, she might never have the chance to see her son again.


    With a smile, Norman said, "I know that women are usually willing to sacrifice themselves for their


    children. But I can''t believe that you, Maria, have also chosen to take this path!"


    "I am a mother, after all," Maria replied softly, with a hint of pride in her voice. Since it was possible


    to give Bob aplete family, she didn''t want to take that away from him just for her own selfish


    reasons.


    Bob, who was lying next to Maria, beamed at her the whole time, happily waving his arms and legs


    in the air.


    Norman looked at him and snorted. "I think this boy has the Oedipusplex. Look at him. He is so


    happy to see you that he doesn''t even maintain his dignity."


    ''Men are all so arrogant. They''ll never understand,'' Maria thought, feeling dumbfounded. Touching


    her son''s little face dotingly, sheined, "Mr. Shen, he''s only a few months old. It would be


    more surprising if he doesn''t love his mother, right?"


    Norman reluctantly nodded. Maria''s words did make sense, so he had no argument.


    Since he had brought Bob along, he didn''t stay for a long time. Within less than half an hour, the two


    of them left the hospital.


    James'' dinner appointment finished an hourter. As soon as he got into the car to head back to the


    hospital, his bodyguard reported to him in a low voice, "Mr. Xi, Mr. Shen came to the hospital


    earlier."


    James nced at the bodyguard expressionlessly. "What else?"


    "He came with Bob, sir."


    James turned away and faced the window without saying anything else. The thought of Norman


    carrying his son around every day made him feel uneasy. What if people started thinking that Bob


    was born to Maria and Norman?


    James had originally nned to let Norman take care of Bob for a few more months, but now, he


    realized that the best thing to do was to take Bob back as soon as possible. In that case, he would


    have to think of a way to make Maria confess to Bob''s real identity on her own.


    When he reached the hospital and pushed open the door to Maria''s ward, he saw her sitting on the


    bed and ying with her phone. She seemed to be in high spirits, perhaps because she had just


    spent time with Bob.


    Seeing him walk in, Maria raised her head and greeted him with a smile. "Are you done?"


    "Yeah,"


    James said, slinging his coat over the chair before sitting down beside her. Then, he sniffed the air


    and asked tentatively, "Was there a child in here?¡± "What?" There was a hint of panic in Maria''s


    voice as she stole a nce at him.


    "There is the smell of milk powder, like... how Bob smelled." James'' eyes nkly scanned the air,


    not looking at the woman on the bed at all.


    In fact, the faint smell of milk powder did linger in the air, but it was not obvious enough for him to


    notice it. He had just said this on purpose, to see how she would react.


    Maria felt a little guilty. Did this man have a dog''s nose? "Oh, you have such a sensitive nose! Just


    now, a child from another ward was running about and crying for his mother. When he passed by


    my ward and saw me, he came in and stayed for a while," she lied, keeping her voice as steady as


    possible.


    James nodded. "I see." He seemed to believe it, because he stopped asking questions after that.


    Maria put her phone aside and shifted to a morefortable position, causing the upper part of her


    hospital gown to slide up her skin and reveal the scar on her lower abdomen.


    Noticing it out of the corner of his eye, James lifted the gown and stared at the scar carefully. Before


    he could say anything, however, Maria irritably tugged down the gown and covered the scar. "It''s so


    ugly! There is no need for you to look at it."


    James casually asked, "How did you get such a deep scar?"


    Maria''s heart skipped a beat. "Didn''t I tell you? I got it because of the appendectomy."


    "Okay." James just watched her silently without saying anything else.


    She shifted a little under his unnerving gaze. Why was this man acting so strange tonight? ''Could


    he have found out that Bob is his son?


    But there''s no way! If he suspected that, he would have immediately searched for Bob and taken


    him to do a paternity test.


    But Bob is still with Norman, and James hasn''t searched for him, which means that he probably


    doesn''t suspect anything,'' she thought to herself.


    "It''s gettingte. You should sleep now so that you can get some rest and recover sooner," James


    said softly, pulling the quilt over her body.


    Maria blinked up at him. "What about you?"


    "I have some work to finish. I''ll go to sleep after that."


    "Okay." Because she was sick, Maria was too exhausted to say or think anything else. With a feeble


    yawn, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.


    In the dead of the night, James walked steadily and forcefully down the corridor of the hospital.


    He came to a stop at the duty room of the attending doctor and knocked on the door.


    The doctor opened the door and squinted at the man standing outside with groggy eyes. When he


    saw that it was James, he immediately sobered up. "Mr. Xi, is there something wrong with Ms.


    Song?"


    "No. I came here to ask you a question."


    The doctor''s shoulders rxed. "Oh, okay. Please go ahead, Mr. XI." "If a woman has an


    appendectomy, is it possible for her to have a deep scar on her abdomen?"


    "Could you please tell me where exactly the scar is?" "It''s in the middle of her abdomen."


    "Well, in that case, no. The incision for an appendectomy is usually made on the lower right


    abdomen, so that''s where the scar would be. If the scar is in the middle, then it''s much more likely


    to be a result of having a caesarean section. Of course, I can''t rule out the possibility of trauma, but


    the probability of that is very low," the doctor exined seriously.


    "Okay, thank you." As James walked away, he slipped into deep thought.


    Although he had confirmed Bob''s identity, he still wasn''t clear about the rest of the matters


    surrounding his birth. But judging by the information that he had found out so far, Maria had given


    birth to the child a few months ago at OYT Hospital in the US, and she had had a caesarean section


    delivery.


    That must be why she had refused to give him a child right away. Instead, she had asked him to


    wait for three years, because a woman who had given birth to a child through caesarean section


    needed to recoverpletely before getting pregnant again.


    However, James still couldn''t figure out why she hadn''t just told him that Bob was his son. As they


    said, it was hard to guess what was going on in a woman''s mind.


    Maria was discharged from the hospital at noon the next day. Just before she was discharged, the


    doctor came into the ward to give her instructions for her recovery. She was forbidden to drink


    alcohol or eat spicy food. She had to have a light diet. James carefully listened to everything so that


    he could take care of her.


    When they went downstairs and got into his car, his phone vibrated.


    Maria leaned over and watched James take out his phone. The caller ID showed the name "Gary.''1


    She caught a glimpse of the picture on the screen as well, just before James picked up the call.


    "Go ahead," he said indifferently.


    "Mr. Xi, I''ve found out that several people are involved in the charity foundation established by Mrs.


    Zheng, and there are indeed many shady things happening behind the scenes. The details of the


    donations are mostly hidden and not made public. Mrs. Zheng also seems to have made a few


    fraudulent donations. Tens of millions of dors were donated in her name to the poorer localities,


    but it turns out that they didn''t receive any money at all."


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Maria, who was leaning on James'' shoulder with her ears perked up, could clearly hear Gary''s


    words through the phone.


    "What about Sean?" James asked.


    -

 Chapter 354 The Civil Affairs Bureau

    Chapter 354 The Civil Affairs Bureau


    "Mrs. Zheng has no idea that Sean is our man. He has sessfully joined the foundation," said


    Gary.


    "Well, tell him to investigate Mrs. Zheng''s fraudulent donations. It would benefit us greatly if he


    manages to find some evidence," James instructed.


    "Understood, sir."


    James ended the call and was about to put away his phone when Maria''s hand shot out to stop him.


    He looked down at her, his eyes clouded with confusion.


    Maria took his phone and pressed a button. The screen lit up, revealing the photo on the screen.


    In the photo, she was holding the Starry Roses in her arms and smiling smugly.


    She didn''t expect James to use her selfie as his phone wallpaper. ''So, he wasn''t indifferent when he


    saw that photo, after all,'' Maria thought smugly.


    When James realized that he had been caught, he immediately made a grab for his phone.


    However, Maria refused to surrender the device. Instead, sheid her head on the man''sp and


    studied his ufortable expression. "Mr. Xi, did you find it beautiful?"


    He knew exactly what she meant. "Yes."


    "So, without my permission, you used my photo as your wallpaper. That is in vition of my


    portraiture rights. Now, you have two choices. Apologize to me in public or buy my portraiture rights


    for this photo with a huge sum of money!"


    James'' eyes twinkled in merriment. "I''m going with the third option."


    "There is no third option."


    "There is."


    "What then, pray tell, is the third choice?"


    He lowered his head and whispered in her ear, "I could make you my wife, so everything you own


    will be mine."


    Maria blurted out, "Keep dreaming! In that case, I can take half of your properties!"


    "Okay," he agreed readily.


    Maria didn''t believe his answer. "Don''t lie to me. The only thing you capitalists care about is your


    properties."


    "Tom!" James called out.


    The driver answered instantly, "Yes, Mr. Xi?"


    "We''re not going back to the vi. Let''s go to the Civil Affairs Bureau."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    "Why are we going to the Civil Affairs Bureau?" Maria asked in confusion.


    "To apply for the restoration of our marriage. After our remarriage bes official, you will own half


    of what I have. If you want all of my properties, I agree." He would transfer everything he owned to


    her name if that was what it took to get her to marry him again.


    Maria immediately eximed, "Tom, don''t listen to him! Go back to the vi. I won''t go to the Civil


    Affairs Bureau!"


    Tom was caught between a rock and a hard ce. "Well..." He knew that this would affect the future


    remarriage of these two people, so he wasn''t sure whether he should listen to one or the other.


    Anxious, Maria patted James''s hand and said, "Stop being troublesome. Let''s go back to the vi!


    I''m not recovered yet." ''Remarriage is no small matter. How could he speak about going to the Civil


    Affair Bureau so casually?'' she thought to herself.


    "Let''s go back to the vi," James said with a sigh.


    "Yes, sir." Tom shifted gears and made a U-turn in ordance with James'' order.


    Maria rolled her eyes at the man. "Old man, I was just kidding."


    "Old man?" His eyes shed dangerously.


    Maria knew better than anyone else what was hiding behind those dark eyes. It urred to her that


    he didn''t want to be called old, especially by her. She quickly covered her belly with her hands and


    leaned against his shoulder, acting like a spoiled child. "Ah, my tummy still hurts.


    Don''t piss me about." ''When did I ever do that?'' he wondered.


    In the next moment, Maria became serious. "Can we trust Sean?"


    "Yes." He had never employed questionable people, and he ced his absolute trust on everyone


    he had ever worked with.


    "How are you going to set a trap for Rosa?"


    "Didn''t she always make fraudulent donations? We will catch her red-handed." Once she made


    another fraudulent donation, she would be giving herself away.


    "How can you be sure that she will fall for it?"


    "I''m not a hundred percent sure."


    Maria stared at him. ''How could he n something like this when he''s even not sure of the results?''


    she wondered.


    "It''s worth a try. Greed kills people." Greedy people would always be tempted.


    James reassured her, "Don''t worry. All of the people I''ve selected to participate in this have worked


    with her before. She will drop her guard for sure."


    With a nod, Mariamented, "I had no idea that a mastermind was with me."


    "Even so, I''m still a small frypared to you, Ms. Song." She had the uncanny ability of making


    him bend to her will.


    "You do have a sense of fun, don''t you?" How could shepare to him?


    "Don''t be so sarcastic!" James warned in a low voice.


    Stifling herughter, Mariamented, "Mr. Xi, you misunderstood me." Of course, she could not


    admit it.


    "Get up." He spared no expense in helping her, but she still mocked him like this. James feigned


    displeasure.


    Instead of getting up, Maria slipped her arms around his waist and cuddled against his abs. "I like


    being close to you like this. I don''t want to get up!"


    Not only did she keep her pose, she snuggled even closer against James.


    It was incredibly nice to be held against him. He had an awesome physique, and he smelled


    incredible.


    Looking down dotingly at her, James grabbed her hand and leaned down to whisper, "When we get


    home, you can touch me anywhere and in any which way you like. You''re the boss."


    The deep blush that suffused her face amused him endlessly. She quickly pulled back her hand and


    raised it in front of his face. "Is my hand beautiful? Would you like a print of it on your face?"


    Without missing a beat, he grabbed the upraised hand and pressed a kiss on the back of it. "It''s


    better for your hand to hold my..."


    Before he could finish his sentence, her other hand flew up to cover his mouth. Blushing even more


    furiously, Maria hissed, "Are you crazy? Tom is still here!" ''He''s absolutely shameless!''


    With a faint smile, James calmly teased her, "Isn''t that more exciting?"


    She said nothing after that remark.


    Maria ended up not going to thepany for the next two days. James required her to rest at home


    for at least three days before she was allowed to go out.


    On her third day in the vi, a hot topic suddenly dropped on the Inte. "A woman used her real


    name to expose sexual assault done by Colby Zheng, chairman of the HM Group."


    "Colby Cheng seen dating a mysterious woman."


    The news appeared out of nowhere and was spreading like wildfire. HM Group''s PR department


    was having a hard time containing the scandal.


    Out of curiosity, Maria clicked on one of the news links. Sitting up against the headboard, she


    browsed the article, and her eyes widened like saucers when she saw the woman''s face.


    It was not hidden under mosaic. With tearful eyes, she cried in front of the camera, "I''m thankful that


    he saved my life, but I didn''t expect... He raped me and threatened me to not to tell anyone.


    I''m just a powerless woman. After everything that happened, I don''t know what to do. I can only


    reach out to the public for help..."


    Before the video was over, Maria called up a certain number, but the other person''s phone was


    powered off. She tried dialing it a few more times, but to no avail.


    Maria walked into the walk-in closet and called her secretary.


    Fortunately, she answered right away. "Ms. Song."


    "Where is Peggy?"


    "She didn''te to work today. I don''t know where she is."


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Maria''s heart sank. "Okay, I see." She quickly changed her clothes and left the vi.


    Her first stop was Peggy''s apartment. Apparently, she was toote¡ªthe door of the apartment was


    wide open, but the woman was nowhere in sight.


    With a sinking feeling, Maria realized that something was wrong.


    -

 Chapter 355 Not In Vain

    Chapter 355 Not In Vain


    Maria quickly dialed a number. "Quick, I need to find out where Peggy is. Hurry!"


    Then she tried to call James again, but he never answered.


    Maria walked quickly toward the security office of the gatedmunity while trying to reach James


    at the same time.


    She asked to be shown the surveince footage of Peggy''s apartment, but the staff refused her


    politely.


    She tried calling up Norman as she hovered by the security office''s door, but he was simrly out of


    reach. Things were starting to look too dire.


    Angry and upset, Maria bit her bottom lip hard. At this point, she could do nothing but wait and


    worry.


    Just as she was about to lose her patience, her phone rang. "Hey, sorry about your missed calls. I


    was in a meeting," James apologized.


    He was usually unreachable via phone because he was always busy. Before he could say anything


    further, Maria interrupted him, "It doesn''t matter. I need to check the surveince footage near


    Peggy''s apartment. Please help me."


    "Which neighborhood?"


    "Sunny Community."


    "Got it." With that, he hung up the phone.


    She didn''t have to wait long. Within two minutes, the staff in the monitoring room received a call.


    After the call ended, he rushed out and asked her, "Are you Ms. Song?"


    "Yes."


    "Pleasee in. I was just on the phone with my supervisor."


    "Okay, thank you!"


    Maria quickly scanned through the surveince videos of the area where Peggy lived. To her


    surprise, she saw two men carrying a sack out of her door. Other screens showed them getting in a


    car and driving away toward the east.


    There was no doubt in her mind that Peggy was in that sack. With trembling hands, Maria


    immediately called the police and asked them to continue searching for Peggy.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    The entire HM Group took a massive hit with Colby''s scandal. In particr, thepany''s stock


    price plummeted.


    Colby had spent millions on paying off the media to sweep his scandal under the rug, but the tactic


    proved futile. As it turned out, someone was even more determined to reveal the truth and paid a


    higher amount. At the moment, the Inte was full of heated discussions about it.


    Meanwhile, Rosa seethed as she stared wordlessly at the intractable man in front of her.


    Her disgust for him knew no bounds.


    Her husband actually slept with a bald ex-convict! ''Is this some kind of sick fetish?'' she wondered,


    feeling sick to her stomach.


    Although Colby tirelessly exined to her that the woman drugged him, she couldn''t help feeling


    repulsed by the whole incident.


    The stock price of HM Group had dropped, but Colby simply wouldn''t give up. He had someone


    contact Maria and pass along the message. "Tell her that I have Peggy at hand. Remove the news,


    and I will let her go immediately."


    When she received the threatening call, Maria calmed herself down and agreed to the man''s


    request.


    The news had already spread. Even if they managed to take down the headlines and hot topics,


    everyone would have already known about the matter.


    Soon after, Colby''s scandal seemed to have vanished into thin air. He no longer saw himself on the


    Inte anymore.


    His temper ring out of control, he growled through gritted teeth, "It must be Maria! The bitch set


    me up!"


    Rosa sneered at him, "How could you not have foreseen this happening while you were having fun


    with that slut?"


    "I wasn''t having fun!" Colby shouted at the top of his lungs. "Nothing happened between me and


    that woman!" Just then, he realized how diabolical Maria was. She had him at the palm of her hand


    and yed him without getting hurt.


    Rosa doubted this but saw no reason for him to lie under the circumstances. She mocked him


    coldly, "But Joslyn told me that you took her home!"


    "I met her at the gate of our house. She was injured back then. Nothing happened that night!" A


    sudden thought made him stop short. Maria happened to bump into him at the gate. Was it all


    nned in advance?


    Casting a suspicious nce at Rosa, he asked, "Why did you suddenlye back?"


    "I heard that you brought that slut home. I came back because I was afraid that you would get


    duped."


    "Who told you that? Joslyn?" Joslyn should be there when he brought Maria home.


    "Yes."


    The answer confused Colby. It was impossible for Joslyn to stab him in the back. Why, then, did


    Maria show up at his door that night?


    When Maria finally found Peggy, she was in a horrifying shape. She was trussed up like cattle, and


    her wig was nowhere to be found. Even worse, there were signs of sexual assault on her body.


    Maria asked her men to step out. Then, she untied the rope winding around Peggy''s body, took off


    her own coat, and draped it over the hurt woman''s violently trembling shoulders. Tears ran down her


    face as she hugged the other woman''s frail form. "Peggy, you are such a fool!"


    With a weak smile, Peggy replied in a halting voice, "I''m sorry, Maria. I''m being such a bother, aren''t


    I?"


    "Why didn''t you discuss your n with me?" Maria cried out, her red-rimmed eyes searching the


    other woman''s. Her heart broke as she watched the empty expression behind that smile.


    Pushing Maria away, Peggy eximed, "Don''t touch me! I''m dirty!" She had drugged Colby and


    slept with him. He had ordered two of his men to bring her here and rape her.


    "Don''t say that!" Maria wiped her tears away and clung even more tightly to her.


    "I''m fine. You know that I''ve had many boyfriends even before I married my ex-husband. I''m no


    longer a shy, retiring virgin, so they didn''t damage me beyond repair. I''m still alive, and that''s what


    counts. " Peggy''s clothes hang in tatters around her, so she had no choice but to take Maria''s coat.


    Even after such an ordeal, Peggy gave Maria a brave smile. In the face of the woman''s indifference,


    a confusing mix of emotions flooded Maria.


    Quickly wrapping the thick garment around herself, Peggy nudged Maria and said, "Let''s go."


    Then, the two of them got into the car together.


    "Did you get your revenge on Colby using my video?" Peggy asked.


    "Yes." Maria was itching to give Peggy a scolding, but the other woman''s embarrassed look made


    her feel both sorry and guilty towards her.


    She knew that Peggy did all of those crazy things just to avenge her. If she had known of her ns


    beforehand, she never would have allowed her to push through with it. She shouldn''t have provoked


    Colby by herself.


    "That''s good. That means that the things I''ve done weren''t in vain." Peggy sighed with relief.


    Her heart bleeding for her friend, Maria patted her shoulder. "How could you not discuss it with me


    and just do those things recklessly? You''re a woman, too. Don''t you have any sense of


    selfpreservation left?" Even if she said that she didn''t care, Peggy was probably worried about her


    reputation.


    Peggy shed an answering smile at Maria. "If I informed you, would you have let me go to Colby


    on my own?" "Of course not. Colby is way too cunning for us to deal with. Even the two of us


    combined, we can''t possibly win against him."


    "It doesn''t matter. I''ve caused him trouble, and that''s good enough for me. My sacrifice was not in


    vain." The sun shone into the car, illuminating the heartfelt smile on Peggy''s face.


    Then, she proceeded to tell Maria in detail the events of that day.


    Peggy knew that Maria was hell-bent on her revenge against Rosa and wanted to help her.


    However, she had neither power nor influence.


    She remembered that Maria asked Colby to get her out of the jail. With the excuse of thanking him,


    she stayed at the club he frequented and brought him a drugged drink.


    That night, the toast proceeded to its natural conclusion, and Peggy recorded the whole thing using


    a hidden camera that she had prepared beforehand. In the video she uploaded, there were shots of


    the two of them with their faces exposed.


    As soon as the video gained traction on social media, Colby had someone kidnap her to make her


    pay for ruining his image.


    Thankfully, Maria and her men arrived just in time to save her face from being mutted by two of


    Colby''s minions.


    Indeed, Peggy''s revtion caused a world of trouble for Colby. He was taken into police custody for


    a thorough investigation and had to spend a ton of money to settle the matter.


    Worried that Colby might take revenge on the other woman again, Maria offered Peggy a tidy sum


    and instructed her to leave H City so that she could start a new life in a ce where no one knew


    her.


    However, Peggy adamantly refused her offer. To spare Maria any trouble, she resigned from DS


    Group and applied for police protection. After some time, she borrowed some capital from Maria


    and set up her own fashion magazine.

 Chapter 356 A Perfect Match

    Chapter 356 A Perfect Match


    Colby was too busy trying to save thepany to bother with Peggy, so that matter came to an


    end.


    Back then, everyone in H City was afraid of James, including Maria. Now, that no longer held true


    for her.


    James had been away for a business trip. In the morning of the third day, she sent him a message.


    "I dreamed about youst night."


    A smile broke across James'' face when he saw the message. "Okay," he replied to let her know that


    he had read it.


    "You were standing on a beach," came the next message.


    He didn''t reply.


    "I poked you with a small stick and said, ''Hey, little tortoise! Your shell is hard.''"


    James was not amused.


    Maria stumbled upon the joke while she was browsing her phone earlier and had the idea to tease


    him with it.


    Little did she know that James was on his way back.


    Maria put away her phone and drove to thepany.


    However, her good mood evaporated when she bumped into a Cadic from the other side of the


    road.


    Her morning suddenly made a turn for the worse. She thought that her driving skills had


    considerably improved, and she always drove James'' gift with extreme caution. Even so, she ended


    up getting into an ident.


    ''Is this divine retribution because I called him a tortoise? It came too soon!" sheined in her


    head.


    Fortunately, it was only a minor ident.


    A bit shaken, she emerged from the car to see the upants of the other vehicle, a man and a


    woman, getting out of theirs.


    The woman was the one behind the wheel. "Honey, I was so scared! I didn''t mean it," she said,


    trembling within the circle of the man''s arms.


    "Don''t be afraid. It''ll be fine. I''ll take care of it," the manforted her.


    Maria rolled her eyes. Against her will, she identified what she was feeling as envy.


    Maria was itching to call James up and unt their rtionship in front of these two lovebirds.


    She did end up calling him. "James, I scratched someone else''s car..." Before she could finish, the


    other woman interrupted her loudly.


    "Scratch? Your car bumped into mine. Look, the bumper had fallen off!"


    Maria gave her a cold nce. "Your bumper is broken; mine isn''t." "Where are you?" asked James.


    Maria immediately told him her location. ''He''ll probably send someone to deal with it.''


    The woman stered herself to the man''s chest. "Babe, look at her. She is so fierce."


    Maria rolled her eyes again. ''I only said the truth. Why did that make me fierce?''


    "Don''t worry, honey! Leave it to me."


    Staring at Maria, he asked politely, "Miss, what are you going to do about this?"


    "Please wait for little bit. Someone wille and take care of this."


    "Shouldn''t you call the insurancepany?" the man asked in confusion.


    Maria was a little bewildered. "I don''t know-l''m not the owner. Can we discuss this when hees?"


    She had yet to deal with this kind of thing on her own. Thest time she bumped into James'' car, he


    handled it for her.


    The woman swept her with an assessing nce from head to foot, as if gauging whether Maria was


    pretending.


    Before long, the one Maria was waiting arrived.


    Maria stared at the Harkim, wondering who James had sent for her this time. To her surprise,


    James himself emerged out of the car.


    Remembering the scene earlier, she ran and threw herself into James'' arms dramatically. "Darling! I


    was so frightened just now!"


    Her weird behavior struck James speechless. ''Frightened? Just because of this little ident? Do


    you think I would believe that?''


    Even with these thoughts running through his mind, James knew that Maria''s pride was on the line.


    He had no choice but to cooperate.


    Tenderly cradling her in his arms, he reassured her, "Leave it to me. Don''t worry."


    Maria buried her face in his chest and asked in a low voice, "When did you get back?"


    "Just now." His original n was to go to thepany, but he had to drive straight to where she


    was after receiving her call.


    "Okay."


    Gary went to deal with the ident in person. It was all pretty straightforward-he gave the couple


    enough money to get a new bumper installed, and the matter was done.


    Before getting into the car, the woman threw her and James a look that was burning with jealousy.


    "Honey, the way she looked at me was so fierce," simpered Maria slyly in James'' arms.


    "How about I gouge out her eyeballs and give them to you?" James asked in a gentle voice while


    stroking her hair.


    Maria inwardly shook her head at James. Really, the man had absolutely no romantic bone in his


    body. Once the other couple had disappeared from sight, her coquettishness dissipated. Keeping


    him at arm''s length, she asked him warily, "Did you say it on purpose?"


    "Yes," James readily admitted. Then, he reached out his hand and pinched Maria''s chin. "I''ll teach


    you a lesson tonight. Get in the car!" ''How dare you call me tortoise? I''ll make you regret even


    thinking of it!''


    Once inside the car, James gave her a little lecture. "If you''re not confident about driving through


    such a narrowne, then stop and let the other one pass first. If you are in someone else''s way, give


    him the car key and make him drive your car away."


    His words made sense to Maria.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "Just stop when a vehicle ising toward you on a narrow road. He will find a way to make you


    pass when he sees that you''re ady."


    "What if the driver is another woman withmentable driving skills like me?" It was a trick question.


    Throwing her an indifferent nce, James answered tly, "Then call me. I''lle and help."


    "That''s troublesome."


    "Then deal with it by yourself ording to the situation."


    That shut Maria up.


    That night, James'' lesson kept Maria begging for mercy. "You''re a tortoise, and I''m a turtle. We are


    the perfect match!" She hadn''t expected James to take the joke so seriously.


    James stared down at her with his deep, unreadable eyes, wondering why a tortoise and a turtle


    were a perfect match.


    After that, Maria was left moaning even more miserably.


    Because of James'' help, Rosa fell into the trap. Soon, news of the fraudulent donation made by the


    wife of the chairman of HM Group hit the headlines.


    It was a considerable amount¡ªfive million dors.


    If Rosa failed to clear her name, she would be sentenced to jail.


    Maria thought that with the mess Colby and Rosa were in, she could handle her work easily and


    think about the next step in her n to ruin them.


    However, something terrible happened.


    Disaster struck in another form altogether.


    It was about Bob.


    Bob was seriously ill.


    As she was signing various documents in her office, Maria received a call. "It''s me. What''s going on


    with Bob?"


    "Ms. Song, Bob is in a serious condition."


    "What happened?" Maria demanded, shooting up to her feet. Blood drained from her face.


    She had always dreaded to hear such words the most. It was unreal that she was hearing them


    now.


    It was difficult to calm herself down.


    "Bob seemed to be feeling unwell, so we took him to a doctor for examination. The doctor told us


    that he has leukemia."


    "What? Leukemia?" Maria stumbled around the words. It suddenly felt like the sky had fallen.


    "Yes, it''s confirmed. Bob needs bone marrow from his immediate family members. Ms. Song, there''s


    no time to waste. He needs to be treated as soon as possible. Bob''s blood type is Rh negative,


    which is quite rare. Do you happen to know yours?" "Hold on." Taking several deep breaths, Maria


    propped herself up with a hand on the table. "You said that Bob was diagnosed with leukemia?"


    "Yes." "I...I''ming over now!" Snapping out of the haze she was in after hearing the news, she


    exploded into a flurry activity, gathering her things and storming out of the office without further


    thought.


    It was fortunate that she still had the presence of mind to realize that she was in no condition to


    drive, so she requested for one of her assistants to drive her to Norman''s vi.


    Her face ashen, Maria stumbled into the vi, her high heels clicking hectically on the floor as she


    looked around for Bob.


    -

 Chapter 357 Leukemia

    Chapter 357 Leukemia


    When the maid caught sight of Maria, she lowered her head to hide her eyes. "Ms. Song, you are


    here."


    "Bob! Bob!" Maria immediately drew the baby into her arms and clung to him tightly.


    Bob''s was sound asleep. He looked normal and healthy.


    The maidforted her, "Ms. Song, please don''t worry too much. The doctor said that as long as a


    suitable bone marrow donor is found, Bob can be cured."


    "Bone marrow?"


    The maid nodded. "Yes. Immediate family members have a greater chance of having a more closely


    matching bone marrowpared with those who aren''t rted to Bob by blood. Do you know what


    his father''s blood type is? If he happens to have the same RH negative blood, then our problem will


    be solved." The maid deliberately steered the conversation to Bob''s father.


    However, Maria was in no condition to wonder about James'' blood type. With tears in her eyes, she


    wailed, "Why does Bob have this kind of disease? My poor son..."


    The maid said nothing.


    Maria asked with desperation in her voice, "The doctor did say that it can be cured? As long as an


    immediate family member can give the child matching bone marrow?" "Yes." The answer filled


    Maria with relief. It was fortunate that there was a cure to Bob''s condition.


    The situation absolutely shattered Maria''sposure that she no longer had the energy to consider


    how rational the entire thing was.


    Her mind was empty of everything except for Bob and his sickness.


    The maid added, "Ms. Song, the earlier the treatment starts, the less Bob will suffer."


    "I see.¡± Maria handed the baby to the maid and then took out her phone to call James.


    The call immediately came through. "Maria, what''s up?"


    She didn''t know that James had been waiting for her call for a long time.


    His voice made her hesitate. How could she start to exin the situation to James and, more


    importantly, tell him that Bob was actually his son?


    However, she needed to tell him the truth right now for Bob''s sake.


    "I have something important to tell you."


    "Okay."


    "Can youe here?" If James saw Bob, it might be easier for her to exin things.


    "Where are you?"


    Maria told him the location of Norman''s vi.


    After half an hour, James showed up in the vi.


    One brow lifted when heid eyes on the baby in her


    arms. "Bob."


    "Yes." Maria handed him the baby, who had woken up just then. "Hold him."


    James carefully took the baby from her. When he saw the tight, haggard expression on her pale


    face, regret suddenly tugged at his heart.


    "Bob is sick."


    "Yes?"


    "He''s seriously ill."


    "I see."


    Maria was angered. "Why don''t you ask me what''s wrong with Bob?"


    "I know."


    "How?" Maria was still in a daze.


    "Because the child is not sick at all."


    Maria took a deep breath to steady herself. "I''m not kidding. Bob is really sick. He has leukemia.


    The doctor said that he needs your bone marrow because you both have the same blood type¡ªRh


    negative."


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "Why do we have the same blood type?"


    "Because he is your¡ª"


    Her ring tone interrupted her before she could finish her confession. Norman''s name shed on the


    screen. She took the call in front of James. "Hello?"


    "Don''t be fooled,"


    Norman blurted out.


    "What?"


    "The maid works for James." Norman already knew that. He was just biding his time while waiting


    for James to act.


    By reflex, Maria threw a nce at the maid, but she had already left the living room. "So?"


    Norman didn''t say anything and just waited for the implication to register in Maria''s brain.


    Maria''s eyes fell on James, who was currently kissing the baby''s cheek. "You already known who


    Bob is, don''t you?"


    James didn''t deny it.


    From the other end, Norman continued, "Your son is healthy, and he has no sickness whatsoever.


    It''s a trap!" ''Okay, I¡¯ve said what needed to be said, '' he thought to himself and stopped talking.


    In the past few days, Norman had been wondering why James hadn''t taken any actions after


    knowing Bob was his son. And now, he finally made a move.


    Bob was not sick. The relief that flooded Maria was so profound that she couldn''t help butugh and


    cry. "Is that the truth? Is Bob really fine? He''s not sick?"


    "No."


    "No."


    Both men answered her at the same time.


    Maria immediately ended the call and, pressing her fist against her mouth, burst into tears.


    Her boy was all right. Bob was not sick.


    The regret James felt multiplied tenfold as he watched Maria break down. "Maria-"


    Pak!


    Without hesitation, Maria raised a hand and pped the man, all the while ring up at him in fury.


    James did not expect this reaction.


    Mouth wide open, Bob looked at James and then turned around to stare at his angry mother.


    Then, his eyes swiveled back to his father, and he started giggling and blowing happy bubbles.


    James was at a loss whether tough or to cry.


    Ignoring Bob''s presence, Maria yelled, "James Xi, are you crazy? How could you make such a


    joke? It''s not funny!"


    If he had known that her reaction would entail physical violence, he wouldn''t have forced her to


    admit the truth in this manner. He should have just asked Maria to apologize to him¡ªafter all, it was


    her fault in the first ce for not telling him the truth.


    In the end, he not only failed to get the apology that was due to him, he also got a p in the face.


    Bob''s eyes widened, and he looked so scared that he stopped blowing bubbles.


    James leaned Bob''s head against his shoulder so that the child wouldn''t see him being scolded.


    However, Bob struggled against his hold, looking on in interest at the unfolding scene before him.


    James reasoned out, "Maria, you are the one who hid the truth."


    "So what? Bob is my son. He has nothing to do with you!" Her eyes shot daggers at him.


    Her words rankled. "Could you have gotten pregnant without me?"


    "There are so many men in the world. Do you think it will be difficult for me to get pregnant?"


    "But Bob is my son." he reminded her in a light tone that was at odds with the anger steadily


    building inside him.


    Maria was so furious that she was in no mood to listen to him. "Give Bob back to me!"


    "No." He dodged her hands.


    "If you don''t give him back, I''ll sue you!"


    "I''m so scared," was his mocking answer, which did nothing but annoy her more. He did not hand


    Bob back to her, so she charged toward him. James restrained her in his arms.


    Maria kept struggling until she heard him say, "Stop moving! I''m still holding Bob. I might lose


    bnce if you keep struggling!"


    Maria immediately stopped struggling at those words. "You despicable man. Since when did you


    start coveting my son?"


    "Our son," he corrected her.


    "My son! He is my son!" Maria was going crazy.


    "Okay, your son. Bob is yours, and so am I. We are both yours." "I don''t want you!" she cried out


    without thinking. His eyes darkened. "Maria, you can do whatever you want, and I won''t me you.


    I''m only asking for one thing-stay with me."


    Maria thought angrily, ''How dare he ask this of me? How could he say that in such a sweet tone at


    this very moment?''


    With one arm around her and the other holding his son, James kissed her forehead and said,


    "Honey, stop it. I''ll take you and our son home." Take them home?


    It sounded so nice,ing from James'' mouth.


    Maria''s eyes turned red. For a moment, she looked at her son, who was giggling at her while


    sucking at his thumb.


    Her heart softened in an instant. ''Forget it,'' she told herself. She almost had a fight with James and


    caused a scene. For Bob''s sake, she conceded to him for now.


    -

 Chapter 358 My Act

    Chapter 358 My Act


    Instead of going back to his manor, James drove them to his grandparents'' home.


    In the vi


    Augustine said, "I have told you that Bob would use your surname. You didn''t pay attention to such


    details yourself. Are you ming me now?"


    James'' expression hardened into a stony mask. Of course, who could he me but Augustine? His


    eyesight was so poor that he couldn''t recognize his own son at first nce.


    With a slow shake of her head, Charlotte added, "Like I said before, he looks exactly like you when


    you were a child." She dropped hints for him a long time ago, but he failed to pick up on them for


    some reason. Was it her fault?


    Their words stung like needles. James frowned and pressed his lips into a thin line. A lot of people


    bore resemnce to him, and it wasn''t something particrly notable for him. How could he


    suspect Bob''s identity on that basis alone?


    His eyes swept over the room''s upants and rested on Maria''s face.


    She had already said her piece, but she still added, "I asked Bob to call you his dad, but you didn''t


    agree."


    Her audacity rendered James speechless.


    Later, he called up Cooper, who simply threw back the me on him. "I asked you to have another


    baby as soon as possible. Why did I stress ''another'' back then? Because you already have Bob."


    James couldn''t believe how stupid he had been all along.


    His entire family had lied to his face, and he had nothing to say to them. He was silent on the drive


    back to his manor.


    His terrible mood was not lost on Maria, who was sitting in the back with Bob. In a soft voice, she


    comforted him, "Your parents still don''t know that they have a grandson."


    James still did not respond.


    His prolonged silence was starting to make Maria embarrassed. With a roll of her eyes, she decided


    to ignore him.


    All of Bob''s food and clothes had been dropped off at the manor. Maria quickly prepared some


    form milk for him. The little boy soon fell asleep after emptying the bottle.


    As they sat in front of each other in the study afterwards, the tension in the air was so thick that it


    could be cut by a knife.


    "So...you''re admitting that Bob is my son." It was not a question. The tness in his voice was


    intimidating.


    "No, I''m not." She knew exactly what he was after, so her denial was immediate even if he already


    knew the truth.


    With a solemn face, James opened the drawer next to him and took out a man folder. Then, he


    walked up to her and threw it at her. "Take a good look."


    He leaned against the desk right in front of her and stared down at her, his sharp eyes not missing


    any expression that crossed her face.


    Hesitatingly, Maria opened the folder and found two sheets of paper in it.


    As she quickly scanned through the content, her face changed.


    Maria ced the document back into the folder and asked, "When did you start suspecting it?" She


    racked her brains, trying to identify the exact moment when she slipped up and gave away the


    secret she had kept for so long.


    "A long time ago. Bob''s blood type was particrly telling."


    Maria stared at him, confusion written on her face. ''I know that Bob''s blood type was a rare one, Rh


    negative, but how did he find out?''


    "Bob had a high feverst time," he exined kindly, as if answering her unvoiced question.


    Her eyes widened at his words. ''He''s known the truth since that time?''


    She vaguely recalled how odd his expression was when he stood in the corridor of the hospital and


    looked at the examination results. As it turned out, he had begun to suspect Bob''s identity since


    then.


    "But when did your suspicion get confirmed?"


    "I was almost 100% sure that time." The only thing he needed to eliminate all doubts was a


    paternity test. After all, he knew that Maria would deny it.


    "Why did you take Ethan to your grandparents'' home?" "Ethan may look frivolous on the outside,


    but he knows his stuff when ites to business." Sure enough, Ethan did not disappoint him.


    Reining in her anger, Maria asked in a measured tone, "When did you find out that Bob was staying


    with Norman?"


    He shot her a hooded look and repliedconically, "Awhile."


    The short answer grated on her nerves. All along, he had let her lie through her teeth while knowing


    the truth. ''He must have thought I was such a clown, 1 she thought bitterly.


    In her fury, she threw the test results at him and asked in a raised voice, "Was it fun for you,


    watching my act?"


    "It was rather enjoyable." Like there wasn''t an angry woman ready to spit fire at him, henguidly


    picked up the folder from the floor.


    Maria was livid. "So what? James, what are you after? Do you want to take Bob? Dream on!"


    "No," he replied evenly.


    Her jaw dropped in a gasp.


    She almost missed his next sentence. "I don''t just want my son, I also want you." He was


    determined to have them both.


    He slipped his arms around her.


    Panting, she pushed against James'' chest. "Let go of me!"


    But James did not budge an inch. Instead, he pulled her even closer and shut her up by iming


    her mouth in a passionate kiss. "Don''t challenge me in the public next time. Be polite, okay?" He


    was quite sensitive about such matters.


    He knew that his Maria was a spoiled, opinionated woman who sometimes acted at will.


    However, if anything happened to her, he woulde rushing to her side to handle everything for


    her.


    With a sneer, she mocked, "What are you talking about? You think you don''t deserve that p? Did


    I do anything wrong?" Deep down, she acknowledged her mistake and knew that she shouldn''t


    have pped someone like James. To her defense, she couldn''t control her temper back then.


    Looking away, she vowed to herself, TH make him kneel on durian shells next time.''


    "Maria." Noticing her averted eyes, James mped his arm more tightly around her waist.


    "Don''t do that again. I''m still very angry at you right now. If you go against me on this, there will be


    serious consequences."


    She turned her face away, lips pressed into a thin line. James'' patience was running thin, but he still


    tried to keep a cool head.


    Gently, he ced his forehead against hers and reminded her, "Remember, you lied to me." He, on


    the other hand, didn''t hide anything from her.


    However, Maria overestimated the length of his fuse. She snapped in a stubborn tone, "That''s right,


    I lied to you. I never wanted for you to find out that Bob is your son. In fact, I would have kept it the


    truth from you for the rest of my life."


    You don''t deserve to be a father at all. You didn''t fulfill your responsibility as a father to Arthur, and


    you made fun of me just now!


    James, I''ve never seen anyone joke about their child''s health. Are you an idiot?" It was foul of him


    to lie to her about Bob''s condition and tell her that he had leukemia.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    James raised an eyebrow. His eyes shed in anger.


    Loosening his grip on her, he said in an indifferent voice, "Maria, I know more than anyone what my


    shorings were regarding Arthur. I don''t intend to make the same mistakes with Bob. If you think


    that I deceived you by saying Bob had leukemia, I sincerely apologize for making you upset."


    Maria whirled around, her eyes zing. "James, you don''t understand. I was not just upset. I was


    on the verge of a mental breakdown when I found out. Don''t you get it?" She literally copsed the


    moment she heard that Bob was diagnosed with leukemia.


    The word "upset" couldn''t even begin to describe what she felt at that time. She was devastated.


    Bob was too important to her. If anything ever happened to him, she wouldn''t know what to do.


    The panic she had felt at the time was something she never wanted to experiece ever again.


    Her mind was in such a turmoil that it didn''t even ur to her to verify whether the news was true.


    Then, just as she was about to lose her mind, he suddenly appeared and had the nerve to tell her


    that it was all a lie!


    ''Does he really think that I will ept his apology just like that? Ridiculous!''

 Chapter 359 Welcome Back

    Chapter 359 Wee Back


    Shoving his hands into the pockets of his trousers, James stood straight and looked at Maria


    intently. "Maria, let''s get married again, okay?"


    For a moment, Maria was stunned speechless. After a short pause, she regained herposure


    and looked at him curiously. "What do you want to prove this time?"


    "That James Xi is the only man that Maria Song can marry in this lifetime," he replied without


    skipping a beat.


    A sarcastic smile tugged at Maria''s lips. "What makes you think I''ll agree to marry you again?" Was


    he really proposing to her right now? Not only was it bad timing, but it was also a bad proposal. He


    hadn''t put any effort into it at all.


    James'' face darkened. "Maria, I''m not kidding. I''m serious."


    He didn''t want to wait any longer.


    Just now, he had seen a trace of the hatred she had for him. He was afraid that she would leave


    him if he didn''t hold her tightly as soon as possible.


    "I''m not kidding either," Maria replied nkly, looking into his eyes. "I''m serious in refusing you. I


    won''t marry you again!"


    James, who hadn''t expected this response at all, waspletely taken aback.


    A pin-drop silence enveloped the study.


    A few secondster, he turned around, opened the door, and stalked away, mming the door


    behind him.


    Maria''s tense heart finally rxed. As she held onto the desk next to her, the seeming disinterest on


    her face faded, reced with exhaustion.


    After returning to the room and taking a look at his sleeping son, James left the vi.


    A whileter, Maria sighed and walked out of the study. She was about to push the door of the


    bedroom open when her phone beeped with a notification. It was a message from her gym coach


    asking her toe for a workout.


    She rubbed her temples tiredly. How could she bring herself to exercise at a time like this? She


    texted him back immediately, saying that she couldn''t make it today because she was on her period.


    "Ms. Song, you''ve had your period 13 times in the past two months," came the curt reply.


    Maria was stunned. Had she used this excuse to get out of going to the gym so often? Her memory


    was a blur.


    Putting her phone away, she walked into the bedroom and found Bob still sleeping soundly in the


    middle of the bed, with his little head tilted to one side.


    Shey down beside him and touched his adorable face.


    "Bob, now that your father has found you, you will be a member of the Xi family. You might


    even have to live here in the future," she murmured softly.


    She had no idea whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.


    It would be a lie if she said that she wasn''t worried that history would repeat itself.


    She thought it would be better to give James an exnation first.


    The next day, when Bob woke up, Maria sent him to Augustine''s house.


    After all, he and Charlotte missed Bob dearly. They said they could look after him while Maria went


    to work.


    In the office building of HL Group, James walked out of the meeting room expressionlessly.


    But if one looked closely, they would be able to tell by the slight way his jaw was clenched, and the


    small crease between his eyebrows, that he wasn''t in a good mood.


    Gary said cautiously, "Mr. Xi, the flowers you ordered from abroad several days ago have arrived in


    H City."


    "Send them to her." James was in an irritable mood because they hadn''t reached an agreement yet.


    But no matter what happened, he did not intend to break up with her.


    While he was clear about his stance, Maria wasn''t.


    As soon as she stepped into her office and saw the exquisite box of flowers lying on her desk, she


    fell into deep thought.


    It was true that they had just had a fight, but she knew that this couldn''t be a token of apology. She


    had been told that the flowers had been ordered from abroad, which meant that James must have


    bought them for her long before their fight.


    The delicate white box was filled with sky blue roses, and a handful of white ones. White pearls


    were hidden among the roses, and next to them was a small bottle of rose perfume.


    ''What should I do?'' She had an inexplicable fondness for beautiful flowers.


    In fact, she had asked someone to dry the Starry Roses she had received from James so that she


    could keep them for a longer time.


    So, as she stared at the box of fresh roses in front of her, her anger at him for lying about Bob''s


    sickness slowly faded away.


    However, James did not return to the vi that night.


    Maria finished her work ratherte, and she didn''t want to disturb Bob''s sleep, so she went straight


    back to the vi without fetching him from Augustine''s house.


    By the time she reached the vi, it was already past midnight. She thought that James must have


    alreadye back home, or that he must be on the way back home.


    After getting ready to go to bed, shey down and quietly waited for him. Sometimeter, she drifted


    off to sleep.


    When she woke up the next morning, she found that the other side of the bed was cold. It seemed


    that James hadn''te home at all.


    She couldn''t resist the disappointment that crept into her heart.


    After all, she had been living in this vi for a while now. It was okay if he wasn''ting back for the


    night, but shouldn''t he at least inform her about it in advance?


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Suppressing her emotions, she got ready and went to thepany as usual.


    That day, she finished her work a little earlier. At about seven o''clock in the evening, she left the


    company and went to pick up Bob. When she walked into Augustine''s house, she saw the little guy


    nodding off on Tami''s shoulder. When he saw Maria, however, he instantly sobered up, opened his


    eyes wide, and shed her a big smile.


    The gloom in Maria''s heart vanished into thin air. She took her son into her arms and kissed him


    again and again.


    Bob, who was fully awake after seeing her, kept gurgling and waving his arms yfully as Maria bid


    goodbye to the elders and left the house.


    After they returned to the vi, Maria yed with him for a while. Then, she gave him a bath and


    coaxed him to sleep.


    She was wondering whether or not James woulde back tonight when she heard a knock on the


    bedroom door.


    She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Hadn''t she asked the maid to leave? Could it be James?


    When she got up and opened the door, however, she was very surprised to see the man standing


    outside. "Cooper?"


    Cooper shed her a smile. "Maria, I''m back!"


    "Why did youe back all of a sudden? Does your brother know about this?" Maria asked, tilting


    her head.


    Cooper nodded. "He does. My n went better than expected. He has found a suitable CEO for his


    branchpany abroad, so unless something happens in the future, I have no reason to go back


    there." At first, he hadn''te back to H City because he didn''t want to throw fuel to the rumors that


    were spreading about him and Maria.


    After that, he had continued to stay abroad so that he could help James with the management of his


    branchpany abroad.


    But now that both of these matters had been dealt with, there was no reason for him to stay there


    anymore, so he had returned to H City.


    After all, this was his home.


    Maria couldn''t believe her ears. "So you''ll stay in H City?"


    "Yeah. I won''t leave again," Cooper confirmed.


    Maria was so happy to hear that that she gave him a hug and said sincerely, "Wee back,


    Cooper."


    Cooper patted her back and smiled. "Thank you."


    She was about to say "You''re wee" and let go of him, but a voice interrupted her.


    "What are you doing?"


    The cold voice came from a distance. Maria turned her head in a daze, forgetting to let go of


    Cooper.


    James stood at thending of the staircase, staring at his woman and his brother hugging each


    other. The scene stung him.


    Lowering his hands and taking a step back, Cooper greeted James calmly. "James, you''re back."


    Maria wanted to exin, but when she remembered that she and James were still at odds, she


    swallowed her words down. She shifted her gaze away from him on purpose and continued to talk


    to Cooper as if nothing had happened. "When did you arrive? You never told me in advance."


    Last time, he came showed up in Augustine''s house without her knowing, and this time, too.


    Cooper shifted his eyes away from James as well and replied, "I arrived this afternoon. I came here


    as soon as I finished my work."


    "I see. Have you had dinner yet? Are you hungry?" she asked, concerned about him the same way


    a sister would be about her brother.


    - Author¡¯s note __________


    -C LARK COLE ED


    Trantor: ALibra

 Chapter 360 A Stupid Question

    Chapter 360 A Stupid Question


    James was angered by what Maria said.


    She hugged Cooper in his absence, and now, she even openly showed her concern for him.


    The jealousy in the air was getting stronger and stronger.


    "What? Are you going to cook for him in the middle of the night?" James asked with a hostile look in


    his eyes.


    Maria didn''t even nce his way. "Why not? Cooper, what do you want to eat? I''ll make it for you.


    It''s already sote. How about I make a bowl of noodles? Or do you want Western food instead?"


    Noticing the unhappiness in his brother''s eyes, Cooper refused Maria with a smile. "No, thanks. I''m


    not hungry."


    Maria shook her head immediately. "How could you not be hungry?" If Cooper wasn''t hungry, how


    could she get on James'' nerves? "Let me make you a simple bowl of noodles, okay? It will only take


    a few minutes. Oh, but Bob is sleeping inside. Can you stay here and keep an eye on him?"


    After saying that, she turned to go downstairs. When she passed by James, however, he reached


    out and grabbed her wrist.


    She didn''t turn around. James said lightly, "If he''s hungry, I''ll ask the chef to make something for


    him. You wait for me in the room." He wanted her to exin to him why she and Cooper had been


    hugging each other just now.


    Maria didn''t want to argue with him in front of Cooper, so she gave in and nodded slightly. "Okay.


    Cooper, do you want to see Bob?"


    Not wanting to create a rift between them, Cooper looked at James and asked, "James, why don''t


    youe with us?"


    "Okay." The two brothers entered the bedroom together.


    Looking at their backs, Maria rolled her eyes in annoyance.


    Bob was sleeping soundly in the crib that James had prepared for him, right next to the big bed.


    When they entered the room, the little boy had his eyes peacefully closed,pletely unaware that


    his father and uncle were watching him.


    "He''s gotten taller," Cooper murmured softly with a gentle smile on his face. He wanted to hug the


    little boy, but he didn''t want to disturb him while he was sleeping.


    "Yeah, he has," James replied with a hint of pride. He had mixed feelings upon seeing his son.


    Cooper felt ufortable staying in his brother and sister-inw''s bedroom, especially sote in


    the night. After chatting with James for a while, he went back to his own room.


    There were rooms reserved in the vi for Cooper, Lawrence, and Ethan.


    After Cooper left, Maria sat in front of the dressing table and began to remove her makeup.


    James walked to her side. "Why were you hugging


    Cooper?"


    She paused in the middle of wiping off her mascara and looked at him through the mirror. She


    hadn''t expected that he would still be holding onto this matter. "Are you suspecting us, Mr. Xi?"


    "No."


    "Then don''t ask such a stupid question," she retorted, continuing to wipe off the make-up.


    James pursed his lips impatiently. A trace of displeasure flickered through his eyes. "If there''s


    nothing going on, why can''t you just give me a straight answer?"


    "It''s exactly because there''s nothing going on that there''s no need for me to exin. If you don''t


    trust me, or if you find me an eyesore, I can leave right now." She tapped the dressing table with her


    palm and stood up to leave.


    But she had barely taken two steps towards the door when James grabbed her wrist again. "Maria!"


    "What?!" she shouted back, just as worked up as he was.


    He pulled her to the bed and threw her onto it with great force. "Stay here. You''re not allowed to go


    anywhere!"


    Maria was on the cusp of losing her temper. She sat up straight and asked, "What''s been going on


    with you recently?"


    James looked down at her in silence for a few seconds, taking deep breaths to calm himself down.


    "Have you had enough?" he asked through gritted teeth. He had given her a night alone so that she


    could sort out her thoughts and calm down, but it seemed that she hadn''t done that at all.


    "Enough?" Maria scoffed. Without saying anything more, she got back up, sat in front of the


    dressing table, and resuming removing her makeup.


    Seeing that she had be quiet, James stopped pestering her and went into the bathroom.


    But he had just finished taking off his clothes when she barged in.


    As soon as Maria stepped into the bathroom, she inadvertently nced at his crotch and quickly


    raised her eyes to meet his gaze. Suppressing her violent heartbeat, she snapped, "Didn''t you see


    that I was removing my makeup just now? You know that I have to wash my face immediately after


    that. Why are you hogging the bathroom?"


    The winter season made herzy. As long as she didn''t wear heavy makeup that day, she would


    just use a wet tissue to remove her makeup before washing her face.


    Usually, she would only do that after James had a shower, but tonight, she had removed her


    makeup absent-mindedly. She didn''t want to just sit there and wait for him with a greasy face, so


    she barged into the bathroom instead.


    The truth was, the bathroom was arge space. The two of them could attend to their respective


    matters at the same time.


    But James would just see this as her taking the initiative for tonight. After all, no matter how much a


    couple quarreled or fought, there were some things that had to be done between them.


    Before Maria could approach the basin to wash her face, he pulled her under the shower head and


    kissed her hard.


    For a moment, she was stunned. She had walked into the bathroom with only one purpose in mind.


    Had he misunderstood her on purpose?


    To prove that she hadn''te here to initiate anything, she pushed him away and said, "I''m sorry


    for disturbing you. I''ll go to the next room."


    "Are you going out like this?" James asked in a low voice, running his eyes over her body.


    Maria lowered her head to have a look. Her pajamas were half-drenched under the shower.


    Although her body wasn''t exposed, the wet clothes were clinging onto her skin, highlighting her


    silhouette. Since Cooper was staying in the vi now, it was inappropriate for her to walk out of the


    bedroom like this.


    She took a deep breath and said, "Then let me just wash my face here. I won''t disturb you."


    Standing under the shower, James watched wordlessly as she walked away and washed her face


    at the basin.


    When she was done, she turned to leave the bathroom, but he quickly grabbed her and pulled her


    back into the shower. He didn''t want to bother talking nonsense with her anymore. He just did


    everything that he wanted to.


    Nearly an hour passed before he let her go, and that too only because she kept expressing her fear


    that Bob might wake up anytime and no one would be around to take care of him.


    After stepping out of the bathroom and finishing her skincare routine, Mariay down on the bed,


    right next to Bob''s crib.


    When James finished his shower and walked out, he found the woman about to drift off to sleep.


    "Attend an event with me the day after tomorrow." "No." Without opening her eyes or skipping a


    beat, she immediately refused.


    Standing by the side of the bed, he stared expressionlessly at her for a while. Then, he put on his


    pajamas and went to the study without saying anything.


    At six o''clock the next morning, James opened his eyes to a dim room. Since the curtains were


    closed, he reached out groggily and turned on the bedsidemp.


    As soon as he turned around, he saw a pair of big eyes staring at him curiously.


    For a moment, his heart stopped. Then, he realized that his son was back home.


    When their eyes met, Bob''s lips widened into a big smile, which softened James'' heart a little.


    He got up gently, walked around the big bed, and picked up the little boy from his crib.


    "Phew!" Lying in his arms, the little boy spat out a small bubble of saliva.


    The words "You''re just like a fish" almost slipped out of James'' mouth before he realized that this


    boy was his own son.


    In a daze, he carried Bob to the bathroom to change his diaper. He couldn''t help but wonder who


    the little boy took after. Where had he gotten the habit of spitting bubbles?


    Was he a fish in his previous life, or had he inherited the habit from Maria?


    Well, whatever it was, James was a man of his word. As Bob''s father, he would do everything for


    him that he hadn''t done for Arthur before.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    After washing Bob''s butt and putting on a fresh diaper for him, James dissolved the milk powder in


    some water and handed the feeding bottle to him. Then, he carried the baby that was drinking milk


    into the walk-in closet.


    After dressing Bob, James washed up and got ready.


    When Maria got up, the father and son had already had breakfast and were busy with their own


    things.


    James had gone to thepany, while Bob was taken to the stables by John. Sitting in the stroller,


    the baby cheerfully watched the horse eating grass.


    In the afternoon, Maria received a call from Norman. "I''m going abroad on a vacation tomorrow.


    Come with me."


    Maria didn''t even have to think about it before refusing him. After all, she had a child to take care of


    now. "I can''t..."


    "Are you worried about Bob? Come on, raising that little guy is a piece of cake. Just leave him to


    James. You can''t spend all your time around that baby."

 Chapter 361 Its Mommy

    Chapter 361 It''s Mommy


    Maria frowned, but found herself unable to protest. She wasn''t able to be around Bob that much¡ª


    but that was exactly why she wanted to refuse Norman''s invitation. She wanted to stay in H City and


    be as close to the child as possible.


    Norman continued calmly, "Didn''t you want to get back at James? If you ask me, it''s because you''re


    too kind to him that he loses his temper with you. Listen to me. Go on vacation with me and let him


    know what it feels like to miss you."


    Maria found herself speechless again. So this was what it meant to be James'' enemy. Norman


    seemed determined to give James a difficult time. "How''d you know we had a scuffle?" she asked.


    "I ran into him at dinner yesterday and he seemed to be in a bad mood. I figured he must''ve been


    frustrated with you." After all, very few people could anger James enough to show it.


    Maria really didn''t know what to say to Norman. She wondered to herself if he was a forteller.


    "Why did you get close to James in the first ce? Do you need me to remind you again?" he


    pressed.


    Maria swallowed a lump in her throat nervously. Why did she approach James? She just wanted to


    use him, and ultimately, take revenge on him.


    "You should make him sad, angry and mad," Norman said. "That will make you happy, right?"


    Maria thought to herself, ''Isn''t he worried that James will find out about this?''


    However, after giving it much thought, she found that Norman''s words were reasonable. The next


    day, she had Bob sent back to Augustine''s house. Without informing anyone, she left the country


    with Norman.


    Because it was getting cold back home, they decided to go on holiday in a warm ce.


    Norman chose a cozy little ind. It was around thirty degrees Celsius on average, and Maria found


    herself working up a slight sweat most of the time she was there.


    But the delicious sunshine, the tantalizing sea waves, and aromatic seafood made it all worth it.


    As she sat in her sun lounger, listening to the waves while eating roasted fish, she smiled to herself


    without a care in the world.


    But whenever she thought about Bob, she couldn''t help but feel bad. As a mother, it was a cardinal


    sin for her to leave her child at home while she went on holiday with another man.


    ''When Bob is old enough to walk, I will take him here to make it up to him,'' she told herself.


    The day after Maria left H City, James caught wind of her whereabouts. When he found out she


    went on a holiday with Norman, his eyes shed with fury.


    He tried his best to keep calm and decided to wait quietly for the next couple of days. However,


    after three whole days, the woman still didn''t bother to call him.


    In the vi, with his son in his arms, James stood on the balcony and drank in the cityscape night


    lights before him. With every minute that passed, he felt more and more resentful.


    He lowered his head and looked at the little boy in his arms who was contentedly sucking his little


    thumb. "I''ll call your mom in a while. Cooperate with me and cry hard, okay?"


    Bob responded by looking at him nkly.


    Then, James made up his mind right then and there and pulled out his phone. Fortunately, Maria


    picked up the phone. "Hello, Mr. Xi," she said briskly. It seemed she was in a good mood.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    James kept silent.


    Was she telling him that she was happy with Norman?


    "Hello? Why aren''t you saying anything? If you don''t speak, I''ll hang up," Maria said irritably.


    Just as she was about to hang up the phone, she heard a cry from the other end of the line.


    Maybe he heard his mother''s voice over the phone, or maybe he felt sorry for his father. Whatever


    the reason, it just so happened that Bob chose that moment to burst into tears.


    Maria immediately pressed the phone against her ear and said in a reassuring voice, "Bob, my dear


    baby, don''t cry. Mommy is here."


    James'' eyebrows shot up indignantly. ''Why didn''t she call me dear?1 he wondered.


    "James, where are you and Bob?" Maria asked.


    Finally, James spoke up. "Did you forget you have a son?"


    "Of course not." "How could you let him cry like this? Come back and


    "Let''s video call," Maria suggested.


    "No. If you want to see your son, you''d have toe back." After saying that, the man hung up the


    phone.


    Maria stared at the phone in her hand, speechless.


    Bob continued to cry pitifully. James put his phone back into his pocket and rocked him gently.


    "Alright, alright. Your mom heard you cry, so stop it already."


    Heedless of what his father said, the baby continued to wail, even more loudly this time.


    James felt helpless. In the end, he had no choice but to gently set down the baby next to a pile of


    toys. Fortunately, Bob took immediate interest in a toy racing car and he stopped crying the moment


    he grabbed it.


    As Bob calmed down, the phone in James'' pocket began to vibrate. Knowing who was calling, he


    took his sweet time stopping Bob from biting his toy before answering the phone.


    Because he didn''t pick up the phone right away, Maria switched to video call.


    To her slight surprise, he answered it.


    The woman in a long silk dress came into view on his phone screen. He stared at her and said


    nothing.


    "Where is my son?" Maria demanded.


    "Ms. Song, I''m surprised you remembered you have a son," he retorted.


    Maria rolled her eyes at him impatiently. "Mr. Xi, what are you talking about? Of course I know I


    have a son. What is Bob up to?1''


    She had heard his cries just before James hung up seconds earlier, but now she heard nothing.


    James pointed the phone camera at Bob, who was among the pile of toys. The child was holding up


    a toy racing car, biting at it fiercely.


    Maria knew that Bob''s toys were sterilized every day, so she didn''t try to stop him. She just called


    him dotingly, "Baby Bob, it''s Mommy!"


    James frowned. This way this woman treated her son was extremely different from how she treated


    the father.


    Upon hearing his mother¡¯s voice, the little boy perked up and saw Maria on the phone screen. He


    chuckled in delight at the sight of his mother. He sputtered and gurgled, as though he was trying to


    tell Maria something.


    "Bob, good boy, ying with your toys." Maria smiled affectionately. "What gift do you want, my


    dear? I''ll bring it when Ie back."


    "Phew!" Bob held up the toy racing car excitedly, as though he understood what Maria said.


    Then James pointed the camera back to himself and said, "Since you magically remembered you


    have a son, I''ll send someone to pick you up tomorrow."


    "No, thanks. I''m not done having fun here." Secretly, she felt relieved to see James taking good


    care of Bob.


    James had to take a deep breath to stop himself from exploding in a fit of rage. He cast her a cold


    nce and ended the call abruptly.


    Knowing that he was angry, Maria shrugged and left it at that. She made no attempt to call him


    back.


    On the other end of the line, James stared at his son and said tly, "Your mother doesn''t want you


    anymore." But just then, he seemed to realize something. "No, that''s not true. She doesn''t want us.


    She ran away to be with a bad guy."


    Bob iled his arms and legs, ignoring whatever he said.


    James wasn''t a talkative man. Besides, Bob couldn''t understand a word he was saying, so he said


    nothing more.


    Instead, he unlocked his phone and checked Maria''s WeChat Moments. She had just posted a


    picture. It showed her, wearing a diving suit, swimming amongst a school of fish at the depths of the


    sea.


    The caption of the photo was, "If you love her, you''ll take her on a holiday."


    James frowned. ''Is she telling me that Norman loves her?''


    But the truth was, Maria didn''t give that caption much thought. Norman was on holiday with another


    beautiful girl. She spent most of her time on the ind alone. asionally, she would hang out with


    Norman''s girl when he was busy, but that was it.

 Chapter 362 James Came

    Chapter 362 James Came


    The woman Norman had brought here was Mildred Shi. She was quite innocent, and he behaved


    very civilly. This was the first time he treated a girl this well.


    Over the next few days, Maria continued living her life to the full, lounging by the beach and eating


    various seafood. She gradually calmed down, and was no longer mad at James.


    She didn''t leave simply because she got addicted to this way of life.


    Later that night, Maria went on a leisurely stroll. She followed the sound of ssical music wafting


    over from the distance, her flip flops pping softly against the cobblestones.


    As she walked alongside the shoreline for a few minutes, she finally caught the source of the music


    ¡ªthere was a casual bear party by the sea.


    There were many young men and women at the party. Maria joined the party and drank a beer,


    flirting with one of the young men there. "I want a boyfriend, but nothing long term.1'' The young man


    was really handsome. He had nicely chiseled features and a gorgeous tan from living on the ind


    for so long.


    ''''Maria Song, how dare you?" A cold voice suddenly sounded from behind her, startling her so


    abruptly she almost dropped her beer.


    Turning around, she was greeted by James'' livid face.


    "What''re you doing here?" she asked incredulously.


    ''When did he get here?


    And why is he here?'' James'' expression darkened. His suspicions were just confirmed: he caught


    Maria in the act. She was enjoying herself a bit too much here.


    He tore his cold gaze away from her and nted it on the young man next to her. The man


    immediately realized what was going on. Frightened, he ran away like a scared rabbit. ''Oh my God!


    This man is so scary!'' he thought.


    "Hey!" Maria wanted to say something more to the man, but before she could do so, he had already


    disappeared.


    She turned around and whined angrily, "You scared off my date!"


    ''Date?'' James sneered. "Before you think about dating someone, why not think about your son who


    needs to be cared for? You''re his mother. Think about the example you''re setting for your child!"


    Maria stammered, "Well...I..." ''I didn''t know you had a sense of morals.''


    "Bob isn''t here," she said, rolling her eyes.


    He seemed to not want to argue with her any further. He just sat down and eyed the barbequed


    food on the table. "Are you going to eat this?" he asked with a frown.


    "Of course." Maria picked up a skewer of roasted fish and held it in front of him. "Try this."


    "No, thanks." He shook his head firmly.


    "Suit yourself," she said with a shrug. She then took a bite of the skewer herself, relishing the tender


    freshness of the fish.


    James watched in silence as she enjoyed her food. Finally, he said in a soft voice, "Come back with


    me."


    "I''m not done having fun here," she replied nonchntly. Then, she tore off another chunk of fish


    with her teeth and chewed it thoughtfully.


    To her surprise, he didn''t get angry. He just cocked his head at her curiously and asked, "Haven''t


    you had more than enough fun?"


    "No, I haven''t." There was so much more she wanted to try. There was no way she was going to


    leave with him.


    "Okay." James yanked the beer out of her hand and raised it to his lips. After taking a mouthful, he


    said, "Then I''ll stay with you. I can''t let you have all the fun!"


    Maria''s jaw dropped in shock. What was this man talking about?


    Then, the image of Bob all alone in the manor shed through her mind and she instantly felt guilty.


    Wasn''t it unfair to the child if both of his parents were not at home?


    As though he read her mind, James finished off the rest of the beer and said, "The baby is with my


    grandparents. Dad is there, too." Sebastian knew about Bob; after all, he was the child''s


    grandfather.


    Maria put down the fish skewer. Grimly, she grabbed a napkin and gently dabbed at her lips.


    "James," she said in a serious tone.


    "Yes?" "I need to talk to you about something."


    "Okay."


    "The public can''t know about Bob." James studied her carefully.


    He had never seen her so serious before.


    Calmly, she continued, "Colby, Rosa, Alina...all your enemies and mine, any one of them can hurt


    Bob. Am I right?"


    "Yes." He didn''t deny it. How could he? What she was saying was very true and serious.


    "So, don''t expose Bob, and don''t let too many people know about his identity. If anyone asks, just


    tell them Grandpa just came across him on his walk." James looked deep into her eyes. There was


    genuine fear-fear that harm would befall Bob.


    "I want to trust you. You''ll do whatever you can to protect our child, won''t you?" Maria asked.


    Whatever happened between them didn''t matter when it came to the child. Together, they needed to


    protect Bob.


    It was Maria''s dream to watch Bob grow up, happy and healthy.


    "If you can''t, then I won''t me you. No one can predict what''ll happen in the future, and you''re-"


    James interrupted her. "Maria."


    The two looked into each other''s eyes.


    A silence fell over them and only the sound of the waves crashing into the shore could be heard for


    a while. "I will protect our child. And you, too. Just trust me."


    Maria was moved by his words. Her eyes started to glisten with tears.


    "I know you don''t want another tragedy, neither do I, " he added. If he could turn back time, he


    would never have let go of Maria and he would''ve protected Arthur.


    Tears streaming down her cheeks, Maria decided in that moment to trust this man again,


    unconditionally.


    She took a deep breath and tucked her long hair behind her ears. Then, she picked up a skewer of


    roasted squid and handed it to him. ''''The seafood here is fresh catch, unlike the farmed one we


    have in H City. Taste it."


    James still refused. He eyed the skewer warily and said, "The seafood I eat is freshly caught."


    Maria rolled her eyes. He always found opportunities to show off.


    Maria calmly put down the roasted squid and waved a waiter over. "Waiter!"


    When the waiter caught a glimpse of her calling him, he came over with a simple smile. "Hi, what


    can I do for you?"


    "Six cans of beer and five skewers of roasted sea cucumber, only from your freshest catch, please.


    This man is an expert. He can tell if it''s not fresh. And if he finds out it''s not fresh, he might sue your


    ass."


    The waiter nced at the frowning man and continued to smile. He patted himself on the chest and


    vowed, "Don''t worry. I promise we only serve the freshest seafood!"


    The beer was served shortly after. Maria opened two cans and handed one to James. "Cheers!"


    James epted the can wordlessly. The two clinked cans and drank the ice cold beer.


    Eyeing James'' impable suit, Maria put down her beer and asked, "Did you bring extra clothes?"


    "Yes." But as soon as hended, he went to her. He didn''t spare time even to change his clothes.


    "That''s good." They were well into the night by now, and it wasn''t that hot. She was worried he


    would have a heatstrokee daytime, though.


    After a moment of drinking in silence, Maria spoke up again. "This is kind of rare. How about I invite


    Norman over here and we can all drink together?"


    James frowned deeply. "I don¡¯t want to see him." Clearly, she just wanted to make trouble for him.


    "Don''t be like this! You''re brothers! There''s nothing to be ashamed of if you take the initiative to


    show concern for him." The truth was, she pitied Norman. He was unloved by his brother and father.


    James ignored her. Without saying a word, he took another sip of his beer.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    -

 Chapter 363 Call For Help

    Chapter 363 Call For Help


    It was not Maria''s ce to interfere in this matter-after all, it was his business. "Norman asked me to


    go on a vacation with him because he wanted me to chaperone a girl. There''s absolutely nothing


    going on between me and him."


    James stared at her for a few heartbeats. "He said that he wanted to marry you."


    Maria gaped at him. "You mean on that day when I returned to H City?" How could he still


    remember?


    "That''s right."


    "Well, he only wanted to piss you off that time! Look, you two are enemies. You know that. He''s got


    a childish streak, and it gives him great pleasure to get under your skin. Do you seriously think that


    he likes me?" Maria exined.


    James kept silent.


    For a while, he didn''t say anything, and neither did Maria. Both lost in their own thoughts, the two of


    them listened to soft music and the sea breeze.


    When thest course of their barbeque dinner was served, Maria pushed the te in front of James


    and rested her chin in her hand. "In honor of youing all the way here, James. A gift."


    Hearing the amused implication in her voice, James stared at the sea cucumbers on the te and


    said, "I can eat one, but can we go for a walkter?"


    "Okay!" ''A walk? That''s all? Fine.''


    He picked up a skewer and ced the roasted sea cucumber into his mouth.


    Maria watched his expression with a smile. "What do you think? Does it taste good?"


    "Yes." The dish wasn''t really to his taste, but he couldn''t call it unptable, either.


    After having their fill of the barbecued food and beer, Maria settled the bill.


    He took off his shoes and socks and handed them to the bodyguard standing not too far away.


    "Don''t follow us."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi." The bodyguard turned around and left.


    Hand in hand, the two walked along the shoreline.


    Maria was wearing flip flops, and she had no problem walking on the beach.


    "You haven''t been on a vacation for a long time, have you?" she asked.


    "No, I haven''t." Given how busy he was with work all the time, it had been quite a while since he


    hadst taken some time off for himself.


    Holding onto his arm, Maria said in a soft voice, "Will you get up early tomorrow morning and watch


    the sunrise with me? We can also collect some seafood if we arrive here early. I''ll cook it for you


    when we get back."


    "Have you done this before?"


    "Nope, but I''ve seen a lot of peoplee back with all kinds of seafood. I felt so envious of them."


    She didn''t want to go to the beach on her own. It was a good thing that James came.


    "I see." If he remembered correctly, the best time for watching the sunrise and collecting seafood


    was from 5 to 9 o''clock in the morning.


    There were only a few people around at that time. Maria suddenly came up with an idea. She let go


    of his arm and stood in front of him. "James, how about I dance for you?"


    He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for her performance. "Okay."


    "Mr. Xi, what kind of dance would you like? ssical dance, Mongolia dance, ballet, and... peacock


    dance!"


    "ssical dance." He could almost imagine her in the long, fiery red dress she was wearing, doing


    a ssical dance.


    "Okay!" Maria took a few steps back, kicked the flip flops off her feet, andunched into a beginning


    pose. "It''s been a while since Ist danced. Don''tugh at me!"


    His eyes crinkling into a smile, he reassured her, "Don''t worry." Maria red at him suspiciously. ''He


    is going to make fun of me, I''m sure of it!''


    Then, Maria started to dance, slowly gaining confidence with every step. She had gained some


    weight because of Bob, but she got back her figure after a period of exercise.


    She swayed her hips gracefully under the moonlight.


    She was obviously rusty due tock of practice, and some of her movements appeared awkward.


    Even so, James stood rooted at the spot, fascinated by the woman dancing before him. After a


    while, he took out his phone and took several photos without her noticing.


    After about three minutes, Maria executed a couple of spins and then, with her skirt fluttering in the


    air, fell into his arms.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Sliding his arms more firmly around her waist, he hauled her up against him and imed her red


    lips.


    After a long, passionate moment, he slowly released the woman in his arms. "When did you learn


    how to dance?" He had no idea that she could dance-her movement and form were absolutely


    breathtaking.


    "All throughout middle school to high school." She had never taken a dancing ss, and everything


    she knew, she had learned from Siena. As a professional dancer, Siena passed on all of her


    knowledge in dance to Maria while she practiced.


    "That was amazing!"


    Maria preened at his praise. "Of course, I wanted to..." After a pause, she turned away and


    continued, "I''d been studying hard."


    Apparently, her mood had gone south.


    James noticed it. Grasping her hand, he asked, "What did you want?"


    Maria kept a smile pasted on her face, but it wasn''t pleasant. "What else did I want? I just wanted to


    leave the Song family. I was so naive back then. I thought if I could dance and cook, I might have a


    chance to get to know someone rich like you. Then, maybe that person would take me away from


    the Song family."


    Now, she could hardly believe that she had ever entertained such thoughts. How utterly childish of


    her!


    James'' eyes darkened as he stared down into hers.


    "Why did you stop my car back then?"


    Maria was in no hurry to answer him. After taking some time to organize her thoughts, she


    answered carefully, "Because you were rich and powerful. Before you came to the Song family, I


    had already heard from my two sisters how powerful you were."


    She walked ahead of him, not looking back, and her words were clipped and brisk.


    James'' lips tightened into a thin line. He had a distinct feeling that her words couldn''t bepletely


    trusted. "They mentioned a man about whom you mmed up even after being plied with three


    sses of wine. Who was he?"


    Mariaughed and tried to shake him off. "There was no such a man. You actually believe what they


    told you?"


    James stopped in his tracks. When she no longer felt him behind her, Maria turned around.


    He was standing a few steps away, seemingly lost in thought.


    Maria asked helplessly, "James, do you still want to walk or not?"


    James grabbed her hand and led her to the cliff nearby.


    It was not really a cliff, only a rather dangerous-looking outcropping of rocks that formed a ledge


    above the sea. The water was about three to four meters below the rocks.


    The two stood close to the edge on onerge rock, listening to the sound of the waves hitting the


    stones below.


    In a sudden flurry of movement, he stripped off his coat, threw it to the ground, and stalked toward


    Maria.


    Maria turned to see James approaching her with a straight face. A sinking feeling filled her. "James,


    what are you doing?"


    He continued to walk toward her without answering her question, not stopping until Maria was


    standing right at the edge of the rock.


    Maria turned around and looked down at the sea, which appeared like a devouring abyss in the


    dark night. In a panic, she gasped out, "James, don''t mess around. We''re a bit high up here. And it''s


    dark tonight! I could die!"


    Gently touching her cheek, he whispered, "Mia, do you know the price to pay for making me


    angry?"


    "I can exin. The man I never talked about even after drinking three sses of wine was actually


    ¡ª"


    "You don''t need to exin." James had been in a sour mood the entire evening.


    Maria felt a twinge of fear as she stared up into those eyes. With her lips trembling slightly, she


    asked, "What do you want me to say?" Did he want to kill her? She wanted to call for help, but she


    wasn''t sure if anyone would hear her.

 Chapter 364 Seafood Lunch

    Chapter 364 Seafood Lunch


    Only then did Maria realize they were the only ones there.


    James smiled at her deviously. His hand, which was cupping her cheek just now, slowly began to


    trail its way down her neck.


    "James..." She couldn''t die now. There was no way on earth she was going to leave Bob alone in


    this world!


    But to her shock, the hand resting on her neck suddenly pushed her. "Ah!"


    Maria''s eyes widened as the scene of James pushing her into the sea shed in her mind.


    Plop! Before she knew it, she was dunked into the sea and everything fell away from her.


    Then, without any hesitation, James dove after her into the sea.


    He immediately found the woman writhing under water and pulled her out of the water by the waist.


    Maria coughed and sputtered, gasping for air. "James, you bastard!" she cried in between gulps. He


    had scared her to death!


    James tightened his grip around her waist and whispered in her ear, "Mia, don''t be afraid. I''m here."


    Maria tried to shrug off his embrace. She was so mad, she almost pped him across the face.


    "James, I think the only reason why you came here was to kill me-" But before she could finish her


    sentence, James leaned forward and nted his lips against hers.


    As the sea waterpped at their bodies, the two figures continued to kiss each other passionately.


    After a while, Maria found herself backed up against a wall of stone.


    But there was nothing she could do. He was already busy thrusting into her, she had no choice but


    to suffer in silence.


    Thankfully, after a while, James carried her out of the sea for fear that she would catch a cold.


    He picked up the coat he had discarded just now and draped it around her shoulders.


    Her sopping wet hair drenched his coat as he led her to a secluded ce to finish what he had


    started.


    When they were done, James scooped Maria into his arms and headed back to her ce. On their


    way back, they ran into Norman.


    It looked like he had just gotten off a call.


    When Norman saw James, his eyes widened from shock. Then he saw Maria in his arms, draped in


    James'' coat. It didn''t take a genius to put two and two together. He smiled knowingly. "Mr. Xi, did


    youe all this way just to have sex with her?"


    Maria, upon hearing Norman''s voice, awkwardly pulled the coat over her face and pretended to be


    asleep. She wanted no part in the awkward conversation that was about to take ce.


    James just cast him a cold nce. "It''s good you know why I''m here. Don''t disturb us in the next few


    days."


    The smile on Norman''s face widened. Hands in his pockets, he observed the couple with great


    curiosity. "Maria''s my subordinate, strictly speaking. She''s traveling at my expense. Doesn''t that


    mean she should be at my disposal?"


    "She''s resigning. From now on, she will be independent from everyone other than her husband.


    "If that''s the case, she needs to submit a letter of resignation andpensate me ordingly. Are


    you going to pay for her?"


    James sneered, "Not a problem. However, Lawrence has been interested in your business. I


    happened to find out something about you, thanks to Maria. Should I tell Lawrence all about it?"


    While his words were aimed at Norman, it was the woman in his arms who felt threatened.


    Regardless of her dignity, Maria leapt out of his arms and hurriedly defended herself. "I didn''t tell


    him! I didn''t say anything!"


    James looked at her in disbelief. His expression darkened.


    How could his woman turn her back against him in front of his rival like this?


    The sound of Norman chuckling broke the silence. He hadn''t believed a word James was saying,


    even without Maria''s exnation.


    Seeing the look in Norman''s eyes, Maria hung her head low in shame. She should''ve trusted him,


    but instead, she fell for James''s bluff.


    Norman started to walk away. As he did, he called to Maria over his shoulder. "Don''t forget why you


    came back, Maria."


    Maria averted her gaze. It was true, she had forgotten about her true intentions for a while.


    While vacationing on the ind, Maria lived separate from Norman in a big vi of her own that


    faced the sea. To ess her vi, they needed to cross a bridge or be ferried by boat. However,


    since it was low tide, they chose to walk across the water and past the wooden bridge.


    The vi was huge, covering an area of more than 800 square meters.


    Maria had been living alone, but now that James was there, she felt safe.


    Norman, on the other hand, lived in a nearby vi about a hundred meters down the path.


    Maria ran the bath, intending to take a quick dip before bed.


    Standing on the balcony, James stared at the endless, raging sea.


    As Maria peeled off her wet dress, she called out to him. "Aren''t you going to take a shower?" When


    they crossed the shallow sea to get to her vi, her dress had gotten wet, but she didn''t feel that


    cold.


    James'' suit, on the other hand, was sopping wet. She could only imagine how ufortable it was


    for him to be drenched like that.


    At the sound of her voice, James tore his gaze away from the scene and said tly, "Okay."


    However, he made no move to take his clothes off.


    Maria rolled her eyes and decided to drop the subject. He was a fully grown man, he could take


    care of himself. She just wanted to shower quickly and get into bed.


    However, as soon as she stepped foot into the bathtub, James took off his clothes and leapt into the


    tub with her.


    Maria instinctively raised her arms to shield herself from the sshing water.


    Before she realized what was going on, James pressed his forehead against hers and said in a


    lukewarm tone, "Maria, I think we need to talk."


    "Let me finish taking a bath first."


    "Leave Norman and stay with me." He wasn''t what he used to be. She could totally rely on him.


    Maria blinked at him dubiously. "And then what?" James was so possessive!


    "That''s all I wanted to say." Why did she have to work for another man? He would take care of her.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Maria smiled and cupped his cheek with one hand. "Let''s take a bath." Then she nted a kiss on


    his lips.


    ''What does she mean by changing the topic?'' James was a little disappointed by her reaction but


    deepened the kiss and wrapped his arms around her.


    They had initially nned to get up early to watch the sunrise the following morning, but Maria got


    out of bed sote that they weren''t able to.


    It wasn''t her fault, it was James''. He had kept her up all night.


    Maria stayed in bed until around eleven o''clock. By then, all the seafood would''ve been harvested


    by others. In the end, she decided to go to the market instead to buy some fresh seafood herself


    and cook it.


    Picking up her phone, she called Norman. "I cooked some seafood for lunch. You and your girl


    shoulde over!"


    "Maria!" James, who was working on hisputer, overheard her call and called her out in a


    warning tone. He didn''t even bother to disguise his hatred for Norman.


    Maria rolled her eyes and ignored him. "So, what do you say?"


    Norman agreed. "Okay. I''ll be there. I can''t wait to see James'' sad face!"


    Maria decided not to reply.


    When she hung up on Norman, she headed over to the kitchen. She learned from the housekeeper


    how to cook some seafood she had never seen before.


    Around lunchtime, Norman knocked on the door with Mildred, just as Maria finished setting the


    table.


    Mildred was fair and crisply dressed, her long ck hair tied back in a braid running along her back.


    Since she often danced, she had a good figure. She wore a light pink dress that Norman chose


    himself.


    Maria wiped her hands on a kitchen towel before taking Mildred''s hand in her own. She led the girl


    to the table and said, "Come and taste the dishes I cooked! You know, it''s my first time to cook


    seafood."


    -

 Chapter 365 A Trip Around The Island

    Chapter 365 A Trip Around The Ind


    Mildred, who had been nervous, finally rxed a little after seeing Maria. She nodded and said, "I''ll


    wash my hands first."


    "Okay."


    On her way to the bathroom, Mildred caught a glimpse of James working on hisptop. Feeling that


    it would be inappropriate to ignore him, she greeted him in a low voice. "Hi."


    James raised his head and nodded slightly in response.


    Soon, the two men met in the dining room. As usual, Norman joked with a smile, "It seems that I


    can enjoy the food cooked by Maria for Mr. Xi''s sake."


    Maria shrugged. "I''ve cooked for you before, haven''t I?" Back when he needed a chef, she was the


    one cooking for him.


    Her words aroused James'' displeasure. His deep eyes fell on her face, and his possessiveness


    over her was obvious. "You can only cook for me from now on."


    Norman burst intoughter, while Maria shook her head helplessly and said, "Do you want to eat or


    not? Go and wash your hands."


    A few minutester, the four of them were all seated around the dining table. Maria used the serving


    chopsticks to pick up a piece of steamed leopard coral grouper for Mildred. "This is one of my best


    dishes. Have a taste."


    "Thank you, Maria." Mildred politely took a bite of the fish Maria had given her. As she chewed, her


    eyes lit up. This was one of the tastiest seafood dishes she had ever had!


    Norman also had a bite of the steamed leopard coral grouper and nodded in satisfaction. Indeed,


    Maria was excellent at cooking.


    Sensing that James wasn''t satisfied, Maria turned to him and asked, "Should I shell some shrimps


    for you?"


    "No, thanks," James answered without looking at her, leaving her speechless. It seemed that he


    was really angry.


    Not long after, he put down his chopsticks, put on the disposable gloves, and began to shell the


    shrimps on his own.


    Looking at this, Maria felt like she had lost her appetitepletely.


    But what he did next instantly took her to cloud nine.


    He leaned over and put the shelled shrimps onto her te.


    "Thank you." A cheerful smile tugged at the corners of Maria''s lips as she picked up a shrimp with


    her chopsticks and raised it to his lips.


    James opened his mouth and ate it.


    Looking at the nauseating public disy of affection in front of him, Norman said sarcastically, "I


    didn''t know that Mr. Xi can also be considerate sometimes."


    James cast a sidelong nce at him as he took off the gloves. "Learn from me quick. Otherwise,


    you''ll cry when your woman runs away from you."


    Norman stiffened, and almost choked on what he was eating.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Mildred lowered her head to her te, as if she didn''t understand what they were talking about.


    Atst, the steamed leopard coral grouper had been eaten clean, except for the bones and the


    head. Mildred craved to eat the fish head, but she was too embarrassed to do it in front of others.


    After staring at it longingly for a few seconds, she finally decided to give up.


    The next moment, she heard Norman tell Maria, "If you don''t have anything else to do in the


    evening, steam a fish and send it to my room. Thank you!"


    Maria nced at the leopard coral grouper, which had been eaten down to the bones, before


    looking at Norman. "What kind of fish do you want?"


    "Whatever." He knew that Mildred liked eating all kinds of fish.


    James, who knew exactly what was going on, felt a flicker of annoyance. Couldn''t Norman woo that


    girl without ordering his woman around? "He only deserves to eat a panther grouper. Just ask the


    chef to make one for him," he said, putting down his chopsticks and patting his lips with a napkin.


    If Norman wanted to present the girl with steamed fish, he needed to do it by himself.


    Maria clucked her tongue irritably. Why did this man bring up the panther grouper?


    She nudged James with her elbow and snapped, "Can''t you see we''re having lunch? Don''t spoil our


    appetite, okay?"


    It had a long head and a sharp mouth, and its white body was covered with ck spots. In fact,


    despite its looks, a panther grouper was very expensive, even more expensive than a leopard coral


    grouper. Its meat was fresh and tender.


    Norman wasn''t angry, but he wasn''t willing to let James'' remark slide, either. "I''ll a panther grouper if


    you eat a conger eel.


    What do you say?"


    Both the women at the table were taken aback.


    Weren''t these two men supposed to be gentlemen? How could they talk about such things at the


    dining table?


    A conger eel was long and slippery, just like a snake. Neither Maria nor Mildred were adventures


    eaters, so when they heard the names of these two fish and thought of their appearances, they


    squirmed in disgust.


    "Stop!" Maria snapped unhappily, fearing that the two men would escte the situation and say


    things that were even more repulsive.


    She took a deep breath and continued, "I''ll make two fish tonight, one for Norman and Mildred, and


    one for you, James."


    James was still dissatisfied.


    Maria could see right through him. Before he could argue, she added, "Of course, I won''t let you eat


    just fish for dinner. I''ll cook whatever else you want, okay?" Her main aim was to calm him down


    now so that they could finish their lunch without any unpleasantness.


    "Okay." James didn''t want to put her in a dilemma, so he agreed without hesitation.


    But in his mind, he was already trying to figure out a way to get Norman out of here as soon as


    possible.


    Of course, there was an easy way for him to deal with Norman. He could threaten hispany,


    which would be like threatening his lifeblood.


    Everyone needs money. Maria needed money for revenge, and Norman needed money to court the


    woman.


    In the afternoon, James and Maria boarded a helicopter and began their trip around the ind.


    From high up in the air, the ind looked even more breathtaking than it did on the ground. What


    was more, they could open the cabin door and take photos of the scenery whenever they wanted to.


    Maria''s fondness for the ind was obvious from her bright eyes and the sheer number of photos


    she took.


    Half an hourter, when they got off the helicopter, she heard James talking on the phone to


    someone about acquiring the ind.


    "What are you doing?"


    she asked, walking up to him with her eyes full of disbelief.


    "I want to buy this ind." It was rare to see something that she liked so much, so he didn''t even


    think twice about getting it for her.


    Maria covered her heart with her hand. "Ugh, why are you so cheesy?"


    "You like this ind, right? After we buy it, you cane here whenever you want. You can change


    it to your liking." He was sure that since she liked the ind, Bob would like it too. The three of them


    woulde here for vacation together in the future. Maria was stunned. Did he have to go so


    overboard? On their way to feed the seals, she kept trying to convince him to give up the idea of


    acquiring the ind.


    "This will be my gift to you for giving birth to our son."


    Maria fought the urge to roll her eyes. He wanted to give her an ind as a gift just for giving birth to


    their son? "What if I gave birth to a daughter for you? What gift will you give me then?" she asked


    sarcastically.


    But James took her question seriously. In the future, when she was able to give birth again, he


    would keep asking her to give birth to a daughter for him.


    "A daughter?" After thinking for a while, he said, "I''ll give you the whole HL Group."


    Maria scoffed in disbelief. "If you give me HL Group, what will you have left to give your daughter?"


    she asked.


    "I''ll have to think about it. How about I start anotherpany and give it to her?" After all, every


    company he was in charge of made a lot of profit.


    Maria gave up arguing with him after that. Anyway, if they were really to have a future together, she


    would be bound to this man and all his ridiculous whims.


    But she didn''t want to give him a daughter. She might be jealous of her daughter. It was better for


    them to have one more son.


    On the fourth day after James arrived, they got up early in the morning and collected enough


    seafood on the beach.


    Maria walked around the beach and filled a whole bucket of seafood. At noon, she cooked a pot of


    seafood chowder for James by boiling all the seafood that they had picked up together earlier.


    Watching him devour the food with satisfaction, she smiled.


    -

 Chapter 366 A Daughter

    Chapter 366 A Daughter


    Maria would have loved to stay on the ind for longer, but real life had to intrude. A weekter, she


    and James went on their separate ways¡ªone went back to H City, while the other flew to the US.


    Maria didn''t tell James what she was supposed to do in the US, only that it was not a leisure trip. He


    was busier than her, so he didn''t apany her.


    James had two residences in the States, but Maria opted to stay at a hotel.


    Maria stood on the veranda of her hotel room, staring out the view as she listened to the person on


    the other end of the call. "Ms. Song, we have been observing them for half a month now.


    Apparently, they''re supposed to go out to the park tomorrow morning, so there''s our chance."


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Swirling the wine in her ss, she answered curtly, "I don''t have much time. Don''t make me wait too


    long." Her son and her work demanded her attention, so she couldn''t stay overseas for a long time.


    "Understood. Well make our move as soon as we find an opportunity."


    "Thank you."


    With that, Maria ended the call. Jetg kept her awake despite theteness of the hour, so she


    made a video call to James.


    Once the call was connected, she saw that James was currently having his lunch. Without a word,


    he propped up the phone and continued to eat.


    "Where is my son?" She couldn''t hear any other sound in the background. ''Isn''t Bob there with


    him?''


    Unhurriedly, he swallowed his mouthful of food and exined, "I''m flying to S Countryter, so I


    didn''t bring him with me."


    "Oh. How long will you be staying there?" she asked in a casual tone.


    "Three days."


    Three days. She should be able to go back by then. "Ah. Go ahead with your work, then. I don''t


    have anything else to say." ''I just missed you and Bob, '' she thought to herself.


    "Give me an exnation when you get back." She didn''t give him any details about her trip to the


    US. He was sure it had nothing to do with business, so he was curious about it, to say the least.


    "What do you mean?" Maria asked in confusion.


    James raised his eyes from his lunch and leveled her an indifferent nce. "Who''s the lucky guy


    you''re seeing over there?"


    Realizing that he was joking, she answered mischievously, "I have to give you a heads-up. I have a


    daughter here!"


    James stopped eating and stared at the camera expressionlessly. "I''m trying to have a nice lunch."


    He was warning her.


    "Carry on with your meal, then. I''ll clean up and go to bed." Maria didn''t exin. It was past midnight


    in her time zone, anyway. She really should rest.


    James seemed to be lost in thought. "Did you give birth to girl and boy twins back then?"


    Maria burst intoughter. "Mr. Xi, you are thinking too much. Your family doesn''t carry that gene. If I


    really gave birth to opposite sex twins, what would happen?"


    "Genes can mutate." Anything was possible.


    Maria didn''t know how to answer that.


    Come to think of it, his words made sense.


    But really, he was overthinking things. She only gave birth to Bob back then. "I was just kidding.


    Have a good meal. I''m hanging up."


    "Okay,e back early."


    "What''s going on? You miss me?" she teased him.


    Looking deep into her eyes, he asked, "What do you think?"


    "I''m guessing that you miss me desperately."


    "Yes. And I can''t wait to sleep with you."


    Maria was shocked by his shamelessness.


    Three in the morning came, yet her eyes remained wide open. Unable to resist the impulse, she


    sent James a simple message. "I can''t fall asleep."


    "That''s normal."


    "Has your flight left?"


    "Yes. I have already arrived." He had just gotten off the ne and was on his way downtown.


    "Well, go on with your work. I''ll try to sleep."


    "I will call you once I''m done with work," he promised.


    Maria''s heart melted as she looked at the words on her screen. "Okay."


    She put down her phone and eventually drifted off to sleep with Bob and James on her mind.


    The following morning, she was awakened by the sound of her ringtone.


    Seeing the caller ID, she swiped the answer key and asked, "How''s it going?"


    The sound of a child crying came through. The man on the other end said, "It was a sess."


    "Okay, bring her here. Don''t hurt her." After all, she was just a child.


    "Got it."


    Maria went to the bathroom to wash up and called room service for breakfast.


    While she was having her breakfast, the doorbell rang again.


    She dabbed at her mouth and stood up to open the door. "Come in!"


    A man was standing outside the door and holding a little girl in his arms. The girl was about four or


    five years old. She sported two pigtails on her head, and her eyes were red-rimmed from crying.


    As the door closed behind them, the man gently set the girl down on her feet. The child stared wide-


    eyed up at Maria and hupped.


    Squatting in front of her, Maria smiled and asked in English, "Are you Ines?" "Who are you?" the girl


    asked with wariness. "You can call me Auntie. Don''t worry, I won''t hurt you. Your father and I are


    friends. I just want to take you out to have some fun."


    "I want my mom." Tears started pouring out of her eyes anew.


    Maria was not in a hurry. She picked up a toy she had prepared in advance and handed it to the girl.


    "I asked someone to buy it for you. What do you think? This is called Lu Ban Lock." In fact, she


    didn''t know the toy''s name in English.


    There were a wide assortment of toys on the table. After her initial suspicion of Maria, the girl


    realized that thedy meant her no harm. She carefully took the toy from her and said, "Thank you."


    "You''re wee. Go on, you can y with it. I''ll just finish up my breakfast." Maria stroked her little


    head and went back to the dining table.


    In HM Group


    Rosa was currently under intense public scrutiny because of the fraudulent donation charges


    against her.


    To escape being sentenced to prison, she spent a huge sum to get people to find a suitable


    scapegoat.


    At the same time, Peggy''s incident dealt a heavy blow to HM Group, and Rosa was left to deal with


    the consequences. As a result, she had never been busier.


    Little did she know that another disaster was waiting for her. "Ma''am, Ines is missing."


    Her blood ran cold at the news. "What do you mean by missing?"


    "I''m sorry. I took her to the park earlier to soak up the sun. At one point, I needed to go to thedies''


    room, but Ines didn''t want to go with me. When I came back, she was nowhere to be found."


    Rosa''s knees suddenly lost their strength, and she copsed into the office chair.


    Squeezing her eyes shut, she began to take deep breaths to calm herself down. "Did you call the


    police?"


    "Yes."


    "Okay, I''ll ask people to look for her." After ending the call, Rosa immediately barged into Colby''s


    office.


    "Colby!" She pushed her way into the office without preamble.


    Inside the room, Colby was talking on the phone. Paying no attention, Rosaunched into an


    agitated fit. "Ines is missing!"


    Colby hastily ended the call and asked with a frown, "What happened?"


    Rosa ryed what the babysitter had told her.


    Colby rose to his feet. "Didn''t you send bodyguards to protect her?"


    "Both of the bodyguards with them were attacked. Colby, it looks like the person behind this was


    well prepared." Rosa took a deep breath and tried to think rationally.


    The incident left Colby in a ck mood. He thundered at Rosa, "I asked you to stay there and take


    care of the child, but you insisted oning back. Look at what you''ve done!"

 Chapter 367 Showdown

    Chapter 367 Showdown


    Rosa had been under incredible stress for the past few weeks, but never had she felt more wronged


    than at that moment. In a raised voiced, she sniped at Colby, "That was all because of your affair


    with Maria Song! Otherwise, do you think I would be willing to leave my own daughter behind and


    come back here?"


    At the mention of Maria''s name, Colby was struck by a sudden thought. "Is it possible that Maria did


    this? What has she been up totely?"


    In fact, the same thought urred to Rosa. "She went on a holiday with Norman several days ago,


    and James followed her there. James has alreadye back to H City, but nobody has seen her.


    I''m not sure whether she''s back or not."


    "Calm down. I''ll send more people to look for Ines." He himself couldn''t fly to the US immediately, so


    he entrusted his daughter''s matter to a friend there. In addition, he asked someone to investigate


    Maria''s whereabouts.


    After attending a business dinner, James received a WeChat message from Maria.


    He zoomed in the photo he had just received and saw the sleeping profile of a little girl.


    His phone beeped with another message. "This is my daughter. Isn''t she beautiful?"


    James went back to check the girl''s face carefully and replied, "So, is this girl your daughter with


    Colby or with Rosa?"


    Maria pouted upon reading his reply. How could she have a baby with Rosa? Another question


    entered her mind. "How do you know who she is?"


    James didn''t hide anything from her. "At the moment, Mr. and Mrs. Zheng are looking for their child


    all over the US." Many people knew about the parents'' desperate search after all, so it wasn''t so


    surprising for James to have heard about it.


    ''How well-informed this man is!'' Maria thought.


    She received Colby''s phone call in the evening in the US, that is, morning in H City.


    "Hello, Mr. Zheng, it''s been a while."


    "Maria, let''s cut the bullshit. I heard that you''re in the States." As it turned out, Colby had found out


    that she had flown to the US straight from her ind getaway.


    "Yes. I have a project in the country that needs to be checked," Maria answered in a roundabout


    way.


    "If your men took Ines away, please don''t hurt the child. I''m open to a discussion, if you want


    anything from me."


    Maria pretended to be surprised. "Ah. So what I heard was true¡ªthat you were looking for a child.


    You''re thinking that I did it?" She would never admit it.


    "Didn''t you?" Colby challenged her.


    "Of course not. How could I do such a thing? I just happened to be in the US. Is that why you''re


    suspecting me?"


    Colby did not answer. She was right. On the second day after Maria''s arrival in the US, Ines


    disappeared. If she didn''t do it, who else could it be? However, he had no evidence, so a direct


    usation was out of the question.


    Maria blew away a non-existent speck of dust on her fingernail and continued in a gentle voice, "Mr.


    Zheng, you wound me. I don''t even know what your daughter looks like. Besides, do you think I''m


    someone who would hurt a child?"


    Colby stered on a fake smile. "It would be better if it wasn''t you because I''m not going to let go of


    the person who took her away."


    The threat in his voice was obvious, but Maria remained blithely uncaring. She replied unhurriedly,


    "Mr. Zheng, you still care about me so much."


    ''Care about you? I want to kill you!'' he thought venomously. As for that issue with Peggy, her


    assistant, he could bet with certainty that Maria was involved in it.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    On the third day after Colby''s daughter had disappeared, Rosa flew back to the US.


    As soon as she got off the ne, she received a call from a strange number. "Rosa."


    At first, Rosa didn''t recognize the voice of the caller.


    "Who are you?"


    "Who do you think?"


    Maria asked. Rosa suddenly stopped in her tracks. She stared hard toward the horizon and hissed


    angrily, "So, it was really you who did it!"


    "How does it feel to lose your child, Mrs. Zheng?"


    Maria asked with a smile. It was horrible, of course. Rosa hadn''t had a good night''s sleep in the


    past three days due to nonstop worrying for her daughter''s safety. "What did you do to Ines?"


    "What''s your hurry? It''s only been three days, Rosa. I, on the other hand, have lost my child


    forever."


    Rosa''s breath started toe in short, rough pants. "If you hate me so much, juste at me!


    Leave Ines out of this!"


    "What if I have already hurt her? You will never see your daughter again!" There was a chilling note


    of finality in Maria''s voice.


    Rosa''s strength nearly failed her. "What have you done to my daughter?"


    "What have I done to her?" Maria''s loudughter was harsh and grating. "What else can I do? My


    son is too lonely over there, so I killed her so that she can keep himpany."


    "Maria! You¡ª" Rosa was so angry that her hands trembled, but fear for her daughter was quickly


    oveing that emotion.


    "Mrs. Zheng, please go back home. You can''t ever see your daughter anymore. You won''t even find


    her corpse."


    Rosa couldn''t give up just like that. "Maria, why are you putting all of the me on me? You were


    also responsible for what happened!"


    Hatred zed in Maria''s eyes. "Yes, I may not have beenpletely innocent, but I''m not guiltier


    than you! I won''t let you go!" She wouldn''t absolve herself of the guilt, either. She was Arthur''s


    guardian, so she should also be responsible for the ident.


    "Give Ines back to me, and I will apologize to you." Rosa tried to bargain with the other woman.


    "Give my son back to me, and then I will do whatever you ask me to do." Maria could do anything,


    as long as Arthur coulde back to her.


    "Maria, no one wanted your son to die. It was an ident!"


    "An ident?" Maria sneered. "It may have been an ident, but it could have been avoided! In


    the end, nothing prevented it from happening. Moreover, you let me take all of the me! I took the


    me for you for nearly ten years! Do you think I will let you go?"


    All of her efforts in thest ten years had been focused on her revenge against them.


    "So what? I have Colby behind me now, but what about you? James didn''t fall for you ten years


    ago. What makes you think that he would do so now? Other than him, who else is strong enough to


    stand up to my husband?" In the first ce, Rosa didn''t think that a man like James would ever


    prioritize love over anything else.


    "It doesn''t matter whether he loves me or not. He''s willing to help me, and that''s enough. Besides,


    what makes you think that he hasn''t fallen in love with me?"


    Rosa took a deep breath, her hope giving way to desperation. "Maria, if you dare hurt even one hair


    on my daughter''s head, I will end you!"


    "Okay. Just wait and see!" With those foreboding words, Maria ended the call.


    Immediately, Rosa saved the call log. She was about to put away her phone when someone


    mmed against her arm. The phone slipped out of her hand.


    In the blink of an eye, the person picked up her phone and ran off with it. Everything happened too


    fast. Before Rosa could take a good look at the man, he was already out of sight.


    "Help! I just got robbed!" shouted Rosa anxiously.


    After searching all over, she finally found her phone beside a trashcan. However, it was already


    broken into pieces.


    Rosa cursed Maria with every invective she could think of.


    Her hand tightened around the broken phone, and her eyes shed with anger.


    Half an hourter, Rosa returned to her apartment. She was barely out of her car when the


    babysitter rushed over and handed her an envelope. "Ma''am, somebody left this for you."


    Rosa tore open the envelope carelessly. A short tuft of soft hair was inside.


    ''This must be Ines'' hair!'' Rosa guessed in her mind, biting her lower lip. Her breathing became


    labored, and her chest ached like an invisible hand was crushing her heart inside.

 Chapter 368 Show Off

    Chapter 368 Show Off


    By then, Rosa was totally convinced that Ines was in the hands of Maria. Not knowing her


    daughter''s condition was torture.


    That night, Maria made her way out of the hotel.


    As she pushed a pair of sunsses over her face and opened the car door, a woman''s voice


    stopped her. "Maria."


    Looking up, she saw Rosa pointing a gun at her, nked by several ck-d bodyguards.


    ''Ah, right, it''s legal to carry guns in this country,'' she thought.


    Several of her own bodyguards came out of the dark to protect her. Soon, several guns were aimed


    at Rosa. Not to be outdone, the bodyguards behind Rosa also took out their weapons.


    For a tense moment, the two parties were locked in a standoff in front of the hotel.


    This kind of confrontation scene wasmonly seen in movies, but it actually happened very rarely


    in the States.


    To avoid getting caught in the crossfire or any stray bullets that might miss their targets, the


    passers-by who chanced upon the scene quickly fled to safety.


    Standing there in her pumpkin-colored wool overcoat, Maria was the picture of dignified elegance.


    Without any fear in her eyes, she stared at Rosa.


    Rosa was a devious woman. Despite knowing about Maria''s affair with Colby, she was able to keep


    unruffled facade. She was controlling everything behind the scene, with none the wiser.


    However, her child was the only thing that could shake that calm surface.


    "Let go of my daughter, or you will be killed today," Rosashed out with her bloodshot eyes


    shing, like a hunted animal driven into a corner. The light makeup on her face could barely hide


    her haggard face.


    Maria''s stare turned mocking. "If I do die here today, your reconciliation with your daughter will


    happen in the afterlife."


    With trembling lips, Rosa cried out, "What the hell do you want from me?"


    Maria''s lips curved up in a cold smile. "I want you to die. As long as you make that happen, I''ll make


    sure that your daughter will be set for life."


    A stormy mix of emotions shed across Rosa''s face.


    Just then, Maria''s phone began to ring. After a cursory nce at the screen, she answered the


    phone.


    "Honey! Did you miss me?"


    James replied, "Look after yourself. I''ll be right there if anything happens."


    Maria looked over her shoulder to the bodyguards behind her. "Why did you say that all of a


    sudden?" ''Oh. I forgot. They are all James'' men.''


    "I''ve sent some people to assist you. Do whatever you want," he said, not answering her question.


    Maria chuckled and then spoke up in a louder voice. "Really? You want me to kill her? Babe, she''s


    saying that you don''t love me and that you don''t have my back. What should I do?"


    James said, "Mia, can''t you tell by now whether I love you or not? You don''t need other people to


    tell you that."


    "All right, all right. I know you love me, so I won''t believe her. Don''t send anyone over anymore. I''m


    sure that she doesn''t have the gut to actually hurt me." Sure enough, Rosa was just bluffing, but she


    had no idea that Maria was immune to any attempts in intimidation on her part.


    "Well, I''m already in H City, so I''ll pick you up once you''re done."


    "Got, it, honey. Mwah!" Maria pretended to kiss the man through the phone and then ended the call.


    Rosa sneered, "Maria, don''t you know what people say? People tend to show off something they


    lack of."


    Maria shrugged. "Really? I''m not showing off, though. James and I are like that on a daily basis.


    You don''t know James at all. He may look cold on the surface, but he''s actually very clingy. He even


    followed me when I went on that ind holiday. He actually wanted to follow me when I came here,


    but I told him not to. Now that he knows the situation, he has sent another group of people to


    protect me. He is using his actions to tell me that he loves me. What about you? Apart from money


    and the tile of Mrs. Zheng, what else did Colby give you?" Even Maria was moved by what James


    what had done for her.


    Rosa felt every word like a stab to her heart. What did an old man like Colby know of romance? He


    only gave Rosa the position of Mrs. Zheng and a lot of money.


    The position of Mrs. Zheng was undeniably important, but she couldn''t help but want more. Once


    her material requirements were met, she wanted to be happy mentally.


    Colby could never fulfill the romantic fantasies that her heart desired.


    Little by little, the hand holding the gun aimed at Maria dropped. In a soft, defeated voice, Rosa


    murmured, "Give my daughter back to me."


    Ignoring her, Maria turned around, got into the car, and left the hotel.


    Once she was inside the car, a long exhale left her. For ten years, she had been anticipating the


    moment when she could make Rosa suffer.


    Before leaving the US, Maria tasked a person to bring Ines back to the Zheng family residence and


    another person to tip off the police.


    In the apartment, Rosa sobbed as she held Ines tightly in her embrace.


    Just then, the doorbell rang. It was the police. Apparently, someone reported that Rosa had called


    them over a false charge.


    At the sight of the little girl in the living room, the cops were infuriated. "Mrs. Zheng, was your


    daughter here all this time? Why did you call the police to look for your daughter?"


    Rosa tried to exin, "Officer, you don''t understand! My daughter just got back!"


    At that moment, the maid interjected, "Ma''am? What are you talking about? Ines has been at home


    this whole time!"


    Confusion in on her face, Rosa whirled around to face the maid. "What do you mean?"


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    The maid told the police calmly, "I''m sorry to have bothered you. Ines has been at home all this


    time. She didn''t go anywhere."


    The cops'' matching scowls became even angrier. "Mrs. Zheng, we are all very busy. Please don¡¯t


    do such a thing again. Wasting police resources is against thew, do you understand?"


    Shocked, Rosa was at a loss how to respond.


    The cops did not believe her exnation and left the apartment angrily.


    A loud p echoed inside the apartment. "What the hell were you saying just now?" Rosa yelled at


    the maid, who was cradling her reddening cheek with one hand.


    Without any fear, she replied, "I said, I''m quitting!"


    Rosa immediately understood the situation. "Maria Song bribed you, didn''t she?"


    "What are you talking about? I just don''t want to work here anymore. That''s it!" The maid went back


    to her room and took out her belongings, which she had already packed into several bags


    beforehand. Then, she marched out of the door without looking back.


    Worried that she might scare Ines, Rosa held on to her temper and drew her daughter into her


    arms. "Baby, where have you been these days? Did they hit you?"


    The girl shook her head. "Mom, Auntie was very kind to me. She bought me delicious food and told


    me lots of stories!"


    ''Auntie?1 "Which auntie are you talking about?" Rosa asked in confusion.


    "Auntie Maria."


    Rosa just stared down at her daughter, not knowing what to say.


    In H City, James looked at the gaudy-looking pajamas in their gift box and asked helplessly, "Why


    did you buy these things?"


    Cooing over Bob, who was sleeping in her arms, Maria replied without raising her head, "What are


    you talking about? Mine are in the same color as yours. These are couple pajamas. Don''t you like


    them?"


    The sleeping garments were all red and of the same style, with one set bigger than the other.


    At the words "couple pajamas," the man wisely chose to shut up.


    Maria continued, "I also bought couple pajamas for us when we first got married, but you didn''t wear


    them. I was the only one who wore mine. I have no idea where those are. Now, to make up for the


    regrettable memory of those pajamas, I chose the red color. Don''t you like them?" She did it on


    purpose, but she would die before she admitted it.


    -

 Chapter 369 Good Men

    Chapter 369 Good Men


    James stared at the contents of the gift box expressionlessly. Maria was excited to see him in bright


    red pajamas.


    "Don''t they look great?" she urged. He put the lid back onto the gift box in one swift movement.


    "Yes, they do," he said slowly. Then, his eyes fell on the little giggling child in Maria''s arms. "It


    would''ve been even better if Bob had matching pajamas." If he was going down, the kid was going


    down with him.


    Maria pursed her lips. She wanted to know what was on James'' mind.


    He gingerly put the gift box to the side and announced, "I''ll have theseundered first. Then maybe


    we could wear the matching pajamaster." Secretly, he wished he could rip hers to shreds.


    "Okay." Maria decided to drop the subject. After nting a little kiss on her son''s forehead, she


    asked lightly, "Has Summer gone back to work?"


    "Yes."


    "How''s she doing?"


    "Quite good," the man answered tly.


    Maria scratched her chin ponderingly. Then, she said, "I''ll visit you at the office tomorrow."


    "Don''t forget to bring a gift," he reminded her.


    "I already have one prepared!" When she went shopping in the US, she bought a gift for Summer.


    James knew she misunderstood him. "I meant, a gift for me."


    Maria looked at him in disbelief. Hadn''t she just bought him pajamas? What an entitled man!


    Later that night, they managed to get the child to sleep early. Unfortunately, the universe decided


    James wouldn''t get lucky that night because Maria''s menstruation suddenly reared its ugly head.


    James'' face fell when he found out.


    After all, it had been a while since thest time they''d slept together.


    So instead, the couple just went to bed, next to the sleeping boy. Knowing the baby would probably


    wake up and make a ruckus in the middle of the night, James inserted himself in between Bob and


    Maria to let her sleep more soundly.


    Just as he had expected, in the dead of night, James was suddenly awakened by a sudden weight


    on his body.


    Groggily opening his eyes, he found a little fellow struggling to climb over him. Despite the


    challenge, the boy didn''t give up. In fact, he seemed anxious to tramp all over his father in order to


    get to Maria.


    Watching his son''s clumsy movements in amusement, James had to stifle hisughter to keep from


    waking Maria up.


    Just then, the little fellow identally trampled on a spot no man would ever want trampled.


    James'' face contorted in pain and he involuntarily shoved Bob off him.


    Bob, however, seemed unfazed that his father had just swatted him away. He happily crawled


    towards Maria and contentedlyy down next to her. After a while, he turned over, settled one foot


    on James'' belly and finally fell asleep.


    Looking at the cute foot resting on his belly, James was speechless.


    Worried that Bob would wake Maria up, he scooped the little boy into his arms as gently as he


    could. However, when he opened his eyes the following morning, he found Bob next to her again.


    At the sight of the sleeping mother and son, James couldn''t help but smile and nt kisses on their


    cheeks.


    However, Maria slumbered on, blissfully unaware of the events that transpired in the middle of the


    night. She was too tired from her jeg, so she slept deeply and soundly.


    It was almost noon when she woke up. By then, the servant had already taken Bob to sunbathe.


    After getting a quick bite, Maria went to HL Group.


    First things first, she headed straight to the CEO''s office to hand him the gift she had just bought for


    him.


    James stared at the gift in disbelief.


    Maria walked over and wrapped her arms around his neck. "What''s wrong? Don''t you like them?"


    James didn''t answer. How could any man like sugarcoated haws on a stick?


    "At least try them," Maria said with a coquettish pout. "I waited in line to buy these. They are all the


    rage these days!" "What do you take me for?" he whined.


    She had to bite her lip to hold back herughter. "Well, to be honest, I figured you''d never tried them


    before-which is why I bought them for you! If you''re not even going to try them, then I''ll eat them


    with Summer."


    "Fine. Leave them here." James gestured at his desk helplessly.


    "Good boy." Maria kissed him on the cheek sweetly. "Anyway, I''m going to see Summer."


    "Okay."


    But before she left, Maria paused by the door and fished something out of her pocket. "By the way, I


    bought these for a promo when I was in the supermarket. You can use themter." Then, she


    tossed the box of condoms to him.


    James grinned. "That''s more like it." But it was a pity he couldn''t use them right then and there.


    As Maria disappeared behind the door, he sighed to himself. Maria found Summer in the restroom.


    There, she handed the gift she had gotten for her in the states.


    "I heard that this scent is popr nowadays. What do you think?"


    "It smells amazing. Thank you so much, Maria!" Summer beamed at her, spritzing the perfume on


    her neck as she spoke.


    "No problem. How''ve you been?"


    "I''m doing good," Summer said softly. "My mother''s been taking care of me. I''ve almost recovered


    completely."


    "And how about your marriage?" Maria asked bluntly.


    "Well, he doesn''t want to divorce me, unless..." Summer''s voice trailed off.


    "Unless what?" Maria pressed her.


    "Unless you give Perry her job back. But Maria, just ignore him. I n on suing him."


    "Jamir is a bastard. Do you need awyer?" Joshua would not ept the case. First, he was super


    busy. Second, he was a businesswyer.


    "No, thanks. Actually, it''s thanks to Mr. Xi that I got in touch with a goodwyer." The truth was,


    working under James had proved advantageous to her over the years. By now, she had


    umted some connections.


    "That''s good."


    Summer then told Maria that Jamir had actually been cheating on her for a while now¡ªever since


    James transferred her to another city. The mistress was his old ssmate, so they had some history


    between them. While Summer was absent, Jamir hooked up with Perry.


    Later that day, Maria pointed an using finger at James. "If you didn''t transfer Summer to another


    city, she and her husband might still be a loving couple! This is all your fault, so you''ve got to make


    it up to her!" He was already responsible for Alina''s happiness, so why not Summer''s, too?


    James frowned slightly. What did Summer''s happiness have to do with him? "What do you want me


    to do?" he asked.


    "Introduce her to some men-good men!" Then, Alina''s episode yed in her head. "Remember


    James, only introduce her to good men," she emphasized.


    "I''ll see what I can do," said James helplessly


    This answer seemed to satisfy Maria.


    He then opened his drawer and took out a delicate-looking invitation. "HL Group is holding an


    outdoor fashion show in a couple of days. It''ll feature twelve concepts from international designers.


    You should go and buy whatever you want."


    Maria plucked the invite from his hands and read the fine print. The show was to be held by the


    beach in the south of the city. "Alright."


    When Maria returned to herpany, the secretary informed her that Song Group''s chairman was


    waiting for her in the reception area.


    Chandler Song?


    Maria frowned. "Why didn¡¯t you tell me he was here?"


    The secretary shifted her weight awkwardly. "He said he didn''t want to disturb you."


    "I see." Maria frowned deeply and reluctantly went to the reception room to face her father.


    There, she found him staring out the window with his back to the door and hands behind his back.


    He turned around when he heard someonee in. "Maria," he said nervously.


    "Yes? What do you want, Mr. Song?" Maria leaned against the doorway and eyed him coldly. She


    didn''t bother to step foot inside the room.


    ¡ê LARK COLE QB


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    W¡¯

 Chapter 370 An Encounter At The Airport

    Chapter 370 An Encounter At The Airport


    Walking towards Maria, Chandler pointed at the several paper bags on the sofa and said kindly, "I


    bought these for you. I know you can have everything you want with Mr. Xi by your side now, but as


    your father, I want to be nice to you. Don''t refuse."


    Maria raised an eyebrow at him and sneered, "What''s the catch? What do you want?"


    "Nothing. I''ve just been thinking a lot about the past recently. After your grandfather spoke to me, I


    realized my mistakes. All this happened because of me and your mom. It''s our fault. We shouldn''t


    have treated you like that," Chandler said earnestly.


    When Maria didn''t respond, he started to feel a little awkward. He was not good at apologizing or


    having such honest conversations, so he cleared his throat and said, "Well, if there''s nothing else,


    I''ll leave now."


    When he turned to walk to the door, however, Maria finally spoke up. "Take all these things with


    you."


    "They are all for you. They might not be very expensive, but I put my heart into them."


    "No, thanks, Mr. Song. I don''t need anything from you, especially father''s love!" Maria retorted.


    Then, she turned around and stalked back to her office without giving him a chance to respond.


    After Chandler left, Maria''s assistant walked to her office with the paper bags that Chandler had


    brought. "Ms. Song, these things..."


    Without bothering to even raise her head to look, Maria said, "Send them to Song Group and tell


    Carolina that her father bought these things."


    "Yes, ma''am."


    In Song Group, Carolina stared at the bags of luxury goods in front of her and let out a deep sigh.


    She could guess what had happened.


    In order to make it up to Maria, her father must have bought all these valuable things ording to


    her preferences to please her. However, as expected, Maria must have refused.


    Pinching the space between her eyebrows, Carolina told her secretary, "Set these bags aside for


    now."


    After the secretary left, the office was quiet for a while. Then, Carolina picked up her phone and


    dialed a number. As soon as the call was answered, she said, "Maria, it''s me."


    "Wow, today is a special day, isn''t it? First, your father came to me, and now I''m getting a call from


    you. Are you having a problem with paying back the loan from HL Group?"


    "No. Everything in thepany is going well, and we have been paying off the loan regrly. I


    called you to talk about Dad," Carolina answered tiredly.


    "Stop! Don''t make me block your number," Maria said impatiently.


    "Maria, I know you are angry. I''m not trying to put in a good word for him. I just wanted to tell you


    that he''s going to divorce Mom. It turns out that he has a mistress, and they have a child together.


    The boy is only a few years old." Hearing this, Maria didn''t know whether tough or to cry. What a


    joke! She and her two sisters were already old enough to have kids of their own, but now, they


    suddenly had a half-brother who was a kid.


    "What does that have to do with me?" she asked coldly. This news had only worsened her


    impression of Chandler. She felt that on top of being a bad father, he was a bad husband as well.


    He was absolute scum!


    "Nothing, forget it. You can carry on with your work. I don''t have anything else to say," Carolina


    replied. She knew what kind of person Maria was. If she kept pressing the matter, she would end up


    getting on Maria''s nerves, so she chose to let it go instead.


    Maria hung up the phone without bothering to say anything else.


    Thinking of the gifts Chandler had brought her earlier, she scoffed. She wasn''t moved by his gesture


    at all. If anything, she found it ridiculous.


    She absent-mindedly looked out of the window and found that it was snowing.


    The Spring Festival was approaching. She wondered how James would want to celebrate it.


    Now that the year was ending, the two of them were both very busy. James went on three business


    trips in a single week, and Maria also flew abroad once.


    After nearly a week of being separated from each other, Maria went to the airport to pick up James,


    who had just returned to the city from a business trip.


    As soon as sheid eyes on the familiar man, there was a flicker of happiness in her heart, but it


    promptly died out after seeing the woman by his side.


    The woman was wearing a loose, dark brown down jacket, and arge pair of sunsses on her


    face. She was holding the handle of a small suitcase and wheeling it behind her.


    Maria had almost forgotten that James had made a promise to Alina. The two of them must have


    kept in touch all this time.


    The moment James saw Maria, a smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. When he was close


    enough, he pulled her into his arms and nted a kiss on her lips. "Mia," he whispered happily in


    her ear.


    Maria wrapped her arm around his waist as if there was no one around and beamed at him. "You


    must be tired."


    "Not at all." As soon as he saw her, all his exhaustion evaporated into thin air.


    At this time, Alina''s voice cut in. "James, Maria, I''m leaving now. Thank you for taking care of me,


    James."


    "You''re wee," James replied tly, ncing at her.


    Maria just silently gave Alina a once-over. She felt that there was something odd about the way


    Alina was dressed today. She had never seen Alina in such loose clothes before, but she couldn''t


    put her finger on what was wrong, so she gave up in the end.


    As soon as Alina disappeared out of sight, Maria withdrew her arm from James'' waist and walked


    ahead towards the car.


    James, who was stunned by the 180-degree change in her attitude, hurried up to catch up with her.


    Maria was driving a new, white-colored Harkim of HL Group today. After her car had been crashed


    last time, James had disposed of it and bought her a brand new one. Although this car was not as


    expensive as the one he owned, it had a price tag of several million dors, and was very suitable


    for women to drive.


    After settling into the passenger seat, James asked, "What''s wrong?"


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Maria turned the key in the ignition and started the car. "Did the two of you go to the same ce on


    a business trip?"


    Hearing that, James finally understood why she was unhappy. "No, I just ran into her on the ne


    back. I didn''t really take care of her either. I just changed seats with her, because she''s pregnant,"


    he exined quickly.


    "Pregnant?" Maria was slightly stunned, and her fingers on the steering wheel stiffened.


    "Yeah."


    "Who''s the baby''s father? You?" She couldn''t think of anyone who had been with Alina other than


    James, except Kent.


    James was taken aback by her question. Frowning at her, he asked, "Maria, are you acting like this


    because I haven''t satisfied you in the past few days?"


    Maria pursed her lips and looked ahead intently. "Whose baby is it?" she pressed.


    "I don''t know," James answered honestly. After all, the matter had nothing to do with him.


    The car slowed and stopped at the traffic lights. While waiting for the red light to change, Maria


    turned her head to the man beside her and looked into his deep eyes. "Then, how did you know that


    she''s pregnant? I had no idea. Have you been paying attention to news about her all this time?"


    Her tone was full of jealousy.


    After a short pause, James said, "She told me herself on the ne."


    ¡±0h, so you guys chatted on the ne ride?" Maria asked unhappily. James was exhausted every


    single day. Why didn''t he have a good rest on the ne?


    "Would you mind if we did?"


    Seeing the green light was on, Maria stepped on the gas, and the car zoomed forward like an arrow


    released from the bowstring. "No. Why would I mind? It''s not like you belong to me!"


    "Maria, we haven''t seen each other for a few days. I don''t want you to be angry with me as soon as


    we meet."


    "James, get out. I don''t feel like driving you back anymore," Maria said curtly.


    James felt like he had been saying all the wrong things. Touching her head, he said softly, "Don''t be


    angry. I didn''t chat with her. She told me that she was pregnant when she wanted to change seats


    with me, but that''s all. We didn''t talk at all after that.


    "It''s none of my business. I don''t mind," Maria sneered. "After all, you''ve promised her that you''ll be


    responsible for her lifelong happiness."


    "I need to correct you. I didn''t promise that I''ll be responsible for her lifelong happiness; I just


    promised her that I''ll help her find a man."


    Maria snorted and shook her head. "Same difference."


    "What do you want me to do?" James asked tiredly. What had happened had already happened. He


    didn''t want to upset Maria again because of Alina.


    -

 Chapter 371 Good Boy

    Chapter 371 Good Boy


    Upon hearing what James said, Maria said indifferently, "I don''t care. You can help Alina as you


    want."


    "Stop the car."


    "Huh?"


    James nodded and repeated, "Turn on the signal light and pull over."


    Maria found an intersection and pulled up by the roadside. She turned on the blinkers and looked at


    him in confusion. "What''s up?"


    "I think we need to clear the air right now." In particr, he couldn''t just stand idly by and do nothing


    when Maria was feeling sad.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    His response took her by surprise, but she said nothing.


    "I met Alina on the ne, and I had no idea where she had gone. She asked to change seats with


    me. We didn''t really say much to each other. If you''re unhappy on ount of me helping her looking


    for a boyfriend, I can have someone else deal with this matter." His low voice resounded inside the


    car.


    Maria simply responded, "Good. What''s more, you can''t meet up with her in private."


    Judging by her tone and the annoyed look on her face, James could tell that she was jealous.


    Reining in his amusement, he leaned over and cupped her face in his palms. Then, he closed the


    remaining distance between them with a gentle kiss.


    Maria did not know how to react. ''What does this kiss mean? Does he agree or not?''


    Their lips parted, but their foreheads remained touching, and their breaths mingled between them.


    James rasped out in a hoarse voice, "I promise." Whatever she wanted, he would simply obey.


    His wholehearted devotion was almost unbearable. Her heart melting in her chest, she stroked his


    head and grinned. "Thank you." Then, she patted his head like he was a puppy. "Good boy."


    James raised his eyebrows. Why did he feel like Maria was treating him like a puppy? ''Am I a pet?''


    Maria originally nned to pick up Bob from Augustine''s house, but James refused. ording to


    him, they should have a date, just the two of them, for one night.


    As a result of agreeing to his suggestion, Maria didn''t sleep well that night.


    After having lunch the next day, she had to take a nap before going out.


    As Maria drove past an intersection, she happened to notice a ck car tailing her.


    She remained on high alert after that, but then the vehicle suddenly turned left at a corner and


    disappeared.


    A few minutester, she drove into a sparsely popted road. The ck car that she thought she


    had lost at a previous corner reappeared, but this time on the oppositene.


    The car wasn''t moving fast. It wasn''t until the two cars were close enough that Maria found the


    person behind the wheel was Alina.


    Alina kept staring at her car. Sensing that something was wrong, Maria slowed down her car.


    Just then, the ck car crossed the road''s midline and rushed toward her car. Immediately, Maria


    shifted to reverse gear and retreated.


    ''Is Alina out of her mind? Does she forget that she is pregnant?


    I can''t get involved in a car collision.''


    Meanwhile, another car queued up behind hers. The narrow road did not allow for overtakes, so the


    driver slowed down and honked his horn.


    However, Alina''s car kept moving forward. Caught between two cars, Maria had no choice but to


    drive in reverse until she inevitably bumped into the car behind her. The screech of metal against


    metal made Maria grit her teeth in distress.


    Even then, she stepped on the gas and continued to drive backwards.


    She couldn''t let Alina hit her and seed in whatever she was nning.


    Maria''s continued attempts to escape drove Alina crazy. The woman stepped on her gas pedal.


    By then, her car had reached an intersection. Their cars were a few moments away from a head-on


    collision when a small truck suddenly hurtled toward them from another direction.


    The truck crashed into the side of Alina''s car.


    The ident happened so suddenly that Maria couldn''t believe her eyes.


    The ear-piercing crunch of metal and skid of rubber tires against the asphalt echoed menacingly on


    the road. Then, Alina''s car got knocked over by the truck.


    The driver seemed to have lost control of the truck entirely, sending the truck into the bushes by the


    roadside.


    With the strength of the impact, Alina''s ck car flipped over a few times before resting in the


    middle of the road with its bottom facing the sky.


    Maria killed her car''s engine, took several deep breaths to calm herself down, and then called the


    ambnce and the police.


    While she spoke on the phone, somebody knocked loudly on her car window. She rolled her


    window down and suspiciously started at the man, who was the driver of the car behind her.


    Maria got out of her car as she talked on the phone with the police. "Yes, that is the correct address.


    Pleasee as soon as possible."


    "What''s wrong with you? Why were you driving your car in reverse? You don''t even know how to


    drive, so why the hell are you on the road?" the man yelled after Maria ended the call.


    With a stony face, Maria pointed at the car that was knocked over. "That person should be held


    responsible for this ident. Didn''t you see that she was trying to hit my car with hers?"


    The other driver appeared shell-shocked when he saw the state of Alina''s car


    The injured truck driver jumped out of his vehicle. Judging from the amount of blood from his


    forehead, Maria could tell that the injury was a minor one.


    All of them rushed to the side of Alina''s car at the same time. Through the blurred windows, they


    could see Alina harnessed upside down by her seatbelt, wincing in pain.


    Maria took a deep breath. Just to destroy her, Alina ignored the fact that she was carrying a baby


    inside her.


    There were only a few witnesses at first, but more people started to gather around the ident site.


    Soon, there were insurancepanies, ambnces, the police, and a throng of curious passers-


    by.


    After Maria''s call to James, she received a call from Peggy. "What''s going on, Maria? Are you


    okay?"


    "How did you know?" Maria asked back, confused.


    "You are on the news."


    "What?" She nced around and found one or two people who looked like reporters. Absently, she


    marveled at the speed at which the news had spread.


    "Yes, you are all over the Inte now. Are you hurt? Did anything happen?" Peggy''s tone got


    higher.


    "I''m fine. It''s Alina who got hurt." When the EMT folks were able to extract her from the car, the


    lower part of her clothes were stained brightly with blood.


    "Thank goodness, you''re fine." Peggy breathed a sigh of relief. To her, nobody else mattered as


    long as Maria wasn''t hurt.


    "I need to go now. Talk to youter."


    "Okay, take care!"


    Maria ended the call and quickly searched for her own name on the Inte. Just as Peggy had told


    her, she was at the top of the hot topics list and search rankings.


    Some headliners were quite sensational and erroneous. ''Maria Song drove toward James Xi''s


    exgirlfriend, '' one of the article titles read.


    She clicked on the news to read more about it. The specific content of the news was that the vicious


    ex-wife, Maria, deliberately drove toward Alina''s car. As a result, her unborn child, who was


    suspected to be fathered by James, was killed on the spot. Alina, who was covered in blood, was


    sent to the hospital. The newspaper would closely follow up on the story.


    Under the articles, the viciousments made Mariaugh darkly. Theizens were all attacking


    her.


    As it turned out, the so-called ident was all nned out beforehand. Alina even prepared the


    fake news to be released to the public before the incident actually happened. As soon as Alina was


    sent to the hospital, all sorts of fake news articles about the collision had started floating all over the


    Inte.


    Maria refreshed the webpage, and more crazy stories about her appeared.


    It had been a while since she was subjected to the public''s wrath like this. Thest time happened


    when James held an activity at her coffee shop, and she became an instant sensation overnight. As


    the cake was sold at five million dors, someone put up a nasty, lie-infested write-up about her that


    maligned her character so thoroughly. One million for a cup of coffee and five million for a cake?


    She was quite the Inte celebrity in those days due to her alleged fortune-hunting personality.


    She didn''t care what they said about her on the Inte and let the curses fly right by her head.


    Today, history repeated itself. Maria was once again the topic of gossip, and it was fast starting to


    appear to her that Alina had something to do even with her previous online notoriety.


    ''Alina''s an idiot. Did the thought of dash cams and high-tech video recorders not ur to her at all?''


    Ignoring the buzzing of her phone in her pocket, Maria went back to her car to get the memory card


    from the dash cam.


    When she got there, the car door was open.


    Staring at her car door for a long time, she was filled with a sense of foreboding.

 Chapter 372 Leave It To Me

    Chapter 372 Leave It To Me


    Maria searched the memory card slot of the dash camera, only to find that it was empty.


    She wanted to curse, not even at other people, but at herself. How could she be so stupid? She


    hadn''t even realized that something had been stolen from her car.


    Whoever the thief was, they must have taken the opportunity to break into her car when she had


    walked away to see whether Alina was okay.


    Scratching her head, she leaned back on the chair with an irritable groan.


    Her phone rang at that moment, and she answered it without even looking at the caller ID. "Hello."


    "I''m almost there. How are you doing now?" It was James on the other line.


    "The memory card of the dash cam is gone. Someone stole it. Can you check if the footage is


    stored on the cloud?" she said anxiously. The car was developed by HL Group, so she hoped that


    James would have a solution.


    "Well, since your memory card is gone, you won''t be able to see the footage even if you connect to


    the cloud storage." The cloud storage ount had a limited memory, and needed to be updated


    manually.


    Maria bit her lip, feeling like she had lost all hope. "I just took a look. There is no surveince


    camera on this stretch of the road, and there is only one camera far behind. Alina must have


    nned-" She suddenly stopped herself before continuing, "James, people on the Inte are


    saying that I deliberately crashed into Alina to make her miscarry."


    To her surprise, James scoffed. "Let me take care of it," he said casually.


    "Why are youughing? Those people are also saying that the child she was carrying was yours!"


    Maria knew that it wasn''t the right time or ce to argue with him about this matter, but she couldn''t


    help it.


    "I''mughing because they are stupid," James exined patiently.


    Still unconvinced, Maria pressed her lips into a thin line and asked, "Why are they stupid?"


    "Maria." James'' tone turned serious.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    "I''m here."


    "Do you know why you''ve never been able to defeat them? I mean Alina, Rosa, and Colby."


    Jonathan wasn''t included in the list.


    Maria gritted her teeth unhappily. It wasn''t that she couldn''t defeat these people. For example, she


    had had many opportunities to make Alina suffer, but for some reason, she had let the other woman


    go again and again.


    "Why?" she asked uncertainly. Alina was definitely weaker than her in all aspects. Thinking about it


    now, the only reason she hadn''t been able to defeat Alina was because James was protecting her.


    As for Rosa, the war between them had only just begun, so he couldn''t say that she couldn''t defeat


    her yet.


    "Because you are not as cruel as them," James said simply. He hit the nail right on the head.


    It didn''t matter who the father of Alina''s baby was.


    All that mattered was that, in order to frame Maria, Alina was willing to even sacrifice her unborn


    baby. On the other hand, after getting pregnant with Bob, Maria had fought tooth and nail to protect


    him. She had even gone so far as to hide his identity from James.


    James had already guessed that the reason she hadn''t told him about Bob''s identity was because


    he had once told her that he would dig out the baby in her belly. And that was why he didn''t me


    her for not telling him about Bob.


    Now, even though she had him firmly on her side, she was still requesting him to protect the child.


    What was more, back when she had taken Colby''s daughter away in the US, she hadn''t harmed a


    single hair on the young girl''s head, but eventually sent her back home safe and sound.


    So, how could such a soft-hearted person like Maria intentionally try to kill an innocent fetus? James


    had no doubt about what the truth was.


    As for Maria, she stayed silent for a long time after hearing James'' words.


    Even without an exnation, she could follow his line of reasoning.


    In the end, she just let out an exhausted sigh.


    Knowing how she was feeling, James continued, "Don''t be afraid of problems. Every problem has a


    solution. Leave it to me. But for me to do that, you have to believe that I had nothing to do with the


    baby in her belly."


    Maria was at a loss as to whether tough or cry. "I believe you," she said softly. She would trust


    him, just as much as he trusted her.


    "Good, now get out of the car." "What?"


    Maria turned around in a daze as she heard a knock on the car door. Through the window, she saw


    a man standing outside, looking at her with a phone held up to his ear.


    Relief flooded her heart as she opened the door and got out of the car. "James," she breathed,


    gently throwing her arms around him. At this moment, she felt deeply wronged, because of Alina''s


    trap, as well as the people who abused her indiscriminately on the Inte. Even though she knew


    that Alina must have paid those people to spread such hateful lies, she still couldn''t help but break


    into tears upon seeing her pir offort.


    James kissed her hair gently andforted her. "It''s not a big deal."


    "Okay." She didn''t want to think about anything. She just wanted to rely on him.


    In order to make her feel at ease, James, who rarely joked around, said, "I''ve never seen any


    woman who crashes her car or buys a new car as frequently as you do." Fortunately, he could


    afford to buy plenty of new cars for her.


    "What happened today wasn''t my fault," Maria said, pouting.


    "I know it wasn''t. I''ll arrange a driver for you," James said, patting her on the back. He was just d


    that Alina was the one who had gotten hurt, and not Maria. He had been frightened out of his skin


    after hearing the news of the car ident.


    "You are ming me," Maria said, pulling back and looking at him with her jaw dropped in shock.


    "When ites to your safety, I can''t let you do whatever you want," James exined. If it was any


    other matter, he would give into this woman without a second thought.


    Noticing the firmness of his tone, Maria reluctantly agreed. "Fine. But you pay for the driver."


    "Okay," James said with a chuckle. He had never intended on letting her pay anyway.


    The top search topics about Maria and the car ident quietly disappeared from the Inte.


    James couldn''t bear to see anyone cursing or badmouthing her, so he banned all the ounts that


    did so.


    At the hospital


    Miranda eximed, "What did you say?" The doctor patiently repeated, "The car ident caused a


    rupture in her uterus, so there is no possibility of saving the baby. Now, we have to do an operation


    to remove the uterus. Otherwise, the massive hemorrhage will put her life in danger. As her closest


    family member, we need you to sign this consent form. We have to perform the operation as soon


    as possible."


    Miranda was in a daze after hearing the first sentence, and barely registered the rest of the doctor''s


    words. With a lump in her throat, she asked, "Is my daughter pregnant?" She had no idea that her


    daughter was pregnant, let alone who the father of the baby was.


    "Yes. You didn''t know? It has been more than three months."


    Miranda didn''t know what to say. She really hadn''t known anything. She covered her aching heart


    and leaned against the wall, gasping for breath. "If my daughter''s uterus is removed, she will lose


    the right to be a mother forever, right?"


    "Yes. But this is a life or death situation. She has no other choice.


    Please sign your name as soon as possible so that the operation can be a sessful one," the


    doctor urged.


    Once all the news about Maria had been wiped off the Inte, Joshua released a legal letter on


    the public ount of HL Group.


    The legal letter clearly stated that Alina being pregnant with James'' child, Maria deliberately


    crashing into her car to make her miscarry, and all other rted topics were just baseless rumors. It


    also stated that HL Group had preserved the evidence of the infringement, and would call every


    infringer to ount in ordance with thew, so as to protect the legal rights of James and Maria.


    James had swiftly taken the offensive, which was the most effective position in matters like this.


    Overnight, dozens of social media ounts publicly apologized to Maria, clearly admitting that they


    had epted bribes to discredit her.


    The next evening, James walked into the in-patient department of the hospital with a group of


    people.


    As soon as Alina saw him, her heart sank. Obviously, she knew that he wasn''t here to show his


    concern for her.


    As expected, he stood next to her bed and said, "Right now, I don''t care who the mastermind


    behind all this is. What I want now is for you to publicly apologize to Maria and prove her


    innocence."


    In fact, he already knew who the mastermind was, but he needed to deal with Alina first.


    "No way! She killed my baby! How can you protect her even after that, James?" Alina protested


    immediately. She had onlye out of the operation room a while ago, and her face was deathly


    pale.


    "She killed your baby?" James sneered.

 Chapter 373 Joining Hands

    Chapter 373 Joining Hands


    "Yes," said Alina, gritting her teeth and asserting that it was Maria who bumped into her on purpose.


    "You still don''t know how to repent even after what happened," Jamesmented coldly. "If you


    don''t apologize to Maria in public, I will destroy Tang Group. Don''t forget that I brought thepany


    to glory. I can just as easily tear it down."


    Alina forgot how powerful this man was in H City.


    Her deathly pale face fell in discouragement. Parting her bloodless lips, she asked in a soft voice,


    "James, can you answer me a question? Did you ever love me?"


    "I never loved you. Not even for a second." There was only one woman in the world whom he loved,


    and that was Maria.


    Alina choked on her sobs upon hearing his answer.


    "I don''t have time to waste on you anymore. As long as you apologize to Maria, I will let you go. You


    will have nothing to do with me from now on. If you insist on going against me, guess how long Tang


    Group can exist in H City."


    Alina smiled amidst her tears. "James, you are so cruel!" James was reputed to be decisive and


    cruel in business. She had never been on the receiving end of his viciousness before, but she


    believed it this time.


    He still didn''t show her any mercy even though she had just lost her baby and her uterus. On the


    contrary, he even threatened to destroy the whole Tang Group.


    She also knew that if she dared to disagree with him even at the expense of Tang Group, he would


    have countless ways topel her to agree.


    His eyes sharp and cold, James said emotionlessly, "I''m not Maria, who''s always been softhearted


    toward you. Since you dared to provoke me, you should be prepared to suffer a life worse than


    death!"


    The moment Alina agreed to his requirements, Summer pushed the door to the ward open, letting


    two mene in.


    The immediately pointed their cameras on the woman lying in the hospital bed.


    James walked away from the slightmotion and stood silently by the window.


    One of the reporters sat on the edge of the bed. After the camera was adjusted, he introduced


    himself, "Hello, Ms. Tang. I''m a reporter from the H City Daily. I want to interview you about what


    happened that day."


    Suffering under great pressure, Alina said to the camera, "What happened that day was an


    ident. Maria had nothing to do with it. There was something wrong with my car''s brake. Maria


    just happened to pass by the ident. I know that she has been hurt a lot about all this, and I''d like


    to apologize to her."


    The reporter asked another question. "Reports have mentioned that the child in your womb was Mr.


    Xi''s. What do you have to say about that?"


    A bitter smile appeared on her lips. "The baby was not his. The child''s father was... my ex-


    boyfriend, with whom I have already parted ways. I want to say sorry to Mr. Xi for the adverse effect


    this rumor must have caused his reputation."


    Soon, the interview came to an end. It was clear that the interview was exclusively prepared to clear


    Maria''s name.


    James walked out of the ward first, followed by the reporters.


    Summer stood by the side and didn''t move. When there were only two women left in the ward, two


    bodyguards came in soon.


    Looking at Summer, Alina had a bad feeling. "What else does James want?"


    Summer walked over to her calmly. "Ms. Tang, this has nothing to do with Mr. Xi. This is my own


    idea. You ordered a servant to feed Maria poison to make her dumb. Today, I just want you to


    know..."


    Her voice trailed off, and an odd smile appeared on her face.


    Alina widened her eyes in fear.


    Summer''sst words rang in her ear. "Good for good and evil for evil. Your retributiones today!"


    It would never get exposed. Even if it did, people would never be able to trace it to James or Maria.


    Summer would im that it was her own idea.


    "No! Mmmph!" One bodyguard mped a hand over Alina''s mouth and subdued her struggling


    body.


    Another man took out a syringe from his pocket, pushed the air out, and unerringly stabbed it into


    Alina''s arm.


    After that, Summer left with the bodyguards.


    It waste at night, and the terrifying sound of a woman''s constant sobs echoed from the ward.


    When James returned to the vi, Maria was holding Bob in her arms and watching the interview


    released by the reporters where Alina was apologizing to her.


    When she saw hime in, Maria closed the video yer app on her phone. "Did you go to see


    her?"


    James took his son from her arms and nodded. "Yes. " Then, he lowered his head and kissed Bob


    on the cheek.


    Maria didn''t know what James had done to Alina, but she could guess that he showed the woman


    no mercy. Otherwise, Alina would not have rified and apologized so soon.


    "How is Alina doing now?" she asked.


    "You care about her?" he asked.


    "Of course not. I''m just curious." Of course she didn''t care about Alina.


    "I heard from the doctor that she lost the baby, and that they had to take out her uterus to save her.


    Moreover, one of her legs was broken." ''And she would never speak again,'' he thought to himself.


    "Okay." Maria didn''t know how to feel about the update on Alina''s condition. "How did she agree to


    rify and apologize in public?"


    "There were many ways to make her do that. I used Tang Group first." That tactic proved to be


    sessful.


    Maria nodded thoughtfully. "I don''t think she did this alone." Someone must have been working with


    her.


    "Yes. HM Group and Tang Group joined hands," James replied casually.


    ''HM Group and Tang Group? Two powerful groups have joined hands with each other? Do they aim


    to bring James down?'' Maria looked at the man worriedly.


    James ced his son on the big bed, and the little boy immediately turned over and began to crawl


    around.


    cing his arm around her shoulders, James teased her, "Why, are you worried about me?"


    "Yes." She hadn''t expected HM Group and Tang Group to conspire in order to deal with James.


    "Maria, you are my woman. Even if you were their target, I wouldn''t just sit idly by and let them.


    They''re better off going up against me, because I know a lot of ways to deal with them. Don''t worry."


    If he was afraid of Colby, how could he survive in H City?


    So what if the man cooperated with yton? He didn''t give a damn about either of them.


    "Okay." Maria knew better than to worry too much about him. After all, her man was extremely


    powerful. But then, she felt a slight twinge of guilt.


    In order to make her feel at ease, James continued, "Do you know Mu Group?"


    Of course. Maria knew that Mu Group was a familyrun enterprise with a deep-rooted history in H


    City. Its strength was not inferior to HM Group¡ªin fact, it might be even more influential than the


    latter.


    James said in a t tone, "Ethan is the youngest son of the Mu Group''s CEO. For now, he''s trying to


    live in a happy, carefree manner, but they will have to take him back sooner orter to inherit the


    enterprise."


    Maria gaped at him in shock. "Ethan is Mu Group''s heir?"? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

 Chapter 374 Diamond Ring

    Chapter 374 Diamond Ring


    James nodded. "Yeah, Ethan''s grandfather is the chairman of Mu Group. And Ethan is his favorite


    grandson."


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    ''Oh my God! No wonder a young veterinarian like him is able to spend money without a care in the


    world!


    And he has a winery in France.'' Maria''s eyes went wide with shock.


    "Then why is his surname Nan?"


    "To throw people off his scent. He always wants to keep a low profile." His name change greatly


    angered his grandfather, so much so that he threatened to cut Ethan off-but Ethan was still his


    favorite, so he was reluctant to do so. So far, they had been in a stalemate.


    Maria sighed. "Money makes some people so stubborn."


    As she spoke, Bob was quietly making his way to the edge of the bed. Fortunately, James caught


    him in the act and yanked him back to the center of the mattress.


    The little boy seemed unhappy. He frowned and gurgled, "Mommy..."


    ''Mommy?'' Maria''s eyes lit up in excitement. "James, did you hearthat? Bob called me Mommy!"


    The man frowned. "Why doesn''t he call me Daddy?"


    Maria rolled her eyes at him and scooped up her son. "Son, call me Mommy...


    Bob watched his mother attentively and opened his mouth to imitate her. "Mommy..."


    When Maria was sure the child was addressing her, she kissed him on the forehead happily. "My


    dear baby, you''re amazing!"


    James, on the other hand, was frowning deeply. He walked over to the two and grabbed his son''s


    little hand. "Hey, call me Daddy!"


    Bob just looked at him with his big eyes and said nothing.


    James let go of the boy''s hand dejectedly.


    Mariaughed and tried tofort her upset man. "Don''t worry about it too much. The baby is only


    a few months old. He''ll call your his daddy sooner orter." Maybe he would call James his dad


    after the Spring Festival.


    "Fine."


    Later that evening, Maria headed to the bathroom to take a shower, leaving James in charge of the


    baby.


    Halfway through her shower, she heard the baby''s criesing from the bedroom. But she decided


    to shrug it off; after all, his father was there to take care of him.


    However, a few minutester, the door to the bathroom burst open and James came in, carrying a


    very upset Bob.


    The moment Bobid eyes on his mother, he stopped wailing. He just looked at Maria with tearful


    eyes, gurgling slightly.


    Maria, still in the bath, eyed her son warily. Then she shifted her gaze to the man carrying him,


    shooting him a murderous re.


    James was also ticked off. Carrying his son into the bathroom was hisst resort. "He''s just making


    a scene. He''s full, but he doesn''t want to go to sleep." He looked down at his son indignantly. He


    wanted to pinch Bob as a disciplinary action. However, worried that Maria would kill him, he resisted


    that urge.


    Maria sighed and hurried to finish her shower. James stood to the side with Bob in his arms. After a


    while, he headed back to the bedroom, Bob in his arms.


    "Waah!" The second he stepped foot outside the bathroom, Bob burst into tears once more.


    "Can I beat him now?" James asked, rolling his eyes. Why did this little boy insist on watching his


    mother take a shower?


    "No. But you can take him to the pool, he always enjoys a swim." Bob, like most other children,


    enjoyed ying in the water.


    "No. It''s time for him to go to bed." If Bob didn''t go to sleep, James wouldn''t be able to be intimate


    with Maria.


    Maria sighed again. "Fine. I''ll be done here soon."


    When she was done with her shower, Maria wrapped herself in a bath towel and took Bob from


    James.


    Bob seemed satisfied, and rested his chin on her shoulder contentedly.


    Maria patted the baby''s diapered butt and asked James, "Did you pinch him?"


    "Yes," James said on purpose, locking eyes with her defiantly.


    What did she take him for? A child abuser?


    Maria stifled herughter and tried to pretend to be angry. "I knew it!" she eximed.


    "Do you want me to show you how I pinched him?" James saw this as an opportunity to teach Bob


    a lesson and actually pinch the baby.


    Maria hurriedly turned the boy away from him protectively. "It''s your turn to take a shower."


    Without arguing with her, James nodded and went into the bathroom.


    HL Group''s annual meeting was held a littleter than usual this year. James had instructed


    Summer to make it grander than usual.


    There were three meetings in total. Only the most popr stars of H City were invited to enliven the


    atmosphere of the meetings.


    James took Maria with him to all three meetings without even trying to hide the fact that they were


    together. In the eyes of all his employees, Maria was already Mrs. Xi.


    This year''s Spring Festival was even more lively in Xi family thanks to the presence of Bob. It was


    also the first Spring Festival Maria and James celebrated together in years.


    On the New Year''s Eve, they took Bob to Augustine''s house. Sebastian and Cooper also came.


    Augustine and Charlotte were so happy. Over dinner, Augustine even helped himself to two whole


    sses of hard alcohol.


    Everyone stayed in the house for the night. After making sure the child was asleep, Maria stepped


    onto the balcony and bent over the handrail to watch the wintery scene before her.


    When James was done with his work, he went to look for Maria. He found her by the balcony railing


    and crept up behind her. When he was finally close enough, he wrapped his arms around her waist


    and whispered lovingly into her ear, "Mia."


    Unfortunately for him, Maria smelled the alcohol in his breath and shoved him away in disgust.


    "Take a shower," she ordered.


    "Just wait a minute." Heedless of her order, he buried his nose in her sweet-smelling hair and


    refused to leave her.


    Finally, Maria decided to just let him be.


    "We''ve known each other for around ten years, right? Yet this is the first time we''ve spent Spring


    Festival together." In the first year they got together, he left her at home after the family reunion


    dinner on the lunar New Year''s Eve.


    The man squeezed the woman in his arms tightly. "From now on, let''s celebrate every Spring


    Festival together."


    Leaning into his embrace, she kept silent for a while. Finally, she said tly, "Okay."


    James didn''t notice her change of tone. "You had disappeared for months. I didn''t know you were


    going to have a baby. You had a good n. You told me you needed some space for a while."


    He didn''t me her pertaining to the fact that she had set him up. Of course, he wouldn''t dare to.


    Maria just snorted. "Why would I have told you the truth, Mr. Xi? You would''ve dug the baby out of


    my belly."


    "I wouldn''t have done that. I just wanted to scare you. " How could he do that to his own child?


    Maria turned around to look the man in the eye. "Mr. Xi, are you nning to settle ounts with


    me?"


    "What ounts? I''m just saying, you were kind of unfair to me." His hand reached up and lingered


    on her cheek.


    She held back herughter. "How about you disappear for a few months and let me know how you


    felt?"


    No way! James nted a kiss on her lips and said, "I think you can make it up to me with your


    body."


    Maria rolled her eyes. ''Jerk!''


    There was a moment of silence on the balcony. Finally, James pulled away slightly to fish something


    out of his pocket. He ced the mysterious item on her finger and whispered, "My Spring Festival


    gift to you." He only had one wish that year, and that was to remarry Maria.


    Maria stared at the shiny diamond ring on her finger. "I thought I already refused your proposal,"


    she said after a while.


    "That doesn''t mean I can''t put a diamond ring on your finger."


    Maria looked at him wordlessly. This was all just sweet talk, right? When did James learn how to do


    that? Finally, she held up the huge rock on her finger and announced, "Not bad!"


    "Just not bad?" James was not satisfied.


    She rolled her eyes and pretended to take off the ring. "You once gave Alina a ring, which totally


    disgusted me at the time."

 Chapter 375 Finding A Wife

    Chapter 375 Finding A Wife


    James held Maria''s hand and squeezed it gently. "The ring I gave Alina was in your size."


    ''No wonder Alina''s ring fitted my finger perfectly, '' Maria thought to herself. "How did you know my


    size? More importantly, why''d you get her a ring in my size?" she asked.


    James exined it all to her patiently. "I''ve always known your size, ever since we got married.


    When they asked me about Alina''s ring size, my mind went nk and I blurted out your size


    instead."


    Maria smiled to herself, understanding what had happened. "Well, I still don''t agree."


    "Mia-"


    Maria interrupted him quickly. "There''s a saying that if you love a person, you would call them by


    their full name." She was lying. The truth was, whenever he called her Mia, he sounded so sexy that


    she would go weak in the knees.


    James looked at her dubiously for a moment before finally saying, "That can''t be right. If you love


    someone, you would call them by their nickname."


    Maria chuckled. "You dare go against me?"


    "No, I love you in my own way."


    Her heart happily skipped a beat. ''He''s so good at flirting!''


    Once upon a time, James had thought that he would never love a woman wholeheartedly. If one


    couldn''t even control their heart, how was they able to manage argepany? Now he knew


    how ignorant he was.


    It was Maria who made him realize that matters of the heart and matters of thepany were two


    different things. She also made him realize he loved her way more than she could ever hope for.


    "Mia." His tone softened. He was determined to continue the conversation Maria had just


    interrupted.


    "Yes?"


    "Would you remarry me?" He couldn''t keep it in any longer.


    She looked up to lock eyes with him. As resolutely as how he had refused her before, she dered,


    "No way!"


    James'' expression hardened. He hadn''t forgotten what he had said before.


    He didn''t expect that he would be pped in the face by his own words.


    Maria didn''t take off the diamond ring. James didn''t allow it, even if she refused his proposal.


    On the second day of the lunar New Year, James and Maria had dinner with their friends, taking


    Bob with them. The boy received lots of thick red packets.


    Ethan held Bob, and he bounced the little boy on hisp giddily. "Bob, how about you call me your


    godfather? I''ll give you my manor in the US."


    Ethan had a manor in the US, which covered over ten thousand acres ofnd. It was a gift from his


    grandfather when he reached adulthood.


    Maria had no clue how big the manor was, but she didn''t care. She wanted to step in and refuse,


    but she knew James would answer, so she lowered her head and ate in silence instead.


    James cast a sidelong nce at Ethan. "Why would I have my son take care of your tinynd?


    Show some sincerity."


    Ethan''s face fell. "What makes you think I''m insincere? Lowrie, what are you going to give to Bob?"


    Reaching over to pinch Bob''s chubby cheek, Lawrence said, "I''ll give him a team."


    His so-called "team" was no ordinary group of people. It consisted of roughly a thousand highly


    trained mercenaries, each one very capable.


    James nodded with satisfaction. Then, he turned to Ethan and said, "Take notes from him."


    Ethan pouted, "What if I hire a team for Bob as well?"


    Cooper, who had been silent throughout the dinner, chuckled. "Why don''t you find yourself a wife


    and have a daughter, so that she can marry Bob?"


    Maria almost choked on her food.


    Ethan looked up, deep in thought. "Maria, let me find someone who will give birth to your future


    daughter-inw. Can you take the child and raise the two children together? I mean, just imagine


    them growing up together. How romantic!"


    Lawrence patted him on the shoulder and joked good -naturedly, "Wow, buddy, you''re so good at


    saving money."


    Maria dabbed at the corners of her mouth with a napkin. "You''d need to find a girlfriend first,


    wouldn''t you?" This was moreplicated than it sounded. After all, Ethan''s grandfather was the


    chairman of Mu Group.


    The girl should be of equal status. "Do you really think that no one''s vying for my attention?" Ethan


    asked dejectedly. The truth was, many women were trying to get him to look at them. He had never


    mentioned this before since he wanted to keep a low profile.


    Maria shook her head with a coy smile. "No. It is exactly because there are too many women after


    you that makes it hard for you to find a girlfriend."


    "Ethan, you have to have a daughter no matter what," Cooper continued. "I''m sure Maria will dote


    on her."


    "Yes, hurry up! It''s not toote. I don''t mind if Bob is two or three years older than his future wife,"


    Maria teased.


    Ethan hung his head low gloomily and looked into Bob''s eyes. "Can you find a wife for me? I''ll leave


    my marriage to you."


    "Oh, poor Bob! How could you burden my baby with such a heavy task?" Mariained.


    Lawrence smiled but said nothing, quietly observing as they teased each other.


    The guests took turns holding Bob, until finally he was back in Maria''s arms.


    She made him sip from her water before she gave him to James.


    Just then, a waitress came over with a pot of tea in her hand. She was about to refill Maria''s cup,


    but Maria didn''t notice there was someone standing behind her and identally hit the waitress


    with her elbow.


    The sudden blow shook the waitress''s hand, identally spilling the tea onto Maria''sp.


    "Ouch!" Maria cried out softly.


    Before James, who was holding Bob, coulde to her rescue, the three other men leapt to their


    feet and rushed to Maria''s side.


    "Maria, are you okay?" Ethan asked, his tone colored with worry.


    "Did you get burned, Maria?" Cooper piped in, frowning deeply.


    "Go to the bathroom and rinse the burnt area with cold water,"


    Lawrence instructed seriously. James'' expression darkened.


    Did they all think that this woman''s husband was invisible?


    Maria waved her hand at them dismissively. "Don''t worry, my clothes are thick. The tea isn''t even


    that hot."


    The waitress was petrified. When she finally snapped back to her senses, she started apologizing


    profusely. "I''m so sorry, Mrs. Xi. Please, let me escort you to the restroom.¡±


    Maria studied her clothes and found that there wasn''t that much tea that spilled on her. This was


    nothingpared to the time Alina had someone pour hot soup on her. "It''s fine, just be more


    careful next time."


    Later, the manager of the restaurant came and apologized to Maria again and again. He also


    offered her a new set of clothes to make up for it.


    "I don''t think such a careless person should be working in the hospitality industry," James said


    monotonously. It was only thanks to the fact that the tea water was lukewarm and that Maria was


    dressed in thick clothes that no one got hurt.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    If this had happened during the summertime, Maria would''ve been burnt more badly. Who would be


    responsible then?


    The manager immediately understood what James meant. "Mr. Xi, we won''t keep such employees


    here. I will also strengthen the training for other employees next time."


    "Okay."


    Maria held James'' hand, winked at him, and then spoke for the waitress. "That girl has served us


    several times, and she''s always done a good job. Don''t fire her over something that happened just


    this once."


    She was telling the truth. She hade here with James a couple of times. The waitress was an


    excellent employee, which was precisely why she had been chosen to serve them. The waitress


    hadn''t made any mistakes before. The incident just now was Maria''s fault, too. She didn''t notice the


    waitress standing behind her and identally elbowed her.


    The girl had apologized, and Maria didn''t get hurt. Maria thought she deserved a second chance.

 Chapter 376 A Married Man

    Chapter 376 A Married Man


    The manager nodded in relief. The waitress in question truly was an excellent employee, and he


    didn''t want to fire her, either. He was relieved to hear what Maria said. "Mrs. Xi, thank you for being


    so open-minded. I will strengthen the employee training right away."


    When the manager was gone, Ethan eyed the stain on Maria''s clothes and said, "Why not change


    your clothes?"


    "I''m fine. The heating will dry them up eventually." This wasn''t the first time Maria said this.


    Holding Bob in his arms, James looked at the three men, one by one. Then, his gaze fell on


    Lawrence once more and he asked, "Did you get your marriage licenses?"


    Taken aback, Lawrence nodded, "Yes." They decided not to hold a wedding for the time being.


    "So you''re a married man?"


    "Yeah."


    James said in a t tone, "Now that you''re married, don''t get too close to other people''s wives."


    Lawrence was dumbstruck. He quickly called to mind the events that took ce just now and


    wondered how he had managed to offend this man. Was it because he cared when Maria got hurt?


    While Lawrence and Cooper immediately caught on, Maria and Ethan were still lost.


    James'' next target was Ethan. "Ethan, I think what


    Cooper suggested is a good idea. You''d better find a wife soon and give birth to a daughter, so Bob


    will have a wife. If you can''t find a girlfriend by yourself, I''ll talk to your grandfather to arrange a blind


    date for you."


    "No, I''m still young. I don''t want any blind dates right now." Ethan shuddered at the thought of going


    on a blind date.


    "You don''t want to get married?" James asked through gritted teeth.


    "I''m only in my early twenties. I need to have fun first and see what the world has to offer before I


    settle down. I don''t want to get married until I''m thirty." Being young was key. If he didn''t have fun


    now while he was young, he was sure to regret it in the future.


    With one hand propping his son up and the other tapping the dining table with his index finger,


    James seemed to be deep in thought.


    From under the table, Cooper secretly kicked Ethan, who was still unaware of what was going on.


    Perplexed, Ethan looked over at him and received a wink from Cooper.


    Cooper''s eyes darted from James to Maria, trying to send Ethan a coded message. Finally, it


    dawned on Ethan. "James, I actually met a girl a few days ago," he said hurriedly. "She''s lively,


    innocent, and young. I''m quite interested in her. I''ve decided to ask someone for her phone


    number." But the truth was, there was no such a girl in his life at all. She was nothing but a figment


    of his imagination, made up on the spot.


    James'' eyebrows shot up dubiously. "You changed your mind so soon? Didn''t you just say that you


    didn''t want to get married?"


    Ethan smiled coyly and said, "I just wanted to tell you what kind of girl I''m into. I didn''t say I was


    going to marry her, did I?" He finally realized the cause for this conversation: James'' jealousy.


    "Well, that makes sense." It was not until then that James, who was nning to set him up with ten


    other women, gave up the idea and let him off the hook.


    Finally, it was Cooper''s turn. After learning from Lawrence''s and Ethan''s experiences just now,


    Cooper coughed slightly and took initiative. "James, do you think you could introduce me to some


    girl?"


    "You don''t n on anything long term, do you? I''m worried you''ll do her wrong," James said calmly.


    "No, I''m ready. I''m over twenty. Grandma was urging me to find one just yesterday." Additionally,


    while he didn''t say it out loud, he figured it''d be good to have a girlfriend so that James would stop


    targeting him. He didn''t want his own brother to view him as a rival.


    "In that case, give me some time to think if I know anyone who''d suit you."


    "Thank you, James!"


    Finally, Maria spoke up. "Cooper, do you remember my good friend, Sandra?"


    Cooper thought for a while then said, "Yes."


    "Why not ask her out? She''s quite promising, I think. She''s going to take a postgraduate entrance


    exam to further her studies." Maria wouldn''t miss any chance to help her friend get a boyfriend.


    Cooper didn''t know whether tough or cry. He decided to just go with the flow for now. "Okay,


    Maria."


    "Why don''t you take her to the movies when you''re free?" Maria was extremely satisfied with


    herself. After all, Sandra was obsessed with him!


    "Okay." Cooper decided to listen to her.


    Even after dinner, Maria didn''t catch on to what happened. This was because, when the ident


    happened, she was too busy paying attention to her clothes when the three men leapt to her side.


    Later that evening, the family of three retreated to their vi. Absentmindedly studying her


    fingernails, Maria said, "James, will youe with me to get a manicure tomorrow? We can leave


    Bob at Dad''s ce."


    It was obvious that Sebastian was very fond of Bob. Whenever they got together, Sebastian


    seemed to cherish every moment he could get with the little boy.


    James nced at the woman''s cherry-colored fingernails before saying, "Having a manicure too


    many times isn''t good for your nails."


    What a bummer! Maria withdrew her hand and retorted indifferently, "Making love too frequently is


    not good for your health. So why do you have to do it every night?"


    James was rendered speechless. Why did she have to put sex on his mind?


    "If you stop me from getting a manicure, I''ll rece you with another man. He won''t just let me do


    my nails, he''ll also care for me and give me lots of money." Maria relished any opportunity to make


    snide remarks in front of James. In her eyes, she probably spoiled him too muchtely, so much so


    that he''d forgotten she could easily rece him.


    Pursing his lips, James had a sudden change of heart. "I''ll go with you." There was no way he''d let


    her entertain such an idea.


    He wanted her to know that he was the only man who cared for her and was willing to give her all


    the money in the world.


    Maria wrapped her arms around the man''s neck smugly and pecked him on the lips.


    "Good boy." James felt sorry for himself because of his lowly status before Maria.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    The following day, James apanied Maria on her trip to the spa for her manicure. There wasn''t


    a moment where he left her side, nor did he urge her to hurry up.


    Maria decided not only to get a manicure, but also facial and hand care. Only then was she


    satisfied.


    When the two emerged from the spa, she slipped her newly-manicured hand into James'' and kissed


    him on the cheek happily. "Let''s go."


    James was infected by her happiness. "You seem to be in a good mood." He had just apanied


    her to do a manicure, he did nothing big.


    "Why wouldn''t I be? Does that make you unhappy?"


    "Of course not." As long as she was happy, so was he.


    Maria squeezed his hand in hers and said, "I think we''d better hold hands from now on."


    "Why?"


    "It makes me feel safe!" Whenever she felt his fingers inteced in hers, she felt a sense of security.


    Raising his eyebrows, James asked, "Do you still need to feel safe?"


    "Of course! I''m a woman, after all. There are some things that only a man can give me." "Such as...


    the pleasure of being together at night?" James asked slyly.


    Maria''s cheeks went red. She looked around quickly and heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that


    there was no one nearby. She squeezed the man''s hand as hard as she could and asked


    sardonically, "Why not speak louder so that everyone can hear you?"


    He didn''t take her words seriously. "This is something I can talk to with my wife only. Why should I


    let them hear me?"


    Maria wanted to press her palm against her face and shake her head. If he was going to act as


    thick-skinned as this, she was willing to ept defeat.


    "I''m going to visit a clientter to drop off some gifts," she said, changing the subject. "Will you go


    back to the office?"


    "Yes." For James, it was the clients that came to him.


    Maria sighed. "Sooner orter, I will rise to a position as high as yours and wait for clients to give


    me gifts!"


    "If you want, you can have that position right now." He meant it.

 Chapter 377 Biological Son

    Chapter 377 Biological Son


    Maria smiled at him. "Then I''d better start working even harder. I don''t want people thinking I rose


    among the ranks by sleeping with you!"


    "Who would dare?" James'' tone was full of unquestionable authority.


    "Why are you so serious? I was just joking, no need to take it so seriously."


    "All right." He wasn''t about to allow anyone to speak badly of Maria.


    Maria eyed him warily. ''He can''t take a joke!''


    When the two parted ways, Maria got into her car and headed to her client''s house.


    James had bought her this car and had even hired a female driver for her. Because she always had


    problems driving, she had no choice but to ept this arrangement for the time being.


    Her client lived in Golden International.


    Along the way, she asked the driver to drive slowly so she could roll down her window and enjoy the


    scenery.


    It suddenly urred to her that Ms. Wang, the woman who had won the auction for the cake at the


    price of five million dors, also lived in the area. Maria remembered the number of Ms. Wang''s vi


    was 6.


    A car was parked at the gate of No. 6 vi. Its driver opened the door, got out of the car, and


    opened the door to the back seat.


    Maria popped her head out of her window to take a peek.


    A woman in a long purple fur coat and high heels got out. She sauntered towards the vi with a


    noble air.


    Maria immediately asked her driver to stop the car, and then she quickly got out of the car and


    called out to the woman. "Excuse me!"


    The woman turned around.


    When she saw the woman''s face, Maria gasped in shock.


    It was obvious that the woman wasn''t expecting to meet Maria here. Casting a nce at Maria''s


    car, she asked indifferently, "Yes?"


    "I didn''t expect it to be you. I just so happened to be in the area today. I wanted to thank you,"


    Maria said.


    "For what?" Gabri asked with a slight frown.


    The person who won the cake was surnamed Wang, while this woman''s surname was Zhong.


    However, something in her gut told Maria that the woman in front of her was the one who bought


    the cake. As these thoughts raced through her mind, she simply smiled and said, "Happy new year,


    Ms. Zhong. Thank you for supporting my cafe and bidding for the cake. Here''s a VIP card to the


    cafe. You can enjoy free coffee there from now on."


    At this point, Gabri dropped the facade. "If you really want to thank me, why don''t you go back


    and persuade your man to stop making things difficult for Norman?" ''Huh? What did James do to


    Norman? Howe I don''t know anything about it?'' Shifting her weight ufortably, Maria spoke


    in a calcted tone. "If I don''t misunderstand, the man you are talking about is James, right?"


    "Yes," Gabri confirmed.


    "Ms. Zhong, even though you divorced James'' father many years ago and have another family now,


    James is your son. That is a fact nothing can change. Whatever happened in the past is in the past.


    And now, you are even refusing to call him by his name. If he finds out, won''t that make him sad?"


    Gabri looked aghast. It was obvious she didn''t expect Maria to be so straightforward.


    "I''m sorry," Maria hurriedly said. "I know I shouldn''t have said those words. But I just feel sorry for


    James. He might look cold and domineering on the surface, but really, he''s only human. Please


    forgive me if I offended you, and I''m sorry to have bothered you!"


    After saying that, Maria turned around and hurried back to her car.


    "Wait!" Gabri''s voice rang out sharply.


    Maria hesitated slightly, then turned around.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    "Maria, I know everything about you." Gabri locked eyes with her seriously. "Now that you''ve


    made a move to talk to me, allow me to say something more."


    Very few people and cars were in that area. At that moment, the area was dead silent. As the two


    women stared at each other wordlessly, one could''ve heard a pin drop.


    "I''ll keep this short, Ms. Song. If you are on James'' side, I want to ask if you are nning to stay


    with him. Or are you just nning to use him to take revenge and then leave him forever? Don''t you


    think that your actions will hurt him, too?"


    Maria''s heart skipped a beat. She took a deep breath before retorting, "You just said that you know


    everything about me. If that''s the case, you should know about how James treated me before. You,


    on the other hand, didn''t even give him or Cooper a chance to be your sons. They didn''t do


    anything wrong to you.


    To say the least, James is not stupid. He knows that I''m with him for a reason, yet he''s still willing to


    be with me. He won''t let me go so easily."


    Gabri was stunned. ''What a talkative woman!'' she thought to herself angrily.


    She watched silently as Maria got in her car and left. For a while, she just stood there. Finally, after


    a few minutes, she turned around and entered the vi.


    Maria was right. The people she felt most sorry for in her life were James, Cooper, and Norman. But


    even Norman was treated better than James and Cooper, because she had brought him up herself.


    She had left the Xi family a long time ago, and soon after that, Judy entered the picture. Since then,


    she never gave the children a second thought.


    Gabri sank into the sofa and rested her forehead on one arm. What Maria said just now and


    what James said to herst time lingered in her mind.


    Just then, the maid came over and interrupted her thoughts. She asked softly, "Ma''am, are you


    having a headache again? How about I make you a cup of scented tea?"


    Without raising her head, Gabri said, "No, thanks. Don''t bother me for the time being." "Yes."


    When she was done visiting her client, Maria went shopping.


    Not only Gabri was lost in thought, but also Maria.


    She waltzed into a perfume shop to clear her mind. The delicious aromas greeted her nose as soon


    as she entered. She watched wordlessly as a shop assistant mixed some essential oils.


    "Wee, ma''am. Please, have a look." The shop assistant greeted her with a bright smile.


    "Okay, thanks." The shop was not big, but very exquisite. All kinds of fragrances mixed together


    beautifully, and she didn''t feel bothered by the overwhelming scents.


    She picked up a scented candle on disy and sniffed it. The fragrance was very light, airy, and


    overall, very pleasant. The shop assistant came to her side and said, "This is one of our scented


    candles from the tea fragrance series. It''s perfect for the bedroom, living room, bathroom, and


    office."


    "Is it harmful for an infant?" Maria used to love using scented candles, but ever since the baby


    came along, she was wary of them.


    "The tea fragrance series you are looking at is made from pure essential oils. None of the


    ingredients will harm your child. You can light it for two to three hours at a time. But for the flower


    fragrance series, I advise you not to use them when your baby is around."


    "Okay, thank you."


    With that, Maria bought some scented candles of the tea fragrance series and some of the flower


    fragrance series, intending to use them when Bob wasn''t home.


    When she walked out of the perfume shop, she


    handed the shopping bags to the bodyguard. Then she pulled out her phone and dialed Norman''s


    number. "What did James do to you?"

 Chapter 378 Happy New Year

    Chapter 378 Happy New Year


    Rubbing his eyebrows with one hand, phone in the other, Norman said, "What else could he do? He


    took action on some of mypany''s projects."


    "Sorry, I just found out," Maria apologized.


    "Although he did us some damage, it''s not that big a deal," Norman said lightly. "He probably


    thought that I was being too idle and found something for me to deal with. I didn''t know James could


    get so jealous!"


    Since Norman was in the mood for poking fun at her, things probably weren''t as serious as she''d


    thought. "Well, in that case, happy new year!"


    "Thanks, Maria. Don''t worry about me. I''ll be happy if make trouble for James as much as possible."


    Whenever James was unhappy, he felt doubly happy.


    Maria thought of something and said, "I might have offended your mother just now because of


    James. Please keep herpany if you''re free."


    Norman''s eyebrows shot up. "You offended her yet you''re asking me to keep herpany? Why


    don''t you apany her, instead?" In his eyes, Gabri would probably be very happy to spend


    some time with her daughter-inw.


    "She is your mother," she reminded him seriously.


    "Anyway, how did you offend her? Tell me everything." Norman''s curiosity was piqued.


    At first, Maria didn''t want to tell him. After all, his rtionship with James was very strained. But


    after a while, she hesitantly answered, "Well, I ran into your mother and got upset when she refused


    to even say


    James'' name..."


    Normanpsed into a thoughtful silence. Finally, he said, "You must''ve found out she was the one


    who bought the cake at five million dors. Am I right?"


    "Yeah."


    "Do you think she was supporting you or James?"


    Maria didn''t answer right away. Of course, Gabri was supporting James. Maria and Gabri had


    practically been strangers to each other.


    Norman said in a lighter tone, "She''s just not good at expressing herself. After all, she''s been a little


    isted these years. But there are a lot of things that remind her of James and Cooper in her


    study." Now, it was Maria''s turn topse into thoughtful silence.


    She didn''t know what to say. Norman told her something that she had no idea about. "Then I really


    have offended your mother," she said slowly.


    "Well, whatever happened, it has nothing to do with me," Norman said dismissively. He knew his


    mother. Gabri wouldn''t hold grudge against Maria because of this. After all, she was just


    defending James.


    Maria sighed. "All right. It was my fault. I acted rashly. But please spend more time with her this


    Spring Festival!"


    "Got it." Before dropping the call, Norman posed a question. "If you quarrel with my mother, who do


    you think James will side with?" Although he knew that the two women wouldn''t quarrel, he was just


    curious.


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    However, his question took her aback. She didn''t take Norman to be a gossip.


    After hanging up the phone, Maria asked the driver to send her to James'' office.


    When she got to the CEO''s lounge, Maria almost tripped on the many gifts littered across the floor.


    Seeing here in, James greeted her warmly. "You came just in time. Go to the room next door


    and pick out what you want. Then ask the driver to send them to the vi. I will ask them to dispose


    of the things that you don''t want."


    But Maria ignored his words. Instead, she walked over to him and leaned against the desk with her


    back to him. "James," she said seriously.


    "What?" Sensing the seriousness in her tone, he put down the pen in his hand and held her in his


    arms.


    "Why do you let the past haunt you? Why do you still make things difficult for Norman?" Her tone


    wasn''t angry. She was just genuinely concerned.


    He stared at her and asked, "Was he the one who told you?"


    "No, I heard about it from someone else." She hadn''t made up her mind yet about whether she


    should let him know that she ran into Gabri.


    "Well, he wasn''t doing anything, so I found something for him to do." If he kept Norman busy, the


    latter wouldn''t have the energy to think about his wife.


    Maria wrapped her arms around his neck. "You should be focusing on dealing with HM Group and


    Tang Group, not Norman. For my sake, don''t inconvenience him, okay?"


    Because it was Maria who asked him, James saw no reason to refuse her. But he added a


    disimer. "I''ll do what you say, but you can''t work for him in the future."


    Maria knew what he meant. "I haven''t in a while. I have Bob now, and I don''t want to get into


    trouble."


    "Okay." He kissed her on the lips.


    This year''s Valentine''s Day fell on the ninth day of the lunar New Year. Early that morning, Cooper''s


    doorbell rang. When he opened the door, he found Sandra standing there.


    Sandra''s heart started to race and she stammered, "I. ..I want... Cooper, I want to..." She was so


    nervous that tears started welling up in her eyes.


    Cooper chuckled softly. "I''m only human. Why are you so nervous?"


    Sandra immediately found her footing and retorted, "You''re no human, you''re Prince Charming!" So


    that was why she was nervous.


    Cooper chuckled again and leaned against his door frame. "Miss Shen, what brings you here?"


    "Well..." Sandra revealed what she was hiding behind her back. "This is some cranberry toast I


    made for you, and there''s also pizza and milk." She had heard from Maria that Cooper was staying.


    She was so excited that she didn''t sleep the previous night.


    In order to keep his word to his brother, Cooper epted her gift. "Why, thank you!"


    "You''re wee. I won''t bother you anymore. Goodbye!" Sandra smiled brightly and waved at him.


    "Wait!" Cooper stopped her.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Maria told me that you''re going to take the postgraduate entrance exam."


    "Yeah?" Sandra was under the impression she didn''t deserve to be with a man like Cooper, so she


    wanted to better herself.


    And she wanted to start by broadening her knowledge.


    "I''m not that busy these days. You cane over if you have any questions as you study."


    Sandra was so moved that she wanted to cry. Her Prince Charming was so kind to her. "Okay, thank


    you! " She clenched her fists in determination. She wanted to study hard and learn from him.


    "You''re wee."


    "Well!" Just as Cooper was closing the door, Sandra piped up shyly. "Happy Valentine''s Day!"


    Secretly, she thought of today as their first Valentine''s Day. The first of many, she hoped.


    "Same to you!"


    As Cooper closed the door of the apartment, Sandra hopped into the elevator.


    As soon as the elevator doors slid to a close, she started jumping up and down with joy. But when


    she remembered she was in an elevator, she stopped jumping and sighed contentedly.


    ''Come on, Sandra! Get yourself together!''


    The second she got out of the elevator, she gave Maria a call. "Maria, you''re my goddess of luck! I


    love you so much!"


    Sandra''s joy was contagious. Mariaughed heartily and said, "It''s no big deal. Just seize this as an


    opportunity. You should cherish the present and not worry about the future so much."


    "Okay, you''re right. I will."


    Just then, the door to her office swung open. In waltzed a man carrying a huge bouquet of flowers.


    She hung up the phone in a hurry and looked at the person in front of her with wide eyes. "What


    brings you here?"


    "The wind of love," James answered cheekily, holding up the gigantic bouquet of Juliet Roses.


    There were at least ny-nine roses in his arms!


    The Juliet Rose was the most noble among the roses. It was expensive, elegant, light, and


    symbolized passion.


    Smelling the faint fragrance of flowers, Maria couldn''t help but smile. "Do you want to turn my ce


    into a garden?"

 Chapter 379 A World Of Only Two

    Chapter 379 A World Of Only Two


    Thisrge bouquet of roses was so beautiful that it took Maria''s breath away.


    James took her hand and looked at it carefully. The ring he had given her as a gift a few days ago


    was on her ring finger. "If you want, I''ll ask them to build a constant-temperature greenhouse in your


    company."


    ''In thepany?'' Maria''s stunned mind echoed. A greenhouse like that would be so expensive!


    She shook her head. "Forget it."


    He took out something from his pocket and slipped something on her index finger. It fit perfectly.


    Staring at the priceless red diamond ring, Maria helplesslymented, "Didn''t you just give me a


    ring as a New Year gift?"


    James replied softly, "That was for the new year. This gift is for the Valentine''s Day. There is no


    conflict between the two."


    "These rings are too extravagant. Didn''t you see anything a bit more low-key?" James had be


    more openly affectionate. Maybe that was why he chose to give grand,vish gifts.


    "Yes, I think I saw some in the store. I''ll take you to buy whatever you want right now." He grabbed


    her hand and pulled her along, with the intention of getting a more suitable gift for Maria.


    Maria hurriedly stopped him. "Let''s forget about it for now."


    "You don''t like this one?" he asked, one eyebrow lifted in question.


    "No woman would ever turn down such a big, expensive diamond ring. They''re beautiful and rare,


    just like the flowers you gave me. How can I not like them?" She was just a normal person after all.


    "I''m d that you like them."


    "I like them very much." She didn''t try to conceal anything and told him the truth.


    With a satisfied smile, James dered, "I don''t have to work today. Let''s go out on a date."


    "Okay." The prospect of going on a date with James filled her with excitement.


    Maria carefully ced the flowers back on the desk. After staring at the blooms for some time, she


    changed her mind. "How about taking them back to the vi? I''ll keep them."


    "As you like," he agreed.


    Maria picked up the bouquet and left the office with him.


    When passing by the reception room, James identally saw into the room and its contents.


    Letting go of Maria''s hand, he pushed open the halfclosed door and stared at what looked like more


    than a dozen bouquets in the room.


    Feeling inexplicably guilty, Maria quickly pulled at his hand and urged him, "Let''s go!"


    Without responding to her, he walked further into the room and picked up a card from one of the


    bouquets. "Maria, Happy Valentine''s Day!" The sender was a rich man.


    Next to roses was a bunch of lily flowers with a card saying, "Maria, I''ve been in love with you for a


    long time. Will you go out with me?" James systematically ran through the cards.


    In less than half a minute, he had read quite a number of them.


    Maria pursed her lips and then exined to him dryly, "I''ve told them to dispose of all these. I didn''t


    think these are still here." These flowers had been delivered to the office early in the morning, and


    there was no way for her to refuse them.


    His expression remaining unchanged, James nodded to signal his understanding.


    Then, he picked up all of the cards and slid them into his pocket.


    Maria stared at him, biting her lower lip in consternation. ''What does this mean?'' Well, there was no


    way for her to understand his actions unless she asked. "Why did you take those?"


    "I''ll try to learn how to sweet talk from the cards," he replied expressionlessly.


    Then, he took her hand and led her out of the room.


    Only two assistants lingered in the secretarial office when they passed by. Upon seeing them, the


    two quickly rose to their feet and greeted them.


    Maria winked at one of them and mouthed, "Get rid of those."


    Immediately understanding the silent message, the assistant nodded and walked over to the


    reception room.


    In the elevator, James crowded Maria into the corner of the small space, crushing the bouquet


    between the two of them.


    Maria hurriedly ced a hand on his chest to stop him. "Watch out for the flowers!"


    The words did not have their intended effect. Instead of backing away, James stepped even closer


    and cupped the back of her head, keeping her immobile as he leaned down and ced his lips over


    hers.


    Soon, Maria was consumed by James'' passion that she lost all thought of where they were at that


    moment.


    Without her noticing, James took out his phone, unlocked the screen, and took a couple of selfies of


    them kissing.


    All of this he did in one go. Once he was done, he slipped his phone back into his pocket and


    continued to ravish Maria''s mouth.


    With a small "ding," the elevator doors slid open.


    Before they could do anything, they heard exmations of surprise from outside.


    Maria hastily pushed James away. Sweeping her gaze over the throng that had gathered, her eyes


    widened when they met those of her colleagues, who were gaping at them in astonishment.


    In direct contrast to her shyness, James smoothly slid his arm around her waist and guided her out


    of the elevator.


    Snapping out of their collective daze, her colleagues greeted them. "Hello, Mr. Xi. Ms. Song."


    James nodded at them and left the elevator.


    As they walked past, several people startedmenting behind them. "Wow, Mr. Xi is so


    handsome! And Ms. Song is so pretty!"


    "They are so sweet! Goodness! I don''t think I''ve seen a more perfect couple!"


    "That bouquet Ms. Song was holding is so gorgeous! This is the first time I''ve seen such roses.


    What kind of rose is it?"


    An employee wearing sses sneered at thementer. "You don''t know anything, do you? Those


    are Juliet Roses! Those fancy blue roses can''t evenpare to them at all. Before, a flower like


    that was sold at a sky-high price of about twenty million dors! That huge bouquet Ms. Song was


    holding must be priceless. The key point here is that Mr. Xi could really managed to find so many


    Juliet Roses. He''s awesome!"


    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "As far as I know, Juliet Roses are not that expensive. Aren''t each flower only worth a few dors?"


    "Huh? Do you think Mr. Xi will give her a gift only worth several hundred dors? You''re talking


    about a different breed of roses. The big bunch in Ms. Song''s arms must cost millions!"


    "Wow! I envy Ms. Song!"


    "So do I."


    Maria didn''t expect that James'' so-called date ideas included going back to the manor and going to


    the racecourse together. They went horseback riding.


    She helplessly looked at the man astride the horse. One hand was outstretched toward her, inviting


    her to ride the same horse.


    With the help of the staff, Maria managed to get on the horse. Once she was astride, James'' arms


    wrapped around her. She asked, "Is this the date that you were talking about earlier?"


    "Yes."


    Maria heaved an inward sigh. Well, she shouldn''t have expected too much about his romance skills.


    On the racetrack, James made their horse gallop into a brisk trot.


    Soon, Maria started to realize the charms of horseback riding. James was such a good rider that


    her experience was nearly as smooth as a ride on a convertible. The warm breeze blew on her face


    the whole time.


    When encountering a hurdle, the horse would jump over the obstacle, making her scream with fear.


    James chuckled at her. "You''re scared?"


    "A little," Maria muttered, gripping his arms tightly.


    The fact was, that fear was not just "a little." She was petrified. James'' horse was obviously of an


    impable breed. Its speed was so fast that it could run nearly one kilometer per minute.


    Mixed with her fear was a certain excitement. Maria decided that it was a feeling that she loved.


    It was almost noon when they came back from the racecourse. James told Maria to go upstairs first,


    adding, "I''ll cook for you."


    "You cook?" Maria replied incredulously. ''Did I hear him wrong?''


    "You didn''t hear it wrong." He began to take off his coat, as if he really intended to be the chef


    on that day.


    The thought made her worry a little. "Have you ever cooked before?"


    "Yes." However, it had been a long time since hest did so. ''It should be just like riding a bike,


    right?'' he wondered.

 Chapter 380 I Will Become A Nun

    Chapter 380 I Will Be A Nun


    "Okay, I''ll wait for the dishes cooked by Chef James!" Maria said and believed he could cook. In her


    eyes, there was nothing in the world that he couldn''t do, except for giving birth.


    James kissed her on the lips and said, "Go upstairs and take a shower. I''ll call you when food is


    ready."


    "Okay."


    Maria obediently walked up the stairs, stealing a peek at him every now and then. In the kitchen,


    James opened the fridge and found it densely packed with ingredients. He didn''t know where to


    start.


    Finally, he took out his phone and looked for the ingredients ording to the recipe that he had


    selected.


    Mariapletely believed in him. After putting the Juliet Roses into a vase, she took a shower, and


    then went to the study to deal with some business matters.


    A little more than an hourter, she received a call from James asking her toe downstairs.


    In her excitement, she quickly turned off theputer and hurried down the staircase.


    When she entered the dining room, however, her face changed.


    Looking at the dishes on the dining table, she asked uncertainly, "James, I guess you''re better at


    cooking Western food, right?" The Chinese dishes that wereid out on the table looked terrible.


    James, who was already pale after his hour-long ordeal in the kitchen, became even more dejected


    after hearing her words. "I can make sandwiches," he mumbled.


    Seeing his expression, Maria couldn''t help chuckling. "I''ll get some rice," she said, walking into the


    kitchen.


    "Okay." With a deep sigh, James sat down at the dining table. The longer he stared at the dishes,


    the more he wanted to throw them away.


    Finally, he decided to stop thinking and just act. He picked up two of the dishes and walked towards


    the trash can.


    "What are you doing?" Maria shouted, spotting his movements from the kitchen.


    "I''ll call the chef and ask him to cook for us."


    Realizing what he was intending to do, Maria hastily ran to him and said, "No, put them down. I


    haven''t eaten the food you cooked yet!"


    "Don''t you think it''s too unappetizing to look at?" James asked in frustration, lingering near the trash


    can.


    "No, I don''t. It might not look amazing, but it still might taste good! If you insist on throwing it away,


    I''ll be angry at you!" Maria said, pouting.


    "Fine. Let''s eat," James agreed, walking back to the table with the dishes.


    "Okay."


    The two of them sat down and served themselves. Maria bravely picked up a piece of scorched


    eggnt and put it into her mouth. After chewing it for a second, her mouth froze. The eggnt was


    salty and bitter, but she kept her face neutral and forced herself to chew and swallow the food in her


    mouth.


    When it came to a man like James, who was not romantic in the slightest, it was a big deal for him


    to even offer to personally cook for her, so she didn''t want to ruin the moment.


    In contrast, as soon as James took a bite of a shrimp dumpling, he put down his chopsticks and


    threw the rest of the food in his bowl into the trash can. Then, he grabbed her hand, which was


    hovering over the te of shrimp dumplings, and said, "Don''t eat it."


    Maria blinked lightly, pretending to be confused. "What''s wrong?"


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    "I''ll ask the chef to cook. Let''s just throw these dishes away." James had never tasted anything


    worse in his life.


    He decisively picked up the te of shrimp dumplings and poured them into the trash can. Maria,


    who was eating the rice in her bowl, said unhurriedly, "Well, for me, this is a fancy meal. What they


    served us in prison was far worse than this. But in order to survive, I had to eat."


    James, who was taken aback by the sudden change in topic, didn''t know what to say. A pin-drop


    silence filled the room as he nervously slipped back into his chair.


    "Have you ever eaten boiled cabbage and radish? Probably not. I''ve eaten undercooked radish and


    cabbage, without any seasoning. If you don''t eat the food they serve, not only will you starve, but


    you''ll also be beaten as a punishment.


    Nobody woulde to help you. If it happened to you once, you''d never forget that experience,"


    Maria continued, stirring the rice in her bowl with her chopsticks.


    She didn''t look at James, but she guessed that he would feel guilty after hearing this. And that was


    exactly what she wanted.


    "Mia," James called in a low voice, grabbing her hand that was holding the chopsticks.


    Looking at his two hands sped around hers, Maria smiled and looked up at him. "You know, back


    then, I kept thinking about who I should me for my miserable fate. It just didn''t make sense. I''m a


    person who believes in karma. Ever since I was a child, I had never done anything to hurt someone


    else. So why did I end up like that? It wasn''t fair."


    What she didn''t tell him was that when she was on her deathbed one day, she would not have any


    regrets, because it was during this period of her life that she was the happiest she had been since


    she was a child.


    She had the love of James, the care of the elders, a few good friends, and an adorable child. She


    never had to worry about money, nor did she have to live in the shadows, worrying about when she


    would get beaten up again.


    "That''s why I''m very grateful to Norman. He took me away from the pain and taught me a lot. He


    gave me things that no one else ever had," Maria pressed on. She wanted to break James'' heart,


    so she didn''t hesitate to hurt him more. "I''ve even thought that I should marry him. Although I had a


    failed marriage and had given birth to a child, I could still be a good wife to him to make up for it."


    Just like she had expected, James felt like his heart was on fire. When he heard that she had


    considered marrying Norman, his mouth went dry, and his stomach dropped.


    "What a pity," Maria said, sighing. "He already had someone in his heart." What she didn''t say was


    that she already had someone in her heart, too.


    Even though James had hurt her so much in the past, she still couldn''t keep calm when it came to


    him.


    James stood up and walked to her side. Then, he sat down beside her and pulled her into his arms.


    "I know I can''t make up for the pain you have suffered just by saying sorry, but Mia, I''m willing to


    spend my whole life making it up to you."


    Maria wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded. "I believe you can do it. James, promise me


    something."


    "Go ahead."


    "If one day, I''m gone-" Before she could continue, James leaned forward, crashing his lips against


    hers.


    He couldn''t bear to hear the rest of her sentence. His hands around her waist were trembling


    slightly. Without her, he would probably go crazy.


    Maria struggled for a long time before finally managing to pull away. She stared at him in disbelief,


    panting for breath. "Why aren''t you letting me talk?"


    "I will if you say pleasant things."


    "I''m just stating facts. When did you be so vulnerable?" Maria asked, raising an eyebrow.


    James kept silent. He had discovered that he could not keep calm when it came to her, either.


    Although he was in his early-thirties, he acted like an impulsive teenager around her.


    "If one day, I''m gone, you have to take good care of Bob until he grows up. Don''t find him a


    stepmother before he grows up, okay?"


    "You''ll be here too. You can''t die without my permission."


    Hearing his childish rebuttal, Maria felt a little tired.


    "James, everyone dies sooner orter."


    "You''re right, but you won''t die before Bob gets married and has children of his own," James


    insisted. He would never allow her to die so early.


    The life he had left to spend with her was too short-only a few dozen years, at most.


    Although they couldn''t control life and death, he hoped that they could both live for a long time and


    spend the rest of their lives together.


    "If you won''t let me die, I''ll be a nun!" Maria snapped, pretending to be mad at him.


    "Not unless I die first!" he retorted.


    "No, I''ll be a nun first!"


    "Try it, if you dare. I''ll just knock the nunnery down."

 Chapter 381 Coaxing Maria

    Chapter 381 Coaxing Maria


    "If you dare to do that, I''ll take my own life!" Maria retorted. She couldn''t give in and let James


    control her future. The moment she handed him the reins, she would be under his control for the


    rest of her life.


    "If you dare to take your own life, I will abuse your son. You said you don''t want me to find a


    stepmother for him, right? Well, I''ll definitely find one, and I''ll even bring her to visit your grave! And


    that''s if I''m in a good mood. If I''m in a bad mood, I''ll just let your corpse rot in the wilderness. Then,


    I''ll travel the world with Bob''s stepmother, and send your son to an orphanage."


    Maria felt her blood run cold. How could this man be so cruel?


    A momentter, however, his voice softened as he added, "So, no matter what happens, you have


    to live."


    There were many people in the world who were eager to live for a few more days, weeks, or even


    years, but there was nothing they could do about it.


    Therefore, those who had the gift of life had to cherish it. Only by living could they win.


    Maria burst intoughter, breaking the depressing atmosphere in the dining room. She pinched his


    cheek and said, "Our Valentine''s Day is so special!" Realizing her mistake, she decided to give in


    this time. After all, she was the one who had started it.


    Holding her tightly in his arms, James said, "I wanted to just spend a quiet, rxing day with you,


    but this meal ruined everything."


    Maria nudged her nose with his and smiled. "Just treat me to a big meal one day to make up for


    this." "Okay."


    James stood up and picked her up horizontally. Maria wrapped her arms around his neck and


    eximed, "What are you doing?"


    "I''ve fantasized about making love to you in the home theater for a long time. Today, I can finally do


    it." That was why he had sent away John and all the servants, leaving the vi empty except for the


    two of them.


    Maria was speechless. How could they do that in the home theater? He was so shameless! "I


    haven''t eaten yet," she protested.


    James smirked and carried her up the stairs. "Let me eat first, and then I''ll let you eat."


    Maria pressed her lips together unhappily.


    When they arrived at thending of the second floor, she patted his shoulder and urged, "At least


    take a shower first. You stink of oil and smoke!"


    Furrowing his eyebrows, James lowered his head and took a sniff. "Fine," he agreed.


    While he was busy taking a shower, Maria reced his gray home clothes with the red pajamas she


    had bought for him.


    However, James, who was determined not to wear the pajamas, just walked out without wearing


    anything after he was done with his shower. "Maria..." He trailed off.


    She was standing barefoot on the snow-white carpet, with her back to him. Her long ck hair


    cascaded down her smooth, fair back. She was wearing a red satince nightgown that hugged her


    curves and revealed her delicate skin.


    Looking at her in this nightgown, James felt a strong desire rising in his body. There was only one


    thought in his mind now. He wanted to make love to this woman.


    Since the heating was on throughout the vi, Maria didn''t feel cold even though she was barely


    wearing anything.


    Hearing the sound of the bathroom door open, she turned around and found James staring at her


    with wide eyes and parted lips.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "What''s wrong?" she asked, shing him a charming smile.


    His Adam''s apple bobbed in his throat as he shook his head and said, "One minute." He decisively


    went back into the bathroom and put on the red pajamas.


    In this moment, he was just a man who was utterly enchanted by the woman in front of him. All he


    wanted to do was immerse himself in her beauty.


    As soon as he walked out, he lifted her and kissed her passionately, letting her straddle her legs


    around his waist. Without pulling away from her lips, he carried her from the bedroom to the home


    theater. Soon, her nightgown was torn apart and discarded onto the floor.


    Maria didn''t have lunch until four o''clock that afternoon.


    They were back in the bedroom. Holding a spoon in his hand, James gently coaxed her. "I''ll be


    gentle next time. Have some rice first, okay?"


    Maria rolled her eyes andined, "I won''t believe you again. You say that every time, but what


    do you do in the end? I''m your woman, not a call girl. How could you be so rough with me? Do you


    have a grudge against me?"


    "No, of course not. How about having some soup first?" James put the bowl of rice aside, picked up


    the chicken soup, and raised a spoonful of it to her lips.


    Maria was really hungry, but because of her pride, she was reluctant to let him feed her.


    In the end, James tipped the spoon against her lips, forcing her to open her mouth. With a satisfied


    smile, he said, "You can scold me after you''re full. I don''t have to work today, so I''ll sit here and


    listen, okay?"


    "No need. Go bring Bob backter." Only when the baby was with them would James restrain


    himself to a certain extent. When they were alone, she couldn''t believe a word of what he said to


    her.


    For example, just now, he had told her that he would be gentle. But that was what he said every


    single time, and he never kept his word. He never let her go until he was fully satisfied.


    "Bob is with Lawrence''s grandma. He has only been there for a short time. How can we bring him


    back so soon?" James said calmly. Elizabeth had always longed for a great-grandchild, so after


    finding out that James had a son, she insisted on spending a few days with the baby.


    Maria didn''t know how to refute him, so she just suppressed her annoyance and quietly drank the


    chicken soup. "Fine. Then you go to the study. I want to rest for a while," she said once she was


    done eating. She just wanted to have a good sleep now.


    "I''ll sleep with you," James said softly.


    "No way!" Maria wouldn''t let him trick her again like that.


    But James chuckled and said, "I''m serious. I also need to rest. I''m not a robot." He had indeed gone


    too far just now. It was a good idea to just hold her in his arms and have a good sleep.


    Maria decided to cut him some ck for now. So after lunch, the two of them took a nap together.


    In the evening, Maria went to the home theater to watch a movie, while James took an important


    phone call in the study.


    While she was watching the movie, her phone rang. She was getting a call from a rich man who had


    sent her flowers earlier. After hesitating for a moment, she answered the phone. "Happy New Year,


    Mr. Liu!"


    "Cut the crap, Maria! What are you ying at?" The man was obviously pissed off with her, but


    Maria had no idea why.


    Was it because she had asked her assistant to dispose of the roses that he had sent her? "Mr. Liu-"


    "It''s okay for you to reject my advances, but how can you show off your rtionship to me? Why are


    you so cruel?"


    Maria frowned. The more this man spoke, the more confused she became. She hadn''t gone out at


    all today. When had she shown off her rtionship to him? "Mr. Liu, has there been some


    misunderstanding?" she asked tentatively.


    "What did I misunderstand? I''m not blind! I can see that it''s you and James in the photo. Don''t


    worry, I won''t try to win your heart anymore! Have a good life," he said hotly before hanging up the


    phone.


    Widening her eyes in confusion, Maria lowered the phone from her ear and stared nkly at the


    screen. He had mentioned a photo just now. But what photo?


    She decided to ask about him about it on WeChat, but as soon as she opened their chat


    conversation, she realized what he had been talking about.


    There was indeed a photo that had been sent by her. She clicked on it and found that it was a photo


    of her kissing James in the elevator.


    Was it James who had sent the photo to Mr. Liu?


    That was the only exnation. But she had no idea when he had been able to take the photo. She


    closed the photo and anxiously scrolled through the rest of the conversation. At about five o''clock


    that afternoon, a message was sent by her. "Sorry, I have a husband."


    Maria was dumbstruck. She had been fast asleep at that time, so James was definitely the one who


    must have sent these messages.


    Suddenly, something urred to her. She closed the conversation with Mr. Liu and scrolled through


    her conversations with other people.


    As expected, it wasn''t only Mr. Liu, but also many other people who had sent her flowers for


    Valentine''s Day had received the same photo and message.

 Chapter 382 A Candlelight Dinner

    Chapter 382 A Candlelight Dinner


    Seeing all those messages, Maria was on the verge of breaking down. What made her even more


    depressed was that she had received wishes from many of those people.


    "Congrattions on going from Ms. Song to Mrs. Xi."


    "Congrattions! Happy New Year, Mrs. Xi."


    "Maria, the flowers you posted in your WeChat Moments must be from Mr. Xi, right? They are so


    beautiful."


    Maria had no choice but to reply "Thank you" to these messages one by one.


    What else could she say? Then, remembering something, she went and checked her WeChat


    Moments.


    To her surprise, she found that there were more than 99ments there.


    Looking at the sheer number ofments, she had a bad feeling.


    Sure enough, she not only saw that same photo of her kissing James, but also a photo of the Juliet


    Roses, and a photo of her hand wearing the ring that he had given her. She had no idea when he


    had taken all these photos.


    They were captioned, "Spending Valentine''s Day with my husband."


    After reading the countless wishes from many people,


    Maria felt like weeping. How could James do this to her?


    What pissed her off even more was that, after she had woken up from her nap, he had just


    innocently gone to the study, as if he hadn''t done anything at all.


    Of course, she was annoyed with herself, too. She was really a disgrace to Norman, who had


    trained her to be a secret agent. What kind of secret agent would sleep peacefully in a man''s arms


    while he did whatever he liked?


    The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. In the end, she couldn''t sit still and watch


    the movie anymore. She stormed over to the study and pushed the door open. "James, are you


    looking for trouble? Exin it to me!"


    James, who was in the middle of a video conference, calmly looked at hisputer and said, "I''m


    sorry, everyone. My wife is angry with me. I''ll talk to her first, ande back soon."


    Maria watched wordlessly as he took off his Bluetooth headset, turned off theputer, and walked


    towards her.


    "What''s wrong, Mia?"


    His gentle voice immediately cut through Maria''s hard exterior, but she tried to sound firm as she


    said, "James, don''t try to use your charm on me. I won''t allow myself to be pushed around..." But


    when she looked into his calm eyes, she could not help but swallow hard.


    Smiling lightly, James said, "Really? I remember how one day, a woman pushed me onto the bed,


    unbuttoned my shirt, and touched me all over. And she said she was happy!" "Shut up!" Maria


    blushed and covered his mouth with her hand.


    He was so tall that she had to stand on tiptoe.


    "Okay, I''ll shut up." Hearing his muffled words of agreement, Maria lowered her hand, and then


    shook her phone in front of his face.


    "What did you do with my phone?"


    "Nothing. I just dered to everyone that you''re mine," James said, shrugging.


    Maria hit him on the shoulder. "Are you insane? How can I show my face in front of those people in


    the future?" He knew that those men were trying to win her affections, but he had still sent photos to


    irritate them.


    James grabbed her hand and rubbed it. "I would rather you don''t." That was honestly what he


    wanted from the bottom of his heart.


    Maria was so angry that her stomach ached. "Do you have a private Weibo ount?" she snapped.


    "No, I don''t."


    "I can''t believe it!" She rolled her eyes at him.


    "I can log in to thepany''s official ount," James suggested.


    "What''s the point? You can''t post random things on an official ount. Anyway, why isn''t there


    anything in your WeChat Moments? I also want to dere that you''re mine. Post something!" Maria


    knew he was a low-key man who seldom posted updates, let alone photos in WeChat Moments.


    And when he did post, it was always about thepany''s new products.


    James pressed his lips together and hesitated. There were some things that were difficult for him to


    tell her, but he took a deep breath and confessed, "I haven''t posted anything because I don''t know


    how to." The truth was, he didn''t know how to post updates. The few photos he had uploaded to


    WeChat Moments were just reposted from hispany''s public ount.


    Maria scoffed in disbelief. "If you don''t want to post anything, just say that. Don''t pretend as if you


    don''t know how to. You''re only thirty years old, not three hundred years old! Even Grandpa and


    Grandma know how to use it, but you don''t?"


    "How about you post it for me?" Without arguing, James took out his phone and held it out to her.


    Maria rolled her eyes. "Forget it. I''m afraid you''ll regret it."


    "Why would I regret it?"


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "What if I discover your secret?


    Maybe you flirted with many women on WeChat," Maria mocked.


    "I swear, I didn''t.


    You can check if you don''t believe me." "If you dare to do something like this again, I will show off


    our love on yourpany''s official ount," Maria threatened. Hispany''s official Weibo


    ount had tens of millions of followers, two-thirds of which were women who fawned over James.


    If she really posted a lovey-dovey photo there, countless girls would be mourning in thements.


    Although there had already been news about them getting back together, it was different from


    posting a picture on social media.


    To her surprise, James answered, "Well, that''s a good idea."


    Maria didn''t know how to talk to this man anymore.


    She let out an irritable groan before saying, "Carry on with your work. I want to finish watching the


    movie."


    "Okay. Don''t forget to cook dinnerter," James reminded with a smile.


    "Sure, as long as you don''t forget to apply for a membership of some salon for me. Look at my face


    and my hands. They are not smooth anymore because of the oil and smoke," Maria joked.


    He nodded, "Okay."


    She raised an eyebrow at him. Why was this man always so serious about everything? She was


    just joking.


    After Maria left, James took a look at his phone and saw a message from Ethan. It was a


    screenshot, apanied with the words, "I know you don''t check WeChat Moments, so I''m


    sending you this screenshot. Look, someone posted it, saying that you and Maria showed your


    affection in public."


    It was a screenshot of a post of a manager of HL Group. The words on the post read, "It''s


    Valentine''s Day today. As a single man, I don''t mind watching everyone''s public disy of affection,


    but I didn''t expect to watch the public disy of affection from my boss and his wife, too! During a


    video conference, my boss suddenly excused himself, saying that his wife was angry and he


    needed to calm her down first. You should know that this was an emergency meeting attended by


    thepany''s senior executives! And my boss, who was scolded by his wife, is none other than


    James Xi! Isn''t it surprising?"


    James smirked as he read through the screenshot. Then, he sent a reply to Ethan saying, "Well,


    we''ll disy our affection like this every day from now on. Once you get used to it, you won''t be


    surprised anymore.


    A single man like you won''t have the chance to know the happiness of being scolded by your wife!"


    Upon reading the text from James, Ethan frowned. What had he done wrong? All he had done was


    send James a screenshot.


    At about eight o''clock that night, James, who had never posted anything private on his WeChat


    Moments, posted a picture captioned, "Valentines'' Day candlelight dinner prepared by my lovely


    wife."


    There was a photo of the dishes that Maria had made, with two sses of wine. It was followed by


    another photo of Maria cooking in the kitchen, taken from behind.


    He had thousands of friends on WeChat, so very soon, he received countlessments.


    What was more, the screenshot of his post was posted on Weibo, which resulted in a lot more


    comments, this time from the public.


    However, Maria didn''t know anything about that. She just took a look at James'' post after getting a


    message from Ethan. Pretending to be dissatisfied, she asked James, "You tricked me into cooking


    for you because you wanted to take a photo of me secretly, didn''t you?" However, she couldn''t hide


    her smile.


    James didn''t deny it, and just frankly said, "Yes."

 Chapter 383 I Feel Guilty

    Chapter 383 I Feel Guilty


    Maria snorted. "Don''t confuse the public like this. I never agreed to your proposal. How could you


    call me your wife?"


    "You are going to be my wife sooner orter, so I might as well start calling you that in advance.


    Besides, me calling you that has nothing to do with whether we remarry or not," James said


    cheekily. In fact, it didn''t even matter whether she epted the ring or not. She would always be his


    woman, even if they didn''t get remarried.


    "James, you''re so bossy. Be careful not to scare me away," Maria said coolly, raising her ss of


    wine.


    James just smirked at her. He would never let her run away! He raised his ss of wine and clinked


    sses with her. "Happy Valentine''s Day, honey."


    "Happy Valentine''s Day!" Maria echoed before taking a sip of the wine. At this moment, she was


    filled with genuine happiness.


    If possible, she wanted to feel this way for the rest of her life.


    After dinner, she yfully said, "I haven''t prepared any Valentine''s Day gift for you, except maybe


    the dinner. Do you mind? How about I give you a beautiful woman?"


    "I''m satisfied with the dinner. I don''t need a woman."


    "No?"


    "No!" James refused decisively.


    Maria nodded. "Okay then. I''m leaving now!" she said,


    turning away.


    It was only then that James realized she was referring to herself. With a chuckle, he embraced her


    from behind. "If you''re offering yourself to me, how can I refuse?" he said gently.


    Maria scoffed. "You just said no!"


    He nted a kiss on the top of her hair and said, "I was confused just now!"


    She beamed as she turned to look at him. "Kiss me."


    James lowered his head without hesitation and kissed her deeply.


    Their love was like a blooming flower, fragrant and refreshing.


    The next day, James brought Bob back home. The moment the little boy saw his mother, he grinned


    from ear to ear and reached out his little hands to hug her.


    Jealous that Bob looked much happier to see his mother than him, James held the boy tightly in his


    arms, and even turned around to block Maria from his view.


    However, Bob tilted his head and continued to look at Maria, calling out to her in his babynguage.


    Maria was afraid that the boy would burst into tears, so she tried to take him away from James''


    arms. "You poor baby,e here. Let Mommy hug you."


    However, James turned away, not letting her hold Bob.


    Maria could do nothing but heave an impatient sigh as she watched Bob burst into tears, just like


    she had expected. Only then did James hold out the little boy to her. "Make him stop," he urged. He


    hadn''t thought that the baby would cry so easily.


    Maria rolled her eyes at him. "It''s your son, make him stop on your own."


    James wanted to argue, but thought better of it and walked into the living room with the crying baby


    in his arms.


    However, the farther he walked from Maria, the more Bob cried. In the end, Maria couldn''t bear to


    hear her baby wailing like this, so she took him from James'' arms.


    After a few seconds of being rocked up and down in her arms, the little boy''s tears ceased, and the


    trace of a smile glimmered in his ssy eyes.


    "What an ungrateful child," James sneered, looking at the two of them in annoyance. Bob had


    forgotten that he was the one who had brought him back home.


    "Are you seriously scolding a baby?" Maria asked helplessly.


    "No," James denied and turned away quickly.


    Shaking her head, Maria carried Bob to the yroom, which was full of blind boxes.


    She picked up a doll that she had just taken out from one of the blind boxes to put in the disy


    cab, and handed it to him. "Here you are! If it falls to the floor, it will break..."


    Before she could even finish her words, Bob loosened his grip and the doll fell to the floor.


    The thin neck of the doll snapped, and the two broken pieces of the doll rolled away in opposite


    directions.


    It was at this moment that James appeared at the door. Maria moved aside to let him see the


    broken pieces on the floor. "Your son broke it. Buy me a new one.


    "I''m not the one who broke it. Ask your son to buy it," James retorted. He wouldn''t let her ckmail


    him so easily.


    Looking at the little boy in her arms who was staring around the room, Maria said, "I''ll sell you! And


    then I will buy blind boxes with the money."


    "Okay, at least you can exchange him for a blind boxpany," James said, nodding. His son was


    worth some money, at least.


    Maria was speechless. How could he agree with her so easily?


    James stepped forward and held Bob''s little hands. "Howe you''re not going to the cafe these


    days? I went there many times before the Spring Festival, but I didn''t see you there."


    "I''ve already gotten you. Why do I still need to go to the cafe?" Maria said proudly.


    Realization dawned in James'' eyes, and he chuckled. "So you opened the cafe just to have an


    opportunity to get close to me?"


    "You didn''t know that till now?" Maria teased. Of course, his guess was right.


    Besides, since the manager of the cafe handled everything well on his own, Maria chose to focus all


    her energy on thepany.


    "Well done!" James said with a satisfied nod.


    "Of course. How could I snag a man like you without a proper n? Isn''t that right?" Maria didn''t


    deny that she had used some tricks to win him over.


    James kissed her on the lips and said, "You should learn from me. Be more soft-hearted, so that I


    can snag you."


    "Soft-hearted? Do you think it was easy to get you?" Maria asked incredulously.


    "Yes." James didn''t notice the change in her tone. In his eyes, he had been soft-hearted to her.


    Otherwise, how would she be standing in front of him with his child in her arms now?


    "I almost died at your hands several times. And because of Alina, you..." Maria began, but he


    pressed his fingers against her lips. Pushing his hand away in a huff, she asked, "What are you


    doing? You don''t want to hear all those things?"


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "Yes, I feel guilty," James admitted.


    Maria took a deep breath and shed an artificial smile at him. "Do you feel sorry for me now?"


    "Yes," James said softly.


    "In that case, buy a new blind box for me!" she ordered angrily.


    James took Bob from her arms and lifted him high into the air. He said in a rxed tone, "Let''s go,


    Bob. I''ll take you to buy a new blind box for your mommy."


    Bob, who felt like he was soaring in the air, giggled happily. The little boy''s crispughter lightened


    the mood in the vi again, making them feel like a happily family.


    Maria thought that James had just taken Bob outside to y, and that hisment about buying a


    blind box was a joke, so she stayed in the room to clean up the pieces of the broken doll.


    But when she was done and went outside to look for the two of them, she found that they were


    actually shopping.


    When she called James, he said, "I have never taken him out alone. Give me a chance. You can


    take this opportunity to rest."


    "I''m not tired. I''m worried that he will make trouble for you," Maria protested.


    "If he dares to make trouble for me, I will beat him," James said yfully.


    Maria rolled her eyes and clenched the phone in her hand. "If you dare to hit my son, I''ll hit you."


    "Honey, you are so violent!"


    "Drive carefully!" Every time he called her honey, her heart beat faster.


    "John is the one driving," James exined.


    Thinking of him sitting in the back seat with Bob, Maria finally rxed. "Okay. Come back soon."


    "Okay." Since she missed him so much, James vowed to go back home as early as possible.


    A few dayster, Maria received a gift from James, just as he had promised. However, it was not


    just a VIP card; it was the beauty salon itself.


    Summer chuckled when she looked at the shocked expression on Maria''s face. "This is the biggest


    beauty salon that ourpany owns. Mr. Xi asked me to transfer it to your name."


    Maria frowned helplessly at the share transfer agreement in her hands. The agreement said that


    she would hold seventy percent of the shares, while the other thirty percent would be in the hands


    of thepany''s executives.


    "I just asked him to apply for a card for me. And even that was just a joke," she exined, sighing.


    She had all kinds of VIP cards after all, and even if she wanted a new one, she could afford to get it


    for herself.


    Summer shrugged. "It doesn''t matter. After all, Mr. Xi is rich. This shows how much he loves you."


    Maria nodded slowly. The share transfer agreement had already been signed by all the other parties


    involved. She knew that she shouldn''t refuse a gift from James, so she signed it. She could just give


    it to Bob one day.

 Chapter 384 To Make Her Happy

    Chapter 384 To Make Her Happy


    After the Spring Festival, the weather in the H City became warmer and warmer. Work piled up for


    both James and Maria, keeping them busy most of the time.


    Finally, the day that James had been waiting for came. Bob learned to call him Daddy.


    He touched Bob''s head and said softly, "You''re such a smart child, just like me. Study hard, and


    Daddy will give thepany to you in the future." Once he handed over thepany to his son, he


    could travel around the world with Maria, living a life that most people could only dream about.


    However, Maria had no idea what James was thinking at the moment. She was carefully tailing


    Colby.


    Just now, she coincidentally saw himing out of a hotel with a woman who was holding a child in


    her arms, so she quietly followed them.


    Maria recognized the woman right away-she was Colby''s secretary. It was said that this woman was


    married to Colby''s driver.


    But at the moment, the one driving the car wasn''t the driver, but Colby himself.


    Sitting in her car, which was a safe distance away, Maria saw that Colby didn''t drop the secretary


    outside the gatedmunity, but drove all the way in. Even if he was just casually dropping her


    home, wasn''t it strange for him to enter themunity?


    Maria didn''t stay long. After asking someone to keep an eye on the secretary and the child, she


    drove away.


    Her phone rang just as she arrived at herpany. "Ms. Song, HM Group has been trying to


    acquire a project recently. It is an official cooperation project with the government of H City. Tang


    Group and HL Group are also interested in the project," her assistant said on the other end of the


    line.


    Hearing that, she frowned. If all the big shots in the financial industry of H City were fighting over a


    project, howe she hadn''t heard of it before?


    Of course, it was easy for her to check if the information was true. All she had to do was call James.


    As soon as he answered, she exined the reason she had called, and asked, "What project is it?"


    "H Brocade." In fact, this project was somewhat of a secret and most people didn''t know about it, so


    Maria was quite well-informed.


    H Brocade was a traditional silk handicraft in H City that was sought after by the elite. It was a part


    of the cultural heritage of their nation. The earliest record of it was from three thousand years ago.


    "Oh, it must be a very profitable project, right?" Maria asked. It was only after the words left her


    mouth that she realized how stupid her question was. Of course it was a profitable project.


    Otherwise, why would the big shots by fighting over it?


    "Yes," James answered patiently. Aside from being profitable, the project could also improve the


    reputation of the winningpany overseas, which would in turn bring even more profit and


    benefits.


    Maria''s eyes instantly lit up. "Mr. Xi, can you let me join you?"


    "Stop fooling around," James said helplessly, with a smile tugging at theer of his lips.


    "Wait for me!" Maria said and hung up.


    In order to prove to James that she wasn''t just fooling around, she turned the car around and drove


    to HL Group to negotiate with him face to face.


    Looking at the woman who walked into his office, James realized that she was being serious.


    "What can you offer?" he asked, knowing well that herpany had neither money nor skills.


    "Money," Maria answered decisively.


    James raised an eyebrow at her without saying anything. Did he look like he was short of money?


    Maria stretched out her finger and added, "Ten million dors!"


    A yful smile spread across James'' face. "How about I give you twenty million? Just give up."


    Even if he helped her get the order, DS Group would not be able to fulfill the task.


    However, Maria began to y all kinds of tricks to change his mind. She hugged him, kissed him,


    and acted like a spoiled child.


    Using all his willpower to stay calm, James pursed his lips and said, "Maria, don''t try to use your


    beauty again. It''s useless."


    "No way!" Maria retorted. If she could persuade someone with words alone, she would also have


    be the CEO of a bigpany like HL Group.


    She had to make use of her own strengths and take advantage of his weaknesses, so that she


    would have more chances of winning.


    "I''ve told you before that I won''t mix your professional life and personal life. Beauty is useless on


    me."


    "But-"


    Seeing that Maria was about to act like a spoiled child again, James quickly interrupted her. "Come


    on, Mia, don''t do this."


    However, Maria wasn''t willing to give in. She couldn''t ept that beauty was useless.


    With a cold snort, she straddled his legs and kissed his thin lips. Then, staring into his eyes, she put


    her fingers on his chest and gradually slid them down.


    A few secondster, he took the bait, but she swiftly retreated.


    Keeping a distance from him, she crossed her arms across her chest and said slowly, "Why are you


    looking at me? Don''t you have hands? Satisfy your desire on your own. Didn''t you say that beauty


    was useless?"


    With that, Maria turned around and left decisively, ignoring the miserable state that the man behind


    was in.


    That night, Maria and Bob stayed at Peggy''s house. There was no good reason for James to bring


    the mother and son back.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Standing in the empty bedroom, he gloomily smoked a cigarette. He was not used to living without


    Maria.


    As he flicked the ash into the ashtray, he thought, ''Never mind. I''ll do as she says. That should


    make her happy.''


    In HM Group, after sending the client away, Colby said to Rosa, "Manypanies in the financial


    industry of H City are trying to acquire the H Brocade project, including HL Group and Tang Group.


    But in terms of production and technology, ourpany has the best chance of winning. We have


    to acquire this project."


    Rosa nodded. "I will ask the chief risk officer to draw up a management policy and procedure as


    soon as possible." The H Brocade project not only involved the risk of dealing with cultural heritage,


    which was a delicate subject matter, but also other risks such as bank investment.


    "Okay, I''ll talk to Patrickter." Patrick Li was the said CRO of HM Group.


    After a moment of silence, Rosa tentatively asked, "By the way, I heard that a baby boy is living with


    the Xi family. Someone saw Augustine take him out for a walk. Colby, where did the childe


    from?"


    Could he be the child of Maria and James?


    If that was really the case... A sh of hatred crossed Rosa''s eyes.


    Colby thought for a moment and then said, "I''ll have someone look into it."


    "Okay."


    That afternoon, Colby received a call. "Mr. Zheng, it seems that Augustine found the child


    abandoned when he was taking a walk near his vi. The child''s family haven''t been found yet, so


    he has been staying with the Xi family."


    "Are you sure?" Colby asked, frowning. He felt that there was more to the story than met the eye.


    However, he had never heard of Maria being pregnant before.


    "Yes, sir. The information checks out." "Okay, I see."


    Two dayster, DS Group received arge sum of investment, as well as a contract with several


    factories for cooperation.


    Maria knew that her beauty had worked.


    With the capital that she had been given by James, she led DS Group to participate in the bidding


    and submitted all the necessary documents.


    When it was almost lunch time, Maria arrived at HL Group and went straight to the floor of the


    CEO''s office with a lunch box.


    Summer, who was sitting at the desk outside the CEO''s office, saw hering right away. She put


    down her work and greeted, "Hi, Maria."


    "Hi, Summer."


    Summer stood up and walked to James'' office with her. "Maria, I have something to tell you."


    "What is it?"


    The two of them paused in their tracks. "I''m divorced," Summer said cheerfully, holding out her left


    hand. The ring on her ring finger was gone, leaving behind only a faint mark at the ce where it


    had been.


    Maria was a little surprised. "That was fast. Didn''t you say you were going to take it to court?"


    "He knew that I hired awyer and had evidence of his infidelity. If we really went to court, he would


    be on the losing end. So, he contacted me first, and we divorced."

 Chapter 385 Beg Your Husband

    Chapter 385 Beg Your Husband


    "Well, I must say that he''s being sensible, at least. What about that mistress?"


    After a moment''s thought, Summer replied, "Pregnant. I don''t know the details, and I don''t want to


    know, either."


    "That''s right!" Maria put her arm around Summer''s shoulders. "Congrattions, Summer. I''ve


    instructed James to introduce you to a good man or several in the future. Someone who''s


    thousands of times superior to Jamir. You can do a lot better than that asshole!"


    "Please pass along my gratitude to Mr. Xi in advance," replied Summer with a grateful smile.


    "Okay, I''ll talk to youter. I''ll bring him lunch first." Maria gestured at the lunch box carried by the


    driver behind her.


    "Okay! Go ahead!"


    Maria took the lunch box from the driver and entered James'' office alone.


    When Summer got back to her desk, Gary ced an insted bottle in front of her and said, "You


    wanted some water, right? The pot was already boiling, so I got you some when I got mine."


    Not thinking too much of it, Summer just nodded and said thanks to him. After all, it was normal


    thing to do.


    She opened the lid of the insted bottle to take a sip and found a few red dates, longans, and


    wolfberries in the water. She looked up at Gary in confusion.


    Gary knew what she was going to say, so he exined quickly, "My mother prepared those for me,


    but you know how men don''t really like those things. I''ve shared them with the others. Summer, you


    don''t like them? I''m sorry, I shouldn''t have made the decision for you."


    Summer didn''t know how to respond. His answer was wless. It turned out she wasn''t given the


    special treatment, and she smiled. "I''m just curious."


    "I''ll be careful next time. I''ll go back to work, then," said Gary with a smile.


    "Okay!" Summer took a careful sip of the concoction and smiled slightly. It was sweet.


    In the CEO''s office, Maria ced the lunch box on James'' desk in front of him. "Summer and


    Jamir''s divorce has been finalized. I''ve looked into Jamir''s situation. Apparently, he''s working for a


    rather small gamepany. Should I buy it? What do you think?"


    "Do you really have to go against a scumbag like that?" The gamepany might be small, but


    purchasing it would entail a big move for Maria''spany.


    Maria''s enthusiasm gged at his answer. "But I''ve already promised that I would ruin both the


    scumbag and his mistress. Now that the mistress has been dealt with, how could I allow that


    asshole to go about his merry way?" People who didn''t know her might think that she only had the


    guts to deal with someone weaker than her but wouldn''t dare to hurt Jamir.


    James picked up his chopsticks and suggested, "Why don''t you beg your husband to do it? It will


    only take one word from him, you know."


    Maria red at the man and pouted in mock affront. "I''ve been extremely busy, but I still cooked for


    you. Isn''t that enough?"


    "Didn''t you make me this lunch to thank me for my investment? Why are you asking for something


    else in return? What a calcting woman you are, Maria!" James snorted.


    Maria hadn''t expected him to be so unweing of the idea. She picked up a piece of pork rib for


    him and held it up in front of his mouth. "We''re so close. We shouldn''t be calcting around each


    other, right?"


    James nodded and said, "That makes sense."


    "Of course!" she quipped.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    He put down his chopsticks and stared at her seriously. "Let''s remarry, then. I will be all yours, and


    I''ll do whatever you ask me to do. What do you think?" It looked like he didn''t intend to let any


    opportunity to propose go to waste.


    Maria stared back at him, speechless. ''Why is he mentioning this again?'' Using her quick thinking,


    Maria pretended toin, "You want to marry me before courting me? Dream on!"


    James nodded. It was another rejection, then.


    ''Looks like I haven''t done enough.''


    Maria opened her mouth to say something else, but her phone suddenly rang. "Is there any news?"


    "Yes, Ms. Song. In fact, the mother and child you asked me to keep an eye on are not the wife and


    child of Colby''s driver. The child is actually Colby''s, but he told people that the child''s father was his


    driver."


    Maria was stunned to hear this information. "I see. Keep an eye on them. If anything happens, let


    me know whenever." "Understood."


    After ending the call, Maria propped up her chin in her hands and thoughtfully stared at the man


    quietly having his lunch.


    Feeling her gaze on him, he asked without looking up, "What do you want to say?"


    "Nothing. I''m just curious."


    "Say it."


    "I''m curious about how a man could have a mistress without his wife knowing." In her mind, if


    someone like James wanted to do something of the sort, she would never be able to find out about


    it. She could understand why Colby and Rosa never divorced.


    "Are you full?" James asked as he stared at her.


    "Not yet." Then, she picked up her bowl and chopsticks.


    "I thought you were already done with lunch. Otherwise, why would you talk about such a boring


    thing? I''ve never done such a thing. Are you trying to get me into trouble?"


    Maria stared at him, outraged. Was he implying that she was too boring once she was done eating?


    She put down her bowl and chopsticks with a little more force than necessary. "What do you mean


    by that?"


    ''Is heining about me?'' James had to admire her skill in shifting the me. He said


    helplessly, "Let''s have lunch first."


    Maria rolled her eyes at him and lowered her head to eat.


    After lunch, Maria cleared the table.


    She didn''t want to dwell on thatst topic-after all, they were both too busy for petty arguments.


    After tidying up the table, she left James'' office.


    The first meeting of the H Barcode project was attended by severalpanies attended, all of


    which were leading enterprises in H City except for Maria''s DS Group.


    Maria made an appearance as the DS Group''s CEO. At the door, she met Colby and Rosa, who


    were talking with the heads of otherpanies.


    That night, Rosa was wearing a blue checkered suit dress and ck high-heeled shoes.


    In starkparison with the woman''sdylike style, Maria was d in a deep purple pantsuit, and


    her long hair was draped over her shoulder. Her face covered only with lightly applied makeup, she


    pulled off the simple, efficient business look quite admirably.


    Since the moment they saw her, Colby and Rosa never took their eyes away from her.


    Noticing that their attention was elsewhere, thepany head chatting with themmented, "Mr.


    Zheng, let''s talkter. Let''s go in first."


    "Okay."


    Facing Maria, Colby said with a smile, "Ms. Song, I heard that Mr. Xi invested more than a billion


    dors in yourpany so that you could participate in this project."


    Maria admitted candidly, "I heard Mrs. Zheng was extremely interested in this project. How could I


    miss such a good opportunity?"


    ''Such a good opportunity? Does Maria mean a good opportunity to thwart me?'' Rosa thought.


    With her hand on Colby''s arm, she mocked Maria, "You''re nothing but eye candy. Just be prepared


    to be eliminated."


    However, Maria was not offended. "Then I''ll have to let you know that you''re no better than I am. In


    fact, you''re even worse than eye candy."

 Chapter 386 Swallowing Jealousy

    Chapter 386 Swallowing Jealousy


    "Humph!" Rosa snorted, looking at Maria. "You just rely on James toe save the day, don''t you?


    Do you really think you''re that important to him? There have been so many rumors about your


    rtionship. But why hasn''t he remarried you yet?" ''How dare this bitch say that he loves her?'' she


    thought, curling her lips in disdain.


    There were a lot of peopleing in and out of the meeting room. When they heard what Rosa


    said, they couldn''t help but nce at Maria.


    At this moment, a low and maic voice came from behind them. "Mia, is this what you want?"


    Maria turned back in confusion.


    James was walking towards her. Dressed in a dark suit, he looked sharp and handsome. He was


    also wearing a dark purple tie to match her outfit. He strode over, stopped next to her, and slipped


    his arm naturally around her slender waist.


    James looked into her eyes and continued, "I''ve mentioned remarriage to you so many times, but


    you refused me again and again. Look, people have misunderstood the situation and areughing


    at you. Why don''t you just ept my proposal already?"


    Rosa''s face changed, making her look like she had swallowed a fly.


    Maria pulled away from James, pretending to be professional. "Mr. Xi, please behave yourself in


    public. I''m here today as a representative of DS Group. I can''t be too friendly with someone from


    anotherpany."


    James smiled. "Okay, let''s go inside." He grabbed her hand and led her towards the meeting room.


    When he passed by Colby, he paused, as if he had just noticed the man. "Mr. Zheng, what


    happened in the past between you and Maria was because she was angry with me. She


    deliberately said things that made you misunderstand her. Please don''t mind."


    Colby stiffened. ''Huh? How dare James mention the past?'' He suppressed his anger and smiled.


    "Why would I mind? You must be kidding, Mr. Xi. It''s my honor to help Maria."


    Maria blinked her eyes innocently and leaned her head on James'' shoulder. "I''m d you think so,


    Mr. Zheng. I was afraid that you would misunderstand


    N me.


    "I wouldn''t," Colby assured. It was obvious to him that they were preparing to fight him head-on.


    As the two of them disappeared into the meeting room, Colby''s smile disappeared along with them.


    "Maria is a cunning little fox," he said in a low voice.


    Trying to suppress the jealousy rolling in her heart, Rosa said, "It''s good that you know that. She


    has teamed up with James to deal with us. We must be careful." In fact, James and Maria had been


    against the two of them for a long time now. It was just that they hadn''t made it clear.


    Most of the attendants had already arrived at the meeting room when James and Maria walked in.


    When they saw James, they stood up from their seats and greeted him politely. And, thanks to him,


    many of them took the initiative to greet Maria as well.


    yton and Carolina were also present, representing


    Tang Group and Song Group respectively. yton greeted James first. Then, while he was


    hesitating about whether to greet Maria or not, he saw that she had gone to talk to Carolina. In the


    end, she sat next to Carolina with her assistant.


    When James saw Maria sitting here, he ignored the seat that had been arranged for him, and sat


    next to her instead.


    His original seat was in the center; it was the most important seat in the meeting room, reserved for


    the most powerful person in attendance. Therefore, even though he had upied another seat, no


    one else dared to take his original seat.


    Maria leaned over to him and whispered, "Take your own seat. Don''t you see how embarrassed Mr.


    Zhang is?"


    "It''s just a seat." James didn''t take it seriously. He nced at Mr. Zhang, who was wiping the cold


    sweat on his forehead while standing awkwardly. Then, he looked at Gary behind him and said,


    "Gary, take Mr. Zhang to my seat."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    Led by Gary, Mr. Zhang finally took the central seat, but he was trembling like a leaf. He didn''t feel


    worthy of sitting in such an important seat at all.


    Soon, the meeting began. Today''s meeting was the initial selection, so manypanies that did not


    meet the basic requirements were eliminated.


    Even with the capital that James had given her, Maria could barely stand her ground among the rest


    of thepanies that had been selected.


    Thepanies that remained in the running were HL Group, HM Group, Song Group, Mu Group,


    Tang Group, and DS Group.


    Three hourster, the first round of the conference was over. The government official in charge of


    the project invited everyone to have lunch at H City Grand Hotel.


    Of course, no one wanted to miss this lunch, because they knew that, one way or another, some


    inside information would be leaked during it.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Everyone headed to H City Grand Hotel in their own vehicles.


    At James'' insistence, Maria traveled with him in his Harkim.


    Sitting in the back seat next to him, she asked, "James, have you gotten any substantial inside


    information about the project? Can you tell me about it?"


    James nced at her with a smile. "I have, but I''ll tell you everything when we get home tonight."


    Maria stared at him suspiciously. When they got home tonight? Wasn''t he just trying to leverage the


    information to get something in return? She rested her head on his shoulder and asked, "Who is the


    person representing Mu Group today? Is he a rtive of Ethan''s?"


    "Yes. Mu Group is now under the control of Ethan''s cousin."


    "I see." Maria didn''t think she knew Ethan well.


    Once the Harkim arrived at the hotel, James walked in, holding Maria''s hand. When the crowd saw


    them walking in like a couple, they started to tease them.


    Maria put on a calm face the whole time, even though she had tirelessly tried to persuade him to


    maintain a distance before they came in. This was a business dinner with big shots, not a ce for


    him to show off


    his love with her. But no matter what she said to him, he didn''t listen.


    Coincidentally, Colby was arranged to sit next to Maria.


    However, in order to avoid arousing suspicion, Rosa took his seat instead and sat next to Maria.


    Soon, the meal started, and everyone began raising a toast to each other.


    Thanks to James, Maria didn''t have to drink. No one present dared to propose a toast to her after


    James told them that she was having a stomachache. They all asked her to drink tea instead.


    In contrast, Rosa downed several sses of liquor, mocking Maria''s thoughtlessness in her heart.


    By the time they were halfway through the meal, most of the people at the table were drunk. One of


    them began to praise Maria''s beauty and even said that he would marry a woman like her in the


    future.


    Maria just smiled silently, gracefully epting the praise, while Rosa was so angry that her stomach


    ached.


    She felt that Maria was getting more and more skilled at pretending to be pure.


    Looking at the te in front of her, she angrily picked up a piece of fish meat and stuffed it into her


    mouth.


    But a split-secondter, she let out a low cough. A fish bone had identally gotten stuck in her


    throat.


    She quickly ate some rice, trying to push the fish bone down.


    In fact, Maria, who was sitting next to her, noticed what was going on. She just secretly observed


    the scene with a slight smile. Rosa let out another low cough and ate even more food, but to no


    avail. In the end, she secretly asked the waiter to fetch her some vinegar.


    Maria sneered as she watched Rosa down the small cup of vinegar.


    How could it be possible? In the twenty-first century, someone was still trying to soften a fish bone


    with vinegar.


    Instead of giving Rosa advice, she just quietly watched her hurt herself, knowing that things might


    get worse.


    She didn''t tell Rosa to stop eating as soon as the fish bone had gotten stuck in her throat, nor did


    she stop her from drinking the vinegar.


    "What are you looking at?" James asked Maria in a low voice.


    LARK COLE


    Author

 Chapter 387 Common Sense

    Chapter 387 Common Sense


    Maria leaned closer to James and asked in a low voice, "If a fish bone is stuck in your throat, what


    is the first thing you would do?"


    He blinked at her in confusion. Why was she wondering about such a useless thing? But when he


    noticed her subtle gesturing and saw Rosa, he immediately understood why she had asked the


    question.


    "I would cough. It will help dislodge the stuck fish bone. If that doesn''t work, I''ll go to the hospital,"


    he answered without difficulty.


    Of course, this was the right answer. Maria smiled, gazing at him in admiration.


    Seeing the expression on her face, James felt speechless. Wasn''t what he had saidmon


    sense?


    Others were toasting to each other and talking among themselves, and they didn''t notice them.


    Maria picked up the vinegar bottle that the waiter had brought over earlier and poured it in a small


    bowl for Rosa. "Drinking so little wouldn''t be enough. You have to drink a lot more to soften the fish


    bone." She didn''t mind having a little fun now.


    Rosa was trying so hard to control her coughing that her face had turned red. Hearing what Maria


    said, she red at her and said nothing.


    Pretending to be considerate, Maria smiled and handed her the bowl of vinegar. "Drink it quickly. I''ll


    get you some dessert."


    "What do you want?" Rosa choked out with some difficulty, trying her best to maintain her posh


    image.


    She absolutely didn''t believe that Maria would be nice to her.


    Maria put the bowl of vinegar in front of her, and then, in a voice that could only be heard by the two


    of them, said, "I want you to die, but I won''t let you die so soon. I haven''t made you suffer enough


    yet!"


    Rosa was in so much difort that she didn''t think too much about what Maria said. The only


    thing she could think about right now was getting the fish bone dislodged from her throat. In her


    desperation, she picked up the bowl of vinegar in front of her and drank up.


    She also quickly ate some tiramisu and pasta that Maria put on her te.


    It was only then that she felt a little better. She now had the energy to argue with Maria. "I won''t


    thank you."


    Maria looked at the food on her te with a smile. She had a great appetite now. "I know." How


    could a vicious woman like Rosa be so easily grateful to someone?


    Besides, Maria didn''t want her gratitude anyway.


    Rosa thought that her ordeal was over, but it wasn''t.


    After the lunch, James dropped Maria at herpany, and then headed to HL Group. The two of


    them soon became busy with their respective work.


    In the evening, when he returned to the vi, Maria was cooking. Seeing him walk into the kitchen,


    she said, "Please keep an eye on the pot. I''m going upstairs to get my phone. You don''t have to


    keep stirring the food. Just keep an eye on it."


    ncing at the pot on the stove, James nodded obediently.


    Maria went upstairs in a hurry.


    When she came back down, she smelled something strange. She looked at James, who was talking


    on the phone.


    She irritably rushed into the kitchen, which was filled with the overpowering smell of burnt food.


    It was only then that James caught a whiff of it and rushed into the kitchen as well, but it was too


    late for him to remedy the situation.


    Maria turned off the stove, opened the lid of the pot, and looked at the burnt food inside. She turned


    to James and looked at him in silence for a few seconds before asking, "Are you an idiot?"


    James felt a flicker of anger.


    However, he knew that he was in the wrong since he was the one who hadn''t kept an eye on the


    pot, so he had no choice but to swallow her insults.


    Maria was brimming with anger. She had almost finished cooking dinner, but now, it was all ruined.


    After throwing out the burnt food and cleaning the pot, she red at James and snapped, "Order


    some food. I''m not in the mood to cook anymore!"


    "Okay."


    "Don''t even dream of eating home-cooked food for a month!"


    "Okay."


    James agreed to everything she said.


    It was only muchter that night that Maria realized that his behavior was just the calm before a


    storm.


    How could he silently ept all the scolding from her?


    Sure enough, it was because he had been holding back a big move.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    No matter how much she begged for mercy that night, he didn''t let her go. In the past, he would


    restrain himself when he saw her crying. But this time, even after she cried, he pretended not to see


    it.


    She tried everything that night-crying, begging for mercy, acting like a spoiled child, and even


    threatening him-until he finally became a little gentler.


    By the time he was done, she was exhausted. She was so pissed off with him that she forbade him


    from holding her in his arms while sleeping.


    But of course, she ended up sleeping in his arms that night.


    At night, he was the king. She could do nothing but surrender to him. But during the day time, the


    moment she seized an opportunity, she would torture him mercilessly.


    Thinking of that, she yawned and fell asleep peacefully.


    The next morning, Maria went to HL Group to find out more information about H Brocade. She and


    James had lunch together in his office.


    When she was about to leave, there was a knock on the door, and Gary walked in anxiously. "Mr.


    Xi, Summer is not feeling well. She needs to go to the hospital."


    "Okay. Drive her there," James said calmly.


    "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    Maria followed Gary out of the office in a hurry. "What''s wrong with Summer?"


    Shaking his head, Gary said, "I don''t know. I think she''s having a stomachache."


    Summer was resting her head on the desk, and her features were scrunched up in pain. When she


    heard the sound of high heels clicking against the floor, she gritted her teeth and raised her head,


    revealing her deathly pale face.


    "What''s wrong with you, Summer?" Maria asked worriedly.


    "Maria, I''m okay. I just have a stomachache..." It was obvious that she was in a lot of pain, probably


    as a result of the sequ of having a miscarriage.


    Maria didn''t ask any more questions. She just told Gary, "She can''t walk now. Please carry her on


    your back."


    With the help of Maria''s secretary, Gary carried Summer on his back and took her to the parking lot.


    Once they reached the parking lot, Maria told him, "I can''te to the hospital with you now. I have


    an appointment with a client in half an hour. But if there is something wrong with Summer, call me at


    anytime!"


    "Okay," Gary said as he carried Summer into the car.


    After watching the car pull out of the parking lot, Maria turned around and left as well, without


    returning to James'' office.


    Later, in the hospital, Summer was sitting weakly in the waiting area of the Obstetrics and


    Gynecology Department. Gary had left to register her name.


    Just then, a man and a woman began quarrelling in the corridor. "I told you there was nothing


    wrong, but you insisted oning to the hospital for a check-up, " he said angrily.


    The woman was even angrier. "I have a check-up every month. What''s wrong with that? You just


    didn''t want toe!"


    "Of course I didn''t! Why did you force me to tag along? Couldn''t youe alone?"


    The woman almost choked with anger. "Jamir, you really are a bastard!"


    Hearing their fierce quarrel, Summer slowly opened her eyes and looked over.


    Jamir inadvertently nced at her, and their eyes met. Summer looked away indifferently, as if she


    didn''t see him.


    Jamir was just about to walk up to her when a man ran over to her with a receipt in his hand.


    "Summer, it''s done. Let''s go inside!"


    "Thank you," Summer said feebly as she stood up with Gary''s support.


    Ignoring Perry, Jamir walked over and blocked the two of them. "Summer, who is this guy?"


    Summer tried to bypass him, avoiding his gaze.


    However, Jamir didn''t give her a chance to leave. He blocked her way again and snapped, "Tell me,


    who is this man?" Summer and Maria were good friends. To avenge Summer, Maria made him and


    Perry lose their jobs. They had applied for jobs in multiplepanies, but none of thepanies


    dared to hire them.


    Gary frowned slightly. "Sir, what do you want?"


    "Stay out of it! I''m talking to her!" Jamir retorted. Seeing the man standing next to Summer, he felt


    like he was being cuckolded.

 Chapter 388 Expensive Fruits

    Chapter 388 Expensive Fruits


    Watching Jamir act like this, Summer could not help but chide herself in her mind. Why had she had


    such terrible taste before? How could she have fallen in love with a man like this in the first ce?


    Nevertheless, she opened her mouth to answer his question so as not to cause Gary any trouble.


    But Gary spoke first, stepping forward. "Who are you? Why are you talking so rudely to Summer?


    Don''t you have any manners?"


    "I''m her husband," Jamir answered confidently, as if that title gave him the right to be rude to her.


    "Ex-husband," Summer correct in a cold tone.


    "Excuse me, please get out of my way."


    Realization dawned in Gary''s eyes. Since the man in front of them was Summer''s awful ex-


    husband, then it must mean that the woman by his side was Perry, the one who had once worked in


    the PR department of HL Group.


    "We have only been divorced for a few days, but you''re already with another man! How can you be


    so shameless?" Jamir asked roughly.


    Nasty people like him had a knack for twisting logic to suit their needs, but Summer wasn''t having


    any of it. Raising an eyebrow at him, she snapped, "What the hell? Do you have short term memory


    loss? You''re the one who had an affair while we were married!"


    "Summer..."


    Annoyed that Jamir continued to pester her, Gary loosened his grip on her, grabbed Jamir''s cor,


    and threw a punch at him without hesitation.


    "Ouch!" Jamir, who was caught off guard, fell to the floor. But Gary didn''t stop there. He crouched


    down, leaned over Jamir, and continued to beat him up.


    Startled by the scene in front of her, Perry let out a scream.


    The whole corridor was in a mess. Passers-by stopped in their tracks, shocked by what was


    happening. Doctors and nurses also rushed out of their offices to see what the fuss was about.


    When they saw that there was a fight going on, they immediately called the security department of


    the hospital.


    Bearing the pain in her belly, Summer tugged on Gary''s sleeve. "Gary, stop. We''re at the hospital.


    Don''t make trouble here."


    Hearing her words, Gary finally withdrew his fist and got up, panting for breath.


    Unexpectedly, the first thing Jamir did after he got up from the floor was to punch Gary. He yelled,


    "Damn it! It was okay when I was beaten by women, but who the hell are you? How dare you hit


    me?"


    Gary took a split-second to recover, and the moment he did, he fought back, beating up Jamir until


    he couldn''t move anymore. Finally, he got up and looked at the wounded man on the floor with


    ferocious eyes. "If you dare to harass Summer again, I''ll beat you up worse than this!"


    Summer, who was in too much pain to say anything, leaned against the wall. Seeing that, Gary


    ignored Jamir''s feeble abuse and quickly took Summer to the doctor''s office.


    Ever since she had suffered a miscarriage, she had been having many different health problems.


    This time, she was in so much pain that she broke out into a cold sweat.


    After a thorough examination, it was found that she was suffering from a uterine perforation.


    But it was not serious, and there was no internal bleeding, so conservative treatment was enough to


    solve the problem.


    Once the doctor left, Summer handed her phone to Gary and asked him to send a message to


    Maria. "Tell her that I''m fine. I''ll be okay as long as I take medicine, so she doesn''t have to worry


    about me."


    Gary nodded and typed out the message.


    When Maria received it and found out that Summer was fine, she let out a sigh of relief.


    On the other hand, Rosa was suffering from abdominal pain and diarrhea, since she had drunk too


    much vinegar. The pain and difort tortured her for three whole days, making it hard for her to


    eat or sleep. When those symptoms finally came to an end, she felt like she had crossed a


    mountain.


    But to her shock, something terrible happened a few dayster. At first, she just felt a light


    difort in her throat. But as time went by, she realized that something was seriously wrong. Not


    only did it hurt to eat, but it also hurt when she swallowed.


    She had no choice but to take some time off work to go to the hospital. It was only after the check-


    up that she discovered that the fish bone that had gotten lodged in her throat had not dissolved at


    all. Instead, it was stuck in her gullet. Over the past few days, it had shifted lower and lower down


    her gullet. Now, it was dangerously close to piercing her aorta. Rosa was told that she had to have


    an operation immediately.


    Obviously, she was scared to death. Her face was pale as a ghost as she asked, "Just because of a


    fish bone?"


    "Yes. Your condition isplicated and dangerous. Ordinary hospitals won''t dare to perform this


    operation. We''re ready to do it, but we have to consult with the gastroenterology department first


    ande up with a n. We can go ahead with the operation after that. In the meantime, you


    should go back and prepare yourself for it."


    Rosa frowned, not at all convinced by the doctor''s words. "But after swallowing the fish bone, I


    drank a lot of vinegar, and I seemed to be fine after that."


    The doctor gave her a strange look, as if he was looking at an idiot. "Drinking vinegar won''t help at


    all. It''s just a myth. If you soak a fish bone in a bowl of vinegar, the vinegar could indeed dissolve


    the calcium salt in the fish bone and soften it, but it will take more than thirty minutes to achieve that


    effect. But the throat is just a pipe. No matter how much vinegar you drank, it would have passed


    through in an instant. It wouldn''t have affected the fish bone at all."


    Rosa pressed her lips together, feeling dumbstruck.


    All of a sudden, the mocking look in Maria''s eyes that day shed through her mind.


    In fact, back then, Rosa had been confused by Maria''s sudden show of concern, but she had been


    in too much difort to think about it. It was not until now that she realized the reason Maria had


    pretended to help her.


    However, she had no choice but to hold back her anger. After all, she was the one who had fallen


    into Maria''s trap without anymon sense.


    Maria didn''t hear that Rosa was hospitalized until three dayster. Widening her eyes in surprise,


    she asked, "Why is she hospitalized?" "Well, from what I heard, she had a fish bone stuck in her


    gullet. It was very serious and she needed to have an operation. She''s still in the hospital recovering


    now."


    Maria waspletely taken aback. In fact, this oue was just an unexpected for her as it had


    been for Rosa.


    When she had urged Rosa to drink more vinegar, she had known that the fish bone would still be


    stuck in her throat. However, she had thought that Rosa would have enoughmon sense to go


    to the hospital as soon as the meal was over.


    It turned out that Rosa had just ignored it for a few days.


    Of course, it didn''t matter to Maria at all. For her, the more miserable Rosa was, the happier she


    would be.


    In the evening, on her way back to the vi, she received a call from James. "Can you stop at All


    Natural and get me some fruits?" There were actually many kinds of fruits in the refrigerator, but


    James wanted fresh fruits.


    "All Natural? The fruit shop that''s close to your vi?" Maria asked. She knew that shop well.


    "Yes."


    Hearing that, she immediately refused. "I won''t buy fruits there. They are too expensive."


    Last time, when James had bought fruits for her from All Natural, she had taken a look at the bill


    and found that all the fruits came with exorbitant price tags. A ck thorn durian from that store cost


    nearly 3, 000 dors. A box of cherries cost more than 1, 200 dors. A box of white strawberries


    cost more than 300 dors, even though it only contained a few of them.


    After that, Maria had specially gone to the fruit store in person to check the prices, thinking that


    James had been ripped off. To her surprise, however, it turned out that the prices printed in the bill


    were the actual prices at the store.


    "Where are you now?" James pressed.


    "I''m about to pass by the store."


    "Come on, buy some fruits for me. I''ll reimburse you three times the amount that you pay," he said


    helplessly.


    "How about I buy you fruits from another store?" Maria asked, looking out the window. Since she


    wasn''t the one driving, she didn''t mind going a little further to find a fruit store.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "I don''t like fruits from other stores. I''ll transfer the money to you right now, okay?" James tried his


    best to convince her. At the same time he felt a little aggrieved. This woman had five bags of the


    same style, but different colors, in her closet. Why didn''t she think so much when buying them?


    She also had a dozen blind boxes and lipstick gift boxes. She would buy the same lipstick in more


    than a dozen colors. She did feel her heart ache when she bought them, but she couldn''t help it.


    "All right, all right. You don''t need to transfer money. It''s my treat," Maria said finally. Since he kept


    insisting on it, she gave in. After all, he could afford to eat such expensive fruits.


    "I''m afraid you''ll feel bad about itter," James said, entering the walk-in closet with Bob in his arms.


    Then, he set Bob down on the carpet before opening Maria''s bag cab.


    "I do feel bad about the price, but if you like the fruits there so much, I''ll buy them for you," Maria


    said casually. Of course, it wasn''t like they were short of money. She just didn''t want to be ripped


    off.


    James was pleased to hear her words. "All right. Come soon, okay? Bob and I are waiting for you at


    home." "Okay.

 Chapter 389 To Be Punished

    Chapter 389 To Be Punished


    After ending the call, James realized that Maria had many bags of the same style, but different


    colors.


    He sent photos of her bags and a lipstick set to Maria on WeChat. "Honey, leave your bags aside, I


    could buy fruits for a whole month with the price of this set of lipsticks alone!"


    Maria''s reply came quickly. "Come on! The lipstick set only cost a little more than 10 thousand,


    while you have to spend thousands of dors on your fruits each time! And you buy fruits more than


    a dozen times per month!"


    "Fine. What about your bags?"


    Her reply was slow and measured this time, obviously because of a guilty conscience.


    After some thought, she finally decided to stir up trouble out of nothing. "Do you hate me now?"


    "No. I just want to protest so that you can treat me better." In other words, he did not think she was


    doing anything wrong.


    "Yourints are pointless. Remember that you were the one who taught me to do this in the


    first ce." She was only following James'' order when she first bought bags of the same style, but


    various colors. Back then, she couldn''t decide which color to buy. When she asked for his opinion,


    he simply told her to buy all of them.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Pulling at the busily crawling Bob, James replied to Maria''s message. "You are the boss."


    A smug smile spread on Maria''s as she got out of the car and walked into the fruit store.


    After purchasing a bag of fruits worth several thousands of dors for James, Maria went back to


    the vi.


    Bob was ying with toys on the living room carpet. Somewhere close to his side, James sat


    watching the child.


    Maria came in with the fruits. "Bob, Mommy is back!"


    When he heard her voice, Bob immediately threw away the toys and crawled to Maria.


    Still eyeing the baby attentively, James followed behind him.


    After cing the fruits on the kitchen counter, Maria scooped up the little cutie off the floor and


    kissed him over and over. The child shrieked and giggled in delight.


    James went to wash the fruits. Maria stood behind him, their son in her arms. "Wash cherries for me


    first.


    Obediently, he took out some cherries from a box, washed them, and ced one of them in Maria''s


    mouth. She smiled her thanks as she chewed on the sulent fruit.


    Bob, who had just begun to have supplementary food, kept staring at her mouth and salivating.


    Amused by his expression, Maria asked James to cut a cherry open and put a piece in front of his


    lips.


    There were some things that people just knew how to do without being taught. When the cherry


    touched Bob''s lips, he immediately opened his mouth and taste the fruit.


    She couldn''t have him eating the fruit, so Maria grasped the cherry tightly and only allowed the boy


    a little taste.


    It was his first time to eat something other than form milk, fish soup, or rice soup. Not used to the


    taste, Bob had a strange expression on his face, and his mouth chirped like a bird a few times. It


    was unbearably cute.


    James also sliced an orange and let Bob taste it. Babies usually have no self-control when they


    taste something delicious.


    While James fed Bob a small slice of orange, Maria took out her phone and busily snapped photos


    to chronicle their son''s progress.


    That night, after the family had taken their baths, Bob didn''t go to sleep after finishing his milk.


    Instead, hey on the bed and babbled to James in his cute babynguage.


    The baby kept chewing on his own little foot even after James stopped him from doing so. His father


    kept pulling his foot away, but the little boy thought that it was just a game and keptughing.


    Not only that, he even ced his little foot on his father''s mouth as theyy side by side.


    The baby''s action caught James off-guard. Chancing upon this scene, Maria chuckled and said,


    "Pure natural feet taste good, right?"


    ring at the baby, he stood up and wiped his mouth with a piece of tissue. "He deserves being


    beaten," he threatened. Bob was bing more and more naughty these days that James started


    thinking that the child would be needing some form of discipline in the near future.


    Maria snorted and ignored him.


    Jamesy down on the bed again. After a while, a fair -skinned little foot stretched out toward him


    once again.


    He stared at the baby, bemused. What was wrong with Bob? He not only chewed on his foot, he


    was also making his father do the same.


    As if aware of his stare, Bob kept smiling cutely up at his father. Captivated by the smile, James


    pouted helplessly at him.


    Maria grabbed Bob''s foot and kissed it. "Son, your father doesn''t like jokes. We won''t y with him,


    okay?"


    "Are you trying to iste me?" James asked in mock outrage.


    Maria tidied up the baby''s diaper, swept him up in her arms, and dangled his tiny foot near James''


    mouth. "How dare you dislike my son''s foot? Here, eat it!"


    The little foot stepped on the man''s mouth.


    James couldn''t do anything. The kid wasn''t hurting him, but what he was doing was insulting!


    Maria was amused. At the sight of her happy grin, James restrained the urge to punish his son and


    allowed them to bully him.


    After Bob fell asleep, James pressed Maria''s body under him into the mattress and whispered, "Are


    you happy now?"


    "Yeah."


    "Then it''s my turn. I want to be happy, too." Before she could reply, James captured her red lips with


    his own.


    After that, Maria couldn''t say anything else.


    The night grew deeper, and the two of them didn''t part until James achieved what he wanted.


    When Rosa checked her hospital bill after being discharged, she gasped at the final amount. Her


    stay cost her more than 130 thousand dors. The doctor told her that if she hade to the


    hospital right after the fish bone had stuck in her throat, she would only have to pay the registration


    fee to solve the problem.


    Rosa didn''t know what to say. As it turned out,mon sense was an expensivemodity.


    Ten dayster, Maria met Rosa again in a meeting of the H Brocade project. At the parking earlier,


    Rosa gave her a baleful re when she saw the other woman.


    Maria shrugged. She couldn''t care less about the daggers Rosa''s eyes were throwing her way. After


    all, she would not lose anything because of that.


    This meeting was confidential. Core figures of the majorpanies were in attendance, and all of


    their mobile phones were confiscated temporarily before the start.


    As she was passing by the door of the meeting room, Maria''s eyesnded on someone.


    Immediately, she smilingly made her way over to where the man was and nodded pleasantly toward


    him.


    Patrick watched the woman approach him and returned her greeting. Everyone in HM Group shared


    the opinion that Maria Song was an overbearing, unreasonable woman. Today, when he saw her


    personally, that opinion was somehow dispelled. She seemed like a fine woman.


    At that moment, he was instantly captivated by her, and his heart filled with joy inside him.


    James arrived at the meeting to see Maria smiling at a man. He leveled a cold nce at Patrick,


    who looked at her with an enraptured gaze.


    Patrick felt a chill in the air and noticed James'' stare. Wiping the smile from his face, he greeted the


    neer. "Mr. Xi."


    Btedly, he remembered hearing that James and Maria were a couple. He wondered if James


    would make things difficult for him.


    As it turned out, he was just overthinking things.


    In the middle of the meeting, Rosa found an opportunity to mock DS Group, which was a small


    companypared to the other participants. With a smug little smile, she told Maria that she was


    not qualified to participate in the bidding with the rest of thepanies.


    Maria had already expected that Rosa would target at her, so she answered carefully, "It doesn''t


    matter whether ourpany is big or small. The key point is that with our current hardware


    equipment, we are fully capable of running this project. That''s enough."

 Chapter 390 I Quit

    Chapter 390 I Quit


    Rosa had heard that James had helped Maria''spany sign contracts with a few factories. "The


    factories you are working with don''t have the relevant experience for this project, and their


    technologies are amateur. Even if you somehow get the H Brocade project, there will be risks in


    your future operations."


    Facing her aggressive attack against DS Group, James wanted to stand up to speak for Maria.


    But before he could, Maria gently pressed down his shoulder, and stood up for herself. Casting a


    sharp look at Patrick, who was sitting next to Rosa, she asked, "As the CRO of the bank under HM


    Group, how do you assess the risks of the project?"


    Patrick was caught off guard by her sudden question, but he quickly came back to his senses and


    slid her a document across the table.


    Maria nced at the document and sneered, "Is this the risk management policy and procedure that


    you put forward? It''s just so-so. How can you be entrusted with the hard-earned money of


    consumers and the huge assets of H City?"


    Patrick, who waspletely taken aback by her harsh words, stiffened.


    His reaction didn''t go unnoticed by Maria, but she didn''t stop there. She turned to re at Rosa,


    who was about to speak up for Patrick. When Rosa''s eyes met Maria''s, she was inexplicably


    scared, and her words died in her throat.


    "Your work is so mediocre. It seems that even I can be the CRO of a bank if I just go and


    receive some FRM training. I mean, a CRO earns an annual sry of more than one million dors,


    right?"


    Patrick''s face turned red with embarrassment. He had never been so insulted in his life before. Was


    this aggressive woman the same one who had smiled gently at him at the door just now? He took a


    deep breath and said, "It''s not easy to pass the FRM test, and it takes years of hard work to


    umte experience. How can you be a CRO so easily?"


    "You''re right, it takes years to umte experience. But what''s the point? In the end, you''ve still


    come up with such a flimsy solution." Ignoring the murmurs from the rest of the people at the table,


    Maria kept targeting Patrick with her razor-sharp words.


    "You..." Patrick felt so angry and humiliated that he pped the table and shot up to his feet.


    Maria tilted her chin up at him defiantly and raised an eyebrow. "What? If you''re really capable


    enough,e up with a n that can convince everyone."


    "I... I..." Being put on the spot like this, Patrick didn''t know what to say. After ring at Maria for a


    long time, he finally said, "I quit!"


    In his eyes, Maria was like a demon!


    Colby and Rosa were understandably furious. Maria, on the other hand, could barely hide her smirk.


    Colby tried to dissuade Patrick from leaving, but thetter ignored him and stormed out of the room.


    In the industry, CROs with a great background were rare. Patrick was a talent that HM Group had


    poached from anotherpany with much difficulty. Now that he had been hounded by Maria into


    resigning, Rosa was infuriated.


    After Patrick left, she stood up and glowered at Maria. "What are you trying to do, Ms. Song? What


    do you mean by targeting a senior executive of ourpany? Are you not confident in your


    company''s bidding n?"


    "Then, Mrs. Zheng, what did you mean by targeting a smallpany like mine just now? Don''t you


    have confidence in HM Group''s bidding n?" Maria retorted tly.


    Rosa pursed her lips, looking like she had swallowed a fly.


    The meeting soon concluded, and the bidding result was to be announced in a week.


    Three dayster, Maria stood in front of an apartment building and looked at the details on her


    phone screen to confirm that she hade to the right ce.


    Then, she took the elevator to the 26th floor and rang the doorbell of the apartment.


    A man opened the door. As soon as he saw her, his face darkened, and he was about to m the


    door.


    But Maria quickly reached out and blocked the door with an apologetic smile. "Wait a minute, don''t


    close the door so soon. I''m here to hire you." Would he feel honored that a CEO hade to his


    house to hire him in person? Not at all.


    "Ms. Song, you want to hire me?" Patrick sneered.


    "Yes."


    "First, you trampled on my dignity, and now, you want to wave a piece of candy in front of my face?


    I''m not a fool!"


    Maria exined casually, "I didn''t say those words to trample on your dignity. I just wanted to poach


    you for my ownpany from HM Group." Otherwise, why would she target a CRO? In fact, the


    risk management n that he had written was quite good, almost top-notch work.


    Patrick froze, feeling dumbstruck.


    "I know that with your ability, DS Group is not good enough for you for the time being, so I want to


    hire you and let you work at HL Group for a while. Once DS Group grows and bes stronger, I''ll


    transfer you to there," Maria continued. She didn''t want to let go of such a good talent, so she tried


    everything she could to get him on board.


    The prospect of working at a hugepany like HL Group indeed sounded tempting to Patrick, but


    it was not a simple matter. "Ms. Song, you have also been working in the financial industry for a


    long time. You should know that it''s a small world. If I start working at HL Group, I will inevitably run


    into a lot of acquaintances. It will be embarrassing for me," he pointed out.


    "Why should you feel embarrassed? Everyone wants to develop themselves and climb up the


    careerdder. It''s the smart thing to do. I will pay you twice the sry you received in HM Group.


    Besides, you''ll be working under James. I don''t think I even have to borate about him, right?


    Colby could neverpare with him in terms of character."


    Even though Maria wasn''t lying, she still felt a little guilty. In terms of character, no one could be as


    lofty as James. He always acted like he was a god who had descended to the mortal world to save


    the creatures living there.


    Patrick had no idea what she was thinking about. Besides, to his knowledge, James was a man


    who was always upright and straightforward, which were qualities that he admired.


    Seeing that he seemed to be considering the offer,


    Maria continued to persuade him. "As you know, HL Group doesn''tck a CRO at all. They have


    top-level talents in the field working for them. But DS Group is short of such talents. Both James


    and I don''t want to miss a talent like you, which is why we want to recruit you and let you train in HL


    Group. James isn''t short of money. He''s someone who cherishes talent."


    She deliberately mentioned HL Group''s talents in the financial field, in order to remind Patrick that


    he would be working with experienced seniors in the industry. Compared to them, he was just a


    newbie, so he would have the opportunity to learn a lot.


    Nevertheless, Patrick continued to hesitate.


    Maria was skilled in the art of negotiation, and she knew that she shouldn''t linger more than


    necessary, or she would end uping off as desperate. Besides, this was not a good ce to talk


    about business. Therefore, she took out a gilded business card and handed it to him. "This is


    James'' card. If you decide to ept my offer, you can go to HL Group to meet with him." After


    saying that, she held out her hand with a graceful smile. "I''m looking forward to having you join us!"


    Patrick shook her hand and nodded. "Thank you for your appreciation, Ms. Song."


    "I''ll leave now. Let''s have dinner together next time."


    "Okay, bye." Patrick escorted Maria to the elevator.


    After walking out of the apartment building, Maria dialed James'' number and cooed, "Honey, I miss


    you."


    As soon as James heard her affectionate voice, he knew that she was up to something, but he


    couldn''t help smiling. "What do you want this time?" "Here''s the thing," Maria began, straightening


    up. "I went to see Patrick Li today and gave him your card. If hees to see you, please retain


    him in HL Group for the time being, okay?"


    "So you''ve recruited him for HL Group?''"


    "No, no, no. This man is mine. It''s just that DS Group is unworthy of his talent right now. I''ll transfer


    him back to mypany once it grows bigger. In the meantime, he can learn from the big shots of


    yourpany. What do you think?"


    "No way!" James sneered. Maria seemed to be getting greedier and greedier.


    No wonder she had targeted a CRO at the meeting. It turned out that this was her goal.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

 Chapter 391 Help Me

    Chapter 391 Help Me


    Maria had already known that James wouldn''t agree easily. "I''ll pay his sry. And I''ll cook for you!"


    "Still no," came his cold reply.


    "Are you sure?" Maria''s tone suddenly hardened. "Last time, you asked me to rely on you from now


    on. Now that I need your help, you refuse. If I call Norman today and ask him to train a talent for


    me, what do you think he''ll say?"


    "Maria!" James raised his voice.


    Without paying any heed to him, Maria continued, "I have already reached an agreement with


    Patrick. If you don''t agree, you''ll put me in a dilemma. And if I''m pushed into a corner, I might have


    to do something that makes you unhappy."


    James stayed silent, simmering with anger. At this moment, he wanted nothing more than to make


    Norman disappear from the financial industry, or, even better, from H City.


    Maria used all the tricks she had up her sleeve to convince him. "You know that we''repeting


    with Colby and Rosa now. Poaching their talent is also a loss to them. If Patrick doesn''t have a


    better ce to go, he may return to HM Group. That won''t do us any good, right?"


    James rubbed his aching temples and took a deep breath. "You''ve already put so much effort into


    this. If I don''t give you permission now, you will make trouble for me, right?"


    "Exactly, Mr. Xi." Regardless of the driver sitting in front, Maria puckered her lips together and gave


    James a kiss over the phone.


    As always, she knew his weakness. James had no choice but to agree with her. He sighed


    helplessly and said, "Fine. But you better pay me back tonight."


    "So you agree?" Maria asked, smiling brightly.


    "You promise to make it up to me tonight?" he asked in reply.


    "Of course, I promise," she answered calmly.


    "Then I agree."


    "Great. Oh, Mr. Xi, I''m sorry, I totally forgot! I have to leave tonight for a business trip. I''ll be gone for


    at least three days."


    After saying that, she hung up, leaving James speechless. But what could he do? He had fallen into


    her trap.


    He could never resist the temptation of her beauty. He was willing to fall into her traps over and over


    again.


    After that, Maria didn''t go back to thepany. Instead, she went back to the vi to pack her


    things into a suitcase, and headed straight to the airport.


    What dampened James'' mood even more was that right after Maria returned from her business trip,


    she got her period. So, he didn''t have the chance to make love to her for ten days in a row.


    On one of those days, Maria went to Leopard Club.


    Ever since James had invested in herpany, she had gotten busier and busier trying to put the


    capital to good use and expand the business. Now that she had some spare time, she dialed Rosa''s


    number.


    The moment the call was connected, she handed the phone to the woman next to her. The woman


    nodded and yelled into the phone, imitating a young girl''s voice. "Mom, help me!"


    She sounded identical to Ines.


    Rosa''s heart skipped a beat. "Ines? Is that you?"


    "Mom,e and save me. Mom..." The cries from the other end of the line seemed to be getting


    farther and farther.


    Then came Maria''s cold voice. "Rosa, if you want to see your daughter again,e to Room 666 of


    Leopard Club alone."


    "Maria, what did you do to my daughter? Why isn''t she in the US?" Rosa asked anxiously, clenching


    the phone tightly.


    "How can I let her stay there when her mother is in H City? Obviously, I asked someone to bring her


    here. I will give you half an hour. If you don''t get here by then, I guarantee you that you will never


    see your daughter again."


    The line was immediately disconnected, leaving no chance for Rosa to speak.


    In a panic, she fumbled with her phone to call the maid in the US, but failed to get through to her.


    She became even more flustered, and beads of cold sweat gathered on her forehead. As she


    rushed to her car, she called Colby, but there was no answer from him, either.


    She had never felt more desperate than she did at this moment.


    When she entered Room 666 of Leopard Club, she found a group of people waiting for her.


    Maria was sitting elegantly on the sofa, wearing a red coat. Several bodyguards in ck were


    standing behind her.


    "I told you, if you want to hurt me, deal with me straight. Don''t drag my daughter into this! Where is


    she?" Rosa said. Her eyes darted around the room for a trace of Ines.


    The woman on the sofa didn''t say anything, but a cry came from the lounge behind her. "Mom, I''m


    here..."


    Hearing her daughter''s voice, Rosa took a step forward to rush into the lounge, but her way was


    immediately blocked by Maria''s bodyguards.


    She turned and red at the woman who was calmly drinking wine on the sofa. "Maria, I''m already


    here. Don''t hurt my daughter!"


    Maria chuckled. "Okay. As long as you promise me a few things, I will let her go."


    "Fine! What do you want?"


    Maria unhurriedly drank up the wine in her ss and then threw the expensive ss onto the floor.


    Broken shards of ss scattered all over the floor, startling Rosa.


    Maria opened her lips, which were painted a vintage wine red color, and said, "If you want to see


    your daughter, walk over here barefoot and clean this mess up."


    Rosa looked at the broken shards of ss on the floor in shock. "Maria, are you insane?"


    "Yes! Thanks to you, I have a mental disorder," Maria replied in a level voice.


    She had been taking medication for her mental disorder. Didn''t that mean she was insane?


    Of course, thanks to the better treatment that she received from James, her mental health was


    getting better and better, so she didn''t have to depend on the medication as much these days.


    Rosa stood frozen to the spot, ring at Maria with hatred.


    Maria crossed her legs and yed with her phone, not bothering to even look up Rosa. "I don''t


    have time to waste with you. If you''re not worried about your daughter''s safety, it''s okay."


    The moment she finished speaking, a child''s miserable cry came from inside the lounge. "Argh...


    Let go of me!"


    For the second time, Rosa wanted to rush over, but she was once again blocked by the


    bodyguards. "Maria, you will die a horrible death!" she shouted madly.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "It doesn''t matter how I die. I will make sure you die more miserably!" Maria said calmly, but her


    eyes were full of hatred. She grabbed a brand-new wine ss and threw it in front of Rosa again.


    Then, she tilted her chin up and said sternly, "You''re not going to walk, are you? Fine, go and chop


    off Ines'' hand!"


    "No! I''ll walk! I''ll walk!" Rosa screamed hastily.


    Before she could take a step forward, two bodyguards reached down and forcibly removed her


    shoes and socks. When she bare feet touched the cold floor, she could not help but shiver.


    Her whole body trembled like a leaf as she moved forward little by little. When she inevitably


    stepped on a sharp shard of ss, she instantly withdrew her foot in pain.


    However, the bodyguards didn''t give her a chance to retreat. Holding her limbs, they forced her to


    step on it barefoot.


    "Argh-" A heart-wrenching cry echoed in the private room.


    Looking at Rosa''s face, which was scrunched up in pain, Maria slowly closed her eyes. She could


    still hear the sound of Rosa''s continuous cries, but she didn''t show any mercy.


    Torturing Rosa was the best feeling in the world.


    "Wait!"


    Rosa''s bloody feet were still pressed onto the broken ss, but Maria suddenly stopped her.


    She nced at one of the bodyguards and ordered, "Put on the video."


    "Yes."


    A terrible scene appeared on the screen behind them. Although there was no sound, the scene was


    very clear.


    When Rosa saw the man on the screen, she was so shocked that her eyes widened, and for a


    moment, she forgot to breathe.


    Maria, who already knew what was ying on the screen, didn''t bother to look back. She smiled at


    Rosa and said, "Look, you''re here going through so much pain for your daughter, but your husband


    is having fun with another woman.


    How do you feel?" Thebination of mental and physical blows was like a thousand arrows


    piercing through Rosa''s heart at the same time.


    With a deathly pale face and sweat all over her head, she shouted, "Maria, you bitch! You will die a


    horrible death!"

 Chapter 392 A Date

    Chapter 392 A Date


    Maria chuckled and said arrogantly, "Why are you scolding me? I''m not the one having an affair with


    your husband. You idiot! Do you think I will fall in love with a guy like him? He doesn''t even deserve


    to lick my shoes.


    Haven''t you heard the saying? How could a person who once loved an eagle love a sparrow?"


    Colby could neverpare with James.


    In a fit of fury, Rosa was about to remove her feet from the broken ss, but Maria told her in a soft


    voice, "After you finish stepping on the rest of the broken ss, I''ll tell you a big secret about your


    husband!"


    Rosa had no choice. The bodyguards forced her to finish walking the rest of the path.


    "Argh!" When she finally reached the end, she copsed to her knees. The floor was covered with


    blood.


    "Do you know what yton and Chandler did? Well, just like them, your husband has a second


    family," Maria sneered. She knew well that there was no such thing as a loyal man in this world. The


    older ones all had mistresses and illegitimate children, and each of them hid their secrets deeply. A


    young man like James had hooked up with her even though he had a fiancee.


    However, Rosa didn''t believe what Maria said at all. She had already guessed that Colby was


    fooling around with other women, but she couldn''t ept that he had a child with any of them.


    Obviously, she had people rying information about Colby to her. So far, she had never heard


    from any of them that


    Colby was paying special attention to a particr woman.


    At most, he would buy luxury goods for them. But since she wasn''t the one earning the money, she


    couldn''t interfere.


    Judging by the expression on Rosa''s face, Maria could tell that she didn''t believe her. "Do you know


    the woman in the video?" she asked casually.


    Rosa''s eyes shed with anger. Of course she knew that woman! She was Colby''s secretary. But


    she was married to his driver, and the two of them even had a son together.


    Realization dawned in Rosa''s eyes, and she took a deep breath.


    ''Is the kid actually Colby''s son?''


    Seeing the change of expression on her face, Maria chuckled. "Pick up the ss shards on the floor


    and throw them all into the trash can. I''ll answer your question after that."


    Gnashing her teeth, Rosa forced herself to pick up all the fragments of ss that she had stepped


    on and threw them into the trash can. Her fair and delicate hands were soon covered with blisters,


    and she was in so much pain that she could barely breathe. She swore to herself that she would


    tear Maria to shreds one day and make her pay for this.


    "Don''t curse me. I''m not the one who slept with your husband," Maria said, blowing on her nails


    before looking at the extremely embarrassed woman standing in front of her.


    "Maria, just pray that you never have another child. If I ever find out that you do, you know what will


    happen!" Saying that, Rosa burst into wildughter.


    It would be a lie if Maria said that she was unaffected by those words. However, she quickly calmed


    herself down and replied in a t tone, "It doesn''t matter. James and I are taking contraceptive


    measures now, so I won''t get pregnant for the time being. We''ll have another baby, but only after


    you die. I won''t give you the chance you''re waiting for."


    Rosa gritted her teeth in anger. How she wished she could jump up and scratch Maria''s face!


    "Your guess is right. The father of the secretary''s child is actually your husband. Their son is already


    several years old, but you haven''t noticed it at all. I guess Colby has done a good job of keeping it a


    secret!" Maria said, pping her hands. Although Colby was inferior to James in many aspects, he


    was not easy to deal with.


    Now that she had revealed his secret to Rosa, he would definitely try to deal with her in the future.


    Hearing the truth out loud robbed Rosa of her breath. Enduring the wave of dizziness that came


    over her, she said, "How long do you think you can be happy? James is also a man. Let me tell you,


    there is no man in this world who doesn''t cheat on his wife. Maria, I will wait for the day when you


    end up with a more miserable fate than me!"


    "Mrs. Zheng, you''re being delusional. Like I said, I won''t give you the chance. Neither will I give


    James the chance to cheat on me!"


    "I have done what you asked me to do. Let my daughter go!" Rosa demanded.


    Maria stood up, smoothed her clothes, and walked over to Rosa. Blinking at her innocently, she


    asked, "Daughter? What''s wrong with your daughter?"


    Rosa''s face turnedpletely red. "Maria..."


    Before she could say anything else, the door of the lounge swung open, and a woman walked out.


    Rosa didn''t know the woman, but thetter walked up to her and said, "Mom, help me!" She


    sounded almost identical to Ines!


    It was not until then that Rosa realized that she had been fooled by Maria. At that moment, the


    phone in her handbag rang. She fished it out with trembling fingers and found that she was getting a


    call from the maid in the US.


    She slid the answer key and asked, "Why didn''t you answer the phone just now? Where is Ines?"


    "I''m sorry, Mrs. Zheng. I wasn''t getting any signal just now. Ines is with me.


    Don''t worry. She''s fine." ''Maria lied to me!''


    The more Rosa thought about it, the more furious she became. To make it worse, Maria still stood in


    front of her, staring at her with disdain. She was so angry that she couldn''t handle it at all. She spat


    out a mouthful of blood and fainted.


    Before leaving Leopard Club, Maria asked her bodyguards to call an ambnce, and made sure to


    cover up the incidentpletely.


    After that, she didn''t go back to James'' vi. She asked the driver to leave first before driving alone


    to a snack bar on the street.


    Once she found a parking space, she called Ethan. "I''m at a snack bar right now. Do you want to


    meet me here? It''s my treat."


    Taking a look at the caller ID again in shock, Ethan asked, "Maria, is that really you?" Maria opened


    the car window and took a breath of fresh air. "Aren''t youing or not?"


    "Why are you calling me? Does James know about this? I''m afraid he will beat me up." Ethan was


    right to be worried, of course. James was extremely possessive of Maria.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll protect you. Come on!" Maria said reassuringly.


    "Okay."


    By the time Ethan arrived, Maria had ordered some food and opened a bottle of beer.


    "Ethan, do you like the food here?" Obviously, she was asking if a man of his stature was okay with


    eating at such a ce. After all, she now knew that he was from the Mu family.


    However, Ethan didn''t notice the implication in her words, and just replied casually, "Of course. I


    often eat at snack bars with my friends, but I haven''te to this one before. I''ll take you to the one


    I usually eat at some other day. The food there is amazing!"


    Maria was speechless. This man was indeed a chatterbox.


    She handed a bottle of beer to him, and the two of them clinked their bottles together. Then, she


    listened as he continued to talk. "They craft their own beer there. Once, just seven of us finish two


    whole kegs!"


    After a while, he abruptly stopped talking and shot Maria a strange look.


    "Why did you stop?" Maria asked in surprise.


    "Why are having a date alone? Where is James?"


    Maria almost choked on her food. Were they having a date? "You gave me a red packet during the


    Spring Festival, but I didn''t invite you to dinner. Give me a cigarette."


    When she saw him smoking, she suddenly had the urge to smoke, too.


    "Didn''t you quit smoking?" Ethan was confused. This woman had once told him that the best way to


    quit smoking was to eat something. In retrospect, he realized that she had quit because she was


    pregnant with Bob. No wonder she had been able to quit so easily.


    "Yes, I did. That''s why I don''t have any cigarettes with me," Maria answered tly. "Now, give me


    one. I haven''t smoked in a long time."


    "No. you have to think about your son. If James finds out that I''m on a date with you and even let


    you smoke, he''ll skin me alive," Ethan said, hastily shoving the box of cigarettes back into his


    pocket, and throwing his cigarette away.


    Maria chuckled. "Are you that afraid of him?"


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    "Aren''t you afraid?" Ethan asked in reply.

 Chapter 393 Your Style

    Chapter 393 Your Style


    Maria stayed silent for a moment, wondering how to answer Ethan''s question. "I was afraid of him


    before, but I''m not anymore," she said honestly. After all, her rtionship with James was miles


    better than before. Nowadays, he spoiled her most of the time. He loved her so much that she had


    nothing to fear.


    Ethan nodded and asked, "Does he know we''re here together?"


    "No, he doesn''t."


    "So why did you call me here? Are you going to share a secret about him with me?"


    Maria chuckled and took a sip of beer. "No, it''s nothing like that. James is too boring. I just wanted


    toe out and rx."


    The truth was, she was in aplicated mood. Perhaps it was because after torturing Rosa in


    Leopard Club just now, she had finally released a part of the hatred that had been suppressed in


    her chest for many years. While leaving Leopard Club, she hadn''t known how to feel.


    All of a sudden, she had gotten the urge to go to a snack bar, have a drink, and just rx with


    someone.


    If she called James, he wouldn''t be willing to eat in such a humble ce. Besides, if he were here,


    she would have to consider his feelings even while chatting with Ethan.


    In her eyes, Ethan was more like a younger brother, and sometimes a confidante. Above all, she


    enjoyed having conversations with different people every now and then.


    That was why she had decided to invite only Ethan in the end. When she went back hometer, she


    would tell James that she had gone out with Ethan for dinner. Even if James got angry with her, she


    would be able to coax him then.


    Ethan nodded in agreement. "He is a boring guy."


    "Ethan, are you really going to be a vet in the future?"


    "Who knows? It''s a great job, except for the part where I wouldn''t be able to support my future wife.


    Well, maybe I''ll answer this question when I have a wife!"


    Maria changed the topic again. "What do you think of the rtionship between me and James?"


    "Why?"


    "Just tell me what you see."


    After thinking for a while, Ethan said, "I can see that both of you are possessive of each other. But


    both of you have domineering personalities, so I don''t know how you guys are getting along. Ever


    since James got back together with you, he hasn''te out with me for a drink at all." There was a


    trace of grievance in his tone, much to Maria''s amusement.


    "Why do you say I''m possessive of him?" she asked curiously. Of course, she already knew that


    James was possessive of her, but she didn''t know if the same could be said for her.


    Taking a bite of the barbecued meat, Ethan answered, "Every woman is possessive of her man. If


    she isn''t, it means she doesn''t love him."


    Maria scoffed, but the more she thought about it, the more his words made sense.


    "Well, how about I help you get a girlfriend? I still remember that you said you like girls who are


    lively and cheerfulst time."


    "I don''t like childish girls!" Ethan said immediately, waving his hand. Then, a silly smile spread


    across his face as he looked at her. "I like women like you, who are in their early thirties, beautiful,


    cultivated, experienced, and sometimes gentle, but sometimes cold and charming."


    ''But you are too aggressive,'' he added in his mind.


    Maria smiled back at him sweetly and asked, "How about I break up with James and marry you


    instead?"


    Ethan shook his head immediately. "Compared to you, James is much more important to me.


    Besides, I don''t want to be with you. Even a guy like James is wrapped around your finger. If you


    and I were together, you''d order me around all day, wouldn''t you? I don''t like being the ve in the


    rtionship! I can''t date someone with a personality like yours!"


    Maria snorted. Why was he acting like a coward?


    Rolling his eyes, she sarcastically asked, "So you prefer James'' personality?"


    "I do, actually. He''ll protect me and give me lots of money to spend. Since I''m not capable, I should


    rely on someone else."


    "How dare you covet my man? I''ll record what you say and let him hear it," Maria threatened,


    narrowing his eyes yfully.


    "No! I won''t make fun of you anymore, okay?"


    "Good." "I''m not kidding. I''ll go to James'' bedroom and sleep with him," Ethan added.


    Hearing this, Maria tapped the table with her palm. "You deserve a good beating! How dare you


    compete with me for his heart?"


    "Ha-ha, I''m just kidding. You''re the boss. Eat the pig''s kidney; it''s good for your kidneys,"


    Ethan said. Maria nodded, "You are right. I''m exhausted. James is like a beast sometimes."


    Ethan''s jaw dropped in shock. "Maria, what did I do wrong? Why are you irritating a single man like


    me?"


    "You and Lawrence are James'' best friends. Lawrence is too busy these days, so you''re the only


    one I canin to," Maria answered casually. After all, there was nothing wrong with two adults


    asionally discussing their sex lives.


    "Fine. You know, Lawrence has nevere home after getting married. I really admire him."


    At the mention of Lawrence''s marriage, Maria slowed down while chewing her food, lost in thought.


    After swallowing the food in her mouth, she said, "I''ll ask Meagan to go shopping with me some


    day." Lawrence seemed to have gone too far. Now that he was married, he should pay more


    attention to his wife. However, he stayed out all day long, as if he was still a bachelor.


    "Where is Bob now? I miss him," Ethan said.


    "James would have picked him up if he got off work early. I haven''t talked to him yet. I''ll ask him


    once we finish drinking."


    "Okay."


    James was on his way to Augustine''s house when he found out that Ethan and Maria were secretly


    dating at a snack bar.


    Therefore, Maria never got to call him like she had nned. As soon as he got wind of the news,


    James gave up on picking up Bob and went to the snack bar instead.


    The snack bar was not as bustling as it was in the summer, but now that the weather was getting


    warmer and warmer, there were almost no empty tables.


    When James parked his car at the side of the road, he already attracted the attention of many of the


    diners at the snack bar. However, Maria and Ethan were busy chatting and drinking; they didn''t


    notice him.


    It was only when James stood right next to the table that they noticed him, but obviously, it was too


    late to do anything.


    "Who allowed you to drink beer?" His low, indifferent voice made Maria''s heart tremble, and she


    almost threw the beer in her hand away.


    Before she could answer, the man''s sharp eyes fell on Ethan''s face. "What gave you the guts to


    take her out to drink beer? She''s still on her period. If you''re tired of living, just tell me. I don''t mind


    giving you a ride to hell."


    His sudden appearance left both the people sitting at the table stunned.


    The taste of beer suddenly turned bitter.


    James'' aura was strong and attractive, like an angel''s. Everyone''s eyes were drawn to him.


    Even Maria could see how conspicuous and ipatible he looked in a shabby ce like this.


    She quickly pulled over a chair and made him sit down. "It''s just room-temperature beer. Don''t


    worry!"


    Hearing that, James pursed his lips in displeasure. Shooting her a meaningful stare, he reminded in


    a low voice, "Who used to stay in bed all the time during her period and asked me to take care of


    her?"


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Maria was speechless. What he was saying had happened so long ago. Her periods had gotten


    much better after she had given birth to Bob. Otherwise, she would never dare to drink beer like


    this.


    Of course, whenever James was around, she would exaggerate her pain on purpose.


    Ethan coughed lightly and admitted his mistake. "I''m sorry, James. I had no idea. You can''t me


    an ignorant person, right? Please forgive me."


    James cast a cold nce at him and said, "No." Then, he turned back to Maria.


    Ethan opened his mouth to protest, but no words came out. All he could do was feel sorry for


    himself.

 Chapter 394 Not Affecting Anyone

    Chapter 394 Not Affecting Anyone


    "I won''t drink it anymore. Can you help me finish the rest?" Maria asked James, fluttering her


    eyebrows with an innocent smile.


    "No," came the man''s cold reply.


    Hearing that, she stood up decisively. "Fine, I''ll pay the bill right now. Let''s go home!" Anyway, she


    had already had a chat with Ethan, so she was ready to leave.


    But before she could walk to the counter, James grabbed her hand and signaled to Ethan.


    Ethan immediately understood what he meant. "Maria, let me do that!"


    Before she could respond, he ran to the counter to pay the bill.


    Maria turned to James and said helplessly, "I told him that I''d pay the bill. This whole meal would


    have barely cost five hundred dors! Why are you bullying a kid over five hundred dors?"


    James looked her coolly. How was Ethan a kid? That guy was more than twenty years old! He


    opened his thin lips and said, "Even if I asked him to pay a bill of three million dors, he wouldn''t


    dare to say no."


    Maria rolled her eyes at him. "Is that the reason why you bully him even more?"


    "What? Are you feeling sorry for him? No matter, I can bully him even more. Should I do it?"


    Maria scoffed. What was wrong with this man? All she had done was have a drink with his friend at


    a snack bar. Was that such a big deal? They were just having a meal in public, not hiding in some


    private room!


    Sure enough, as Maria said, their dinner tonight cost just a little more than four hundred dors.


    After handing five hundred dors to the cashier, Ethan walked back, panting slightly. "Let''s go," he


    said.


    "Where are you going?" James asked coldly.


    "To your house, to eat something delicious! Call the chef right now and tell him we''ll be back soon,"


    Ethan said, as if it was obvious.


    Maria could barely hold back herughter. Couldn''t he see that James was angry? How could he


    still expect James to invite him to his house for dinner?


    However, to Maria''s surprise, James nced at the half-finished food at the table in front of him,


    and then took out his phone and dialed a number. "Call the chef over and ask him to prepare a


    barbecue dinner."


    As he spoke, he began walking out of the snack bar, towards his car. Ethan and Maria obediently


    followed, whispering to each other as they shuffled behind him.


    "He''s angry," Maria said.


    "I know."


    "You know? Then howe you dare to go to his house for dinner?"


    Ethan shrugged casually. "Why should I be afraid when you''re around?" In his mind, Maria was the


    amulet that would protect him from James'' wrath.


    Upon seeing James, the driver quickly opened the door of the back seat of the car. James asked


    Maria to get in first, and then climbed in next to her.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Ethan naturally sat in the front passenger seat, next to the driver.


    Their ride back was quite peaceful. James kept silent, while Ethan and Maria chatted with each


    other every now and then.


    When they arrived at the manor, they found that all the lights were on, and the chef was busy


    cooking inside.


    Walking in the very front, James opened the door and held it for Maria, asking her to go in first.


    When Ethan tried to follow her in, James stood in front of him and blocked his way. "I just


    remembered something."


    "What is it?"


    Maria turned her head and listened to the conversation between the two men.


    "Wait a minute," James said.


    Ethan paused and watched in confusion as James walked into the house first. He didn''t expect what


    came next at all. James turned around and said, "The thing I remembered is that you are not


    wee here today. Get your own ride back!"


    The door was ruthlessly mmed on Ethan''s face. He had excitedly followed them to the house to


    have a delicious dinner, but it turned out that he was not even allowed to enter the house.


    However, he wouldn''t give up so easily. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the door


    for a long time. Finally, he decided to call Maria.


    To his dismay, it was James who answered the call.


    Maria heard her phone ring, but before she could answer it, James took it away. She could only


    helplessly watch as he answered it and said, "Get lost as soon as possible!"


    Maria clucked her tongue in disapproval. "It''s a miracle that someone like you has friends."


    She could not help but feel sorry for Ethan and Lawrence.


    James looked at her and said tly, "Lawrence and Ethan aren''t the only good friends I have.


    Several dignitaries, celebrities, and rich businessmen are also my friends. Everyone is moring to


    be friends with people like me. Are you jealous?"


    Maria was speechless. This man never missed a chance to show off!


    Outside the house, Ethan kept ringing the doorbell over and over again. Maria tried to open the door


    for him several times, but James came and stopped her every single time.


    Finally, perhaps moved by Ethan''s persistence, he stood up and walked towards the door with a


    te of sirloin steak that the chef had just roasted.


    Ethan was actually about to call a friend and ask him toe and pick him up, but when he heard


    the sound of the door opening, he shoved his phone back into his pocket and rushed forward.


    "James, you''re finally here."


    James stood in the doorway with a te of steak in his hand, blocking Ethan''s way. The smoky


    aroma of the steak instantly made Ethan''s mouth water.


    However, James just stood at the door, with the te in one hand and a fork in the other. Then, he


    began to eat the steak in front of Ethan, without any intention of letting him in.


    The smile on Ethan''s face froze when he finally realized what James was doing. "James, as the


    CEO of HL Group, is it really appropriate for you to stand at the door and eat your food?"


    "I''m eating at my own door. I''m not affecting anyone. What''s wrong with it?" James deadpanned. He


    put another piece of steak in his mouth and chewed like it was the most delicious thing in the world.


    Leaning against the other half of the door, Ethan said, "You''re getting more and more cruel every


    day."


    "Thank you!"


    Ethan was speechless. What part of his sentence could be misconstrued as praise?


    He sighed and said, "If you can lend me a car, I''ll leave."


    "I don''t want to lend anything to you," James said, finally stepping aside.


    Fearing that James would change his mind, Ethan quickly slipped into the house through the gap


    that he had been given.


    In the kitchen, Maria was eating barbecued meat at the long dining table. In front of her, a chef


    wearing a mask was barbecuing the food on the spot.


    A new set of tableware had already been prepared next to James'' seat.


    At the sight of the tableware, Ethan immediately understood what was going on.


    In the beginning, he hadn''t been sure whether James really wanted to drive him away. That was


    why he had stayed and persistently rang their door bell. But it turned out that James had just been


    pulling his leg.


    Thinking of this, Ethan was moved. As he sat in the seat prepared for him, he said, "James, I''ll


    never meet Maria alone again."


    Compared to Maria, James was way more important to him.


    Maria found his words amusing, but she pretended to be unhappy and said, "What''s wrong, Ethan?


    Isn''t our rtionship as valuable to you as James'' barbecue?"


    "Rtionship?" James asked, taking his seat as well. He didn''t know when the two of them had


    be so close.


    His voice was cold and gloomy, as if it wasing from the gates of hell.


    Shaking his head, Ethan rified, "I have nothing to do with Maria! We''re just friends. James, you


    have to trust me."


    James snorted and continued to eat, ignoring him.


    He knew Ethan better than Ethan knew himself.


    During the rest of the meal, Ethan and Maria chatted with each other every now and then. Sitting


    between the two of them, James didn''t say anything, but asionally shot a cold nce at Ethan,


    who sometimes took his jokes too far.


    After dinner, Ethan had enough sense to say that he wanted to go home. James nodded and asked


    the driver to send him home.


    Later, in the bedroom, James leaned against the wall and looked at Maria, who was sitting at the


    dressing table, applying skin care products on her face. "Tell me, why did you go on a date with


    another man behind my back?"

 Chapter 395 Asking For The Antidote

    Chapter 395 Asking For The Antidote


    Upon hearing that, Maria paused in the middle of patting a cleanser on her face and said, "You can''t


    let it go, can you?"


    "No," James admitted. But it was only because she hadn''t exined it to him.


    Maria, on the other hand, was surprised that he couldn''t let go of such a trivial matter. With a sigh,


    she replied, "What else could the reason be? I was in a bad mood, and I didn''t want to disturb you


    while you were working, so I called Ethan out to have a drink. If you don''t like it, I''ll just call you next


    time."


    "Okay."


    James didn''t say anything more about that topic after that.


    Meanwhile, Rosa was once again hospitalized.


    It was not until ten o''clock that night that Colby arrived at her ward.


    Rosa looked haggard and pathetic. There were bandages wrapped around her hands and her feet.


    She had her eyes closed in thought.


    When she heard footsteps approaching, she slowly opened her eyes.


    In the quiet ward, Colby asked with concern, "What happened to you?"


    There was no answer from the woman in front of him, but the coldness in her eyes somehow made


    him feel as though he was the one to me. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked,


    shifting uneasily.


    "Where were you?" Rosa asked in a hoarse voice.


    A strange look crossed Colby''s eyes, but it disappeared as soon as it came. "I was meeting with a


    client," he replied.


    Rosa caught the suspicious look in his eyes and smiled sarcastically. "Colby, Maria and James have


    joined hands to deal with us. Aren''t you going to tell me the truth now at least?"


    Her voice rose as she spoke.


    Colby calmly sat down at the bedside. It only took him a second to realize what must have


    happened. "If you have something to say, just say it."


    "Do you know what Maria did to me? Where were you when I walked barefoot on ss shards for


    our daughter?" Rosa became more and more agitated as she spoke. "You were having sex with that


    bitch! I saw your betrayal with my own eyes! Colby, do you think this is fair to me?"


    Ever since their marriage, she had been keeping an eye on him. She hadn''t expected that he would


    betray her over and over again, and to such an extent, no less. Not only had he slept with several


    other women, but he had also let the vixen in hispany give birth to a baby for him!


    ncing at her bandaged feet, Colby replied calmly, "Rosa, since you already know about it, I won''t


    hide the truth from you any longer. I do have a son. Joslyn and Ines are both girls. HM Group is


    such a bigpany. I need to have a son who can inherit it after I die, right? Don''t fall into Maria''s


    trap. She wasn''t doing you a favor by telling you this. She only did it to sow dissension between us."


    Rosapletely disregarded hisst sentence. All she could think about was how he had actually


    let his secretary give birth to a heir for him. How could he be so heartless? "If Maria hadn''t told me


    about it, how long would you have continued to hide it from me?"


    "As long as possible. But don''t worry. Since you gave birth to Ines, you will always be Mrs. Zheng."


    From the beginning, he had never intended to divorce Rosa.


    An entrepreneur like him would have to pay a lot of money as alimony if he got a divorce. The cost


    was just too high.


    If a mistress got the title of Mrs. Zheng, it would be a big blow to his reputation, and would also


    affect his social status. Not to mention, it would be a huge setback for thepany, as it might even


    affect the stock price.


    Rosa let out a humorless snort. "How old is your son? How did you hook up with that bitch? Did she


    seduce you?"


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    A trace of uneasiness shed across Colby''s face. "He''s less than a year old. Don''t worry about the


    rtionship between me and her. She won''t affect you at all."


    At the back of his mind, he was thinking about Maria. It was getting more and more difficult for him


    to see through that woman. In fact, he had never expected her to be this capable. He had thought


    that, at the most, she would try to ckmail him for money. However, she had discovered his


    biggest secret, and revealed it to thest person that he wanted to know.


    Meanwhile, Rosa felt like she was going crazy. Had he just said that his rtionship with his


    secretary wouldn''t affect her? What a joke!


    "What are you going to do now? What about Maria? She used Ines'' name to hurt me like this! I can''t


    let that bitch go!" "Don''t worry," Colby said reassuringly. "Just be patient. We will get a chance to


    deal with her sooner orter." In his eyes, Maria was just a woman, so he didn''t take her seriously at


    all. Instead, he would have to be a hundred thousand times more careful when dealing with James.


    ''Be patient? I''m lying on the sickbed. How can I be patient?'' Rosa thought in annoyance. What was


    worse, Maria''s DS Group was very likely to grow and expand with the H Brocade project this time.


    At a table in Miracle Cafe, Maria looked at the woman sitting opposite her in silence.


    ine was a little annoyed by her indifference, but since she hade to ask for her help, she dug


    her fingers into her palms and tried her best to suppress her anger.


    Finally, when she couldn''t take it any longer, she said, "I know you don''t want to see me, just like I


    don''t want to see you. So just tell me, will you help with this matter?"


    "Yes, I will," Maria replied with a smile.


    ine was somewhat surprised. She hadn''t expected Maria to agree so easily. "Really?"


    "Yeah." Maria tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and nodded.


    ine''s eyes glowed with expectation as she asked, "Are you willing to go and ask James for


    help?"


    "No, I can do it myself." Maria had been silent and absent-minded just now only because she was


    surprised that James would hurt Alina.


    "What do you mean? Do you have the antidote? Can


    Alina''s throat be healed?" ine asked anxiously. The reason she had asked Maria to meet her


    here was to ask her for the antidote.


    "I don''t have the antidote," Maria said slowly.


    There was an abrupt change in ine''s expression. "Then how can you help?"


    "In this regard, I will help James," Maria stated. Why should she help Alina? She wasn''t crazy


    anymore.


    "What do you mean?" ine snapped. Maria had always been such an ungrateful girl!


    "I mean, I''ll give Alina another drug. Not only will she be unable to speak, but she''ll also be unable


    to see the world after that. What do you think?" Maria asked with a wide, enchanting smile.


    For a moment, ine was too angry to speak. "How could I have a daughter as vicious as you? I


    should have strangled you to death in the cradle! It was a mistake to let you live this long!"


    It would be a lie to say that Maria''s heart didn''t ache after hearing this. After all, she shared a blood


    rtionship with the woman in front of her. But she suppressed her emotions and said indifferently,


    "Mrs. Song, I''m afraid I''m going to have to disappoint you. Not only have I lived this long, but I''ll


    continue to live for a long time. Moreover, you can do nothing but watch while I live a better life than


    you."


    "Why did I give birth to you?" ine wanted to p the table, but this was a public ce. In order to


    maintain her image, all she could do was grit her teeth and snarl at Maria in a low voice.


    "You should ask yourself that. Maybe all these things you hate about me, I just inherited from you!"


    "Maria, you¡ª" Maria stood up and interrupted her by saying "Well, Mrs. Song, if you don''t have


    anything else to say, just leave. I''m busy."


    "Stop!"


    This time, ine''s voice was loud for most of the customers in the cafe to hear. All eyes turned to


    the two of them.


    "If you don''t give me the antidote, I''ll tell the media about what you''ve done and let them release all


    the information about your evil deeds. Then the whole world will know what kind of person you are,


    Maria!"


    Maria, who was about to leave, turned back and looked at her coldly. "Really? Mrs. Song, are you


    trying add some excitement into your life because it''s toofortable? If you care about Alina so


    much, why didn''t you just go to James for help? What did youe to me? Do you think I''m a


    pushover?"


    ine was speechless. Of course she didn''t dare to go to James. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have


    asked to meet with Maria instead.

 Chapter 396 Cooperate With The Mistress

    Chapter 396 Cooperate With The Mistress


    After saying that, Maria turned around and left without giving ine a chance to respond.


    After returning to the lounge, she took out her phone and called Carolina. As soon as the line was


    connected, she said, "Give me the phone number of Chandler''s mistress."


    She knew that Carolina had that woman''s phone number, because thetter had once gone to see


    that woman to prevent her from destroyed the marriage between Chandler and ine.


    "Maria, what''s wrong?" Carolina asked with concern on the other end of the line.


    "Nothing. Will you give it to me or not?"


    "Yes. Actually, there''s something I want to tell you. I''m going to get married next month. My fiance is


    the teacher that you metst time. Will youe to our wedding?" The wedding date had just been


    determined, and Carolina hadn''t gotten the chance to contact Maria yet.


    "Let''s talk about itter. Send me the number."


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    With that, Maria hung up the phone.


    Carolina lowered the phone from her ear and looked at the screen in confusion. What had


    happened to Maria? Why was she so angry?


    After receiving the phone number of Chandler''s mistress, Maria called her and used the same tactic


    that she had used to deal with Colby''s secretary. "You child is growing up. His name should be on


    the household register, right?"


    "Who are you?" The woman on the other end of the line was very vignt, just like Colby''s


    secretary.


    Maria wanted tough. Why did these capable women lower themselves to being mistresses in the


    dark for their whole lives? Was it for money? Or was it fortheir children?


    Shezily replied, "It doesn''t matter. The most important thing is that I can help you get the title of


    Mrs. Song, and let your child''s name be a part of the household register of the Song family. Are you


    interested in cooperating with me?"


    For a moment, she was met with nothing but silence. Obviously, the woman was considering her


    offer.


    In fact, the bait she threw out was so tempting that neither Colby''s secretary nor this woman could


    refuse it.


    Unlike Colby''s secretary, who had hesitated for a long time before agreeing, this woman agreed


    after thinking for a few seconds. "But how can I trust that you''re not trying to harm me and my


    child?"


    "Because I''m Maria Song."


    As Chandler''s mistress, the woman had obviously heard this name before.


    She knew the names of the members of the Song family.


    Therefore, after hearing this, she was overjoyed, and her attitude instantly softened. "Hi, Maria. So,


    what should I do?"


    But at the same time, she couldn''t help but worry a little. After all, Maria was ine''s biological


    daughter.


    Would she really help her mother''s rival? Was this just a trap that was set by her and her mother?


    On the other hand, she had heard that Maria had severed her rtionship with the Song family, and


    that she wasn''t in contact with her mother at all.


    Thinking of all this, she was torn as to what she should do next.


    Fortunately for her, Maria said, "You don''t have to do anything for the time being. I''m calling just to


    know your stance. I''ll contact you again if necessary." With that, she hung up the phone.


    The surroundings quieted down, providing her the right environment to think about her next move.


    It was only a while earlier that, thanks to ine, she had learned of what James had done to Alina.


    In fact, she had been looking for the drug that Alina had made her take in the ck market before,


    so that she could give her a taste of her own medicine.


    She hadn''t expected that James would act quicker than her and drug Alina on his own, targeting her


    throat.


    After a while, Maria took out her phone and dialed another number. "Arrange some people to cause


    trouble to Colby''s mistress and their son, and create evidence that points to Rosa. Do the same with


    Chandler''s mistress."


    Since Colby and Chandler were in the same situation, she could deal with them in the same way,


    which saved her time and effort.


    She would never let the Zheng family and the Song family live in peace.


    "Okay, Ms. Song!" came the obedient reply from the other end of the line.


    Chandler''sst trace of love for ine had already vanished, so this was thest straw that broke


    the camel''s back.


    A few dayster, just as Maria had expected, she heard the news that Chandler and ine were


    going to get divorced.


    However, it was a troublesome procedure, so they hadn''t started it yet. They were probably busy


    transferring their properties in advance.


    In the meantime, there was an interesting development with Bob, who picked up the habit of eating


    anything he could grab. The first time Maria caught him doing it, he was crawling to the tea table in


    the living room. Holding the table for support with his tiny palms, he straightened up, picked up a


    date from the te on the table, and popped it into his mouth.


    Seeing that, Maria was scared out of her wits. She snatched the date out of his mouth and


    pretended to be angry at him. "Bob, you can''t eat this. Do you understand?"


    Of course the little boy didn''t understand. He just smiled at her, and then climbed onto the sofa to


    y with his toys.


    Maria shook her head helplessly at him.


    The next time Bob ate something, it was James who caught him. He was sitting on the sofa and


    talking on the phone while keeping an eye on Bob. He had just hung up the phone and raised his


    head again when he saw Bob putting a pistachio into his mouth.


    In contrast to Maria''s mock anger and soft scolding, James took the pistachio out of Bob''s mouth,


    picked him up, bent him over his legs, and pped him on his bare butt twice.


    It was not until then that he remembered seeing that the fruit tes that were usually kept on the


    tea table had been moved to a taller table. It must be Maria who had done that. It seemed that this


    wasn''t the first time that Bob was doing this.


    Upon being hit, Bob let out a loud cry. Then, he turned over to bite his father.


    James, who was caught off guard, had his finger bitten by his son.


    Growling in annoyance, James hit the little boy two more times on his butt.


    This time, Bob began wailing. The sound of his cries echoed throughout the whole vi, but the two


    of them were the only ones home. John lived in another vi, so he couldn''t hear what was


    happening here.


    Bob kept crying and called out for his mother.


    James picked him up and made him stand on the sofa in front of him. Then, he pointed at the te


    of pistachios and said seriously, "Don''t eat them, or I''ll beat you again."


    However, hearing this only seemed to anger the little guy even more. He raised his head and looked


    at James with aggrieved eyes, wailing loudly.


    "Your tears are useless in front of me. I''ll forgive you if you apologize, okay?" James sat down next


    to him.


    He had no idea whether Bob understood what he was saying or not, but the little guy shifted


    towards him while crying. Perhaps because of his poor bnce, it took him almost half a minute to


    slowly reach James'' side.


    With tears rolling down from his eyes, he grabbed James'' big hand and walked up to him. Then, he


    held out his arms, letting James know that he wanted to be picked up.


    However, James wanted to build his image as a strict father, so he didn''t soften his heart at all.


    "Stand up!" he ordered.


    The little boy cried louder and louder. At this moment, Maria returned home.


    Hearing her son''s cries, she felt her heart ache.


    She hastily changed her shoes and rushed in. She was greeted by the scene of Bob crying


    pathetically in front of an indifferent James. "You bullied my son again!" she said helplessly.


    James nced at her and said, "He tried to swallow a pistachio."


    "Ah. Bob,e here, let me hug you!" Maria said, looking at the baby with encouraging eyes. She


    wanted to calm him down first before educating him.


    Bob took a look at her, but didn''t walk towards her like he usually would. Instead, he turned back to


    James and continued to cry in front of him.


    Seeing his strange behavior, both the adults were dumbstruck.


    Maria went over, squatted down next to the little boy, and patted him on the back. "Bob, you''re a


    good boy. Mommy will hug you, okay?"


    However, Bob seemed to be determined to target James. Still crying, he said, "Dad..." He let out a


    little hup before continuing, "Hug..."

 Chapter 397 Break Up

    Chapter 397 Break Up


    Envy filled Maria at the sight. Since when had these two got along so well with each other? ''Is it


    because I''ve been too busy to take care of my own child?'' she wondered to herself, feeling her


    heart ache.


    However, James didn''t hug Bob. Instead, he picked up a pistachio and asked him, "Will you eat this


    again?"


    Bob only stared at the pistachio and did not speak.


    James could see that the child was not convinced, so he set aside the pistachio and swatted his


    son''s buttocks for the third time.


    The baby''s cries almost broke Maria''s eardrums, but she couldn''t interrupt the conversation


    between father and son at that moment. She could only watch her son and feel sorry for him.


    "Boston Xi, if you keep crying, I will throw you out!" James scolded harshly, his face turning


    thunderous.


    His father called him by his full name, so Bob knew that he was furious. After sniffling for a few more


    moments, he shook his head and quietened down.


    Maria watched this exchange in confusion. What kind ofmunication was this? Threats and


    intimidation?


    Just then, James stooped down to take Bob into his arms, patting and coaxing him. "From now on,


    you''re a man, so you can''t cry like that anymore."


    Maria rolled her eyes. Her son wasn''t even a year old yet. How could he be a man?


    A burp escaped Bob amid his sobs. After a while, he looked over his father''s shoulder to Maria and


    stretched out his hands for her to hold him.


    "Baby, you finally remember me!" Feeling a little out of her depth, Maria took her son into her arms.


    Bob rested his little head on her shoulder and kept stealing nces at James every once in a while.


    "Why are you peeking at me?" James asked with a slight frown.


    Maria said, "What''s wrong with you? Will it cost you anything to have your own son look at you?"


    "I mean, if he wants to look at me, he can do so openly." Why was his son peering at him so


    sneakily?


    Maria snorted. "Do you think he would dare look at you openly?"


    "He dared ask me to hold him, so why wouldn''t he look straight at me?"


    In the next moment, Bob stood up and stretched out his hands toward James. "Daddy, hug!"


    Maria''s jaw dropped. He had been in her arms for only two minutes. Why did he want his father to


    hold him again?


    James took his son back into his arms.


    To their surprise, Bob kept changing back and forth between "Daddy, hug!" and "Mommy, hug!"


    The next time James was holding the child, he suddenly wrapped his arms around his father''s neck,


    and his cute little face drew closer to his.


    James thought nothing of it and assumed that his son just wanted to kiss him.


    Bob did manage to kiss him. However, he took it one step further, moving toward James'' mouth and


    biting him hard.


    Her eyes wide with stunned horror, Maria quickly said, "Baby, you can''t bite your daddy like that!"


    However, the baby remained blissfully unaware and continued to mp his little teeth on his father''s


    lip.


    James tried pinching his little face gently, but Bob was like a dog with a bone.


    Maria had to pull him back by force, which managed to make Bob loosen his teeth.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    However, it was toote. The skin on James'' lip tore under the baby''s small teeth. He still didn''t


    have all of his teeth, but James didn''t expect them to be so sharp.


    The man red at the innocent little boy. "You''re such a little baby. How dare you y tricks on


    me?"


    It must have been Bob''s revenge for what James had just done to him. He didn''t have to wait for


    years to strike back; once James had dropped his guard, his son bit him hard and then hid in his


    mother''s arms, the very picture of angelic innocence. Really, his son is too cunning for his age!


    Maria couldn''t help butugh as she saw blood beading over the small marks. "You think too highly


    of the child."


    Was he really overthinking things? He didn''t think so.


    Bncing Bob over her hip with one hand, Maria reached out with the other to give him a piece of


    tissue. "Wipe the blood from your mouth."


    James obediently blotted his lip and said, "Give him to me. I''ll take him upstairs to y with him."


    ''He wants me to give Bob to him? No way!'' She was afraid that James would hit the child once they


    were left alone. "Let me do it. You must be busy with your work. I''ll take care of Bob."


    "Don''t be so protective of him," Jamesmented in a displeased tone.


    "I will definitely protect my own son." Maria ignored him and went upstairs.


    Like a behaved little child, Boby his head over his mother''s shoulder. When his eyes met James''


    gaze, however, the little devil gave him a smug-looking grin.


    James only watched them steadily climb the stairs.


    Since he had experienced his father''s punishment, the little boy never attempted to eat anything


    secretly again. Every time he wanted to eat something, he would point at the item as a wordless


    sign that he wanted to eat it.


    If he was able to eat it, then he would be allowed some; otherwise, the item would be moved


    somewhere out of sight.


    At three o''clock in the morning, the exhausted Maria finally fell asleep. After taking a shower, James


    lay down beside her. Bob was lying fast asleep in his crib.


    The night was blessedly quiet. James closed his eyes to try to sleep, but Maria''s phone on the


    bedside table suddenly rang.


    Maria was immediately awakened by the noise. James'' eyes flew open.


    Afraid of waking up her son, she picked up the phone and ced it on mute. A nce at the screen


    showed her that Norman was the one calling her.


    ncing to check whether her son was still sleeping, she swiped on the screen to take the call.


    "Hello?


    "I was ambushed. Come over with some people. Hurry up!" Norman''s voice sounded very weak,


    and he ended the call without saying goodbye.


    Maria bolted upright, realizing that something bad had happened to Norman. Ignoring her


    exhaustion, she got up to get some clothes to change into.


    The moment she stepped on the carpet, her legs gave out on her that she nearly fell on her knees.


    If she had known that this would happen, she wouldn''t have let James tire her out like this.


    James overheard the conversation and also got up. "Maria," he started to say with a frown.


    Maria looked back at him. "I have to go out," she replied, her tone brooking no argument. Then, she


    hurried to the walking-in closet.


    James followed close behind, his frown deepening as she looked around for suitable clothes.


    "Norman has so many professional killers on his payroll. Does he really need you to save him?"


    Maria took out a matching ck tracksuit and looked at him. "He was ambushed, okay?"


    "You can''t go!" He couldn''t let her risk her life for Norman anymore!


    Maria froze for a moment, but then she wasted no time in changing into the clothes she had picked.


    Maria swiped a ck rubber band from a drawer, hastily gathering her hair into a bun on the top of


    her head.


    Done with her preparations, Maria gave the angry James a nce and whispered, "Take good care


    of


    Bob."


    With those parting words, she walked out of the closet.


    James grabbed her by the hand as she passed him by. "Maria, do you really have to go?"


    "Yes." She wouldn''t turn a blind eye to a dying person, let alone Norman.


    He was seething with frustration. She had refused his proposal several times now, yet here she


    was, throwing caution to the wind to save another man. James would be lying if he said that it didn''t


    hurt.


    Struggling to free herself, she snapped, "Let me go! I don''t have much time!"


    But the man remained unmoved. Both of them red at each other; they were matched in terms of


    stubbornness and persistence.


    Taking a deep breath, Maria threatened, "James, it''s a matter of life and death. If you don''t unhand


    me at this moment, I will be very angry."


    "No!" Why would his woman try so hard to save another man?


    Through gritted teeth, she blurted out, "If you can''t ept that I need to pay back the man who


    saved me, then let''s break up!"


    ''What did she say?'' he asked himself.

 Chapter 398 Saving Norman

    Chapter 398 Saving Norman


    James was so angry he burst into mirthlessughter. He and Maria had quarreled countless times


    since they got back together, but she rarely ever proposed to break up with him. The fact that it was


    over Norman made him even more furious.


    "Okay," he agreed readily, to Maria''s shock.


    ''Did he actually agree? I didn''t expect this!'' Maria''s heart sank, but she had no time to entertain


    such thoughts. Finally, she managed to break free from James'' grasp and walked out of the walk-in


    closet.


    Bob was still asleep. Pressed for time as she was, she quashed the instinct to kiss him goodbye.


    When James came out of the closet, the bedroom door had just closed.


    He took out his phone and dialed a number. "Get some people and follow her," he ordered in a deep


    voice.


    "Yes, sir."


    James ended the call and wandered over to the crib to stare at his sleeping son.


    Half an hourter, he dialed Ethan''s number. "Come here."


    Groggy from being awakened from a sound sleep, Ethan thought that he had misheard the other


    man. "Now?"


    "Yes."


    After some time, Ethan rushed into the vi.


    He ran up the stairs to the second floor and was about to knock on the bedroom door when James


    opened the door from inside. He already looked dressed to go out. "Stay here and keep an eye on


    my


    " son.


    "What?" Ethan asked in confusion. "Where are you going? Where is Maria?"


    While tidying up his sleeves, James began giving him a list of instructions. "I have something to deal


    with. I''ve already portioned out the form milk for you. Let him drink some after he wakes up in the


    morning. By then, a servant will be there to prepare some baby food for him. You have to change


    his diaper. If you don''t know how to do that, call John. I''m leaving."


    Ethan didn''t know what to say. ''Is this a dream? I was asleep just now, right? How in the world did I


    suddenly be a male nanny?''


    As an afterthought, the man who had already walked to the corridor turned around and said, "If


    you''re sleepy, you can sleep on the floor beside the crib. Don''t worry, you won''t catch a cold." He


    didn''t relish the thought of anyone sleeping in Maria and his bed, and Ethan was no exception.


    Ethan was left gawking at James'' retreating back.


    What a miserable predicament, Not only did he be a male nanny, he also had to sleep on the


    floor if he wanted to sleep.


    Soon, only Ethan and Bob were left in big vi.


    Bending over the edge of the crib and watching the cute little boy''s sleeping face, Ethan muttered,


    "How about I take you out to have fun today, little one? They don''t want us anyway.


    No, James will kick my ass.


    You''d better stay asleep, you hear me? I will just y games here."


    With a yawn, Ethan sat on the sofa and began to y games on his mobile phone.


    In a stark contrast to the peaceful vi, a warehouse on the other side of the city was a gruesome


    scene of chaos and suffering.


    Together with some other people, Maria tried her best to save Norman from the fire. Sounds of


    weapons carried by their assants behind them were getting closer.


    She pulled the seriously injured Norman with her to a dark corner to hide, while theirpanions


    went out first to lure their enemies away.


    Two of the armed thugs crept insidiously closer on one side. Once they heard some movement,


    they rushed over with their daggers drawn.


    "Watch out!" Norman weakly alerted Maria, who had her back to them while she was trying to stop


    his bleeding.


    Maria whirled around at Norman''s warning. The enemies were already close. Relying on her


    instincts, she jumped out of harm''s way quickly and kicked one of the men down.


    Just then, several bodyguards rushed over from nowhere and stood in front of Maria. Soon, they


    caught the two men.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Maria looked at the bodyguards with a conflicting mix of emotions churning inside her. She knew


    James had sent them.


    More and more people surrounded the warehouse, including those working for Norman and his


    enemy.


    Maria continued to support Norman on their way out. In the next moment, a group of people stood


    in front of them to block their exit.


    Then, several bodyguards started to fight them off.


    Another dozen people or so came up behind them, and she had to sit Norman down and fight them


    by herself.


    While they were engaged in the skirmish, one of the assants fell away and crept toward Norman,


    his dagger drawn.


    When Maria noticed the sneak attack, it was toote. "Watch out!" Without thinking, she threw her


    own body forward to shield Norman from the plunging dagger.


    "Argh!" A scream pierced the ruckus. However, the pain Maria was expecting did note. Instead,


    the person behind her kept howling in pain.


    She whirled around, thinking that her own people saved her. When she saw the familiar figure, she


    was so ovee with emotions that sobs burst out of her.


    James kicked away the barrier in front of him and looked at Maria and Norman with eyes zing in


    anger.


    ''How dare Maria defend Norman with her own body?!''


    "Maria Song, you are doomed!" James roared at her angrily. Without any regard for the injuries all


    over Norman''s body, he grabbed the other man by the cor and hauled him up from the floor.


    "Good-for-nothing!" ''Shit!'' Norman cursed angrily in his head. He didn''t need James'' help, but he


    was too weak to even speak at the moment.


    Standing behind James was John. They supported Norman as they walked toward the exit.


    Breathing a sigh of relief, Maria turned around to save Norman''s assistant. In an instant, James had


    her by the cor, and he was bellowing in her face. "If you want to die, I don''t mind killing you by


    myself!" He had no intention of letting her die in the hands of anyone else.


    "Norman''s assistant is there! He''s in danger..."


    "Maria, don''t forget who you are!" In the dim light, his face turned livid.


    Throwing up her hands helplessly, she dered, "I won''t bother you. I''ll go by myself."


    Her words made him so angry that smoke nearly poured out of his ears. He gritted his teeth. "John!"


    "Yes, sir!" John rushed back with several people behind him.


    Maria stood rooted in her spot.


    At that moment, they heard a thunder-like boom, which sent the entire warehouse shaking on its


    foundations.


    In that instant, both of them realized what was going on. Explosions started going off in session


    next door. His face turning grim, James pulled Maria into his arms and took her to hide in a corner.


    Fortunately, the series of explosions stopped soon.


    James grabbed Maria''s hand and rushed out, keeping close to the wall.


    As soon as they were out of the warehouse, a ck car pulled up in front of them. James opened


    the door, pushed Maria inside, and climbed up after her.


    Soon, the car ced some distance between them and the warehouse. Before Maria could ask


    about Norman''s condition, the driver said, "Mr. Xi, Mr. Shen is already on the way to the hospital."


    James'' face remained grim. He kept staring out of the window and said nothing.


    Gratitude and anger shed in Maria''s chest. She was moved that James came to her rescue, but


    she couldn''t figure out why he was so angry.


    His fears for her safety were not unfounded, but he should have known that she couldn''t just stand


    by and do nothing. What else could she do?


    The rest of the entire car ride to the downtown was spent in heavy silence.


    The eastern sky had begun to turn light by the time they got back to the city. Breaking the quiet


    inside the car, Maria dered, "I want to go to the hospital." The extent of Norman''s injuries worried


    her.


    With his deep eyes fixed on her face, James asked, "It''s never going to end, is it?"

 Chapter 399 Taking The Blame

    Chapter 399 Taking The me


    "You go home now. I''ll go to the hospital," Maria told James. She knew that was still on bad terms


    with Norman, so she wouldn''t force him toe along with her.


    "You''vepletely forgotten what I said, haven''t you?" James asked incredulously.


    But Maria was confused. He had said so many things in the past. How could she know what exactly


    he was referring to at the moment?


    Pinching her chin with his fingers, James look into her eyes and warned, "You''re my woman, so you


    can''t work for Norman anymore!"


    A flicker of pain crossed Maria''s eyes. She tried to shove his hand away, but to no avail. "Just now,


    when I suggested that we break up, didn''t you agree with me? So I''m not your woman anymore."


    James was so shocked that he let go of her.


    Well, this woman was really a piece of work! Not only had she risked her own life to save another


    man, but she was also ready to break up with him.


    He could not help but admire her determination. But in that case, he wanted her to know that he had


    a bottom line, especially when it came to being her man.


    "Stop the car!" he ordered.


    The driver obediently stopped the car at the side of the road.


    When the door opened, however, it was James who climbed out in a huff.


    With a bang, he mmed the door shut behind him, and then strode along the road.


    Maria didn''t have the mood or the time to argue with this man right now.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    After impatiently telling the driver to go to the hospital, she took out her phone and called Ethan.


    Ethan was ying a game on his phone when he received the call. He looked at the screen in


    confusion. What were this couple doing at midnight? "Maria?"


    "Ethan, are you up? Can youe and pick up James? He is near the city library." Maria looked out


    the car window.


    "Maria, I''m at your home, keeping an eye on Bob," Ethan answered helplessly.


    Maria was a little surprised to hear that, and for a moment, her mind went nk. She knew that


    James would have gotten someone to look after Bob, but she hadn''t expected that it would be


    Ethan.


    Fortunately, before she had to rack her mind for another person she could call, Ethan added, "I''ll


    ask someone else to go there and pick him up. Don''t worry."


    "Okay."


    When Maria reached the hospital, Norman was in the operating room, while many of his men stood


    guard outside. Maria sent all but two of them away.


    She didn''t inform anyone about Norman''s condition, not even Gabri.


    Norman had been injured a few times before, but he had never informed his family about his injuries


    until long after he had recovered. Every single time, Gabri would lose her temper at him after


    finding out that he had hidden such a big injury from her, and every single time, he would smile and


    tell her that he wouldn''t hide it from her next time. But he always would.


    As for his father, Norman had never mentioned him, so Maria guessed that the rtionship between


    father and son was not very good.


    Then there was Mildred, who didn''t seem to know that Norman fancied her, so Maria didn''t dare to


    bother her so rashly.


    After thinking about it for a while and considering all the options, she decided that, for the time


    being, she was the most suitable person to stay here and take care of Norman.


    In fact, she didn''t actually need to take care of him. There were many nurses here for that. But she


    would need to keep an eye on him.


    Maria was told that it would take at least a few hours for Norman toe out of the operating room,


    so she asked his two men to wait here and inform her if anything happened.


    In the meantime, she took the opportunity to go back to the manor by herself. It was only after


    seeing the empty house and asking the maid about it that she found out Ethan had taken Bob away.


    James wasn''t in the manor either, so she took a quick shower, changed her clothes, and had a short


    nap.


    When she stepped out of the manor again, she was carrying a suitcase in her hand. She got into


    the car and asked the driver to send her to the hospital before taking her luggage to the Golden


    Mansion.


    On the first day after her break-up with James, Norman didn''t regain his consciousness. Maria was


    about to go to Augustine''s house to pick up Bob when Charlotte told her that he had already been


    picked up by James.


    Maria had made up her mind to not go to his manor for the time being, so she went to the Golden


    Mansion instead.


    That evening, back in her apartment, shey in the bed alone, lost in her thoughts. Then, on a


    whim, she posted a word in her WeChat Moments-Fish.


    Then, she attached a picture of fried chicken wings. After that, she turned off her phone and forced


    herself to go to sleep.


    She wasn''t really craving fried chicken wings, but she missed her son.


    On the second day after her break-up with James, Maria received a WeChat message from


    Summer. "Maria, did you quarrel with Mr. Xi?"


    She replied with an ellipsis, which was like a reluctant yes. But how had Summer found out about


    their quarrel so soon?


    "I knew it! Did you bite him on his lip? Everyone in thepany noticed it."


    Maria helplessly exined, "His son bit him. I had nothing to do with that."


    "Really? Well, you have no choice but to take the me! We''re all so envious of your rtionship."


    "What rtionship? We broke up!"


    Summer was so shocked by the message that she froze. Then, she raised her hands and rubbed


    her eyes to see if she had just read wrong.


    But no, it turned out that the message from Maria really did say that she had broken up with James.


    "What happened?"


    "Nothing. Don''t forget to tell me any news about the H Brocade project!" Maria replied. The project


    was still in progress, but since she wasn''t talking to James, she could only get the news from


    Summer.


    "Okay. But Maria, you two are still in love, right? Why don''t you give in first? Mr. Xi''s attitude today is


    really scary!"


    Maria rolled her eyes. "You must be dreaming if you want me to give in first."


    "Okay. But remember, a small quarrel can make your rtionship interesting, but a big quarrel can


    hurt it beyond repair. So, don''t let the war go on for too long."


    "Well, that depends on him," Maria replied. In her opinion, if James loved her deeply, he would


    definitely take the initiative to reach out to her first.


    James, on the other hand, was determined to stand his ground. In his opinion, Maria was the one


    who was in the wrong this time. He was willing to give in to her most of the time, but he had to let


    her know that he had a line, too.


    That evening, Maria went to pick up Bob, only to once again find that he had already been picked


    up by James. Later, in the middle of the night, she posted something in her WeChat Moments. This


    time, it was just a video without any caption, showing a beautiful scenery. It was one of the videos


    she had taken when she was in the helicopter with James on the ind before.


    On the third day after the break-up, Maria sat in the hospital ward with a poker face, while peeling


    an apple for herself. Looking at her in annoyance, Norman asked, "Why did you ask him toe to


    save me?" Even while he was on the verge of death, James had called him good-for-nothing.


    He would never be able to forget it!


    Taking a bite of the apple, Maria said, "He went there himself." She meant that she''d had nothing to


    do with it.


    "Would he have known about it if you hadn''t told him?" Norman asked hotly.


    "He was right next to me when you called. I couldn''t excuse myself just to answer your call, right?


    After all, there''s nothing fishy between you and me." As Maria said that, she realized that she had


    always kept her rtionship with Norman aboveboard. How could James be angry with her?


    Norman was speechless. After a while, he tiredly said, "I want to sleep. Go and eat somewhere


    else. Hearing you bite that apple is giving me a headache."


    Maria pouted at the apple in her hand. The sound of her chewing was indeed a little noisy in the


    quiet ward, but it was her fault that the apple was so crunchy.


    That evening, she posted a picture in her WeChat Moments. It was a photo of the receipt for the


    lipstick that James had paid for. It wasn''t that she had saved it on purpose, but she had


    inadvertently found it while tidying up the apartment.


    On the fourth day after their break-up, Maria went to Augustine''s house early in the evening with


    some groceries. It had already been three days since she had seen her son, so she was


    determined to spend time with him. That night, she had dinner with Gordon.


    Fortunately, James didn''t have time to pick up Bob that night, so Maria stayed over at Augustine''s


    house instead of going back to her apartment.


    The next evening, she posted a photo of a diamond ring in her WeChat Moments. It was the ring


    that James had given to her as a gift for the Spring Festival.


    After seeing her post such things for several consecutive days, James finally couldn''t sit still


    anymore. He was sure that Maria was silently giving in to him and admitting defeat.


    However, that very same night, Maria''s posting style in her WeChat Moments changed.


    There were photos of beer, barbecue, and milk tea captioned with a single word-"Fun!"

 Chapter 400 Jealousy In The Air

    Chapter 400 Jealousy In The Air


    For the next two days, Maria''s WeChat Moments followed a simr style. Every night, she posted all


    kinds of snacks and drinks.


    Of course, people like James, who had grown up wealthy, couldn''t understand the joy of street food.


    As he tapped through the photos of the delicious food one by one, his face darkened.


    He didn''t know why this woman liked eating junk food so much. In the future, when he had the


    chance, he would take her around the world and show her what good food really was.


    The fight between the two of themsted until James went away on a business trip.


    Maria only heard about his business trip from Summer. Apparently, he had to stay in T Country for a


    month.


    A whole month! Even though they weren''t talking, how could he not tell her such big news? It would


    be a lie if Maria said that she wasn''t sad.


    Nevertheless, she continued to post photos of all kinds of delicious food in her WeChat Moments,


    as well as photos of her having fun with her friends at clubs. James, who meticulously looked


    through all of her pictures, could tell that there were several men hanging out with them.


    On the third day of his business trip, the posts in Maria''s WeChat Moments had be even


    bolder.


    This time, she posted a photo of a young and handsome man with the caption, "The top star of the


    night club! What do you think?"


    What could he think? Even from afar, James had the capacity to let her know that he was unhappy


    with her post.


    The very next day, the handsome man in her post was fired from the night club, and several projects


    of DS Group were in trouble again.


    The fact that he could control herpany with just a flick of his finger left Maria feeling annoyed


    and dejected.


    Now that so many of the projects of herpany were in trouble, she was no longer in the mood to


    continue having fun.


    In this fight between them, she seemed to be on the losing end.


    James knew that he could beat her easily when it came to business, so that was where he always


    chose to attack her.


    However, Maria refused to ept defeat. She ignored those projects, and turned her attention to


    developing new projects in cooperation with a few otherpanies.


    On top of that, she acted as if nothing had happened. The next day, she even asked Summer to go


    shopping with her.


    As they were browsing a high-end jewelry store, she asked Summer about James'' schedule as


    casually as possible. "Is he there to oversee the business of the newpany? Why is the trip so


    long?" She remembered that, before the break-up, he had told her about how HL Group had a new


    subsidiarypany in T Country.


    Summer, who was looking at a pair of earrings, answered, "Yes. The newpany has a female


    CEO. Mr. Xi is worried about whether she''ll be able to handle the business well, so he intends to


    stay there and show her the ropes."


    A female CEO? And James was going to teach her for a month?


    Maria felt a stab of jealousy in her heart.


    But more than that, she scowled in irritation. This man was upset with her for caring about her


    savior, but he turned around and went abroad to flirt with another woman.


    What a hypocrite!


    Maria was uncharacteristically silent for a long time, lost in her own thoughts. Noticing the look on


    her face, Summer realized that she was upset about what she had said just now.


    Putting down the earrings in her hand, she said reassuringly, "Maria, I''ve met the female CEO


    before. She''s not as beautiful as you. Don''t worry. You are the only woman in Mr. Xi''s eyes. I can


    guarantee that!"


    Maria snorted. "I''m the only woman in his eyes? Then why did he get engaged to Alina? If I didn''t


    take the initiative to snatch him from her, he would already be married to her."


    "You just said that you snatched Mr. Xi from her, right? But if he really loved Alina, you wouldn''t


    have been able to do that," Summer pointed out.


    "Summer, you don''t know men. Even if he really loves me, it doesn''t mean that he''ll stay loyal


    forever. Men can''t resist outside temptation!" Maria sneered. She had seen too many instances of


    married men with mistresses.


    Even a poor man would cheat on his wife or girlfriend. What would stop a rich and handsome man


    like James from doing the same thing? No one knew better than Maria about just how many women


    wanted to seduce him. Aside from Alina, there were countless women who were dying to win his


    heart.


    Men would only behave themselves when they were dead and buried.


    "Don''t you have confidence in Mr. Xi? Don''t you believe in your love?" Summer asked, frowning.


    Picking up a hairpin, Maria asked, "Do you still believe in love?"


    Her question left Summer speechless. Did she still believe in love? Of course she didn''t. But how


    could she tell Maria that she believed in James'' love for her? Well, it was none of her business


    anyway. She decided to let James deal with it himself.


    In the evening, Maria invited Peggy and Sandra to join them. The four women went to a restaurant


    and had hotpot together.


    When they finished their dinner, Maria called Cooper and asked him if he was busy.


    He happened to be having dinner nearby, so after he was done eating, he came to pick her up.


    Being sensible women, Summer and Peggy left by taxi, while Maria pulled Sandra into Cooper''s


    car.


    In the car, Sandra, who had talked a lot during dinner, didn''t say a single word. Only Maria and


    Cooper were chatting casually with each other.


    Cooper asked, "Maria, don''t you want to go abroad to see my brother?" "No, I don''t. He has a


    beautiful CEO forpany. Why should I disturb him?"


    The smell of jealousy filled the whole car. Holding back hisughter, Cooper asked, "Aren''t you


    worried?"


    "What should I be worried about?" Maria snorted and shook her head.


    "Forget it, then." After that, Cooper shut up.


    ''That''s it?'' Maria sighed inwardly.


    Then, remembering her reason for calling Cooper in the first ce, she nced at the girl next to


    her, who was silently ying with her mobile phone. "Cooper, I just remembered, I need to go to a


    store to get a new suitcase. Can you just drop me off here?" She could only help Sandra to this


    extent.


    "Okay." Cooper soon found a chance to park the car at the side of the road.


    "Well, please drop Sandra home for my sake. I''ll ask the driver to pick me upter!"


    Hearing this, Sandra raised her head and looked at Maria in surprise. She opened her mouth to say


    something, but at that moment, she heard Cooper say, "Okay."


    Maria gave the nervous girl a surreptitious wink and said, "Sandra, let''s meet another day."


    "Maria, how about Ie with you?" Sandra asked softly. She was too nervous to be alone in such


    a small space with Cooper. What should she do?


    Maria was so exasperated that she felt like hitting her forehead with her own palm. Why was this girl


    trying to give up such a good opportunity? "No, it''s okay. You have an exam tomorrow, so you


    should get home soon. If Cooper is not busy, you can ask him to tutor you. He graduated from one


    of the top universities in


    the world!"


    Finally realizing Maria''s intentions, Sandra blushed and said, "Okay. Mr. Xi, will you be freeter?"


    Cooper had actually already offered to tutor her before, but she hadn''t dared to bother him. Now


    that she was getting another chance, she didn''t want to miss it again.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    "Since Maria asked, of course I will be free," Cooper replied cheekily. He was ready to free up his


    schedule even if he was busy.


    Hearing this, Maria was speechless. She hadn''t expected that Cooper would also be a moron in


    love, just like James. Why did he have to say such a thing?


    She chuckled to lighten the embarrassing atmosphere in the car. "Well, I''ll see you guys next time.


    Cooper, take good care of Sandra. She had a lot to drink, so make sure she gets home safe."


    In fact, that was a lie, because Sandra had only taken a sip of the liquor.


    "Don''t worry, Maria," Cooper replied with a smile.

 Chapter 401 Prince Charming

    Chapter 401 Prince Charming


    Maria got out of the car and said goodbye to Cooper and Sandra. After seeing the car start and


    disappear out of sight, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. Her job was done.


    In fact, she indeed needed to get a new suitcase. While wheeling her old suitcase to her apartment


    in Golden Mansion, she had identally bumped it against a wall, which left a deep dent on it.


    However, she didn''t intend on buying a new suitcase right now, because it would be troublesome to


    carry it home on her own.


    It was the first excuse that she had been able to think of just now to get out of the car and leave the


    two of them alone. The reason she had called Cooper in the first ce was to give Sandra an


    opportunity to spend time with him. Besides, she wanted to help Cooper with his marriage as well.


    Instead of calling the driver toe and pick her up, Maria strolled along the road alone, enjoying


    the night view. She tried not to think about business or about James, so that she could be in a good


    mood for a little longer.


    In the car, Sandra was so nervous that she didn''t know what to do. All she could think about was


    one question-where should she ask Cooper to drive her to?


    Obviously, he wouldn''t be allowed into the school dormitory. And taking him home was out of the


    question, because her mother would be there most of the time. She couldn''t take him to her


    apartment either. She lived alone, and the maid only came by every couple of days to clean it. In


    fact, the apartment had just been cleaned yesterday, but she had made a mess in just one day.


    Before she could make up her mind, Cooper asked her the question she was dreading. "Where do


    you live?"


    "Let''s go to a hotel!" Sandra blurted out.


    Cooper''s eyes widened slightly.


    It was only after the words left her mouth that Sandra realized what she had just said. She wished


    she could dig a hole in the ground and bury herself in it. She exined weakly, "I didn''t mean that. I


    mean... I want you to tutor me, but I...I don''t know where we can go. How about I get a room in a


    hotel so you can tutor me there..." Even as she spoke, she realized how inappropriate it sounded.


    A gentle smile appeared at the corner of Cooper''s lips, but without noticing it, Sandra continued to


    flounder for the right words. "How about we go to my ssmate''s house?" But after saying that, she


    realized that it was a bad idea. If they went to her ssmate''s house, she wouldn''t be able to spend


    time alone with him.


    "How about we go to my home? My mom can go to somewhere else. I mean, we won''t be


    disturbed. I mean..." The more she tried to exin, the more she messed up. Finally, she stopped


    herself and took a deep breath. Clenching the hem of her dress tightly, she said, "How about we call


    it a day? You can tutor me some other day when you''re free."


    "Okay." Much to Sandra''s dismay, Cooper gave a simple reply without saying anything more.


    Turning to the car window, she looked regretfully at the scenery outside and thought, Tm sorry,


    Maria. I''m so stupid! I''ve wasted such a good opportunity.''


    The car finally arrived at the gate of her school, but


    Cooper didn''t stop there. Instead, he drove straight into the campus.


    There were lots of students walking back to the school at this hour, returning to their dormitories.


    The lights would be turned off in an hour.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    When she inadvertently spotted her ssmates through the car window, Sandra hastily said, "Mr.


    Xi, you can just drop me here."


    Cooper nced at her through the rearview mirror and said slowly, "If you don''t mind, you can go


    and get your study materials from your dorm room, and I''ll take you to my ce to tutor you."


    "What?" Sandra''s eyes widened in shock.


    ''Did I mishear Cooper? What did he say just now? He wants to take me to his house to tutor me? Is


    this really happening?''


    "There are a few empty guest rooms in my house. If it will be toote for you to return to the school,


    you can just stay over," Cooper replied casually. He had always been a gentleman, and he


    genuinely had no ulterior motives. He just wanted to tutor her.


    "Great! Okay!" After messing up for so long, Sandra was determined to seize this opportunity.


    However, she instantly regretted her enthusiasm a momentter, afraid that Cooper would think that


    she was too open. "Are you living alone? I mean, will I disturb other people in your house?" she


    asked hesitantly.


    "I live alone. There is no one else at home." James and Maria lived in the manor; Sebastian lived in


    the Imperial Vi; James'' grandparents lived in the house on HQ Road. They would not disturb one


    another unless necessary.


    "All right. Thank you, Mr. Xi!" Sandra said.


    "You''re wee."


    Cooper parked the car not far from the girls'' dormitory. After getting out of the car, Sandra ran into


    the dormitory as fast as she could.


    She was afraid that Cooper would get impatient while waiting for her.


    She didn''t know that he was the most patient person in the Xi family.


    In the dormitory, everyone watched in astonishment as Sandra rushed around breathlessly.


    "Sandra, why are you running so fast? Did you see a ghost?" the dormitory head asked.


    Panting, Sandra answered, "No, I didn''t. It''s way worse! My Prince Charming is waiting for me


    outside!" She could barely catch her breath after running so fast.


    ''Prince Charming? Is she referring to Cooper Xi, James Xi''s younger brother?''


    Feeling intrigued, the girls instantly surrounded her andunched into a flurry of questions. "Really?


    Did he drop you here?"


    "Sandra, is his elder brother here? I prefer his brother."


    "Can we meet him? Are you going on a date? Hey, why are you packing up your books?"


    Sandra turned around and put a finger to her lips, signaling for them to be quiet. She said in a low


    voice, "He''s going to tutor me. His elder brother isn''t here, so it''s just the two of us. Don''t tell


    anyone, okay?" She and Cooper were just acquaintances for the time being. She was afraid that if


    news of this spread, it would bring trouble to Cooper.


    "Tutor you? It''s sote! Are you saying you''re going to study at this hour of the night?" the dorm


    head asked with a knowing smile. "Sandra, remember to buy condoms on the way!"


    "No need. Maybe Mr. Xi has already prepared them!" another girl chimed in.


    Sandra''s face turned a violent shade of red. "Oh, it''s not what you guys think. Mr. Xi is a very decent


    man. Don''t talk nonsense!"


    Even if she was prone to wild thoughts, Cooper was an upright man. She couldn''t let other people''s


    thoughts pollute him.


    "Sandra, look at you! Hurry up and fix your makeup. Your lipstick has fadedpletely."


    "And your hair is in a mess. Are you sure you are going on a date?"


    Hearing their words, Sandra hastily rushed to the mirror and looked at herself. She really looked


    terrible.


    She immediately put down the books in her hands, ran a brush through her hair, and tied it up


    again. Then, she applied her favorite mauve lipstick and a little perfume. There, she looked all


    better now!


    Under the teasing eyes of her friends, Sandra walked out of the dormitory. At the same time, she


    received a message on their chat group saying, "After you win his heart, tell us!"


    Sandra was speechless.


    She really just wanted to make up for her missed lessons.


    Leaning against the car, Cooper watched the girl who was approaching him. At the entrance of the


    dormitory building, she suddenly stopped running, smoothed her clothes, and slowly walked over.


    When she reached the car, he opened the door of the front passenger seat for her.


    Sandra''s heartbeat quickened. ''Is he actually inviting me to sit next to him in the car?'' She was so


    overjoyed that she wanted to cry.


    "Thank you!" She tried hard to behave like ady, but she could barely contain her excitement.


    "You''re wee." After closing the door for her, Cooper walked over to the other side and climbed


    into the driver''s seat. Then, he started the car and drove out of the school.


    On the way, Sandra tried her best to find a topic to talk about. "Mr. Xi, aren''t you nning to return


    to the US in the future?"


    "No. I''m helping my brother manage thepany now." Cooper had initially wanted to start his own


    company, but James had convinced him that it was unnecessary and let him work in HL Group.


    When he was in college, he had majored in finance for the purpose of sharing the business with


    James. He was supposed to co-helm HL Group sooner orter anyway, so he didn''t refuse James


    and joined thepany as a senior executive.

 Chapter 402 Bored Her To Sleep

    Chapter 402 Bored Her To Sleep


    "I see." Sandra nodded.


    Once again, silence descended over the car. Sandra felt like pping herself. She always talked a


    lot, but now, she couldn''t think of anything to say. Why had her mind gone nk at such a critical


    moment? She racked her brains but couldn''t find anything to talk about.


    Finally, she asked, "Does the work keep you busy?"


    "Well,pared with my brother, my work is very easy." James gave him a light workload as he


    didn''t want his brother to be too tired or stressed out.


    "Oh, okay."


    Then, the car became quiet again.


    Just like this, there were multiple lulls in their conversation, with Sandra asking a question every


    now and then, and Cooper giving a brief reply. Fortunately, they soon arrived at his apartment.


    The first thing that Sandra noticed when she entered the apartment was howrge it was. The


    decor was minimal and dark-colored, which gave it an understatedly luxurious look. Strictly


    speaking, this was the first time that she hade to his house. Previously, she had run away after


    bringing breakfast to the door.


    As Sandra looked around, she noticed that the apartment was also very clean and tidy, like a newly-


    furnished house. She couldn''t help but feel ashamed. Compared to Cooper''s apartment, her own


    apartment looked like a pigsty.


    "The study is over there. You go ahead. I''m going to get a ss of water," Cooper said after


    changing his shoes.


    Withdrawing her curious gaze, Sandra nodded and walked in the direction he had pointed at.


    His study wasrge, about thirty square feet in size, and the bookshelf was lined with a variety of


    books.


    On the big wooden desk stood a photo frame. Without thinking, she picked it up and looked at it


    carefully.


    It was a photo of Cooper and James when they were young. It looked like it had been taken a long


    time ago.


    But it had to be said that both brothers had been just as handsome back then, if not more. There


    was no doubt that countless women would have drooled over them.


    "That photo of me and my brother was taken twelve years ago."


    The sudden voice from behind startled Sandra, causing her to jump and lose her grip on the photo


    frame.


    She let out a small cry and swung her hand to save it, but a hand shot forward and caught it faster


    than her.


    "I''m sorry. It was an ident." Sandra hastily grabbed the photo frame from his hand and looked at


    it carefully to see if it had been damaged.


    Looking at the frightened girl, Cooper chuckled and said, "It doesn''t matter. It''s my fault. I didn''t


    make any sound while approaching, so it''s no wonder you got scared."


    Sandra didn''t know what to say, so she just smiled gratefully at him. She was really touched by his


    warmth. He was so gentle and considerate.


    Cooper took the photo frame back and put it on the desk before handing her a ss of warm water.


    "I don''t have the habit of drinking beverages, so please make do with this."


    "No, no, it''s okay. I like drinking water, too. It''s healthy, ha-ha," Sandra answered with a guilty


    conscience. Her favorite thing to drink was juice. Her mother was always nagging at her to drink


    more water, because she hated it and usually wouldn''t touch it willingly.


    "That''s good," Cooper said, not seeing through her lie at all. Then, he opened her textbook and


    nced through it. "Do you want to study math today?"


    "Math? It''s my worst subject," Sandra admitted, shuffling her foot in embarrassment. She could not


    understand numbers at all, and she always received low scores in math tests.


    "Okay, don''t worry. Take a seat here."


    Cooper pulled an extra chair over to the desk, and sat next to her.


    He was sitting so close to her that their arms and thighs were almost touching, and she could smell


    the refreshing scent of mint on his body. She was so nervous that she almost forgot to breathe.


    This apartment was located in an upper-ss residential area, so there was no noise around. It was


    very quiet. Cooper''s voice seemed to be the only sound for miles around. He exined the


    concepts and math problems to Sandra in a warm and gentle voice.


    It was gettingte. Sandra quietly yawned several times, but she didn''t want to waste this rare


    opportunity that she had gotten to spend time with Cooper, so she fought her fatigue, trying her best


    to pay attention to his exnation of different math problems.


    But as time went by, her eyelids kept threatening to close. Soon, without realizing it, she was fast


    asleep with her head on the desk.


    Cooper, who had been immersed in his role as a tutor, did not realize that she had fallen asleep


    until he heard the sound of even breathing. He couldn''t help but find her cute. How could she fall


    asleep while studying?


    Could it be because the way he had exined the problems was too boring?


    After hesitating for a moment, he leaned in and said softly, "I''m sorry!"


    Then, he got up and lifted her horizontally with his arms. He was trying to adjust her position when


    her eyes rolled open.


    Sandra looked at him in confusion and murmured, "Cooper..."


    Why was Cooper holding her in his arms? Her eyes widened abruptly. She looked at his face, which


    was just inches away from hers, in a daze. She couldn''t tell whether this was really happening or if


    she was just dreaming.


    Cooper carried her all the way to a guest room before looking down at her face, only to find that her


    eyes were closed again.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    She seemed to have dozed off again.


    He gently put her down on the bed and tucked her in.


    After making sure that she wasfortably asleep, he turned around and left the guest room,


    quietly closing the door behind him.


    In the darkness, the eyes of the girl who seemed to be fast asleep suddenly shot open. She took a


    few deep breaths to calm her beating heart.


    After waking up just now and realizing that she was being carried to the room by Cooper, she was


    afraid that he would put her down knowing she was awake, so she closed her eyes and pretended


    to be asleep again.


    Fortunately, he had carried her all the way to the bed and even tucked her in.


    Her heart was racing with so much excitement that she was wide awake for a while. It was only


    muchter that she finally drifted off to a peaceful sleep.


    At midnight, Maria received a message from Cooper saying, "Sandra is sleeping in the guest room


    next to my room."


    Her eyes widened in shock. The guest room next to his room? Did that mean Cooper had taken


    Sandra back to his apartment? But it was sote at night. Could something have happened


    between them? Maria didn''t feel embarrassed to get straight to the point with Cooper, so she asked,


    "You didn''t do anything to her, did you?"


    Although she wasn''t a judgmental person, she didn''t think it was appropriate for Sandra and Cooper


    to have sex with each other so soon. Of course, she knew that Cooper wasn''t the kind of person to


    take things so easily.


    When Cooper read her message, he was at a loss as to whether tough or cry. "No. She fell


    asleep while I was tutoring her." "Wow, you must have bored her to sleep." "I think so, too." It


    seemed that he was not cut out to be a lecturer.


    In her bedroom, Maria took off the face mask on her face and replied, "Go to bed early. Take good


    care of her. Good night."


    "Good night, Maria."


    On the day that Rosa was discharged from the hospital, the doctor specially reminded her, "Mrs.


    Zheng, your liver seems to be in a bad condition. You should be careful."


    "My liver?" Rosa couldn''t believe her ears.


    "Yes. Being angry will harm your liver. If you lose your temper often, it will do great harm to your


    liver, which will lead to all kinds of medical conditions like hepatitis, stroke, anemia, and heart


    problems. Your health condition is already concerning, so you should pay more attention to it in the


    future." He had seen Rosa and Colby quarreling at the hospital several times in the past.


    Obviously, Rosa was distressed to hear this.


    She had already been hospitalized too many times recently. First, a fish bone had gotten stuck in


    her throat and had been dangerously close to pricking her aorta. Then, her hands and feet had


    been wounded by broken ss. Now, there was something wrong with her liver.


    To her relief, Colby came to pick her up from the hospital in person.


    After getting into the car, the first thing Rosa said was, "When are you going to do something to


    Maria?" She was afraid that at this rate, she would die at Maria''s hands one of these days.


    Colby, who was looking at his phone, answered without raising his head, "Soon, in the next few


    days. James and Norman are both not in H City. It''s the best time to strike."


    "Have you thought of a n?"


    "Yes." Colby put away his phone and looked at her. "Do you know how Ronald was put into prison?"

 Chapter 403 The Wrong Dish

    Chapter 403 The Wrong Dish


    Rosa shook her head. She had never paid attention to Ronald before.


    "Do you know Judy? By using Ronald, she destroyed Maria''s cafe. Maria sent him to prison."


    "Ah. So you want to use Ronald to deal with Maria?"


    Colby shook his head. "The man has been a model citizen ever since he got out of prison and


    hasn''t caused any trouble for a long time. Forget about provoking Maria. However, there are a lot of


    people just like he was before. We should take a leaf out of Judy''s book and borrow a knife to kill


    people." ''That way, even if something happens to Maria, James won''t be able to trace it back to us.''


    Rosa was lost in thought.


    Maria was sorely tempted to decline the invitation to dinner tonight. However, Mr. Fu mentioned that


    a project she had gotten involved in recently would be discussed, so she had no choice but to


    attend.


    It was just a dinner, so she didn''t take any bodyguards to keep a low profile. Only her driver was


    waiting for her in the car.


    Her assistant apanied her to dinner but had to beg off in the middle of it in order to attend to


    something urgent at home.


    It was nothing out of the ordinary to encounter people she knew during dinner, especially someone


    like Colby and Rosa. Maria didn''t think too much of coincidental meetings.


    However, the constant calls for toasts were beginning to annoy her. Her original intention was to find


    an excuse to leave once all of the dishes had been served and the business talk had been


    concluded.


    During dinner, Rosa went out to answer a phone call.


    When she came back and passed by a corner, she caught sight of a man talking to a waitress.


    She knew the man-Mr. Xu. A well-known yboy in H City, he was always surrounded by women.


    Rosa meant to leave, but what she witnessed stopped her on her tracks.


    The waitress handed a hot dish te to Mr. Xu and left in a hurry.


    Then, Mr. Xu took out something from his pocket and poured it into the dish when he thought there


    was no one else around.


    A few secondster, the waitress hurried back and handed something she had brought to Mr. Xu.


    Only then did he return the te to her.


    Mr. Xu stepped aside to let the waitress walk into another private room.


    Before the woman could open the door, a voice called out to her. "Waitress!"


    The waitress turned around and saw Rosa. She greeted her politely, "Mrs. Zheng."


    "What do you have in there?"


    "Mrs. Zheng, this is stone-ground tofu, which was ordered for this private room." "I see. Well, the


    dishes in our private room are served too slowly. Go and serve this to our room first."


    The waitress visibly hesitated. "Well..." She was just a waitress. She was in no ce to make that


    decision.


    Rosa''s face darkened, and she pouted in feigned discontent. "What''s wrong? It''s just one dish. Our


    private room is full of distinguished guests, and James Xi''s woman also happens to be present. Do


    you want to neglect them?"


    Taken aback, the woman hastened to reply, "No, Mrs. Zheng! I''ll be right there."


    "Good."


    Rosa watched the waitress enter their private room. When she emerged, the dish in her hand was


    gone.


    The dishes forthat night''s banquet were all arranged by Mr. Li''s assistant beforehand. No one would


    pay attention to the extra dish.


    When Rosa entered the private room again, Maria wasdling some of the stone-ground tofu into


    her own bowl. Delighted by the sight, Rosa quietly made her way back to Colby''s side.


    Tonight''s offerings during dinner consisted mostly of meat dishes. In order to show his sincerity, Mr.


    Li asked his assistant to order the most sulent, expensive cuts of meat avable.


    Maria didn''t feel like eating, and none of the dishes on disy tempted her. However, her appetite


    was suddenly awakened when she saw the tofu. When the dish was rotated to her side of the table,


    she wasted no time in getting some.


    Colby had the same thought as her, but just as he reached for the serving spoon, Rosa whispered


    in his ear, "Don''t eat this."


    He looked at the tofu in front of him and withdrew his hand from the serving spoon without anyone


    noticing.


    "Let''s go after a toast," said Rosa.


    Anyway, she was not the one who ced the drug in the dish. If something happened to Maria, it


    had nothing to do with her.


    A businessman called Mr. Zong was present during dinner. He was an unruly drunk, so nobody


    wanted to drink with him. However, Colby invited him this time.


    By that time, he had imbibed more than a few sses of drink and was three sheets to the wind. He


    didn''t care about saving face. When he proposed a toast, the person had to drink, or else he would


    keep bothering them.


    Taking advantage of Maria''s inattention, Colby whispered to Mr. Zong, "It seems that Ms. Song


    didn''t drink much. We shouldn''t neglect her. She is CEO of the DS Group, after all."


    Mr. Zong would never dare offend Maria when he was sober, but his senses were dulled by the


    alcohol at the moment. It was impossible for him to control himself.


    Hearing Colby''s words, he immediately stood up and approached Maria with a ss of alcohol in


    his hand.


    Maria intended to leave, but a wave of dizziness suddenly hit her, making her sink back to her seat.


    She decided to wait until she felt slightly better.


    She had only taken a few sips of wine. There was no way for her to be drunk on so little alcohol.


    Suddenly, she had a suspicion that someone had tampered with her drink. Warily, she started


    looking at everyone around her, trying to guess who attempted to hurt her.


    She took out her phone to call her driver when Mr. Zong staggered over to her. "Ms. Song, there


    you are! You are so beautiful!"


    Maria tried to hide a shiver of revulsion. ''Why does this drunkard approach me?'' shing him a


    patently fake smile, she demurred, "Thank you, Mr. Zong."


    Mr. Zong picked up the wine ss in front of her and refilled it. "We haven''t drunk together yet, Ms.


    Song. I really, really want to drink with you!"


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    From the corner of her eye, Maria saw Colby and Rosa standing up and saying goodbye to the


    others. She had no time to think before the wine ss was being passed to her.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Zong. It''s not that I don''t want to drink, I''m just not feeling well now. I have to go." The


    dizziness was getting worse. There must be something wrong.


    Maria was about to call her driver to pick her up when her phone was suddenly snatched away from


    her hand.


    With false courage brought about by drunkenness, the man even grabbed her hand to stop her from


    calling. "Come on, drink this ss before you leave. I''ll drive you back!"


    Maria kept her temper in check. It had been a while since anybody had dared treat her like this in H


    City. Now that James wasn''t around, these people couldn''t wait to flock around her like vultures.


    Trying to keep calm, she pulled her hand back. "Mr. Zong, I said that I don''t want to drink. I''m not


    feeling well!"


    There was a smile on her face, but her voice was cold.


    Everyone could feel the atmosphere turn frigid, but Mr. Zong remained unaware of it. He was too


    angry over Maria embarrassing him.


    "Maria Song, you must drink this ss of alcohol right now!" How could he show his face around


    the city if he allowed her to shame him like this?


    With a sneer, Maria retorted, "No, I will not drink that! Give me back my phone!"


    To everyone''s surprise, Mr. Zong grabbed her by the neck and forced the ss against her mouth.


    It was a shocking sight. Some kind-hearted people came over to persuade Mr. Zong, "Mr. Zong, you


    are drunk. Let go of Ms. Song!" She was James'' woman. Even Colby Zheng didn''t dare to propose


    a toast to her.


    "Ms. Song? She didn''t save me any face! I''ll teach her exactly who I am!"

 Chapter 404 Getting Her Drunk

    Chapter 404 Getting Her Drunk


    At the moment, Maria was feeling more than dizzy¡ª her legs felt like they were about to give out,


    and her whole body felt weak. The hand around her neck, which was cutting off her oxygen, was


    making matters worse.


    Finally, somebody understood the gravity of the situation and tried to pry away Mr. Zong from Maria,


    but the drunk man did not let go. Instead, he forced the contents of the ss into her mouth. "Drink,


    you bitch!"


    Wine flowed out of the corners of her mouth, sluicing down her chin and neck and wetting her


    blouse.


    Not satisfied, Mr. Zong grabbed the entire bottle and poured wine straight down her throat.


    "This isn''t going to end well. Quick! Help me pull Mr. Zong away from Ms. Song!" Several people


    teamed up, but the man couldn''t be moved.


    Tears flowed down Maria''s cheeks as she choked on the alcohol. Never had she been treated so


    badly by anyone, except for James, since she came back to H City.


    At that moment, her helplessness was quickly reced with anger. Gritting her teeth, she moved


    through her dizziness and grabbed the bottle of alcohol from the man forcing her. Then, without the


    least amount of hesitation, she smashed it against Mr. Zong''s head.


    "Argh!" the man cried out in pain, finally letting go of the shaken woman and falling to his knees on


    the floor.


    Maria propped herself against the table and stood up straight. Catching someone in the act of


    slinking out of the private room, she snapped, "Everyone in here has something to do with this.


    None of you can leave!"


    Starting from her invitation to this banquet to being drugged and forced to drink, it was obvious that


    everything had been premeditated.


    The man who was about to slip away retorted innocently, "What are you talking about? I have


    nothing to do with you or this situation!"


    "Am I supposed to believe you because you said so? Stop! Set one foot out that door, and I will


    snap your head off." Maria looked around to find her phone, intending to call for help, but it was


    nowhere to be found.


    "You think you can take on all eight of us by yourself?"


    Maria sneered, "Huh! I have fought twenty-eight people all at once. If I find out that you''re involved, I


    swear I can take down eighty people, let alone you eight!"


    The man ordered his assistant, "Go and call the bodyguards!"


    "Understood."


    Maria looked at the man who tried to pull Mr. Zong off her earlier and said, "Please do me a favor.


    Lock the door and keep it closed. Don''t let anyone in!"


    Intimidated by the fierceness in her eyes, the man went and did what he was told, forgetting that he


    was a senior executive of apany.


    Mr. Zong struggled to get up from the floor, intending to hit Maria, but she moved a lot faster than he


    was.


    There was a loud crash, which was immediately followed by another scream of pain.


    This time, the bottle shattered into pieces. Blood flowed down from a gash on the man''s head where


    the bottle hit.


    Holding the broken bottle, Maria gritted her teeth and pressed one of the jagged edges into her


    thigh. A hiss of pain escaped her. The sting sobered her up somewhat.


    Mr. Zongy incapacitated on the floor for some time.


    Maria''s beautiful eyes were red-rimmed. Giving the private room''s upants a sweeping nce,


    she demanded, "Who took a part in it? Who drugged me? Tell me!"


    "What drug?" They looked at each other, confusion apparent on their faces.


    The couple who had left before everything happened suddenly came to Maria''s mind. ''Did Colby


    and Rosa plot against me?''


    "Who ordered the dishes for this dinner?"


    The man who went to block the door-Mr. Fu-raised his hand weakly. He was also the one who


    invited her to dinner. "It was me. But Ms. Song, I extend the invitation to you for the sake of DS


    Group. As you could see, everyone present today is involved in a certain capacity in the project.


    Nobody could have expected such an unfortunate to ur."


    The thought of offending James had him shaking in fear.


    Despite her headache, Maria still remained rational.


    As far as she could tell, the man''s intentions in inviting her were pure.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    She would investigate this matter as soon as she could. For now, she had to deal with Mr. Zong


    first.


    She picked up another bottle of alcohol, flicked aside the hem of her skirt, and ced a foot on the


    man''s stomach. Then, she slowly began to pour alcohol into his mouth.


    The man''s struggles were so violent that she had trouble keeping her foot firmly nted on his belly.


    Looking around, she asked, "Who can help me immobilize him? I''ll give them an HL Group project."


    A project of the HL Group? It was a dream coboration that everyone in attendance coveted. In


    fact, they were polite to her on the ount of her rtionship with James. If anyone other than


    James could award such a project, it would be Maria.


    In the next moment, everyone flocked around her regardless of status, eager to lend a hand. "Ms.


    Song, get out of the way. Let us do it!"


    "Yes, we can make him drink!"


    Maria was then brushed away, and someone took away the liquor bottle in her hand. Heedless of


    Mr. Zong''s pleas for mercy, the others proceeded to pour several bottles of wine into his stomach.


    Just then, someone knocked on the door, and a man came in.


    Paying no heed to the shocking scene in the room, he headed straight to the table and saw the


    stoneground tofu. He asked, "Who ate this dish?"


    Maria''s suspicious eyes fell on his face. "What''s in it?" "Did you eat this dish?"


    The next thing the man knew, Maria had him by the cor. "What drug did you put into it?"


    Fear crossed his features as he stared at her. He had never met such a violent woman before. "The


    waitress served the dish to the wrong room! I didn''t mean for this to happen!" The drug he had


    added to the dish was not meant forthem.


    Furious beyond belief, Maria pped him hard. "What drug did you put in it? Give me the antidote!"


    Mr. Xu was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Now, luck wasn''t on his side, and a woman even


    pped him in the face, but he dared not to say anything. As a yboy of some repute in H City, he


    was familiar with most women in the city. Of course, he knew that the extremely beautiful woman in


    front of him was James'' woman.


    His face was bruised, not to mention his pride, but he couldn''t say anything about it. "The antidote


    is... a man."


    Maria knew exactly what he meant. A particrly vehement curse fell from her lips.


    James was still abroad, and there was no way she could have casual sex with another man.


    She pped Mr. Xu again. "You''re such an idiot! How dare you try and harm me! Mark my words:


    you will pay. Now, get out!"


    Mr. Xu, who was pped twice in the course of a single evening, covered his face with his hands


    and hurried out of the room.


    Atst, the half-dead Mr. Zong was sent to the hospital. Maria looked at every person in the room


    and dered, "If you''re not involved, then good. If I find out otherwise, I will definitely pay you back


    twice in the future!"


    Her aura was extremely intimidating, and with James behind her, nobody dared to speak.


    When Maria finally found her mobile phone, she dialed James'' number in a panic and said, "This


    does not mean that I am giving in to you. It''s just...I''m just sick and I need you. Arrange for a private


    airne to get me to where you are."


    James did not say anything. Even over the phone, he could hear the breathless quality of her voice.


    He didn''t have time to ask. "Go to the manor and wait there."


    "Okay." Maria walked out of the room, trying to ignore her difort.


    James ended the call, his eyes shing murderously. Something must have happened to Maria in H


    City. He immediately dialed a number. "Find out what happened to Maria tonight."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi!"

 Chapter 405 Im Thirsty

    Chapter 405 I''m Thirsty


    Maria thought Colby and his wife had left, but they came out of another private room.


    Rosa was slightly surprised to see how disheveled Maria looked, but then she put on a smile and


    asked with mock concern, "Ms. Song, what''s wrong with you?"


    Maria''s sharp eyes swept over them. "If I find out that what happened today had something to do


    with you, I will send a bunch of men to fuck you, Rosa! You better watch your back!"


    "Maria!" Rosa raised her voice in anger. She hadn''t expected that Maria would threaten her.


    Just then, a waitress walked over, wheeling a cart that was carrying a box of sea urchins.


    Maria, who had her back to the cart, didn''t notice the waitress. When she turned around abruptly,


    she stumbled into the cart, knocking the box to the floor. The sea urchins spilled out and scattered


    everywhere.


    "I''m so sorry!" The waitress knew that every customer at this restaurant came from a powerful and


    wealthy background, so even though Maria was the one who ran into her, she apologized first.


    Ignoring the waitress, Maria took a look at the sea urchins on the floor. Then, she took a deep


    breath, grabbed Rosa, who was walking past, and pushed her hard onto the sea urchins.


    "What the¡ª" Rosa couldn''t even finish cursing as she fell to the floor, throwing her hands forward


    for support. The mess of sea urchins pressed into her recently-recovered hands, making tears of


    pain spring to her eyes.


    Seeing how brazenly Maria bullied his wife, Colby was furious, and his eyes shed with anger.


    "Maria, apologize to her right now!"


    "Apologize? In your dreams!" Maria sneered arrogantly and stepped on Rosa''s leg instead. "She


    doesn''t deserve it!"


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Regardless of Rosa''s screams of pain, Maria didn''t let go of her until she dug her heel into her leg


    and stomped on it one more time. When she finally stepped away, she staggered back a little to


    maintain her bnce. Perhaps because of her unsteadiness, coupled with her flushed face, there


    was an indescribable charm to her.


    An inexplicable desire gripped Colby. He had always thought that Maria was an attractive woman.


    Now that she was drugged, she looked even more irresistible than usual. At that moment, he forgot


    about his wife and his ns. The only thought in his mind was to take Maria away and have his way


    with her right now, but just as he stepped forward to approach her, a dozen bodyguards popped out


    of nowhere and blocked his way.


    At first, Colby stood his ground. After all, his men were just outside, and he had nothing to fear.


    But the next moment, he felt a gun discreetly press onto his waist in a position that no one else


    could see.


    Being a sensible man, he didn''t let his desire get the best of him and stopped in his tracks. He could


    do nothing but watch unhappily as the bodyguards surrounded Maria and escorted her out of the


    restaurant.


    By the time Maria returned to James'' manor, her whole face was red. She was burning with so


    much desire that she could barely control herself.


    Fortunately, James'' private airne was ready to leave, so she boarded it without wasting another


    moment. It was not until the cabin door was closed that she realized that all the bodyguards who


    were apanying her to T Country this time were women.


    Back at the restaurant, Rosa writhed around in pain. She hade to the restaurant wearing only a


    short, thin dress, so when she fell onto the floor, the sea urchins not only pierced into her hands and


    legs, but also the rest of her body.


    But this time, she learned from her mistakes and didn''t bother dealing with it by herself. Enduring


    the sharp pain she felt everywhere, she asked Colby to take her to the hospital.


    But the pain of being stabbed by the sea urchins was a hundred times more painful than the pain


    she had felt when the fish bone had been lodged in her gullet, or when she had walked barefoot on


    broken ss.


    On the way to the hospital, she already began exhibiting the symptoms of being poisoned, such as


    feeling dizzy, nauseous, and short of breath.


    Fortunately, she arrived at the hospital in time, and the doctors were able to save her from what


    could have otherwise been a fatal disaster.


    At three o''clock in the morning, the private airne that Maria had boarded earlier touched down on


    the helipad of a hotel in T Country.


    The cabin door opened, revealing a man in pajamas waiting outside, along with a few bodyguards.


    The female bodyguards who had apanied Maria on the flight supported her body and helped


    her walk down the stairs. When she took thest two steps, however, her legs seemed to turn to


    jelly, and her knees gave out. But when she fell, a pair of strong arms caught her in a tight embrace.


    Maria wrapped her arms around James'' neck. His familiar scent filled with her with fresh vigor, like a


    fish that had finally returned to water after a few seconds of floundering outside.


    James picked her up and carried her all the way to his suite. Before he could put her down on the


    floor, she tugged his head down and kissed him. She had never taken the initiative so passionately


    before.


    Her burning face, wandering hands, and heavy panting all made him respond to her more


    enthusiastically.


    But in the end, James took a deep breath and forced himself to push her away. Suppressing the


    desire that threatened to burst out again, he reminded, "Mia, you''re injured. Calm down. I''ll ask the


    doctor toe in and give you a check-up first."


    However, Maria didn''t seem to hear him at all. She kept pushing herself into his arms and even


    ripped off his clothes impatiently.


    Atst, exerting all his strength, James grabbed her hands and restrained them with his tie. "It will


    only take a few minutes," he promised, giving her a peck on the cheek.


    "James! Are you impotent?" Maria asked goadingly. She felt as if she was lying on a b of burning


    coal.


    Of course, her words managed to sessfully infuriate James. Swallowing the urge to teach her a


    lesson, he turned around and left the bedroom calmly.


    He called in the doctor, who was waiting outside on standby, and let him give Maria a simple


    examination.


    Maria had stabbed her own leg with a broken bottle of wine earlier, and the blood in the wound had


    begun clotting. James pressed down the wriggling woman so that the doctor could clean her wound


    and apply medicine to it.


    Once the treatment was done, the doctor left the suite.


    As soon as James returned to the bedroom and removed the tie around Maria''s wrists, she grabbed


    his cor and yanked his face forward. Panting, she ordered, "James, if you''re impotent, go and find


    some other man-" A pair of lips crashed onto hers, effectively silencing the words that were about to


    leave her lips.


    James didn''t need to say anything to defend himself; his actions spoke loud enough.


    That night, the battle in the bedroom was fierce. It was not until the sun rose in the east that they


    gradually stopped, and a blissful silence engulfed the room.


    The next morning, Maria faintly heard the sound of the doorbell ringing in her sleep, but she was too


    exhausted to care about it.


    James got up and walked to the door. Still dressed in his pajamas, he opened the door and found a


    woman in a white suit standing outside. This was the woman whom he hade here to train, the


    new CEO of the branchpany. Upon seeing him, she smiled and greeted, "Good morning, Mr.


    Xi."


    When her eyes inadvertently swept across his neck, however, the smile on her face stiffened


    slightly.


    There were hickeys all over his neck.


    Anyone would be able to infer what had happened at a nce.


    "Come in." James stepped aside to make way for her.


    As she walked into the suite, he gestured for her to take a seat and said, "Give me a moment."


    Then, he entered the bedroom.


    When he came out again, he was neatly dressed in a suit, and his disheveled hair wasbed


    down.


    Several other senior executives arrived at his suite one by one. They all headed to the meeting


    room in his suite, where they began to discuss work.


    Two hourster, a soft voice came from the bedroom. "James."


    Everyone present could tell that the voice clearly belonged to a woman. James stood up calmly and


    said, "Carry on, I''ll be back soon."


    Perhaps it was because she hadn''t received any response from him that the woman inside the


    bedroom called out again. "Honey, I''m thirsty."


    It didn''t take a genius to know what had happenedst night.


    When James pushed open the door of the bedroom, he found Maria still in bed with her head buried


    under the quilt. "I want to drink water," she said softly. Her dry, hoarse throat had forced to wake up.


    Hearing her mild voice, James walked up to her and dotingly kissed the top of her head. "Okay."


    Then, he came out of the bedroom to get some water.


    The executives saw that James picked up his cup, filled it with warm water, and took it into the


    bedroom.


    Needless to say, they were burning with curiosity about the identity of the woman inside the


    bedroom.


    Maria, who had no idea that a meeting was going on, drank up the ss of water and then contently


    fell asleep again.

 Chapter 406 In Need Of Pajamas

    Chapter 406 In Need Of Pajamas


    When James came out of the bedroom again, a young male senior executive cautiously asked, "Mr.


    Xi, is that Mrs. Xi?"


    With a smile, James replied, "Yes."


    It was only then that realization dawned on them. "Oh no, did we disturb her rest?"


    "No, don''t worry." James returned to his seat and resumed his discussion with the executives.


    When Maria woke up again, she needed to go to the bathroom, but she didn''t want to walk around


    naked. There were clothes in the closet opposite the bed, but she was too exhausted to move.


    She closed her eyes and called out, "James!"


    Soon, the bedroom door was pushed open from the outside again. "Hello."


    To Maria''s surprise, it wasn''t James'' voice, but an unfamiliar female one. Her eyes shot open and


    she looked at the woman standing at the door.


    The woman smiled and exined, "Mr. Xi went out just now. Is there anything I can help you with?"


    This was the first time that she had seen such a beautiful woman with her own eyes. She wasn''t


    wearing any make-up. Her long hair casually fell over the pillow, and there was a sharp glint in her


    beautiful eyes.


    Lying in the bed, Maria asked, "Who are you?"


    "I''m the new CEO of HL Group''s branchpany. My name is Elina."


    It turned out that this woman was the female CEO that James had speciallye to teach for a


    month.


    The hostility Maria felt for this strange woman slipped out imperceptibly. Fixing a light smile, Maria


    said, "I see. Can you please help me get a set of pajamas from the closet?"


    Elina was not sure if she had heard right. "Pajamas?" she echoed.


    ''This woman called Mr. Xi before to get her a ss of water, and now, she wants him to get her a


    set of pajamas.


    Why does Mr. Xi dote on a woman so much?''


    "Yes." Maria shifted into a morefortable position andy on her stomach. As she turned, the


    quilt slipped down from her shoulders, exposing the mess of hickeys on her back, which looked the


    same as those on James'' neck.


    Elina nced around the spacious bedroom before finally spotting the closet not far away. She


    walked over and opened it.


    There were several sets of suits, and pajamas for men and women prepared by the hotel.


    She took out the women''s pajamas and brought them over to the bed.


    "Thank you," Maria said with a smile. As she reached out to take the pajamas, she sat up without


    any shyness, only covering her chest slightly with the thin quilt. Her fair back was almostpletely


    exposed.


    Elina smiled back. "You''re wee."


    Tearing her eyes away from Maria''s smooth, exposed skin, she straightened her back and walked


    out.


    Just as she closed the bedroom door behind her, James happened to re-enter the suite. His eyes


    met Elina''s, and a trace of confusion shed through them.


    Smoothing her long hair, Elina exined, "Mrs. Xi called for you just now. Since you weren''t here, I


    went inside. She needed a set of pajamas."


    James nodded and said, "Thank you."


    "Mr. Xi, it''s almost lunch time. I''m leaving now."


    "Okay." James walked towards the bedroom.


    Looking at his receding back and his fast pace, Elina said nothing. She went to the meeting area,


    quietly packed up the documents, and left the presidential suite.


    When James entered the bedroom, Maria was nowhere to be seen. Without hesitation, he opened


    the door of the bathroom, and found her sitting on the toilet.


    Caught off guard, Maria raised her head in shock.


    James hadn''t meant to open the bathroom door without knocking. It was just that, for a split-second,


    he had been anxious to find her.


    Even though he saw her roll her eyes irritably, he remained calm. "I''ll have lunch delivered here," he


    said.


    Maria was confused. Was this really the right ce to bring up the topic of lunch? "Where?" she


    asked.


    "To the dining room. I wouldn''t let you eat here even if you wanted to," James replied tly.


    Maria rolled her eyes. He was the only person who would ever think of eating in the bathroom.


    When lunch was delivered, Maria had just finished washing up. She walked out of the bedroom in


    her pajamas to find James pouring some soup into a bowl for her.


    After all the dishes wereid out and served, the two of them had lunch in silence.


    Maria, who never had the habit of eating a meal in silence, didn''t say a word today.


    In her eyes, what happenedst night didn''t change anything. They were broken up.


    It was only after lunch that she finally opened her mouth and spoke. "Ask the hotel to bring me a


    new set of clothes. I''m heading back."


    James shot her a cold nce. "You''re going to leave after getting what you wanted? Am I just use


    and throw?"


    "Yes," she answered without hesitation.


    James didn''t know how to respond. He always won in business a challenge, but when it came to


    her, there was nothing he could do.


    As Maria put on some make-up with the cosmetics provided by the hotel, she deliberately provoked


    him. "Last night, I couldn''t find any suitable man to help me. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have flown all the


    way here to you."


    James, who was about to make a phone call, put his phone aside and snapped, "Just stay here!"


    He didn''t want to let her go anywhere, especially after saying such words.


    But Maria just let out a disdainful snort and ignored him.


    After James left for work, she called the front desk of the hotel and said, "Send a set of women''s


    clothes to James Xi''s suite. I''m a size 4. Thank you!"


    About half an hourter, the doorbell rang. A hotel staff carrying a bag of clothes was standing


    outside.


    "Thank you," Maria said politely as she took the bag.


    After closing the door, she opened the bag and found that the hotel had brought her a dress and it


    was pink in color.


    After reluctantly slipping into the dress, she tied her long hair into a bun to match the style of the


    dress.


    By the time James returned to the hotelter that day, Maria had already boarded the ne back to


    H City.


    It was not until she touched down in H City that she found out that Mr. Zong was in the ICU. He was


    having stomach problems as a result of drinking too much alcohol.


    After arriving at her office in DS Group, Maria called the assistant who had apanied her to the


    dinner partyst night. "You left the party in advance, saying that your mother was not feeling well.


    Did your family call you in person?"


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    The assistant nodded. "Yes, Ms. Song. My mother has a heart problem and often falls ill. Last night,


    by the time I got home, she had already been sent to the hospital."


    Maria believed her words. She knew that her assistant wasn''t the type to lie, nor did she look like


    she was lying right now.


    "Okay. Help me contact Mr. Xu."


    Mr. Xu hadn''t gone anywhere sincest night. He had been worried at home, with his heart in his


    throat. The moment he heard that Maria wanted to talk with him, he called his grandfather and


    anxiously said, "Grandpa, I did something to offend James Xi'' woman. Can you find a way to help


    me?"


    Hearing that, his grandfather was so angry that he knocked his crutch on the floor. "You unfilial


    child! All you know how to do is beg me for help! Why did you do such a thing in the first ce?"


    "Grandpa, I didn''t mean to. It really was not my fault this time..." Who would dare to offend James?


    He was not a fool.


    It was only aftering back from the bathroom that he had noticed that the dish had been taken to


    the wrong private room, but he couldn''t understand why. What was worse, by the time he had


    realized the mistake, Maria had already eaten it.


    "You''d better exin yourself to her first. As long as she forgives you, it''ll be okay. But if she doesn''t,


    then all you can do is pray!" the old man said disdainfully.


    He had a lot of grandsons. If this grandson had really done something to offend James, he would


    rather give him up than risk letting James target theirpany for revenge.


    Mr. Xu took a deep breath. His grandfather was a wise man. Since he had asked him to exin the


    truth to Maria, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and do it.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 407 Destruction

    Chapter 407 Destruction


    Before he arrived at DS Group, the man was intercepted by several armed men who appeared out


    of nowhere. The men blindfolded him, tied up his hands, and gagged him with a length of duct tape


    taped over his mouth.


    Maria heard that Mr. Xu had been taken away, but she couldn''t figure out who would do so.


    She made a phone call to the restaurant to ask about the situation. "Ms. Song, I''ve asked already


    asked our staff. That dish wasn''t supposed to go to your private room in the first ce. However,


    someone asked the waitress to bring it to your room."


    "Who was it?"


    "The waitress said it was Mrs. Zheng. I verified her testimony by checking the surveince footage


    and found that it was indeed her."


    Rosa?


    After going around in circles, the clues finally led back to Rosa. Maria finally realized that she had


    fallen into the indirect trap Colby and Rosa hadid out for herst night.


    "Send me the surveince videos in the restaurant. I want all of them."


    "Yes, Ms. Song."


    However, before she could get the surveince footage, she was told that there was a sudden


    problem with the restaurant''s monitoring system and that all of the surveince videos recorded


    before tonight were gone.


    Maria sneered to herself.


    But it didn''t matter anymore. She only needed to find and ask Mr. Xu and Mr. Zong.


    In T Country


    The sickening thump of a whip hitting flesh and a continuous stream of piteous moans resounded


    from behind the room''s closed door. The door was pushed open, and several armed men escorted


    a man into the room.


    A persony on the floor, his clothes ripped in ces and his face and body ck in blue from


    being beaten.


    "Mr. Xi!" the bodyguards greeted him one after another.


    James sat down opposite the unconscious dying man, his face a cold, unreadable mask. "What did


    he say?"


    Gary put down the whip in his hand and stepped forward to report to him. "He said that he did put


    the drug in the dish, but it was originally meant for Miss Ye, whom he wanted to pursue. He


    momentarily excused himself to go to the bathroom once he had finished his deed. However, Miss


    Ye waspletely fine when he came back, while something happened to Ms. Song in another


    private room."


    James took out a cigar and cut off the uneven end using a sharp knife. A bodyguard stepped


    forward and lit the cigar for him.


    After taking a long drag from his cigar, he asked slowly, "What about the surveince videos in the


    restaurant?" "Yes, it was indeed Mrs. Zheng who asked the waiter to send the dish to the private


    room she was in. The waitress also told us that Mrs. Zhengined of the dy in serving the


    dishes to their private dining room."


    "What about Mr. Zong?" A cold light glinted in James'' dark eyes.


    "Ms. Song asked the others to pour alcohol down Mr. Zong''s throat. He is in the ICU at the moment


    and hasn''t woken up yet. Mr. Zong has never been able to behave himself and always goes crazy


    once he''s drunk. The man has a serious alcohol addiction. However, his assistant told me that it


    was the vice general manager of LJ Group who called Mr. Zong and asked him to attend the dinner


    party."


    The smoke wafting from the all-natural, additive-free cigar was pleasant and full-bodied, carrying


    with it a hint of coffee.


    James threw the knife that he used to trim the cigar to the floor. As the knife slid towards the bound


    man, he said simply, "His little finger."


    Then, he stood up and left, his ears deaf to the cries for mercy behind him.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Once he was back in his own room, he told the man behind him, "Make some trouble for HM Group.


    Get Summer to provide Maria evidence that thepany''s ounts are being manipted. Ah,


    and tell Summer to remind Maria not to report it by herself." He was afraid that Maria would butt


    heads with Colby this time around. It was the ultimate goal, but for the sake of her safety, they had


    to wait until the timing was right. Now was not the time.


    "Go back to H City and invite Mr. Lu of LJ Group to dinner. Doesn''t he want to borrow money from


    HM Group? Let him continue to apply."


    Gary was well aware that ever since rumors about Maria and Colby''s affair had started to spread,


    James had been secretly setting up a trap for the HM Group.


    Unlike otherpanies, HM Group had their roots so firmly nted in the business world.


    After all, the group was one of the top five hundred enterprises in the world, as well as one of the


    biggest conglomerates in H City. Destroying such a well-establishedpany would take more than


    one blow and require a huge amount of effort. However, as long as James had set his mind on it, it


    was only a matter of time before HM Group was toppled to the ground. Anything else was


    inconsequential.


    Peggy''s incident and Rosa''s false donation charges had already dealt big blows to thepany.


    If James struck now, not only would Colby lose his position, but HM Group might also go bankrupt.


    "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    James puffed out a cloud of smoke and continued, "Arrange for several female bodyguards to


    discreetly follow Maria, and deploy a few of them in herpany. It would be better if they can go


    out with her."


    "Understood!"


    "Onest thing-Maria wants Chandler''s mistress to rece his wife, doesn''t she? Help her get


    ine Wen to sign the divorce agreement."


    Gary stared at his boss, overwhelmed. "Yes, sir!" ''What a good man Mr. Xi is!''


    In the evening, Maria returned to the Golden Mansion and weed a distinguished guest.


    She opened the door of the apartment and swept a hand in a weing gesture. "Mr. Shen, please


    come


    in."


    Norman, who looked quite well on the surface, casually strode in.


    Maria handed him a pair of slippers to change into. "James usually wears these. Please make do


    with them."


    Norman took a look at the slippers beside his feet and snorted, entering the apartment d only in


    his socks.


    Maria shrugged her shoulders helplessly. She knew James and Norman disliked each other.


    She put away the slippers and then went to pour a cup of tea for him. "What brings you here?"


    Notably, he came here all by himself.


    "I heard that the media outlets have been hounding you these days."


    "Huh? Why are they following me?" ''Why didn''t I notice them?'' she wondered.


    Norman took a sip and ced the cup on the coffee table in front of him. "James has been away on


    business for quite some time now. They want to dig up dirt on you."


    If she looked closely at him, she would see that he was moving in small, careful motions because


    his wounds had yet to healpletely.


    "So what?"


    "So I came here. To irk James." Maria knew that he would never miss any opportunity to piss James


    off.


    At this moment, the reporters hiding within the gatedmunity had already taken photographs of


    histe -night visit.


    Maria rolled her eyes. "You must have a lot of free time. Don''t you have anything better to do?"


    "Well, I''m quite busy." He was telling the truth.


    Norman leaned back against the sofa and identally touched his wound. His face grew taut, and


    he closed his eyes to somehow ease the pain.


    Seeing the change in his expression, Maria asked with concern, "Are you okay? I thought you were


    already better."


    "I don''t think I would recover soon. After all, I don''t have anyone who takes care of me." He didn''t


    open his eyes.


    Maria was lost in thought.


    She knew what was on Norman''s mind-he wanted her to go to Mildred and ask her to take care of


    him.


    She was about to say something when the doorbell rang. The two people in the apartment looked at


    each other. Confused, she stared at the door. ''Who else woulde to me at thiste hour?''


    It couldn''t possibly be James, since he was still abroad. Even if it were him, he would have just


    barged inside. Why would he ring the bell so politely?

 Chapter 408 Guarding Against Norman

    Chapter 408 Guarding Against Norman


    Maria was surprised to see who was standing outside the door. "Lawrence? When did youe


    back?"


    Hearing her words, Ethan, who was standing by Lawrence''s side, stopped smiling. "Maria, don''t you


    see me? I even brought you a bunch of flowers."


    Maria smiled and took the gorgeous bouquet of lilies from his arms. "Of course I see you. Please


    come in," she said, stepping aside to make way for them while leaning down to inhale the fresh


    aroma of the flowers she was holding.


    The two men entered the apartment and nced around appreciatively. But as soon as Ethan saw


    the man sitting calmly on the sofa, he stiffened and strode over. "Norman Shen? Is that really you?"


    With a faint smile, Norman said, "Mr. Nan, you have great eyesight!" ''Or maybe I should call him Mr.


    Mu.''


    Ethan was rendered speechless. How did this have anything to do with his eyesight? He was not


    blind; of course he could see such arge man sitting on the sofa.


    While he was scoffing to himself, Lawrence and Norman nodded to each other in silent greeting.


    Ethan had always been a talkative man. ncing at the woman who was pouring two sses of


    water forthem, he asked, "Maria, it''s sote. Why is Norman here? The two of you were all alone.


    Does James know about this?"


    Before Maria could answer his question, Norman smirked and said, "Mr. Nan, if a man and a


    woman are alone at such ate hour, what else do you think the reason could be?"


    Ethan snorted. He didn''t believe what Norman implied at all. "Do you really think I can be tricked so


    easily?"


    Maria shrugged, handed the two men who had just arrived a ss of water each, and asked, "Do


    you guys want to y mahjong? We have four people here."


    None of the men knew how to reply to that.


    Taking the ss of water from her, Lawrence cleared his throat and changed the subject. "How are


    you? I heard that you were injured."


    "It was just a small injury, no big deal. How did you hear about it?" Maria asked, widening her eyes


    in surprise. The news had spread so quickly!


    "James called me. I happened to be in H City tonight, so I dropped by," Lawrence exined, taking


    a sip of water. In order to avoid any questionable or inappropriate situations, he had specially called


    Ethan toe with him, but he hadn''t expected that Norman would already be here.


    "Oh! Thank you." Although Maria was confused as to why James had informed Lawrence about her


    injury, she didn''t ask.


    "Do you need any help? I might be free tomorrow," Lawrence said.


    Maria looked at him seriously and said, "Well, there is one thing I really need your help with."


    "Shoot," Lawrence replied, a little taken aback. Why had she suddenly be so solemn?


    "Do you still remember that you''re a married man?"


    "Of course," Lawrence replied without thinking. How could he forget such a thing?


    Ethan snorted and chimed in, "I doubt it. His grandmother called me recently to ask if I knew where


    he was and what he was doing. Not only hasn''t he gone home for a long time, but he hasn''t stayed


    in touch with his family, either."


    Norman just hung back and watched their conversation with an amused smile.


    Maria was so annoyed that she wanted to punch Lawrence. "You already have a wife. Pay more


    attention to her instead of concerning yourself with other people''s affairs. Especially don''t interfere


    in women''s affairs. If you have so much spare time that you can offer to help me, you''d better go


    home and work on giving your grandmother a great-grandchild."


    Lawrence''s jaw dropped open in shock. Is this what he got in return foring all the way here to


    check on her?


    "Maria is right. Listen to her!" Ethan said as he picked up an apple from the fruit tray and took a bite.


    "Okay. Since you''re fine, I''ll leave now," Lawrence said tly. In fact, he hadn''t nned on going


    home tonight, but after hearing Maria''s words, he thought that he should at least go and show his


    face once.


    Ethan nced at Norman, who seemed to be rooted to the sofa, and hesitated whether to leave


    with Lawrence or not. Lawrence was the one who had given him a ride here. If he didn''t go along


    with him now, he would have to find his own way back hometer.


    But if he did leave with Lawrence, then Norman would be alone with Maria.


    Taking another bite of the apple, he decided that he couldn''t leave. Since James wasn''t in H City, he


    had to be a good friend and guard against Norman.


    When Lawrence bid Maria goodbye and walked to the door of the apartment, he found that Ethan


    didn''t get up to follow him. Raising an eyebrow at the man who was busily eating an apple, he


    asked, "Aren''t youing?"


    Ethan shook his head and casually said, "It''s my first timeing to Maria''s apartment. I really like


    the vibe here! I think I want to stay a little longer. You can go home first!"


    Of course, the others knew what his intentions were.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Maria, in particr, was surprised, but she didn''t say anything.


    After Lawrence left, she closed the door and returned to the living room. Before she could say


    anything, Norman stood up abruptly and said, "Well, sleep early. I''ll leave, too." Now that he had


    gotten what he hade here for, he didn''t want to linger around and be watched closely.


    "Okay," Maria agreed.


    While putting on his shoes, Norman looked at the man who was still eating the apple and calmly


    asked, "Mr. Nan, are you leaving too? I can give you a ride."


    Hearing that, Ethan froze. Once Norman left, he would be the only man left alone with Maria, which


    meant that he would be the one beaten up by James. "Yeah, I''lle with you!" he said quickly,


    jumping up to his feet. He ran to the door and put on his shoes before hurriedly following Norman


    out, barely giving Maria a nce to bid her farewell.


    Maria watched helplessly as the two men left.


    Now that they were all gone, the apartment was quiet again. She cleaned up the living room, and


    then went to the bathroom to wash up.


    When Lawrence walked out of the apartment, he inadvertently nced at a man who was walking


    towards a car with a canvas bag slung over his shoulder.


    The man''s outfit looked out of ce in this high-end gatedmunity, so Lawrence continued to


    stare at him for a few seconds. But after seeing the man drive away, he got into his own car without


    thinking too much.


    Later, when Lawrence arrived at the Lu family''s house and walked in through the door, he found the


    house dark and quiet. His family must have already retired to bed for the night.


    Without turning on the lights, he walked up to the second floor.


    After walking down the corridor to his bedroom, he pushed the door open like he always did.


    The lights were on, but there was no one in the room. However, the sound of water running could


    be heard from the bathroom.


    Standing in the middle of the bedroom, Lawrence nced around at the room that had once


    belonged solely to him. Now, there were many women''s items in the room, as well as several potted


    nts.


    There was also a neatly-folded set of women''s pajamas and panties on the bed. He nced at


    them indifferently before looking away.


    Then, he walked over to the coat hanger while taking off his coat.


    A dark woman''s coat was already hanging there, emitting a faint fragrance. He knew whose coat it


    was.


    He hung his coat next to hers. Now that he was wearing only a white T-shirt on his upper body, his


    muscles were much more visible.


    Less than two minutester, the bathroom door swung open from the inside.


    A woman wrapped in a bath towel walked out casually. When she found that there was another


    person in the bedroom, her legs almost gave out in fear.


    Fortunately, Meagan held back her scream and threw her hand out, holding the door frame of the


    bathroom for support in time.


    When her eyes met his, she felt a chill breeze on her body. It was only then that she realized that


    she waspletely naked except for the bath towel.


    "Argh!" Finally, the scream that she had struggled to hold back escaped her throat.


    Even Lawrence was a little taken aback.


    In the quiet night, Meagan''s scream was loud enough for the whole floor, if not the whole house, to


    hear. Soon, there was the sound of footsteps approaching the bedroom door.


    The footsteps belonged to Elizabeth, who had been just about to go to bed when she heard the


    scream.


    Knocking on the door, she asked anxiously, "Meagan, what''s wrong? Meagan?"


    Lawrence finally tore his eyes from his wife and turned around to open the door. The old woman


    outside the door obviously hadn''t expected to see her grandson, because she jumped back a little,


    seeming to be startled. Even after she regained herposure, her shock was reced with


    confusion. "Lawrence, when did youe back?" "Just now."


    "Where is Meagan? Why did she scream?" Elizabeth asked, trying to pop her head inside to take a


    look.


    However, Lawrence, who was standing at the doorway, quickly blocked her view, not allowing her to


    seethe bedroom, let alone Meagan.


    "Just like you, she was surprised to see me. Go and sleep, Grandma," he exined briefly.

 Chapter 409 Mysterious Guests

    Chapter 409 Mysterious Guests


    "I see!" A smile crossed Elizabeth''s face. "Lawrence, I won''t mention what happened before.


    However, heed my words: you must produce a great-grandchild for me as soon as possible. If you


    dare to disobey my order, I will have your superior strip you of your title tomorrow."


    The old woman looked just as serious as she when she wasmanding thousands of people in


    the past.


    Lawrence was powerless against such a decree. Why did he feel like his only worth in this world


    was to propagate the Lu line by producing a baby?


    Was he just a baby-making machine?


    "Are you confident that you can do it?" Elizabeth asked in a demanding voice, making him snap out


    of his daze.


    "Got it," he replied. A dull throb started in his temples.


    He didn''t want to ept his fate, but the deed was done. Meagan was already hiswfully wedded


    wife. If he kept refusing to have a child, his grandmother might expire of anger.


    Elizabeth said with a smile, "Just doing it once won''t get you anywhere. The more you get together,


    the greater the chance of pregnancy will be! I''ll tell the maid not to wake you up tomorrow morning.


    Go to bed now!"


    Lawrence stared at his grandmother, awestruck.


    ''Grandma is definitely one of a kind!''


    The bedroom door was closed. Meagan was nowhere in sight, and the pajamas that were on the


    bed earlier were gone.


    He walked towards the bathroom and knocked on the door. "Come out!"


    After a while, the door slowly opened, revealing his wife. Her long hair cascaded freely over his


    shoulders, and her face was red. "You''re back!"


    "I want to take a shower," he said.


    "Okay." Meagan quickly stepped aside and strode past him into the bedroom.


    Her heart skipped a bit when her wrist was grabbed by a powerful hand.


    "Get ready," he whispered into her ear.


    Meagan was not a child anymore-she instantly understood what he meant. Was there any way for


    her to refuse?


    In her nervousness, Meagan''s heart pounded loudly in her chest. She sat on the bed, almost


    suffocating, while Lawrence went to take a shower.


    ''Should I make an excuse to leave?'' she wondered. She really didn''t want to face what was


    supposed to happen next.


    The shower Lawrence took was a quick one. While Meagan was deliberating on whether she


    should escape, the bathroom door swung open.


    The man strode out of the bathroom, a towel in one hand to dry his short hair and another wrapped


    around his waist. Droplets of water that he must have missed while drying his body glistened as


    they rolled down along his well-defined muscles.


    Meagan could do nothing but stare.


    Once he was done drying his hair, Lawrence put the towel aside and approached Meagan.


    Following her gaze, he looked down at his torso and asked, "How do I look?"


    Her eyes wide open, Meagan nodded, blurting out, "Great!" His figure looked like it belonged to a


    sculpture. It wasn''t like she hadn''t seen men''s bodies before, but never had he seen any man with


    such a god-like physique.


    Lawrence casually slipped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to sit on the side of the bed.


    "Let''s go!"


    "Where are we going?" Meagan asked, confused.


    "To bed!" he replied cheekily.


    The words stopped Meagan''s train of thought.


    Slowly, he pressed her back to lie on the bed, his imposing body pushing hers into the mattress. Her


    heart in her throat, Meagan nced everywhere in the room except into Lawrence''s eyes. "Can you


    turn off the light?"


    Lawrence was not in agreement. "No rush, I''m not familiar with your body yet. Wait until I get to


    thoroughly study it first." He was a green hand in this respect, and he needed to know her body


    before he could make his move.


    A small whimper came out of Meagan''s mouth, but she couldn''t say anything.


    The couple stayed frozen in that tableau for about ten minutes, and Meagan felt every second of it


    tick by. Finally, Lawrence lowered his head and captured her lips in a sweet kiss, which quickly


    spiraled out of control.


    The dyed wedding night finally happened, and the couple-in-name became a true couple.


    When the news about Maria was exposed, Lawrence was having a meal downstairs and listening to


    his grandmother gush in delight over the previous night''s event.


    However, a news headline instantly ruined that morning''s peace. The butler handed Elizabeth a


    phone, and her face contorted as her eyes scanned the screen. Visibly holding back from smashing


    the phone on her grandson, Elizabeth asked through gritted teeth, "Why did you go to Maria''s ce


    last night instead of going straight home?"


    "How did you know that?" Lawrence asked in confusion.


    "How did I know? You are on the news, you idiot!" Elizabeth angrily pushed the phone toward him.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Lawrence nced at the headline onscreen. "Three Mysterious Men Visited Maria Song''s


    Apartment!" The news said that he, Norman, and Ethan came to Maria''s apartment at night and did


    note out after a long time.


    There were photos of Norman''s back, Lawrence''s car, and a front shot of Ethan.


    Unbidden, the image of the man with a canvass bag slung over his shoulder entered his mind. That


    man must be the photographer. However, he had thought nothing of it at the time.


    He returned the phone to his grandmother. "Maria was injured, so Ethan and I visited her. We didn''t


    expect Norman to be there, as well. Nothing happened."


    "It says that you didn''te out for a long time!" Elizabeth reminded him.


    ncing at her, Lawrence said in a dismissive tone, "Those unscrupulous media reports are all


    groundless and exaggerated. You should know that, Grandma. I only stayed in Maria''s apartment


    for a few minutes before I was kicked out."


    Elizabeth rolled her eyes at her grandson and said, "I''ve just found out that Maria has many haters.


    Don''t go to her ce from now on. This way, you won''t offend James. These kinds of news will


    affect the reputation of the Lu family."


    "I understand, Grandma," he replied to pacify his grandparent and resumed his meal.


    "I''m sure that Meagan will see this. You should exin to her once she wakes up." Elizabeth didn''t


    mean to keep it a secret from Meagan.


    "Okay." He would do it soon.


    Eventually, he went and woke up Meagan.


    Her eyes heavy with sleep, she asked in a hoarse voice, "What''s up?"


    The words he was about to say vanished from his mind as he stared at her. The thought ofst


    night had his Adam''s apple bobbing as he swallowed, and a me started to grow inside him. He


    pretended to be calm under the woman''s befuddled stare. "Get up and have lunch. Then you can


    sleep again."


    "Thank you. I don''t feel like eating right now." In her exhaustion, she wanted nothing more than to


    go back to sleep.


    "Here, eat something." Ignoring her, Lawrence uncovered the soup bowl and swirled the soup


    spoon in it. "I''ve brought you some soup."


    Meagan stirred slightly and whispered, "I... I can''t get up." She had no strength at all.


    Lawrence gawked at her, and the sounds of her moans and pleasst night reyed in his head.


    Then, snapping out of his trance, he pulled away the nket from her and helped her up in the next


    instant.


    Meagan took the spoon from him, but the utensil immediately fell to the bed because even her hand


    had no strength. "Sorry, I didn''t mean to..."


    She didn''t drop the spoon on purpose. Last night zapped her of energy that she couldn''t even hold


    the spoon.


    "It doesn''t matter. Wait a minute." Lawrence picked up the spoon and went to the bathroom to rinse


    it.


    When he came out again, he took the soup bowl and said, "Let me feed you."


    "Forget it. I''m too hungry. Give it to me!" Meagan was not that weak, and she decided to try eating


    unassisted once more.


    However, Lawrence didn''t listen to her. Scooping up a spoonful of soup, he brought the spoon close


    to her mouth. She was left with no choice but to eat it.


    While feeding her the soup, he said casually, "Grandma told me to exin to you."


    "Exin what?"

 Chapter 410 Take Care of Norman

    Chapter 410 Take Care of Norman


    Lawrence patiently repeated what he had said to his grandmother earlier. "Last night, Ethan and I


    went to visit Maria to see how she was doing. Somehow, news of that got out, and a reporter


    cooked up a whole story about it. But it''s all a lie. It was just an innocent visit. Besides, we were only


    there for a few minutes before Maria drove us away.


    In fact, I only came back home today because she asked me to spend time with you and give


    Grandma a great-grandchild soon." He was so upright that his face didn''t change even while saying


    this.


    In contrast, Meagan''s face turned bright red. She took a sip of the soup before humming in a low


    voice to indicate that she understood and epted his exnation. "Is Maria''s injury serious?"


    "No. She seemed fine when we saw her." He remembered that Norman, however, looked pale and


    sickly, like he had been seriously injured.


    "That''s good," Meagan replied.


    After that, Lawrence fed her some rice and vegetables. In the end, Meagan was so sleepy that she


    asked him to take away the food when she was only half-way through eating it.


    Perhaps it was because he had tasted the pleasure of making love that Lawrence didn''t leave H


    City that night. Once again, he pounced on the woman who hadn''t been out of the room the whole


    day.


    Maria soon learned that she was on the news from her assistant, who told her that many people


    had called thepany to ask what was going on and to dig for more details.


    Feeling curious, she turned on her phone and looked through a rted article before scoffing. "Why


    do I have to respond? They''re just my friends. They visited my apartment to check on me like


    friends do. Just ignore them."


    "Yes, Ms. Song."


    Thements on the news articles, however, were quite interesting, and generally fell into two


    extremes.


    About half the people scolded Maria for cheating on James, but the other half gushed about how


    much they envied her.


    For example, one of thements said, "Mr. Lu, Mr. Nan, and Mr. Shen? I want to be Maria, too!"


    Anotherment said, "Oh my God, I envy Maria so much. She not only has the super handsome


    James as her lover, but she also has so many handsome friends!"


    Anotherment said, "That''s my girl! Maria, listen to me! You have to date all four of them!"


    Thatstment in particr left Maria at a loss for whether tough or to cry. These people were


    seriously overestimating her appetite. How could she date all four of those men? It was already


    difficult enough for her to deal with James alone.


    Finally, she turned off her phone and resumed reading thest few documents. Then, at about


    noon, she walked out of thepany and took her car.


    After a while, the car came to a stop outside the gates of a university. Sitting in the back seat, Maria


    took out her phone and dialed a number. "Mildred, it''s me, Maria."


    A few minutester, a girl wearing a light pink coat trotted over to Maria with her phone.


    The driver, who was waiting outside the car, politely opened the door for her. Mildred climbed into


    the back seat next to Maria and smiled. "Hi, Maria."


    Seeing her flushed face, Maria thoughtfully handed her a bottle of water. "Did I disturb you?"


    "Not at all. School is over for the day," Mildred replied before opening the bottle and taking a sip of


    water.


    "Good. I''ll treat you to lunch. By the way, I hope I can ask you for a favor," Maria said.


    Mildred nodded her head enthusiastically. "Of course, just let me know what you need." Last time,


    when they had gone on a holiday to the ind, Maria not only apanied her to go shopping, but


    also helped her a lot. So naturally, Mildred was more than happy to be able to do something in


    return.


    Maria, who was in no hurry to tell Mildred about her purpose ofing here today, asked, "What do


    you want to have for lunch?"


    "Anything is okay," Mildred said with a shrug. She was not a picky eater.


    "How about we have fish at a seafood restaurant? I know a good one nearby. Shall we go there?"


    Maria suggested, knowing well that this young girl liked eating fish.


    "Sure! Are you talking about Jade City Seafood Restaurant?" Mildred guessed randomly.


    "Yes." Maria shot the girl a strange nce, but didn''t say anything.


    Jade City Seafood Restaurant was one of the best seafood restaurants in H City, and as such, it


    was too expensive for ordinary people to eat in.


    It was said that Mildred''s mother used to be the mayor of H City, and the living standard of their


    family had been quite high. But after her mother had been removed from power, Mildred had fallen


    from grace and be a poor girl.


    In order to support herself, she had looked for part-time jobs everywhere-and that was how she had


    met Norman.


    At the seafood restaurant


    Maria shifted the steamed grouper closer to Mildred and asked, "Are you busy with your studies


    these days?"


    "Not that much. Maria, you should eat, too," Mildred said, picking up a piece of fish for her with the


    serving chopsticks.


    Maria didn''t refuse. "Thank you," she said before putting the piece of fish into her mouth.


    The two of them chatted for a while. Since they were having a pleasant conversation and the girl


    seemed to be in a good mood, Maria took the opportunity to get to the point. "Do you know that Mr.


    Shen has been injured?"


    Mildred seemed to be taken back by surprise at the sudden change of topic. Her chewing slowed as


    she nodded and said, "Yeah, I heard about it." But it had been a while since shest saw Norman,


    so she didn''t know the exact details.


    "Here''s the thing. You know him well, right? He doesn''t like having too many people around him,


    especially people that he''s not familiar with. At the moment, I''m taking care of him to an extent, but


    I''m really busy with work, and I have to go abroad to see James soon, so I don''t know how much


    longer I''ll be able to do it. Will you take care of him? I know you have a part-time job already, but I''m


    willing to hire you at double the sry you''re getting now. If you''re working overtime, you''ll even be


    given extra sry."


    Maria didn''t have any scruples about offering a high sry. After all, she wasn''t the one who would


    be paying it.


    "Well..." Mildred trailed off awkwardly, putting down her chopsticks.


    Thinking of Norman gave her mixed feelings.


    "You''re already familiar with his apartment. Besides, I don''t want to take the risk of hiring a stranger


    to take care of him. Since you''re already working part-time, just think of this as a better job


    opportunity," Maria said casually, trying her best to persuade the girl.


    She was very concerned about Norman''s lifelong happiness.


    "Okay, Maria, I''ll think about it," Mildred said softly, lowering her head.


    "Sure. I''m only asking because he has been seriously injured. He almost died, actually, so he needs


    someone to look after him and nurse him back to good health. Think about it, Mildred. I can


    understand if you don''t agree, though. It doesn''t matter." Maria didn''t put too much pressure on the


    girl, fearing that she would scare her into turning down the offer instead.


    "Okay," Mildred said simply.


    After that, Maria shrewdly changed the topic to lift Mildred''s spirits again. Once they were both done


    eating, she dropped the girl back at the university.


    Mildred didn''t keep Maria waiting long for an answer. The truth was, she was, indeed, in need of


    money.


    Although she was already earning a high sry at her part-time job, Maria had offered to double it.


    How could she refuse such a good offer?


    That same evening, Maria received a call from Mildred. "When do you need me to begin taking care


    of him?"


    Hearing that, Maria smiled triumphantly, but she pretended to sound sad. "Well, he''s in a serious


    condition, so if you have no othermitments, you can go to his house right now."


    "Is his injury really that bad?"


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "Yes," Maria answered seriously.


    "Okay then. I''ll go right now." Mildred began to pack up her things and got ready to go to Norman''s


    house.


    After hanging up the phone, Maria quickly sent a message to Norman saying, "She''s earning five


    hundred per hour at her part-time job, so I promised her that she''d get paid double. If she needs to


    work over-time, you have to pay her two thousand an hour. She''s be at your house soon. But


    remember, I told her that your injury is very serious! Even if it''s not, you can''t show it."


    Norman pursed his lips when he read the message.


    Why did he feel that Maria was cursing him?


    When Mildred arrived at Norman''s residence, she went straight to his bedroom and found him lying


    in the bed with his eyes closed. "Norman," she called softly.


    In the beginning, she called him "Mr. Shen" just like everyone else, but he had asked her to call him


    by his name.


    When there was no response from the man lying in the bed, Mildred''s heart fell. It seemed that he


    really was badly injured.


    In the past, he would have noticed her as soon as she pushed the door open, but now, he seemed


    to bepletely unaware of her presence.


    She quietly lowered herself to the seat by the side of the bed, not knowing what to do for a moment.


    It was less than a month ago that she had left this house, and now, she was back.


    Back then, she had had a room here. Since it was veryte, and it was not easy to hail a taxi in this


    area, she decided to stay the night.

 Chapter 411 Call The Police

    Chapter 411 Call The Police


    After making sure that Norman was okay for the time being, Mildred went to sleep in the room she


    had once stayed in.


    After the bedroom door softly clicked closed, the man lying in the bed with his eyes closed slowly


    opened his eyes.


    A faint trace of the woman''s scent lingered in the air. He inhaled it quietly, and a smile tilted up the


    corners of his mouth and reached his eyes.


    Maria thought nothing of the news, but James, who was far away at that moment, didn''t think so. In


    fact, he found the news incredibly annoying.


    He waited for a whole day, but Maria didn''t ask him to have the news removed from the top search


    list.


    On the next day, James barged into the DS Group headquarters, closely tailed by his assistant.


    He headed toward the CEO''s office first, and the assistants all jumped to their feet when they saw


    him.


    "Good morning, Mr. Xi!" they greeted.


    James asked in a low voice, "Where is Maria?"


    "Mr. Xi, Ms. Song is having a meeting in the conference room. She will be..." Before the assistant


    finished her words, James whirled around and stalked toward the elevator.


    On a different floor where the conference room was located, Maria had just concluded a meeting.


    As she stepped out of the room, a looming figure in the corridor blocked her way.


    Her head shot up in surprise. ''When did Jamese back? Wasn''t his business trip supposed to


    last for a month? It''s only been a few days.'' Maria did not allow her thoughts to show on her face.


    Hiding her surprise, she stared up quietly at James.


    He seemed to be in a ck mood, but she couldn''t imagine for what reason.


    The man walked toward her, and then a strong arm slipped around her waist. She found herself


    caught in a familiar embrace.


    Totally disregarding the people around them, he swooped down to take her lips in a fierce kiss.


    Maria was confused. What was he doing? She pushed him away and quickly covered her lips with


    her hand to block his kiss.


    They were in thepany-herpany! She needed to remind him of that!


    "James, mind your manners!"


    "Mind my manners?" James sneered.


    "Yes!"


    With an insolent smirk on his face, he drawled out, "I won''t!"


    Maria couldn''t believe her ears. ''Has James always been this capricious?'' As James dived in for


    another kiss, she quickly said, "Don''t forget the current status of our rtionship. If you dare to kiss


    me again, I will call the police." The end of that sentence got cut off by James'' lips.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Maria''s and James'' assistants were astute people. They turned away to give them privacy.


    James'' kiss knocked the breath out of her with its aggressiveness. Maria couldn''t figure out where


    the vehemence behind the kiss wasing from. In addition, he was crowding her, so she had to


    take a few steps back. She backed against the wall, but their lips still remained connected.


    To everyone''s surprise, one of the managers just happened to appear out of a corner at that


    moment. Every personnel of his department followed behind him. "Our next meeting... Oh."


    The manager''s voice suddenly trailed off as they all took in the scene in front of their eyes.


    The manager and twenty of his subordinates got to witness their CEO being cornered in the corridor


    by a man for a passionate kiss, no less.


    Maria was aware of the many footsteps approaching, but James just wouldn''t budge no matter how


    hard she pushed him away. It was like he wasn''t even aware that other people wereing.


    She couldn''t help but heave an inward sigh. ''My reputation!


    Forget it.'' As long as she didn''t feel embarrassed, then the ones feeling embarrassed would be the


    others.


    With this belief in mind, Maria grasped James'' suit tightly and surrendered herself to his assault on


    her senses.


    After hesitating for a moment, the manager approached them with his head held low and whispered.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Xi, Ms. Song. Our department has an emergency meeting, and we''re just passing by.


    Please go on. So sorry to bother you!


    Then, he led his staff, who were all carefully averting their eyes, to the conference room, making a


    detour around the oblivious couple who never took a break from kissing.


    With her eyes tightly closed, Maria could hear the footsteps behind James, the frantic whispers, and


    the low, surprised gasps from some of the staff.


    When their lips touched, James had all but forgotten that he was angry at Maria. At that moment,


    the only thought left in his mind was how he could get her to the nearest bed.


    The long kiss finally ended. Before Maria could scold James for his shamelessness, he pinned her


    with his sharp nce and growled out, "If you dare say a word, I will kiss you for an hour."


    Maria stared at him, at a loss for words. ''What did he say? Is he crazy?''


    Then, James pulled her out of the building and into the garage where his car was parked. He


    proceeded to ravish her thoroughly, right there and then.


    Afterwards, she found out that the man lost his temper because of the gossip articles.


    To say that she was surprised was an understatement. He didn''t even wait for her to exin!


    After tidying up her clothes, Maria said through gritted teeth, "I have something to do, so wait for


    me. We need to talk."


    "Okay, just go to my ce," James replied, sounding a little out of breath. A few of his buttons were


    unbuttoned, and he was looking more disheveled than he did back in the office-and a lot more


    seductive.


    Maria''s eyes widened at the sexy picture he made. ''Maria, wake up! This man is toxic. Don''t fall for


    his handsome face!'' she reminded herself.


    She went back to her office in a low-key manner, changing into a spare set of clothes before going


    back to work.


    It was already nine o''clock in the evening when she arrived at James'' manor.


    Angrily, she stomped into the house and up the stairs to the second floor, not even bothering to put


    on slippers after kicking her high heels off.


    James was standing on the veranda and talking on his phone. When he heard the angry footsteps


    approaching, he stubbed out the cigarette in his hand and ended the call.


    The woman''s angry voice came through the door. "What the hell were you thinking earlier, James


    Xi?"


    News of the incendiary kiss between the two of them at the office not only spread throughout the


    whole DS Group, but also the entire H City. To be sure, it sessfully crushed the rumors about


    them not getting along with each other.


    James walked over to her. "What was I thinking? I wanted to sleep with you." His answer was


    simple and straight to the point.


    Not to mention extremely effective in taking the wind out of Maria''s sails. That was not what she


    wanted to hear at all! "Exin it to me clearly, or else you''ll never hear the end of this!"


    "Why didn''t you set the media straight about the rtionship between you and Norman?" he asked


    in a low voice.


    "Why should I? There''s nothing going on between us, so what exactly should I rify?" Augh


    devoid of amusement escaped her lips. "How could youin about me? Didn''t you have a


    woman apanying you while you were abroad?" "A woman?" A confused frown crossed his


    features. Who was she talking about?


    "Yes!"


    What did she mean? He couldn''t imagine what she was referring to. Ignoring this fabricated charge,


    James stared at her and said calmly, "There was no woman apanying me during my trip.


    Besides, even if I had one, didn''t you say that you wouldn''t mind?"


    Maria had already forgotten what she had said until he reminded her of it. "I wouldn''t mind because


    I would blow up her head on the spot!"


    James stared at her, speechless. In the future, he needed to be on his guard around this woman.


    She might resort to domestic violence.


    James said in a t tone, "Get on the bed. You have a lot of experience, so you know what to do,


    right?"


    Maria was taken aback by the sudden change in topic. ''Now, what?'' Of course she knew what he


    meant, but she still asked, "Why should I? Let''s keep on talking!"


    The man was silent.


    Suddenly, understanding was etched on her face. With a sneer, she taunted him, "When you talk


    about work, you speak in a straightforward manner and your logic is clear. Why can''t you outargue


    me right now?"

 Chapter 412 The Overall Situation

    Chapter 412 The Overall Situation


    James shot Maria an indifferent nce and asked, "Don''t you know why?"


    All she had to do was tweak her expression a little, act coquettishly, or shed tears, and all his sense


    of logic would go down the drain. How could he speak logically to her?


    However, he didn''t want to let her think that she would always win, so he pinched her chin tightly


    and pretended to look at her fiercely. "Do you really think that I don''t dare to hurt you?" he growled.


    The reason he hade back so soon was because he was eager to settle ounts with her.


    "I know you do. But... you only dare to hurt me in the bedroom, don''t you?" As Maria spoke, her


    eyes shed withcency, and a smirk yed at the corner of her lips.


    James felt his heart aching in his chest. There were so many words bubbling up in his throat, but in


    the end, he swallowed them all down and simply said, "From now on, stay away from all those


    indecent men!"


    Maria stared back at him fiercely. ''Indecent men? Is he talking about Norman, Lawrence, or Ethan?


    Humph. Whatever, did he forget that we''ve already broken up?'' "No way! I''m single now. I can meet


    whoever I want, it''s my choice!" she retorted.


    ''What did she say? She refused to listen to me, and even said that she''s single?'' A hint of danger


    shed through James'' eyes. Without thinking, he grabbed her wrist, dragged her to the bed, and


    threw her onto it. "Let me remind you who you are, and who I am to you."


    "James Xi!" Maria called out in protest. Panic shed through her eyes. Had he forgotten that they


    had just had sex in the car?


    Ignoring her protests, James began to unbutton his shirt.


    In the end, Maria had no choice but to give in to his advances. He didn''t stop making love to her


    until she became docile and kept calling him "honey."


    The next day was the anniversary celebration of HL Group, so James didn''t leave H City right away.


    As soon as Colby learned that James hade back to H City, he took action and arranged a small


    lunch gathering.


    When James received Colby''s invitation via Gary, he didn''t refuse, thinking that this would be a


    good opportunity for him to pry some information.


    That afternoon, he went to H City Hotel.


    Four people sat in a luxurious private room. Apart from James, Colby had invited only two other


    men, who were both government officials involved in the financial industry.


    At first, the four men mainly talked about the financial industry, but after a while, Colby began to lose


    his patience.


    Although James didn''t seem to be up to anything at the moment, Colby knew that he would take


    action against HM Group soon. The one who struck first would always have a better chance of


    winning.


    Taking a look at James, who was talking about environmental protection with the two government


    officials, Colby stood up and walked over with two sses of wine in his hand. "Mr. Xi, would you


    like a drink?" he asked with a smile.


    James didn''t refuse. He took the ss and clinked it against Colby''s.


    However, neither of them lifted the ss to their lips. Colby was thinking about how to start the


    conversation, while James was waiting for him to speak.


    A few awkward secondster, Colby decided to begin with cotton up James. "Mr. Xi, it''s been


    almost ten years since you took over HL Group, right?"


    "Yes," James agreed.


    "You know, your achievements really put mine to shame. I didn''t take over HM Group until I was


    nearly forty years old!"


    "Mr. Zheng, you''re being too modest," James said. Since Colby wasn''t going toe to the point


    directly, he didn''t mind beating around the bush, either.


    Colby shook his head. "Do you remember? When you first took over HL Group, you managed to


    cooperate with HM Group on a big project. At that time, I admired you very much. You were not only


    young and promising, but also a genius when it came to matters of finance!"


    James continued holding the ss of wine with an indifferent expression, and didn''t say anything.


    He remembered that project well. Colby was the one who had taken the initiative to terminate HM


    Group''s contract with its previous partner before signing a new contract with HL Group.


    So, Colby was now trying to say that since he had helped James back then, James shouldn''t do


    anything rash now.


    However, he seemed to have forgotten all about how he had framed Jamester.


    James had just taken over HL Group when he had fallen into Colby''s trap. It was only with


    Augustine''s help that he had managed to get out of it.


    At that time, he had decided that he would never be as insidious as Colby. Instead, he wanted to


    be much stronger and trample on Colby by using aboveboard means.


    Under his clever management, HL Group had climbed thedder step by step. Now, it had reached


    such heights that it outshone HM Group. However, there was no such thing as eternal enemies in


    business; only eternal interests.


    So, for the sake of interests, HL Group had signed a lot of contracts with HM Group. However, HM


    Group didn''t have a lot to gain from these projects. As time went by, Colby became more and more


    unwilling to cooperate with James.


    James had pushed HM Group into the perfect corner. Even if he destroyed HM Group now, the


    impact it would have on HL Group would be almost negligible.


    Colby downed the wine in his ss and continued, "There is no bad blood between me and you. At


    most, we''ve had a few misunderstandings because of the two women. James, since I''m older than


    you, I used to treat you as my younger brother. I hope these trivial matters won''t affect our


    rtionship. In the future, let''s put our interests first, like we used to. After all, fighting because of


    women is not worth it!"


    Colby treated him as his younger brother? James wanted tough. He flicked the ash off the end of


    his cigarette and said with a faint smile, "Mr. Zheng, you''re right, but it''s also important to consider


    the overall situation."


    Overall situation? For a while, Colby didn''t understand what he meant.


    Pouring another ss of wine, he said, "James, the cooperation project between HM Group and HD


    Group will expire in the second half of the year. Before that, let''s have dinner together and talk


    about that project in detail. What do you think?"


    As he spoke, he handed the ss to James.


    ncing at the liquid in the ss, James nodded. "Sounds good." The annual profit of the


    cooperation project between HM Group and HD Group was could go up to several billion dors.


    Obviously, everyone in the industry wanted to get their hands on it.


    However, James was not so stupid as to think that Colby was doing all this to win his favor. Colby


    had always been a cunning fox. He must have already figured out a way to set a trap.


    That was why James left the ss of wine untouched. Colby''s smile shrank, but he pretended as if


    he didn''t care about it and sat back in his seat, continuing the previous topic.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    After the meal was over and all his guests left, Colby''s face changed drastically.


    ''James can''t even be bothered to show respect for me anymore. That guy doesn''t know what''s


    good for him!'' he thought to himself.


    After leaving the restaurant, James didn''t go back to thepany, but went to his manor instead.


    Maria was sitting in the bedroom and putting on some make-up. A flicker of confusion crossed her


    eyes when she saw James walk in, but she didn''t ask him why he had returned all of a sudden.


    James walked up to her and looked at her reflection in the mirror. "Free up your schedule tonight."


    Maria, who was drawing on her eyebrows, kept silent.


    "I need a femalepanion for HL Group''s anniversary celebration," James continued. Obviously,


    he didn''t want his femalepanion to be anyone other than her.


    Maria paused and looked at his reflection in the mirror. "You can find thousands of women to be


    your femalepanion in a minute. Why are you asking me?"


    The anniversary celebration of HL Group had been nned a long time ago, and Maria had already


    heard about it.


    James pursed his lips and said, "I don''t want to bother looking for anyone else. You''ll do fine. Where


    do you want Summer to send your dress to?"


    Upon hearing his words, Maria had the urge to smash the eyebrow pencil on his face. "Do you think


    I look like your femalepanion?"


    "You don''t."


    "It''s good that you know it!" Maria retorted, rolling her eyes at him.


    "But you look like my wife," James added slowly, tilting his head.


    Maria''s heart leaped in her chest, and for a moment, she was speechless. Finally, she replied, "You


    look like my husband. So what?" Even so, they still fought.


    "Nothing. Since we look like husband and wife, we might as well get married!"


    "I don''t think we look like husband and wife, nor do I think it''s a good idea for us to get married. Go


    and find someone else. I''m sorry, but I won''t be able to apany you tonight."

 Chapter 413 Matching Clothes

    Chapter 413 Matching Clothes


    James raised his eyebrows and said, "Well, since you apologized-"


    "When did you hear me apologizing to you?" Maria interrupted, looking at him coldly.


    "You just said that you''re sorry that you can''t apany me, didn''t you? That''s an apology," he


    replied in a matter-of-fact tone.


    Maria scoffed and threw the eyebrow pencil onto the dresser in annoyance. "You''re just twisting my


    words, " sheined.


    "Yes," James agreed. He was acting as if he was sure that she could do nothing to him.


    Maria red at him and snapped, "Mr. Xi, the next time you need a woman to satisfy your needs,


    don''t bothering to me."


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    "You''re the one who came to see mest night," James pointed out.


    "That''s because you asked me toe."


    "Well, since you came because I asked you toe, it means that you also wanted toe,"


    James said with a triumphant smile, as if he had just called checkmate.


    "You..." Maria didn''t understand why she had to put up with such an infuriating man. God must have


    sent him to her just to torture her!


    She took a deep breath to calm herself down.


    Then, she turned back to the mirror, sprayed some perfume onto her neck and her wrists, and then


    finally applied another coat of lipstick.


    Seeing how carefully she was getting ready, James frowned slightly. "Where are you going?" She


    was wearing a tight ginger-colored dress, delicate makeup, and an irresistible perfume. Every time


    she dressed up like this, it meant that she was going to meet with someone.


    Now that the question Maria had been waiting for finally came, it was her turn to be triumphant. She


    turned back to James and patted his shoulder. With a smile, she answered in a soft voice, "Since


    I''m single now, I''m going out for a date. When I was with you, men were lining up to be with me.


    Now that I finally have a chance, I want to date them one by one."


    Without thinking, he clung to her waist tightly, holding her in ce.


    Maria didn''t panic. She just touched his cheek with the pads of her fingers and smiled enchantingly.


    "What''s going on? Mr. Xi, do you want to go out on a date with me, too? If so, please contact my


    assistant and make an appointment in advance!"


    James didn''t want to hear her talk anymore. Gritting his teeth, he pushed her onto the bed.


    "Why did you push me?" Maria snapped.


    "To sleep with you!" James replied, eagerly taking off his coat.


    Looking at him, she shuddered in disbelief. How was this guy horny all the time?


    Seeing that he was about to take off his tie, she sat up straight and said, "James, if you''re really


    capable, just use your tongue to argue with me. You can''t resort to taking off your clothes every


    single time!"


    "Use my tongue?" His eyes darkened. It was actually a good idea.


    He stopped in the middle of taking off his tie and held her cheeks instead, before gradually lowering


    his head.


    "What are you doing?" Maria asked suspiciously.


    "I''m using my tongue." James pressed his lips against hers, not giving her a chance to respond.


    Maria felt like she would explode with anger. That was not what she had meant at all! Obviously,


    she wanted to see if he could defeat her in a verbal battle.


    In the end, since she didn''t want to ruin the make-up that she had just put on, she had no choice but


    to give in to him.


    Needless to say, she would also be his femalepanion at the anniversary celebration party that


    evening.


    Every year, HL Group held a grand party for its anniversary celebration. This time, James had even


    invited several international stars.


    The dress that Summer sent Maria was a long, halfsleeved cheongsam made of H Brocade. It was


    white in color, with light blue embroidery and sps at the cor. The figure-hugging cloth outlined


    her gorgeous curves.


    This particr cheongsam was made of brocade, and it was dyed with the juice grounded from


    special nts.


    In the evening, James walked into the party venue with Maria''s hand in his. As soon as the two of


    them appeared, the atmosphere of the whole party livened up.


    Men and women alike gushed over the couple''s appearance. "Oh my God, Mrs. Xi''s figure is so


    amazing. I''m really jealous of her!"


    "My favorite thing about her is the way she carries herself, whether she''s wearing a suit or a


    cheongsam. But this is the first time I''ve seen her wearing a cheongsam. She looks so dignified!"


    "Well, if I had the same figure as hers, I would take a bath out in the open every day!"


    "You''re all admiring Maria''s appearance, but haven''t you noticed Mr. Xi? The two of them are


    wearing matching clothes!"


    It was not until then that the others noticed that James'' tie was the same shade of blue as the


    embroidery on Maria''s cheongsam. There was also a subtle embroidery pattern on the right


    shoulder of his ck suit which was the same as the pattern on the cheongsam.


    Their clothes matched in a sophisticated way that was befitting of their status, but also showed their


    love for each other.


    "You''re right! It''s so romantic, isn''t it?" another person gushed.


    Wearing a pair of three-inch high-heeled shoes, Maria kept smiling and chatting with the guests,


    along with James. As she walked around, she overheard many people discussing her appearance,


    as well as James''.


    She even heard someone say that it was romantic.


    Although she kept a poker face, she snorted inwardly. This public appearance was just an act. She


    and James were already broken up. Besides, she hadn''t even known that they would be wearing


    matching clothes until she had seen him a few minutes earlier.


    All the senior executives of the HL Group were present at the party, so James spent a lot of time


    talking to them. He also gave them a lot of thick red packets filled with money to lift their spirits and


    motivate them to keep working hard.


    Maria, on the other hand, had nothing productive to do at the party. She just stayed by James'' side


    and toasted everyone, like they were a newly-wedded couple at their wedding banquet.


    Ironically, James hadn''t been present at their actual wedding banquet.


    By the time the party ended, James had drunk a few sses of wine. Maria, on the other hand, had


    only drunk non-alcoholic beverages.


    Soon, the two of them were ushered out of the hotel by several senior executives.


    On the car ride back, Maria felt that her facial muscles had be stiff after stering a smile the


    whole night. Rubbing her cheeks, she said, "Drop me at DS Group." Since she had spent the whole


    night apanying him, she still had work to do.


    "Let''s go to Grandpa''s house," James said softly.


    Obviously, he meant that he wanted to pick up their child from there.


    Maria also wanted to see her son, so she didn''t say anything more to object.


    After answering a phone call, James turned to her and said, "I''m going back to T Country tomorrow


    morning."


    "Okay,"


    Maria replied indifferently, not even bothering to nce at him. "Maria," he called sternly,


    dissatisfied with her reaction.


    "Maria doesn''t want to talk to you now," she said hotly. She had already yed the part of a happy


    wife in front of others, so now that they were alone, she continued to act willfully.


    Fortunately for her, James didn''t say anything more.


    When Bob saw his mom and dad walk into the house together, he was so overjoyed that he grinned


    from ear to ear. He kept asking for the two of them to hug them alternatively.


    The weather was getting warmer and warmer. Seeing how adorable Bob looked in his cartoon


    jumpsuit, Maria didn''t have the heart to put him down at all.


    Carrying him in her arms, she said goodbye to James'' grandparents and went back to the manor


    with James.


    After arriving at the manor, Maria and Bob yed together while James worked in the study.


    When it was almost bedtime, Maria gave the little boy a bath, and then gently set him down into the


    crib.


    When James strolled into the bedroom, he saw Bob leaning against a doll and half-lying on the bed,


    leisurely twirling his little feet.


    Maria, who had changed into her pajamas, also happened to walk out of the closet just then.


    When she saw James, she didn''t say anything.


    She just went over to Bob and said, "Baby, I''m going to take a shower. You have to be good, okay?"


    Of course, she was indirectly telling James that he should keep an eye on the baby, since she was


    going to take a shower.


    After she disappeared into the bathroom, James walked over to the crib with a smile. He lifted his


    son out of the crib and set him down on the big bed-Move!"


    LARK COLE


    Author

 Chapter 414 Pay Back Double

    Chapter 414 Pay Back Double


    Bob took the opportunity to crawl around the bed happily. He even got down from the bed on his


    own and tottered forward to hug his father''s thigh. "Daddy, " he called out, looking up.


    James smiled down at him before picking him up with one arm. "Let''s go. I''ll take you outside to see


    the night view."


    When Maria stepped out of the bathroom after finishing her shower, she found the bedroom empty.


    Bob''s giggles came from the balcony from time to time.


    She walked over curiously and saw that James was half-lying on the couch, with Bob sitting in his


    arms. The two of them seemed to be enjoying the night view of the brightly-lit H City.


    Later, when they all went to bed, Maria was so exhausted that she kicked James away. She didn''t


    want to take the risk of letting him hold her while sleeping. In fact, she would have preferred if he


    hadn''te back from abroad. She was sure that if he didn''t let her rest tonight, her body would be


    damaged by him.


    Thinking of that, she vowed to cherish her life and stay away from him from now on.


    The three of them fell asleep. At four o''clock in the morning, however, James suddenly stirred from


    his sleep.


    He hadn''t been having a nightmare, and no one had called his name, so he couldn''t figure out why


    he had woken up.


    He nced around. Maria was sleeping soundly by his side. Then he turned to the crib.


    Where was Bob?


    James'' heart leapt to his throat as he abruptly sat up. The crib, where Bob had been sleeping, was


    empty now.


    He didn''t wake up Maria right away. Instead, he turned on the bedsidemp and got out of bed. He


    walked around the bed, looking carefully at the floor, but Bob was nowhere to be seen. The doors of


    the bedroom and the bathroom were also both closed.


    The security system that James had installed at the vi was very powerful. Logically speaking, Bob


    could not be in any danger. In fact, he had to still be in the bedroom.


    Thinking of that, James frowned and opened the closet door a crack. He popped his head inside


    and nced around, but there was no sign of Bob there, either.


    Then, he opened all the cupboard doors, but there was still no trace of Bob.


    James stood in the center of the bedroom, lost in thought. His heart was pounding wildly against his


    chest, and his palms were sweating.


    Just when he decided to wake Maria up so that they could go downstairs to look for Bob together,


    he spotted a movement out of the corner of his eye. The curtain in the balcony was swaying.


    Instantly bing alert, he quietly tiptoed towards the balcony.


    When the curtain moved again, he stretched his hand out and pulled it aside in one swift movement.


    It was only then that his shoulders rxed. He didn''t know whether tough or cry at the scene in


    front of him. While he had been desperately searching around the room for several minutes, the


    little boy wearing a diaper was sitting behind the curtain, staring at the night view outside.


    Hearing the rustle of the curtain behind him, Bob turned around to take a look at James, and then


    turned back and continued to look at the scenery calmly.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    James, who had been on the verge of copse just moments ago, raised his hand to his forehead


    and took a few deep breaths. Then, he squatted down and asked in a low voice, "Boston, it''ste at


    night. Why aren''t you sleeping? Are you sitting here to n your life? Or maybe the future of H


    City?"


    "Mommy," Bob replied simply.


    Mommy? James turned around and found that Maria was still lying in the bed, fast asleep. He held


    out his hand with a helpless sigh and said, "Let''s go. I will take you to your mommy."


    Bob obediently grabbed onto one of his fingers. James picked him up and locked the door of the


    balcony with his other hand.


    After making sure that the door was locked, he drew the curtain.


    Then, he put the baby onto the bed and gave him a pat on the butt. "Go ahead! You are allowed to


    sleep next to your mommy tonight."


    A happy smile spread across Bob''s face as he crawled to Maria. Then, hey prone by her side and


    closed his eyes.


    James watched the child with furrowed eyebrows. Why would his son lie prone?


    He turned Bob over to let him sleepfortably, but Bob opened his eyes and nced at him.


    Then, he looked at Maria and snuggled into her arms.


    James was rendered speechless. This little fish was really insatiable! How could he cuddle with


    Maria when James himself wasn''t allowed to?


    Maria, who knew nothing about all this, didn''t wake up until dawn. The giggling of her son pulled her


    out of her dream. When she groggily cracked open one of her eyes, she saw James passing the


    milk bottle to the child.


    Since her son had something to eat, she rxed and drifted back to sleep.


    The next time she woke up, which was a few hourster, it was to an empty bedroom.


    James had already boarded the ne to T Country, and Bob had been sent back to Augustine''s


    house by John.


    After washing her face and brushing her teeth, Maria applied a thinyer of foundation on her face.


    While she was putting on the rest of her make-up, her phone rang. Seeing Carolina''s name on the


    caller ID, she slid the answer key. "What''s up?"


    "Maria, Dad and Mom got divorced."


    It was just as Maria had expected. She smiled and said, "That''s great."


    "Maria..." Carolina sighed, knowing that Maria must have intervened. "No matter what, she is our


    mother."


    "She might be your mother, but she has nothing to do with me!" Maria corrected her.


    Carolina could tell how cold her tone was, but she continued, "She''s used to living like a richdy.


    Now, she doesn''t have a job, and she has no employable skills-" "What does that have to do with


    me? Carolina, I don''t want to hear anything about her anymore," Maria interrupted coldly.


    After a moment of silence, Carolina said, "I see. Maria, I know you''re trying your best to win the H


    Brocade project. Dad and I discussed it, and we''ve decided to quit the bidding war."


    "That has nothing to do with me, either. Whether you quit or not, I''m confident that DS Group will


    win this project," Maria said confidently.


    Carolina stayed silent, feeling helpless. Maria had always been overbearing, but now, with James''


    backing, she had a good reason to be confident.


    "Well, I have a meeting soon. I''ll talk to you another day,"


    Maria added before hanging up the phone.


    The news of Chandler and ine''s divorce spread like wildfire through the financial circle of H City.


    It was rumored that Maria had personally broken up her parents'' marriage. Some of them already


    knew that Maria had long severed her rtionship with the Song family. But even so, they didn''t


    think it was right of her to break up her parents'' marriage.


    Rumors about Maria flew left and right, but there was no response from her.


    The woman at the center of attention had her full focus on the H Brocade project, and didn''t bother


    herself with anything else.


    One day, Colby''s secretary and their son were hurt. Needless to say, Colby was furious. No matter


    what, he couldn''t allow anyone to harm his son.


    In fact, the first person he suspected was Maria, but after investigating the traces provided by his


    secretary, he found that all the evidence pointed to Rosa.


    It was inevitable for the Zheng couple to have a big fight. These past few weeks, Rosa had been


    under great pressure, both mentally and physically, because of the things that Maria had done to


    her. Now that even Colby was ming her for something she didn''t do, she couldn''t take it


    anymore. Teetering on the verge of breaking down, she lost her temper and smashed everything in


    the living room.


    By the time she calmed down, it was already midnight. She dialed a number and said in a cold


    voice, "Find a professional killer for me. I need someone to disappear."


    On the third day after James went to T Country on a business trip, Summer sent Maria the evidence


    of the fake ounts of HM Group that she had gathered.


    ncing through all of them, Maria couldn''t help but admire James for his ability. She could always


    depend on him to get things like this done.


    Even though she had all the evidence in her hands, she didn''t take action immediately. Instead, she


    patiently waited for the right time.


    She had also found out that Mr. Xu''s little finger had been cut off, and guessed that James was the


    one behind this.


    Since she already knew who the mastermind behind her drugging mishap was, there was no need


    for her to see Mr. Xu anymore.


    She was just waiting for an opportunity to pay Rosa back double for what she had suffered.

 Chapter 415 Six Feet Under

    Chapter 415 Six Feet Under


    Ten days had passed since James went to T Country; the two had been giving each other the silent


    treatment.


    Every day, Maria continued to post photos of different wine in her WeChat Moments. If James


    looked closely, he would recognize thebels as parts of his top-level wine collection he had


    umted for many years.


    Both were filled with the burning desire to win, so each one of them was waiting for the other to


    yield first.


    James'' refusal to surrender made Maria uneasy. Under the circumstances, it didn''t matter whether


    they loved each other or not. She just wanted to win. She had to grit her teeth to stop herself from


    reaching out first.


    On the other hand, James wasn''t faring much better than her, but he was determined to show her


    that he was putting his foot down.


    He was the one who took the initiative to see her when he went backst time, but she still refused


    to yield.


    The two of them remained in a stalemate until the twentieth day of his business trip.


    Someone had taken a picture of him with a woman in a hotel in T Country. Later, the news had been


    taken down before it had be popr.


    Even so, Maria still found out about it because there were a lot of people in H City who lived to see


    her unhappy. Rosa, in particr, relished telling her about it, gloating at her misfortune.


    Even though she kept insisting that they had already broken up, Maria would be lying if she said


    that she didn''t care. In fact, both she and James had an unspoken agreement that they hadn''t


    parted ways. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have had sex, and James wouldn''t have taken her to the


    company''s anniversary party to show off their love. After bearing the difort in her heart for


    some time, Maria asked someone to investigate James.


    As it turned out, the woman in the photo was Elina, the head of thepany''s branch office in T


    Country.


    Maria knew that they were just colleagues, but she was still jealous because she loved James.


    She could hardly make it clear that James was hers by making a call or sending a message. So,


    she flew to T Country.


    In T Country


    Maria headed straight for James'' hotel, which she knew beforehand, as soon as her nended.


    What she didn''t know was that James found out that she was flying to T Country as soon as she


    boarded the ne.


    He rushed back to the hotel after his meeting, but he was stillte.


    Maria rang the room''s doorbell many times, but nobody answered. Finally, she decided to leave her


    luggage at the reception and went shopping on her own.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    In that foreign country, Maria immersed herself in strolling about the city and sampling some local


    delicacies. She had gotten off the ne for three hours now, but she still hadn''t called James.


    Upon returning to the hotel, she saw a familiar figure in the parking lot.


    All of the anger in her heart was forgotten in her joy at seeing him. Even in her high heels, Maria ran


    forward to meet him.


    He opened the trunk and took out a bunch of flowers -a massive bouquet of purple roses.


    They were exquisite.


    Well, she could forgive him for the time being, and he had the roses to thank for that.


    However, Maria was about to burst from sheer happiness when another woman appeared in front of


    James.


    The woman smiled at the man. After saying something, she took the bouquet from his hands.


    ''Is this what being stuck by lightning feels like?'' Maria wondered absently as her chest tightened at


    the devastating blow.


    The smile on her face froze as joy leaked out of her, leaving her hollow.


    Elina was about to say something to James when she caught sight of Maria, who was standing not


    too far away. Quickly pushing back the bouquet into James'' arms, she hastened to exin, "Mr. Xi,


    your wife..."


    James took the roses and turned around.


    As expected, Maria was standing not far away, staring at him.


    After giving Elina a slight nod, he walked towards Maria with the bouquet in his arms.


    "When did you get here?" he asked, feigning ignorance. He was deliberately teasing her.


    Maria stood frozen in her spot, looking up at him without saying a word.


    James thought she was still giving him the silent treatment, and sighed. He lowered his head closer


    to hers and whispered, "Honey, stop it!" As he spoke, he handed her the bouquet of purple roses.


    As soon as he had found out about Maria''s trip, he had asked his assistant to prepare the flowers


    because he had been busy dealing with some other work in the hotel. After that, he had nned to


    wait for her at the parking lot with the bouquet.


    The smile of his face morphed into surprise as Maria looked around, found the closest trash bin,


    and deposited the bouquet in it.


    That surprise turned into anger, and the smile in his eyespletely evaporated.


    Maria returned to him and sneered, "You want to give me flowers that you have already given to


    another woman? Excuse me, but I don''t ept other people''s hand-me-downs."


    Then, she turned around to leave.


    "Stop!" James curtlymanded her from behind.


    Maria stopped, whirled around, and snidely remarked, "What people say is true-men will only


    behave themselves when they are six feet under."


    "Exin it to me," he said lightly, ignoring her sarcasm.


    "What exnation do you want?" He wanted to hear her exnation? What about him?


    Did he even have an idea of how it felt to have her happiness doused? No, he probably wouldn''t


    understand that.


    "Why did you throw it away?" She knew exactly what he was referring to.


    After thinking for a few moments, Maria beamed up at him-a brilliant but bitter smile. "You''re right.


    We have already broken up, so you''re single now. I''m the one who can''t ept that fact..." Her


    voice trailed off. She looked behind him, but Elina was nowhere in sight.


    Staring down into her beautiful eyes, he asked, "Maria, are you misunderstanding something here?"


    "What''s there to misunderstand? Seeing is believing. I just said that I couldn''t ept it. That''s it. I


    have work to do, so I won''t bother you anymore." She turned around and walked away, pretending


    to be calm and collected.


    "Take one more step, and I will teach you what it''s like to be sorry."


    The words only served to make Maria angrier.


    Every lesson he had taught her had always involved sex. If he actually had the guts, he could just


    kill her with a bullet.


    She turned around again and said calmly, "News of you and a woman going to a hotel together has


    spread to H City."


    A woman? Maria had mentioned something simr thest time he was in H City. "You mean


    Elina?"


    His tone of voice made Maria feel like he was ridiculing her. She never would have guessed how


    good an actor James could be. He had just given the flowers to Elina. How could he have the nerve


    to ask her to give them back when he saw Maria?


    All of a sudden, all of the fight went out of her. "I''ll go back first. See you in H City," she said in a dull


    voice.


    This thing between them wasn''t going anywhere anyway, so she gave up. At this point, she decided


    to let him go.


    However, she hadn''t taken two steps away before she was yanked rudely into his arms.


    After she staggered against him, Maria gritted her teeth and growled, "Are you insane, James?"


    "I really need to teach you a lesson. How could you not even give me a chance to exin?" he said


    coldly, staring down at her with a grim expression.


    "Why should I give you a chance to exin? I have eyes, and I can see. I don''t want to listen to


    hearsay." Who knew what sort of excuse he woulde up with this time?


    "It''s not hearsay. It''s the statement of the person involved." He knew that he was being sincere. If


    Maria didn''t listen to him, then he really would let her have it.

 Chapter 416 Misunderstood The Relationship

    Chapter 416 Misunderstood The Rtionship


    "I don''t want to listen to your exnation. Don''t worry, I won''t disturb you anymore," Maria said.


    James clenched his jaw, and a terrible expression came over his face. His grip on her wrist


    tightened unconsciously, causing her to wince in pain.


    "Elina is the CEO of the branchpany here, and she is also a former ssmate of mine. Since


    she has just taken over thepany and isn''t familiar with the work yet, I''m training her in person.


    As you know, I''m staying at the hotel. All the senior executivese to my suite for meetings. Elina


    just happens to be one of them. You only know one side of the story, Maria. Don''t let anyone sow


    discord between us and ruin our rtionship," James said firmly, sensing that she was jealous.


    "Is that all?" Maria''s tone was indifferent, and it was clear that she didn''t believe him.


    Anger shed in James'' eyes. "Don''t you have confidence in your own man? Or don''t you have


    confident in yourself?"


    "All right. You want to give me an exnation?" Maria said impatiently, trying to control her anger.


    She didn''t want to fight with him in public. As she spoke, she gently pulled her wrist out of his grip


    and smoothed her clothes. "Then tell me, who on earth was that bouquet of flowers for? As long as


    you tell me the truth, I''ll let it go."


    "It was for you," James answered seriously.


    "Then why did you give it to another woman just


    now?"


    It was not until then that James finally understood why she was so angry, and he calmed down a


    little. "Just now, I ran into Elina by chance. She said the bouquet looked beautiful and wanted to


    take a closer look, so I gave it to her."


    Every word that came out of his mouth was the truth.


    However, Maria couldn''t ept it at all. She turned around in silence and strode away like the wind,


    leaving James speechless.


    This time, he didn''t try to catch up with her. He just stood still and watched as she climbed into a taxi


    and disappeared from sight.


    Then, he reached into his pocket and took out his phone, which had been vibrating, and slid the


    answer key. "It''s me."


    "Mr. Xi, I saw you with Mrs. Xi just now and didn''t want to disturb you, so I left. Shall we talk about


    the rest of the work tomorrow in thepany?" Elina''s tone was calm as usual.


    James inadvertently nced at the trash can nearby, and saw two children reach into the trash can


    and pull out the bunch of flowers. "From tomorrow onwards, all the work will be done in the


    company, including the meetings. Inform all the senior executives to note to the hotel to see me


    unless necessary. The same goes for you," he said calmly.


    For a moment, Elina was dumbstruck. Then, after a tentative pause, she said, "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    After hanging up the phone, James dialed Cooper''s number. "Hand over your work to someone else


    as soon as possible ande to T Country for a one-month business trip."


    Cooper was a little confused by the abrupt change of ns. "But James, aren''t you already handling


    the business there?" What sort of work was in T Country that both of them had to be there?


    "Maria misunderstood the rtionship between me and Elina. She''s pissed off," James answered


    tly.


    "Ah..." Cooper finally understood what was going on. It was indeed a headache. Or, to be exact, it


    was a headache for his brother.


    After leaving in a huff, Maria took a taxi to the airport. On the way, she called the hotel reception and


    asked them to send her luggage, which she had left behind, to H City by express delivery.


    A week before the public bidding of the H Brocade project, HL Group, Mu Group and Song Group


    all voluntarily quit one by one. Atst, only DS Group and HM Group were vying for the project.


    The development of this bidding war was particrly interesting. It was such a big project, but the


    bigger enterprises that were most likely to seed had all quit in advance. For a time, this was the


    topic that was at the tip of the tongue for everyone in H City.


    The result of the bidding would be decided by voting. On the day of the voting, Maria, Colby and


    Rosa all arrived at the appointed venue.


    Colby seemed to be well-prepared and confident. Sitting in the meeting room, he kept chatting with


    the rest of the people there.


    Just before the voting session began, Maria made a phone call before turning off her phone and


    entering the meeting room.


    There were more than a dozen voters present. They all discussed among themselves in low voices


    beforeing to a unanimous decision.


    Just as everyone was about to press the voting button, an employee rushed in and whispered


    something in the ear of the government official who was in charge of the bidding war. The official


    looked at Colby, and his lips gradually turned into a frown.


    A bad feeling rose in Colby''s heart. Just as he feared, the next moment, the official said, "Mr.


    Zheng, at such a critical moment, how could you...? s! You''d better solve your own problem first!"


    Both Colby and Rosa froze in shock. "What''s the matter?" Colby asked nervously. Howe he


    hadn''t received any news yet?


    But as soon as he finished speaking, his phone rang. It was a call from his assistant. "Mr. Zheng,


    bad news! Someone filed a real-name report using ourpany of maniption of ounts.


    The report also says that Ms. Wang''s child...is your illegitimate son."


    Colby''s mouth went dry, and he almost forgot how to breathe. When his eyes fell on the calm face


    of the woman sitting opposite him, he gritted his teeth in fury. It had to be her.


    With such a fiasco, the result of the bidding war was obvious. Colby was used of being in two


    scandals at the same time, one rted to work and the other rted to his private affairs. No matter


    what the truth was, people lost hope in him and changed their minds about the voting.


    In the end, DS Group sessfully defeated HM Group and won the H Brocade project.


    Although Colby and Rosa were already prepared for the worst after hearing about the scandals,


    they still couldn''t control the sharp fury they felt when they actually heard the result being


    announced.


    But they had no time to question Maria, because they had to go back and deal with those scandals.


    After returning to hispany, Colby spent a lot of money on hiring a PR team which was working


    for a top celebrity, to help HM Group weather through this disaster. Not long after, HM Group


    released an official statement saying that both the news about the maniption of ounts and the


    illegitimate son were nothing but malicious rumors.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    The statement further exined that HM Group was currently being audited by a third party, while


    the so-called illegitimate son was actually the child of Colby''s secretary and his driver.


    Maria curiously scrolled through thements below the news. There were many people who were


    still suspicious of HM Group, but there were also many others who blindly believed their statement


    and supported them.


    Pursing her lips, she put down her phone and turned her attention back to her work. Now that DS


    Group had won the H Brocade project, she was even busier than usual.


    When the day of Carolina''s wedding rolled around, Maria chose not to attend the wedding, but she


    did ask Peggy to help her send a car and a red envelope containing arge sum of money to


    Carolina as a wedding gift.


    Later, she heard that after the wedding ceremony, ine, Chandler, and his former mistress-who


    was now his girlfriend-had had a big fight in the hotel.


    Chandler had offered ine a big sum of money to leave H City, but she had refused, so the two of


    them were in a stalemate for the time being.


    Maria just smiled to herself when she received the news.


    She learned that James hade back from abroad when she received a message from him


    saying, "I''vended safely in H City. Don''t worry about me."


    She scoffed to herself, thinking about how ridiculous he was. When had she worried about him?


    What a self-centered man!


    Later, at around dinner time, James called her three times in a row, but she didn''t answer the phone


    on purpose.


    At about ten o''clock that night, Maria''s phone rang again. This time, it was a call from Summer.


    "Summer, haven''t you gone to bed yet?"


    "No, Maria. Have you?" Summer asked tentatively.


    "No. What''s up?"


    "Well...here''s the thing. Mr. Xi is drunk, and he keeps calling your name...¡±


    "He can go wherever he likes, but if he dares to show his face here, I''ll kill him." As soon as she


    finished speaking, she hung up the phone.


    She was almost certain that this was another one of James'' tricks. She didn''t want to be fooled


    again.


    "Maria, wait..." Realizing that the call had been disconnected, Summer lowered the phone from her


    ear and looked at the screen, dumbfounded.


    She shifted her eyes to the back seat cautiously. "Mr. Xi..."


    The man who was leaning back against the seat with his eyes closed opened his mouth and said,


    "HQ Road."


    Summer couldn''t figure out why he wanted to go to his grandfather''s house, but she didn''t dare to


    ask him. She just turned to the driver and asked him to drive to HQ Road.

 Chapter 417 The Shameless James

    Chapter 417 The Shameless James


    Maria''s doorbell rang at around half past eleven that night. Disoriented, shey in bed for a moment


    and then figured out who was at her door at that time of the night.


    She picked up her phone and dialed Summer''s number. "Ask him to go away. I have already gone


    to bed."


    "But Maria, Bob is there with us..."


    Maria''s grogginess vanished in an instant. "Bob? What are you talking about? Where is Bob?" She


    suddenly bolted up from the bed.


    "He is outside your apartment," Summer replied in a weak voice.


    ''What the hell is James thinking, bringing Bob like this?'' He really was shameless!


    She could refuse to let him in, but she could hardly turn away her own son at her door.


    Maria got up and rushed to the door to open it.


    Outside the door, the man leaned against the wall, holding the wide-eyed baby in his arms. Hearing


    the sound from the door, Bob turned his head and saw his mother. In his adorable baby voice, he


    called out happily, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!"


    Maria''s heart melted the moment she saw her son. As she walked over to him, the pungent odor of


    alcohol wafted to her nose.


    Shooting James a disgusted look, she took Bob away from the drunk man. Her poor son!


    It was alreadyte, but he couldn''t sleep for his father''s sake.


    However, before she could grasp her child firmly, James'' arms closed around both of them. Softly,


    he slurred in her ear, "Honey."


    Maria was beyond furious. ''Damn it!'' "Fuck off!" she vehemently whispered in a low voice so as to


    not frighten the child.


    As soon as the words were out of her mouth, James let them go. However, he only walked into her


    apartment instead of going away.


    Still trying to grasp the child securely, Maria couldn''t stop him. She helplessly watched as he


    skillfully opened the shoe cab and changed his shoes into slippers.


    "What the hell is wrong with you, James? It''s the middle of the night, yet you didn''t let this growing


    child sleep as he should. Why are you here?" Maria couldn''t keep her irritation from her voice.


    With a faint smile, James replied, "I was just respecting his opinion. He told me that he wanted to


    see his mother. Who was I to refuse him?"


    Maria was near choking on her ire.


    Raking her fingers through her long hair in irritation, shemanded him, "Bring his stuff inside!"


    "Yes, madam!" He had the temerity to kiss her on the cheek when he passed by her.


    Maria could only stare at his back angrily.


    After Bob finished his bottle of form milk, she went to the bathroom to clean the milk bottle.


    Afterwards, she saw James acting like a fool, kissing his little face over and over instead of letting


    the child sleep.


    He was holding the child''s feet and hands immobile, so Bob had nowhere to hide. The baby nkly


    stared at his father, who was insistently pressing countless kisses all over him.


    Finally, the baby''s crumpled slightly, and then he vomited milk.


    Maria burst intoughter.


    Even in her amusement, she remembered to pick up some tissues and the trash can and quickly


    wiped her son clean.


    James'' thunderous face was a sight to behold. There was arge patch of milk spat out by the baby


    on his designer shirt, and the vomit nearly ended up on his face.


    Once Maria had Bob under control, he staggered into the bathroom to clean himself up, ignoring the


    churning in his own stomach.


    Thankfully, Bob didn''t spit out too much onto himself, so Maria only changed his clothes and tucked


    him in.


    Without his father bothering him, the baby soon fell asleep.


    Maria threw his dirty clothes into the washing machine and cleaned up the bedroom before going to


    sleep with Bob tucked securely in her arms.


    When James finally emerged from the bathroom, he found both mother and son upying the


    middle of the bed. He could barely fit, but he squeezed himself into the avable space. After all,


    the prospect of sleeping in another room didn''t appeal to him.


    He moved the sleeping child to the side. Frowning at his actions, Maria scolded him in a low voice,


    "What are you doing?"


    "Going to sleep."


    "You can''t sleep here."


    "I can fit." As he spoke, he pushed her closer to Bob andy down behind her.


    After a few moments of struggling, Maria sighed and said, "James, you are not wee here. Can''t


    you see that?"


    "But I miss you," he whispered in her ear.


    Biting her lip, she seethed inwardly, ''Son of a bitch! How dare he try to seduce me?'' "James, we''ve


    already broken up. Don''t even dare try anything on me. Go away. Whatever you do, it''s not going to


    make me like you anymore."


    James did not know how to respond to that. He hadn''t forgotten what he had said to her before.


    "I''m sorry." He was taking it back.


    Without looking at him, Maria continued, "You don''t have to waste your energy anymore. There''s no


    way for us to be together again."


    One by one, Maria was throwing everything he had said before back to his face. He had no


    defense.


    Maria scooted closer to Bob to keep some distance between her and James and then closed her


    eyes.


    James followed her and slipped his arm around her waist. Burying her face against her hair, he


    murmured in a low, hoarse voice, "Mia..."


    "Good night, James." Maria noticed a distinct change in his body and tensed up, fearing that he


    would not behave himself.


    "Okay." His kissed hell on her hair and ear.


    With her eyes closed, Maria elbowed his chest andmanded, "Go to sleep over there. Bob might


    fall over."


    "Wait a minute." He wanted to hug her just a little longer.


    Who knew? Before that minute was over, he might seed.


    Maria finally turned around and gave him a steely look. "You can either go out or sleep over there."


    In a sudden move, James had her pinned under his body. When she kept resisting, he held her


    hands above her head and kissed her eyes. "Mia."


    His alcoholced breath fanned her cheeks, making them feel a little itchy.


    Some of the fight went out of her. Maria tried to kick him, but he was quick to dodge. "James, get


    out!"


    He ced an index finger on her lips and whispered, "Shhh, don''t wake up our son."


    Maria stared up at him, indignation written over her face. She turned her head and looked at Bob.


    Fortunately, he showed no signs of waking up.


    She looked back at James to say something when her lips were captured by his. All of her protests


    died in her throat.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Finally, he seeded.


    Maria hated herself for giving into him. Again.


    The next morning, Maria was awakened by a small lump of flesh wriggling in her arms.


    In a daze, she looked down at the little guy who tucked himself in her embrace. Only his diaper-d


    bottom was visible.


    Smiling, she rearranged the baby and let him rest his head on her arm.


    Bob couldn''t stay still and kept touching her neck and chin. Maria couldn''t fall back to sleep at all.


    One look showed her that the other side of the bed was empty. James obviously got up before her,


    and she had no idea where he was now.


    Maria still felt like going back to sleep, but she could hardly ignore her son. Sitting up, she cooed,


    "Baby, have you had breakfast?"


    Bob pointed at the milk bottle on the bedside table, which looked to be freshly out of milk and had


    yet to be cleaned. James had already fed Bob.


    A tired yawn escaped her just as the bedroom door swung open.


    Seeing her sitting up, James greeted her, "You''re awake."


    He had gone out to get breakfast and was nning to wake her up himself, but Bob beat him to it.

 Chapter 418 I Wouldnt Have Married You

    Chapter 418 I Wouldn''t Have Married You


    Maria didn''t respond to James. She just patted Bob''s butt and said, "Go to your daddy!" She had


    retiredtest night, and it was not even seven o''clock in the morning now. She was too sleepy to


    get up or pay attention to anything else.


    Bob obediently climbed down from the bed and tottered towards James.


    Picking the boy up in his arms, James said, "Let''s go have breakfast."


    Bob looked over his shoulder at his mother and waved his hand. "Bye," he said softly.


    Maria smiled and waved back. "My baby, bye."


    Hearing her voice, James turned around and looked at her. "Bye, honey."


    Maria simply covered her head with the quilt and ignored him. She didn''t want to say goodbye to


    him.


    In the afternoon, Maria walked into Tang Group with a folder in her hand.


    The manager who received her was none other than Ronald.


    She hadn''t seen him since he had gone to prison two years ago. Although it had been several


    months since he had been released ande back to work in Tang Group, she hadn''t crossed


    paths with him.


    The reason why she was meeting him now was because of a project that both theirpanies were


    working on. She was in charge of DS Group''s team while Ronald was in charge of Tang Group''s


    team.


    Maria had been waiting in the meeting room for a few minutes when Ronald, dressed in a blue


    casual suit, walked in, followed by a secretary.


    As soon as his eyes fell on Maria, he felt a shiver run down his spine. Her aura was getting more


    and more imposing. She was wearing a custom-made wine red suit today. Even when she sat down


    quietly without saying anything, all eyes would be drawn to her.


    The corners of Maria''s red lips raised as she said, "Long time no see, Mr. Tang." There was obvious


    mockery in her eyes.


    Suppressing the fear in his heart, Ronald smoothed down his suit and nodded to her in greeting.


    "Cousin."


    Maria pretended to be confused. "Is your cousin also here?"


    Ronald smiled awkwardly and said, "Let''s get to the point."


    "Okay." Maria didn''t want to talk nonsense with him, so she nodded lightly.


    She opened the folder, took out several copies of the contract, and put them on the desk. "We''ve


    already finished the preliminary work. Since Tang Group hasn''t expressed any objection, let''s sign


    the contract." This was what she hade here for today.


    "Okay," Ronald said as he sat down. Although he tried his best to maintain hisposure, his


    hands were trembling, betraying how nervous he felt. He turned around and ordered his secretary,


    "Go get me a-" "Please sign it!" Maria''s assistant interrupted, cing a pen in front of him.


    Ronald nced down at the pen and, without thinking too much, picked it up and signed his name


    on the documents one by one.


    As Maria watched him sign and seal the documents with her own eyes, the smile on her face


    gradually became wider and wider.


    James might be upright and straightforward when it came to business, but Maria was not. She was


    willing to do anything to win.


    The process of signing the contract was finished quickly. In less than ten minutes, Maria stood up


    with the signed copy of the contract that belonged to DS Group. "I hope well enjoy our cooperation."


    "Sure." Ronald stood up and forced a smile, but he was sweating heavily.


    He didn''t realize that he was holding his breath until he saw the woman walk out of the meeting


    room and disappear from his sight.


    Perhaps he was overthinking things, but why was Maria so easy-going today?


    Meanwhile, HM Group had been in deep trouble recently. Colby and Rosa had their tes full trying


    to deal with the scandals.


    When the third-partypany came to audit thepany, Colby paid them off with a huge sum of


    money. It was only after that they agreed to conduct just a few random checks.


    Of course, HM Group passed the audit in the end, because Colby had prepared the ounts that


    the third-partypany was auditing in advance.


    However, although he managed to temporarily solve the problem with money, HM Group had still


    been affected a lot. Most importantly, their stock price had plummeted, causing a huge loss to their


    shareholders, especially the ones who had been loyal to HM Group since the beginning.


    Because of the scandals, HM Group had lost nearly ten billion dors overnight.


    What was worse, whoever had orchestrated this whole disaster kept putting more pressure on HM


    Group. In the following days, a series of unforeseen mishaps struck thepany. Their capital


    chain was broken, and their partners and clients put great pressure on them. In between running


    here and there to solve all the problems and keep everyone happy, Colby could barely catch his


    breath.


    In just the span of a few days, he felt like he had aged several years. Even his hair started to turn


    grey as a result of the immense stress he had been under.


    In the private room of a restaurant, Maria was waiting for Summer.


    To her annoyance, however, it wasn''t Summer who walked in, but James, dressed in a white shirt


    and a ck vest.


    Staring at the menu, Maria said in a t tone, "Mr. Xi, you''re not wee here. If there''s no reason


    for you to be here, you should leave."


    "Order the dishes," James said, showing no sign of getting up from his seat.


    ''He wants to me to order the dishes? Fine!'' stering a sweet smile on her face, Maria told the


    waiter, "Fried bullfrogs, fried cicadas, octopuses in brown sauce, cheese durian..." In the end, her


    heart softened. "And fried bean sprouts."


    James shot an incredulous look at her. He knew that these dishes weren''t to her taste, but she had


    ordered them on purpose anyway.


    The waiter was so taken aback by the strange order that he repeated the whole list to confirm if he


    had heard correctly. When Maria gave the confirmation, he nodded and went to the kitchen to ce


    the order.


    Once he left, Maria and James were once again alone in the private room. Tapping the table with


    his index finger, he said, "Your contract with Tang Group is for a sixty-forty percentage. Won''t DS


    Group suffer a loss?"


    As far as he knew, sixty percent would go to Tang Group while only forty percent would go to DS


    Group.


    Since he was asking a work-rted question, Maria decided that it wouldn''t hurt to answer it.


    Looking down at her phone, she said vaguely, "It''s not certain who will suffer the loss."


    James raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Did you set Tang Group up?"


    "No. Why would I?" Maria raised her head and smiled innocently.


    James mirrored her smile. "Come on, tell me." He was afraid that she would be defeated instead.


    Ronald might be stupid, but yton was not easy to deal with.


    The truth was, Maria was too embarrassed to tell James about her n, because her method was


    despicable. "I won''t show off in front of you, Mr. Xi."


    Since she was so unwilling to tell him, James didn''t press her about it anymore.


    He cleared his throat and changed the topic to what he hade here to talk about. "I''ve known


    Elina for many years. If I had any sort of feelings for her, I wouldn''t have married you in the first


    ce."


    Maria stered an artificial smile on her face, but her eyes were cold. "Even if you think so, she


    doesn''t seem to think the same."


    "I don''t care what she thinks. She has nothing to do with me. You''re the one I care about."N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    "Is that so? Mr. Xi, you''re really good at coaxing women."


    James said, "Don''t eat junk food anymore." Since the two of them had been giving each other the


    silent treatment recently, he hadn''t had the chance to talk to her.


    "What junk food?" Maria asked in confusion. He changed the topic so abruptly that she couldn''t


    keep up with him.


    "The junk food you posted in your WeChat Moments," he replied tly. In his eyes, fried chicken,


    milk tea, and hotpot could all be ssified as junk food.


    "Oh!" A smug smile appeared on Maria''s face. "So you''re paying attention to my updates?"


    "Yes." Although James looked a little unhappy, he didn''t deny it.


    "Well, then, let me tell you a secret! Those posts are only visible to you. I posted them to make you


    angry. I guess I seeded," Maria said, shruggingcently. The truth was, she had only taken


    a few bites of the junk food. Some of the photos of the food were sent to her by Sandra.


    James felt a little upset after hearing that. This woman was getting more and more unruly.


    Soon, the food was served. Looking at the odd variety of dishes on the table, James had no


    appetite at all, but Maria sweetly said, "Come on, Mr. Xi. Eat something."


    James stiffened. After hesitating for a while, he slowly picked up the chopsticks and took some of


    the bean sprouts.

 Chapter 419 Whats Wrong With Him

    Chapter 419 What''s Wrong With Him


    James stared with his eyebrows raised at the woman eating the bullfrogs with relish. Maria didn''t


    strike him as someone who would have a taste for such dishes.


    The dishes in this establishment were generally delicate and served in small portions. All too soon,


    James finished his bean sprouts.


    Maria beckoned to a waiter and ordered, "Double Happiness for Mr. Xi."


    "Yes, ma''am. Please wait for a while!"


    After the waiter left, Maria excitedly described the dish to James. "It''s the most expensive item on


    their menu! I think it suits you very well. It has deer cartge, deer tendon, chanterelles... Forget it,


    you can try it out for yourself once it is served."


    James cast a suspicious nce at Maria, whose expression said that she was up to no good, and


    thought that the chanterelle was the only normalsounding ingredient in the dish. Both deer parts


    sounded rather nutritious, if a bit suspicious.


    An image of Maria''s crying face came to mind, making James think that the woman was deliberately


    courting trouble.


    In that case, he would not let her down.


    The dish was servedte, so Maria had already finished eating by the time it was delivered to their


    table.


    For some reason, the sight of James calmly eating the exotic dish in front of her made Maria feel


    uneasy.


    ''How could he eat it so happily? Didn''t he know the medicinal effect of those ingredients?''


    After leaving the restaurant, the two of them went back to their respectivepanies.


    In HL Group


    When James got off the elevator, he felt a gush of warm liquid flow out of his nose. Curiously, he


    prodded the wet skin above his lip with his fingers.


    "Mr. Xi! Your nose is bleeding!" Gary eximed as he rushed over to his side. Having been the first


    to see it happen, he barked toward another assistant, "Get Mr. Xi some tissues!"


    James stared at the blood on his fingertips in bemusement. It was all Maria''s fault.


    The assistant handed the tissues to James and asked in a concerned voice, "Mr. Xi, do you need


    me to send you to the hospital?"


    James calmly dabbed at the nosebleed and waved him away. "No need. I''m going to clean it


    myself."


    Then, he strode into the office without another word.


    Summer was out of the office. She found out about the nosebleed when she came back at noon.


    She immediately sent a message to Maria. "Maria, is Mr. Xi feeling sick? He..." Before she could


    send her message, several distinguished guests arrived at thepany. Hastily, she keyed in a few


    words and sent the message to Maria without checking it. Then, she rose to her feet to greet the


    neers.


    Maria read the message. "Maria, is Mr. Xi feeling sick?


    He''s covered in blood all over!" ''Blood all over?'' Maria was horrified at the thought. Was it because


    of the dish?


    She called Summer. The phone rang, but nobody picked up the call.


    She called James, but no one answered, either.


    The more Maria thought about it, the more uneasy she became. She meant no harm, but what if the


    dish caused him harm?


    Fidgeting in her office would aplish nothing, so she decided that it would be better if she went


    to James''pany to have a look. After all, she was the one to me for it.


    Thus, Maria abandoned her work for the day and hurried out of thepany.


    In no time, she arrived at the HL Group building.


    When Maria reached the floor where the CEO''s office was located, only two assistants were there.


    Both Summer and Gary were nowhere to be found.


    "Good afternoon, Mrs. Xi!" the secretaries greeted her, rising to their feet.


    Maria was not in the mood to correct them. Her high heels clicking on the floor as she strode toward


    them, she asked anxiously, "Where is James? How is he doing?"


    The secretaries looked at each other in puzzlement. "Mr. Xi went to the hospital just now..." said one


    of them.


    "Hospital? Which hospital?" Maria was so worried that she interrupted the secretary before she


    could finish.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    The woman racked her brains and eventually shrugged. "I''m sorry, Mrs. Xi, I don''t know." After all,


    Summer was the one responsible for dealing with that particr client.


    "Do what you can to find it out for me. I called his phone just now, but no one answered." There was


    an edge of panic in Maria''s voice.


    "Okay, Mrs. Xi. Please wait a moment."


    The secretary called Summer and James in turns, but neither of them picked up. Finally, she was


    able to get through to Gary and find out where James went.


    "Mrs. Xi, Mr. Xi and Summer are in the group''s medical center."


    HL Group''s medical center? Maria knew where it was. She thanked the secretary for the information


    and hurriedly left thepany to go to the medical center.


    When Maria arrived at the hospital, she spent a moment just sitting in her car.


    She was wondering how to find James when she saw a familiar figure, so she got out of the car and


    ran toward him. "Gary!"


    Hearing her voice, Gary turned around and approached her. "Mrs. Xi."


    "Where is James?" she asked, distress evident in her voice.


    "He''s in the inpatient department on the seventh floor, " Gary answered truthfully.


    "Take me there!" "Okay." Gary noticed her anxiety and figured out that she had something urgent to


    discuss with James, so he didn''t think too much.


    After entering the elevator, Maria tried to calm the uneasiness in her heart and asked, "How is he?


    Is he getting better?"


    He? After a few moments of confusion, Gary understood that Maria was probably asking about the


    patient that James came to visit. With a gloomy face, he said, "He''s not in a good condition. He only


    has a few days left."


    Maria''s widened in shock, and her strength almost failed her. Her knees trembling, she held onto


    the elevator bar to hold herself up and murmured, "How could it be? He was fine... What''s wrong


    with him?"


    She couldn''t understand it. James was an extremely healthy man. Didn''t he exert himself so


    thoroughly with herst night? Why did this happen so suddenly after a meal?


    Unbeknownst to her, she and Gary were referring to two different people. Gary answered seriously,


    "I don''t know the details. Do you need me to ask Mr. Xi for you?"


    "No, I...I''ll go and see for myself." The elevator dinged as it reached the seventh floor. Maria took a


    deep breath before stepping out.


    In the ward, Summer looked at the multiple missed calls on her phone and whispered to James,


    "Mr. Xi, Mrs. Xi called me several times. I think that she''s been trying to reach you. I''m going to call


    her back."


    "Okay."


    The patient in the ward was in aa. Both of them had muted their phones beforeing in, so


    they hadn''t answered any of Maria''s calls.


    Summer ran into Maria, who came rushing in. She


    blurted out in surprise, "Maria?"


    "How is he, Summer?" Maria grabbed Summer''s hand in a panic. Before Summer respond, she


    continued, "Is he in this ward?"


    "Mr. Xi?"


    "Yes."


    "Oh, Mr. Xi is inside."


    Maria pushed past her into the ward.


    There were three people in the ward. One was lying on the bed, and the other two were standing by


    the bedside. One of the people standing had his back to the door, while the other was facing it.


    In her agitation, Maria threw herself forward to stand beside the sickbed before she could see the


    patient clearly. The patient wore an oxygen mask that covered half of his face. She grabbed the arm


    of the man on the bed and cried out, "James! James, are you okay?"


    Her eyesight had be blurry, and it was even more difficult to see the man lying on the sickbed


    through her tears.


    "James, why are you dying all of a sudden?"


    "Maria, what do you mean?"


    Her next words got stuck in her throat when she heard someone speak up from behind her.


    Maria looked back in astonishment to see a tall, familiar man standing there. She blinked her eyes,


    her tears streaming down her face. Soon, she could see the man''s face clearly. "James?"


    James'' expression was dark. "It''s me."


    Maria''s mind went nk for some time, and then she blurted out, "Aren''t you supposed to be


    dying?"

 Chapter 420 Another Baby

    Chapter 420 Another Baby


    James was shocked. He didn''t understand why Maria thought that he was dying. He was obviously


    fine.


    As if she had just realized something, Maria looked back at the man lying on the sickbed. He looked


    to be in his forties. She didn''t know who he was.


    "Mr. Xi, this is...?" asked the man standing opposite to James in confusion.


    Casting a cold nce at the stunned woman, James replied, "This is my wife. I''m sorry, there must


    have been some misunderstanding. I''m going out for a while, please excuse me."


    After saying that, he took Maria''s hand and led her out of the ward.


    While being dragged forward by James, Maria looked back at the other man and shot him an


    apologetic smile.


    Standing outside the ward, both Gary and Summer had seen what had happened just now, and


    were trying their best to hold back theirughter.


    After pulling Maria out of the ward, James stopped and looked at her with dissatisfaction. "Tell me,


    why did you think I was dying?"


    "You''re all right?" Maria asked, still confused about what was happening.


    James cast her an impatient re. "Should I prove that I''m all right by carrying you home and


    throwing you on the bed right now?"


    Gary and Summer were both equally taken aback.


    The smiles on their faces faded, and they exchanged awkward nces, feeling embarrassed.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Realizing that James really was fine, Maria felt partly relieved, but partly annoyed that she''d gotten


    worked up over nothing. ncing at the two assistants, she asked, "Then why did Summer say that


    you were covered in blood? And Gary told me that you would die in a few days!"


    Hearing this, the two assistants simultaneously widened their eyes in shock. Summer stepped


    forward and said, "Maria, all I said was that Mr. Xi had a nosebleed."


    Gary also hastily added, "And I thought you were asking about our client. He''s the one who doesn''t


    have many days left to live."


    Maria was stunned. What was going on? She couldn''t ept that she was the one who had made a


    mountain out of a molehill, so she took out her phone and pulled up her chat history with Summer.


    Sure enough, she hadn''t exaggerated her words. "Summer, you really did say that," she said firmly.


    Frowning, Summer took out her own phone and looked at her chat history with Maria.


    To her surprise, she had indeed sent a message to Maria saying that James was covered with


    blood all over.


    A wave of embarrassment flooded her.


    Feeling at a loss as to whether to cry or tough, she apologized in a hurry. "I''m sorry, Maria. I was


    in such a rush that I typed the wrong words. What I wanted to say was that Mr. Xi had a


    nosebleed..." Perhaps she had been so absent-minded that she hadn''t realized what she was


    typing.


    Hearing her exnation, James kept silent.


    "So, James just had a nosebleed?" Maria asked. How could there be such a coincidence? James


    hade to the hospital to visit a dying patient, and she had thought he was the one dying.


    "Yes," Summer replied awkwardly. She had never expected that she would make such a ridiculous


    mistake.


    Out of the four of them, James was the most distressed. "The point is, I''m fine. I''ll live a few more


    decades at least," he said firmly.


    When his eyes met Maria''s, a smile crept up on his lips. "Since you were so worried about me just


    now, I won''t get mad at you for saying that I was dying."


    Maria couldn''t believe that she had been put in such an awkward position. She red at Summer


    and asked, "Summer, did you betray me? Did you send the wrong message on purpose?"


    Summer shook her head like a rattle drum, feeling wronged. "Of course not! It was an honest


    mistake. I''m sorry, Maria. Please believe me. I would never betray you."


    Taking the opportunity to hold Maria''s hand, James told Summer, "Summer, as a punishment, you


    will be deprived of three months'' bonus. I hope you won''t make such a costly mistake again."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi." Summer was a little upset, but at least James hadn''t gone so far as to fire her.


    Maria pulled her hand out of his big palm and pretended to be indifferent. "Well, I''m busy. I''m


    leaving now."


    James grabbed her hand again and said seriously, "Well, don''t worry. I''m in good health."


    "When did I worry about you? Stop being so narcissistic!" Maria retorted.


    With a faint smile, James tucked her stray hair behind her ear and said, "Okay, okay. You''re not


    worried about me. Let''s go back." He would bring up this topic againter in the evening when they


    got home.


    Maria snorted and once again pulled her hand out of his grip. Then, she turned around,


    straightened her back, and stormed off arrogantly.


    After she disappeared into the elevator, James nced at Summer indifferently and said, "I''ll cancel


    the punishment this time. But be careful in the future. " If she hadn''t typed the wrong words, he


    wouldn''t have gotten the chance to witness Maria''s concern for him.


    It had shown him that he still had a ce in her heart. Maria might have broken up with him and


    refused to talk to him, but she was just being stubborn out of anger.


    Summer was overjoyed. "Yes! Thank you, Mr. Xi."


    After getting into the car, Maria rubbed her temples and suppressed the urge to let out a long groan.


    Why did she lose herposure like this whenever James was involved? If she had been in her


    senses and found out the whole story first, she wouldn''t have made such a fool of herself in front of


    him.


    And she also wouldn''t have let him have the satisfaction of thinking that she was still worried about


    him.


    What a headache!


    As soon as Maria returned to herpany, she received a call from Augustine. Her heart skipped a


    beat as she answered the phone. "Grandpa, is there anything wrong with Bob?" "No."


    Hearing that, she breathed a sigh of relief and asked in a more rxed tone, "What''s up, Grandpa?"


    "I want to ask you if you secretly gave birth to another child and left him in the park."


    "What?" Maria''s voice rose several octaves in surprise.


    "You didn''t?"


    "What are you talking about, Grandpa?"


    "Here''s the thing. Charlotte and I went to the park for a walk today, and we found a baby there,"


    Augustine exined. Maria didn''t know whether tough or to cry.


    Just because he had found a random baby at the park, he asked her if it was hers. "Grandpa, even


    if I''d really given birth to another child, I wouldn''t have abandoned him in the park," she pointed out.


    Augustine nodded sagely, realizing that it made sense. "All right, then. Ask James to drop by when


    he is free and deal with it. It''s a boy child, five or six months old. I just took another look at him. He


    doesn''t look like you at all." Generally speaking, boys resembled their mothers more.


    "Okay," Maria agreed. Why was her life so dramatic?


    After hanging up the phone, she sent a message to James saying, "Mr. Xi, another son of yours has


    returned to you. He''s in your grandpa''s house now. Go there when you''re free and deal with it."


    James was so confused that he sent nothing but a question mark in reply.


    "Maybe it''s really your illegitimate son this time. He has nothing to do with me. Grandpa found him


    in the park," Maria typed back.


    Reading that, James pursed his lips in displeasure. Why did she suspect that it was his illegitimate


    child?


    Didn''t she have any confidence in him? Or did he look like a man who slept with countless women


    and nted his seeds everywhere?


    Whatever it was, James had learned from his mistakes, so he hurried back to Augustine''s house


    without any dy.


    He looked at the baby who was sleeping peacefully with his eyes closed in the baby stroller, and


    then looked at his son, who was staring at him with his eyes wide open. After ncing between


    them a few more times, he finally came to the conclusion that the two children looked nothing like


    each other.


    Pointing at the baby with his little finger, Bob said, "Brother."


    "Brother," James echoed without thinking.


    Hearing this, Augustine shot him a sharp look. "Is he really your son?"


    Pinching the space between his eyebrows, James exined, "No. Maria and I don''t have any ns


    to have a second child yet." And even if he did have another son, why would he leave him in the


    park?


    Augustine frowned and murmured, "That''s strange. Whose child is this?"


    After taking a look at the situation, James decided to arrange for someone to look for the baby''s


    parents.


    Before he left, he told his grandparents, "Don''t pick up random children again, or Maria will keep


    misunderstanding me." Besides, the two of them were too old to take care of children. The most


    they could do was arrange a few more maids to take care of them.


    "We don''t just go around picking up children. This was the only baby we picked up," Augustine said


    innocently. "Bob was brought here by Maria herself.


    We didn''t find him in the park." James left without saying anything.

 Chapter 421 We Were Tricked

    Chapter 421 We Were Tricked


    In the Zheng family''s house, Rosa hung up the phone.


    Then, she hurried to the study where Colby was. His hair was turning grey because of all the


    problems he had been facing recently. "Colby, I have a suspicion."


    "What is it?" Colby asked tiredly, looking up from hisputer.


    "Do you remember hearing that Augustine Xi picked up a random child before?"


    "Yeah." Colby nodded slowly in confusion.


    "Well, did you ever hear that the Xi family were searching for the child''s parents?"


    "I don''t think so."


    Rosa nodded triumphantly. "Exactly. What if that child is actually the son of James and Maria, and


    they just said that they found him randomly in order to hide his true identity?" In the past few weeks,


    Maria had tortured her again and again, especially using Ines. She wouldn''t be able to rest until she


    found Maria''s fatal weakness.


    Colby thought about it for a while, but still looked uncertain. "I don''t know. Maybe Augustine just


    likes the boy and wants to keep him by his side."


    "That''s possible, but they''d still have to report it to the public security department if they want to


    adopt a child that they have picked up. Otherwise, it''sparable to kidnapping. I asked someone


    to investigate the matter and found out that they didn''t follow any such procedures."


    Colby took a deep breath and put down the documents in his hand. "So you think that the child is


    actually Maria and James'' son?" "Yes!" Rosa''s face hardened.


    Colby didn''t say anything, lost in thought.


    There was a moment of silence in the study before Rosa said, "Maria has used Ines to deal with me


    twice. I want to give her a dose of her own medicine!" Rosa was so scared that she had secretly


    sent Ines away from the US and temporarily hidden her in a safe ce.


    Colby had also been driven mad by James recently, so after a few moments, he agreed with Rosa''s


    proposal. A touch of hatred shed through his eyes as he said, "Fine. I''ll arrange some people to


    do it."


    "Okay!"


    Maria didn''t get off work until past ten o''clock that night. When she walked out of thepany, what


    she saw was not her own car and driver, but the Harkim that she was unfortunately familiar with.


    Gary came over and opened the car door for her. "Mrs. Xi, please get in."


    Maria stood rooted to the spot. Looking at the man sitting in the back seat, she asked, "Where is my


    car?"


    "It has been sent away for maintenance."


    It was sote at night. What service shop would do maintenance at this time?


    Knowing that she couldn''t escape, Maria reluctantly climbed into the back seat and closed the door.


    As she turned to face the front, a brocade box came into her view.


    She made no movement to take it. Looking at the man next to her, she said coldly, "If you have


    anything to say, just say it. Don''t think you can bribe me with gifts. There''s no way I''ll raise your


    illegitimate son."


    For a moment, James was stunned; he had no idea what she was talking about. Then, realization


    dawned on him as he remembered the unidentified child in Augustine''s house.


    Shaking his head, he opened the box and revealed a woman''s watch sitting inside. The watch had a


    Tahitian mother-of-pearl dial, lined with diamonds around it. As for the strap, it was made of rose


    gold.


    Despite her refusal, James took out the watch and put it on her wrist. "I''ve asked someone to find


    out the identity of that child," he exined.


    "To find out the child''s mother?" Maria sneered.


    James didn''t get angry. Instead, he softly said, "Yes. And his father."


    After putting the watch on her wrist, he didn''t let go of her hand, but instead intertwined his fingers


    with hers.


    Maria nced at the watch, but her expression didn''t change at all. "I''m very tired. Drop me at the


    Golden Mansion."


    "Okay."


    She was surprised that he didn''t argue.


    Then, realizing what must be on his mind, she added, "I''m really tired. Don''t follow me there." The


    more herpany grew, the busier she became. With all the work she had had to deal with


    recently, she was exhausted to the bone.


    "You just go to sleep. I won''t disturb you," James


    said.


    "What will you do?" Maria asked suspiciously.


    "I''ll lie next to you without disturbing you."


    Maria scoffed in disbelief. "Men won''t be well-behaved as long as they can breathe. They''ll only be


    well-behaved when they are six feet under."


    James'' eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You have a big prejudice against men," he pointed out sourly.


    Why was she so distrustful?


    "Yeah." Maria didn''t even try to deny it. "Chandler, yton, Jonathan, Colby...They all have


    mistresses. As for younger men like Kent and Ronald, they also sleep around with random women.


    Basically, all men are bad."


    "I don''t sleep around," James said seriously.


    A sarcastic smile spread across Maria''s face. "Mr. Xi, you might not sleep around, but you don''t


    refuse women. I''m tired of seeing those women around you."


    "I''ll make it clear to them from now on," James promised. He would never let such a thing happen


    again. There was nothing he hated more than the silent treatment Maria gave him.


    Maria didn''t respond, and stayed silent for the rest of the car ride. As for him staying the night at her


    ce, she had no strength to refuse him anymore. Besides, he was the one who had given her the


    apartment.


    Nevertheless, she was surprised when James really didn''t make any advances that night. He just


    gave her a goodnight kiss, and then held her in his arms and slept peacefully.


    Maria had a good sleep. The next day, she got up early at the same time as James. Then, she had


    breakfast and went to thepany with him.


    When the Harkim arrived at DS Group, Maria got down. Looking at her, James said, "I''m going to


    pick up Bob tonight and take him to my manor."


    His meaning was self-evident. After all, he knew that Maria also wanted to spend time with Bob.


    As he expected, Maria didn''t say that she wouldn''te to the manor that night. She simply replied,


    "I see," before turning around and entering thepany.


    In Tang Group, Ronald hurried to the CEO''s office with a document in his hand.


    As soon as he pushed the door and walked in, he said, "Dad, Dad, something bad has happened!"


    yton, who was on the phone, shot him a disapproving nce, motioned for him to calm down,


    and turned his attention back to the call.


    Ronald, however, mmed the document on the table in front of him, not caring about the phone


    call at all. "Dad, we were tricked!"


    Pursing his lips impatiently, yton picked up the document and said on the phone, "Okay, that''s all


    for now. I have something to attend to. Let''s talk about it face to face another day. Bye."


    As soon as he disconnected the call, his eyes fell on the division of profits specified in the contract,


    and his face changed abruptly. He quickly looked at the beginning of the contract again. At the


    beginning, it was clearly stated that DS Group was Party A, while Tang Group was Party B.


    The profit split was 9:1.


    yton pounded the table and stood up in a mixture of shock and anger. "Didn''t you say that the


    rate would be 6:4?" He remembered this project well. Since DS Group was involved, he had paid


    special attention to it. He hadn''t even let Ronald sign the contract until he had personally made sure


    that there was nothing wrong with it.


    "Yes, Dad. I wrote the rate with my own. I don''t know why it says 9:1 here." The reason why he was


    so agitated was, of course, because DS Group would take most of the profit while Tang Group


    would only be given ten percent.


    Moreover, DS Group had earlier agreed to supply products to Tang Group at the wholesale price,


    but now, the wholesale price had tripled, and was on par with the market price.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Strangely enough, there was no trace of alteration on the contract. Ronald''s and Maria''s signatures


    were also there, proving that it was a genuine document.


    "How did you find out?" yton asked, trying to calm down.


    "DS Group called and told us to pay the pending bill, saying that they wouldn''t extend any credit to


    us. Our finance department quoted a number to them, but they said that it was wrong. That was


    when we found out," Ronald exined anxiously.


    yton''s face darkened, but he couldn''t figure out what had gone wrong, either.


    "Call Maria right now and ask her toe here. I''ll talk to her. Tell her that if she doesn''te, she


    won''t get a single penny."


    "I''ll ask someone to call her," Ronald said hesitantly. He was still afraid of Maria.


    Seeing how cowardly his son was, yton finally lost his temper. His face turned livid, and he


    shouted, "You call her! She is just a woman. Why are you so afraid of her? Do you think she''ll eat


    you?" "Okay, okay, I''ll call her," Ronald agreed reluctantly. Summoning up his courage, he took out


    his phone.


    He didn''t know Maria''s personal phone number, so he called her secretary. To his dismay, the


    secretary told him that Maria was not in the office, and asked him to call another day.


    When he ryed the conversation to yton, thetter snorted. "The secretary''s lying! Maria knew


    we would call her, so she refused to answer your phone call on purpose!"


    "Dad, what should we do now?"


    "What should we do? You go and talk to her face to face!"


    "Me?" Ronald asked in disbelief, pointing at the tip of his own nose.


    yton felt a headacheing on. Shaking his head slightly, he said, "Let Mr. Guo go with you."


    "Okay." Ronald was relieved to hear that at least he would have someone apanying him.

 Chapter 422 Failure

    Chapter 422 Failure


    Ronald wouldn''t have been so scared if it had been anyone else. However, he was about to face


    Maria Song, the person who had sent him to jail for nearly two years. He didn''t want to lead that


    kind of life anymore.


    After Ronald left, yton thought for a moment and then called Mr. Guo to give him a reminder.


    In DS Group


    Just as Maria was entering thepany, two people blocked her way. She smiled as she looked at


    them and said, "Ah, Mr. Tang and Mr. Guo."


    Mr. Guo straightened his tie and returned the smile. "It''s really hard to meet you without an


    appointment, Ms. Song. I apologize for interrupting your work like this."


    Maria walked forward and said, "Let''s talk in my office!"


    "Okay! Ms. Song, after you!"


    Maria led the way to the elevator. Behind her, Mr. Guo exchanged a look with Ronald, and the two


    of them followed her.


    In the office, her secretary served the visitors cups of tea. Ronald ced the contract they had


    signed on the table and said, "Maria, I know that we''ve had our differences in the past, but I haven''t


    offended you recently, have I? You can''t do this to me, right?"


    Pretending to be surprised, Maria picked up the contract and asked, "What do you mean, Mr.


    Tang?"


    She rifled through the contract before saying, "Is the contract no good?"


    Ronald only stared at her without a word, but his mind was churning. How could the contract be


    good? Tamping down the urge to curse the woman before him, he exined patiently, "Our


    agreement was that we would split the profits by the rate of 6:4. Why did it be 9:1 in this


    contract? Besides, the price has been changed!"


    With a puzzled look, Maria asked, "Ronald, that''s what we agreed on at that time. Why would you


    sign your name on the contract otherwise? What''s more, you were the one who wrote down the


    price and the rate by yourself. What do you want to do now? Perhaps... you can''t afford these


    terms?"


    Ronald''s jaw dropped. Her words were pushing him into a corner.


    Mr. Guo knew beforehand that Ronald was tricked by Maria. Now, he only needed her to admit that


    she had tampered with the contract so that things would go his way.


    He turned toward Ronald and said in a soothing voice, "Mr. Tang, please calm down first. Ms. Song,


    I think we both know what happened to the rate in this contract. To put it bluntly, this isn''t a good


    thing, right? Have you ever seen a rate of 9:1 ?"


    Maria didn''t answer him. She stood up, went to a drawer, and took out several contracts. She put


    them in front of the two men and asked coldly, "Yes, I have."


    The two men looked through the contracts in front of them. There were contracts signed by DS


    Group with HL Group and Fosun Entertainment Group. In the division of profit section of each


    contract, the same split was stated-9:1. Of course, with ny percent of the profit going to DS


    Group.


    Maria continued, "You haven''t seen 9:1 split rate before? Ronald, please don''t try to y tricks on


    me. Otherwise, your father will think I''m deliberately targeting Tang Group."


    His calm demeanor finally marred by a scowl, Mr. Guo argued, "Mr. Xi is your husband, and his


    company is yours. I don''t know the rtionship between you and the CEO of Fosun Entertainment


    Group. As for you and Mr. Tang..."


    "I was his cousin! Although that association was all in the past, Mr. Tang has agreed to help me for


    the sake of our previous family rtionship."


    Ronald stared at the woman, disbelief written all over his face. He didn''t think she could pull such a


    duplicitous trick with a straight face. "Help you? What the-"


    "Ronald Tang!"


    Before Ronald could curse, Maria whirled around to snap at him.


    Mr. Guo asked calmly, "Ms. Song, I take it that you won''t admit to it because we don''t have any


    evidence, is that right?"


    Maria raised an eyebrow, a smug glint in her eyes. "Mr. Guo, I don''t understand. You want me to


    admit to what, exactly?"


    Mr. Guo said, "I don''t know how you managed to do it, but Ms. Song, it won''t do your reputation any


    good if word of this manages to leak out, right?"


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    The woman seemed to be a little angry. "Mr. Guo, it''s easy to find a stick when you mean to beat a


    dog. Just tell me frankly. Do you want to break the contract?"


    Break the contract? How could he break the contract that easily? The huge amount of liquidated


    damages alone would be enough to put Tang Group under.


    "Please don''t get me wrong. Ms. Song. If you don''t admit it, we have no choice but to take DS


    Group to court," Mr. Guo said in a seemingly regretful tone.


    Maria shed him a fierce smile. "Go ahead. I''m not afraid of being used of what I haven''t done.


    I''m starting to think that Tang Group is ying tricks on a smallpany like DS Group."


    ''A smallpany? Isn''t she being a bit too modest?'' With the protection of HL Group and Shen


    Group, DS Group showed a nearly exponential growth in the past two years alone. She had even


    won the H Brocade project recently, thereby cementing a ce for DS group in H City''s business


    community.


    Ronald and Mr. Guo spent more than an hour in Maria''s office, but they had no choice but to return


    after failing their mission.


    As they listened to the recorded conversation with Maria, yton red at Ronald, who was


    wearing a confused expression the entire time.


    Before the recording had finished ying, he growled through gritted teeth, "Maria Song is cheating!


    I''ve been in the business for so many years, but this is the first time that anyone has ever dared to


    pull a fast one on me!"


    "Dad, let''s sue her!" Basing on the terms of this contract, they estimated that Tang Group could lose


    three hundred million dors-and that was just a conservative figure.


    "Do you think I don''t want to? But where is the evidence?" Maria had been extremely careful with


    her words. If Ronald weren''t his son, yton would have believed Maria after listening to the


    recording.


    "So, should we just take this lying down?" Ronald was not convinced.


    yton didn''t even dignify hisment with a response. That woman was the reason why his


    daughter couldn''t speak and why she would never have the chance to be a mother. Now his son,


    who had gone through a lot of hardships to get his life back to normal, was tricked by that same


    woman.


    No one in the world had a greater motive to want that abomination gone from this world than


    yton Tang.


    However, he needed to n for the long term if he wanted it done.


    That night, Ronald finally left thepany and got into his car. It had been an exhausting day in the


    office, so a visit to a bar was just what he needed to rx.


    As soon as his car pulled out of thepany''s garage, a car drove alongside his. The window of


    the passenger seat slid down, revealing Maria''s smiling face.


    Ronald immediately rolled down his window. "Maria?"


    He looked past Maria and identified the driver as James.


    The two cars remained side by side because of their same speed. Maria leaned out of the window


    and yelled at him, "Ronald, do you want to know what''s going on?"


    Of course, Ronald would like to know why the original rate of 6:4 was changed to 9:1. He and his


    father had tried to figure it out for a whole day, but to no avail.


    The woman''s smile widened into an aggressive grin. "There is something called the magic pen. You


    did write 6:4, but the numbers disappeared after some time. Then, I was able to change it to


    whatever rate I want."


    Ronald gawked at her. Now that he thought about it, the pen that he used to sign the document at


    the time was provided by Maria''s employee. However, there was one more thing that he couldn''t


    understand. "Who changed the rate in my copy of the contract?"


    Since the numbers would disappear, new figures would have to be written down eventually. The fact


    that the rate in DS Group''s copy was changed came as no surprise because the document was in


    Maria''s hands all along.


    What about his copy? It had been in his office all this time. Who had written the new numbers on it?


    Maria smiled mysteriously. "Didn''t you write it yourself?" Of course, there was no way she would


    answer that question.


    Ronald could only re at her in indignation. He didn''t do it!


    ''That treacherous bitch!''


    The Harkim sped up and drove ahead of him. Maria''s infuriating smile soon disappeared from his


    sight.


    Ronald wanted to catch up with her, but his driving skill was not on par with James''.


    Inside the Harkim, James asked helplessly, "Magic pen?"


    Maria flipped her long hair. "Yes."

 Chapter 423 Taking The Blame

    Chapter 423 Taking The me


    The pen Maria''s assistant had given to Ronald to sign the contract was a special pen. The writing


    would disappear when the document was exposed to heat, leaving the paper nk.


    After signing the contract that day, Maria had gotten someone to secretly get their hands on


    Ronald''s copy of the contract and imitate his handwriting to write down the new profit split, as well


    as forge his signature with a normal pen.


    "Maria, if you do use underhanded methods like this, no one will be willing to do business with you,"


    James reminded her.


    Maria shrugged, lookingpletely unbothered. "I wanted to make Ronald suffer in a way that he''ll


    be too embarrassed to tell others about. I won''t do this to people who sincerely want to do business


    with me. When you''re dealing with a viin, you have to use means that are even worse than his."


    James was rendered speechless. Was it really appropriate for a CEO to behave like a gangster?


    Soon, there was a rumor spreading around H City that Maria had tampered with the contract and


    tricked Tang Group. As a result, all thepanies that were cooperating with DS Group hastily


    checked their contracts to see if they had also been tricked by her.


    When someone asked Maria about this, she innocently answered, "Mr. Tang couldn''t keep up his


    end of the deal, so he''s putting the me on me. Since he is my cousin, I promised him that I would


    allow Tang Group to participate in the H Brocade project as long as he was willing to divide the


    profits between DS Group and Tang Group at the rate of 9:1. After all, the profit split in all the


    contracts I signed with James was 9:1. And Ronald agreed to it. Maybe yton med him, and he


    didn''t want to admit it and even put the me on me. But what can I do?"


    When yton heard about Maria''s response, his head spun, and he forgot how to breathe.


    This contract had made Tang Group suffer a loss of hundreds of millions of dors. In the end, Tang


    Group had no choice but to halt the production in their factory, so as to force DS Group to terminate


    the contract with them.


    Now that her goal had been achieved, Maria wouldn''t let the reputation of herpany be put in


    jeopardy, so she terminated the contract before the matter escted.


    Sitting in the CEO''s office of HL Group, James received a few pictures on his WeChat from Maria.


    She had specially gone to Augustine''s house to visit the unidentified child.


    The two photos that were sent to him were aparison of the baby that had been found at the


    park, and Bob when he was only a few months old. The photos were followed by a message saying,


    "He looks exactly like you. You still don''t want to admit that he is your son?"


    James opened the photo again and checked the photo again and again, but he couldn''t find any


    simrities between them.


    At that moment, he received another message from Maria saying, "Both of you have two eyes, one


    nose, and one mouth. Doesn''t he look exactly like you?"


    James couldn''t believe his eyes. Didn''t everybody have two eyes, one nose and one mouth? He


    could im that the baby was her son, since they looked exactly alike, too!


    But since he hadn''t calmed her down yet, he didn''t dare to say anything to upset her. Anyway, the


    important thing was, she obviously knew that the child wasn''t his.


    "If you admit that he''s your son, then I''ll admit that he''s mine," he replied.


    It was Maria''s turn to be dumbstruck. She really hadn''t given birth to another baby!


    Gary knocked on the door of James'' office and walked in. "Mr. Xi, CEOs of sevenpanies invited


    you to dinner."


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Seven CEOs? James put his phone away and asked, "Did they say why?"


    "No."


    "I see. Tell them I''ll be there. By the way, what happened to Gerald?"


    Gerald Zong, the CEO of Zong Group, was the one who had forced Maria to drink and gotten


    himself to be sent to the hospital in the end.


    "Mr. Zong has been transferred to a VIP ward. He is expected to wake up in one or two days," Gary


    answered.


    James took a deep breath. "In that case, carry on our n. I want to hear good news before he


    wakes up."


    "Yes, sir."


    As soon as Gary returned to the secretary area, he announced, "Mr. Xi said that we can start now!"


    Everyone sitting at their desk began to take action.


    In less than two days, Zong Group dered bankruptcy. When the news of that came out, the


    notorious Mr. Zong, who was best known for drinking and causing a fuss, hadn''t woken up yet.


    After finishing his first dinner appointment, James asked Summer to apany him to the dinner


    arranged by the CEOs of the sevenpanies.


    When he arrived, everyone just chatted about business affairs, but it was clear that they all had


    some other purpose for organizing this dinner.


    Some of the CEOs even casually inquired James about certain projects and products, which he just


    gave brief answers to.


    Just when he was about to lose his patience, one of them finally came to the point. "Mr. Xi, Mrs. Xi


    promised us that HL Group would cooperate with us."


    "Yes, she said that she would give each of us a project," another one said.


    "Yes, we were all there when she said that. Are you aware of this, Mr. Xi?"


    For a moment, James stiffened.


    Was he aware of this? Of course not!


    Maria had thrown him under the bus once again. It turned out that this was the reason these CEOs


    had invited him to dinner.


    He knew that these people wouldn''t dare to make up stories or lie to him, so the only usible


    exnation was that Maria had indeed made a promise to all of them.


    Seeing how the men were all waiting for his answer with bated breath, James said lightly, "Don''t


    worry. My wife''s word is equal to mine." Even though Maria wasn''t present at the dinner, as her


    husband, he couldn''t make her lose face. He would ask her about it when he went back.


    Hearing his agreement, the seven CEOs finally rxed and grinned from ear to ear. "Thank you, Mr.


    Xi!"


    Without any dy, James beckoned to Summer and said, "Well, I''ll leave this matter to you. Assign


    each of theirpanies a suitable project as soon as possible."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    Summer inquired about each of thepanies and found a suitable project for each of them.


    But even as she did her work, she could barely contain herughter. Maria was really good at


    setting traps for James.


    It was past ten o''clock at night when James finished attending his four business-rted dinner


    appointments. Summer had drunk some wine, but James hadn''t touched alcohol at all.


    He asked the driver to drop Summer at her house first. Just before she got out of the car, he said, "I


    won''te to thepany tomorrow. Call me if anything happens."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi." Summer already knew that he had asked Gary to reschedule all of his work for


    tomorrow.


    "Wait," James said as she was about to leave.


    "Where do you and Maria usually go shopping?"


    Summer furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Why was he asking? Did he want to go shopping with


    her?


    She answered, "We often go shopping nearby. But Mr. Xi, if you want to go shopping with her, you


    can go to the pedestrian street in the old town. It''s quite far away, so we don''t go there often. Maria


    might like the change of scenery."


    Although they were living in the most prosperous ce in H City, it was always nice to have a


    change and venture out of one''s boundaries.


    "Okay." James nodded.


    The driver took James back to his manor.


    On the way, James called Maria and said, "Sleep well.


    I won''t being tonight."


    For the past week, he had shamelesslye to her apartment and stayed over every single night.


    Why wasn''t heing today?


    Maria felt an inexplicable stab of disappointment, but she pretended to be indifferent and said,


    "Thank you for not disturbing me, Mr. Xi."


    "Reschedule all your appointments for tomorrow, and sleep in. I''ll pick you up at noon."


    "Where are you nning on taking me?" Maria asked suspiciously.


    "Wherever you want."


    Hearing James'' answer, she was confused. What did he mean? "Then don''te. I don''t want to


    go anywhere with you," she said lightly.


    James sighed and decided to take the plunge. "I''ll go shopping with you. And in the evening, we can


    take a hot spring bath." "You want to go shopping with me? And take a hot spring bath?" Maria


    echoed in shock. How did James have the time, let alone the willingness, to do all these things with


    her?


    Besides, who would want to take a hot spring bath in this season?


    Winter had already passed!


    LARK COLE


    Author

 Chapter 424 Window Shopping

    Chapter 424 Window Shopping


    "Yes. If we have spare time, we can even y golf or billiards. It''s up to you," James said. He and


    Maria rarely took time off work, so he wanted to make the most of it.


    The next time he could spare a few days, he would take Maria and Bob on a vacation.


    "James, is that child really yours?" Maria asked with a frown.


    He was offering to take her shopping and even for a hot spring bath all of a sudden. It was so out of


    character for him that she couldn''t help but find it suspicious.


    Pinching the space between his eyebrows, James sighed and asked, "Why are you bring up that


    child again?"


    "It looks like you''re trying to get on my good side so that I''ll let that child stay."


    "Does that mean that you''ve agreed to my proposal and are willing to live with me for the rest of


    your life?" James asked eagerly.


    Maria clucked her tongue. "What are you babbling about? That''s not what I said at all. I''m talking


    about the child. I didn''t agree to your marriage proposal at all. In fact, we have broken up! You can


    go shopping with whoever you like."


    James stiffened, realizing that he had pushed her too far. So he hastily said, "Well, have a good


    sleep! You can wake upte tomorrow!"


    "No, I-" Before Maria could finish her words of protest, the line was disconnected.


    She lowered her phone from her ear and looked at the screen in confusion.


    Had James hung up on her? How dare he? Did he think that she had forgiven him and that he could


    act all arrogant now?


    He wanted to go shopping, right? Fine! She would torture him as much as she could.


    The next morning, Maria peacefully slept in. When she opened her eyes, she was startled to see a


    man sitting next to the bed.


    She calmed down and rolled her eyes. "When did youe in? How did you get in here?"


    How could she not have sensed a grown man entering the room and sitting next to her? She would


    be ashamed tell anyone that she had once been trained by Norman.


    James leaned in and kissed her on the lips. "Good morning, Mia."


    The fact that he didn''t even answer her question put her in a bad mood. But on the bright side, he


    had already made breakfast for her.


    She got out of bed, brushed her teeth and washed her face, before scoffing down the food that he


    had prepared.


    After that, James led her to the Harkim. Today, he specially drove her instead of appointing a driver.


    There was another car closely following them.


    Of course, Maria knew that there were bodyguards in that car. She didn''t ask any more questions,


    and just let James drive out of themunity.


    After half an hour of being on the road, Maria nced at the scenery through the window and asked


    curiously, "Where are we going?"


    "Shopping," James replied simply.


    Maria had the urge to roll her eyes again. Of course she knew that. "I meant, which area?"


    "The old town."


    "I see." The old town was close to the high-tech district. It was an area that had recently developed


    in the past two years. There were many shopping malls and branded stores constructed by James''


    company.


    Knowing that they were going shopping, Maria had specially wore a pair of soft, t shoes today.


    When they arrived at their destination, she slipped on her sunsses and took the initiative to hold


    James'' arm. "Let''s go, Mr. Xi."


    James looked at her suspiciously. Why was she being so intimate?


    If a person behaved abnormally, it meant that there was something fishy going on.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Looking at her hand wrapped around the crook of his arm, James guessed that she was up to no


    good.


    And he was right.


    Later, Maria walked out of the fitting room in a sophisticated red dress and looked at the man


    waiting for her in the VIP area. "Do I look good?"


    James raised his eyes and looked at her up and down for a few seconds. "Yes." "Okay." She went


    back to the fitting room and tried on the next dress.


    This one was a beige knee-length dress chosen by James. "Do you like this one?" she asked when


    she walked out.


    "Yeah." James nodded again with a slight smile.


    After that, Maria changed back into her own clothes and returned the two sets of clothes that she


    had tried on to the store manager. "Thank you. I''m sorry, I want to look around first," she said with a


    polite smile.


    The store manager understood what she meant and returned her smile. "It doesn''t matter. You''re


    wee toe back at any time."


    Maria nodded. Then, she walked back to James, grabbed his hand, and led him out of the shop.


    "Let''s go!"


    "Don''t you like those clothes?" he asked in a low voice.


    "Yeah, I do."


    "Then don''t you want to buy them?"


    "No, I don''t."


    Her logic left him speechless.


    In the second clothing store that they went to, Maria once again tried on two sets of clothes.


    This time, James went straight to the cashier''s desk to pay the bill, but Maria stopped him and said,


    "No hurry. I want to look around first."


    James couldn''t understand what she was thinking at all.


    What baffled him even more was that she repeated the same thing in the next two clothing stores


    that they went to.


    He stopped the woman who was walking forward to yet another store and asked, "What kind of


    clothes are you looking for? Or if you don''t feel like buying clothes, let''s go and do something else."


    "No, I like walking around and just having a look at everything." Maria shrugged.


    As a man from a rich family, James didn''t understand the concept of window shopping at all.


    It was getting dark. This time, after Maria tried on thest dress, James didn''t even give her a


    chance to speak and just told the saleswoman, "Pack them all."


    But Maria quickly held the saleswoman''s arm and said, "No, thanks! They don''t suit me."


    James stood up and said, "They suit you very well, Maria-"


    "Shut up," Maria hissed, turning around to shoot him a re.


    James didn''t bother protesting after that.


    Atst, the two of them walked into a cafe and sat down at a table. Tapping his fingers on the table,


    James said, "Today, I took a total of 21, 000 steps. You tried on 25 sets of clothes. You stopped me


    from paying the bill five times, and asked me to shut up once. After all of that, we''re here empty-


    handed. Don''t you think today was a waste of time, Maria?"


    The woman took a sip of thette in her hand and raised her eyebrow at him. "A waste of time? Do


    you feel that it''s a waste of time to go shopping with me? Shouldn''t you feel happy to be with me


    even if we don''t do anything but wander around aimlessly?


    You got to see a beautiful woman like me in so many different kinds of clothes.


    Most people would never get such a chance. Why are you stillining? Can''t you be content,


    Mr. Xi?"


    Hearing this, James was speechless.


    After a while, when Maria stood up and went to the washroom, he grabbed the opportunity to call


    the bodyguard who was standing not far away. "Go and buy all the clothes that she tried on today,


    and get them sent to my manor."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    Standing in the washroom, Maria dialed a number and said, "Come to the pedestrian street in the


    old town. I''ll send you some photos of clothes that I saw here. I want you to buy all of them for me."


    After hanging up the phone, she sent the photos of the clothes that she had tried on to her


    assistant.


    Earlier, she had just been trying to piss off James, but she didn''t want to disappoint those


    enthusiastic saleswomen. Most of the clothes she had tried suited her well, so she asked her


    assistant to buy all of them.


    After Maria came out of the washroom and returned to her seat, she and James continued to drink


    their coffee as if nothing had happened.


    Taking a look at his watch, James said, "Let''s have dinner near the hot spring ce tonight. Are you


    hungry now? Is there anywhere else you want to go?"


    "Will we go back home after the hot spring?" Maria asked casually.


    James shot her a meaningful smile. "Since you asked, we won''t leave."


    Maria scoffed to herself. Was there anything wrong with her question? Why did he think that she


    was implying something? "Well, in that case, I want to shop for some skin care products!" she


    announced. Lately, she''d developed the bad habit of staying upte, which put her skin under a lot


    of stress.


    "Okay." Then, James stared at her closely and added, "Don''t you visit a medical cosmetologist


    regrly?"


    Maria subconsciously touched her face. Although her skin felt dry, she didn''t think she needed any


    medical cosmetology treatments. "Am I getting ugly?" she asked nervously.

 Chapter 425 So Clingy

    Chapter 425 So Clingy


    James replied, "No. I''ve heard many women talk about medical cosmetology, but I''ve never actually


    seen you do it. I was just asking casually."


    She had been to skin management centers before, but as far as he knew, she had only ever had


    skin care done, such as hydrating, anti-wrinkle care, or maintenance regimens for some parts of her


    body.


    "Many women?" Maria looked at him, a fake smile on her lips. "How many women? Which woman


    have you ever seen do that?"


    For some reason, Maria seemed to be rather sensitive whenever the subject of other women was


    mentioned.


    He took her hand holding the cup of coffee and answered softly, "I don''t personally know any


    woman who has done that. I just heard about it. That''s all. You don''t have to have medical


    cosmetology done, but I''ll go with you if you want to do it."


    Maria shot him a suspicious nce. Why was he suddenly being so gentle? A guilty conscience,


    perhaps?


    She gave herself a mental shake. ''Forget it.''


    In a bright voice, she said, "Let''s go and have dinner! I want to eat fish head with hot red peppers in


    that Hunan cuisine restaurant we passed by just now."


    "Okay."


    As soon as they entered the restaurant, however, Maria received a call from her assistant. "Ms.


    Song, the clothes you tried on earlier were sold out just


    now."


    All of those clothes were limited editions, so it was hardly surprising for them to be sold out. With a


    sigh, Maria replied, "I see. Go to the next clothing shop, then."


    "I did, and to several other shops besides that. All of them said the exact same thing."


    ''Huh?'' Maria looked at the man who had just ushered her into a private dining room and asked, "Did


    you do something behind my back just now?"


    "No," James answered.


    He did ask the bodyguards to purchase the clothes for her, but technically speaking, he didn''t do it


    behind her back. He did so in in sight.


    Maria remained suspicious, but she stopped asking since he refused to admit to anything. She


    would find out the truth once she got back anyway. "You can head back first," she instructed over


    the phone.


    "Okay."


    James waited for her to end the call before asking, "What happened?"


    "Nothing," she replied in a dismissive tone. What if James hadn''t actually bought the clothes for


    her?


    If he found out that she had someone buy them for her after giving him so much grief about it, she


    would definitely lose face in front of him.


    He passed the menu to her. "Order whatever you want." "Aren''t you afraid that I will order a te of


    bean sprouts for you?"


    "Please order Double Happiness for me," he mocked.


    He shouldn''t have let her go that night. She didn''t think he needed tonic diet-he only said that to irk


    her.


    Maria studied the menu and ordered several dishes, most of which were healthy vegetarian items.


    After asking for James'' opinion and making sure that everything met his approval, she asked the


    waiter to serve the dishes as soon as possible.


    After dinner, they bought some skin care products and then set off for the hot spring town nearby.


    True enough, only a few people ventured to hot springs this season. It was exactly what Maria


    wanted, because James might want to have sex with her at anytime.


    What she didn''t know was that the manager of the hot spring club already knew that they were


    coming and thus had made preparations in advance. All of the hot spring pools had been thoroughly


    cleaned up and disinfected.


    They could take a bath wherever and whenever they fancied and enjoy all kinds of services that the


    club offered.


    The club also boasted of an in-house mineral water source. James followed her into the hot spring


    pool filled with mineral water. Before she could sit down on one of the benches, he pulled her into


    his arms and onto hisp.


    Despite her struggles, he didn''t let go of her. Instead, his hands began to mischievously wander all


    over her body.


    "I knew I shouldn''t havee here with you!" she snapped as she whirled around to re angrily at


    her captor.


    Stealing a kiss from her lips, James teasingly replied, "That''s because you''re wearing so little


    clothing." She was the one who seduced him in a bikini first.


    "Should I be wrapped in a down jacket?" she retorted, rolling her eyes in exasperation.


    "No need. You look just right in this way."


    After a moment of silence, James asked in a low voice, "What do you think of my abs?"


    "I touched them by ident!" Maria argued indignantly.


    "You can touch them whenever you want," he said.


    Maria gasped at his audacity.


    It waste at night, but Maria headed to the spa when she couldn''t stand his roving hands anymore.


    However, he still followed her there, soaking in the tub nearby as he watched her lying prone in the


    lounge.


    When the masseuse went out to fetch something, Maria asked curiously, "James, why are you


    being so clingy?"


    "I can be even more so. You''ll find out tonight."


    Maria turned her face away, not even bothering to respond. ''He''s hopeless.'' She couldn''t


    communicate with him.


    Maria felt sofortable that she ended up falling asleep during her massage. Afterwards, she was


    carried out of the spa by James.


    James took her back to the room he had prepared in advance and pinned her barely awake form


    under him. "Honey, we don''t need condoms tonight," he whispered into her ear.


    At the mention of the word "condoms," Maria suddenly opened her eyes and kicked him. "Get out!"


    The man easily evaded her attack and shed her a smile. "Are you awake now? Now that you''re


    sober, I''m going to start." He said that on purpose to scare her.


    Just as he had guessed, it worked.


    Maria could only stare up at him, her thoughts churning. ''What a shameless man!''


    After her long soak in the hot spring, her skin was soft and supple. He couldn''t keep his hands away


    for a single second.


    He thought, ''Was this woman specifically born to seduce me?''


    It was their night. Both of them sumbed to the room''s seductive atmosphere, and no one put a


    stop to it.


    The next morning, James was already up and well-dressed when Maria woke up.


    Upon hearing her stir, he walked over and kissed the half-asleep woman on the cheek. "Good


    morning, honey."


    Maria muttered, "Stay away from me."


    James didn''t mind her attitude. "Get up. We''re leaving."


    The woman opened one eye and snortedzily. "Why should I leave when you want me to? No


    way!" "What does that mean?"


    "What I mean is, I won''t leave today! I will go on having fun here!" The feeling of waking up


    naturally, without relying on rms, was one of the best feelings in the world. She stretched out


    luxuriously on top of the bed.


    "Okay." James was already dressed up to leave. When he heard what she said, he started taking off


    his clothes without the least hesitation.


    Maria stared wide-eyed as he unbuttoned his shirt. "What are you doing?" ''Why is he suddenly


    taking off his clothes?''


    "Going to bed."


    ''Hasn''t he already gotten up? Why is he going back to bed?'' "I have changed my mind." Maria


    bolted upright.


    James cast away his shirt, pressed her back down on the bed, and took her lips in a passionate


    kiss. His eyes shing with a dangerous light, he murmured, "Toote!"


    "Mmmph..." Her protests died down as his lips descended over hers once again.


    After lunch, Maria told him after some thought, "James, ask someone to bring Bob here." Bob liked


    ying with water. The ce was well-maintained, so they didn''t have to worry about cleanliness.


    Besides, Bob wouldn''t catch a cold in this type of weather.


    James nodded. "I''ll make the arrangements."


    That afternoon, Summer brought Bob to the club, followed by six bodyguards. Summer was visibly


    reluctant to hand Bob over to Maria. "He is so cute! He didn''t mind staying with a stranger like me.


    He didn''t even cry or scream on the way over!"


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Maria''s heart melted when she saw her son. "My


    son''s always been well-behaved. What a good boy!"


    "I heard that boys are usually naughty. Has he ever been disciplined?"

 Chapter 426 Everywhere

    Chapter 426 Everywhere


    Maria nced at James and said, "Yes. I think it will happen more and more in the future."


    Summer burst intoughter.


    James squinted at Bob and said indifferently, "Well, whether he gets disciplined or not is up to him."


    Maria rolled her eyes at him, not believing him at all.


    Summer left. James took Bob to y in the hot spring, while Maria stayed behind in the suite to


    finish up some work.


    In the quiet study, her phone began to vibrate. Seeing that it was a call from Norman, she answered


    it. "Hello, Norman."


    "Where did you go?"


    "How do you know I''m not in the city?"


    "I dropped by yourpany to see you, but your secretary told me that you haven''t been here for


    the past two days," Norman exined.


    "Oh, I see. James brought me to a hot spring resort. I''ll return to the city tomorrow."


    "Wait for me!"


    Maria couldn''t understand what he was saying. "You want toe here, too?" Norman hadn''t even


    fully recovered from his injuries. How could he soak in a hot spring?


    But to her surprise, he just replied affirmatively, and then hung up the phone before she could


    respond.


    Not long after, James returned to the suite with Bob, who was soaked from head to toe. Maria


    helped the baby take off his wet clothes, and then took out a bath towel to dry his short hair.


    This was the first time that Bob had been to a hot spring, so he was ecstatic. As soon as Maria let


    go of him, he began running around the suite energetically.


    Maria didn''t stop him, and just went to the kitchte to cut some fruits for him.


    When the doorbell rang, she was watching Bob happily y with toys, while James was answering


    a phone call in the open-air balcony.


    She got up and opened the door. Norman wasn''t alone; Mildred was standing next to him.


    "Mildred,e in!" Maria said cheerfully, pulling Mildred into the suite.


    Norman snorted slightly as he followed the two women inside. "Is this how you entertain your


    boss?"


    Maria turned her head and smiled cheekily at him. "I think there are some things that are more


    important than entertaining you." ''For example, entertaining your woman,'' she added in her head.


    Before Norman could reply with a quip of his own, his eyes met James'', who walked into the room


    with his phone in his hand.


    James pulled a long face and frowned tightly. "Why are you everywhere?"


    Norman ignored him and turned his attention to Bob. Picking up the boy, he said, "Son, I missed


    you so much! Come on, call me Daddy!"


    Mildred stiffened, and her eyes filled with astonishment.


    Noticing her expression, Maria exined in a hurry, "Mildred, this is my son, Bob."


    Then, realizing that her sentence could be misconstrued, she added, "James is his father."


    Holding the little boy in his arms, Norman shot her a reproachful look. How could she refute his


    words so quickly?


    It was not until then that Mildred realized that Norman was only joking. Her shoulders rxed, and


    she secretly breathed a sigh of relief before shing a smile at Bob. "Hello, Bob!"


    Looking at her, Bob grinned from ear to ear and stretched out his little hands to her. "Auntie...


    Hug..."


    Amused by him, Mildred looked at Maria and asked, "Can I hug him?"


    "Of course!"


    Instead of handing the little boy to Mildred, Norman held him out to Maria and said, "Go get him


    dressed first!"


    Maria took Bob from his arms. "I''ll put on his clothes first," she said, shooting Mildred a smile.


    "Sure."


    Once Maria disappeared into the bedroom, Norman sat down on the sofa, and James followed suit,


    but on the opposite end.


    The two men were sitting far apart and pretending as if the other didn''t exist.


    In the bedroom, Maria first put on a diaper for Bob, and then dressed him in a light coffee-colored


    jumpsuit.


    At that time, James received a call. "It''s me," he said as soon as he answered it.


    After looking the others in the room, he added, "We''re at a hot spring resort. I''ll send you the


    location."


    Maria, who happened to walk in just then, asked, "Someone else ising?"


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    "Yes. Lawrence ising with his wife," James answered casually.


    Maria lifted her eyebrows in surprise. "Howe he''s so free now? And he''s even bringing Meagan


    along?"


    "I don''t know," James said with a shrug. Then, he dialed another number and said, "Come here.


    There''s a lot of delicious food."


    Ethan''s eyes lit up. "Really? Where are you?"


    "At a hot spring resort. I''ll send you the location."


    "Okay!" Ethan dropped everything that he was doing, changed into clothes befitting of a vacation,


    and left immediately.


    By the time Ethan arrived, Lawrence and Meagan had already been sitting in the suite for about


    fifteen minutes.


    Looking at just how many people were in the suite, Ethan was stunned. "James, didn''t you say


    something about delicious food?" It made sense that James had invited Lawrence here, but what


    was Norman doing here?


    "Let''s have a feast tonight," James said.


    Ethan couldn''t believe his ears. A feast? Looking around the room, it didn''t seem like they had


    invited him for a feast. They had obviously invited him to rub their love lives in his face!


    There were three men and three women, making up three couples. He was the only one here who


    was single and alone.


    Their tant disy of affection was like a knife to his heart.


    "Wow, you guys are really cruel to treat me like this!" Ethan said hotly before picking Bob up in his


    arms. "Son, let''s go! Daddy will take you for a swim." At least Bob didn''t have a little girlfriend of his


    own, so Ethan could still have himpany.


    Maria, who could barely contain herughter, suggested, "Ethan, you can also call your girlfriend or


    a girl that you like." Norman was a great example of thetter. He didn''t have a girlfriend, but he


    always kept the girl that he had feelings for by his side and took her everywhere he went.


    Ethan clucked his tongue and rolled his eyes. "I don''t have anyone like that."


    "You do," James said nonchntly.


    "I really don''t!" Ethan shouted.


    "You do!" This time, it was Lawrence who shouted back.


    Ethan opened his mouth to retort only to catch himself and close it again. Squinting at his two


    friends, he asked, "Are you talking about Miss Ji?" Miss Ji was the girl who his family wanted him to


    get engaged to.


    "Who else?" James drawled. That girl was the only girl in Ethan''s life.


    The Mu family had specially selected her to marry Ethan, and forced him to go on a date with her.


    However, they didn''t seem to have much inmon, so Ethan hadn''t thought about her since then.


    Touching the tip of his nose, Ethan said dryly, "Don''t worry, I don''t mind watching you guys show off


    your love in front of me. I won''t feel jealous or sad. You can do whatever you like. Just pretend like


    Bob and I don''t exist!" In the current situation, he had no other choice but to group himself together


    with Bob.


    The three couples were all equally amused. "Well, take good care of my son, or you can''t join the


    feast tonight," James warned.


    "Why should I take care of your son? What if I won''t?" Ethan asked angrily.


    "That''s up to you. But if you don''t, you won''t get any living expenses," James said calmly.


    Ethan handed Bob to Meagan, who was the nearest to him. Then, he threw himself on James in a


    dramatic manner and clutched his shoulders. "James, don''t cut off my living expenses!" Anyway, no


    matter how much James gave him, he would be reimbursed for it.


    Fighting off the smile threatening to form on her lips, Maria calmly asked, "What is the meaning of


    this? Didn''t you guys tell me that you broke up a long time ago?"


    The two other women burst intoughter, while the two other men looked on with great interest, as if


    they were watching a si.


    Scrunching his face in disgust, James tried to push Ethan away. However, thetter continued to


    clutch onto him and shot Maria a warning look. "You witch, stay away from him! Don''t try to steal my


    man!"


    Maria yed along. "Let''s fight for him!" The two of them really acted as if they werepeting for


    James'' favor.

 Chapter 427 A Gentleman

    Chapter 427 A Gentleman


    Since he couldn''t shake Ethan off, James delivered a hard kick to the man''s shin. Ethan stopped


    pestering him after that.


    He dusted off his pant leg andmented, "No, I would never dare. Maria, I''ll have to rely on you to


    put in a good word for me to James." He could only get a generous living allowance in this manner.


    Burning with curiosity, Meagan couldn''t help but ask Lawrence in a whisper, "Were they an item?"


    With an eyebrow arched sardonically, Lawrence nced at the two men and nodded. "Yep."


    Meagan''s jaw dropped. "Poor Maria!" ''As it turns out, James is a bisexual.''


    James'' hearing was quite sharp. Lawrence caught his cold re and set the record straight. "I was


    just kidding," he told Meagan as he ruffled her hair affectionately.


    Meagan could only give him a disgusted re.


    She didn''t mind that he told such a crass joke, but did he really have to ruin her hair? It was not


    easy for her to braid it in the first ce.


    James had several rooms arranged forthem, and the bodyguards gave the card keys to Maria, who


    distributed them.


    When it was Norman''s turn, she gave him only one card key and apologized to him and Mildred.


    "I''m sorry, there''s only one room left. I''m afraid that you two have to make do with it."


    Unexpectedly, James said, ''TH call their manager." He took out his phone to ce a call.


    Maria stared at his back, exasperated. She was only creating an opportunity for Norman, and he


    had to ruin it. She hurriedly snatched the phone from his hand and shot him a feral re without


    Mildred seeing her. "Don''t bother. I''ve already asked them. There is only one room left, while the


    rest of the rooms have already been reserved."


    "I''ll ask the manager to spare another room." James knew exactly what was going on-he just didn''t


    want Norman to be happy.


    Maria sneered at him and whispered, "Since you can ask them to spare a room, better make it two.


    Go to sleep in that other room, while Bob and I will sleep here."


    James stared at Maria.


    Mildred didn''t hear anything that the two were discussing. She was too nervous about staying in the


    same room as Norman.


    Maria gave the other woman an apologetic smile. "Mildred, James just checked with the manager.


    True enough, they said that there were no other rooms left. Please bear with Norman just for


    tonight. This way, you can also take better care of him. James, what did the manager say?"


    Reluctantly, the man went along with Maria''s scheme. "All the rooms have been reserved."


    Norman was seated calmly by the sidelines. However, if one looked closely, they would find a smile


    lingering in his eyes. Sure enough, he didn''t misjudge Maria. He was right toe to her rescue in


    the first ce.


    Her face red with embarrassment, Mildred asked, "Norman, can you ask someone to bring me back


    downtown?"


    She was afraid of staying with Norman in the same room.


    Norman nced at Maria, who immediately understood what he meant. "Mildred, it''s not easy for us


    to get together like this. Please, bear with it for just one night. If you leave, Norman will be left alone


    with no one to take care of him." ''Really, is it okay to deceive a young girl like this?'' she wondered.


    Meagan didn''t understand their conversation. After all, it was the first time she had met Mildred, and


    she had no idea what her rtionship with Norman was.


    Guessing that the other woman''s hesitation meant that she did not want to stay with Norman, she


    thoughtfully offered, "How about this? I''ll stay with Mildred, while Lawrence can stay with Mr. Shen


    in the same room."


    "No way!"


    "I don''t agree!" Norman and Lawrence voiced out their objections at the same time.


    Maria wanted tough but held back, fearing that she would give away the secret.


    "Meagan, don''t forget¡ªI still have an important task," Lawrence reminded her with a long face. How


    could she be so generous as to let her husband stay with another man?


    "I didn''t forget. It''s just for one night, though..." Meagan was embarrassed by the discussion. After


    all, she knew that he meant trying for a baby. Why was he so anxious about it? He was stressing


    her out!


    Afraid that someone else woulde up with another bad idea, Norman looked at Mildred and


    said, "I''ll sleep on the floor. You can take the bed."


    Mildred stared at him, aghast. How was that possible? He was her boss. She couldn''t possibly let


    him sleep on the floor.


    Maria took advantage of the situation and said, "I think that''s a good idea. Just set your mind at


    ease, Mildred. Norman won''t do anything to you."


    Norman was torn. Contrary to how Maria had described him to be, he wanted to do something to


    Mildred.


    Since they said so, Mildred did not insist further. With a nod, she finally agreed. "Okay."


    As soon as they parted to go to their respective rooms, James asked his men to make dinner


    arrangements.


    In the evening, the three women went for a soak in the hot spring together.


    Meanwhile, the men and the little boy stayed together. With a mutual dislike for each other, the four


    men all upied a hot spring pool each.


    Norman was almostpletely recovered, but he couldn''t stay in the hot spring for long. After a


    while, he lounged by the side of the hot spring pool and yed games on his mobile phone.


    Bob was happily running around.


    As soon as Bob entered Norman''s pool, the little boy quieted down.


    Bob was neither too tall nor too short. When he stood in the water, the hot spring just reached his


    waist, so no one could see what happened below the surface.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Within half a minute, the little guy gave an involuntary shudder.


    Norman suddenly had a bad feeling. "Bob, what are you doing?"


    The little guy pointed at the ce where he stood and said, "Pee! Pee!"


    Norman stared at him in horror. He immediately jumped out of the pool, but not before scooping up


    the little boy standing immobile from the water.


    With a thunderous expression on his face, he took Bob to the neighboring hot spring pool, where


    James was leaning against the edge of the pool and scrolling on his phone to read work emails.


    Norman growled in a low voice, "Did you put him up to it?"


    "What?" James asked in confusion


    Bob was slung under Norman''s armpit. Kicking his legs, he yelled gleefully, "Daddy, pee!"


    James instantly understood what had happened, but there was no need for him to exin to


    Norman.


    Norman threw the little boy into his father''s arms and said, "You''d better take good care of your


    child. What work thing cannot wait when you''re out having fun?" In his mind, James sent Bob to him


    on purpose to make trouble and drive him away.


    After saying that, he turned around and left with an infuriated huff.


    In the hot spring pool, James and his son looked at each other. He shed an approving smile at


    Bob and thought, ''Well done!''


    Then, he rearranged his face into a disappointed expression and said, "Bob, didn''t your mommy tell


    you that you couldn''t pee inside the pool? Why did you do that?"


    Bob looked at him and said, "Mommy! I want


    Mommy."


    James sighed. He also wanted to find Maria, but that wasn''t possible for now.


    He pressed the call bell and instructed the staff to clean up the hot spring pool that Bob had peed


    in.


    Passing by the hot spring pool where the three women were rxing, Norman yelled, "Mildred,


    change my dressing."


    "On my way!" With a ssh, Mildred stood up from the water.


    After saying a hasty goodbye to the other two women, she ran away d in her bathrobe.


    "Who is she to Mr. Shen?" asked Meagan curiously.


    Maria smiled mysteriously and said, "She is his maid for now. However, that may change in the


    future." Maybe one day, when Norman was tired of ying cat and mouse, Mildred would be


    his wife.


    Meagan''s curious expression finally cleared. She understood now.

 Chapter 428 Rosa Asking For Peace

    Chapter 428 Rosa Asking For Peace


    Pulling her bathrobe closed around her, Mildred jogged over to Norman. "Let''s go!"


    In the dim light, she was catching her breath slightly, and her face was flushed from soaking in the


    hot pool. "Okay," said Norman, forcing himself to look away from Mildred. His Adam''s apple bobbed


    convulsively as he swallowed.


    Apart from the gauze on his abdomen and a bandage on his left arm, Norman was bare from the


    waist up.


    He walked ahead of Mildred, who followed behind him silently.


    When they got back to the room, Mildred found the medicine box and began to change his dressing.


    As she changed the man''s bandages, one question kept bothering Mildred. His wounds shouldn''t


    come into contact with water, but why did hee to take a bath in the hot spring?


    After his injuries were applied with medicine and fresh bandages, Norman stood up and said, "I


    have some work to deal with. You can go to bed first."


    It was only eight o''clock in the evening, and Mildred was not sleepy yet. Taking the initiative, she


    offered, "You''re injured, so I''ll sleep on the floor. I''ll make a bed now." "No, the wounds don''t bother


    me anymore. You can sleep in the bed." With those words, Norman walked out of the bedroom.


    Mildred did not emerge from the room after that. Instead, she prepared a makeshift bed on the floor


    andy down to y with her phone.


    When Norman returned, the woman was chatting with someone on the phone. With a slight frown,


    he called out, "Mildred."


    "Eh?" Mildred quickly put down her phone and sat up from her makeshift bed.


    "Go to the bed." Norman looked unhappy.


    "But you..."


    Norman scanned the bed and then dered, "The bed looks big enough. We can share."


    ''Share...the bed?'' Mildred gasped, her eyes wide open.


    In a seemingly indifferent tone, Norman said, "Go and fix the bed. I don''t like people getting too


    close to me, so you''d better keep your quilt away from me."


    ''Eh?'' Mildred secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but some of her nervousness persisted. "Norman..."


    His voice sounded a little impatient when he replied, "Do you have anything else to say?"


    "No, no." Afraid of angering him, she quickly rose to her feet and went to the bed.


    The two of themy down on the big bed. Mildred did not dare to move an inch, staying near the


    edge of the bed.


    As if he had fallen asleep, Norman didn''t move, either. Little by little, Mildred rxed and soon


    drifted off to sleep.


    As soon as her breathing evened out, the man carefully turned over in the darkness. His eyes were


    full of affection as he stared at the sleeping girl.


    The next morning, Maria, James, and Bob were the first ones to leave, followed by Ethan.


    Then, Lawrence and Meagan soon followed suit. Norman and Mildred were thest ones to leave.


    Maria was thrown into the hustle and bustle of her work. During the times when she had some


    spare time, she was left wishing that she could go back to her days of rxation in the hot spring


    club.


    As usual, she went back to the Golden Mansion, and James followed her there as if nothing had


    happened.


    Helplessly, Maria could only try and ignore the man and let him do whatever he wanted.


    One day, she received an unexpected call from Rosa.


    "Hello, Mrs. Zheng," Maria greeted the other woman sarcastically.


    "Maria, I''m at your Miracle Cafe. Can we have a chat?"


    "Okay." It was just a chat. Of course, Maria was not afraid of meeting up with Rosa.


    However, she would rather avoid any mischief Rosa might cause, even though they would be


    meeting in Maria''s territory. Before she left, Maria arranged for several bodyguards to follow her


    secretly.


    Maria pushed open the door of the cafe and walked in to find Rosa looking at her phone. When she


    saw the neer, she slid her phone into her bag and said, "Have a seat, please."


    Maria sat opposite her and asked calmly, "What''s up, Mrs. Zheng?"


    Rosa picked up the paper bag beside her and pushed it in front of Maria with a kind smile. "I came


    here today to apologize to you. To show my sincerity, I''ve brought you a small gift."


    With James tightening the noose, HM Group was heading toward destruction. Ahead of time,


    James had arranged everything so thoroughly and ruthlessly that Colby couldn''t even fight back.


    Because of Maria''s revenge, Rosa''s health had been negatively affected. If it went on like this, HM


    Group would be run to the ground within half a year.


    Once HM Group copsed, Rosa would lose everything-money, status, and reputation. By then, she


    would be a nobody.


    Therefore, to keep the things that she had grown ustomed to, she needed to bow to Maria.


    Maria took out a box from inside the paper box and saw a dazzling gemstone ne. The jewelry


    cost at least ten million dors.


    "Maria, I want to apologize to you for everything that happened before. As long as you let go of HM


    Group, I can apologize to you in public."


    Maria looked away from the ne and met Rosa''s eyes. "Really?"


    "Yes."


    "All right. As long as you are willing to apologize, I will let everything go. How about this? Since


    you''ve given me such a precious gift, I want to invite you to dinner or drink in return." Her fingertips


    gently caressed the ne.


    Rosa shook her head. "There''s no need. I only want you to ept my apology." She looked quite


    sincere.


    Maria smiled. "That''s not eptable. Actually, a friend of mine has invited me to his birthday


    celebration tonight. Let''s go together! I will wear the ne, and everyone will be able to see how


    impable your taste is."


    Maria''s ready eptance aroused Rosa''s suspicions. "Who''s celebrating his birthday?"


    "You know him-Tate Sima, a shareholder of DK Group." Maria kept staring at the ne. She


    seemed to like it very much.


    Indeed, Rosa knew Tate Sima since thetter had cooperated with HM Group before. "What else do


    you need me to do?"


    "Of course, I need you to apologize publicly. After all, you have wronged me so many times before."


    There was an aggrieved expression in Maria''s eyes. "But I''m not a difficult person to deal with. As


    long as you are willing to apologize to me in public, I''m willing to let bygones be bygones and make


    peace with you."


    "Deal. I will make arrangements for a tea party one of these days so I can publicly apologize to you.


    However, don''t forget to tell Mr. Xi to spare HM Group."


    "Okay." Her eyes gleaming, Maria snapped the brocade box closed. When she looked back at


    Rosa, her eyes shone with sincerity.


    After that, the two women parted ways, each lost in her own thoughts.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Once she was back in her car, Rosa called Colby. "She has agreed to make peace as long as I


    publicly apologize."


    "She did?" Colby was taken aback by this development. Since when did Maria be so


    easygoing? "You have to keep an eye on her. That woman knows how to hide herself." Otherwise,


    she never would have been able to deceive him.


    "I will."


    To prepare for the party, Maria changed into a long dress with a ck duster coat draped over her


    shoulders. She wore the gemstone ne that Rosa gave her. The jewelry was on the


    mboyant side, but at least it did not sh with her outfit.


    With a gift and a purse in her hand, Rosa stood waiting for her by the door when she arrived. When


    she saw the ne framed by Maria''s outfit, a hint of mockery shed in her eyes. ''She likes


    money, after all.''


    "Sorry, I''mte!" Maria greeted her with a smile.


    Rosa shook her head. "It''s okay. Let''s go inside!"


    "Okay."


    Tate held his birthday party at a nightclub, and many of his friends from all walks of life were in


    attendance. Everyone was amazed when they saw the gemstone ne on Maria''s neck.


    In the face of everyone''s praise, Maria shed Rosa a smile. "Ah? This was given to me as a gift by


    my good friend Rosa. I really like it!"


    All of them looked at Rosa with admiration. "Mrs. Zheng, you are so generous!"

 Chapter 429 Working For Her

    Chapter 429 Working For Her


    "Maria, I envy you for having such a generous friend like Mrs. Zheng."


    Rosa, who had been on her guard since the beginning, started to rx as praises were heaped


    upon her person from other party guests.


    Maria raised her ss and dered, "Rosa, let bygones be bygones! I absolutely adore this


    ne. I''d like to propose a toast to you!" Then, the woman drained the contents of her wine


    ss.


    Rosa could hardly refuse to drink after such a gesture, so she drank a ss of wine in one gulp,


    too.


    Then, other guests came over one after another to propose a toast to Rosa. "Mrs. Zheng, where did


    you buy the ne? How much was it?"


    "About thirty million dors, in Brazil."


    The woman''s eyes lit up. "Wow! Thirty million dors! How generous of you, Mrs. Zheng! It''s my


    honor to get to know you. Let me propose a toast to you!"


    Tonight, Maria showed respect to Rosa, which built up her confidence and dignity among these


    people. Thus, her mood was greatly improved. The others were enthusiastic to propose a toast to


    her, so she drank several more sses of wine.


    Maria looked over at Rosa, who was busily talking andughing with others, and a mocking sneer


    twisted her mouth. Then, she winked at a ck-d woman in the corner of the room.


    Sending her a slight nod in return, the woman approached the party''s host and clinked her wine


    ss with the man. "Mr. Sima, happy birthday," the woman greeted him.


    "Thank you!"


    "Actually, there is something you need to know, but I''m not sure whether I should tell you. After all,


    you are married."


    Curious, Tate reassured her, "It''s alright, you can tell me. Go on."


    "It''s about Rosa." Tate''s gaze followed the woman''s tond on Rosa, who was chatting and drinking


    in the middle of a group of people.


    "She has always been interested in you, but she doesn''t dare to confess. She''s been begging Maria


    to take her to your birthday party when she found out that today is your birthday."


    Confusion clouded Tate''s expression upon hearing this. "Wait. Isn''t her husband Colby Zheng?"


    The woman appeared a little surprised. "Yes, but both of them have lovers. Don''t you know that


    Colby has an illegitimate son?"


    "I''ve heard rumors about it, but I don''t know if they''re true."


    "Well, Mr. Sima, where there''s smoke, there''s fire."


    Tate nodded, appearing to be deep in thought. "You have a point."


    "Just now, she said that she has seen you several times before and that she greatly admires you.


    She doesn''t dare to approach you because you are married."


    "Really?" Evidently from the man''s self-satisfied expression, this piece of information had stroked


    his ego.


    "Yes. I just thought that you should know, but please let this be off the record, Mr. Sima. Don''t tell


    anyone that I was the one who told you." The woman smiled and soon walked away after Tate gave


    her his word to not reveal the source of information.


    At the end of the birthday party, the guests left one after another. Following suit, Maria stood up but


    then staggered and fell back on the sofa.


    "Ms. Song, watch out!" Tate eximed, helping her up.


    Maria waved her hand and nced at the woman seated beside her. "Rosa, are you okay?"


    "Yeah." Rosa was sitting with her head back and her eyes closed, obviously drunk.


    Maria looked up at their host and said, "I''m sorry, Mr. Sima, but Rosa seems to have drunk too


    much tonight. Could I trouble you to bring her home?"


    "Of course I will!" Tate agreed without the least amount of hesitation. "How will you go back then,


    Ms. Song?"


    "Oh, James will be picking me up. I''ll just wait for him."


    "Okay, I''ll drive Mrs. Zheng home."


    "Thank you."


    Tate picked up the barely conscious woman and strode out of the door.


    Once the others were gone, Maria''s drunken lethargy suddenly evaporated, leaving a sober


    expression in her eyes.


    With a sneer, she stood up and left.


    Before she got in the car, she pulled the ne off and signaled to a bodyguard hidden in the


    dark. "Take this and sell it. You can split the money with your colleagues!"


    The bodyguard hesitated. "But..."


    Maria chucked the ne at him, cutting off his protest. "Just take it! Thank you for your hard


    work!" Then, she whirled around and slipped inside the car.


    Any gift from Rosa disgusted her, even if it was worth three hundred billion dors.


    After the car left the nightclub, Maria dialed a number. "Wire her the money, and inform Mr. Sima''s


    wife to go back and catch the two of them in the act."


    "Yes, Ms. Song!"


    Of course, Maria was the one who had arranged for the woman to tell Tate tonight that Rosa had a


    crush on him. That woman was on her payroll to do things for her.


    In his manor, James was about to go to the bathroom when Maria stopped him. "Wait a minute."


    "What''s wrong? Do you want to join me? I don''t mind." The man looked at her with an eyebrow


    raised teasingly.


    Maria rolled her eyes at him. "I just wanted to ask you if you did anything behind my back on that


    day we went shopping."


    "Didn''t you ask me the same question already? What happened?" "If you didn''t do anything, then


    what''s with the new clothes in the closet?" Maria saw the new clothes and recognized them as the


    ones she had tried on that day. Just as she had suspected, James had asked someone to buy


    them.


    James didn''t know that she was referring to the clothes until she mentioned them. "I didn''t do


    anything behind your back. What I did was to make a call and tell someone to buy them. I didn''t tell


    that person to hide from you during the purchase."


    Maria red at him. He was ying with semantics!


    To her surprise, he threw a question back at her. "Then why did you suspect me that day?"


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    "I guessed." She tried to muddle through.


    The answer was obvious. James pointed it out to her. "Did you feel sorry for having tried on so


    many clothes without buying them that you secretly arranged for someone to purchase them for


    you? And then, did your people find out that the clothes were already off the shelves? But you were


    not sure whether I had someone buy the clothes. You didn''t ask me because you would have felt


    embarrassed if it turned out that I didn''t buy the clothes."


    It was irritating, the way this man managed to read her mind so perfectly. Feigning annoyance, she


    pushed at his chest and growled, "Go to take your shower!"


    Smiling, he grabbed her hand and kissed her wrist. "Okay."


    "Hurry up!"


    "Yes, ma''am!"


    Maria had tofort herself as James went to take his shower. It wasn''t until she had gotten over


    her embarrassment that shey down on the bed.


    The next morning, a sharp voice rang inside an apartment in a high-endmunity. "Tate! Bitch!


    You shameless people!"


    The woman''s strident voice managed to wake the couple sleeping in the bed. Rosa blearily opened


    her eyes and stared in shock at the unfamiliar ceiling.


    As she sat up, her head whirling, her eyes met the shing eyes of the woman standing by the


    bedside.


    Next to her, the man started putting on his clothes. "Honey, why are you back?"


    In the next moment, the woman sprang forward and angrily pped the disoriented Rosa across


    the face. "You slut! How dare you seduce my husband?!"


    The sharp sting shook Rosa out of her daze. Looking down at her unclothed state, she suddenly


    understood the situation and fell back against the headboard, stunned. "What happened?" She was


    drunkst night, and then... She couldn''t remember anything else.


    Why was she in Tate''s bed when she woke up?


    "How dare you seduce my husband? I''m calling Colby Zheng!" Tate''s wife took out her phone and


    began to dial a number like she had just threatened to do.


    Rosa hastily stopped her. "No! Don''t call him!" Heedless of her disarrayed state, she lunged out of


    the bed and attempted to snatch the woman''s phone away.


    However, her hangover got the worst of her, leaving her without strength and suffering from a


    splitting headache.

 Chapter 430 Colbys Visit

    Chapter 430 Colby''s Visit


    Tate''s wife pushed Rosa away and, ignoring how she fell sprawled on the floor, proceeded to make


    the call.


    The situation did not look good, so Tate had no qualms throwing her under the bus. "Honey, she


    was the one who seduced me! I only offered her to drive her home out of kindness, but she threw


    herself at me and told me that she loved me! She didn''t want to leave!"


    Rosa''s eyebrows nearly met her hairline. "You''re talking nonsense!" She didn''t even know this man


    that well. How could she be in love with him? Besides, he looked so disgusting that she would never


    even be attracted to him.


    As soon as the call came through, Tate''s wifeined in an angry voice, "Mr. Zheng, what kind


    of person is your wife? How could she sleep with a married man?"


    Colby was having a morning meeting at the time. When he heard the woman''s diatribe, he stepped


    away for a bit and asked, "What are you talking about? Please make it clear!"


    "Your wife seduced my husband, and I caught them in bed together! Your loose woman is lying


    naked on my own bed as we speak! Is that clear enough for you?"


    Colby was at a loss for words.


    Later, in Zheng family''s house


    His face livid, Colby gave the woman a thunderous re. "Rosa, what the hell is going on?"


    Trembling in fear, Rosa cried out, "It was Maria! She set me up!" Who else could frame her like this?


    Colby sneered. "Did she deliver you to another man''s bed?"


    "No, I was drunk. She had other people make me drink." Rosa tried to exin.


    "You have made me lose face!" Colby growled furiously.


    Upon hearing thatment, Rosa gave Colby a mocking grin. "Not only did you sleep with a bald


    woman, you also have an illegitimate son."


    "I''m a man, and you''re a woman. It''s a sin for a woman to cheat on her husband!"


    "How ridiculous! This isn''t fair!" Rosa yelled, blood rushing to her face in her fury.


    However, her protests and exnations fell on deaf ears. "Let''s divorce, Rosa!" Colby said.


    "Colby, don''t be fooled by Maria! She is trying to sow dissent between us!" In a panic, Rosa stood


    up and grabbed his arm.


    Colby shook her off and left the vi with a heavy sigh.


    A light snort came from the stairway on the second floor. "I thought that you were quite capable. I


    didn''t expect you to be fooled by Maria so miserably."


    Even without turning around, Rosa knew who it was. "Joslyn, this is a matter between your father


    and me.


    Don''t interfere."


    "I''m not going to interfere!" Joslyn turned around and entered her room, leaving Rosa alone in the


    living room.


    Clenching her fists tightly, Rosa mentally swore at Maria.


    After leaving the vi, Colby didn''t go back to thepany. Instead, he called yton up, and the


    two of them went to Augustine''s house.


    They had already called several times before, so Augustine didn''t turn them away. Instead, he


    called James. "Colby and yton are going to visit me. What do you think is their purpose?"


    "I''ll have someone take Bob away." What else could those two want by visiting his grandfather?


    Maybe it was for theirpanies'' sake.


    "Okay."


    After the phone call, James instructed Summer to pick up Bob and bring him to his manor.


    Then, he sent a message to Maria. "Bob is in the manor."


    Now that Bob was in the manor, Maria had to go there if she wanted to see him.


    Maria couldn''t figure out why James picked up Bob so early. ''Maybe he got off work earlier than


    expected, '' she thought.


    Augustine and Charlotte exchanged pleasantries with the guests and sat down first. Colby and


    yton followed suit.


    As the maid served them tea, Colby''s nce happened tond on a toy by his side. He picked it up


    and yed with it, remarking casually, "So Mr. Xi, you found a child on the street and brought him


    home?"


    Augustine''s face remained unchanged. "Yes. We have been looking for his parents for a long time,


    but we haven''t found them yet. What kind of parents could


    be so cruel?"


    Just then, a cry came from upstairs. "How old is the child?" asked yton.


    "Five or six months old. The doctor has examined the child and said that he''s perfectly healthy. I


    really can''t figure it out," Augustine said feelingly.


    "He is so lucky to have been picked up by the two of you, Mr. and Mrs. Xi," ytonmented with


    a smile.


    Augustine didn''t say anything more about the child and urged them to drink tea. "Try the green tea


    my grandson has brought. It''s fresh tea that has just been made several days ago."


    Colby and yton picked up their teacups, smelled the fragrance of tea, and nodded their heads in


    agreement.


    A few minutester, they heard a noise at the gate of the vi, and then a maid greeted, "Mr. Xi, you


    are here."


    "Yeah."


    ''Mr. Xi? It must be James. Why did hee here, too?'' The two men in the tea room exchanged a


    look.


    Soon, James strode into the tea room. ncing at the people inside, he greeted, "Grandpa and


    Grandma."


    Augustine waved a hand at James and said, "You''re just in time! Colby and yton are also here.


    Come in and have a seat."


    James sat down after greeting the guests.


    Colby had wanted to say something to Augustine, but James'' arrival interrupted him. Now he finally


    had the chance to speak up. "Mr. Xi, I came here today to ask you for help."


    To save HM Group, he no longer cared about his dignity.


    "Go ahead, Colby," Augustine encouraged, putting down the teacup.


    Colby nced at the silent man not too far away and cleared his throat. "Well, I won''t beat around


    the bush. You must have heard that HM Group is not doing well recently, right?"


    Augustine''s face reflected his confusion. "Really? What''s wrong with HM Group?"


    His response made Colby a little embarrassed, but he had no choice. Biting down the bullet, he


    continued, "It was because of the grudge between my wife and Ms. Song, which has gotten several


    companies involved. I may have done something wrong before, and now I''m obviously being


    targeted. So, I want to ask James for help. Please save HM Group!"


    He didn''t say that James was the one targeting HM Group.


    James, who was sipping on his tea, smirked.


    Colby continued, "Mr. Xi, we had cooperated with each other many times when you were in charge


    of HL Group, so you know HM Group quite well. I was also hoping that you could give me some


    advice."


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    Augustine listened to Colby silently.


    Everyone else was very quiet in the tea room except for yton, who asionally put in a good


    word for HM Group.


    The two of them were both begging Augustine, ignoring Charlotte who was sitting beside her


    husband.


    Holding a cup of tea in his hand, James sneered. ''No wonder they have been set up so easily.''


    Augustine had been in power over the years, so their assumption that his opinion was the only one


    that mattered was somewhat correct. However, Charlotte had been with Augustine for nearly a


    lifetime, which meant that she was very important to him. Instead of appealing to her for help, they


    chose to ignore her.


    Not only would Charlotte, but Augustine would also feel ufortable.


    James had seen with his own eyes how Maria would plead with Charlotte whenever she needed


    help. Even if Augustine didn''t mean to agree, he would eventually say yes because of Charlotte''s


    persuasion.


    Thus, it didn''t matter if one asked them for help. The key was that they had to ask the right person.

 Chapter 431 A Laughingstock

    Chapter 431 A Laughingstock


    Half an hourter, Colby and yton left Augustine''s house.


    Augustine followed them to the door to see them off, while James remained seated in the tea room


    and continued to look at his phone.


    When the old man returned to the tea room, he took a look at his grandson and said, "James, you


    can do whatever you want. Charlotte, let''s go back to our room."


    As he spoke, he held out his hand to Charlotte, who was behind him.


    The elderly couple went back to their room arm in arm. Augustine snorted and said, "I don''t care


    about them." They had known him for so many years, but they still didn''t know how to respect his


    wife, so he didn''t see why he should care about them.


    Charlotte smiled but didn''t say anything. This matter had nothing to do with her. She wasn''t the one


    that Colby and yton had asked for help, so she had no reason to get involved.


    After leaving his grandfather''s house, James called Maria. "Do you want to attend the party hosted


    by Mu Group tonight?"


    "No, I want to spend time with Bob," Maria replied. She had been rushing to finish her work as soon


    as possible, so that she could go home early to be with her son.


    Unlike her, James was unreliable. He had picked Bob up from Augustine''s house, but after that, he


    had left him under Ethan''s care.


    "Okay," James agreed simply.


    Night fell. In the banquet hall on the first floor of a five-star hotel, guests raised toasts to each other.


    Everyone present at this party was either rich or powerful.


    A few minutes after arriving at the party and greeting acquaintances, James was about to leave.


    Just before leaving, he sent a message to Maria saying, "What do you want to eat? I''ll get it for


    you."


    "I want to eat durian. Will you get that for me, Mr. Xi?" Maria asked yfully.


    Every time she ate durian, James would avoid her like the gue. He wouldn''t get close to her until


    she brushed her teeth and the smell disappearedpletely.


    As expected, he replied, "You can eat it when I''m not around." He still wanted to sleep with her in


    his arms tonight.


    In response, Maria just sent him an emoji to show that she was rolling her eyes at him.


    When James strode out of the hotel, a woman rushed over and blocked his way. "Mr. Xi!"


    "Mrs. Zheng," he said, with disdain dripping from his eyes.


    He wasn''t surprised to see Rosa here, but he had no interest in talking to her.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Rosa, who was a little afraid of the man in front of her, took a deep breath to calm herself down


    before speaking. "I have something to tell you."


    "Mrs. Zheng, please make an appointment first. I''m very busy." After saying that, James was about


    to walk away.


    Rosa blurted out desperately, "Maria was an idiot. You didn''t love her at all, but she was willing to


    give up her studies and her dreams to be a housewife for you!"


    Her words sessfully caught James'' attention. He stopped in his tracks and turned around, but


    the expression on his face was unreadable.


    "She learned how to tie a necktie, how to cook, how to make coffee, how to deal with finance, and


    even how to match clothes specially for you, but what was the use? You never ate the meals she


    cooked for you, nor did you take a sip of the coffee she prepared. She didn''t want to distract you


    from your work, so she allowed Judy and the others to bully her, and never onceined to you.


    She lowered herself so much, all for the sake of a man who didn''t care about her at all. Wasn''t she


    the stupidest person in the world?"


    The reason why Rosa was saying all these things to James was that she simply wanted to vent her


    anger and disgrace Maria in the process. The flicker of emotion that she noticed in the man''s eyes


    encouraged her to continue.


    "It might seem like she has many friends and pursuers, but no one really loves her. In the past, you


    always wanted to kill her; Lawrence has no feelings for her; and Norman has someone he likes. The


    men wooing her are the ones who are attracted to her beauty. Maria is aughingstock!


    The Song family severed the rtionship with her. Her own mother thinks of her as an ungrateful


    child. I admit that you''re very kind to her now. But Mr. Xi, don''t you think it''s toote for you to


    reciprocate her feelings? Your affection means nothing to her now. Do you really think she still loves


    you and wants to stay by your side?


    She used to be so humble in front of you, and even in front of every other member of the Xi family,


    but you just turned a blind eye to that. What makes you think she wants to be with you now? Mr. Xi,


    you know nothing about women!" Rosa wanted to drive a wedge between Maria and James, just


    like Maria had done to her and Colby.


    James stood there quietly with his hands in the pockets of his trousers, not saying a word.


    "Mr. Xi, you''re feeling guilty after hearing what I said, right? You have fallen in love with Maria. But


    it''s toote. I''m certain she won''t stay by your side. The only reason she''s with you now is so that


    she can take advantage of your power to take revenge on everyone who hurt her. But Mr. Xi, don''t


    forget that you''re the one who hurt her the most. She will eventually turn against you.


    Someone mentioned a man about whom she mmed up even after being plied with three sses


    of wine. Let me tell you the answer. The man is you, Mr. Xi!"


    Rosa''sst few words seemed to set off an explosion in James'' mind, as if he was suddenly struck


    by a bitter realization.


    Fragments of memories shed through his mind.


    Long ago, he had asked Maria, "How do you know how to tie a necktie?"


    She had answered that she had grown up with a lot of men around her, so she had specially


    learned it. After that, she had even handed him a watch and a handkerchief to match the necktie,


    which made her seem so professional.


    It turned out that she had learned how to do these things just to please him.


    Not to mention her cooking and coffee-brewing skills, which he knew better than anyone else.


    James'' emotions were now so intense that they were seeping through his expression, much to


    Rosa''s satisfaction. She continued, "She walked into the wedding hall arm in arm with you, and she


    was left behind by you at the wedding. She was used of killing her own child. She was betrayed


    by her own family. She was divorced by you. Maria went through all those ordeals for you, but the


    woman you loved was not her. Mr. Xi, don''t you think Maria''s situation was pathetic?"


    Rosa remembered that, at that time, many people said that James loved Alina. Although Rosa was


    not sure whether it was true or not, she was sure that whoever James loved in the past, it wasn''t


    Maria. That was why she was so confident about her statement.


    James finally came back to his senses, and his eyes filled with coldness. "Who the hell are you?"


    How did this woman know so much about Maria?


    "Let me tell you the truth!" Rosa replied. Colby had already decided to divorce her, so she had


    nothing left to lose.


    "I used to be a maid in the Xi family. I knew Maria from the day she married you. That stupid woman


    used to take me as a good friend and tell me everything, whether it was about you or the Song


    family. But I didn''t want to be friends with her at all. She was so stupid!"


    Since James seldom came back home, and there were so many servants in the Xi family, he didn''t


    remember an ordinary maid like Rosa.


    With a mocking smile, Rosa continued, "I bet Maria will never tell you all these things from her own


    lips. But I want you to know what you missed back then.


    After everything that happened, it''s impossible for you to win her heart back!"

 Chapter 432 I Missed It

    Chapter 432 I Missed It


    This evening, James had learned a lot of things from Rosa.


    He now knew all about how far and beyond Maria had gone for him.


    In the past, she had only had eyes for him, as if her whole world revolved around him.


    She had learned how to cook and make coffee just to please him.


    After getting married to him, she had always brought all hisundry to the cleaner''s in person. After


    getting the clean clothes, she had folded them one by one and arranged them in his closet.


    Later, James would learn that Maria had spent a lot of time and effort on learning how to tie a


    necktie, so that she could do it for him one day. When that day finally came and she had the chance


    to put what she had learned into practice, she had been so happy that she had almost cried.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    James would also learn that, in the past, every time Maria heard that he wasing back home,


    she would cook for him in person.


    After saying everything that she wanted to say and getting a satisfactory reaction from James, Rosa


    ran off, clutching the fabric of her dress to lift her hemline.


    James walked back to his car like a zombie, slid into the back seat, and leaned back with his eyes


    closed. Noticing that he was in a bad mood, Gary asked cautiously, "Mr. Xi, do you want to go back


    to the manor?"


    Silence pervaded the car. After a long time, Gary finally received an answer. "Go to the Leopard


    Club." "Yes, sir."


    With that, Gary drove to the Leopard Club.


    At ten o''clock that night, Ethan and another young man from a rich family walked out of a private


    room, with their arms slung around each other''s shoulders, chatting andughing.


    Just then, the manager walked up to Ethan and said in a low voice, "Mr. Nan, I just saw Mr. Xi


    here."


    Ethan''s face was red after all the wine that he had drunk. Blinking his eyes, he asked, "Isn''t it


    normal for him to be here?"


    "Yes, but he is here alone. It has already been an hour since he entered the private room," the


    manager exined tentatively.


    It was true that James was a regr guest at this club, but there would only be two reasons for his


    visits. He woulde here for a business party, or he woulde here to hang out with Ethan or


    Lawrence.


    "He has been in a private room alone for an hour?" Ethan echoed, furrowing his eyebrows in


    confusion. Feeling that something was wrong, he quickly took out his phone and looked at the


    screen. He didn''t have any missed calls or messages from James.


    "Yes, he asked us to bring him some bottles of liquor," the manager continued. In fact, not only did


    he find James'' behavior odd, but he was also worried. James had ordered so many bottles of


    alcohol for just him alone. What if he ended up drinking too much without anyone to notice or take


    care of him? That was why the manager had rushed to find Ethan, who was fortunately here with


    his friend.


    Hearing what the manager said, Ethan turned to his friend and said, "You go ahead. We can meet


    another day. I''ll go and check on James."


    "Okay. I am leaving now."


    "Okay."


    As soon as Ethan opened the door of Room No. 666, the pungent smell of alcohol entered his


    nostrils.


    The dimly-lit room was clouded over with cigarette smoke, making it hard to see anything inside.


    It was not until he took a few steps inside that Ethan could make out the decadent man lying on the


    sofa. His eyes widened in surprise as he asked, "James?"


    Next to the many several empty bottles. There were still two unopened bottles of liquor, and the


    ashtray on the table was full of cigarette butts.


    James opened his eyes, took a nce at Ethan, and then closed his eyes again without saying a


    word.


    Ethan walked over to him and snatched away the bottle in his hand. "What the hell is wrong with


    you? Why did you drink so much?" He had never seen James get drunk like this before. It was not


    his style. He had always drunk in moderation.


    Besides, James had sounded normal when he had called him in the afternoon and asked him to


    take care of Bob. What could have possibly happened in the span of a few hours to put him in such


    a state?


    James continued to lie there silently without answering Ethan''s question.


    After thinking for a while, Ethan asked tentatively, "Did something happen to yourpany?


    Or did you quarrel with Maria? No, you look too depressed. I don''t think you would be like this


    because of something as simple as a quarrel. Did Maria cheat on you?" Hearing no response from


    James, Ethan murmured to himself, "But Maria is not that kind of person, is she?"


    James still didn''t utter a single word, but took the bottle back from Ethan and drank some more. His


    phone kept vibrating in his pocket, but he paid no attention to it.


    Ethan once again snatched the bottle from his hand and sighed. "All right, all right. Aren''t you afraid


    that you''ll have gastric bleeding?"


    At the mention of the words "gastric bleeding," James'' eyes began to water. He remembered that


    Maria had also drunk too much and suffered from gastric bleeding because of him back then.


    "I''ll drive you home. You''re already a father, but you still drink like you''re in the prime of your youth.


    Aren''t you afraid that Maria will punish you?" Ethan continued, trying to help James up from the


    sofa.


    When James shrugged him off, Ethan sighed and sat next to him on the sofa. "James, don''t hold


    back your feelings. Whatever it is, you can talk to me about it. I promise I won''t tell anyone, let alone


    laugh at you."


    James wordlessly took the cigarette pack and opened it, only to realize that there were no


    cigarettes left. He held his palm out in front of Ethan and said, "Give me a cigarette."


    Ethan stared back at him without reaching for his pocket. "If you tell me what''s wrong with you, I''ll


    give it to you."


    Hearing this, James didn''t say anything more. Instead, he closed his eyes again and continued to lie


    on the sofa like a corpse.


    Feeling helpless, Ethan said, "If you''re not going to tell me what happened, I''ll call Maria." "No!"


    James jumped up and grabbed the phone that Ethan had just taken out from his pocket. He was too


    guilty and ashamed to face Maria right now.


    Of course, as soon as Ethan saw his reaction, he guessed that whatever had driven James to drink


    like a fish, it must have something to do with Maria. Shaking his head, he said, "James, don''t keep it


    to yourself. I''m worried about you."


    But once again, James stayed silent.


    Realizing that there was no point in continuing to press James for an answer, Ethan picked up the


    bottle and poured himself a ss of liquor. "Fine, it doesn''t matter if you don''t tell me. Come on, I''ll


    drink for you. You don''t have to drink."


    After saying that, he took a sip of the strong alcohol, but it was so spicy that it made his face


    contort. "Whoa, you''re really a master at drinking."


    "I missed it," James said all of a sudden, looking into the distance with his bleary eyes.


    It was only now that he realized what he had let slip through his fingers. He had lost the love of a


    girl who only cared about him.


    Many years ago, when Maria had just married him, she was still a pure and innocent girl, with


    simple desires. But now, she was like a rose covered in thorns, full of bitterness and hatred.


    "What?" Ethan asked in confusion.


    "I missed the pure and sincere love of a young girl," James replied, still staring off into space. Back


    then, Maria had done everything she could for him without expecting anything in return. She hadn''t


    had any


    hidden motives or schemes.


    Ethan was shocked to hear. Suppressing his urge to cover James''s mouth with his palm, he hissed,


    "James, keep your voice down. If Maria hears what you said, she will kill you."


    "I don''t mind. If she kills me, at least she won''t hate me anymore."


    This statement left Ethan even more confused. But since James was really drunk, he just chalked it


    off as nonsense.


    "Ethan," James called out, turning his head to stare at Ethan.


    Ethan could not help but shiver under his friend''s solemn gaze. "If you have something to say, just


    say it. Don''t look at me like that."


    "No matter what happens in the future, you have to help Maria unconditionally, the same way you


    will always help me." James knew that, just like Rosa had said just now, Maria wouldn''t be able to


    forgive him easily for the things he had done to her in the past. If not for her hunger for revenge, she


    might never have appeared in front of him again.


    If Rosa had told him these things as soon as Maria had returned to H City, James would not have


    felt the way he did now. He might not even have felt sad at all. But now, he felt like his heart was


    being torn apart. He had fallen in love with her so quickly and deeply.


    After a moment of heavy silence, Ethan hesitantly asked, "James...are you going to kill yourself?"


    James almost scoffed out loud. Pinching the space between his eyebrows, he said in a low voice,


    "Help me up."


    "Okay."


    Just as James rose up to a sitting position, his phone buzzed again in his pocket. He took it out and,


    seeing that he was getting a call from Maria, answered the call immediately. "Hi, honey."

 Chapter 433 Go Ahead

    Chapter 433 Go Ahead


    James'' voice was so tender that Ethan felt a wave of goose bumps spread over his skin. "Ugh, it


    makes me want to throw up," heined in a low voice.


    Maria, who had finally managed to get through to James, breathed a sigh of relief. "What''s wrong


    with you? Didn''t you say you woulde back home after the dinner party? Why did you go to


    Leopard Club?" He had told her that he woulde home soon, but after ying with Bob and


    putting him to sleep, she still saw no sign of him.


    Naturally, she couldn''t help but worry about him. To her surprise, when she called Gary, she learned


    that James had gone to Leopard Club without telling Gary about his purpose.


    "It doesn''t matter. I''ming home now," James mumbled into the phone, somewhat coherently.


    Then, he hung up and rose to his feet, but his head was spinning so much that he sat back down on


    the sofa.


    Ethan hastily reached out to support him. "James, be careful."


    "I''m fine," James said, waving him away.


    Rolling his eyes, Ethan held James'' arm and led him out of the private room. Every few steps,


    James staggered, and would fall down to the floor if he wasn''t holding the wall.


    The manager who had been worried about James was waiting outside the door to see what had


    happened. When he saw the two men walking out, he hastily helped Ethan support James, and


    then asked a club employee to prepare the car.


    As the three men rounded a corner, a drunk woman singing a love song rushed forward out of


    nowhere and bumped into James.


    The slightly pungent smell of her perfume mixed with the smell of alcohol made James'' stomach


    roll. He ordered in a low voice, "Throw her out!"


    "Yes, Mr. Xi." The manager immediately asked his employees to deal with the drunk woman.


    Gary was still waiting for James outside. It was the first time that he had seen his boss so drunk, so


    he did a double take before quickly walking over to the manager and taking James over from him.


    He asked in a low voice, "Is Mr. Xi drunk?"


    "Yeah."


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    The manager opened the car door, while Ethan and Gary helped James climb into the car.


    After James was sitting in the back seat, Ethan slid next to him, while Gary went back to the driver''s


    seat and drove towards the vi.


    Maria was sitting in the bedroom and talking to Peggy on the phone when she heard strange noises


    coming from outside.


    She ended the phone in a hurry so that she could go out and have a look.


    Just when she was about to open the front door, she heard a knock.


    She opened the door and saw two men standing outside. Her eyes slid over the both of them in a


    daze. "Ethan? What happened to James? Why is he so drunk?" The stench of alcohol wafting off


    him made her frown.


    Panting, Ethan continued to drag James forward, but James, who heard Maria''s voice, threw his


    arms around her, putting all his weight on her.


    Restraining the urge to kick him, Maria shoved his hands away and said, "James, stand straight!"


    James opened his eyes and clumsily pressed his lips against hers. "Hi, honey."


    Leaning against the door frame, Ethan made a sound simr to gagging. "Stop showing off your


    love in front of me."


    He vowed that in the future, when he had a wife, he would bring her here and show off their love in


    front of James all day long.


    Maria raised her head and, out of the corner of her eye, inadvertently saw a touch of red on the


    man''s white shirt. After taking a closer look at it, she decisively shoved the man who was hugging


    her to Ethan.


    Ethan barely had time to reach out and catch James before he fell to the floor. "James,e on!


    Please stand up!"


    "Where on earth have you been?" Maria crossed her arms over her chest and looked coldly at the


    drunken man.


    "James was drinking alone in Leopard Club, so I brought him home," Ethan exined, struggling to


    support James.


    "Huh! You are indeed good friends. You cover up so well for him." Maria yanked the corner of


    James'' shirt and showed it to Ethan. "What''s this?"


    "What is it?" Ethan looked at the red mark on James'' shirt in confusion. A secondter, a look of


    realization dawned in his eyes. "Oh, right. When we were leaving Leopard Club, a drunk woman


    bumped into him. Maybe her lipstick got smeared at that time."


    "Ha! Wow." Maria pped her hands dramatically. "Ethan, you''re so good ating up with


    excuses. Get out! Take him out!"


    Ethan hadn''t expected such a response, and he became agitated at once. "Maria, it''s true. Don''t


    you believe me?"


    "I do, but I believe my eyes more." With that, Maria shoved the two men out and tried to close the


    door.


    But James blocked her, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her lips. Then, still looking into her


    eyes, he said, "Ethan, take my son away. I''m going to make love to my wife tonight."


    Hearing that, both Ethan and Maria felt equally embarrassed.


    Ethan wished that he hadn''te. He should have asked Gary toe and enjoy the public


    disy of affection instead.


    But since this was his fate, he sidestepped the entangled couple and picked up the little boy who


    was sleeping soundly in the crib. "Bob, let''s go."


    When he passed by the door with Bob in his arms, Maria, who was still struggling against James,


    tried to stop him. "Take James away!" she hissed.


    Ethan continued to walk forward as if he hadn''t heard anything. "Bob and I sleep like logs, so you


    two can have as much fun as you want. It''s a big house with excellent soundproofing. I won''t hear


    you at all!"


    "Okay," James said, still keeping his eyes on Maria.


    Maria was getting more and more desperate. The man in front of her was too big to fight against.


    Now that Ethan and Bob were gone, James lifted Maria up with all his strength, threw her onto the


    bed, and climbed on top of her. Then, he leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Honey, don''t be angry


    with me. Be a good girl."


    "Look who''s talking! How can I not be angry? You''vee home smelling like a bar! Go and take a


    shower! " Maria snapped, turning her face away.


    "Don''t be angry anymore. I asked Cooper to go there so that I coulde home early. Isn''t that


    enough?"


    For a moment, Maria couldn''t figure out what he was talking about at all. Why had he brought up


    Cooper all of a sudden?


    James continued, "There''s really nothing going on between me and Elina. You are the only one in


    my heart." Just like how, many years ago, he had been the only one in her heart.


    Only after hearing that did Maria understand that he was talking about what had happened back in


    T Country. She rolled her eyes and retorted, "It''s not enough!"


    "I really didn''t lie to you about what happened that day," James said earnestly, nudging his nose


    against hers.


    Maria knew that he hadn''t lied to her, and that she could trust him for the time being, but she said,


    "But it''s true that she likes you and you didn''t make it clear."


    James kissed her on the lips again before saying, "Then let me make it up to you for the rest of my


    life."


    Maria was confused. She couldn''t help but wonder what had happened today to make James act so


    different.


    But right now, she couldn''t stand the stench of alcoholing from him. "James, if you don''t go and


    take a shower right now, I''ll be angry!"


    Thest few words did the trick, because James finally slid off her and got up from the bed. He


    looked at her and said, "Come with me."


    "I won''t!"


    "Come!" Without giving her another chance to refuse, he picked her up and kissed her as he carried


    her to the bathroom. "I will always give youpany in the shower from now on."


    Maria scoffed in her head. Who said she wanted hispany in the shower?


    In the end, it took her a lot of effort to clean him up and lead him back to bed. He was like a child,


    clinging to her tightly wherever she went.


    Before she could go and clean up the bathroom, James pulled her down on top of him.


    Burying his face in her chest, he mumbled, "Mia, don''t leave me ever again. I''ll give you everything."


    Maria rolled her eyes and pointed out, "That''s not what you said before."


    Once, she had joked about wanting to transfer all his property and half of hispany shares to her


    name, and James had firmly shot her down.


    "Yes, but I take it back. From now on, I''ll give you whatever you want."


    "Mr. Xi, you''re pping yourself in the face!"


    "It doesn''t matter as long as you forgive me," James replied.


    Maria pulled his head away from her chest and looked into his deep eyes. "Tell me the truth. Are


    you having an affair with someone?" After thinking hard about why he was acting so strangely, she


    guessed that he was afraid that she would find out about his affair, leave with their son, and never


    forgive him.

 Chapter 434 Holding A Wedding

    Chapter 434 Holding A Wedding


    James nced at his watch¡ªit was already midnight. In a calm, methodical fashion, he exined,


    "I called you at around eight o''clock, and then I left at about twenty past eight to go to Leopard Club.


    I got stuck in a traffic jam for ten minutes, and it was around nine in the evening when I arrived at


    the club. I drank more than four bottles of alcohol at a rate of about fifteen minutes to a bottle, which


    took a little more than an hour, and then Ethan came into the private room. Do you really think I had


    the chance to y with another woman?"


    Upon hearing his exnation, Maria began to doubt whether he really was drunk. ''How could he


    remember down to thest detail?'' Unconvinced, she asked, "There''s a lipstick mark on your shirt,


    and you were alone in that private room for an hour. That''s plenty of time for something to happen."


    "You can check with the club''s surveince footage about the lipstick mark. While inside, I talked


    with Cooper on the phone for half an hour. You can check my call records if you want. Technically, I


    stayed unapanied in the room for only half an hour. Don''t you know me by now? Half an hour


    is not nearly enough time for me."


    Maria rolled her eyes. Of course she knew that half an hour for this man was just for forey. She


    cleared her throat. "Maybe you did something in the car..."


    James answered patiently, "Gary drove me to the club. When I came back, Ethan was with me, as


    well. Do you still think the car rides were enough time, or that I would attempt to do something with


    another woman with my subordinate and my good friend


    around?"


    Maria couldn''t fault his logic.


    The man rolled over and pinned her under his body. "Now, it''s my turn to prove that you are the only


    woman in my arms and in my heart."


    After saying that, he swooped down his head to capture her lush red lips with his.


    He wanted to prove himself by doing more.


    Ethan was so rudely awakened in the middle of the night by a p. He opened his sleepy eyes and


    dazedly looked at the little boy sitting next to him. He muttered in a hoarse voice, "Bob, you should


    be asleep!"


    Bob said in a intive voice, "Mom!" Obviously, the kid wanted to be with his mother.


    Ethan pulled him into his arms and murmured soothingly, "Your mom and your dad are making a


    brother for you, so we can''t disturb them, okay? Good boy."


    Bob quieted down and said after some thought, "Sister."


    "Okay, okay. Your parents are making a sister for you. Let''s go to sleep!" Ethan reassured him.


    Anyway, he wasn''t the one making a baby, and it was all up to the kid''s parents. James could make


    whatever Bob wanted.


    The sleepy man didn''t know whether the little guy understood him or not, but Bob had finally


    stopped fussing. After a while, Ethan closed his eyes and fell asleep again.


    Early morning on the next day, someone knocked on the bedroom door while Maria was still


    sleeping.


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    James, who had just gotten up to go to the bathroom, opened the door.


    A diaper-d little boy stood just outside the door. He raised his head to look at James and shed


    him a gap-toothed smile. "Daddy, hungry!"


    James helplessly squatted down in front of the child. "Where is your uncle Ethan?"


    Bob closed his eyes and tilted his head.


    His imitation of Ethan''s sleeping face was so uncanny that James couldn''t helpughing.


    Just then, an anxious voice called out, "Bob, Bob, where are you?"


    James scooped up his son into his arms, stepped out of the bedroom, and closed the door.


    Catching a glimpse of father and son, the wide-eyed, messy-haired Ethan breathed a sigh of relief.


    "I was scared to death! How could this kid open the door and run away by himself?"


    James nodded. Bob already knew how to open the door by moving a chair and stepping on it to


    reach the knob.


    "It''s just six o''clock. Why did he get up so early?" Ethan yawned. "My work here is done, right? I''m


    going back to sleep." "Okay."


    With Bob in his arms, James noiselessly went back into the bedroom. After changing the child''s


    diaper, he plopped him on the bed beside his sleeping mother and went to prepare his form milk.


    Bob crawled toward Maria and pressed kisses on her face, giggling all the while.


    The kisses woke Maria up. Seeing her son''s face up close, she smiled and cuddled him in her arms,


    closing her eyes and continuing to sleep.


    After around ten minutes, Bob had finished the bottle of form milk, and James pulled him out of


    the circle of Maria''s arms to change his clothes. Then, he carried him out of the room and dered,


    "Bob, let''s go to the gym!"


    Bob pped his hands, appearing to be perfectly delighted by his father''s invitation.


    When Maria woke up, James, Bob, and Ethan all had left. She ate breakfast alone in the dining


    room.


    Her phone started ringing, and she slid the answer key. "Ms. Song, I have something to report to


    you."


    "Go ahead."


    "Someone had paid off several killers to assassinate you, but we managed to intercept them."


    Maria asked, "Was it Rosa or Colby?" At present, the two of them were the first people toe to


    mind. After all, they had the most motive to do away with her.


    "Rosa."


    Sure enough, her guess was right. A sneer curled her lips. After some thought, Maria instructed,


    "Give the killers double the price and..."


    By the time she ended the call, her appetite waspletely gone. She tidied up the dining table


    and went to thepany.


    In her office, Maria picked up arge bouquet of red roses, among which a brocade boxy nestled.


    Upon opening the box, she saw a key to a sports car-a Harkim.


    One car from this series cost upwards of eight million dors. Maria dialed James'' number. "Didn''t


    you want me to stop driving? Why are you giving me a sports car, then?"


    Did he buy it for her only to have it relegated to the garage?


    "Whenever you want to go for a drive, just call me and I''ll be with you." He intended to sit in the


    passenger seat and keep watch over her as she drove.


    Maria pretended to sneer. "Admit it¡ªyou want to buy the sports car for yourself, right?"


    "That''s exactly why I bought you the car,"


    he answered. There seemed to be nothing wrong with his answer.


    "Did you like the flowers?"


    "The flowers are gorgeous, but the bouquet is ridiculouslyrge. I''m already well aware that you''re


    such a romantic, so there''s no need to prove it to me. Next time, you can just give me a few


    flowers." James was too generous. This time, the bouquet consisted of 999 blooms, and it was quite


    a challenge to hold them in her arms.


    James disagreed, "I can''t be perfunctory."


    "Fine, as long as you are happy, Mr. Xi." Maria smiled as she inhaled the light, pleasant floral


    fragrance that emanated from the blooms.


    "No, the most important thing is that you are happy, Mia. Why don''t we hold a wedding ceremony?"


    Maria didn''t know how to answer him. Thinking of their wedding a few years ago, she asked


    casually, "Didn''t we hold one before?"


    "I left the ceremony in a hurry back then, so that doesn''t count. Let''s register our marriage again


    tomorrow and hold a wedding in the second half of this year, okay?"


    The first time they got married, everything was nned in a hurry, including the schedule, the


    venue, and everything else.


    There were quite a few regrets because of it.


    Maria smiled, but it was not a happy one. "Let''s talk about thister. I have to go outter. Bye."


    The next thing James knew, Maria ended the call.


    Lost in thought, Maria stared at the massive bouquet in front of her.


    Back then, they had a hasty wedding, which was held a week after James agreed to marry her.


    The marriage licenses were obtained on the first day; on the second day, their wedding house was


    selected and paid for. Both tasks were aplished by Maria alone.


    With the power James held over H City, he made it possible for Maria alone to get the marriage


    licenses, which was usually obtained by the couple by going to the Civil Affairs Bureau together.


    They had six options for their house, and she ended up choosing the Fairview Vi, the smallest of


    the six houses and the one farthest from the Song family house.


    Needless to say, she picked out her wedding dress all by herself.


    Only when the wedding photos were taken was she no longer alone. Even though James only


    appeared for half an hour, and the shoot only had two sets of clothes and two background scenes,


    at least they had wedding photos.

 Chapter 435 The Wedding Day

    Chapter 435 The Wedding Day


    As soon as the photos were taken, the cameraman immediately sent them for printing, because


    there was no time for them to be edited.


    Fortunately, Maria didn''t have to worry over booking the wedding venue and the hotel.


    She spent the following days waking up early and staying upte in preparation for the wedding


    until finally, the day arrived.


    On the day of the wedding, Dani barged into Maria''s room early in the morning and mocked her


    harshly. Then there were her parents wearing cold expressions. There was no trace of joy on their


    faces to signify that their daughter was about to get married.


    Maria didn''t care about all these things; she was just d that she could finally leave this family.


    Since James was getting married, the announcement of the wedding had caused quite a stir in the


    city. Countless reporters had racked their brains to find a way to get a wedding invitation, but to no


    avail. In the end, only two reporters clinched an invitation through theirworks, and managed to


    enter the wedding venue without any trouble.


    Beginning with the bride''s makeup in the morning, the news updates of the bride and the groom


    were published on all media outlets. As per the schedule, at six o''clock in the morning, the bride


    began to get her makeup done. At eight o''clock, she changed into her wedding dress, and photos


    were taken at nine o''clock. At ten o''clock, the groom was supposed toe to pick her up.


    But to everyone''s astonishment, the man who showed up at the Song family''s house to pick up the


    bride wasn''t the groom, but his younger brother, Cooper.


    Some people stepped up to exin that James was already waiting at the hotel where the wedding


    was to be held, which finally stopped the gossip.


    Outside the gate of the Song family house, dozens of luxury cars were lined up in a neat order. The


    grand scene made everyone envious of Maria.


    Cooper carried Maria, who was blushing in embarrassment, to the car decorated with flowers.


    After the two of them climbed in, the car drove away slowly. As Maria looked back onest time at


    the Song family house, which was fading from sight, her eyes turned red.


    She had finally left the ce where she had suffered for a long time.


    "Don''t be sad. It''s not far away. You cane and visit often in the future." A male voice pulled


    Maria out of her thoughts.


    She knew that Cooper had misunderstood her, but she simply nodded without trying to correct him.


    "Thank you foring."


    If it weren''t for him, she would have made a fool of herself in public and be the first bride ever


    to climb into the wedding car by herself.


    With a gentle smile, Cooper shook his head and said, "You''re wee. I already consider you a


    part of the family."


    From now on, Maria would be James'' wife and part of the Xi family, which was one of the richest


    and most powerful families in H City.


    One by one, the luxury cars pulled into the hotel porch, and Maria soon got out of one of them.


    The hotel where the wedding was being held was the best hotel in H City, and the whole wedding


    hall had been prepared by professional staff. The decorations were mainly red in color, and they


    looked high-end and luxurious.


    The wedding ceremony started on time. Dressed in her bridesmaid gown, Siena stood behind Maria


    and excitedly repeated what she had said countless times earlier today. "I envy you so much, Maria.


    I never dreamed that you would marry James one day! Oh my God! He is there! He looks so


    handsome!"


    Maria raised her head in a daze. Through the white veil, she saw a man in a ck suit standing


    next to the wedding celebrant. The groom''s corsage was pinned to his suit, and his deep gaze fell


    on an unknown ce in the distance, as if he wasn''t seeing anything at all.


    Many women in the audience screamed in excitement as soon as they saw him, and some of them


    even called out his name.


    Maria smiled slightly. Siena might not have dreamed that Maria would marry James one day, but


    Maria herself had dreamed of it. She had dreamed of marrying him in the warm spring season while


    wearing a white wedding gown, just like she was doing now.


    On the cue of the celebrant standing on stage, Maria walked towards James carefully and elegantly.


    When she was less than a meter away from him, he stretched out his hand to her gracefully. Maria''s


    heart fluttered as she raised her hand, adorned in a white glove, and handed herself to him.


    Now that their two hands were sped together, she felt that everything had been worth it.


    The next step was for the couple to exchange rings. Siena walked over and handed James the


    brocade box. Without the slightest flicker of emotion on his face, James took out a diamond ring and


    lifted Maria''s hand to put the ring on her finger.


    Just then, his assistant ran to the stage in a hurry, ignoring the gasps from the wedding guests.


    After the assistant whispered something in James'' ear, a touch of worry crossed thetter''s face,


    and the huge diamond ring in his hand returned to the brocade box. Then, he rushed out of the


    wedding venue, which caused an uproar.


    "James Xi!" Maria cried out after him.


    James heard her voice, but he just ignored her and ran out of the hotel without looking back.


    Dead silence filled the wedding venue. The weight of the embarrassment made everyone stiffen.


    Trying her best to suppress the negative emotions surging from the bottom of her heart, Maria


    gently told the celebrant, "Carry on!"


    The wedding guests broke into hushed discussions. "The bride must be desperate to get married!


    How can the wedding continue without the presence of the groom? And what''s wrong with Mr. Xi?


    How could he run away from his own wedding?"


    "Maybe he doesn''t like this bride!"


    "She thought she could change her fate by marrying into a rich and powerful family, but in the end...


    Ha, what a shame!"


    "She was abandoned on her wedding day. If I were her, I would jump into the river to kill myself!"


    Although the celebrant was old and experienced, he had never seen a wedding where the groom


    ran away and put the bride on the spot. He was stunned for a moment. It was not until the bride


    reminded him to continue that he cleared his throat, suppressed the embarrassment, and


    continued, "Now, let''s wee the parents of the newly-wed couple to the stage."


    Both of their parents walked onto the stage with long faces. James'' father, Sebastian, took the


    microphone from the celebrant and apologized to the wedding guests. "I''m sorry, everyone. There''s


    an emergency at thepany, so James had to leave for a while." Then, he looked at Maria and


    said, "Maria, although James had to leave for a short while, you are already his wife and my


    daughter-inw."


    For a short while? Everyone at the wedding, including Maria, knew that James would not return that


    day.


    Maria didn''t know how she managed to get through the wedding ceremony. She just stered a


    smile on her face and absent-mindedly toasted to the important guests with her parents-inw. After


    all the guests left, she was taken to the Xi family house.


    In the house, Augustine was erupting with anger. "If that scoundrel doesn''te back tonight, he


    doesn''t need toe back for the rest of his life!"


    "Sir, Ms. Song is back!"


    Hearing the butler''s announcement, Augustine had to swallow his anger for the time being.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Maria walked into the living room and greeted the two elders with respect. "Hello, Grandpa and


    Grandma."


    Charlotte walked over, held her hand, and said kindly,


    "Don''t worry, my dear. Go to your room and wait there. Augustine will definitely call James back."


    Maria was moved to the point of tears. She looked at the kind elderly couple and nodded with a


    smile. "Okay. Don''t worry, I''m fine. Grandpa and Grandma, you should go to bed early."


    "We will." Charlotte nodded, and then looked at the butler. "Lead Maria upstairs and let her have a


    rest."


    "Yes, ma''am!"


    It was only when Maria walked into the bedroom and closed the door behind her that she could


    finally rx and let herself feel the weight of everything that had happened that day.


    Massaging her tired waist, she sank onto the edge of the king-sized bed, which was covered with


    special red bedding. In the center of the bed, there were red dates, peanuts, longans, and lotus


    seeds, which were meant to represent the elders'' wishes that the newlywed couple would have a


    baby soon. There were also gold bars, silver bars, and precious jewelry ced there.


    Everything had been arranged perfectly for the wedding night, but the groom wasn''t there. How


    ironic!

 Chapter 436 Murder Attempt

    Chapter 436 Murder Attempt


    On their wedding night, Maria sat on the bed and waited patiently for two hours. When there was


    still no sign of James, she got up, took a rxing shower, and changed into her pajamas.


    By the time she finished putting away all the food and gifts and tidying up the room, it was past


    midnight. She soon dozed off without realizing.


    Perhaps it was because the events of that day had taken a toll on her that she slept like a log that


    night, and only stirred when it was already eight o''clock the next morning. Blinking her eyes sleepily,


    she reached out and touched the other side of the bed. Judging by how neat and t that side was,


    James hadn''te backst night.


    Maria went into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. When she stepped out of the


    bathroom, however, she was surprised to see that she was no longer alone in the bedroom. After


    being stunned for a moment, she whispered, "You''re back."


    James gave Maria, who was still dressed in her pajamas, a disinterested once-over before sitting on


    the sofa without saying anything.


    Maria didn''t know what else to say after that, so she awkwardly sat down in front of the dressing


    table and began to apply beauty products for her morning skin-care routine.


    The room was terribly quiet. Twenty minutester, when Maria turned around, she found James


    leaning against the backrest of the sofa with his eyes closed, as if he had fallen asleep.


    She grabbed a thin quilt and walked over to him to


    tuck him in.


    When she leaned in close, he suddenly opened his eyes, which were red and bloodshot.


    Frightened, she jumped back and exined in a panic, "I... I thought... I thought you were asleep."


    She was too embarrassed to tell him that she was just trying to tuck him in.


    James ignored her, stood up from the sofa, and began to take off his coat.


    Maria was not so stupid as to think that he was getting undressed because he wanted to sleep with


    her. She put down the quilt and asked, "Shall I bring an outfit for you?"


    James finally opened his mouth. "Sure."


    Maria nervously went to the closet and brought back a tailored ck suit, a dark blue tie, a dark


    blue gem brooch, a cor clip, and a handkerchief.


    James wordlessly took the items from her. While he was changing into the clothes, she picked out a


    watch for him.


    "May I help you tie the tie?" she asked casually, even though the truth was, she had learned it


    specially for him.


    "Okay."


    With his permission, Maria stood on tiptoe to straighten his tie, and tied it carefully. Once she was


    done with that, she put the watch that she had carefully selected on his wrist.


    The movements of the two people were in perfect harmony, as if this was a routine they had gone


    through so many times before.


    After tidying his suit and his hair, James left the bedroom first, without waiting for Maria. Once the


    bedroom door was closed, Maria began to clean up the mess that he had left behind in a hurry.


    Although there were plenty of maids in the house to do such things, she wanted to do something for


    him.


    When she finally got dressed and went downstairs to have breakfast, she found James sitting there


    and drinking coffee. Augustine and Sebastian were sitting silently in the living room with long faces.


    She nodded to them and greeted, "Good morning, Grandpa, Dad! I''m sorry I got up sote."


    As soon as Augustineid eyes on his granddaughter -inw, his face brightened a little. He waved


    his hand and said, "I know you have been very tired recently. Just have breakfast! I''ll ask James to


    take you out today."


    Before Maria could say anything, James, who was drinking coffee, opened his mouth and refused in


    a t tone. "I can''t, I''m busy."


    "You..."


    Seeing that Augustine was about to lose his temper, Maria immediately said, "It''s okay, Grandpa.


    James is busy with his work. I''m sure there will be plenty of chances for us to go out together in the


    future. There''s no hurry."


    Augustine snorted and looked at James. "Did you hear that? You''re lucky enough to have such a


    good wife like Maria. Be nice to her. Work hard and give me a great-grandson as soon as possible!"


    Maria''s cheeks turned bright red, and she awkwardly lowered her eyes. Why was he mentioning a


    great-grandson all of a sudden? She chose to stay silent, as if she hadn''t heard him, and sat at the


    dining table to have breakfast.


    James didn''t disappoint his grandfather. He did take time out of his busy schedule to get Maria


    pregnant.


    That was how she had given birth to Arthur.


    Recalling the little boy''s face was too much to take. Maria took a deep breath and stopped dwelling


    the past. She didn''t dare to think further than that, and forced herself to turn her attention back to


    work.


    Keeping busy with work was the only thing that could make her forget all those hurtful memories.


    In the sunny afternoon, a silver-gray car sped down the wide road, heading for the airport of H City.


    The road was almost deserted, but all of a sudden, two cars appeared out of nowhere, zooming


    towards the silver-gray car. One of them was about to crash right into the car, but the driver quickly


    turned the steering wheel, managing a narrow escape.


    Fortunately, the silver-gray car did not suffer any damage, except for a small dent.


    The driver hurriedly said, "I''m sorry, Mr. Zheng. That car wasing in the wrong direction¡ªMr.


    Zheng, get down!"


    There was a loud bang as a tiny item broke through the window and zoomed towards Colby, who


    was sitting in the back seat of the car.


    Thanks to the driver, Colby ducked just in time and dodged the bullet, which disappeared through


    the rear windshield.


    He knew that this was a murder attempt.


    The two cars that had beening in the opposite direction just now had taken a sharp U-turn, and


    were now following right behind them. A few more gunshots sounded in the air, and the tires of the


    silver -gray luxury car were blown out.


    Colby was shocked that these men were bold enough to use guns in broad daylight.


    Now that the silver-gray car had effectivelye to a stop, the driver hurriedly took out his phone


    and called the police.


    A few more gunshots resounded through the air, followed by the sound of footsteps. Two masked


    men walked up to the window of the driver''s seat of the silver-gray car and knocked roughly.


    The driver carefully rolled down the window and asked, "Is something wrong?"


    "Is Colby Zheng in the car?" one of the masked men asked.


    The driver didn''t say anything.


    In the back seat, Colby kept as still and as silent as he could.


    But when the driver felt the cold hard touch of the gun against his temple, he fearfully threw his


    hands up and shouted, "Yes, yes!"


    The next moment, the gun aiming at the driver''s head was shifted to target the man in the back


    seat. "Go to hell!"


    At this critical moment, Colby said, "Wait a minute!"


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    The hand of the masked man paused on the trigger. "Do you have anyst words?" "How much did


    they give you? I''ll pay double, no, triple the price!"


    The two killers exchanged nces before answering, "They gave us two hundred million dors."


    Without any hesitation, Colby said, "I''ll give you six hundred million dors to let me go. And if you


    tell me who hired you, I''ll give you another one hundred million dors."


    "Okay. How are you going to give us the money?" one of the killers asked with a greedy smile.


    His partner tugged at his clothes and whispered, "We have to call our boss first. After all, they have


    given us a lot of money."


    Colby interjected, "You don''t have to call anyone. How about this? I''ll give you even more money if


    you agree to kill the person who sent you to kill me. You''re making money by killing people. It''s


    smarter to take orders from the person who gives you the most money, right?"


    "Well..." The killers were still hesitant to ept his offer.


    Taking a deep breath, Colby continued, "I will give you two billion dors. And I can arrange for you


    to leave H City safely after the job is done."


    Hearing this, the two killers widened their eyes and whispered to each other. "Holy shit, two billion


    dors! Anyway, that woman is very stingy. How about we just agree to this offer?"


    "No. Let''s call her first and ask if she is willing to raise her offer. Won''t we get more in this way? Tell


    me her phone number."


    The other killer took out his phone and, looking at the screen, read out a series of numbers.


    Colby''s face changed dramatically when he heard the phone number. Until now, he had been


    certain that it was Maria and James who had sent people to kill him, but it turned out to be Rosa.


    At this moment, the ring of a police siren approached, getting louder and louder by the second.


    In a panic, one of the two killers fired his gun at Colby, while the other one grabbed his shirt and


    dragged him away to hide.


    The bullet narrowly missed Colby.


    When the police arrived, the driver gave them his testimony.


    Colby cancelled his business trip. Instead of waiting someone to pick him up, he just took a taxi


    back to thepany.


    On the way, he called someone and asked them to investigate Rosa''s recent bank transactions.


    In the CEO''s office of HM Group


    A crisp p sounded. Rosa covered her cheek and looked at Colby in disbelief.


    "Are you crazy? Why did you hit me?"


    "Rosa, I didn''t expect you to be so vicious!" Colby said through gritted teeth.


    "What do you mean?"

 Chapter 437 Inexcusable

    Chapter 437 Inexcusable


    "Don''t y dumb!" Colby sneered. "You cheated on me and slept with another man. I tried to


    divorce you, so you paid professional killers to assassinate me! How dare you?!"


    "I didn''t pay..." Rosa''s words trailed off. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she tried to exin


    rationally, "I did pay killers, but their target was supposed to be Maria, not you!"


    Colby harrumphed, not believing her. "Then tell me, why is Mariapletely all right while I was


    nearly killed just now?" If he hadn''t tempted the killers with more money, he probably would have


    been killed by now.


    "How should I know? How could you think that I could hurt you, Colby?" Rosa ended in a pleading


    voice.


    Colby was still not convinced. "What a vicious woman you are! Not only did you try to hurt my son,


    but you also wanted to kill me. You think you''ll get all of my properties once I''m gone, don''t you?"


    "Of course not!" Rosa quickly denied.


    Colby was done talking to her. He took the printed divorce agreement and threw it onto the table in


    front of her. "Sign it!"


    "I won''t sign it! I won''t!" Rosa cried out, tears welling up in her eyes. "It must be Maria who did that.


    Colby, don''t be fooled by her. She must be stirring up trouble between us!"


    "It doesn''t matter anymore. We''ve been nning to get a divorce, anyway. I won''t treat you unfairly-


    you will get one hundred million dors from me. Now sign it!" Colby opened the drawer, took out a


    bank card that he had prepared especially for this purpose, and pushed it across the table toward


    her.


    Rosa stared at the bank card, stunned. He even had this prepared beforehand. Colby had ten billion


    dors'' worth of assets, and yet he was giving her a measly one hundred million dors. In Rosa''s


    mind, Colby was growing senile. "Colby, you are so heartless! You''re only giving me one hundred


    million dors. How am I supposed to raise our daughter?"


    "What? Do you think HM Group is the same as it was before? You''re fortunate that I am willing to


    give you one hundred million right now. Besides, you don''t have to raise Ines." James was dealing


    with HM Group, and thepany''s capital chain was broken. Colby had begun to sell off his assets


    in order topensate for thepany''s losses.


    ''He didn''t need me to raise our daughter?'' Rosa looked through the divorce agreement and found a


    use stating that Ines would be brought up in Colby''s custody. With a banshee-like cry, she tore


    the divorce agreement into pieces and shouted at him hysterically, "Colby Zheng, you son of a bitch!


    I won''t sign this! Give up!"


    Bits of paper scattered on the floor like snowkes. Then, Rosa whirled around and stomped out of


    thepany.


    As soon as she left, a woman walked into the office.


    Colby''s face softened a little at the sight of the neer. "Ask a cleaner to clean this ce."


    "Okay." The woman took out her phone and called housekeeping. After rying his instructions, she


    stood behind Colby and started massaging his shoulders. "Mr. Zheng, did you quarrel with your


    wife?"


    Colby felt a sharp pain in his temples. "Yes. That woman dared to hire killers to kill me."


    Edith Wang, the secretary who was currently massaging him, paused and said in an aggrieved


    tone, "Really? Why is she being so cruel? She had attempted to hurt our son before, and she evenN?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    dared to try to kill you."


    "I didn''t expect her to be so vicious, either. I knew she married me for money, but I didn''t expect her


    greed would push her to treat me like this!" ''What a heartless bitch!'' Colby thought vindictively. He


    was determined to divorce Rosa.


    The cleaner came in and started to work without looking elsewhere.


    Edith kept an eye on the man, a strange glint in her eyes. "Maybe she is too good at pretending to


    be nice, or else Maria wouldn''t have gone all out to deal with her."


    Her words got Colby thinking of something. "Every time I asked her about the grudge between her


    and Maria, she wouldn''t tell me anything. At this point, it seems to me that she did something awful


    to Maria and she didn''t dare to tell me."


    The more he thought about it, the more he felt that there was something seriously wrong with Rosa.


    Silence descended in the office. Then, Colby ordered the secretary, "Ask my people in the US to


    take Ines somewhere Rosa would never be able to find."


    "Okay."


    At HQ Road


    Maria was chatting with Gordon, while Bob was ying with toys by their side.


    Recently, Gordon''s health had been getting worse. He was just discharged from the hospital the day


    before.


    Gazing at Bob with loving eyes, Gordon said, "Maria, there is something I know I shouldn''t say. But I


    don''t have that long to live anymore."


    "Grandpa, don''t say that. You have to live a long life."


    Gordon chuckled. He had lived long enough and was not afraid of death. "I have lived up to this day,


    and I am satisfied with my life. Don''t fight with James anymore. He is a good person. With him


    behind you, supporting you, I can rest assured and go without worries."


    Maria remained silent.


    "What I want to say is that your father and mother have already divorced. Your father now realizes


    that he was wrong and wants to reconcile with you. I know that it''s not fair for me to try and


    persuade you like this, but your father is my son, after all. As a father, I also want my children to live


    in peace.


    I''m not asking you to forgive him, but I hope that you could ept the kindness he and Carolina


    give you. Only then can I feel relieved. Is that okay?" Gordon heaved an inward sigh. He didn''t want


    to hurt Maria, but his only wish before he died was for his family to be in harmony and for Maria to


    return to the Song family.


    Maria was silent for a while, but the sight of the frown on her grandfather''s face made her nod and


    say, "Okay."


    Gordon finally released the breath he was holding. "Good girl. Will you stay over tonight and cook


    for your grandpa? I want you and Bob to have dinner with me.


    "Okay." Maria had already nned to cook for him when she hade here.


    In the evening, Maria prepared several dishes that were suitable for the elderly. To her surprise,


    James arrived a few minutes before dinner.


    As Gordon watched James pick up Bob and cradle the baby in his arms, his smile grew brighter.


    "Grandpa," James respectfully greeted the old man.


    "Come and have a seat, James."


    Maria emerged from the kitchen bearing thest dish and asked, "How did you know I''m here?"


    "Grandma told me." He went to his grandparents'' house to pick up Bob, only to be told that Maria


    was here with the child.


    "Maria, get James a bowl of soup."


    "Okay," she replied, throwing James an annoyed re. She was about to get the soup when James


    caught her by the hand. "Let me do it. Have a seat."


    After ushering her to a seat, James stood up to wash his hands and get himself a bowl of soup.


    The family of three sat down to a peaceful dinner with Gordon. The old man saw them off to the


    door. Holding James'' hand, he said, "James, please take good care of Maria and Bob. As you can


    see, Maria has changed a lot over the years. You are a few years older than her, so please get


    along well with her."


    "Grandpa, don''t worry. I won''t let her and you down," James promised in a serious tone.


    "Okay, okay, good boy. You can go now. Drive safely."


    "Okay, Grandpa. Please go back!"


    Maria scooped up Bob, who was ying in the yard. Walking over, she coaxed the child, "Bob, say


    goodbye to your great-grandpa!"


    "Bye!" Bob obediently said, waving at Gordon.


    "Bye, Bob."


    With a kind smile, Gordon stood by the door leaning against a walking stick and watched the small


    family leave.


    A gust of cold wind blew, making the old man shiver. The butler approached. "Sir, it''s cold out here.


    Let''s go inside!"


    "Okay!"


    He believed his granddaughter might be rough around the edges and a little toopetitive for her


    own good, but she would definitely live a happy life.


    Sometimes, fate made people suffer.


    Neither Maria nor James expected that night to be thest time that they would see Gordon.

 Chapter 438 Kidnapping

    Chapter 438 Kidnapping


    Rosa was driven to the edge of madness. After one phone call to Ines, she found out that the nanny


    had resigned and Ines had been taken away by Colby''s people.


    Colby was a sneaky bastard. He had made it clear that if she wanted to see Ines, she would have to


    sign the divorce agreement first.


    James took a shower after having sex with Maria. Afterwards, he held the drowsy woman in his


    arms and whispered, "Mia, let''s talk."


    He did not pick up Bob from his grandparents'' house so that he could have this conversation with


    Maria uninterrupted.


    "Okay." Maria was tired, but she wasn''t that sleepy.


    However, the phone on the nightstand began to vibrate before James could start. The screen


    shed Augustine''s name.


    A slight frown crossed James'' brow. It was near midnight, and his grandfather should have been


    sleeping by this time.


    "Grandpa."


    "James, something bad happened. Somebody took the kid away."


    The worry in Augustine''s voice was apparent. Maria''s eyes flew open, and she sat up on the bed


    and stared at James with panicked eyes.


    "Grandpa, I''m on my way right now!"


    Ending the call, James tried tofort Maria. "Calm down. We are going there."


    ''Calm down?'' Her son was in danger, so it was impossible for her to calm down. Even as worry and


    anger churned inside her, she said nothing and only got out of bed to change.


    Just as they were getting in the car, they received another call from Augustine. "James, the baby


    who was taken away is not Bob, but Tommy. Bob is safe and fine here."


    Tommy was the boy that Augustine had picked up from the park.


    At these words, Maria slumped against James, the tension draining out of her.


    Both of them were relieved that nothing bad happened to Bob, but they couldn''t allow anything bad


    to happen to the poor child, either.


    James gently patted her on the back tofort her as he said on the phone, "Grandpa, we''re on


    our way."


    "They said that if we want to get back the child, Maria has to go to the beach in the West District


    alone."


    James frowned. "How did they contact you? Did you call the police?"


    "They called us on thendline, and Tami answered the phone. We haven''t called the police yet.


    They warned that they will kill the child if we get the police involved."


    "I see."


    After ending the call, James looked down at the woman in his arms. "Did you hearthat?" "Yeah. I''m


    sure Rosa did this," she answered, finally calm.


    "I''ll go with you."


    "No. That woman must have been pushed too far. I''ll go by myself." Maria stared out of the window


    into the dark night. "Go and watch over Bob first. I can''t rest easy unless you see him safe and


    sound."


    "Okay, I''ll have some people follow you."


    "Okay." Maria didn''t refuse this time.


    James called a car and arranged for a few of his people to escort Maria to the West District.


    Before she left, James handed her a gun. "Your safety is the most important. If anything bad


    happens to them, I''ll handle everything. You must take good care of yourself, okay? Do not even


    think of stupidly exchanging your life for that child''s. Even his parents don''t cherish him. You still


    have Bob to take care of. Understand?"


    Maria shot him a profound look as she epted the gun. "Don''t worry about me." For Bab''s sake,


    she wouldn''t let herself get hurt.


    "I''ll join you as soon as I make proper arrangements for Bob."


    "Okay."


    Then, nothing more was said between them. After he watched Maria''s car drive away, James


    rushed to Augustine''s house.


    Even at thatte hour, the house was brightly lit, two bodyguards nked the door. When they saw


    James, they came up to him and said urgently, "Mr. Xi, it''s our fault!" A total of four bodyguards


    were posted in the house. Just now, two of them were injured in order to protect Tommy, while the


    other two had been with


    Bob. Fortunately, nobody was badly hurt.


    "Go to thepany to see me tomorrow," James said as he walked past them.


    "Yes, sir!"


    In the living room, Bob was sleeping soundly in the baby stroller, while Augustine, Charlotte, and the


    servants stood on their guard around him.


    After ensuring with his own eyes that his son was okay, James secretly let out a sigh of relief and


    immediately sent a message to Maria. "He''s safe and sound."


    After asking Augustine about the details of the incident, James began instructing his men to deal


    with the aftermath. "Gary, contact the police and ask them to go to the West District''s beach. Tell


    them explicitly not to get too close or make noises to alert the perpetrator..."


    At the beach, the night breeze blowing from the sea ruffled Maria''s long hair. Shivering, she


    wrapped her thin windbreaker around her more closely to ward off the chill.


    It was silent except for the sound of waves. On alert, she looked around and heard the faint sound


    of a baby''s cries.


    ''Is that Tommy?''


    Maria followed the sound toward the east and soon caught sight of a group of people standing on a


    huge rock outcropping in the darkness.


    A woman walked out from behind them and called out, "Maria, you came so soon. Looks like this


    child is your and James''."


    Just as Maria had guessed, it was Rosa.


    Maria stopped in her tracks and said calmly, "Let him go. He''s not mine, but just an innocent child.¡±


    "Ha-ha! You still want to lie to me? Several bodyguards were in the house, protecting the child. If


    he''s just some random child, then why would James care about him so much?" Rosa''s voice was


    laden with skepticism.


    "There has always been bodyguards in that house all the time. James'' grandparents are getting old,


    so they''re there to help them out. Their presence in the house has nothing to do with this child."


    "Stop quibbling! Maria, if you want this baby, ask James to dealing with HM Group."


    Maria replied, "Whether the child is mine or not, he is still a life, after all. I must keep him alive."


    "Then you should call James and then leave H City." Actually, she thought it would be better if Maria


    died.


    ''Ridiculous! Why does everyone want me to leave H City? Am I really that much of an eyesore?''


    To Rosa, she said, "If you want me to leave H City, then turn yourself in and prove my innocence to


    the public. Then, I''ll leave." Rosa was an important reason why she was staying in H City.


    "Why should I turn myself in? Your son just had a poor fate!" Rosaughed loudly. "Maria, do you


    want to know exactly how your son died?"


    James caught wind of Rosa''s words when he arrived at the beach.


    The simple sentence stirred up a storm in his heart. He stared at Rosa in shock. What did she mean


    by that? Was Maria not even there when the ident happened to Arthur? Why were they saying it


    was Maria''s fault?


    Maria replied calmly, "Go ahead."


    She herself wanted to know how it all happened.


    "You were cooking in the kitchen that day, and the child was crying so hard."


    Maria knew that Arthur kept crying that day for no reason. She thought that the child must have


    been feeling some difort back then. At the time, Rosa was still a maid of the Xi family. She


    tried but failed to calm Arthur down.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Only Maria could do it, but since she was busy in the kitchen, she only managed tofort Arthur


    every once in a while. Arthur would quiet down at the sight of his mother, but he was inconsble


    once she vanished from his sight.


    The sea wind made Rosa shiver. She said in a trembling voice, "I ced him in the baby walker. He


    was crying so much that I felt a headachee on; I kicked the baby walker when you weren''t


    watching."


    Maria froze, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

 Chapter 439 Not Arthur

    Chapter 439 Not Arthur


    "I didn''t expect that the baby walker would hit the cab. I regretted kicking the baby walker when


    the cab tipped over, but it was toote..." An odd smile spread across Rosa''s face. "You didn''t


    expect it to be such a simple event, did you? You already know what happened next."


    Maria did know. When she came out of the kitchen, Rosa was no longer in the living room.


    She came back with a bottle of soy sauce in her hand and shifted all of the me to Maria.


    Rosa told everyone that Maria asked her to buy some soy sauce and that she was not around when


    the ident happened.


    They had just moved into the vi at the time, so the CCTV cameras had yet to be installed. Faced


    with Rosa''s usation, Maria was unable to defend herself.


    Rosa sneered, "Your mother-inw didn''t trust you. Neither did your husband nor your own parents.


    Maria, you may be living a picture-perfect life right now, but so what?"


    Maria''s eyes became red-rimmed. Rosa was right-no one trusted her after the ident that took


    Arthur''s life. They all med her for not taking good care of Arthur and letting such a horrible


    ident ur.


    She bit her lip, desperately quashing the instinct to pull out her gun and shoot the monster in front of


    her.


    Even in the dark and without looking at Maria, Rosa knew exactly what she looked like.


    The ident dealt a crushing blow to Maria. By mentioning it, Rosa just wanted to rub salt into her


    wounds. Moreover, she wanted to drive a wedge between Maria and James. Mockingly, she


    drawled, "Maria, for the sake of that man you loved, you sacrificed your figure, ended up with


    freckles all over your face, vomited a lot during pregnancy, and then eventually gave him a son. But


    did he trust you even a little bit after that ident? No! Not only that, he couldn''t wait to sign that


    divorce agreement, just when you were at your most desperate."


    Maria experienced the most horrible morning sickness when she was carrying Arthur in her womb.


    She had neglected her skin care routine, so her skin was in a terrible condition.


    Out of despair, she once wrote a letter to him. "I was pregnant with your child. My figure was


    completely out of shape, and my face was riddled with freckles. I was not expecting you to wait


    outside the delivery room. All I was asking was for you to at least think twice before signing the


    divorce agreement..."


    In the end, the letter remained unsent. After hesitating for a day, she tore the paper into shreds.


    Thest thing she expected was for Rosa to read that letter and use it this time to poke a wound


    that still bled raw.


    Her reaction satisfied Rosa immensely. After finding the pleasure in exacting revenge on Maria, she


    continued, "I remember how smart your son was. He started calling you Mommy when he was less


    than six months old. Unfortunately for you, he could never call you Mommy again. You will never


    hear it anymore!"


    Now that Rosa had be a mother herself, she knew exactly how to hit another mother where it


    hurt the most.


    Maria''s breathing grewbored. Trembling, her hand hovered over the gun that James had given


    her. Finally, she slid it out and aimed it at the woman standing on the rock.


    Upon seeing the gun, Rosa immediately raised the baby in her arms. "If you dare to shoot me, I will


    throw him into the sea.


    This baby is you and James'', right? James Xi, what are you doing here?" The sight of the man


    holding Maria in his arms filled Rosa with panic.


    Blood drained from Maria''s face just like her strength left her body. The moment her knees buckled,


    she was caught in a familiar embrace. "Mia."


    Rosa was mad. "Maria, how dare you let someone elsee here? Go to hell!" Since James had


    made an appearance, she knew that the police couldn''t be far behind.


    Rosa''s next movepletely broke Maria. "No-"


    At that moment, she was seeing Arthur¡ª it was Arthur who was in Rosa''s arms, ready to be cast


    into sea at the slightest provocation.


    She could hear her son''s cries and screams, his desperate wails calling for his mommy...


    On the rock, Rosa ran toward the edge and then, without the least amount of hesitation, threw the


    crying baby into the sea.


    A loud ssh was heard, and the baby''s cries faded away into the night.


    "Ahhh!" Maria broke away from James'' arms and rushed toward the water with all her strength.


    "Arthur, I am here."


    "Maria!" James immediately ran after her.


    However, she didn''t seem to hear him as she desperately ran toward the sea.


    Rosa and her men took advantage of this opportunity to flee towards the yacht they had prepared in


    advance.


    Just then, a group of policemen rushed out and chased after them.


    Several bodyguards zipped by Maria and jumped into the water to rescue the child.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Before the distraught woman could jump after them, James grabbed her wrist.


    "Let go of me! James, let go!" Maria cried, struggling to free herself from the tight hold. "My Arthur.


    I''m going to save Arthur."


    "Mia." James held her in a tight embrace. "That''s not Arthur. That''s Tommy."


    However, Maria was too lost in her hallucination. In her mind, she saw that Arthur had fallen into the


    sea. She shouted at the man, "Let go of me! I''m going to save Arthur! You bastard!" When


    everything else failed, she chomped into the meat of his forearm.


    Despite the pain, James still didn''t let her go and kept speaking to her in a soothing voice, "Mia, I''m


    sorry. It''s not Arthur. Calm down."


    "That''s Arthur. You don''t want your son, James, but I do! He is my son! My son!"


    Maria whirled around to face the man, a horrified expression in her eyes. Suddenly, a small face


    appeared in her mind and ovepped with the features of the man in front of her. A gasp escaped


    her, and sheughed in relief even as tears fell from


    her eyes. "Arthur, Arthur! You''re back!"


    His brows furrowed deeply, James stared at Maria. Did she now think that he was Arthur?


    "Arthur, I miss you so much. My son."


    James was filled with a growing horror.


    Her pained, hopeful appearance tore at his heart. "Maria, who am I?"


    "You are Arthur, right? Please don''t leave me again, okay?" With those words, Maria dissolved into


    sobs.


    With only the sound of the waves as their background, the man and the woman clung to each other


    tightly.


    With one arm around the woman, Jamesforted her softly, "Honey, please don''t cry."


    Maria cried so hard and for so long that a dull throbbing started in her head. In a sudden move, she


    caught James by the arm and asked urgently, "Arthur, are you leaving?"


    At that moment, her face was ghostly pale and oddly serene. Something was obviously wrong.


    James was at a loss what to do.


    Maria''s eyes were unfocused as she stayed lost in her delusions. She saw nothing but Arthur in


    front of her, hugging her. Maria pleaded softly, "It''s been difficult for me to see you again. Please


    don''t leave, okay?"


    "Okay, I won''t leave," the man replied stiffly.


    In a swift movement, he swept the frail woman into his arms and walked toward the main road.


    "Arthur, where are you taking me?"


    "Home."


    "Home? Okay, let''s go home." ''Arthur and James are waiting for me at home,'' she thought.


    Relieved, Maria leaned on his shoulder. As soon as she found afortable position, her eyes


    slowly drifted closed.


    The Harkim finally stopped at the outpatient department of the brain hospital affiliated with HL


    Group. James got out of the car and carefully carried the sleeping woman into the hospital.


    LARK COLE


    Author

 Chapter 440 The Medicine

    Chapter 440 The Medicine


    A mobile sickbed was ced on standby by the entrance. Worried that Maria would be woken up,


    James ordered the nurse, "Lead the way."


    "Okay, Mr. Xi."


    He carried Maria in his arms all the way up to the twelfth floor, where she received extensive


    brainspecific tests, including CT scans and electroencephalogram.


    Finally, the attending doctor told James, "Mr. Xi, ording to Ms. Song''s examination results, there


    is nothing wrong with her brain. If you don''t mind, could you tell me if she has shown any unusual


    symptoms or reactions?"


    James nodded. Then, he briefly described what had happened earlier.


    The doctor understood what had happened. "ording to your description, Ms. Song must have


    experienced a strong mental stimulus and has yet to recover from it. Actually, the delusion that you


    have just described is a symptom of a psychological disorder. After receiving a strong stimtion,


    people would feel extremely upset or anxious and even exhibit excessive, uncharacteristic behavior.


    What medication does Ms. Song usually take?"


    James'' heart skipped a beat. "Her condition requires her to take medication?" He had never seen


    Maria take anything before.


    "ording to Ms. Song''s condition, she doesn''t need to take medication daily, only when an


    episodees on. Otherwise, these delusions would continue and may cause permanent damage


    to her


    brain..."


    The frown on James'' brows deepened. "Can her condition be cured? What''s the worst case


    scenario?"


    "Ms. Song hasn''t woken up yet, so I can''t give you a definite diagnosis. But generally speaking, a


    mental disease could be cured, but extensive therapy is required. If the condition remains


    unaddressed, the patient may fall into an endless loop, suffering through the experience over and


    over until they take their own life to escape."


    James left the hospital with Maria. On their way back, he ordered Summer to look for something in


    Golden Mansion.


    In Fairview Vi


    John had been waiting for them for a long time. When James entered, a sigh of relief escaped him.


    "Is the room ready?"


    "Yes. But what''s wrong with Mrs. Xi?" John asked in concern when he saw Maria''s closed eyes.


    Maria had always been polite to him. She never would have neglected to greet him if she were


    awake.


    But now her eyes were closed. ''There must be something wrong with her!''


    "She is asleep."


    "I see."


    Noticing that James didn''t want to talk about it, John didn''t ask more. He just led James upstairs.


    The room they had once stayed in before had been cleaned up. James gently put down the


    sleeping woman on the bed. Maria did not budge an inch.


    John left them alone, and the phone in James'' pocket started to vibrate. Summer was calling him.


    Summer reported, "Mr. Xi, I found two bottles of the same medicine in Ms. Song''s room. It''s called


    Fluvoxamine."


    "Text me the name of the medicine."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    As soon as he received the name of the medicine, James called the doctor. "What disease does


    Fluvoxamine deal with?"


    "The medicine ismonly given to patients with mental diseases such as depression. Basing on


    Ms. Song''s symptoms, I think that she suffers not only from depression, but also itsplications.


    Mr. Xi, please bring Ms. Song here for a professional andprehensive evaluation one of these


    days. Hopefully soon."


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Ill "


    I see.


    As he stared at the woman''s sleeping face, James felt as if his heart was being torn into pieces. He


    had no idea that Maria had a mental condition and that she needed medication to address her


    mental health.


    When she was with him, she seemed like a normal person. There was no difference between her


    and anybody else.


    He brought Maria to the Fairview Vi because there were traces of Arthur in the house, which


    mightfort her pain somewhat.


    Once again, his phone''s vibration interrupted his train of thought. He slid the answer key and said


    softly, It s me.


    "Mr. Xi, I''m sorry. We only caught four people. Rosa


    and two of her men managed to get away using the yacht."


    "Just keep chasing her," James ordered in a steely tone.


    "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    "Where is the child?"


    "We were able to find him, but he''s still in aa."


    "I want him healed. Do whatever you can." After all, Tommy had suffered to save Bob; the child


    must get out of this incident safe and healthy.


    If Rosa and her men hadn''t mistaken Tommy fortheir child, they probably would have gone after


    Bob.


    "Yes, Mr. Xi!"


    After hanging up the phone, James dialed Ethan''s number. "How is Bob?"


    "He''s fine. Sleeping like a log, actually."


    "Take him to Lawrence tomorrow."


    "What? Why?" Such an order was surprising.


    "Before everything in H City gets settled, I want Bob to stay with Lawrence." Nothing was more


    important than Bob''s safety. He had promised Maria that he would protect her and Bob.


    James'' manor was equipped with the most advanced security system, but neither he nor Maria


    could stay home all day long. The thought of not being able to watch Bob with their own eyes 24/7


    made them feel worried.


    By contrast, the army base was the safest ce he could think of.


    "Okay, got it." Realizing the seriousness of the matter, Ethan agreed and said nothing further.


    Maria had a dream in which both Bob and Arthur appeared.


    Arthur was holding Bob''s hand, and the two brothers were running around on a field of grass.


    There was another small, blurry figure sitting on the grass close to them, blowing colorful bubbles


    that floated around the two children.


    The children''sughter rang clearly like bells. As Maria looked at them, her chest felt overflowing


    with happiness. "Arthur, Bob."


    When they saw her, the brothers ran to her happily. "Mommy!"


    "Mommy!"


    Maria slipped an arm around each son and dered, "Let''s go to find your daddy!"


    "Okay! Let''s go to find Daddy!" Bob echoed.


    However, Arthur shook his head. "Mommy, I have new parents."


    Maria looked down at him in confusion. "What?"


    Arthur pointed at a ce not far away to her and said, "Look! Those are my parents! I also have a


    younger sister."


    Maria looked in the direction and saw a strange couple ying with a little girl-the same girl who


    was blowing bubbles earlier.


    The woman was very dainty and gentle. She waved at Arthur and called out, "Baby,e and y


    with your sister."


    Arthur let go of Maria''s hand and ran towards the woman. After taking a few steps, he stopped and


    turned around, smiling. "Mommy, my sister and I are very happy. You can go back with my younger


    brother."


    Maria''s heart broke. "Arthur, I miss you so much."


    "Mommy, don''t be sad. I am living a happy life. Bye, Mommy!" After saying that, Arthurunched


    himself into the other woman''s arms.


    Then, the family of four disappeared from sight.


    Maria turned around and found Bob in James'' arms. Father and son were busy looking at babies


    not far away. "Bob, which one do you want to be your younger brother?"


    With an adorable pout, Bob replied, "I want the bald one. He is so cute! He''s a bit naughty, though.


    Why are there no girls? I want a sister."


    "Don''t be anxious. Your sister is also on her way," promised James.


    "All right! Mommy,e and see my younger brother! " Bob waved to Maria and pointed at a child


    to show her.


    James also waved at her, gently calling her name. "Mia."


    Maria looked back and saw Arthur swinging merrily in the sky. His so-called parents helped to push


    him high while his younger sister pped and cheered.


    LARK COLE


    Author

 Chapter 441 Tommys Parents

    Chapter 441 Tommy''s Parents


    "Mia, Mia." James was calling her again.


    Maria burst into tears. "Goodbye, Arthur! Arthur!"


    "Mia, don''t cry."


    However, sobs kept bursting forth from her mouth. She was inconsble.


    When she woke up from the dream, Maria''s eyes opened to meet James'' worried ones.


    The frown on his brows finally rxed. "You''re awake. How are you feeling now?"


    Maria looked at her surroundings and recognized the room in the Fairview Vi. Shaking her head,


    she said softly, "James, Arthur appeared in my dream."


    "Really? What was he doing?" Maria appeared to be normal at the moment, so James secretly let


    out a sigh of relief.


    "In another world, Arthur has his own parents and a younger sister."


    James grabbed her hand and pressed his lips at the back of it. "Maybe Arthur was telling you that


    he''s happy now. He doesn''t want you to worry about him."


    "Yeah." Even in the hazy reality of that dream, she could feel her son''s happiness.


    No matter where Arthur was, it was okay as long as he was doing fine.


    "So, don''t miss him anymore. Let''s just take good care of his brother." He hoped that Maria would


    no longer dwell on Arthur''s ident.


    "Ah, by the way, Bob also picked a bald boy to be his younger brother." A smile crossed Maria''s


    features at the thought.


    She didn''t see the child''s face clearly, which was unfortunate, but she could tell that the baby was


    extremely cute.


    With a smile, James said, "It seems like Bob is going to have a younger brother."


    Maria rolled her eyes at him. "How could that be possible?" They had been taking contraceptive


    measures all this time, so Bob wouldn''t be getting a brother any time soon.


    "Are you hungry? I''ll ask John to bring up some food," he asked. She had been asleep for a day and


    a night.


    "Okay." Maria didn''t refuse.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    She felt exhausted, and her head throbbed painfully. However, it was nothing unusual after a long


    sleep.


    After dinner, Maria regained most of her strength. She asked James, "Where is Bob?"


    "He is at Lawrence''s ce."


    "Why?" Maria asked, a slight frown of confusion puckering her brows.


    Lawrence''s workce was more than two hundred kilometers away from them-in other words,


    nowhere close.


    "Rosa has run away, and I''m sure Colby is up to no good himself. We can get Bob once we''ve dealt


    with both of them."


    Maria fell silent.


    She could understand James'' intention. After all, Lawrence''s workce was safe. For now, she only


    had to endure the pain of missing Bob.


    After clearing away the dishes, James sat at the edge of the bed and looked into Maria''s eyes. "I


    have something to talk to you about."


    "What is it?"


    He took out a bottle of medicine from the nightstand drawer and asked in a tentative tone, "Have


    you been taking this all this time?"


    Stunned, Maria stared at the bottle for a moment and then shook her head. "I used to take it before,


    but I haven''t had it for a long time."


    Since she was with James, she was so happy that her mental trauma had gradually healed.


    "Mia, I''ve contacted a famous psychiatrist. I''ll take you to him for a check-up, okay?"


    Maria refused the offer. In one movement, she grabbed the bottle and tossed it into the nearby trash


    bin. "There''s no need; I''m fine now. I don''t need to take the medicine or do the check-up."


    James stared at her, surprised by her answer. Then, his eyes strayed toward the bottle in the trash


    can without saying a word.


    ''Has she really recovered?''


    However, he respected her decision. Since she didn''t agree, he wouldn''t force her. "Okay, we won''t


    go."


    Maria breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay."


    His arms gently closed around her. They basked in each other''s warmth, lost in their own thoughts


    as silence stretched between them. After a long time, he asked, "Why didn''t you tell me back then?"


    Maria knew what he was talking about. Listening to the calming beat of his heart, she answered,


    "James, would you have believed me when the ident had just happened, or when I returned to H


    City?"


    James didn''t know how to answer the question. After all, he knew that his answer was no, he


    wouldn''t have believed her back then.


    Everyone had already written her off as the sinner. Nobody would have thought that it was Rosa''s


    fault. Rosa was the one who had hurt Arthur.


    He now knew the reason why Maria approached Colby and tried her best to deal with Rosa.


    "Have a good rest. I''ll take care of them."


    "No, thanks. I won''t bother you with this. Now that Rosa and Colby are divorcing, she''s much easier


    to deal with than before."


    James found that answer unsatisfactory. Ducking his head to look at her more closely, he gently


    squeezed her chin and made her look at him. "Maria, what do you mean by bother?"


    She smiled and changed the topic. "How is Tommy doing?"


    "Doing a lot better, fortunately. He''s still staying at the hospital."


    "That''s good." Fortunately, Tommy was fine. If something bad had happened to him, Maria wouldn''t


    have been able to forgive herself.


    "His parents have been found, but they don''t want to im him as their son. I''m nning to let


    someone


    adopt him."


    Maria was stunned "They did not admit that he''s their son? What kind of parents are they?"


    "Hmm." James hadn''t expected that, either. Since they had dered that they wanted nothing to do


    with the child, they would never be able to take him back again


    The next morning, Maria suggested they should go to the cemetery to visit Arthur.


    It was a pity that she couldn''t bring Bob to visit his older brother.


    Maria put a candy in front of the tombstone and said softly, "Arthur, I''m d that you now live a


    happy life. Your younger brother is not at home, but I will take him to see you next time. If you have


    the time, please appear in my dream again, so that I can find out how you are doing now."


    As James stood at Maria''s side and stared at the cute face on the tombstone, aplicated mix of


    emotions filled him.


    The brothers resembled one another. They took after Maria, but upon a closer inspection, they


    looked like James, too.


    Gics was such a strange thing. Children could sometimes look like their mother in one moment,


    and then resemble their father in the next.


    However, it didn''t matter who they resembled-they were both Maria and his children.


    After a while, Maria stood up, caressed the photo, and then pressed a kiss on it.


    She would miss him for the rest of her life.


    In her heart, Arthur would always be her baby.


    In order to take better care of Bob, Lawrence took Meagan to the base and asked her to take care


    of the boy.


    However, Meagan had never given birth to a child, nor had she had the experience of taking care of


    one. Thus, she had no idea what to do with Bob.


    Fortunately, Bob was a good, well-behaved boy. When Lawrence''s colleagues wandered over


    during their free time, they would y with Bob.


    The soldiers would bring Bob while they went running for a few kilometers. To amuse the child, they


    would lift him high above their heads. He would crawl along on his belly like the soldiers did. While


    other children yed with toy guns, he yed with a real one.


    For Bob, this life was happy.


    The soldierspletely fell for the little boy, who was cute, pleasing, and popr. Every time Maria


    had a video chat with Meagan, the other woman usually had to spend around ten minutes just to


    find Bob.


    The weather was getting progressively hotter, and soon Bob didn''t need to wear diapers anymore.


    He would go to the men''s room with the soldiers.


    After living so freely for several days, he was tanned from all that exposure to the sun.

 Chapter 442 Love-starved

    Chapter 442 Love-starved


    At the end of that month, Maria reported on the crime of Colby Cheng, CEO of HM Group. She did


    not even withhold her real name.


    ording to the document she had provided as strong evidence to his crimes, Colby had illegally


    lent eight billion dors to LJ Group. Among the loans, the third and sixth loans, which amounted to


    one and three billion dors, respectively, had been loaned for purely fabricated uses.


    In addition, he took out four billion dors from people''s financial investment funds to other banks


    and recklessly lent the money to Tang Group, who had provided false guarantees. He had no


    compunctions about using people''s hard-earned money into huge risks.


    Most of all, he had done a number of evil things, such as driving the prices of real estate properties


    and letting people shoulder the exorbitant prices.


    With James adding fuel to the fire, Colby and yton were soon ced under investigation.


    The stock prices of their twopanies continued to plummet, making the shareholders who were


    still waiting for them to return squirm as they watched their investments steadily be worthless.


    In an almostically stark contrast, Maria had won many awards, including "Outstanding Female


    Entrepreneur in H City," "One of Top 10 Female Economic Figures," "One of Top 100 Business


    Women in the World."


    Tang Group had their glory days, but it was severely impacted by Maria''s whistleblowing of Colby''s


    fraudulent activities under her real name. Colby and yton had signed a lot of contracts together.


    After they were investigated, each of those projects began to suffer losses.


    That summer, Maria hadpletely be one of the most influential business people in H City.


    She was a hot topic of discussion during business dinners. "Maria Song will beingter. That


    woman single-handedly brought down several big shots in H City. She is really awesome!"


    From Qin Group to Jonathan, Gerald, Colby, and yton, she had managed to pull down close to


    eight CEOs.


    "That woman is equivalent to the prosecutor of H City''s financial circle. Amazing!"


    "She must have a powerful backer¡ªthere''s no way she could have pulled off such a feat by


    herself."


    "Everyone knows that. Besides James Xi, she has Norman Shen and even Mu Group behind her."


    Most of the ten biggest conglomerates in H City were taken down by Maria, while the rest were all


    helping her. Wasn''t she a legendary woman?


    Just then, the door of the private room was pushed open, and in came Maria and James, the topic


    of their conversation just now.


    Instantly, everyone turned toward the neers and started greeting them one after another.


    Both the main seat and the one at the right were reserved forthem. Everyone was expecting James


    to upy the main seat, but to their surprise, he didn''t. Instead, he pulled out the chair and ushered


    Maria to the seat, then sat beside her.


    This scene caused an uproar¡ªit revealed James'' family status. After that, more people started


    cozying up to Maria.


    Maria forced herself to listen to the influx of ttery during the whole dinner. Before her smile froze,


    she dragged James out of the business dinner.


    It was not until she was back in the car with James that she could finally breathe a sigh of relief.


    "Let''s go walk by the river side and see the view," James suggested. Maria had been under a lot of


    pressuretely, so he wanted to take her for a walk to rx.


    "Sure." As long as it got her out of that business dinner and the awkward toasts and pandering, she


    could go anywhere.


    They went to the H River.


    A gust of cool wind blew through the people on the river side, making the night pleasantly cool.


    James and Maria were strolling leisurely, their fingers sped together. For this particr couple,


    this opportunity to rx came very rarely for them.


    The umonly good-looking couple drew more than a few eyes. Some people were even taking


    photos of them secretly, but the bodyguards following James and Maria stopped them.


    Maria looked up at the sky andined, "Bob is so heartless! He doesn''t even miss us!"


    "It''s good that he doesn''t rely on us all the time. That way, we can have more time to be alone with


    each other," said James with a smile.


    Maria disagreed with him. "Bob will be sad to hear you say that."


    "He won''t. He will be even happier."


    Before Maria could retort, her phone rang. It was Ethan. "Hello, Ethan."


    "Maria, are you busy right now?"


    "No. What''s up?"


    "I''m going home to get engaged,"mented Ethan in a mournful voice.


    Maria sent a sidelong nce at the expressionless man beside her. He hadn''t said anything about


    Ethan''s engagement to her. "So suddenly? Congrattions, Ethan!"


    Ethan sounded even more depressed after hearing those words. "I didn''t call you to get your


    congrattions. I''m so annoyed right now, but I don''t have anyone to chat with. You''re the only one I


    can talk to about this, Maria."


    "I see. Tell me, then, which family does shee from? I''ll look into her background. If she''s not


    bad, then you can ept her." It was actually a good idea to find a woman who could take care of


    Ethan.


    "Heck, I don''t even know who she is or where shees from. And I don''t want to meet her!" He


    was ying an online game when his grandfather told him about his engagement. By the time he


    had finished the game and could finally listen, his grandfather was done speaking.


    Maria chuckled. "Go and meet her. Who knows, maybe she''s a well-educated beauty."


    "It has nothing to do with me. I''m not done ying around yet! Don''t you feel sorry for me?" "Feel


    sorry for you? Why do you think you''re pitiful?" Ethan was heartbroken. "Maria, I''m just in my early


    twenties, but I''m being made to ept a marriage of convenience for the sake of business. Worse,


    she is someone I''ve never met before!"


    "That actually does sound pathetic. Come on, you can do it! Look at James, for example. He could


    love whomever he wants to love and marry whomever he wants to marry. He doesn''t need a


    marriage of convenience at all. Wait, let me correct myself. He could ept a marriage of


    convenience if that''s what he wants." She had almost forgotten about Alina.


    James stopped in his tracks and red at Maria, who was currently preupied with teasing


    Ethan.


    Smiling, Maria blew him a kiss, and his face softened.


    While Ethan prattled on endlessly on the other end of the line, James snatched the phone from her


    hand and said, "Can''t you hang up and call your own wife instead?"


    Ethan was momentarily startled to hear James'' voice, but then he started wailing. "I don''t have a


    wife!"


    Maria blinked at James and gently reminded him, "Be nice! Don''t treat a love-starved young man


    like this."


    Upon hearing that, Ethan felt even sadder. "James, I''m hanging up!"


    Maria put away her phone with a smile. "Why were you so mean to him?"


    "What do you think?" asked James, gazing at her from the corner of his eye.


    It was not easy for them to find time to be together like this, but another man wanted to steal some


    of this time by talking Maria''s ear off. The truth was, Ethan got a nicer treatment from James for


    Maria''s sake.


    "Okay, okay. Let''s have some ice cream." "Okay."


    "I saw an ice cream show just now. Why can''t I see it anymore?" Maria looked around in confusion.


    James pulled her by the hand and said, "Let''s head north."


    "North? Where?"


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    James raised his head and pointed. "That way."


    Maria suddenly realized. "Every time I see you, I be so happy that I lose all sense of direction.


    What''s wrong with me?"


    The darkness in his expression vanished when he heard these words. He hugged her using one


    arm and said with a smile, "I like this shoring of yours. You have to get used to it."


    Maria wrapped her arms around his waist. "James, you know that you''re a domineering man. You


    should say, ''You are perfect and without ws in my eyes.''"


    LARK COLE


    Author

 Chapter 443 Whose Child Is He

    Chapter 443 Whose Child Is He


    James burst outughing. "That makes sense."


    Maria shed him a smug grin. "Of course! In the future, you should learn more from me."


    "Learn what exactly?"


    With a yful wink, Maria replied, "How to court women, of course."


    "Do I need to learn that?"


    "Why, you don''t think you need it?"


    "It''s unnecessary. After all, any woman I like will automatically be with me once I confess to her," he


    joked.


    Maria rolled her eyes at him. "It''s a miracle that someone like you even has a girlfriend. Why didn''t I


    think it through before I agreed to be with you?"


    He looked down at her with affection in his eyes. "That''s an easy question to answer. It''s because


    you like me."


    Maria didn''t deny these words. "What about you?"


    "Hmm?"


    "Do you like me?" Her tone was casual, as if the answer didn''t matter to her at all.


    "No, I don''t," was his decisive answer.


    The words were like knives stabbing into her heart.


    "You should let me teach you, then," she said lightly, trying to mask her pain.


    "No, thanks."


    With a huff of anger, she put some distance between them and muttered, "Forget it!"


    Pulling the angry woman into his arms once again, James whispered in her ear, "I don''t like you


    because I love you. Maria Song, I love you."


    The words echoed in her head.


    She had been with James for so long, but it was the first time she had ever heard him say those


    words.


    "I love you." Three simple words, yet they had the power to shake her world.


    Her eyes turned red-rimmed with tears, but she looked up at him with a radiant smile. Pretending to


    be unaffected, she said, "Well, it looks like you''ve learned enough, so you don''t need me to teach


    you anything."


    James was not satisfied with her reaction. "Shouldn''t you give me a proper answer?"


    ''A proper answer?'' Maria thought, taken aback. Not knowing how to respond, she froze in her


    tracks.


    After a long time, James sighed and finally stopped teasing her. Lowering his head, he pressed his


    lips to hers in a sweet kiss. After a long, pleasant while, he pulled away and asked, "Didn''t you want


    to get some ice cream? The store''s just up ahead. Let''s go!"


    "Okay!" With a happy smile, Maria followed him to the ice cream shop.


    Back at the vi, the couple got out of the parked car.


    As they headed out of the garage, Maria suddenly said, "I think I know how the answer now."


    James looked at her with a confused expression.


    Stepping forward, Maria stood on tiptoe and pulled him down by the cor to kiss him on the lips.


    "Mr. Xi, I am honored to be loved by you."


    James didn''t say anything in response.


    Instead, he leaned forward and pressed Maria against the car. "I think you''re being too perfunctory."


    She slid her arms around his neck and asked in a low, sultry voice, "What do you want, then?"


    "Something like this." James kissed her hard on the lips, and his big hands roamed every part of her


    body that he could reach. The atmosphere inside the garage quickly became heated with desire.


    Knowing what he was doing, Maria pulled away and reluctantly stopped him. "Wait! There are


    cameras here."


    Without stopping his seductive assault, James took out his phone and dialed a number. "Turn off the


    monitoring cameras in the garage."


    "Yes, Mr. Xi!"


    James'' daring took her breath away.


    Then, she saw the red dots of the infrared light from the monitoring cameras disappear.


    The next morning, Maria didn''t sleep in. Instead, she got up early and had breakfast with James


    before heading to thepany.


    James dropped her off and then watched her disappear from sight.


    He didn''t leave immediately. Taking out his phone, he called Maria''s doctor to update him about her


    recent condition.


    The doctor replied, "Mr. Xi, if you''re sure that Mrs. Xi hasn''t been taking any medicely, then it


    appears that her condition has improved. Any kind of disease, mental or otherwise, requires the


    appropriate treatment. In Mrs. Xi''s case, it seems that the best way to cure her is to untie the knots


    in her heart. For now, don''t put too much pressure on her, and pay attention to her emotions.


    Extreme emotions should be moderated..."


    Ten minutester, James ended the call. He took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a slow drag.


    Inside Miracle Cafe


    Sebastian arrived at the cafe at around noon and entered a private room.


    Inside, a woman dressed in all ck stood waiting for him. When she saw hime in, the


    expression on her face did not change.


    In contrast, Sebastian looked distinctly guilty when their eyes met.


    After ordering a cup of coffee, he invited the woman to sit down.


    Gabri sat opposite him, still not saying anything.


    "We have a grandson named Boston-"


    Gabri immediately corrected him in a t tone, "There is no ''we.''"


    Sebastian sighed. "Gabri, it''s been years since we''ve parted ways. I heard that things aren''t


    working out between you and Mitchell..."


    "What does that have to do with you? Or do you want to boast to me about how you and Judy love


    each other?"


    Sebastian choked at her words. "No! I asked you toe here today to apologize to you."


    Gabri remained silent.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    "It was my fault. Instead of trusting you, I believed Judy''s baseless nder and ended up betraying


    you. Gabri, divorce Mitchell!"


    "Divorce?" Gabri asked with a sarcastic littleugh. "Mr. Xi, why do you think that I will divorce


    him just because you say so?"


    "Whose child is Norman?"


    The sudden change in topic stunned Gabri. Still, she managed to answer, "His father is Mitchell."


    "Really?" Sebastian stared at her.


    The implication carried by that single word annoyed her. "Or else? What do you want me to say?"


    Sebastian went straight to the point. "Is Norman our child? James and Cooper''s younger brother?"


    When he first heard that piece of information by ident, Sebastian panicked.


    Gabri quickly rose to her feet, and her expressionless mask finally showed a tiny crack. "I don''t


    know what you''re talking about. Who the hell has been feeding you such nonsense and making you


    think that Norman is your child? Sebastian, if you don''t have anything else to say, I''m leaving now."


    "Gabri! You usually try to escape whenever you feel anxious. If you won''t admit it, fine. I''ll have


    James investigate the lead that I have. I believe he will be very interested to know whether Norman


    is his own brother or not." Sebastian himself was ipetent, but thankfully he had an extremely


    capable son.


    Gabri whirled around to face him, her eyes aze with anger. "What the hell do you want? Can''t


    we just leave each other alone?"


    "Gabri, don''t be angry." Sebastian took the opportunity to block the exit. "Our children are all


    grown up. I''m sure you know that James has been at loggerheads with Norman for a long time


    because of Maria. If James finds out that Norman is his brother, he will definitely treat him the same


    way he treats Cooper. Don''t you want to see our three children getting along with each other?"


    "Norman grew up alone, and he''s used to living without any siblings. I don''t think he needs James to


    care about him."


    A waiter came in with Sebastian''s cup of coffee. He took it and then asked the waiter to leave.


    Staring down at the dark liquid in his cup, he said, "This is Maria''s cafe. Two years ago, she opened


    up this cafe with Norman''s help. Gabri, I''m afraid that you haven''t grasped the current situation


    yet. Norman hates James, and he wants to use Maria against him. He is Maria''s benefactor so she


    won''t betray him. If the two brothers woulde to blows one day over a woman, I''m afraid they


    would both lose."

 Chapter 444 Fosun Entertainment Group

    Chapter 444 Fosun Entertainment Group


    "Once James finds out that Norman is his brother from the same parents, he will definitely tolerate


    him and let their feud go. Perhaps the fight between brothers could be avoided entirely."


    However, Gabrie remained unmoved. "Norman''s surname is Shen, not Xi. That should be enough


    proof that he''s Mitchell''s son. I don''t care whether he wants to fight with James or not, but I think


    that my son doesn''t need you pleading on his behalf for such an advantage. He would not let James


    bully him easily. The same goes for James."


    Sebastian tried reasoning with her again, but his voice sounded more anxious. "As long as you


    admit that Norman is my son and James'' younger brother, then maybe the fight doesn''t have to


    happen. Don''t you want our children to live a happy, peaceful life?"


    Gabri finally lost her temper andshed out in a raised voice, "So now you want to avoid


    fighting? Why weren''t you like this back then? If it weren''t for that woman, do you think we would be


    in this kind of situation?"


    At the mention of Judy, Sebastian''s guilt weighed down on his heart even heavier. In a soft voice, he


    reassured Gabri, "She''s in prison now, and I already know what kind of person she is. Gabri, I


    was unfair to you. It was all my fault. Give me a chance to make it up to you, okay?"


    "No!" Gabri firmly refused. "Regardless of the state of my rtionship with Mitchell, I will never


    marry you again."


    "Gabri!"


    After rearranging her features into a semnce of calm, Gabri faced Sebastian squarely and


    finally said, "I admit that Norman is not Mitchell''s child. So what? The fact only makes me feel more


    disgusted by you. Nothing happened between me and Mitchell¡ª not only before I married him but


    also after our marriage. What about you and Judy?"


    Gabri''s revtion rendered Sebastian speechless.


    Without waiting for his response, Gabri stood up and left, leaving Sebastian rooted on his spot in


    stupefaction.


    Maria was still busy with work in her office that night when she received a call from Peggy. "Hello,


    Peggy."


    Without preamble, Peggy asked, "Maria, do you know Mr. Xu?"


    "Yes, I do. What''s wrong?"


    Peggy said helplessly, "I provoked him, so he had me locked up. Maria, he wouldn''t let me go, so I


    had no choice but to call you."


    Maria''s brows furrowed slightly. "I see. Tell him that I want to go shopping with you. If he still refuses


    to let you go, you can call me again." Because of that incident where Mr. Xu identally drugged


    Maria, he had one of his fingers cut off by James. However, it seemed like the man hadn''t learned


    his lesson yet.


    "Okay! Thank you so much!"


    "You''re wee. Call me any time if you need help."


    "Got it!"


    After hanging up the phone, Peggy asked someone to tell ry Maria''s message to Mr. Xu.


    In less than two minutes, the man who had insisted on sleeping with her walked her out of the bar


    with a smile.


    Peggy''s head reeled at the man''s about-face. Here was proof that Maria had be a force to be


    reckoned with in H City. She only had to drop her name and tell people that she was her friend in


    order to be set free.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Once again, Peggy was filled with admiration for her friend.


    In HL Group


    James threw a project contract on the desk and said in a cold voice, "Investigate this. Look into


    Fosun Entertainment Group at all costs. Even if you have to use force, you must find out the person


    behind thatpany."


    He would like to meet this person face to face.


    Heaving an inward sigh, Summer answered promptly, "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    At that point, Fosun Entertainment Group was an unstoppablepany in H City. It was a mere


    entertainmentpany in the beginning, but its business had already expanded into the fields of


    clothing, cosmetics, real estate, and other industries. Recently, thepany even dared to harm


    the interests of HL Group and making it suffer a considerable loss.


    Intriguingly, no one outside thepany knew who the CEO was. This seemingly mythical person''s


    identity remained a mystery-a fact that infuriated James.


    "Put the stress of the investigation on Norman. Maybe he''s involved in it somehow," James said.


    "Got it."


    In few days, HL Group and Fosun Entertainment Group reached an agreement. On the day of the


    contract signing, people from HL Group insisted on meeting the CEO of the otherpany. To


    everyone''s surprise, Fosun Entertainment Group backed out of the project because of this


    condition.


    Soon, the news of Fosun Entertainment Group''s n to acquire HM Group started to spread,


    showing how aggressive it was in its ventures.


    HM Group''s stock price had been on a constant downward spiral ever since its CEO, Colby Zheng,


    had been ced under investigation for fraudulent activities. Moreover, many of its branch offices


    had been closed down. Even so, thepany couldn''t be acquired that so easily. By releasing the


    news, Fosun Entertainment Group issued a challenge to all of the big shots in H City''s financial


    circle.


    What made James even angrier was that Fosun Entertainment Group had gotten their hands on


    insider information from HL Group in advance and won the project released by HL Group in the


    competition with its peers.


    Even after James had thoroughly investigated the matter, he did not find a traitor within his


    company. It was extremely confusing.


    Everyone guessed that the person in charge of Fosun Entertainment Group was probably a hacker.


    Maybe that person was skilled enough to hack into HL Group''s database and extract insider


    information.


    While in a business dinner, Maria received a call from Edith, Colby''s secretary. "Hello."


    The woman''s agitated voice assaulted her ears. "Didn''t you say that if I listened to you, Colby would


    divorce Rosa and marry me?"


    Sweeping a nce across the dozen or so people gathered at the dining table, Maria said calmly,


    "Let''s talk about it face to face after my business dinner is finished."


    Edith suppressed her temper and replied, "Okay, but I can''t go out right now since my child is


    asleep. Come and find me!"


    "Okay."


    At about ten o''clock in the evening, Maria drove to a gatedmunity. It was not a high-end


    residentialpound, and the security guards at the gate were sleepy, so she easily entered the


    gate.


    After reaching the correct unit, she rang the doorbell, and Edith opened the door.


    Her bodyguards did not enter and instead waited by the door. When Maria came into the house,


    Edith said, "See? Not only didn''t Colby marry me, but he also made me move from a high-end


    apartment to this dump!"


    Edith was anxious because several parties were investigating Colby. For now, he didn''t allow her to


    go to thepany, so she couldn''t help but overthink at home all day long.


    Maria looked at the sparse furnishings of the shabby apartment. She declined to sit down when


    asked. She didn''t intend to stay for long. "As far as I know, he is divorcing Rosa. I think they''re in the


    process of finalizing the divorce procedures. Besides, Rosa has be a wanted criminal. Her


    days as Mrs. Zheng are numbered."


    "A wanted criminal?" Edith was not aware of this information.


    "Yes." Maria exhaled and slipped her hands into her pockets. "Colby must have given you a lot of


    money, right? If you don''t want to be implicated in his crimes, just break up with him and leave this


    city!"


    The offer was a sincere one. After all, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Colby would be


    arrested any time soon. If Edith continued to stay here, she would still be involved even if she was


    staying in an old, shabbymunity instead of avish apartment.


    Edith vaguely knew these things. "Maria, I beg you. For the sake of my child, please don''t let them


    put Colby behind bars."


    Maria chuckled without humor. "He broke thew. It''s not up to me whether he would be thrown to


    prison or not."


    "But if he is in prison, how can I have my child registered without a father? Maria, you broke your


    promise!" Edith didn''t expect Colby''s crimes to be so serious.


    Maybe it was because Maria used her real name when she reported it. If anybody else had been


    the whistleblower, the matter would have been swept under the rug eventually.


    Maria looked her in the eye and said, "Edith, we agreed that as long as you cooperated with me, I


    would let Colby divorce Rosa and make it possible to have your child registered. I didn''t promise


    you anything else. Besides, Colby hasn''t been thrown into prison yet, so there''s still hope. Why are


    you so agitated?"

 Chapter 445 A Vicious Beauty

    Chapter 445 A Vicious Beauty


    Colby''s case was way tooplicated. A lot of investigation would be required. Considering all this,


    how could he be put into prison so easily?


    Maria was quite calm andposed whereas Edith was ill at ease. In a panicky voice, she said,


    "Every day, there are peopleing to thepany and investigating the matter. This evidently


    shows that Colby must havemitted some severe crime and could be put behind the bars any


    minute. If he is taken away, how will my child be registered?"


    Maria took a deep breath and said, "You need to stop obsessing over Colby''s household register.


    Give it a rest. Suppose your child''s name appear on his household register today, things will be bad.


    If Colby is put into prison, it can impact your child''s future."


    Maria was right, but Edith wasn''t consoled. "This is all because of you! If you didn''t report on him,


    my child would have been registered as Colby''s son. If it weren''t for you, none of this would have


    happened!"


    Maria was rendered speechless. "Even if I didn''t do it, someone else would have done it. Sooner or


    later he would have had to pay the price. He can''t get away with his deeds."


    In spite of this rational exnation, Edith wasn''t convinced. "Yes, perhaps someone else would


    have done what you did. But remember that wouldn''t have had such a great effect. He would easily


    break free with the help of his money. You are different. You have Mr. Xi behind you as your backer.


    And we all know he is richer and more powerful than anyone. Colby is bound to lose against him."


    Maria was convinced something was wrong with


    Edith. She began to realize she was only wasting her time by conversing with her. In the end, she


    said, "I will do what I have promised you. If your son isn''t registered by the time Colby is put into


    prison, then I will make it a point to buy him a household register. Once that is settled, I hope we


    won''t ever have to contact each other."


    After saying that, Maria turned around and got ready to leave.


    Seeing this, Edith suddenly pulled her, trying to stop her from leaving. "Maria, don''t go. We haven''t


    reached an agreement yet."


    The woman was strong and Maria had difficulty shaking off her firm grasp. "Let go of me! If you


    have something to say, just say it, but don''t touch me!"


    As they grappled, Maria''s handbag dropped on the floor. The contents inside were scattered all over


    the floor.


    When the bodyguards heard the ttering sound, they pushed the door open and rushed in. In an


    instant, they pulled Edith away from Maria.


    Once free, Maria picked her belongings from the floor, smoothened her outfit and left the area under


    the protection of her bodyguards. She ignored Edith, who was screaming and vying for her


    attention.


    When she arrived at the vi, she learned that James hadn''te back yet. She sat on the bed and


    exhaled deeply, still reeling from the events that had just unfolded.


    Her encounter with Edith had been quite distressing.


    If she had the slightest idea about Edith''s character, Maria wouldn''t have cooperated with her in the


    first ce.


    ''Now I can only try my best to make Rosa and Colby divorce! Once that''s done, I will buy a


    household register for Edith''s son,'' she thought to herself.


    She gradually calmed down and went to the bathroom.


    The night was eerily quiet and she managed to get some sleep. The next morning, a gruesome


    piece of news hit the headlines in H City.


    It was about the homicide case that took ce in Sunshine Community.


    At first, Maria paid no heed to the news. However, when her ears caught the word Sunshine


    Community, she began to suspect something. ''Isn''t this themunity where Edith lives?'' she


    wondered.


    She clicked on the details and found that the dead person was surnamed Wang. She was 26 years


    old and was the secretary to the CEO of HM Group.


    In an instant, goose bumps formed on her skin. Her mouth was wide with shock. If not Edith, who


    else! Maria knew with certainty it was her.


    She tried to find out when this incident had urred. She learned it was half past ten in the


    evening. That would mean it happened an hour after she left Edith''s house.


    ''Had Rosa paid a killer to kill Edith?'' she thought suspiciously. After all, Rosa had previously paid


    killers to get her job done. Maria wouldn''t put it past her.


    It was almost time for dinner and her phone rang. It was Lawrence who was calling her. "Maria,


    where were youst night?"


    His question was very abrupt but she answered honestly, "I attended a business dinner and then


    went to Sunshine Community."


    After a moment''s silence, Lawrence took a deep breath and said, "You probably haven''t heard of


    this yet. But the evidence left at the crime scene makes it look like the murder wasmitted by


    you."


    Maria was at a loss for words. She couldn''t believe her ears.


    Once she was over the initial shocked, she asked, "So?"


    "I thought I had to let you know. I came across this news by ident. I guess the police will want to


    see you soon. I just wanted to give you a heads-up so that you can be mentally prepared for it."


    "I see," Maria replied.


    Then she changed the subject and asked, "How about Bob? Is he causing you trouble?"


    "He''s been having a good time. When he goes out, he is carried by someone; when he has meals,


    there is someone to feed him; when he goes to bed, luby is sang to him." Bob''s life was the


    epitome offort.


    Maria recalled her son''s sweet face and a smile crept onto her face. "That''s good. I''m afraid that he


    will have to be under your care for a little longer."


    "Well, I''m not the one taking care of her. Your son is very popr here. Everyone is fond of


    spending their time with him. Even my wife insists on going to bed with him." As Lawrence uttered


    thatst line, his face slightly took a tormented expression. Bob was very good, but his presence


    prevented him and his wife from making a baby.


    "Please pass my gratitude to Meagan. I can''t thank her enough for what she is doing." Maria


    decided that when she went out for shopping, she would make it a point to get something for


    Meagan.


    "You''re wee. I have something urgent to deal with. I think I will hang up now. Bye."


    "Okay."


    As soon as she hung up the phone, her phone rang again. She nced at the phone and saw


    James'' name.


    As soon as she took the call, he said, "I''ll pick you up right now."


    "What? Where are we going?"


    "We will go back to my ce. I''m on my way to yourpany," he said, his words sounding a bit


    like amand.


    Maria understood what was bothering him. "Does this have to do with Colby''s secretary''s case?"


    she asked.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    "Yeah." He couldn''t bear the thought of the police taking Maria away. Even thought it would only be


    a small interrogation, he didn''t want them to bother her. "Let''s talk about it after we meet."


    Every time something mildly bad happened to Maria, James would get an overwhelming urge to


    protect her. Should any harm befall her, he would hate himself.


    As soon as Maria got into the Harkim and left thepany, she caught sight of a police car. It


    stopped right in front of herpany.


    After knowing that Maria was not in thepany, the police had to look for her.


    The news gradually began to spread all across H City. Those who wanted to hurt Maria clung to this


    opportunity. Someone bribed media reporters and marketing ounts, trying to spread the rumor


    that Maria hadmitted the murder.


    It began to spread like wildfire on the Inte. As a result, Maria received an overwhelming amount


    of abuse.


    "This woman is so horrible. She not only killed her own son several years ago, but has restarted her


    old habit by killing somebody else again!"


    "I feel terrible for Mr. Xi! How did he get tricked into marrying someone like her?"


    "You don''t know how many people in the financial circle have suffered because of her. I have heard


    she is the one who stirred trouble for Mr. Zheng of HM Group!"


    "She''s a frightful woman. Looks can be deceptive. She is what I would call a vicious beauty!"


    Sitting in the Harkim, Maria put her phone away. She turned to James and said "If I run away, they


    might think I have indeedmitted the murder. They will mistake it for guilty conscience. I should


    cooperate and answer their questions."


    "You are now the CEO of DS Group. If you are taken away by the police, it won''t just be bad for you,


    but will also bring disgrace to yourpany." The negative impact of this would be a lot more than


    Maria anticipated. James thought it was his duty to knock some sense into her.


    "I''m not the murderer, but I did go to see Edith before she died. Isn''t it my duty to assist the police


    with the investigation?" she asked.


    "You have a point. But when you think of it, there are so many ways to take information from you. I


    don''t see why it is important to take you to the police station forthat."


    Maria was shocked as she heard him exin. She couldn''t help but wonder if it was good to be so


    stubborn.


    When they arrived at the vi, James asked Maria to rx and put her mind at ease. He also


    ordered her to stay away from her phone. He assured her he would handle everything. Before he


    left, he made it a point to send several bodyguards to guard the vi. He warned Maria against


    leaving the vi. He also gave strict orders to the guards, asking them to stop anyone who dared to


    approach her.

 Chapter 446 Chase The Fugitive

    Chapter 446 Chase The Fugitive


    The police soon got in touch with Maria. As she spoke to them, she learned that something from her


    bag was left back in Edith''s apartment, making her the biggest suspect. She vividly recalled how


    things from her bag had been scattered on the floor. Even though she tried to pick them all up, there


    was something that remained.


    When she went through the contents of her purse, she realized the pendant on the key chain James


    had given her as a gift was missing. She just picked up her bag and keys, leaving the pendant as


    an evidence.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Now it dawned upon her it was the pendant that had gotten her into trouble.


    The policeman spoke in a very persuasive manner. "Ms. Song, I hope you can cooperate with us


    ande to the police station. After all, you are the top suspect. If there is any misunderstanding,


    this is your opportunity to clear it."


    Maria remembered the strict orders James had given. Firmly, she said, "I haven''t killed anyone nor


    have I got something to hide from you. But for further questions, please contact mywyer or driver.


    I am sorry but I don''t think I cane."


    After hanging up the phone, she took a deep breath. Life had taken a rather annoying turn.


    James asked hiswyer to take over her case. She could sit back and rx as the driver andwyer


    dealt with the issue.


    Within a week, this news had reached almost everyone through the Inte. One fine day,


    Lawrence appeared in James'' office.


    "James, the evidence seems to say it was Maria." Lawrence, who was sitting opposite to James,


    came straight to the point.


    James'' cold gaze remained glued to his friend''s face. "No one can take Maria away," he spat out


    angrily. He meant every word he had uttered. Even his good friend couldn''t do that!


    His sole goal in life was to safeguard Maria from all kinds of harm. He couldn''t allow them to take


    her into such a wretched ce.


    As long as he was alive, he wouldn''t allow anyone toy a finger on her.


    Lawrence had no choice but to nod his head. He understood James was determined to do anything


    to protect Maria. In spite of this, he tried again. "Nobody is going to harm her. They will only ask her


    a couple of questions. Don''t you believe me?" If the police hadn''t asked him to persuade James, he


    wouldn''t have attempted to persuade his friend. After all, this was none of his business.


    "I don''t believe you! Didn''t you cooperate with her and deceive me?"


    James'' words rendered Lawrence speechless. He didn''t know how to react to this usation. After


    remaining silent for a while, he found his voice and said, "These are two different matters."


    Public matters were different from private matters. He wouldn''t dare to make jokes about business.


    James gazed at his friend with his scrutinizing eyes and said, "I know they asked you toe and


    persuade me. Now prove your friendship by returning to the crime scene. Go over there and prove


    Maria''s innocence. You are wasting your time here. You can never persuade me into allowing them


    to take Maria away."


    Lawrence cleared his throat and said, "I''ve already gone there to check the crime scene. There is a


    pendant with Maria''s name on it. The dagger that was used tomit the crime hasn''t been found


    yet. On the door of the victim''s apartment, there are the fingerprints of Maria and her driver. No


    other finger prints have been detected. Of course, we can''t rule out the possibility that the


    perpetrator was wearing gloves when they carried out this gruesome murder."


    The neighbor, who lived in the apartment opposite to Edith''s, was the first to have found about


    Edith''s death. He noticed the door of her house was slightly ajar, so he entered to see what was


    going on. His eyes soon met the sight of Edith lying in a pool of blood. He instantly dialed the


    police''s number.


    James nodded and said, "Then you can send someone to find Rosa, Colby''s wife."


    "Colby''s wife?" Lawrence was a little startled. He was oblivious to everything that had happened


    between Maria and Rosa.


    "Yes." James passed him a cigarette. Taking out a lighter, he lit his own first and then did the same


    for hispanion. "Don''t let the news out as it might alert the enemy. When you find her, ask


    someone to bring her here. We still have some ounts to settle."


    Lawrence took a deep drag of his cigarette and said, "Why haven''t you asked about your son?"


    "Why do I have to ask about him? Is something the matter? Isn''t he fine?" James raised his


    eyebrows. From what he knew, Bob was as happy as a m at Lawrence''s ce. Without his


    parents around, his life was muchxer.


    James wouldn''t mind having Bob stay in Lawrence''s ce for a few more days.


    Finally, Lawrence stood up and stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray. "Looks like I need to help


    you solve this problem as soon as possible. And then, I can send your son back. Otherwise, my


    wife won''t remember me at all."


    James''s mouth curved into a smile. "We are buddies. It won''t hurt if you lend your wife to my son for


    a few more days."


    Lawrence threw him a punch. "If he gets too close to my wife, I will make him run five kilometers!"


    "Go ahead, make him do that. After all, he can definitely make small sacrifices for a woman."


    Lawrence was shocked at this response. An idea popped into his mind. "I''ll try to have a daughter


    with my wife. When she grows up, she can marry your son. That way, my daughter can achieve at


    least half of thepany that you have worked so hard to develop, right?"


    Now it was James'' turn to be shocked. Was it really appropriate to be thinking about future so early?


    "You''d better have a daughter first. And then, we can continue this discussion."


    "Okay! Now I have to have a daughter for the sake of HL Group!" After saying that, Lawrence


    walked towards the door and left.


    "I will wait forthat good news," James uttered.


    It was a hot summer day. At about nine o''clock in the evening, James arrived back home. When he


    opened the door of his bedroom, he saw that Maria was lying on the bed and having a video chat


    with Meagan. Bob''s little face appeared on the screen. When he caught sight of James, he took the


    initiative to call


    him. "Daddy!"


    "Didn''t you run five kilometers?" James asked, a smile ying on his lips.


    "You did!"


    Bob dered. James looked at his child quizzically.


    Noticing the confusion this had caused, Maria turned to him and exined, "Your son isn''t capable


    of distinguishing ''you'' and T these days."


    Meagan, hearing this, chimed in, "That''s right. He makes usugh because of this. He was craving


    for snacks today. He came up to us and said, ''You are hungry.'' It was hrious."


    "You little fool." James shook his head.


    "Daddy, you are not a fool! I am a fool," Bob protested.


    Both thedies burst into peals ofughter. Even James couldn''t help but smile at his son''s


    innocence.


    Bob, having had a fun day, was tired and began to yawn. Maria asked him to go to bet.


    Once they ended the video call, James pulled her into an embrace. He ran his hand over her soft


    hair and ced a kiss on her head.


    Maria pushed him away and said sternly, "I gained three pounds after staying home. I have turned


    into a couch potato." Lately, her routine mostly consisted of eating and sleeping. asionally, she


    went to the study to do her work. But even that didn''t require any exercise. She simply sat there.


    She had no heart to go to the gym alone, nor was she in the mood to swim.


    Looking her up and down, James said, "In fact, I think you look perfect." This wasn''t bad. He


    thought it would be morefortable to hold her now that she had gained some weight.


    "I want to go back to thepany," Maria grumbled.


    "It won''t be long before you can return. Lawrence has found some new clues."


    "What clues?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.


    James answered, "Rosa is hiding at Mr. Huang''s ce. Her whereabouts of the night when Edith


    was killed were suspicious."


    "I have suspected Rosa''s hand was behind everything. But I thought she must have hired someone


    to do the job." James'' words made her look at Rosa with a new perspective. Was it possible that


    Rosa had killed Edith with her own hands? That would be too dangerous.


    "Whether she paid a killer or she did it by herself, we can''t know for sure. But this murder surely has


    something to do with her," James said, sounding very convinced.


    Maria nodded in agreement. "Isn''t Mr. Huang on good terms with Colby? Why would he be willing to


    help Rosa?"


    "Because Rosa has some evidence of Colby''s crime. She used that evidence and threatened Colby.


    He had no choice but to persuade Mr. Huang into helping her."


    Until now, Maria hadn''t understood this. James'' words enlightened her.


    In less than two days, another piece of news spread in the H City. Several crimesmitted by


    Colby came out in the open. He was used of insider trading, illegal lending, false donation and


    so on.


    But when the police went to arrest him, Colby wasn''t home. He had escaped and they were trying to


    chase the fugitive.


    Soon after, yton was arrested for bribery. He was taken in for holding a huge amount of property


    with unidentified sources, fraudulent fund-raising and other charges.

 Chapter 447 Visiting Bob

    Chapter 447 Visiting Bob


    Miranda was also involved. As the general manager of Tang Group, she had to deal with a lot of


    problems and put out fires everywhere. She knew what yton had done, but she did not report


    him to the police. Instead, she helped cover up the messes he had made, and now she was also


    arrested.


    At the same time, many senior executives of HM Group and Tang Group were taken away by the


    police for questioning, which sent a ripple of shock through the industry.


    Everyone knew that the senior executives who were taken away this time had little to no chance of


    evering back.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Under constant pressure from HL Group, HM Group officially dered bankruptcy half a month after


    Colby disappeared.


    This piece of news inspired disappointment in a few people. Although HM Group did not have a


    century''s worth of history, it was still deeply rooted in H City. However, due to James'' efforts orck


    thereof, HM Group went bankrupt in less than a year.


    This kind of speedy and embarrassing fall was rare in H City''s financial circle.


    As for the case of Edith''s death, the police had made a new breakthrough and was now focusing on


    Rosa.


    But they had not found Rosa yet, so they still could not let Maria off the hook.


    One day, Maria went to a shopping mall and bought some gifts. Then, the driver drove her to army


    base where Lawrence was.


    When Maria arrived, she saw Bob running behind Lawrence and following him around. He was


    wearing a mini-sized camouge uniform and covered in sweat.


    Every time the adults dropped on the ground and crawled, he also did the same thing. He was


    particrly nimble and agile for his age.


    The Hakim stopped not far away, attracting many people''s attention.


    Seeing Maria''s car, Meagan rushed over to greet her. "Hey, Maria."


    Maria got out of the car and gave Meagan a hug. "Long time no see, Mrs. Lu."


    Meagan chuckled. "Mrs. Lu? Why are you being so formal with me?"


    After the two women chatted for a while, Meagan said, "I''ll call Bob over here."


    "Okay." Maria looked lovingly at the little figure not far away.


    Meagan took a breath and shouted, "Bob!"


    The boy''s name was so familiar to the soldiers that someone in the training team said, "Bob, you''re


    going home to drink milk."


    "It''s time for your diaper change, Bob."


    The soldiers burst intoughter. Bob stood up from the ground and turned his little head toward the


    call.


    When he saw Maria, he jumped up happily, ran, and screamed, "Mommy, Mommy!"


    The soldiers turned very curious when Bob called Maria his mommy. The boy had been with them


    for a very long time, but not once had they gotten a glimpse of his parents. They all followed Bob


    with their eyes.


    The next moment, they were all amazed. One of them even asked Lawrence, "Captain, does Bob''s


    mom have a boyfriend? Can you introduce me to her?"


    "No wonder Bob is so handsome. It turns out that his mother is so fucking good-looking."


    "Oh, I envy him for having such a beautiful mother."


    Lawrence was speechless. "Let''s continue!" he barked.


    ''How dare these bastards covet my good friend''s wife? I''ll teach them a lesson!''


    When Bob rushed to his mother''s arms, Lawrence''s men withdrew their envious eyes, turned


    around, and threw themselves back into hard training.


    Maria picked up the boy and kissed him on the cheeks over and over.


    Bob clung to Maria''s neck and rested his head on her shoulder, unwilling to let go.


    It was an hourter when Lawrence finished his training. When he returned to the apartment, Maria


    had already bathed Bob and dressed him with a new set of clothes she had bought for him.


    Seeing Lawrence back, Meagan took out a lc dress, put it over her body, and showed it to him. "Is


    it beautiful? What do you think?"


    "Put it on," Lawrence answered.


    "I have just tried it on. It fits me well."


    Lawrence put his arm over Meagan''s shoulder and yfully pushed her into the bedroom. "Try it on


    again. I haven''t seen you in it yet."


    With a flushed face, Meagan went to the bedroom to put on the dress.


    After tidying Bob up, Maria asked, "Have you finished your work?"


    "Yeah. Why didn''t Jamese here with you?" Lawrence put his hat aside and poured himself a


    ss of water.


    "He''s on a business trip right now. He won''t be back until the day after tomorrow." Maria really


    missed Bob so much, so she decided toe by herself.


    Lawrence nodded to show understanding.


    The next moment, Meagan came out of the bedroom in the new dress. At the sight of her,


    Lawrence''s eyes lit up. He smiled and said, "You look great in it."


    "Maria has good taste."


    Maria said with a smile, "It''s not because of my good taste, Meagan. You''re young and beautiful,


    and you have an amazing figure. You''ll look gorgeous in anything.¡±


    "I think so, too," Lawrence said, echoing Maria. He had also noticed that Meagan looked good no


    matter what she wore.


    Hearing what Maria and Lawrence said, Meagan felt so shy that her face started turning red. "Oh,


    yourpliments make me walk in air. Excuse me. I''ll go change."


    Bob was ying with the new toys that Maria bought for him. She took two more paper bags and


    said, "These are for Meagan. They''re skin care products and sunscreen. I''m afraid she will get


    sunburnt following you around all day every day."


    Lawrence took the paper bags and looked inside them. "You''ve gotten her everything I should buy


    for her. What else can I get her then?"


    "You and Meagan will live together for a lifetime. Why are you worried about what to buy for her?"


    Maria raised her eyebrows.


    "Okay, you have a point," Lawrence said in agreement.


    "I also brought some fruits and snacks for your men. They''re in the trunk of my car. Ask someone to


    move them outter and distribute them to your people." Bob had been bothering Lawrence''s


    people a lottely. As his mother, Maria had to show her gratitude to them for taking care of her son.


    Lawrence did not refuse. After all, the fruits and snacks were not for him. "I will. Thanks," he replied.


    Meagan nned to make dinner for Maria in the evening. However, at dusk, Maria received a call.


    "Ms. Song, something happened to your grandfather."


    Maria did not know how to react for a moment.


    Gordon had been in poor healthtely. After finding out that Miranda had been taken away by the


    police, he could not bear the blow and lost consciousness.


    When Maria arrived at the hospital, Gordon had already been dered dead.


    Carolina had stayed by Gordon''s side since he fainted and watched him die.


    Chandler was on a business trip in another city, and he did not arrive until two hours after Maria.


    The truth was, the members of the Song family had been mentally preparing themselves for


    Gordon''s death. But when they got the news of his demise, they still sobbed like they were not


    expecting it.


    But Maria did not shed tears. She responded to the situation calmly. She and Carolina helped


    Chandler arrange Gordon''s funeral.


    After returning from his business trip, James attended Gordon''s funeral together with his


    grandparents.


    A week had passed after Gordon''s death. Maria received a phone call. "Hello, Ms. Song. I''m the


    late Mr. Gordon Song''swyer. Can youe to the Song family house now?"


    "Why? What happened?"


    "Mr. Song has left something for you in his will. I can''t read the will to the family unless everyone is


    present."


    Maria took a deep breath and answered calmly, "No, thanks. Whatever''s left for me, just donate it."


    In a dilemma, thewyer exined with difficulty, "Ms. Song, when Mr. Song was still alive, he


    explicitly instructed me to only read his will when everyone is present..."


    Perhaps Gordon had guessed that Maria would not be willing toe over for the reading of his


    will, so he had given hiswyer some special instructions.


    Unable to refuse, Maria finally went to the Song family''s house.


    She had not set foot into this house for a long time.


    When she arrived, several cars were already parked in the yard. It seemed that all the Song family


    members had arrived.

 Chapter 448 The Choice Is Yours

    Chapter 448 The Choice Is Yours


    d in a simple ck dress and high heels, Maria stepped into the house. She was followed by two


    bodyguards.


    Once she was inside, she noticed there weren''t just members of the Song family, but also Alina,


    Ronald and the illegitimate child of Chandler.


    As Maria made her entry, everyone present fixated their eyes on her.


    The only reason ine was qualified to be here today was because she was the mother of


    Chandler''s children.


    Maria hadn''t seen Dani for a long time. Chandler had recently picked her up from their


    hometown. As her eyes ran over her, she realized there were a lot of changes in Dani.


    Maria mingled with the crowd, exchanging greetings. In a few minutes, she found a seat and sat


    down.


    Thewyer cleared his throat and began to announce Gordon''s will.


    The expression on ine face changed when she heard she was only given one house. Dani


    was given some funds that were worth millions of dors. Carolina, on the other hand, was given


    real estates that were also worth millions of dors. It was Maria''s part that shocked her the most.


    Maria was given twenty-five percent of the shares of Song Group and a bank card. ine could no


    longer remain silent. She had to voice her frustration.


    Standing up, she spat out, "Was the old man out of his mind? Doesn''t he remember who took care


    of him while he was still alive? Maria had been absent from the Song family for ten years. In spite of


    everything, she gets so many shares. How is this fair? I don''t care about the fact he has only left me


    a house. But Dani surely deserves more than some funds!"


    Chandler was livid as he heard these usations. Trying to contain his rage, he exined, "ine,


    don''t forget that we have divorced. You have nothing to do with the Song family now. Be thankful


    that my father was kind enough to leave you a house!"


    At this, ine stared at him with wide eyes. After a few seconds, she said, "All right, let''s forget


    what he left for me! But what about Dani? Why has he given her some valueless funds? Isn''t he


    being too partial?"


    Dani, too, felt she had been wrong. Yet she hadn''t uttered a word. She silently began to shed


    some tears.


    Watching the scene that was taking ce, Ronald chimed in abruptly, "Aunt ine, I think it''s a


    good thing that Dani has been given some funds. My sister and I have only got hundreds of


    thousands of dors. If you think of it, we get less money than a child gets." He wanted to say


    "illegitimate" child, but when he remembered Chandler''s presence, he bit his tongue and reframed


    his sentence.


    Gordon had left behind two houses as well as five percent shares of thepany to the illegitimate


    son of Chandler and his mistress.


    ine paid no need to what Ronald had said. She turned to thewyer and said, "Did Maria pay


    you to do this? Have you tampered with the will?"


    Chandler pounded his hands on the table.


    "Enough is enough! If you don''t want the house, it''s okay. You are free to get the hell out of here!"


    "Dad!" Seeing how bad things had gotten, Carolina decided to intervene. She stood up, looked at


    her mother and said, "Mom, stop this. You''d better leave."


    "Stop what? Carolina, you have given Song Group so much! You worked hard for it. But in the end,


    Maria gets twenty-five percent of the shares! Why would you allow someone else to snatch


    something you have worked so hard on?"


    In a t tone, Carolina exined, "Mom, if it weren''t for the loan given by HL Group in the past,


    Song Group would have gone bankrupt. If that had happened, even if Grandpa gave me one


    hundred percent of shares, I would still be in debt. Grandpa is a sensible man. He probably has a


    good reason for his arrangement. Don''t make a fuss about everything. If you are ever in need of


    money, I am there to give you. But please let Grandpa rest in peace!"


    "Carolina, are you giving in and epting this unjust arrangement?" ine gazed at her daughter


    in horrified disbelief.


    Carolina nodded her head and said, "Maria and I are sisters. We all owe Maria a deep debt of


    gratitude. I would have been willing to give Song Group to her if that was what Grandpa wanted me


    to do."


    "Carolina! Have you been brainwashed?" ine couldn''t believe her ears.


    Carolina sighed and said, "Mom, let''s go! I''ll drive you home!"


    "I won''t go back. Maria, tell me the truth. Did you collude with thiswyer to tamper with your


    grandfather''s will?"


    Facing this wretched woman''s challenging question,


    Maria could no longer remain silent. She stood up and sneered at her so-called mother. "If I


    colluded with thewyer to tamper with the will, you and Dani wouldn''t have gotten a penny, let


    alone Alina and her brother!"


    "Maria, you ungrateful-" ine pounced on Maria, but the two bodyguards jumped in and held her


    back.


    Maria walked out of the Song family house, not once looking back.


    When she was about to enter the car, a figure rushed after her and held her back.


    The driver tried to stop this intruder but that woman had firmly grasped onto Maria''s clothes.


    Maria gestured for the driver to leave them alone. He took a few steps back, but his vignt eyes


    were still on that woman.


    It was none other than Alina. She took out her phone, typed a few words and handed it over to


    Maria. "Give me the antidote. I promise I will never make trouble for you again."


    Maria looked at Alina and said, "yton is going to be convicted and the ownership of Tang Group


    is going to be changed. Do you actually think you are qualified to negotiate with me?"


    Alina shook her head. Her eyes were welling up with tears. She began to type again. "Please let go


    of Tang Group."


    As Maria read this, her face curved into a haughty smile. She looked at the woman in front of her


    and said, "Well, since you are my cousin, I will help you with one of these issues. So tell me, do you


    want me to let go of Tang Group or give you the antidote? The choice is yours!"


    Alina was rendered speechless.


    "Send me a message when you make your choice," Maria said and got into the car, leaving Alina


    behind.


    Alina wasn''t done yet. She wanted to converse more with Maria. But before she could stop her, the


    bodyguards pounced on her and held her back. She could do nothing but watch as Maria''s car


    disappeared from her sight.


    On the way back, Maria checked her phone. She had received several calls from James. He called


    again. She slid the answer key and asked, "Have you finished your work?"


    "Ask the driver to drive you to LZ Road. He knows the ce."


    "Is that where you are?"


    "Yeah."


    After hanging up the phone, Maria looked at the bank card in her hand. This was the one she had


    once given to Gordon.


    Gordon didn''t take the money. Instead, he had preserved and given another million dors to her.


    Maria closed her eyes and conjured up memories of her grandfather. She vividly remembered his


    kind smile.


    Alina made her choice quickly. Within a quarter of an hour, Maria received a message from her. "I


    choose the antidote."


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Maria smiled sarcastically and replied, "There is no antidote, Alina. To put it bluntly, your antidote is


    time. You will recover naturally in two years." This wasn''t a lie. The effect of the drug would wear off


    in two years.


    Alina, who had eagerly waited for an answer, was dumbfounded when she read this reply.


    The driver stopped the car outside an old house on LZ Road. Maria got out of the car and was


    guided to the first floor by him


    As soon as she opened the door, her nose was met by rank smell of the blood.


    Shocked, her eyes began to search for James. Finally, she saw him sitting on the sofa. She could


    barely repress a sigh of relief on seeing him safe and sound.


    There were more than a dozen bodyguards standing in the living room and a woman lying prone on


    the floor. Both her clothing and hair were disheveled. Maria wanted to get a glimpse of her face but


    couldn''t see clearly.


    When James saw Mariae in, he reached out for her hand. His eyes were brimming with


    tenderness.


    Maria held his hand and sat next to him on the sofa.


    Maria''s arrival and the clicking of her high-heeled shoes caught that woman''s attention. She raised


    her head and looked at the direction where Maria was sitting.


    And now, Maria understood who this woman was. It was Rosa.


    Her face was horribly swollen. Both her legs had wounds and blood was gushing out of them. There


    were whip marks on her body. All in all, it would suffice to say that her body was mutted.


    "When did you find her?" Maria asked, unable to hide her surprise.


    "This afternoon."


    James took out a dagger and handed it to Maria. "Go ahead!"


    Maria wouldn''t take it. She simply looked at the dagger and asked, "Has she admitted she killed


    Edith?"


    "Yes. I have recorded her confession and sent it to the police." It was irrefutable then. Rosa couldn''t


    escape punishment this time. Her deeds were finally catching up with her.


    Satisfied, Maria nodded her head. "It''s useless to deal with her now. You have found her daughter,


    haven''t you?"


    At the mention of her daughter, something in Rosa awoke. She gasped and red at Maria


    usingly. "Don''t hurt my daughter!" she warned.

 Chapter 449 Rosa Was Arrested

    Chapter 449 Rosa Was Arrested


    Maria snorted. "You killed my son. It''s only right that I kill your daughter as payback."


    "If you want to get revenge, kill me! Don''t drag my daughter into this." Rosa started coughing up


    blood violently.


    "What would be the fun in doing that? It would make me feel much better to give you a dose of your


    own medicine!"


    "What are you talking about, Maria?"


    Rosa yelled. Maria nced at James and said, "Since she didn''t hesitate to toss Tommy into the


    sea, why don''t we throw her daughter into the sea, too?"


    "Maria, you bitch! Don''t do it!" Rosa roared, lying prone on the floor and iling about like a


    madwoman.


    She tried to crawl towards Maria, but two bodyguards were stepping on her legs, preventing her


    from moving.


    "Throw her daughter into the sea and feed her to the sharks," James ordered tly.


    "As you wish, Mr. Xi!"


    Rosa pleaded over and over. "No, please! James, you can kill me if you want, just don''t hurt my


    daughter!" She then started coughing blood again.


    "Your life is worthless to me. Why would I even sully my hands to take it?"


    "Maria, do you really think that James loves you? Well, you''re wrong! He doesn''t love you at all. And


    you hate him, don''t you? Need I remind you that he knows that you love him and yet he has given


    you no response? He doesn''t love you! A man like him is only capable of loving himself. He will


    never love you," Rosa wailed.


    Maria was perplexed. What did Rosa mean by saying that James already knew that she loved him?


    James held her hand tightly, offering her no exnation.


    "Maria, as long as you let Ines go, I''ll offer my life in servitude to you to make up for the loss of your


    son," Rosa said as blood dripped from her mouth.


    Maria shifted her gaze away from Rosa. "There are so many people who want to serve me. What


    makes you so special? Your services don''t matter to me."


    "Then tell me what I can do for you so that you''ll let my daughter go?"


    "Oh, don''t worry." Maria looked into Rosa''s eyes. "I''ll let her go as long as you give my son back to


    me."


    Rosa was rendered speechless.


    Before long, she witnessed Ines being thrown into the sea through a video. In the video, the girl was


    crying so miserably that even Maria''s heart ached. How much harder would it have been for Rosa?


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Sadly, all Rosa could do right now was watch her daughter being cast into the sea. And once Ines


    reached underwater, her crying stopped.


    The scene was reminiscent of the night Rosa threw Tommy into the sea without remorse.


    History repeated itself, but this time, Rosa was the one whose heart was broken.


    Before the video even ended, she fainted.


    And now that there was no more camera recording the scene, several men wearing diving suits


    dragged the unconscious girl out of the water.


    They quickly gave her CPR, causing her to cough up water and regain consciousness.


    Sometimeter, Rosa was kept in hospital arrest. It was said that she had gone insane. The only


    thing she could say was, "I''m going to kill you."


    During the interrogation, Rosa admitted to her crimes. "I killed her. That bitch fucked my husband.


    Who the hell did she think she was?


    I threw the knife I used to kill her into the sewers and burned the gloves I wore.


    You''re not going to find them even if you search every nook and cranny of this city!"


    Once the video was posted online, the rumor that Maria was the murderer had been put to rest.


    In the swimming pool inside the vi, she emerged from the water and answered her phone that


    had been ringing incessantly. "Hello? Maria speaking."


    "Ms. Song, it''s about the contract with HL Group. We were tricked."


    With a frown, Maria replied, "What do you mean?"


    "Our grave mistake was not reading the fine print. We fell into HL Group''s trap." Who would''ve


    expected that the prestigious HL Group would actually do something so nefarious to them?


    Before Maria could speak, the sound of steady footsteps approached her. "I see. If a problem


    arises, don''t sign anything. Focus on minimizing our losses," she ordered.


    "Understood, Ms. Song."


    James appeared before her, carrying a tray of fruits. Maria regained herposure as she put


    down her phone and got up from the swimming pool.


    "Here, have some fruits," he said. James picked up a peeled grapefruit and put it before her lips.


    Maria opened her mouth to take a bite, picking up a towel on the side of the pool and putting it over


    her shoulders.


    As James sat next to her, she looked at him and asked, "How did you deal with Rosa''s daughter?"


    "She was sent to an orphanage," he replied tly.


    "Didn''t Colby hire people to look after her?"


    "I''m not sure." Colby probably didn''t care about the child. After all, he could barely take care of


    himself.


    His son with Edith was fortunate to have been raised by her mother in her hometown.


    Maria nodded. Once Colby was arrested, they could finally get Bob back.


    James pulled her into his arms. But before he could do anything else to her, her phone rang once


    more.


    With a frown, he watched as she answered the call. It seemed as though she had be much


    busier than he was.


    It was a call from her secretary. "Ms. Song, I have bad news! Something happened to the factory of


    H Brocade. All of the employees are on strike, and our partners are protesting!"


    Maria''s heart sank. "What are you talking about? What happened to the factory?"


    "The person in charge of the factory has fled and brought the workers'' wages with him! Right now,


    the workers are on strike and it''s already on the news."


    After listening to her secretary''s report, Maria replied calmly, "I see. I''ll be at thepany as soon


    as possible."


    She then dropped the cool, standing speechless beside the pool. As she gazed into the clear water,


    her mind drifted into chaotic thoughts.


    Reflexively, she looked at the man who had been silently staring at her all this time. "Something


    happened at the factory of H Brocade."


    James had heard her phone conversation earlier, so he nodded. "So?"


    "I... I''ve never encountered something like this before. " Perhaps it was because Maria knew that


    someone was supporting her that her mind was in a mess.


    Unhurriedly, James got up and said, "Call the police. You need to go to the factory and pay your


    workers. Bear the loss of the partners, and apologize to everyone involved in this predicament."


    "Got it." The solution he provided was good, so Maria did as she was told.


    She immediately called her secretary, asking her to call the police and calcte the wages of the


    workers. In addition, she was going to be there, too.


    The factory was located in a town next to H City. It would take at least three hours to get there by


    car. Maria looked towards the sky, wondering if there was any point of going there today. And so,


    she decided to go there early morning instead.


    James pulled her into his arms and asked, "Do you need me to go with you?"


    Upon hearing his suggestion, Maria felt relieved. After hesitating for a while, she shook her head. "I


    can handle it myself." James had already told her what to do, and she could do it alone.


    When night fell, the identity of the culprit behind the stolen wages of the workers was exposed. The


    moment Maria saw Colby''s name in the list of the culprit''s rtives, it urred to her that Colby had


    yed her like a fiddle.


    The factory manager was Colby''s nephew, but he never mentioned about his ties to Colby when he


    applied for the position. He had been diligently working for the factory for a few months, and took


    action when it was time to deliver the products.


    The loss was certainly not small, and the damages incurred were still being calcted. Maria would


    go to the factory at the break of dawn.


    The following day, before seven in the morning, James went to thepany. After breakfast, Maria


    got in her car and was about to leave. But then, she received another call from her assistant.


    "Ms. Song, something else happened!"


    "What''s the matter this time?" So many things were happening right now that it exhausted Maria.

 Chapter 450 Secret Uncovered

    Chapter 450 Secret Uncovered


    "We have fallen into HL Group''s trap. Ms. Song, you have to show up now. Else, we could lose a lot


    of money. Ten billion dors to be precise." This trap had been meticulously set up by James. But if


    Maria showed herself up, she wouldn''t have to pay the ten billion dors.


    Ten billion dors! It was an astronomical sum of money. Her beautiful eyes were mingled with


    worry and rage. "Have we signed the contract?" she asked.


    "Yes, we have."


    Hearing that, Maria drew in her breath with a hiss. "Send me the contract. I''ll check it."


    "Give me a moment."


    Ten billion dors! James was indeed a ruthless man.


    Mariaposed herself and asked the driver to take her to a different destination. "Take me to the


    HL Group building first."


    "Sure, ma''am."


    In the HL Group


    Gary put the contract in front of James. "Mr. Xi, they have signed the contract."


    James scanned the contract. When he saw the signature of the general manager of Fosun


    Entertainment Group, a touch of mockery shed through his eyes.


    ording to the contract, the CEO of Fosun Entertainment Group should show up. Else, the


    contract would be considered invalid. And on top of that, they werepelled to pay HL Group a


    sky high penalty.


    Gary''s phone rang. He answered it and hung up the call after that. Turning to James, he dered,


    "Mr. Xi, the CEO of Fosun Entertainment Group wants to meet you."


    James mmed the contract shut and said indifferently, "I will meet him here!"


    "Yes. In fact, The CEO is on the way here."


    James contemted over it for a few seconds, straightened his clothes and said, "In that case, ask


    them toe straight to the meeting room."


    He was determined to meet the CEO of Fosun Entertainment Group today. He wanted to know who


    this person was.


    James walked towards the meeting room in his majestic gait. Gary followed close behind.


    Twenty minutester, Maria minced into the corridor wearing her high heels. She came across the


    area where the meeting room was located. James'' secretary was surprised to see her. "Ms. Song!"


    Maria pulled a long face but gave no reply. Instead, she continued to walk towards the meeting


    room.


    Soon, the door of the meeting room was pushed open. Maria, decked in a suit, appeared in the


    office. Everyone gazed at her.


    It was a simple ck suit with a valuable gem brooch on her chest. Her long hair, which she


    normally let down, was coiled up at the top of her head. She was wearing a pair of dark brown high


    heels with ck bow knots. In her hand, there was an expensive handbag.


    Her beautiful face was contorted with anger. There was something very frightening about her


    manner. Everyone, except James, found her intimidating at this moment.


    They weren''t very surprised to see her. After all, they all knew the rtionship between Maria and


    James. Curious as to why she was here, they stood up and greeted her.


    "Ms. Song."


    "Mrs. Xi."


    The crowd was quite confused. James, on the other hand, suddenly had a premonition.


    Under the watchful eyes, Maria tightly held her handbag and stood steadily in front of James. She


    stretched out her hand, and her assistant quickly handed her the document.


    Maria raised the document and shed it before James. Her red lips were slightly parted. "I heard


    that you wanted to see the CEO of Fosun Entertainment Group. Here I am!"


    Their eyes met and there was an intent look in her eyes.


    James was rendered speechless.


    She mmed the document on the table. Her action broughtplete silence to the meeting room.


    She put her handbag aside, crossed her arms over her chest, red at James furiously. "How dare


    you ask for ten billion dors? If you really want the money, how about I give you DS Group as a


    compensation?"


    James remained speechless.


    "I got up early in the morning and had to rush to the factory. Don''t you have any idea about this?


    Why did you still insist on meeting me? James Xi, now that you see me, are you satisfied?" The


    incident in the factory had snatched Maria''s sleep away. And then James insisted on seeing her.


    She had every reason to be furious.


    James had his deep eyes fixated on the woman in front of him. "Is the CEO Norman Shen or...


    you?"


    "I hold fifty-eight percent of the shares, and Norman holds twelve percent. What do you think,


    James?" There was a note of challenge in her tone.


    James was momentarily startled.


    It turned out that the mysterious CEO of Fosun Entertainment Group was none other than Maria.


    The person he had been looking for all these days was the woman who was the closest to him.


    Without uttering a word, he made a grab at her wrist and pulled her into his arms.


    She blushed as red as a rose because of his action. She struggled to get away from his grip. "Let


    go of me!" she wailed.


    There were a few senior executives of HL Group still present in the meeting room. Seeing where


    this was going, they got up. "Well, Mr. Xi, I have a meeting to attend. I should be leaving now."


    "Mr. Xi, I have a client I need to meet. I will be taking my leave."


    One by one, they all presented a reason for their departure.


    In less than a minute, everyone except for Maria and James was gone. In the meeting room, there


    was just two of them.


    Gary, who was thest to have left, made it a point to close the door from outside. This would give


    them the privacy to do whatever they pleased to do.


    James'' strong grasp was still over her. Maria struggled in vain. ring at the man in front of her,


    she demanded, "Why won''t you let go of me? Didn''t you ask me topensate you with ten billion


    dors? I''m going to raise money for you now!"


    Hearing that, James burst outughing. He looked at her and said, "Maria, I really underestimated


    you." She had done a fantastic job hiding it from him.


    Besides, she knew that he had been investigating the CEO of Fosun Entertainment Group. In spite


    of this, she was careful to keep her identity hidden.


    "I just didn''t want to expose myself. Why do you have a problem with that?" she demanded angrily.


    "Of course, you can never be wrong. This is all my fault. I shouldn''t have asked you topensate


    with ten billion dors."


    "Well, I am d you realize it now. Everyone in yourpany is aware of it now. If anything, it


    should be you who have topensate!" Maria was a little vexed. Her position as the CEO of


    Fosun Entertainment Group, which she had nned on keeping discreet, was uncovered because


    of his vicious trap.


    "Okay." He held her wrist, exerting a little extra pressure. Their breaths mingled together.


    "What do you want to do? James!" Before Maria couldplete her sentence, James had lowered


    his head and ced a passionate kiss on her red lips.


    He got a taste of her lipstick.


    Silence had overtaken the meeting room. The first ray of sunshine began to shine on the kissing


    couple.


    After holding onto her for a long time, James finally let go of her. He had almost suffocated her with


    his passionate kiss.


    Maria, who was out of her breath, looked at him in exasperation. "James, you are a petty man!"


    "What did you say?" His dark eyes red unhappily.


    "I said, you are a petty man!" Maria wasn''t afraid of repeating her words. She had nothing to fear.


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    He held the back of her head with his big hand and kissed her again. This time it was even more


    intense.


    Maria was pressed against the desk. It suddenly dawned on her that he intended to have sex with


    her. "I can''t settle this ount with you at the moment. I have to be at the factory. Let''s talk about it


    when Ie back tonight, okay?"


    She spoke as if he was the one in trouble. James thought she was being ridiculous. After all, she


    was the one who had hidden her identity. He found her behavior quite amusing.


    He stood up and helped her steady herself. "I will leave you for the time being. We''ll talk about it


    when youe back tonight."


    He wiped her lipstick mark from his lips using the thumb of his finger.

 Chapter 451 Handle It In Person

    Chapter 451 Handle It In Person


    While tidying up her clothes, Maria gritted her teeth. She made up her mind that she would torture


    James the moment she came back tonight.


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    She grabbed a tissue, wiping away the lipstick from his lips. "Maybe I shouldn''t wipe it for you. I


    should just let you go out like that."


    James grabbed her hand. "Leave the lipstick on. I''m going out like this!"


    Maria red at him as she forcefully removed the lipstick from his lips. She then took out a mirror


    from her handbag and ordered, "Hold it up!"


    Although he was reluctant to do it, he still held up the mirror while she was fixing her makeup.


    Once she was done, James returned her mirror, and then they walked towards the door. His arm


    was wrapped around her waist.


    The moment his hand reached the doorknob, Maria said, "Oh, by the way. There''s one more thing I


    need to do."


    "What is it?"


    She stood on tiptoe, pretending to move closer to his ear. Then, she yfully kissed his cheek,


    catching him off-guard.


    James was at a loss for words. She had just reapplied lipstick, so her lipstick was probably on his


    cheek.


    But before he could react, Maria opened the door of the meeting room. Afterwards, she dragged


    him out of the room, exposing the red lipstick on his face to everyone.


    At this point, James wasn''t sure what to do.


    Maria just waved at him goodbye and acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary. "I''m leaving now.


    Bye, James!"


    And since James couldn''t chase after her like this, all he could do right now was watch her walk


    away happily after ying tricks on him.


    Maria disappeared behind the elevator doors. While James was standing at the door of the meeting


    room, he shook his head helplessly and said to his secretary, "Grab me a tissue."


    The secretary immediately give him what he asked for. After he wiped away the lipstick on his face,


    he left the meeting room calmly.


    As soon as he left, the people outside the meeting room started gossiping among themselves.


    "Mr. and Mrs. Xi are so in love with each other! The way he was looking at her was so sweet!"


    "Mrs. Xi looked really upset earlier, but she left in a good mood. I think Mr. Xi said something sweet


    to her."


    "Mrs. Xi is incredible! She managed to make Mr. Xi show up with lipstick on his face.


    Everyone knows how much he cares about his public image."


    The factory producing H Brocade was situated in the outskirts of H City, in a town called HY Town.


    Many of the factories had been moved to this town after the urbanization of H City.


    The factory''s employees had gone on strike. When they heard that the CEO wasing, they had


    been waiting at the gate since the break of dawn.


    A few minutes before noon, two luxurious cars appeared in front of the rallying crown.


    It seemed that this matter was much more drastic than Maria had expected. The workers were


    holding up dozens of picket signs. One said, "DS Group, give us our hard-earned money back!"


    Another said, "Maria Song is a dishonest businesswoman!"


    All of a sudden, someone shouted, "Ms. Song is here!" Within mere seconds, the scene became


    much worse than it already was. The employees who had been resting stood in attention and


    surrounded the two cars.


    In the back of the car, there were bodyguards that James had assigned to Maria. A couple of burly


    men got out of the car and began to disperse the crowd away from the car.


    No matter how hard the bodyguards and police tried to maintain order, it was still difficult for Maria''s


    car to move forward.


    Left with no other choice, she told the chauffeur to pull over, and then she stepped out of the car.


    The sun was scorching, and it was hotter than being inside a steamer. Feeling ufortable, Maria


    blocked the sunlight with her hands. Immediately, the chauffeur unfurled an umbre and raised it


    above her head. However, Maria told him to stop. And because of that, he obeyed the order and


    stood behind her.


    Once again, the rallying cries of the employees started. "Give our money back!"


    "Maria Song, do you still count as human?"


    "Pay us what we deserve, Maria Song!"


    Cesar Gong, the factory director, and his assistant squeezed through the crowd and reached Maria.


    The cries of the crowd almost made them deaf.


    "Where are these people''s wages?" Maria asked.


    Cesar didn''t seem to hear Maria until she repeated it. With a forlorn face, he replied, "Ms. Song, I


    haven''t received the money yet!"


    His answer did not please Maria. She had already asked her employees to calcte the wages


    yesterday, but they hadn''tpleted the task and the money hadn''t arrived yet. They were being


    too slow.


    Through the help of her bodyguards, Maria found a spot that she could use as a makeshift pedestal.


    As she nced at the hundreds of workers, mixed emotions overcame her.


    She had just found out on her way here that most of these people were from viges nearby. They


    had been workers of this factory since it began its operations. Sadly, they had been working for


    several months without even getting paid.


    Many families were counting on that money to survive, but the factory had been dying their


    payment up until the person in charge ran away.


    "Everyone, please be quiet! Let''s all listen to what Ms. Song has to say," said Cesar.


    Gradually, the workers piped down, and their eyes fell on Maria.


    She cleared her throat and said, "Hello, everyone. My name is Maria Song, and I''m the CEO of DS


    Group. I''m here to solve this problem..."


    Before she could finish talking, someone from the crowd shouted, "Pay us our wages. We want our


    sry!"


    Shortly, everyone else echoed him by chanting, "Pay us!"


    Due to themotion, Cesar spent a lot of time and effort trying to get everyone to calm down.


    "I just received the news that Farris Zheng ran away with your wages," Maria continued.


    "There''s no way we''ll listen to you! We want our money!"


    "That''s right! We just want our money! Stop talking nonsense."


    "This woman is lying to us. No way am I going to let that happen. Let''s take action!"


    Amidst themotion, several objects were hurled at Maria. A raw egg was thrown at her shoulder.


    Its shell was broken and the contents were spilled all over her body.


    The second one hit her head, and the thick goo of the egg got into her hair.


    By this point, she looked disheveled.


    The moment she saw the egg falling from her hair, Maria thought of James and felt like she had


    been wronged.


    In addition to the eggs, rotten vegetables, mineral water bottles, and even stinky shoes were thrown


    at her.


    Upon seeing this, the bodyguards shielded Maria with their bodies.


    "First, you killed your own son, and now you''re deceiving us!"


    As soon as one of them said that, the rest of the workers were enraged further, stirring up an even


    worsemotion.


    "What? This woman is evil incarnate!"


    "Oh, my God! She doesn''t deserve to have a child!"


    "Bitch, if you don''t give us our money today, we''ll kill you send you to meet your dead son."


    One of the bodyguards pointed at the man who used Maria of killing her son. "What are you


    talking about?" he shouted.


    That night, the bodyguard had gone to the seaside along with James to save Tommy. With his own


    ears, he had heard from Rosa how Arthur had actually died.


    He knew that these people were ndering Maria.


    As soon as the worker saw the bodyguard charging towards him, he was shaken to his core. "Help!


    That man is trying to kill me! The bodyguard is going to kill us!"


    Amidst the crowd, the bodyguard subdued the man, pressing him against the ground.


    Cesar, who had been running after them, quickly said, "Please, stop! Don''t use violence."

 Chapter 452 On Fire

    Chapter 452 On Fire


    The bodyguard lifted the man by his cor, dragging him through the crowd. Meanwhile, Maria''s


    assistant wiped her hair with a wet tissue. "Ms. Song, what should I do with this one?" he asked.


    Maria nced at the worker and said to her bodyguard, "Let him go!"


    She could tell that many of these people had been bribed to participate in the rally.


    Due to his anger, the bodyguard want to disagree. "But-"


    "I said let him go!" Maria interrupted.


    The sternness of her voicepelled the bodyguard to let the worker go. At once, the worker


    rushed into the crowd, disappearing.


    Maria stopped her assistant from cleaning her up. With a piercing gaze, she looked at the women


    who had hit her and said, "The reason I''m here today is to solve this problem. If anyone dares to


    use violence again or try to hurt an innocent person, I won''t show them mercy!"


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    The women felt guilty for what they had done; they stepped back, holding their baskets tightly.


    "I won''t let anyone speak ill of me again! That man who just ran away, I will make him pay for doing


    so. Perhaps he''ll be able to go home, have a meal, and take a shower, but he''ll be receiving a letter


    from mywyer very soon!" Maria announced. That wretched man had no escape because the


    of justice was infallible.


    Due to Maria''s warning, the crowd''s tant disrespect of her had died down.


    "No matter what titudes I say, and no matter how many times I say it, the best thing to do would


    be to give you the wages."


    The workers were in agreement with her. "Yes, that''s right."


    "Indeed, Ms. Song. We don''t want to cause trouble either. We just want our wages!"


    Maria took out her phone and called the manager of the finance department. Once the manager


    received her call, he was put in a very difficult situation. "Ms. Song, it''s not that I don''t want to


    transfer the money; it''s just that thepany has already allocated money for several other


    projects. We can''t take out that much cash at the moment. Can we please make them wait two


    more days?"


    ''Two more days?''


    Maria looked at the hundreds of pairs of expectant eyes before her. None of them were greedy.


    They were just waiting for the money they deserved; money that they pinned their hopes on to


    continue living.


    Shortly, she hung up the call. Unfortunately, DS Group couldn''t afford that much money for the time


    being. Fosun Entertainment Group and DS Group were two differentpanies. It wouldn''t be


    impossible for her to use Fosun Entertainment Group''s money. However, if she didn''t follow the


    formal processes, this would be illegal.


    In the end, she said to Cesar, "Give me the bank ount number of the finance department." She


    still had something that could save her situation-her own savings.


    "Yes, Ms. Song."


    Once she had transferred millions of dors to distribute to the workers on the spot, Maria was


    faced with another problem. She had gone beyond her withdrawal limit.


    Taking a deep breath, she decided to call the only person that could save her: James. "I need your


    help. I''ll give you an ount number. Please transfer five million dors to the ount."


    A few minutes after she sent her ount number to James, she received the five million dors.


    Maria felt warm. Whenever she was in a bind, James would stop at nothing to help her.


    An hourter, Maria sent him another message, saying, "I need another five million dors."


    There were hundreds of workers. Adding to their regr sries, bonuses and overtime pay for


    several months should be given to them as well. Maria had spent nearly twenty million dors to


    settle all ounts.


    By the time the matter was settled, it was already dark. However, the problem with the partners still


    hadn''t been solved.


    In the evening, Cesar arranged a banquet at a restaurant. Maria invited all the partners to attend.


    Just when she was about to enter the restaurant, she caught sight of Summer. At first, she thought


    that her eyes were deceiving her. But upon closer inspection, she realized that it was actually


    Summer, walking towards her.


    "Maria," she greeted.


    "What are you doing here, Summer?" Maria wasn''t expecting to see her here.


    There were two other people standing behind Summer. "Mr. Xi asked me to be here. He mentioned


    that you haven''t settled the problem with your partners yet, so you probably need the money. These


    two are bankers sent by Mr. Xi. Maria, if you need money, no matter how much it might be, they''ll


    transfer it to you."


    Maria was so speechless. ''Wow, James is so powerful.''


    Suppressing the gratitude she felt, Maria nodded and said, "In that case, let''s go inside and have


    dinner first!"


    Now that she had the liquidity to pay the loss of the partners, this matter was solved much easier.


    She also promised that she would give them an additional two percent of the profits after the goods


    had been delivered, despite the fact that the wholesale price would remain the same.


    Later that evening, Maria didn''t go home yet because she had to keepforting the workers


    tomorrow and persuade them into continuing working for the factory.


    After she went out of the restaurant, she told Summer to go back to the hotel first.


    Afterwards, she went back to the factory along with her chauffeur and Cesar. This factory was ten


    thousand square meters wide.


    Maria went to the warehouse to check the goods. At present, there were already many products in


    stock, ready to packaged and released at any given moment.


    At her side, Cesar said, "Before Farris left, he urged the workers to go on strike, and said that the


    company was refusing to pay them their wages."


    "It''s my fault that it happened." Maria thought that the reason she was betrayed was because she


    was too trusting. Farris was just one of many. His sincere and loyal demeanor had her fooled.


    Despite the fact that it was already summer, the temperature in the town wasn''t that hot. When they


    went to the packaging room, a man rushed in from outside. "Bad news!"


    Maria''s heart sank at once. As he caught his breath, the man said, "The products are on fire!"


    Maria wasn''t sure how to react to that.


    Just now, the products perfectly fine. How did a fire start within a few minutes?


    Immediately, they all ran towards the warehouse that stored the products.


    The second they stepped out of the packing room, thick smoke rising from a certain direction


    greeted them. Judging by the density of the smoke, the fire wasn''t small. Maria was getting more


    and more anxious by the second.


    Sure enough, when they went into the warehouse, they found that half of therge room had been


    set aze, and there were already many people going in and out to put out the fire.


    "Have you called fire service?" asked Maria.


    "Yes, Ms. Song."


    "Good. Do what you can to stop this fire, and wait until help arrives."


    Maria was about to rush into the warehouse, but her driver stopped her. "Ms. Song, it''s too


    dangerous to go inside!" "It''s fine. I''m just going to take a quick look inside. I''ll be careful!" Shortly


    afterwards, she shook the chauffeur''s hand away and walked forward.


    The size of the fire rendered everyone unable to get close to it. Those who had enough courage to


    try and put it out were now too scared to get any closer. The water they had brought was only a


    drop in a bucket. And all they could do was watch as the fire devoured all their inventory.


    Thick smoke billowed, causing Maria to cough.


    Just then, she caught sight of a figure at the corner of the warehouse not far away.


    "Who''s there?" she asked.


    Upon hearing her voice, the person hiding in the corner immediately ran away.


    There must be something fishy about that person. Without hesitation, Maria ran after the strange


    man.


    The chauffeur and Cesar exchanged nces before they ran after her.


    There was a back door in the warehouse, which the strange man used to escape.


    Maria also went through the door, but before she could see which direction the culprit was heading


    towards, a voice stopped her in her tracks. "Don''t move!" Suddenly, two people appeared from


    behind her. One of them pressed a gun against her temple, and the other was holding a dagger to


    her throat.


    By the time the chauffeur arrived, it was all toote. He could do nothing but watch as the dagger


    was pressed against Maria''s neck.


    Taking out his gun and pointing it at the two criminals wouldn''t make a difference.


    Nobody had expected that something like this would happen to Maria in the factory. It turned out


    that what happened today was just a setup for something far bigger and more sinister than they had


    imagined.


    In H City Restaurant


    James was talking business with some government officials when his phone vibrated on the table.


    He nced at the caller ID and found that it was from Maria''s chauffeur.


    "Mr. Xi, something bad happened to Mrs. Xi!" said the chauffeur.


    James was too devastated to speak.

 Chapter 453 A Bad End

    Chapter 453 A Bad End


    James immediately stood up and bid his goodbye to the government officials. He rushed to HY


    Town that very night.


    Maria, on the other hand, was taken into a car. It wasn''t too long before she lost her consciousness.


    She had no idea about anything that took ce after she was kidnapped.


    When she next opened her eyes, she found herself in a strange warehouse. She was tied up and


    couldn''t budge. It was bright outside and she found herself squinting.


    When she was finally able to make sense of her surrounding, she noticed there were a dozen


    people around her. All of their eyes were on her.


    On noticing she was under their scrutiny, Maria closed her eyes and feigned unconsciousness. She


    tried to catch their words.


    Unfortunately, all of them were speaking and various topics were being discussed. Despite this,


    everyone kept an eye on her.


    In the end, one of them noticed she was awake and instantly pointed it out to their boss.


    Maria, who had been leaning against the wall, was tied to a wooden stake. Her limbs were aching


    from being so tightly wrapped with the rope. She couldn''t dislodge herself.


    Two men came towards her, each carrying a whip.


    Now that she had given away the fact she was awake, Maria asked, "Who are you?"


    "You''ll know that soon." They waved their whips in the air, trying to instil fear in Maria.


    In a few seconds, someone pushed the door of the warehouse open. They were two men. Maria


    squinted her eyes and took a closer look. In the end, she found that one of them was her old


    acquaintance.


    He came towards her and raised her chin. A proud smile lit up his face. "Maria, you have finally


    come to a bad end!"


    Maria, instead of being afraid, smiled back at him. "Mr. Zheng, what are you doing? If you have


    something, just tell me. I am up for a good talk."


    ''A good talk?'' he sneered inwardly. "Do you really wish to have a good talk with me? After you have


    destroyed my family, do you think I am willing to listen to anything that you have to say?" He could


    feel the anger welling up inside him.


    "I think there are some misunderstandings between us. Don''t you think so?" Maria said while


    racking her brains toe up with a way to get out of here.


    "What misunderstandings? Maria, have you forgotten how you lied to me? I won''t believe a word


    you say!" As he uttered these words, Colby was ovee by an urge to inflict pain on her. He


    wished to break her bones.


    "I didn''t lie to you. You have to believe that I was willing to work for you. I also wanted to take


    revenge on James. Otherwise, how would you have managed to get those projects with his


    company?"


    A sneer crossed his face. Colby touched her smooth face and said, "Do you think I''m a fool? You


    helped me get those projects only because you wanted me to rx my vignce. Isn''t that the


    case?" The very next moment, he took a step forward. Colby pped Maria''s face hard, turning her


    cheek red.


    Her head began to buzz and she felt a throbbing pain.


    "Mr. Zheng, I didn''t expect you to be so smart!" There wasn''t the slightest change in her expression.


    She smiled and chatted like nothing had happened.


    Tilting her neck, her smile turned quite weird. "I have a secret to tell you. Do you want to hear it?"


    "What secret?" Colby stared at her dubiously.


    "Come a little closer. I don''t want anyone else hearing it."


    Since she was tied up, Colby had nothing to fear about. He leaned over and brought his ear


    towards her.


    Maria whispered in his ear, "It''s true that I did things for you. But it''s also true I did them to take


    revenge on you. And yes, I am in love with James!"


    Before Colby could react to this, she bit his ear as hard as possible.


    He let out a piercing shriek. Intense pain coursed through his ear. Both angry and wounded, he


    howled, "Maria, you bitch! Let go of me!"


    Maria paid no heed to his words and went on biting him. She could taste his blood in her mouth.


    Seeing what was happening, one of Colby''s men whipped her on the back. Now she had no choice


    but to let go of him. She felt a stinging pain on her back.


    Crack! Another whip hit her mercilessly.


    She lowered her head, unable to take the excruciating pain. She bit her lower lip tightly so as to


    stop herself from screaming.


    Colby covered his bleeding ear and yelled furiously,


    "Beat her! Make sure it hurts!"


    As soon as he uttered this order, they began tosh her ruthlessly.


    Soon, someone came carrying a medicine box. They quickly bandaged Colby''s wound.


    While he was being healed, Maria''s clothes were torn and stained with blood. Throughout


    everything, she gritted her teeth and suppressed her painful moans.


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    After Colby''s wound had been treated, he took the whip over and started towards her. He relished


    the prospect of beating her on his own.


    "Maria, if it weren''t for you, HM Group would be operating as it did before. I wouldn''t have been


    turned into a wanted criminal. This is all your fault!" He vented all his frustration on her.


    As he spoke, he used the whip on her already mutted body. Soon, she was soaked in blood.


    Tired, Colby sat down and watched the woman who seemed to be on the verge of dying. A wicked


    idea popped into his mind.


    James'' existence in Maria''s life had made her off limits. He had never had a chance to fuck her.


    Now, this was his opportunity.


    "Release her!" hemanded.


    His subordinates looked at each other nervously and said, "Mr. Zheng, she knows how to fight!"


    "Just look at her! She''s almost dead. And we have a lot of people here. I don''t think this wretched


    woman can cause any harm," he said in a casual voice and repeated his order.


    Maria was untied and her limp body fell on the floor.


    She was breathing heavily.


    With an evil smile, Colby took off his coat and then moved his hand to his belt. He was eager to


    pounce on her.


    The very moment he knelt in front of her, something in the dying woman awoke. She made a grab


    at the whip that Colby had thrown away and quickly wrapped it around his neck. Everything


    happened quickly that nobody had any time to react.


    By the time Colby realized what had happened, he was being strangled by the whip. His face turned


    red and he had difficulty breathing.


    Maria used all her might to exert her strength. She had almost killed him. "Colby, let me tell you


    something. Do you think I care about your money? Now that you are dying, I would like to reveal a


    secret to you. Haven''t you always wanted to know who the CEO of Fosun Entertainment Group is?


    It''s me! I''m the one who tricked you into losing eighty million dors. Are you surprised?"


    Fosun Entertainment Group had extorted eighty million dors from HM Group aboveboard. This


    made things quiteplicated for HM Group. Not a lot of people knew about this. The truth was,


    Colby felt too embarrassed to speak about it.


    And now, she revealed it was her doing. Colby was livid when he heard her confession. But he


    couldn''t speak.


    "You gave me very little money and expected me to go to jail on your behalf. If I didn''t want to test


    James, I would not have gone to jail. Bah!"


    A dagger was about to stab into Maria''s body. When she saw that, she tried to dodge.


    "For me, one or two hundred millions from you meant nothing. Fosun Entertainment Group is now a


    listedpany with a market value of over ten billion dors! Who do you think you are? Do you


    still consider yourself a rich man? You are nothing but a worthless man whenpared to James.


    Ouch..." Maria''s arm was cut by the dagger. As she felt this intense pain, her hand loosened from


    the whip.


    Colby, who was being choked, took this opportunity to free himself from her clutch. He could


    breathe again.


    "Your wife killed my son and put the me on me. And your daughter..." Maria was being pressed


    to the floor by two men. Colby, on the other hand, was being lifted from the floor.


    "Do you want to know where your daughter is?" Maria''s clothes and face were besmeared with


    blood. After everything she had experienced, she seemed to have be numb to pain. "She''s


    dead! I threw her into the sea to keep my sonpany," she spat out.


    Maria was lifted from the floor. Colby pped her hardly against her cheek.


    This stinging p caused her nose and lips to bleed.


    At this moment, a voice came from outside, carrying an important message. "Mr. Zheng, some


    people areing!"

 Chapter 454 Its Me

    Chapter 454 It''s Me


    Colby could imagine who came here. He was a bit surprised that they would actually be here so


    soon. He then took out a dagger and said to his men, "Tie her up!"


    Maria was once again bound tightly using ropes.


    Afterwards, she was carried to the yard outside and tied to a tree. Several guns were being pointed


    at her all at the same time.


    Soon, the gate of the yard swung open. James, Lawrence, and a toon of policemen arrived.


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    The moment James saw Maria, it seemed that his breath had been taken away. Fury overcame his


    head, and all reason left his brain.


    He unlocked the safety of his gun and was about to rush in. However, Lawrence stopped him.


    "Calm down, James. They have weapons."


    With a murderous gaze, James locked eyes with Colby. "Let her go, and I might give you a chance


    to walk out of this alive!"


    Colby grinned mischievously. "Who are you trying to fool, James? You can save her life, but there''s


    only one way you can do that!"


    "Tell me!" James clenched his fists when he saw Maria''s swollen face.


    "I want you to kneel before me and apologize. After that, give me five billion dors and send me


    abroad!" This was the only way he could walk out of this dilemma alive.


    ''Why does he ask James to kneel before him? Is he deliberately trying to trample on his dignity?''


    The second those words reached Lawrence''s ears, he believed that Colby had a death wish.


    "I''ll give you five billion dors and send you abroad, just let her go," replied James.


    Colby sped Maria''s chin and forcefully raised her face for everyone to see. In a daze, she


    opened her eyes and looked at James. Slowly, the corners of her mouth formed a smile.


    His heart ached when he saw how badly beaten she was, and he couldn''t hide how much it hurt


    him.


    Noticing that he felt sorry for her, Maria smiled more brightly for him. It was so worth it to see James


    being worried about her like this.


    Colby pressed the cold dagger against Maria''s face and said, "Put down your weapons, or I''ll ruin


    her face!"


    The armed men at the gate didn''t move, angering Colby further.


    Maria felt the scathing pain on her cheek. The dagger had grazed her right cheek, and she felt the


    blood dripping from her wound.


    Beads of blood and sweat dripped down her cheeks, and the sight of it made James furious. "Stop!"


    he growled. He immediately threw down his weapon to the ground.


    Realizing that Colby was serious, everyone else dropped their weapon too.


    Gasping for breath, Maria said, "Lawrence, James, it''s okay if I die. As long as Rosa and Colby can


    be brought to justice, I''ll die without regret."


    "Maria!" James couldn''t bring himself to ept her words. "Even if you don''t care about yourself,


    please think about the people you''ll leave behind!"


    ''The people I''ll leave behind...'' Maria understood what he meant. ''Is he talking about him and Bob?''


    "As long as you''re there to take care of him, I won''t have to worry." After all, Bob had his father, and


    his two godfathers, Lawrence and Ethan. There was really no need for her to worry about him.


    Colby didn''t want to continue listening to their melodrama. Once more, he put the dagger before


    Maria''s face and said to James, "Call your people and have them prepare the money. Now!"


    James took out his phone and exchanged nces with Lawrence. Afterwards, he said to the person


    on the phone, "Prepare five billion dors and send it to... " Colby and Maria didn''t hear the rest of


    his phone call because they were too far away.


    Before long, James looked at Colby and nodded. Within seconds, Maria heard a deafening noise


    and a loud scream that almost broke her eardrums.


    Everyone averted their gaze, save for Maria. She was still staring intently at James.


    It turned out that he had hurled his phone at Colby''s face. "Argh!" Colby bellowed.


    At the same time, James and Lawrence quickly picked up their weapons and rushed in to subdue


    Colby.


    The men that Lawrence had brought fired at will at the bandits who were still watching the scene


    unfolding behind them. After the exchange of gunshots, Colby''s men had been arrested. Countless


    policemen rushed in, searching every corner of this ce thoroughly.


    Colby knelt before James, half of his face sticking to the ground. James stomped on his face with


    his leather shoe until his face was distorted by pain. Despite his pleas of mercy, James didn''t seem


    to feel sympathy for him.


    "Give me the whip!" hemanded.


    Whoosh! The whip struck Colby''s body, and the deafening sound of his screaming must''ve been


    heard hundreds of meters from its origin.


    Colby was beaten until his head was almost split open. Seemingly unsatisfied with the torture he


    had inflicted, James grabbed the dagger that Colby had used against Maria and used it on Colby.


    One after another, he mercilessly shed his face until it waspletely unrecognizable.


    With help from a few others, Lawrence finally managed to hold James back from his rampage.


    "James, that''s enough! The most important thing we need to do right now is to get Maria to the


    hospital!"


    ''Maria...'' The mention of her name brought James back to sanity, and he finally let go of Colby


    before he could end his life.


    While James was carrying Maria in his arms, she looked at him, hoping to say something. But in the


    end, she just closed her eyes and rested.


    "Mia? Mia, don''t sleep!" James carried her towards the car and drove to the nearest hospital as fast


    as possible.


    But Maria couldn''t hear his voice. It seemed as though she had fallen into aa.


    Soon, the news that Colby and Rosa had been arrested and put to jail was broadcasted in every


    news station. Later, they were convicted for attempted murder, intentional injury, kidnapping, and


    ckmail. For all the crimes they hadmitted, they were sentenced to death by hanging.


    HL Group acquired HM Group, and Tang Group was acquired by Fosun Entertainment Group. Due


    to their state of bankruptcy, the two listedpanies were acquired.


    Since theirst encounter, Maria hadn''t dreamed of Arthur anymore. This time, she fell into a long


    dream, and it was Bob that she dreamt of. He was holding another child''s hand, and this child was


    calling her "Mom" as well.


    Maria wasn''t sure whether the child was a boy or a girl because she couldn''t see it clearly.


    Bob''s voice rang in her ears. "Mommy...Mommy... Mommy!"


    He kept calling out to her as if he was chanting a sutra.


    But then, a fierce voice made him stop. "If you dare call her again, I''m going to toss you out!"


    Bob stopped abruptly. Maria couldn''t tell if it was because he was frightened, or maybe something


    else. But the fact was that he did fall silent for a long time.


    However, he started calling out to her again. "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy... It''s time to get up."


    James was rendered speechless.


    Bob had been here for thirty minutes. Ever since he arrived, he had been sitting on the bed and


    calling out to his mother while holding an Ultraman action figure.


    Another half hour had passed, but he was still trying to get her to wake up.


    At this point, James got up and got his son a ss of water. "Are you thirsty?"


    The little boy took the ss and drank the contents. Afterwards, he picked up his Ultraman and


    proceeded with what he was doing earlier. "Mommy, it''s me, Bob!"


    If he could make things appear out of thin air, James could really use a pair of earplugs right now.


    "Boston, if you keep disturbing your mother''s sleep, I''m sending you back to Lawrence''s ce!"


    Bob looked at him, and then looked at Maria. "Mommy will be sad if she doesn''t see me when she


    wakes up," he argued.


    "You mother will be delighted if she won''t see a naughty boy like you," said James.

 Chapter 455 Ill Kill You

    Chapter 455 I''ll Kill You


    "Mommy told me that she misses me. She was calling out to me just now." Bob held Maria''s hand,


    determined to stay by her side. He did hear her call his name a few moments ago.


    Maria had been unconscious for two days, and because of that, James doubted his son''s ims.


    However, Bob still wouldn''t listen to his father. He got tired of sitting on the bed, so hey beside


    Maria and nestled in her arms. Every now and then, he would call out to her, and hope that it would


    wake her up.


    Finally, through his unremitting efforts, Maria finally moved a muscle.


    But her reaction was so subtle that her ex-husband and son didn''t notice it.


    "Boston!" James shouted impatiently. He had heard the word "mommy" hundreds of times today


    already, and he couldn''t bear it anymore.


    "James,"


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    said a faint voice.


    With cold, unrelenting eyes, James red at the little boy. "Who said you could call me by my


    name?"


    Bob looked at his father with confusion, shaking his head in denial.


    "If you keep yelling at my son, I''ll strangle you myself!" said the faint voice earlier.


    The moment he heard that threat, James was too stunned to react.


    This time, he clearly heard whose voice it was. It didn''te from Bob; it was actually Maria''s.


    Her eyes were still closed as she embraced her son. "Bob, don''t be scared. Mommy''s here."


    James walked towards the bedside and held Maria''s hand. "Mia," he said in a soft voice.


    When Maria heard his voice, she still didn''t open her eyes. "Go away! You yelled at my son!"


    "No, I didn''t." James bit back his exnation because he knew that it wouldn''t make a difference.


    "Mia, just open your eyes and look at us, okay?"


    As soon as he finished talking, Maria''s eyelids moved slightly. However, she was too dazzled by the


    brightness of the light. "It''s too bright."


    Outside the window, the sun was at its peak, but the room was cool enough to withstand the


    summer heat. James decided to draw the curtains to reduce the amount of light going into the room.


    It was then that Maria opened her eyes. She was greeted by James'' affectionate gaze. "Mia, you''re


    finally awake."


    "Mommy." Now that his mother was awake, Bob sat on the bed, looking at her with a wide grin.


    Maria shifted her gaze away from James and looked at her son. She wanted to touch his cute little


    face, but the pain prevented her from doing so. It was so painful that her face became distorted.


    James immediately put her back to bed. "Don''t try to move. Your wounds haven''t healed yet."


    With that, he pressed the buzzer above the bed and asked the doctor toe in for a checkup.


    Aside from the trauma it caused her, Maria''s body was rtively fine. All she needed to do for the


    time being was to get as much rest as possible.


    However, she didn''t want to be in the hospital for a long time, so James brought her back to the


    vi, and asked her doctor to change the dressings on her wounds regrly.


    Sandra, Mildred, Meagan, and Peggy often visited her. In addition to her friends, Bob was always


    with her, so there was never a dull moment for her.


    It was already November, but the temperature in H City was still scorching. By this time, Maria had


    recovered from her wounds and her life returned to normal.


    At this time, the news that Colby and Rosa were sentenced to death was reported by the media.


    In addition to that, Rosa''s statement about how Arthur actually died also circted the news. It was


    true that he died in an ident, but it had nothing to do with Maria. Back then, she was just cooking


    in the kitchen. In actuality, Rosa was the one responsible for his death.


    Maria had taken the me for over ten years, and her name had finally been cleared of all


    ounts.


    Meanwhile, James was in DS Group''s headquarters, handing in some documents about the


    acquisition of HM Group to Maria. "Honey, we''ve acquired HM Group, and you''re the biggest


    shareholder. Does that make you happy?"


    As she sat in front of her desk, flipping through the documents, a smile appeared on her lips. "Very


    happy, actually. You want to know my next n? I''m going to acquire HL Group," she bantered.


    James went around the desk and kissed her supple red lips. "That''s an easy one. If you marry me


    again, everything you desire will be yours at the drop of a hat!"


    ''Marry him again, huh?'' Maria cupped his cheek and said, "Tomorrow is your birthday. How about


    we take Bob out to celebrate?"


    ''She''s changing the topic again!'' Hiding his sadness, James replied, "We can go out to celebrate


    without Bob.¡±


    "How could that be possible?"


    "We''ll send him back to my grandparents'' ce."


    Maria was speechless. She felt sorry for Bob.


    During James'' birthday, he went on a shopping spree with Maria. They nned to spend a few days


    on an ind with Bobter on.


    It was already getting dark, so they went to have dinner. James took her to Leopard Club after


    dinner.


    "Why do you want to go to Leopard Club?" Maria looked at him in confusion while he was parking


    the car. Going here wasn''t part of their ns.


    "Lawrence and Ethan are here," James replied tly.


    "I see." It turned out that they were here for a get-together.


    Maria unfastened her seat belt and followed him into the club.


    Momentster, she opened the door to Room 666. It was quite dark inside, and she wondered what


    was going on. "Where are they?" she asked.


    To her surprise, the man who had been following her was nowhere to be found.


    She tried to look around, but it seemed as though James had disappeared in thin air.


    Fortunately, at this time, she received a call from James. "Oh, crap! I must''ve remembered the


    wrong room number. It''s actually Room 999."


    Maria was too annoyed to react. ''Why didn''t you say so earlier? And why the hell didn''t you take me


    along when you went there?'' she thought.


    Maria put her phone away and went on her way to Room 999.


    There were two waiters guarding the door. The moment they saw her, they greeted her at the same


    time. "Ms. Song, this way, please."


    The door was pushed open, and yet it was still too dark to see anything inside. While she was trying


    to figure out what was happening, the lights in the corners turned on one after the other.


    Within a few seconds, all lights had been turned on.


    It was only then that she saw what was going on in the room. The middle of the room was lined with


    a red carpet, which was embezzled by pink and white petals. On both sides of the carpet, there


    were two rows of flowers wrapped in decorative light.


    Every bouquet was quite big. And basing from Maria''s previous experience of receiving flowers from


    James, there must be 999 flowers in each bouquet. There were lilies, roses, and other kinds of


    flowers of varying colors.


    Aside from that, there were also transparent boxes filled with all kinds of expensive, delicate gifts.


    The wall was hung with a heart-shaped collection of balloons, and on the floor, there were fourrge


    letters that spelled "LOVE," as well as a dozen other small letters.


    Maria''s heart skipped a beat. She didn''t look at the small letters carefully. Today was James''


    birthday. Who could''ve nned and prepared such a romantic venue? This didn''t look like a


    birthday party for a man.


    She stood in awe of the room, and then she looked up and found a pink on the ceiling, which


    was filled with balloons and petals.


    The following moment, the pink broke, causing the balloons and petals to fall down. Maria had


    no time to dodge, so she was covered in the sea of balloons and petals.


    Just then, the door opened and a group of people entered. "Are you surprised, Maria?" said Ethan.


    "Maria, today is Mr. Xi''s birthday. I wish you a happy life!" Sandra, Cooper, Lawrence, Meagan,


    Peggy, and Summer came in one after the other. They all greeted her with a smile.


    At this point, Maria was at her wit''s end. It was indeed James'' birthday, but why did everyone give


    her the benediction instead of him?


    James followed them in. He was carrying arge bouquet of roses as he slowly walked towards her.


    LARK COLE


    Author

 Chapter 456 Lets Talk It Over

    Chapter 456 Let''s Talk It Over


    In the midst of their friends'' cheerful voice, James stood before Maria and stared at her


    affectionately. "Mia," he uttered.


    Stunned, Maria instantly understood what was going on. A little embarrassed, she didn''t know how


    to respond.


    "It was all my fault. I failed to cherish you. But I can assure you this won''t happen again," James


    said earnestly as he passed her the flowers, fumbled in his pocket and took out a brocade box.


    Taking a step forward, he knelt on one knee. There was a sudden sparkle as the diamond ring


    caught the light. "Maria, I love you. Please marry me!"


    Maria remained speechless.


    So James was proposing to her.


    Soothing music was yed in the background. Every single spectator had their eyes glued onto


    them.


    Ethan raised an electronic firework and said, "Maria, are you too excited to speak? Hurry up and


    say yes!"


    Peggy echoed, "Yes, Maria! Say yes already!"


    The crowd was hooting. Maria, on the other hand, still hadn''t given James a response.


    A few minutester, the crowd began to whisper and look at each other in confusion. They were


    starting to wonder what Maria''s silence meant.


    James, who was still on his knee, gazed at her.


    Maria put down the roses he had given her. Looking him in the eye, she said, "James."


    James remained in the same position. "Don''t speak!" he said in a pleading tone.


    Maria then chose to not say anything.


    After a while, he stood up and grabbed her hand. Despite her refusal, he forcefully put the diamond


    ring on her finger.


    Maria struggled a little but didn''t push him. "James, you don''t have to put it on my finger. I refuse


    your proposal!"


    As these words came out of her mouth, everyone in the crowd gasped in surprise.


    However, the ring was already put on her finger. She took it off and continued, "James, I don''t love


    you anymore. In fact, I have stopped loving you since a long time ago. The only reason I was with


    you is because I wanted a chance to take revenge."


    James shook his head and said, "Honey, this isn''t the time for jokes. Be serious, okay?"


    "Trust me when I say this isn''t a joke. All my enemies have been punished. I have made my


    decision two days ago. Nobody can change it. Bob belongs to me and I don''t need a penny from


    you! That''s all!" Her tone was ruthless and the expression on her face was cold as ice.


    James stared at the ring she had casually returned to him. "Is this the reason why you have


    maintained a distance these past days?" he asked.


    "Yes! Do you know why I chose to not deal with Elina? I''ve investigated and gathered she has no


    bad record. On top of that, she has had a crush on you for a very long time. She worked in HL


    Group because of you.


    She is genuinely in love with you. Transfer her back to H City and allow her to love you..."


    James clenched the diamond ring in his hand until his knuckles were white. In a cold tone, he


    asked, "Who are you to decide my fate and future?"


    The harmonious atmosphere was suddenly taut with tension. The others were dumbstruck. They


    held back their breath.


    Maria nodded and said, "You have a point here." His words surely made sense.


    "Maria, while I was thinking about having a second child with you, you were busy nning to


    separate me from the first one!" He tried to keep his voice calm.


    "We will break up sooner orter. I never intended to be with you for a very long time." If it weren''t


    for Bob, who had identally entered her life, she would have ended her life quietly in the hospital


    some time ago.


    Her cold eyes stared at him. There was neither love nor affection in them.


    James wouldn''t give up. He resumed his gentle tone and said, "Maria, I was the wrong one. If you


    refuse me, I am not going to be angry. After all, I don''t me you for anything. I''ve told you that you


    can do anything you want. Just don''t consider leaving me."


    He tried to hold her hand, but she took a step back and dodged him. His hand was frozen in midair.


    "Let''s end our rtionship once and for all, James!"


    "You are going to regret this one day!" he said, raising his voice a little.


    "No, I won''t." She looked at him with a firm expression. "I have made it clear I won''t regret this. I


    know myself very well. If I say I won''t, I am pretty sure I won''t."


    "Well, In that case, I won''t give you the child. In fact, unless youe back to me, I won''t even let


    you see him again. If you don''t believe me, you can give it a try."


    Maria was shocked by his audacious words. She gritted her teeth and said, "Don''t try to challenge


    me!"


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    "Then please don''t push me away!" said James. He was willing to do anything if that meant keeping


    her with him.


    Cooper took two steps forward and coughed to ease the embarrassment. "James, Maria¡ª"


    Maria turned around and interrupted him. "Cooper, Lawrence, and everyone, I would like to thank


    you for the help. See youter!"


    She bent down, bowed to everyone, and then decided to leave the ce.


    When she was about to move, James grabbed her wrist and pleaded, "Maria, let''s talk it over."


    Maria wouldn''t even look at him. "I honestly don''t think there is anything to talk about. This is it!"


    After saying that, she broke free from his grasp and left Leopard Club without once looking behind.


    Once everything with settled, she could start afresh. She would leave behind this life of hatred.


    A few minutester, James rushed out of Room 999. Not caring about his image, he screamed,


    "Maria!" He was panting and breathless.


    Maria stopped in her tracks but wouldn''t allow herself to look back at him. The driver opened the


    door for her and she got in the car.


    Once she was inside, she swiftly shut the door close. The window was rolled down. There was two


    people in the car. One was the expressionless Maria and the other one was Norman.


    He looked at James, a smile glinting in his eyes. Before James could catch up with them, the car


    was driven away from Leopard Club.


    Watching them leave, James turned livid. Without wasting any time, he rang his driver and tried to


    catch up with them.


    Sitting in Rolls-Royce, Maria asked, "Why were you here?"


    "I heard that James was going to propose to you. I couldn''t miss the fun. I didn''t expect to meet you


    as soon as I arrived," he replied, quite surprised he was there right when he was needed.


    Maria made no reply to this.


    "You have escaped and left him unscathed! Good job, Maria!"


    Maria had once said that when her job here was done, she would leave James safe and sound. And


    now she had finally done it. Norman couldn''t hide his admiration.


    "Mr. Shen, Mr. Xi''s car is behind us," the driver said.


    "Make sure he doesn''t catch up with us," said Norman and smiled. He found the whole thing quite


    amusing.


    James couldn''t let go of her. He couldn''t afford to lose her.


    Maria didn''t turn around, but clenched her hands on


    her knees.


    Norman''s driver sped the car. He was also familiar with the nearby terrain. Soon, he managed to


    escape James'' car.


    A few minutester, James'' car pulled over to the side of the road. James, with a gloomy face, got


    out of the car and kicked the door.


    Bang! It was closed shut with a thud.


    In the next few days, Maria was nowhere to be found. No one could get in contact with her. DS


    Group was now managed by an interim CEO.


    James had taken revenge on Shen Group. Norman''s business had suffered a loss of several billion


    dors.


    Norman fought back soon. Recently, James''s focus wasmitted to finding Maria. He couldn''t


    concentrate on anything else. As a consequence, HL Group also suffered a great loss. However,


    Norman didn''t gain any benefit from it, except for watching his enemy suffer. All in all, both the


    brothers got substantial damages.


    In a vi, Maria was sitting opposite to a man. "Myst requirement is that I want Bob," she said with


    a firm resolve. She could give up on James, but she couldn''t bear the thought of losing Bob.

 Chapter 457 Like Strangers

    Chapter 457 Like Strangers


    Norman swirled the red wine in his ss and said, "It''s a bit difficult." After all, in order to prevent


    her from taking the child away, James had kept a close watch on Bob.


    Maria knew that, and that was why she turned to Norman for help this time. "I beg you, please think


    of a way to help me. This will be thest time I''ll ask you for help."


    "It won''t be impossible to take Bob away from him, but I have one condition. If you can promise me


    that you''ll follow my condition, I''ll help you get Bob back, even at the cost of Shen Group."


    "What is it?" As long as she could get Bob back, she was willing to do whatever it took.


    A murderous intent shone on Norman''s eyes as a devilish grin made its way to his lips. "Kill James,"


    he said.


    This night was darker than most nights, and the wind blew strong. Several cars besieged James''


    car at a ce less than a kilometer away from his private manor.


    Before the car crashed into another car, Summer stepped on the brakes and looked around


    vigntly. "Mr. Xi, we''re surrounded!"


    The man in the back seat also looked around and saw dozens of people getting out of the other


    cars and approaching his.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The tires of his car had been blown out.


    Summer was scared. In a soft voice, she asked, "Mr. Xi, what are we going to do? Should we call


    our people over?"


    But James remained silent.


    Before long, there were sounds outside. Someone knocked at his car window while holding a gun.


    "Open the door!"


    They kept on shouting for a few minutes, but the people in the car remained motionless.


    Momentster, a woman stepped out of one of the cars and strutted her way towards James'' car.


    James finally reacted.


    "It''s Maria!" Summer was surprised to see Maria here.


    Maria wore a thin, ck windbreaker and a pair of high heels. Her long hair was loose behind her


    back. And while she was walking, she locked her eyes on the car.


    The moment she got close to the back seat, the window of the car rolled down. And when that


    happened, several guns were aimed at James.


    In the dim light, James and Maria looked at each other.


    ''She lost weight,'' he thought. There was alienation in her eyes in the way she was looking at him.


    Maria looked inside the car, but only James was in the back seat, and there was no sign of Bob.


    Realizing that put a frown on her face. She had received word that James would pass by here with


    Bob today. "Where''s Bob?" she asked.


    James stepped out of the car, and Summer followed suit.


    The ex-couple stood toe to toe and faced each other. "Bob is in the manor. Are you nning to go


    back and pay him a visit?" asked James.


    Maria bit her lip and replied, "James, just give me back my son! I don''t want anything else!"


    Norman had ordered his men to look everywhere that Bob might be, but they couldn''t find him


    anywhere.


    Ignoring her request, James reached out his hand to her. "Mia, juste home with me." The tone


    of his voice was just as gentle as it was before.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As long as she went back with him now, he could pretend like nothing bad ever happened.


    Maria staggered back. "I just want Bob!"


    James'' hand froze in midair. It was as if he didn''t hear anything she said. "You''ve gotten thinner. Are


    you not eating well?"


    At this point, Maria didn''t know what to say anymore. ''What is he trying to say?''


    "Just be a good girl, okay?"


    His words insulted her to the point that she pulled out a gun from her waist and raised her voice at


    him. "I''m not messing around with you, James! Give me back my son!"


    Instead of moving away from the direction of the gun, James stepped forward. "If shooting me will


    calm you down, do it." He then took the weapon and guided it towards his chest, pressing it against


    his heart.


    There was a look of panic in her eyes. ''Does he think I won''t have the guts to shoot him?''


    Pretending to be calm, Maria said, "James, do you truly believe that I still love you and that I''lle


    back to you just because you ask me to? Or perhaps you think I can''t live without you? Well, then


    you''re wrong! Yes, I admit that I once loved you wholeheartedly, but now, there''s no room for you in


    my heart."


    "I know. I know it all too well." He could tell that she no longer loved him. "But I still love you. So,


    please... give me another chance."


    Once again, Maria was at a loss for words.


    "Norman is just using you to get rid of me. From the moment he got you out of prison, he has been


    manipting you to one day get rid of me," James stated.


    Maria''s eyes turned red. "So what? Back then, you didn''t even want to use me. You all abandoned


    me and treated me like garbage!" Every time she was reminded of the past, sadness enveloped her


    heart.


    And seeing her so heartbroken like this hurt James as well. In an affectionate voice, he said, "Mia..."


    "Stop calling me that name!" She clenched the gun in her hand, her eyes looked fiercer now. "If you


    don''t give me back my child, I will fucking kill you, James!"


    Hearing that made him silent.


    Maria was about to pull the trigger. Summer was startled. "Maria, no!"


    It seemed as though Maria didn''t hear her. The man behind Summer came over to stop her from


    attacking Maria.


    With a cold smile, Maria said to James, "From now on, you and I are strangers to each other!"


    After saying that, she moved the gun a little and pulled the trigger. The bullet quickly entered his


    body.


    James looked at her in disbelief. He never imagined that Maria would hate him to the point that she


    would actually shoot him.


    Blood dripped from the corner of his lips. Despite his wound, he was still standing straight and


    noble.


    Summer''s legs grew weak. The moment she regained herposure, she quickly took out her


    cellphone and called an ambnce. Afterwards, she called several people at the same time.


    Maria put away her weapon and walked away. Without looking back, she went back to the car and


    drove towards James'' manor.


    Later on, she led the search in the manor. However, after searching every nook and cranny of the


    ce, they still didn''t find bob.


    Maria broke down with the realization that her son wasn''t here. She then decided to go back for


    James, but the only thing she saw was his pool of blood.


    James had been sent to the hospital. Cooper was the first one to arrive. He immediately ordered a


    media ckout regarding James'' critical condition.


    As they stared at the light of the operating room, Cooper asked, "Was it really Maria who shot him?"


    "Yes," Summer answered with a nod. She thought that it was just an ordinary squabble between the


    couple and that they would soon make peace.


    She never imagined that Maria would actually shoot James.


    Cooper was too stunned to say a word. He also shared the same sentiment as Summer.


    Maria''s rapid change caught them off-guard.


    When Ethan arrived, Cooper was ordering his men to search for Maria.


    There was confusion in Ethan''s eyes when he asked Summer the same question that Cooper asked


    moments ago.


    All of them thought of the same thing. They all thought that James and Maria were still a couple and


    that this whole thing was just an argument that they would soon mend.


    James'' operation had been going on for the whole night, and the people waiting at the door hadn''t


    slept at all. They didn''t tell anyone about what happened to James, not even his family.


    Fortunately, the next morning, James was saved and had been transferred to the ICU.


    The doctor said to Cooper, "We''re lucky that the trajectory of the bullet was changed slightly, so Mr.


    Xi''s life was spared. If the bullet had gone inside a few centimeters to the side, he would''ve died


    right away."


    Cooper was rendered speechless. ''Did Maria show him mercy, or was she actually determined to


    kill James?''


    About a weekter, Cooper finally found Maria''s whereabouts.

 Chapter 458 You Are Lying

    Chapter 458 You Are Lying


    The investigation report shocked Cooper. It turned out that Maria had been staying at a nunnery


    near H City; she was going to shave her hair off and be a nun.


    He stood beside the window with his back against the ward while he was on the phone. "Are you


    sure about that?"


    "Hundred percent. We even went there to confirm if it''s actually true. At present, Ms. Song is


    preparing herself to shave her head and be a nun."


    Realizing the gravity of the situation, Cooper said, "For now, try any means you can to stop her.


    Don''t let her shave her hair and be a nun."


    "As you wish, sir."


    "Who''s nning to be a nun?"


    The sound of the hoarse voice made Cooper turn around. He had no idea when this man who had


    beenatose for nearly a week woke up. And to top it off, James was even looking at him.


    After a moment of contemtion, Cooper decided that it would be better not to lie to his brother.


    "James, I''ll call the doctors to do a checkup on you first."


    "Who''s nning to be a nun?" James'' face was pale, and it seemed as though he would faint


    at any moment. However, he was determined to get an answer out of him first.


    But Cooper still insisted on calling the doctors. He just wanted them to do an examination on


    James.


    After all, his wound was life-threatening.


    But as soon as the doctors entered the room, they saw that James was trying to get out of bed, and


    even Cooper couldn''t stop him.


    They hurried into the room to stop him. "Mr. Xi, you are seriously injured! Please, don''t try to get out


    of bed."


    James'' face was growing paler and paler, but his eyes were bloodshot with determination. In a


    hoarse voice, hemanded, "Let me go!"


    "James, just let me take care of it. For now, you need to focus on your recovery." Cooper couldn''t do


    anything about the way James was acting. If he had known that James would wake up at this time,


    he would''ve gone outside to answer his phone call.


    "Thanks, but that''s not necessary." The second James said that, he began to coughing violently and


    fell back on the bed.


    The doctors did their best to persuade him from moving. "Mr. Xi, please don''t move rashly again."


    James coughed over and over. His current state was so bad that he couldn''t utter a word.


    Never had he felt so humiliated before. He couldn''t even lift his finger or say a single word.


    The doctors pressed him back to his bed, but he refused to listen to their advice. It seemed as


    though he was determined to get out of bed.


    Cooper stopped him from getting up. He raised his voice at him and said, "James, that''s enough!


    Would you look at yourself? You''re dying, and yet you keep trying to get out of bed! If you keep


    being stubborn, you might lose your life before you can even see Maria again!"


    The moment he heard that, Jamesy back on the bed, panting heavily. Once he calmed down, he


    adjusted his breathing and closed his eyes. "Tell her toe see me onest time."


    Cooper was rendered speechless by his request.


    In the JT Nunnery, a inly-dressed woman was standing in front of the Buddha statue, lost in


    thought.


    She was recalling everything that had happened to her since she was born.


    Cooper, in a silver-gray suit, walked over from the high threshold, quietly standing side by side with


    the woman. Once he was there, he also gazed at the sacred Buddha statue.


    After a long silence, Cooper said, "Maria, I once believed that you would cherish this rtionship.


    After all, it wasn''t easy to earn it."


    Over the past ten years, Maria had gone through hell and high waters.


    Now that every viin had been punished, a momentary peace ensued. Not only did she have a


    lovely son, she also had an unforgettable rtionship.


    But just like everyone else, Cooper never imagined that Maria would actually refuse James''


    proposal without hesitation. To top it off, she was now giving up her mortal life to be a nun.


    Still unmoving, she said expressionlessly, "I don''t want to love anyone anymore. Strictly speaking, I


    took all his help for granted. Arthur was also his son, and it was fair that he dealt with Rosa. I just


    used him to avenge Arthur." "Are you really willing to give up on my brother and


    Bob?" asked Cooper.


    "Am I not allowed to give up? I''m not worried about Bob because he has all of you take care of him."


    What she said was true.


    She knew that as long as she wasn''t with James, she wouldn''t be able to see her child. And even if


    she were to stay in H City night and day, it would be ultimately useless.


    "But the fact remains that a child can never be truly happy unless he lives with his parents," stated


    Cooper.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Maria fell silent.


    Moments after the silence, Cooper continued, "Look, even if you don''t want to be with my brother,


    you don''t have to be a nun. There are other ways to live besides this one!"


    "I''ve done so many bad things along the way. All I want is to live in abstinence and pray to Buddha


    for atonement for the rest of my life. Only in this way can I feel at ease." Although those people


    were guilty, they would be punished sooner orter. It wasn''t her duty to be the judge, jury, and


    executioner, but she still did it nheless. Even though she didn''t kill anyone, there was still a lot


    of blood on her hands.


    "Maria-"


    "Cooper, you can leave now. I''ve made my decision. The others have tried to persuade me too, but I


    won''t go back no matter what," she said tly. Summer, Peggy, and Sandra had visited Maria before


    Cooper. In the end, none of them seeded in convincing Maria toe back.


    "But my brother..." Cooper stared into her eyes intently. "He''s dying. I''m only here to take you to see


    him for onest time."


    ''For onest time?'' Maria was shocked to her core.


    Her eyes gradually welled up with tears. "Even if I do visit him, what good would it be?"


    If James were to die, it would be her fault. She would never be able to atone for this even if she


    repented for the rest of her life.


    "Seeing you again will give him hope. I''m afraid that if you don''t see him, it''ll break his heart. Think


    about it, Maria. The woman he loves the most doesn''t want to see him anymore. Do you think he''ll


    have the courage to live on after knowing that?"


    With a heartden with guilt, Maria remained silent.


    "Maria, please. Go and see him onest time. Convince him to live on, okay?" Cooper said in a


    gentle voice.


    The sound of his voice made Maria feel like she was in a dream; and in that dream, Cooper came


    here to tell her that James was dying.


    She then closed her eyes to cover the fact that she was almost breaking into tears. "Cooper, just go


    back!"


    In the end, Cooper had no choice but to go back to the hospital. There, he found that James was


    sleeping, and Ethan was looking after him.


    The following day, James woke up again.


    He looked at Ethan and asked, "Where is she?"


    "James, don''t you love me anymore? How could you ask for Maria the second you wake up?" Ethan


    replied, pretending to be nonchnt.


    "Where is she?" James asked again.


    It was then that Ethan decided to give him the answer he wanted. "When she came here, you were


    still sleeping. After she told us to take good care of you, she left."


    Staring into his friend''s eyes, James said, "You''re lying!"


    Ethan was shocked. ''Am I not good at lying?''


    James lifted the quilt from his body and said, "Help me up."


    "James, you''re still very weak. You can''t even get out of bed!"


    "I said help me up!"


    Ethan didn''t move. "Are you even aware of your physical condition? Have you given up on life just


    because of a woman? Tell me, is that really necessary?"


    As if he didn''t hear Ethan, James gritted his teeth and sat up.


    Because of that, his wound opened up. To relieve the pain somehow, he winced and sat in a more


    comfortable position.


    At this point, Ethan was agitated. "James, would you please just wake up to reality? Maria doesn''t


    want toe. She already knows that you''re dying, but in spite of that, she still doesn''t want to be


    here. She is an ungrateful woman who takes you for granted. Why do you still struggle so hard for


    her?"


    James'' gloomy eyes fell on Ethan''s face. "You can''t speak ill of her!"


    Ethan was on the verge of breaking down. "She used you for revenge. And now that she has gained


    vengeance, she threw you away like an old piece of gum! Don''t you get it?"


    Without even casting him another nce, James tried to get out of bed again.

 Chapter 459 Spare His Life

    Chapter 459 Spare His Life


    "I can''t figure out how a woman managed to change you so much. James, I used to idolize you from


    the bottom of my heart. You were an invincible man that nobody could stop. How in the world did


    you reach a dead end in the form of Maria? And why do you refuse to get out?" Ethan wanted to


    shove James back to the sick bed, but he couldn''t bring himself to do it, for fear of hurting him.


    Still, James ignored Ethan''s pleas and got out of bed with a surprising surge of strength. Then, he


    grabbed his phone on the bedside table and asked someone to bring him his suit.


    With no other choice left, Ethan walked up to him and said, "Fine, I give up. You can go see her if


    you want. But can''t you wait a little longer? Please? Can''t you recover first?"


    "No, I can''t wait any longer. She''s nning to be a nun," he replied.


    "But it''s toote, James. Even if you go now, it won''t change a thing. Today is the day she''s going to


    shave off her hair,"


    Ethan said. After casting Ethan a nce, James went out this time. He didn''t even change his


    clothes.


    When the ward was opened, Cooper was standing outside, followed by two bodyguards who


    brought James'' clothes over. The brothers stood face to face.


    Ethan felt fortunate that someone was here to help him. "Cooper, hurry up. Let''s get James back to


    the ward."


    However, Cooper said, "James, I''ve already prepared your clothes. Let me help you change, and


    then I''ll go with you."


    Ethan was in utter disbelief of what he was hearing. "Cooper! Have you gone insane? Can you not


    see how terrible James'' condition is?"


    Cooper patted him on the shoulder; there was an indiscernible emotion in his eyes. "Just let him go,


    Ethan." If James didn''t go to the nunnery to see Maria, it would haunt him for the rest of his life.


    Feeling defeated, Ethan decided to shut up.


    Ten minutester, James refused to sit in the wheelchair that Cooper had arranged for him. Instead,


    he went inside the elevator and walked out of the hospital.


    His car was parked at the entrance of the in-patient department, followed by three other cars filled


    with bodyguards and doctors.


    Ethan and Cooper entered James'' car. Once everyone was settled in, the convoy of cars drove


    towards JT Nunnery.


    The nunnery was dozens of kilometers away from the city. It took them over an hour before they


    arrived at the foot of the mountain.


    JT Nunnery was located at the top of the mountain. In order to reach the top, one must take a


    thousand flights of stairs.


    This mountain wasn''t that high nor low, but for a patient like James, it felt like the tallest mountain in


    the world.


    In the beginning, he was still able to take the stairs one at a time. But after having climbed dozens


    of stairs, he was already drenched in sweat, his face was as pale as a ghost, and he was having a


    hard time breathing.


    At first, only Cooper was helping him traverse the stairs. But upon seeing him struggle, Ethan


    decided to join in. Hetched James'' arm around his neck and started going up the stairs.


    After traversing five hundred stairs, James was almost drained of his strength. The doctors had


    been persuading him to give up several times already, but it didn''t seem like he heard them.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Seeing him like this was too painful for Cooper, so he thought it best to carry his brother on his


    back, and go up the stairs step by step.


    The sun shone on the James'' pale face. Slowly, he opened his eyes, and the sunlight dazzled his


    eyes. To him, it was as painful as having needles lodged into his eyes. Weakly, he said, "Cooper,


    please look after thepany and Bob. Don''t give Bob to her. She still has a chance toe back.


    If you give the child to her, I will never have the chance to see her and my son again."


    Cooper said nothing against his brother''s request. He just nodded in approval and said, "Okay."


    By the time they reached the seven hundredth stair, James was gradually losing consciousness.


    This time, Ethan took over the task of carrying James, and took him from Cooper''s back. With that,


    they continued going up the stairs.


    Later on, the bodyguards took turns in carrying him on their backs.


    The moment they arrived at the top of the mountain, a group of nuns happened toe out of the


    nunnery.


    JT Nunnery wasn''t that popr, and today wasn''t a special day, so there weren''t supposed to be


    any pilgrims now.


    Upon hearing themotion made by the nuns, James struggled to open his eyes and realized that


    they were looking at him.


    In a daze, he noticed a set of familiar eyes staring at him.


    The woman put her palms together in a pious manner, standing at the end of the group. Her white


    scalp had been exposed, and her long ck hair was now gone. She stood at the top of the


    mountain, staring at the group with eyes devoid of emotion.


    The group who was currently climbing the mountain stopped in their tracks. They were several


    meters away from the nuns now. As they gasped for air, the nun at the end caught their attention.


    They were toote.


    James, who was being carried by a bodyguard, spat out a mouthful of blood, stirring the crowd into


    a panic.


    "Mr. Xi!"


    "James!"


    "Help us!"


    Before he lost consciousness, James looked at Maria onest time. All the nuns came to assist him,


    but she, on the other hand, just turned away and left.


    After this ordeal, he was sent to the hospital.


    At night, the hospital was eerily silent. A man and a woman appeared on the floor where James


    was. When they reached the door of the ward, several bodyguards stopped them.


    The man chuckled. "What''s going on? Why are you stopping me? Are you afraid that I''ll take


    advantage of him while he''s dying like this?"


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Shen, but Mr. Xi must not be disturbed by anyone for the time being."


    The woman took off her sunsses and asked, "Who''s inside with him?"


    "Mr. Cooper Xi."


    "I''m his mother," said the woman.


    ''Isn''t Mr. Xi''s mother supposed to be in prison?'' they wondered.


    At this moment, Cooper opened the door from the inside.


    It looked like he was very exhausted. When he saw the visitors, he said to them, "Come in."


    Norman was the first one to go inside. After staring at Cooper for a long time, Gabri said, "I have


    nothing else to do tonight. You should go home and get some rest."


    Cooper pinched the space between his eyebrows and said, "I can handle it. I''m fine."


    "Cooper, James is in danger, and someone must take charge of thepany in his absence. Focus


    on thepany, and I''ll take care of James!" The second she heard the news of James'' state,


    Gabri rushed here with Norman.


    Cooper looked at her and tried to discern the right decision. This time, he didn''t refuse her offer. To


    her credit, what she said was reasonable. He was the only person who could take the helm of the


    company for the time being. "Thank you," he said.


    Gabri didn''t know how to react to that.


    Before Cooper could leave, she stopped him. Without turning around, she said, "Cooper, you are all


    my sons. I don''t want to hear such estranged words again."


    Cooper nced at her but he didn''t say anything.


    In the ward, Norman looked at the dying man on the bed and sneered. "Maria was so soft-hearted.


    It seems that she spared your life."


    "Norman," Gabri snapped.


    He turned his gaze towards her.


    Norman and Gabri looked at James as hey dying on the sick bed. What once was a man filled


    with vigor and exuberance was now at hisst, dying breath.


    Everyone felt pity for him.


    "What did the doctors say?" asked Gabri.


    "His condition isn''t good," Norman answered honestly.


    He had already inquired about James'' condition, and it took him so much effort to get such a simple


    answer.


    At this point, Gabri didn''t know what to say.


    Norman said, "This is the best time to destroy HL Group once and for all."


    Silence ensued in the word for a time. A minuteter, Gabri turned to Norman. "Don''t do it,


    Norman." "Why not? What? Are you starting to feel sorry for him? Is that it?" Norman asked


    indifferently.


    "It''s not just that! It''s because you and James are biological brothers."


    ''Biological brothers?'' Those two words struck Norman like a boulder. It changed the look on his face


    as he stared at his mother. "Make yourself clear!"


    Gabri let out a sigh. Now that it hade to this, she knew that the truth must be said. "You are


    also my Sebastian''s son."


    It turned out that he was actually one of Sebastian''s sons!


    No wonder Sebastian had asked him out for a cup of coffeest time. He had acted so strange and


    showed his concern for him.


    It was no wonder that Mitchell had never once held Norman or showed his love for him during his


    childhood. On top of that, he even refused to save him in a state of danger.


    Perhaps that was why Gabri, who seldom stuck her nose into someone else''s business, always


    asked him to not fight against James.


    Tonight, he hade here tough at James. Why did his mother have to tell him that this man was


    actually his elder brother?


    At this point, Norman was at a loss for words.

 Chapter 460 Coy

    Chapter 460 Coy


    Only the beeping sound from the heart monitor in the ward could be heard. Norman looked at the


    dying man''s deathly face in disbelief.


    This man, who had been at odds with him overtly and covertly for over ten years, turned out to be


    his full-blooded brother.


    Was James already aware of that fact? He must have known already. No wonder he had spared


    Norman many times. Perhaps that was why Shen Group didn''t suffer the same fate as HM Group


    and Tang Group.


    Norman had always believed that Maria was the reason. One example was the time James saved


    him because of Maria.


    "Was he already aware of it?" Norman asked.


    Gabri shook her head. "Not once did I mention it to him."


    She wasn''t really sure if James already knew it, though.


    But with James'' ability, he would find it out sooner orter.


    The news that James was on the verge of death andatose in a hospital broke out


    The entire HL Group was in disarray, and its shareholders were uneasy. As the most powerful


    enterprise in H City, they had far too many enemies. This was their most vulnerable moment, so


    they feared that their enemies would join hands to destroy them.


    However, as the founder of HL Group, Augustine took Cooper to attend a senior executive meeting,


    and announced that Cooper would take charge of James'' responsibilities while he was in recovery.


    Against all odds and doubts about his capabilities, Cooper managed to answer them calmly.


    "Cooper, are you trying to rece your brother?" asked one senior executive.


    "My brother is in recovery-he''s not dead! Do you think anyone is capable of taking his power from


    him?"


    James was far too cunning and capable for anyone to be a match against him. So, Cooper''s


    statement was reasonable.


    "Your grandfather still has a very important position in thepany. Is he training you to be


    the next CEO?" asked another senior executive. If Augustine were to ask Cooper to be HL Group''s


    new CEO instead of James, some people would support him.


    "Cooper, please forgive our insolence. Your brother was the one who promoted us. We may sound


    a bit harsh, but we''re just trying to be realistic."


    "Cooper, are you trying to take this opportunity to win people over?"


    Cooper paid attention to every question aimed at him. Most of them were suspicious because they


    thought that he was nning to rece James as the CEO of HL Group.


    But instead of being angry, he actually felt delighted to know that these people were loyal to his


    brother. They were his trusted confidants, and his brother''s efforts to train them were not in vain.


    Once everyone finished talking, he answered all of their questions in one statement. "Your worries


    are misguided. My brother has a son, and that child is the rightful heir of thispany. Even if he


    dies, I won''t be the next CEO. So, I implore all of you to rest assured."


    "What? Mr. Xi has a son?" They were shocked by that revtion.


    "Yes, we have kept it a secret from everyone to prevent enemies from finding out. For my brother''s


    sake, please let it remain a secret."


    As the heir, Bob''s name was more than enough to silence any doubts in the senior executives''


    hearts.


    It took Augustine and Cooper some time before they could finally stabilize the internal stakeholders


    of HL Group.


    At this moment, James'' condition had not improved yet.


    Time fleeted by quickly.


    Two yearster, in JT Nunnery, a little boy wearing a monk''s robe quietly picked up a broom, turned


    around, and ran away.


    He had messed up the leaves that Lucille, a nun, had swept together.


    When Lucille found out about it, the boy ran away carrying the broom. She chased after him. "Coy,


    you little brat!"


    Seemingly enjoying the chase, Coy picked up the pace with a wide grin on his face. The fallen


    leaves had now spread across the yard.


    This kind of scene wasn''t new to the nuns anymore ever since Coy was born. His mischiefs and


    pranks were an everyday urrence.


    Coy was always the hero in the story, but the heroine was always changing because of his naughty


    pranks.


    "I''m sorry, Lucille!" Coy was still young and his legs were quite short. No matter how fast he could


    run, he would always be caught.


    Upon realizing that he was about to get caught, he put down the broom and apologized.


    Initially, Lucille was furious at him, but her heart softened when she saw his cute face and innocent


    eyes. She sighed and said, "Just don''t do this again, okay? Otherwise, I''m going to ask your mom to


    punish you!"


    At the mention of his mother, Coy trembled with fear and said, "Lucille, I''ll treat you to a chicken


    drumstick!"


    ''A chicken drumstick?'' "Where will you get one?" Everyone at the nunnery was a vegetarian. Why


    would he have a chicken drumstick?


    Coy pointed at a direction. "Chickens!"


    Following his gaze, Lucille realized that he was pointing at the chickens they were raising at the


    nunnery.


    Since he had the audacity to covet the chickens, Lucille raised her broom, intending to teach him a


    lesson. Now that Coy wasn''t holding a broom, he was able to run like the wind and disappear in an


    instant.


    Lucille was at a loss for words. She honestly didn''t want to hit him. Once he was gone, she just


    shook her head and went back to cleaning.


    Coy was part of JT Nunnery, and all the regr pilgrims knew him.


    He was very young, probably around two years old. He was wearing a monk''s robe, his head was


    bare, and there was a string of Buddhist beads hung around his neck. How adorable he was!


    Adding to that, he was a smart and physically-fit boy. He knew how to roll forward and box, making


    him all the more adorable. Every man and woman who came to pray at this ce would marvel at


    him.


    After running around the entire morning, Coy finally went back to his mother.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Maria had just finished praying. "Where did you go today?" she asked tly.


    Coy picked up a ss of water and took a sip. "Nowhere, Mom! I''m a good boy." He did appear to


    be a good boy.


    Maria grabbed the ferule at the side. Upon seeing this, the little boy immediately dropped the ss,


    slipped off the chair and made a break for the door.


    Maria chased after him and pointed the ferule at him. "Don''t take another step!"


    Lucille, who had just finished cleaning up, happened toe into the yard. When Maria saw her,


    she said, "Lucille, close the door!"


    Seeing that Coy was running, Lucille immediately understood the situation and closed the door with


    a snicker.


    With a frown, Coy turned around and ran away. Maria was startled by his agile shift in motion. When


    she came to her senses, the little boy had already climbed up the tree.


    Maria didn''t know how to react at this point.


    She raised her head to look at the boy who was still going up the tree. She felt a paining from


    her temples. "Coy, if you continue climbing up that tree, there will be no lunch for you today!"


    "But, Mom, if I starve, you won''t have such a cute son anymore."


    "I still have your elder brother!" said Maria.


    ''Don''t be mad at him. He''s your biological son after all, '' she said to herself to calm down.


    "But my brother isn''t as cute as I am!" Coy answered confidently.


    At this point, Maria didn''t know what to say.


    As time went by, Bob had grown up, and he was already in kindergarten. Every day, he was


    bing a more capable child. And just like James, he had a high IQ.


    With Cooper''s help, Bob woulde here to visit Maria and Coy every two weeks.


    Standing next to her, Lucille looked at the little boy on the three and sighed. "His non-standard


    pronunciation of words doesn''t stop him from having a smart mouth."


    Maria sighed and thought that the nun was right. She couldn''t help but admire the child''s intellect.


    He was only over a year old. He didn''t know many characters yet, and his pronunciation was out of


    the ordinary, but he could alwayse up with surprisingly good rebuttals. She had no idea where


    he had learned them.

 Chapter 461 A New Dad

    Chapter 461 A New Dad


    "Get down from there! Otherwise, I''m going to call your brother and ask him not to visit you next


    week," said Maria.


    When Coy heard that, he stopped climbing further up the tree and looked down at his mom. "Mom,


    I''ll go down as long as you promise not to hit me!"


    ''Huh? I have to teach him a lesson!'' "Fine. Just get down from there!"


    Upon hearing that, Coy began sliding down by holding onto the tree trunk. But before he could even


    reach the ground, Maria grabbed him.


    She held him in her arms, ignoring the fact that he was trying to break away from her She then


    pped his buttocks several times.


    Coy groaned in pain. "Mom, you didn''t keep your promise. You told me that you''re not going to hit


    me!"


    "But I didn''t hit you, I was just punishing you for being a naughty boy," Maria answered.


    The little boy was rendered speechless. Adults were so mean.


    The moment Lucille saw her hit the boy, she quickly took him from Maria and said, "I think that''s


    enough of a lesson, Maria."


    "Lucille, please take me away from my mom. She doesn''t love me anymore," Coy remarked, taking


    this opportunity to cling his arms onto Lucille''s neck.


    "Put him down, Lucille. Just wait and see, Coy. I''m going to kick your ass!"


    Lucille walked away with the boy in her arms. "All right. I''ll take him to have lunch. You shoulde


    along, Maria."


    The boy happily leaned on her shoulder and even made a face at Maria.


    Maria didn''t know how to react.


    She had asked herself countless of times where his son inherited his thirst for mischief.


    On the other hand, Norman walked into a ward.


    A month had passed since hest visited this room.


    The man on the bed had been lying there for over two years. He was now as thin as a rake, and


    there was no more trace of his previous muscr body.


    With his hands in his pockets, Norman stood at his bedside, staring at the sickly man for a few


    minutes. Momentster, he snorted. "You pathetic loser!


    Your wife has been a nun for two years, and your youngest son can climb trees now, and yet here


    you are, still sleeping like a log.


    If I hadn''t shown HL Group any mercy, it would''ve been gone ages ago."


    After saying that, Norman turned around and left without looking back.


    Once he was out of the ward, he ran into Boston. It seemed that the boy was here to visit his father


    along with Sebastian.


    Upon seeing Norman, Sebastian cast him a nce; guilt was ever present in his eyes. "Norman..."


    No matter how hard he tried to get close to Norman in the past two years, Norman was always


    giving him the cold shoulder.


    Nodding slightly at Sebastian, Norman squatted in front of Boston, touched his head and said, "Next


    time, I''ll take you to see your mom and brother, okay?"


    At the mention of his mother and brother, a bright smile appeared on Boston''s face. "Sounds great!"


    "Well, go on then. Go see your father! Tell him to wake up quickly. Or else, your mother will find you


    a new father."


    He was just joking, but Boston took it seriously. "Uncle Norman, who will be my new father? Do you


    know any suitable candidate? If you do, then let me meet him. I''ll assess if he''s good enough for my


    mother."


    Norman was stunned. ''Where in the world am I supposed to find such a man?'' Looking


    embarrassed, he answered, "I''ll look for someone. And if I find someone decent, I''ll show him to


    you."


    "Okay."


    After that interaction, Norman left the hospital.


    While taking Boston into the ward, Sebastian said to him, "Norman was just joking. Your mother


    aren''t marrying anyone else."


    Boston nced at his unconscious father on the bed. "Grandpa, I think it''s best for my mom to


    marry another man. Dad doesn''t even want to wake up. That''s probably because he doesn''t want


    Mom anymore."


    "That''s not true, Boston. Your dad is just too ill right now, but he''ll wake up soon. Don''t worry!" As


    time passed by, the boy had grown more and more mature. Sometimes, Sebastian could barely


    supply the child with reasonable answers to his questions.


    "All right." Boston sat close to James and pinched his cheek. "Dad, if you keep sleeping like this,


    Mom will marry another man, and take me and my younger brother with her."


    The moment he heard that, Sebastian was at a loss for words.


    ''Perhaps I should talk to Norman and Ethan about this. They shouldn''t be putting such weird ideas


    into Bob''s head!''


    A weekter, two cars pulled over at the foot of the mountain.


    Two bodyguards got out of the car in the back. They then opened the doors of the car in the front,


    and Norman and Boston got out of the car.


    "Are you sure you want to climb the stairs yourself?" Norman asked.


    The mountain road had already been repaired, and they could just drive to the entrance of the


    nunnery. But every time they were here, Boston would insist on getting out of the car at the foot of


    the mountain and climbing the stairs himself.


    "Yes! Mom told me to exercise." Boston made his way to the stairs. Norman winked at the


    bodyguards and they immediately followed him.


    About half an hourter, Norman and Maria sat in the yard, drinking tea and watching the two kids


    y beside them.


    "Bob! Look at me!" Coy performed a somersault in front of Boston.


    Boston was in awe of his brother''s disy of skill. "Coy, you''re amazing!"


    Coy smiled back at his brother and grabbed his hand.


    "Come with me! I''ll take you somewhere else."


    "Okay," said Boston. After that, the brothers ran out of the yard hand in hand.


    Averting his gaze from the children, Norman nced at the woman in nun''s clothes across him.


    "What have you been nning recently?"


    While she was ying with her Buddhist beads, Maria replied with a smile, "Nothing. I haven''t been


    nning anything, but that''s a good thing."


    "Without you, DS Group has been getting further and further from being listed. Fosun Entertainment


    Group is being targeted by many people. Aren''t you worried?" It hadn''t been easy for him to


    manage DS Group, Fosun Entertainment Group, and Shen Group at the same time.


    "I''m not worried. I don''t care about money anymore." At first, she did worry about DS Group and


    Fosun Entertainment Group. But now, those worries were a thing of the past.


    Norman didn''t know how to respond to her statement. ''She has given up? Isn''t that going to make


    things more difficult for me?''


    He kept contemting about it and thought that it wasn''t such a good idea.


    James wasatose in the hospital, while Maria was here, living a carefree life. But he and Cooper


    were carrying such heavy burdens on their shoulders.


    "James hasn''t woken up for two years. Quite possibly, he may never wake up again. I''ll take you to


    see him. Perhaps it might be thest time you''ll ever get to see him," said Norman.


    Maria shook her head in refusal. "I won''t go. Everyone is trapped by their own fate. It will be better


    for him to leave this world. At the very least, he won''t suffer any longer."


    "Are you saying that... you want him to die this way?" he asked.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ''Did I say that?'' Maria rolled her eyes. "Of course, the best case scenario is he''ll survive," she said.


    "The fact remains that he''s still alive, but he''s slowly dying. If you don''t go there and give him a bit of


    hope, he might end up living like this even after I''ve died of old age." The more Norman thought


    about it, the angrier he felt.


    Had James fully recovered from his injuries, Norman and Cooper wouldn''t have to be so stressed


    all the time.


    And as for Maria, he was certain that James wouldn''t allow her to stay here for the rest of her life.


    He would''ve already convinced her to leave the nunnery.


    In the face of Norman''s impatience, Maria sipped a ss of water. "I have nothing more to do with


    him. You don''t have to keep persuading me. If you have so much time on your hands, why don''t you


    work on something more productive?"


    Norman fell silent. A woman''s cruelty was such a horrible thing.


    Meanwhile, the two kids were still ying and soaking in sweat. The moment they came back, they


    ran into Maria who was looking forthem.


    She kissed Boston''s forehead and said, "Good boy, it''s going to rain soon. You should go home with


    Norman now!"


    Hearing that made Boston feel upset. "Mom, can I sleep over here on my next visit?"


    Once, during a holiday, he had stayed the night at the nunnery. Without hesitation, Maria said,


    "Okay, but for now, go home. It''s not easy to go down the mountain, you know!"


    "Okay. Bye, Mom! Goodbye, Coy. Take care!" Boston obeyed his mother and bade them farewell.


    "Bye, Bob!" As Norman and his brother walked further and further away, disappointment grew in


    Coy''s heart.


    LARK COLE


    Author

 Chapter 462 Skin And Bones

    Chapter 462 Skin And Bones


    Maria could tell that Coy was unhappy, but she ignored it. This little boy was naturally cheery, and


    he would soon feel betterter.


    Upon Norman and Bob''s arrival at the urban area, it began raining in H City.


    There were frequent power outages in the mountain, and tonight was no different. Once it started


    raining, the electricity was soon cut off.


    Maria sat quietly at the table, fiddling with the Buddhist beads. The sound of rustling leaves and


    falling rain calmed her heart; she felt tranquil.


    Halfway through the white candle''s embers, she looked back at the bed, where her child was


    currently sleeping soundly.


    He fell asleep the second hey on the bed. But he had moved around during his sleep and


    upied some of the space where she was supposed to sleep in.


    Maria quietly got up and walked to the bedside. She bent and gave Coy''s forehead a kiss. As soon


    as her lips touched his forehead, happiness filled her heart.


    It would be even better if Bob was also here with her.


    Two months passed by in the blink of an eye.


    Lately, the weather in H City was mostly cloudy and rainy. It was always so gloomy, and it seemed


    like it would rain any second.


    At this time, a tiny monk was performing several barrel rolls in a row in the yard, attracting many


    pilgrims'' attention.


    "He''s so cute!"


    "Indeed. I want to take photos of him and post them online! Maybe I can get a lot of post likes and


    shares."


    "I heard that he''s not even two years old yet. He''s so awesome!"


    Meanwhile, a ck Harkim pulled over at the gate of the nunnery inconspicuously.


    In order to make things more convenient for Bob and Coy to see each other, Cooper built this road


    more than a year ago. Consequently, other people could use it to drive up and down the mountain.


    James, in a dark suit, got out of the car, looking noble and aloof. As soon as he got out of the car,


    he attracted many people''s attention. He became just as popr as the tiny monk of the nunnery.


    He looked thin and pale, but it didn''t affect his good looks at all.


    He was followed by an assistant and two bodyguards. He stood beside the car, looking around for


    something. With his assistant''s guidance, he entered the nunnery through the side door.


    In there, the little monk was ying with other children. James passed him by without even


    ncing. He then heard a young nun calling out from afar. "Coy,e here. We''re going to pick


    cherries!"


    The boy immediately rushed forward, surpassing the man''s footsteps, and threw himself into the


    nun''s arms. "Lucille, I like cherries."


    Lucille held him in her arms and walked in a different direction. "You want to eat some cherries, do


    you?


    Which part of you wants to eat them?"


    The boy pointed at his mouth. "My mouth!"


    Lucille couldn''t resist the urge to giggle.


    Coy adjusted his position in her arms and put his head on her shoulder. At this time, he happened


    to see a man heading towards the backyard, followed by several others.


    And this man looked like his father!


    He knew what his father looked like because his brother had shown him photos of their father.


    "Dad!" Coy muttered.


    Lucille didn''t hear him clearly. "What did you say?"


    James opened the door of the backyard, disappearing from Coy''s sight. Casting that thought aside,


    the boy thought of the cherries again and started drooling.


    He really wanted to have some cherries.


    The backyard was where the nuns were located. Additionally, this was where pilgrims would


    temporarily reside. At this moment, they had just returned from the Buddhist prayer room and were


    busy doing their own things.


    The assistant led James to the door of a room. They then exchanged nces, and then the


    assistant nodded.


    James'' eyes wasden withplicated emotions. After a while, he raised his bony hand and


    knocked on the wooden door.


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    Before long, footsteps could be heard from inside.


    Creak! The door was opened from inside.


    A familiar face appeared before James, leaving both of them frozen in shock.


    The assistant nodded at the woman inside the room, and led the bodyguards away from James and


    Maria.


    When Maria heard the knocking at the door, she thought that it was just one of the nuns.


    But to her great surprise, James appeared before her; her pupils gradually dted.


    They hadn''t seen each other for over two years. His body was skinny, pale, and bony. But despite


    all of that, he was still handsome.


    She was too shocked to say anything for a long time. His eyes were overcame with mixed


    emotions. He then took a step forward, entering the room.


    The moment he approached, the scent of disinfectant wafted into her nose.


    As he took one more step forward, Maria staggered back. Her breathing sped up, and her lips


    trembled. She still couldn''t utter a word.


    "Mia." The sound of his familiar voice rang in her ears, and it echoed throughout the furthest


    reaches of her psyche.


    Maria clenched her Buddhist beads, trying to regain her sanity andposure. She bit her lower


    lip, bypassed the man, and walked to the door. She beckoned at him and said, "Please... I implore


    you to leave."


    ''Leave?''


    James turned around, looking at her. Despite her resistance, he closed the door and pressed her


    against it.


    As their bodies clung to each other, he lowered his head and whispered, "It''s been two years and


    three months."


    Maria could feel the warmth of his breath on her ear and cheek. Her heart which had been mostly


    asleep for the past two years was now awakened by him.


    She tried her best to calm down and push him away. However, the seemingly frail man didn''t move


    at all. Left with no other choice, she said, "This is a sacred ce. Please don''t mess around!"


    James stretched out his arms, embracing her and exerting some hidden strength. "Mia,e home


    with me. Please?" He hadn''t realized that she had lost a lot of weight until he hugged her like this.


    While Maria was struggling to break away from him, she identally nudged his wound. He moved


    away from him and started coughing violently.


    She looked at him in panic. Never had she seen him this week. In her eyes, James was a man who


    looked slender in clothes but was actually muscr and well -built. But now, it seemed as though a


    strong gust of wind could blow him away.


    When she thought of her current identity and the environment she was living in, Maria bit back all of


    her words of concern.


    After coughing for nearly a minute with his hand over his chest, James finally felt better.


    The second Maria tried to move, he stretched out his arm to bar her path.


    He lowered his head, panting. After giving her forehead a gentle kiss, he repeated what he said


    earlier. "Mia,e home with me."


    His kiss was tender, but his lips felt a bit cold.


    After saying that, he turned his face aside and started coughing again.


    Seeing him like this, Maria thought that it was better to end things with him once and for all. She


    took a deep breath, regaining herposure. "James, you and I are frompletely different


    worlds now. I won''t go back, and you don''t have toe here again. Everything in H City has


    nothing to do with me, and we no longer have any ties together."


    "But what about Bob? Doesn''t he have anything to do with you?" he asked with difficulty.


    "He''s an exception. I''m satisfied that I get to see him from time to time."


    He grabbed her hand and said, "Please,e home with me. You''ll be able to see your child every


    single day."


    His hands were so cold that Maria was startled. "Mr. Xi, please leave as soon as possible. You don''t


    have to say anything to me. Thank you for your concern, but I''m fine now. From now on, please


    don''t visit me again."


    After saying that, she struggled to break free from his grip, opened the door and said to James''


    assistant, "Please take him away!"

 Chapter 463 Father And Son

    Chapter 463 Father And Son


    The assistant looked at James, who was holding onto the door, and rushed to assist him. The


    bodyguards followed his lead.


    He then supported James and said, "Mr. Xi, we have to go back. Above all else, your health is our


    priority."


    James had only regained consciousness a few days ago. The second he had enough strength to


    get out of bed, he insisted oning here, and nobody could persuade him otherwise.


    James loosened his grip and looked at the expressionless woman. "Mia, for now, I''m going home.


    But once I get better, I''lle back." He started coughing violently again.


    Without even ncing at him, Maria turned to his assistant and said, "Sorry to have troubled you."


    With that, she walked out of the room.


    She was wearing nun''s clothes. She exuded a pious aura as she strode away without looking back.


    On his way back from the nunnery, James almost passed out several times.


    Cooper and several doctors were already waiting for him in the ward.


    Upon James'' arrival at the hospital, an oxygen mask was put on him, and then he was infused right


    away.


    Once the doctors had left the room, Cooper stood at his bedside, looking at him. In a toneden


    with agitation, he said, "James, I''m not opposed to you visiting her. All I ask is for you to wait until


    you''re fully recovered. Please, do this for me."


    It was only when he got here that he found out that James had gone to see Maria despite his frail


    body. To top it off, he didn''t even tell anyone about his departure from the hospital.


    James didn''t respond to his brother. He appeared to be asleep, but his breathing was unregted.


    Silence ensued in the ward once again. Cooper didn''t stay there for long. When he was certain that


    James was in a more stable condition, he left the hospital right away.


    About half a monthter, Cooper and Boston visited the nunnery again. During the past fifteen days,


    James hadn''t visited Maria.


    When Boston saw Maria, he apanied her and his younger brother as usual, and he didn''t say


    anything about James.


    Two monthster, when Maria thought that something bad had happened to James or he had


    already given up on her, he appeared again.


    Coy had just celebrated his second birthday. On that day, Cooper and Boston celebrated his


    birthday with him, but they went back to H City on the same day.


    The following morning, Coy climbed up a tree and bumped into a man who resembled him.


    On this day, a ck Harkim pulled over in front of the nunnery.


    As soon as James got out of the car, something hit his head. He looked down and found a green


    date on the ground.


    With a frown, he looked up.


    The date tree had borne many fruits. Just when he thought that he was hit by a naturally falling


    date, he noticed a little figure hiding beneath the tree''s canopy.


    The boy was wearing a miniature monk''s robe, and there were several dates stuffed into his tunic.


    Perhaps the kid realized that he had hit someone, so he looked down cautiously. And to his


    surprise, his eyes met someone''s piercing dark eyes.


    Young people were fearless. Coy didn''t avert his gaze and even asked, "Why are you standing


    under the tree?" On top of that, James didn''t catch the date that had fallen by ident. ''He''s so


    useless!'' thought Coy.


    James was rendered speechless. ''Is it wrong of me to stand under a tree?''


    The boy slid down a little bit from the tree and asked, "Are you here to steal dates?" Coy was aware


    that some people had been stealing datestely.


    Seeing that James wasn''t saying anything to the boy, Gary took the initiative to answer. "You


    misunderstand. We were just passing by. It''s your date that hit Mr. Xi, so you should be the one to


    apologize."


    Shortly, Coy slid a little lower, looking at Gary in confusion. "Are you with him? Don''t try to deceive


    me just because I''m young! I''m smart enough to know better!"


    Gary was at a loss for words. ''Whose child is this?'' The boy''s bald head made him look quirky.


    At this time, Coy jumped away from the tree with his back toward them. He put the dates away and


    performed a somersault with a single hand in the air.


    Afterwards, he rolled forward several times, leaving


    Gary ck-jawed.


    He then put up a battle stance, posing in front of the two men. "Don''t I look powerful?"


    The moment they saw the kid''s face, their expressions changed dramatically.


    Coy also realized what was happening. He tilted his head, scratching the back of his head, and


    looked at James in bewilderment. "Hey, why do you look a lot like me? Are you also my mom''s


    child?"


    James didn''t reply.


    Judging by that look on James'' face, Gary figured out what he was thinking. After all, it was too


    obvious. Because of that, he took the initiative to ask the question they had both been dreading.


    "Hey, what''s your name?"


    "My name is Coy." Coy was also curious about his rtion to this frail man. Suddenly, he thought of


    something. This was exactly how his father looked like! "Are you here for me?" he asked James.


    James'' eyes darkened, and his heart started racing. Pretending to be calm, he asked, "How old are


    you?"


    In a childish tone, the boy answered, "I''m two years old. There''s still some of my birthday cake left.


    If you''re my dad, I can share it with you."


    Gary didn''t know what to say at this point. This boy was like a mini version of James.


    Bob still needed a paternity test to prove that he was James'' son, but this monk didn''t need it at all.


    ''Two years old...'' James calcted the time in his mind silently. Two minutester, he was almost


    certain of the answer.


    In a hoarse voice, he asked, "What''s your mother''s name?"


    But the boy asked back, "You already know her name. Why are you still asking me? Let me ask you


    instead. What''s my mother''s name?"


    "Maria Song," said James.


    Upon hearing his answer, Coy got so excited that he no longer cared about the dates and trotted


    towards James with open arms.


    As James looked at the boy, eagerness filled his eyes as well. He couldn''t resist the urge to stretch


    out his arms and embrace the boy throwing himself at him.


    Coy wrapped his legs around James'' waist and put his arms around his neck. "My brother didn''t lie


    to me. He was right! You and I do look alike."


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Your brother?"


    "Yes. Don''t you know who he is?"


    "It''s Boston Xi, isn''t it?" In order to convince the boy, James gave him a name.


    Due to his surging emotions, Coy kissed him on the cheek. "You really are my dad! Your name is


    James Xi, right?"


    "That''s right." James had never imagined that such a big surprise was waiting for him this time.


    ''Why didn''t anyone tell me about this boy?


    Cooper, Lawrence, and Ethan must''ve known about him already, right?''


    He had already been conscious for a long time. Why hadn''t anyone mentioned to him that he had


    another son?


    Coy slid down from James'' body and started picking up the dates. "Don''t tell Mom that I climbed the


    tree again. If she asks, just tell her that you were the one who climbed and picked the dates, and


    that I just waited for you on the ground."


    James didn''t know how to respond. It appeared as though his son was scared of Maria.


    Even Gary was shocked. This was the first time that James met Coy, but the child was already


    going to coerce his father to take the me for him. ''Is that a good thing?''


    "Boys shouldn''t lie!" James reminded him.


    Coy looked him in the eye and said, "You''re right!" His mother had always taught him to be honest.


    "In that case, let''s eat all these dates, so that she won''t have any idea that I climbed the tree." His


    n was to get rid of the evidence.

 Chapter 464 Soft Tactics Dont Work

    Chapter 464 Soft Tactics Don''t Work


    James felt a dull ache in his temples. He had a hunch that this son of his would be a hundred times


    naughtier than Bob.


    Squatting down, he said, "Own up your mistake when you see your mother."


    "No!" Coy shook his head decisively. "Dad, aren''t you going to see Mom?"


    "Yes,m."


    "Then help me." Coy stared at James, a trace of expectation lighting up his eyes.


    Taking a look at the dates, James nodded his head and said, "I can help you." Even though he


    himself was having a hard time, he decided to agree.


    "Dad, you are so nice!" Coy crooned in a ttering voice.


    "Don''t climb trees again," he warned.


    "Okay!" Coy decided to solve the problem at hand. He wouldn''t worry about the future now.


    James, on the other hand, took his ready approval as a sign that he was a good boy. He stood up


    and held the boy''s hand. Together, they walked towards the nunnery.


    Standing behind them, Gary watched the father and son, filled with admiration.


    This was the third son Maria had had with James.


    She had done a great job at hiding this knowledge from him. If it weren''t for the fact that the father


    and son bore uncanny resemnce, nobody would have learned the truth.


    Fortunately, the Xi family was rich enough to afford expenses of everyone. If James insisted on


    having a dozen children, they could still live a luxurious life.


    Now when James arrived at the backyard, Maria was not there. It turned out she was still meditating


    in the Buddhist hall.


    Coy opened the door and invited him into the room. "Dad, Mom is not here," he announced.


    James nodded and entered the room. He got a good look at the room.


    Last time when he came, he was busy paying attention to Maria. He hadn''t had the time to notice


    the decorations.


    Now, he was given the opportunity to carefully analyze the room. He was able to grasp minor


    details. There were plenty of children''s items neatly ced around. He caught sight of Coy''s clothes


    bundled neatly on the clean wooden bed.


    There was a photo frame on the table. In the photo, Maria stood wearing nun''s clothes. She was


    standing in the yard with Coy in one hand and Bob in the other.


    He could notice a residue of smile on her thin face. She was also glowing with maternal love.


    Coy climbed onto the chair, picked up the kettle with great difficulty and poured a ss of water into


    it.


    Hearing the sound of water being poured, James turned around. He saw what Coy was attempting


    to do.


    In an instant, he ced the photo frame back in its original ce and strode towards Coy. "Don''t


    move!" he warned.


    Coy put down the kettle carefully, picked up the ss and handed it to James. In a sweet voice, he


    said, "Dad, drink some water!"


    James'' heart warmed at his son''s kind behavior.


    He took the ss and ruffled Coy''s soft hair. "Don''t do this again. It''s dangerous," he added. It


    would have been okay if the water was cold. Hot water, however, could cause serious damage.


    Coy shook his head and said, "It''s not a problem. I know how to do it because I do it all the time!"


    James had mixed feelings about Coy''s answer. He didn''t know what to say. Maria had taken Bob


    back to the Xi family after he was born. As a result, he had never had to do something of this kind.


    But Coy, who had been with Maria all through his life, must have been used to do these things.


    He didn''t object to children doing chores, but he felt sorry for Coy. After all, he was only two years


    old.


    When Maria came back to the backyard, she spotted Gary standing under a grape tree.


    Her eyes met Gary''s. Then she approached the door. She heard the faint noise of Coy''sughter. A


    bad feeling began to gnaw at her heart.


    Seeing her, Gary stood up and shed her a smile. He was about to move forward and greet her.


    However, Maria quickened her pace and headed straight to the room.


    Gary was certain she had seen him.


    He was very confused when she ignored him. In spite of this, he chose not to follow her.


    As soon as Maria stepped into the room, she saw the father and son were bonding very well. They


    wereughing and Coy was in his father''s arms.


    As soon as she showed up, Coy left James'' arms. He trotted over and eximed happily, "Mom!


    Dad is here!"


    Dad! That word was like a tight p.


    It wasn''t like Maria didn''t know this. She knew that sooner orter James would find about it. After


    all, they shared an uncanny resemnce.


    She lifted the corner of her mouth and feigned a smile. Stroking his soft hair, she said, "I''ve already


    seen him. Coy, I want you to go out and y."


    Coy''s eyes were glued to his father. Anxiously, he asked, "Will Dad leave?"


    Maria wasn''t sure how to respond to it. She was ovee by an urge to say yes. However, when


    she noticed her son''s expectant eyes, she didn''t have the heart to disappoint him.


    "I won''t leave if you behave like a good boy and obey your mom," said James.


    "Really?" Coy asked and a smile lit up his face.


    Maria suppressed the panic that awoke inside her. "No, Coy. Go out and y. I wille to you


    soon."


    "Okay." Coy looked back and forth between the two adults in the room. In the end, he ran out and


    went to y.


    Now there were only two people left in the room. Maria was the first to speak. "I was under the


    impression I had made things clear to youst time." She felt a stirring of anger.


    James walked over and stood in front of her. "I''m sorry," he said.


    Maria couldn''t make sense of his words.


    "I wasn''t with you when you were pregnant both the times. I''m extremely sorry," he said softly, giving


    an exnation for his apology.


    "Mr. Xi, you don''t have to apologize to me. I gave birth to these children willingly. Don''t act like this


    has got anything to do with you." The truth was, when he had proposed herst time, she had


    already been pregnant. She had chosen to keep this information from him.


    "Nothing to do with me?" he repeated with exasperation.


    The next second, he held her and pulled her towards him. He lowered his head to kiss her on the


    lips.


    Before Maria could react, he had already kissed her.


    ''How dare he do such a thing in this ce?'' she thought angrily.


    Maria stretched out her hands to push him away. However, he held them before she could do so.


    For a long time, she struggled under his grasp. Breathing heavily, he uttered, "Mia."


    p! Without an ounce of hesitation, she pped him against his cheek.


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    James, who hadn''t seen thising, was caught offguard.


    The tip of his tongue was pressed against his teeth.


    In spite of this, he smiled at Maria and said, "Maria, soft tactics don''t work on you, right?"


    "Get out!" Maria yelled, trying to push him away.


    James grabbed her hands and forcefully pulled her into his arms. In a fierce voice, he said, "Listen, I


    have almost recovered. There''s Cooper in charge of thepany. This leaves me with plenty of


    time!"


    Maria red at him. "Try as you might, I won''t return!"


    "Okay! Maria, such being the case, don''t me me when I take drastic actions!" After saying that,


    he held her in his arms and kissed her possessively on the mouth.


    Then he turned around and left her room without once looking at her.


    Maria was left alone there, huffing and puffing at his receding figure. Her face flushed with anger.


    When James went out, he looked around and noticed there weren''t many pilgrims in the nunnery.


    Coy was eating a green date, sitting on a tree and swinging his legs.


    When he spotted James, he threw away the date, slid down the tree and ran towards him. "Dad!" he


    cried out.


    James, who had been in a bad mood, felt a lot better at the sight of his son. Coy came running and


    James picked him up.


    "Dad, are you leaving?" he asked, unable to hide his disappointment.


    "Yeah." "But why?" He let out a groan of dismay.


    In aforting voice, James said, "I wille to see you tomorrow."


    He couldn''t take Coy away for the time being. If he attempted to do so, Maria was bound to be


    maddened.


    "Really?" The boy''s eyes lit up and he was quite delighted.


    "Yes," James assured. He had plenty of time to deal with Maria. There was no need to hurry


    anything. He would deal with other things before he woulde here to pester her.


    Coy watched his father''s car leave. Once it was out of his sight, he went back to the nunnery. Maria


    had been looking for him everywhere. For a second, she began to fear James had taken him away.


    When Coy returned to the nunnery, she breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he was still here!


    James went back to H City.


    Both the brothers sat opposite to each other. James narrated the events that had happened and


    told Cooper all about his ns. Cooper, on the other hand, was ovee by helplessness. "I can''t


    even spare a moment to think about wooing a woman. I am giving everything up for HL Group!


    Don''t you know that?"


    James had finally recovered. It was time for him to take care of HL Group. However, he just


    announced his desire to leave H City and stay in the JT Nunnery for a while.

 Chapter 465 Give Up

    Chapter 465 Give Up


    James was a man, and yet he was willing to live within the confines of JT Nunnery in order to woo a


    woman. It was indeed true love.


    James patted Cooper''s shoulder and said, "I''ll have to woo Maria first. And when shees back,


    I''ll give you a long vacation."


    Cooper was at a loss for words. ''Am I supposed to believe that?''


    A whileter, James decided to go back to his room and rest. Only Cooper was left in the living


    room now.


    He stood in front of the window, staring at the night view while holding a ss of wine.


    He could still remember thest time he saw Sandra three months ago. She made him a steak and


    joked, "Once you''ve eaten the steak, you''ll be mine."


    Unfortunately, he didn''t respond to that.


    He was so indulged in his work that he didn''t have any spare time on his hands. Every single time,


    Sandra was the one who took the initiative to see him. He, on the other hand, couldn''t even find the


    time to respond.


    After gulping down his wine, he decided to carry on with his work.


    The following morning, once Maria was done with her meditation, she started looking for Coy. She


    saw him ying with a woman in pink.


    With a smile, she greeted, "Sandra, you''re here."


    "Maria! Are you done with your meditation?" Sandra asked as she turned around and smiled back


    at her.


    "Yup."


    Stroking Coy''s head, Sandra said to the boy, "Coy, I need to talk to your mom, okay?"


    The boy nodded and answered, "Okay!"


    "Good boy!" It was safe in the nunnery, so there was no need for Maria to worry about her son''s


    safety.


    After the boy had left, Sandra let out a sigh. "Maria, are you really at peace here?"


    "I am." Maria looked back at her and noticed the forlorn look on her face.


    "Maria, I''m here to tell you that I''m tired, and I want to give up on Cooper,"


    Sandra said. "I''ve been in love with him for over four years.


    And he''s been back to H City more than three years. All this time, I''ve done my best to get closer to


    him, but I still haven''t received any response. It makes me feel so frustrated." Sandra started


    laughing at herself.


    While they were talking, they walked along a stone path. Maria just listened as her friend rambled


    on.


    "If I didn''t know what kind of person he is, I would assume that I''m just a back-up, a just-in-case."


    But she knew him well. His private life was pristine.


    Because of HL Group, his social status had skyrocketed over the past two years, and he had


    refused many women who tried to get close to him.


    But out of all those women, she was the one who had never been refused directly.


    Sadly, this kind of life was exhausting.


    "I''ve tried so many times, but I just couldn''t stay away from him. I think this time, I really have to


    leave." Sandra gazed into the distant horizon; her eyesden with confusion.


    Maria had also asked Cooper about his rtionship with Sandra, but he never gave her a clear


    answer. And so, she couldn''t figure out how tofort Sandra.


    Sandra looked down at her toes, listening to the sound of the bell from nearby. She tried to make


    her voice sound nonchnt. "Believe me, I give up. I''m going to marry another man, have a baby,


    and live happily ever after."


    Despite the strength of her love, it was still defeated by his dedication to his career and love for his


    family.


    "Sandra, perhaps you should wait a little longer. I know how stressful it can be to lead an entire


    company alone, especially apany like HL Group. Now that James has regained consciousness,


    it means that Cooper would soon be relieved of some of his duties. And once he rxes a little bit,


    maybe he''ll start thinking about your rtionship."


    Sandra wore a wry smile. "Maria, it''s just as you said. You''re not sure either, right? If he does love


    me, why hasn''t he thought about our rtionship yet? I''m giving up because I don''t want to put too


    much pressure on us. As my mother once told me, I don''t have to be with Cooper. She has already


    chosen a suitable man for me. I''m going on a blind date. Honestly, I don''t want to go, but my mother


    kept crying about it."


    Sandra''s mother wanted to distract her, so she was forcing her to go on a blind date.


    "You know, nothing forcibly done will ever be agreeable. I support your decisions one hundred


    percent as long as it makes you happy," said Maria. If Sandra and Cooper weren''t destined to be


    together, nobody could force them to do so.


    Sandra embraced Maria. "Thank you, Maria. Thanks for always trying to understand me. You''re


    nothing like my roommates. They scolded me when they found out that I''m giving up on him."


    Maria chuckled. "Cooper is indeed a good man, whether it''s as a boyfriend or a husband. Your


    roommates were probably just feeling sorry for you."


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    "So what?"


    ''She''s right. So what?'' Maria could understand how her friend felt. It was just like when she fell in


    love with James for the first time, and he didn''t give her a response.


    Dark clouds were now gathering in the sky, and it seemed as though it was about to rain. Maria


    decided that it was time to look for Coy.


    Sandra took out the bracelet that Cooper had given to her as a gift. She then dug a hole under the


    big tree, and buried the bracelet.


    And with that bracelet, she buried her love for him.


    ''Goodbye, Cooper!''


    Upon James'' arrival at JT Nunnery, it was already drizzling over the mountain. He happened to run


    into Sandra, who seemed to be on her way down the mountain.


    She rolled down her car window and greeted him calmly. "Mr. Xi, are you here to visit Maria?"


    "That''s right." James nodded.


    "I see. I''m leaving. Bye," she replied.


    "Bye."


    With that, Sandra went on her way.


    James walked into the nunnery while Gary was holding an umbre over his head.


    The Harkim drove into the nunnery from the side entrance, carrying James'' daily necessities.


    Gary escorted him to Maria''s room, and then went to look for the nunnery''s abbess to negotiate


    James'' stay.


    In the room, Maria was transcribing the Heart Sutra. Because it was raining, Coy stayed inside and


    yed with his newly made slingshot to entertain himself.


    The second James entered the room, the boy jolted upright. "Dad!"


    He was so excited that he ignored Maria''s feelings.


    James picked up his son and kissed him on the cheek.


    Maria paused to look at the man, but instead of paying him any attention, she continued transcribing


    the sutra.


    James didn''t go to her. Instead, he took Coy away and taught him how to use the slingshot under


    the eaves.


    He was able to hit whatever he wanted to shoot. The boy was so amazed that he started pping


    his hands eagerly.


    Meanwhile, Maria was having a hard time focusing on her sutra, and couldn''t resist the urge to pay


    attention to what was happening outside.


    She had thought that if she ignored him, James would leave.


    But it didn''t seem to work.


    In the evening, someone even brought him supper.


    Although the dishes were all vegetarian, they were more abundant than usual.


    On top of that, a single bed was carried into Maria''s room and ced beside her bed.


    As he made the bed, Maria couldn''t stand it any longer. She decided to go to the abbess.


    She greeted the abbess politely.


    The grey-haired woman turned around and said, "Maria."


    It seemed that the abbess was expecting her.


    "Please arrange another room for me."


    The abbess looked a bit embarrassed. "Actually, we''ve been having a lot of pilgrimstely, and all


    the other rooms are currently upied. Would you mind waiting for now?"


    Maria was rendered speechless. How could she wait? Taking a deep breath, she put her palms


    together, and said, "I understand. Sorry to have taken up your time."


    The abbess stopped her. "Maria."


    Maria looked back at her. "Yes?" "Have you really given up on your mortal life?"

 Chapter 466 Hard And Soft Tactics

    Chapter 466 Hard And Soft Tactics


    The abbess asked Maria the same question that she had asked before Maria decided to shave her


    hair off and be a nun. And her answer remained the same. "Yes."


    "In order to fully let go of your mortal life, you need not forgive others, you need to forgive yourself.


    Based on the Buddhist scriptures, you will never feel at peace with yourself unless you let go of


    your worldly obsessions. A butler can be a Buddha afterying down his knife. In reality, what


    he has put down is not the knife, but the hand holding the knife. What you must achieve is not to be


    a Buddha, but to be the best version of yourself."


    Maria didn''t know what to say.


    ''To be the best version of myself, huh?'' She had led herself to believe that her life was perfect if


    James hadn''te to disturb her.


    After leaving that abbess'' ce, Maria went to look for Lucille instead of going back to her own


    room.


    Hesitantly, Lucille refused Maria''s request to stay with her. Maria didn''t persuade her anymore, and


    went to look for the other nuns.


    However, everyone else refused her.


    Maria wasn''t sure how James managed to do this, but the details didn''t matter. She knew that this


    was probably his scheme.


    The moment she returned to her room, she found James washing his face and brushing his teeth,


    and


    Coy was doing the same thing by his side.


    Maria sat back at her table, and continued transcribing the Heart Sutra in silence, doing her best to


    calm herself down.


    Before long, it was time to go to bed. The nunnery was quiet, save for Coy''s exuberantughter.


    This was the first time in his life that his father was sleeping next to him for the night. He was so


    excited that he couldn''t fall asleep.


    James was wearing luxurious silk pajamas, and it didn''t fit the ce. Coy crawled under James''


    quilt despite the fact that Maria was against it.


    The bed that had been prepared for James wasn''t that big, but it was enough to amodate the


    father and son.


    Upon seeing them, Maria didn''t say anything more and just went to sleep alone.


    After turning off the light, James held Coy tightly in his arms.


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    Under the dark night, the three of them closed their eyes.


    "Dad, tell me a story!" said Coy.


    "What story would you like to hear?"


    "Do you know any stories about lions?"


    After a moment of contemtion, James said, "I''ll tell you a story that I once told your brother."


    "Okay!"


    In a soft, soothing voice, James began to narrate. "One day, a lion was sleeping in the forest, a little


    seed fell from the tree. And since the seed fell on the lion''s tail, it begged the lion to wag its tail..."


    The sound of his voice made Maria annoyed. She tossed and turned several times, and yet she still


    couldn''t sleep.


    Meanwhile, Coy had fallen asleep before James could even finish his story.


    After a long while, he quietly got up from his bed and came to Maria''s side of the bed.


    She heard him moving, but she ignored him and pretended to be asleep.


    Regardless whether she was asleep or not, James went to her bed and embraced her. Despite the


    darkness of the room, he managed to kiss her lips urately.


    Maria tried her best to prevent herself from having a mental breakdown. She could no longer


    pretend to be asleep, and started struggling from under his body.


    "Mia, I just want to hug you. If you keep resisting like that, I won''t be able to control myself," he


    whispered.


    Maria was at a loss for words. James was bing more and more shameless by the minute. Not


    only was he hugging her, he was also kissing her.


    James didn''t want to annoy her, so after he kissed her, he just held her in his arms and said, "Go to


    sleep."


    ''How am I supposed to sleep if he''s holding me like this?''


    But Maria knew that she must not argue with him at this time. Otherwise, the end result would be


    disastrous for her.


    In the nunnery, everyone must get up at five in the morning. Maria was now very sleepy, so she


    didn''t care about him anymore and gradually fell asleep.


    It seemed as though James was trying to prove his words. He had plenty of time on his hands to


    deal with her. Every day, he acted as if he had settled down in JT Nunnery. Like everyone else, he


    became a vegetarian, got up early, and went to bed early.


    During daytime, while Maria was busy with her work, he would work in the room or at the yard. And


    whenever Coy was pestering him, he would take the child out to y.


    Every night, just like the first night, the boy would sleep next to him. And once he had fallen asleep,


    James would go to her bed, and sleep while holding Maria.


    She knew that it wouldn''t be a good idea to let it go on like this. Every day, she contemted on


    how she would be able to convince James to leave.


    She had employed both hard and soft tactics to drive him away, but even violence couldn''t repel


    him.


    In H City


    Sandra rushed into a cafe and saw a man sitting in a corner.


    She bowed her head and straightened her clothes before walking towards him.


    When her eyes met his, Sandra put on a smile and asked, "Are you Mr. Fang?" This man was the


    one her mother had arranged as her blind date.


    At once, he stood in attention to greet her. He looked like he was in histe twenties, and he was


    quite good-looking. He was wearing a dark blue casual clothing. With a smile, he said, "Yes, I am.


    And you''re Miss Shen, aren''t you?"


    Sandra nodded. "That''s right."


    "Please, have a seat!" He pulled out a chair for her like a gentleman.


    "Thank you!" Sandra then sat down and ordered a cup of coffee.


    After a moment of silence, he said, "My name is Larson Fang. Miss Shen, to be honest, I''ve known


    you for a long time."


    Sandra was surprised to hear that. "You know who I am?" She didn''t know him, and she was certain


    that they had never met before.


    "I do!" Larson nodded. "Here''s the thing.


    I saw how you taught Joslyn a lesson at the auction two years ago."


    Sandra didn''t know how to react to that. ''This is quite embarrassing!''


    Larson smiled at her and said, "Everyone has been saying that you were bullying Joslyn, but I knew


    that it was all a lie. In fact, I was certain that you''re a kindhearteddy."


    Not knowing how to react, Sandra replied, "So, do you still want to get to know me or not?"


    "Oh, I do! Very much so," Larson blurted out. "I think you''re very cute and different from the rest of


    them." The moment he hadid eyes on her, he had wanted to court her.


    Sandra smiled helplessly. "Mr. Fang-"


    At this moment, a familiar voice interrupted her conversation. "Sandra!"


    She turned to the speaker and saw Cooper wearing a gray casual suit. He was holding arge


    bouquet of delicate red roses, wearing a gentle smile, and staring back at her with a pair of


    enchanting eyes.


    Sandra''s heart skipped a beat. As the man drew closer and closer, she slowly stood up.


    The fragrance of the roses wafted into her nose. The bouquet fell into her arms and dazzled her.


    Cooper put his arms around her shoulder and faced Larson, who was currently dumbfounded as


    well. "I''m sorry. I made Sandra upset, so she went on a blind date to piss me off."


    Confused, Larson said, "Mr. Xi, who are you to Miss Shen?"


    Cooper looked at Sandra, wearing an even wider grin. He then looked at Larson again and said,


    "I''m her boyfriend."


    Both Larson and Sandra were shocked. Those simple words that came out of Cooper''s mouth


    instantly destroyed Larson''s affection for her.

 Chapter 467 A Big Misunderstanding

    Chapter 467 A Big Misunderstanding


    It took a while for Sandra to regain herposure. She was doing her best to retain her tears which


    were on the verge of falling.


    Embarrassed, Larson was about to take his leave.


    "Please wait!" she said hurriedly.


    Both the men had their gaze fixated upon her. Sandra quickly returned the bouquet to Cooper, took


    a deep breath and said, "Mr. Fang, you misunderstood us. I''m not familiar with Mr. Xi. Let''s continue


    our date!"


    Larson looked back and forth between Cooper and Sandra. He was not sure if he could believe her


    words.


    Looking at the roses that have been returned, Cooper turned to Sandra and said, "Sandra, you''ve


    seen every part of me, haven''t you? How can you say that you aren''t familiar with me?"


    Sandra gaped at him, horrified. Realizing this could create a big misunderstanding, she hastily


    exined, "It''s not what you think, Mr. Fang. Please listen to me...


    Larson gritted his teeth in silent fury and said, "Miss Shen, it turns out that I have been wrong about


    you. I know it''s normal for a couple to have fights. But have you considered my feelings? You


    shouldn''t have given me hopes! And why is he showing off your love? It''s not like he has a reason


    to hold some grudge against me!"


    Seeing his frustration, Sandra exined, "No, listen to me. It''s all just a big misunderstanding." She


    had once bumped into Cooper when he was taking a shower. It was an ident. Nothing more had


    happened.


    "You don''t have to give me any exnation." Larson took out a bill, put it on the table and left


    without looking back.


    Sandra, who was tired of having tried to exin, remained silent.


    Only the two of them were left. Satisfied with the oue, Cooper once again gave her the roses


    and said. "Sandra, now I¡ª"


    "Don''t talk to me! I am furious with you!" Sandra raised her voice.


    For the first time in her life, she had lost her temper to Cooper.


    She returned the roses, picked up her handbag and left decisively.


    Cooper sat, looking at her receding figure. It seemed like he was in no hurry to catch up with her.


    The scene that unraveled had caught a lot of people''s attention. However, Cooper felt no


    embarrassment. Taking the flowers, he left the cafe in his own sweet time.


    Sandra hailed a taxi as soon as she was out. She then filled the driver in with her home address.


    She sat ncing out of the window, beautiful scenery passing by. As she thought about the events


    that had passed, her eyes turned red.


    Cooper''s actions had been very hateful. She had already epted the fact that he had no desire to


    be with her. However, she couldn''t believe he would stoop so low! Why would he destroy her blind


    date?


    When she arrived at the Shen family house, she noticed a bodyguard standing outside, carrying a


    bunch of roses in his arms. Seeing her get out of the car, he quickly went over to her.


    Sandra noticed what he hade to give. She was rendered speechless.


    How did Cooper know that she was going home? What astonished her the most was that his


    bodyguard had managed to reach here even before her!


    "Miss Shen, Mr. Xi ordered me to give you this bunch of flowers today."


    Sandra walked straight to the door, refusing to take it. When she noticed he would persist, she said,


    "I don''t want it!"


    The bodyguard wouldn''t leave. Catching up with her, he said, "Miss Shen, please ept the


    flowers. After that, do what you want with them."


    Sandra knew he was in a dilemma. She had no choice but to take the bouquet.


    "Thank you for being understanding, Miss Shen. I will be leaving now!" he said.


    "Okay."


    After he was gone, Sandra spent a few seconds simply staring at the roses in her arms. She walked


    towards the trash can.


    Before she could stuff it in, she found herself hesitating. The truth was, she was reluctant to throw it


    away.


    She gnashed her teeth, admonishing herself for being so weak. She had decided to let go of this


    unrequited love. Why did Cooper do such a thing?


    Was he under the impression she still loved him?


    She held the bouquet in one hand and fetched her phone from her handbag. She found Cooper''s


    name in the chatting box and typed a few words. "Mr. Xi, I don''t like you anymore. I intend to start a


    new life. Please don''t disturb me from now on. Thank you."


    Taking a deep breath, she entered the house. When Sandra''s mother saw the roses in her arms, a


    big smile made its way to her face. "Sandra, did Mr. Fang give you those flowers?" she asked.


    Sandra found herself in a predicament.


    She didn''t know whether to spill the truth or not. In the end, she shook her head and said, "No."


    Her mother was a little surprised. "Then who gave them to you? Also, how did your date with Mr.


    Fang go?"


    Before Sandra could say something, her mother''s phone rang. It was a call from the matchmaker.


    She surveyed her daughter and got a bad feeling. Sliding the answer key, she answered, "Hello."


    "s, Mrs. Shen! What''s wrong with you? Your daughter is already dating an affluent man. Why


    would you make me set her up with someone else?"


    As these words came from the other end of the line, Sandra''s mother stood dumbfounded. She


    knew her daughter was hiding something from her. She stopped Sandra, who was about to go


    upstairs. "Who gave you the flowers? And who is your boyfriend?"


    Sandra frowned, clearly annoyed. "Mom, I told you I didn''t want to go on a blind date. It was you


    who insisted I should go. Take these flowers and throw them away! I have no desire to keep them!"


    Then, she put the bouquet on the table and hurried back to her room.


    Her mother was vexed. She hated to see her daughter waste her youth and energy on a man who


    couldn''t care less about her. Remembering she was still on a call with the matchmaker, she said


    apologetically, "I''m sorry. But Sandra really doesn''t have a boyfriend. There must be some sort of


    misunderstanding. I''ll talk to her and invite you for coffeeter."


    These kind words softened the matchmaker''s heart. "Okay, you should definitely speak to her


    regarding this issue."


    "Of course, I will."


    Sandra was sitting in her room with her phone. She felt her stomach lurch and her heart beat a little


    faster as she read Cooper''s message. "Since you have epted my roses, you will officially


    be mine."


    Crack! The door of her room was pushed open.


    Sandra immediately put her phone aside and tried to look like she was busy with something else.


    She couldn''t muster up the courage to look her mother in the eye.


    "Sandra, are you still hung up on Cooper?" her mother asked calmly.


    Sandra wouldn''t give an answer.


    She wanted to say she wasn''t.


    After all, this was the reason she had finally given in and agreed to go on a blind date.


    Sandra''s mother felt a dull pain in her temples. She went closer to Sandra and exined, "I''ve told


    you this several times but I am going to repeat myself. Although our conditions are not bad, there is


    a huge gap between us and the Xi family. Even if you marry him, you can''t be happy. Before you do


    anything, think about Maria''s life. She had been entangled with James all these years. Haven''t you


    seen the oue? In the end, she chose to be a nun! And you have to remind yourself how


    long it has been since you began to chase after Cooper. Has he ever responded? Sandra, you


    shouldn''t waste your life over him. I beg you to move on."


    Sandra turned around and retorted, "Mom, I would like to make a small correction. James loves


    Maria very much and has even proposed to her. It was her decision to leave him. She couldn''t let go


    of the past. Mr. Xi is still in love with Maria. In case you didn''t know, he is living in JT Nunnery since


    he has woken up. He is waiting for her to change her mind."


    Sandra''s mother knew nothing about it. This came as a surprise. She was under the impression that


    James was recuperating in the hospital.


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    "Besides, I just sent a message to Cooper and made it clear I want to break all ties. I told him that I


    no longer like him."


    Listening to this, her mother breathed a sigh of relief. "I am d you have begun to think rationally.


    Also, if you really don''t want to go on a blind date, I won''t force you. After all, you are still young.


    You have all the time in the world to decide." She felt slightly guilty about forcing Sandra into going


    on a blind date. She had done it hoping it would distract her.


    "I see," Sandra said without an ounce of enthusiasm.


    Noticing how unhappy she was, her mother felt dejected. "Your father will go abroad for a business


    trip in a few days. Would you like to apany him? It might relieve your boredom."


    "I will think about it."


    Once her mother left, Sandra was all alone in the room. She took her phone and read Cooper''s


    reply.


    Her cheeks were wet with tears. She brushed them away with her hand. One by one, she


    cklisted Cooper''s contact from everywhere.

 Chapter 468 Up To Him

    Chapter 468 Up To Him


    In JT Nunnery


    Under a towering tree in the yard, two men who looked alike were sitting at a round table and


    having a conversation, while two children were ying tag andughing beside them.


    Averting his gaze from the children, Cooper said, "H City has been quite peaceful as ofte. You


    can take over thepany''s affairs with full authority now."


    After taking a sip of tea, James said, "No rush." Maria hadn''t epted him yet, so he wasn''t in any


    hurry to regain his position in thepany.


    Hearing his answer, Cooper shook his head and smiled. "James, don''t you want to have a niece?"


    There were too many males in the Xi family already. There were three brothers of their generation,


    and if Arthur hadn''t died, there would''ve been three of the next generation.


    Cooper thought that this was a sign that he and Sandra should have a daughter.


    Compared to a niece, what James wanted more was his own daughter.


    But Cooper was right. It was time for him to think about his own marriage. "Do you already have a


    woman in mind?" said James.


    "Yup."


    "Who is she?"


    "You''ve already met her before." Cooper looked into his eyes and said the girl''s name.


    James had indeed met the girl before. It was the same girl that Maria had been pushing onto


    Cooper. James grinned. "So, what''s your n?"


    "She''s gone abroad for a few days, and I''m nning to go there too. If I don''t, I''m afraid she''ll move


    on from me. Besides, it''ll be a good chance to rx." In the past two years, while James was in a


    coma, Cooper had been working until midnight day after day.


    At first, Sandra had often visited him and gave him food that she had prepared. Butter on, her


    enthusiasm had gradually dwindled.


    In the beginning, she had gone to see him every two or three days. And then it had be once a


    week, once every two weeks, and then once a month. And now, she stoppeding to see him.


    Later on, whenever they met in public, she pretended not to see him.


    He was well aware of why Sandra had given up on him. It wasn''t because she didn''t want to be with


    him anymore, but because he didn''t respond to her at all.


    "It seems that I have to speed this up," said James. Initially, he wanted to slow y Maria, but his


    brother''s happiness was also important. That was why he must change his tactics.


    "By the way, have you found out about the truth to Norman''s identity?" Cooper still had mixed


    feelings about his younger brother.


    "Yes, I have." It hadn''t been long since James found out about it.


    Just like everyone else, he had thought that Norman was their half-brother, and that they came from


    the same mother but different fathers.


    But when he found out that Norman was actually his full-blooded younger brother, he realized that


    he didn''t hate him that much.


    "What''s your n?" asked Cooper.


    James raised his eyebrows and said, "Shouldn''t you be asking Dad about this? You should ask him


    what he ns to do about this. Only then will I know what to do with Norman Shen." ''Oh, wait!


    Norman Xi!''


    Cooper chuckled. "I still haven''t adjusted to the fact that I actually have a younger brother. It''s all too


    sudden." But what could he do about it? He might have to dote on his younger brother. After all,


    James had done his duty as the eldest brother well. He must follow his example, and be a


    good elder brother, too.


    "Don''t you dare spoil that brat." James still hadn''t forgotten how Norman seduced his wife before.


    "Do you know that he often visited you when you were stitose? Are you sure you don''t want


    to try getting along with him?"


    James poured a tea for both of them and replied tly, "It''s up to him to decide how our rtionship


    will be."


    If Norman were to acknowledge him as his elder brother and Maria as his sister-inw, James


    would naturally treat him with the same level of respect.


    But if Norman were to remain the same person he used to be, always urging Maria to kill him and


    trying to stir trouble between them behind his back, the fact that he was his younger brother


    wouldn''t matter to him that much.


    Cooper broke intoughter.


    "Dad!" Sweat trickled down Coy''s forehead as he threw himself into his father''s arms.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    James took out a piece of tissue, wiping the boy''s sweat. "What''s the matter?"


    "Dad." Boston came over as well. "I want to take Coy home today. Is it okay?"


    After thinking for a while, James realized that his decision didn''t matter at all. "I don''t really mind, but


    you should probably ask your mom for permission."


    Cooper startedughing again. James was a henpecked husband. Who would believe him if he told


    anyone about this?


    And of course, Maria didn''t permit this to happen. If Coy were to leave, only she and James would


    remain in the same room. How would he be able to behave himself in a situation like that?


    But for the sake of her children''s incessant begging, she said, "If your dad takes you home, I''ll agree


    to that request." As long as James wasn''t here, she would feel safe.


    After hearing their mother''s condition, the kids went to James again. Maria didn''t expect that he


    would agree to go back with them.


    It was already getting dark. James and Cooper took Boston and Coy down the mountain, and


    returned to the downtown of H City.


    Coy never went down the mountain, so he was curious about everything in the city. This made


    James feel sorry for his little boy.


    The two kids went to see Augustine and his wife first. Then, James left his sons in Cooper''s care


    temporarily, and left by himself.


    Maria was used to having Coy lying next to her. Now that he was away, she was having a hard time


    adjusting.


    She was tossing and turning, and having a hard time falling asleep. Around eight o''clock, she was


    just staring at the ceiling.


    Two hourster, her eyes were still open. All of a sudden, she heard a knocking from the door.


    Confused, she asked, "Who''s there?"


    But there was responseing from outside. Maria thought that it was just one of the nuns, so she


    got out of bed and opened the door.


    However, as soon as she opened it, a man broke in.


    He closed the door behind him, locked it, and threw away the key.


    Maria was taken aback. Wasn''t he supposed to be down the mountain already?


    As he looked into her eyes, James began to take off his belt. "I''m going back tomorrow."


    Seeing what he was doing, Maria''s heart started racing. She staggered back and said, "You must''ve


    thought this through."


    "Yes, I have." He had already thought this through.


    Maria was about to go back to bed, but before she could, James lifted her up from behind.


    Due to the fear, she almost started screaming, but she bit it back.


    James pressed her against the bed, kissing her before she could utter another word.


    This man was so aggressive tonight, and he left her no opportunity to resist.


    Maria had known this would happen! As long as he was here, something would definitely happen to


    her.


    She didn''t expect that something would happen to her in less than two weeks. She hadn''t even


    thought of a n to drive him awaypletely.


    Today, she had seeded in doing that. But who knew that he would return by himself?


    After waiting for a long time, she finally found a chance to speak. "James, if you dare to do this, I will


    hate you for the rest of my life!"


    "Hate me? Well, that''s far better than forgetting me. I wanted to give you some more time, but my


    n has changed." Cooper didn''t give him the luxury of time. He couldn''t possibly dy his


    brother''s happiness, so he moved up the schedule. His n was to make Maria break her


    abstinence from sex.


    And once she had broken that abstinence, she would have no other choice but to go back, even if


    she didn''t want to.


    He had already recovered, and his health was better than ever. Every day, he stayed with her,


    waiting for the perfect time to enact his n.


    James shackled her hands with one hand, and threw his shirt aside with the other.


    Gasping for breath, Maria said, "I''m serious, James! You can''t do it here..."


    He pressed his lips against her, leaving her no chance to speak. For him, he could do it anywhere


    he pleased.


    Maria was his reason for living. Without her, he was as good as dead.


    At this point, she knew that this was something she couldn''t escape. Nobody in this world knew him


    better than her when it came to sex.


    LARK COLE


    Author

 Chapter 469 A Fatal Blow

    Chapter 469 A Fatal Blow


    Maria couldn''t let this sort of thing tarnish the sanctity of the nunnery. She grabbed James'' hand and


    suggested apromise. "I promise you, I won''t resist, but we have to do this somewhere else."


    After calming himself down, James got out of bed, tidied his clothes, and opened the door. He then


    turned to Maria and said, "If you don''t want to do it here, then let''s do it outside."


    She was rendered speechless. But it didn''t seem like she had much of a choice.


    Later, Maria realized that there was no escape for her because he was holding onto her hand tightly.


    Under the guise of the night, he finally got what he wanted.


    They had sex in the woods, far away from the nunnery. In the wilderness, Maria cursed him a


    thousand times in her head.


    Atst, after a long time of waiting around, James had sated his lust. It was already past midnight


    when they finished. He went back to the nunnery, carrying her in his arms.


    After rinsing their bodies a bit, James packed up his belongings. By the time he was done packing,


    some of the nuns had already woken up.


    He didn''t sleep anymore and decided to leave the confines of the nunnery with some of his luggage.


    Meanwhile, Coy was having fun in H City. There were many people who yed with him, and he


    was even unwilling to return to Maria for the time being.


    In the manor, Ethan was making fun of Coy. "Hey, Coy! I''m getting married. Would you like to be my


    flower boy?"Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    The little boy licked the tomato sauce on his lips, and asked with widened eyes, "What''s a flower


    boy? Is it delicious?"


    "You little foodie! A flower boy isn''t food. I''m asking you to spread petals during my wedding," said


    Ethan.


    ''Petals?'' "Okay!" Coy tilted his head, still looking confused.


    At this time, a little girl wearing a skirt ran over and handed him something. "Coy, here, have some


    candies," she said.


    He took the candies and said, "Thank you, Mona!"


    Mona Lu was the daughter of Lawrence and Meagan. She was two months older than Coy.


    "You''re wee."


    Meagan brought the cut fruits to the children. After putting them down, she said something to the


    maid. Then, she went to the stables to look for Lawrence.


    Mona grabbed a piece of Hami melon and gave it to Coy. Ethan wanted to stop her, but it was too


    late.


    Coy had been raised as a wild child. And although he had paid attention to his hygiene, he was still


    young. He took the melon from Mona and put it into his mouth.


    Ethan sighed.


    He grabbed a tissue and wiped Mona''s hands. "Mona, you can''t grab something to eat without


    washing your hands first, remember?"


    The girl nodded in response. "I''m sorry. I won''t do it again."


    Ethanbed her head with affection. "Oh, my sweet girl. It''s fine! You are a good girl!"


    Coy knew that courtesy demanded reciprocity. After he ate the melon that Mona had given him, he


    grabbed two blueberries and gave them to her.


    Meanwhile, Ethan was throwing away garbage. When he turned around, he saw Coy grabbing the


    blueberries.


    Once again, Ethan was shocked. It was true. He had no idea how to look after children. Those two


    kids acted so quickly that he didn''t even have the time to stop them.


    "Here you go, Mona! Eat them," said Coy.


    Since she had just been reminded by Ethan, Mona nced at the blueberries and shook her head


    in refusal. "No, thanks."


    Coy took a step forward and said, "Mona, eat them."


    The little girl pushed his hand away. "No! I won''t eat anything unclean."


    The boy offered the berries to Mona several times, but each time, she refused him. And because of


    that, he felt agitated. "You must eat."


    Meanwhile, Ethan was snickering by himself. He wanted to take the blueberries from Coy''s hand.


    "Coy, perhaps you should feed Mona using a fork."


    However, he didn''t expect that the boy would be so stubborn. Coy still insisted on making Mona eat


    the blueberries from his hand.


    At this point, Mona was getting angry. She didn''t want to eat them, but he insisted. She swatted his


    hand away, causing the blueberries to fall from his hand.


    Coy watched as the berries rolled on the ground, and felt bad.


    He looked at Mona, and saw her running away. Perhaps she didn''t want to y with him anymore.


    His eyes welled up with tears as they turned red.


    Ethan told a maid to go after Mona. Meanwhile, he squatted in front of Coy and said, "Coy,


    remember this: boys aren''t allowed to cry."


    But the boy believed otherwise. "I''m a child, and I have the right to cry. Once I''m all grown up, I


    won''t cry anymore!"


    "But you can''t cry even now," said Ethan.


    "No way! That''s not up to you!"


    Stifling hisughter, Ethan said, "You''ll look like a girl if you cry. It''s not manly."


    "So what? I''m handsome. When I grow up, I''ll find a wife just as strong as my mom to protect me!"


    Ethan couldn''t help but nod in admiration. This boy''s logic was wless!


    At this moment, someone interjected, "You''re so pathetic. You''re so young, but you''re already


    thinking of finding a wife to protect you!"


    Coy wiped his tears away, turning around to re at the person who spoke. "I don''t have any other


    choice.


    I just inherited this character from my dad. He listens to whatever my mom says. It doesn''t seem


    like being manly as child make any difference!"


    James fell silent. It was a really fatal blow.


    Ethan burst intoughter. It took him a few minutes before he managed to stop himself from


    laughing while James was staring daggers at him. "I see. I had no idea that you''re such a hen-


    pecked husband! But, James, is your son really two years old? I''m pretty sure Maria lied about his


    age. He sounds like an adult."


    James shook his head and nced at him. "Didn''t you just hear what my son said? He''s just as


    smart as I am."


    Ethan mmed up after hearing that.


    A whileter, Mona and Boston, who had just returned from school, walked out of the vi together.


    They rendezvoused with Coy, and then the three of them ran back and forth in the manor.


    After ying with them for a while, Ethan stood up and said to the man next to him, "I have to go


    now. I''m done being your son''s nanny."


    With a stern look, James bantered, "Well, I''ll pay you for babysittingter."


    Ethan was curious. ''Does James really think of me as a nanny?''


    At this time, Coy ran towards James and hugged his thigh. "Dad, I want to see some wild animals."


    The little boy really loved lions. Whenever he was choosing toys, he would always buy anything that


    rted to lions.


    James looked at Ethan, who was about to leave. "Your uncle Ethan is more knowledgeable about


    things like that."


    Every tenth of August was the World Lion Day, and Ethan would go to Africa to protect lions.


    "But he''s just my uncle."


    Ethan corrected him. "I''m your godfather!"


    "I''m not your son," Coy retorted, shaking his bald head.


    Ethan was rendered speechless. It seemed that there was no way he could outwit this child.


    James pinched the boy''s cheek. "I''ll take you there then."


    "Yay!" After getting the answer he wanted, Coy ran away.


    Seeing that his brother wasing over, Boston gleaned that he had seeded. "I told you, didn''t


    I? Dad is very good to us!"


    Coy nodded in agreement with him. "It''s so great to have a dad!"


    Mona looked at them and asked, "Doesn''t your mother treat you well?"


    "Of course, she does!" Boston replied.


    "Mom is very good, although she punishes me sometimes," said Coy.


    He shivered at the thought of Maria''s fierce look.

 Chapter 470 I Will Protect You

    Chapter 470 I Will Protect You


    "It must be your fault that your mom punishes you," Mona said. Her mother had never punished her,


    and neither had her father.


    Coy made a face at her and said, "Lucille said that I''m cute."


    "Well, so am I!" Mona said proudly.


    "Everyone is cute," Boston concluded.


    After ying for a while, Coy started stirring up mischief. He looked at Mona and snickered out of


    the blue. "Mona, would you like me to teach you martial arts?"


    "Okay!" She agreed to his request, but she already knew some martial arts, too, because her father


    had taught her.


    Coy was great at doing forward and backward somersaults, but his skills in the martial arts left a lot


    to be desired.


    When he performed a few somersaults and some basic moves, Mona knocked him down.


    Although he was very young, he was alreadypetitive.


    As Coyy on the ground, ring at Mona, who was looking down at him, he was unconvinced.


    He quickly got up and tried again. This time, he didn''t even have the chance to show his moves and


    Mona had already tripped him.


    At this point, Coy wasn''t sure how to react.


    He must''ve been studying fake martial arts all this time.


    Boston contemted for a long time, and still couldn''t figure out who gave his little brother the


    courage to provoke this tiny soldier that Lawrence had trained himself.


    Mona squatted down and told Coy in a sweet voice, "Coy, from now on, I''ll protect you!"


    The little boy was at a loss for words.


    There was no way his pride would let him ept being protected by a girl.


    Meanwhile, James saw Ethan off at the parking lot. Before Ethan could leave, James said to him,


    "Aren''t you going to get married? Remember to send Maria an invitation."


    "What? She''s been in the nunnery for the past two years, and she hasn''t gone anywhere else. What


    makes you think she''ll attend my wedding?" It was indeed a difficult task.


    James asked back, "What''s the matter? Were you not nning to invite her?"


    "You know damn well that''s not the case!" After a moment of contemtion, Ethan looked at the


    man in front of him with doubt. "Why do I feel like you''re manipting me to do your bidding? Or am


    I just imagining things?"


    "I really am using you!" James admitted.


    Ethan cursed inwardly. ''Why do I have such a terrible friend?'' "Alright, fine! I''ll do it for the sake of


    my two lovely godsons. I''ll even go there to invite her myself. Happy?"


    "Ecstatic."


    After Ethan had left, James went back to the vi.


    Ethan had nned to visit the veterinary, but when he arrived downtown, something urred to him


    all of a sudden. On the way, he turned the car around and drove to another direction.


    He didn''t have any difficulties driving to a high-endmunity. He didn''t go in, and instead pulled


    over.


    Afterwards, he lit up a cigarette and finished it before he took out his phone and dialed a number.


    "Come on out. I''m at the gate of yourmunity."


    The person on the other end of the line was silent for a moment before replying, "I''m not home."


    "You are at home," said Ethan. He was certain that she was home at this hour.


    Naturally, the woman he was calling was at a loss for words. "I''m very busy, okay? I''m putting on


    makeup because I have a party to attendter."


    "I don''t care. I need to talk to you about something. Juste on out."


    Hearing that, she decided not to respond anymore. Never had she met someone as unreasonable


    as him in her life.


    Over ten minutester, a woman made her way to the gate. She had an aloof air about her, and


    long, loose hair. She wore a dark green dress and no makeup. A momentter, Ethan caught sight


    of her.


    Finally, she stopped in front of him and made sure to keep a one-meter distance from him.


    "Don''t schedule anything tomorrow morning," he said.


    "I''m flying to Paris tomorrow morning." "Well, postpone it for now."


    "No, I can''t! I''ll bete for the event," said the woman.


    "What event?" It seemed that Ethan was determined to know.


    The womanbed back her long hair and said, "It''s nothing. Is that all you want to say?"


    "Yep," he replied tly.


    "In that case, I''m going home."


    "Vi, can you hang on for just a moment?" The fact that she was giving him the cold shoulder was


    starting to get on his nerves.


    Vi Ji stopped walking, and turned around to remind him, "Mr. Mu, don''t forget that our marriage is


    just contractual. We''ll be married by name, but it''s nothing more and nothing less than that."


    Their marriage was arranged for business. Both of their parents had their weaknesses in hand, so


    they didn''t have a choice but to agree to this marriage for the time being.


    "I haven''t forgotten. But don''t forget that you have an obligation to y the role of Mrs. Mu well,"


    said Ethan.


    "I''ll be in H City tomorrow morning," Vi said impatiently.


    "Apany me to JT Nunnery."


    Her impatience soon turned into confusion. "What are you going to do there?"


    Over the past two years, JT Nunnery gained poprity. She had heard that the nunnery owed its


    fame to a legendary business woman who had be a nun there.


    "To deliver a wedding invitation!"


    As soon as he finished talking, Ethan opened the door of his car and got in.


    Secondster, he started the car and drove away.


    Vi was left speechless.


    Unbeknownst to Ethan, his disy just now looked very childish to her.


    The following morning, Ethan drove two people to JT Nunnery.


    Upon their arrival at the entrance, the car door was opened, and a little boy jumped out of it, rushing


    into the nunnery.


    "Coy, wait!" Ethan stopped him.


    Coy turned around.


    Leaning against the car, Ethan said, "Why don''t you take Vi with you? I need to go to the


    restroom."


    Vi was speechless. How could he go to the bathroom at this time?


    Coy ran back and held her hand. "Auntie, I''ll take you to my mom," he said with a smile.


    "Thank you, Coy."


    At this time, Maria was cleaning the yard. When the boy pushed the gate of the yard open, her eyes


    lit up. "Coy!" "Mom! I''m home!" Coy let go of Vi''s hand and rushed to his mother''s side.


    Maria dropped the broom to hold her child, kissing his cheeks over and over. Afterwards, she


    nced at Vi and asked Coy, "Who''s that?"


    The boy slipped out of her arms and ran to Vi''s side, holding her hand once more. "Mom, this is


    your daughter-inw."


    Maria fell silent. Did the little boy just tell her that she now had a daughter-inw? What kind of


    mother would ept that?


    Even Vi didn''t know what to say.


    The women stood face to face. Maria picked up the broom and red at her son. "Be serious, Coy!"


    When Coy saw the broom, he quickly hid behind Vi. Only his bald head and eyes were exposed.


    "Mom, she''s Auntie."


    Maria was still clueless of the woman''s identity. She then looked at Vi and smiled at her. "Hi! Was


    it you who brought my son back?" ''Where on earth is James? How dare he leave his son to


    someone else''s care?''


    Vi wanted to say something, but someone spoke before she could. "Maria, I''d like you to meet


    my future wife, Vi Ji."


    Upon seeing Ethan, Maria felt relieved. Fortunately, this woman wasn''t really her daughter-inw.


    She threw away the broom and reached out her hand to Vi. "It''s nice to meet you, Vi. I''m


    Maria Song, Coy''s mother."


    Vi shook her hand and nodded. "It''s nice to meet you, too."


    Ethan walked closer and put his arm around her shoulder. "Coy, why are you hiding behind Vi?"


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Vi looked at the hand on her shoulder and frowned, but she didn''t remove it.


    Coy snickered and said, "I told Mom that Aunt Vi is my wife." Although in reality, he didn''t even


    know what the word "wife" meant.


    Ethan was speechless. This brat had the guts to take advantage of his wife at such a young age!


    What more could he do once he grew up? As a godfather, Ethan took it upon himself to teach this


    boy a valuable lesson.


    But as soon as he raised his hand, Coy reacted quickly and ran away like the wind.

 Chapter 471 No Lies

    Chapter 471 No Lies


    Maria led them into the nunnery and let them to sit at a table. Ethan slid something across the table


    towards her and said, "Maria, I think you should congratte us!"


    Maria then picked it up and found that it was a wedding invitation. With a smile, she said,


    "Congrattions! I wish you both a happy marriage and a harmonious rtionship for the rest of


    your lives!"


    Vi smiled back at her and nodded. "Thank you."


    "The wedding will be held on the first day of next month. I''d really love it if you could attend!" said


    Ethan.


    "Ms. Song, we''d really love to have you at our wedding," Vi echoed. On their way there, Ethan


    had briefed her about the purpose of their visit today; it was to convince Maria to attend their


    wedding no matter what.


    Wearing the same smile, Maria said bluntly, "Ethan, as you already know, I''ve been here for more


    than two years. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn''t leave the nunnery."


    "Yes, that''s right. But I''m marrying Vi. How could that be a normal circumstance? Come on, tell


    me I''m right, Maria,"


    Ethan retorted. Maria fell silent. It was only natural that she would suspect that these two were sent


    by James to convince her to leave the nunnery.


    Unseen by Maria, Ethan winked at Vi. Reluctantly, she followed his instruction earlier. "Ms. Song,


    marriage is a big deal. It''s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Ethan wants all his rtives and friends


    to witness our happiest day. To him, you''re like a sister. He''ll be really sad if you don''te."


    "That''s right. I think of you as my own sister. And if you don''t attend my wedding, I won''t be happy


    on my own wedding." After all, James was his best friend. He was a powerful man, and he always


    had the final say.


    Faced by their incessant pleading, Maria grew ever more certain that James convinced them to do


    this.


    Vi didn''t seem to be that talkative, but she said a lot of things just now. What she said sounded


    more like what Ethan would say.


    With a smile, Maria asked, "What did James promise to give you?"


    Ethan was taken aback for a moment. After a short pause, he answered seriously, "I''ll admit that he


    does give me stuff every now and then, but this time, it''s different. Don''t overthink it, Maria. Vi


    and I just really want you to be at our wedding. Maria, you used to be one of the most famous


    female entrepreneurs in the city, and you''ve been out of public sight for over two years. If you show


    up at my wedding, it will definitely cause a sensation. My wedding will be livelier beyond my


    wildest imaginations!"


    Vi was secretly surprised to hear that. It turned out that this nun was actually the legendary


    businesswoman of H City.


    Meanwhile, Maria still didn''t buy Ethan''s bullshit. There were other people with much higher status


    than hers. But since the couple-to-be hade to her in person, she didn''t have the heart to refuse


    them outright. "It warms my heart to know that you think so highly of me, but I don''t think it''s


    appropriate if I show up in public in my current image. How about this? I''ll be there to send you my


    best wishes, and thene back right away."


    The moment she promised that she would leave the nunnery, Ethan didn''t worry about the rest


    anymore. "It''s a deal!"


    When it was time for Ethan and Vi to leave, Coy had climbed the date tree to pick some of its


    fruits. He then got down from the tree, held the dates, and gave them to Vi. "Auntie, have some


    dates."


    Refusing a child''s kindness was rather hard for her, so Vi decided to take two of the dates.


    "Thank you, Coy."


    Ethan wanted to take two as well, but the boy wouldn''t allow him. "Uncle, I''ll give you some, but you


    have to promise that you''re not going to tell my mommy that I climbed the tree."


    Feeling dejected, Ethan replied, "Won''t your mother find out even if I don''t tell her?"


    "Of course, she won''t!" said the boy.


    "In that case..." Ethan took out his phone, took a picture of the boy, and ckmailed him. "I''m going


    to tell your mom that you did climb the tree, and here''s a picture to prove it. After all, you did tell her


    that Vi was your wife!"


    Startled, Coy said, "Fine! Here you go. You can have them all."


    Ethan put on a smug smile, put away his phone and said, "Now, that''s more like it!" He only took


    one date and ate it right away. "Hurry up and go back to your mom. We''re leaving now!"


    "Bye, Uncle. Bye, Auntie!" Coy eximed.


    "Bye!" After watching the car drive into the distance,


    the boy ran back to the yard to find his mother and eat dates with her.


    Maria gleaned that he climbed the tree again. However, she didn''t have the heart to punish him


    when she saw how innocent he looked while asking her to eat dates with him. ''Never mind. I''ll let


    this slide this time for the sake of his filial piety.''


    But she still needed to warn him about something. "Did you know that a few days ago, a child


    climbed a tree and fell down, injuring his leg?"


    Coy put his palms together and said seriously, "Mom, you are a nun and you should not lie."


    Maria thought to herself, ''Even a toddler like him can''t be deceived anymore, huh?''


    In Z Country


    Sandra came back to the hotel after backpacking across a mountain. As soon as she stepped into


    the hotel, she ran into her father, who was walking towards her. "Dad, are you heading out?"


    There was a strange look in his eyes when he looked at her. "Sandra, you''re back already?"


    "Yes, Dad. I''m exhausted, so I came back to get some rest," she replied.


    "Go ahead!"


    "Okay! Dad, remember to drive safely." Sandra waved at him goodbye, and then went to the


    elevator.


    He watched as she went on her way, but then he stopped her. "Sandra, wait!"


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    "What''s the matter?" "You see, uh...you have a guest in your room." He thought that it was better for


    her daughter if she was mentally prepared for what was about to happen.


    "A guest? Who could it be?" ''Who would visit me when I''m abroad? And in my room?''


    He coughed and said, "Just go upstairs and see for yourself!"


    "Alright then!" Confused, Sandra watched as her father left the hotel. Afterwards, she rode the


    elevator.


    Minutester, she pushed the door open, and found that there was indeed a guest sitting in her


    living room.


    He was wearing a dark suit, sitting on the sofa cross-legged. He wasn''t doing anything, not even


    looking at his phone. It appeared as though he had been intently awaiting her return. And as


    always, he looked so noble and dashing altogether.


    Sandra''s face darkened in a blink of an eye. She took a few paces forward and asked coldly, "Mr.


    Xi, what brings you here?"


    With his hands in his pockets, Cooper got up and slowly approached her. "Did you hike up the


    mountain?"


    "I did. So, why are you here, Mr. Xi? Shouldn''t you be at meeting or reading documents right now?"


    A faint smile appeared on Cooper''s face, seemingly ignoring the cold shoulder she was giving him.


    "Why did you delete my contact information?"


    "I thought I already made myself clear." Sandra passed him by to pour herself a ss of water, and


    then drank most of it.


    "I can''t ept it just like that," said Cooper.


    "I don''t think I need to run it by you. I''m allowed to do whatever I want with my life," she retorted.


    ''Huh? Do I really have to have a discussion with him in order to delete his number from my phone?''


    Her stubbornness was gradually giving Cooper a migraine. With a sigh, he said, "What do you want


    to eat for dinner? I''ll book us a table at a restaurant."


    "No, thanks. I''d rather have dinner with my father. Mr. Xi, I implore you to leave as soon as possible.


    I don''t want to waste your time, and cause you to lose hundreds of millions of dors."


    "Sandra." Cooper was now standing face to face with her.


    Sandra stared back at him, her eyes devoid of emotion. "Mr. Xi, I never thought you''d be one to


    pester someone. Be careful. If I tell others about this, it''ll devalue your reputation!"


    "That doesn''t matter to me," he said.


    Sandra was at a loss for words.


    Then, Cooper embraced her. "Please, don''t be mad at me anymore. This time, I''ll be the one to


    pursue you, okay?"


    The warmth of his breath and the scent exuded by his body seeped into her skin. Sandra''s heart


    started beating faster and faster to the point that she could no longer control it. "I never pursued


    you!" she said stubbornly.


    "Well, you didn''t. But now, I''m pursuing you."

 Chapter 472 Love Sprouted Again

    Chapter 472 Love Sprouted Again


    Putting her soft hands on his chest, Sandra tried to push him away. She knew they had to maintain


    a distance. She felt a spasm of panic sweeping over her. "Cooper, don''t do this. Please behave


    yourself!" she pleaded.


    Lowering his head, Cooper touched his forehead against hers. "I don''t want to behave myself," he


    said seductively.


    His action filled the atmosphere with heat.


    Sandra felt a tumult of feelings inside her. Biting her lower lip, she said, "Let go of me!"


    Instead of letting her go, Cooper came closer and kissed her on the lips.


    A lot of emotions exploded in her heart. Her heart began to race and her mind went nk.


    How had he managed to sprout the love she had buried so deeply?


    This wasn''t their first kiss. He had once kissed her a year ago. But after that kiss, nothing else had


    happened.


    And now, Sandra finally managed to peel his arms from her body and rushed to the door. Her heart


    beat violently and she was trembling. "If you don''t go, I''ll go!"


    Cooper was quicker than her. Before her hand could reach the doorknob, he hugged her from


    behind. She was imprisoned in his arms and couldn''t budge.


    This time, Cooper wasn''t going to let her go. He lifted her up and pressed her on the big bed not far


    away. She struggled in vain.


    "Sandra," he said gently.


    "Let go of me!" she protested.


    He kissed the tip of her nose and went on, "Sandra, please don''t move!"


    "Cooper, what the hell do you want?" Sandra was on the verge of a breakdown.


    "What I want is clear. I want you," he answered bluntly.


    At this, an ironical smile crept onto her face. "Don''t force yourself to lie, Mr. Xi."


    "No, I am speaking nothing butthetruth."


    "Please stop! They are right. If you loved me, you would have loved me a long time ago. It wouldn''t


    have taken so many years for you to realize your feelings!"


    Cooper stroked her hair and exined to her patiently, "My brother was in aa for more than two


    years. During that period, I was busy day and night. I was afraid that I couldn''t give you a future.


    That was the only reason I didn''t reciprocate your love." Now that his brother had woken up, he


    knew he could pursue the love of his life.


    "Time is just an excuse, Cooper. If you truly loved me, it wouldn''t have been an issue. If you


    genuinely loved me, you would have made time out of your busy schedule." Although Sandra was


    still young, she had matured a lot mentally. She wouldn''t blindly believe someone''s words.


    "Then I will spend the rest of my life to make up for


    my mistake. Is that okay?"


    Cooper had a genuine look in his eyes. He gazed at Sandra with raw affection. She almost fell for it.


    However, she told herself to behave sensibly. She couldn''t allow herself to fall for him again.


    Sandra was finding it hard to control her emotions. She knew Cooper''s charms were melting her


    heart again. Her eyed turned red. ring at him, she said "Do you want me to believe you will


    spend the rest of your life with me? Don''t try to fool me! I won''t fall for it!"


    Cooper let out a defeated sigh and said, "Sandra, I admit I have made a mistake in the past. I didn''t


    cherish you. Now give me a chance to make amends, okay?"


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    Sandra snorted indignantly and said, "No! Just so you know, it''s not like Ick pursuers!"


    "Yes, I am aware. I know very well that you are so charming that any men would fall at her feet,


    myself included."


    Sandra didn''t know whether to be amused or angry. "It turns out you are very good with words. I am


    just surprised you never spoke to me this way before!" All this while, he had addressed her


    seriously.


    Cooper felt wronged. He was not James. He hadn''t known he behaved seriously all these years. He


    knew retorting would only make things worse. "If sweet words are what takes to get you, I am willing


    to do that all the time."


    "Please stop! I don''t believe anything that you say." A gust of happiness swept over her. Everything


    felt so unreal.


    "It doesn''t matter. I won''t stop until you believe me."


    After saying that, Cooper lowered his head and kissed her again.


    Sandra, who was slowly beginning to enjoy his touch, didn''t push him away. Cooper wanted more


    but he decided to keep his desire in check. "Have some rest. Then I''ll take you to dinner," his said,


    his voice almost like a whisper.


    He told himself this was the right thing to do. Perhaps, he wouldn''t wait till marriage to have sex with


    her. But at least, he could give her the time to say yes before hepletely devoured her body.


    Sandra crawled into the quilt, her hair disheveled. She couldn''t meet his eyes. ''Oh, my God! What


    did we do just now?''


    However, she remembered something. Cooper hadn''t asked her to be his girlfriend. Instead, he had


    simply showered his affection on her.


    She wondered what this meant.


    It was quiet in the room. After climbing the mountain for half a day, fatigue was creeping on her.


    Sandra spent a few minutes thinking, but soon sleep overtook her.


    When she woke up, she noticed it was quite dark outside. The only light she could see came from


    themp on the desk.


    She sat up in bed and looked at his back. "Cooper?" she called out.


    "Are you awake?" He closed theptop and walked over to her.


    "Why are you here?" As soon as she asked this question, she regretted her words. She must have


    sounded silly. After all, Cooper was here before she fell asleep.


    Slightly amused, he raised his eyebrows. "So you don''t remember anything? I guess I have


    confessed my love in vain."


    His yful words shocked her.


    He bent over and pecked her on the lips. "Get up. I''ll take you to dinner."


    "Oh!"


    He had already booked a restaurant in the downtown of the city.


    On arriving at this ce, Sandra was stunned to see there were no other guests. Except for the


    waiters and waitresses, it was just them.


    She began to wonder why the business here was so bad.


    The two of them took the table by the side of the window. Someone came and poured wine for


    them. After asking for Cooper''s opinion, he served them their dishes.


    There was a melodious music in the restaurant. Sandra tasted the food and looked at Cooper. "It


    tastes amazing. But why are we the only guests? Is the food here too expensive?" she asked, her


    curiosity piqued. The dishes had been arranged by Cooper in advance. She hadn''t had an


    opportunity to look at the menu. Hence, there was no way of knowing how much it cost.


    "Maybe," said Cooper and gave her a faint smile.


    His answer hadn''t quenched her curiosity. What sort of answer was that?


    After dinner, Sandra wiped her mouth and got ready to leave. Just then, a waiter came to them with


    arge bouquet of roses. "Mr. Xi, here are the flowers you ordered." "Thank you!" Cooper took the


    bouquet and waited for him to leave.


    Sandra nced at him nervously. Cooper left his seat and went towards her, carrying the bouquet in


    his hands. "This is for you."


    "Thank you!" Sandra took the bouquet and was overjoyed by his disy of affection.


    However, what happened next was unexpected. Cooper fetched something from his pocket, knelt


    down on one knee, and opened the brocade box in his hand.


    Sandra''s eyes fell on the diamond ring inside which was about the size of a dove egg.


    She widened her eyes in astonishment. Her heart was throbbing with excitement.


    They changed the music and yed something that was both romantic and rxing.


    "Sandra, first of all, I want to say that I love you very much," Cooper said earnestly.


    As he uttered these words, more than a dozen waiters and waitresses appeared from every


    direction. Some of them were holding balloons, while others held a light te that said, "Marry Me."


    They came towards her with a smile stered on their faces.


    Sandra was awestruck by everything that happened. ''Is he going to propose?'' she wondered, her


    face med with happiness.


    "Sandra, I know a lot of men love you, including me. I want to know whether you are willing to give


    me the permission to love you. Just me alone. I promise you won''t regret it."


    Sandra''s face flushed red. She found it hard to breathe. Trying topose herself, she asked, "But


    we haven''t been in a rtionship yet. Are we going to get married already?"


    "I want to marry you. Say yes to my proposal and the rest can be discussedter. I can assure you


    this won''t affect our rtionship. We can still take it slow.

 Chapter 473 One Million And Eighty Thousand Dollars

    Chapter 473 One Million And Eighty Thousand Dors


    "Please tell me you aren''t fooling me!" Sandra said. She hadn''t known that Cooper was capable of


    uttering such sweet words.


    "No, I am not fooling anyone. I really want to be with you!" he said, giving stress to every single


    word.


    The restaurant manager and the others chanted, "Marry him! Marry him!


    Marry him!"


    Sandra''s eyes were moist with tears. She hadn''t expected Cooper to propose out of the blue.


    "As you said, once I ate the steak you cooked, I would be yours. The truth is, I have always


    been yours. I am only waiting for your yes." As he eagerly awaited for her response, Cooper was


    clutched by an uneasy feeling.


    Tears began to roll down her cheeks. The bouquet of flowers became wet with her tears. Sandra


    looked around at everyone who was watching her expectantly. "Okay," she said, nodding her head.


    The crowd broke into an apuse. Cooper put the diamond ring on her finger, stood up and kissed


    her.


    Aftering back from the restaurant, Sandra took her phone and captured a photo of her hand,


    showing the glinting diamond ring. She then sent it to her mother.


    The instant her mother saw it, she was ovee by fear. She called her and said, "Don''t hurry into


    things, Sandra! I won''tpel you to go on blind dates. But please don''t jump into marriage so


    casually!"


    She couldn''t believe her daughter was willing to marry someone so soon. What astonished her the


    most was the fact she had chosen someone from Z Country.


    Listening to her mother''s apprehensive words, Sandra burst intoughter. "Mom, I am not hurrying


    into marriage with a stranger."


    Cooper, who had overheard their conversation, smiled and took the phone from her. "Auntie, it''s me,


    Cooper."


    Sandra''s mother was startled. She had never anticipated this and it came as a surprise.


    "Auntie, I''ll stay here for a few days and apany Sandra to H City. Once I get back to H City, I''ll


    pay you and her father a visit."


    Sandra''s mother opened her mouth but then hesitated. In the end, she told herself she had to say it


    for the sake of her daughter''s happiness. "Mr. Xi, my daughter is a good girl with a kind heart. She


    has always liked you. She never thought of another man. Xi family is so rich, and I''m afraid Sandra


    may not be good enough for you. I don''t think you two are suitable for each other."


    As Cooper heard her mother''s concerns, he exined, "Auntie, you''re thinking too much. If two


    people love each other, nothing else matters."


    "It takes more than love for a marriage to work. Perhaps love is enough for a rtionship. You two


    may be suitable for that. But as far as marriage is concerned, I am not sure this is a right match. Mr.


    Xi, I advise you to think it over." Sandra''s mother was still worried. After all, Sandra had been in love


    with Cooper for several years, but he had never reciprocated her love before.


    Now when Sandra decided to give up, he had taken the trouble to go abroad after her. What on


    earth did he want from her?


    "Well, let''s talk about it when we get back," he said. He knew it would be difficult to convince her


    through the phone. They could sit and discuss this matter in person.


    "Okay." She also knew it would be improper to have this conversation over the phone. "You can


    enjoy yourselves. I won''t disturb you anymore."


    "Bye, Auntie!"


    After hanging up the phone, Cooper chose to keep his conversation with Sandra''s mother a secret.


    He simply told her that her mother asked them to have a good time. He also added that she wished


    to speak to him in person once they were back in H City.


    In the evening, Sandra received a message from her mother.


    Her mother didn''t say anything explicitly. However, Sandra was a smart girl. She understood what


    her mother''s words implied.


    She looked at Cooper, who was busy with another phone call. Then, she texted her mother saying,


    "Mom, you are thinking too much. He has booked a room next to Dad''s. He will be leaving in a few


    minutes."


    "That''s good." Relief washed over her mother.


    Cooper''s parents hadn''t yet met her family. The diamond ring on Sandra''s finger meant nothing


    since their families weren''t involved. A single girl had to maintain her chastity and self-respect.


    Even if Cooper wanted to sleep with her, he wouldn''t have the nerve to sleep with her here. After all,


    her father stayed in the room opposite to hers.


    Her mother had no reason to worry. As Sandra had said, after giving her a good night kiss, Cooper


    went back to his room.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Maria''s life returned and became peaceful, at least for half a month. The tumult in her heart died


    down and she was calm.


    Coy was still naughty in the nunnery. He often expressed his desire to be a monkey. All he


    wanted to do was hang on the tree. This irritated Maria.


    One day, Coy rushed into the room and said to Maria, "Mom, I found something interesting in the


    shop next to the nunnery. It''s a pair of gold lions. If you want it, you have to pay one million and


    eighty thousand dors."


    One million and eighty thousand dors!


    Maria was rmed. She was familiar with the shop. The nunnery had more and more pilgrims


    arriving in the past two years. As a result, they began to run some shops, hoping they would cover


    the expenses of the nunnery. Listening to her son''s words, Maria began to look around for


    something. She finally found a stick from behind the door. She was determined to beat the naughty


    boy up.


    Coy understood what his mother was up to. Screaming and howling, he ran out of the room.


    Maria chased after him. She made her mind to teach him a lesson this time.


    Coy hid behind a big tree and looked at his mother. One could tell he was very nervous.


    Maria hit against the tree with the stick and asked fiercely, "Do you still want it?" Coy shook his


    head.


    As this spectacle unraveled, a man walked through the threshold and caught sight of it. "Maria, is


    this how you treat my son?"


    Maria''s face changed slightly. She didn''t turn around, but her anger increased. She continued to


    chase after Coy.


    Coy saw who it was. He ran towards James to seek protection.


    He hid behind his father and looked at Maria with a triumphant expression.


    Maria was about to explode. She gave them both an indignant look.


    Angry at being intruded, she said, "Get out of my way, James. I have to teach him a lesson today!"


    But James wouldn''t budge. Remaining in the same ce, he demanded, "What happened?"


    Maria thought she didn''t owe him an exnation.


    Coy looked at James sorrowfully. "Daddy, I wanted a pair of lions. And when I told Mom about it,


    she tried to hit me."


    "That''s all?" James nced at Maria who was fuming with rage. He hadn''t seen her for a long time.


    But he realized she had gotten more and more irritable.


    Maria rolled her eyes at him and said, "What do you know? It''s a pair of gold lions. Why would a


    two-year-old want that? Doesn''t he deserve my beating?"


    The worst part was the pair of gold lions cost one million and eighty thousand dors. It shouldn''t


    have attracted a child''s fancy!


    To her utter surprise, James seemed calm. "This just goes to show my son is already capable of


    telling good from bad. He has very good taste."


    Maria was shocked at his reasoning. For an instant, she had forgotten how rich this man was.


    James picked up Coy and held him in his arms. "I''ll buy it for you."


    "Great! I love you, Daddy." He hugged his father tightly and ced a gentle kiss on his cheek.


    Maria took a deep breath and watched them with an indifferent expression. "Go ahead and buy it!


    But remember to take him with you. I can''t afford to raise your son anymore."


    James stopped in his tracks, looked at Coy and said, "Your mom is angry. What should we do?"


    Coy didn''t know what to do. He looked contemtive for a second and said, "You can persuade


    her."


    Her son''s tant way of speaking stunned Maria. She couldn''t be persuaded!


    Then she went back to her room, the stick still in her hand.


    With his son in his arms, James continued to walk outside. "How about the two of us persuade her


    together?"


    "Yes! Sounds great."


    In less than half an hour, the father and son came back to the backyard, holding a box.


    Maria was nowhere to be found, but the room was tightly locked. Coy''s suitcase was ced at the


    door.


    Puzzled, the father and son looked at each other. Coy''s mouth twisted into a pout. "Mom has really


    abandoned me," he said sadly.


    "No, she hasn''t," James assured. He took out his phone and dialed Gary''s number. "Come to the


    nunnery."


    LARK COLE


    Author

 Chapter 474 Ethans Wedding

    Chapter 474 Ethan''s Wedding


    After hanging up the phone, James squatted down and addressed his son. "You go back to the


    urban area and stop worrying about your mother. I promise you she won''t abandon you."


    "Great!"


    As soon as Gary came, he took Coy back to the downtown.


    James was busily working in the yard. Every now and then, people came to check if he was okay,


    offering tea.


    Maria didn''t show up before him until it was too dark.


    On seeing her, James stood up and strode over. She quickened her pace but he was faster than


    her. Blocking her way, he said in a soft voice, "Don''t be angry. Coy hasn''t made an unforgivable


    mistake."


    Maria wouldn''t look at him in the eye. "If you think there is something wrong with my parenting, you


    are free to take him away and do what you think is right. Just leave me alone and don''t evere


    here again."


    "Maria, I haven''t found any fault in your parenting. It''s just that I want to make up for the time I


    missed."


    "It''s possible to do that without spending an exorbitant amount of money. I know Coy better than


    you. If today he dares to ask you for something worth one million dors, tomorrow he won''t shy


    away from asking you for something worth ten million dors."


    "If he does, what''s the problem? Do you think I can''t afford it? Or are you under the impression my


    son doesn''t deserve something worth ten million dors?" Maria was rendered speechless by his


    arrogant words. She didn''t know how to respond to someone who had so much pride.


    Since talking to him would be pretty useless, she ignored him and walked past him.


    "Wait!" James said, raising his voice.


    Maria ignored him and continued to walk.


    He followed her wherever she went. She reached her room door and was about to open it.


    To her utter shock, James squeezed in and entered along with her.


    She was bing increasingly exasperated with his behavior. She threw the key at him and


    demanded, "James, what on earth do you want from me?" He had oncepelled her to break the


    rule of asceticism. He had made her edgy recently.


    James fetched something from his pocket and handed it to her. "I want nothing. In fact, I came here


    to give you something. Please take it. If you refuse it, I won''t leave from here tonight."


    It was a string of Buddha beads made out of the shell of red giant ms. The color of this beautiful


    string was abination of brown red and white. It had a translucent and smooth texture.


    It was one of the holy treasures of Buddhism.


    James wouldn''t entertain the thought of buying her a cheap gift. Maria knew this probably cost him


    a fortune. The one she presently used was a very ordinary string of Buddha beads. It looked very


    basic whenpared to what James was offering her.


    In spite of this, she shook her head. "I won''t ept it. If you want to stay, then stay. It''s none of my


    business whether you leave or not." No matter how hard he insisted, she was determined to not


    ept the string of Buddha beads given by him.


    Maria handed it back to him, but he wouldn''t take it back.


    Having no choice, she resorted to stuffing the string beads into his pocket. Then she bent down and


    picked up the key from the floor. Pretending like he wasn''t there, she busied herself with work.


    Neither of them uttered a word and silence ensued in the room. After a few minutes, James turned


    around and sat on her bed. In a casual tone, he said, "Like you said, you don''t have to care about


    me. Just carry on with your business."


    Maria was aghast. She chose to not respond to him.


    Maria went to clean herself up and when she returned, James was still there. A few minutester,


    he also went to get himself cleaned. Then he took off his shirt in front of her, ready to wear his


    pajamas.


    Just then, he seemed to remember something. He gazed at Maria, who was busy with her phone. "I


    asked someone to drive a caravan here today." He had bought a caravan so that they could have


    sex in it. It was both spacious and bright inside.


    Maria gave no response to thisment.


    "If you want it, let me know. We don''t have to go to the wilderness this time. We can go to any ce


    in the caravan."


    "James Xi!" Maria eximed and looked at him coldly.


    "I want it!" he said, making it no secret.


    His unconcealed way of speaking made her further annoyed. "Shame on you! Can''t you see I have


    been ignoring you? Didn''t I make it clear I don''t want to be with you?"


    She thought her words would bring shame to James. She expected a shift in his demeanor.


    Instead, he said, "I don''t me you for not wanting to be with me. After all, it''s my fault. If you don''t


    want it, I won''t force you. Go on with your business. I''ll change my clothes."


    The more he spoke, the more stunned she became.


    ''Calm down, calm down. Maria, you have already seen through the mortal world. You are no longer


    the old Maria. Find peace and extinguish every other desire!'' she chanted in her mind.


    Thankfully, nothing happened that night. However, Maria, who had wanted to stay up all night, was


    forced to lie in the bed and sleep next to James.


    All in all, the night passed very peacefully.


    James left at the crack of the dawn. Maria, on the other hand, spent the whole day in the prayer


    room.


    Soon, it was Ethan and Vi''s wedding day. Ethan''s identity as the heir of Mu family was unveiled.


    Everyone in the financial circle spoke about nothing but this piece of news.


    In the past, people respected him only because he shared a good rtionship with James. They


    thought it would get them into his good books. They had never predicted Ethan''s real identity would


    be a powerful one.


    Maria was a bitte. As soon as she reached the gate of the nunnery, she noticed that a car was


    waiting for her.


    She caught a glimpse of Summer sitting inside.


    Maria stood outside the car and smiled at Summer. The two of them went ahead and pulled each


    other into an embrace.


    "Why didn''t youe in?" Maria asked, wondering if she had been waiting here for long.


    Reading her thoughts, Summer said, "I didn''t want to disturb you. Anyway, I haven''t been here for


    long. Let''s go!"


    "Okay."


    As soon as Maria left, two people entered the nunnery and took hers and Coy''s belongings with


    them.


    When they were about to reach the downtown area, Summer said, "Maria, a lot of things have


    happened in the past two years when you were absent. After the wedding of Mr. Nan, oh, no, Mr.


    Mu...I am going to take you out for dinner. It will be my treat. There we can have a hearty


    conversation."


    Maria found herself in a dilemma. She had to be back in the nunnery this afternoon. "I don''t think it''s


    possible. But don''t worry, you cane to the nunnery to find me when you are free!"


    Summer forced a smile and nodded her head.


    The wedding of Ethan and Vi was quite grand. It was held in a grand hotel in H City.


    When Maria arrived, she was guided to a private room.


    When the door of the private room was pushed open, she looked around and noticed it was


    brimming with people.


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    After scanning the crowd, she realized almost all of them were her acquaintances.


    There were Lawrence and Meagan, Cooper and Sandra, Carolina and her husband, Norman and


    Mildred, as well as James. James sat in a leisurely manner, leaning his back against the chair.


    There were several vacant seats next to him. The children who were ying noticed her arrival and


    went running towards her.


    Her presence made the bustling room even livelier.


    Coy and Boston, who were d in suits, ran over to her. Mona, on the other hand, was wearing a


    princess gown. She also ran along with the boys. Standing in front of Maria, she eyed her curiosity.


    The brothers referred to her as their mom. "Auntie," Mona said in a gentle voice.


    Maria touched the little girl''s head lovingly. "You''ve grown taller. Have you forgotten me?"


    Meagan walked over and answered on her daughter''s behalf. "It''s almost been half a year since she


    saw you. I guess she doesn''t remember meeting you."


    Maria held Mona in her arms and said, "Do you remember seeing me in the nunnery?" Half a year


    ago, Lawrence had taken Meagan and Mona to the nunnery to pay her a visit.


    Mona indeed had no recollection of that meeting. "I''m sorry," she said softly.


    Maria chuckled and said, "No worries, sweetheart." She had often envied Meagan for having a


    lovely and sensible daughter.


    Mona wasn''t like Coy and Bob. She was a well-behaved girl. Bob could be good when he wanted


    to. Coy, on the other hand, made it a point to piss her off almost all the time. She frequently had an


    overwhelming urge to vent her anger on him.

 Chapter 475 Scared Of Living In The Nunnery

    Chapter 475 Scared Of Living In The Nunnery


    Sandra came over, pretending to be upset. "Maria, I have no love for you anymore. I''ve asked you


    to go shopping with me so many times, and each time, you kept refusing me. It turns out that it was


    because I''m not as important as Ethan to you."


    Maria put down Mona, and said to her sons, "Bob, Coy, Sandra is upset with me. Would you mind


    coaxing her for me?"


    James, who had been silent all this time, looked at Maria''s gentle appearance. How he missed to


    see her like this once more!


    Shortly afterwards, Coy threw himself into Sandra''s arms. "I can do somersaults for you!"


    "And I can y the violin for you if you want," said Bob.


    Not to be outdone, Mona said, "Watch me beat Coy in a fight! He is not a match for me."


    The adults were amused by the little girl''s ims. Naturally, Coy was embarrassed to hear it. "I''m


    still young, you know! When I grow up, I''m going to tie you to a tree."


    Mona made a face at him. "My daddy will beat you up if you do that!"


    "In that case, I''ll ask my daddy to beat your daddy up!" said Coy.


    "Then I''ll ask my mommy to beat up your daddy and mommy," retorted Mona.


    "My daddy can fly! And once he starts flying, your mommy won''t be able to beat him," Coy refuted.


    "Well, my daddy can fly, too! He can fly to the moon if he wants to!"


    The adults in the area burst intoughter when they heard the two kids bragging.


    At this time, the room was opened once more. It was Ethan who entered. He was wearing a formal


    suit, and there was a bridegroom''s brooch on his chest.


    Upon seeing Maria, he said to her, "I''m so sorry for beingte, Maria. I just finished my duty. Please,


    have a seat."


    After saying that, he gently led her to James'' side. James pulled out a chair for her. Without giving


    her a chance to refuse, Ethan sat her down next to James.


    Maria wanted to sit somewhere else, but Ethan said to her, "All seats have been upied today.


    The room is full of couples, and we shouldn''t separate any of them. Just bear with it and remain


    seated, okay?"


    With an awkward smile, Maria said, "I want to look after my children."


    Ethan turned around and beckoned the two boys toe forward. "Bob, Coy,e here and sit


    next to your mom."


    The boys ran over and Ethan took them to their seats. Now, the family of four wear seated together.


    Maria and James sat in the middle, while Coy was sitting between Maria and Mildred, and Bob was


    between James and Lawrence.


    With a smile, Lawrence said, "Maria, you look after Coy, and James and I will take care of Bob."


    ''Can I refuse?'' In front of all these people, there was


    no way she could refuse. "Thank you!"


    On the TV, there was a live broadcast of the new couple''s wedding. Everyone watched it as they


    ate.


    James didn''t eat that much. He made sure that Bob was taken care of while he put food on Maria''s


    te from time to time.


    The dishes that were served in their room took her diet into consideration. Most of them were


    vegetable dishes, so she was able to eat them.


    When she saw that James put food on her te, Maria ate all of it, for she believed that it was


    wrong to waste food.


    After the wedding, Ethan returned to the room to drink with his friends. It was already past three in


    the afternoon when Maria left with them.


    Her two sons led her to a brand new ck car.


    No matter what Maria said, her children wouldn''t let go of her. She had been coerced into entering


    the car. James followed her in, and the driver started the car.


    "You can drop me off at the next intersection. I need to go back," said Maria.


    Leaning against the back of the seat, James looked at her and smirked. "Where are you going?"


    ''Does he not know where I''m supposed to go?'' Calmly, Maria replied, "JT Nunnery."


    "Why do you want to go back there?"


    That smug look on his face was getting on her nerves. She wanted to beat him.


    The following moment, James said, "Let''s send the children back to the manor first."


    "There''s no way I''m going there!" she refused immediately.


    She wasn''t an idiot. If she were to step foot in his home, there was a big chance that she wouldn''t


    be able to leave anymore.


    At this time, Bob said, "Mommy, the maids don''t treat Coy and me well. I want you toe with us."


    The sound of his voice made it seem like he was genuinely sad, and it pained Maria to hear him like


    that.


    "I want to be with Daddy and Mommy together. Mommy, I promise I won''t be naughty anymore!"


    Coy looked at her with pleading eyes while holding onto a lion-shaped toy.


    Annoyed, Maria looked at the man who had been silent for a few minutes. "James, did you tell your


    children to say these things to me?"


    With an innocent look, he answered, "Of course not! You do know that I''m too busy to take care of


    them myself, right? I can only ask the maids for help. I had no idea that they''d be so gutsy as to


    maltreat my children!"


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    "Yes, Mom. They mistreat us, and I only have vegetables to eat. Haven''t you noticed that I''ve lost


    weight?"ined Bob. He silently apologized to the maids in his head. He was forced to lie


    because he wanted his mother and brother to be with them.


    Unexpectedly, Coy broke into the tears. "Mom, I''m scared of living in the nunnery. I like climbing


    trees, but if you bring me to Daddy''s house, I won''t have any trees to climb, and you won''t beat me


    anymore."


    Maria couldn''t believe her ears. Were her two sons really this miserable? Why hadn''t she heard any


    grievances from Coy before?


    Bob started crying as well. "Daddy said that Mommy often cooked delicious dishes for me when I


    was a toddler. I want to eat them again. Mommy, Coy and I want to live together, and we''d love to


    live with you and Daddy!"


    "Mommy, I want to live with Bob,"


    Coy echoed. Their crying made Maria''s heart ache, and then her head hurt, too.


    James took out his phone, dialed a number, and put him on speakerphone. "Gary, rece all the


    maids in the manor until my sons are satisfied with their care."


    Gary sounded somewhat vexed. "But, Mr. Xi, this is the eighteenth batch of maids!"


    "I don''t care. Rece them all."


    "Mr. Xi, perhaps you should just call Mrs. Xi and beg her toe back and take care of the boys.


    No matter how dutiful a maid can be, it will never amount to a mother''spanionship."


    Once more, Maria fell silent. She suspected that she had fallen into a trap, but Gary was right. No


    matter how great the maids were, theirpanionship would always fall short of a parent''s love.


    It seemed that James was growing impatient now. "Just do as I say!"


    "Yes, Mr. Xi."


    Bob seemed to be inconsble. "Daddy, I don''t want the maids. They pay no attention to hygiene. I


    want Mommy."


    "Daddy, I want Mommy too!" echoed Coy.


    "Daddy."


    "Daddy! Mommy!"


    The two brothers cried incessantly.


    And because of their wailing, it was deafening inside the car.


    Maria looked at them and ordered, "Enough!"


    Silence ensued in the car in the blink of an eye. The two kids stared back at her with tearful eyes.

 Chapter 476 Mrs. Xi

    Chapter 476 Mrs. Xi


    Maria was about to lose her temper when she realized how adorable her children looked at the


    moment.


    The mere sight of their crying faces softened her heard. "Don''t cry anymore. I''ll take you home first,


    okay?"


    "Okay. Thanks, Mommy," said Bob.


    Her words put a smile on Coy''s face. "Thanks, Mom! I want to sleep with Daddy, Mommy, and Bob


    tonight."


    Maria fell silent yet again.


    Unbeknownst to her, James was smiling and giving his sons a thumbs-up sign.


    The kids sat back, giggling among themselves.


    Hearing the noise, Maria turned around.


    Immediately, the two brothers stopped what they were doing, and behaved themselves.


    Maria was confused. Just now, she heard them giggling like imps.


    James noticed that she was growing suspicious, but he would never rat out his sons.


    Soon, the car arrived at the manor. It had been over two years since Maria came here. The only


    reason she returned was because of her children.


    In the past, she had thought that she would nevere back to this ce, but her promise to


    herself was now broken.


    The maids were all surprised to see Maria, especially when they saw what she was wearing. If Bob


    and Coty hadn''t called her their mom, they would''ve thought she was a nun that James had invited


    into their home.


    James was walking in front, while Maria was walking with the two kids, each holding onto her


    hands.


    The maids greeted them at the door. "Wee back."


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    Two uniformed maids came to take Bob and Coy. They couldn''t resist the urge to look at Maria a


    few more times.


    While they were looking at her, Maria was also staring at them from head to toe.


    She wanted to know which maid had the balls to maltreat her son. Although she was now a pacifist,


    it didn''t mean that she would allow her sons to be pushed around.


    All the maids present were quite young. Most of them were in their twenties, and the oldest one


    seemed to be thirty years old. And on top of that, they were all attractive.


    It appeared as though James was enjoying a harem of beautiful maids!


    The jealousy that had been residing at the bottom of her heart was now gradually being


    reawakened.


    Upon noticing the way Maria was looking at them, the maids greeted her. "Good afternoon, ma''am."


    She nodded at them and said. "Good afternoon. Thank you for looking after Bob and Coy." "You''re


    wee. It''s our pleasure, and our duty." Now that they were in the vi, Bob and Coy began to


    y with their toys. Maria felt uneasy. She hadn''t been here for a long time, so she felt like she


    didn''t fit in.


    James put his arm around her shoulders. She wanted to avoid it, but it was toote.


    When their eyes met, he said, "I''ve asked them to prepare some clothes for you. I''ll go upstairs with


    you so you can change into something morefortable."


    For a moment, Maria hesitated. She looked at her sons as they were ying, and finally decided to


    refuse. "No. I have to go backter."


    "I''ve already asked my people to bring back your things from the nunnery. Go upstairs and see for


    yourself. Let me know if they left anything behind."


    Maria had a bad feeling about this. "Why did you ask someone to bring my stuff here?"


    "Maria, you have a family. You have a husband and two sons. Staying in the nunnery does not suit


    you."


    ring at him, Maria replied, "I''m a nun already. You don''t get to decide whether staying in the


    nunnery suits you or not."


    James smirked. "You are not."


    "What?"


    James grabbed her hands and said, "You are not a nun. Two and a half years ago, Norman told the


    abbess of JT Nunnery in advance to never let you be a nun." He believed that this was the


    only thing that Norman had done right for so long.


    "That''s not possible!" Maria shook his hands away.


    She had been staying in JT Nunnery for nearly that same amount of time. And now he was telling


    her that she had never been a nun all this time? ''Are you kidding me?''


    "Don''t be agitated. You should ask Norman about this, since he''s the one who talked to the abbess.


    That is why you were permitted to stay in JT Nunnery and do whatever you wanted. Shaving off


    your hair doesn''t mean you are a nun." He looked at her head underneath the hat.


    Maria was at a loss for words.


    ''Is he saying that I''ve been a fake nun all this time?''


    She cast him a cold re and shouted, "You''re lying! James, what on earth do you want from me?"


    With his hands in his pockets, James replied calmly, "I want you toe back and marry me again.


    I want you to be Mrs. Xi once more."


    She couldn''t believe what she was hearing. This time, she turned around and went for the door.


    There was no way she would believe anything that came out of his mouth.


    Without stopping her, James said, "I''ll ask the driver to send you there, but I must remind you that


    it''s useless for you to go back. JT Nunnery will no longer ept you. Don''t forget that you broke the


    rule of celibacy that night. The abbess will no longer ept you."


    Once more, Maria was having a hard time regting her breathing.


    She then turned around and rushed to punch him as hard as she could. "You men are all bastards!"


    Before she could remove her fist, James grasped it tightly. "Yes, yes, we''re all bastards. Will you


    come back now, honey?" "Honey? I''m not your honey!" Maria pulled back her wrist and went for the


    door again.


    James followed her out to stop her. "I have your abbess''s contact number. Call her if you must, but


    don''t waste your time by going back there for nothing."


    But Maria didn''t stop walking. She would never believe him, and she wanted to go back no matter


    what.


    She walked to the car, and gave it a hard kick. Then, she looked at James as he stood at the


    entrance of the vi. "Ask someone to send me back this instant!" she ordered.


    Upon hearing that, he opened the car door for her.


    "Let''s go!"


    Maria got in the car.


    Unexpectedly, James sat in the driver''s seat and started the car. It seemed that he was going to


    drive her back to JT Nunnery himself.


    By the time they reached the mountaintop, it was getting dark and the nunnery was already closed.


    Maria had been knocking at the door for a long time before someone finally opened it. Once the nun


    saw her, she said, "Oh, it''s you, Maria? The abbess said that you don''t have toe back here.


    You''re no longer a nun. You can return to your normal life!"


    Maria''s heart sank. It turned out that James was telling the truth. However, she still wasn''t willing to


    ept it. "I want to see the abbess."


    All she had done was attend a wedding. Just before she went out, everything was fine. Why was


    she no longer allowed toe back?


    The nun who opened the door was caught in a dilemma. "Would you like me to ask the abbess for


    you instead?"


    "I''m okay with that."


    But before the nun could ask the abbess, a familiar figure caught Maria''s sight. She folded her


    palms together and bowed.


    The abbess approached her and said, "A long time ago, I''ve already realized that you don''t belong


    here. Although you''ve shaved your hair, you''re still not a nun."


    Maria was so devastated to hear those words from the abbess herself. Her eyes widened in shock.


    "Don''t be so surprised, Maria. Haven''t you once asked me why a nun wasn''t the one to shave your


    hair? That''s the reason," said the abbess.

 Chapter 477 A Scheming Maid

    Chapter 477 A Scheming Maid


    "Back then, Mr. Shen and Mr. Lu spoke to me about this. It made me more certain that you were still


    connected to the mortal world, which made you unsuitable to be a nun. However, you insisted


    on shaving off your hair to be a nun, so I thought that I should let you stay for now," said the


    abbess.


    For a moment, Maria didn''t know how to respond. All sorts ofplicated emotions were preventing


    her from thinking straight.


    The abbess smiled, "You can return to your real life now. Be your most genuine self, Maria! Both


    Bob and Coy are waiting for you. Give them a happy family and healthy upbringing."


    Maria was at a loss for words.


    The abbess turned around and went into the nunnery. The young nun who had opened the door for


    Maria put her palms together in front of her chest and bowed. "Maria, bring Coy over to see us


    whenever you''re free, okay?" With that, she closed the gate of the nunnery.


    There, Maria stood in silence. Mixed emotions resided her heart as she stared at the golden words


    inscribed on the board above the gate. "JT Nunnery," it said.


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    A few years back, it used to be just an ordinary board. Later on, Cooper asked the head of the


    calligrapher''s association of H City to inscribe the words on a new board.


    At this time, a steady, daunting set of footsteps resounded from behind Maria. She didn''t have to


    turn around to know who those footsteps belonged to.


    He stood beside her and said, "Mia, give me another chance. Let''s start over again, okay?"


    Still not looking at him, Maria focused on the board''s inscription and asked, "James, can''t you let me


    live a peaceful life for the rest of my life?"


    All she wanted was a life with no more quarrels, intrigues, vengeance, and blood feuds.


    "No way!" James refused. "Maria, I can''t live a life without you!"


    Maria fell silent.


    ''In this world, everyone is capable of living well without anyone else, right?''


    It was quiet on their way back. The entire time, Maria kept her eyes closed, while her mind was in


    shambles.


    When they were near the downtown area, she said, "Can you send me back to Golden Mansion?"


    James replied, "Okay, but not today. Firstly, the apartment has been deserted for a long time, so I''ll


    need to ask some people to clean it tomorrow morning. Secondly, you promised our sons that you''ll


    apany them tonight."


    What he said made sense, so Maria agreed in silence.


    The moment they returned to the manor, the two boys threw themselves into Maria''s arms at the


    same time. It was a rare sight for Bob to behave like this. In a soft, aggrieved tone, he said, "Mom, I


    thought you weren''ting back."


    "Mommy, please don''t leave me behind," Coy sobbed.


    Looking at her two sons, Maria let out a sigh. "How could I leave you behind? That will never


    happen."


    "Really?" Coy''s eyes lit up and he jumped for joy.


    "Yes, I promise."


    Now that she was no longer permitted to return to JT Nunnery, she decided that she must work hard


    for her children from now on.


    And as for her rtionship with James, she decided not to worry about it for now.


    The sight of his family embracing each other like this put a smile on James'' face.


    James had disliked Maria''s clothing for a long time. Thus, he took her upstairs to change her attire.


    As she stared at the clothes in the closet, Maria turned to James and asked, "When did you prepare


    these?"


    All the clothes she had worn in the past were gone, and the ones hanging in the closet at present


    were from thetest fashion trends.


    "I asked people to prepare them the same day I woke up." He had believed that she would return to


    him sooner orter.


    It was only a matter of time.


    He had not only asked people to prepare clothes for her, but also asked them to prepare everything


    that she would need in the future.


    "It seems that you''ve been certain of my return long ago, haven''t you?" Maria sneered.


    "That''s right. I knew that you''ll be moved by my love," he replied nonchntly.


    She didn''t know what to say about that. Ignoring him, she finally chose a simple dress and walked


    out of the cloakroom.


    Upon her return to the bedroom, she said, "You can go out now. I''ll go downstairs after taking a


    shower."


    "Go ahead and take a shower right now if you want to." He then sat beside the bed and stared at


    her.


    Maria rolled her eyes, picked up the clothes, and said, "I''ll just go to the next room." She wouldn''t


    have stepped foot inside the master bedroom if he hadn''t told her that her clothes were here.


    "Wait!" he blurted out.


    She stopped in her tracks. He then approached her and pinched her chin. In spite of her refusal, he


    kissed her lips. "Go on. Take a shower.


    I''ll wait for you downstairs."


    Once Maria was certain that he was out of the room, she went into the bathroom.


    Twenty or so minutester, James was waiting for her at the dining table. Their children had already


    had dinner while James and Maria were at JT Nunnery earlier.


    Step by step, she went downstairs. Coy ran over to hold her hand, and as he looked up at her, he


    said, "Mommy, you''re so beautiful!" This was the first time he had seen his mother in anything other


    than a nun''s habit.


    Maria caressed his little head and said, "You have a way with words, little man! Thank you, my


    dear!"


    "You''re wee, Mommy!" Coy grinned and went back to Bob''s side to y with toys.


    As soon as Maria sat at the dining table, a maid came to serve dishes anddled soup for them.


    Most of the dishes that had been served were her favorites. However, she habitually picked the


    vegetables to eat. James frowned at her. "You''re allowed to eat something other than vegetables


    now. " After saying that, he picked up a piece of sparerib and put it into her bowl.


    Maria looked dazed when she saw the sparerib, but she still ate it in silence.


    After dinner, it was time for the kids to go to bed. Maria yed with them for a while, and soon, a


    maid came to ask them to take a bath.


    Casually, Maria asked, "Is the water ready? I''ll be the one to bathe them tonight."


    "Yes, but I''ve been bathing them before. I don''t wish to trouble you, ma''am." The maid was caught


    in a dilemma.


    Hearing that, Maria nced at the maid. Her light makeup highlighted her beauty.


    As a woman, Maria''s sixth sense told her that this maid was scheming something.


    She then picked up Coy in one arm, held Bob with the other, and said tly, "It''s no trouble. They''re


    my sons, and as their mother, I should be the one to do it."


    The maid didn''t have anything to say about it anymore, so she just followed them to the bathroom.


    Maria asked her children to remove their clothes, while she went to the tub to check the


    temperature forthem.


    But before she could enter the bathroom, the maid said, "Boys, please allow me to help you remove


    your clothes!"


    Maria turned about and said to the maid, "No. Let them do it themselves."


    Hesitant, the maid replied, "They are still young, so I''ve been helping them remove their clothes


    before."


    "Mary, it''s not a big deal. I can do it myself," Boston said. He had already learned how to do it


    himself long ago, and he didn''t want the maid to help him remove his clothes.


    Coy was careless and much younger, so he was oblivious to most things. When he heard that he


    was going to take a bath, he quickly took off his clothes and ran to the bathroom barefoot.


    Maria stopped him and held him up. "Slow down, young man! I still need to check the temperature."


    Before she entered the bathroom, she said to the maid, "Call James over. Tell him that he needs to


    bathe his sons."


    The maid was a bit surprised to hear that. "Well... I don''t think that''s a good idea. Mr. Xi has been


    really busytely. I think we should be able to handle these trifles ourselves."


    Maria''s face turned grim. "There''s nothing wrong about this. A grown-up daughter should avoid


    being seen naked by her father, and a grown-up son should likewise avoid being seen naked by his


    mother. From now on, let James bathe Boston."

 Chapter 478 The Maids Complaint

    Chapter 478 The Maid''s Comint


    "I see. I''ll tell Mr. Xi now. Bob isn''t even five years old, though. Don''t you think it''s too early to be this


    strict?" The maid wore an expression that made it seem like she wanted the best for Maria.


    Maria almost burst intoughter due to the annoyance she was feeling. "Am I his mother, or are


    you?"


    The maid felt wrong. "Of course, you are. I''m just trying to do what''s the best for Bob."


    Maria cast her a cold re and said, "Just do your job well, and don''t worry about anything else.


    Now, go on! Call James over."


    "Yes, ma''am."


    After saying that, the maid left.


    Boston was curious about what was going on. "Mom, Mary looks upset."


    Maria asked, "Does Mary help you bathe all the time?"


    "Yes. But Mommy, I''m all grown up. I can bathe myself from now on."


    Maria didn''t ask any more questions. "I will bathe Coy first. You should wait for your dad toe."


    "Okay."


    In the study


    While James was typing on hisptop, he heard a


    knocking from the door. "Come in."


    The door opened, and Mary came in. "Mr. Xi, the boys'' mom asked you to to bathe Bob."


    Her voice was choked with sobs. James nced at her and found tears in her eyes. "What


    happened?" he asked tly.


    "Here''s the thing. I''ve always been helping the boys take a bath. Tonight, their mom told me that


    they no longer need my help, and insisted that you bathe them instead. But I know how busy you


    are, Mr. Xi. I''ve already exined this to her, but she said that I wasn''t doing my job well."


    James closed hisptop and stood up. When he passed her by, he warned her, "She''s right. When


    she told you to call me over, you just needed to do as she instructed."


    Mary was surprised to hear that. When she got ahold of herself, she nodded at once. "Yes, Mr. Xi. I


    understand!"


    James left the study, and she wiped away her tears in a hurry.


    She couldn''t figure out why he would protect an arrogant nun.


    Upon James'' return to the bedroom, Boston had already taken off his clothes and had been waiting


    for him.


    The moment he saw his father, Bob got out of the bed and said, "Dad, I need to bathe."


    James picked him up and went to the bathroom.


    In the bathroom, Maria had just put Coy into the child''s tub. James put Bob into the adult''s bathtub.


    She concentrated on bathing Coy, and didn''t say anything even though she knew that James had


    come in.


    James took off his coat. When he passed by Maria, he said, "Put them together. I''ll bathe them at


    the same time."


    "That''s not necessary. I know how busy you are these days. How could I trouble you with something


    like this?"


    Hearing that, James paused for a moment. "Are you angry?" he asked in a calm voice.


    "You''re overthinking." How could she be angry just because of an insignificant person?


    James didn''t say anything else. But Coy said he wanted to take a bath together with Bob in the


    bigger tub.


    Unable to convince him otherwise, Maria transferred him to the bathtub that Bob was in.


    Afterwards, the brothersughed and screamed together in the tub.


    Maria, who had been used to tranquil silence, was almost deafened by their squealing.


    She then washed her hands and walked out of the bathroom to prepare the kids'' pajamas.


    The second she got out, Mary coincidentally came into the bedroom, carrying two sets of children''s


    pajamas.


    Seeing Maria, she greeted her with a nod and went on her way to the bathroom.


    Maria decided not to stop her, and just went to the balcony to take a break.


    It had been over two years since she set foot in H City. From where she standing, she realized that


    the city had grown much more prosperous than before.


    ''Am I really going back to this life?''


    If she really were to return to H City, she would have to face endless open and secret fights once


    more, as well as a myriad of annoying trifles.


    But if she decided not toe back, there would be no other ce for her to go. ''I can''t leave H


    City with my two sons, can I?''


    She figured that with James'' power and sphere of influence, he would be able to track her down and


    bring her back in no time. Then, he would imprison her for a lifetime.


    Coy was the first one to leave the bathroom. He was wearing blue pajamas, rushing out and


    mouthing words that nobody could understand.


    He wanted to climb onto the bed, but when he saw Maria on the balcony, he decided to go to her


    instead. "Mommy, are you missing me?"


    Maria turned around and smiled at her beloved son. "You''re right here. Why do I have to miss you?"


    Coy climbed onto a chair, tilted his head, and asked, "Mommy, when will you give birth to a little


    sister for me?"


    ''Why did he suddenly mention having a sister? James must''ve put weird ideas into his head again!''


    she thought. "A sister? Coy, do you really want a sister?"


    "Of course, I do! Mona is so cute!" Mona''s adorable face shed into Coy''s mind.


    "Did your daddy say something to you?"


    "Yes. He asked us to help him, so that Mommy would soon be pregnant with our sister." Coy


    counted his fingers and mumbled, "One sister, two sisters, three... Mommy, I want nine sisters!"


    Maria was stunned. ''Does my son think I''m a pig or something? How could he demand so many


    babies from me?'' "My dear, sisters aren''t like pups or baby pigs."


    "Okay. So, Mommy, how many sisters will we have then?"


    In a perfunctory manner, Maria answered, "As many as you want."


    "Then let''s have one hundred!"


    With no other choice, she exined, "I''m not a pig. I can''t give birth to that many." Besides, even a


    pig might not be able to give birth to a hundred little pigs.


    "Then, how many sisters can you give birth to?" Coy asked innocently.


    "Just one!" She had to undergo C-section when she gave birth to Bob, and for Coy, it was a natural


    birth. If she were to give birth again, she could only have one more.


    Of course, it would still be better if she didn''t have to give birth to another baby.


    ''Wait! What the hell am I thinking?


    Why am I talking about this with Coy?''


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    When she came to her senses, it was all toote. Coy had already gone to bathroom and shouted,


    "Daddy, Mommy said that she would give birth to a sister for me!"


    She wanted to cover his mouth, but it had already


    been said.


    "Okay. One is fine," James replied briskly.


    Maria was at a loss for words. ''What the hell is wrong with me?''


    In the evening, the family of four slept in the same bed. Maria and James were sleeping on opposite


    sides, while the kids were in the middle of the bed.


    As Maria narrated fairy tales for the kids, James rested his head on his arm, intently listening to her


    story and staring at her with an affectionate gaze.


    Before it was half past nine, the two kids finally fell asleep.


    Back in the nunnery, Maria lived an average life. She went to bed early, and got up early every


    single day. And now, she was so sleepy that she fell asleep the second she put the book on the


    nightstand.


    In the bedroom, only James was awake. It seemed as though this moment made him happy beyond


    words.


    In the middle of the night, while Maria was sleeping soundly, she felt someone heaving pressing on


    her body. She wanted to open her eyes, but her eyes were too sleepy to open.


    His kiss was very domineering, and his breath was ragged and short. Before she suffocated from


    the kiss, he finally let her go. However, what he did next was much more unbridled.

 Chapter 479 Duel Between Father And Son

    Chapter 479 Duel Between Father And Son


    Before Maria couldpletely awaken, James had already been inside her.


    In her mind, Maria was cursing him over and over. ''This wretched man! All he can think of is sex!''


    She wanted to give him a piece of his mind, but James shushed her.


    That was when Maria remembered that their children were in bed along with them. However, when


    she looked around, she realized that only she and James were left. "Where are they?"


    "In the children''s room," he replied tly.


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Maria fell silent.


    If that was the case, then she was in so a deep a sleep earlier that she didn''t even realize that her


    children had been transferred to another room.


    She was still half-asleep. Before she could think of her two sons, she was immersed in the pleasure


    James brought her.


    The following morning, Maria was still sleeping upstairs while James was having breakfast with their


    sons downstairs.


    After breakfast, before sending Bob to kindergarten, James said to John, "Tell everyone in the vi


    that Maria is Mrs. Xi."


    John understood why his boss would give thatmand. "Understood, Mr. Xi!"


    In less than five minutes, while Maria was still asleep, everyone in the entire manor found out about


    her identity.


    John told everyone that her status was as high as James'' in this family. They must treat Maria the


    same way he would treat him.


    Mary, who had been looking after Boston, felt embarrassed. She had been dreaming that James


    would fall in love with her, but she had no idea that Maria would suddenly appear.


    Once Maria woke up, she moved back to the Golden Mansion in the afternoon.


    As soon as Norman heard about it, he called her. "You''re back? Well, now that you''ve returned, why


    don''t youe back to thepany and start working?"


    "Thanks to you, I''m back," Maria replied coldly. She would always remember that it was Norman


    and Lawrence who convinced the abbess not to let her be a nun.


    However, her indifference towards him just left him confused. "Do you not want to go back to the


    company?"


    "What else am I supposed to do if I don''t return? I wonder what''s wrong with some people. They did


    something to drag me down, and they act as if nothing happened."


    Sensing her sarcasm, Norman replied, "For example?"


    "For example, when I was set to be a nun, a certain Mr. Shen did his best to convince the


    abbess of JT Nunnery to prevent me from bing one."


    It turned out that this was the reason behind her anger. However, Norman didn''t feel ashamed of


    what


    he had done. "I did it for the good of the nunnery. Think about it. If you did be a nun, James


    would probably try to destroy the nunnery by any means necessary."


    Maria was rendered speechless. It was true that James had the tendency to do that sort of thing.


    "Perhaps DS Group still has a chance to be listed," Norman remarked.


    Displeased with his words, Maria said, "You''re a capable man, Norman. Why isn''t DS Group listed


    yet after almost three years of your leadership?"


    "What does DS Group have to do with me? It was already kind enough of me to have asked


    someone to take care of it in your absence. If anyone should bring DS Group to bing listed, it


    should be James. You''re his wife, not mine," Norman said matter-of-factly.


    Once more, Maria didn''t know how to respond. He was right, after all. "I''m in no hurry to go back. I


    think I''m going to wait for a little while longer."


    It had only been two days since she returned to H City. Everything was still unstable, so she wasn''t


    in any hurry to take over thepany again.


    However, Norman was growing more and more anxious by the day. "Look, even if you''re not in a


    hurry, I am! Just take over DS Group and Fosun Entertainment Group as soon as possible.


    Otherwise, they''re going bankrupt. It has nothing to do with me."


    For the past few years, he had been busy as a bee, and he had been postponing the development


    of his rtionship with Mildred.


    Even Cooper had enough time to get engaged to Sandra now. He, on the other hand, still had no


    progress with Mildred. How could he not be anxious about it?


    "Fine. Just wait a few more days." Norman had been waiting for her return for so long. A few more


    days wouldn''t matter.


    "That''s more like it."


    He heaved a sigh of relief.


    When he found out that Maria had moved back into the Golden Mansion, James didn''t persuade her


    to go back to the manner.


    He would drop by the Golden Mansion every night to bring all sorts of expensive gifts. At first, Maria


    wouldn''t even open the door for him. To solve this problem, he used an old trick. He sent someone


    to escort his sons here to knock at the door. And since her children were here, Maria had no choice


    but to let all three of them inside.


    A few dayster, she returned to thepany. She took over Fosun Entertainment Group and DS


    Group at the same time, effectively resuming her position.


    What saddened James even more was the fact that he could visit the Golden Mansion with the


    children, but Maria was still firmly refusing to sleep with him.


    In the past few days, Maria and her two sons slept in the same room, while James slept in another


    one.


    One day, while Maria was on a business trip, Sebastian took Bob to Augustine''s home. Only two


    people resided in James'' vi. One was James himself, and the other was Coy.


    James was holding his newly-bathed son in his arms, and threw him onto the bed. He sat down by


    the bed and said, "Coy."


    Coy sat cross-legged, sping his hands together, and then he mimicked his mother. "Daddy, I''m a


    nun." ''Does this kid think he''s actually a nun?'' James was amused. He would''ve thought that he had


    a daughter if Coy wasn''t naked at the moment.


    He then stood up and threw the boy''s pajamas at him. "Put them on," he ordered.


    Clumsily, Coy put on his pajamas and looked at James. "Let''s go to sleep, Dad!"


    "Hang on." James let him lie down first. "I need to talk to you about something."


    "What?" The boy''s eyes widened with curiosity.


    "Do you want to live with Daddy, Mommy, and your brother forever?"


    Nodding, Coy replied, "I do!"


    "For that to happen, I have to marry your mom, and she must be my wife."


    ''Wife?'' Coy had already learned this word. His eyes lit up, and he sat upright from the bed. "Daddy,


    if you want to marry Mommy, you have to get my permission first."


    He just wanted the boy''s help, not ask for his permission. "You are my son!" It was true that he was


    Coy''s father. Why should he ask his son''s permission to get married?


    The boy pouted. "You need my permission to let me be your son!"


    Patiently, James exined, "I am your biological father. Why do I need your permission?" Besides,


    Maria had never told him about Coy''s existence in the past.


    He also bore a lot of resentment, but he couldn''t tell anyone about how he felt.


    Upon hearing his father''s exnation, Coy realized that he was right. "In that case, let''s have a


    duel!"


    James nodded. "Okay, let''s do it then!" Naturally, a little boy wouldn''t scare him.


    The boy grabbed James'' phone and input the password.


    "Wait!" James tried to stop him.


    Coy looked up at him in confusion.


    "How did you figure out my phone''s password?" As far as he could remember, he had never told his


    son about it.


    Coy scoffed and answered confidently, "I saw it several times."


    The boy''s answer left James speechless.


    He had never thought of hiding his password from his toddler son.


    Once Coy unlocked the phone, he opened WeChat to look for Maria''s ount. Afterwards, he


    clicked on the dialogue box.


    James was dumbfounded by his son''s wless use of a smartphone.


    A two-year-old unlocking his smart phone was already out of the ordinary, but seeing this toddler


    open WeChat and Maria''s inbox so easily was something that never urred to him.


    The boy invited Maria for a video call, and after a few rings, it finally connected. "What''s up?" said


    Maria, but her face didn''t show up on the screen.


    "Mommy!" Coy suddenly burst into tears.

 Chapter 480 Blue Snow Roses

    Chapter 480 Blue Snow Roses


    At the sight of this, Maria''s heart began to ache. "What''s wrong, Coy? Stop crying and tell me what''s


    wrong."


    Coy cried for a bit longer and attempted to choke back his tears. "Mommy, when you were not at


    home, Daddy bullied... Mmmph..." Before he could finish his sentence, a big palm covered his


    mouth tightly from behind.


    Coy began to struggle violently. Later, his cries were so loud that James didn''t know what to do.


    In the end, he had no choice but to hang up on Maria. Once he did that, he turned and red at his


    son. Coy''s face was wet with tears. Shaking his head, James demanded, "Who taught you to lie so


    well?"


    "No one." Coy was good at faking tears. With the back of his hand, he wiped his tears. shing his


    father a smile, he said, "But you agreed to have a duel. I''m not a match for you." He knew his father


    was afraid of his mother. He had no choice but to ask her for help.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    This response stunned James.


    ''He can''t possibly be my biological son,'' he thought with disgust. Even if they looked the alike, he


    refused to ept this.


    James''s thoughts were distracted by his phone which continued to ring. It was Maria calling again.


    After all, he had hung up all of a sudden.


    Before he picked it up, he decided to discuss about it with Coy. "If you tell your mommy that we


    were just ying a game, then I will take you to Africa to see lions."


    "You have taken me to see the lions already!" Coy eximed.


    James had taken Coy and Bob to the zoo once. They had seen all kinds of animals there.


    "It is going to be different this time. I''ll take you to the prairie in Africa to see lions." This was quite a


    tempting offer.


    "The prairie in Africa?" A merry smile lit up Coy''s face. He began to consider this offer.


    James'' phone was still ringing and he couldn''t afford to waste time. He handed the phone to Coy


    and said, "Deal with your mother nicely. If you do a good job, we can make ns to go to Africa."


    Coy hesitated a bit but then he slid the answer key and took the call. "Mommy," he shouted in a


    cheerful voice.


    Maria, who had expected him to be still crying, was taken aback. Just a few minutes ago, he was


    weeping his heart out. She wondered what had caused his mood to change so suddenly. "My dear,


    what was wrong with you a few minutes ago?"


    "Nothing, Mommy. I was ying a game with Daddy. He ended up losing!"


    "Then why were you crying?" asked Maria dubiously.


    "I was missing you and wanted to meet you."


    As James watched his sone up with an exnation, he was shocked. He had to admit his son


    was a good liar.


    Maria, who knew her son very well, was still skeptical. "Did your daddy punish you for being


    naughty?" she asked.


    "No, no, no!" Coy was afraid his n to visit Africa would get cancelled. He shook his head


    vehemently.


    There was something odd about Coy''s behavior. Maria seemed convinced he had been threatened


    by James. "Coy, if your daddy is threatening you, blink at me."


    Coy looked at the screen with his eyes wide open. To prove that her suspicion wasn''t right, he did


    his best to stare at her with unblinking eyes.


    Maria was slightly amused. In the end, she sighed and said, "All right, all right. I''ll be back in two


    days. You have to listen to Bob. Please behave like a good boy."


    "Okay, Mommy!" Coy tilted his head and blew her a kiss across the screen.


    Watching him act adorable, Maria said, "Well, go to bed early. I still have a meeting to attend."


    Before she could hang up, James appeared on the screen. Her son''s lovely face was reced by


    his ruggedly handsome one. "It''s prettyte. Howe you are still busy?"


    Maria''s tone became cold. "How can I afford to be idle like you? I have two sons to raise. I have no


    choice but to work hard."


    "You have a choice! I''ll support all the three of you. You have to believe that your husband has the


    ability. VI


    ''My husband?''


    She rolled her eyes and said, "Coy, my dear, go to bed


    early. Bye!"


    Before James could say something, she cut the video call.


    He stared at the ck screen, dismayed. He hated being ignored by his wife.


    Soon, it was the day when Maria woulde back to H City. James decided to pick her up in


    person. He was holding arge bouquet of roses in his arms. These were the rarest kind of roses.


    There were 999 roses in the bouquet with gorgeous white petals and icy blue edges.


    As soon as she arrived, he pecked her on the lips and said, "Honey, wee back!"


    Therge bouquet of roses was shoved into her arms. Due to its weight, she couldn''t even dodge


    his kiss.


    She wanted to push him away with one hand, but the roses wouldn''t allow her to do so. She wished


    to return them to him. He wrapped his hand around her shoulders and walked at a quickened pace.


    Trying to catch his attention, she said, "Thank you, Mr. Xi, but I have a driver to pick me up."


    "No, you don''t. Didn''t he inform you? I passed by yourpany and happened to meet your driver.


    He told me he had an emergency and couldn''te to pick you up."


    Maria wondered if he was speaking the truth. The driver hadn''t said anything to her. He had


    promised toe to pick her up at the airport.


    She raised her head and red at the man before her. He must be ying a trick on her. "James..."


    James lowered his head and whispered in her ear,


    "Spare me the embarrassment. Everyone is watching us. There are some reporters here as well."


    Maria looked around and realized he was right. However, it had nothing to do with her. "Why? What


    made you think will I save your face? You shouldn''t havee here."


    "Okay, I made a mistake. I will be careful next time. Get in the car right now. You can do whatever


    you wantter on. Okay?"


    His audacity made her speechless.


    They continued to walk forward. Wherever they went, the reporters would follow them.


    When they arrived at the car, James took the flowers from her arms and put them in the trunk.


    Maria obediently sat in the car and massaged her sore arms. "James, were you here to pick me up?


    Or your intention was to plot some kind of revenge?" There were 999 roses! And he hadpelled


    her to carry them. Her arms had be sore.


    James entered the car and closed the door. He kept his hand on her head which was covered with


    a wig. "Why would I do that?" he asked, his eyes brimming with sincerity.


    Maria snapped angrily, "Take off your hand! Don''t think you can touch me!"


    "Okay."


    James'' phone was ringing so he answered it. A feeling of drowsiness crept over Maria. She leaned


    against the back of the seat and closed her eyes.


    She had never thought sleep woulde so easily.


    When she woke up, she looked out of the window and noticed it was getting pretty dark.


    She sat up straight, only to realize she had been leaning on James'' chest all this while.


    "Are you awake?" he asked.


    Maria remained silent for a few seconds, collecting her thoughts. "Where am I?" There was a trace


    of exhaustion in her voice.


    "In the underground parking lot of the DS Group building." He had wanted to take her to the manor.


    However, on a second thought, he decided against it. He was afraid it would anger her. Hence, he


    decided to take her here.


    "All right. Thank you, Mr. Xi." After saying that, she got ready to open the door.


    Just then, James grabbed her arm and pulled her into his arms. In the dim car, their eyes met and


    they could feel each other''s breath.


    "Mia, I love you," he said earnestly.


    Without waiting for her response, he let go of her. "Go ahead. Don''t tire yourself. You need some


    rest."


    Maria got out of the car. She watched the car leave the parking lot. She stood there for a few


    moments, feeling a jumble of emotions.


    Why had he confessed his love out of nowhere?


    Realizing she couldn''t stand there and dwell on it, she went to the office. There she found that


    James had already asked someone to bring the bouquet of roses.

 Chapter 481 Envious

    Chapter 481 Envious


    Maria received a phone call from Peggy. "Mrs. Xi, your charms are extraordinary! Although your


    love has gone through some rough patches, I still envy you!"


    "Why did you say that all of a sudden?" asked Maria.


    "Aren''t you aware of it yet?" said Peggy.


    "Is there something important I should know?"


    Peggy rolled her eyes. "Maria, you shouldn''t focus all your attention on your work. You should check


    Weibo from time to time. Maybe you''ll find yourself on the hot search list, and have be the


    heroine of the love story envied by thousands of people!"


    Maria was at a loss for words.


    ''Is Peggy saying that I should check Weibo right now?''


    She then opened Weibo that she hadn''t seen in a very long time. A few minutester, she finally


    found out what had happened.


    Photos of James going to the airport to pick her up in person had already been posted by several


    reporters. Some posted, "Mr. Xi picked up Mrs. Xi in the airport in person." "Don''t you envy their


    love?" "James and Maria embraced each other and kissed at the airport."


    James must''ve approved the release of this news. The photos did show them kissing, while she


    was taking the bouquet of roses from her hands. And another photo showed them leaving the


    airport hand in hand.


    Maria didn''t seem unhappy in these photos. What the public perceived was that they were happily in


    love, and nothing out of the ordinary was happening.


    When she saw how great those photos were, Maria thought that she should poach the reporters


    who took them, and hire them to be part of Fosun Entertainment Group.


    HL Group''s official ount reposted a picture of them kissing at the airport. In that post, the


    company said, "We''d like to raise a ss to this public disy of affection of Mr. and Mrs. Xi! By the


    way, the bouquet of 999 Blue Snow Roses that have been specially developed by Mr. Xi for his wife


    is something to be envied as well!"


    Maria didn''t know what to say about this.


    It was so obvious that James was the culprit behind these posts.


    Mentioning that she was Mrs. Xi, the roses, and the reporters were all a part of his n.


    Those who didn''t know the truth would assume that they had gotten remarried, but in reality it was


    just a fluke!


    Maria decided to ignore the Weibo ounts who sent her some private messages. She then locked


    her phone, and nced at the bouquet of roses nearby.


    Lately, James had been very considerate of her. He had given her a string of Buddhist beads in JT


    Nunnery, and she still hadn''t had the chance to return that gift. He had been giving her various


    luxurious items recently, and histest gift was these specially developed roses.


    She walked over to smell the unique fragrance of these flowers. This was a scent that she had


    never smelled before, but she had to admit that its light aroma suited her preferences.


    She had never seen or heard of these roses before, and it turned out that James'' people were the


    ones who gically engineered them into creation.


    Once more, she took out her phone to send him a message. "Put a media ckout on the top


    search list about us."


    "I will, if you promise to stay at the manor tonight," James replied.


    "Never mind then!"


    "Okay," he responded quickly.


    At this point, Maria didn''t know what to tell him. ''Bastard!''


    A few dayster, she and James met at a formal banquet involving their business associates.


    This sort of party was amon urrence to them, and it was rather difficult for them not to meet.


    However, this time, Maria wasn''t alone. She was holding onto a man''s arm, and it wasn''t James. He


    knew that she was going to attend this banquet, so he came early to save her a seat next to his.


    Maria''spanion for the night was also wearing a suit. He was tall, handsome, and charismatic.


    People could tell that his body was in shape underneath all those clothes.


    James had been bedridden for two years, and it was normal that he had be skinny after being


    comatose all this time. It took him several months of intensive exercise routines to regain his


    muscles, and only four of his abs had returned. Although his figure wasn''t as good as it used to be,


    it was still impressive that he managed to recover a physically -fit body in such a short amount of


    time.


    All the other attendees didn''t expect that Maria would bring another man here, so they were a bit


    embarrassed, especially the one who organized this dinner party.


    As James sat at the host seat, he smoked a cigarette in silence.


    In the eyes of everyone around him, he looked visibly upset.


    Maria, on the other hand, looked quite calm for a tense situation. There was a smile stered on


    her face as she held the arm of her escort. She sat next to James, while herpanion sat next to


    her.


    Perhaps she had done this to deliberately humiliate James tonight. When someone asked her who


    her "friend" was, she answered frankly, "I just came out of the Carnival Club. Kenny is the top model


    there. He can outdrink everyone in this party, I assure you. Come then, propose a toast to everyone


    for me, Kenny!"


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Carnival Club was a famous night club in H City. All their members were good-looking. On the


    surface, the males and females were just models. But at night, they became whores and gigolos for


    the high ss. Naturally, they cost a pretty penny. For a leading figure like Maria''spanion


    during this event, she must''ve paid at least one million dors to hire him.


    If she needed him for other services, she would have to pay extra. And as long as the clients could


    afford it, the models would do anything for them.


    Eventually, someone decided to mediate on this embarrassing disy. "Ms. Song, I''d like to


    propose a toast to you. Let''s see just how much Kenny can drink!"


    While Kenny was drinking with several CEOs, Maria just sat next to them. She and James hadn''t


    said anything to each other since her arrival.


    Momentster, with a lit cigarette between his lips, Jamesdled some vegetable soup for Maria.


    However, she just pretended like she didn''t see the bowl at all.


    "Don''t you want it?" he asked.


    "Sorry, I''m not hungry," she replied.


    Many people heard their conversation, but none of them dared to interrupt. All they could do was


    pretend like they didn''t hear a thing.


    The following moment, James took out his phone and sent a message to someone. After that, he


    didn''t do anything else.


    Ten minutester, while Maria was talking to someone, the private room was opened from the


    outside and a man came in. She recognized this person. He was the Carnival Club''s manager.


    When he saw the crowd, he bowed to them and said, "I''m sorry for the intrusion, everyone. I''m


    looking for Kenny."


    After saying something to Maria, Kenny walked out of the room.


    Minutester, he returned to give Maria a calling card. "Ms. Song, I''m sorry about this. I need to go.


    There''s an emergency at home, and I have to deal with it."


    With that, the man walked away, and Maria watched him leave.


    She nced at the card, gnashing her teeth in silence. James must''ve been behind this!


    Thus, she turned her attention towards him and saw that he was talking to another CEO. He


    appeared as though he didn''t notice the anger in her eyes.


    Around thirty minutester, the dinner party concluded. It was already quitete, so they all left the


    restaurant at the same time.


    Other than Maria, there were only twodies remaining, and they both hadpanions of their


    own.


    Maria approached a man and greeted him with a smile. "Mr. Zhang, would you mind driving me


    home?"


    Upon hearing her request, he became agitated. He nced at the unmoving man next to him and


    stammered, "Well..."


    He did want to drive Maria home, but he was too scared to do so.


    Still wearing a smile, she said, "My home is on the way to yours, right? Are you not willing to help


    me?"


    "Of course, I am!" The man smiled awkwardly. "It would be my honor to drive you home, Ms. Song."


    Just when Maria was about to get in the car, James intervened. "Mr. Zhang, I may have to


    reconsider the project that you and I have just discussed."


    His words made the man panic. They had already reached an agreement earlier.

 Chapter 482 Marias Wrath

    Chapter 482 Maria''s Wrath


    The man was not stupid and immediately said, "Ms. Song, I''m sorry. I have to go back to the


    company and prepare the documents for the negotiation with Mr. Xi tomorrow. I''m sorry that I''m


    unable to give you a ride. Mr. Xi, I''m taking my leave then!"


    As soon as he made the announcement, he got into the car and ordered the driver to start it. In a


    matter of seconds, he was gone.


    Everyone watched as the scene unraveled before them. Since they were all in awe of James, they


    dispersed within two minutes.


    Now only James and Maria were left. She was still shocked, not knowing whether to cry orugh at


    what just took ce.


    Summer drove James'' car here. At the sight of James and Maria, she opened the door of the


    passenger seat and called out, "Maria, let me drive you home."


    "No, thanks. I''ll take a taxi home," Maria said, refusing her offer.


    James came over and grabbed her hand. He sighed and said in a low voice, "You can act up once


    we are home, okay?"


    His usation offended her. How could he say she was acting up?


    Maria wanted to shake off his hand, when James added, "I''m going to take Coy to Africa to see


    lions next week. This trip mayst longer than two weeks. Are you sure you don''t want to spend


    time with him before the trip?"


    Maria''s eyes widened. She couldn''t understand why he had suddenly decided to take Coy to Africa.


    "What about Bob?"


    James took advantage of this opportunity and pulled her to the car. "Bob needs to go to school. I


    can''t take him along." In Maria''s absence, he had taken Bob to various ces for sightseeing. Now


    he thought it was time to bond with Coy.


    "Wait! Why did you shove me into the car?" He had forcefully shoved her into the car.


    She red at him usingly, but James simply raised his hands. "That was not my doing."


    Summer shed them an awkward smile. "I''m sorry, Maria. My hands slipped," she exined.


    Maria gaped at her in surprise. ''What a perfect excuse!''


    She hadn''t gone shopping with her friend for a long time. It seemed that Summer had betrayed her.


    Maria, who knew arguing would be useless, chose to remain silent. After all, she hadn''t driven here.


    Staying in the car seemed like an appropriate thing to do.


    Turning to James, she continued their previous discussion. "I don''t think you should be taking Coy


    away. He is quite different from Bob. After all, he is a lot naughtier."


    "What? Are you afraid that I will beat him behind your back?"


    "Yeah." She nodded honestly.


    She thought it was her duty to inform James everything beforehand. If he actually went away with


    Coy, he was bound to be pissed off by the boy.


    "In case you didn''t know, he behaves well with me," James replied confidently.


    Maria sneered, "I am not here to listen to your haughty words. If my son tests your temper, you must


    bear it. I warn you against getting physical with him."


    "I have full confidence in my endurance."


    "Okay." She was in no mood to pick an argument.


    As they approached the manor, she was unafraid. After all, James had promised her that he


    wouldn''t force her to have sex with him.


    It was already ten o''clock when they arrived at the manor. ''The kids must be asleep, '' she thought to


    herself.


    The car stopped in the parking lot and both of them got out.


    As soon as they reached the house, they heard a maid''s anxious voice. "Coy,e down please!


    Coy!"


    These words instantly filled Maria with a bad feeling.


    She followed the source of the voice and James followed her lead.


    The sight she came across was quite astonishing. Two maids and a bodyguard were standing


    under a tree, all of their eyes glued onto the tree.


    "What is all this fuss about?" Maria demanded.


    When the maids and the bodyguard saw the pair, they shed them an apologetic look. "We are


    sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Xi. We failed to take good care of Coy. He climbed up the tree."


    Maria''s blood pressure shot up sharply. She looked up at the tree and saw Coy clinging onto it.


    Another bodyguard was trying to bring the boy down.


    "Coy!" Maria roared.


    Her son was on the verge of falling asleep with a branch in his arms. Her voice brought him back


    from his daze. "Mommy!" he said, a little startled.


    ''Oh my God! I''m doomed. Didn''t she refuse toe back to the manor with Daddy?'' he thought,


    sweating with fear.


    Maria took a deep breath and turned to James, who hadn''t uttered a word yet. "He is your son. I


    think you should be the one finding a solution." She folded her arms and stared at him.


    James took two steps forward and said, "Coy,e down."


    Coy said, "Daddy, I don''t want to be beaten."


    James, who hadn''t lost his temper yet, said calmly, "If you don''t want to be beaten,e down


    now."


    "What if Mommy beats me?"


    Coy was still reluctant. James didn''t know what to say. If he told Maria not to beat him up, it could


    madden her.


    "Daddy, if you promise me that Mommy won''t beat me, I am willing to get down now."


    James peeled his gaze from Coy and took a look at Maria. Her face was white with anger. "Can you


    let him go this time?"


    "Sure," she said through gritted teeth. "Only if you take the beating on his behalf."


    James''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Coy had been clinging to the tree for too long, not making any movement. Maria broke a branch and


    raised it towards him. In a fierce voice, she ordered, "If you don''t get down before I count till three,


    I''ll climb up to p you!"


    "Mommy, I''ll get down right now," Coy said with a shiver.


    Slowly, his little body began to slide down the trunk of the tree.


    The maids and the bodyguard were ready to receive him under the tree, fearing he could fall.


    One minuteter, Coynded safely.


    Maria rushed to him with the branch still in her hand. Seeing what his mother intended to do, Coy


    screamed and ran into the vi.


    "Help! Come and save me, James!" he screeched.


    James had nned on protecting Coy from his mother''s wrath. However, he realized the little


    wretch had the audacity to call him by his name. ''He deserves to be beaten!''


    In the end, Coy was caught. He pleaded for forgiveness but Maria wouldn''t let him go. She grabbed


    his cor and said, "Didn''t you say that you wouldn''t climb trees in the manor?" What appalled her


    the most was the fact he had chosen one of the tallest trees.


    Coy wasn''t scared of anyone like he was scared of Maria. He was filled with absolute terror. "You


    and Daddy were not at home. I couldn''t fall asleep."


    Pak! Maria gave him a p on his butt. "Is this your reason for climbing the tree?" she demanded.


    Coy answered indifferently, "Yes."


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Maria threw away the branch, gritted her teeth and twisted Coy''s fleshy thigh.


    "Ouch!" he wailed. He felt a piercing pain. His cheeks were wet with tears now.


    Maria gritted her teeth and asked fiercely, "Will you climb trees again?"


    "Maria, let go of me!" He couldn''t believe his mother had hurt him so much. Turning to James, he


    said, "Daddy, help me, Daddy!"


    James walked over and told him calmly, "You have really angered your mother. If she doesn''t beat


    you, I will."


    Coy felt betrayed. James, on the other hand, was wondering if this naughty boy was indeed his


    biological son. "Nobody loves me! I want to leave home!" Coy cried.


    Maria was about to let go of him, but when she heard these words, her rage was reignited. "How


    dare you talk about running away from home? All right. Go ahead. I will throw you out!"


    Coy was a smart kid. He noticed his mother was getting angrier and angrier. He held Maria''s neck


    and implored, "Mommy, it hurts so much! I won''t say such a thing again. I know I was wrong."


    His trick worked. Maria''s severe expression softened. She loosened her grip on the flesh of Coy''s


    leg and said, "Stand up! Don''t hug me!"


    Coy let go of her, turned around and hugged James'' thigh. "Daddy."


    James looked down at his son and said, "Go and apologize to your mom."


    For some reason, Coy felt wronged. He could hardly repress his tears. "I''m sorry, Mommy," he said,


    bursting into tears.


    "Go back to sleep!" Maria''s anger had cooled down.


    "Mommy, hug me!" he requested.


    "No!"


    "Mommy, I want you to hold me!"


    James stretched out an arm and held the sobbing boy. Then he strode towards the vi.


    "Daddy, are you going to beat me?" Coy''s whole body was trembling with fear. The way his father


    carried him was quite ufortable. However, he knew he was in no position toin.

 Chapter 483 The Father And Sons Trip

    Chapter 483 The Father And Son''s Trip


    James was amused by his sons childish voice. Pretending to be cool, he said, That all depends on


    your future behavior."


    "I''ll be on my best behavior, Dad."


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "Good."


    James took Coy back to the vi and handed him to the maid, asking her to bathe the boy.


    Now, only he and Maria were left in the living room. It was only until then that she finally breathed a


    sigh of relief. This day had been quite an exhausting one for her.


    James put his arm around her shoulders. "You should go upstairs and get some rest!"


    "I''ll sleep with the kids," she replied tly.


    James had added a bunk bed in Bob''s room, so that Maria could sleep in the boy''s old king-sized


    bed.


    "Fine." In order to convince her to stay in the manor, James had no choice but to agree to her


    demands.


    When Maria went to Bob''s room, she found him sleeping soundly and unaware of what was


    happening outside.


    He didn''t even notice that Coy had gone out in secret.


    Then, Maria kissed Bob''s forehead before she went into the bathroom.


    By the time she came out of the bathroom, Coy had already fallen asleep. James had just


    transferred him from the big bed to the lower berth of the bunk bed.


    Before he left, he pecked Maria''s lips and said, "Good night, honey."


    "Just call me Maria from now on."


    "Let''s talk about that some other time."


    Maria didn''t say anything else after that.


    The following morning, she thought that she must lock the door before going to bed next time.


    As long as James was at home, she would probably wake up in his arms the next morning.


    And just like today, the moment she opened her eyes, she saw him embracing her and sleeping


    soundly.


    Overnight, the man had grown stubbles around his mouth.


    She wanted to turn over and shimmy out of his arms, but he suddenly pressed her under his body


    and kissed her lips.


    Maria was startled. ''So he was just pretending to be asleep?''


    Luckily, they were in the children''s room, so James didn''t do anything notorious to her. Before the


    brothers could wake up, he decided to let go of Maria.


    While he was getting out of bed, she kicked his back. James turned about to grab her foot and kiss


    it.


    Once more, Maria fell silent. ''Is he a foot fetishist now?1


    Of the two kids, Bob was the first one to wake up. His body clock had grown ustomed to waking


    up earlier because he had to go to kindergartenter.


    Meanwhile, Coy was still fast asleep. James took Bob to the bathroom to wash his face and brush


    his teeth, leaving Maria and Coy sleeping in the bedroom.


    A few dayster, James took Coy to Africa.


    Bob insisted on seeing his father, and brother off at the airport along with Maria. In the end, she


    agreed to his son''s request and they all went to the airport together.


    Before they boarded the ne, Maria reminded James, "Coy is a naughty boy. Don''t be soft-hearted


    on him. When you have to punish him, do so willingly. Otherwise, he''s going to cause a lot of


    trouble."


    He looked into her eyes and pulled her into his arms. Regardless of her reluctance, he kissed her.


    "Yes, ma''am!" Before she lost her temper, he let her go. He then turned around and walked along


    the VIP passage with Coy.


    Maria was left speechless.


    Coy looked back at her, snickering and making a face. "Daddy and Mommy were kissing. How


    embarrassing!"


    Maria raised her fist to frighten him, causing the boy to trot away with his father as fast as he could.


    Once they could no longer see them, she and Bob left the airport.


    On their way back, Maria thought that her son was feeling sad, so she tried tofort him. "Hey,


    would you like to go out with me this Saturday?"


    As if reading through her mind, Boston replied, "You don''t have to do that, Mommy. Dad has already


    taken me out several times. This is the first time that he''s taking Coy out, so I''m not upset about it."


    Maria felt relieved to hear that. "I see. In that case, I''ll just stay with you while they''re away."


    "Okay!" Boston was the happiest whenever he was with his mother. No amount of trips abroad


    would ever amount to the happiness his mother brought him.


    On their way to Africa, James and Coy had to board two different nes, so it took them two days


    to arrive at the African prairie.


    The exhaustion that Coy felt due to the long trip dissipated when he saw the vast grasnds before


    him.


    "Daddy, Daddy, have we arrived?"


    "That''s right." James nodded at him while looking at the scenery outside the car window.


    There was no spring, summer, autumn, or winter in Africa. Only dry and rainy seasons existed


    there. Right now, it was the dry season.


    At longst, the car stopped at a safe ce. Under the driver''s guidance, James took Coy to the


    highest point of the prairie, overlooking the vast horizon of grasnds.


    This was the kingdom of lions. Before long, they saw a pride of lions running together. There were


    also African elephants, and other animals of all shapes and sizes.


    Coy was astonished by everything that he saw. Seeing these things with his own eyes was much


    more exciting than looking at them on TV.


    James was amused by the look on his face. The boy''s face alone was enough to make him admit


    that his trip was worth it.


    They were wearing matching camouge clothes and boots of the same color and style. Soon, they


    found a clean spot on the ground were they could sit on. "Daddy, what is that?" said Coy.


    James looked at the direction he was pointing at. "That''s a martial eagle. It''s the biggest one in


    Africa, and its race is mainly distributed in the southern parts of this continent. Its huge, powerful


    ws are capable of incapacitating all sorts of animals. Lizards, snakes, antelopes, and even


    jackals aren''t safe from those deadly weapons."


    "Wow! It''s so powerful!" In reality, the boy the didn''t understand his father''s exnation that much.


    James took out a pair of binocrs from his backpack. He then adjusted it before he handed it to


    Coy.


    The little boy stood up and looked into the distance using the binocrs. "Daddy, I can see a sika


    deer, some leopards, and some other weird-looking leopards."


    "Those are cheetahs, Coy. But they are a subspecies of leopards," James exined.


    "I haven''t seen soome of the trees here before either."


    "That''s the monkey bread tree that I just told you about. It was originally called the baobab. But


    since monkeys and hamadryas baboons like to eat its fruits, they stated calling it the monkey bread


    tree."


    "Daddy! A lion ising! It''s huge!" Through the binocrs, Coy noticed that a lion was heading


    straight towards them.


    While he was taking a swig of water, James said, "It''s fine. The beast is still far from us."


    He then unscrewed a small bottle of water for Coy and gave it to him. "We''ll be camping out here in


    a tent for the next two days."


    "Why should we sleep here?" Coy looked around and realized that there were no houses around.


    "Because this ce is the closest we can get to nature." In all honesty, he wasn''t sure if Coy would


    be able to adapt to the harsh environment.


    The boy nodded. It didn''t seem like he understood his father. He was just happy that he was going


    to sleep in a tent.


    He had never experienced sleeping in a tent, so he was naturally curious how it would feel.


    As Coy patiently waited, night soon fell. James had prepared some food for them. "Don''t get close


    to the river alone. You might run into crocodiles."


    "Can crocodiles eat people?"


    "Of course!"


    Coy shivered upon hearing that. "What if I run into one?"


    "Then run as fast as you can!" said James.


    Looking distressed, the boy asked, "Am I capable of outrunning it?" "Even if you can''t, you need to


    run. If somehow, it manages to catch up to you, I''ll teach you how to attack it. First of all, you need


    to attach its eyes. Their eyes are the most vulnerable part of their body. Don''t try to attack a


    crocodile anywhere else because its entire body is covered by rock-hard scales. If you happen to


    see any sturdy sticks or stones, use them to attack the beast''s head. It''s head is also very fragile.


    And when it opens its mouth, you can use a stick to poke its upper jaw. But remember, it''s still better


    not to provoke or get close to any of them, do you understand?"

 Chapter 484 James Account Was Suspended

    Chapter 484 James'' ount Was Suspended


    Coy''s IQ was rtively highpared to most kids. After James exined everything in detail, he


    understood and nodded knowingly. A scene of him fighting against crocodile began to y in his


    imagination. ''Wow! It''s so exciting.''


    In the evening, before they went to bed, James assigned bodyguards to guard them from outside.


    During the middle of the night, Coy was awakened. He looked at James and saw him sleeping


    soundly. He then quietly got up and crawled towards the entrance of the tent.


    Shortly afterwards, he peered outside.


    There were four men guarding the tent. One of them noticed Coy and shed him a smile.


    Out of curiosity, Coy looked around. Momentster, his eyes lit up when saw something in the


    distance.


    The bodyguard followed his gaze and saw an antelope beyond some shrubberies not far away. This


    animal wasn''t aggressive, and it harbored no ill intention towards them, so it didn''t approach their


    tent.


    "Wow, it''s so cute!" Coy remarked.


    There was a faint noiseing from behind him, but he didn''t pay attention to it. The following


    moment, arger head popped over his little head.


    "What are you looking at?"


    "It''s an antelope, Daddy," said Coy.


    "Why are you not asleep and instead looking at an antelope in the middle of the night?"


    "Because it''s cute!"


    Sadly, the antelope went on its way before it overstayed its wee.


    Coy yawned and decided toy back down. And within a minute, he fell into slumber.


    James was at loss for words. His son was capable of falling asleep whenever he wanted.


    The next morning, after they ate breakfast, James folded the tent and continued his stroll with Coy.


    Today, they were following a pride of lions. Along the way, they also ran into some leopards and


    cheetahs nearby.


    When Coy locked eyes with a fierce lion, he was frightened to his core. As he broke into cold sweat,


    he called out to his father in a trembling voice.


    "Don''t run, and don''t look into its eyes. Just follow me and we''ll be on our way," said James. It was


    useless to pretend to be dead before a lion. The best way to escape was to let the beast feel that


    they harbored no malice towards it and gradually get out of its line of sight.


    Coy held onto his father''s hand as tight as he could, following him back unhurriedly. Then, they


    changed the direction and slowly disappeared from the lion''s sight.


    On their third day in the African prairie, Coy saw a helicopter in the sky. "Daddy, what are they


    doing?"


    Without raising his head, James answered, "They''re volunteers and local rangers. They''re riding the


    helicopter to patrol the prairie and watch out for poachers."


    "Poachers?"


    "Yes." James looked into the boy''s eyes. "Around thirty thousand elephants are ughtered every


    year, which means that one elephant is being hunted every fifteen minutes. And so, those people


    are doing their best to protect the animals." The reason Ethan came here every year was to


    volunteer as a ranger.


    "Why do they kill elephants?"


    "They poach elephants for their ivory tusks, and those could be sold for a high price," James


    exined.


    "I see." It was natural for a small child like Coy to be filled with curiosity. "Can ivory tusks be eaten?"


    "Nope."


    "So, howe people buy them?"


    asked Coy. Since his son was so insistent on getting to the bottom of this matter, James patiently


    exined everything to him in detail.


    On the fourth day, he took Coy to see the tamed lions. At longst, he finally got close to the African


    lions. He pointed at a docile lion, looking quite excited. "Daddy! It''s a lion!"


    They had been seeing lions for the past few days, but nheless, Coy was always so excited to


    see them. Obviously, the boy was truly fond of lions.


    "Go on, touch it if you''re brave enough," said James.


    "Can I?" Coy asked cautiously.


    "Of course, you can! The lions here are good friends with humans. There''s no reason for you to be


    afraid!"N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    Before long, James was taking photos and videos of Coy ying with the lion and sent them to


    Maria.


    About an hourter, Maria saw the photos and videos he had sent. She could see that Coy was so


    happy ying with the lion.


    It had only been a few days since they left, but the boy''s skin had be a little tanner.


    "Is he being naughty?" she replied.


    "He''s too afraid to cause any mischief," said James. There were lions, leopards, cheetahs, and


    crocodiles.


    Danger was scattered across the prairie, and Coy was astute enough to know that. He would


    always stay as close to his father as possible, and he dared not stray away.


    Maria had no idea what James was trying to say. ''Has he already punished Coy?''


    The image of James beating her son shed into her mind. "Don''t beat him too hard, or you may


    hurt him."


    Realizing that she misunderstood the situation, James exined, "He behaves himself every time a


    lion roars."


    Maria didn''t know what to say.


    "Perhaps I should raise a lion. Whenever Coy is acting up, I''ll throw him to the lion, so that you won''t


    have to punish him yourself," he added.


    "What? Are you feeling sorry for him?"


    "Well, I feel sorry for your hand. I''m worried that my son''s body will hurt your hand."


    Maria scoffed and said, "How could you say something so appalling. Aren''t you worried that others


    willugh at you?"


    A momentter, she received three text messages from him in a row. "I can say something sweeter


    than that. I love you, Maria."


    The second text read, "I love everything about you."


    "I miss you, and I miss the sound of your moaning, your kiss, and your soft embrace."


    Maria''s face turned red because of what he said.


    "Shut the fuck up, James!"


    "Aww, don''t be embarrassed," he replied.


    "Stop your nonsense. I need to go to work. Just take care of Coy!" With that, Maria put her phone


    aside and didn''t look at his messages anymore.


    But not two minutester, her phone buzzed over and over, and she couldn''t resist the urge to look


    at her phone.


    James'' words was bing more and more erotic.


    Maria was both ashamed and furious. It had gotten to a point that she decisively reported his


    ount.


    Not long after, she noticed that his ount had been suspended.


    Upon seeing it, Maria gloated andughed about it.


    Meanwhile, James had no idea that his ount had been suspended, so he sent her another


    message. However, his message was rejected. He also received a warning that the reason he got


    suspended was because of sexual harassment.


    James fell silent.


    The messaging software he was using was developed by none other than HL Group, and in spite of


    being the CEO, his ount had been suspended. He would be theughingstock of the city if


    this news were to break out.


    Thus, he decided to call Gary. "My ount has been suspended. Fix it as soon as possible."


    For a moment, Gary didn''t know how to react. In all honesty, he wanted tough, but he was too


    afraid to do so. "I understand, Mr. Xi!"


    "Oh, by the way, find out who suspended my ount, and give them a two-day off as a reward,"


    James added. Since Maria had sessfully reported him, she was probablyughing her ass off at


    the moment.


    He decided to award the employee since they made her happy.


    "Reward?" Gary asked tentatively.


    "You heard me, didn''t you?"


    At this point, Gary didn''t know what to say. He was bing more and more suspicious that James


    had be masochistic.


    Putting his phone away, James took Coy to a helicopter. They saw lions and African elephants


    running across the grasnd, and crocodiles by the river.


    In addition, they saw predatory animals hunting prey that could only be seen on TV. A pack of eight


    lions were stalking an African buffalo at the moment.


    Soon, they passed through the ancient Namib Desert, and they saw antelopes and zebras on the


    sand dune.

 Chapter 485 A Black Aborigine

    Chapter 485 A ck Aborigine


    It was a rare chance for James to be alone with Coy, so he cherished this opportunity to grow closer


    with him. After leaving the African prairie, he took the boy to a local tribe nearby, and bought some


    food and supplies for the children living in the slums.


    They stayed there for the night, and watched an open-air movie night using only a piece of film cloth


    and a projector.


    By the time Maria received a video call from James, it was already seven in the evening in H City,


    but it was only two in the afternoon in Africa.


    Coy''s brown head appeared on the screen. When he saw that it was Maria on the screen, he


    grinned at her. "Mommy! Bob!"


    Upon seeing his son, Maria burst intoughter. "My dear, why are you so tanned?"


    "That''s because we''ve been staying at the African prairie all this time," James said.


    Nestling into Maria''s arms, Bob asked, "Coy, is it fun there?"


    "It is!


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    I saw lions, tigers, and beautiful butterflies,"


    Coy lisped.


    "Wow! Next time, I''ll go there, too. Will you go with me, Coy?" said Bob.


    A smug look appeared on Coy''s face. "Okay. We slept in a tent and ride nes and helicopters. I


    did have to eat grass, though."


    "Those aren''t grass! They''re leaves from the monkey bread tree," James cut in again.


    Bob contemted for a moment before he said, "Daddy, eating leaves are terrible, too."


    "There aren''t any vegetables there, and we can only eat the leaves instead."


    "I see!" replied Bob.


    "Mommy," said Coy. "I think I''m bing stinky. The water here is very precious because it''s so


    dry!"


    Maria raised her eyebrows. "Your father is a neat freak, but he hasn''tined yet."


    "You just don''t know that he''s always grumpy every evening, and he doesn''t even let me talk to him.


    And that''s because he can''t take a shower!" His father didn''t have to tell him anything for him to


    figure out why he was being grumpy.


    Maria was amused by her son''s childishint.


    James'' face turned grim. "Let''s go. I''ll take you to the river to take a bath."


    "Wait, no! I''m worried that there might be crocodiles. I don''t want to go, Daddy!" Coy held the phone


    and shook his head repeatedly.


    "I know a ce where there aren''t any beasts that could attack us." Before Coy could refuse, James


    carried him on his shoulder and turned off the video call.


    After a few days of observation, he finally found a section of the river where there were no


    crocodiles around. They could take a quick bath there.


    James put away his phone, carried his son with one hand, and picked up a dagger with the other to


    protect them. Slowly, they made their way towards the river.


    Just as he mentioned before, they found a section of the river where they could take a quick bath. It


    was rtively safe, except for the appearance of a snake.


    On their eighth day in Africa, Coy finally saw a real building, which even had a swimming pool


    inside.


    "Daddy, you''re finally willing to take me to a hotel," said Coy. He was dying to sleep in bed.


    "Weren''t you the one who wanted to stay in a tent?" This ce was far from the prairie, and it would


    take several hours to go back and forth. Pitching a tent on the prairie was much more convenient.


    Coy didn''t know how to refute his father''s solid reasoning. "Fine. I won''t argue with you anymore."


    James was left speechless.


    At this point, he was starting to feel that this boy really needed to be punished.


    "Just go to the bathroom and take a shower. Later this afternoon, we''ll have tea."


    "But, Daddy, I want to swim," Coyined.


    "I won''t stop you even if you live in the pool after we have tea," said James.


    After ncing at therge swimming pool, Coy reluctantly agreed. "Okay!"


    Every year, the temperature in this continent was around twenty to thirty degrees Celsius. They


    didn''t have to worry about catching a cold. While James was taking a quick shower, he allowed Coy


    to y. Afterwards, he began bathing the boy.


    For the course of their entire trip, he had been looking after him by himself.


    Coy wasn''t the only one he had been caring for all this time. Back when Maria and Coy were still in


    the nunnery, he had been looking after Bob.


    James was trying to make up for everything he never did for Arthur. After all, he had once been an


    unqualified father.


    After their afternoon tea, they passed by a coffee ntation. Standing outside, James told Coy,


    "Your mother would love this ce."


    Maria loved coffee.


    Coy nodded. "I miss Maria."


    ncing at the boy, James said, "If you call her Maria again, I''m going to leave you in Africa."


    Coy held onto his father''s leg and looked straight into his eyes. "Daddy, you''re the most handsome


    man on the, and Mommy is the most beautiful!"


    "Don''t think you can get out of this by ttering me!"


    "What are you talking about, Daddy? I''m not trying to tter you,"


    Coy said. James said nothing more.


    Fifteen dayster, they finally flew back home. If it hadn''t been for Cooper, things would''ve been


    very difficult for James to stay out for so long.


    The moment Maria saw her son, she was stunned. Coy, who used to be bald and of fairplexion,


    had turned into a ck aborigine.


    Adjusting her mood, she said, "Ah! Who are you? Where did youe from?"


    "Mommy, it''s me! Your son." Coy took it seriously, thinking that Maria didn''t recognize him.


    "Is that so? But I don''t have a ck son. You''re an African boy. What''s your name?"


    At this point, Coy grew agitated. "Mommy, it''s me, Coy. Have you forgotten who I am?"


    Stifling herughter, Maria replied, "Really? Then why do I not recognize you?"


    "You and James have two sons, remember?" Coy couldn''t believe his ears.


    "Really? Then why do I only remember Arthur and Bob?" Maria was no longer burdened by Arthur''s


    death, and she had told her two sons about him already.


    She told them that they had an elder brother who had gone far away to find his other parents.


    Judging by the look on Coy''s face, he was about to break into tears. "No, you have three sons!"


    Worried that the boy would cry, Maria held him in her arms and kissed his cheek. "My dear, I was


    just kidding. Don''t cry!"


    "Mommy, you are so bad!"


    James patted Coy''s back and said, "Get off!"


    "Why do you want me to get off?"


    The boy was confused about his father''s reaction.


    "My wife has grown tired because of you," he replied.


    Maria didn''t know what to say. Her son was only thirty pounds or less. Why would she be tired of


    carrying him?


    "Then you can carry me instead!" Coy stretched out his arms to his father.


    After carrying him, James threw him onto the sofa.


    The little boy was left speechless. He felt like he wasn''t James'' biological son.


    In the evening, Maria coaxed Bob and Coy to sleep before taking a shower. Since James hadn''t


    come home yet, she asked a maid to look after the kids for her.


    Once she was done with her milk bath and skin care routine, Maria came out of the bathroom.


    And when she opened the door, she ran into James on the corridor.


    Maria was wearing pajamas, her hair was hung loose and giving off a fragrant smell.


    James pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her neck and taking a whiff of her scent. "Honey,


    why do you smell so good?"


    The scent of alcoholing from his body wafted into her nose. "Go take a shower," said Maria.

 Chapter 486 Her Sons Stepmother

    Chapter 486 Her Sons'' Stepmother


    James pressed Maria against the wall, kissing her passionately. "Okay, but sleep with me tonight."


    Their bodies clung to each other, skin to skin.


    "You wish! Let me go!"


    James took out a ck card from his pocket and gave it to her. "There is a new series of women''s


    handbags in your favorite brand, and those bags are limited edition. I''ve put enough money in this


    card for you to buy the entire store. You can buy whatever your heart desires."


    Maria rolled her eyes at him. "Don''t think you can buy me off with money!"


    "I know that all too well, honey." James drew closer towards her, and continued kissing her. "I took


    our son out for half a month. And since he had a good time, maybe I deserve a reward tonight.


    What do you think?"


    The scent of her body aroused him. Only one thing was in his mind right now: he wanted to have


    sex with her.


    But unfortunately, he couldn''t do as he pleased because he had promised to respect her opinion.


    Just when Maria was about to say something, a door opened nearby and a maid came out of the


    room.


    They both turned around at the same time. The maid saw them clinging to each other. She bowed


    and quickly apologized. "My apologies, Mr. and Mrs. Xi. The water is running out, so I was going to


    fetch some more for the boys."


    James just nodded indifferently at the maid, and then he turned his gaze towards Maria.


    Mary was the maid who came out of the room just now. Maria''s eyes fell on her face and caught


    sight of her ncing at James the moment she turned around.


    But his eyes were drawn to Maria. He didn''t notice anything else around him, including the maid.


    A few days back, Maria had asked Bob about Mary, and she had been observing this maid carefully


    all this time. It was true that Mary had been taking good care of the boys.


    "What''s on your mind right now?" James asked. He felt dissatisfied since he didn''t get any response


    from her after a long time.


    Maria withdrew her gaze from the maid and turned her attention to him.


    Since James had beenatose for more than two years, his figure wasn''t as good as it used to


    be. But he was so self-disciplined that as soon as he was strong enough to do exercises, he did so


    every morning. It didn''t take long for his figure to return to its former glory.


    After having stayed in Africa with Coy for about fifteen days, his stern face had grown a little darker.


    He had always been charming, but he had be even manlier now that he was darker.


    After all, whether it was his frail beauty when he was still sickly, the emaciation during his recovery,


    the arrogant, domineering aura he exuded, or the tenderness in his eyes in the way he looked at


    her now, he was attractive to any woman in existence.


    Her silence further aroused his dissatisfaction. He then pinched her chin, forcing her to look at him.


    In a deep voice, he warned, "If you don''t say anything, I''ll fuck you right here, right now."


    When his patience was stretched thin, he pressed his lips against hers.


    Maria was swept by the passion of the moment. She wanted to forget about the past and just be


    with him.


    But the following second, the embers of an old scar arose in her heart. She could never forget the


    insults, pain, and misfortune he brought upon her when she first came back to H City.


    When Maria came to her senses, she had be disheveled, and the man was doing whatever he


    desired with her body.


    At once, she stopped him. "James, if you keep doing this, I''ll leave." If the two kids didn''t insist on


    staying here for the night, she would''ve gone back to Golden Mansion.


    Left with no other choice, James kissed her forehead and said, "Honey, I''m going to take a shower.


    Wait for me in the room."


    For now, Maria decided to ignore him. She tidied up her clothes and went straight to the kids'' room.


    A whileter, while she was fiddling with her phone, Mary came in with some water.


    Seeing that Maria nodded at her, she put the water on the table beside her.


    Without even raising her head, Maria said, "It''s been a long day. You should go to bed!"


    "It''s not a big deal, Mrs. Xi. You should carry on with your business. I''m just worried that the boys


    might cry when they wake up in the middle of the night," said Mary.


    Her words did not sink well with Maria. And because of that, she dealt with her business in silence.


    Finally, she closed her phone and got out of bed.


    She approached the maid, who was currently looking at Bob. "Why don''t you step out with me for a


    moment?"


    Mary followed her to the balcony and closed the door. "Is there something you need of me, Mrs.


    Xi?"


    "You''ve been taking good care of Bob in my absence, haven''t you? Thank you so much." In all


    honesty, Maria was really grateful that Mary had been looking after her son.


    "That''s right," she replied.


    Maria said in a serious tone, "You should always remember that I am Bob and Coy''s mother. I''m


    back now, and from now on, you don''t have to look after them."


    Mary wasn''t happy to hear that. "I don''t understand, Mrs. Xi. Have I done something wrong?"


    "No, not really. You''ve been doing a fine job so far. It''s just that I want to fulfill my responsibilities as


    their mother. When I need your help, I''ll call you. If I don''t ask for anything, you can do the


    housework." Maria didn''t say that to dere her rightful identity as Mrs. Xi. She didn''t think herself


    as James'' wife.


    All she wanted was for Mary to recognize that she was Bob and Coy''s biological mother.


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    She could see that the maid was trying her best to please the boys and make them attached to her,


    so that she could have an opportunity to be James'' wife. This sort of thing was not something


    Maria would allow. Otherwise, the consequences would be devastating for Mary.


    The maid''s eyes turned red. "I understand, Mrs. Xi. Please go to bed early. I''m leaving now."


    "Wait!" Maria halted her again.


    Hearing her, Mary turned around.


    "You can be good to my son if it pleases you, but don''t ever cross any lines. Don''t even think of


    coveting anything that isn''t yours!" One example would be bing her sons'' stepmother.


    Ever since James forced her out of JT Nunnery, Maria decided to stay true to herself.


    Mary was just a maid. If Maria wanted to, she could fire her without James'' knowledge. She


    believed that she had the right to fire any maid in this ce if it pleased her.


    The fierce gaze that Maria cast her sent shivers down Mary''s spine. "You''re overthinking, Mrs. Xi. I


    didn''t-"


    "It would certainly be better if you didn''t. Just do your job well, and James won''t treat you unfairly."


    After the maid had left, Maria sat on a chair on the balcony, staring at the nightscape outside and


    indulging in her thoughts.


    When Mary came out of the children''s room and closed the door behind her, she ran into James.


    The moment she saw him, she ran away, choking with sobs.


    "What happened?" he asked. Naturally, James was concerned about Maria and their kids, not the


    maid.

 Chapter 487 Throw It Away

    Chapter 487 Throw It Away


    Mary shook her head as she lowered her gaze, feeling a lump in her throat. "It''s nothing, Mr. Xi. I''m


    fine."


    James frowned, seeming a bit unhappy because of her response. "Tell me!"


    "I have no idea what happened, but Mrs. Xi doesn''t want me to take care of the boys anymore. I''m


    just sad that I''ve been relieved of my duties. It''s nothing serious, but thank you for your concern, Mr.


    Xi." Her eyes welled up with tears. Any man would''ve felt sorry for her, but James was not just any


    man.


    The only woman he cared about and believed in was Maria. And she was the only one he begged


    to marry him.


    In an indifferent tone, he replied, "Just do as she says. From now on, whether I''m home or not, you


    must respect her opinions and instructions. Didn''t John tell you about this already?"


    At this time, Maria happened to be standing at the door of the children''s room and listening in on


    their conversation. What he said put a smile on her face.


    Naturally, Mary was shocked to hear hisment on this matter. She had no idea that James was


    capable of being so heartless. "Yes, he has told us about it. I understand, Mr. Xi."


    This time, he didn''t even say a word in response to her remark. He just went to the children''s room


    in silence.


    Inside the room, Maria was on her way to the bed. The moment she heard the door open, she


    looked at James, but didn''t say anything to him.


    She leaned against the headboard and fiddling with her phone.


    James walked over and embraced her. In order to get what he wanted, heid down his pride and


    tried to persuade her. "Honey, just once, okay?"


    Maria yawned. Her attitude didn''t seem as harsh as before. "You know, I might be convinced to


    have sex with you tonight."


    "Under what condition?" He then walked out of the room, carrying her along.


    "You can invest in a newpany that I want to build!"


    James was intrigued by this request. Lately, she had been so busy every single day. How could she


    still have the energy to start anotherpany? "Fine," he agreed readily.


    Maria looked back at him and said, "I remember when I asked you to invest in one of my ideas.


    Back then, it took you so long to finally agree to my request. Why are you being so decisive this


    time?"


    "That was before. From now on, your wish is mymand."


    For now, she decided to believe him. "I want to open a modelingpany."


    James kicked the door to their bedroom open with his foot. In the darkness, he pressed her against


    the door and said, "Granted."


    "And I''ll have fun with the male models." Last time, before she even had the chance to have fun with


    Kenny, he was called away, which was quite disheartening.


    Just when James was about to kiss her, he stopped to look at her with displeasure. "Honey, that''s a


    very dangerous idea."


    It was his fault that she came up with such a crazy idea. He had been far too obedient to her


    demands recently that he hadn''t had sex with her for a long time.


    Maria cupped his face and smiled. "I''m single now, so I have the freedom to do whatever I want. Of


    course, you''re free to sleep around with as many women as you want, too."


    Hearing that made James bite her lower lip. Maria groaned in pain. "You bastard!"


    "I just want to sleep with you." He was nning to fuck her until those crazy ideas were dissipated


    from her head.


    Maria fell silent yet again.


    What made her upset was that he didn''t keep his promise. She had agreed to do it once, but he


    completely ignored her feelings and didn''t let her sleep until midnight.


    As a result, the next morning, Maria was unable to send Bob to kindergarten because she was still


    asleep at nine o''clock.


    Never again would she trust James on anything.


    When it was nearing noon, he received a call. "Mr. Xi, Mrs. Xi entered a pharmacy."


    Without saying anything, James hung up the phone and dialed Maria''s number. At this time, she


    was about to take the pill. However, the call startled her and almost caused her to drop the pill.


    After calming down, she answered the call. "What''s


    ?ll


    "Maria, I''ll let you stay at Golden Mansion for the time being. I won''t have sex with you again without


    your permission, and I''ll listen to everything you say. But there''s no way I''ll let you do this. Listen to


    me! Throw the pill away!" The sound of his voice was so daunting, and the way he spoke was


    unquestionably irrefutable.


    Clenching the pill, Maria looked at her driver and said, "Mr. Xi, your people are a dedicated bunch."


    The second she bought the pill from the pharmacy, James found out. There were no other people


    who knew about it other than her and the driver.


    "If they weren''t loyal and capable, I wouldn''t hire them in the first ce."


    "Why do you think I''ll allow myself to get pregnant with another one of your children?" asked Maria.


    "I never thought you were willing to have another child with me. But Maria, you never told me that


    you were pregnant with Bob or Coy. I forgave you for all of that. Don''t you think it''s cruel of you to


    take the pill?"


    ''Cruel? Am I cruel?'' "If you''re not going to say anything important, I''m going to hang up now."


    "Mia, what can I do to make you forgive me? Or maybe there''s some specific way you want me to


    apologize? How can I convince you to live with me and our two children?" Because of the


    helplessness he felt, the sound of his voice softened.


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    A sardonic smile made its way to her lips. "Do you think your words are enough as a form of


    apology? James, I will put you through as much suffering as I''ve felt in the past. And only then will


    your apology amount to something."


    James didn''t know what to say. It seemed as though she wanted to inflict pain on him. "I''m already


    in great pain, Mia. Would you please just allow me to give you my life once more?"


    The important thing to him right now was her forgiveness. He was willing to do anything to receive


    it.


    "Taking your life means nothing to me. Let''s talk about thister. I''m already at thepany."


    "Just promise me that you''re not going to take the pill." As soon as he finished talking, the office


    door was opened, and Cooper came in. He happened to hear James''st sentence.


    Maria neither agreed nor refused. "Bye."


    After that, she dropped the call.


    Before she got out of the car, she looked at the pill and dueled with the thought of taking it for at


    least five minutes. In the end, the frustration made her decide not to take it. Upon her arrival at the


    office, she threw away the pill that she had bought.


    It was okay that she didn''t take the pill because believed that James wasn''t capable of impregnating


    her after having sex with her just once.


    Meanwhile, Cooper put several documents on James'' desk. "James, what''s going on with Maria?"


    He was aware that James had been talking to Maria earlier. There was no other person his brother


    would speak to in such a gentle tone.


    "She wanted to take the contraceptive," James answered as he opened the folder.


    Cooper immediately grasped the situation. He put on a smile and patted James'' shoulder. "Usually,


    the third child will be of the same gender as the previous two."


    James wasn''t happy to hear that. After all, he wanted to have a daughter next. "So what? I can


    afford it anyway!"


    "That''s right!" Cooper admitted that he was overthinking things.


    They then sat face to face and began discussing work-rted topics.


    The next morning, Maria got up early to have breakfast with Bob.


    Meanwhile, Coy was still sleeping. She told a maid to look after the little guy before she took Bob


    out of the vi.


    Once they got on the car, Maria stopped Mary from stepping into the car as well. "You don''t have to


    come with us. I''ll be the one to take Bob to school." She wanted to meet Bob''s teacher and make


    arrangements for Coy''s admission to the kindergarten.

 Chapter 488 Inheriting The Company

    Chapter 488 Inheriting The Company


    Mary was disheartened by what she heard. "But, Mrs. Xi, I''ve always been the one taking Bob to


    school."


    Maria had had enough of hearing such nonsensical things from a maid, so she told Bob to get in the


    car first. Afterwards, she turned her attention towards Mary. "What''s the matter with you? Do you


    feel offended just because I asked you not toe with us?"


    "No, ma''am."


    "It seems to me like you don''t take me seriously." Maria beckoned John toe over and said to


    him, "John, I never want to see this maid again."


    "Yes, Mrs. Xi!"


    Expressionless, John said to the maid, "Mary, you''re fired."


    Maria was no longer the kind-hearted woman she used to be. Even James had to get on her good


    side all the time. However, there was still someone within their household who was foolish enough


    to challenge her.


    The startling news made Mary break into tears. "You can''t do this to me!"


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    Maria wanted tough at her demise. "I''m sorry, but do I need your permission to fire you?" she


    asked with sarcasm.


    ''Did she even think about how I would feel as a mother when she said those words to me? I am


    Bob''s mother. When did she ask for my permission?'' she thought.


    "Maria Song, aren''t you a nun? Nuns cherish mercy out of all the virtues. Why are you so vicious?"


    said Mary.


    Hearing that made Maria stare daggers at her. "Just because I fired you doesn''t mean I''m vicious.


    I''ll have you know that there are other vicious things I can do. Do you want to give it a try?"


    "You can''t do this to me! Mr. Xi personally hired me. If I''m to be fired, he should be the one to do it!"


    Mary still held her ground.


    Boston, who was in the car, got out. As soon as he appeared, Mary turned to him for support.


    Choking with sobs, she bent and said to him, "Bob, didn''t you say that I''m your favorite nanny? Your


    mother is about to fire me. Can you please help me out?"


    To her surprise, Boston just stared at her with eyes devoid of emotion, brushing her hands away


    from his arm. "Mary, I used to love having you around, but you''re nothingpared to my mother. I


    love her, and she''s so much more important to me than you are. Because of you, she''s upset, and


    that''s why I don''t like you anymore. Anyone who makes my mother upset will also have me as an


    enemy."


    Maria was really d to hear that from her son.


    "Bob, I''ve been looking after you for so long, and I''ve done my utmost to fulfill my duties as your


    nanny." Mary still hadn''t broken out of her delusion.


    Boston nodded at her remark. "You''re right, but my father once said that anything my mother says is


    final. If you think she''s not capable of firing you, then perhaps you''d like to hear it from me. Think,


    Mary. Do I need my father''s permission to fire you?" Although he was still a child, he had inherited


    his father''s daunting presence and his mother''s decisiveness and iron will.


    At this point, Mary didn''t know what to say anymore. She started speaking in gibberish and begging


    over and over. "Bob, I understand now. I was wrong. Please forgive me just this once, okay?"


    "Your stay will just make Mom unhappy. I don''t want her to be upset all the time, so I cannot grant


    that request. Thank you for looking after me all this time. Goodbye, Mary!" Boston bowed his head


    and waved at her.


    At this point, John decided to intervene. "Mary, pack your things. You''re leaving!"


    She still wanted to plead her case, but John had already called over some bodyguards to force her


    out of the manor.


    In the car, Maria embraced Bob and sighed. "Are you sad that Mary''s leaving?"


    "No, Mommy. I don''t understand most of the situation yet, but I do know that you''re not the kind of


    person who would push her around without a good reason. She must''ve done something wrong, so


    you told her to go. Mary has indeed worked hard as my nanny, but Daddy did pay her to do it. You


    are my mother. You gave birth to me, raised me, and worked harder than everyone else to make


    sure that I grow up well. I love you so much."


    Maria was so touched by her son''s words that tears fell from her eyes.


    "Thank you, my dear." ''Thank you for being my son.


    You, Arthur, and Coy. All of my sons are incredible!''


    Something dawned on Boston. He looked at his mother and said, "Mommy, you must take whatever


    Daddy gives you in the future, okay?"


    "What?" Maria had no idea why he said that out of the blue.


    "Look, I know you don''t want to be with him, that''s why you should ask him for cars, houses, and


    money, but don''t ask for the custody. You don''t have so much money to raise me. Dad is a wealthy


    man. When I grow up, I''ll inherit hispany, take every penny in his bank and give it to you and


    Coy."


    Maria didn''t know whether she should be touched orugh at her son''s remark. He was only five


    years old. How could he have thought of something so mature?


    "Bob, your dad will be sad to hear what you said just now."


    "Then let him be sad! He''s the one who made you unhappy in the first ce!" Although he was still


    a boy, he already grasped most of the situation.


    Maria wiped away her tears and said, "Bob, you''re still young. You should focus on learning and


    ying as much as you can. All I wish is for you and Coy to grow up healthy and safe. Don''t waste


    your time thinking of suchplicated things. These things should be left to the adults, you hear


    me?"


    "I hear you, Mommy. But Daddy said that I''m a man, and that I''ll be taking charge of thepany in


    the future. He has instructed me to be mature and try not to be too childish."


    Maria fell silent. ''How could James say that to Bob? He''s just a boy!'' "I don''t agree with your dad.


    Your happiness and health should be your priority. Just listen to me, okay?" "Okay." The boy


    nodded obediently.


    When they were nearing the kindergarten, Bob whispered to Maria, "Mommy, I met a handsome


    gentleman the other day. He''s so good-looking. And he''s apparently a star. I asked him for his


    WeChat ount. I''ll give it to you once I get home, so you can be friends with him."


    What Bob said really took Maria by surprise. "Why do I have to be friends with him?"


    "Because you don''t want to be with Daddy, so I want to find someone you''ll want to be with."


    Maria stared back into his eyes and said, "Bob, listen to me. This isn''t something you should worry


    about. Do you understand?"


    If James ever found out that Bob was undermining him, he might beat his son with a belt.


    In all honesty, even if she didn''t want to be with James, she didn''t want to make acquaintances that


    had nothing to do with work.


    "I understand, Mommy."


    "Good boy." Atst, Maria breathed a sigh of relief.


    Bob''s kindergarten was quiterge, and the children enrolled in it were from rich and powerful


    families.


    Maria spoke to Bob''s teacher about her son. Just as she had believed, Bob was obedient and never


    caused any trouble. And because of James'' standing in society, nobody dared toy a hand on him.


    After meeting with the principal, Maria found out that James had already asked someone to inform


    the principal that he was going to enroll Coy here as well, so she didn''t have to worry too much


    about it.


    Soon, James found out that Mary had gotten fired, not through John, but to the person in question


    herself.


    The more Mary thought about it, the less she wanted to leave. And so, she stayed at the gate of the


    manor, waiting for James'' car to arrive.


    By the time James arrived, it was already nearing midnight. When he rolled down the window and


    saw her, he didn''t seem fazed by what had happened.


    "Mr. Xi, I know I was in the wrong. Please, give me another chance to stay and continue to take


    care of the boys. I beg you!"

 Chapter 489 Growing Anxiety

    Chapter 489 Growing Anxiety


    Mary''s words were enough for James to grasp the situation. "Maria has the final say about


    everything that goes on in this family. You don''t have toe to me for matters like this in the


    future."


    After saying that, he rolled up his car window, not bothering to cast her another nce.


    As Mary watched the car drive into the manor, her heart was incinerated into ashes. Only then did


    shepletely understand that the true head of this family was Maria.


    After a few peaceful days, Coy was punished by James.


    There were scratches on James'' car. Obviously, someone did it on purpose. The chauffeur had


    been trying to figure it out for days, but he still couldn''t think of the culprit behind the damage done


    to the car.


    When he checked the surveince video, he found that the one who did this was Coy.


    The boy circled the car a few times while brushing a small stone against it, leaving indelible marks.


    The moment James found out it was him, he unbuttoned his belt and used it to beat Coy. However,


    he missed.


    Coy broke away from his grasp and ran away, screaming.


    "Daddy, if you hit me again, I''ll tell Maria that you''ve been mistreating me when shees back."


    James looked at him and scoffed. "If she finds out about the mischief you caused, she''s going to hit


    you much harder than I did."


    His father was right. Fear caused Coy to tremble all over as he bolted his way outside. "I''m so sorry,


    Daddy! I was wrong. I won''t do it again!"


    "It''s toote to repent!" James ran after the little boy.


    Naturally, a toddler could never outrun a grown man. Before long, James caught Coy and pped


    his buttocks several times.


    The sound of his cries resounded throughout the manor, and James found it annoying. "If you don''t


    stop crying this instant, I will hit you even harder!"


    The boy saw the aggression in his father''s eyes and immediately mmed up, only sobbing from


    time to time.


    Once James was upstairs, a maid brought Coy some fruits tofort him.


    And while he was crying, he took a big bite of an apple and walked out.


    "Coy, where are you going?" asked the maid.


    As he took another bite of the fruit, Coy replied, "I want to y outside." He was really sad right


    now, and he didn''t want to see James'' face.


    "Okay. Hang on. I''ll go get your water bottle." The maid trotted back to the kitchen.


    Coy didn''t want to wait for her. If he allowed her to apany him, she wouldn''t let him y


    anything.


    While holding onto the apple, he ran as fast as he could, and soon he disappeared into a corner of


    the manor.


    James was on a video conference in his study. When he heard someone knocking, he said, "Come


    in."


    The maid who entered looked visibly anxious. "Mr. Xi, Coy is missing!"


    A look of horror made its way onto James'' face. "What do you mean?"


    "Ten minutes ago, he told me that he wanted to y outside, so I went back to the kitchen to get his


    water bottle. But when I came back, I couldn''t find him anywhere. I''ve been looking for him for the


    past ten minutes, but I still haven''t found him."


    After hearing that, James turned off hisptop and called the security room. "Check the surveince


    videos."


    Thirty minutester, James and John went to the stable.


    They circled the stable a couple of times before they saw the boy nestling on a haystack in the


    corner. He was sleeping soundly as he held a halfeaten apple.


    When James saw Coy like this, his temples started aching.


    John couldn''t resist the urge to snicker. "Coy is so adorable."


    ''Yeah, he''s so cute that I want to tie him up with a rope and leave him hanging from the ceiling!1


    though James.


    He then walked around the ck horse in the stable to pick Coy up from the haystack. As the boy


    opened his eyes, he looked at his father in a daze. "Oh! Hi, James," he muttered.


    James was rendered speechless. Who on earth taught this boy to call his parents by their first


    names?


    When they returned to the vi, they ran into Bob. He had juste back from school. Upon seeing


    Coy in his father''s arms, he asked, "Daddy, where have you been?"


    James sighed. Bob''s obedience was in stark contrast to Coy''s impish nature. "Your brother fell


    asleep in the stable."


    Unbeknownst to him, Bob had been thinking of obtain his assets and giving them to Maria.


    "I see!"


    In the evening, Cooper dropped by to have dinner with them. He had just dropped Sandra off at the


    next city for an exam, so he was going to be alone for a few days.


    And since there were two kids at the dining table, it was rather lively.


    After dinner, Cooper looked at the noisy brothers and said to James, "James, aren''t you going to


    hold another wedding ceremony with Maria? How''s everything going?"


    "I''m still preparing for it."


    He had left his wedding with Maria halfway. Moreover, Cooper had been the one who picked her up


    for James, which became part of the growing anxiety in his heart.


    James needed to hold a new wedding. This time, he would pick up Maria himself, and let the whole


    world know that she was hiswfully-wedded wife.


    "Hurry up!"


    Raising his eyebrows, James asked, "What''s going on? Are you so eager to get married?"


    "Honestly, I''m worried that she''ll leave me," Cooper said with a smile as he thought of Sandra.


    She was a simple, youngdy. Whenever she was upset, she would make it apparent, and she


    would tell him that she wanted to break up with him. Every time it happened, it broke his heart. The


    only thing he could do to solve this problem was to marry her as soon as possible. And by then, she


    wouldn''t be able to leave him if she wanted to.


    "I''ll do it as soon as possible." Once all the arrangements had been made for their wedding, James


    would try both hard and soft tactics. Even if Maria didn''t want to marry him, he would make her do it


    no matter what.


    At this moment, something happened to Maria. Last time, she opted not to take the contraceptive


    pill. And although she hadn''t had sex with him since then, she was still pregnant.


    Inside the bathroom, she stared at the pregnancy test with widened eyes. There were two bars on


    the stick.


    Powerless to change the situation, she shook her head and touched her forehead. What had she


    done wrong in her previous life to owe James this much?


    This was the fifth time that she had gotten pregnant with his child. It was an utterly horrid fate!


    Why did she get swayed by his persuasion that she ended up throwing away the pill?


    And why did her heart soften when she heard what James said to Mary that night? That moment of


    weakness was probably the reason why she was having another child. Such a high price to pay for


    something so trivial!


    As she sat on the toilet, Maria regretted what she had done.


    After a long time, she cast aside the pregnancy test stick and rushed to the study, ignoring the fact


    that James was on his phone.


    She punched him with all her might.


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Of course, James was taken by surprise. He quickly ended the phone call by saying, "Let''s talk


    about thister."


    After putting his phone away, he embraced the angry woman and asked, "What''s the matter? Have I


    done something wrong to upset you again?"


    Without saying another word, Maria broke from his grasp and hit him once more.


    James fell silent. He tried to think of what he might''ve done to offend her.


    "Bob was the one who wanted to call you today. I didn''t urge him to do it." He would be lying if he


    said that he hadn''t used his sons to call Maria, but today, Bob called his mother out of his own


    volition and asked her to stay with them for the night.


    Maria still hadn''t said anything until now.


    ''Is that not the reason she''s angry?'' James continued to think. After a while, he said, "I''ve also told


    my people to give up on that project DS Group wants to handle." Coincidentally, HL Group and DS


    Group had been fighting for the same project these days. When James found out that their


    competitor was DS Group, he immediately surrendered.


    However, Maria still didn''t say a word, and her eyes were still burning with anger.

 Chapter 490 The Third Baby

    Chapter 490 The Third Baby


    ''So that''s still not the reason, huh?'' James was confused. "Is your perioding?" He had heard


    that women''s temper would be terrible a few days before their menstrual cycle, and that they


    would get mad at the most trivial thing.


    The word "period" only served to anger Maria even further because she had to say goodbye to her


    period for the next nine months.


    She pinched his cheeks as hard as she could. "You wretched man!"


    James thought that her period wasing, so he took her hands off his face and said, "Mia, I''ll


    prepare some brown sugar water for you. Just don''t be mad at me."


    Maria closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself down. "James, you''re awesome!" He


    was so good at impregnating women that it only took him one try to make her pregnant. She had to


    admit that he was really good at it!


    "What?" At this point, James became even more confused.


    This time, Maria didn''t respond to him and walked out of the study in silence.


    Upon hearing his footsteps behind her, she turned about andmanded, "Don''t you dare follow


    me! Leave me alone!" She said that because she wanted to decide whether to keep this baby or


    abort it.


    "Okay," James replied tly. After that, he decided not to follow her.


    On her own, Maria wandered the manor to contemte on the matter of James and the baby.


    Although he didn''t follow her, he told John to connect the surveince cameras within the manor to


    hisptop. At the very least, he could keep an eye on Maria this way.


    Around ten minutester, Maria was sitting in the pavilion when something dawned on her. She had


    been so emotional earlier that she forgot to get rid of any evidence that would prove she was


    pregnant.


    It was at this point that James got up and went to the bathroom in the master''s bedroom.


    There was really no reason he would go here other than to pee.


    After flushing the toilet, he went to the sink to wash his face. identally, he caught sight of


    something that piqued his curiosity.


    Upon realizing what it was, his eyes widened in surprise.


    He was so excited, but he withdrew his hand from grabbing the object. Calmly, he turned on the tap,


    washed his hands, and used the hand sanitizer to cleanse them.


    Once he was certain they were clean, he took out a piece of tissue to wipe the water from his hands


    and threw it into the bin.


    Only then did he walk to the box where the toilet papers were ced, and picked up the stick.


    With the other hand, he took out his phone and searched for something online. "What do two bars


    on a pregnancy test stick mean?"


    Outside the vi, Maria was praying that James hadn''t been to the bathroom yet as she quickly


    strode back inside.


    However, when she was still dozens of meters away, a familiar figure caught her sight.


    He was wearing a high-end tailor-made suit and slippers. Regardless of his image, he was running


    towards her.


    Maria stood frozen, unable to walk forward. If she wasn''t mistaken, there was a smile on his face.


    ''I''m toote, aren''t I? He probably already saw the stick.''


    Soon, he stopped in front of her and embraced her, gradually tightening his arms around her.


    Maria could hardly breathe while he was embracing her. "What are you doing? Let me go!"


    "Mia, no matter what happens, I''ll stay by your side through everything this time." He had failed her


    three times, and he wasn''t nning to fail once more.


    Maria didn''t want to beat around the bush anymore. "So, you''ve seen it, haven''t you?"


    "That''s right."


    She pushed him away and stared into his eyes. "I don''t n on keeping it."


    James was stunned.


    An eerie silence ensued between them.


    The joy that had been built up in his heart was gradually fading. Finally, he grunted, "I forbid you


    from aborting my child!"


    "I don''t need your permission, James. The child is growing inside my womb, and I have the final


    say!"


    James put his hands on her shoulders. "I promise you that I''ll give you everything you want. All you


    have to do is to give birth to this baby."


    "Is that so?"


    "Yes."


    "If I give birth to this baby, I never want to see you again. Can you promise me that?"


    Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Pain was evident in his eyes when he heard that. "Anything except for that."


    "Humph! Mr. Xi, why should I let you dictate my life? Besides, if you hadn''t stopped me from taking


    the pill, this baby wouldn''t have been formed in the first ce."


    Once again, James hugged her. "I know, Mia. It''s all my fault. Your health is the most important


    thing right now. Don''t be upset."


    Faced by his humble apology and persuasion, Maria closed her eyes. Mixed emotions were ruling


    her heart at this moment.


    ''s! What should I do?''


    In all honesty, even though she told him that she didn''t want this baby, she was just trying to frighten


    him. She hadn''t actually figured out what she was going to do about it.


    "You never told me that you were pregnant with Bob and Coy, and it made me miss your pregnancy.


    On top of it all, I never got to witness their birth. Those have always been the biggest regrets in my


    heart. But now, a new baby hase. Mia, please don''t deprive me of my right to be a father


    again. Don''t let this child be borne into this world without its father, okay?"


    Back when she was pregnant with Boston, she told him that she wanted to separate with him and


    calm down. He believed her. But then, she went abroad and gave birth to the child in secret.


    When she was pregnant with Coy, she had been distancing herself from him. He was so afraid of


    losing her at the time that he proposed during his birthday.


    In fact, he had expected that she would refuse his proposal, but he had no idea that she was


    pregnant with Coy back then.


    And today, she was pregnant with another one of his children. Had he not seen the pregnancy test


    earlier, he might not have known about this.


    Perhaps it was due to his own negligence of her that he didn''t know that she was pregnant the first


    few times.


    Tears welled up in Maria''s eyes as she stared into the distance. "James, you sound so down-to-


    earth right now."


    "So what?" She had done the same thing for him in the past, hadn''t she? He would do whatever she


    had done in order to convince her to stay.


    It wasn''t a big deal. Maria let out a sigh. She had to admit that she was touched by his earnest


    feelings right now.


    She didn''t want to discuss the child''s matter with him since James would never agree to abort it.


    Honestly, Maria had zero intentions of talking to him about this.


    Soon, James drove her to the hospital for a checkup. She was indeed pregnant, and the time of


    pregnancy was in line with their expectations.


    While Maria was still thinking about if she should keep the baby, James told his grandparents about


    her pregnancy and their two sons. He also told everyone that should know about it.


    Before long, her pregnancy was known to everyone.


    James had never been one to announce his private life. Maria knew why he was doing this. He was


    doing this to force her to keep the child.


    And this method was an effective one. But it all honesty, she didn''t have the heart to kill this child.


    Not to mention, James'' grandparents had moved back to the manor; even Gabri visited the


    manor from time to time. She would always say that she was there to visit her grandsons, but she


    would asionally take care of Maria, too.


    More than anyone, Bob and Coy were the most excited. They would always be around Maria,


    guarding her belly dutifully.


    Aside from that, they kept asking if their new sibling was a boy or a girl.

 Chapter 491 Pineapple And Ananas

    Chapter 491 Pineapple And Ananas


    Maria asked the boys whether they wanted to have a brother or a sister. The boys exchanged nces and gave tacit answers. They both said that


    either was fine.


    During Maria''s pregnancy, the entire Xi family made her their top priority.


    James apanied her to sleep every single night. Whenever he needed to go on a business trip, he would delegate that task to Cooper instead.


    And if his presence was required during the trip, he would always take Maria with him. It seemed as though they were inseparable.


    This kind of life, inseparable from each other, was getting on her nerves.


    Due to her strong warnings and protests, James finally agreed to give her some space. From then on. when he had to go to work or on a business


    trip, he would go alone.


    Atst, Maria was able to catch her breath. She could have get-togethers with friends, eat hotpot, attend parties. and go shopping whenever she


    wanted.


    On her third month of pregnancy, whenever James was at home. he would tell their unborn child stories every night before gaing to bed. He had


    probably read about fetal education somewhere, so he was trying it out.


    By then, Coy had begun to go to kindergarten. All the teachers were fond of him, but they couldn''t deny the fact that he was a handful.


    His politeness and adorable demeanor was quite a sight to behold, but his impish nature brought them endless headaches.


    One day, Coy seemed upset about something.


    James had stopped telling him stories ever since Maria became pregnant with another baby.


    James had promised to tell him a storyst night, but he ended up going homete. By the time he had arrived, Coy was already asleep.


    And as a result, the boy''s mood had been sour all day long


    Knowing that he shouldn''t have broken his promise, James went to the kindergarten to pick up his two sons in the afternoon.


    Coy was the first one toe out. James got out of his car and waved at his son.


    "Coyle, someone is here to pick you up! Look who it is!" said the teacher.


    Unexpectedly, when Coy nced at James, he shook his head and replied, ¡°! don¡¯t know him.¡± He even hid himself in the teacher''s arms.


    James fell silent.


    At this point, the teacher didn''t know how to react. "Have you forgotten you once said that you look exactly like your father?"


    Coy pouted and continue to deny his rtion the man. "I didn''t say that."


    James walked over and greeted the teacher with a ned. "Thank you, Miss Feng. You can carry on with your work. I''ll take care of my boy.¡±


    She nodded back. "Alright. Coyle was behaving well today, but it seems like he¡¯s not in the mood. You should talk to him."


    "Thanks for the advice," he replied


    When the teacher left, Coy wanted to go with her.


    "Bob is about toe out, so I''m going there to pick him up. If you leave this spot, I''ll leave you here alone to fend for yourself.¡± James remarked.


    "Whatever!" It seemed as though Coy was adamantly against going home.


    James¡¯ temples started to ache as he stared at his kid. He suddenly thought of what Maria told him before. ''Coy cannot be cowed by force, but he can


    be persuaded with reason. Try to coax him into agreeing with you.¡¯


    James stepped forward and bent down at eye level with his son. "Coy, I didn¡¯t mean toe hometest night. I got off work early today to pick


    you and Bob up."


    Coy scoffed at him. "You only care about Maria now! It doesn''t seem like Bob and I are as important as her. You should just ask your father to pick me


    up; or maybe your grandfather. Anyone is okay, as long as it''s not you!¡±


    Patiently, James tried his best to appease him. "If youe over, I''ll tell you a secret."


    "What secret?" Sure enough, his statement aroused Coy''s curiosity.


    "Come closer by five steps and I''ll tell you.¡±


    Coy counted each step that he took. And after five paces, he was standing in front of James.


    "The secret is that I''ll personally cook delicious food for you and Bob tonight."


    Ever since Maria got pregnant,


    James had h¨¦en taking great strides


    in his cooking skills. Because of her


    morning si kness, she was now ar


    picky eater. And eve es


    is: two


    S cookittg


    cooked had been tasted by h


    sons: Surprisingly, hi


    rythin


    gh


    suited their tastes and whet their


    appetites each time.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Conten


    "As a punishment, you''re going to cook tomatoes and scrambled eggs for me. But don''t put any tomatoes in the dish!" Coymanded.


    James picked him up and said. "dly." He would just use tomato sauce as a substitute.


    "I also want to eat pineapple rice, but don''t use any pineapples!"


    ¡°Okay.¡± He would put ananas instead


    As soon as Coy stepped into the Car, Bob came out of his ssroom. James drove them back to the vi.


    During dinner time, Maria refused to eat James'' cooking. Her dinner was instead served by her nutritionist.


    James was responsible for Coy and Bob''s dinner. And the dinner for his grandparents was prepared by the chef.


    Coy looked at-the pineapple in the


    te and camined, "Daddy, you


    9) omisede that you''re not going


    to put pixeapples in the rice!¡± "I used


    ananas It i is different froma <>


    pineapple.¡± Coy fell silent. It lgoked


    exactly like a pineapple andtasted


    jut the same. Content b¨¦longs to


    Was his father lying to him?


    On Maria''s fifth month of pregnancy, James found out that the child in her womb might be another boy, so he took the story books back to the two


    boys¡¯ room. Never again did he tell stories to the unborn child


    Naturally, Coy was the happiest about this. Atst, he would be able to hear stories from James again.


    Fifteen dayster. Maria insisted on going on a business trip despite James'' refusal to let her.


    She had been taking care of the twopanies¡¯ affairs at home, but this time, the matter was very important and she had to deal with it personally.


    At first, James wanted to ask Norman to help her, but he was no longer a shareholder of Fosun Entertainment Group. All his shares had been


    transferred to Mildred.


    Since he couldn''t dissuade Maria, James negotiated apromise. She could go, but she must take him with her.


    Maria rolled her eyes at him. "I''m not a three-year-old, James. Besides, you assigned tons of bodyguards to look after me. Are they weak or


    something?"


    "Look, the only way I can feel at peace is when I see that you''re safe and sound," he refuted


    "I''ll only be away for two days, not two months! Can you please just give me some space?" James had just given her some space for a few days, but


    he still couldn''t resist the urge to tie her to his side


    It was a long debate before he finally


    agreed toxet her do it Two days was


    the maximum amount of time that


    he allowed her to go out on her own.


    If she werete for even one?minute


    longer, he would go find her: ¡°Content


    b¨¦longs  ~


    Obviously, Maria wasn¡¯t happy to hear that.


    ¡®He''s such a giant baby,¡¯ she thought to herself.


    The only person happy that Maria was away on a business trip was Coy.


    Without her at home, he could run wild in the manor. Several servants weren''t enough to keep him in check, and even the bodyguards had to look


    after him.


    In the evening, before James came home, Coy made one of the maids slip into the hot tub by ident.


    As soon as James came back, he called Coy into his study. He whipped his belt out and said, "Coy, do you think that nobody will punish you just


    because your mother isn¡¯t home?"


    It was true that he avoided punish his children, but Maria was away, and Coy had made a serious mistake.


    When the boy saw the belt, it didn''t faze him at all. He even told a joke


    Ethan had once told him.


    Coy had a sharp memory, so he was able to remember it word by word


    James fell silent.


    ¡®If I have done something wrong, just punish me! Don''t give me such a naughty son."


    The following moment. the beltshed onto Coy''s buttocks.

 Chapter 492 Sail Far Away

    Chapter 492 Sail Far Away


    Coy bellowed in pain. It was the most painful thing he had ever felt thus far.


    With a frown, James asked, "Do you promise to behave yourself from now on?¡±


    What had he done in his previous life to deserve a mischievous son like Coy?


    "Daddy, you''re bullying me.¡± Coy sobbed


    "I''m not bullying you, boy! I''m teaching you a valuable lesson," he retorted.


    "But I didn''t do anything wrong. The maid said that I was a handful," said Coy.


    "Well, she was telling the truth. Is there something wrong with what she said?"


    "No. But I wasn''t in the mood when she told me that, so I jumped onto the stone and wanted to stay alone. She insisted on apanying me and


    identally fell into the water. It had nothing to do with me." Coy felt he was deeply wronged


    "She was worried about your safety. Why did you jump onto the stone?" asked James.


    "I was in a bad mood. Isn''t that reason enough?¡±


    The boy''s words left James speechless. ''He is my biological son; I can''t beat him up."


    After a while, he said to the crying boy, "Reflect on what you''ve done. As long as you don''t admit to your mistake, you can''t have dinner.¡±


    "I don''t care! I ate an extra meal in the kindergarten anyway.¡±


    Coy retorted. James missed his wife so much, and he wanted to call her and tell her toe home to teach this disobedient child a lesson.


    For some reason, he felt that Coy must''ve been his punishment for not treating Arthur well back then and for taking Maria''s love for granted. He really


    owed them so much.


    After James had closed the door and left. Coy wiped his tears and sat in his chair in the study.


    He found a pen and a piece of paper to write on. His handwriting was rather unintelligible.


    Afterwards, he ran out of the room to look for his father, and saw him talking to Maria on the phone. "Daddy!" he shouted.


    James turned about and asked with a frown, ¡°What is it?"


    Coy handed him a piece of paper.


    James took a look at what was written on the paper and ended his conversation with Maria. After reading it a few times, he finally understood what


    was written on the paper.


    Generally, the paper said, "Goodbye, Daddy. From tonight on. I''m going to sail far away.¡±


    Several of those words were spelt wrong. It took James a while to figure out what his son was trying to say. James looked at Coy and said earnestly,


    "It must''ve been hard for you to write this.¡± Writing so many words at such a young age must''ve been really hard.


    "Do you regret what you did now?" the boy said, looking as if he had won


    But to his surprise, James scoffed at him and said, "Okay, you can go. But you have to leave the card here." He was aware that his children had


    saved some pocket money of their own.


    Coy couldn''t believe what he was hearing. "Are you nning to let me starve to death?"


    "Well, are you nning to annoy me to death?"


    "No, I''m not! I just want to go on an adventure." Coy didn''t want to be whipped by his father''s belt again.


    "To answer your question, I''m not trying to starve you. I just want to save some money.¡± James wanted to save as much as he could for his wife.


    "But, you shouldn''t save money.¡±


    "Well, you shouldn''t go on an adventure,¡± James refuted.


    This time, Coy was so angry that his cheeks bulged up. "Daddy. I want my mommy." His mother treated him better than his father ever did.


    "Son, I want my wife." For him, his wife was the best person in this world


    "If you want your wife, then go after her yourself. After all, she¡¯s not my wife," Coy rebutted.


    James had had enough of arguing with a child. ¡°Get out! Focus on your studies, you brat. You don''t even know what two plus three is. How do you


    still have the guts to negotiate with me?¡±


    "I know it!" Coy held his ground. He did know what two plus three was


    "Oh, really? Then what is it?" "You''re not my teacher. Why should I answer you?" James fell silent yet again.


    He put his hand on his belt buckle. Coy was astute enough to notice it this time, so he decided to forget about the paper and his desire to sail away.


    He then turned around and ran away as fast as he could.


    This time, James decided to let him go because he had made an important decision.


    He took out his phone and dialed Lawrence''s number. "I''m transferring Coy out of his current kindergarten.¡±


    "What''s going on?" asked Lawrence.


    "It''s getting harder and harder to discipline himtely. I want to transfer him to the kindergarten in your base. Whenever he tries to stir mischief, don''t


    hesitate to punish him," James said tly.


    The military kindergarten followed strict rules starting from early childhood. It applied a closed management, where all kinds of physical exercises


    were conducted every single day. People of Lawrence''s position would go there to give lessons at any point in time.


    Once the children had graduated from that kindergarten, they would then be escted into the affiliated primary school. Every child of that school had


    an excellent self-discipline, morality, and physical condition.


    Of course, suffering and hardships were part of the process of improvement


    ¡°Look, James, I know that you wouldn''t hesitate on sending your son here, but what about Maria?" asked Lawrence.


    ¡®Isn''t Mona inthe kindergarten as


    well? Why ongearth did you let her be


    part of it? Sifice a little girl can do N


    this, Coycan, too. But if he can''t, he''s


    going te-be pathetic for the


    rest afhis life." He wasn''t expecting


    that his son was a genius, but he


    wasn''t going to allow him:to be


    a loser either.  fe)


    Lawrence chuckled. "It''s a different story, James. My daughter is obedient and studies hard. Coy, on the other hand, is a prankster by nature. I''m sure


    he''ll be strictly disciplined. And strict discipline means that he''ll go through harsher trainings than others.¡±


    The military schools specialized on reforming unruly children like Coy.


    "Only those who go through hardships can be the most sessful.¡± said James


    Since James had already decided, Lawrence didn''t disagree. ¡°Fine. I''ll tell them about the transfer."


    This kindergarten wasn''t open to everyone who wanted to enroll, but for someone like James, there was no problem with it.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    When Coy found out that he was going to be transferred to a different kindergarten, his heart was overcame with curiosity and excitement.


    But when James told him about the kindergarten, he burst into tears and didn''t want to go anymore.


    Although Maria felt sorry for her son, she was well aware that the boy needed strict discipline to behave. ¡°Why are you crying? When you were in the


    nunnery, you worked really hard to learn martial arts. You didn''t cry that time, did you?"


    "It''s different." Coy was really sad. He believed that his parents were abandoning him, and that must be why they were transferring him to that


    kindergarten. This way, he would only be able toe home once a week.


    "There''s no difference, Coy. Besides, Mona is also studying at that kindergarten. Think about it. If a girl can do it, so can you!¡±


    But Coy didn''t listen to her. "Mommy, I don''t want to go. I don''t want to see Mona because she''s annoying!


    Maria found his remark weird. "Mona is really adorable. Why do you dislike her?"


    "Because she''s annoying!" He would never tell his mother that the reason he disliked Mona was because she beat him in a duel.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    After a


    ong silen


    you know whyh


    ce, James said, "Do


    ona''s a really good


    martial artist? Because she trains at.


    the kindergarten every single i


    morning: If you go there, I believe


    that swith your potential and


    intelligence, you''ll be the


    strongest child in the kindergarten in


    less than a weak."


    "I''m already the strongest child.¡± Coy stared at James with tearful eyes.


    "YO


    ur current ssmates h


    aven''t


    practiced martial arts yet, but you


    have. Fighting them at their current


    state is jusNinfair. You must S


    compare yourself


    o those who have


    trainedike you. How abou this?If


    you


    that


    you


    be the st


    at Kindergarten,


    rongest


    child


    in


    promise-you that


    can choose any schos


    you


    (e)


    want to go in the future. What d


    you think?" He dec


    way to convince hi


    ided that the best


    m was to deceive


    him


    with a deal. Content belong


    s to


    Coy sobbed and asked James for confirmation.


    ¡°Really?¡± "I promise," he replied.


    "Okay!"


    With that, Coy agreed to transfer into the kindergarten.


    The sight of the children''s unfamiliar faces did not sit well with Coy, especially when he saw Mona approaching him.

 Chapter 493 Sensational Wedding

    Chapter 493 Sensational Wedding


    Coy couldn''t even beat a little girl. Just the thought of it filled him with humiliation.


    Mona, with her hair in a single pigtail. offered him a lion-shaped toy. ¡°Coy, this is my gift for you."


    Coy gave the toy one quick nce. Then he crossed his arms over his chest and snorted. "I don''t want it. I have a cab full of toys at home." His


    father had bought him every one of them.


    At the memory of it, he began to miss his father.


    Mona, who had been eager to give him this gift, made no effort to hide her disappointment. Her mother had told her that Coy was fond of lions. She


    had expected him to be delighted. ¡®Why doesn''t he want it now?'' she wondered. "You have to ept my gift and thank me for it," she said, her tone a


    little stern.


    "No way!"


    After saying that, Coy turned around and left.


    Mona trotted after him and shouted, "You have to ept it!"


    "I don''t want it so I won''t ept!" he spat back, annoyed


    "Let''s have a duel. If you lose, you have to take it!"


    Coy knew that he couldn''t beat Mona. "I can¡¯t fight with you. My mommy said that I am not supposed to beat a girl."


    "Well, I think you are lying because you are afraid you won t win.¡±


    Mona''s words hit where it hurt the most. Coy blushed crimson with embarrassment.


    He took a deep breath, rolled up his sleeves and said, "Fine! If that''s what you think, then let''s fight. I want to show you I am not afraid of you!"


    "Okay!"


    As they fought, one of the teachers saw them. She hurried to stop them. Mona had just tripped over Coy. Lying on the ground, he was forced to take


    over the toy from her.


    For the first time in his life, he saw everyoneugh at him. Annoyed. he swore to himself that he would defeat all the children in the kindergarten in a


    week''s time.


    On the other hand, Maria and James¡¯ rtionship began to improve gradually after she had given birth to the baby.


    James made it a point to take good care of her, giving her everything she wanted. However, an unfortunate incident happened when Maria was only


    seven months pregnant.


    On her way back from thepany, she met with a car ident. The driver of the other car was drunk.


    Heavily bleeding, she was taken into the hospital. If she wanted to keep the baby, she had to have a caesarean section prior to the due date. It was


    the only way for the baby to survive.


    Soon, the surgery was done and the baby came to the world.


    Everyone was under the impression it was a boy.


    However, they were stunned to realize this time it was a girl.


    Holding his little daughter in his arms, James could not help his tears of gratitude rolling down his face


    As it was a premature birth, the baby was very small, weighing about three pounds. Her cries were weak too, akin to that of a kitten


    Soon, the doctor took the baby away and put her into the incubator.


    The day the little girl stepped into the Xi family, she lived on an expensive incubator.


    Staying near the incubator, James kept a close watch on his daughter. In fact, he skipped sleep for several days for her sake. The sole duty of his life


    became caring for his daughter and wife.


    He ensured his baby was given the most advanced type of incubator. It cost him more than ten thousand dors per day. ording to the little girl''s


    physical condition, she had to stay in it for several weeks before it was safe. In addition to this, he had pay several other medical fees. Within a few


    days of her arrival, she had already spent millions of dors.


    She had been fortunate enough to be born in the Xi family. James was the sort of father who wanted nothing but the best for his family. What pained


    him was to watch her in pain. Everybody felt sorry and their hearts wept for her.


    Every time Coy and Bob went to the hospital, they would bend on the windowsill and take a look at the baby in the incubator. They were sad to see


    that she was always asleep. They wondered if she would ever be awake when they visited.


    Maria wasn''t a week woman. She rarely shed tears.


    However, every time she saw her little girl¡¯s body lying in the incubator, she felt devastated. Her heart ached for her child. Her eyes would film over


    with tears.


    She held herself responsible for what happened. If she had chosen to work at home during her pregnancy, none of this would have happened. She


    felt she was the reason behind her daughter''s condition.


    As she sat with these thoughts,


    heavy footsteps came, bringing her


    out of herr¨¦verie. "Mia, I''m sorry.¡±


    James wouldn''t stop apologizingsn


    his opigion, it was all his fault. fhe


    had.taken good care of ariaand


    thespaby in her stomach, thts


    d¨¦vident could have beenavoided.


    Maria took a deep breath and shook her head. She couldn''t allow him to take the me for this. "Let''s go back!" she said


    They took another look at their little girl. James held Maria''s shoulder and went back to the ward


    Sebastian gave her the pet name Princess. After all, she was the little princess of the Xi family.


    Her formal name was Prisci Xi, which was chosen by Maria.


    Like her two elder brothers, both her pet name and formal name had the same initials.


    For now, name wasn''t their priority. It didn¡¯t matter much. They were waiting for her speedy recovery.


    After staying in the incubator for five weeks, Prisci was taken out and was allowed to return home with her mother.


    Tears of happiness welled up in Maria''s eyes as she held the little baby in her arms.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    After the family returned to the manor, James hired professional nutritionists, chefs, and nannies to take care of every aspect of his baby girl''s life.


    All of their prayers were answered. As time went by, her health got better and better.


    While James was home, he made it his duty to take care of her. He wouldn''t allow anyone else to help. He even went out of his way to wash her


    clothes and socks.


    When Prisci was six months old, James proposed to Maria again.


    This time, Maria said yes without any hesitation.


    During the past six months, James had proven himself to be the most responsible man. Maria found herself moved by his actions.


    e gave up several important


    projects just tobe with her and


    Prisci. He-derived lots of pleasure


    in being attheir beck and call. = >


    Howevet;the fact he was busy with


    his family made Norman quite:


    happy. By putting in a little bit effort,


    shen Group became invincible in the


    financial circle. They gradually rose


    to the same level as that of HL


    Group.


    When Maria sat ming herself for her daughter''s premature birth, it was James who patiently sat by her side and gave her constion. He tried


    every means to keep her happy. He would bring her the moon if it meant making her smile.


    With his actions, he proved he truly loved her. And Maria realized he genuinely wished to spend the rest of his life with her.


    As for Maria, she loved James with all her heart. She had never loved another man. The mere thought of being his wife brought contentment to her


    mind.


    When she thought about her children, she was convinced this was the right decision. She had to do this for the sake of her children.


    She imagined how life would be without James by her side. It would be a herculean job to take care of all the three of them. Life as a single mother


    wouldn''t be a piece of cake. She would be exhausted.


    Bob was not troublesome, so she wouldn''t have to worry about him. But Coy was getting naughtier as time went by. And on top of everything. she


    was in charge of Bosun Entertainment Group and DS Group. She was a strong-willed woman, but at the end of the day, she was a human.


    With James¡¯ support, burden had been lifted from her shoulders. The Xi family would help her make this journey smooth. She would have time to


    catch her breath and life wouldn''t be daunting.


    As expected, the wedding was a


    grand asi6n. James was still


    guilty aboutViot picking her up in.


    person an their first wedding. Tos


    make up for it, he went to the Song


    familhouse early this time. He was


    fowed by dozens of luxurgcars


    that contained generous betrothal


    presents. Content be ongs to


    ~


    He was dead set on showering Maria with unlimited happiness.


    Besides, he bought the top fifty hot searches of all social apps. Their wedding caused a sensation all around the world.


    On their wedding day, the official ount of HL Group, which had tens of millions of fans, posted their wedding photo, wishing them a happy life


    ahead.


    Not only that, even the official ount of Shen Group posted a happy video of the pair, writing below, "The CEO of Shen Group wishes his brother


    and sister-inw a happy married life!"

 Chapter 494 Marriage Certificates

    Chapter 494 Marriage Certificates


    Upon seeing the message, Norman''s face turned grim. In his heart, he still hadn''t acknowledged his father, nor his family.


    He had told the administrator of Shen Group''s official social media ount to send his wishes, but he hadn''t given them his permission to proim


    that James was his elder brother.


    But in the end, he just let it go.


    Naturally, Song Group offered its best wishes as well. "Congrattions to our beloved Maria for her wedding. We wish her and her husband a lifetime


    of happiness.¡±


    The next one to congratte the couple was Mu Group. "Congrattions on your wedding. We hope that you remain a faithful couple throughout


    your lives. We are certain that you are a match made in heaven!"


    In addition, Peggy''s fashion magazine, thepany of Sandra''s father, and many other celebrities congratted them on their marriage.


    Both the bride and groom were sessful figures in the business world. After their wedding ceremony, many others sent them their blessings. Some


    sent congrattions in person, others in private.


    After going through hell and high water, they were finally here at the peak of happiness. It was only natural that they would receive blessings from


    everyone.


    During their wedding night, after their children had fallen asleep, Maria sat in front of herptop, staring at all the messages sent to them. At longst,


    their love was blessed by everyone.


    However, James had grown concerned about something new. He pressed her under his body and said, "Honey, I think it won''t bode well for us if


    people find out that you and I don¡¯t have our marriage certificates yet."


    "I know that,¡± she replied.


    "It''s decided then. I''ll move the Civil Affairs Bureau here tomorrow, so that we can get our marriage certificates, okay?¡±


    "No! Honestly, I''m content with our current setup. Besides, we''ve already held a wedding."


    James didn''t know how to respond. It worried him that if he had said too much, it might ruin their wedding night. And so, he just started kissing her


    and dropped the topic.


    There was still ample time to get their marriage certificates.


    Now that the wedding had been held, the prospects of obtaining the marriage certificates didn''t seem far off.


    It was easy to imagine how Prisci would grow up. Due to her premature birth, she was in rtively poor healthpared to her brothers. The


    whole world was doting on this little princess, and her biggest fan was none other than James.


    The little girl had a seemingly infinite number of dresses and dolls at her disposal


    James even studied how to braid hair in order to please his beloved daughter.


    To everyone else, he was a ruthless, aloof businessman. But to Maria and their daughter, he was the most gentle and caring man on the.


    This man had given all his tender love and care for his wife and daughter. It didn''t matter to him how mischievous his daughter was. Not once did he


    ever said anything harsh to her.


    Soon, James was relieved to find out that all his efforts to look after her had seeded. Her health was gradually bing better.


    In HL Group, a little girl with braided hair was crawling on the floor.


    A client passed by and asked, "Why is there a child here?¡±


    The operations manager nced at the toddler and replied, "This is our little princess!"Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The client immediately realized who she was. "So, this is Mr. and Mrs. Xi¡¯s daughter." She was indeed a princess like no other.


    Her title was further solidified by the fact that so many bigwigs were tied to her. Other than her parents, James and Maria, there was also Lawrence,


    Ethan, Cooper, and Norman.


    However, this girl had one shoring. It wasn''t exactly that big of a deal. She was just really fond of crawling.


    She could crawl her way from the CEO''s office on the sixty-sixth floor to the first floor. And because of that, every nook and cranny of the HL Group''s


    building was being disinfected at least three times a day. The floor was spotless. Wherever the princess crawled, many would follow¡ªcleaners and


    nannies.


    Aside fram the fact that James was generous when it came to sry, their little princess was indeed adorable, so nobody everined about their


    job. She was permitted to crawl wherever, whenever she wanted to.


    Today, Maria was taking part ina


    parent-child I activity with Bob, while


    James b rught Prisci to the >


    compan At this moment, he was¡±


    holding 2 new productunch inthe


    confefence room. After Summer


    finished her phone call, shecouldn''t


    s¨¦ the little princess anywhere.


    By the time she found her, the little princess was already on the floor where the conference room was.


    As Prisci staggered forward, she ran into an employee along the way. "Daddy?" she asked


    The employee was so enamored by the girl''s adorable voice. She squatted down to look into Prisci''s eyes. "Hello, Princess! Your daddy is in a


    meeting right now.¡±


    The moment she heard the word "meeting," Prisci knew where her father was.


    She kept moving forward, but Summer quickly picked her up. "Princess, your daddy is in an important meeting right now. Let''s wait for him to finish


    before we see him, okay?"


    "I want Daddy!" It had been thirty minutes since shest saw her father, so Prisci was feeling anxious.


    Summer felt her temples aching. If there wasn''t anything eventful happening, she would''ve brought the girl to James right away. However, he was


    hosting a press conference right now, and it was on a live broadcast.


    But then, she realized that to James, there was nothing more important than his little princess. Not even the entire HL Group couldpete with his


    love for his daughter.


    The conference room was enough


    to house dozens of people, including


    reporterstand important guests. =>


    Right now, James was giving a


    speechonstage. "We''ve been ?''


    looking forward tounching-this


    product for a long time now¡ª"


    "Daddy," a childish voice interrupted him


    Upon hearing her voice, James'' stern face softened. He nced at the door, and saw his beloved daughter.


    A smile was nted on his face as he apologized to the crowd before striding towards Summer and taking Prisci from her arms.


    The crowd began to whisper among themselves. "I''ve heard that Mr. Xi dotes on his wife and daughter. I can see that the stories are true."


    "Yes. Everyone in HL Group is aware of that."


    As he held Prisci in his arms, James went back to the stage and continued his speech. ¡°Sorry again for that intermission, everyone. Let''s get back


    to the matter hand."


    Due to the surprising turn of events, Prisci was now attending the productunch with her father.


    James continued the event while he was holding onto his daughter. When news of this broke out, the live stream of the press conference filled up with


    attendees.


    "Princess is so adorable!" Comments of simr nature could be seen everywhere.


    Maria didn''t find out about this until she finished the parent-child activity. Actually, she heard it from someone else. It didn''te as a surprise to her


    that James would do something like that.


    The great James Xi was not ashamed to admit to the world that Prisci was the most precious person on the for him


    By nightfall, Coy had returned from school, and the entire family had gathered together.


    Perhaps due to his old eating habits that had been developed at JT Nunnery, Coy wasn''t fond of meat. Because of that, he was a bit thinner than


    children of his age.


    James pushed a te of braised pork in brown sauce towards his son and said, "Eat."


    Coy rolled his eyes at him. "Daddy, how about this? If you eat it. I''ll eat meat in every meal from now on.¡±


    There wasn''t much of the braised


    pork and it oily had a few pieces. In


    all honesty, 2 James didn''t want to eat


    it, but sinee Coy was negotiating


    with him, he believed that his son


    wasatt lying. "Men keep theirs


    promises, alright?" Con ent belongs


    to


    "I promise, Daddy!" Coy patted his chest proudly.


    James pulled the te of braised park towards himself and ate everything on the te.

 Chapter 495 The Real Coward

    Chapter 495 The Real Coward


    At noon the next day, James chased after Coy and beat him up for cheating


    He had deceived James into eating a te of braised pork in brown sauce the previous day. And then, he had broken his promise and refused to eat


    beef for lunch. To make things worse. he denied having promised to eat meat.


    Prisci was under the impression that her father and brother were ying games. She gave a great below ofughter and it echoed in the living


    room


    Maria, who was used to such scenes, paid no heed to it. After Coy was sent to the same kindergarten as Mona, she hadn''t noticed any major change


    in him. Apart from the fact his martial art skills have improved, he was pretty much the same.


    After being beaten, Coy went upstairs with a lump in his throat. He carried Prisci in his arms as he went.


    ¡°Put her down!" James ordered from behind.


    Coy stared at him straight in the eye and said. "I want to y with her."


    "I am sure she doesn''t want to y with a lying child!


    "You can¡¯t decide for her." Then he locked at Prisci and said softly, "Princess, do you want to y with me?"


    "Cay," Prisci uttered even though she couldn''t make sense of the situation.


    Coy snorted indignantly at James and said, "Do you hear that? She wants to y with me!"


    Taking his daughter from his son''s arms, James scolded him harshly, "Go back to your room and reflect on yourself!"


    ¡°No! I want Princess!"Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Prisci noticed her brother was weeping. She also began to cry. Perhaps she was feeling sorry for him.


    At the sight of his little girl crying, James'' heart softened at once. He coaxed Prisci, "Don''t cry.¡±


    "Cay," she uttered, still crying.


    James had to put Prisci back to the floor.


    She staggered into Coy''s arms. The brother and sister hugged each other and their faces broke into a smile.


    Seeing the bond they shared, James was quite taken aback.


    When the adults were absent, Bob went to Coy and asked, "Coy, do you want toe back to my kindergarten?"


    Coy shook his head and answered decisively, ¡°No! I find the present kindergarten very challenging. The previous one wasn''t like this."


    Bob contemted over his brother''s words and said, "I heard that you have a problem with Mona. You don''t seem to like her. Is that true?"


    "Yes. I prefer Renee from the ss next door,¡± Coy answered without any hesitation. At the thought of Renee, his lips curved into a smile. She was


    gentle, quite the opposite of Mona


    "Coy, we are men. We shouldn''t dislike Mona. Her father often brings us interesting toys. If you act like this, her parents will be disappointed."


    Listening to this, Coy frowned. He was a little reluctant. but in the end, he said, "All right! I will remember that.¡±


    "Be nice to Mona. I just asked the chef to make some cookies. I want you to give them to her. It could fix things.¡±


    "What if she won''t eat them?" He was afraid she would reject his offer.


    "Why wouldn''t she?¡±


    "Because she is a coward."


    Bob looked at Coy and let out a helpless sigh. He knew who the real coward was. It wasn''t Mona but his little brother. However, they were in good


    terms so he chose to keep his thoughts to himself. He wouldn''t bring his brother down.


    In the evening, after hanging up an important call, Jamesy on the bed. He held his daughter in his arms and narrated a story to her.


    Bob and Coy had yed with Prisci for a while, but now they were in their room to sleep. Maria, on the other hand, was folding children''s clothes.


    Soon, Prisci gave a huge yawn and fell asleep in her father''s arms.


    The room became quiet. Maria was the one who broke the silence. "I''ll be on a business trip for a few days. I am going the day after tomorrow.¡± she


    informed. DS Group was going to be listed soon. Her days were quite packedtely.


    "Do you need me to apany you? I would like to join," he offered.


    "


    0, thanks. That won''t be required.


    Moreover, you are so busytely. It


    will be too rQuch to ask,¡± she said, .


    kindly ejecting his offer. Maria often


    found hefself feeling sorry for >


    James) Thepany work hat kept


    himbusy. And when he was\done


    with his work, he came homie and


    took care of his family. H¨¦ barely


    had time for leisure.


    "Mom called and asked us to let Prisci stay with her for a few days. She is free now." Gabri and Mitchell had divorced. Now she was with


    Sebastian again.


    In order to make Gabri happy, Sebastian had moved out of the vi where he had lived with Judy. Now he was living in another house with


    Gabri


    "Prisci is your daughter. You know what''s best for her,¡± she said. In the next few days, Maria wouldn''t be home. She couldn''t take care of Prisci.


    Under the circumstance, she thought it was best to let James decide what to do.


    "Okay." James waved at her. "Come here for a second.¡±


    Maria put the folded clothes aside and walked over. "What''s wrong?"


    Just when she thought it was something important, James pulled her and she fell on the edge of the bed


    He gave her a kiss.


    However, when Jamesy back, he bumped into Prisci, who had just fallen asleep.


    The little girl squinted through bleary eyes and saw Maria pushing away James. She widened her eyes and red at Maria. ¡°No. Don''t hit Daddy!"


    Acent smile made its way to James¡¯ face


    Maria couldn''t believe how dear James was to her daughter. "Prisci, would you like it if I beat you instead?"


    Hearing her mother''s words, Prisci crawled up to James and hugged him tightly. "Mommy, no, no."


    Patting his daughter gently, James calmed her down. "Good girl, Princess. Your mommy was just kidding. She won''t beat you. Go to sleep!"


    His words relieved her worries and Prisci finally went to sleep again. sucking her thumb.


    Maria rolled her eyes and sighed deeply. "Fortunately, I still have two sons who care about me."


    James said in a low voice, "Honey, what about me? Don''t forget you still have me!"


    Maria rolled her eyes. She couldn''t believe how flirty he was!


    Soon, Maria was abroad on the


    business tripshe nad spoken about.


    James eared she was with a mam.


    and thatnade him furious. Wher


    his employees made a silly mistake


    at work, he found it hard to gavern


    hisstemper. Everyone was quite


    stunned by his reaction.


    James had always been cold. But ever since Maria and Prisci came to his life, he never scolded anyone. His temper was always in check.


    Two employees were rebuked badly.


    Afteringout of his office, they


    looked arqund and made sure that?.


    nobody. was nearby. With a S


    dissati¡ìfied expression, the firgttone


    said is not my fault but I have to


    bear the brunt of his angerKWhy is


    MP. Xi being so unreasonable?"


    "I have no idea. Anyway, it doesn''t matter. He can scold us here. But when he goes back home, his wife will be the one scolding him!"


    "That''s right. No matter how much he bosses around in front of us, at the end of the day, he is a ve!" Everyone in thepany was aware that


    James worshipped his daughter and wife.


    While this conversation was going on, a female voice cut in, ¡°Is Mrs. Xi so fierce?"


    "Of course!¡± After saying that, it dawned on the employee something was wrong. He wondered who this woman was.


    He turned around and saw who it was. "Oh, it''s you, Ms. Song!"


    Carolina smiled and said, "I was just passing by. Go ahead and continue with your work."


    ¡°Okay.¡± In an instant, both the men left.


    Looking at their disappearing figure, Carolina shook her head helplessly.


    She hade to meet the product manager of HL Group. When she finished her work and was about to leave, she overheard the conversation


    between these two people.


    As time passed, Chandler showed a great deal of care for Maria. As a consequence, the rtionship between the father and daughter had improved.


    On the day of Maria¡¯s second wedding, she left from the Song family house. In fact, it was Chandler who handed his daughter to James at the altar.


    But this time, everyone had mixed emotions. And the way they looked at Maria was also different.


    Chandler had married his mistress and brought her into the Song family. She wasn''t exactly a bad person. Both Carolina and Maria received good


    treatment from her.

 Chapter 496 Small Sacrifice

    Chapter 496 Small Sacrifice


    Carolina also had given birth to a boy who was now more than a year old. All in all, it would suffice to say that the Song family were quite happy at


    present


    She wasn''t the sort of woman who wanted to meddle in her mother''s and Dani''s issue. She just wished them nothing but a happy life


    In T Country


    Maria was physically exhausted from having worked all day. She went back to the hotel and stepped into her room. The sight she saw astonished her.


    James was in her room! "Why are you here?¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Her eyes went to therge bouquet of roses on the table. As usual, these were the rarest flowers. She had never seem them before. A smile lit up her


    face.


    He often brought her unique flowers and every bouquet made her heart leap.


    It had reached a point where she seriously began to wonder if it was the flowers she admired or the man who gave them to her.


    James walked towards her and said, "I missed you."


    "How did you know I''m here?" As far as she remembered, she had only told him that she was on a business trip. Details regarding where she would


    stay never came up


    James pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the lips. "Do you remember the time I went on a business trip?" He had been surprised too when


    she hade to him.


    Back then, Maria had said, "You will know how when you fall in love with someone."


    He hadn''t known until today.


    Smiling at her, he said, "If you really love someone, you will pay special attention to her every move and try every possible means to learn more about


    her.¡±


    Maria had taught him a lot about love. And everything began to make sense now that he was deeply in love with her.


    Hearing his words, Maria gave a little chuckle. ¡°Are you leaving your daughter behind and flying all the way here to please me?"


    He put his strong arms around her slender waist and said, "Are you happy?"


    Maria raised her eyebrows and refused to answer his question. "I''m tired and would love nothing more than a good rest.¡±


    "Okay, I''ll apany you.¡±


    "Are you here to apany me to sleep?"


    Yes, ma am.


    "Okay, in that case, hold me!" She acted like a spoiled child in front of him.


    James lifted her up and walked towards the bed. They shared a passionate kiss.


    Next day, Maria asked for a favor and James¡¯ face turned sulky in an instant.


    Maria, who was determined to get what she wanted, held his arm and coaxed, "Please!" "Maria, how could you think of allowing another woman to


    flirt with me?" She had gone too far this time. He couldn''t forgive her.


    "Why are you getting so serious? I heard that Ms. Zhang likes your style very much. Can''t you sacrifice yourself a little for your wife''spany?¡±


    James got rid of her hand and said, "It''s an insult to a man!" His voice rose in anger.


    "Please don''t sound so offended. We are doing it for the sake of mypany! It means a lot to me."


    Maria was doing this because she had no other choice. ording to a source, Ms. Zhang had once said that she was fond of cold and domineering


    men like James.


    Most women preferred cute and obedient men like Ethan. Some also enjoyed thepanionship of strong and powerful men like Lawrence.


    However, Ms. Zhang''s preference was James.


    Maria contemted the problem. It seemed harmless to her. After all, Ms. Zhang wasn''t going to sleep with James. Instead, she simply admired him.


    DS Group was going to be listed, and Ms. Zhang was a very important figure.


    It wasn''t like Maria enjoyed shoving her man towards another woman. She enjoyed the attention he bestowed upon her. He made her feel like a


    pearl. She lowered her head, slightly disappointed.


    It was only now James realized she wanted him to do this for herpany''s sake. An idea popped into his head. ¡°I could buy DS Group and Fosun


    Entertainment Group. I can show support that way!¡± he suggested. He wasn''t in favor of her working too hard in the first ce. If it weren''t for her


    insistence, he would have helped her manage these twopanies.


    "No way! DS Group is about to be listed. You know very well how much I have given to bring it to this level. You have also put in lots of efforts. If I sell


    it at this critical moment, all my efforts will be in vain.¡±


    "I don''t care!" he spat out.


    ¡°But I care!"


    James stood up and said, "In that case, find some other way. I can''t do what you asked me to do." He wouldn''t use his physical appearance to


    seed in business.


    Seeing he was.being as stubborn as


    a mule, Maria-shook her head. She


    straigh ened her clothes and said, \


    "Well, fine¨¦-then. I was considering


    gettingthe marriage certificates


    withyOu. Now that you are uAwilling


    to-sacrifice a little bit for mysake, I


    aff going to rethink my d¨¦cision!"


    James stopped in his tracks.


    Both of them sorted out the issue. In the evening. Maria held his arm and dragged him to the dinner party.


    If someone looked at their faces closely, they could easily make out that Maria had acent smile whereas James was sulky.


    Ms. Zhang had known she would be meeting Maria at this party. However, James¡¯ arrival was a pleasant surprise to her. When she saw him in


    person, her face med with excitement.


    Maria walked towards her and took the initiative. "Ms. Zhang, don''t think you are the only one excited here. My husband also admires you. You are a


    heroine. He has long wanted to see you.¡±


    People who didn¡¯t know Maria would have mistaken her for a pander.


    Fortunately, Ms. Zhang simply admired James. She had no ulterior motive.


    The truth was, James was familiar with Ms. Zhang''s name, but what Maria said was utter nonsense. He was very arrogant and had no time to admire


    anyone.


    Ms. Zhang understood Maria had only said it out of politeness. But she admired Maria for her magnanimity. She was willing to introduce her husband


    to someone who admired her! Women weren''t normally this generous


    Thinking of this, she was moved. "I''m ttered, Mrs. Xi. I also relied on my husband to rise to this position, just like you.¡±


    It was no secret that Maria had taken James'' help to attain sess. It was amon knowledge to everyone in the financial circle


    Maria didn''t mind Ms. Zhang saying so. To be honest, she also appreciated James for everything he had done for her. "Ms. Zhang. then we have


    something inmon. Let''s have a toast.¡±


    "Mrs. Xi, you are very frank! I love your personality.¡±


    The twodies continued to have a chit chat. They got along quite well. James sat beside them, his expression icy cold.


    Maria wasn''t disappointed. Instead,


    she was d [his was exactly what


    Ms. Zangsadmired about him. Their?


    conversation flowed smoothly. They


    even drank some wine togetherand


    almest took each other as sworn


    sisters.


    on


    Finally, they reached an agreement on DS Group being listed.


    Soon, the couple went back to the hotel. Maria noticed James¡¯ mood was off. She hugged him and ced a kiss on his face. "Honey, I''m very happy


    today."


    "Hmm." Of course she was happy. She wasn''t the one who had to sell her appearance. She had returned after sealing a good deal.


    Her face darkened. "I''m happy, but you''re unhappy, aren''t you?¡±


    "I am happy.¡± She couldn''t understand why he was so unhappy.


    Maria put on a smile again and pressed herself against him. "I''m really happy," she repeated.


    "I am aware," he said indifferently.


    "So, don''t be angry with me anymore, okay? I didn''t ask you to sell your body," she said, rolling her eyes.


    Her transparent way of speaking stunned him. He pinched her red cheeks and asked, "Would you dare to do that?¡±


    "Yes!" she answered without an ounce of hesitation.


    James was devastated by her response. Disappointment was etched on his face.


    Noticing this, Maria hurriedly added, "But I don''t want to. Honey, kiss me.¡±


    He let out a small sigh. In the end, he lowered his head and kissed her red lips.


    He couldn''t be mad at her for more than a second.


    ¡®Forget it! She is being nice to me and showing enthusiasm. I forgive her!'' he thought to himself.


    The night was getting darker and romance wafted through the room.


    They hardly ne to be alone.


    They would make full use of this


    opportunitysAfter Maria finished her


    businesgt eal, she and James ~


    stayed-he e for another two days.


    Backfhome, their kids were ~


    grumbling. They wanted to.meet


    their parents. Soon, the couple flew


    back to H City.

 Chapter 497 Extra Story About Cooper and Norman

    Chapter 497 Extra Story About Cooper and Norman


    When Cooper was only sixteen, he took part in the Olympic Mathematicspetition abroad.


    One evening, on his way back to his hotel room, something unexpected happened. Several foreign men barred his path, mugged him in a secluded


    alley and beat the living daylights out of him


    Just when a fist was about tond on his face, a girl shouted, "The police areing! Police! They''re over here!" The sound of her voice was loud


    and clear enough for the gangsters to hear.


    Since their position had beenpromised, the gangsters ran away with their tails tucked between their legs.


    The girl quickly ran towards Cooper, grabbed his wrist, and dragged him away without hesitation. "Run!"


    He couldn''t see her face clearly, but he decided that he needed to prioritize his safety and ran with her.


    Momentster, the gangsters realized that something was amiss. When they turned around, they found that there were no policemen after them.


    By the time they returned, the girl and the boy were already gone.


    The gangsters cursed their own luck and foolishness, and decided to give up.


    Cooper followed the girl along, and they didn¡¯t stop until their legs had no more strength to move forward.


    She then put her hands on her knees, gasping for breath


    Only then did Cooper see her face clearly. She was neat, good-looking. and easy on the eyes. "Thank you for saving my life." he said.


    ¡°You''re wee. Now, hurry up. You need to go!¡±


    "What''s your name?"


    "It''s Maria Song. I''m from H City," she answered.


    Cooper smiled at her. "What a coincidence! I''m also fram H City. Nice to meet you, Maria. My name is Cooper Xi.¡±


    Back then, he was only sixteen, and Maria was neen years old.N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    Neither of them had imagined that they would soon meet once more. They met each other once more in the Xi family''s manor, right when Maria was


    about to be his sister-inw.


    They were both amazed that they saw each other again.


    At the time, Cooper was really into Maria. But of course, he only like her in the simplest sense of it.


    He was really happy for his elder brother, knowing that she was going to be his brother''s wife.


    To Cooper, Maria was like a sister. He always spoke to her whenever he was free. And under pressure from Judy, he would always do his best to help


    Maria.


    However, unbeknownst to them, as time went by, rumors about the two of them were spreading.


    Some people were saying that Maria was seducing Cooper whenever her husband wasn''t at home.


    Most of the rumors were harsh, and Cooper felt really guilty about them. He was afraid that his presence would stain his brother and sister-inw''s


    rtionship, so he decided to stay abroad and study for a long time.


    When he found out that his nephew had died in an ident, he didn''t even dare to call Maria tofort her. He was wary that rumors about them


    would spread again


    He thought that it was best to not contact her at all. And as a result, in Maria''s most trying moment, he knew nothing about her hardships.


    This was the biggest regret in his life. Had he known that something bad would happen to Maria, he would''ve contacted her instead of standing idly


    by


    After she departed the Xi family, Cooper wanted to look for her, but he didn''t have enough power or resources at the time. He tried his best, but he


    never found her whereabouts, so he had no choice but to give up.


    Fortunately, she reappeared yearster. Cooper tried to set her up with his brother regardless of everything that had happened in the past


    Unexpectedly, through Maria, Sandra broke into his life.


    When he first saved Sandra, he had no idea that he would one day fall in love with her.


    Butpared to Sandra, Cooper was far too scared of falling in love.


    She had always been the one who had the courage to move their rtionship forward. From the very beginning, he had been too cowardly to face the


    fact that she had feelings for him


    Initially, he was just epting her help because of Maria.


    And in order to save Sandra from further heartache, Cooper told her that he just didn''t want to be in a rtionship right now.


    To his surprise, it didn''t faze her. She just became much more enthusiastic ever since he returned to H City.


    And perhaps it was due to this persistence and enthusiasm that he gradually developed feelings for her.


    He wasn''t sure when he started to feel something for Sandra, but he was certain that he now wanted to be with her.


    One rainy night, Sandra was feeling depressed about failing her exam. She sought him forfort, asking him if he could give her a hug.


    After a long time of hesitation, he finally decided to give in.


    Both excitement and sadness ruled her heart, causing Sandra to cry in his harms.


    Upon seeing her pitiful face, Cooper was drawn to kiss her lips.


    At the time, Sandra was too startled to kiss him back. She just stood there, frozen, and letting him kiss her.


    This love was what she had been longing for all this time. But now that it was right before her eyes, it caught her by her surprise.


    But just when she thought their rtionship was progressing, it went back to how it was before.


    It almost seemed like that kiss meant nothing at all.


    And after all the disappointment and heartache he had caused her, Sandra finally chose to surrender.


    It was far toote when Cooper finally decided to confess.


    Of course, Sandra wanted to refuse him, but she was still madly in love with him. Soon, he tore down her walls with his affection, and they wereter


    engaged.


    Upon their return to H City, the first


    thing Coopetdid was to arrange a


    formal meeting between the two


    families.* ¡®He had sessfully =


    convigeed Sandra''s parents to


    ept him despite their former


    antagonistic nature againskhim.


    ~~


    Xu


    SS


    To Cooper, Sandra was the woman he wanted to spent the rest of his life with. Marriage was just a matter of time, so he thought that getting married


    as soon as possible was the best course of action.


    Sandra was still panicking because of how fast things were progressing. She wasn''t ready to be a wife yet. On top of everything, because of James


    and Maria''s problems, Cooper had to postpone their wedding


    Sometimeter, they were finally together. His life had be a little simpler. yet it had be much livelier than it used to be. With Sandra by his


    side, he was the happiest man on earth.


    Later, the first thing they did was to get their marriage licenses. Their wedding was held two months after James and Maria¡¯s wedding.


    Sandra liked to have fun, so Cooper invited many rtives and friends to their wedding.


    On the day after their wedding, she found out that she was two months pregnant.


    Eight monthster, the Xi family''s fourth child was born


    Cooper had wanted to have a daughter, but his wish was not granted.


    Fortunately for him, their second child was a girl. Now. they had a son and a daughter.


    After Sebastian and Gabri renewed their vows, Norman decided to adopt the surname, Xi. Obviously, he was against it because it was too


    troublesome. But his elder brother, James, had personally asked him to do so.


    Norman wanted to use Maria to persuade his brother otherwise, but James was also aware of his foolish younger brother''s Achilles¡¯ heel, and that


    was Mildred.


    In the end, Norman reluctantly


    agreed to charge his surname.


    Although h¨¦was trying to be low-key


    about it, Was a name that he <


    couldn''t fide. Not long after, <>


    everyone I in H City knew that _\''


    Narfnan was also Sebastianand


    Gabri ''s biological son. From then


    on, Norman Shen no longer existed,


    for he was now Norman Xi.


    Since he was having trouble changing his surname. he left most of his work to Maria


    However, she called him to protest. "Norman, don''t you think it''s inappropriate of you to treat me like a ve? Tell me, are you on my side or James''?"


    "But, we are family now. We look after each other, right?¡±


    His rebuttal left Maria speechless.


    She shouldn''t have called him.


    Strangely enough, Cooper got along well with Norman.


    James, on the other hand, was having a hard time doing the same. He and Norman had long been antagonistic of each other.


    But after everything that had happened, things were starting to get better between them, especially now that James and Maria''s rtionship was.


    getting better.


    A long time age, when Norman


    started his business, James found


    out that they were half-brothers =>


    through 1 their mother. Because ofS


    that, James did nothing to attack his


    brotaer, in spite of Norman¡¯ ¡®xacting


    against him.


    a


    Later, Norman provoked James whenever he could. On the surface, he looked mature and calm. But in reality, he was a wild child. James had to


    endure it all


    But the only thing James couldn''t stand to take was the fact that Norman tried to sow discord between him and Maria. This was thest straw.


    As long as Norman didn''t involve Maria into their problem, James would try to reach apromise with him.


    Fortunately, now that Norman had be part of the Xi family, and James¡¯ rtionship with Maria was stabilizing, their brotherhood was bing


    much better.


    In the past, they were each other''s nemesis. But they soon learned to rely on each other. They had also joined hands through joint business ventures,


    and finally reconciled and formed an alliance.

 Chapter 498 Extra Story About Gabriela And Maria

    Chapter 498 Extra Story About Gabri And Maria


    Whenever Gabri and Maria¡ªtwo dominant women¡ªwere in the same room, they would inevitably have a conflict.


    In truth, they held no grudges, resentment, or malice against each other. It was just that they enjoyed being at each other''s necks.


    As time went by, no more quarrel ensued between them, and it made them feel like something was missing


    One day, Gabri said to Maria, "Men and women should always split the bill. You can''t let James pay for the bill every single time you two go out." It


    was true that she was feeling sorry for her son, but the reason she said this to Maria was for the sake of their harmonious rtionship as husband


    and wife


    But Maria didn''t share her sentiment. ¡°Sorry, Mom, but I think men should pay more than women, especially in terms of material objects. If we pay


    equally, then what''s the paint of being in a rtionship? In that case, I''d rather live a single woman''s life. That way, I don''t have to cook for him, give


    birth to children, or sleep with him." She could date a handsome, young man.


    In reality, their rtionship as inws wasn''t that bad. On the surface, Gabri was antagonistic of Maria, but she actually cared about her a lot.


    It was just that she couldn''t bear to see Maria being too aggressive


    Naturally, her words weren''t enough to convince


    Gabri. "You''re the ck sheep of this family. It seems that getting rid of you should be the first thing we should do. You''ve always been quite proud


    of yourself. It wasn''t that much of a problem, but now you''re being too domineering and hateful!"


    Maria smirked at her. "Mom, your son is lucky to have married me, but I, on the other hand, am misfortunate enough to have married into the Xi


    family!"


    For countless times, Gabri and Maria had debated against each other, and this time she failed to win the argument.


    Once, when they couldn''t agree on something. Gabri cried in front of James and Maria, pretending to be the victim. "I only said that for your own


    good."


    Realizing what she was doing, Maria began to sob as well. "Mom, you are so kind to us. It warms my heart.¡±


    James nced at his wife and mother. "Stop pretending!"


    Both women were left speechless. The same thought came to their minds. ''Was my acting deplorable?¡¯


    Helplessly, James shook his head as he looked at them. One of them was already nearing sixty years old, and the other was in her thirties, and yet


    they were still like children always at each other''s throats. "Go upstairs and change your clothes. Neither of you can skip this party tonight!"


    Hearing that, his mother and wife went upstairs together. They changed into the evening dresses that James had prepared for them in advance.


    At the party, a gorgeous female celebrity approached Gabri, trying to gain her favor while Maria was away.


    Upon Maria''s return, Gabri frowned at her. "Where have you been?¡±


    "What''s wrong, Mom?"


    Gabri grabbed her hand. "When you left, there was a fly buzzing around my ears. It was so annoying.¡±


    Maria nced at the celebrity and noticed her expression change. She instantly understood what her mother-inw was trying to say. "I see. In that


    case, let me ask someone to get a flyswatter, Mom!"


    ¡°Hurry up! What if it tries to pester James? He''s a neat freak, you know! Don''t let him get sick." ''What the hell? She knows that my son is married, but


    she still has the gall to ask me about my son! Gabri thought to herself.


    ¡°Alright, I''ll call the bodyguard over." In a surprising turn of events, the inws banded together for amen cause.


    The celebrity made a fool of herself. She found an excuse to excuse herself before the bodyguard could take her away.


    She had once heard that Gabri and Maria were always at odds with each other. But whenever they were on the same page. their bond was as


    strong as mother and daughter. At the back of her mind, the celebrity was cursing the person who told her that unreliable news.


    Now that the unwanted visitor was gone, Gabriel looked at Maria and snorted. "I just saw you talking andughing with another man.¡±


    Maria was taken aback. "Are you talking about


    Steven?"


    "I don¡¯t know that man.¡±


    "Are you trying to defend your son again?" Maria sniggered as she looked at her mother-inw.


    "Of course, I am! My son works day and night for this family. He would never allow you to flirt with other men, and he would certainly abhor the idea of


    you squandering his hard-earned money on strangers.¡±


    "What are you gaing to do about it? Your son earns so much money. What''s the point of having it if I don¡¯t spend it?"


    Gabri fell silent. There was some degree of truth to what Maria was saying


    After a period-of time, Maria had


    eaten too much cold food. Andasa


    result, onthe first day of ner period


    she felt. 4.pang in her lower SS


    abdornen. Sadly, James was away


    on apusiness trip. Her three Children


    hackgone to school, and only she


    dfid Gabri were left atiome.


    It was already eleven in the morning, but the workaholic woman still hadn''te out of her room or eaten breakfast yet. After watering the flowers,


    Gabri decided to check up on Maria. She knew that her daughter-inw wasn''t feeling well today.


    "You shouldn''t go to work if you''re not feeling well. Just stay here and get some rest." With that, she walked out of the bedroom.


    In the kitchen, the maid said to her, "What can I do for you, ma''am?"


    Gabri took out a pot and put it on the stove. "Bring me the bird''s nest and brown sugar."


    "Yes, ma¡¯am." Then, the maid left to get the ingredients.


    It took a long time of preparation before Gabri went upstairs again, carrying a tray.


    She ced it on the bedside table and said to Maria, "Get up and drink some brown sugar water.¡±


    "I don¡¯t want it." Maria refused to move at all.N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    "There''s no way I''ll agree to that. Otherwise, my efforts will be in vain." After saying that, Gabri helped her up and handed her the brown sugar


    water.


    Considering that her mother-inw had taken the time to prepare this herself, Maria decided to drink it.


    "And here''s a bowl of bird''s nest soup. Eat it.¡±


    "I don¡¯t want to."


    "No way! You haven''t had anything to eat since this morning. You need to fill up your stomach with something!" Gabrimanded.


    She was just as bossy as her son.


    Maria didn''t have the energy to argue with her, so she caved in and ate the bowl of bird''s nest soup.


    After drinkingthe sugar water and


    eating the soup, shey back down.


    Gabri was satisfied that her ¡°


    daughteKinw had eaten the food


    she prepared. Before leaving, she


    askecther, "What do you wantto eat


    forfunch? I''ll ask the chef took it


    {OP you." :to


    Maria looked at her listlessly as shey on the bed. "Mom, I don¡¯t want to eat anything. I have no appetite.¡±


    ¡°That won''t do!"


    Maria gave in. "Fine. I''d like to eat something light."


    "Good. Get some rest, Maria. Don¡¯t bother yourself with thepany''s affairs. Just leave the rest to your employees.¡±


    "Alright."


    Just before Maria fell asleep, Gabri came into the room again. She handed Maria something and said, "I asked them to buy a warm ointment


    Perhaps it''ll make you feel better."


    "It''s useless. I''ve already tried it."


    "It doesn''t matter. Just apply it on your lower abdomen. At the very least, it could alleviate some of the pain.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to move," Maria said as she looked back at her helplessly.


    Gabri pretended as though she was getting frustrated. "I''ve never seen azier woman that you. You''re sozy that you need my help for


    something so simple." While she was chastising Maria, she lifted the quilt and applied the ointment on her belly.


    "Tell James not to go on a business trip when something like this happens. I don''t want to take care of you."


    Maria smiled at her. "Okay."


    After she was-done applying the


    ointment, Gabri tucked Maria


    under the quilt and rolled her eyes.?


    "You ¡®ustwant to trouble him, don¡¯t


    you? better be the one takingcare


    of yQu. " "Okay." "Maria, aren''t you


    feeting guilty whenever youte


    efjoying our acts of kindaess?"


    "Of course not!" Maria''s heart felt so warm that a smile was nted on her face. ¡°You''re like my mother. Isn''t it natural for a mother to treat her


    daughter well?¡±


    Gabri smiled back. "So, now you acknowledge that I¡¯m your mom, huh?¡±


    ''I''ve always acknowledged it. You should get some rest as well, Mom. I''ll be fine after I get enough rest." "I''m going out. Get some rest, Maria."


    "Okay."


    After Gabri had left, silence returned to the bedroom. As she closed her eyes, Maria felt delighted.

 Chapter 499 Extra Story About James And Marias Children

    Chapter 499 Extra Story About James And Maria''s Children


    Under the protection and love of everyone around, Prisci gradually grew up to be a spoiled child. She had a bad temper at a very young age.


    When she was one and a half years old, Maria took her for a stroll in the park. They came across a marshmallow stall, but Maria refused to buy it for


    her.


    Prisci, being an adamant child, insisted she wouldn''t leave the park until she got what she wanted. She didn''t shed any tears nor did she make a


    noise. Both of them sat in the park for half an hour.


    Maria couldn''t persuade her. In the end, she fetched her phone from her handbag and dialed James'' number. "I advise you to put aside your work


    ande to pick up your daughter right now. Otherwise, I might end up beating her!"


    Right at that moment, James wrapped up the meeting he was having. He couldn''t allow his wife to beat his dear daughter. He dismissed the meeting


    and rushed towards the park.


    At the sight of him. Prisci¡¯s eyes turned red with grievance. She pounced on her father andined, "Daddy, I want a marshmallow, but Mommy


    refused to buy it.¡±


    James knew if his wife had refused, there must be a good reason behind it. There was nothing he could do about it. He decided to divert her attention


    from the marshmallow. ¡°Princess, I will buy some other delicious food for you, okay?"


    ¡°Okay.¡± Resting her head on his shoulder, Prisci seemed very happy. She agreed to go home with James.


    As this spectacle unraveled, Maria was shocked. Fortunately, she had two sons who cared about her.


    When Prisci became two and a half years old, she was put into a kindergarten.


    One day, it was raining cats and dogs. She was afraid of getting her shoes dirty. She asked if she could stay home on that ount.


    James had no objection against it. She had just begun to go to kindergarten. She wasn''t yet busy with studies.


    Of course, Maria would allow no such thing. "You are spoiling her! Even if it was raining knives, Prisci has to go to school today!" She couldn''t allow


    her daughter to form such a habit. Once it started, the child would find all kinds of excuses to stay home.


    In the end, Maria won. Prisci went to the kindergarten but she was crying throughout her journey. Fearing his wife''s wrath, James was in no position


    to argue.


    James vividly remembered quarrelling with Maria three years ago. She stood by the side of the street in a fit of pique and refused to leave.


    James tried to hold her hand, but she shoved him away. In the end, after several failed attempts. he carried her away.


    Three yearster, her daughter was behaving exactly the same way. Prisci was so angry that she wouldn''t enter the kindergarten. James tried to


    hold her hand, but she was swift to push.


    Everything about her reminded him of Maria. James couldn''t help but realize that the mother and daughter were exactly the same. This realization


    brought a smile to his face.


    Reluctantly, he picked up his little princess and strode forward. Prisci giggled in his arms.


    It looked like James hadpletely forgotten how he had treated Coy over a simr issue. James had beaten him hard and carried him, without


    uttering anyforting words.


    Sure enough, his preference of his own children was based on gender.


    After Coy was sent to the military kindergarten, he restrained himself a little. But one couldn''t see any major change in him.


    He pretended to behave slightly better in front of Maria. However, he didn''t care much for James.


    James had to ge to the police station when Coy ran away from home. He was called to school several times because Coy fought with his ssmates.


    Even though James beat him to a pulp with his belt, Coy was in no hurry to repent.


    Seeing Coy, Maria had a headache as well. She was certain that no girl would be willing to marry him in the future.


    If Coy ever came to her with a girlfriend, Maria would surely treat her with kindness. In fact, she would take her up as her own daughter.


    If ever in the future Coy quarreled with his wife, Maria would blindly take the girl''s side. She knew how capable her son was of making mistakes. She


    would beat Coy up. And if James intervened, she wouldn''t hesitate before beating him up as well. If a son made a mistake, his father was partly at


    fault.


    She told James over and over, "Don''t be so bossy when you are out. You should particrly be careful around people with daughters. What if you


    identally offend our sons¡¯ future inws?"


    It was already difficult for Coy to get a girlfriend. If James identally offended the parents of Coy¡¯s future wife, his chances would diminish even


    further.


    James found her words very doubtful. "Coy is naughty, but he is more clever than the two of usbined. I don''t think making a girl fall for him will be


    an issue. Bob, on the other hand, is even better. He is stable and willing to take responsibilities. He can get a girlfriend even more easily. We have


    nothing to worry about. You have no grounds to worry about this.¡±


    As for their sons¡¯ future inws, James thought it was none of their concern. Bob and Coy would deal with it when the time came.


    Deep down, he was convinced that his sons could handle their inws perfectly well.


    James¡¯ casual attitude stunned Maria. She couldn''t understand how he was able to take everything so casually.


    She decided she would make it her duty to improve Coy.


    Maria went to attend Gary and Summer''s party. Their daughterpleted a month in this world. Maria joked with Summer and said, ¡°You only have a


    daughter, so you can never relish the joy of beating a son. I hope your next child will be a boy. I don''t want you missing out on anything."


    Even though Coy was a troublesome child, Maria was d she had Bob who was a nice kid.


    Bob was always so considerate that she often found herself feeling sorry for him


    Knowing that Coy was causing her and James a headache, Summer decided tofort her. "Coy is naughty like most kids of his age. Don''t be sad. I


    am sure he will begin to show goodness in the future.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    "I hope sol¡±


    Many yearster, Boston took over


    HL Group. Hewas destined to be the


    heir of thepany since his birth


    Coy could-not do the same. His =


    personatity wouldn''t allow himo


    take-up responsibilities. Most~


    importantly, he couldn''t careless


    dHout business. Content.belongs to


    Therefore, only Boston could do it. He graduated from the business school before he took over James '' position.


    Then Maria became the biggest shareholder of HL Group, and of course, Boston was the secondrgest shareholder.


    As for James, he was a much smaller shareholder.


    He had no doubt his son had intended to deprive him of his financial power for a long time.


    However, he wouldn''t voice his concern or make a fuss about it. After all, Maria was the biggest shareholder of thepany.


    Coyle had beenining ever


    since he wastthe i in third grade of


    junior highschool. He was relieved >


    when heeft the military school, He


    expressed his desire to apply for the


    H City University of Aeronautics and


    Astfonautics.


    4


    James had no objection against the university his son chose. However, he was against him bing an airmanship technology major.


    Coy, whocked discipline, did whatever he wanted and insisted on studying airmanship technology. Later, he became a captain in a civil airne


    company, just as he desired


    He flew all over the world and seldom had time to visit his family.


    Prisci chose the major of architectural design, and James made sure she got the best education in her field of choice.


    Gabri and Sebastian were worried that Prisci would be alone abroad. To keep their grandchildpany, they too shifted abroad.


    When Boston was of a marriageable age, Maria wanted to get him married to Mona


    Boston was a workaholic who had no time for romance. He seemed least concerned about marriage. He was willing to marry the girl his mother


    chose for him.


    Mona, on the other hand, was just like Boston. She was quite upied with her work and couldn''t spare any time to fall in love. When Maria first


    expressed her desire, Mona hesitated a little.


    Later, Meagan spoke to her and convinced this was a good alliance.


    On the day of their engagement. members from both the families arrived to celebrate. Boston put a ring on Mona¡¯s finger and everyone was


    delighted


    That night, Mona was invited to the Xi family for dinner. It got prettyte and Maria suggested it would a good idea for her to stay there. She even


    arranged a bedroom for her future daughter-inw.


    However, a shocking incident took ce that night. Anger and shame almost gave James a heart attack.


    The next morning, when James was walking in the corridor, he passed by Mona''s room


    He saw his younger son, Coyle,ing out of her room!


    That was when it struck him his youngest son was a yboy.


    His hair and clothes were disheveled. There were scratches on his face. All this testified what had happened inside the room. James knew beyond a


    shadow of doubt what had happened.


    Yes, Boston was cuckolded. Coyle had dared to mess with his elder brother''s woman. Hecked morals.


    Maria knew sgoner orter the truth


    woulde Gut. She knew it wasn''t


    appropriateto hide such amajor


    issue from Lawrence and eagan>


    She cated some people and tied¡±


    Coyle\dp. And then, she asked. them


    to.send him to Lawrence. {<


    lawrence decided to kill Ker son, she


    would make peace with his decision.


    Lawrence gave him a good beating, and Coyle was tied up for hours. He endured the beating, never resisting.


    Later, it was Meagan and Boston who begged for Coyle''s life. Lawrence was reluctant, but in the end, he let him go.


    Due to this incident, Coyle and Mona were asked to get married. James told Lawrence to make their son their live-in son-inw. If Lawrence desired


    to change Coyle''s surname to Lu, James was okay with that as well.


    Both James and Lawrence suffered a lot because of Coyle. As Coyle''s godfather, Lawrence knew how he was. In the end, he said it was best if he


    kept his surname Xi.


    As these incidents urred, nobody knew what was going on in Coyle¡¯s mind. He obediently married Mona.


    To everyone''s surprise, soon after their marriage. Mona had Coyle wrapped around her little finger. He obeyed her without any scruples. He was the


    sort of husband who would do anything for his wife.


    The man, who rarely went home, now made time for his family. He was a changed man.


    Tears welled up in Maria''s eyes as she hugged Mona. If she had known that Mona''s love would change Coyle, she would have gotten them married a


    lang time ago.


    Since then, Coyle lived a honest and happy life, never messing around anymore.

 Chapter 500 The Final Chapter

    Chapter 500 The Final Chapter


    Inside the top university of architecture and design in the world, Prisci was venting to Sadie, her best friend. "I pity Bob. He''s been following in our


    father''s footsteps ever since he was a child. In my opinion, he''s had enough of that miserable life. He''s already reached the age when he''s supposed


    to get married, but he was cuckolded by Coy. The day they got engaged, his fiancee slept with Coy. Nobody is more miserable than Bob."


    Affected by her emotion, Sadie patted her shoulder and said. "Prisci, he¡¯s going to be fine. A good person like your brother is bound to live a happy


    life.¡±


    "I believe you. Bob is the best! He''s so much better than Coy. Poor Mona. I can''t believe Coy raped her! What a mess!"


    Later on, because of Prisci, Sadie met Bob. The three of them had dinner together.


    In the middle of the dinner, Prisci went to the bathroom. Sadie looked at Bob, and felt drawn to him. While he was working and eating at the same


    time, she said, ¡°Boston, I''ll design apany building for you for free, but in return, will you be my boyfriend?¡±


    Her grandparents had always told her that she brought happiness to them. And now, she wanted to bring happiness to this pitiable man in front of her.


    Although the Xi family was the wealthiest and most powerful n in all of H City, her family wasn''t poor either. Her father''spany was one of the


    top one hundred enterprises in the world.


    Even though their families weren''t of equal social rank. they were just shy of enough to be a perfect match. She wasn''t overconfident of her worth, but


    she had enough guts to ask him out.


    Boston put down his phone in silence, and started contemting. ¡®Do I look that pitiful?


    Otherwise, she wouldn''t have thought that HL Group had no top designers or that I didn''t have enough money to pay for a designer.


    Besides, even if I need a design for a building, I wouldn''t cast aside my ownpany''s designers just to make use of the design of a girl who hasn''t


    even graduated yet.


    And she wants to be my girlfriend? Definitely not!


    However, she was Prisci''s best friend, so he didn''t have the heart to shut her downpletely. He was afraid that refusing her would humiliate her.


    "Let''s talk about that deal once you have a carefully designed sketch!"


    He only said those words to appease her, but he didn''t expect her to actually go through with it


    Three monthster, a girl wearing a backpack appeared at the HL Group building. ¡°Hello, I''m looking for Boston Xi," she said to the receptionist.


    "May I know who''s looking for him?" asked the receptionist.


    "I''m his girlfriend.¡±


    Her words silenced the receptionist. ''Why haven''t I heard that Mr. Xi has a girlfriend already?¡±


    Just then, a group of people entered the building


    Sadie turned around and saw the man walking ahead of everyone else. She trotted over and blocked his way. "Boston."


    Boston remembered that this girl was Prisci¡¯s best friend. "What are you doing here?"


    Sadie took out a blueprint from her backpack and gave it to him. "I''m here to keep our promise.¡±


    Boston fell silent.


    He took the blueprint and carefully reviewed it, his eyes widening in surprise. ¡°Come to my office and we''ll talk about this."


    Never did he imagine that this girl was actually a genius in terms of designing.


    From then on, their story began. When Sadie and Prisci graduated from college. she won Boston''s heart and soon became Mrs. Xi.


    Prisci didn¡¯t find out who her future sister-inw was until the day they got engaged. When she saw Sadie, she was ck-jawed in awe.


    She pretended as though she was mad about it, but in reality, she wasn''t. The reason Prisci did that was because Sadie had never told her that she


    was going out with her brother.


    While they were talking, Prisci scoffed at Sadie and identallyid eyes on Sadie''s brother.


    The man was just about the same age as Coyle, and he was very good-looking. Secretly, Prisci had made a decision.


    Not long after the Xi family got a new daughter-inw, their beloved princess also got married.


    Many yearster, a high-end residentialmunity sprouted. It was where international stars and business tycoons lived.


    A guide leading a group of young tourists pointed at a house. "Follow me. The tallest building over there is the most famous one of all. Why is it so


    renowned, you ask? It''s the condominium that James Xi, the business tycoon, bought for his ex-wife. The most beautiful apartment on the highest


    floor is Maria Song''s private condo. They say that it''s worth three billion dors. Inside of the apartment are countless treasures that Mr. Xi bought to


    please her. In addition. the security system around the condominium is the most advanced in the world."


    A young man corrected the tourist guide. "There''s actually one thing you got wrong. Maria and James got married again, and their second wedding


    was also very grand. They''re a married couple.¡±


    The guide smiled and said, "You''re right. Maria is James'' wife, not his ex-wife!"


    Who was Maria?


    She was the only person in the world, capable of making James put aside the HL Group''s billion dor-worth of contracts just to deal with her


    company''s emergencies.


    She was the only woman in this world that he would dly provide everything unconditionally.


    More importantly, everyone who knew them was aware that Maria was the apple of his eye.


    But what they didn''t know was that she hadn''tpromised yet, and she hadn''t even gone to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get marriage certificates with


    him


    Yearster, when all of their children had grown up, Maria and James finally went to the Civil Affairs Bureau hand in hand to legally remarry each


    other.


    As he stared at the marriage licenses in his hand, James let out a sigh. "My wife is really hard to get! Fortunately, I persevered throughout all this


    years. Honey, you are the love of my life.¡±


    Maria shed him a bright smile. "Well, I do admit that you are also the love of my life."


    Afterwards, he embraced her. "I love you so much, honey." He had said that sentence many times, but never did he grow tired of saying it.


    "I know, honey.¡± And she loved him, too


    She had heard him say those words countless of times, but she never got tired of hearing them.


    A new Harkim pulled over in front of them. They entered the car and drove towards their home


    Later, Maria asked, "Why did you agree to marry me back then? Back then, I wasn''t beautiful, and there was nothing special about me."


    ¡°Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, my love," answered James.


    Maria fell silent. She could clearly remember that she wasn''t that beautiful before. How could he have fallen in love with her? ''He''s probably just


    ttering me!"


    If they had-to argue about who won


    and whodost i in their rtionship,


    they wouldn''t know the answer.


    They were madly in love with each


    othef, and over time, they became


    eaeh other''s strength and weakness.


    But if was necessary to give an answer, Maria might''ve been the winner. James wasn''t that respectful of her, but he always did whatever she asked


    for.


    Perhaps he had lost this battle from the very moment Maria told him her name and asked him for his hand in marriage.


    Since he had never fallen in love before, he hadn''t realized that she was gradually taking root in his heart.


    Seven years after their divorce, Maria returned. He was well aware that she approached him with an ulterior motive, but he wasn''t strong enough to


    refuse her because his heart belonged to her.


    Whe


    arou


    say t


    n he sawcher being pushed


    nd in thepast, he would always


    hat he wasn''t interested inI  ->


    women''s ¡®Saffairs. But after som


    time, tre I began to protect her atthe


    slightest signs of Maria being¡±


    pushed around.


    wo


    Ethan once said that Maria was too intimidating to arouse a man''s desire to protect her.


    But unbeknownst to him, whenever Maria cried, James'' heart would soften, and he would retaliate against anyone who wronged her.


    Once, Maria asked James, "I don¡¯t want money. I already have a lot of me. Is there anything else you can give me besides that?"


    A faint smile appeared on his lips. "My life. I can give it to you if you want it."


    This woman was his reason for living.


    Once upon a time,


    that she loved-him,


    him. She felt that s


    every waking mom


    with hi: Even


    aria thought


    so she married


    he could spends


    ent of her life


    if he didn''t talk to*her,


    Id see himevery


    as long as she cou


    day;-she would be the happies


    w¨¦man in the world.


    Perhaps everyone believed that she was so humble in their rtionship, but it didn''t matter that much.


    Something she read in a book had been engraved in her heart. ¡°Believe in yourself. As long as you are enmeshed in a cocoon, you can one day


    be a beautiful butterfly.¡±


    And now, James was madly in love with her.


    For the sake of their three children, Maria willingly cast aside the past to be with him. She would go to hell and back with him, and face all odds and


    sorrows of the future together.


    And they would never, ever give up.N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    The end.


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