《Unexpectedly Sweet Flash Marriage》 Chapter 1 Did I Hurt You Last Night? Chapter 1 Did I Hurt You Last Night? Chapter 1 Did I Hurt You Last Night? Adeline Burton had no idea her future mother-inw would put her in another man''s bed after her fianc¨¦ had just left for a business trip! She thought the world was so unfair. Despite being overwhelmed by intense hatred and losing her strength, she gritted her teeth and tried to stand up. She had just gotten to her feet when she heard a man''s angry voice in the dark, silent room. "Who the hell sent you here?" Adeline opened her mouth to exin, but someone grabbed her wrist before she could. The man who just spoke yanked her from the bed. Adelinended hard on the floor. "Get out of here!" the man''s dreadfully distant voice came above her head. "I... I can''t... I can''t get up..." Adeline tried hard to defend herself, but she ended up making a kitten purring sound, giving the impression that she was trying to seduce him on purpose. Hearing this made her feel worse about herself than she already was. She was surprised to feel a breeze the next second. The man wrapped his hands around her arm out of excitement. "It''s you!" His tone was ecstatic, and he appeared pleasantly surprised. "No! I''m not... Ah..." He leaned in and kissed Adeline passionately before she could finish her sentence. She could taste the man''s dominant masculine scent and a faint taste of tobo on his lips. He quickly climbed on top of her, his muscr body dominating hers with every move. Adeline struggled desperately, but the man held her even tighter as if trying to squeeze everyst drop of air from her lungs. Adeline was made to go through it all. She had no idea when the never-ending nights of agony would end. She realized it didn''t matter much that she narrowly avoided being molested by her student''s father in the afternoon. The situation was still the same for her. She felt a slight ache in her shoulder. The man bit her hard and mumbled, "Stay focused." The sex became more intense after that, leaving Adeline no time to think about what was happening. She was helpless as she was led into orgasm by the man''s rhythm in the pitch ck. ... Adeline awoke the next morning fully clothed, making her feel better about herself. She jolted awake at the memory ofst night''s events, and the next thing she knew, she was staring directly at the man sitting in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. She couldn''t see the man''s features because he was facing away from the window. His skin was so pale that it looked sickly to her, and all she could see was the outline of his face. The gold-rimmed sses he wore gave him the air of a sophisticated poet. He was sitting very gracefully. He was approaching her in a wheelchair, but he still carried himself with the dignity of a nobleman. Adeline gasped and eximed, "Uncle.... Uncle Curtis!" when she recognized the man. She took a few deep breaths and shook violently when she saw the man in front of her and realized the truth. Last night, she was nearly molested by the father of one of her students. She smashed the man''s head in self-defense and came here to find her fianc¨¦, Logan Riley. Logan had his mother, Victoria Riley, look after her because he was hurrying to leave on a business trip. Adeline drank the milk her future mother-inw gave her and ended up in Logan''s uncle Curtis Riley''s bed, who lost almost everything after a car ident. She was perplexed about why she had slept with Logan''s uncle Curtisst night! Adeline was so ashamed and angry that she wished to vanish from the. "I will be held responsible for what happenedst night." Curtis arrived in his wheelchair at her side. His voice was as soothing as a gentle breeze. His face was determined, and his words were genuine. Adeline''s body suddenly went still. Curtis was hiding his mouth and coughing softly when she looked up, giving the impression that he was in a deep state of depression. He then smiled to himself and said, "Assuming, of course, that you don''t mind me being disabled. We can go get married today if you want." "Get married?" Adeline asked in surprise. Yesterday, she was desperate to get married because her family could no longer use their dirty tricks to set her up that way. She rushed to Logan''s house yesterday because she was eager to marry him. On the other hand, Logan declined her advances because he thought she was exaggerating the situation. Adeline had no idea Curtis would say he wanted to marry her so quickly. "I..." muttered Adeline, clenching her teeth. Getting away from her family was enough to make her consider saying yes, regardless of the circumstances. She shook her head in disbelief as her senses returned to normal. "No way! I can''t do something like that! This man is none other than the uncle of my fiance!" She thought to herself. Plus, the man was Curtis, infamous for his brutality and cruel tricks, and was said to wield power in Sawell, the capital city. She was hesitant to marry someone who had been through so much. Curtis didn''t seem surprised when Adeline shook her head. He grinned to himself, his face morbidly white. He then coughed twice more, looking as if he were dying. "Don''t worry. I get it. Why would anyone want to spend the rest of their life with someone as handicapped as me?" Adeline''s body suddenly went still. Hearing that made her feel bad for Curtis, but all she wanted to do was escape the awkward situation. She said, "Uncle Curtis, I''d better go..." with hesitation. As soon as Adeline finished speaking, she got up anxiously, but the next thing she knew, her legs began shaking. After that, she fell forward. Curtis made a gentle frown. He pushed his wheelchair forward to her side, then cradled her in his arms. Curtis could feel her sweet smell as their warm bodies rubbed together. He gulped as he remembered how nice she tastedst night. Adeline''s face was close to Curtis'' heart. She felt humiliated as she listened to his rapid heartbeat. She attempted to stand, but the numbness in her legs prevented her from doing so. Curtis asked gently, "Did I hurt youst night?" Adeline''s face flushed instantly like a ripe apple. She was ovee with remorse. She experienced somethingpletely strange to her: a fleeting feeling of security. The sensation made her feel safe, but then she wanted to ask herself, "What the hell are you thinking?" "Hey! Stop thinking about that! He''s Logan''s uncle, for God''s sake!" She thought to herself. Adeline felt so humiliated that she wanted to disappear from Earth once more. Curtis gently grabbed her wrist and asked, "Was I too rough on youst night?" He didn''t seem to notice her blushing. Adeline shook off his hand in disbelief. She was at a loss whether she should nod or shake her head in response. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. "I''m sorry..." Curtis apologized sincerely. Incredulous, Adeline raised her head to meet Curtis''s honest gaze. She saw that Curtis wasn''t quite the cruel man she''d heard rumors about. The next second, however, Curtis apologized to her for his behavior, saying, "I''m sorry for how I acted in bedst night. I''m not very good at..." Adeline''s face flushed quickly once more. She had no idea what she was doing or why she and her fianc¨¦''s uncle were discussing his performance from the night before in bed. Curtis softly smiled as he observed her drooping head. Someone knocked loudly on the door, making it almost shake from the pounding. "Curtis! Open the door!" "Curtis, you monster! Hurry up and give my daughter-inw back to me!" Adeline''s face went ashen at the sound of the yelling at the door. The person at the door was Logan''s mother and her mother-inw-to-be, Victoria! "Curtis! I''ll break the door if you don''t let me in!" Victoria then banged on the door hard again. Adeline was so panicked that she forgot that it was her mother-inw-to-be who had put her in Curtis'' bed. A warm palm wrapped tightly around Adeline''s hand at that precise moment and held her hand, providing a sense of security she rarely felt. "Don''t be afraid. Just me it all on me." He slowly wheeled himself to the bedside and straightened up the messy bed. His expression became grave as he reached out and touched the blood stain on the bed. He then quietly covered the blood with the quilt. Adeline was sad as she watched Curtis make up the bed behind her. She had no idea that Curtis would be the one to keep her decency this time. Victoria mmed on the door and burst in the next second. Chapter 2 Busted By Her Former Mother-in-Law Chapter 2 Busted By Her Former Mother-in-Law Chapter 2 Busted By Her Former Mother-in-Law Adeline had gonepletely numb. She was so embarrassed that she felt like all her blood was flowing to her head. But Victoria had no intention of holding her ountable. She did the opposite, however, shielding Adeline behind her like a mama hen and yelling angrily at Curtis. Adeline found it difficult to believe Victoria had set her up after seeing the way she behaved. "Curtis, look at all the ridiculous things you''ve done! This is ridiculous! How could you do something like this to my future daughter-inw? You hate me and my children, don''t you?" Victoria turned to face Adeline, who was blushing and seemed embarrassed. She looked particrly angry, as if she cared most about fairness and justice. "Adeline, don''t be afraid. I''m here to protect you!" Adeline didn''t respond. Her mind was a jumble as she examined her ex-mother-inw with caution. Curtis, who was sitting in his wheelchair,ughed sarcastically and gave a soft sneer. "Victoria, you beat the clock! You even brought my father here?" Adeline frowned. Victoria eximed as she dragged Adeline out the door, "Adeline, look how he''s ndering you! Don''t be afraid, my dear. I''ll protect you!" Adeline''s mind was a jumbled mess at this point. She couldn''t tell if it was Victoria or Curtis the one who tried to hurt her, so she could only refuse. "No. I just want to go home and be alone." Victoria didn''t give her much of a chance to flee. Instead, she seized the opportunity to drag Adeline down the hall while holding the wrist. Victoria turned to Curtis'' father, Frank Riley, andined, "Dad, Curtis slept wit my son''s fianc¨¦e! Adeline was still a virgin! He must exin what he was doing! " When Frank heard this, he became so enraged that he yelled at the second floor, "Curtis, you bastard! Get your ass down here!" Adeline stood in the living room, embarrassedly pinching her palms with her fingernails. She felt humiliated, as if a knife had pierced her heart. She was supposed to marry Frank''s future grandson. But, after such an embarrassing incident, she was unsure how she should deal with Logan and Frank. Frank''s expression conveyed his displeasure. He covered his chest with his hand to calm his heartbeat and ordered the butler, "Hurry up and bring that bastard son of mine here!" The butler nodded and went upstairs, then pushed Curtis'' wheelchair to the first floor through the elevator. Frank mmed his cane on the coffee table and demanded, "Tell me what''s going on!" as soon as Curtis entered the living room. Before Curtis could say anything, Victoria ran up to Frank andined, "Dad! Curtis'' business rival put some drugs in his drinksst night! Adeline stayed at our housetely. Curtis wanted to molest her after he saw her at home. He asked a servant to take Adeline to his bedroom!" Several bodyguards arrived just as she finished speaking, bringing in the servant, whose face was covered in bruises. The servant who had just entered dropped to his knees and yelled, "Sir! I listened to Curtis because I was an idiot! I did as he told me since I had no guts to refuse him! All the evidence seemed to point directly at Curtis doing this, but Adeline had a feeling that something was wrong. She frowned as she realized Curtis had not done this. Curtis became enraged when he returned to his roomst night and discovered a woman in his bed, and he even told her to get out. He didn''t appear to be expecting anyone to show up that night. But then he had sex with her for unknown reasons, and she thought perhaps his drug was to me for his actions. After careful consideration, she concluded that the ss of milk Victoria had given her was the cause of her drowsiness. Adeline realized Victoria was the one who wanted to hurt her. Pale and mocking but helpless, Curtis sat in his wheelchair. He said with a mocking smile, "I know nothing I can say now will help because I did hurt her. Well, I''m ready to take the punishment." Victoria couldn''t stop herself from smuglyughing. Adeline looked perplexed at Curtis, as she couldn''t figure out why he admitted this when it wasn''t his fault. Rapidly raising his cane, Frank smacked Curtis square in the shoulder. "You''re such a bastard!" Curtis didn''t dodge away and grunted softly after being hit. Adeline gently frowned. "Now, what are you going to do about that?" yelled Frank. "I''ll be responsible for her. I n to marry her." Curtis quickly responded. Frank grunted indignantly and appeared hesitant. "Aside from marrying Adeline, what other option do you see forpensating her? You should look at yourself in the mirror! And you should have asked her if she''d give you that opportunity, you jerk!" Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Frank motioned to the butler, "Bring me my whip." The butler froze before pleading to him on Curtis'' behalf, "Sir, I''m afraid Curtis can''t take this. He''s still feeling the effects of the car crash. How can he endure being hit with this whip?" "Just go get it! Cut the crap!" Frank said with a serious expression on his face. The butler was speechless and brought Frank the long whip without a second''s dy. Frank grabbed hold of the leather whip and nced over at Adeline. "Let me ask you a question, Adeline. Are you willing to marry my bastard son? If you don''t, I''ll kill him today to make amends to you. Aspensation, you may tell me anything else you want." Adeline turned to face Curtis, who was staring at her with his mouth slightly open. "If you will marry me, we''ll be a family. I may be disabled at the moment, but I will do my best to treat you well. You can leave now if you don''t want to marry me. You don''t have to watch me get punished." Frank cut him off mid-sentence by having the butler bring him to his knees in front of a portrait of their ancestors. The long whip smacked into his back with a resounding crack. Curtis couldn''t stop trembling, and his white shirt was quickly stained with blood. Adeline''s heart missed a beat, and she felt the urge to cry. Curtis, who was on his knees and being whipped, reminded her of what happened to herself many years ago. Her sister had used her of stealing something from her at the time, but nobody listened to her exnation, and nobody believed her. Adeline realized they were both suffering from the same things: tragic fates and constant persecution. In addition, his promise that they would "be a family" meant a lot to her. She hoped that by marrying him, she could finally escape her abusive family. She and Logan had been dating for three years, but she was unsure where their rtionship was going. As Adeline''s eyes closed in agony, her mind shed back to the moment just before Logan had left. She spilled the beans to himst night about her family''s ns to trap her. She offered to get a marriage license with him so her family wouldn''t hurt her anymore. However, Logan replied, "Adeline, I always thought a mother would not be too cruel to her daughter, even if she hated her. Is there some mimunication between you two?" "Don''t worry, Adeline. You''ll be fine here since my mother will look after you. You are wee to stay at my ce as long as you want." "Adeline, it''s not that I don''t want to marry you. I was hoping to get married to you after holding a big proposal ceremony for you." "I''m sorry, Adeline, but this archaeological dig program is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Will you wait for me? We can get married when I get back!" She felt like her heart was being torn in two as Logan''s soft, dreamy voice continued to echo in her head. But every time the whip cracked, it jerked her back to the bloody truth. She had to ept the fact that neither she nor Logan could bring their rtionship back to the past. As Adeline''s eyes opened, her gaze became more determined. "I do, Grandpa! I''ll marry Uncle Curtis!" Chapter 3 Get a Marriage License First Chapter 3 Get a Marriage License First Chapter 3 Get a Marriage License First Frank sighed softly, almost as if he were relieved, but his face remained serious. "It would be extremely inappropriate for you to refer to me as ''Grandpa'' if you''re going to marry Curtis." "You''ll have to call him ''Dad.'' Otherwise, it''s all going to be confusing," Curtis, who was on his knees, exined with a feeble smile. His face turned white as he did so because he had identally widened his wound. The butler turned to Adeline and said, "Mrs. Riley, pleasee help me get Mr. Riley into his wheelchair." Adeline was a little shy after hearing him refer to her as "Mrs. Riley," but she still joined the butler in helping Curtis get into his wheelchair. "Victoria, are you satisfied with the way this was handled?" Curtis asked as he sat in the wheelchair. "Of course! Please don''t me me, Curtis. As Logan''s mother, I know exactly how far their rtionship has progressed. Adeline used to be a virgin, and she was as pure as a daisy. After all, you''re the one who needs to be responsible for your behavior. Victoria approached Adeline and gently rubbed her hands. "Adeline, my sweet child! Although we are not destined to be mother-inw and daughter-inw, we are still a family. You know where to find me if you have any problems in the future." Adeline didn''t want to pretend to be friends with Victoria anymore because she already knew the truth. She said in a calm tone as she drew her hand away coldly, "Victoria. If I got married to Uncle...Curtis, I''ll be your sister-inw. I hope you will not say that I''m your child in the future." Victoria hesitated, then cracked a grin and answered, "Sure!" She appeared rxed and content as if the loss of her future daughter-inw wasn''t enough to make her sad. Adeline found Logan''s assurance that "you''ll be fine here because my mother will look after you" hriously sarcastic as she recalled what had happened. The thought crossed her mind, "Logan, you probably wouldn''t have thought anyway that it was your ''kind'' mother who pushed me into your uncle''s bed!" Curtis couldn''t help but smile when he saw how cold Adeline treated Victoria. He said, "Victoria, you appear in a good mood. I assume you''ve reached an agreement with the Wilsons. You''ll let Miss Wilson marry your son once things settle down here, wouldn''t you? That''s wonderful! Congrattions!" Victoria frowned after hearing his words while Adeline and Frank turned to look at her. Victoria froze briefly before exining herself to Frank, "Dad, what Curtis said is true. The Wilson family, that runs a golf course, called me a lottely, saying they want their daughter to marry Logan. " "They said Logan was a rare find among the rich boys because he was motivated, decent, and committed. I had declined their suggestions several times because he was set to marry Ms. Burton. You know, what I hate the most is breaking my promises. Now that Adeline has decided to marry Curtis, I will let the Wilsons know that I am open to the idea of their daughter marrying my son. Frank, being a sophisticated and astute man, immediately realized what this was all about. He didn''t, however, respond to her words. "The Wilsons is a nice family," Victoria added as she couldn''t figure out Frank''s attitude about it, "so this whole thing will be beneficial to our Riley family." "You''re right," Curtis conceded. Adeline clenched her fists in embarrassment as she heard him confirm Victoria''s idea. Victoria excitedly smiled at Frank and said, "Dad, did you hear him? Even Curtis thought it was a wonderful idea!" Frank got to his feet with the aid of his cane, but he still didn''t say a word. With a grin, Curtis said, "I heard Miss Wilson is carrying twins in her belly. We''d be getting quite the bargain if she married Logan, wouldn''t we? We only bought one, but we received two. Victoria, you must be delighted." Victoria froze for a moment before muttering, "What do you mean by that?" Frank stomped his cane on the ground and left the living room with a grunt. "I heard about it from someone I used to know in business. They said Miss Wilson often hung out in nightclubs, but she identally got knocked up one day. She can''t have an abortion due to her unique constitution, so she is looking for a man to marry her and raise her twins as his own. I''m afraid you''ll have to check for yourself whether or not this is true." Curtis let Adeline push him to the garage once he finished. Adeline didn''t say anything on the way because she was feeling bitter and humiliated. She had fully grasped what was going on at this point. She realized that Victoria had been so disdainful of the Burton family that she had never wanted her to marry Logan. Victoria used Logan''s absence to carry out her n to get rid of Adeline and convince her to marry Curtis, the cripple. Adeline and Curtis were supposed to be rted in the future. As a result, whether Adeline was willing to marry him or not, Victoria would be able to solve a tricky problem. Adeline couldn''t have married Logan even if she''d been cheeky, which she wasn''t, because she''d already slept with Curtis. Everything went exactly as Victoria had hoped. Adeline was always neglected by her family, and Curtis had lost nearly everything in a car ident. Victoria believed they would never be sessful after they married. Adeline felt sorry for Curtis the same way she felt sorry for herself. Adeline looked down at the blood on Curtis'' back and asked, "Should I call a cab to take you to the hospital?" "I''m fine. Let''s get a marriage license now. I must ept responsibility for my actions." "But, look at your wound!" I''m doing great! I''ll put on a ck zerter to cover up the blood on my back." Curtis called his assistant and asked him to bring down his zer and ID card. "Let''s go get a marriage license now!" he added as he seemed anxious. Steffen Degen, Curtis''s assistant, arrived shortly after he had everything set up. He also had someone ask Adeline''s family for her identification, iming it was for the Rileys. Steffen had a medical kit in his hand when they arrived at the garage. He quickly treated the would on Curtis'' back and helped him put on his shirt. Steffen had obviously had a lot of experience doing this, as he had treated Curtis'' wounds numerous times. After dressing the wound, Steffen pulled the car over and helped Curtis into the car. Steffen pulled over and helped Curtis into the car after dressing the wound. Adeline kept staring out the car window at the scenery that shed before her eyes. Her mind was racing as she realized she was on her way to the Marriage Bureau. They had kept an eerie silence since getting into the car. After a while, Adeline heard the man beside her ask, "What''s on your mind?" "Can we have a talk?" Adeline asked calmly as she took a deep breath. Curtis frowned gently, his expression vulnerable and fearful. "Do you regret marrying me?" he asked. He covered his mouth and coughed softly as if he were about to die. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Steffen, who was driving, was rendered speechless. He thought to himself, "What a good actor! He''s got Oscar-winning acting skills!" Adeline quickly shook her head and said, "No, I don''t. There are some things I want to figure out before we get married because getting married is a hugemitment." Curtis coughed again, but he gestured for her to go ahead like a gentleman this time. Adeline paused before asking, "Uncle Curtis, have you ever killed anyone?" After she finished, Adeline subconsciously touched her neck as if her head was about to fall off at any moment. Curtis answered categorically, "No. Never." Of course, he noticed the adorable expression she had just made. Slightly approaching Adeline, he ran his long fingers along her delicate neck. "Please don''t worry, Adeline. You''ll be just fine. I''m not the type of guy who would beat up on his wife." Adeline felt a tickle on her neck as if there was a caterpir wriggling there. She ducked away shyly to avoid Curtis'' touch. "And did you do anything else illegal?" she asked after swallowing. "No, I didn''t!" Curtis withdrew his hand in disappointment, rubbing his fingers together to relish the sensation of her skin. Her skin was so soft and delicate that it made him think of milk pudding. He pushed up his sses to remind himself that he had to act like a gentlemantely. He gently exined to her, "I had a short temper when I was younger, and I once got into a fight with someone. Trust me. I''m not awbreaker. Steffen, who was behind the wheel, was even more speechless. He thought, "Do you call that a fight? You overtook that guy on every front!" "All of the entertainment venues I own are free of prostitution and drugs, which is one of my core values." Adeline looked relieved to hear his words, but as a teacher, she reminded him, "You shouldn''t fight with others in the future. You should understand that fighting is wrong." "Okay. I''ll do whatever you say, Ms. Burton," Curtis said, holding Adeline''s hand and looking like an obedient student. Adeline froze when she realized he was flirting with her. Steffen listened to the two love birds flirting while driving. He thought to himself, "Shouldn''t I leave? I should really leave them alone! " Curtis kept fondling Adeline''s hand, which he slightly clutched to keep her from pulling away. After noticing her hesitation, he asked, "Is there anything else you want to say or ask?" Adeline blinked and replied hesitantly, "I have two more conditions." Chapter 4 Negotiating the Terms Chapter 4 Negotiating the Terms Chapter 4 Negotiating the Terms "Okay. I understand that you have conditions for our marriage." Curtis said this after exhaling a sigh of relief. Adeline froze for a moment, not expecting this big shot, who was known in Sawell for being cruel and intimidating, to be so kind. After taking a deep breath, Adeline exined, "I want a small house. It doesn''t have to berge, and even a modest apartment would work, but the property deed must include my name. I don''t want to live in your family''s house after the wedding because I only want to live in a small apartment. I want that apartment to be mine if we end up getting a divorce." She reasoned that she would have fewer worries about her future if she had a small apartment of her own. After hearing her mention divorce, Curtis felt as ufortable as he had been stung by a thorn. "What about the second condition?" he asked. "I don''t want to live in my family''s house anymore after we got married." She needed her own ce because she didn''t want to be too close to her family, but she didn''t tell him what she was thinking. Curtis eventually said softly, "Don''t worry. I may be disabled, but I still have enough money to buy you a house. He quickly nced at Steffen, saying, "Transfer the house at Bay Hall to Mrs. Riley now." "Got it," Steffen replied. He then began making phone calls to handle the matter. Adeline''s eyes widened briefly in surprise. She was familiar with Bay Hall because it was close to the school where she worked. The house was in the most prime location in the city. A small apartment would cost tens of millions of dors, and even buying a ce was extremely difficult. She couldn''t believe he would really give her that apartment for free. The car arrived at the Marriage Bureau while she was still dazed and confused. A man rushed up, out of breath, and handed Steffen a file as soon as Adeline stepped out of the car. "I got this done as fast as I could, Mr. Degen." Steffen browsed through the file before politely handing it to Adeline, saying, "Mrs. Riley, this is the property Curtis gave you. I''ve already gotten your ID card from your parents for you, and I''ll take care of the rest of the paperworkter." Adeline was too shocked to say anything and epted the property ownership certificate in a daze. Her heart had been restless for a few days, like a wandering soul, and it was only now that she felt completely rxed. She had never expected Logan''s uncle would make her feel safe, which was a rare feeling for her. Adeline felt conflicted and bittersweet, so she promised him, "I''ll be good to you from now on." "Okay." Curtis beamed a bright grin. Adeline wheeled Curtis to the Marriage Bureau in his wheelchair. Steffen led the way, and they were able to get a marriage license quickly. Adeline was too dizzy to notice that Curtis, usually a reserved man, cracked a rare smile of genuine happiness as they snapped pictures. She didn''t have time to look at the marriage certificate before Curtis took it away. "I''ll give Steffen the marriage certificate so he can handle the legalities of transferring house ownership. Let''s go back to your ce so you can get your stuff." Curtis appeared calm as he exined, but in fact, he thought, "I''m not giving you your marriage certificate because you won''t be able to divorce me in the future that way! There''s no way I''m divorcing you!" Adeline agreed with a nod and said, "Okay." Adeline agreed with a nod and said, "All right." Soon after, the car arrived at her house. Adeline didn''t ask Curtis to apany her to her door when she arrived. Instead, she only told him she''d be back soon. When Adeline entered the living room, her parents, Phillip Burton, and Edith Burton, were waiting for her on the couch. "Dad, Mom, I''m here to pack my things." Adeline turned around and headed for the stairs after she finished. "Stop!" Phillip shouted excitedly as he stood up. Adeline stopped. Edith rushed to her side and pped her across the face before realizing what was happening. The loud p resonated throughout the living room. Edith snarled, "Adeline, you''re such a bitch! How could you possibly have slept with Logan''s uncle? Shame on you! How could ire marry Logan after what happened?" When Adeline learned that her parents were most concerned with whether or not her sister ire Burton could marry Logan, she sneered. Her parents'' scheme was for her to lose her virginity so that her sister ire could marry Logan instead of her. Adeline was devastated at the moment, even though she already knew what her family was nning. The more she thought about it, the more enraged she became, and she couldn''t help but defend herself by shouting, "I didn''t sleep with Logan''s uncle by choice! I''m the victim." Edith shouted even louder, "What? What gives you the impression that you''re a victim? It takes two to tango! You moved to Logan''s house before you two got married! How do you expect others to respect you when you don''t even respect yourself? "But don''t you have any idea why I moved into his house?" Adeline looked at her mom tearfully, and her tone only grew harsher. She examined her mother''s face intently for any sign of remorse but was disappointed to see none. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. She finally reached her breaking point after years of being humiliated by her parents. Edith''s rage grew as she saw her previously timid daughter change into a tough cookie. "Don''t you dare to look at me like that? Do you still believe you''re right? We still have to figure out how to make up for the fact that you hit Mr. Baker on the head." Edith raised her hand and tried to hit Adeline again. Adeline grabbed Edith''s wrist and said, "Mom, Curtis Riley is waiting for me outside right now! Are you sure you want to hit me? He''s sure to see it!" Edith had heard of how scary Curtis Riley was before, so she withdrew her hand reluctantly. Adeline climbed to the second floor and began packing her belongings without looking back. She didn''t own much stuff, let alone anything valuable. She only kept the certificates and documents she needed for her teaching career, leaving behind everything her sisters had given her because they didn''t like them. "My daughter is getting married, like many of my friends'' daughters, but she didn''t bring me anything!" Phillip shouted as she walked down the stairs. Curtis was wheeled in by Steffen in his wheelchair just as Phillip finished speaking, and his gaze turned cold when he noticed Adeline''s cheek was red and swollen. Adeline went entirely still. Steffen took a few quick steps forward and stepped in front of Curtis after noticing his fierce gaze. "Mr. Riley was worried that you couldn''t carry your luggage by yourself, so he wanted toe in and help," he exined right away. Adeline''s eyes were bloodshot, and her cheeks were swollen with pain. She was so embarrassed that she didn''t dare to look at Curtis, so she failed to notice the fierce expression on his face. She said as she dashed over to Curtis and grabbed his wheelchair with both hands, "I''ve got it. Come on, let''s get going. She was then about to push Curtis'' wheelchair away. "There''s no hurry." Curtis made a gesture to stop her. His slender fingers pushed his sses against his nose, reminding him he should pretend to be a gentleman. Adeline''s parents were creeped out by his "friendly" smile. Curtis managed to control his impulse to kill them. With a pat on Adeline''s back, he said, "Your dad does have a point. I should indeed bring some gifts for your parents. I''m sorry, I should have thought of that." "Curtis!" said Adeline anxiously, as she didn''t want Curtis to be exploited by her cruel family. Curtis reassured her by patting the back of her hand and saying, "I know what I should do." Curtis looked at Phillip and asked, "Dad, how much do you think I should pay you?" Phillip had just made a casual remark, as he didn''t really want to ask Curtis for money because he''d heard the man was notorious in Sawell for his cruel ways. Curtis had be disabled and thus ineligible to inherit the Riley Group, but he still had some power that he had umted previously. Phillip didn''t want to irritate Curtis, so he said awkwardly, "It''s up to you. You can pay me the same as most people pay their fathers-inw." After some consideration, Curtis nodded and said, "I already promised Adeline a house in Bay Hall this morning. I''m trying to think of something more." Vi Burton, who was yawning at the time, entered the room. She stared at him in surprise when she heard that. "A house in Bay Hall? That''s the most luxurious apartment in the city!" "Mommy, I want to live there!" Vi eximed as she grabbed Edith''s arm. Chapter 5 $77.77 Million As A Gift Chapter 5 $77.77 Million As A Gift Chapter 5 $77.77 Million As A Gift Vi became increasingly excited as she spoke, "A friend of mine got an apartment there from her family! We''re all green with envy over her." "Okay! You''ll get one, too." Edith said it without hesitation. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Vi kissed her mother on the cheek happily and said, "Great! Thank you, Mommy. I love you so much! I''ll throw a party for my friends after I move in there. They''ll all be jealous of me!" Adeline frowned as she heard her sister''s words and couldn''t stop herself from feeling sad, although she wasn''t surprised by that. Everyone in the family thought Adeline should give her sisters whatever belonged to her. They would use her of being ungrateful and cruel to her family if she said no. Seeing Adeline''s head bowed caused Curtis such profound sadness that he thought his heart might actually stop. He had violent fantasies of whipping everyone who had ever hurt her. But he couldn''t. He had to act like a gentleman at all times. Curtis took a file from Steffen and gave it to Phillip without losing his temper. "How about I give you some morend as a gift? I''m not sure how much to give you. How about 77.77 million dors? That sounds like a lucky number, doesn''t it?" Phillip''s eyes widened in surprise after hearing his words, and both Edith and Vi became excited. None of them could have imagined that Adeline, a neglected child, would bring them so much money! Adeline squeezed Curtis'' shoulder in shock. Curtis took her hand and rubbed it twice in his own before she could say anything. He said, "You don''t have to say anything else, Adeline. Your father is right. I should give your family money as a gift if I marry you. If I didn''t do this, everyone in town wouldugh at me." Phillip asked, ring at Adeline, "Did you hear what he said? You should listen to him. Of course, as someone from a decent family, he knows he should give us gifts ording to custom. Are you trying to ruin his reputation?" "So, Mr. Burton, how much will you give your daughter as a wedding gift? I don''t anticipate receiving much money from you. You can feel free to give her something in return," Curtis asked, nodding slightly, "You''re right. How about I give her a few antiques as a wedding gift? You gave us over seventy million dors, but it would be inappropriate for us to give you some of the money back." Phillip nodded, pointed to the living room, and said. What Philip meant was that he didn''t want to give Curtis his money back after he got it. The Burtons had nothing to give her as a gift, but these antiques were the only things of value in their house. Philip had spent a lot of money on them, so he put them in the living room to make his guests think he was rich. "Do you like these antiques?" Curtis asked Adeline. A porcin vase was the first thing Adeline noticed, which was an antique Phillip bought from an auction, and it was his favorite one. Philip once warned her not to touch the vase after noticing her staring at it for a while. He said that the vase would shatter if she touched it since she was an unlucky child. When Phillip noticed the vase in the direction Adeline was looking, his heart skipped a beat. He was about to say something when Adeline pointed to his precious vase and said, "I think that one''s just fine." Curtis frowned slightly to show his discontent, but he still asked Steffen to bring the vase over to Adeline. He asked, "Is there anything else you like?" Adeline became so excited when she noticed her father''s hesitation that she quickly pointed out a few more antiques. Curtis said, shaking his head, "No offense, but you don''t have a good eye for antiques. I''ll teach you how to appreciate antiques in the future. Come on, Adeline! Smash it! Let''s start with the one you''re holding." "You''re going to smash it?" Adeline looked surprised at Curtis. Curtis nodded, then reached out and knocked the one she held in her hands to the ground. With a loud crash to the floor, the porcin vase shattered into shards. Philip frowned. He had a feeling that it was not his antique that turned into pieces but his heart. "You have the right to smash the antiques, my dear. They''re gifts from your dad. You are free to smash them as much as you want. I''d be embarrassed to have these things in my house anyway." Adeline''s long-suppressed rebellious feelings surfaced after she was encouraged by her husband. She smashed every antique her father and brother had forbidden her from touching. She felt incredibly relieved and happy when she heard antiques crashing to the ground. Philips put his hands on his chest to calm his wild heartbeat. He was so depressed that his face turned purple. Only Curtis kept gazing at her with an adoring grin. Adeline finally broke everyst one of those antiques after much effort. When she returned to Curtis, she lowered her head and apologized in embarrassment, "I''m sorry, I ruined all the gifts my family gave you." Curtis gently interrupted her and said, "It''s okay. As long as you''re happy." Adeline was touched because she had already realized Curtis was doing this to help her get back at her family. When he saw the two chatting affectionately, Philips'' heart ached so much that he couldn''t breathe. "So, Mr. Riley, when will you give us the money?" he interrupted the two with an awkward smile. "I''ll give you the money right now!" Phillip sighed in relief while Edith and Vi''s eyes twinkled with delight. Curtis gently pointed to the broken pieces on the floor and said, "I really don''t care about these worthless things." Both the Burtons and Vi immediately replied, "Of course." Steffen approached after Curtis made a gesture to him. "Deposit 77.77 million dors into Mrs. Riley''s bank ount now. By the way, transfer the deed to Mrs. Riley." Phillip was stunned. Curtis looked over as gracefully as a gentleman at his father-inw and said, "Sorry, I forgot to tell you, Mr. Burton. I gave Adeline the ownership of the house in Bay Hall this morning. You don''t have to worry about that." Adeline''s phone buzzed. She subconsciously checked her phone and discovered a text message from her bank informing her that her ount had been credited $77.77 million. Adeline deliberately said loudly to Curtis, "I''ve got the money! Thank you!" Steffen quickly hung up the phone, saying, "Mr. Riley, Mrs. Riley''s name is now on the title deed." Phillip waspletely dumbfounded after he saw how things were going. "Mr. Riley, you should have given us this money! We''re her parents!" he said. "You''re right. But, as far as I know, most rich families don''t need the money from their sons-inw. They all give the money to their daughters because they want them to live a better life after they get married. Because the bank will charge you a fee if you transfer the money, I gave Adeline the cash directly." "How dare you trick us!" When Vi saw the shattered vase, she pointed angrily at Adeline and shouted, "Did this bitch ask you to do this to us?" Steffen pped Vi hard across the face. Steffen had received sports training since he was a child, so he was so strong that Vi could feel her eardrums buzzing after being pped. Vi had never been hit before, so she was so shocked that she stammered for a long time without being able to say aplete sentence. "You...you..." "Shut up! Thest person who pointed his finger at Mr. Riley had already lost his fingers! I didn''t treat you that way just because you''re Mrs. Riley''s sister." Curtis red at Steffen and said, "How could you?" Chapter 6 Adeline Had Never Felt So Happy Chapter 6 Adeline Had Never Felt So Happy Chapter 6 Adeline Had Never Felt So Happy "How could you hit her, Steffen? Have you forgotten how I warned you before? Besides, we''re not as powerful as we did before, and I''ve be disabled. We can''t afford to be as reckless as we were before!" Curtis mmed the arm of his wheelchair as he said this, clearly dissatisfied with what Steffen did. Steffen apologized with his head bowed, "I''m sorry, Mr. Riley, I just can''t help it. I can''t bear hearing anything negative about you." "But you have to put up with it! She''s Mrs. Riley''s family anyway. Besides, I promised Mrs. Riley I wouldn''t hurt anyone again." Steffen immediately apologized to Adeline: "Mrs. Riley, I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to break Mr. Riley''s promise to you. You canpletely me me. Mr. Riley has nothing to do with any of this." Instead of being angry, Adeline was delighted because this was her first opportunity to retaliate against her family. She knew she couldn''t show her happiness, so she nodded lightly in response. She didn''t even warn Steffen things like, "Don''t be impulsive anymore." Adeline felt she had turned "evil." Curtis smiled at Phillip and said, "Mr. Burton, let me apologize for my assistant. I''m older than Vi Burton and will be her brother-inw in the future. I''m sorry. Consider that I took the liberty today to educate your daughter for you. She not only did not respect her sister, but she also humiliated her by saying horrible things to her." Phillip was surprised and at a loss for words. Curtis said, looking at the shambles on the floor, "Now that I''ve given you all the money and gifts, I should get going in case I interfere with your cleaning. See you next time." Hearing this aggravated Phillip''s already tense mood. Not only did he not receive a penny or a gift, but nearly all of his antiques in the living room were destroyed. He treasured those antiques because they were all he had to show off his wealth. He was unsure whether he should invite his friends over in the future. Phillip couldn''t help but sigh. He found the whole thing so heartbreaking that he could hardly breathe. Adeline smiled wickedly as she pushed Curtis'' wheelchair out of the house. Steffen deliberately left the house behind the Rileys. He warned Phillip and Edith, "Mr. Riley asked me to leave a message for you. He said he would not tolerate anyone humiliating his wife, so maybe you should think twice before speaking to her in the future." Steffen then turned around and walked away. Vi was the first to realize what was going on. In a fit of rage, she stamped her feet and yelled, "Mommy! How did that bitch Adeline end up with all that money? Even if she marries a disabled person, how can she get over 70 million dors, a house, andnd? I''m so angry, Mom! This was supposed to be mine!" Phillip was ovee with rage while Edith narrowed her eyes in a weird way. To calm her daughter, Edith said, "Don''t be mad, baby. I peeked at her screen while she was checking the text message she got from the bank. She didn''t get that much money, at least not in the millions." Vi paused, suspiciously asking her mother, "Are you sure?" "I''m very sure! It''s probably only a few hundred thousand." Phillip asked his wife, "Are you sure you really saw it?" with slightly narrowed eyes. Edith nodded, as she couldn''t believe that Adeline, an unlucky child, would evere across something so wonderful. She said confidently, "They just staged a scene together to trick us. Curtis had lost his power after the car ident, so how could he get so much money to spend on his wife?" "And what about thatnd?" Phillip asked. He didn''t think the money was a big deal because the land was what really mattered. With a sneer on her face, Edith said, "Perhaps it''s a useless piece ofnd that''s barren and hard to develop. Besides, he imed to have transferrednd ownership to her, but no one has seen documentation to support this. He must have said that in front of us on purpose." Phillip nodded, thinking her words made sense. "Curtis is now disabled. He admitted that he had lost his power and even told his assistant to tone it down. You heard him, didn''t you?" Edith said. The more she belittled Adeline''s husband, the happier she felt from the bottom of her heart. Phillip didn''t respond because he was struggling with his emotions. Phillip thought, "Curtis is much morepetent than Logan, but he''s still a cripple anyhow." He believed he had no reason to be pleased with himself as the father-inw of a disabled man. Edith said, rubbing Vi''s shoulders, "Now that your sister is married to that disabled person, you have to fight for your life. You should spend more time with Logan when he returns and better make him your boyfriend." Vi nodded shyly. As soon as Adeline got into the car, Curtis told her with a torn expression, "I''m sorry, but I don''t have that much money right now. I just gave you seventy thousand dors. I''ll definitely give you the rest later." Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Adeline shook her head quickly before he could finish his sentence. "That''s not necessary. The money you just gave me is enough for me. I know you''re doing this for my sake because you don''t want my family to look down on me in the future. I sincerely appreciate your help. Never in my entire life has anyone defended me." Adeline said. Logan never helped her get back at her family. Logan was a stereotypical nerd who was obsessed with archaeology. Every time he heard her comining about her situation, he told her to put up with it and that things would get better once they were married. Adeline had never been happier than she was right now, as she felt all the resentment she had built up for years had disappeared. Adeline handed him thend ownership papers, saying, "I don''t need this either, but thank you." Curtis stared at the file for a long time before epting it and said, "You can get it back from me whenever you want." "Okay." Steffen dropped Adeline off at her apartment in Bay Hall before dropping Curtis off at his home. Curtis had just entered the study in his wheelchair when he heard Frank say, "Hello," to him. "Hello." Steffen and the butler left the study after Frank waved his hand at them. Frank approached the safe solemnly, entered thebination, took a file from it, and tossed it to Curtis. "This is for you. I prepared it earlier and nned to give it to you on your wedding day." Curtis opened the document and realized it was a stock transfer. "You think I got married just to get this?" he asked after a brief pause. Frank leered at him and said, "I''m indeed old, but I''m not stupid. I knew what you wanted to do, so I yed along with your act." "Are you okay?" Frank asked, his gaze drawn to the wound on his back. "It won''t kill me," Curtis replied casually as if it weren''t a big deal. Frank sighed and said seriously, "I''ll talk to Victoria after she gives us thatnd after this project starts. I will make it clear to her who is really in charge of this family." The Rileys intended to participate in a government-sponsored program to develop nuclear energy, which would benefit both the environment and the country. However, the program would necessitate using a piece ofnd owned by Victoria''s father. Frank knew what kind of person Victoria was, but he didn''t use her of anything because he wanted thend. Curtis understood what was at stake, so he nodded and said, "Don''t worry, I know what I should do." "By the way, II think Adeline is a wonderful girl. You should treat her nice." "You don''t have to worry about that," Curtis said, ncing at Frank. "I''ve been trying to get her for years!" Curtis thought to himself. Curtis left the house in a good mood, so he invited his two friends to join him at the Royal Bar. Royal Bar was Sawell''s most exclusive private club, with only members permitted entry. People who wanted to be members had to show proof of their assets. In Sawell, having a Royal Bar membership card was a sign of high status. However, no one knew that the Royal Bar was owned by Curtis and two other powerful big shots in Sawell. Curtis entered the Royal Bar and took a private elevator to the top floor. This floor was his and his friends'' exclusive domain, with karaoke, billiards, fitness, cinema, restaurant, and other facilities. Curtis got out of his wheelchair and went straight to a private room after arriving at that floor. Two men in suits with a noble air were sitting in the room. One of them was Max Powell, or Mr. Powell as he was moremonly known. He was a man in his thirties with a light scar in the corner of his eye and a cruel expression. The other man, who had his hair sprayed in ce and was dressed to the nines in a white suit and a tacky shirt, looked younger. He was Owen Doyle, the youngest of the Doyle family. Steffen handed each of the two men a paper bag shortly after Curtis entered the room. When the two men opened the bags, they were surprised to discover they were empty. "What do you mean?" Owen asked, puzzled. Curtis smiled broadly as he walked over to the couch and sat down, then announced, "I''m getting married, so you guys should give me wedding presents." Max and Owen were speechless. "You guys have to hand your gifts directly to my wife. Your gifts can''t be too expensive because they will scare her, and they can''t be too cheap because you''re rich." Both Max and Owen werepletely at a loss for words. Chapter 7 Thank You Mrs. Riley, For Giving Me A Home Chapter 7 Thank You Mrs. Riley, For Giving Me A Home Chapter 7 Thank You Mrs. Riley, For Giving Me A Home Owen was annoyed and amused at the same time by this coquettish operation. On the contrary, Max yed with the empty bag in his hand. He raised his eyes, nced at him, and directly asked, "Have you won the heart of your nephew''s fiancee?" Both of them grew up together with Curtis. They had a very close rtionship, and they always knew there was someone in his heart. This person happened to be his nephew''s fiancee. Usually when mentioning about this, Curtis would pull a long face. But he was in a good mood today. He corrected, "She''s now my wife." "You won her heart?" Max took a foxy look at the smug Curtis. "Yes" Curtis responded without changing his face expression. Owen opened his mouth so wide that he could almost stuff two eggs in it, ... Max slightly narrowed his eyes, and asked again, "Have you applied for the marriage certificate?" "Yes." Then, Curtis solemnly took two marriage certificates out from the inner pocket of his suit, opened and ced them on the table. Owen felt unbelievable. He wanted to reached out to pick up and have a look at it, but Curtis pped it away before he could touch it. Owen, ... "Have you washed your hands? Don''t touch my marriage certificate with your dirty hands." Curtis warned him and gave him a cold look, then extremely preciously picked up two pieces of paper and showed one of them to both of them. In just a few seconds, he carefully put the papers back into the inner pocket of his suit. Owen, ... "Is it necessary for you to treasure it this much?" Whileining, Owen even elbowed Max, "Hey, Max, don''t you think this is too unreal?" Max calmly took a puff of cigarette, "What''s unreal? That woman was originally despised by Curtis''s second sister-inw, Victoria. She was also not favoured at home. It was not a decent inw''s family. Maybe Victoria contributed to this matter." "That''s right." Curtis raised his eyebrows and briefly exined the process. Owen instantly widened his eyes, "You mean, Victoria bribed your opponent to drug you?" Curtis slightly nodded. "But aren''t you very resistant to those drugs? You could bear ice baths and bloodletting before. You actually slept with her this time?" Owen spoke in a higher pitch. Curtis made a mockery of himself and lifted the corners of his lips, "There''s no cure after I touch her. Uncontroble......" The women he met before were those he did not like. He felt disgusted, so he could naturally control it. But the self-control he was so proud of was defeated in just a moment in front of her. Owen had never been in a rtionship before, and he did not understand these things, but he still patted him on the shoulder with a tinge of emotion, and raised the wine ss in his hand to toast him. "Brother, I''m truly happy for you. I thought you were going to be a bachelor for the rest of your life! Unexpectedly, you''re the first to get married among three of us! Come on, brother, I wish you a happy wedding!" Max also raised his wine ss, "Congrattions for getting what you want." "Thank you." Curtis hold a sip of red wine in mouth, the corners of his lips curled up in joy, and solemnly said, "But there must be a gift. Today''s gift is that we got our marriage certificates. When we hold the wedding ceremonyter, you guys have to give me a big gift." Max, ... Owen, ... "No, you''re not having a shortage of money either! Is it necessary for you to request money from us as your wedding gift?" Owen valued money. It hurt him a bit when he thought of preparing red packets twice. "It''s true that I''m not having a shortage of money, but I''m happy to receive it as a gift from you guys." Curtis casually took off his sses, revealing a pair of aggressive long eyes. He did not bother to pretend himself in front of his own brothers. "Then how much should be packed?" Owen tentatively asked. After all, it could not be too much, or too little. Who in the world knew his brother''s standard. "Eight thousand eight hundred, nine thousand eight hundred." Thinking of Adeline''s expression on receiving money as a gift, the corners of Curtis''s lips raised in joy again. "That''s fine, I''ll pack 8,800 yuan. Max, you pack 9,800 yuan." Owen quickly asked his assistant to bring cash over. Max also say nothing else, and asked his assistant to prepare cash-filled red packet. Owen handed over the red packet, and asked, "Well... does sister-inw know about your legs?" "Have a guess?" Curtis took the red packet and said with a half-smile. Steffen exined in a timely manner, "Mrs. Riley doesn''t know yet. Not only that, Mr. Riley is still sickly, frequently coughing, losing power, and poor in front of Mrs. Riley. You guys have to cooperate if meeting her outside in the future." Owen widened his eyes again, and also spoke in a higher tone of voice. "Brother, you''re ying with fire! Don''t you worry that sister-inw will get angry and divorce you if she finds out?" Then, Owen also knew that he was talking nonsense, so he quickly "Bah, bah, bah" three times. Hearing the divorce, Curtis pulled a long face, and his voice became a little colder, "That won''t happen!" Max was the same as Curtis. They must get what they wanted. He sarcastically raised the corners of his lips and smiled, "This is impossible. It''s impossible for the prey that falls into Curtis''s trap to escape." Hearing this, Curtis''s expression softened a little, and he raised his wine ss towards him. "You know me." He would never let Adeline had the possibility to walk out of his own life. -- On the other side, Adeline went to the Bay Hall. She found the facilities and greening of the community were indeed very good. The environment was beautiful. There was also a ramp specially for the disabled at themunity here, and the supporting services were very perfect. It was estimated that Curtis chose here because of this. Adeline only realised that Curtis bought arge apartment when she reached the 21st floor. It was a self-contained unit, with no neighbours and with great privacy. After opening the coded door, it was a floor-to-ceiling window, which she could see arge view of the wide river. The apartment was two hundred and twenty square meters, with a good sense of space, but the design was rather cold. In one afternoon, Adeline bought flowers and some sulents for embellishment. She even made soup, waiting for Curtis toe back. She also did not know if Curtis woulde back. Both of them had just got married. They had not had time tomunicate, and she also did not have his contact details. She felt uneasy when sitting on the sofa alone. Fortunately, she did not wait for a long time. Curtis was then sent back by Steffen. Curtis was stunned for a moment as soon as he entered into the apartment. The original design, which grey was the dominant colour, suddenly had the vitality, because of the woman in the living room, the pink roses on the table, several pots of tender green sulents and colourful tablecloth. Seeing Curtis''s surprised look, Adeline quickly carefully exined, "I think the house was a little deserted so I bought some things to decorate it. I didn''t inform you in advance. Do you like it?" Sensing Adeline''s slight expression, it hurt Curtis to the core. He pushed the wheelchair over, and gently took her hand, "Mrs. Riley, I like it very much, thank you." Adeline felt a little embarrassed when she was called "Mrs. Riley", and Curtis''s low-pitched voice sounded in her ears again. "Adeline, this house belongs to you, and you''re the hostess of this house, so you can do whatever you want in the future. You can make your own decisions without asking for my opinions." Adeline was startled, "Hostess?" "Well, we''ve got married, what are you if you''re not the hostess?" Curtis half-jokingly said, "No, you''re still the head of the household." Adeline suddenly felt as if her heart had been soaked by a warm current. After quite a while, only then the corners of her lips curled up and said, "Thank you." Thanked him for giving her a home. Thanked him for giving her the respect she deserved. And these were something she had never had at home before. Curtis also slightly curled the corners of his lips, "I should thank Mrs. Riley, for giving me a home." Adeline was a little embarrassed by the "Mrs. Riley" again. She blushed, and blushed even more when she saw Steffen who was still at the side. "Steffen, have you eaten yet? How about......" "I have eaten! I''ll leave after eating the documents! No... I''ll leave after taking the documents." Steffen, who had been silently witnessing public disy of affection, was so scared that he quickly answered her, almost biting his tongue. With Curtis''s consent, he immediately went to the study to get the documents, then swiftly ran away. Not kidding. How many lives he had to stay and eat as a third wheel? Adeline felt that Steffen left in quite a hurry, as if someone wanted to hunt him down. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ncing at the dishes on the table, she looked at Curtis again and asked, "Then have you eaten?" "Not yet." "Then I''ll serve you rice." "Okay." Adeline turned back to the kitchen, came out with a te of steamed fish, and nced at Curtis, "Curtis, let''s add WhatsApp so it''s more convenient for us to contact each other in the future." As soon as the voice fell, Adeline''s phone on the table just sounded with a "Ding", and the screen lit up. Both of them subconsciously looked at it, and saw the WhatsApp notification from Logan. Adeline''s hand holding the te suddenly trembled. Chapter 8 How Did Mrs. Riley Want To Have Conjugal Love With Me Chapter 8 How Did Mrs. Riley Want To Have Conjugal Love With Me Chapter 8 How Did Mrs. Riley Want To Have Conjugal Love With Me The soup in the fish te spilled out. Curtis was startled. He reached out and helped to catch the te. After cing it on the dining table, he checked her hands. Just now, Curtis was so anxious that he almost stood up, and took her hand to wash in the kitchen! Fortunately, he came back to his senses at thest moment. He quickly took the mineral water on the side and unscrewed it to rinse Adeline. While washing, he could not help ming. "Why''re you distracted? What if you scald?" It was a me, but his tone was very soft, and there was a sense of warmth from the mountain breeze. Adeline did not feel ufortable when she heard it, but heartwarming. "I''m fine." Adeline picked up the rag and wiped off the soup oozing from the table. After quite a while, she only took a deep breath, sat next to Curtis, picked up her phone and said, "Let''s exchange contact details." Curtis looked at her sideways, and saw her open Logan''s messages in front of him. Logan sent her, [Adeline, did you sleep wellst night?] Adeline replied, [Logan, better we don''t contact each other anymore in the future.] Then, she straight blocked Logan, and looked up at Curtis as if she had made up her mind. "Uncle Curtis, let''s live a good life in the future. Don''t expect to be a loving couple, but at least be a couple who don''t quarrel. I''ll try my best to be a good wife." "Okay. But the premise is that you have to change the title first." Seeing Adeline blocked Logan''s WhatsApp, Curtis was very pleased to open his phone and hand it over. "What?" After Adeline added his WhatsApp, she stunned for a while, and looked up at Curtis in a daze. The corners of Curtis''s lips slightly curled up, "You can''t call me Uncle Curtis anymore, the seniority is wrong." "Then I have to call..." Adeline instantly blushed, as if thinking of something. "You have to call me dear." There was a wicked smile on the corner of Curtis''s lips. Every time he saw Adeline''s shy appearance, he couldn''t help but want to bully her. Adeline lowered her head and looked at the meal, her face blushed even more. "I... I''d better call you Curtis first." "Okay." Curtis was also not in a hurry. He had plenty of patience. Both of them immersed themselves in dinner. Curtis felt that this was the best dinner he had had in twenty-nine years. After dinner, Adeline took the initiative to clean up the tableware. After finishing all this, she went back to her room to prepare for lesson. As there were a lot of materials to prepare for the extracurricr Chinese studies for the children, she dealed until ten o''clock at night. As soon as the PowerPoint was closed, a phone call came in. Seeing the contact on the phone, Adeline pulled a long face, took a deep breath and connected the call, "Jacob." As soon as her voice fell, a criticism came from the other end of the phone. "Adeline, are you crazy! You actually hit Mr. Baker with a vase! I order you to go to the hospital immediately to apologise to Mr. Baker! Do you know that Mr. Baker has three stitches on his forehead!" When Adeline heard this, her heart ached as if it had been gouged by some sharp weapon. Mr. Baker was the single parent who wanted to vite her. When she went home that day, Mr. Baker broke into her room on the pretext of asking about his child. After a few questions, he even touched and wanted to vite her. She could not beat the strength of an adult man. She was in despair and desperately cried out for help. Because she knew that everyone in the family was there! But in the end, she only waited for the indifferent voice of her mother outside the door. "Don''t even think about the Riley family. If you follow Mr. Baker, you''ll be Mrs. Baker in the future." That moment, her heart was as cold as if she had fallen into an ice cave. She was not willing to give in. She smashed the man''s head with a vase and ran out. In retrospect, she still had lingering fears. But she did not expect that her brother did not even ask a word and also did not help her out as she was almost vited. Instead, she had to personally apologise! In just an instant, all the grievances umted in her heart burst out, Adeline reprimanded him on the phone in a low voice, "Then do you know what Mr. Baker did to me? He has three stitches, and I still think it''s not enough!" Jacob was stunned for a moment, never expecting that his younger sister, who had always been obedient, would suddenly threw tantrums on him regardless of the seniority? And she viciously said that three stitches were not enough? His first reaction was that he thought he had dialed the wrong number. ncing at the phone contact, he suppressed the doubts in his heart and coldly snorted, "What did he do? It''s your blessing that Mr. Baker has taken a fancy to you! There are many women that want to sleep with Mr. Baker''s bed but he doesn''t want to!" Adeline sarcasticallyughed, "Since it''s a blessing, why don''t you give it to Vi?" "You--!" Jacob instantly choked. After a quite long pause, he said, "Surely Vi deserves better! Adeline, stop talking nonsense. You immediately go and coax Mr. Baker now! Otherwise, I''m telling you, you''re going to suffer in the future. Mr. Baker will not let you off." "No. I didn''t do anything wrong!" Adeline was resolute. She would have already called the police if she had not been worried that her family would not testify against her! Jacob on the other end of the phone became more aggressive, "Adeline, do you know that I''m helping you! After tonight, not only the home project can not be approved, Mr. Baker will even retaliate against you!" Then, Jacob''s attitude eased a little. "Be obedient! Listen to my advice, lower your posture, coax Mr. Baker, and y the conquette. Men and women are just that matter. After you win Mr. Baker''s heart, you''ll be Mrs. Baker." Adeline closed her eyes in embarrassment. The hand holding the phone had been shaking, only feeling disgusted. Very disgusting! Gross from head to toe! After taking a deep breath, she asked, "Jacob Burton, do you know what you''re talking about?" Jacob was stunned as Adeline suddenly called his full name. "Are you asking your sister to sleep with a divorced man who is almost fifty years old in exchange for yourpany''s project? Jacob, aren''t you feel ashamed to say such a thing? I''m your sister, and you actually called your partner of interest into house to vite me. After the incident, you didn''t say a word to me, and didn''t stand up for me, but asking me to devote myself to him. Don''t you feel disgusted?" When it came to aggressiveness, Adeline''s eyes were red, and almost yelled out. "Jacob, do you actually regard me as your younger sister, your own younger sister! Do you think I''m made of iron? Won''t my heart hurt?" Jacob''s inner heart suddenly hit different, and he no longer spoke righteously, "That''s...... that''s because Mr. Baker said he wants to marry you. He''s sincere to you, not the irresponsible type." "Heh~" Adeline sarcasticallyughed, only feeling that her heart was broken into pieces. Before this, she actually still had some fantasies. Fantasised that her elder brother did not know about this. Fantasised that that disgusting man was at his own evil thoughts, to find her at home. But when the fantasies shattered, she only felt there was a bucket of ice water pouring down from her head, and her whole body was horribly cold. "He wants to marry me, then I have to marry him? Why do you always think you have the right to arrange my marriage and control my life? Have you ever thought that I''m also a human! An independent individual!" Jacob was speechless, but he still patiently coaxed her after a while. "Well, I''ll apany you to the hospital to apologise and let this matter go. I''ll apany you, okay? I promise Mr. Baker won''t do anything to you while I''m there." "No." Adeline refused. "I''m married. My husband will be jealous if I visit a man sote." "You''re married?" Jacob''s high-pitched voice suddenly came from the phone, "How could you be married? With Logan? What about Vi!" Adeline was so hurt that she could hardly feel it anymore. In such a situation, the first thing that her elder brother thought of was Vi! How ironic! She should have no fantasies about these people! Soon, Jacob came to his senses, "No! Logan is on a business trip! It''s impossible that you get married with Logan! Before Mr. Baker went to find you, I''ve asked. This time, Logan will be on his business trip for two to three months." Adeline was stillughing, tears were about to fall from the corners of her eyes. It turned out that all of these had been plotted by everyone! It had been plotted by Jacob! It had been plotted by her family! And also Logan''s mother! Adeline hated, really hated, hated them so much that she wanted to take revenge on them! As long as she got the opportunities in the future, she must let them feel the pain inflicted on her! Taking a deep breath, Adeline also made a decision. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. She calmly said, "Jacob, you don''t have to care who I marry. None of these has anything to do with you anyway. From now on, we''re cut off. You''re no longer my elder brother! I will not regard you as my elder brother!" Adeline only felt relieved after she said these words. "Well, it''s my wedding night tonight, and everyone knows this is a very important night! I won''t say anything with you anymore, I still want to have conjugal love with my husband." Then, Adeline directly hung up the phone and turned it off. As soon as she looked up, she heard Curtis voice, which was in a very good mood. "Then how does Mrs. Riley want to have conjugal love with me?" Chapter 9 The Cloyingly Sweet Wedding Night Chapter 9 The Cloyingly Sweet Wedding Night Chapter 9 The Intensely Sweet Wedding Night The moment Adeline saw Curtis, she only felt her cheeks were burning, and she wished she could dig a hole to get in! Curtis chuckled. Seeing that she was about to bite her lips to bleed, he could not bear urging her, "Okay, I won''t tease you anymore! Just go to take a shower. I had done it in the guest room just now." Adeline nodded, quickly opened the cab, took a pyjamas, and ran into the bathroom. When the bathroom door was closed, only then Curtis pulled a long face. Just now, he went to the study to deal with work, and took a shower after then, so he did not pay attention to the situation on Adeline''s side. He thought she had been quietly preparing for lesson, but unexpectedly she seemed to have an argument with someone. Seeing her scarlet eyes just now, he wished he could pull the person on the other end of the phone out and peel his skin off! Curtis gently tapped the phone on the bed, and found it was turned off, so he did not turn it on again. Forget it. There was no rush to find this person out. There was always a chance! It was more important to have a good wedding night with his wife right now. Curtis dialed a number to arrange his n... When Adeline came out after drying her hair, she realised the bedroom had changed! The floor was scattered with some rose petals, and decorated with heart-shaped imitation candle lights. There were a bottle of red wine and two wine sses on the table. And Curtis was waiting for her in dark grey silk pyjamas, holding a bouquet of red roses. Seeing hering out, Curtis pushed the wheelchair over with one hand, and held the rose to the hands of Adeline, who was stunned. "Mrs. Riley, happy wedding night." Adeline felt very happy. The joy of receiving flowers diluted a lot of the sadness her elder brother had brought her. After all, she was also an ordinary girl. She would also be happy when she received roses. Moreover, this was her first time receiving flowers. In the past, Logan was not quite good at doing this. Once at a time, both of them went shopping during festivals. A little sister grabbed Logan by the edge of his shirt and asked him to buy flowers for her. Logan would always said they lived a frugal life and did not like this kind of frivolous things. Therefore, Adeline never received flowers. Adeline really did not expect that she actually received the first bouquet of roses in her life from Uncle Curtis. Adeline curled her lips and thanked him, "Thank you for sending me roses, happy wedding night." Curtis was happy. He took Adeline by the hand and led her to the small table in the corner of the room, and motioned her to sit down. This small table was ced by the window, with a 2-seater loose back sofa. The scenery of the river could be seen, which was very romantic. However, Curtis was not sitting on the sofa at this time. He was still sitting in his wheelchair. He opened the red wine, and softly asked, "Have a drink?" Adeline subconsciously shook her head, "I can''t drink." She had been a good girl since young. She had never drunk a little alcohol. "You''re at home, so don''t be afraid to drink a little. If you can''t drink, then don''t drink it outside." Curtis said while pouring wine. "The wine is very rare. It was made in the year you were born. It has been kept until now. The taste is very pure and not bitter." Adeline thought the same. Both of them were husband and wife, and they were in their own home, so there was nothing to be afraid of. "Okay, I''ll drink a little." Adeline grabbed the red wine ss, took a small sip, and her eyes immediately lit up, "It''s very sweet." Curtis smiled in joy. He raised his wine ss and gently touched his with Adeline''s, with a crisp and pleasant sound of "Ding". "Mrs. Riley, happy wedding night." "You too!" Adeline took another sip, feeling very delighted, and then asked again, "Is this wine very expensive? I heard the older it is, the more expensive it will be." A look of unnaturalness shed across Curtis''s face. Of course the wine was expensive. When he saw this bottle of wine that happened to be sealed in the year of her birth at the auction, he was crazy to bid it, thinking that one day he could sit and taste it with her. So no matter how the opponents raised their cards, he would add 20,000 dor each time he raised his cards, as if he was determined to win. In the end, the bottle of wine was auctioned for 680, 000 dor. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. He was still unhappy, and insisted on giving 700,000 to the organizer, saying it was for a good omen. But it was really worth using this wine on the "wedding night". Seeing that Curtis did not answer, Adeline thought she had said something wrong, and could not help asking, "What''s wrong?" Curtis nodded with bent lips, "It''s indeed expensive. But it''s a congrattory gift from a friend." Then, Curtis took two bags from the side and put them into Adeline''s hands, "And this. It''s the wedding gifts from the previous two brothers. All in your hands." Adeline held the thick stack of bags, estimating the value was about 2,000 dor, and quickly declined, "No, your brothers gave it to you, so you just keep it." "These are all yours. The wedding gifts they gave me should be handed over to my wife." Curtis softly said. Adeline felt inexplicably touched. She remembered receiving money from her rtives when she was a child. Her mother took it away every time she just got it, saying that she would save it for her. She believed it at first. Afterwards, she identally ran across that her mother gave the money that had taken from her to her younger sister, Vi. That time, Vi was young. She was not as thoughtless and rude as she was now raised. She shyly asked mother, "Is this not very good for elder sister? If you give it to me, elder sister got nothing." But mother forced the money into her arms again, "You''re a child who will bring good luck to our family. All the good things in this family belong to you. Your elder sister doesn''t deserve it as she brings bad luck." Maybe after repeating these words for years, Vi had also changed over time. Holding the two bags in front of her eyes, Adeline sincerely said thank you again, "I''m not afraid of youughing at me, this is my first time getting money from others." Looking at the roses, Adeline said again, "So are the flowers." Curtis was slightly taken aback. Seeing Adeline''s slightly red eyes when she said she got the money for the first time, he thought of her wolf-like family! How dared they did this to her! But when he heard about the roses, he was a little annoyed again, and he unconsciously raised his voice a little. "Logan never sent it to you once?" Adeline lowered her head in embarrassment and shook her head. Curtister realized, repeatedly apologized, "I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have mentioned him. I''m a little angry." With that, he reached out to hold the back of Adeline''s head, pulled her closer to his wheelchair, leaned over to kiss her cheek, full of pity, and solemnly made a promise. "You''re going to have much "first time" with me in the future." As he spoke, Curtis did not want Adeline to be awkward, he quickly changed the topic and asked, "I heard you were arguing with someone on the phone just now, was there something wrong?" Adeline said in an understated way, "Still a family matter." Then, Adeline nced at Curtis, and tentatively said, "I had an argument with my elder brother just now. I was so angry. If...... if I said I don''t want to recognize him as my elder brother, would you think I''m..." Before she could finish, Curtis interrupted, "I won''t." He thought in his heart that he should go and check on Adeline''s elder brother, but he gently stroked Adeline''s head and said, "If even you''re so angry enough to say such words, it means that he really did not act kindly. Sometimes close rtives also depended on kinship, like my second elder brother''s wife, she did not treat me very well. Sometimes it was worse than these two brothers who did not share the same blood and gave wedding gifts. The fate between people could not be forced, and the same for close rtives. If got along well, just contacted more. If it''s about the principle, it''s better not to recognise and don''t tire yourself." Adeline widened her eyes and stared at Curtis, eyes slightly steamy. She had not expected suchforting words from him! In the past, she had also discussed simr topic with Logan. But Logan''s answer was that there was no overnight feuds between close rtives! Saying that a family should be united. If there was anything wrong, just talked it through. Every time she dared not say anymore. Curtis stroked Adeline''s head again, "Did I say something wrong?" Adeline shook her head. Curtis curled the corners of his lips and continued, "Adeline, I''m now your husband. If you encounter anything, remember to find me. Although I''m disabled, I still have some connections in the past. If I don''t do well, remember to say it too." Adeline was so touched that she almost shed tears. She wiped the moisture from the corners of her eyes and said, "Why are you being so nice to me?" Too good to be the husband of a sh marriage. "Because you''re my wife. If I don''t treat you nice, then who should I treat?" Curtis raised his wine ss, crossed Adeline''s arm, and softly chuckled. "Mrs. Riley, finish this ss of cross-cupped wine, and wish us a happy wedding night night!" Chapter 10 Adeline Exclaimed, Your Legs... Chapter 10 Adeline Eximed, Your Legs... Chapter 10 Adeline Eximed, Your Legs... Adeline''s face was burning red. She shyly drank the cross-cupped wine, then pushed Curtis to the bedside. Actually, she wanted to refuse. The experience Curtis gave herst night was really quite ufortable, and she even felt a little scared and frightened, so when she took a shower, she specially picked a loose and conservative pure cotton pyjamas. But thinking of how many surprises and touches Curtis gave her tonight, she could not bear refusing him. At this moment, Adeline nervouslyy on the bed, feeling extremely stupid in her cartoon-printed pyjamas. She did not know how a mature man of such age as Curtis could have sex with her like this. The mattress suddenly sagged, Adeline sensed something was wrong, and looked at Curtis. "Your legs." Curtis, ... He made a mistake. He was so excited that he went to bed by himself! After being reminded by Adeline, Curtis pretended to be strenuously supporting the mattress with his hands, and then exined, "I can''t feel my calves. With the supporting of my arms, I can go to bed, get out of bed and sit in a wheelchair on my own. I can take care of myself." Adeline was somewhat a little embarrassed when she heard "I can take care of myself", "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean that. I was too shocked just now." "It''s okay. Your husband''s physical condition should really be let you know. It''s my fault. I didn''t communicate with you." Adeline did not expect Curtis would actually say so. When she felt warm, a dark shadow cast over her eyes. Curtis knelt on her waist, supported his hands on top of her body, and continued, "I can''t feel my calves, up to my knees... everything is normal. You also knew thatst night." Adeline bit her lip, and her little face instantly became extremely red. Curtis chuckled, leaned down and kissed her. Gently, lingeringly. Like when he saw a favourite snack when he was a child, which he was reluctant to finish it in one bite, and slowly tasted it. Adeline''s body became a little limp from being teased, and after drinking, her whole body was indulged in this kind of gentleness, and she could not help snorting. She felt ashamed, so she quickly reached out her hand to Curtis''s chest, turned her face away and said, "Go and turn off the light." "Can we leave the light on?" Curtis seemed to be seriouslymunicating. He still felt a little regretful that the lighting was badst night. "I want to see you." "No." Adeline shook her head, so ashamed that she wanted to bury her face in the quilt. Curtis felt a little regretful, but he still turned off the bedsidemp. There was no rush. There would be plenty of chances in the future. After turning the light off, Curtis kissed Adeline''s lips again, and seduced in her ear, "Honey, close your eyes." There were still some electronic candles on the floor. There was still some faint light. He did not want his wife to notice the difference. Adeline obediently closed her eyes. Only this time, Curtis seemed to have learned the essentials. He was no longer brutal, but had be gentle and scorching. ... The next day, when Adeline opened her eyes, she met Curtis''s obsessive gaze. Curtis got up earlier than her. He sat in the wheelchair in front of the bed, and did not know how long he had been staring at her. Adeline looked away as she was a little embarrassed, but suddenly she thought of something, and her body suddenly startled. She grabbed her phone and looked at the time, "Oh no, it''s sote! The rm clock didn''t bleep either!" "Don''t worry, breakfast is ready. Steffen is waiting for you downstairs in his car. You won''t bete. I turned off the rm clock, I wanted you to sleep more." Adeline felt warm, and asked in surprise, "You made breakfast?" "No." Curtis silentlyughed, "Every morning, the nanny of the old house wille to make breakfast. But if Mrs. Riley likes it, I can learn to make it for you in the future." "No need, no need." Adeline quickly got up to wash. Curtis''s legs were inconvenient, how could she ask him to cook! She had set the rm clock an hour earlier, just to make breakfast for him, but unexpectedly he woke up earlier than she did and even turn off the rm clock. After washing, Adeline pushed Curtis to the dining table. Both of them sat down to have breakfast together. When picking up the spoon, Adeline only noticed the heart-shaped diamond ring on her right ring finger. The ring was put on by Curtisst night. In the end, she had no strength at all. When Curtis put it on, she did not even bother to snort, but she remembered that he seemed to be still vigorously kissing her hand, kissing this diamond ring, and saying treacly words. Thinking of that scene, Adeline instantly blushed again. "What''s wrong?" Sensing Adeline''s strangeness, Curtis asked in a low voice. "Nothing...... I was just thinking that this ring is too expensive. It might be inappropriate to wear it to school. I want to keep it at home." Adeline took the initiative to exin as she worried Curtis would overthink. She had always been low-key, did not like publicity, and attract attention. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "This pink diamond is worthless." Curtis exined in an understated way. After a pause, he sincerely looked at Adeline again, "It''s just a little gift from me. I''ll try my best to give you what other wives have. If you think it''s really inappropriate, then I''ll buy you one without diamond?" Adeline''s heart was full of touches, she quickly shook her head, "Don''t bother. I''ll just wear this. I originally thought that this ring should be very expensive, so I didn''t want to wear it to ss as I was afraid of giving students a bad impact. But looking at it now, maybe I was overthinking, so I''ll just wear it. "Okay." The corners of Curtis''s lips secretly curled up. Not kidding, this was his mark! How could she take it off! Now he wished he could tell the whole world that Adeline was his legal wife! Let those men who coveted her dispel their thoughts! After both of them had done breakfast, Curtis used the excuse that he wanted to go back to the company to drop Adeline off to work, and he sent Adeline to school. On the way, Adeline asked Steffen to stop the car. She went to the supermarket to buy a few boxes of candies, then only rushed into the car and exined to Curtis. "Bring some wedding sweets to my colleagues." Actually she made a decision when she decided to wear the ring to school. Now that she was married and hadpletely let go of the past, so she should not hide it. She was now Curtis''s wife. She had to ept this reality in order to live a good life! Seeing that she was willing to disclose their rtionship, Curtis happily curled up his thin lips. As soon as she arrived at the school office, colleagues enthusiastically gathered around her. "Adeline, congrattions!" "Congrattions!" Colleagues were congratting, which made Adeline a little confused. "All of you have known about it?" Colleaguesughed and said, "It''s announced online." "Ah? Online?" Adeline was even more confused now, "How could the news of my marriage be announced online?" Then, she opened the gift bag in her hand, took the chocte gift boxes out, and said with an embarrassed smile, "I just got married yesterday, and please have wedding candies today." Colleagues, ... Were we talking about the same thing? At this time, Melissa Park, who was usually close to Adeline, rushed over and screamed. "A--Adeline, are you married? And you got the marriage certificate yesterday?" Before Adeline could answer, she stared at the pink heat-shaped diamond ring on Adeline''s hand with her eyes lit up again. "Wow--What a beautiful diamond ring. I never thought Curtis, that elm head, would actually send this kind of heart-shaped pink diamond!" The voice fell, Adeline looked a little embarrassed. Chapter 11 Keeping up with Trends, a Flash Wedding Chapter 11 Keeping up with Trends, a sh Wedding Chapter 11 Keeping up with Trends, a sh Wedding Lilly, who shared an office with Adeline, keenly sensed that something was off and walked over with a smile to defuse the situation. "Alright, Melissa, you''ve been talking so much without giving Adeline a chance to speak. Let''s all have some wedding candies first, and then let Adeline share with everyone in detail." Lilly, Melissa, and Adeline were teachers who joined the school at the same time, and they had a good rtionship. Adeline gave her a grateful look. Lilly lightly chuckled and held her hand, "Congrattions to you, but that''s not what we were talking about just now." Adeline was utterly confused. Lilly exined with a smile, "We were talking about the district''s public lessonpetition. You got first ce. Now all that''s left is the online voting. And you, as an excellent teacher in the district, will definitely secure the position." Adeline looked at Lilly in astonishment. She believed she had decent abilities, but getting the highest overall score was somewhat unexpected. Soon, she remembered something and shyly lowered her head. It turned out that she had misunderstood everyone just now. Lilly knew she had realized it a bitte and nudged her, "Come on, quickly share the proposal process with us." "Psh, that guy, Logan... Seriously, how romantic can he be?" Melissa said nonchntly while chewing on chocte. "It''s not him." Hearing the mention of Logan, Adeline''s heart sank and ached. But she tried to downy it as she exined, "It was someone... arranged by my family. We saw that it was fitting, so we kept up with trends by having a sh wedding." As her voice trailed off, the entire office fell silent. Everyone knew that Adeline had been engaged to a man for three years, who was a prominent figure from the renowned Riley family in Prodiff. How did she suddenly change her partner? Could the new one be as good as Logan? Could anyone else be as wealthy and influential as Logan? The people present were all astute individuals who knew very well the intricacies of the upper-ss families, and their faces showed varying degrees of embarrassment. "Oh, a sh wedding sounds great," someone broke the silence. "Yeah, it''s someone introduced by the elders, so they must know everything about him." "If they can afford that ring, they''re definitely not ordinary." "That''s for sure! I wonder who''s lucky enough to marry our Ms. Burton, such a beauty," a male colleague teased. Among the teachers, Adeline stood out with her stunning looks. When she first arrived, many unmarried male colleagues were curious about her. This male colleague was one of them. However,ter on, everyone learned that she had a fianc¨¦, the son of one of the four major families in Prodiff, the Riley family. That dashed any thoughts they had. Adeline smiled lightly and replied, "He''s just an ordinary person. The ring isn''t valuable either." Ring~~ A pleasant electronic bell rang, indicating that most of the people present had sses to attend. They were forced to pause their conversation. Then, they pick up their textbooks, and leave. The entire office was suddenly left with only Adeline and Melissa, relieving Adeline of some awkwardness. Seeing that there was no one around, Melissa hurriedly pulled Adeline to the balcony and straightforwardly asked, "What''s going on? How did you end up marrying someone else?" With a sigh of helplessness, Adeline exined the whole story. Melissa got so angry that she rolled up her sleeves, ready to fight. "What''s wrong with your family? And Logan''s mother, she''s so disgusting! She used to boss you around, making you do this and that, buying things one moment and picking up people the next! I thought she treated you like a daughter-inw! How could she hide such intentions?" As Melissa mentioned the various ways Logan''s mother used to boss her around, Adeline expression suddenly turned dark. Her resentment towards Logan''s mother grew even stronger. During her three-year rtionship with Logan, his mother made her do a lot of things. Sometimes, she had to personally queue up for limited edition handbags as ID card needed to be verified before making purchase, and Logan''s mother would make her go. There were times when she had to wait in line for several hours, which affected her lesson preparation, and sheined to Logan. However, Logan would say that his mother treated her like family, and family members shouldn''t fuss over such things. At that time, Adeline believed what Logan had said and decided not toin to Logan anymore. But now that she thought about it, Victoria seemed to be treating her like a fool! N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Seeing that Adeline didn''t look too good, Melissa gently patted her back and said with concern, "Why didn''t youe to me after what happened yesterday? My brother and I would have definitely helped you!" Then, Melissa sighed, realizing that it was already done and she could onlyfort her. "Anyway, it''s all over... Logan''s mother isn''t someone to be trifled with. If you really married Logan, it doesn''t necessarily mean you''d have a good life. You know, it''s a blessing wearing a mask." Upon hearing this, Adeline couldn''t help but burst intoughter and corrected her, "That phrase should be, ''it''s a blessing in disguise''." "Okay, okay, you, the award-winningnguage teacher, are amazing. I''m just a sports teacher, I can''t win over you. Anyway, the meaning is pretty much the same." "You know, if I were yournguage teacher, you''d definitely drive me crazy," Adeline gave Melissa a stern look. Melissa stared back at her for a moment but eventually consoled her, "You''ve always wanted to leave that family. Now that you''re out of their reach, they can no longer threaten you or force you to do things you don''t want to do. As your sister, I hope this is a good start for you." Melissa held onto her hand and urged, "If Uncle Curtis treats you badly, remember to tell me. I''ve learned boxing, and I can protect you!" "Alright," Adeline chuckled. "He''s treating me well so far." As the words fell, Adeline''s phone rang. When she answered, she heard the voice of the dean, Sophia. "Ms. Burton, pleasee to my office." "Okay." Just as Adeline hung up the phone, Melissa excitedly urged her, "Go quickly! It must be about your award. This is such great news! Our school has never had a rookie teacher win an award in the district within just a year of working! Previously, all the awards went to experienced teachers. This is a way for us new teachers to make a name for ourselves! And if you secure first ce in the district this time, you canpete at the city level!" Excitedly pushing Adeline off the balcony, Melissa thought she saw a glimpse of a shadow disappear. Seeing her pause, Adeline asked, "What''s wrong?" Melissa furrowed her brow, feeling slightly strange inside. However, she didn''t borate, "I thought I saw someone... I must have been mistaken. Go on, hurry." Adeline nodded, a rare sense of joy appearing on her face as she walked towards the dean''s office. Before they could exchange pleasantries, Sophia''s face turned cold, and she straightforwardly spoke. "One of the parents in your ss has anonymously reported you." "Reported me?" Adeline was instantly stunned. The previous smile wiped off her face. As much as she had been looking forward to something, she was now equally shocked. "Yeah, have a seat. I wanted to talk to you about this," said Sophia, handing a piece of paper from the printer to Adeline. Adeline took the printed paper and looked down, her expression turning solemn. Chapter 12 Mr. Riley Provoked His Nephew - Vote for Your Aunt! Chapter 12 Mr. Riley Provoked His Nephew - Vote for Your Aunt! Chapter 12 Mr. Riley Provoked His Nephew - Vote for Your Aunt! "This is an email that the principal just forwarded to me," Sophia tapped on the table and said. "Someone sent a letter to the principal and the education bureau, iming that you''re not following the curriculum, being extremely irresponsible, and not assigning homework, which misleads the students." Adeline felt speechless all of a sudden. "Ms. Adams, it''s true that I don''t assign a lot of homework, and there have been one or two instances where I didn''t give any. But there are reasons for that. For example, after a test, if there''s no new material to teach that day, I let the kids rx a bit. Besides, I don''t want them to face excessive academic pressure." As Adeline defended himself, Sophia''s face turned somewhat stern. "Reducing the academic burden is indeed our educational philosophy now. However, Ms. Burton, youck experience and should learn from other teachers. Homework is a process of reinforcing knowledge. Are you saying that students shouldn''t have any homework?" "Ms. Adams I do assign homework. It''s just that many assignments arepleted during reading ss. Vocabries and practice exercises are strictly kept within 45 minutes. Bypleting the assignments at school, the students can review independently at home, and parents don''t have to apany them. Isn''t that better?" Listening to Adeline''s exnation, Sophia became increasingly impatient. "Why don''t you just assign them more homework? Why go through all this exnation?" After being a dean for so many years, it was the first time she encountered a new teacher who wouldn''t do as she said! Adeline also felt frustrated, but she maintained a calm tone and said, "Ms. Adams, I''m afraid of giving them too much homework and then having parents fileints against me again." Sophia felt that Adeline was being argumentative, and her face turnedpletely cold. She issued a direct order, "Anyway, go to the parents'' group and exin this matter to everyone. Learn from other teachers, assign homework with some variation, like independent assignments or holistic development... You must assign homework, but don''t give people any grounds to criticize you!" Reluctantly, under the weight of the pressure from higher authorities, Adeline replied, "Alright." Sophia''s expression eased slightly as she continued, "Also, there''s an online poll for outstanding teachers in the district. Itsts for a week, and you need to mobilize your colleagues, friends, and rtives to vote for you. Currently, the teacher from the neighboring Prodiff Elementary School has surpassed you. You need to figure out a solution quickly. We can''t let our school lose our reputation." "Alright, I understand," Adeline replied with a heavy sigh, then left Sophia''s office. Returning to her seat, she felt somewhat gloomy. Melissa had been waiting for her and exploded with anger after learning the reason why Sophia called her to the office. "Why are these parents like this? The government wants to reduce the burden on students, but parents want to add pressure. It''s like teachers are caught in the middle! We can''t please both sides!" Adeline pulled Melissa''s hand and said, "Shh, let''s not talk about it." "It''s just ridiculous!" Melissa rolled her eyes. "Regarding the parents'' issue, I''ll exin it in the group. What bothers me now is the voting matter." Helplessly, Adeline smiled and said, "I never thought that as a teacher now, I would have to learn how to campaign." Melissa was also annoyed by it. But when it came to the workce, there was nothing they could do. She quickly shared the link on social media. "Hey, everyone! Number 5 is a beautiful teacher from our school, my bestie. Please help vote for her! Each person can vote three times a day! Let''s go all out!" After posting, Melissa forwarded it to several chat groups, asking everyone for help with the votes. Seeing that Melissa took the initiative to campaign for her, Adeline felt embarrassed not to do the same. She sent messages to a few close friends on WhatsApp and casually included one to Curtis. But as soon as she sent it, Adeline felt awkward and quickly retracted the message. Little did she know that Curtis replied in seconds, "?" Adeline bit her lip. What was up with this guy? How did he notice so quickly? Was he just ying with his phone at the right time? Watching Adeline awkwardly editing and deleting exnations in the chat box, Melissa couldn''t take it anymore and snatched the phone. "So, this is Logan''s uncle?" Adeline nodded. Without hesitation, Melissa resent the link to Curtis and then pressed the voice message button. "I''m Adeline''s bestie, Melissa. Let me tell you, your wife is currently participating in the district teacherpetition and needs votes. She''s about to lose to the second-ce contender! I''m asking you, are you willing to help with this favor? Quickly rally the people around you to vote." N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. As the voice message ended, Adeline hastily grabbed the phone back and gave Melissa an annoyed look, "Melissa, he''s our elder. You can''t speak to him like that." "I don''t care if he''s an elder or not! Right now, he''s your husband, and we''re on the same level! And if he wants to be the husband of my bestie, he should at least let me see if he''s qualified." Melissa pulled a chair and plopped down in a carefree manner. Touched by her actions, Adeline hugged Melissa. "You''re the best to me." No one treated Adeline like how Melissa did, even her family. Melissa proudly raised her head, "Of course! Being besties means a lifetimemitment!" Ding! Curtis replied. Melissa signaled to Adeline to quickly check her WhatsApp. Adeline felt a bit nervous, unsure if Curtis would find her annoying. In her impression, Curtis was a serious elder, a powerful person who handled billion-dor projects effortlessly. During previous gatherings at the Riley family, she could only nod from a distance and never dared to speak to him. She didn''t know if he would consider their campaigning behavior childish. As she tapped on the phone screen, Adeline saw a concise reply on the chat page. "Would definitelyplete the mission!" Adeline breathed a sigh of relief and showed the chat page to Melissa. Melissa nced at it and snorted, "Talk is cheap! The key is to see how he acts! Passing my test won''t be that easy." She didn''t even think highly of Logan! In Melissa''s perception, no one was worthy of Adeline. -- On the other side, Curtis''s brows furrowed slightly after receiving the forwarded link. Steffen, who was beside him, nced at him discreetly, "?" A major project? Thest one that made Mr. Riley furrow his brow was years ago! After carefully reviewing the entire linked page, Curtis immediately forwarded it, "Number 5, vote! Three votes per person per day! Not voting means disrespecting me." The content was concise and in line with Curtis''s style, but it had a significant impact. Soon after he posted, over three hundred people liked it. Everyone hurriedly voted for Number 5 and leftments below Curtis''s post. "Voted." "Voted three times, wille back tomorrow! Would definitelyplete the mission!" "Mr. Riley, Esther, the ountant from World Trade Center, has already voted thrice." "Mr. Riley, I''m Ethan from Savory Food Industry, and I''ve voted three times." ... After posting the dynamic, Curtis also forwarded the link to several close friend groups. "Number 5, my wife, three votes per person per day! No cking off!" Tagging Max and Owen, "Your whole family, servants, and everyone in thepany should vote!" Max, "..." Owen, "..." Immediately after, Curtis forwarded it to a few rtives. He forwarded to old Mr. Riley. Pausing for a moment, Curtis squinted his eyes. Finally, he forwarded the link to Logan. "Number 5, vote for your aunt." Chapter 13 Curtis, "Babe, Ive Helped Campaign for You." Chapter 13 Curtis, "Babe, I''ve Helped Campaign for You." Chapter 13 Curtis, "Babe, I''ve Helped Campaign for You." After sending the WhatsApp message, Curtis felt uneasy and quickly retracted it, changing it to "Vote For Adeline." He worried that Logan couldn''t handle his provocation and hurried back. His rtionship with Adeline wasn''t stable yet. That guy couldn''te back just yet! He had to wait until they''re totally smitten with each other before he coulde back and enjoy the spoils! After posting the update and informing his close friends and rtives, Curtis still felt it wasn''t enough. He looked solemnly at Steffen, saying, "Immediately send an urgent memo, demanding that all employees in thepany vote for Mrs. Riley. Each person should vote three times a day! Not a single vote should be left out! In short, Mrs. Riley must not lose!" Steffen, "..." So, all that frowning was because of this??? "And you, you need to report to me every hour about the voting situation for Mrs. Riley. If the second ce catches up, we need toe up with a new n." Steffen, "..." "Why aren''t you going already?! Do you want Mrs. Riley to lose?" Curtis shot him a re, scaring Steffen to shrink his head. Steffen quickly responded and got to work as per Curtis''s instruction. After arranging the voting matters, Curtis messaged Adeline. "Babe, I''ve helped campaign for you." Adeline, "Thank you." Soon, Curtis added, "Together with me, I won''t let you lose." When Adeline received the message, she felt her face blush slightly. Through the screen, it was as if she could sense Curtis''s dominance. She didn''t reply, unsure of how to respond. But she had a strange feeling in her heart. It was like being seen as someone really important. It was an experience she had never had before. With Curtis''s help, Adeline''s vote count quickly surpassed the second ce and created a significant lead. By the time school ended, Adeline had a lead of ten thousand votes over the second ce. In Melissa''s words, this wave was secure! Seeing that she didn''t need to campaign herself, Adeline was happy. She was about to call Curtis to thank him and ask if he wasing home for dinner when Curtis called her. "Mrs. Riley, can you leave work now? I''m waiting for you at the school gate." Adeline paused for a moment, then quickly replied, "Oh, I''m leaving work now. I''ll pack my things ande down." As she walked out of the school gate, Adeline spotted Curtis''s car parked not far away. Curtis rolled down the car window and waved at her. In a hurry, Adeline ran over, unknowingly passing by two male colleagues by her side. The male colleagues were stunned when they saw her getting into a luxury car. Another male colleague nudged his elbow and sarcastically said, "Don''t bother looking. A million- dor car like that is not something we teachers can afford. Good-looking women all want to marry someone rich. ept this fact!" Watching the departing figure of Adeline, the male colleague sneered, "Thought she was different, but turns out she''s just like any other woman." "True!" After getting in the car, Curtis took Adeline to Clita za for dinner. After they got out of the car, Adeline pushed Curtis into Clita za. Meanwhile, Adeline''s third brother, Jacob, also entered the shopping center with Mr. Baker. Mr. Baker and Jacob were both wearing masks, apanied by two sexy femalepanions with nice figures. "Mr. Baker, please, this way." Jacob walked ahead like a servant, leading the way. Mr. Baker frowned beneath the bandage on his forehead, his face not looking too good. He snorted and his gaze fell on the two femalepanions behind him, and he asked, "What''s the meaning of this?" Jacob quickly leaned in closer to Mr. Baker''s ear and whispered, "These two have some fame in the modelling circle! They''re even younger than my sister. Tonight, let them take good care of you." "Shoo!" Mr. Baker pushed Jacob away, casting a disdainful nce at the two women, "Tell them to get lost! Shallow and vulgar!" Jacob''s face stiffened, about to say something, but Mr. Baker''s eyes widened, frightening him. He quickly pulled out some tip money and handed it to the two models, sending them away. "Mr. Baker, calm down. Tonight, I''ll have some drink with you." Saying that, Jacob made a gesture as if to say, "Please." Mr. Baker walked towards the restaurant on the second floor of the za, his expression extremely sour, "I''m asking you, Jacob, what''s your intention now? I told you to bring your sister to apologize to me, but you haven''t done it." "Sigh, how could I not do it!" Jacob sighed, "It''s that my sister isn''t sensible enough. She got pped by our parents, and her face is all swollen. She can''t go out and meet people. I thought, once her face is better, I''ll bring her to apologize to you." Mr. Baker nced at him with a doubtful look, "Really?" "Really. Don''t you know my parents'' attitude! We''re all on your side. It''s all my sister''s fault, she just doesn''t know how to appreciate it!" Mr. Baker''s expression eased slightly, "Jacob, let me tell you, I''ve really taken a liking to your sister. Ever since I saw her, I find these superficial things outside to be meaningless. They''re too low-levelN?velDrama.Org owns all content. to catch my eye." "And, I won''t lie to you, I really want to marry Ms. Burton. She''s a nice girl, gentle and adorable, and she knows how to educate children. It just so happens that your sister is a teacher, and my son likes her." "Yes, yes, yes. I''ve always told my sister that it''s her good fortune to be noticed by you." Mr. Baker nodded in agreement, his expression softening slightly. Jacob''s ttery made his mood improve a bit. Suddenly, his gaze fell on Adeline, who was pushing Curtis in a wheelchair not far away. She was bending down to speak to the man in the wheelchair asionally. They wereughing and talking, as if nothing else mattered! Mr. Baker''s anger red up instantly, "You, Jacob! Are you fooling me?! Your sister is perfectly fine, yet you said she was pped and couldn''t show her face. Look at her, she has the audacity to mingle with other man!" Jacob furrowed his brows tightly and blurted out without thinking, "Could it be that she''s really married?" "Married?" Mr. Baker''s tone rose a few notches, his chest heaving with uneven breaths, "What? Your sister would rather marry a disabled person than marry me!" Jacob realized he had said the wrong thing and mentally pped himself, "That''s not what I meant. I don''t know for sure if my sister is married or not. She probably said it just to deceive me." Mr. Baker squinted his eyes and observed the two of them as they walked towards a restaurant. He was certain, "The way they are, their rtionship must be more than just ordinary! Jacob, let me tell you, today your sister must apologize to me for this!" He pointed at the bandage on his head and said firmly, "Even in front of her disabled husband, she should kneel down and apologize to me! I don''t care if she''s married or not! If she is, she still has to serve me until I''m satisfied, only then can this matter be over!" Jacob''s face looked grim. The words Mr. Baker spoke were too vulgar. He knew that his previous rtionships with two married subordinates were unclear. But after all, Adeline was his sister, and no matter how much he disliked her, he couldn''t bring himself to do such a disgusting thing. Mr. Baker noticed his hesitation and his voice grew heavier, "What? Don''t you want the project approved anymore? I know very well that your bankruptpany is counting on that project to turn things around. Tell me, you''re the third child in your family, so if you make your family''spany go bankrupt, do you think your father will still look high at you? Will you have any im to the company''s inheritance?" Jacob''s face stiffened, and he gritted his teeth as he took out his phone to exin, "I''ll settle this matter for you, Mr. Baker! I''ll make a call and have several bodyguards downstairse up. They''ll surely teach my sister and her disabled husband a lesson." Mr. Baker sneered at him, his eyes narrowed, "Oh, are we not acting like devoted siblings anymore?" Jacob smirked, "That''s all on my sister. If she hadn''t bashed your head, would this even be happening?" Mr. Baker nodded satisfactorily, looking forward to the moment when he could sit in front of Adeline''s disabled husband, holding the little beauty in hisp and kissing her. It felt particrly exhrating. Soon, several bodyguards arrived, and they hurriedly walked towards the private room where Adeline and Curtis were seated. Click. The door to the private room was forcefully pushed open, startling Adeline. Chapter 14 Mr. Riley Doted on His Wife, An Aura of 29 Feets Chapter 14 Mr. Riley Doted on His Wife, An Aura of 29 Feets Chapter 14 Mr. Riley Doted on His Wife With High-handed Aura Jacob rushed in first and was infuriated when he saw Adeline''s head so close to a strange man. "Adeline! What are you doing? Hurry up and apologize to Mr. Baker!" As soon as he spoke, Jacob immediately bent over like a bootlicker and weed Mr. Baker in. Following closely behind, three bodyguards entered and used their backs to block the door. Seeing the situation, Curtis restrained himself and adjusted his sses, reminding himself of his current persona. However, his cold gaze behind the lenses betrayed his shock. When he saw Jacob rudely pointing at Adeline, he wished he could stand up and break his finger right then and there. But he couldn''t. He couldn''tpromise his public image for this piece of shit. Jacob, who had no idea that he was practically a dead man in Curtis''s eyes, red at Adeline, who was too angry to speak. "Hurry up and apologize! What are you still standing there for?" As he spoke, Jacob brought over a chair for Mr. Baker to sit on. Mr. Baker immediately sat on the chair like a lord, crossing one leg and leering at Adeline. Adeline was about to explode with anger! Before she could say anything, Curtis held her hand and coldly questioned, "May I ask what my wife did wrong that requires an apology?" Jacob pointed at Mr. Baker''s head, "Why? She smashed Mr. Baker like this, and do you think there''s no need for an apology?" Jacob didn''t recognize Curtis andpletely disregarded him, casting him a disdainful look as he spoke. And Mr. Baker''s brow slightly furrowed upon hearing the words "like this." But the thought of being able to hold the beauty in his arms soon suppressed his displeasure. Curtis nced at Mr. Baker''s head and casually remarked, "Oh, that''s a pity. Why didn''t she smash you to death? My wife is a kind-hearted person. If someone can provoke her to the point of smashing their head, he must have done something unforgivable." Upon hearing this, Adeline''s heart skipped a beat. She didn''t expect Curtis to actually speak up for her. Throughout her life, she had always faced everything alone. It was only after encountering Melissa that things got slightly better. "Hey, enough with the apologies and head-smashing talk! Can you two stop exchanging nces and flirting in front of us?" Jacob, feeling coldly ignored, kicked the table in front of him in anger. The teapot on the table slid directly towards Curtis''s side, narrowly missing him and almost scalding him. "Jacob Burton!" Adeline, infuriated, almost shouted, "Do you have no shame? Why don''t you mention why I smashed his head?" "Shut up! I''m your third brother! How dare you address me by my name? Show some respect! Hurry up ande apologize, say some kind words to Mr. Baker. Otherwise, you''ll only embarrass yourself more in front of this man! Or..." Jacob intentionally paused, "Or do you want me to say in front of this man why you smashed Mr. Baker''s head?" Adeline felt utterly embarrassed upon hearing this. Mr. Baker let out a light chuckle and patted his thigh. "Hey,e here and sit. Call me sweetheart and apologize. Maybe if I''m in a better mood, I''ll let this matter go." Adeline stared fiercely at Mr. Baker. Seeing that Adeline refused to approach, Mr. Baker smirked and taunted. "Or do you want me to tell this useless waste how I touched your leg before you smashed my head?" "You shameless!" Adeline red at both Jacob and Mr. Baker. Mr. Baker acted as if he didn''t care at all and proudly looked at Curtis, "Hey, you useless guy in a wheelchair, howe you have no reaction when I mention touching your wife''s leg?" As soon as he spoke, Adeline immediately stood in front of Curtis and sternly dered, "My husband is not a useless guy! Even if he''s physically disadvantaged, he''s still much better than you two filthy-minded individuals! People like you don''t deserve to live in this world!" Curtis sat behind Adeline, and his gaze filled with a chilling rage. His blood was burning and shouting! It had been a long time since he felt this way, being so eager topletely disregard everything and just kill someone! Fortunately, Adeline''s calling him "husband" brought back some of his sanity. Hearing her defending him like that, his emotions calmed down. Curtis was trying to regain hisposure, not wanting to make a fool of himself in front of Adeline. But Jacob thought he was aplete wimp and couldn''t help but smirk disdainfully. "Look at you, what kind of person are you following? His own wife is being bullied, and he doesn''t even have the guts to speak up." "Jacob Burton, who I marry is none of your business! In any case, I haven''t done anything wrong, and I absolutely won''t apologize! Now please leave immediately! Don''t interfere with me and my husband''s meal!" "If we don''t leave, what can you do?" Mr. Baker leisurely took out a cigarette, not very seriously blowing smoke in Adeline''s direction, "Not only will we not leave, but you won''t be able to leave either. Today, even if you''re unwilling to apologize, you''ll have to do it. And in front of your useless husband, you''ll have to serve me well. Let me vent my anger, and only then can you leave." As he spoke, Mr. Baker nced at the bodyguards, with a look that suggested he had Adeline and her husbandpletely under control. Adeline was furious at this shameless talk, "You''re so arrogant, aren''t you afraid I''ll call the police?" "Call the police?" Mr. Baker chuckled, "What are you going to use me of? using me of wanting to sleep with you? The location being your room. I can say that you invited me to your house." "And your parents, your brother, they can all testify that you seduced me. Attempted seduction turned into defamation against me. As for here, the bodyguards belong to your family. What''s it got to do with me?" Looking at Jacob who remained silent, Adeline was so angry that she almost burst into tears. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Family should always have each other''s backs! None of her family supported her, so it was no wonder these outsiders would bully her like this! At this moment, Curtis, who had understood the situation, raised his eyes indifferently and spoke with an icy tone. "Oh, this is how you''ve been bullying her?" "So what if I bully her? What can a cripple like you do to me? We have three bodyguards here, plus us would be five. You, a useless person, can''t even stand up. And even if you could, you wouldn''t stand a chance against us." With that, Mr. Baker stood up and swaggered towards Curtis. Curtis looked at Mr. Baker as if he was looking at a dead man, with his indifferent tone, "What if I tell you I could crush you without even standing up?" "Hahaha." Mr. Baker chuckled, "That''s probably the funniest joke I''ve heard all year." As his voice fell, Mr. Baker leaned in close to Curtis''s face, "Oh, I forgot to tell you, your wife''s legs are very smooth..." Before he could finish his sentence, Curtis grabbed the few strands of hair on Mr. Baker''s head and forcefully mmed it against the wall with a loud thud. With his other hand, he swiftly picked up a ss from the table and shattered it, pressing the sharp shards against Mr. Baker''s carotid artery. The speed of his actions caught everyone present off guard. Adeline couldn''t even see how Curtis made his move, but she inexplicably felt a sense of satisfaction. Meanwhile, Mr. Baker, stunned from hitting his head, even forgot to react. It was only when the cold ss fragments pressed against his neck that he howled in pain. "Ah-my head, it hurts... What are you all waiting for? Attack!" "Shush, don''t get agitated. Once the carotid artery is severed, even doctors can''t save you." Curtis spoke gently with his lips slightly curving up,plementing the golden-rimmed sses on his nose, giving him an appearance of sophistication. It almost seemed like he was earnestly discussing something with someone. Although he spoke those words, there was no intention of loosening his grip on Mr. Baker''s head. Instead, his gaze turned extremely sincere as he looked at Adeline. "Babe," Curtis called out with a hint of grievance, "I didn''t want to resort to violence, but this person just made me so angry. Please don''t be mad at me, okay?" Chapter 15 Settling Scores Promptly Was His Unwavering Principle Chapter 15 Settling Scores Promptly Was His Unwavering Principle Chapter 15 Settling Scores Promptly Was His Unwavering Principle "Fine. I won''t be angry this time. It''s because that person is really bad that it provoked you to take action. However, you can''t do this again next time." Adeline couldn''t possibly be angry. She even thought that the way Curtis grabbed Kevin''s head and smashed it against the wall was incredibly cool! However, she couldn''t say it out loud. She still wanted to reprimand Curtis so that thetter wouldn''t resort to violence easily. Upon hearing that, Curtis smirked faintly, and he replied casually, "Okay." Seeing them yfully flirting with each other, Kevin was on the verge of exploding in anger. "Hey, stop trembling! What are you two babbling about at a moment like this? Let me go immediately. If I die, both of you will end up in jail." Upon hearing "end up in jail," Adeline was startled but quickly regained herposure and said calmly, "Have a few bodyguards leave and let us go. He''ll then release his grip." Right now, they had to retreat calmly instead of letting Kevin go abruptly just because he told them to do so. She vividly recalled how that treacherous man intended to use their outnumbered state against them! Kevin repeatedly shouted at Jacob, "Hurry up and get your people out of here!" Jacob was caught off guard by the sudden turn of events and took a while to react. In the instant when Kevin''s head collided with the wall, a voice echoed in his mind. "Crap. I''m doomed now." Once he regained his senses, he dismissed the three bodyguards. After the bodyguards opened the door, Adeline gently persuaded Curtis, "Darling, release him first. Let''s leave first and think of other ways to handle thister." "No. He has to apologize to you first," Curtis refused calmly. As his voice fell, Curtis pressed the broken ss in his hand against Kevin, causing thetter to apologize repeatedly, "Ah-Sorry. I''m sorry. It''s all my fault. I apologize." "Say you''re worse than a swine," Curtis added. Kevin suppressed his anger, but he cursed himself with a tense expression, "I''m worse than a swine. I shouldn''t have coveted you. Please forgive me and ask your husband to release me immediately." While Curtis had yet to let go, Owen, who had nned for a deliberate encounter, took a quick nce inside and was shocked. He eximed, "My goodness! What are you guys doing?" Owen entered the private room withrge strides. Jacob had previously caught sight of Owen from a distance at a banquet. He was the sole heir of the Doyle family, one of the four prestigious families in Prodiff. Kevin was also acquainted with Owen and knew his identity. Upon seeing him at that moment, both of them showed the utmost respect and treated him like they would treat the God of Wealth. "Hi, Mr. Doyle," Jacob greeted first. "Mr. Doyle... I..." Kevin also greeted Owen, but his head was still pressed against the wall, and there was a shard of ss on his neck, making him feel rather embarrassed. "What are you guys doing?" Owen might be a bit silly in private, but he always presented himself as an aristocratic gentleman in front of outsiders. Jacob noticed that Owen was speaking up for them, so he quickly reprimanded Adeline''s disabled husband. "What are you looking at? Let go of him immediately! Mr. Doyle is here. Look at yourself now. How ridiculous. This is the person in power from the Doyle family, one of the four prominent families in Prodiff. Do you, a country bumpkin, even recognize him?" Upon hearing those words, Owen''s eyes widened in horror. He thought to himself, "Country bumpkin? The third son of the Riley family is being called a country bumpkin? Gosh. This is truly remarkable!" Noticing Owen''s reaction, Jacob''s heart was instantly filled with a sense of unease, and he softly inquired, "Isn''t this pathetic loser a country bumpkin?" "Pathetic loser?" Owen struggled to gulp down as his eyes widened even more! He had been close friends with Curtis for many years, and he had never encountered someone who would dare to call him that. However, he soon realized what was going on. As his wife was around today, he couldn''t afford to ruin his image. If it were any other day, these people wouldn''t even have a chance to say a word. Once again sensing something out of the ordinary, Jacob swiftly questioned Owen, who appeared bewildered, "What''s the matter? Do you know this person, Mr. Doyle?" "I do." Owen nodded. Jacob''s body shivered in fright, and his eyes also widened in shock. "So why did you ask that, Mr. Doyle? Wasn''t it meant for us?" "What are you even thinking? Have you lost your mind? Why would I speak up for you two pathetic losers?" Owen shot him a scornful nce. At that moment, Kevin, who was being restrained, instantly broke into a sweat. He was extremely curious about the identity of this person who could make the young master of one of the four major families, the Doyle family, speak up. "May I ask who is this person thatmands such attention from you?" Kevin couldn''t help but ask tentatively. Owen squinted his eyes briefly, recalling Steffen''s words about maintaining Curtis'' image. He casually exined, "Well, he''s just someone I knew from my business days. He used to have some money, so I called him ''brother'' out of respect for his seniority. But now that he had a car ident and lost his influence, he has to address me as ''brother.'' It has been quite a while since Ist saw this young fe, and upon recognizing him, I got excited and walked in." Jacob''s eyebrows knitted together as he had a sense that something wasn''t quite right. This ount of events sounded somewhat like the one from the Riley family... However, before he could fully gather his thoughts, his pondering was abruptly interrupted by Kevin''s voice. "Hey, since you''ve lost your influence, let go of me right away! What''s with this arrogance? Mr. Doyle, since you''re acquainted with him, hurry up and tell him to release me." Owen coughed lightly twice and gave Curtis a meaningful look, implying that he could deal with the matterter. "Well... Hey, young fe, why don''t you do me a favor and release your grip?" Curtis didn''t release his grip and raised an eyebrow, casting a sharp nce at Owen. "Young fe?" His voice was as cold as frost, and it sent shivers down Owen''s spine. At that moment, Owen felt aggrieved and wanted to cry. He thought to himself, "Aren''t I just helping you maintain your image of being powerless?" Adeline was worried about any possible idents, so she quickly stepped in to persuade, "Darling, release your hold. It''s not worth the risk if something goes wrong. We were the ones with the valid argument." "Okay, I''ll do as you say," Curtis responded gently. As soon as he finished speaking, he casually tossed away the piece of ss. Kevin, who had just regained his freedom, raised his hand to strike Curtis. However, he was frozen in ce by Curtis'' chilling gaze, and his hand remained suspended in midair. He hadn''t paid attention just now. He began to wonder how a man looking as refined as Curtis could possess such a terrifying gaze. Kevin had encountered many impressive individuals, and it was umon for someone to possess such a gaze and aura. Seeing the situation, Owen quickly pulled Kevin aside and reprimanded him and Jacob, "This buddy of mine may have lost his power, but he has done me favors in the past. Whatever grudges you have, let this matter rest. No one is allowed to bother him or his wife again. Now, get out of here!" Kevin rubbed his stiff neck and was about to say something, but he was interrupted by Jacob. "Mr. Baker,e on. Let''s find a private room and have a meal. I''ll open a few bottles of good wine. Let''s not bother arguing with this person anymore. We should at least give Mr. Doyle some respect." With that, Jacob put his arm around Kevin''s shoulder and led him out of the room. After the two of them left, an awkward atmosphere lingered in the room. Seeing that the waiter had already served the food, Owen started eating casually as he wanted to save on a meal. However, the atmosphere had been ruined by Kevin and Jacob, and the three of them ate their meal in silence. Owen saw the worried expression on Adeline''s face and couldn''t help butfort her, "Don''t let it bother you. I know Kevin. He''s not some big shot from a government agency, just a director in a small bureau." Curtis remained silent. His face grew dark and menacing. Regardless of whether it was a bureau director or not, anyone who dared to provoke him would not be easily let off! At that moment, he was plotting how to take revenge on that scoundrel without letting Adeline know. Settling scores promptly was his unwavering principle! N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Owen nced at Curtis and immediately understood his intentions, so he carried on with his acting. "This young fe has also helped me in the past. Rest assured. I''ll take care of this situation and ensure they won''t bother you again." "No need to trouble you, Mr. Doyle." Adeline looked at Owen and firmly declined his offer. Chapter 16 Displaying Affection While Torturing the Scum Chapter 16 Disying Affection While Torturing the Scum Chapter 16 Disying Affection While Torturing the Scum She added, "This is our family matter, and we will handle it ourselves. As a token of our gratitude to you for your help in resolving the situation, Mr. Doyle, today''s meal is on us." Unlike Jacob, Adeline refused to grovel before the powerful. After a pause, she stood up and said sternly, "Furthermore, although my husband is currently in a disadvantaged position, he''s still older than you. If you''re unwilling to address him as ''sir,'' I kindly request that you address him as Mr. Riley." Upon hearing her words, Curtis'' eyes flickered with a hint of approval. She truly lived up to his expectations as the woman he admired, and she was unlike any ordinary woman. Moreover, the way she stood up for him with her words sounded incredibly pleasing to his ears. On the other hand, Owen felt like crying. He didn''t want to be the bad guy in front of Adeline! However, he had to maintain Curtis'' image! Without paying attention to Owen''s conflicted expression, Adeline pushed Curtis'' wheelchair out of the private room. Just as she took a few steps, Steffen, who had received the message, hurriedly arrived. Following Curtis''s prior instruction, Steffen said, "Mr. Riley, there are a few business partners here who are eager to meet you and discuss a potential coboration." Without waiting for Curtis to speak, Adeline affectionately said, "Go ahead. I can explore the shopping mall on my own and take a cab back home." "No." Curtis refused without hesitation. Adeline paused for a moment as Curtis continued, "Taking a cab means relying on unfamiliar drivers, who may be dangerous. I''ll have my driver from the old residence waiting downstairs. Just give him a call when you want to go back, and he''ll pick you up at the main entrance. You can take your time shopping." Owen was speechless. At times, he would go out for a drink and didn''t want his driver to stay upte, so he would use Uber or arrange for a designated driver, and there had never been any danger. He couldn''t understand why Curtis was being so overly cautious. Adeline was about to speak up and tell him not to go through so much trouble, but Curtis'' tender voice chimed in, "Be good and listen to me. Don''t make me worry." Adeline replied, "All right then." She then pursed her lips and handed Curtis'' wheelchair to Steffen and instructed, "Steffen, please look after him." After saying that, Adeline took her bag and left. Curtis'' face grew cold as he watched her walk away. He nced at Steffen and said, "Find someone to secretly protect Mrs. Riley. We can''t allow any more nuisances to bother her!" "Yes," Steffen responded. It was only after Adeline hadpletely left that Curtis nced at Owen and Steffen. "Go and find out which private room Jacob and that pest went to," he said. His voice sounded as cold as ice, sending shivers down Owen and Steffen''s spines. Soon, Steffen found out which private room Jacob had entered and pushed Curtis in that direction. Owen hurriedly followed behind them to see what would happen next. When the door of the private room was pushed open, Jacob was nowhere to be found. Mr. Baker was in the middle of savoring his abalone. He was taken aback and about to express his anger. However, as he saw who had entered, his expression changed abruptly. "Mr. Doyle, didn''t we agree to let this matter go?" he asked. "The thing is, I don''t have the final say in this matter." Owen smiled as he casually pulled out a chair to sit down. He picked up a handful of pistachios from the table and started cracking them open. He then added, "Don''t worry. I won''t get involved in your business. I''m just here to enjoy the show." Mr. Baker grasped Owen''s intention and immediately felt less frightened. Taking a nce behind him, he saw three bodyguards standing there! On the other hand, Adeline''s disabled husband was just by himself. Regardless of the circumstances, he had the advantage, so he casually continued to enjoy the dishes. "Go ahead. What do you want from me? If you''re trying to extort money from me, forget it. I haven''t even..." Before he could finish his sentence, Curtis directed a sharp nce at him, and Steffen swiftly approached. A sharp snap echoed as the swift motion took ce. The next second, Mr. Baker''s jaw dislocated. His wry mouth couldn''t allow him to utter aplete sentence due to the pain. He could only re at the bodyguards with a sidelong nce. Saliva drooled from his mouth as he struggled to form words. "W-Why... Why are you...standing there? G-go after them!" All three bodyguards swiftly reacted and surrounded Curtis. However, before they could reach Curtis, Steffen swiftly took them down, leaving them writhing in pain on the ground, and they were unable to get up but able to let out anguished howls. It was only now that Mr. Baker realized he had encountered a tough opponent. Fear crept into his eyes as he watched Steffen approach him. "W-what... What do you...want from me?" Steffen swiftly removed Mr. Baker''s belt and firmly bound thetter''s hands behind the back of the chair. Mr. Baker was terrified and began to struggle vigorously. "Help-Help me! Mr. Doyle, save me! What are you doing? Aren''t you... Aren''t you afraid of me calling the police?"Mr. Baker cried out as he drooled uncontrobly, looking utterly disheveled. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Curtis moved his wheelchair closer to Mr. Baker. His gaze fell on Mr. Baker''s thighs, and he smiled gracefully. "Do you want my wife to sit there?" When Mr. Baker confronted Curtis'' chilling gaze that was far from pleasant, his scalp went numb instantly, and he shook his head vigorously. "No-" Before he could finish his sentence, Curtis grabbed the heated copper kettle from nearby and ced it on his leg. With a sizzling sound, the air was filled with the smell of burning flesh. "Ah! It''s hot! It''s burning!" Mr. Baker screamed at the top of his lungs. He cried out fiercely, causing his dislocated jaw to twitch, and the intense pain almost made him faint. Owen leisurely enjoyed his pistachios, shaking his leg and head. "If only he had known what today would bring." The copper kettle still rested on Mr. Baker''s thigh. After enduring the initial torment, his leg became numb and lost all feeling. He appeared as if he had gone through a living hell. His eyes were lifeless and disyed signs of exhaustion. "Tell me. Which hand did you use to touch her?" Curtis adjusted his sses on the bridge of his nose and smiled, portraying an appearance of refined elegance and remarkable politeness. However, Mr. Baker knew deep down that this person was nothing more than a devil in disguise! He wouldn''t respond to the question. Instead, he simply stared at Curtis with an intense gaze. Curtis ran his fingers along the rim of the crystal ashtray on the table. He rubbed it twice as he spoke in a deliberative tone. "You don''t want to tell me? Fine. Since you''re unwilling to tell me, both of your hands will be crippled." As the words fell, Steffen swiftly untied the belt and firmly pressed both of Mr. Baker''s hands onto the table. Mr. Baker was terrified. He trembled as he screamed, "Help! Help! No... Don''t..." In the next instant, his hands were covered with two warm napkins, which made him feel quite comfortable. Mr. Baker was puzzled and looked at Curtis in confusion. Curtis smiled as he patiently exined, "I don''t want your blood to stain my clothes. My wife doesn''t like the smell of blood." Mr. Baker''s eyes widened in horror. "W-what kind of devil is this?" Before he could say anything, there were two resounding thuds as Curtis seized the crystal ashtray and forcefully struck it twice against the back of Mr. Baker''s hands! The excruciating pain of shattered bones surged through Mr. Baker''s body, and he instantly lost consciousness. Curtis disdainfully discarded the ashtray from his hand and nced at Steffen. Steffen immediately went forward to push him. However, Owen caught on and quickly said with a cheerful smile, "I''ll take care of it." Before he could even get near Curtis, thetter delivered a powerful kick to his lower leg, causing him to grimace in pain. At the same time, he could hear Curtis'' soft voice in his ear. "I''ve got it under control, young fe." Owen was speechless. He thought to himself, "Why is he so narrow-minded? Does his wife know about this?" Owen didn''t have the courage to utter those words. He could only silently mutter to himself and limp along as he followed them out of the private room. On the other hand, after Adeline and Curtis separated, Adeline went to the restroom in the mall. Just as she entered the restroom, she overheard two wealthydies discussing handbags while washing their hands. "Victoria, your bag looks really nice." "This is a bag I brought back from abroad." "I''m truly envious of you. You never carry the same bag twice. Leo is really generous. He must give you a lot of pocket money every month." "Well... There''s no ceiling when ites to his generosity toward me." Adeline wasn''t particrly interested in bags or their conversation. She headed straight to the restroom to wash her hands. However, as soon as she saw the person in front of her, she was stunned. She never expected it to be Logan''s mother! Chapter 17 Im No Longer the Person I Used to Be Chapter 17 I''m No Longer the Person I Used to Be Chapter 17 I''m No Longer the Person I Used to Be As Adeline listened to Logan''s mother boast to her friend, her face darkened, and she approached them slowly. She said, "Since you have no monthly spending limit, please return the money I spent on the bag earlier. It''s thirty thousand in total." After Adeline''s voice fell, Victoria gazed at her in surprise, and her expression froze momentarily. The wealthy woman beside her disyed a shocked and excited expression. It was as if she had just stumbled upon an exciting revtion. "Victoria, what''s going on? How did you end up owing money for a bag you bought?" Victoria couldn''t hide her frustration as she gave Adeline a menacing look. "How could I possibly owe you money? I... I just forgot. Besides, I used to treat you as my daughter-inw... What''s the big deal with purchasing a bag as a gesture of filial piety toward your future mother-inw? It''s just thirty thousand yuan!" Adeline smiled faintly and said, "That''s a different story. When someone willingly gives you a gift, it''s an act of filial piety. However, making others stand in line and buy things for you without paying them, that''s being greedy and shameless! Moreover, you owe me much more than just thirty thousand. Logan helped you transfer the money for the other bags to me. Since you''re so wealthy, it would be nice if you could return the thirty thousand to me." With that, Adeline opened her phone''s Venmo and handed it over. "Fine. I''ll return it." Victoria found herself in a difficult position and could only scan the code and transfer the money to Adeline.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. With a ding sound, the money was transferred sessfully. Adeline smirked as she nodded. "Oh, you do have money after all." Noticing that Adeline was helping rify the situation, Victoria forcibly tried to restore her honor and said, Of course! I''ve just been overwhelmed with tasks and forgot. That''s all." Adeline nodded earnestly and replied, "Hmm. However, people who intentionally refuse to repay money despite having the means are even more detestable, aren''t they? If such a person were in the workce, everyone would have distanced themselves from her." The wealthy woman couldn''t help but secretlyugh in her heart. She found it immensely satisfying to see Victoria being humiliated. She thought it served Victoria right as she had always put on such airs. However, she pretended to be awkward and said, "Victoria, since you''ve bumped into someone you know, I''ll leave first." She didn''t want to stay and get involved further. If she stayed there any longer, it could make their future meetings awkward. After saying that, the wealthy woman quickly ran out of the restroom. She then excitedly created a group chat and spread everything that had just happened. The people in the group quickly chimed in. [Are you serious? Victoria stooped so low to take advantage like this!] [How embarrassing! It''s just three thousand!] [Exactly. She always acts like she''s high and mighty, but this time, she''s truly embarrassed herself!] [She even ims to be the foremostdy of a prominent family. How disgusting!] Inside the restroom, as soon as the wealthy woman left, Victoria''s face immediately turned icy, and she muttered in a low voice, "Adeline, you did that on purpose!" Adeline answered with a serious look, "Yes, I did it on purpose. In the past, I respected you as an elder. However, now you don''t deserve an ounce of my respect, and I don''t need to save face for you." "You..." Victoria flushed with anger. Her face was as red as a tomato. Suddenly, it seemed as if she had suddenly figured something out, and she chuckled disdainfully. "Are you still mad at me? Well, don''t hold a grudge against me anymore. When you be a mother one day, you''ll understand that mothers always want to give their own children the best. They can''t just let their children marry someone without status." Adeline sneered and said, "Mother? Don''t you dare insult the word ''mother''! Is it considered giving him the best by entrusting him with a woman who is carrying someone else''s baby?" Despite being provoked, Victoria maintained herposure and spoke calmly. "I have already rejected the Wilson family. Prodiff is arge city with numerous prestigious families. It doesn''t have to be the Wilson family. In any case, I''ll arrange for a woman who is worthy of Logan." "You''ll arrange? Is what you arrange necessarily good? Have you ever considered what Logan really wants? Furthermore, there''s no need for you toe to me, make yourself out to be so great, and preach about the greatness of motherhood! In reality, you''re only thinking about your own dignity and fulfilling your own vanity!" Adeline''s voice carried a hint of agitation. She felt that everything Victoria had done was just like what her family did to her. They manipted their marriages in the name of loved ones and arbitrarily arranged their lives. Compared to losing Logan, what annoyed her more was this behavior itself! Victoriaughed nonchntly and shook her head at Adeline. "Oh, you''re already getting upset? Adeline, you really aren''t cut out for high society. One can easily provoke you with just a few words. You won''t be able to blend into the social circle of wealthy wives." "I don''t want to be part of your social circle, and I have no interest in being part of your wealthy wives'' circle! Victoria, I have my own career! If being part of your so-called wealthy wives'' circle means being shameless and hypocritical like you, then I''d rather be an average person!" Adeline directly retorted. "You... I''m your elder after all! How dare you say I''m hypocritical to my face!" Victoria stomped her foot in anger. Adeline responded with a sarcastic smile and said, "Let me remind you. First of all, we are of equal status, and you''re not my elder. Also, was I wrong in calling you hypocritical? Look. Even someone like you who indulges in the wealthy wives'' circle gets provoked, right?" Victoria was filled with anger, and her face became extremely unpleasant. It was rare for her to be so out of control! After washing her hands, Adeline turned her head and cast a nonchnt nce at Victoria. "I''m really curious. How are you going to exin things to Logan when hees back? As far as I know, Logan is someone who sticks to his principles and is stubborn. If he learns about what you''ve done, I wonder if he will forgive you, this remarkable mother of his." Victoria had foreseen that. She smiled indifferently, and her eyes revealed a trace of wickedness. "Adeline, I can ruin you before that!" Adeline furrowed her brows slightly, and she saw Victoria''s mouth curling with a smug smile as she approached her. "All I need to do is tarnish your reputation. When Logan returns, he will naturally give up on you and understand my good intentions. Adeline, you said you have your own career? Well, I will destroy your career and ruin your reputation! Let''s see if you can still impress Logan by then!" Victoria said. "Then go ahead and give it a try! Victoria, I''m no longer the person I used to be!" Adeline clenched her fist, and her eyes disyed a hint of determination. "Indeed. It''s different now that you''ve followed Curtis the Cripple. You''re much stronger and more resolute than before. So let''s just wait and see. Let''s see if you can really outy me." Victoria put on a smile, but her gaze was full of provocation. After finishing her words, Victoria raised her chin, still disying the aloofness of an upper-ss lady, and walked out of the restroom. Adeline washed her hands and followed suit. Before she had gone too far, a familiar figure came rushing out from the men''s restroom and aggressively shouted at her, "Adeline!" Adeline''s body stiffened, and she saw Jacob charging toward her like a mad dog as she turned around. Chapter 18 Adeline Revealed Her Third Brother Chapter 18 Adeline Revealed Her Third Brother Chapter 18 Adeline Revealed Her Third Brother "Adeline, do you know that your crippled husband would have put me in a very bad situation?" "Who does he think he is? How dare he offends Mr. Baker?" "You are such an unlucky person! You are a walking disaster and bring no good to the family as long as you are alive!" Adeline looked at Jacob, who was in madness with a nk face and couldn''t help sneering. Jacob was so annoyed by the sneer. He shouted, "What are youughing at?" "I amughing at you. A man who is ipetent and couldn''t manage his business, and mes a woman instead." "I amughing at you for not finding a scientific way to run and manage your business, but ming the fault on superstition!" "Jacob, look at you. You are an able-bodied person, but you are worse than many people in this world who are unable to walk." "This is probably when human beings evolved, you only got your legs evolved but not your brain!" "You..." Jacob raised his hand angrily. Before his hand dropped, a man''s cold threatening voice was heard. "If you don''t want to keep your hand anymore, make the move." Jacob turned his head in fright and saw Steffen pushing Curtis towards him. Curtis was sitting in a wheelchair, his posture was indifferent, but his expression was extremely cold. He looked like a beast lying dormant in the grass, ready to jump out and tear his prey apart at any time. Jacob panicked from being stared at. He didn''t dare to drop his hands on her, but it was also embarrassing for him to withdraw them hastily. He stared at Curtis fiercely and said, "What? Are you trying to beat me? I''m your brother-inw! ording to your status in the family, you still have to call me brother-inw!" Then, Jacob walked a few steps toward Curtis and continued, "What makes you think that as a handicapped, you can yell at me? Let me tell you, you have offended Mr. Baker, and you have no idea what will happen to you tomorrow!" Suddenly, Jacob smiled as if thinking of something. "Only a useless person like you will treat Adeline as a treasure! It seems that you don''t know Adeline''s secret yet, right? What about me telling you?" Adeline knew what Jacob was going to say, and her expression immediately changed. Seeing Adeline''s expression change, Jacob smiled triumphantly and looked at Curtis seriously. "You probably don''t know. The fortune teller said that the month of her birth is unlucky. People who are born in that month will take away all the wealth from their family and their husband''s family!" "Besides, she is such an unlucky person. Whoever gets close to her, will end up badly!" "Look, when she was just born, she almost caused the Burton family to go bankrupt. Not long after she was born, my grandma passed away!"N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. "You just have to wait to see how she is going to ruin your family!" "Jacob! Shut up! Are you still my family?" Adeline pushed him violently and angrily. Other people would defend their family members'' shorings, but her family members were always criticizing her. He even said such things in front of her newlywed husband. Didn''t he do that to make her have a hard time in the future? Jacob was being pushed away hard. He hit his head against the wall and raised his hand again in annoyance. Coincidently, a familiar female voice was heard at the same time. "Jacob, what are you doing?" Jacob followed the voice and saw his fianc¨¦e, Heather, and his mother-inw looking at him. Jacob quickly put down his hands, changed his expression, and greeted them. "Hello, Mrs. Roti." As Jacob spoke, he looked at Heather gently and asked, "Why are you here?" Heather frowned and looked at him, "What were you doing just now?" Jacob sighed with an awkward look. He turned sideways, looked at the two people behind him, and exined, "Oh, it''s a family scandal. My sister and my brother-inw beat someone, and I was just lecturing her, telling her and her disabled husband not to cause any trouble to the family." After Mrs. Roti heard his words, she looked at Jacob and saw Curtis at the back, who was sitting in a wheelchair. He had an extraordinary physical appearance and a strong aura. She knew that he wasn''t a nobody. He was even more handsome than Jacob! It was a pity that his legs... Mrs. Roti nodded to Curtis in a very well-bred manner, and said politely, "Since we get to meet each other today, why don''t we have a meal together?" After she finished speaking, Jacob''s expression changed. He said in a panic, "No... No need. They have to attend to something urgent and they are going to leave." Adeline immediately reacted. She smiled, walked slowly to Jacob, and asked, "What''s wrong? Jacob, are you afraid?" "What...What am I afraid of?" Jacob''s face turned pale, he gritted his teeth and stared at Adeline, "What exactly do you want?" "What?" With a gentle smile on Adeline''s face, she said calmly, "Don''t you like meddling in other people''s marriages? Then, I will meddle in yours today too. So, you can have a taste of it. How does it sound?" Jacob staggered back a few steps, and Adeline took two steps closer. "Aren''t you think that I''m not good enough for Logan, which Vi is the best fit? Therefore, you go all out to set me up!" "Well, I find that you aren''t a good match for Ms. Roti. So, I will tell her your true color too." "Jacob, don''t hate me. I''m doing this for your own good!" "After all, people with different core values will have no happiness being together and can''t have a future together." "Even if you change your behavior to coax Ms. Roti, it won''tst long since you are having such a distorted view!" "You are a coward! Just like what Dad has said. Whenever you face failure, you will show your true colors!" "You won''t be able to pretend for too long in front of Ms. Roti!" Adeline eyes turned slightly red. She gritted her teeth and stared at Jacob while she was talking. She wished that she could return all the pain he imposed on her before! "Shut up! Adeline shut up!" Jacob was angry and scared at the same time. He was angry that Adeline said he was pretending in front of Heather, but he was also afraid. It was the first time he saw Adeline being so out of control. Jacob took a deep breath, and warned Adeline, "If you dare to nder me today, I will make you never be able to return to the Burton family again! Mind my words!" As soon as he finished his sentence, Curtis said lightly, "It''s fine that we can''t go back to the Burton family anymore. We have our own home now. Right, Adeline?" Adeline felt warmth suddenly, and she immediately became more confident after getting Curtis''s encouragement. She looked at Mrs. Roti and Heather. She said politely, "Mrs. Roti, Heather, I don''t think we can have the meal together, but I have a few words for you." "Please," Heather said without much emotion, making it hard for people to know her thoughts. "Okay." Adeline nodded, "As I said just now, I want to break your marriage engagement with him. Because Jacob meddled in my marriage previously, I want him to suffer what he deserves. I want to take revenge on him!" "But, Ms. Roti, I don''t want to hurt you. Therefore, I would like to warmly remind you that what I am going to say next may affect the rtionship between the two of you. May I know do you still want me to continue or not?" "Yes!" Heather responded. That made Jacobpletely anxious and quickly stood between the two of them. He started to coax Heather in a gentle voice. "Baby, I''ll tell you when we are home. It''s veryplicated. Don''t listen to my sister''s nonsense. She admitted it herself. She just wanted to take revenge on me." Heather vigorously pushed Jacob away. She looked at Adeline and said, "As long as what you tell is the truth, I want to hear it!" "Okay!" Adeline didn''t hesitate and continued, "To put it simply, Jacob wants to get the contract for a project and needs approval from Mr. Baker." "Mr. Baker is 48 years old this year. He has just divorced and has a child. Jacob gave me away to Mr. Baker without even asking my opinion." "He led me to Mr. Baker''s house and allowed him to sneak into my room to do something inappropriate to me. I smashed the head of Mr. Baker and ran away." "In the end, Jacob didn''t even have a word of constion. He asked me to apologize to Mr. Baker and let Mr. Baker do anything he wanted to me." "I have never seen such a cruel brother and such a shameless man! For his own benefit, he betrayed his sister. He used a woman!" "Ms. Roti, I think you shouldn''t get married to such a person! Because marrying the wrong person will ruin a woman''s life! If you still want to continue your engagement with Jacob, just forget my words." Heather looked at Jacob with a calm expression after listening. "Okay, she''s finished talking. Now, it''s your turn to exin it." Chapter 19 Mr. Riley! Curtiss Identity Was Exposed Chapter 19 Mr. Riley! Curtis''s Identity Was Exposed Chapter 19 Mr. Riley! Curtis''s Identity Was Exposed "I..." Jacob exined calmly after a brief panic, "Since my sister is so shameless, I''ll just tell you the truth. Logan''s mother doesn''t want Adeline at all. Therefore, our family asks Vi to proceed with the marriage engagement instead. This is the decision of the family!" Heather nodded and said, "Okay, I don''t care about the decision of your family." Jacob felt relieved, but Heather''s calm voice was heard again. "But let me ask you. Did you set Adeline up and send her to Mr. Baker?" "I..." Jacob looked awkward. He walked towards Heather, gently held her hands, and exined, "Baby, this matter isplicated. Besides, Adeline is not a good person." As he said that, he turned his head and nced at Curtis, "Look! She doesn''t even spare the crippled one and she climbed onto his bed." "She always wanted to get married very badly and leave the family." "Think about it. If you areparing these two, isn''t marrying Mr. Baker better than this person who is in a wheelchair?" "She will be the wife of the director if she gets married to Mr. Baker!" Heather''s expression changed. She looked at Jacob in shock and said, "That is to say, your family wants Vi to marry Logan instead of Adeline. But Adeline isn''t willing to do so, so you set her up and make her sleep with Mr. Baker. You want to destroy her. Is that what you were saying?" Jacob looked a little embarrassed. After all, it wasn''t something glorious, but he still wanted to exin further on it. "Baby, not everyone is as good as you. Adeline is an unlucky person. That''s why we did that. We wouldn''t treat you like that. As long as you get married to me, I guarantee that the family will treasure you as much as they could..." Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Jacob still looked like he wanted to exin something, but Heather interrupted him, "Jacob, let me ask you onest question. Did you participate in the n to set Adeline up? Yes or no?" "Yes." Jacob gritted his teeth and responded, "But this matter is supposed to turn out to be something good! Mr. Baker wants to marry Adeline while Adeline is the ss teacher of Mr. Baker''s children. After getting married, Adeline will be the wife of the director, and she can tutor Mr. Baker''s children more closely. She will live a good life. Isn''t that the best of both worlds?" Before Jacob finished speaking, Heather pped him on his face. There was a loud snap, which made Jacob''s eardrums buzz. Jacob covered his face which was burning hot, and he looked at Heather in disbelief, "Baby?" "Don''t call me that!" Heather raised her hand to stop him, and exined in disgust, "I feel disgusted whenever I see a scumbag! If you call me with that again, I''m going to throw up!" She didn''t like that engagement at all, and she didn''t think of agreeing to it. She just agreed to spend time with him to see whether it was okay for them to get along. During the time they were together, Jacob obeyed her and was extremely considerate. Even if she didn''t feel love for Jacob, she couldn''t find a single fault in him. But now she suddenly knew his true colors. She felt furious about being used and deceived. "Jacob, do you think that I''m stupid? I''ve met Adeline before this, and I know her." "She works hard and always tries to do her best. She is much better than Vi, who you think is the treasure in your family!" Jacob couldn''t hear anyone criticize his sister, and subconsciously yelled, "You are not allowed to make suchments on Vi!" After yelling, he regretted it. That engagement was extremely important to him, and it was also a bonus for his father to value him better. Therefore, he coaxed Heather in a gentle voice. "Baby, I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have yelled at you like that. Listen to me. Let''s not quarrel for someone like Adeline and her crippled husband, okay?" Heather sneered and pushed him away, "It seems that you still don''t know what''s your mistake?" "Well, let''s not talk about what a person Adeline is. Even if she wants to climb into someone''s bed, it is her own business!" "That''s her body and she can make her own decision! But you make decisions for her. You set her up! That''s a crime!" "Jacob, as an older brother, you gave her away to a divorced man who is in histe 50s, and iming that she will have a good life!" "Do you have a fucking conscience? What kind of skewed values you are having?" Heather got angrier. She kicked Jacob''s calf fiercely and continued, "Taking Vi who is a sham as a treasure, aren''t you all crazy?" Jacob was so painful till he retracted his leg and he almost fell. But he still yelled angrily, "Heather, you are not allowed to say something like that about Vi! Vi is so much better than Adeline!" As soon as he finished speaking, a man''s sonorous voice was heard from not far away. "What''s so happening?" Jacob looked in the direction of the voice, and he saw Mr. Roti, who was wearing a suit and walking over solemnly. Mr. Roti immediately looked at his wife and daughter, and asked "What happened?" Mrs. Roti was still in shock. She regained her senses and exined, "Heather wants to break off the engagement with the Burton family." As Mrs. Roti was saying that, she looked at Jacob disappointedly. She shook her head and said with regret, "Jacob, I always like you a lot, and I have long regarded you as my son." "I''ve also heard about the project that you are trying to get. I even said a few words for you at the tea party to other members yesterday." "I didn''t expect you to do such a shameless thing. You let me down!" As soon as Mrs. Roti finished speaking, Jacob''s expression immediately changed. He didn''t expect Mrs. Roti would help him to make the connection. He knew that his marriage was going to help him! Jacob quickly coaxed Mrs. Roti, "Mrs. Roti, I made a mistake. I was forced by my family to do so. Please forgive me this time. I promise I will never do it again." Mrs. Roti shook her head in disappointment and said, "The family forced you? So you will do whenever your family forces you to? Don''t you have your own values and your own principles of life?" Seeing that he failed to coax Mrs. Roti, Jacob looked anxiously at Mr. Roti and said, "Mr. Roti, trust me! I am sincere toward Heather! Both of our families are strong. If we work as alliances, our businesses will be brought to another level in the future." Mr. Roti knew what he was trying to say. But when he heard that, he couldn''t help but sneer, "I, Peter Roti, will never sell my daughter for glory! I don''t need to rely on my daughter''s marriage to bring anything to the family! All I want is for her to be happy!" "That would be me! I am sure that I can make Heather happy!" Jacob anxiously stepped forward to exin. Then, he pointed to Curtis behind him and said, "Mr. Roti, listen to me. These two people are here to cause chaos today. Heather and Mrs. Roti misunderstood me. I can exin it. We aren''t going to ruin the rtionship between our families because of them, right? One of them is even a cripple!" Mr. Roti subconsciously looked in the direction that Jacob was pointing, and his pupils shrank suddenly. "Mr. Riley!" Mr. Roti eximed and his heart almost jumped out of his throat in fright. He was 5.8 feet tall and he quickly bowed half his body to greet Curtis with the fear that Curtis might punish him for his negligence just now. "Mr. Riley, I''m really sorry. I was blocked by this fellow just now, and I didn''t see you. I didn''t mean to be rude without greeting you." Curtis responded lightly with a "hmm". Jacob was shocked when he saw Mr. Roti, who used to direct all the big shots in business, politely and voluntarily walk towards the cripple person with his body bowed. "Mr... Mr. Roti, what...what did you call this cripple just now?" Chapter 20 Jacob Regretted Badly Chapter 20 Jacob Regretted Badly Chapter 20 Jacob Regretted Badly "That''s too much!" Mr. Roti pped Jacob backhandedly, "No one in Prodiff would dare to be so disrespectful to Mr. Riley!" "Mr... Mr. Riley?" Jacob looked at Mr. Roti in disbelief with his hand covered on his face which was just being pped. There was only one person in Prodiff who was being called "Mr. Riley"! He was the one who was in charge of the economy of all walks of life, dock transportation, and the biochemical pharmaceutical industry! The person who was appointed by the Riley family to be in power. That would be Logan''s third uncle, Curtis Riley! After rifying the rtionship, Jacob was so shocked that he couldn''t speak. Thinking of what stupid thing he had said just now, Jacob was so frightened! He was Mr. Riley, who was known for not letting go of anyone that had offended him! Mr. Roti didn''t bother to pay attention to Jacob''s embarrassment. He treated Curtis politely and said, "Mr. Riley, it''s nice to meet you today. Is it possible for me to be the host today and treat you for a dinner or drink?" "No need. I just finished eating with my wife." Curtis responded with ack of interest. Then, he looked at Adeline with his eyes filled with pampering. "Wife?" Mr. Roti was surprised. Mrs. Roti hurriedly walked to his side, whispered a few words to his ear, and nodded slightly at Adeline. Only then did Mr. Roti look at Adeline. Before that, he once nced at her from a distance, who was known as Jacob''s younger sister. At that time, he already felt that she looked extraordinarily elegant. By looking at her closer now, he found her even more astonished. Not only that she was outstanding in appearance, but she also had an extraordinary charm. She was gentle and graceful like a decentdy, exuding an intellectual aura all over. What wasmendable was that she looked "soft" but not "weak"! At a young age, she righteously carried herself. She was neither humble nor overbearing. She was very demeanor. For sure, only such a woman like her could match Mr. Riley of Prodiff. Mr. Roti nodded respectfully to Adeline. Then, he looked at Curtis and inquired, "So, this is your wife? She looks very elegant. Mr. Riley, you are such a lucky man!" Curtis liked to hear others praising his wife. His expression rxed when he heard that. After a few minutes, he stretched out his hand to hold Adeline''s hand, and introduced her concisely, "Well, this is my newlywed wife." Adeline also nodded politely to Mr. Roti. Mr. Roti hurriedly congratted Curtis, "Congrattions, Mr. Riley. This is such a lucky thing to have a beautiful wife! I would like to wish you two a happy wedding and a happy marriage. Please give me a chance to attend your wedding ceremony when you are having it." Curtis nodded as to agree. Mr. Roti looked at Jacob coldly after getting his invitation to the wedding and said, "I know what you''ve been up totely. Aren''t you been busy riding Mr. Baker''s coattails all this while?" "Jacob... Jacob... Do you know who gets us the honor to participate in the construction of Sky za? It''s Mr. Riley!" "Now that you have offended Mr. Riley, I want to see who else in Prodiff will dare to do business with you in the future!" "You could have ridden Mr. Riley''s coattails, but now you have ruined everything!" After hearing that, Jacob''s face turned pale and he felt so regretful. He quickly bowed and leaned over to talk to Curtis. "Mr. Riley. Oh no... Brother-inw, that... That was a misunderstanding Frankly speaking, I don''t know that it was your bed that Adeline climbed into. If I knew, I would not be saying something like that! I was just being protective of my sister." Curtis held up his sses on the bridge of his nose, and smiled politely, "Let me make it right. I was the one who climbed into Adeline''s bed." Jacob was stunned. He quickly pped himself in the face and said, "Yes, you are right! I didn''t express it well. I didn''t know that Adeline married you... It was all my fault..." Before he finished speaking, Mr. Roti couldn''t bear listening to him anymore. He grabbed Jacob by the back of his cor, and pushed him away! "Get out! Get lost in front of Mr. Riley! Jacob, you don''t even know who your younger sister is married to, and yet you im yourself a brother!" Seeing that the marriage was hopeless, Jacob didn''t n to say anything good anymore. He straightened his body and said bluntly, "Mr. Roti, let me remind you. I am Mr. Riley''s brother-inw now. Please show me some respect!" "Brother-inw?" Mr. Roti sneered, "I''m afraid you don''t know Mr. Riley well! Mr. Riley doesn''t go by the rtionship, but he looks at their characters! Someone like you will never be anybody to Mr. Riley!" After listening to Mr. Roti, Adeline respected Curtis even more. That was how a good person should be! Jacob seemed to want to say something, but Curtis interrupted him with a faint smile. "If I am going to call you brother-inw, do you have the guts to take it? You will only be nice to Adeline when you want something from her, but you scold her most of the time! You are such a hypocrite!" Jacob was choked by Curtis''s words and he couldn''t speak. Curtis didn''t want to argue with him anymore. He waved his hand, motioning for Adeline to push him away. Before he left, he took a nce at Steffen. Steffen nodded immediately after receiving the secret order. Mr. Roti was good at reading people. He probably knew why Steffen stayed back. So, he hurriedly left with his wife and daughter. Jacob stared at Steffen. Before he could react, he was carried to the back stairs like a baby. Creak... Creak... Steffen snapped off Jacob''s wrist in a swift. Jacob yelled out of pain, "Ah! I... I''m your boss''s inw..." Before he finished speaking, Steffen kicked him with no expression on his face. Jacob rolled down the stairs and fell onto the ground. He was crying in pain. He wanted to stand up, but his hands were broken, and he couldn''t support himself at all. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Steffen walked over and condescendingly looked down at Jacob who was tossing on the ground. "Mr. Riley asked me to tell you to stay away from Mrs. Riley in the future. If we get to hear another word that is disrespectful about Mrs. Riley, you will be unable to speak again in the future." Jacob was having pain all over his body. At that moment, it seemed that he finally realized how horrifying that legendary Mr. Riley could be. "Also, Mr. Riley doesn''t want Mrs. Riley to know about today''s incident. If Mrs. Riley hears anything about it, you will get a ce to bury your body." After finishing speaking, Steffen stepped on Jacob''s hand and walked over emotionlessly. "Ah... Ah..." Jacob''s finger bones felt like they were about to be trampled into pieces, and it hurt so badly. The pain went straight to the head! Hearing the howl, Steffen gave Jacob a faint look. "Oh, sorry. I didn''t see it just now. I thought it was garbage, so I stepped on it." After saying that, Steffen left directly. At that moment, Jacob was very embarrassed and had difficulty standing up by himself. Therefore, he forgot about Mr. Baker, who passed out in the room and was still bleeding. ...... On the other end, Adeline pushed Curtis into the car which the driver was in. As soon as they got in the car, Adeline remembered that the director wanted the ss teacher to mention the homework to the parents in the chat group, so she quickly edited the information and sent it to the parent group. "Dear parents, hello everyone. I am Adeline, the ss teacher. Some parents mentioned that there is too little homework in our ss. I would like to discuss it with all parents." "The students in our ss have a very good foundation. The homework is designed ording to their actual condition. Not assigning too much homework is to spare more time for these outstanding children to read extracurricr books and develop their literacy." "Parents, please be rest assured that the children have mastered the content of the textbook and the new vocabry taught in ss and after-school ss." "As for the request for additional homework, I will also adjust it ordingly in the future." After those texts were sent, a familymittee member, Dn''s mother responded quickly. Adeline stared at the unread message and her heart skipped a beat. She nervously opened the chat box... Chapter 21 Mrs. Riley, Didnt You Say You Want to Take a Bath for Me Chapter 21 Mrs. Riley, Didn''t You Say You Want to Take a Bath for Me Chapter 21 Mrs. Riley, Didn''t You Say You Want to Take a Bath for Me "We will follow your instruction. We believe in you. You are the professional!" "Yes, Ms. Burton. Please proceed ordingly to your n!" "You get my support, Ms. Burton. I believe in you!" Soon, the group was almost filled with positivements. Adeline smiled helplessly and didn''t believe them. She had been working as a teacher for more than a year now. At first, she would be moved by the holiday blessings from students'' parents, but now she was somewhat immune. Generally, parents wouldn''t tell the truth in the group where the teacher was present. They would only tter the teacher and reply immediately with the fear that the teacher might not look after their child in the future. However, Adeline politely replied, "Thank you for your understanding and support." As expected, in another parents'' chat group, Dn''s mother was the first who sent a text to that group. "Our children have a good foundation? They are in the top ss. How could they be bad? s, entrusting the children to such a young teacher with no experience, I am just worried something will go wrong!" "Dn''s mother, I remember that you seemed to be the first who responded and supported the teacher just now." Dn''s mother replied, "How could I not show my support? Our children are in her hands!" "I agree with Dn''s mother! I am concerned too! Now the children are in the fourth grade, not the first or second grades! They are going to attend junior high school soon!" "Let''s see what happens. Don''t worry too much. Aren''t our children got the first ce in the whole grade in the mid-term exam?" Dn''s mother said, "That''s because our children are excellent, okay? I''m afraid if this situation continues, they will be overtaken by other sses soon." "Dn''s mother, do you mean to drive Ms. Burton away?" Dn''s mother continued, "Shall we? As long as we dere jointly to the principal, we can ask for a more professional and experienced teacher." "I think what Ms. Burton said is reasonable. My kids love to read historical cartoons. Because there is less homework, he has free time to read it when he is home" "That''s right. My son likes programming. If he gets the amount of homework like other sses, there is no chance for him to explore his interest at home. I support Ms. Burton!" "I''m a study cker. I don''t know how to teach my children to do their homework. I think it would be best if the teachers can help us to solve it when they are in the school." "Exactly! Last year I was the one who apanied my child to do his homework and it drove me crazy!" Soon after, there were more and more voices supporting Ms. Burton, and Dn''s mother stopped bringing up the matter of changing the teacher. At the same time, Adeline, who had no idea that she had just escaped a catastrophe realized that the atmosphere in the car was very quiet and strange. She saw that Curtis was looking out of the window with an extremely cold expression as if he was thinking about something. Her heart skipped a beat. She didn''t know how would Curtis think about her after he knew about her bad rtionship with Jacob and the incident of her almost being molested by Mr. Baker. Was he only protecting her outside to keep his prestige and let out his anger on her when they were home? She heard that most men were like that. So did her father. Once her mother was hugged by a crazy man on the street. It was obvious that wasn''t her fault. But when her mother got home, her father scolded her mother very badly. When he couldn''te out with any excuse, he med her mother for being restless. If she was willing to stay at home quietly and not wear those fancy clothes, how could she provoke that crazy man to hug her? At the same time, Adeline couldn''t help thinking wildly. She was wondering what Curtis would do to her when they got home. After all, he used to be such a perfect person. He was the person who could wheel and deal with everything in Prodiff. Wherever he went, everyone would be respecting him, bow their heads, and greet him. The more Adeline thought about it, the heavier her heart became. In a daze, the driver had already arrived downstairs of the apartment. He helped Curtis onto the wheelchair quickly. "Let me do it." Adeline quickly got out of the car, and took the initiative to go around and took over, "Mr. Nash, you may leave first. I will do the rest." The driver nced at Curtis. Curtis nodded lightly, and the driver stopped insisting on doing it. Adeline pushed Curtis upstairs. As soon as they stepped into the house, she asked him earnestly, "Are you tired? How about me getting the water ready for you to take a bath?" Curtis noticed the differences in Adeline''s attitude. He frowned slightly and said nothing. Then, he nodded lightly. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Since Curtis didn''t say a word, Adeline felt even more panicked. When she returned to her room, she secretly called Melissa and told her what happened after school. "Melissa, what can I do? I''m not going to get divorced after less than a month of marriage, right?" "I don''t think so! If Mr. Riley divorces you because of this, I will look down on him!" Adeline felt worried and said, "Melissa, please tell me something that I can do. If I don''t do anything, I won''t feel relieved." "Here you go!" Melissa''s excited voice came from the other end of the phone, "It is said that even a warrior would fall for a beauty! Aren''t you a beauty? Adeline, let me ask you. When you moved, did you bring the pajamas I bought youst time along?" Mentioning the pajamas, Adeline''s cheeks blushed immediately, and she responded in a low voice, "Yes. I have brought all the gifts you gave me." "That''s great! That was the gift I prepared for you and Logan''s wedding, but now it could be used for Mr. Riley! You just wear that sexy suspender pajamas, seduce him, bathe him, and massage him. I bet that he would enjoy it!" "Melissa!" Adeline yelled anxiously and her entire face flushed unreasonably. "That isn''t a big deal! Adeline, didn''t you two already sleep together before this? Why are you so shy now? Hurry up! Tell me the oueter! Haha." "That''s nonsense!" After Adeline said that to her, she hung up the phone and opened the closet to get Curtis''s clothes ready. When she was picking up the clothes, she couldn''t help but stare at the beige suspender pajamas that Melissa gave to her. It was as thin as a cicada''s wing, the embroidered flower buds on it were three-dimensional and beautiful. It was fairy-liked, sexy, and expensive pajamas. She had never worn such sexy pajamas before. She hesitated for a few seconds and finally bit the bullet to take the pajamas off the closet.. Just did it to please him! Anyway, they were the husband and wife! It wasn''t a big deal helping the handicapped husband to take the shower. Adeline took the pajamas and went to the bathroom to change it secretly. Then, she wrapped herself in a white bathrobe. After getting the bathtub filled with water and turning on the heater, she pushed Curtis into the bathroom. Adeline thoughtfully helped Curtis onto the steps of the double bath. Curtis sat indifferently and his expression still didn''t look good. Adeline lowered her head and struggled for a long time before saying, "Let me... Let me help you to undress." Curtis didn''t answer her. Adeline thought he was acquiescing, so she helped him to unbutton his shirt and unbutton his trousers with her trembling hands. Under the warm light, Curtis''s plump muscles were exposed clearly, and Adeline''s heart was thumping. She didn''t expect Curtis''s body to be so muscr! The more Adeline looked at him, the more shy she got. Her cheeks were burning hot. She lowered her head and looked at thest piece of clothing on Curtis''s body. She hesitated. At the same time, a man''s indiscriminate voice was heard. "Mrs. Riley, aren''t you saying that you want to take a bath for me? How are you going to proceed without taking off my underwear?" Chapter 22 Honey, I Want to Kiss You Chapter 22 Honey, I Want to Kiss You Chapter 22 Honey, I Wanted to Kiss You Thinking of Melissa''s words, Adeline bit the bullet and reached out to take off thest piece of clothing on Curtis''s body. During the whole process, she had her eyes closed most of the time and dare not to look at him. After finishing all those steps, she helped Curtis into the bathtub. Curtis''s whole body was almost submerged in the bathtub. The hot fog was lingering around and everything looked unreal. He leaned his back against the tub wall, and put one hand on the edge of the bath with his fist clenched tightly. No one knew how much he had to suppress the urge to not directly jump on her when her fair and tender hands touched him just now. Curtis took a deep breath to calm down his impulse and said in a cold voice, "What now?" Adeline immediately understood what he was trying to say. She squeezed the shower gel, and gently rubbed it on his arms, shoulders, and back. Then, she picked up the towel and carefully scrubbed him. She looked like a hard-working wife. Regardless of how hard she was trying to please him, she saw that Curtis''s expression became more serious. After Adeline tried her best to coax him, she felt powerless and put her shoulders down. She couldn''t help probing, "Are you mad at me?" "Yes!" Curtis admitted directly with a cold expression. When Adeline heard that, her eyes turned red immediately. She lowered her head and apologized subconsciously, "I''m sorry." Curtis saw that her eyes were red, and he couldn''t bear it anymore. His sullen face suddenly got panicked, and he quickly stretched out his hand to pull her into the water and hugged her in his arms. Then, he coaxed her softly, "Why are you crying? I haven''t said anything yet!" Adeline''s eyes were red. She tried to justify unyieldingly, "I didn''t cry." "Yes, you are right. Your eyes are red even though you didn''t cry." Curtis smiled helplessly and thought to himself that his wife was not someone who could be scolded. He said, "Then tell me. What makes you feel aggrieved?" At that moment, Adeline felt a strong sense of grievance in her heart. She raised her voice a little higher and said, "I tried to make it up for you. I... I even took my friend''s advice. I am wearing sexy pajamas and I help you to take a bath. I help you to undress and scrub your body. I have never done this to others. But you are still not happy about it." Sexy pajamas? Curtis''s eyes darkened a bit, but he still didn''t forget the real topic, "Okay, then tell me. Why are you trying to coax me?" "Because you are mad at me," Adeline answered in confusion. "Then tell me. Why am I mad at you?" Adeline cleared her mind, and she replied in a low voice like a child who made mistakes, "Because... I was almost molested by Mr. Baker which made you feel ashamed. In... In the future, if someone gets to know that Mr. Riley''s wife was almost raped by Mr. Baker, you would be demeaning since you are so famous." "That isn''t what I am mad at!" Curtis shook his head and said seriously, "Adeline, it''s their fault. That was the dirty trick yed by Mr. Baker and Jacob. It was never your fault." "On the contrary, you did a good job. You smashed the man''s head and escaped to protect yourself." "As for what you said, I would be demeaning. That isn''t the case at all. Those who respect me will know me well enough and will not look down on me because of such an irrelevant incident. Those who want to mock me will still do the same regardless of the incident." "Adeline, I live my life for myself and never care about other people''s opinions. If there is something I am going to care about, it will be you." Adeline looked up in a daze, "So, you are angry because I cut ties with my brother and took revenge on my brother just now? It makes you feel that I have gone too far?" "No! On the contrary, I think you''ve done a good job. I told you before that in terms of family rtionships, that is something we can''t force through. Adeline, I always mean what I have said. Those things that I''ve told you before, including the incident that happened today, I truly wanted to support you. That wasn''t a facade." While Curtis was talking, he was hugging her tighter. Sometimes, he really wanted to open up her little head to find out why was she thinking wildly all day long! Adeline felt warmth, but then she thought of something again. Her expression changed and became panicked. "Then, are you angry because I didn''t tell you about my fate that was predicted by the fortune teller before I get married to you?" That was a chip on Adeline''s shoulder. She didn''t believe in astrology! But since she was a child, her family kept brainwashing her by saying that her astrology test results were bad and that she would bring harm to the family. Coincidentally, a few incidents that happened in the past did match the saying! Moreover, a lot of her colleagues concealed their fortune-telling results before their marriages which caused them to have a hard time with their inw''s families after marriage. That made Adeline very worried. Curtis shook his head again and said, "I am not superstitious. I never believe in astrology. I believe in myself." Adeline waspletely stunned, "Then, what are you made at?" "I am mad because of your attitude!" "Attitude?" Adeline felt extremely aggrieved again, "I think my attitude is fine!" "Yes, you are fine. But you are being too nice! Adeline, I''m angry because you didn''t treat me like your husband. Look at what happened to you! You didn''t ask me for help, you didn''t tell me you were afraid, and you didn''t let me help you to make decisions. You put yourself in such an inferior position and are concerned about how to coax and please me." "Adeline, you are my legalized wife. You are my soul mate who is going to walk with me for a lifetime. You aren''t a servant. Since you yearn so much to escape from that family, why don''t you start a new life from now on?" Adeline was so moved by those words that her head was in a daze, and she repeated cluelessly, "A new life?" "Yes, a new life! You and I are equal! We will respect each other. You will never have to sacrifice your feelings to please me. We canmunicate about everything. You never have to try to figure out what I am thinking. As long as you want to know, you can ask me, and I will tell you." Adeline didn''t want to cry at first, but when she heard that, she couldn''t help but burst into tears. Her heart seemed to be filled to the brim with happiness. She didn''t expect that would be Curtis''s thought! N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Theplete opposite of her family of origin! He said he didn''t care what the fortune teller told her about her fate, and told her not to put herself in an inferior position. The words about the two of them were equal and they couldmunicate with each other really hit her hard. Wasn''t that the life she had always dreamed of after she was escaping from her original family? "Why are you crying again?" Curtis anxiously squeezed her closer, and gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with his hand, "I didn''t say anything harsh. Why are you crying? My intention is hoping that you could abandon the past which made you feel unhappy." Adeline sniffed and shook her head, "It isn''t about you." Adeline was finally able to calm down after a long time. She took off her white bathrobe, revealing her smooth and round shoulders in her sexy beige suspender pajamas. The pajamas were wet because of the water which made them transparent. Curtis swallowed hard when he saw that. After Adeline took off her bathrobe, she used all her courage to hold Curtis''s face and said, "Honey, you are so kind. I want to kiss you." As she spoke, she took the initiative to kiss Curtis on the lips. Her soft lips touched Curtis''s thin lips. She pressed her lightly on his before she pulled away. Curtis sped the back of her neck with a smile and asked, "That''s it?" "What do you mean?" Adeline was stunned, "Didn''t I just kiss you?" "Silly girl, that wasn''t a kiss. That was just like a chick pecking at rice or a bird pecking at worms. Kissing should be like this..." After speaking, Curtis held the back of her head and kissed her hard. With a neat turn, Adeline was pressed against the wall of the bathtub. Her hands tightly gripped the edge of the bathtub. The water in the bathtub was rippling and flowing all over the bathroom. ...... Curtis didn''t prepare any condom. Therefore, he didn''t dare to make further moves. He quickly took a shower and left the bathroom. As soon as he walked into the room, Adeline''s cell phone rang. It was a video call. It was from Logan. Curtis''s eyes darkened, and he answered the call in his bathrobe. Logan, who was on the other end was taken aback when he saw that Curtis was answering the call. Chapter 23 It Was Unbelievable! Mr. Riley Answered Logans Video Call in a Bathrobe Chapter 23 It Was Unbelievable! Mr. Riley Answered Logan''s Video Call in a Bathrobe Chapter 23 It Was Unbelievable! Mr. Riley Answered Logan''s Video Call in a Bathrobe Soon after, Logan regained his senses and said, "Uncle Curtis, are you home?" Curtis didn''t answer the question. He asked, "What''s up?" "I''m looking for Adeline." "Why are you looking for Adeline?" Curtis''s voice became more serious. Logan was the younger generation in the family and he had always been afraid of the majesty of his Uncle Curtis. Hearing his cold voice, his heart skipped a beat. He even had the illusion that he was harassing his uncle''s wife! On second thought, he noticed that he was a grown-up and there was nothing wrong with him looking for his girlfriend. Then, he said shyly. "Uncle Curtis, I miss Adeline. We found some very special cultural relics here today, and I want to share them with her." When ites to archeology, Logan''s eyes brightened up. "By the way, Uncle Curtis, where is Adeline? What is she doing? Why is her phone with you?" "Adeline is taking a shower." As soon as Curtis finished speaking, a woman''s voice was heard from the other end of the phone. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. "Logan! Come here quickly! I found something!" Logan was overjoyed, and quickly told Curtis, "Uncle Curtis, that''s it for now. I have to go." After speaking, Logan quickly hung up the call and went to see the new discoveries with his junior. Curtis stared at the pitch-ck screen and smiled. He thought to himself, "Such a silly boy." "How could he has no response at all after seeing me answering Adeline''s phone in a bathrobe?" If they exchanged the situation, he would have flown over there in a helicopter immediately! Curtis smiled lightly and was about to put down the phone. Then, he saw Adeline, who had just walked out of the bathroom, and looked at him. "Who called just now?" Curtis was startled suddenly. He quickly suppressed his teasing expression, revealing a somewhat lonely and weak appearance. "Ahem..." He coughed twice, looked at Adeline with a gloomy expression, and answered honestly, "It''s Logan. He said he missed you." Adeline''s heart trembled slightly, and she was taken aback. She couldn''t tell what kind of feeling she was having. It was awkward. Curtis lowered his head and apologized, "I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have answered your call without your permission. I... I just saw that it was Logan who called, and I was curious about what he wanted to tell you, so I couldn''t help but answer it." "Adeline, I''m sorry. I''m too unconfident. I always worry that when Loganes back, you will regret marrying a handicapped, and you will divorce me." Adeline felt bad. She walked over, gently picked up Curtis''s hand, and said, "I won''t. Since I''m married, I''m going to spend my whole life with you. Don''t think too much. You''re great. I mean it." "Really?" Curtis made two fake coughs. Adeline nodded. Curtis took her hand and said very schemingly, "Logan was very excited. He said that there is a major archaeological discovery, and he wants to share it with you. However, a junior happened to call him over, saying that there was another discovery. Therefore, he hung up the phone. Adeline, if you really like archeology, I can learn it too. I can discuss it with you too." "No. I don''t like it!" Adeline changed her expression in a switch and looked slightly despised. She never liked archeology. But since Logan loved it, out of respect for her boyfriend, she was willing to listen to his sharing. But it happened every time! Whenever Logan called her, the junior would call him over for the new discovery, and he would immediately leave her for it. Sometimes, it took several days for him to remember that he had called her earlier and returned her call. Once she hinted to Logan that his junior was trying to get into their rtionship, but Logan always smiled and said that she was jealous and didn''t take it seriously. Looking at Adeline''s expression, the corners of Curtis''s mouth twitched in joy. After Adeline dried her hair, she helped Curtis onto the bed. Then, she took off her robe andy down. Curtis skillfully hugged her in his arms, put his chin on her shoulder, and said, "Why don''t you wear those pajamas just now? Adeline, it looks nice on you." Adeline pressed her face against Curtis''s chest. She was too shy to look up. She hesitated and said, "It''s wet." Curtis bowed his head and kissed her cheek, "Then buy a few more. Use my card. Adeline, I want to take back what I have just said." Adeline suddenly became a little nervous. She looked up and asked, "What''s that?" Curtis kissed her gently between her eyebrows and answered, "I want to take back those words when I said that you don''t have to please me. Adeline..." Adeline felt hot shes on the side of her ears and heard Curtis hiss in a low voice. "Like those skin-colored pajamas, I will always wee them..." Adeline''s cheeks twitched instantly, realizing Curtis''s next move, and immediately resisted him. "No!" Curtis paused and asked, "What''s wrong?" "You just coughed! Uncle Curtis, you are always not in good health. The night in the mansion and the wedding night... You can''t keep doing these things continuously. You have to take good care of your body." "It''s okay. My body doesn''t get in the way in this kind of matter." Curtis lowered his head and continued to kiss her. Adeline couldn''t take it anymore. She quickly grabbed Curtis''s hand and said, "Uncle Curtis, didn''t you say that you will respect me?" Curtis stopped moving and looked at Adeline dumbfounded. He said, "Okay, I respect you." After he finished speaking, he bit her lips. "But you just called me Uncle Curtis. That''s your punishment!" After finishing speaking, he took her into his arms and said in a muffled voice with much unwillingness, "Let''s sleep." Holding her to sleep was already his biggestpromise. With the warm and soft body in his arms, Curtis felt that the previous 29 years had been wasted. He was regretting not having her much earlier. Moreover, since the moment she entered his world, she had always belonged to him! ...... The next day, when Adeline arrived at the office, some male colleagues made fun of her. "Adeline, you''re amazing. The number of votes you get on the Inte is unbeatable!" "That''s right, Adeline. That''s such a piece of great news! You should treat us to a meal. Why don''t you invite us to your new home for a meal? Anyway, everyone hasn''t met your husband yet." Adeline looked slightly embarrassed and didn''t know whether or not Curtis would like so many peopleing to the house. So, she politely declined the booing from her colleagues. "Maybeter. The voting isn''t over yet! It''s still very early to say." The two male colleagues who saw Adeline getting into the luxury car yesterday looked at each other meaningfully and said nothing. Adeline happened to have ss in the first period, so she went to the ssroom early. As soon as she left, a female colleague in the office called out. "Hey, did you two really see her husband yesterday? Is he really in a wheelchair?" The male colleague who had pursued Adeline before said while arranging the courseware on the table, "Don''t you see how awkward she acted just now? If it wasn''t something wrong with her husband, why didn''t she let us meet him?" "Seem like it too. s, why did such a beautiful woman get married to a disabled person?" "For the money. I guess that man is in his 40s or 50s! She would rather marry a rich man, sit in a luxury car and serve an old man rather than choose us, who are getting such little pay as a teacher." The male colleague said jealously. The female teacher who just asked the question pursed her lips. To be honest, she was a teacher herself, and she wouldn''t choose male teachers either. After all, relying on the fixed sry of being a teacher, it would be almost impossible for them to buy a house in the city center. Soon, Adeline finished her first Literature ss. As soon as she left the ssroom, Melissa ran over pantingly with her mobile phone. "Adeline, look! Quick! Some people use you of rigging the votes!" Chapter 24 Mr. Curtis Supported His Wife in Any Way Chapter 24 Mr. Curtis Supported His Wife in Any Way Chapter 24 Mr. Curtis Supported His Wife in Any Way Adeline took Melissa''s phone to have a look. Sure enough, thements on her personal voting page are all the same. "A ballot rigging? Does thepetition have any meaning then" "What a shameless cheater!" "Don''t vote for this teacher. She has no moral. She has paid for thosepanies to vote for her." "So disgusting! As a teacher, she even cheats in order to win." Adeline gave back the phone to Melissa. Her face darkened. She brought Melissa to balcony and called Curtis. "Uncle... honey", Adeline was still not used to call him "honey". She wanted to call him "Uncle Curtis" subconsciously. She remembered that Curtis had bit her lip the night before so she called him "honey" immediately. Melissa heard how Adeline called Curtis. She felt so speechless... Curtis at the other end also paused for a moment. Then he satirized Adeline, "Ms. Burton, do you have many husbands that you forget which one I am?" Adeline felt awkward. She replied back, "Don''t joke on me now! I need to ask you something. You said that I could ask you if I have any questions." "OK, ask then." "I told you to vote for me. Did you find some ballot riggingpanies to vote for me?" "No." Curtis said decidedly. "All the votesing from the acquaintance and the people in the company. Although I have no real power now. I still have my old contacts. What is the matter?" "Nothing. There are always people saying that I cheat. Since we do not have ballot rigging, we need not to care about thosements." "Alright. I will follow Ms. Burton''s order." Melissa saw that Adeline brushing for a while, being bashful for a while and then pouting for a while. She felt that they were show affection. After Adeline hung up the phone, she looked at Melissa and said, "He said he didn''t do that. I trust in him." Seeing their affection, Melissa asked, "And then?" "Nothing. A clean hand wants no washing." Melissa said, "It seems that I have worried too much." At the other end, as soon as Curtis hung up the phone, Steffen walked over. Steffen said, "Mr. Riley, some people are ndering Mrs. Riley on the inte. I have found these ID ounts. I also got the surveince video of the Inte cafe. It was Mrs. Riley''spetitors who did it. And, some zombie ounts are found by Victoria. This teacher has several ounts to nder Mrs. Riley and Victoria acts as a helper." "Good, give these evidences to thepetitionmittee and ask them to judge fairly. As for Victoria, I will deal with her altogetherter." "In addition, from this moment on, all the people who vote for Mrs. Riley must finish watching her lesson video and everyone must write a 300-wordment about her lesson after watching the video. Everyone must write down their own feeling without copying others''ment." "Three...three hundred words?" Steffen, whose writing was bad felt like he was crying. He said, "Mr. Riley, can it be less?" "OK, other people write ament of three-hundred words and you need to finish a four-hundred- word one." Steffen could not say anything... Three hourster... The teacher who came second in the overall score was disqualified by the organizingmittee for unfairpetition and maliciously smeared other contestants. Soon people could see that most of thements in the voting page of Adeline were long. Many of thements weremented with real names, which made thosements look sincere. For example, ament made by someone named Steffen -- "This teacher is so good at teaching! So good! I am speechless to describe her teaching skills. But the contents she teaches has enlightened me a lot. I even want to be a primary school student to have her lessons. If I met a teacher like this when I was a child, I would have be a litterateur now..." Adeline saw hisment and couldn''t helpughing. Melissa took a quick look at Adeline''s phone. She felt wordless and said, "This person must be a weak student. It seems that he is not a smart one." After finishing her words, Melissa felt guilty being staring by Adeline. She shrank her neck and said, "If it is me... who write ament, I can certainly do better than him!" Adeline just smiled without saying anything. She thought to herself that Melissa must not marry someone like Steffen, or neither of them could help their children with homework. Melissa kept on reading thements. There were also some suggestions from teachers in the educators. She felt thosements were good, so she read carefully and recorded. Suddenly, Melissa, who was watching short videos let out an "Oh" sound. "Adeline, it seems that there are so many people who givements to your video and your video be so popr! Look, your video has been shared by so many people! And, thements under your video are mostly positive." Adeline took Melissa''s phone to read thements under her video. "It is actually quite good~" "So great! I will give her a thumb up!" "Oh, god, a beautiful teacher with excellent temperament!" "I am a mother of a primary school student. This teacher indeed has a good teaching skills." "I am a student of Grade 6. This teacher teaches better than my teacher of Grade 4. She is not inflexible." "Yes. I am also a primary school student. I am now using the phone secretly and try not to be found by my mom! The memorizing method which the teacher say is useful and easy!" "Oh! I want to have a teacher like this, too!" "I am so envied that others can have teacher like this." ... Melissa bumped Adeline''s elbow and said, "Adeline, you are bing an influencer teacher now!" Adeline felt dumbfounding and said, "I don''t think it is a good thing. " N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. She was always being low-key. She was not used to the sudden high profile and she felt a bit uneasy inside her heart. When she was off duty, Curtis came to her school again to pick her up. Before he came, he called Adeline at first and said, "Adeline, I want to invite your best friend to have a meal. What do you think?" "OK. But first I need to ask if Melissa have time." Melissa agreed at once when she knew that Curtis wanted to invite her to dinner. After packing up their belongings, Adeline and Melissa walked out of the school. As soon as they reached the opposite side of the road, Steffen bowed and weed them. He opened the car door politely, saying, "Mrs. Riley, please." After Adeline got in the car, Steffen closed the car door immediately. He made a gesture of " This way, please." He said, "Ms. Park, please get in this car. Mr. Riley is not used to sitting in a car with another woman beside Mrs. Riley." Melissa felt speechless... Was he calling her there to show her how sweet they were? Though Melissa felt she had nothing to say, she got into the car. When they were half-way, Steffen who was driving tilted his head and nced at Melissa and asked, "You Mrs. Riley''s best friend and you are also a teacher, right?" "Yes." Melissa answered casually, "What''s the matter?" "Ms. Park, it is about... writingment for Mrs. Riley. Could you please tell me how a four-hundred wordment?" Melissa could not say anything. How could she know how to write a four-hundredment! When she was a child, she was also not good at writing! But she didn''t show her true thought on her face. She said seriously, "No problem, I can teach you! But you need to regard me as your teacher and you need to pay for me." Melissa thought Steffen would definitely refuse her then. No wonder that Steffen asked tentatively, "How much is it for one lesson?" "Two hundred yuan!" "No problem then! Ms. Park, I will count on you in the future. I think I will have many opportunities to writements of this type. Please teach me more about it." Melissa thought to herself: What was the problem with me! I was just a PE teacher! Soon the car reached a private restaurant named "Le Charme". The restaurant only served eight tables of customers every day randomly. Then there was a notice on the door of the restaurant: One private box left today. However, when Adeline just arrived, Victoria and several noblewomen arrived at the same time. Chapter 25 Mrs. Riley Was Coveted While Mr. Curtis Was There Chapter 25 Mrs. Riley Was Coveted While Mr. Curtis Was There Chapter 25 Mrs. Riley Was Coveted While Mr. Curtis Was There Logan''s mother, Victoria, arrived at the entrance of Le Charme along with the fivedies from wealthy circles. At that moment, someone among the noblewomen saw Adeline. "Eh, Victoria, isn''t that your daughter-inw to be?" There was a big smile on Mrs. Hodges''s face. She came up to Adeline and held her hands passionately. "Adeline, long time no see. I miss you so much." As she said so, she looked at Victoria enviously, "How I am envying you! You can have such a daughter-inw who is not only beautiful but also steady at doing things. Besides, she has good temperament!" Adeline gently pulled away her hands. She smiled politely and said, "Mrs. Hodges, Mrs. Riley is my sister-inw now." "What?" Mrs. Hodges was so shocked. She couldn''t think properly. "Who is your sister-inw?" Mrs. Hodges was the wife of chairman of Prodiff Business Association. Everyone in this city was always respect to her. And she had a loud voice naturally. She always talked faster than she thought. Her reaction at that point was more like a hen which got angry and feather on it was sticking straight up. Adeline didn''t have exaggerated expression. She smiled, looked at Victoria and said, "Then you should ask my dear sister-inw about it." Mrs. Hodges was also a woman who had seen the world. She pulled down her face. There was also force in her voice. She asked, "Victoria, what''s the matter?" Victoria regarded herself as the firstdy of Prodiff. She felt awkward being asked like that. She could only smile stiffly and answer, "It should be kept only in our family." Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. "Your family affair? Sister-inw?" Mrs. Hodges frowned. Her eyes fell on Curtis who sat on the wheelchair. She was surprised and shout out, "No way, Adeline, you have married with Curtis the Cripple, haven''t you?" Adeline couldn''t help tittering. Before that, she had had contact with Mrs. Hodges and knew that she was a straight minded person. She talked what she thought inside. At that moment, she also knew that Mrs. Hodges was just felt sorry for her, having no intention to mock on Curtis. Feeling that Adeline was smiling, Curtis showed his unpleasant face a bit. He raised his eyes to nced at Mrs. Hodges. "Yes, she has married me who is a cripple." "Holy shit!" Mrs. Hodges looked at Curtis with disgust. Then she took Adeline''s hand and led her several meters away. She lowered her voice and said to Adeline, "Adeline, let me ask you first. Are you just girlfriend of Curtis the Cripple? If you are just dating, maybe it is better for you to date with my son. You can choose either one of my two sons." Curtis, whose wife was coveted by others to his face, gritting his teeth while saying, "Mrs. Hodges, you don''t need to worry about the rtionship between me and Adeline. I have got the marriage certificate with Adeline. Now we are husband and wife protected byw." "Ah, no!" Mrs. Hodges cried out. She always liked Adeline. She respected Victoria so she did not ask Adeline to be her daughter-in- law. She had never expected that Adeline was "kidnapped" by Curtis then. Mrs. Hodges curled her lips and nced at Curtis again. Sheined in a low voice with Adeline. "How would you, such a beautiful girl, marry that bad-minded Curtis the Cripple?" "Adeline, the Curtis the Cripple is not a good man. He''s terrible!" Curtis cut in coldly before Mrs. Hodges could finish her words. He said, "Mrs. Hodges, you call me Curtis the Cripple all the time in front of my wife who just married me for not long. Is that alright?" "I think it is alright. Why would it be not alright? Aren''t you a cripple, or can you stand up and walk?" Mrs. Hodges answered without feeling anything wrong. Curtis, "..." Steffen, "..." Melissa, "..." Adeline couldn''t help tittering again. "Adeline, you can still consider about my proposal. I heard from my husband that Curtis the Cripple has met some problems. His business has been took away and his wharf was took away. He has no power now and no money." "I don''t need to consider about it." Adeline walked to Curtis''s back as she said so. Her hands put gently on Curtis''s shoulders. She said, "My husband treats me very well. It is not about the money. We have enough money to live our life." After finishing her words, Adeline looked at Victoria. She said, "Anyway, I need to thank my sister-in- law for her drugged milk or I would not be so happy like this." Mrs. Hodges caught the point immediately. She looked at Victoria with surprise, "What the f**k? You gave drugged milk to Adeline? What a b**ch you are!" After saying so, Mrs. Hodges felt awkward right away. She exined to Victoria, "Victoria, you know that I am a straight person. I say what I think inside. I don''t talk in a roundabout way. Please never mind it." Victoria looked worse then... But as Mrs. Hodges finished her words, she felt very unhappy. She stamped and said, "What is it! Victoria, you are so insidious! You schemed your own daughter-inw to be. What are you, a witch?" "Besides, your son like Adeline a lot, right? How can you exin your crazy and conscienceless action towards Adeline when hee back?" "And, if you don''t like Adeline, why don''t you scheme my son? I can ept it! I have eaten together with you for so many times and you know I like Adeline. Why don''t you scheme my son? You are so heartless!" After scolding by Mrs. Hodges for so long, Victoria felt like she was pping by some invisible hands heavily. She was angry! She was full of hatred! Especially there were many other noblewomen. But she couldn''t do anything! After all, Mrs. Hodges was the wife of Mr. Hodges, who controlled all the business principles of Prodiff! She was so angry but she could only vent her anger to Adeline. She said to Adeline, "Adeline, it is OK. I was worrying about you to be unhappy after the marriage. After all, the legs of Curtis..." Before she finished her words, Mrs. Hodges cut in, "What is the prolblem with his legs? Except for walking and jumping, Curtis is better than your son in all other aspects. Your son is just addicted to archaeology. He is always out of town. I once worried that Adeline would have no time to get together with her husband if she married your son." "Yes!" For the first time Melissa felt that someone spoke out the things she wanted to speak. She helped with Mrs. Hedges and said, "Although Mr. Curtis is not convenient with walking, he can always apany Adeline!" Curtis raised his eyes indifferently to look at the two persons who stood at the same side. He said without any special expression, "Thank you for both of you." Mrs. Hodges and Melissa answered tacitly, "You are wee." Curtis, "..." Steffen felt his eyes almost dropped out. It was the first time he saw that Mr. Curtis being inferior to others. OH, god! That feeling was great! But Steffen still acted like he was so angry that he wanted to kick someone''s ass! Adeline heard their kind words. She also grasped the opportunity to fight back. "Yes, I still need to thank Victoria. Noparison, no harm, I am happy to be with Curtis." That was truth but also she said that on purpose to Victoria. Because Victoria cared and love her son most. When hoping to hurt someone, people must hit his tender spot. Sure enough, Victoria got very angry when she heard Adeline''s words. "Adeline, what do you mean? You mean that my son is even worse than this cripple?" Victoria was so angry that she forgot herself. If a stranger said something bad about her son, it was OK Because that stranger might not know her son well. But Adeline could not say anything bad about Logan. Because she had been together with him for three years. In Victoria''s eyes, Adeline should keep chasing her perfect son her whole life and missed her son. She should always loved her son staying with Curtis the Cripple! But only for several days, Adeline seemed to forget her son and said those words . How could she bear it? Seeing that Victoria''s look of a loss of form, Adeline smiled, "It seems that Victoria did not learn English well when you were young. Yourprehensive ability is so bad. Do you not understand what so many people are saying?" After saying so, Adeline kissed Curtis''s side face slightly to the face of Victoria. "I just said thank you. I''m happy now." But their happiness hurt Victoria badly. Victoria screamed aloud uncontrobly. "No way! That''s impossible!" Chapter 26 Adeline Found Out Mr. Riley Is Narrow-minded Chapter 26 Adeline Found Out Mr. Riley Is Narrow-minded Chapter 26 Adeline Found Out Mr. Riley Is Narrow-minded E rolled her eyes in disgust after seeing Victoria''s reaction. You want her to fall for your tricks, but you don''t want her to have a happy life. You are a truly evil person, Victoria. If Curtis the Cripple were evil, you''d be worse." E asked Curtis, "Am I right?" after she said that. Instead of answering her question, Curtis showed a glum expression. E grunted softly as she stared at him and said, "I''m trying to help you." Melissa thought to herself, "Mrs. Hodges, why do I get the impression that you''re putting him down? And you''re insulting both Victoria and Curtis at the same time!" Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Victoria''s face betrayed her rage, and those women who apanied her couldn''t help butugh behind her back. The boss of Le Charme, a man in his early fifties, walked up to them at that very moment. He was wearing a vintage-style suit and a pocket watch made of shiny gold. He said slowly to the group of people, "I can only amodate one more table today. Would you like to have dinner together?" Victoria''s expression changed dramatically. She had heard that the restaurant''s owner, Ben Kelly, was a snob who catered exclusively to the wealthy and powerful. Being a snob was not a bad thing in Ben''s eyes. In fact, he was a little smug about it, as evidenced by the gold pocket watch he always wore around his neck. "No, we''re not dining together," Victoria replied, her eyes twinkling. She appeared to be confident that she would be the winner. Ben made an "oh" sound and gave a teasing expression. "I''m sorry, but I can only amodate one more room of guests before calling it a day. Why don''t you discuss who gets toe in?" he said. "That won''t be necessary! We''re going in!" "That won''t be necessary! We''re going in!" Curtis and Victoria said in unison, which was unusual for the two of them. "Curtis, are you serious? Are you serious aboutpeting with me?" Victoria asked,ughing contemptuously "I don''t mean topete with you," Curtis said, straightening his gold-rimmed sses on the bridge of his nose. He rubbed one of Adeline''s hands and said to Victoria with a smile, "But I promised my wife once that I wouldn''t let her lose as long as she was married to me!" "You''re nothing but a cripple, Curtis! Do you have anything that will help you win? Don''t forget that my husband now leads the Riley Group!" Victoria said as she gave Ben a meaningful wink. Ben, being the astute businessman he was, smiled and nodded to show he understood her meaning. "But I''d like to point out that "acting chairman" and "real chairman" are two different words for two different positions." Victoria said while giving Curtis a vicious re, "Why are you so mean to me? We''re family, aren''t we?" Curtis''s eyes behind his sses turned grim. He asked, "So what? Do you consider me a member of your family? Did it ever ur to you that we were a family when you hired online trolls to spread rumors about Adeline on the Inte today?" Adeline, Melissa, E, and those wealthy women were all shocked when they heard his words. Victoria was embarrassed after being caught red-handed, but she defended herself by saying, "I have no idea what you''re talking about! You made stuff up because you just wanted to pin the me on me!" Despite her protests, it was evident to everyone that she was embarrassed. "Hey, Victoria, you''re the one who brought us here for dinner! You promised that if we mentioned your husband''s name, we would dine at Le Charme without hitching. Honestly, can we have dinner here tonight or not?" A woman asked. "We can! I will most certainly bring you guys in!" Victoria replied. She turned to Ben and said, "You can make the call since you''re the boss. Who would you like to invite over for dinner? People all over town know you have high standards for your guests, so we''ll show everyone who can meet those standards today." "Well. I''d like to invite Mr. Riley to dinner at Le Charme." Ben said this while rubbing his gold pocket watch. Victoria was so shocked that she felt as if she had been struck by lightning. "What did you say?" she asked, surprised, in a high-pitched voice. "You''re the one who told me I get to make the call because I''m the boss. Plus, you''re the one who told me to pick my guests based on my criteria. So, I said I would like Mr. Riley toe into my diner. Is there a problem?" Ben looked at Victoria sincerely as she was fuming. He showed no sign of nervousness or concern that she might ask him probing questions. Victoria was stunned by what she had just heard. "You chose him?" she asked, pointing to Curtis. "He has lost both his money and power. My husband is the one who manages the Riley Group and all of the docks that my family owns now. Are you out of your mind, Ben Kelly? The whole town knows that you''re a snob! Why did you choose him when you''ve always dealt exclusively with the wealthiest guests?" Ben said with a smile, "Yes, everyone in town is right about me. We, Le Charme, only cater to the wealthy, and we judge our guests based on their wealth. What most people don''t realize is that the "money" we talk about refers to the amount of money they spend here. Mr. Riley used to spend a lot of money here and was always on the list of our top spenders, but you spent nothing. Mr. Riley is, of course, my first choice." "What?" Victoria was so furious that she couldn''t breathe. Ben bowed politely and said meaningfully, "I''ll show you your husband''s spending records here if you want to see them. Mr. Riley is consistently ranked first among the highest spenders and spent significantly more than the second-ce guest." Ben''s words shocked Victoria so much that she nearly passed out from rage. "Let''s go inside," Curtis said as he raised his hand. Adeline pushed him in his wheelchair toward Le Charme. Curtis abruptly pressed the wheels, turned to E, and asked, "Mrs. Hodges, do you need me, the cripple, to bring you in for dinner?" Adeline was at a loss for words as she became aware that her husband appeared to be very narrow-minded. "Adeline, you see, that''s exactly what he is!" E eximed, realizing her words had been confirmed. "He lives for the chance to retaliate against others!" Curtis squinted his eyes and clenched the wheelchair''s armrest tightly. Adeline pushed Curtis inside the yard with a smile and no furthermentary, where Melissa and Steffen soon joined them. Melissa''s eyes widened in surprise as she walked into the yard. Every detail of Le Charme''s vintage-style French courtyard was exquisitely designed. Melissa and Adeline then started to take photographs all around the courtyard. Curtis couldn''t pretend to be calm after Adeline left. He called Mr. Hodges andined bluntly, "Your wife called me a cripple." Mr. Hodges froze, pretended to be enraged, and eximed, "How could she do that? I''ll talk to her when she gets home! How can she nickname you after your ws?" "But, Curtis, I can''t sleep in my bedroom at night these days," Mr. Hodgesmented. "Every night, I could only sleep on the floor of my study! It isn''t easy to get along with women. Well, you''ll realize this after you get married. " "I''m fully aware of this." "You know about that? How is this possible?" Mr. Hodges asked in surprise. "I just got married." Curtis couldn''t help but smile and showed a smug face. "Well, I believe you''ll understand me better! Let me tell you, you''d better not point out your wife''s mistakes. Otherwise, you''ll be the one who has to beg her to forgive you. True story." "Exactly!" Curtis said as he was too aware of this. His eyes were almost filled with tears before he could say anything more. Curtis soon found himself fully engaged in the lessons Mr. Hodges had taught him. And right then, Victoria was having a hard time as she stood in front of the door of Le Charme. Chapter 27 Victoria Was Humiliated Chapter 27 Victoria Was Humiliated Chapter 27 Victoria Was Humiliated Standing outside the door of le Charme, E called her driver toe and pick her up. E red at Victoria with disdain as she hung up the phone and said, "I can tolerate that you''re a little scheming and love to show off. But, Victoria, what you did to Adeline was immoral! Legally speaking, you''ll be punished for your actions. You have totally let me down. I hope you won''t call me again in the future." E walked away without looking back. Those women who had been left behind exchanged nces before shouting at E''s back. "E, please give us a ride." "By the way, I know there''s a nice country food restaurant around here. How about we have dinner there?" Those women caught up with E, leaving Victoria standing in ce with a grim face. Victoria could hear those women talking about her as they walked away. "Was that girl Victoria''s daughter-inw before?" "Yeah! Oh, you just noticed that?" "Oh, my God! Victoria got humiliated in front of her ex-future daughter-inw! I bet she''s going to lose her mind from anger." Victoria was so angry that she couldn''t control her expression. She angrily dialed Kevin Baker''s number after getting into her car. Victoria got right to the point after Kevin answered the phone, saying, "Someone is checking your bank ount." Kevin was still in the hospital despite his dislocated jaw had healed. His chubby frame shook with nervous excitement as he asked, "Who are you?" "Well, it doesn''t matter who I am. What matters is that we have amon enemy." N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "Ourmon enemy?" Kevin frowned, holding his still-aching jaw, and asked, "Who are you talking about?" But he assumed that the man she was referring to was the one who had beaten him up earlier that evening at the restaurant. He asked many people to look for who that man was, but he never found any valuable clues. "Ourmon enemy," Victoria said with a sneer, "Is the man who beat you up that day. He''s the reason why you''re in the hospital now." "Who the hell is he? I''ve been looking for him these days, and I really want to punch him hard in the face! I can''t believe he''s looking into my bank ount!" "Kevin, you had better watch your mouth. Adeline''s husband is not someone you want to mess with. Have you ever heard of him? He is Curtis Riley, also known as Mr. Riley. Everyone in Prodiff reveres him!" "What? Are you talking about Mr. Riley?" said Kevin, stunned with fear. He sat up in bed shivering, his face turning pale. After recalling the man''s expression from that night, he believed Victoria''s words even more. "It''s him. Adeline slept with her fianc¨¦''s uncle Curtis Riley and then married him. Didn''t you all try to assault Adeline once? What are the odds do you think that Curtis will let you off the hook? You should hurry up and figure out how to protect yourself!" Kevin broke out in a cold sweat. He asked, "Well... And how should I defend myself, in your opinion?" "The solution is quite simple. Find something to use as a threat against Curtis and strike a deal with him. He''ll stop investigating you that way." Kevin wiped the sweat from his brow and began to ponder. "But I have nothing to threaten him with! People wouldn''t be afraid of Curtis if he were easily threatened!" Victoria let out a slow grin, knowing that Kevin was now safely caught in the trap she''d set. "If you have nothing useful to offer, you can make them. Just do what I say. All you have to do is..." Kevin hung up his phone after listening to Victoria''s advice. He spat on the ground and shouted, "I know you want me to die instead of you, you bitch! You''re viperous!" Hecked the guts to tell the world that Adeline had slept with her fianc¨¦''s uncle. He was well aware that Victoria wanted him to take the me for spreading the word, but he wasn''t stupid enough toply. Her other suggestion, on the other hand, sounded pretty solid to him. Kevin rubbed his chin and slightly narrowed his eyes. He made a decision and then called a few people to make ns. Adeline, who was having dinner at le Charme, had no idea that she would soon face yet another complex challenge. The waiters brought exquisite French dishes to the table one by one. Melissa beamed broadly, thumbed her approval at Curtis, and eximed, "Mr. Riley, you''re such a badass! Did you notice how Logan''s mom was blushing? Wow, that''s awesome! Here''s some good news, by the way. I''ve decided you''re good enough to be my best friend''s boyfriend." "You don''t have to address me as ''Mr. Riley''. You can call me by my first name since you''re Adeline''s best friend." Curtis''s actions were graceful as he lifted the wine ss to his lips. He stood out from the crowd of wealthy young men in the city as the most refined and elegant. Melissa was stunned by his dignified demeanor. Even though she was a girl, she thought she was much ruder in her manners than he was. Melissa dipped her head slightly out of shame. After some thought, she said, "It''s not appropriate for me to call you by your first name, but I have a great idea! Since Adeline is a year older than me, I''ll refer to you as ''Mr. Curtis'' from now on!" Curtis nodded gently. He was very good at detecting people''s personalities. Melissa came across as innocent, sincere, and kind, so he didn''t consider her a bad person. Steffen finished his work and joined them at the table where they were talking. Curtis asked him to sit down next to Melissa and introduced him to her, "This is Steffen Degen. He''s my assistant and also a friend of mine." As a straightforward person, Melissa replied while still eating, "I know. We met earlier in the car." Curtis advised Steffen with a thoughtful expression, "You should ask Ms. Park for her phone number so you can call herter. You can ask for her help in the future since you didn''t do well in school." Melissa immediately took out her phone and red at Adeline as she knew she was about to say something. Adeline smiled and decided not to tell the guys that Melissa was a gym teacher. "Perhaps Curtis is trying to set Melissa and Steffen up!" she reasoned. Adeline had no idea that Curtis was only doing this because he wanted Steffen to be able to contact Melissa at any time. Thus, he would be able to track Adeline''s movements at school in the future. Curtis would be able to intervene if anyone were to bully Adeline immediately. Steffen quickly got Melissa''s cell phone number. The four of them had a pleasant meal. Steffen drove Melissa back home after dinner while Adeline and Curtis took a car to her apartment. Adeline was distracted by a loud noise while the car was stopped at a red light. A DIY store was having a sale, and many employees were dressed as cartoon characters to sell the products to passersby. When a sales clerk noticed Adeline''s gaze, he boldly approached her and slipped a flyer through the car window. "If you''re interested, Madam, our shop has a mystery box do-it-yourself activity. There is one stone in mystery boxes, like agate, jade, and marble. All of those stones have lovely patterns. You and your boyfriend can engrave your names in our store after you get your stones from the boxes. It''s very meaningful." Adeline''s hand gripping the flyer trembled violently as soon as the sales finished speaking. Her mind shed back to when Logan ran up to her like a fool with a stone he had dug from the ground. "Adeline, this is a stone I discovered near the archaeological pile when I started my job, and I carved your name on it. Happy birthday, Adeline." Adeline was heartbroken when she saw the cuts on Logan''s fingers while taking the stone. On the other hand, Logan hid his hand from her and asked, "Do you like this birthday present?" "Of course." Adeline was distressed by her memories. Curtis abruptly asked her, "What''s wrong?" Chapter 28 What Went Wrong Chapter 28 What Went Wrong Chapter 28 What Went Wrong "Nothing," Adeline replied as she managed to force a smile. She realized she couldn''t keep her calm while recalling those memories. She felt as if a dam had burst, and old memories were flooding back into her mind. Logan''s vows and sweet words became a dull knife cutting into her heart, making her heartbroken. She couldn''t get these memories out of her head after spending three years with him. However, they couldn''t go back to the past because everything had changed. Adeline suddenly felt sorry for Logan. She wondered how he''d react when he returned to see all the mess and how heartbroken he''d be. Adeline''s expression revealed to Curtis that she was unhappy and appeared to be considering something that bothered her. But he was unable to figure out what was on her mind. The mood in the car was subdued and a slight mncholy. Steffen dropped Melissa off in front of her family''s boxing gym. He had just pulled up the car when a sword shed through the air and stopped an inch from the windshield. Steffen looked around in disbelief before rushing out of the car with Melissa. "Dad! What the hell are you doing?" Melissa asked angrily. Steffen turned around to see a man with a long sword standing there. The man, who wore a stylish blue sports suit and carried himself with dignity, appeared to be around 55 years old. Bruce Park, Melissa''s father, pushed his daughter out of the way slightly. He looked disapprovingly at Steffen through narrowed eyes and swiftly raised the long sword to Steffen''s forehead. Steffen didn''t move a muscle. He focused his gaze ahead and stood a little straighter. Bruce appeared to be appreciative of Steffen. He asked, "Young man, how many people do you have in your family? What do you do for a living?" Melissa kicked Bruce in the leg because she was so mad at him. "Dad! What are you doing?" she asked. Steffen took a step back and replied sinctly, "Mr. Park, it''s not what you think. I''m only giving her a ride home because my boss asked me to." Bruce frowned slightly, clearly dissatisfied with his words. "Are you saying my daughter is not good enough to date you?" he asked. Melissa''s eyes rolled as she expressed her frustration, "Dad, why are you so worried that no one will marry me? Stop asking that question to every guy I know!" Bruce shot Melissa a stern look andmanded, "Shut up! I''m talking to him!" Steffen nodded with a gentle smile, "Miss Park is a wonderful girl, but she''s way out of my league." Bruce grunted grimly and said, "Oh! You should remember what you said, young man!" After he finished, Bruce dragged Melissa back to their boxing gym. He muttered along the way, "If that guy dares to go out with youter, I''ll punch him hard in the face." Steffen got back into his car after seeing Melissa had returned home with her father. Melissa soon texted him, "Steffen, I''m sorry. My father has always been this way. Please don''t take that personally." He was especially jealous of Melissa because she had a family by her side since he was an orphan. What happened just now didn''t bother him, so he replied, "That''s okay." Steffen got in his car and drove home after sending that text, not realizing he had just created a difficult problem for himself in the future. ...... When Adeline stepped into the office the next day, she noticed that everyone was staring at her strangely. She wanted to find out what was happening but had no idea where to begin. As she sat down at her table, she began to wonder if the vote had gone wrong again. She quickly checked the website but found no issues, so she ignored them. Soon after, Adeline received a call from Sophia asking her to go to her office. Adeline had just arrived at Sophia''s office door when she heard a loud argumenting from inside. "I''m sorry, Ms. Adams, but I can''t take over Adeline''s ss!" N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "I''m not asking for your opinion now, Ms. Husch. I''m ordering you as your superior!" "Ms. Adams, you know that Adeline and I are close and hang out a lot. Please don''t make things difficult for me!" "Lilly Husch! We''re talking about work here, not personal rtionships. All you little girls have just started working, so you don''t know how to be professional at all!" Adeline knocked on the office door with a frown after hearing them argue. Sophia said, "Come in!" in a somber tone. Adeline noticed tears in Lilly''s eyes when she opened the door. Lilly immediately looked away to avoid Adeline''s gaze. "You''re just on time," Sophia told Adeline. "Please, the two of you, exchange all the files about the sses you teach. From today on, Lilly will teach ss A, and you will teach ss C." Lilly, who seemed to be in a difficult situation, fixed her gaze on Adeline. "I...Adeline, I..." she murmured. "Ms. Adams, can you tell me why?" Adeline asked Sophia calmly. "Howe you want Lilly to teach my literature ss when I''ve always taught it to ss A? I believe the instability it causes may be harmful to students'' learning. I''ve been teaching students in ss A for more than half a semester, and they have just gotten used to my teaching style. It''s also not fair to the students in ss C if you ask us to change out of the blue." Sophia said with a sneer, her tone dripping with sarcasm, "You want to know why? I''m too embarrassed to exin! This is a request shared by all the parents of students in ss A!" Sophia took a printed petition from the drawer and handed it to Adeline. Adeline picked up the petition and noticed it was full of signatures from the student''s parents. Her heart felt like it was being repeatedly stabbed. "Every parent of the 45 students in the ss has signed here! Do you have any idea how this will affect our school? Nothing like this has ever happened at our school in all these years!" Sophia said as she loudly tapped her fingers on the table. It felt to Adeline like someone was scratching at her heart. She couldn''t figure out why the parents of her students were reacting this way, given that she had done nothing wrong to them. She considered their actions to be a severe insult to her professionalism. "You two may now proceed with the handoff. It doesn''t matter how close the two of you are, young ladies. This is the workce, and you must obey those in charge. You can talk to the principal if you have any objections!" After Sophia finished speaking, she motioned for Adeline and Lilly to leave. They left Sophia''s office one after the other. "Adeline, I''m sorry," Lilly said. "I didn''t want to do it in the first ce." Adeline smiled and said, "It''s okay. It''s not your fault! Let''s get started." They then went back to the office. Adeline told Lilly everything she knew about the ss and each student''s situation. Lilly said awkwardly, "Adeline, I appreciate all your hard work. I''m sorry, but I don''t have that kind of specific information to share with you. Adeline gave a resigned smile and said nothing else. She could rte to Lilly because she knew that not all teachers would create profiles for each student as she did. Adeline knew what she needed to do was to calm down and finish her work at this point. She was aware that everyone was staring at her, but she still left the office. Adeline had just left the office when a girl from ss A rushed over and identally bumped into her. "Ms. Burton, I''m sorry," the girl said as soon as she looked up. Adeline replied with a smile, "That''s okay." "Ms. Burton, would you really seduce the dads of my ssmates like my mom said?" the girl asked after hesitating. The girl didn''t seem to believe the rumor, so she took Adeline''s hand and said, "Ms. Burton, none of us want to let you go! But my ssmates'' mothers insist that they must get rid of you. They said you''ll seduce our dads and let us lose them!" Chapter 29 Someone Slandered Adeline And Her Aura Was in Full Swing Chapter 29 Someone ndered Adeline And Her Aura Was in Full Swing Chapter 29 Someone ndered Adeline And Her Aura Was In Full Swing A few simple words, like a long knife, pierced straight through Adeline''s heart, making her eyes wet before she could catch her breath. Staring at the student''s anxious and disappointed eyes, Adeline was in a daze. Why was there such a saying as "seduce the student''s father"! Had she been indiscreet?! And why would these parents nder her behind like this in front of their children! Adeline was annoyed and furious, feeling unbearable. The girl waited for a long time, with a tinge of disappointment in her eyes, and stubbornly asked again, "Teacher, will you?" "I won''t!" Adeline loudly replied. But her tears almost burst out when she answered like this. Unexpectedly, the girl unusuallyughed. "I know you won''t, teacher." Then, she returned to the ssroom with satisfaction when the school bell sounded. It seemed that it was more important to believe in the teacher than whether the teacher could teach them any more. How could Adeline not understand this truth? She also regarded her father as a hero when she was a child, as a big mountain that she could rely on. But after each disappointment, that belief copsed. And the copse of belief was really more terrifying than losing anything. Adeline did not want to let the children down. It was a small matter to switch ss, but she could not let the children lose their faith, and could not let herself suffer from injustice! Her intuition told her that there must be something wrong, and all she had to do now was to find out the problem and solve it! Before Adeline could react as soon as she turned around, a gust of wind shed in front of Adeline''s eyes, followed by an inexplicable p. Her eardrums were buzzing, and the shrill voice of the woman in front of her could still be faintly heard. "Bitch! You actually seduced my husband! Don''t ever dream to be Billy''s stepmother!" Adeline covered her burning hot side face. After she clearly saw that the person in front of her was Mr. Baker''s ex-wife, Billy''s mother, she subconsciously raised her hand, wanting to unceremoniously return the p back on her face! N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. But before she could p, a familiar voice came from behind, timidly calling out. "Ms. Burton." At that moment, she came back to her senses. Adeline''s raised hands were tightly clenched into a fist and put it down. She turned around and met theplicated gaze of a thin boy behind her, somewhat regretting her impulse just now. Counter-violence could not solve the problem. At this age of the children, as a teacher, she really should not be a bad example for the students, nor should she beat the parents of the students. Adeline suppressed the pain and grievance in her heart, tried her best to squeeze out a smile and walked towards Billy,forting him, "Go back to ss. Teacher will have a good talk with your mother." Before she could finish, Leah pushed her away hard, screaming and yelling. "You don''t need to be hypocritical. You want to impress my son so you can be his stepmother, but I''m telling you, there''s no way! As long as I''m alive, you will never be Billy''s stepmother!" Adeline was in pain from being pushed. She sharply looked at Leah, "Ms. Jones, I never thought of being Billy''s stepmother! I''m married. I have a husband who loves me very much. Please don''t keep ndering me like this again! If you go on like this, I''ll hold you ountable for defamation! Also, in front of your child, please take care of his mental health and protect the image of you as a mother." "Ms. Jones? Vixen, how dare you say that you''re not trying to seduce my husband! Let me tell you, my husband and I are having a fake divorce! Fake divorce! You have to call me Mrs. Baker! If you want to be a part of the Baker family, I''m telling you, it''s impossible in this entire life!" Leah was so angry that she looked ferocious. The more she spoke, the more aggressive she became, and she reached out to pull Adeline''s hair. At this time, Melissa, rushed over from the stairs, grabbed Leah''s wrist, and pushed her away. "Shut up! Can arguing solve the problem? You don''t know what kind of person is your ex-husband? Is it fun toe here and put our teacher in a difficult position? And what evidence do you have to nder our school teacher like this?" "Evidence? All the parents in ss A have received the evidence! The evidence is that Adeline tricked my husband into her house and into her room to seduce my husband on the pretext of child''s learning problems! Her house servant has admitted. Every parent in ss A has a copy of the recorded video!" Leah still wanted to strike a blow. Melissa rolled up her sleeves and warned, "Rx. I''m not afraid of you if you strike a blow! I learned boxing!" Leah was awkward, knowing that was not someone to be trifled with, so she pretended to wail as she could not strike a blow. "Ah~ My head hurts so much! I must be having a concussion from being pushed by you, teacher. Wait for me! I''m... I''m going to sue the principle now! I want to let you get out of here as a teacher!" The voice fell, Leah left. Adeline still wanted to say something, Melissa stopped her. "Ignore her. She''s pretending. She just gave herself a way out. Adeline, say no more, I was still having a lesson just now. I have to quickly get down there now. Don''t think too much, I''ll see you after ss." Then, Melissa quickly ran back to the yground. Adeline carefully recalled what Leah had just said. The servant... recorded video...everyone had a copy. What the hell were these? Before she could figure it out, as soon as she reached the office, she clearly heard the voices discussing about her from the inside. "Unexpectedly, Adeline, who looks quite noble, would seduce Mr. Baker in private." "No way, could it be a rumour? Didn''t she say she was married?" "The version I heard was that she seduced Mr. Baker before she got married, and she seeded. In order to cover up the adultery rtionship between them, she found a disabled husband for fake marriage!" "Oh my god, this is too bad! Then her disabled husband is too unlucky!" "What do you think! His disabled husband knew about it a long time ago! And he took advantage of Mr. Baker to have a fake marriage with her. A cripple in a wheelchair can''t find a wife anyway." "That''s right. Do you remember, thest time I said I wanted to go to her house, she was too scared to answer!" ... Male and female colleagues kept discussing about it, without realising all these words were heard by Adeline. Adeline stood at door of the office, biting her lips, only feeling extremely embarrassed. For a moment, she also wanted to ignore, directly rushed in, and questioned the group of colleagues why they were talking nonsense. But so what if she exined? This was not going to help her to turn the tide. The best way to fight back against rumours was to find the evidence, clear her own name, and then talk back! Adeline secretly noted down the names of her colleagues who discussed about her just now, including a male colleague who showed love to her before. Since this office could not be entered for a period of time, Adeline was in a mess, so she directly walked up to the rooftop to take a breathe. As soon as she reached the rooftop, Victoria''s phone call came in. Adeline''s eyes darkened, thinking that this ex-mother-inw was really good at picking time to make her unhappy! But somehow, she still connected the phone call. Chapter 30 Fat-Fingered, Adeline Misdialed Her Ex Chapter 30 Fat-Fingered, Adeline Misdialed Her Ex Chapter 30 Fat-Fingered, Adeline Misdialed Her Ex As soon as it was connected, Victoria''s cocky voice came from the other end of the phone. "Adeline, how''re you? Are you having a tough day?" Adeline''s countenance immediately changed upon hearing this. She originally thought that Victoria had lost face at le Charme yesterday, and just purely wanted to call her to make her unhappy today. But were not these words telling her that she had something to do with what happened this morning? Adeline calmly and tentatively asked, "Victoria, what do you mean?" A pleasant chuckle came from the other end of the phone, "What do I mean? Don''t you get it? Adeline, you''ll never step on my head!" "Do you think you''ve won at le Charme yesterday? Today, I''m telling you, I''ll pay you back ten times of the pain I suffered yesterday today!" Remember what I told you in the bathroom? Adeline, I want to destroy you. Before Loganes, I''ll make you a dirty woman. You''ll be spurned wherever you go in Prodiff! From the best teacher to a dirty woman whom everyone disdains to, you will experience this feeling day by day!" When Adeline heard the words, her beautiful eyes rolled with anger, "Victoria, you won''t seed! I''ll not lose! My husband won''t let me lose either!" Then, Adeline angrily hung up the phone. She impatiently pressed it. She pressed several times in a row, and all the contacts in the same group were dialed out at the same time. When the phone call was made, Adeline suddenly narrowed her eyes. Why did she call Logan? She raised her hand to hang up, but anger prevailed! For a moment, she wanted to question Logan, did he know that his mother was so shameless?! But the next moment, she felt that she should no longer contact Logan again. She was now Curtis''s wife. No matter what the reason was, she could not continue to be unclear with her ex. Since it was a misdial, just hung up. Unexpectedly, just as she was about to hang up, the phone showed that it was connected. Adeline was so nervous that her heart was pounding. She could clearly feel her heart pounding against her ribs hard, as if it was about to burst out. She was having a grievance. Her beautiful eyes were filled with tears, and she said with sobs, "Logan..." There were countless grievances in her heart that she wanted to tell him. But in the next second, some disappointment feelings rushed to her head as if a bucket of ice water was ruthlessly poured on her. A familiar voice came from the other end of the phone. "Is this Adeline? I''m Logan''s junior. He went to the grave, so he left his phone with me for safekeeping. Tell me if you got anything. I''ll let him call you backter." "No, it''s a misdial." Adeline hung up the phone, and in just a split second, the mist of tears that had been stagnating in the corners of her eyes finally condensed into teardrops, and rolled down. She could not tell what had overwhelmed her emotional sense in this moment. She clearly knew that she had no reason or right to me on Logan. But she still med on him! Three years of rtionship! Every time she needed him, he was never there. What was more, in Logan''s world, they had not broken up yet! Adeline really felt extremely wronged. Even if she could hear Logan''s gentle voice asking her "Adeline, what''s wrong", that would be fine. And even if she could not answer, she could only say "wrong number" to end this absurd misdialed call, it was also better than the person who answered the call was the girl who made her extremely ufortable! Adeline emotionally broke down, directly rushed out of the school, took a taxi, and told driver the location of a smallpany, just wanting to find Curtis. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. She heard that after Curtis was ousted from the board, only a smallpany was left in operation. He told her the location of the smallpany and said she could find him there anytime. The scenery outside the car window was rapidly moving backward. When getting closer and closer to Curtis''s smallpany, Adeline became more restless. She suddenly had the urge to see him, to throw herself into his arms, to try to cry in a petnt way, telling him how difficult it was for her today, how wronged and unhappy she was. She wanted to try and see if it was true as Curtis said, in this world, there was such a person who could be trusted by her and could be her reliance. Even if it was just spiritual support. But her senses gradually came back, only then she realised how crazy she had just been. After calming down, she called the dean to ask for leave, but she was worried, so she asked Melissa to write a leave note and submit it for her. At this time, the car had arrived at an old office building. "Miss, here we are." The driver reminded. Adeline was startled for a while, she quickly took her bag, got out of the car, and walked up to the office building. This was a dpidated office building with no employees, and the office was empty. Adeline felt bad when she saw it, and was slightly regretful that she impulsively rushed over to find Curtis. Her husband''s situation was also not very good. Would not she cause him more troubles if she came to find him in full fling? Walking to the director''s office, Adeline hesitated when she was just about to raise her hand to knock on the door. Since she was young, she was the child that had been cursed by her family. Nothing good happened to her. At this moment, suddenly she was a little unsure. She was afraid that if she came and disturbed Curtis without informing him, would she see something she should not have seen when she opened the door? What if that sweet and caring husband was an illusion too? Adeline found that she seemed unable to bear another blow. If Curtis would disappoint her, she would feel that the whole world was grey. At this moment, Adeline actually understood why she woulde to Curtis. Because she felt betrayed when she heard Logan''s junior answering his call, so she wanted to come to Curtis. She needed a warm hug from Curtis, telling her that she was still worthy of being loved in this world. She wanted him to tell her that they would be alright. Curtis was herst straw! Adeline took a deep breath and knocked on the door. The male voiceing from inside was not Curtis''s. "Come in. It should be Max." Then, Owen saw Adeline pushed open the office door, and then turned to look at Curtis who was still standing on his feet not far away, his pupils were instantly tearing apart!!! "Oh my god." With his quick response, Owen ran towards Curtis, precisely kicked in the knee of Curtis, and knocked Curtis to the ground. Curtis, who did not expect his brother would kick him, raised his eyes and stared at Owen as if he wanted to kill him, and said through gritted teeth, "Do you want to die? !" Owen bravely pointed at him, "Haha, your wife is here, I let her see how cowardly you are! It''s just a kick today, if you don''t hand over thepany to pay the money back, I''ll kick you more again next time! Curtis, do you really think you''re the former Mr. Riley?" Just as Curtis was about to stand up, he immediately copsed on the ground when he heard the word "wife". At this time, Jacob, who originally wanted to please his brother-inw with a gift, saw this scene, and instantly burst outughing. "Like I said, how could Adeline, a person who brings bad luck, can be so lucky to marry Mr. Riley! It turns out that Mr. Riley only has a fame left to bluff people." Then, Jacob pointed to the empty office outside, shook his head, and looked at Adeline. "Look, you''re bringing bad luck. No one will have a good life if they get involved with you! Only the idiot like my ex-father-inw would think that Mr. Riley is still the same!" Chapter 31 Danger! Early Warning Of The Exposure Of The Fake Identity Of Mr. Riley Chapter 31 Danger! Early Warning Of The Exposure Of The Fake Identity Of Mr. Riley Chapter 31 Danger! Early Warning Of The Exposure Of The Fake Identity Of Mr. Riley "Get out-Jacob, get out!" Adeline fiercely red at him. Jacob raised the gift in his hand and contemptuously smiled, "I''ll leave too even if you don''t ask me to. Just like this... doesn''t deserve my gift." Then, Jacob turned round and left. Who knew in the elevator downstairs, he ran into Steffen who had just returned from running errands. When they met, they were both startled for a while. Steffen was the first to react. He bet Jacob up without saying a word. Jacoby on the ground and wailed, "Why are you beating me!" "I don''t know!" Steffen righteously answered, "There must be nothing good that you appear at here during this hour! Beat you first!" Then, Steffen held his head high and went upstairs. Jacob, ... --- The other side. Adeline walked into the office, and she went to help Curtis sit in the wheelchair first, then walked to Owen. "May I ask how much my husband owes you, we''ll find a way to pay it back." "No need. I just notified the ountant to pay the money back." Steffen, who had just came back from running errands, quickly picked up the "drama". Owen pretended to nce at the phone, and shook his trembling legs, "That''s fine, it''s okay... I''ll go first." N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Then, Owen ran away in cold sweat. As soon as he left, he texted Max, telling him not toe.The young couple was probably kissing. On the way, he kept thinking about whether he kicked that foot very hard just now? Would it hurt? With Curtis''s narrow-mindedness, did he need to buy a ne ticket to fly abroad overnight??? But on second thought, he did not think it was necessary. He was helping Curtis to maintain his persona. Curtis should thank him! At this time, in the office, Steffen solved the trouble, and quickly vacated private space for Mr. Riley and his wife. Adeline looked at Curtis''s leg in concern, "Does it hurt?" She did not see how Owen kicked Curtis.There was a screen at the entrance, she could not see it clearly enough, but she vaguely saw Owen strike a blow! It was really annoying! Adeline hated such snob most! "I''m fine." Curtis lightly coughed twice, and softly replied. Adeline quickly poured him a cup of warm water, "Drink some hot water first." After Curtis drinking hot water, Adeline was still worried, "There''s no one here, why don''t you take off your pants... I''ll see if I can get you some medicine." Curtis felt a little guilty when he saw Adeline was anxious, he should not have lied to her like this. He stretched out to hold Adeline''s hand, and gently said, "I''m fine. It doesn''t hurt. I''ll show you at home." Adeline did not know why, hearing Curtis''s steady voice, she was suddenly relieved. Just like that day, when he said he wanted to marry her and would do his best to treat her well. His voice was as warm as the mountain breeze, giving her a rare sense of security. Curtis pushed the wheelchair and walked over, and sat on the sofa by propping the coffee table by himself. Then, he waved to Adeline again, "Come here." Adeline obediently walked over, and was tightly hugged by Curtis as soon as she sat beside him. "Tell me, what''s wrong, huh?" With just a word, Adeline suddenly burst into tears in Curtis''s arms. She did not say anything, just kept crying. The cry was quite loud at first, with trills, as if to vent all the grievances in her heart. In the end, she cried more and more silently, whining like a kitten. Maybe she was tired from crying, and her mood eased. Curtis felt very bad listening to it, and patted Adeline''s back with a gloomy expression. After she calmed down, only he asked in a low voice, "Now can you tell me, what happened?" Adeline pulled away from Curtis''s arms, wiped her tears off, and forced a smile, "I''m fine. I feel much morefortable after crying. Just some incident in the ss, nothing much. I can handle it." Then, Adeline sensibly held Curtis''s hand, "I also can''t help you with your matter. I''m sorry. I really shouldn''t be so wilful ande here when I''m having a grievance." "No, you have the right to be wilful. Because you''re my wife. You don''t need to be so sensible. And I''m really happy that you cane to me when you''re having a grievance. Come on, tell me. Even if I can''t help you solve it, at least I can be a shoulder to cry on." Adeline was still hesitating, but Curtis added again. "Adeline, we''re husband and wife. I hope you can be honest with me instead of solving everything behind my back." Adeline nodded and told him the general story. The more Curtis listened to it, the darker his face became. He almost crushed the armrest of the leather sofa with one hand. The next moment, Curtis took Adeline into his arms once again, gently stroked the back of her head, preventing her from seeing his murderous expression. "You''re having a grievance." Just few simple words, Adeline satisfyingly curled the corners of her lips. She reached out to Curtis''s back and tightly hugged him around the waist. At this moment, she was a little fond of the warmth and gentleness in Curtis''s arms. She actually did not want much. At this time, she just wanted someone to say what she wanted to hear, but not always criticise her. After all, this was all caused by her family of origin. She was used and cursed since she was a child, which made her very insecure. After a long while, Curtis only asked, "Adeline, when u came, did you ever think about what do you need me to do for you?" Adeline faintly shook her head, "I''m already content that you can hug me like this." Curtis slightly pulled Adeline away, and seriously asked, "You think about it again. What''re you going to do with this matter? What can I do for you? Tell me, and I''ll see if I can help you." Curtis knew Adeline was not a canary in a cage. She might be aggrieved and flustered for a moment, but this was only temporary. She would have her own ideas after she calmed down. So he could not make decisions for Adeline, but to help her grow on the premise of respecting her. Of course, if Adeline was not ruthless enough, he would secretly make it up in the back! Let those bad guys get the revenge they deserved! Adeline understood the meaning in Curtis''s words. She calmed down and thought about it. "I want to find out exactly what video content the parents of ss A received." As soon as the voice fell, Adeline''s phone sounded with a "Ding". Adeline subconsciously opened her phone, and saw a video and voice message from Melissa. "Adeline, I''m so annoyed! I looked for a few parents that I know and asked the video from them. Have a look!" "But, don''t be angry! You just watch what exactly is going on, and we''ll find out the bastard behind this together!" Adeline replied with a word "Okay", and watched it with Curtis. She could vaguely see the gate of the Burton family''s vi in the background when she opened the video. Harriet Smith, a servant of the Burton family, was standing sideways, chatting with another woman, whom face could not be clearly seen. The quality of the video was not very good, and it was dark at that time. It seemed like a sneak shot, so it seemed like there was a high degree of authenticity. The woman surprisingly asked, "Is everything you said is true?" Harriet affirmed, "It''s absolutely true. I happened to be cleaning on the second floor that day! Adeline looks like a decent person, and she''s still a teacher in the key school, how could she do such a thing!" The woman echoed, "I know right! Then how did she lie to Mr. Baker?" Harriet contemptuouslyughed, "What else, just said there was student''s issues to discuss. I also heard Mr. Baker say that since it was about his child, then just talked about it in the living room." Then Adeline said the child''s file was kept in the room, and asked Mr. Baker toe to her room to see it. In the end, she seduced Mr. Baker when she got into the room. When I was cleaning the handrail on the second floor, I heard Mr. Baker loudly shouted, saying that you can''t do this! Ms. Burton, please be respectful!" Chapter 32 Cyber Libel Chapter 32 Cyber Libel Chapter 32 Cyber Libel The woman eximed "Ah", "My God, is this true?" Harriet nodded, "This can''t be false. I heard it with my own ears! Mr. Baker refused to be seduced by her, so she said in turn that he wanted to vite her, and even smashed Mr. Baker''s head with a vase, trying to force him to give in, saying that otherwise, she would call the police. In the end, Mr. Baker had no choice but to obey her." The woman spat to the side, "This is too disgusting! I didn''t expect Adeline, who looks so decent, will be so scheming in private!" Harriet, "I know right! I heard that Mr. Riley stalled her for three years and refused to marry her. Seeing that there was no hope of getting into a wealthy family, she immediately aimed Mr. Baker, and wanted to be Mrs. Baker." Thedy trembled, "If my child is studying in the ss of this kind of vixen, I would rather help my child to switch ss and transfer school! This kind of person will definitely destroy the rtionship of students'' parents and family." The video abruptly stopped here, and Adeline was trembling with anger. She knew Harriet! She had worked in her house for several years, and she would call her "Ms. Burton" every time she saw her. In this video, it was clearly intentional that she kept calling her "Adeline"! This video seemed like a sneak shot, but in fact, someone gave both of them a script and asked them to shoot ording to this. Every sentence was instructive! N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Especially thest word, it was basically inciting the parents of the students in the ss to switch ss! What made Adeline even more angry was that it was Mr. Baker who wanted to vite her, but it turned out that he was devoted and unyielding, while she failed in seduction, so she smashed him on the head. Could the person who made this video be any more shameless? Not to mention Adeline, Curtis was also very annoyed right now. He wished he could directly scatter the ashes of the people behind this at sea. After Adeline calmed down, she calmly said, "Harriet is probably not at our house now, she must be hiding. Honey, I want you to help me find out who sent such a video to the parents'' email. If we can find this person, I''ll call the police." "Okay." Curtis agreed. "Also, the person who made this video. Victoria called me just now, bluntly saying that she wanted to destroy me. But I keep feeling that Victoria is not the only one behind this. If you can, check it out for me. I want to sue them for defamation!" "Okay. I''ll ask some of my close connections from the past to check it out for you." "Then thank you honey." As soon as the voice fell, Adeline''s phone rang. It was Heather! Jacob''s ex-fianc¨¦e asked her to meet up at a nearby cafe. Seeing that the location was not far away, Adeline agreed. Curtis was worried about her. Before he could speak, Adeline patted him on the shoulder. "Don''t worry, I''m not a dodder, I''m not that weak! I can handle it. And Ms. Roti has never been hostile to me before." Curtis nodded, but still asked Steffen to secretly protect her in the end. After Adeline left the office, the aura around Curtis immediately cooled down. The long eyes behind the gold-rimmed sses were serious and fierce. There was a nip in the air. ... Adeline left the office building and directly walked to the coffee shop across the street. After a while, Heather appeared. She nced at Adeline, "I know everything about the incident in school. Adeline, are you okay?" Adeline was slightly taken aback. She had thought that Heather might embarrass her because of the separation from Jacob, but never thought that she would express care to her. "To be honest, I''m not good, I''m very helpless, but I''ll find a way to solve it." Heather nodded in agreement, "Your reaction is beyond my expectation. But, Adeline, the incident could be worse than you think. I believe in your personality, and I also believe that Mr. Baker''s incident is definitely not like what''s said in the video, butizens don''t believe it." "Netizens?" Adeline frowned. Heather nodded, "It''s exactly what you think! A parent uploaded the video online, and now it''s all over the Inte. In addition to the fact that you were voted out the second ce for the outstanding teacherpetition in your district area, the wholework is now libellous. Some people said that you used Mr. Baker to get votes for you. There are also people said that... there are many other men behind you. In short, it sounds harsh." Adeline pulled a long face. She already thought that being an influential female teacher was not a good thing before, but she did not expect it to be involved with this incident! She opened her phone, and as expected, she saw several inte links that Melissa sent to her. Almost all of those links below were insulting her! [God, this kind of outstanding teacher, I can''t digest.] [If my child is in her ss, I''ll immediately switch ss.] [I heard she was driven by parents from ss A, the top ss, to ss C, thest ss in the whole grade!] [But isn''t this going to scourge the male parents of ss C?!] [It''s rmended that this female teacher to be disqualified from the outstanding teacher award!] [It''s disgusting, the scum of the faculty, quickly get out of the school!] [Right, don''t affront the pure territory of the school!] [Cheap woman! Quickly go and die! This kind of mistress, go out and get into a car ident and die!] ... Adeline took a deep breath to calm down. She had thought thatizens would be nasty, but she did not expect it to be so bad! "Adeline,e to my Gold Academy!" Heather took the initiative to offer an olive branch, "In this case, it''ll be very difficult for you in school. So what if you justify yourself? Since ancient times, few women could prove their innocence when they were being ndered. What those people say behind your back is enough be a stab at your heart." "To your academy?" Adeline slightly frowned. She had heard about Heather opened her own academy before. And Heather had privately asked for her advices. She seemed to have heard from the parents that Gold Academy was extremely expensive, but it was extremely difficult to get in. Many people had to pull strings to get into Gold Academy. "Well, Gold Academy is now one of the best elite tuition academies in Prodiff." Heather very proudly said. She had been optimistic about the field of "education" for a long time. She opened this private tutoring academy three years ago, and soon became famous, bing the exclusive tutoring academy in the wealthy circle. Adeline hesitantly looked at Heather, "Are you sure you want to invite me to your tutoring academy? About Jacob..." Before she could finish, Heather continued, "I don''t take Jacob''s matter to heart. Adeline, let me be honest with you, I don''t have feelings for Jacob. But really nothing went wrong when Jacob was with me. Sometimes I also think that maybe I''ll just settle my entire life like this. But I''m grateful to you, for telling me who he really is, no matter what the purpose was. It makes me shudder at the thought of almost spending the rest of my life with such a man. Adeline, I agree with your words, a woman who marries the wrong person may have to pay the price for a lifetime. So, I thank you. I also really recognise your talent before inviting you, and definitely not to get revenge on you. " When Adeline was still hesitating, Sophia called. As soon as the phone was connected, it was a harsh scolding. "Adeline, where are you? How dare you skip work! Do you realise the impact of what you''re doing is very bad! You''re a teacher, you can''t just skip ss whenever you feel emotional!" "Ms. Adams! I''ve looked at the ss schedule of ss C. I''ve already finished Literature ss in the morning, and then there will be no Literature ss, so I apply for leave! Moreover, I''ve got permission from Chen, who''s in charge of attendance, and also asked Melissa to submit the leave application form for me. I''m not absent for no reason." Sophia choked, then immediately saved her face and said, "Let me know next time." "Okay, Ms. Adams, I understand." Then, Adeline hung up the phone. Heather shrugged at her: "Look, this is your current situation. Adeline, consider about it,e and help me. The sry will be five times of your current sry! And this is just the beginning, there will be considerable bonuses in the future." "Five times?" "Yes!" Heather nodded. Adeline nced at the phone, hesitated for a while, and had already decided when she looked up again, with a firm look! Chapter 33 Not Difficult, But Unfortunate Chapter 33 Not Difficult, But Unfortunate Chapter 33 Not Difficult, But Unfortunate Before Adeline could say anything, a woman from the side came rushing with a steaming cup of coffee. "Watch out!" Heather''s body trembled as she was about to pick up the menu to block the sshing coffee. However, that woman was taken down by Steffen, who had rushed over. Steffen held the woman by the back of her neck, with one hand pressing her down on the ground. The woman struggled in an embarrassed state. "Let me go! I want to ssh this woman! I want to kill her! It''s because of shameless mistresses like her that my boyfriend broke up with me!" As soon as the woman finished her words, everyone in the entire coffee shop turned their heads to look at them. Some people even took out their phones to record videos. Adeline stood upright, her face calm and unruffled, showing no signs of embarrassment. She looked at the woman on the ground and sternly said, "Miss, please stop ndering me. I am not a mistress." "You are not? If that''s the case, why do people online say such things about you? You shameless bitch!" A cold smile tugged at the corner of Adeline''s mouth, "Does what people say online always have to be true? Can you guarantee that the video on the inte wasn''t deliberately made by someone with ulterior motives? It''s all hearsay, and someone like you will undoubtedly pay the price for your actions." The woman on the ground''s face changed slightly at her words, "What... what do you want to do?" In fact, she was just heartbroken and had been bitterly mocked by a wealthy and influential mistress. Feeling powerless to retaliate, she simply wanted to vent her anger on Adeline. "Call the police," Adeline said lightly, but her gaze was resolute. "The inte is full of rumors. If everyone believes in the instigation of rumors to harm others, the order of society would definitely descend into chaos. An adult should have basic judgment about things. Acting impulsively and intentionally hurting others, infringing upon their rights, will undoubtedly be subject to legal consequences." The woman being held down refused to yield and continued to struggle, "Is it worth calling the police for such a trivial matter? You''re just wasting police resources!" "But have you ever considered what would happen if that scalding cup of coffee sshed on my face and disfigured me?" "Well... the coffee wasn''t that hot. I... tried it! You... you''re making a big deal out of nothing! The police won''t even bother with such a minor issue." The woman on the ground grew more frantic as she spoke. In reality, she hadn''t actually tested the temperature of the coffee and had no idea how hot it was. But now she was starting to feel a bit scared. What if she really ended up disfiguring the woman in front of her? She couldn''t afford the consequences even if it meant losing everything she had! The woman who had sshed the coffee felt a tinge of regret, realizing she had acted too impulsively. Meanwhile, Adeline''s expression turned colder, "Yeah, from the perspective of you perpetrators, sending funeral wreath is no big deal. You didn''t harm anyone! Saying a few insults on the inte is nothing! Just a few curses, that''s all! Throwing a cup of coffee, just to embarrass the other person in public, not with the intention of disfiguring them. But us victims, why can''t we let it go? Perpetrators can never truly understand the pain inflicted by their words and actions." The woman on the ground felt a bitter taste in her mouth, as if countless ps werending on her face in the air. After a long while, she reluctantly apologized. "I''m sorry, I... I was cheated on and in a bad mood, so I took it out on you. It was my fault. Can you please not call the police?" "I can''t. Everyone must face the consequences of their actions! Including those who spread rumors on the inte!" With those words, Adeline dialed the police number right in front of the people recording, and briefly exined what had happened. Soon enough, police officers arrived and took the woman causing the disturbance away. Apanied by Steffen, Adeline went to the police station to give her statement and cooperate with the investigation. Before leaving, she looked at Heather earnestly. "Ms. Roti, thank you for the invitation. Your offer sounded tempting. But if I retreat and hide somewhere else whenever I face difficulties, pretending the problem doesn''t exist, I... I don''t think I can ever forgive myself. So, Ms. Roti, for now, I can''t join your tutoring center. If I really decide to leave the school in the future, we can cooperate then." "Alright, but don''t call me Ms. Roti. Call me Heather when we meet next time." Adeline nodded and got into Steffen''s car. As the car pulled up in front of the police station, Adeline spotted another familiar vehicle. It was the car from the old house. She furrowed her brows, and saw the driver open the door and push Curtis out. Adeline was taken aback, "What are you doing here?" Curtis grabbed her hand and asked seriously, "If my wife came to the police station, how could I not come?" Adeline chuckled, teasingly, "Well, isn''t Steffen here too?" "Steffen is Steffen, and I am me! Can''tpare the two," Curtis''s voice carried a hint of annoyance. Adeline felt her heart fill up with warmth, "Alright, alright. If you want toe, thene. I was just worried it might be troublesome for you." "I will never find your matters troublesome." With that, Curtis apanied Adeline into the police station to give their statements, and then he escorted her back to her apartment to rest. It had been a rollercoaster of emotions throughout the day, and Adeline was feeling a bit exhausted. Sheid down on the soft bed and soon drifted off to sleep, feelingfortable. Meanwhile, Owen wasn''t having such a rxing time. He climbed up his pine tree at home and nervously made a call to Max. "M... Max, help... help me..." "What happened?" the man on the other end of the phone had a steady tone. "The General... that damn Curtis actually brought the General to my house." Owen clung tightly to the trunk of the pine tree, looking at the Tibetan mastiff barking relentlessly on the ground, trembling with fear. Everyone knew that the General, raised by Curtis, was the most ferocious in Prodiff. It was like his owner, refusing to cooperate. The old housekeeper had given it plenty of delicious food, but it didn''t eat a single bite. "I can''t help with that," Max replied in a t tone. "And by the way, how did you offend Curtis? As far as I know, he hasn''t let the General out for a long time." "I... I just kicked him and made him kneel!" "Just kicked him and made him kneel, huh," Max said in deep thought before hanging up the phone. Owen, "..." Unwilling to give up, Owen called Curtis again. This time, Curtis, who had just left the police station, answered. As soon as the call connected, he was met with Owen''s roar. "Curtis, what''s your deal? You''re betraying me! Do you believe that I will tell my sister-inw your leg was fine? You deceived her." "Dare you." Just two casual words, and Owen instantly shut up. After a moment of silence, Owen spoke up with a hint of grievance, "Curtis, I was just trying to maintain your image." "I know." "You know? You know and still let your dog bite me!" Owen''s voice grew louder. Curtis responded with a deep tone, "There are many ways to maintain an image, but you chose the worst one." Feeling wronged, Owen almost wanted to cry. "You know the situation was urgent at that time!" "I don''t care." Owen''s mouth twitched as he retorted, "What if I hadn''t intervened just now? What if I watched you fall off the horse?" "Then you would be in big trouble. If I''m not happy, you won''t be either." Owen, "..." "I know it''s difficult for you to stay in the tree a bit longer. Tomorrow morning, I''ll have Steffene to pick up the General." Owen instantly lost any affection, "It''s not a matter of difficulty, I''m simply unlucky." Curtis hung up the phone, a faint smile appeared on his lips. He felt relieved now. In the next instant, Steffen''s call came in. "Mr. Riley, Mr. Baker wants to talk to you." "Okay." Almost within a second, Curtis''s expression turned dark, grinding his teeth.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Chapter 34 Curtis Wanted to Be a Good Citizen Chapter 34 Curtis Wanted to Be a Good Citizen Chapter 34 Curtis Wanted to Be A Good Citizen In the hospital room... When Mr. Baker saw Curtis, he instinctively moved back towards the window and pointed at him, saying, "You-you stay right there, don''te any closer." Curtis sat in the wheelchair, his well-defined joints resting on the bridge of his nose with his gold- rimmed sses. He smirked darkly and said, "Weren''t you the one who wanted to see me?" "You don''t need to get too close," Mr. Baker swallowed nervously, trembling. "You... you... don''t think I''m afraid of you! Jacob told me about how Mr. Doyle kicked you. He said you''re nothing special, just a bodyguard who knows how to fight and has a reputation to bluff people." "No need to waste words. Tell me, what do you want?" "I want to make a deal with you!" Mr. Baker shrunk his neck in fear and continued, "I don''t mean any harm. I just want to protect myself." "Protect yourself? By tarnishing my wife''s reputation? I thought you wanted to die more quickly." Curtis''s voice was chilling, making Mr. Baker feel as if a sharp knife was gently grazing his neck. It frightened him, and he shivered uncontrobly. "I... I know you''re investigating my ounts! Anyway, I can go out and issue a statement, saying that it''s all a misunderstanding. Adeline is innocent. But the condition is... you have to let me go. You can''t report me!" "Oh? Is that what you call a deal?" Curtis sneered with a hint of contempt in his eyes. "Yes!" Mr. Baker responded hastily. His bulky body moved slightly as he instinctively picked up the tablemp beside the bed for self-defense, "Let me tell you, no matter how you try to clear her name, it won''t work!" "Once this woman is stained by bad words, no amount of rification will change that!" "Don''t underestimate these rumors. In ancient times, there were so many women who couldn''t bear it and just jumped into the river." Curtis''s expression turned extremely cold upon hearing this, and his voice squeezed out hardly through his clenched teeth. "That''s others! My wife is not that kind of person! You people just manipte women''s emotions to set up this trap, don''t you?" "Mr. Baker didn''t directly admit it, "Believe it or not, it''s up to you! The person involved needs to come out and exin for it to make any difference." "As long as I''m willing to step forward, and that maid admits she deliberately said those things for attention, this whole thing will blow over." N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. "Right now, that maid was at my disposal, and you won''t be able to find her! Only if you make a deal with me can you find her." "Well, go ahead and give it a try. There''s no one under the sun that I, Curtis, can''t find." With that, Curtis raised his hand, signaling Steffen to push him away. His patience had run out, and he didn''t want to continue the conversation with an idiot. Mr. Baker panicked when he saw Curtis about to leave. "Hey, don''t go! We can still negotiate! Here''s the deal, I''ll help clear Adeline''s name and give you one million dor. Just spare me." Curtis didn''t respond, his expression indifferent as if the one million in Mr. Baker''s mouth was as insignificant as ten bucks. "Two million! That''s the highest I can go! As long as you don''t make me go to prison, I''ll give you all my wealth!" Mr. Baker became anxious and jumped off the bed, blocking Curtis''s path. Curtis stared at Mr. Baker as if he were looking at a dead man, "I don''t need the money. I''m easy to talk to as long as you don''t cross my bottom line. But my wife is my bottom line. Even if you gave me a billion, it would be useless." Mr. Baker was terrified, and dropped to his knees. Even though Jacob said that Curtis didn''t have the power to dominate, this person''s natural aura was enough to make him shiver. Mr. Baker swallowed nervously and quickly begged for mercy, "Mr. Riley, I was ignorant and foolish. It was my messed-up mind that made me believe that woman''s words." "A woman?" Mr. Baker hurriedly exined the whole phone call incident. After hearing the whole story and considering the timing of the phone call, Curtis couldn''t help but understand everything. It was indeed a tactic that Victoria woulde up with! Curtis ignored Mr. Baker kneeling on the ground and had Steffen push him away directly. Along the way, with a deep gaze, Curtis spoke up, "Steffen, it seems like my sister-inw has around two million deposited outside, lending money at high interest." "Yeah." "Shut down that private lendingpany." Curtis''s lips curled into a harmless smile. "Got it." Steffen responded and went to handle it. Within half hour, Steffen reported that the lendingpany had been shut down after calling the police. Curtis nodded in satisfaction and made a phone call to Victoria. When Victoria received the call, she was taken aback. "Well, well, Curtis, what wind blew you here to call your sister-inw? Are you begging for mercy, hoping I''ll spare Adeline?" Victoria paused and let out a coldugh, "Only you cherish Adeline so much. Neither the Burton family nor I want her. Now you''re picking up my unwanted daughter-inw and using her..." Before she could finish her words, Curtis interrupted her. "Victoria, you know about Bold Axe, right?" The smile on Victoria''s face froze instantly. Thatpany was owned by her distant rtive and had exorbitant interest rates. She wouldn''t dare to invest in a regrpany, but because it belonged to a rtive, she secretly put her money there. Now, why would Curtis suddenly bring up thispany? "Curtis, what do you want to do?" "I want to be a good citizen." "A good citizen?" Victoria was utterly confused. Curtis smiled, "I heard that this Bold Axe is engaging in high-interest loans. As a good citizen, I reported it. The people in thepany have been arrested, and their assets are frozen. I guess your investment has gone down the drain." "Curtis, you-" Victoria was too furious to find the right words! The thought of that two million dor made her heart bleed! "This two million dor is just me giving my sister-inw a little lesson. Don''t think you can bully my people. If it happens again, it won''t be as simple as two million dor." With that, Curtis ended the call decisively. At the right moment, Adeline just woke up and saw Curtis''s faint smile, not understanding what was going on. "What''s going on? Do you have good news?" Curtis nodded with a warm smile, "Yeah, they''ve already tracked down the whereabouts of the maid who framed you. The police should find her soon." "Really?" Adeline rarely showed a relieved smile. It wouldn''t matter much if Aunt Sarah was found by them! People on the inte might im that they coerced a confession. But if the police found her and announced the results after the investigation, the effect would be different! At that moment, Melissa also sent a message to Adeline, "Adeline, someone posted about your incident at the caf¨¦ on the inte. The attitude ofizens towards you is starting to change! Adeline quickly clicked on the link sent by Melissa and found that thements below were mostly fair. "This teacher doesn''t look guilty at all. It doesn''t feel like what was rumored before!" "Yeah! Regardless of anything, we really shouldn''t let these kind of people off lightly! They easily resort to online harassment, and it even escted to offline attacks! No matter how minor the situation, we should make these people face the consequences!" "Let more people see this. Adults should be ountable for their actions!" "I think this teacher probably didn''t seduce that Mr. Baker, otherwise, would she dare to report it to the police?" "From what I know, she even filed a police report requesting an investigation into the people defaming her online." "Currently, the Teacher Competition Committee has also stated that the incident is still under investigation, and they won''t cancel the teacher''s qualification for now. Let''s all watch the situation calmly!" "Ha, did you all receive benefits from that woman? Coming here to help whitewash her! She''s driven the son of that director to run away from home and even contemte suicide!" "Suicide? No way? This has blown up so much!" When Adeline saw these twoments, her pupils suddenly contracted. Was it Billy? Did Billy run away from home? The next second, Leah called. As soon as the call connected, she started yelling. "Adeline Burton-if something happens to Billy, it won''t be over between us! I want you to pay with your life!" Chapter 35 Found Billys Shoes by the River - Was Billy Dead? Chapter 35 Found Billy''s Shoes by the River - Was Billy Dead? Chapter 35 Found Billy''s Shoes by the River - Was Billy Dead? "Billy? What happened to Billy?" Adeline''s heart raced with nervousness, as if it might leap out of her chest. "He left a letter and ran away from home!" Leah cried in distress. Adeline hung up the phone and quickly got out of bed, "No, I have to go out and find him." "Don''t worry. I''ll have Steffen ask some old friends for help," reassured Curtis in a warm tone. Adeline nced at him and nodded. Then, she quickly freshened up before grabbing her bag and leaving. Soon, news of Billy running away from home spread like wildfire in the local area. The whole city began live-streaming the search for him simultaneously. Many media outlets saw the opportunity for attention and started live-streaming while searching for him using their phones. Most of them had no specific purpose in their search, looking for Billy in major shopping areas, snack shops, and inte cafes. Some people went to the seaside, riverbanks, andkes in search of him. There were even self-media bloggers who, in order to attract attention, deliberately ced a pair of worn-out cloth shoes by the river, iming they didn''t know if they belonged to Billy. For a moment, the live-streaming once again sparked concerns about the child''s safety among the public. At the same time, the online attacks against Adeline reached a new level. "Adeline Burton should die!" "How can someone like this be a teacher!" "They''re not just misleading the younger generation, they''re causing harm! If that studentmits suicide, I suggest putting Adeline Burton in jail!" "Exactly! An eye for an eye!" "This kind of teacher is truly malicious! I bet she forced her son to die just to marry Mr. Baker, so there would be no one left to fight over the inheritance!" "Oh my god! This woman is terrifying!" "Let''s all sign a petition together and report her to the education board, so that this teacher can''t work in any educational institution in Prodiff anymore!" "Alright, count me in!" ... The onlinements grew increasingly intense, with some even iming that Billy had already died. There were evenizens organizing candlelight vigils online to mourn Billy. While searching for Billy, Adeline also kept an eye on the online trends, hoping to find any self- media outlets that had discovered his whereabouts. As she witnessed the information circting online bing more and more mysterious, she grew increasingly anxious. However, what worried her even more was when she privately contacted the parents of several students who were close friends with Billy. The parents all reported that these children hadn''t returned home! Including Billy, a total of ten students were missing! Taking a deep breath, Adeline forced herself to calm down. She racked her brain, trying to recall the ces where Billy might have gone. Billy was an excellent student with a pure heart, and he usually didn''t like ces like inte cafes... Suddenly, Adeline had a sh of insight. In her mind, she saw the scene where Billy hade to see her, holding something. At that time, Billy had mentioned that his favorite mythical creature was the "Lateril", which he believed symbolized fairness and justice. He had asked, "Teacher, do we have a sculpture of Lateril in Prodiff? I think it''s really cool, and I want to touch it and take a photo with it." "Yes, we do. I remember going to the old City Museum often when I was a child. There were many cement sculptures of mythical creatures on the tform on the fourth floor, including Lateril. But that old City Museum is abandoned now, and I''m not sure if those sculptures are still there." ... Her recollection abruptly stopped, and Adeline''s body jolted. "Yes, Billy might have gone to the old City Museum." She quickly hailed a taxi by the roadside. Before she could even get in the car, several self-media influencers noticed her presence. "Quick, look! Isn''t that the famous female inte celebrity teacher?" "Yeah, it''s her!" Several self-media individuals, holding their phones for selfies, swarmed towards her as if they had just stumbled upon a jackpot of views. "Ms. Burton, where are you headed?" "Ms. Burton, is it true that Billy is dead?" "There are rumors online that Billy''s body was dismembered. Is that true?" "Ms. Burton, do you feel guilty about Billy?" "What does Mr. Baker think about Billy''s disappearance?" These self-media individuals transformed themselves into reporters, bombarding Adeline with sharp questions. Several microphones nearly smacked her in the face. "Could you please step aside? I have something important to attend to," Adeline said, annoyed, trying to get into the car. But the self-media people kept pestering her, refusing to let go.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. In the next moment, a woman in ck athletic attire, around twenty-five years old, with a rather cold expression, rushed out from nearby. She swiftly pushed aside the self-media individuals and signaled to Adeline, "Get in the car quickly." "Thank you." Adeline nodded at the "kind person" and swiftly got into the taxi. Some of the self-media individuals, seeing her hastily entering the car, quickly hailed their own taxis and chased after her. The "kind person" who was sent by Curtis to protect Adeline also hurriedly drove after them. Soon, Adeline arrived at the old City Museum in the taxi. As soon as she got out of the car, she faintly heard the voices of studentsing from the fourth- floor tform, and they sounded familiar. They were probably her former students. A smile tugged at the corner of Adeline''s mouth. Just as she was about to take a step towards the City Museum, she heard the sound of car doors closing behind her, one after another. Someone eximed, "Quick, look! There''s a student up there!" "Hurry up, take out your equipment and start filming!" "Yes, yes, let''s livestream it right away!" Adeline looked up and her heart almost stopped in fear. Ten students had climbed onto the elevated sculpture of Lateril in mid-air! On the fourth-floor open tform of this old City Museum, there were numerous cement-made statues of mythical creatures. However, only the statue of Lateril was designed on a small tform about ten meters above the main tform, as if it weremanding the other creatures below. The small tform was extremely narrow, and once the ten students stood on it, there was hardly any extra space for movement. At this moment, a self-media person shouted from below, "Kids, are you trying tomit suicide? Did you n toe here andmit suicide together?" Upon hearing this, Adeline''s eyes shed with anger. She walked up to the self-media person and stared fiercely at him. "Sir, would you please shut up! Are you inciting my students tomit suicide? You haven''t even investigated the facts, so how dare you ask such a question! They are all outstanding students, and your words are nothing but nder! I am their teacher, and I won''t allow anyone to maliciously defame my students!" The self-media man felt a bit embarrassed after being scolded like that. But that was how their line of work worked, exaggerating and fear-mongering to attract attention. He muttered quietly, "Well... I was just asking... I didn''t say they actually wanted tomit suicide." As his voice fell, the students on the small tform began to speak up one after another. "Don''te up here." "That''s right! Don''te up, or we''ll jump down." Upon hearing this, Adeline''s face darkened, and she looked at each familiar student in disbelief. Meanwhile, the self-media guy who had just been confronted suddenly grew more defiant, "See, they''re here tomit suicide as a group! It''s because you, their teacher, didn''t teach them well!" In no time, the entire inte started to criticize Adeline relentlessly. Chapter 36 Those Were Ten Lives Chapter 36 Those Were Ten Lives Chapter 36 Those Were Ten Lives N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "That was ten students! Ten lives!" "Let''s see how Adeline is going to pay for it!" "Call the police! Call the police and the fire department!" "Please, God. Bless all these students!" "It''s too dangerous! Hope those kids won''t fall off!" ...... More and more self-media rushed to the scene and started live broadcasting those children on the tform. "A total of ten children, ten lives. What made them rush here tomit suicide?" "What kind of teacher will force all these lovely children to kill themselves? I am Lewis Day. Please follow me, everyone. I will continue to share the high-definition live broadcasts on the spot with you." ...... Adeline looked at all those self-media reporters who were talking one after another, she was so angry. She grabbed the microphone of the nearest person and yelled at them. "Shut up! I''m the in-charge here!" "None of my students will die!" "I believe in them!" "They are positive-minded kids!" "They won''t kill themselves!" "I repeat! My students will not kill themselves." Adeline''s voice was resounding and she looked determined. All the media who were present were silenced for a few seconds after being yelled at. At the same time, Billy walked carefully to the position of the beast''s head and looked at the people below. "Ms. Burton, if they want to record, let them do it. I owe you an exnation and I owe you a justification." "Billy..." Adeline looked up at him. She found a 10-year-old child who had grown up overnight. Adeline suddenly felt distressed. "You all are doing live broadcasting, right? Come on, shoot me. I am Mr. Baker''s son, and my name is Billy Baker. If you like to do live broadcasting so much, then shoot me!" After he finished speaking, Billy''s mother and several other parents also arrived at the scene. Seeing Billy standing on the high tform, Billy''s mother was so frightened that she couldn''t feel her legs. She tried to calm down and coaxed him in a soft voice, "Billy, don''t be too hard on yourself. I will listen to you, okay? Please be good ande down... Sob sob sob..." In thetter part, Billy''s mother broke down in tears. Other parents of several students also coaxed their children not to be impulsive. Billy smiled and said, "You all don''t know us as well as Ms. Burton. We will notmit suicide. We just want to express our thoughts." "Yes!" "That''s it!" "Ms. Burton believes in us, and we won''t do stupid things to disappoint her." "Yes, we just want you all and those ignorant people on the Inte to listen to our voice." ...... Billy raised his hand, and several students fell silent. He looked down at the cameras that were pointing at him one by one and said, "Let me go first. Ms. Burton, I like you very much." "You are the best teacher I have ever met. You taught me a lot of interesting knowledge that I couldn''t get in textbooks." "I like mythological stories. I know there are some notes that you don''t understand yourself. But whenever I ask you, you will try to search for a lot of information, take notes, and then share them with me. I really like you." "You neverugh at what I like. You aren''t like my parents who alwaysin about me reading useless books." "But my mother doesn''t like you. She said you have too little homework for us. She wants to drive you away." "I saw that she incited other parents in the parent group to transfer you to another ss. I was very sad, but I couldn''t stop anything." At the same time, Billy''s mother, who only hoped that Billy was safe and sound, hurriedly voiced out, "Billy, I was wrong. As long as youe down, I will listen to you." "No!" Billy refused, "I haven''t finished talking yet. I''m sorry, Ms. Burton. I''m guilty. So, today I''m here to ask the Lateril, who represents fairness and justice to forgive me." After a pause, Billy continued. "That day... I overheard a conversation between my father and an uncle. That uncle was Ms. Burton''s brother." "Ms. Burton''s brother always wanted to give her away to my father. He gave my father a very bad idea. He suggested that as long my father has that kind of thing done to Ms. Burton in her home, even if Ms. Burton called the police, she couldn''t exin why she invited the parents of the students to her house!" "After my father found out that I was eavesdropping, he asked me if I liked Ms. Burton and if would I like to let her be my mother. At that time, I hesitated." "Then, my father said, if he married Ms. Burton, I could have two mothers who loved me, and that Ms. Burton could also tell me many interesting stories at home. I nodded after that." Billy''s mother who was standing down there gritted her teeth angrily. "You are such a bastard, Kevin! Why don''t you go to die?" At the same time, Billy who was on the high tform lowered his head, and his tear fell onto the ground. "Ms. Burton, I''m sorry. After school that day, I actually wanted to tell you about my dad''s conspiracy! But I hesitated for a long time, and I didn''t tell you." Adeline''s eyes turned slightly red. She recalled the scene after school that day, where Billy did look for her and he hesitated. In the end, he ran away without saying anything. Billy took a breath of snot and continued, "I feel terrible. Today, I saw my mother beating you in the corridor. I knew all the truth. I knew that my mother was instigating everyone to drive you out of ss A, but I didn''t say anything." "Ms. Burton, I''m so sorry. After finished school, I heard from other parents that everyone scolded you online, and some people even asked you to die. I''m very sad and guilty." "I don''t know how to clear your name. So, my ssmates and I posted on the Inte. But those anti-fans were so crazy. They were able to overwrite our posts so quickly." "So, we came to find Lateril. I remember that Lateril represents fairness and justice. Today, in front of my favorite Lateril statue, I want to clear my teacher''s name and ask for justice." After Billy finished speaking, a girl who usually liked Adeline also spoke. "Yes, Ms. Burton is a great teacher! We love Ms. Burton, and we don''t want to change to other teachers!" Right after that, other students spoke the same too. "Ms. Burton is not the bad teacher that the parents say!" "Yes, Ms. Burton is not a bad person! Ms. Burton has sacrificed a lot for us!" "Ms. Burton also makes individual files for each of us, which record our strengths, learning advantages, and areas for improvement!" "I like Ms. Burton!" "Ms. Burton is our favorite teacher!" "I don''t want Ms. Burton to leave!" ...... Several children cried and spoke their minds. At the same time, theizens who were watching the live broadcast fell silent. At the scene, the sincere and affirmative voices of the children also made Adeline burst into tears instantly. She pursed her lips and closed her eyes. She felt that all her hard work was valued! Soon after, the firefighters came with the air cushions. It was ced on the tform on the fourth floor to prevent the children from stepping on the air and falling when they came down from the ladder. After everything was ready, Adeline looked at the ten students and began to call their names one by one. "Billy Baker!" "Yes!" "Gabby Kelly" "Yes!" "Maria Harris" "Yes!" ...... "Ten of you,e down now!" Adeline ordered with a teacher''s stance, "Be careful! Make sure no one is left behind!" "Roger that!" The children responded loudly in unison, and afternding on the ground one after another, they all ran over and hugged Adeline. "Ms. Burton, we don''t want you to go." With teary eyes, Adeline patted those children''s heads. All the self-media presented were faintly moved by this scene. Many people took the initiative toe to Adeline to apologize. "Ms. Burton, I''m sorry." "Ms. Burton, it''s our fault." "Sorry." ...... After that, those children were brought home by their parents one after another. It was only Billy there and he was standing there and looking at Adeline. "Ms. Burton, will you forgive me?" Chapter 37 Wanted to Visit Adelines House? Youd Get a Slap in the Face Chapter 37 Wanted to Visit Adeline''s House? You''d Get a p in the Face Chapter 37 Wanted to Visit Adeline''s House? You''d Get a p in the Face As soon as he finished speaking, Billy''s mother rushed over angrily and pped him on the back of the head. "You... You are such a traitor! You support the outsiders! Do you know that you just exposed your father''s true color in front of so many people, and you will ruin him!" Billy looked unyieldingly at his mother after being beaten. "No, I just want to be a person who keeps his conscience! I would rather pick up my father at the prison and see him reform than regret why I didn''t tell the truth every night." Billy''s mother was taken aback, her face was full of surprise as if she didn''t believe such words woulde from a ten-year-old child. "Your dad... Your dad...actually..." Billy''s mother wanted to restore the father''s image in her child''s mind, but she couldn''t say a word. "Mom, you don''t have to lie to me anymore. You know better than me what kind of person my dad is." "I''m not an idiot either. I can see it myself if I pay more attention to him." "Mom, you always tell me that Dad and you got a fake divorce to buy another house." "You said you and Dad would remarry again. But what I know is that my father took me to several women''s houses. I hate to have a father like that. Every time I go with him, I feel sick." Billy''s mother suddenly widened her eyes when she heard those words, "What did you say?" She was so shocked that her voice broke out! "He takes you to his mistresses'' houses every weekend? On your visiting days?" "Dad never takes me to the park. I suggested going to the Science and Technology Museum, but he was impatient. Several times he took me to the houses of different women who I didn''t know. He will leave me in the living room and go upstairs with the woman..." Upon hearing that, Billy''s mother staggered back a few steps. She looked shocked. She couldn''t bear it anymore! Her child''s father actually had an affair in front of her child! "Kevin Baker, you bastard! As you make your bed, so you must lie in it! I want to report you! I want you to go to jail!" Billy''s mother was holding his hand tightly and emotionally, she was about to go home to prepare the report materials, but Billy stood where he was. He looked at Adeline and asked again stubbornly. "Ms. Burton, will you forgive me? Will Lateril forgive me?" Adeline walked up to Billy, squatted down, and looked at him. "Billy, I hope that you can remember what I say today." Billy nodded. "I hope that in the future, you will not easily forgive anybody who has hurt you and apologize to you." In a sudden, Billy''s eyes suddenly dimmed. "I can''t show you a bad example. Some injuries mean to be hurtful. When you are hurt and you feel very ufortable, even if the other party apologizes, you can still choose not to forgive that person. Do you understand?" Billy didn''t seem to understand but he nodded his head. "And some people who have hurt you, even if they apologize, may still hurt you again. I hope that you will not easily believe in other people''s apologies." Billy lowered his head and whispered, "But... I won''t hurt you again, Ms. Burton. Adeline stroked his head and said, "I know. Therefore, I forgive you." Billy looked up in surprise and disbelief. He asked, "Are you sure?" "Yes." Adeline nodded, "Because it is difficult for a child like you to make a correct judgment after you know your father''s secret, so I forgive you." "But the person who took the coffee and threw it at me was an adult. She is fully capable to judge her behavior. So I won''t forgive her." "Billy, you are doing so great. You are so brave with what you have said today. I forgive you, and the Lateril will also feel that you are standing in the line with him in terms of fairness and justice." Billy and Adeline looked up at the tall Lateril sculpture together and smiled. Billy exhaled a long breath and left with his mother without any psychological burden. Soon after, thements on the Inte also changed drastically. "The wholework owes this teacher an apology!" "Yes, where are those anti-fans? Why don''t they show up and apologize?" "Look, the servant who spread the rumor is arrested by the police." "Yes, I saw it just now, and said that some bureau chief promised to give her son a job, which made her spread those rumors." "It''s so cool! Mr. Baker''s ex-wife also submitted the report materials. Mr. Bakers is waiting to go to jail for corruption!" "By the way, didn''t the kid, Billy say that Ms. Burton''s brother seems to have given her away to Mr. Baker? He is such a scumbag. Why has no one exposed his identity on the Inte?" "Yes, quickly share his identity on the Inte. So that this scumbag can hardly move in Prodiff and will be unable to harm other women!" "The most beautiful teacher! Not only looking beautiful but also kind-hearted. She is amazing!" "Please pardon me for asking this. Does Ms. Burton have a boyfriend?" "Ms. Burton is simply the goddess of my dreams. She is so beautiful and has such a good temperament." ...... The reviews on the inte improved. At the same time, the voting channel for the teacher election in that time zone had also ended. Thepetitionmittee, who already knew the result earlier also took advantage of the situation and announced the top three of the outstanding teachers'' teachingpetition in that district. Among them, Adeline''s name was at the top of the list. Many teachers in the school sent voice notes to congratte her in the group chat. "Adeline, congrattions!" "Ms. Burton, congrattions!" "Adeline, the meal is on your this time!" "That''s right, Ms. Burton. What about today? Tomorrow will be Saturday. Why don''t we buy some barbeque ingredients and go to your house for a gathering? We can also celebrate your wedding and your winning in the district teacherpetition as the first prize." Adeline was startled when she heard that voice message, and subconsciously looked at Curtis, "My colleague wants toe to our house, is that okay?" Curtis smiled softly, "Of course. Mrs. Riley, you can make the call. If you want them toe, just invite them. You don''t have to ask me. You are the owner of the real estate." The corner of Adeline''s mouth raised slightly, "Okay, I will ask them toe. Melissa has been moring toe too. I''m worried that you like to be quiet and don''t like too much noise." "It doesn''t matter. As long as it is rted to you, I can ept it." After a pause, Curtis added, "Let theme directly tomorrow. We will prepare the food." "Okay." Adeline opened her WhatsApp and was about to reply. Then, she saw the message from Sophia in the group. "Yes, Ms. Burton. Since everyone wants to go to your house to see your newlywed husband, why not we take this opportunity to get together tomorrow?" Seeing Sophia booing with the rest, Adeline couldn''t help sneering in her heart. The celebration was a guise! Those people just wanted to see what kind of ce she lived in and found out if was she married to a person who was in a wheelchair. Adeline replied generously, "Everyone is wee to my house for a meal at noon tomorrow. My husband said that the food will be on us. You don''t have to bring anything. Juste to my ce." Soon after, many colleagues responded enthusiastically. At the same time, the male colleague who had previously pursued Adeline sent a message, "Ms. Burton, where shall we meet tomorrow? Where is your house? Should we go directly or..." Adeline thought for a while and replied, "Let''s meet at the stationery store opposite our school. My house is very close to there." The ess control in the Bay Hall was very strict, and to get them to the building, they needed to go through a lot of face-scanning identification. Adeline didn''t know how to exin it, so she just went downstairs and led them by herself. After Adeline replied, several colleagues responded with a "yes", but they all had different ideas in their heads. Several colleagues started to discuss it in private. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "Didn''t you say that she gets into a luxury car? Why does she live in a residential building next to the store?" "That''s right. The building over there is very dpidated. It must be more than 30 years old!" "We''ll find out tomorrow!" The next day, Adeline changed into casual clothes and went to the door of the stationery store in advance to wait for them. Several teachers with whom they had contacts arrived one after another. Some people politely brought a small gift to Adeline and said, " "Congrattions. Happy wedding." Adeline thanked everyone one by one. After a while, the director, Sophia also arrived, and everyone was there. Sophia looked at the old residential building behind her, and pointed, "Which one shall we head to?" The male colleague who had pursued Adeline before also took the initiative to carry the fruit and walked in that direction, "Ms. Burton, which building is it? Which floor?" Chapter 38 Everyone Went Crazy With Envy and Jealousy by Seeing the Truth Chapter 38 Everyone Went Crazy With Envy and Jealousy by Seeing the Truth Chapter 38 Everyone Went Crazy With Envy and Jealousy by Seeing the Truth "This way." Adeline pointed in the opposite direction, and exined with a gentle smile, "We still have to cross the road." As she spoke, she took the initiative to lead the way. The male teacher who had pursued Adeline before was stunned. There were no other residential buildings in front! Except the Bay Hall which was very much unaffordable. That shouldn''t be! The male teacher shook his head. It couldn''t be the Bay Hall! That properties were so expensive! One would need some connections to buy it. Who was Adeline''s husband? How could it be possible for him to live there? It should be the residential area which was somewhere further up from Bay Hall. At the same time, Sophia, who was following Adeline and walking in the direction of the Bay Hall felt a little strange. On the contrary, Melissa, who had known the truth for a long time, walked over and took Adeline''s hand. Then, she followed her triumphantly towards the Bay Hall. As soon as they arrived at the gate of the Bay Hall, one of the female teachers eximed. "Oh my god! Ms. Burton, do you live here?" Adeline nodded lightly at the female teacher. The male teacher who had pursued Adeline before was so shocked. His expression froze. "Oh my god! This is unbelievable!" "Wow, it''s so close to the school! You can get half an hour more sleep in the morning!" "More than that, at least 45 minutes more!" As a teacher, getting up early every day was the biggest struggle in their profession. In particr for those teachers who lived far away. In the winter, they had to be separated from their warm beds forcibly after 5 or 6 o''clock to catch up with the morning ss at 7:30. "Adeline, I am envious!" "Me too. If I can live in such a house in my life, I will smile in my dream." Some teachers who had no grudge against Adeline expressed their enviousness one after another. At the same time, several security guards came over in line and saluted together. One of the leading security guards came over and asked respectfully, "Mrs. Riley, are you going home with your friends? How about I arrange a sightseeing bus for you?" "Okay. Thank you." Adeline nodded with a smile. The security guard immediately summoned a sightseeing bus and directed the teachers to get onto the bus one after another. Melissa sat in the front row, holding Adeline''s hand excitedly, "Adeline, this is the first time Ie to the Bay Hall! I didn''t expect it to be so huge and luxurious!" Many teachers behind them also echoed, "Yes! This ce is so beautiful." "It''s a dream home!" Soon after, the sightseeing bus arrived and stopped at Adeline''s independent building. The male teacher who had pursued Adeline before was so surprised that he dropped his chin. "Adeline, is this whole building your house?" "Yes." Adeline nodded. Her expression was as usual, and she didn''t look proud at all. She was just being her. The gentle and graceful woman as always. She was in a white wool dress embroidered with flowers which outlined her beautiful figure. Her long hair was rolled up, and she looked outstanding, like a goddess who didn''t belong to the world. At that moment, the male teacher found himself as a failure. The male colleague who was close to him before didn''t say anything tofort him. Everyone could see how luxurious the Bay Hall was. Everyone in Prodiff knew about the rumors about this No. 1 real estate. Being able to live in such a luxurymunity was already something that many people dare not even think about, not to mention that Adeline''s husband bought an independent building in it! Such a sense of frustration that couldn''t be fixed. As a man, of course, he felt it. Beforeing here, the male colleague who had pursued Adeline beforeined to his colleague all night, saying that if he saw Adeline living in that dpidated old house with creaking doors, he would think that Adeline must be blind for not choosing him. He also said that he was wondering if he couldn''t help being impulsive and got Adeline back. The feeling of being pped in the face at that moment must be making him feel very ufortable. The elevator arrived at the floor of Adeline''s apartment. When they got out of the elevator, Melissa was also shocked. "Adeline, this is a single unit! Is your home upied the whole floor?" Adeline smiled and answered, "I think so." When she first came here, she was amazed as well. After entering the fingerprint, Adeline opened the door. Everyone followed her to get in, and all of them were instantly stunned. The first thing you could see was the 275¡ãC circr floor-to-ceiling windows with an ultra-wide view of the river! Whoever was able to be sitting in such a living room, drinking tea and enjoying the river view must be in a super fine mood every day! As expected, her colleagues eximed again. "My gosh! If this isn''t a mansion, what will be considered a mansion?" "The marble floor is so pretty!" "It can''t beat this beautiful river view. I''m so envious." At the same time, a female teacher looked at Adeline in shock and asked, "What does your husband do? Why is he so rich?" "He is doing small business. He bought this house with some money he earned before. Now, the condition of thepany he runs is not as good as before." Adeline''s tone was sincere, without any slightest intention of showing off, and it made people feel comfortable. Then, the male teacher who had pursued Adeline before suddenly said, "Is this house considered the man''s pre-marital property?" That was very pertinent. They were all good at reading people. How could they not know the meaning of it? It meant that if they get divorced, that house would have nothing to do with Adeline. Adeline understood what he was trying to imply. She said with a light smile, "Not really. My husband transferred the ownership to me before registering for marriage." Melissa added proudly, "There is only Adeline''s name on the real estate certificate now! Her husband''s name isn''t on it, and now her husband lives in her house!" When the male teacher heard that, his expression froze. Several female colleagues walked up to Adeline excitedly and chattered. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "Adeline, you have to teach us how to control a man in the future!" "That''s right! How do you make a man so devoted to you and transfer such a beautiful house to you before marriage?" ...... Adeline smiled and said nothing. She didn''t really know what skills she had. Since marrying Curtis, everything seemed to be going smoothly. Sophia, who was watching everyone being so envious, was feeling so jealous. She was in her early thirties and she was still single. Because of her fierceness, people alwaysughed at her as an "old maid" in private! She wanted to get married very badly, but everyone she met on the blind date was ugly! Sometimes she also wanted to make do with it, and she didn''t want to wait any longer. But some incapable men wouldin about her being a director, excused that it would be difficult to control her in the marriage. That really pissed her off! Since she saw that Adeline, who had never been pleasing to her eyes was living such a good life, how could she not be jealous? At the same time, a female teacher asked curiously, "By the way, Adeline, does your husband look good? Why didn''t I see your wedding photo?" "I haven''t had time to take pictures yet." After a pause, Adeline replied shyly, "I think he looks pretty good." Several young female teachers booed. Sophia asked bitterly, "Then where is your husband now? Why don''t we see him here?" "My husband went to prepare food for everyone. He should be back soon." Hearing that Adeline''s husband would also be there, the male teacher who had pursued her before finally rxed a little. After all, he had seen Adeline''s husband from afar before, and he was in a wheelchair! At that particr point, he felt that he had finally regained his victory! A click was heard. There was a sound from the electronic lock, and everyone looked in that direction. They were looking forward to seeing Adeline''s husband. The door opened, and Adeline subconsciously looked over. When she saw Curtis, her eyes widened suddenly! Chapter 39 Curtiss Little Trick to Show His Love to His Wife Chapter 39 Curtis''s Little Trick to Show His Love to His Wife Chapter 39 Curtis''s Little Trick to Show His Love to His Wife Melissa knew about Curtis''s condition. Seeing what he did to himself now, she couldn''t help but give him a thumbs up. That was amazing! Curtis was in the wheelchair with his refined face. There was a pair of elegant gold-rimmed sses on the bridge of his nose. He looked at Adeline with a doting smile on his face. That looked like he was trying to ask, "Mrs. Riley, are you happy with this?" The eyes of the two met in the air. It looked so tender and sweet. Adeline smiled and her eyes were filled with gratefulness. Although she knew Curtis''s physical condition from the day she got married, she also knew that in the future she would definitely suffer criticism from others because of Curtis''s body. But at that time, seeing Curtis went to the hospital to have a ster cast on his leg, and came in the wheelchair. How could she not be moved? All the female colleagues had already fallen for him on their first nce after seeing Curtis''s handsome face and his elegant temperament. Therefore, even though Curtis was sitting in a wheelchair at that moment, it didn''t affect their impression of Curtis. What was wrong with sitting in a wheelchair because of a broken leg? Looking at all the female colleagues who had be nymphomaniacs, the male colleague who had pursued Adeline before felt as if he had been silently pped several times. Especially the outstanding appearance of Adeline''s husband... Even if he wanted to nder him, he couldn''t find any ws in him. After Curtis entered the living room, a group of people who were wearing Nomad chef''s clothes filed in with thermal instion wooden boxes. They put the dishes on the table one by one. Everyone was dumbfounded again. "Wow! Adeline. Thanks to you. Otherwise, I won''t be able to eat the dishes of The Nomad today." "Oh my god, I want to take a photo and send it to my friend groups. This is a private restaurant which is so difficult to get an appointment regardless of how rich you are!" Thepliments from the female colleagues once again made the male colleague even more embarrassed. After Sophia saw Curtis''s face, she was about to get crazy with jealousy. Why was Adeline being so lucky? She was able to live in such a big house and found a husband with excellent looks and temperament! She was thinking to herself that she would be happy to marry that man and live in this type of house despite he could never stand up again. After lunch, everyone bid farewell to Adeline one after another. The male colleague who had pursued Adeline before found an excuse and left early. From the way he was leaving, it seemed like he was running away. On the other hand, Sophia spent the whole meal trying to find a topic to attract Curtis''s attention, but his response to her was indifferent, and he didn''t even look at her. Sophia tried several topics, but Curtis would say, "I don''t know. I never heard about it." Sophia was too embarrassed to stay any longer, so she left as well. Everyone left one after another. Lilly, who entered the school at the same time as Adeline took out a pair of bride and groom dolls and gave them to Adeline. Then, she said sincerely, "Adeline, congrattions. I envy you. I wish you happily ever after." "Thank you." Adeline epted the gift and replied sincerely. Others were envious of her, but Lilly wished her happiness. She was moved by her intention which was different from the others. After sending everyone off, Adeline returned to the room and saw Curtis removing the ster with a knife. "Be careful." Adeline walked over with an amused but distressed heart. She squatted beside him to look at it. "Don''t worry. It''s fine." Curtis removed the ster in a few moves. Adeline helped him to the bed to rest and said sincerely, "Thank you. But next time you don''t have to be so troublesome..." "There''s no trouble at all. As I said, I will never feel trouble doing anything for you." As Curtis said, he turned over and fell smoothly on Adeline''s body. His eyes were staring at her sincerely. "I have told you before. I won''t let you lose if you are with me. I will give what should be given to you, such as this..." After finishing speaking, Curtis kissed Adeline''s lips. At first, Adeline didn''t understand the meaning of Curtis''s words, but when her clothes were stripped all over the floor, she realized what he meant by "what should be given". She blushed instantly. "It''s daytime now!" Adeline pushed Curtis''s chest, but she couldn''t make him move. Curtis continued to do what he was doing and responded in a muffled voice. "Mrs. Riley, this is a noon exercise, which will help strengthen the rtionship between husband and wife. Mrs. Riley, whatever other people''s wives have, I want to give it to you too." "Curtis! Stop talking!" Adeline blushed with anger. ...... That was so much going on at the Bay Hall. On the other hand, in the Burton family''s vi, Vi was scrolling through her friend''s posts in boredom. After seeing a friend posted a picture of the mansion at the Bay Hall and the lunch picture of The Nomad, she was very envious. She liked that friend''s post and left a message, "This is so luxurious!" The friend replied, "Stop pretending! This is your sister''s house!" Vi was stunned for a moment. She nced at that contact person again and found her a bit unfamiliar. After thinking for a long time, she realized that person was the sister of her elementary school ssmate, Hannah. Because Hannah''s sister and Adeline were colleagues. Therefore, they had a few words at the party before and added each others'' WhatsApp. Vi zoomed in on those photos to take a closer look, and she felt instantly shocked again! That was definitely the best house at the Bay Hall she had ever seen! She had been to a friend''s house before. It was very small, around 90 square meters, and it was the kind of leftover floor. Theyout of the house was not very good. A house like this with floor-to-ceiling windows and an ultra-wide view should be the entire floor for a single unit! Vi was so envious! It turned out that Logan''s third uncle gave Adeline the house which was located at the Bay Hall! After a while, Hannah sent her a WhatsApp message. Jingle. She sent all the photos on her sister''s friend group to Vi. "Vi, is this your sister''s house?" "Oh my god! With how much your family is loving you, doesn''t what your sister is having will belong to you too?" "Oh my god! Vi, listen to me. Those people who like andment on my sister''s posts are crazy. They said they are so envious and there is food from The Nomad!" "Vi, my dear Vi, please arrange one for me too! Please give me a chance to enjoy such a luxurious life!" "I can already imagine how the other friends envy you and worship you!" Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Vi was at a loss by the words and agreed immediately. She went to her mother, Edith with her mobile phone. Then, she showed her the photos. "Mom, Mom, look quickly. This is the house where my sister is living. How beautiful it is!" Edith nced at it a few times and her eyes were filled with shock. She was very jealous and thought to herself, "This stinky girl, why is she so lucky and able to live in such a good house?" Vi took Edith''s hand, acted like a baby, and said, "Mom, I don''t care. You said before that my sister''s house will be given to me!" Edith''s expression froze. She knew that this matter was not as easy to handle as before. "Vi, this girl is different now." When Vi heard that, she was stunned, "Mom, you will promise me everything I ask before! You never refused me!" "Yes, my dear. Whatever you want, as long as I have it, I will give it to you." Vi became anxious and said, "But mom, whatever belonged to my sister used to belong to me. Isn''t it always like this in the family?" Edith''s face looked stiff and continued, "Vi, it''s different now. In the past, regardless of how upset your sister felt, she would still listen to us." "Because if there is anything she wants to do, she has to get her ID card from us. If we don''t give it, she can''t make it." "Do you still remember when your sister wanted to apply to be the Urban High School''s teacher? Your father thought it was embarrassing, so he refused." "She begged me for a long time, and I used that to threaten her so she could buy you whatever you want!" As Edith was talking, she sighed. "Now, your sister has moved out. So I''m afraid it won''t be so easy for her to listen to me. And that Mr. Riley...isn''t someone you can mess up with!" "What''s such a big deal with Mr. Riley? You didn''t hear what Jacob said, even Mr. Doyle dared to tease him, saying that he was nothing more than bluffing people with his previous reputation." While Vi was talking, she sat down on the ground and threw a tantrum. "Ah... Then what should I do? I promised my friends that I would take them to her house for a party!" "A party? That''s easy! I can make that happen!" When Vi heard those words, she stopped throwing tantrum instantly. The next day, the two of them came to the gate of the Bay Hall together. Chapter 40 The Confrontation Between the Mother and Daughter, the Mother Wanted to Borrow the House Chapter 40 The Confrontation Between the Mother and Daughter, the Mother Wanted to Borrow the House Chapter 40 The Confrontation Between the Mother and Daughter, the Mother Wanted to Borrow the House Edith and Vi both dressed up and came to the Bay Hall. The two of them were full of jewels and heavy makeup. They looked like a socialite and her daughter who had been in the upper ss. As soon as the two reached the gate of the Bay Hall, they were stopped by security guards. "Excuse me, who are you looking for?" Edith raised her chin arrogantly, said the address, and continued, "I''ming to my daughter''s house." "Madam, please wait a moment. I will confirm with the house owner first." As he said, the security guard made an internal call. In a hurry, Vi winked at Edith. Edith seemed to understand her. She rushed to hang up the phone of the security guard and said awkwardly. "It''s my daughter''s birthday today. We are here to give her a surprise. Don''t make the call." The security guard frowned slightly and said, "Madam, it''s hard for me to not make the call. The visitor regtions of the Bay Hall state that we must confirm with the house owner, and we can''t let you in before getting the approval from the house owner." Edith became more certain that she could not let him make this phone call when she heard that "only if the house owner agreed to let you in." "No, no, no! If you called, isn''t there be no surprise? Look, I know the name of the resident. Her name is Adeline Burton, and she is my daughter." As she spoke, Edith opened the photo on her phone and pointed, "Look, this is me, and this is the house owner. We know each other. Her husband''s name is Curtis Riley. You see. All the information matches! Can you let us in now?" As Edith was talking, she wanted to forcibly bypass the security guards and walked in. The security guard strode forward and blocked the two of them, "Madam, I''m sorry. Even if the information is matched, I can''t let you in." Edith couldn''t hold back anymore. She was anxious and said, "You are such a bad security guard. Aren''t you not having any sense? I have told you. I want to surprise my daughter. It''s a surprise. Do you understand? If you spoil the surprise, can you be responsible?" "That''s fine. You can surprise your daughter." The security guard replied. Before he finished speaking, both Edith and Vi looked happy. Just as the two were about to move forward, they were stopped again by security, "But you have to contact your son-inw. Let him authorize us to let you in. This way it won''t affect your surprise." Edith rolled her eyes angrily Wasn''t she risking her neck if she called Curtis? At the same time, Vi impatiently took out 70 dors from her purse. She waived them and raised her voice, "Can we get the deal done now? 70 dors, is it enough?" The security guard took a few steps back as if he experienced an electric shock, "Miss, please don''t make us get fired! We have strict rules and we cannot ept any tips! N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Vi also rolled her eyes angrily. The mother and daughter were stopped at the entrance of the Bay Hall, and they were anxious. How did they know those two damned security guards wouldn''t let them in no matter what? Suddenly, Vi yelled with an "Ah". She excitedly took out her mobile phone and called her friend. Soon after, the phone in the security booth rang. Vi''s friend who lived in the Bay Hall asked the security guard to let her in. The security guard responded to the call and gestured for them to go in. Vi snorted coldly and walked in arrogantly while holding onto Edith''s arm. As soon as the two entered themunity, Vi started to introduce the environment inside Bay Hall to Edith since she had been there before. "Mom, there is a heated swimming pool over there. The pool inside is clean, and there is a VIP area where you can swim alone without being disturbed." "There is a fitness room over there, and there are personal trainers!" "That... That''s a movie theater." The more Vi said, the more excited she became. She shook Edith''s arm and said, "Mom, I want to live here so badly." How could Edith doesn''t know about it? Vi threw tantrums several times before. Her father and her three elder brothers had used all their connections, but none of them got the authority to buy a house there. Now, the property was fully upied, and it was impossible to get a vacant unit. Edith was unable to bear seeing her little daughter being sad. She went all out and said, "I will talk to that girlter. I''ll try to persuade her to move out and give you the house." After Vi heard that, she kissed Edith''s cheek excitedly, "Mom is the best!" The two walked to the building on foot. The downstairs of the building was gated. But Edith and Vi were very lucky. When they arrived, a resident came out of the building. Then, the two of them walked in hurriedly and came to the floor where Adeline lived. That was a Sunday, and Adeline happened to be resting at home to prepare for her sses. When she heard someone ring the doorbell, she was stunned for a moment before getting up to open the door. Seeing her well-dressed mother and sister outside the door, she was stunned again. Edith pushed the door open and walked in, "What''s wrong? Are you surprised to see your mother and sister? You are such a bad daughter! Do you think that after you get married, you have nothing to do with your family? You nevere home to see me and your father, and now you want me and your younger sister toe to see you? Do you think you will look good by doing that? If the words spread, I can''t imagine how people willment about you." Adeline''s expression darkened upon hearing that. No one could bear being used like that just after opening the door. However, since both of them had already walked into the house, she couldn''t drive them out. So, she had to politely serve them two cups of tea. But the two of them were not shy at all. They were looking around, touching the furnishings in the house and marveling. After the two finished their tour, Adeline sat on the sofa and looked at the two of them with the attitude of the host. "Tell me. What makes you here?" Seeing her attitude like that, Edith was furious. "Such an ignorant kid! What are you talking about? I''m your mother. Ie here to see you and you are asking me why?" Adeline smiled lightly, "Mom, let''s stop pretending, okay? Ever since I was a child, have you ever cared about me when I got sick?" "Have you ever said a word of blessing to me on my birthday?" "You have never cared about me, and you gave me away to an old man who is almost 50 years old. Do you really think that I will believe that you are suddenly full of maternal love, and want to make up for what I have lost in those years?" Edith''s expression was extremely awkward. "Bad girl! You are so eloquent after bing a teacher! You even dare to lecture your mother now!" Seeing that her mother was still pretending, Adeline was tired and didn''t want to be bothered. Seeing that Adeline didn''t want to talk about it anymore, Edith felt anxious. Vi winked at her, telling her to be straightforward. Edith immediately held Adeline down and asked her to sit down, "Okay, let me tell you! I''m here to borrow your house from you." "Borrow my house?" Adeline frowned and looked at Edith. "That''s right." Edith also sat down on the sofa diagonally opposite Adeline. "Do you mean... That you want toe and stay here? Stay with us?" Adeline frowned even more. If that was the case, it''d put her in a very difficult situation! After all, if the mother-inw wanted toe and stayed with the son-inw, there weren''t any excuses to drive her away! "No." Edith brushed her curly hair back from her shoulders, and said without blushing, "I mean, we will move in for a while, and you will move out." Chapter 41 Scolding the Mother and Sister Angrily Chapter 41 Scolding the Mother and Sister Angrily Chapter 41 Scolding the Mother and Sister Angrily "We...move out?" Adeline couldn''t believe what she had heard. "Yes." Edith nodded emphatically. Adelineughed instantly, "Why? Why do we have to move out? This is our house." "Sister... You''re being so unkind!" Vi couldn''t help but say, "You''re married, but I''m not married yet, am I?" "What''s marriage going to do with this?" Adeline frowned even harder. "It doesn''t matter!" Edith went straight on, "Your house is in a good location and the value is high. If Vi lives here, other people will look up to her when they want to marry her. No one will dare to bully Vi in the future." After a pause, Edith continued, "You are the one who messed up Jacob''s marriage, right? Jacob will need a good house if he starts seeing someone else in the future as well. Don''t you have to compensate him since you have ruined his marriage?" Adeline seemed to be ustomed to that kind of usation. No matter what she did, it would always be her fault. She smiled lightly and said softly, "Jacob''s marriage is ruined because of other reasons. Look at what he has done to me, I consider myself very kind on what I did to him. I can tell you with confidence that I don''t need topensate him. As for Vi''s marriage, it''s good enough to have you take care of it. I don''t need to be in it." N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. "What do you mean? You won''t lend us the house?" Edith raised her voice. "No. I am not. I have no such obligation. This house belongs to my husband and I. We won''t move out for your ridiculous reasons!" "You..." Edith''s face was livid with rage. Vi quickly stroked Edith''s back and helped her calm down, "Adeline, see what you have done to make Mom gets so angry? You are the older sister, do you want to be so calctive with me? Does it makes you look like an older sister?" Adeline sneered, "I worked hard and saved money, and I have never bought myself a dress that cost more than 70 dors!" "But when you said you like a dress that costs four thousand dors, Mom forced me to buy it for you." "After that, you wore the four thousand dors dress for a day, and you refuse to wear it anymore! Saying that it''s off the season and it makes you ashamed in front of your friends!" "Have you ever thought about my feelings? Have you ever thought about how long I need to save that four hundred dors?" Adeline looked angry and she took a few steps closer to Vi, "Since you were young, when have you ever regarded me as your sister? You always want to take advantage of me. You will only think of me when you want to ask me for money. When did you care about me?" "You want me to be not calctive? Sure. If you return the pocket money you stole from me, I will stop being calctive!" "I..." Vi was speechless, her face turned pale. Adeline, who was in front of her looked strange. It wasn''t the Adeline she knew before! Seeing her beloved daughter being scolded, Edith wanted to help her. Before she could say anything, Adeline gave her a solemn look and said, "Mom, if you still care about your image, even just slightly, you won''t ask me for such a thing!" After saying that, Adeline got up and walked to the study. "Anyway, I won''t lend the house to you and I don''t want to talk to you anymore. I have to prepare for my sses. When you finish your tea, please close the door when you leave." After speaking, Adeline walked into the study, closed the door, and continued to prepare the material for her sses. When the home was built and designed, Curtis used the best materials. The sound instion effect of each room had also been carefully handled. When Adeline was preparing the teaching materials in the study, it was very quiet. She thought that Edith and Vi had left, so she ignored it and continued to focus on her work. An hourter, there was a faint noise of music, which made her frown subconsciously. Usually, the noise wouldn''te into the study. If she could hear that noise, how loud must the disco music be outside? Adeline pushed the door of the study open with doubts. As expected, there were two different worlds inside and outside the study! The deafening disco music made the chandeliers on the ceiling vibrated. The heater was turned on in the living room, and several girls who were ying with Vi were dressed in cool and sexy clothes. They were drinking and dancing in her living room, causing a mess everywhere. The sofa was stained and red wine had been spilled on one of the wall decorations. The sulents she bought earlier were also crushed. Adeline''s heart was bleeding seeing her fine home being turned into that. "What are you doing?" She yelled at Vi''s friends, but the music was so loud that they didn''t hear it at all. Adeline walked towards the stereo, trying to turn it off. Vi noticed it in a switch and stopped her in advance. She pulled her to the guest room. "Adeline, what are you doing?" "What am I doing? That''s the question I should ask you instead!" Adeline was so angry that her lungs were about to explode. Vi rolled her eyes and said, "Adeline, aren''t you too fussy? You don''t agree to lend the house to us, so Mom and I stop forcing you." "But I have already told my friend that this house was given to me by my family." "So everyone said that they want toe and celebrate. I am warning you! You are not allowed to expose me and make me embarrassed!" "Everyone will leave after the party! Even if you invite me toe in the future, I won''te anymore!" Adelineughed again at Vi''s shamelessness. "I have never understood why you can say these shameless things as your mother so confidently!" "Vi, take a look at what has been done outside. If it''s your home, would you be willing to ruin it like this?" Vi didn''t take it seriously and replied, "It''s just messy. You can clean it up after this! We are young people and we are different from an old-fashioned person like you. Everyone ys like this. I also y like this when I go to my friend''s house. Her servants will clean it upter." "Vi, I don''t care what happens to other people''s houses! This is my home, and I have the final say! Please leave immediately with your friends!" While Adeline was talking, Vi rushed out of the guest room regardless of Adeline''s obstruction. At the same time, the doorbell rang. Both Adeline and Vi were stunned. On the other hand, Edith reacted and opened the door. Several hotel chefs brought luxury dishes such as lobster sashimi, arctic shellfish, and ck matsutake into the living room one after another. Taking advantage of Edith and Vi not being able to stop her, Adeline turned off the stereo. The whole living room fell silent in an instant, only the clear voice of the helper in the kitchen could be heard. "Miss Burton, all the dishes are ready. They cost ten thousand dors." When Edith heard the price, her heart twitched in pain. Just a few wooden boxes of dishes cost ten thousand dors! Vi always had no money. Not only did she overdraw every bank card, but she also spent all her pocket money until there was nothing left. So, she subconsciously looked at her mother. "Pay the money." Some time ago, Edith invested in a loanpany with Logan''s mother. Thepany was being shut down, and her money was wasted. How could she be willing to spend another ten thousand dors? Therefore, she raised her chin, pointed at Adeline, and said to the helper in the kitchen. "Ask her for the money!" Chapter 42 She Was Unable to Pay for the Takeaway, That Was a Great Mortification to Her Chapter 42 She Was Unable to Pay for the Takeaway, That Was a Great Mortification to Her Chapter 42 She Was Unable to Pay for the Takeaway, That Was a Great Mortification to Her The music stopped, and those girls around felt something was wrong. Vi was worried about being embarrassed, so she hurried to Adeline''s side, and said in a low voice, "Adeline, pay the money." Adeline didn''t say anything and looked at her indifferently. Vi was nervous and she continued, "Adeline, please pay the money quickly. Don''t embarrass me, please!" Adeline smiled lightly. She walked slowly to the sofa, sat down, and said, "Whoever ordered the takeaway will have to pay." At the same time, Vi''s friends looked at her mother and her with distaste, "It''s only ten thousand dors takeaway, and you can''t afford it? You can''t even pay for this, and you say you are a rich girl?" Vi''s face was full of embarrassment, and she stared at Adeline. The chef''s helper nced at Adeline. Then, she looked at Edith and repeated the unit''s number, "May I ask who is the owner of this house?" Adeline sat on the sofa with a calm posture. She wasn''t in a hurry to answer. There was always a faint smile on her face. Vi stared anxiously at Edith, beckoning her to pay the money. She would be done if they didn''t pay the money and Adeline admitted that she was the owner of the house. How could she still be proud in front of her friends in the future? Edith''s expression froze and she walked up to the helper in the back kitchen awkwardly. She took out her bank card and said, "Here you go." The chef''s helper took out the POS machine and scanned it. After two beeps, the helper frowned slightly. "I''m sorry, madam. The bnce is insufficient. Please change to another payment method." As soon as he finished speaking, those girls around started to whisper. Vi was even more anxious by then. She walked over and med, "Mom, why is the bnce insufficient?" As she spoke, she opened Edith''s mobile banking software to check the bnce, and it showed that there were only five thousand dors." "Oh, Mom, do you forget that you just use your bank card to buy a bag worth more than 40 thousand dors yesterday? No wonder there is no money in it. Use your credit card instead." "I'' m sorry, but our restaurant doesn''t ept credit cards." The helper politely reminded. At the same time, a friend of hers burst outughing. "La Prime is the most famous restaurant in Prodiff for sashimi. Their specialty is that all sashimi ingredients are selected from the top and freshest seafood, and the best parts are selected for cooking, while the rest will be thrown away. So, the price is rtively high." "Another feature of this restaurant is that it doesn''t ept credit cards or pay afterward. Because the service fees of credit card merchants are too high. Vi, all the socialites, anddies in these circles know about it. How could you and your mother do not know about it?" Vi''s expression became extremely awkward, and she tried to force a smile, "Oh, I have been to too many restaurants and I can''t tell which is the one." Vi poked Edith with her elbow, and said in a low voice, "Hurry up, pay the money." Edith nced at her Apple Pay, and there wasn''t enough money as well. She had to pinch and scrape from everywhere. She asked the chef''s helper to scan her WhatsApp for five thousand dors and then scanned her Apple Pay for two thousand dors. She couldn''t pay the rest no matter how hard she tried. There was a great mortification to her. "Madam, there is still a shortfall of three thousand dors." The helper in the back kitchen reminded her. Edith had no choice but to look at Adeline, and said in a bad tone, "Hey you, pay the money quickly!" "Why?" Adeline looked at her with a smile. "Why? You are the owner of the house! Food is delivered to you, and if you don''t pay, who will?" Edith was so anxious that she started talking nonsense. As soon as Edith finished speaking, Vi red at her angrily. At the same time, one of Vi''s friends got the goods and asked teasingly. "Ah? Vi, didn''t you say that this is your house? Why did your sister be the owner of the house? I even tell my other friends proudly that my friend owns a house and ask them to pay a visit whenever they want!" "Sure. Pleasee whenever you want!" Vi was very concerned about her reputation. She couldn''t bear to be humiliated. She said, "My sister''s house is my house too. You also know that when my parents die, even my sister''s part in the family will be mine too. My family has always been like this." Edith felt a little difort when she heard the words "My parents were dead". Adeline''s expression turnedpletely cold, "Our parents have the power to distribute the property in the family. I have no control over that." "But, in this house, I am the owner. I have the final say! None of your friends are wee to my house. Anyone who wants toe to my house must get my consent." "Vi, stop talking. Since this house is not yours, you really don''t have the right. Anyways, I would like to leave first. I don''t want to be embarrassed." That girl didn''t really mean that she would ask her friend toe, she just wanted to provoke Vi. She couldn''t stand looking at Vi being so proud As soon as the entric girl left, other friends who were eating the sashimi with forks started to make sarcastic remarks. "Vi, this will be your fault. The house is not yours, but you are pretending to be rich and saying it is yours. Don''t you find it humiliating now?"N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. "That''s right. Just tell us that it belongs to your sister. We won''t say anything. We won''t look down on you either! After all, such arge unit in the Bay Hall will be very expensive!" "Furthermore, didn''t you say that your whole family dotes on you, Vi? You used to show off by saying that your sisters and brothers will give you everything that you ask for. It seems that isn''t the truth!" Those words from the friends were very provoking to Vi and she was mad. She rushed to Adeline angrily, with her hips akimbo, condescendingly looking down at Adeline who was sitting on the sofa. "Are you satisfied now?" Adeline slowly crossed her leg, and looked at her gracefully, but didn''t respond. The helper in the back kitchen got a general idea after listening to their conversation. He coughed twice and continued to remind Edith and Vi to pay the bnce. Vi red at Adeline and said, "Hurry up! Pay the money! Isn''t it embarrassing enough?" Adeline smiled slightly and responded, "That makes you both the mother and daughter." Vi frowned and she felt something not right, "What do you mean?" "I mean that you will never learn to be polite. One asked me to pay the money, and the other called me by my full name without even addressing me as her sister. I am not expecting you to beg me for help as a family, but before asking others to do something, isn''t there some basic manners? At that moment, Hannah, who had encouraged Vi toe to her sister''s house couldn''t help but speak out. "Ms. Burton! You are my sister''s colleague. I''ll respect you as my sister too. As a family, do you really want to be so calctive?" "It''s just that your sister invited her friends toe to the house to have fun and have a meal. Since you are so rich, what do you make it such a big deal?" "Isn''t it because you marry a rich man, therefore you are looking down at your sister and mother now? Why are you being so fussy?" "Is this your way of hospitality? How can a person like you be someone else''s teacher?" Vi nodded and echoed, "That''s right!" "Look at what you did to your family today, if I capture it and post it on the Inte, can you imagine what theizens will say? Don''t forget that you have just done being cyberbullied not long ago!" As she said that, Hannah took out her mobile phone and threatened Adeline. She was still thinking about bringing her friends over in the future. So, she had to get Vi''s sister in control! Adeline was unhappy with those who like to capture everything and posted it on the Inte. Her expression changed slightly when she heard that. Seeing that, Hannah raised the corners of her mouth triumphantly and approached her a little closer with her mobile phone. "Pay the money or wait to be cyber bullied. Your choice!" Chapter 43 Mr. Riley Learned of Logans Token of Love Chapter 43 Mr. Riley Learned of Logan''s Token of Love Chapter 43 Mr. Riley Learned of Logan''s Token of Love Adeline raised her head calmly and smiled at the camera, "Start your recording then." Her tone was carefree which made Hannah surprise. Her expression seemed like she was saying, "You... Why are you suddenly not afraid of it?" Adeline knew what Hannah was thinking, and asked her with a light smile, "Do you think all the netizens are brainless? I''m curious. What would theizensment when seeing a high-end house being ruined like this without the owner''s consent? Since it isn''t your house, so you don''t have to feel bad about it, right?" Adeline stood up suddenly while she was talking. She stared at Hannah directly and approached in the teacher''s imposing manner. "You said it was just my sister inviting her friends over for a meal? First of all, I didn''t agree to pay for that! If I agreed, I would have paid for the bill today, no matter how much it is." "Secondly, the word "only"? A meal that costs ten thousand dors. How many middle-ss people can''t earn this amount of money in a year? But you make it sounds like such a small amount!" "I work in the same school as your sister. You can ask your sister. Do we need at least a year to make ten thousand dors?" "Spend other people''s hard work money for a year on a meal, and you make it sounds like so little?" "Since you love her as much as she is your sister. You can do better than me. You should pay the remaining three thousand dors." "I saw you eat several mouthfuls of lobster sashimi just now. I haven''t eaten a single bite. How does it sound? It''s more reasonable for you to pay than for me to pay, right?" Hannah didn''t know how to respond and she took a few steps back. Her expression was awkward and she couldn''t say a word for a long time. That was such a joke! It would be easier for her to give her life away than the three thousand dors. Her family was an ordinary middle-ss family. Moreover, all her clothes and bags were bought online with loans. So, how could she have the money to pay for it? Seeing that the other friends were almost finished eating the food, they all got up and prepared to leave. They teased her on their way out. "Vi, in the future, don''t invite me to this kind of party. You ask me toe here to y and eat, but also to bear with people''s long faces? What kind of party is this?" "That''s right. If the words spread, I will be humiliated. Furthermore, we are not interested in your family affairs at all!" "By the way, do you need me to lend you the three thousand dors?" "No... No need." Vi looked very embarrassed, and she tried her best to keep her friends, "Please just give me some time. The matter will be resolved soon." "No." Few of her friends left after finished eating and drinking, only Hannah stayed to apany Vi. Seeing that all her friends had left, Vi was furious. She rushed to Adeline angrily and yelled, "Are you happy now? You are such a vicious woman. Do you want to be so fussy about me? If you die, this house will be took over by me. Isn''t that mean this is my house?" With a "p", Adeline pped Vi unceremoniously. "Even if I die, it''s not your turn to inherit this house! I still have my husband! Vi, let me tell you. No matter what happens in the future, even if this house is donated, I will not give it to you." After she finished talking, Steffen was pushing Curtis toe in. When Vi saw Curtising in, she immediatelyined like a child. "Hey, did you hear what your wife said? Let me tell you, you have married such a vicious woman!" "Yes, I heard it. I think my wife is right." Curtis looked at Adeline warmly with his eyebrows crooked. Hannah happened to be standing next to Adeline. She misunderstood that Curtis was looking at her, and she blushed instantly. She heard from her sister that Adeline''s husband had a very good temperament. Even though he was sitting in a wheelchair, he couldn''t hide his aura at all. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Looking at him now, she found that was the truth. Hannah was always good at checking people''s outfits. The first thing she would look at was the brand of the watch and the clothes worn by others. She only nced at Curtis, and she was pretty sure that this man was super rich! Thinking of such a top-notch man looking at her like that, Hannah''s heart beat a little faster. Vi didn''t notice Hannah''s strangeness, she stared at Curtis angrily, "You... You both are bad people!" As she spoke, Vi deliberately took out a stone from her bag and threw it at Adeline. "Here! The token of love that Logan gives you! Adeline, I thought you will never forget about this stone. Since you lend me the ce to hold a party, I thought of bringing the stone from home for you. Now, you don''t deserve my kindness to you at all!" After speaking, Vi turned and left. "Vi." Edith wanted to chase her daughter but was stopped by the chef''s helper in the kitchen. "You haven''t paid the bnce yet." After listening for ten minutes, the chef''s helper in the back kitchen finally understood. That shameless mother and daughter came here to throw a party without the owner''s permission. ording to that situation, he couldn''t ask the owner for the final payment, and it was unreasonable. Therefore, he had to stop Edith. Edith felt ashamed and red at him, "Follow me to the vi to get the money! We also live in a vi. What makes you think we can''t pay the three thousand dors?" After speaking, Edith left. The chef''s helper had no choice but to follow them. Hannah waved to Curtis and said, "Sister, brother-inw, I''ll leave first." After speaking, she hurriedly ran out to chase after Vi. When she caught up with Vi, Hannahforted her, "Vi, don''t be angry! I am on your side in this matter. Your sister is too much!" "Yes! It''s all her fault!" Vi stomped her feet angrily. Hannah looked at Vi''s expression, and then pretended a hesitant expression, "Vi, I have an idea. I can do something for you, but I am a little embarrassed to say it..." When Vi heard what Hannah said, her eyes lit up instantly, and she took Hannah''s hand. "Say it! I must vent my anger! Hannah, I know you are the best! Even though everyone has left, you will never leave me alone." Hannah nodded and said, "I am happy as long as you know that I am only doing good to you. Let me dere first. Ie up with this idea for your own good, so don''t overthink about it." "Okay. Tell me quickly." Vi urged. Hannah nced at Edith, who was not far away, and said in a low voice, "What makes your sister being so arrogant now? Isn''t it because of your brother-inw? If I seduce your brother-inw and get your brother-inw, do you think your brother-inw will still support your sister in the future?" Vi frowned doubtfully, "Do you think it will work? Would you be able to seduce someone... Someone like my brother-inw?" "Sure! I''m younger than your sister. Who doesn''t like a young woman? Even if he doesn''t divorce your sister, he will be happy to keep a mistress like me." "Besides, do you really think he has any feelings for your sister? It was because of the w in his leg, and someone just happen to be willing to marry him, so he epted it." "That''s right." Vi nodded, "I feel sorry for you since you have to seduce a man who is in a wheelchair." When Hannah heard that, she smiled and said, "Then, it''s the deal. I''m doing this for you. You must treat me well in the future!" "Of course!" Vi assured her by patting her chest, "Next month, I will buy you a bag!" When Hannah heard that, she excitedly kissed the side of Vi''s cheek. On the other side, after Vi and the rest left, the living room fell silent instantly. Curtis and Adeline''s eyes fell on the "love token" given by Logan simultaneously... Chapter 44 On Adelines Birthday, Her Ex-fiancé Wanted to Give Her a Surprise Chapter 44 On Adeline''s Birthday, Her Ex-fianc¨¦ Wanted to Give Her a Surprise Chapter 44 On Adeline''s Birthday, Her Ex-fianc¨¦ Wanted to Give Her a Surprise Adeline stared at the stone that Vi threw on the ground. Her heart was aching as if it was pulled by something. That stone was found by Logan when he was working. It was obtained legally by the side of the archaeological pile, and it meant a lot to Logan. Moreover, he was a nerd who couldn''t engrave. He had learned for a long time before engraving on it stroke by stroke by saying, "Adeline, I want to be with you for the rest of my life." The engraving of the words wasn''t nicely done, but the heart of doing that was very rare. Vi threw the stone to her in front of Curtis, how could she not understand what she was trying to mean? Vi had no good intention at all, but an attempt to provoke the rtionship between her and her husband! Adeline took a deep breath, knowing very clearly what she should do and what she shouldn''t do at that moment! She bent down to pick up the stone and threw the stone into the trash can in front of Curtis. Then, she headed to clean up the living room as if nothing had happened. She rolled up her sleeves and started to clean up the wine sses on the coffee table, looking as if nothing had happened. But Curtis wasn''t stupid! He could see that Adeline was pretending to be calm. He clenched his fists and his expression became cold instantly, "Leave it! Let Steffen deals with it." Adeline was startled by the coldness in Curtis''s voice. She looked at him nkly. Curtis also knew that he had frightened his wife, so he changed his tone a little and exined, "There is a cleaner whoes to clean the house regrly. It''s such a mess. I don''t want you to get too tired, so go back to your room and get some rest." Curtis was telling the truth. Even though he was angry that she still cared about that broken stone, he still couldn''t bear her being too tired. "Uncle Curtis, I..." Adeline could sense that Curtis was in a bad mood, probably because she was concerned about the stone that Logan gave her. She wanted to exin, but after calling out "Uncle Curtis" smoothly, Curtis''s face darkened even more. Steffen stood in front of Adeline in time and said politely, "Mrs. Riley, you should go back to your room now. Leave this to me. Trust me. I have been with Mr. Riley for so many years. I know how to deal with it. It will be best for you to go back to your room now." Adeline understood what Steffen was trying to say, so she went back to her room. With a click, the door closed, and Curtis''s expression turnedpletely cold, a horrifying sense was lingering around his body. He couldn''t restrain himself anymore. He pushed the wheelchair to the side of the trash can, took a look at the stone inside, and happened to see that line of lettering which was so displeasing! "He wants to spend the rest of his life with Adeline?" "What a joke?" "Adeline can only be with him for the rest of his life?" Curtis''s veins on his hands which were gripping the wheelchair were bulging. When he closed his eyes, the anomaly of Adeline in the car that day appeared in his mind. It turned out that someone was selling carved jade on the side of the road that day, and that reminded Adeline about Logan! Thinking of that damned worthless stone! Curtis''s heart was aching, and he wished he could dismantle that stone. But he couldn''t. He looked at Steffen with an annoyed face, "You! Dispose of everything that others have touched except this broken stone!" After a pause, he added, "This stone, leave it to Mrs. Riley to handle it herself." "Okay." After Steffen finished his sentence, the phone rang. He steps away to answer the phone. Curtis sat on the spot, looking at the closed door, his face looked terribly gloomy. When Steffen returned to the living room, Curtis looked at him and asked, "It is said that husband and wife shouldn''t let the conflict stays overnight. Do I need to go into the room now?" His expression was saying, "If you dare to say "no", I''ll kill you!" Steffen''s expression froze, and he smiled helplessly, "Mr. Riley, you can''t go in now." As soon as thest word fell, he received a sharp stare. Steffen touched his neck and quickly exined, "James from the public rtions department just called and said that the partners we met at noon are now under treatment in the hospital. The blood test report shows that they are all infected with thetest epidemic virus. I suggest that you better iste yourself from your wife..." Steffen''s voice was getting soft gradually as he spoke. Curtis answered with "Got it" with a sullen face, and then he went to the guest room. Steffen sighed. Then, he contacted the cleaning team which he was familiar with to quickly tidied up the living room. After the cleaning and disinfecting were done, Steffen closed the door and left. Adeline waited in the room for a long time, but Curtis never came. It was almost midnight before she walked out of the room to get a ss of water from the living room. As soon as the light was turned on, she was startled by a brand new scene in front of her. The tea table, sofa, carpet, stereo, and some furnishings were reced and they were all new. It looked like nothing had changed. The style was still exactly the same as before, but all the things were new! Adeline remembered that Logan had mentioned his Uncle Curtis before, saying that he was paranoid, possessive, and territorial. He didn''t like others touching his stuff. As long as others had touched it, he would throw it all away and rece it with a new one. Because he wanted to own that thingpletely! Adeline seemed to suddenly understand why Curtis was annoyed. Because she was in a rtionship with Logan before, so that stone touched his raw nerve? Adeline was full of doubts. She nced at the glimmer of lighting from the crack in the door of the guest room. She was stunned for a while. It turned out that Curtis didn''t leave, but he slept in the guest room. She couldn''t help but wonder, "Does it mean that he wants to sleep in a separate room with me?" Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "No! No!" She couldn''t let things happen as how Vi wished. Adeline headed back to the room in frustration. When she passed by the trash can, she couldn''t hold back her curiosity and took a look. She saw a stone inside. It seemed that Curtis asked Steffen to deal with other garbage, but left that stone for her to deal with. Staring at those words on the stone, Adeline did nothing and went back to her room. It was a long night and she couldn''t sleep. What she didn''t know was that Curtis, who was in the guest room knew everything about it. He yed the surveince in the living room today and got to know what happened the whole day. When Adeline said that she never bought any clothing that was more than 70 dors for herself, he felt very distressed. He immediately asked Steffen to show him all the brands of clothes worn by the local socialites in Prodiff. He looked at one brand after another and picked out one by one for Adeline. He was choosing those clothes that fit her temperament. After all the orders were ced, he requested the stores to deliver those clothes tomorrow. After doing all of that, he checked the real-time monitoring again. He saw that Adeline was about to knock on the door of his room, and his whole heart was lifted. He was looking forward to it. But when he saw that Adeline didn''t say anything eventually, and looked at the trash can a few times when she passed by it, he felt that his heart was squeezed by a big hand. How anticipated he was just now turned out to be how depressed he was now. The night was so long. Adeline wasn''t the only one suffering from insomnia that night. Curtis only fell asleep when it was almost dawn. The next day, Adeline got up early to make breakfast and wanted to take the initiative to make it up to him. She knocked lightly on Curtis''s door, but no one answered. She got no choice but attended to work. Along the way, Adeline was in a daze. When she arrived at the school gate, Melissa rushed over and bumped into her. She took out a present and handed it to her, "Adeline, happy birthday!" Adeline froze for a moment, then she remembered her birthday was around the corner. She took the gift and said, "Thank you." "What''s wrong, Adeline? You don''t seem to be in a good mood." Adeline sighed and told her what happened yesterday. After hearing that, Melissa was angry and feeling annoyed, "Your mother and sister are too shameless!" Adeline seemed to have gotten used to it a long time ago, and said with a sad face, "This isn''t what I''m worried about now." Melissa immediately understood, and asked seriously, "Adeline, don''t you still have feelings toward Logan?" "I dare not and I can''t." Adeline smiled helplessly, "I know very well that Logan and I will never be liked how we are in the past. I also know very well that I am now Curtis''s wife. Melissa, I have worked very hard to stop thinking about Logan. But... We have been together for three years, and those memories always pop up from time to time. I can''t control it." "However, Adeline, Logan is not worth you doing it. He has been away for ten days. Has he ever made a phone call to ask about you? Thest time you mistakenly called him, which was answered by his junior, did he return your call? In my opinion, Logan is a scumbag who is good at ying your emotional! Besides, today is your birthday, did he send you any blessings?" Adeline was stunned for a moment. Then, she seemed to figure out something and said, "Melissa, thank you for waking me up! Logan is very sloppy for his business trip this time! I think I justck the sense of ritual without the formal breakup. After the breakup, I should all be fine." Seeing that Adeline was no longer struggling because of Logan, Melissa walked with her into the school while they were chatting andughing. But no one expected that Logan would suddenly give Adeline such a big surprise on her birthday! Chapter 45 Adelines Ex-fiancé Proposed Marriage Chapter 45 Adeline''s Ex-fianc¨¦ Proposed Marriage Chapter 45 Adeline¡¯s Ex-fianc¨¦ Proposed Marriage Melissa had no ss in the first period, so she went to the yground alone. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that she had to help Mr. Riley! Between Logan and Curtis, Melissa was on Curtis'' side! Besides, Adeline was married to Curtis, and she also hoped that her best friend would have a good ending with her husband. Therefore, Melissa sent Steffen a WhatsApp message, "Hey, ask Mr. Riley to see if he knows what day it is today?" At the same time, Curtis was in the ward and listening to Steffen''s report, so he took Steffen''s mobile phone and responded himself. "I''m Curtis." "Today is Adeline''s birthday, and I know." Melissa was stunned for a moment, she didn''t expect Curtis to reply so quickly. In such a short time, he couldn''t cheat. It clearly showed that Curtis knew about Adeline''s birthday. "Then it''s great. You know what you have to do." Curtis replied, "I know." Melissa was a little startled when she saw Curtis''s reply. That person wasn''t as unkind as people in Prodiff said. At the same time, Curtis in the ward threw the mobile phone to Steffen, and asked with a sullen face, "Have all the clothes been sent home?" "It''s all there and ording to your request, all the price tags are cut off, so it won''t cause any burden to Mrs. Riley." "Good." Curtis''s expression eased a bit and asked, ¡°When will the blood test resulte out? I''m waiting to be discharged from the hospital to celebrate my wife''s birthday." Steffen looked awkward and replied, "The doctor said that since you fell asleep in the morning, you might be infected with the virus. So, you still need to be isted. The report... Probably won''t be out until evening." "I was only feeling sleepy this morning!" Curtis was getting annoyed when he heard that Steffen mentioned his falling asleep in the morning and forgetting to open the door for his wife, "Hurry up, tell the director to hurry up. I want to be discharged." "The director said it won''t happen anytime soon. Blood analysis will take time. He also said that if you insist on leaving the hospital, he will call your father." Hearing that, Curtis''s expression waspletely dark, "Make the restaurant''s reservation first. If the blood report is all right, I can immediately celebrate my wife''s birthday with her. I want the cake to be made following the style I chose a few days ago" "Okay," Steffen responded and dealt with it quickly. ...... At the school, Melissa was relieved after making sure that Curtis knew about Adeline''s birthday. At noon, she went to find Adeline for lunch on time. The two walked out hand in hand, and when they reached the turning of the stairs, they saw several parents stopping Sophia. "Ms. Adams, it was us who didn''t think carefully before, and wanted to rece Ms. Burton." "That''s right. We didn''t expect our children to like Ms. Burton so much." "Ms. Adams, please let Ms. Burtone back to teach ss A. You see, this is a petition from the parents of the whole ss. We are willing to sincerely apologize to Ms. Burton. Billy''s mother also signed it. Here are all the signatures of parents for the 45 students in the ss." When Adeline heard those words, she found it ridiculous and smiled. The previous petition asking the principal to transfer her to another ss was also signed by those same parents! When she heard that the parents of ss A hoped that she could go back to teach the ss, she didn''t feel moved at all. Sophia was annoyed by those parents and said, "To be honest, the school has its rules and regtions. What does it look like if we change the teachers randomly like this? Besides, Ms. Burton has already been assigned to ss C. If I am going to transfer her back, it will be unfair to the students in ss C!" At the same time, some parents retorted, "Why is it unfair to ss C? ss C is a ss for students with poor performance, and the best educational resources should be kept in the top ss." Sophia''s expression didn''t look good and answered, "Ms. Husch, who is teaching ss A now is also very good. She is an outstanding graduate of the normal school." "But... But her guidance for thispositionpetition isn''t that good! My daughter said that it is much worse than Ms. Burton''s guidance!" "That''s right!" A parent responded, "Furthermore, Ms. Burton guided two students from ss C to qualify for finals this time. She is really excellent." "Winning thepetition relies on the student''s abilities. The teacher is only an auxiliary. It depends on the kids themselves. Don''t you think that Ms. Burton assigned too little homework for the students? Ms. Husch can fulfill your request." Sophia sternly said, "I will still say the same! We can''t change teachers casually. It will affect the stability of students. If you still have any objections, go to the principal." After finishing speaking, Sophia forcibly left. Adeline and Melissa also left quietly without listening to it any further. Along the way, Melissa said happily, "Yes! Aren''t they alwaysining that you didn''t give enough homework? Now, they finally know that you are a treasure. It''s toote! But it let Lilly takes advantage of taking over your top ss." Adeline smiled and didn''t take it seriously, "I will be unhappy if it''s someone else who takes advantage! Since Lilly was our ssmate before, I am happy that it''s her who takes advantage." "That''s true." Melissa didn''t say anything further, but she asked, "By the way, did your husband wish you happy birthday today?" Adeline turned on her phone and took a look, recalling that he ignored her this morning, she suddenly shook her head in and looked sad. Melissa didn''t seem to believe it. She opened up Adeline''s WhatsApp chat list and took a look at it. Then, sheforted, "Some people may want to surprise you. Just hang onto it. He might look like ignoring you now, but he might give you a surprise after you get off work. You''re going to have an emotional rebound, and you''re going to be overwhelmed." Adeline looked at Melissa amusedly and asked, "Where did you learn all this?" Melissa answered confidently, "Just wait for it!" At lunch, Adeline invited Lilly as well, and the three of them had a simple meal to celebrate. After three sses in a row in the afternoon, Adeline felt dizzy when school was over. After finishing marking the papers, the sky was dark. It was almost six o''clock, and Curtis still didn''t call her. Adeline felt an indescribable sadness in her heart. After thinking about it, she took the initiative to call Curtis and wanted to invite him for dinner. On the other end, Curtis had just been told by the director that his white blood cell count was abnormal and he had to stay in the hospital for observation. He said bluntly, "I can''t go back for dinner tonight. I have something to do." "Oh." Adeline was stunned for a moment, then she asked again, "Are youing back tonight? I can prepare supper..." "I don''t know." Curtis''s tone was cold. "Okay, I won''t disturb you then." Adeline hung up the phone, wondering if Curtis was still unhappy because of the stone, and she felt a little aggrieved. After tidying up the table, she picked up her bag and walked out of the school. As soon as she walked to the school gate, Mr. Jones of the Prodiff Institute of Cultural Heritage greeted her. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Oscar Jones was Logan''s leader. He was a funny and humorous old man. He was wearing a suit and ck-rimmed sses. He looked very educated. Oscar greeted Adeline warmly when he saw her, "Adeline, it has been a long time. I have been waiting for you. There is an article from the institute that needed your help." As he spoke, Oscar gestured for her toe with him into the car behind him. Adeline didn''t want Oscar to feel bad, so she got into the car with him. It wasn''t something very difficult after all. For the articles that were published by the institute before, they would sometimes ask her help to look at the selection of words from the perspective of anguage teacher. After all, that kind of regr publication needed those words with high precision. Adeline followed Oscar to get into the car. On their way, Oscar kept praising Logan as a young man with a great spirit of hard work and being a rare good candidate in the institute. Adeline looked embarrassed along the way and didn''t realize that there was a car following them all the time. The person in the car was Hannah, who was going to the school to ask her sister for the money to repay her credit card. When she saw that Adeline got into an old man''s car, she hurriedly hired a car on the side of the road to chase after them. Soon after, the car arrived at the Prodiff Institute of Cultural Heritage. As soon as Adeline got off the car, she felt that the atmosphere was different from before! The sycamores on both sides before entering the research institute were covered with colorful lights and various "Happy Birthday" and "love" cards. Those colorful lights and the evening breeze made the surroundings full of a romantic ambiance. Adeline followed Oscar to walk into the courtyard of the institute cluelessly. She saw that all the staff in the office were holding heart-shaped balloons of various colors in their hands. They formed a circle with blessing smiles on their faces. In the center of the courtyard, there was a projection screen as tall as a human. After two sizzles, Logan appeared on the screen. He was wearing a ck suit with a red bow tie, holding a bouquet of roses in his hand, and behind him was his current archaeological site. "Adeline." Logan smiled but looked serious at the same time. Chapter 46 Adeline, My Mother has Promised Our Marriage before My Business Trip Chapter 46 Adeline, My Mother has Promised Our Marriage before My Business Trip Chapter 46 Adeline, My Mother has Promised Our Marriage before My Business Trip As saying so, Logan cleared his voice nervously and he adjusted his bow tie. He asked the people next to him again and again, "Is it OK?" When others showed him a gesture of "OK". He looked at the camera with giggle. "Adeline, I always want to propose to you on your birthday. All through thepanion of three years, which is one thousand and ny-five days, I am sure that you are my soulmate which I want to spend the rest of my life with. Adeline, I know that you are angry about me for not contacting you such a long time." Loganughed out as he said so. "These were all taught by my junior schoolmate. She said it was a surprise before my proposal. First I needed to neglect you. When the date of my proposal arrived, you would feel more surprised. Adeline, please be at ease. My proposal this time is carefully considered. And before me business trip, I have already talked with my mother. I told her that we would get married after this business trip. She has agreed. So..." Logan smiled shyly and called "Adeline" gently. Then he got down on one knee. "Are you willing to marry me?" Logan''s eyes were full of good faith in the projector screen. All around, the wind yed the sound of bells on the sycamore trees, and everything was like being in a dream. Adeline''s heart was heaving violently. At the moment when Logan got down on his knee, her heart seemed to be hit by the sledge hammer of an ancient clock, and her breathing suddenly elerated. All the colleagues in the office were calling out. "Marry him!" "Marry him!" Even Oscar Jones who was an old man wore a big smile on his face. He pped and said, "Marry him! Marry him!" The only consciousness existed in Adeline''s mind made her shake her head. She stumbled a few steps back and said, "No... I can''t. I can''t." The happy atmosphere disappeared immediately, just like someone pressed the pause button. Adeline left the researchboratory like crazy. Only Logan''s colleagues were left there looking at each other. No one knew what went wrong. Adeline ran all along the way. She even did not know she passed Hannah, who was recording video secretly. She only knew that she had to leave there then. She ran and ran. The wind whistled in her ears. And she also heard other kinds of sound. Like the words Melissa once said to her. Melissa said, "Some people will try to give you a surprise with the method of holding out on you. When you find out it is a surprise for you getting off work. You will be touched deeply." Then she heard Logan''s voice. "Adeline, I want to give you a ceremonious proposal." "Adeline, I am sure that you are my soulmate." "Adeline, it is your birthday today. Would you marry me?" "Adeline, please rx. My mother will help me taking care of you." "Adeline, after Ie back from this business trip, I will marry you." ... All the voices rushed into Adeline''s ears. She finally squatted down beside the river uncontrobly and cried bitterly. It turned out that Logan was going to propose to her on her birthday. It turned out that Logan had discussed with Victoria that he would marry her after his business trip. So Victoria couldn''t wait to make her marry Curtis. She hated her! She hated Victoria so much! She also hated her fate! But what could her hatred do? Those things that had happened could not be changed. Logan and her wouldn''t be together again then. Adeline felt her heart hurting so much. She even couldn''t breathe. Logan called her again and again. She rejected again and again. Atst she switched her phone off. She sat beside the river dully. Adeline cried and cried. It seemed that she had cried out all her tears, then she calmed down. She sat at the same ce, thinking for a long time. Then she turned on her phone and called Logan back. "Logan, I have got married." Logan on the other end of the phone paused for a moment. He then said, "That''s impossible. Adeline, I know that your are angry with my business trip. You must be saying these on purpose to irritate me." "Logan, listen to me. We are done. It is my problem. I should tell you earlier about this. But this thing happened so fast and I was not ready to tell you. I forgot to tell you about this. We alwaysck formal farewell." Pausing for a while, Adeline spoke calmly, "Listen, Logan, we are done. The day you started your business trip..." Before Adeline finished her words, Victoria who just saw the proposal video sending by Vi rushed to Adeline and took her phone away. She screamed loudly, "What are you talking about to Logan? You are talking about something bad about me to him, right?" As she said so, Victoria exined to Logan who was at the other end of the phone call. She said, "Logan, don''t listen to Adeline! I have done nothing! Trust me!" A few momentster, Logan''s confused voice came, "Mom... what are you talking about? Adeline said nothing bad about you." Victoria knew that she confessed without being pressed. She was so guilty that her face paled then she lied to Logan, "Mommy has to talk with Adeline for something important. I need to hang up the call first." After saying so, Victoria hung up the phone call and threw the phone at Adeline violently. "I have looked down upon you! You have married with Curtis but you still seduced my Logan to propose to you. If it wasn''t Vi who told me about the video and I hurriedly came here, are you going to sow discord between me and Logan by telling him it was me who made Curtis marry you? You are so terrible!" Adeline stared at Victoria with hatred, "Look at you. The disgusting look you confessed yourself is so funny. I sow discord between you and Logan? Weren''t you telling the truth just now?" Victoria ground her teeth and said, "Adeline Burton, you can''t tell Logan anyway! Are you thinking about when Loganes back, he can help with your divorce with Curtis and you two get together again? Don''t even think about it!" Adeline smiled calmly and said, "Just rx. I won''t have this dream anymore." Victoria didn''t think that she would answer so and she paused. Adeline passed her by scornfully. She looked at Victoria indifferently and said, "Though Logan is a perfect person, he has you as his mother. I will not be with him again all my life." After saying so, Adeline left the river side without looking back. She wasn''t thinking clearly just now. She didn''t think that Logan would propose to her on her birthday. But when she calmed down, she realized clearly that she only had regret to Logan. Her morality and ethic made her have no other thoughts with Logan forever. Besides, Logan had Victoria as his mother. She would never be together with him again then. If marriage was not considered, lived only with a good lover was eptable. But marriage was different, a woman must have a good mother-inw. A picky and crazy mother-inw would destroy a good marriage and a couple of perfect lovers. Adeline knew it then. She needed to deal with that problem in a decisive way. She would clear all the memories with Logan in her heart! ... In the ward. Owen went to visit Curtis with eight apples. He checked his watch as he just arrived in the ward. He said naturally to Steffen, "Have you ate? If not, we can eat together. Remember to order a takeaway for me, by the way." After saying so, he looked at Curtis and said, "Eh, why are you still looking terrible? Don''t be so mean! I just ask for a takeaway! You are suspected to have flu right now. Your bro, I,e to visit you with eight apples. What is it called? This is my very deep friendship to you!" "Get off!" Curtis gave Owen a sharp eye. Owen hadn''t had the takeaway and he didn''t want to get off. He then walked to Steffen and asked, "What is the problem with Mr. Riley? He can''t be so irritable just having a cold caused by virus and cannot go back home to apany his sweet wife, right?" Steffen dared not to reply him. Owen widened his eyes and asked, "Are you being grouchy with your wife?" Seeing that Steffen looking strange, Owen said to himself, "Oh, yes indeed." As he said so, he walked to Curtis''s bed and sat down. "You can ask me for advice about rtionship problem, bro. I am a specialist with it!" Curtis leered at himzily, "You?" "Yes!" Owen rolled up his sleeves as saying so, "I can tell you what the problem is even not knowing what has happened between you and your wife." "What?" Owen banged the table slightly and said, "You have never fallen in love!" Curtis frowned, "But we have married." "Yes, That is the problem! Other people will fall in love, date and understand each other first before they get married. They will get married naturally after sweet date, the heartbeat for the first hand in hand and first kiss. But you, you get married first ignoring all those processes! How can it be the same? Your rtionship doesn''t have love as its basis." Owen expressed his opinions without a break. At that moment, a sound came from Steffen''s phone. There was a new email in his email box. Steffen clicked to check the new email. Then he was frightened by the video in the email just looking at it. "Mr. ... Mr. Riley, someone sent Mrs. Riley''s video to my email box. Maybe he couldn''t find your email address, so he sent it to my email box..." Hearing that, Curtis felt that something might had happened. He looked at Steffen fiercely and said. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. "Show me the video!" Chapter 47 Mrs. Riley, I Want to Tell You More about Mr. Curtis Chapter 47 Mrs. Riley, I Want to Tell You More about Mr. Curtis Chapter 47 Mrs. Riley, I Want to Tell You More about Mr. Curtis It was Hannah who sent the video to Steffen''s email box. She couldn''t find Curtis''s contact method in anyway on the website of the Rileys. Finally she could only try to send it to the email box of Curtis''s assistant and hoped Curtis could see it. Curtis saw the video. His expression looked terrible. Owen nced at him. He cried out "What the hell" and then bounced meters away. It was not joking! He had known Curtis for so many years. He could guess out the content about the video. Curtis must be very jealous then. In the past, when he saw Logan was with Adeline. He would be very upset. He would ask him to practice boxing with him or he would call Max out to drink with him. It must have something to do with Logan then. Owen absolutely didn''t want Curtis to take it out on him. He kept several steps away from Curtis. After a good while, Curtis''s cold voice went out in the quiet ward. "Where is Mrs. Riley?" Steffen thought for a while and answered honestly, "The persons we had sent secretly to protect Mrs. Riley said Mrs. Riley was crying beside the river." "Great, very great." Curtis ground his teeth and said these words. Owen and Steffen were all fearful that they didn''t dare to make any sound. At that moment, even a heavy breath could make Curtis angry. The atmosphere in the ward was stifling until Curtis''s phone rang. ncing at the phone, Curtis''s seemed to calm down a bit. Owen and Steffen looked at each other. They had no doubt that the phone call was from Adeline. After Curtis picked up the phone, there was still coldness in his voice, "It''s me." The person in the other end kept silent for a good while. Then the person in the other end ventured, "Are you busty now?" There seemed to be no emotion in Curtis''s voice, "Say what you want to say." Adeline took a deep breath and said, "Logan just proposed to me." After hearing that, Curtis seemed to rx a little bit. Adeline calmed down then. She found it easier to tell the truth. She looked at the beautiful night scene outside the window and told Curtis the truth slowly. "When I got off work, the director of Cultural Relics Institute came to pick me. He told me to help him with the journal. He is an elder and he only asked me for a small favor so I went with him." "I only knew that Logan was to propose to me when I got to the Cultural Relics Institute. He hasn''t come back. He proposed to me through a video... At the beginning, I was too muddleheaded so I have watched his video of proposal." "As soon as I came back to earth, I refused him immediately. Curtis, I am sorry. I think I should tell you the truth about this." "I just called Logan that I have got married but Victoria took my phone before I told him I have married you. I called you to exin the whole thing to you. I don''t want you to know this thing from others. I will keep distance from Logan in the future." "OK, I trust in you." Hearing that, Adeline felt more rxed. A few momentster, Curtis''s softened voice came from the other end of the phone, "Where are you now?" Adeline replied honestly, "I havee back home." "OK, then you go inside the bedroom and open the closet." Adeline followed his order and went into the master bedroom with her phone. She opened the closet and was so surprised. She didn''t have many clothes. Her clothes even couldn''t fill one-forth of the closet before, which made her closet look empty. But then, there were all kinds of clothes of the season in the closet including overcoats, dresses, base shirts of all colors. There were so many clothes which made the closet look like clothing hanger in the clothing store. She is also a woman and of course she likes the surprise. A momentter, Curtis''s warm voice came from the other end, "Mrs. Riley, happy birthday." Adeline felt a bit moved. Curtis actually knew her birthday! "Thank you." Adeline raised her lips unconsciously and asked, "Then when will youe back?" Mentioned this, Adeline also did not know why Curtis''s voice got colder. He only said, "I don''t know." Adeline could only gave a forced smile and said, "Alright, then you do your business first. I don''t bother you now." After hanging the phone, Curtis pulled his face down again. Bur both Owen and Steffen could feel his change. He was very angry before, like he wanted to kill someone. Then he was just in a sulk. Steffen tried to break the ice and asked, "It was a phone call from Mrs. Riley, right? Did she exin the thing to you?" "Yes." Curtis nodded his head slightly, with no emotion showing out. Steffen felt relived a lot. He said, "Mrs. Riley confessed it to you herself. It can tell that she has no emotion to Logan. Mr. Riley, you can rx." Owen expressed his own thoughts, "Not sure. It is still the same. She has dated with Logan for three years. Can it be the same with you who just be with her for more than ten days? Their rtionship must be not the same as her rtionship with you!" Steffen was worried for him. He dared to talk with Curtis like this! Were he ready for Curtis''s anger? Owen liked to help others with rtionship problem. He kept on analyzing for Curtis. "So, I think that Mrs. Riley confessed to you out of her morality and sense of responsibility! As for she has deep emotion to you... I don''t think so." Hearing this, Curtis''s face got more gloomy. How would he not know? Adeline confessed was out of her sense of responsibility to their marriage. It could only be regarded as caring for their marriage, but not out of her love ti him. But since Curtis had her, he became more greedy. He wanted more. Not just her person, but her heart. He wanted Adeline to belong to him totally. Owen signed and said, "It is still the same. You need to go after her." "How to?" Curtis asked. Owen said with giggle, "That is easy. First, you ask Steffen to buy me some foods. I will give you a detailed n when I go back home." Curtis looked at Steffen and Steffen called to order takeaways. Owen showed a big smile immediately. Steffen always knew how to order the best takeaways. He used eight apples to exchange for the takeaway. It was worthwhile!N?velDrama.Org owns all content. After ordering for the food, Steffen smiled awkwardly and said to Curtis, "Mr. Riley, the report of your body shows that you are alright. You are just havingmon cold. Maybe it was because you stayed up toote before, so you fell into a deep slumber." Hearing that, the color of Curtis''s face was deep like a coal. He said, "Why don''t you tell me tomorrow? Adeline asked me when I would go back home just now and I said I didn''t know. Now you tell me I am alright?" Steffen understood his meaning then. He said, "Just rx and trust me." Curtis snorted and said, "Fine." Getting Curtis''s permission, he called Adeline immediately to the face of Curtis and Owen. He said to Adeline, "Mrs. Riley, I am Steffen. Have you been in bed?" Adeline''s sober voice came, "No." "OK, I couldn''t resist telling you something about Mr. Riley." Hearing that, Adeline felt sober a bit. She said, "OK, you can tell me." Steffen cleared his voice and pretended to be upset. "Mr. Riley doesn''t mean to hide from you on purpose. The client we contacted with before had virus with him. The doctor said Mr. Riley should be separated from you so Mr. Riley did not go back to the roomst night." Curtis nodded his head with satisfaction hearing that. Steffen felt that Curtis was satisfied with his words, so he kept on speaking on behalf of him. "And this morning, Mr. Riley didn''t mean to ignore you. He cked out so he didn''t know you were knocking at the door." Hearing this, Adeline became nervous. She asked, "Then how is he right now?" Steffen signed. "s." Chapter 48 Steffen Helped Curtis with Coaxing Mrs. Riley Chapter 48 Steffen Helped Curtis with Coaxing Mrs. Riley Chapter 48 Steffen Helped Curtis with Coaxing Mrs. Riley After Steffen sighed, he didn''t say anything about Curtis''s health. He continued to say in a roundabout way. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "One more thing, I really can''t stand it, I think I have to tell you. Mr. Riley is so pitiful." Curtis, "What?" Owen: "What??" Steffen shook his head and sighed, "Mrs. Riley, someone just sent the video of Logan''s proposal to Mr. Riley. Before you called and exined to him, Mr. Riley was very sad. He thought he was the one who ruined the rtionship between you and Logan." Owen: What a nonsense! As he spoke, Steffen''s voice choked up a little, "Mr. Riley... He also asked me to liquidate the property to see if there is any real estate that can be sold. He said that if you want a divorce, he would give you two-thirds of the property. He can just save some retirement money for himself." "Ma''am, Mr. Riley really treats you well. Just before the blood test report came out, he saw Logan''s marriage proposal video. He was disheartened and wanted to make a will. He said he should set you free and let you live the life you want..." Owen was speechless when he heard that... What? What did he say? But Curtis nodded in satisfaction. When Adeline heard Steffen say that, she felt sore and anxious. She quickly asked, "Which hospital are you at now? I''ll be there right away." Steffen nced at Curtis, and only after receiving permission did he tell the name of the hospital to Adeline, "Mrs. Riley, haven''t you eaten yet? Mr. Riley actually booked a restaurant today to celebrate your birthday. But the blood report has note out, he dare not to ask for you toe out. How about I ask for the restaurant to deliver food now?" "Okay." Adeline responded and hung up the phone. At that moment, Owen in the ward was so shocked that he didn''t know how to react. "Holy sh*t, you two have so many wicked ideas. Who canpare with you two!" Owen sighed again and said, "Listen to me, you still have to go for her seriously. If you use wicked ideas on her, you still cannot get love, but sympathy." Hearing this, Curtis''s face darkened a little, and he looked at Steffen, "The bonus of this month is doubled." Steffen smiled and bowed, "Thank you, Mr. Riley." When Owen heard something rted to money, his eyes lit up suddenly. Before he had time to say anything. Curtis looked at Steffen, "Throw this guy out, and I''ll give you another 10,000 yuan as a bonus." Steffen nodded and carried Owen out of the ward in quick motion, "Mr. Doyle, I''m sorry. But I cannot let you interfere with Mr. and Mrs. Riley''s meal." While being taken out, Owen shouted into the ward without giving up, "No, Mr. Riley, listen to me. I can be your counselor of your marriage! I just need some consulting fees! Wait, wait! I haven''t had my takeaway yet!" Soon, Owen was taken away by Steffen. After sending Owen away, Steffen was about to walk back when he saw a familiar girl arguing with the nurse. He narrowed his eyes and observed for a while. It was Hannah who was carrying a fruit basket and kept bowing and saying good words to the nurse, "Please let me in. The other party is my respected uncle. Just let me in. I just want to give him a surprise. I won''t interfere with your work, just for a while." The nurse refused with a nk expression, "No! This is a VIP ward. You have to tell me which floor and room you want to visit. I will make a phone call to confirm with the patient, and I will only let you go in if the patient agrees to see you." Hannah waited for a while, but the nurse still refused to let her in. In the end, Hannah had no choice but to give up and handed the fruit basket to the nurse, "Since I can''t see my elder, I can only give this fruit basket to you." "No, thank you." The nurse refused coldly. Hannah was so angry that she wanted to rolled her eyes. She heard from Vi that her acquaintances saw Curtis in the VIP area of this private hospital and she wanted to see if she could meet him by chance. Unexpectedly, this damned nurse refused to let her in, which ruined her n and made her waste a very expensive fruit basket. Hannah turned around and wanted to leave, then she had an idea and asked, "I... I happen to know an old person in my family who needs to have a rest cure. I think the VIP environment here is pretty good. I would like to ask how is the cost calcted?" "No matter how long you stay, the minimum consumption of a basic suite is 100,000. If you stay for one day, the minimum consumption is still 100,000. There will be a list of other expenses. But there are basically no vacancies here. All the wards are covered by reservations all year round." Hearing this, Hannah widened her eyes. Minimum consumption is 100,000? It was enough for her to buy a bag from a luxury brand! It seemed that she guessed it right. Curtis the Cripple from the Riley family was rich. Hannah left humming a song happily with her fruit basket. She felt that even she didn''te across Curtis, she had learned something useful. Her visit was not bad anyway. Steffen looked at the Hannah''s back and quickly went into the ward to tell Curtis. "Mr. Riley, I was at the visiting window then. I saw the girl who had gone to the house that day. It seemed that she was asking for information about you." "Asking for my information?" Curtis frowned unhappily. "Yes, we have rent the VIP area for our private use today, but she said to the nurse that she wanted to visit an elder here. We saw her in the apartment that day. Today she showed up here. It is a little too coincidental." "Oh." Curtis replied very coldly. She didn''t care much about such a little girl. He said to Steffen, "Find out who sent the video to your email box." "OK." As Steffen replied to Curtis, Adeline walked into the ward with some fruits. Because there was Logan''s proposal, Adeline felt a bit awkward anyway. Steffen greeted her smartly, "Mrs. Riley,e and sit here." After saying so, Steffen helped Curtis in his wheelchairs and pushed him to the dinning table. He left after setting the table for the two. As soon as Steffen left, the ward became quiet. Curtis spoke first, "Let''s have some food." "OK." Adeline replied awkwardly. She unwrapped the takeaways and passed one to Curtis. Then they just ate without saying anything. Curtis had ordered the takeaways of upmarket French restaurant. The box was made of wood, and there were many small boxes inside, and therger boxes contain customized iron tes. On the iron te was a cut steak, steaming hot when the box was opened. Other dishes were also very rich, with heart-shaped foie gras, ck matsutake dumplings, etc., all of which were very luxurious dishes. But Adeline didn''t know why. She couldn''t tell the taste of the foods. Especially when she saw that Curtis was making something with a toothpick, she felt uneasy. Finishing the dishes, Adeline said to Curtis actively, "Thank you for giving me so many clothes." "It is my pleasure to buy some clothes for my wife." Curtis kept on doing his thing, lowering his head. The height of the wooden box was about 5 or 6 centimeters, so Adeline didn''t know what he was doing. She could only keep on the topic with clothes. "I know some of the brands of the clothes you gave me. Some of them are quite expensive. With that closet of clothes..." Curtis said without emotion, "I got them from others." "Ah?" Adeline paused for a while. Curtis exined naturally, "A general clothing distributor has owed me money. Since I stepped down, he feared me no more and he refused to pay back my money. I could only take his clothes as his money to pay me back." "Oh." Hearing these, Adeline felt distressed for Curtis. She couldn''t help saying, "Those clothes can be sold out for money. Or, you can take some other things except for clothes next time, such as easy-to-tap assets..." Curtis cut in before Adeline could finish her words. "Mrs. Riley." Adeline stopped and raised her eyes. She saw that Curtis said sincerely. "I still have the ability to buy some clothes for my wife." "I... I don''t mean that." Adeline was a bit worried hearing his words. She was afraid that she would hurt his pride. Before she could say anything, she saw that Curtis took out several big cherries behind the wooden box. He lined them one by one in front of Adeline. Each heart-shaped cherry was engraved with character that were: The abbreviation of Mrs. Riley, happy birthday. Chapter 49 Mrs. Riley, Can I Apply for it? Chapter 49 Mrs. Riley, Can I Apply for it? Chapter 49 Mrs. Riley, Can I Apply for it? Adeline felt her heart was filled by the felling at that moment. Curtis was engraving characters on the cherry then. Curtis watched the surprised expression of Adeline. He pushed the cherries forward to Adeline. He said with great desire to win, "I can engrave characters, too. I can learn anything you like." Adeline felt touched while she felt Curtis was funny. She raised her eyes to look at Curtis and took a deep breath. She was going to tell Curtis what she was thinking inside, but she didn''t know that Curtis would speak at the same time. "Adeline, I want to go for you." "Curtis, Let''s date." As they finished speaking, both of them stopped for a while. A sound came from the door, Mr. Mcgee of the hospital came in. He paused when he heard their talk. His corner of his mouth pulled up a bit in disgust and said, "Little girl, are you going to date with this bad guy?" Hearing that, Curtis gave Mr. Mcgee a hard look. He said, "Shut up, Juan Mcgee! If you don''t know how to talk nicely, then shut your mouth up and get off!" Hearing that, Juan pointed at Curtis andined with Adeline, "Look at him, young girl. He is so impolite with the elder. Don''t date with him. Or you can consider about my son. My son is better than him. " "Damn you, Juan Mcgee! She is my wife!" Curtis was so angry that he almost stood up to hit Juan. Mr. Mcgee widened his eyes, looking at Adeline and said exaggeratively, "I see, you are the unfortunate woman who has married Curtis." Adeline smiled and nodded awkwardly. Juan shook his head and said, "s, what a beautiful girl! But you have married to this bad and evil guy! So regrettable!" N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Curtis''s eyes were full of anger. He even wanted to kill Mr. Mcgee. He asked, "What are you doing here? Get off now if you have nothing to do with me!" Mr. Mcgee liked to see Curtis getting angry. He put on AIRS and said, "I am the dean of the hospital and I am also your attending doctor. What am I doing here? Surely I am here to care for you." Hearing his words, Adeline asked, "Mr. Mcgee, how is Curtis''s health? Why would he lose consciousness this morning?" Curtis was always in good health and he was proud of it. As Adeline talked about his embarrassment again, he could only exined to her, "I didn''t lose consciousness. I just, just had a very deep slepp." "Oh, don''t lie to your wife no more!" Mr. Mcgee sighed, "Your were too weak so you fainted. It is the sequ of the car ident. I felt it strange that I have treated you well before. Why would the condition go bad then? And I figure out the only reason now." Adeline asked, "What is the reason?" "Overindulgence!" Mr. Mcgee said seriously. As he said so, Curtis even wanted to kill Mr. Mcgree by himself. Adeline''s face blushed like fire was burnning on her cheeks. She looked at the floor awkwardly. Mr. Mcgee tapped on Curtis''s shoulder and said, "You areing to your thirties soon... And you have suffered from a car ident. Your body is worse than before now. You can''t y it hard now. I just heard that you two want to date. That''s great. But you can''t have inordinate actions. You can start from holding hands. Isn''t it great?" Finishing speaking, Mr. Mcgee looked at Adeline and said, "You can''t listen to this old boy. His body needs time to recover." After saying these words, Mr. Mcgee almost couldn''t helpughing out. He found an excuse and left. He couldn''t tell how happy he was inside his heart! Anyway, this old boy always schemed him! He deserved it! The ward became quiet again as Mr. Mcgee left. Adeline felt embarrassed for a while. She then walked up to Curtis and asked lowering her head, "Does your words still count?" Before Curtis realized what she was talking about. Adeline took a deep breath and said. "Curtis, I want to date with you. I want to get along with you seriously like normal lovers, from strangers to understand each other." "We are equal to each other. You are Curtis, not Uncle Curtis of others and I am Adeline, not fiance of another person. We create our own memories, starting from one year, two years to three years, ten years, alright?" Curtis reached his hand to pull Adeline to his legs. He said in a low voice, "OK, but I don''t have much experience. You need to teach me, Mrs. Riley, but..." Curtis stopped on purpose and his put his lips on Adeline''s cheek and rubbed gently. He said, "But... A man should take initiative about dating. You can wait for me to go after you." After saying so, Curtis was going to kissed on Adeline''s lips. A sound came from the door again. Mr. Mcgee opened the door and came in again. He said, "Young girl, I forgot to remind you. If an old man like Curtis goes after you, don''t promise him so soon. Now, he wants to kiss you on the first day which he goes after you. You can''t promise him so soon! I am risking my life to warn you." Mr. Mcgee disappeared again after saying those words. Adeline couldn''t helpughing. She could feel that the rtionship between Curtis and the dean was quite good. At that moment, Curtis wanted to kiss Adeline again. Adeline hurriedly stood up and left. "The dean was right. If you want to go after me, you need to respect me. You can''t touch me right now. Lovers all start from Level 1." Curtis didn''t know what to say. Adeline smiled and said, "Let me help you lie in bed." Then Adeline started to take care of Curtis. She push his wheelchair to the bed and help him to bed. As soon as Curtisy down, he reached out his hand to pull Adeline toward him. He held Adeline in his arms. His chest was against her back. Putting his chin on Adeline''s shoulder, Curtis said, "Mrs. Riley, please stay here with me tonight." Adeline hesitated and said, "Haven''t we made a deal to start from dating?" Curtis said usibly, "Then you can''t stay with me for the night if we start from dating?" He held Adeline tighter. It seemed that he wanted to be one with Adeline. Adeline''s neck was itchy because of his rub. She was twisting like a caterpir. She exined with smiled, "Of course not! Stop, Curtis!" "Don''t move." Curtis felt the change of his body. His voice also became deeper. He didn''t dare to do anything to her there. He was not sure if Juan would rush into the ward suddenly. Curtis really wanted to hit Juan with his fist then. Adeline also felt the change of Curtis''s body. She was so frightened that she froze then. She murdered. "Of course dating is not like this. I wasn''t so close with Logan before..." Curtis felt he was ufortable. He snorted, "Dating is so boring!" Adeline was speechless... After a while, Curtis argued, "But we are husband and wife!" Adeline turned her head a bit to look at Curtis and said, "But you have promised to start from the beginning. So we have to take it step by step. Now we are on the stage of meeting. Curtis, if you ask for a girl to stay with you for the night when you just meet her, then you are a bad guy." Curtis snorted, "Then we start dating from tomorrow on. Tonight doesn''t count. And, Mrs. Riley, aren''t you afraid that I will faint again? I need someone to look after me." Adeline found it reasonable, so she said "Yes". Adeline kept silent for a while. She then proposed, "OK, we will sleep in separate rooms from tomorrow on. You go to sleep in the guest room. You body can also recover in this way." "Sleep in separate rooms?" Curtis raised his voice, "Mrs. Riley, my body is very strong! Don''t listen to that bad old man. Sleep in separate rooms can kill me!" "But it is meaningless to sleep together while dating." Curtis couldn''t refute... Some timeter, Curtis felt that he hadpromised a lot and he asked. "Mrs. Riley, then can I apply for the times we sleep together each week?" Chapter 50 She Was Peaceful but She Was Afraid of Nothing Chapter 50 She Was Peaceful but She Was Afraid of Nothing Chapter 50 She Was Peaceful But Afraid of Nothing How many times a week? Adeline''s face was immediately red like boiled crayfish. How straightforward he was! Seeing from Curtis''s spot, he could only see a red ear covering with short hair which was very cute. Curtis couldn''t hold back anymore. He kept Adeline''s earlobe in his mouth. Adeline reacted to his action very fast. She felt her body trembling. Curtis seemed to be satisfied with her reaction. He smiled gently and said, "Mrs. Riley, you haven''t told me how many times can I go back to our room to sleep?" "Ah, that is what you are asking about?" Adeline said those words without thinking of it. After she said those words, she wanted to bite her tongue. Curtis was stunned for a while. Then heughed happily, "Or what am I talking about in your thoughts then? If you want, I can coordinate with you." Hearing Curtis''sughter, Adeline felt her face blushing again and again. She covered her ears and was a bit angry. She said, "No more discussion with this topic! Dating means that without my permission, you, you can''te into my room." Curtis found his wife very cute. Her cheeks were red and even she was angry, she looked so lovely, which made him want to kiss her unstoppably. He seemed to find some new fun. He found a fresh and lively Adeline. He held her tighter and kissed the back side of her head. He said seriously, "Mrs. Riley, I will go after you from tomorrow on." Adeline felt her heart beating faster. Curtis then added, "I will try to enter into your room earlier." Adeline felt speechless... Why didn''t she find that Curtis was so smooth-tongued? But she didn''t know why she always feltfortable in his arms. There were many things happening. Adeline fell asleep as she rxed herself. Curtis took out his phone secretly when Adeline''s breath was even and sent Steffen a message. "Puncture the four tyres of Juan''s car." After a while, he still felt angry. "Puncture all the tyres of all the cars in his garage." Steffen was so awkward and didn''t reply to a word. The next day, Adeline ate the breakfast in the ward and hurried to school. She was wearing the pink and purple wool coat which Curtis gave her with a white scarf. Her whole person looked graceful and had a sense of youth. Just as she walked into the teaching building, she was stunned. The director, Sophia was wearing a same coat as hers while surrounded and praised by other teachers. "Oh, Ms. Adams, this coat suits you a lot." "This coat is of high quality. It is quite expensive, right?" "The color really brings out your skin." ... Hearing those ttery, Adeline subconsciously wanted to walk away quietly . She didn''t want to be noticed that she was wearing the same coat with Sophia. However, Amber, Hannah''s sister, called her as she just turned around. "Oh, what a coincidence. You are wearing the same coat as Ms. Adams." Adeline stopped for a while. She could tell that Amber said so on purpose. She didn''t ask for trouble and always kept a low profile. She would not care for those small troubles, but she was not afraid of anyone. "Yes, what a coincidence." Adeline smiled and turned around gently. She walked to Amber gracefully. She said to Amber, "Ms. Miller has a good eyesight. It doesn''t seem that you will misread the grades of students again and again." Hearing that, Amber''s face got darkened. Last time, she miscalcted the total Chinese scores of the whole ss. She thought that she had surpassed Adeline''s ss and be the first in the grade of Chinese score and she began to talk loudly in the office. As a result, not long after, the Academic Affairs Office informed her that she had repeated to count on scores, and the total score was not so high. That embarrassment was mentioned again. Amber felt awkward. But she was no good person. She then continued to ask the teachers, "Do you think the coat looks better on Ms. Adams or on Adeline?" It was absolutely to embarrass Adeline saying so. Several teachers felt embarrassed and did not know how tfo answer the question. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. There was not only age difference between Adeline and Ms. Adams, but also the appearance difference. When Adeline was just enrolled by this school, she was epted by all as the most beautiful teacher here. As for Ms. Adams, she looked ordinary and had a thick waist. All the people could tell who looked better while wearing the same coat. But Ms. Adams was their director and no one would tell the truth. The teachers were all looking at each other, keeping quiet. Adeline looked at Amber with a gentle smile, "Since the question is raised by Ms. Miller, Ms. Miller should be the one to answer the question." All the teachers echoed as they heard Adeline''s words. "Yes." "That is right. Ms. Miller, please tell us your thought." At that moment, Ms. Adams also looked at Amber with curiosity. Amber felt like she was frozen stared by them. Hannah''s sister didn''t think that the question woulde back to her again. She could only answer falsely atst, "I think both of them have different temperaments. But this coat looks magnificent, it may suit more for the elder." The meaning of her words meant that Ms. Adams looked better in that coat. Adeline smiled and said, "I don''t think so." Amber widened her eyes as she heard Adeline said so. She thought Adeline was crazy. Did it mean that Ms. Adams did not look good in that coat, but she looked better in it? Adeline exined stared by all those surprising eyes. "Just as Ms. Miller said that a coat could only suit a person when the person had that temperament. But I don''t think that Ms. Adams looks better in the coat because she is older. I think Ms. Adams'' experience and character make her suitable for the coat." After Adeline finished her words, Amber felt that something was wrong. She exined to Ms. Adams immediately, "Ms. Adams, I don''t mean that you are older than Adeline..." Saying so, Amber pped herself. Ms. Adams red at her for a while but she said nothing. Many teachers were giggling. When they were about to leave, two parents of ss A walked up to them and said with sarcasm. "Oh my god! We can see a teacher wearing the Valentino coat at school." The two parents were those who had asked Ms. Adams to transfer Adeline back for several times but had been rejected. At that moment, the two richdies stared at the coat on Ms. Adams scornfully. Amber immediately tried to say good words to Ms. Adams, "What is the problem? Why Ms. Adams cannot wear a coat of Valentino?¡¯ One of the richdies walked up to Amber, raising the corner of her mouth and asked, "There is no problem. But I am curious about how much is the sry of a teacher. How can she afford a coat of 20 thousand?" After she finished her words, all the teachers were so shocked. A coat of 20 thousand? Adeline was also shocked by the truth. That richdy smiled. Her sight drifted from Adeline and Ms. Adams. She kept on saying with sarcasm. "I heard that Ms. Burton has married a rich husband. She even has a diamond ring of the Pink Heart which values 1.5 million. And she certainly can have a coat of 20 thousand." "But, some people, only have a normal sry. Does she get the coat from her corruption?" Chapter 51 Sophia Felt Embarrassed, While Adeline was the Envy of Everyone Chapter 51 Sophia Felt Embarrassed, While Adeline was the Envy of Everyone Chapter 51 Sophia Felt Embarrassed, While Adeline was the Envy of Everyone Hearing the parents subtly implying her corruption, Sophia''s face immediately changed, and she quickly exined, "I... This dress is not from Valentino! It was a gift from a close friend, who said it cost just over a thousand, not that expensive." Sophia''s words were not false. This dress was a high-quality imitation that she bought for just over a thousand. "Oh," The parent''s voice dragged on for a while, "So it''s a replica! That makes sense, then." Saying that, the two parents nced deeply at Adeline, "Ms. Burton, this dress looks really nice on you." After expressingpliments, the two of them left together, leaving Sophia, who had just admitted to wearing a replica, with a burning sensation on her face. Although it was a replica, she had carefully considered and reluctantly bought it for over a thousand. Being publicly humiliated like this, how could she not feel angry? Sophia''s face turned dark, and she turned around, stomping back to her office in high heels. Seeing this, Adeline also prepared to enter the teachers'' office, but before she could take a step, she was surrounded by colleagues. "Adeline, let me touch your dress. I''ve never touched a dress worth 150,000 before!" "Yeah, let me have a look and broaden my horizons." "Adeline, is your ring worth tens of millions? My goodness! How does it feel to wear a whole set of luxury apartments on your finger?" Several female teachers spoke one after another, all reaching out to touch Adeline. Adeline was tickled by everyone''s touch andughed as she exined. "This dress was a gift from my husband, and it also might be a replica. As for this diamond ring, that parent must have been mistaken. My husband said it''s not valuable and it couldn''t possibly be worth millions." Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. The surrounding female teachers also didn''t learn about that, and no one could give a definite answer. At this moment, a married female teacher looked at Adeline''s diamond ring and spoke up, "Ms. Burton, don''t be modest. With a husband who can afford the multi-billion-dor luxury apartment in Bay Hall and it''s not impossible that he buys you this diamond ring worth over ten million." The female teachers were shocked to hear about the multi-billion-dor luxury apartment and eximed once again. Adeline herself was also stunned, "That luxury apartment shouldn''t be that expensive, right?" She had privately estimated the market value to be around ten million. But the difference between ten million and over a hundred million was significant! Other female teachers also agreed, "Yes, that luxury apartment does look quite luxurious, but ording to the rumored price per square meter, it should be possible to get it for seven or eight million." The married female teacher chuckled lightly, "Do you know that my husband is the chief engineer of Bay Hall?" Everyone nodded, almost forgetting about that. "In the beginning, my husband and I also wanted to buy a property in Bay Hall. When my husband was working on the construction, he had his eye on the house owned by Ms. Burton''s family. We thought that with the market price, we could afford the mortgage. Little did we know, when he asked his boss, he found out that the house had the best view in the entire development and was the most expensive. It was specifically reserved for the wealthy clients in Prodiff. To secure a spot, not only did you have topete internally and have strong rtionships, but also you need to have a high status in Prodiff and be able to afford the internal price. The price of that house was not publicly disclosed, and the facilities inside were top-notch. That day, after I went to Ms. Burton''s house, I took pictures and showed them to my husband. He knows his stuff and was very certain that with the house and the interior decoration, it couldn''t be worth less than a hundred million." As the voice fell, the teachers found this information highly credible and eximed in envy once again. "Adeline, I envy you so much. You have such an amazing husband." "Adeline, your husband is really generous. Such an expensive house, and he just gives it to you!" Seeing this scene, Hannah''s sister was so jealous that she almost bit her teeth. Why! Why was Adeline''s ss always outperforming hers in Chinese, and why did she have such a rich husband? She has a luxury apartment in Bay Hall and he even bought her such an expensive diamond ring! Hannah''s sister actually overheard her sister''s conversation with Vist night and knew about her petty thoughts, but she didn''t reprimand her sister at the time. Anyway, if her sister made a mistake, it had nothing to do with her. Their rtionship was just superficial, and both of them hoped that the other would not marry as well as herself and not live as well as herself in the future. Her sister looked down on her measly sry, and she looked down on her sister''s idleness. They each found fault with each other. At this moment, Hannah''s sister''s lips curled up, and she wanted to add fuel to the fire. She picked up her phone and sent a message to her sister. After sending the message, Hannah''s sister nced contemptuously in Adeline''s direction. She was waiting for Adeline to be a forsaken woman, crying and sobbing! How many of these rich people could be sincere? Soon, the bell for ss rang, and the teachers surrounding Adeline dispersed. Adeline returned to her desk, turned on theputer, and started her day''s work. During the lunch break, Melissa came to find her to have a meal and also to go shopping. Just after finishing their meal, Logan''s call came again. In front of Melissa, Adeline answered the phone calmly. Melissa leaned in closer, trying to eavesdrop on the conversation. On the other end of the phone, Logan''s gentle voice came through. "Adeline, have you calmed down?" Melissa was speechless. What kind of brain-dead opening was this? Adeline instinctively furrowed her brows. "Logan, I already exined everything to you clearlyst night." "Adeline, can you stop being mad at me? I know, the day I went on a business trip, you were very scared. You must have been anxious about the incident with Mr. Baker. But Adeline, I can''t help it. That''s how it is in the workce. You''re also a working staff, and you could understand that when thepany asks you to go on a business trip, you have no choice. And, my Adeline, haven''t you always been very supportive of my archaeology work? I often tell my colleagues that we need a considerate and understanding wife like you in our profession..." "Logan." Adeline interrupted Logan''s incessant chatter. "You''re still on your business trip now, so please focus on your work. When you return, if you need to have a face-to-face conversation, where I will exin and provide you with an exnation. Both my husband and I will be present to provide you with an exnation. This matter can''t be resolved over the phone for the time being. If I say it now, it will only affect your work. When youe back, we can talk about it." "Adeline! Don''t lie to me anymore. I know it''s impossible for you to marry someone else! Don''t provoke me anymore. I''ve already said, there are only a few days left. Once I finish my work here, I cane back quickly. If you provoke me now, I won''t be able toe back immediately." Listening to these words, Adeline felt a bit uneasy. Before she could say anything, Logan continued in a gentle tone. "I talked to my mom on the phonest night, and she said you''re no longer living in the old house. Adeline, tell me the truth, is there any misunderstanding between you and my mom? Did she upset you?" Chapter 52 Hannah Seduced Curtis and was Caught by Adeline on the Spot Chapter 52 Hannah Seduced Curtis and was Caught by Adeline on the Spot Chapter 52 Hannah Seduced Curtis and was Caught by Adeline on the Spot Before Adeline could exin, Logan continued in a gentle tone. "Adeline, my mom is an elder. If there''s really something she''s not doing well, you should just let it go." "I know, my mom has some ws in her actions. But people of her generation are like that." "The rtionship between mothers-inw and daughters-inw has always been the most difficult. My mom only has me as her precious son, so she definitely feels like you''re trying to take me away from her. But Adeline, I have always thought that you are a considerate person. You will definitely understand my mom and make her feel less threatened, right?" Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. When Victoria was mentioned, Adeline still harbored deep resentment. She whispered, "Yes! I won''t let her feel threatened in the future, and I won''t let her think that I''m trying to take her son away!" Because she could never be with Logan again in the future! "That''s right. As a man, seeing the harmony between you two is my greatest happiness." Before Logan could finish speaking, Melissa couldn''t listen anymore. She snatched Adeline''s phone and shouted into the receiver. "Logan, are you f*cking crazy? Adeline is married, married! I''ve seen her husband! It''s not fake. Put away your arrogant attitude! Adeline doesn''t have to marry you! She deserves better treatment!" "And another thing, have you read too many books and gone stupid? What did you just say? You knew that Adeline was scared when she encountered that situation on the day you went on your business trip? And yet, you still left! Are you even a decent human being, let alone her boyfriend?" "You say you have no choice in the workce. Bullshit! It would be understandable if others said that, but you''re Logan of the Riley family! If you didn''t want to go on the business trip, wouldn''t the problem be solved with just a word from you?" "Since you know the thing about Mr. Baker, from the moment you called until now, have you asked once if Mr. Baker has retaliated against Adeline? Have you asked if Adeline is safe? No! You''re always exining why you had to go on your business trip, and you are always asking Adeline to tolerate your mom!" "Let me tell you, when ites to Adeline getting married, you really have to ask your mom! Adeline is the one involved. She doesn''t want to talk about this embarrassing matter over the phone, and I can''t say much either! But Logan, let me tell you, your mom, Adeline is not going to serve her anymore!" After saying that, Melissa hung up the phone, and handed it back to Adeline without a hint of remorse for snatching it. She nced at Adeline, who was with a look of anger on her face. "What are you looking at? What''s wrong? Are you mad that I took your phone? Are you mad at me for the sake of this scumbag?" Adeline couldn''t help but smile, yfully pinching Melissa''s cheek. "I was actually thinking that it''s a good thing to have you as my best friend. You said everything I wanted to say! Otherwise, I would have regretted not speaking up earlier." Melissa raised her chin proudly. "Of course, I''ve never lost an argument! I always win!" Ding! Adeline''s phone suddenly rang. She received a text message. "Adeline, let me tell you again. You are a person with good manners, and you''re not really suitable for getting too close to Melissa. Eavesdropping on other people''s phone calls and snatching their phones are both very rude behaviors." Adeline and Melissa looked at the message simultaneously. Melissa exploded with anger again, about to say something, but then she saw Adeline decisively respond. "Logan, please don''t judge my best friend. Also, I''m going to block your phone number. No need to contact me. If you want an exnation when you return to Prodiff, meet me at the old house." After sending the message, Adeline promptly blocked Logan''s phone number as well. Melissa gave her a thumbs up. "Impressive! So decisive! This meal, I''ll treat!" Melissa paid the bill, and the they walked out of the restaurant. Melissa suggested going for a walk to digest the food. But just a few stepster, Melissa suddenly froze when her gaze fell upon a figure sitting in a wheelchair. "Adeline, isn''t that your husband?" Following Melissa''s gaze, Adeline saw Steffen pushing Curtis into a women''s handbag store. Right behind them, Hannah also walked in. Melissa frowned and whispered to Adeline, "Let''s go and take a look behind that big pir over there." Conveniently, there was arge sculpture next to the store, and there was a very thick marble pir behind it. Behind the pir were some iron chairs where they could rest. They walked over and sat down, allowing them to secretly observe and eavesdrop on what was happening inside the store. Adeline was also curious, so she agreed to Melissa''s suggestion. They quietly made their way to the back of the pir and sat down. At that moment, Hannah excitedly entered the store. She had received a WhatsApp message from her sister in the morning, saying that Curtis had bought a diamond ring worth millions for Adeline, which made her extremely envious. She had been praying in her heart, hoping for a chance encounter with Curtis. But she didn''t expect that they would actually run into each other while shopping at noon! Hannah pretended to browse the store as she walked in. When she reached a spot with a draft, she coquettishly eximed, "Oh my god, why is it so hot here?" With that, she effortlessly took off her long fur coat, revealing only a sparkling white sequined dress with thin straps. The straps of the dress were extremely delicate, designed with a low-cut neckline. With the slightest lean, it exposed a significant amount of skin. The dress was incredibly short, showcasing her long and slender legs. This dress was Hannah''s "battle dress," and she often wore it when she went clubbing or frequented high-end shops, with the intention of attracting a wealthy man. Little did she know, today she would run into Curtis, and it woulde in handy! Melissa clenched her fists at the sight. "She''s shameless! The weather in Prodiff is only 8 degrees Celsius. As Amber''s sister takes off her coat, who does she want to seduce? Why doesn''t she just take everything off? Wouldn''t that make it easier?" Adeline''s expression also darkened. Inside the luxury store, there were only Curtis and Steffen. Hannah''s intention was apparent. She must havee specifically for these two men. Knowing Vi''s friend''s character, it was more likely that she was targeting Curtis. Unaware that every move she made was being observed by Adeline, Hannah pretended to nce at a few handbags before heading towards Curtis. Deliberately measuring the distance, she stumbled and eximed coyly, "Oh dear," and then she fell straight into Curtis''s arms. A smug smile formed at the corner of her mouth, she was confident in her youthful figure. She refused to believe that dressing like this and falling into a man''s arms would not affect him. Hannah closed her eyes and fell downward in contentment. She could already imagine the scene of Curtis buying her a handbag. After buying a ten-million diamond ring for Adeline, spending a couple hundred thousand on herself was nothing. Melissa was so excited by the scene that she almost rushed out, but Adeline calmly held her back. She wanted to see how Curtis would react. At that moment, with bated breath, Adeline observed... Chapter 53 Hannah Felt like a Slap in Her face Chapter 53 Hannah Felt like a p in Her face Chapter 53 Hannah Felt like a p in Her face Just before Hannah was about to fall into Curtis'' arms, Curtis quickly maneuvered his wheelchair, deviating from Hannah''s n. Bang! Hannah fell straight to the ground. The sound was clearly painful, but it brought immense satisfaction to Adeline and Melissa! At this moment, Steffen looked at her warily and asked, "Who are you? Why did you attack Mr. Riley?" As he spoke, he asked the salesgirl for a pair of disposable gloves, put them on, and swiftly pinned Hannah''s hand behind her back, subduing her on the ground. "Speak! Who sent you to attack Mr. Riley?" Hannah was in great pain all over her body, and now her hand was being pinned. She wanted to curse. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. What kind of person was this? Who would dress like this to attack someone? But she still wanted to seduce Curtis, so she held back her curses and spoke gently, "Mr. Riley, don''t you remember me? I''m Adeline''s colleague''s sister. I have been to your house before." "Oh." Curtis responded indifferently, focusing on the handbag in his hands. Seeing this, Hannah raised her tone again, "Ah~ It hurts, it hurts." She moaned alluringly, deliberately trying to seduce him, which caused the salesgirl to roll her eyes. Hannah knew that men fell for this act, so after a few more moans, she fluttered her eyshes and looked at Curtis, "Mr. Riley, I just stumbled and didn''t mean to attack you intentionally. Can you ask your subordinate to let me go?" Curtis raised his hand expressionlessly, and Steffen released Hannah. However, he took off the disposable gloves in front of her, throwing them into the trash can with a disdainful expression. Hannah''s face froze, and she secretly red at Steffen. She was still a nightclub beauty, but she had never been looked down upon like this before! These traditional men didn''t know how to appreciate her! Suppressing her innerints, Hannah approached Curtis warmly, "Mr. Riley, are you choosing a handbag for Adeline? Since we had such a fortuitous encounter today, how about I rmend a few handbags suitable for Adeline''s age from a woman''s perspective?" As she spoke, Hannah casually pointed at a handbag, "How about this one? It goes well with anything and suits Adeline." Curtis nced at the handbag Hannah pointed to, his expression indifferent as he looked at her, "How old is my wife?" Hannah was taken aback, never expecting Curtis to ask such a question. What question was this? Before she could even figure out how to respond, she heard Curtis'' deep voice tinged with disdain. "My wife doesn''t need something versatile. As her husband, I have the ability to provide her with handbags in different colors to match her clothes. Moreover, she can carry any handbag in this store. These handbags should feel honored to be in her hands!" Hannah''s face stiffened slightly as she saw Curtis pointing at the handbag she rmended and looking towards the salesgirl. The salesgirl quickly put on a pair of white gloves and walked towards the handbag Hannah had pointed to. Hannah''s expression rxed slightly. She thought to herself that this man was ying hard to get, huh! She opened her lips to speak and was about to highlight the features of that handbag to Curtis, but then she saw Curtis raise his hand, dismissively saying, "I don''t want this handbag, and please pack up all the handbags in this section." Hannah and the salesgirl were instantly dumbfounded. All the handbags in this section? There were hundreds of them! Even the cheapest ones cost over a hundred thousand each! And now he was casually waving his hand, buying all the handbags in the entire disy cab?! The salesgirl clearly had never encountered this situation before and asked multiple times, "Sir, are you sure you want all the handbags in this section?" "Yes," Curtis nodded nonchntly and spoke deliberately, "Is there a problem?" The salesgirl felt like she could see a substantial bonus waving at her, so she quickly smiled and responded, "No problem! No problem!" At this moment, Adeline couldn''t avoid it any longer and rushed out, intercepting the salesgirl, "My husband is just joking. Wait a moment, and please don''t pack them. Let me talk to my husband first." After speaking, Adeline pushed Curtis aside and spoke with a slightly reproachful tone, "Why do you want to buy so many handbags? It''s such a waste of money! We can''t live like this." It was the first time Curtis had been scolded, and he felt a bit ufortable. He lowered his head, suppressing his previous domineering aura, and exined with a touch of grievance, "She was mocking you... I just wanted to tell her that you don''t need something versatile, and you can carry any handbag." Upon hearing this, Adeline''s face froze. She hadn''t considered that Curtis simply wanted to stand up for her and buy so many handbags. Well, this kind of approach was quite like Mr. Riley''s style! Adeline''s heart warmed slightly, as she looked at Curtis'' awkward appearance, feeling both amused and sympathetic. She half-squatted down, gentlymunicating with Curtis, just like she would talk to her students in her office. "I know you''re angry, and I know you did this for my sake. But if we want to live our lives, we can''t be as willful as you. We need to spend money wisely." Adeline hadn''t forgotten that Curtis had previously mentioned that he was a little tight on funds and would make up for the dowryter. Curtis muttered, feeling down, "If it were me before, I would have bought the entire store." Adeline was speechless. "And besides, I don''t want to live a regr life." Adeline''s eyes widened in an instant. "I want to pursue a girlfriend. My friend taught me that if you give a girl a handbag every day, you can win her over." Adeline was both angry and amused, thinking about what kind of friends Curtis had! At the right time, Curtis gestured to Steffen. Steffen hurriedly walked over, lowering his voice, and said, "Mrs. Riley, actually, this store belongs to Mr. Doyle. The handbags here are rtively valuable, even second-hand ones are worth a lot of money. Mr. Doyle had previously owed Mr. Riley the project payment and refused to pay it back. Mr. Riley also wants to recover some of the losses." Upon hearing that the handbags were valuable, Adeline thought of Owen''s arrogance earlier and instantly stood up straight. She said to the salesgirl, "Please wrap up everything you just mentioned, and also the handbags over there!" Hannah widened her eyes, and she waspletely dumbfounded! The result of this couple''smunication was to buy the handbags over there too! Hannah was almost jealous! Seeing Curtis and Adeline''s sweet appearance was truly annoying to her, so she calmly left the luxury store. Melissa saw this and called out, "Hey, aren''t you Amber''s sister? Did you drop something?" Hannah thought it was true and turned her head to look at the ground, only to find nothing. She then looked at Melissa in confusion. Melissa couldn''t hide her amusement and smiled openly, "Your dignity! Your dignity has fallen all over the ground. Won''t you pick it up before leaving?" Hannah instantly felt her cheeks burning and gave Melissa a fierce re before turning away. When she walked out of the store, she sneezed because of the temperature difference. People around her saw her dressed so lightly and thought she was crazy. Where did this shameless womane from, wearing a camisole dress in the middle of winter? Hannah quickly put on her fur coat and fled in embarrassment. Melissa felt so satisfied in her heart! Curtis couldn''t help but raise the corners of his mouth. Adeline thought he was making fun of Hannah and asked in surprise, "What are youughing at?" "I''m happy," Curtis raised his eyebrows slightly. "Happy?" "Yeah, I''m happy to spend money for my wife," Curtis'' mouth curved up as he looked at Adeline, "I wonder if Ms. Burton is satisfied with this answer?" Adeline felt her cheeks burning and felt a bit attracted by Curtis. Who said this guy couldn''t date? He''s pretty good at it, wasn''t he?! Lowering her head to hide her unusual expression, Adeline said, "I won''t talk to you anymore. We need to go back to school." Saying that, Adeline hastily pulled Melissa away. After walking a few steps, she received a WhatsApp message from Curtis. "Mrs. Riley, have you figured out how you want to date? My friend has provided a few options. How about you choose one?" Chapter 54 Mr. Riley was Indeed a Sly Fox Chapter 54 Mr. Riley was Indeed a Sly Fox Chapter 54 Mr. Riley was Indeed a Sly Fox Adeline didn''t know why, but when she saw Curtis'' WhatsApp message, it felt as if she could hear his warm voice, as gentle as a mountain breeze, ringing in her ears. She suddenly felt her cheeks grow warm. Melissa rolled her eyes when she saw this. "I can''t stand you two. You''re already texting each other right after separating. Hey, your Mr. Riley is a bit clingy." Adeline had no secrets from Melissa and felt embarrassed to say, "I told him about Logan''s proposalst night, and then we both said we should date. He''s asking for my opinion right now." Melissa felt a sourness in her teeth and shuddered. "Hey, Adeline, haven''t you noticed that you didn''t show this much affection when you were with Logan before?" "Is that so?" Adeline didn''t really feel anything. Melissa rolled her eyes. "What do you mean by starting to date again? Aren''t you two already dating? It''s making single persons like me feel so sour!" Saying that, Melissa muttered to herself, "But as your best friend, I feel like Curtis is so much better than his nephew!" Adeline didn''t pay much attention to what Melissa was saying. She walked and replied to Curtis. "Okay, tell me about the ns." She felt that it was better to listen and consider, or else his friends would teach him some tricks like buying handbags! Curtis quickly replied, "My friend said that dating should start with getting to know each other. There are several ns for getting to know each other: Blind date, Online dating, Chance encounter in the rain, Campus encounter, Friend''s dinner gathering, and Participating in outdoor activities..." Adeline quickly nced at the options and considering Curtis''s leg condition, she ultimately chose a more reliable one, "Let''s go with a blind date." Curtis, "Okay, Miss Burton, see you tonight at 7 pm by thekefront restaurant. I''ll be wearing gold- rimmed sses and holding a pink rose." Adeline bit her lip, finding it really like a blind date. She replied, "Okay, Mr. Riley, see you tonight." After sending the message, Adeline and Melissa hurried back to school. Once she arrived at the office, Adeline searched online for some blind date tips. She had never been on a blind date before, and her engagement with Logan was arranged by old Mrs. Riley. Back then, she had identally saved old Mrs. Riley, who was grateful and decided to set up this marriage for her. During their university years, Logan took the initiative to meet her. Their first meeting took ce at the Archaeological Research Institute. Logan introduced many interesting artifacts to her, and she didn''t feel awkward at all. Now, as she was about to officially meet Curtis for the first time, Adeline felt it would be better to do some research. ... On the other side, after Adeline left the luxury store, Steffen went to settle the bill and then pushed Curtis away. "Mr. Riley, that woman just now was named Hannah. She''s the girl who wanted to meet you at the hospitalst time and also the one who sent you the video of Hannah''s marriage proposal." "Hmm," Curtis replied calmly. "Keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn''t harm my wife." "Huh?" Steffen looked somewhat surprised. "Don''t you want to eliminate her?" Curtis casually tapped the armrest of his wheelchair with his slender fingers as he spoke with a calm tone. "Not for now. After all, she is someone my wife knows through her circle of friends. I don''t want to go too far. It might scare her. In addition, I want to leave a good impression on my wife." N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. After pausing for a moment, Curtis added, "Arrange someone to give her a little pressure. If she still insists on approaching us without knowing the consequences, when the opportunity arises, we''ll conveniently push her away like a chess piece." Steffen understood right away. Mr. Riley meant that he hadn''t figured out how to handle her properly yet. When there''s a suitable chance topletely get rid of her cleanly, he would push her towards her demise. Ah, he learned something, indeed! He truly was a cunning fox! "Also, I just received news that the archaeological team is only left with some finishing work. Logan seems to be intending to take a leave from the research institute ande back. And... if he can''t take a leave, he will be back in less than a week." "So soon? Wasn''t it said that it would take three months?" Curtis furrowed his brows. "Yes, originally it was an imperial tomb. Now they have developed a cemetery, and they can''t ess the core tomb. It''s said to be difficult, with a significant funding gap. The research institute is worried that if they invest heavily, it may damage the tomb, so they made the decision not to continue with in-depth research for now." Curtis''s eyebrows furrowed even more, and he decisively said, "Find a way immediately to secure investment for that project, find excellent talents for reinforcement, and at any cost, stall Logan!" Steffen replied, "Yes." Darkness shed through Curtis''s eyes behind his gold-rimmed sses. He couldn''t let Logane back ahead of time to ruin everything. Logan couldn''te back until he had fully gained Adeline''s heart! Steffen escorted Curtis back to the office. At three o''clock in the afternoon, Curtis summoned all the high-level executives of the group to the meeting room of that run-downpany and held an urgent meeting in secret. These people were all loyal to Mr. Riley. Being suddenly called over, they were both excited and anxious. "Mr. Riley called us here suddenly. It must be a big project!" "Definitely! Mr. Riley is stillying low, so calling us for a meeting, it must be a multi-billion-dor project!" A group of executives arrived at a rundown meeting room, but their hearts were boiling with excitement. They had a feeling of rolling up their sleeves and getting to work! As soon as they sat down, Curtis, who was seated at the head, asked, "Tell me about your blind date experiences. One by one." The executives were all puzzled. At this moment, one executive quietly added the others to a WhatsApp group and sent a message, "Answer well. I guess Mr. Riley definitely wants to develop a game about blind dates. It''s a hot topic nowadays." "Yes, yes, that''s it!" "Being single is an important social topic! This project is potential." Most of these executives were men in their forties. Now, they all shared their experiences, and Curtis earnestly recorded each one. Look at how seriously Mr. Riley was taking this. It must be a big project! ... On the other side, at the Bari Tea House. A young man in histe twenties, dressed in shy attire, walked into a private room. He was Alexander Webb, the person in charge of Bold Axe and a distant nephew of Victoria. Alexander swaggered into the room and saw that Victoria had a sour expression on her face. He quickly poured her a cup of tea and asked, "Aunt, who upset you?" Without responding, Victoria countered with a question, "Why did you call me out?" Alexander sighed deeply, "What else could it be? Just to thank you for warning me earlier and helping me find a scapegoat to be the legal representative. Otherwise, I would have been in jail by now. But, I can''te up with the 10 million investment right now." Victoria nced at Alexander and noticed that he didn''t know that she was responsible for his company being exposed. So she generously said, "Forget it, I know about your family''s situation. You finally managed to start a business, and now this happens. You don''t have to repay the 10 million." She said that, but in reality, Victoria knew that her nephew wouldn''t be able toe up with the 10 million even if she forced him. It was better to be a favor in return. Upon hearing that, Alexander''s eyes suddenly brightened. "Aunt, you''re truly righteous! Aunt, if you need anything from Alexander in the future, just say it. I will do whatever it takes." Victoria''s expression brightened at his words. She didn''t expect this unexpected gain. So, she hesitated and said, "To be honest, Aunt has had a headache recently." "Aunt, just tell me!" Victoria and Alexander were simr in nature, so she didn''t bother hiding it and directly told him about her n to manipte Adeline. "What bothers me now is that Logan ising back, and I don''t know how this woman willin to him!" Alexander''s mouth curled up into a smile, "Isn''t that simple? Aunt, leave this matter to me. It''s not difficult to make a woman obedient." "Really? Do you have a good solution?" "Sleep with her, record a video, and use that to threaten her! I don''t believe that when Logan returns, she''ll still dare to gossip!" Victoria''s expression darkened, feeling hesitant, and she replied, "Well... that doesn''t seem right, does it?" "Ohe on, Aunt, just pretend you don''t know! I''ll take care of it." Upon hearing this, a slight smirk formed at the corner of Victoria''s mouth, and she didn''t say anything more. ... Soon, it was time for Curtis and Adeline''s first blind date. Curtis changed into several different outfits, bought pink roses, and arrived at the restaurant half an hour early, waiting anxiously. Chapter 55 Mr. Rileys Blind Date Chapter 55 Mr. Riley''s Blind Date Chapter 55 Mr. Riley''s Blind Date After school, Adeline purposely went back to her apartment to change clothes. She wanted to approach this blind date with the right mindset. Even though they were already married, since both of them had expressed the desire to rekindle their love and establish their rtionship, they needed to take it seriously. Opening her wardrobe, Adeline noticed that the clothes gifted by Curtis were neatly arranged, from coats to sweaters to dresses, all sorted by color from dark to light. It was evident that he had put a lot of thought into it. However, on the side of these elegant and refined garments, there were a few clothes that stood out from this style. They were several vibrant and patterned dresses. Adeline decided to try on one of the floral dresses, and to her surprise, it looked great on her. She put on a cashmere coat and prepared herself for the date. Before leaving, she nced at the fragrance Melissa had given her, "Man yer," and she sprayed it a few times. Blushing, she walked out the door. She couldn''t help but think that maybe it really was like that. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. As she entered the designated restaurant, Adeline scanned the area and quickly spotted Curtis sitting on the window side of the booth. He held a ss in one hand and rested the other on the table, appearing casual but anyone with discerning eyes could tell that he was different from the other customers in the restaurant. He exuded an inherent air of nobility. Adeline was slightly stunned by the sight. Why hadn''t she realized before that Uncle Curtis of Logan was so good-looking? At that moment, Curtis''s gaze shifted towards the entrance, and when he saw her, a slight tremor seemed to pass through his eyes. Adeline''s face instantly turned red, and she nodded at him, feeling inexplicably nervous in her chest. As she approached the table, before she could speak, Curtis warmly inquired, "Are you Miss Burton?" With that, he pressed his hand on the table and struggled to stand up. That''s when Adeline noticed that Curtis was quite tall, probably around 185 centimeters. He stood in front of her, towering over half of her head height, appearing handsome and providing a sense of security. "Yes, I am." Worried that Curtis''s legs couldn''t support him for too long, Adeline made a gesture of "please" and hastily said, "Mr. Riley, please take a seat. I heard from the matchmaker that you have some difficulty with your legs." She thought to herself, acting the part in full, with saying this, Curtis should feel that she was a considerate woman, right? But as soon as the words were spoken, Curtis''s face darkened slightly. And Steffen, sitting behind the booth, clutched his mouth and almost burst outughing. He could fully imagine how angry Mr. Riley must look right now! He had originally nned to show off in front of his wife, but he didn''t expect his wife to see through his leg problem! Haha, he dserved it! After Adeline sat down, she noticed that Curtis''splexion seemed a bit off. She asked in confusion, "Mr. Riley, what''s wrong?" Curtis suppressed his emotions and still wanted to leave a good impression on Adeline, so he tried to lift the corners of his mouth and said, "Nothing, let''s get to know each other formally. I am Curtis." As he spoke, Curtis politely extended his hand. Adeline lightly shook it and said, "Hello, I''m Adeline. Nice to meet you." After the formal introduction, the atmosphere became a bit awkward. Both of them seemed to not know what to say. They had done a lot of preparation, but when it came to actually "going on a blind date," their minds went nk. Curtis picked up the menu and handed it to Adeline. "Miss Burton, why don''t you take a look and see what you like to eat?" Adeline ordered some pasta and a few snacks. After ordering their meals, they fell silent again. Their eyes met, and suddenly they burst intoughter. "I often heard my colleagues say that blind dates are quite awkward, but I didn''t expect it to be true," Adeline jokingly said. Curtis, on the other hand, was quite gentlemanly in his apology. "If Miss Burton feels awkward, it''s definitely my fault. I wasn''t prepared well, and I made Miss Burton feel ufortable. How about this? If there''s anything you want to know about me, feel free to ask me." After thinking for a moment, Adeline opened her mouth and asked, "Mr. Riley, what kind of expectations do you have for your future wife?" Chapter 56 He Knew His Way Around Girls Chapter 56 He Knew His Way Around Girls Chapter 56 He Knew His Way Around Girls As soon as Adeline asked that question, Steffen was so nervous for Curtis. It was a tough question! Curtis would seem hypocritical if he said that he didn''t expect anything from his future spouse. But at the same time, Curtis was afraid that his requirements for the future spouse were different from what Mrs. Riley had in mind. Adeline was really a Literature teacher. Her question was so tough. Curtis thought about it for a second, couldn''t help but recalled the day when he and Adeline first met, and burst outughing softly. "Miss Burton, your question is kinda tough. When ites to what I expect from my future wife, I think what she makes me feel is important. I want it''s love at first sight, and that we hit it off. There is a moment when I know it''s her I wanted to spend my life with." Adeline''s heart sank a bit at this. Curtis answered her question sincerely. Adeline had fantasized about this. But she and Curtis were tied to each other by fate and forced to be husband and wife. It was actually quite unfair for Curtis, wasn''t it? "What? Am I not answering your question very well?" Curtis stared at Adeline''s preupied look, couldn''t help but frown, and then tried to exin, "Miss Burton, you don''t have to stress. Feelings are abstract and obscure. Since we are on a blind date, we need to spend more time together. Maybe we''ll feel something for each other over time." Adeline appreciated Curtis'' encouragement and nodded. "Mr. Riley, I''m going to ask you another tough question. What do you expect from your wife after marriage?" Curtis saw Adeline''s wily side and couldn''t help but chuckle. "If I tell you that I''m not asking my wife to do anything after we get married, you might think I''m lying. But actually..." With that, Curtis looked at Adeline right in the eyes. "I will be very indulgent of my love and always humor her. She doesn''t have to change who she is because I like everything about her." Adeline''s heart skipped a beat. Curtis was pretty cunning and even flirted with her when he was answering her question. Adeline was not sure if what Curtis said was true or not, but as his future wife, she was thrilled to hear it. "Of course, if I have to ask anything of her, I want her to trust me, believe that I love her, and never doubt my love and loyalty to her," Curtis smiled frankly. "To be honest, I guess there''s no man who doesn''t hate it when his wife is always looking over her shoulder for him and suspicious of him, going through his stuff." Adeline nodded approvingly. It seemed she''d really underestimated Mr. Riley, who was five years her senior. His answer was perfect! But Adeline still asked, "So would you ask your wife to be a full-time homemaker? What would you do if your wife''s career conflicts with having and raising children?" Curtis'' eyes lit up after she asked the question. Curtis was a bit d that they had this blind date. It turned out that Adeline was quite uncertain about quite a lot of things about him, and felt insecure. Curtis thought he could take this opportunity to be with her again so that they could bond with each other and foster trust. "What''s wrong?" Adeline cringed when she was being stared at by Curtis. These were questions she really wanted to ask him herself. "Nothing." Curtis looked at her with a gentle smile. "Since you ask me that question, I suddenly want to say something to my future wife." "I want to tell my future wife that I will approve and support whatever she wants to be." "If she wants to be a housewife, I will support her. As a man, I will try to bear the daily expenses of the family and let her live afortable life." "On the contrary, if she wants to build up her career, I will also support her and help her with whatever I can and with whatever resources I have." "I respect every lifestyle she wants and the different life choices she makes at different stages of her life." "In my opinion, marriage is about walking side-by-side through an entire life of mutual fulfillment together, instead of asking your life partner to sacrifice to get what you want." N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "If you think having children is in conflict with your career, it suggests that pregnancy should not be on the schedule yet, and we can take a beat on it." "And in terms of looking after children, I''m not gonna lie and say I will stay home full-time with the kids. But I will try my best to look after the kids, and I can afford to hire a babysitter to help with the kids to ease my future wife''s burden." "I wonder what grade Miss Burton would give to my answer." Chapter 57 Dream Lover Chapter 57 Dream Lover Chapter 57 Dream Lover Adeline froze, never expecting Curtis to give such an answer. Curtis totally got the point. He was practically her dream lover! She thought to herself if Curtis could really do all that he said, he would definitely thrash Logan. Melissa once made a joke that Logan was still on a dig when Adeline was giving birth. After thinking about it, Adelinevished praise on Curtis. "A perfect score. Now it''s your turn to ask me questions." Curtis smiled. "Miss Burton, I''m going to ask you the same question you asked me." N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Adeline froze, realizing that Curtis was very sly. But since he had already answered her question, Adeline thought about it and intended to answer seriously. "I want someone who ispletely different from my dad." Curtis froze when he heard this. A wry, self-mocking smile kissed Adeline''s lips. "I''ve discussed this topic with my bestie before, and the answer''s the same." "My dad is chauvinist and has got a big ego. He always scolds my mother and me. He has always thought he''s right and we are always wrong." "I want someone who will never scold me and always respects me. I hope he never mes me if there''s something going wrong." "I want my husband to ask me if it hurts when I fall, instead of scolding me for being careless." "I want someone who listens to me and respects my opinion, not someone who schedules my life down to the second and tells me what to do." Curtis knew Adeline was telling the truth, saying gently, "Don''t worry, I won''t." Adeline nodded and asked another question mischievously, "Mr. Riley, have you ever had a girlfriend before?" "No." "Well, I have to be honest with you. I once had a boyfriend of three years. Because of my past failures in rtionships, I have one more request for my future husband." "What?" Curtis was a little nervous. He already wore gold-rimmed sses like Logan. What else did Adeline require? Could it be that Adeline wanted him to study archaeology? Adeline saw his nervous look and smiled. "I hope that my future husband can always make time to spend with the kids and me no matter how busy he is at work." "I can do that." Curtis was relieved, forked a piece of steak into his mouth, and asked, "Then, Miss Burton, have you ever thought about what he looks like, and what his personality is like?" With that, Curtis pushed his gold-rimmed sses up the bridge of his nose, and asked in an insinuating tone, "For example, someone who is cultured and gentle in sses?" Adelineughed. "Mr. Riley, are you referring to yourself? If that''s the case, you''ll lose points." Curtis shut up immediately. But Adeline got serious about Curtis''s question. Adeline didn''t like bespectacled guys. It was just that Logan happened to be a man with sses. Adeline preferred men who were manly and made her feel safe to those who looked svelte in sses. She kind of saw Curtis from a distance on some asions. At that time, Curtis hadn''t been in a car ident yet, could stand on both legs and didn''t wear sses. He had walked with a confident face, looking sharp and fresh. He looked nice the way he had been. Adeline didn''t tell him about it, or it would look like she was obsessed with him. They talked some more about each other''s hobbies. Curtis thought about it and replied, "I like to raise a pet, fish, read books, and collect things." "Raising a pet? So what kind of pet do you have?" "I have a dog." "Really?" Adeline''s eyes lit up. "I used to want to raise a dog when I was a kid, but Vi was afraid of dogs. My family didn''t let me. Is your dog cute?" Curtis thought about the 200-pound brown mastiff, the General, and replied, "Yeah, it''s cute." Steffen gave a wild littleugh and almost spew his food! Adeline was more interested. "Can you show me your dog?" "Of course!" Curtis said and sent Steffen a message on WhatsApp. "You ask someone to take the General to the bath and give him cute styling." Steffen wanted to cry. Steffen sighed, "This is hard for me!" The General was Prodiff''s fiercest dog! How could he possibly be cute? After talking about hobbies, they were almost done eating. Curtis logged on to WhatsApp and handed her the phone, politely saying, "Miss Burton, since we''re having such a nice chat, why don''t you friend me?" Adeline thought to herself, "Didn''t we friend each other on WhatsApp a long time ago?" She nced at his WhatsApp ount and burst intoughter. Chapter 58 The Other Man Chapter 58 The Other Man Chapter 58 The Other Man Curtis'' screen name on WhatsApp was The Other Man! Adeline couldn''t help butugh out loud. Curtis, however, said in a serious manner, "I thought it''s better to keep my two identities separate. Different identities say different things. For example..." Before Curtis could finish, Adeline''s cell phone rang. She subconsciously nced at it and found that Curtis had sent her a message from his main WhatsApp ount, "Mrs. Riley, that''s a nice dress you''re wearing today." Adeline''s cheeks instantly flushed. She clicked on the icon and added Curtis'' new WhatsApp ount as a contact directly in WhatsApp. She felt like she was having an affair. Curtis flirted with her on his main WhatsApp ount and wooed her on his alt ount called The Other Man. Adeline had no idea Curtis was so good at flirting with girls! After that, Adeline followed suit and sent Curtis the same message on WhatsApp, "Mrs. Riley, that''s a nice dress you''re wearing today." Adeline''s face flushed again. Blushing, she couldn''t help but ask, "What are we going to do after eating?" Curtis thought for a moment. "Miss Burton, maybe we can go on another date another time. " Adeline froze for a moment before she reflected on this and nodded politely. "Okay, see you next time." They walked out the restaurant door. Adeline thought that Curtis would take her home, but Curtis only called a cab for her. Adeline thought to herself, "Curtis is really acting like it''s a blind date." But soon after, Curtis sent her message on WhatsApp under the identity of her husband, "I wanted to take you home, but... There''s something wrong with my dog, and I''m going to pick him up. Wait for me. You''ll see the dog tonight." Adeline returned his message, "Okay." She was vaguely looking forward to it. She had always wanted a fluffy, pampered dog. She didn''t expect this wish toe true after marrying Curtis. Adeline parked her car in front of the house. Adeline felt a little full and took a walk around the neighborhood. She was going to take a walk to the back door of the neighborhood before going home to sort of help with digestion. But she regretted it after a short way up the slope. It was quiet and dark. Maybe because she was so nervous, she always felt that someone was sneaking up behind her. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Adeline turned back and really saw men''s figures. It seemed there was more than one man! There were three men behind her! Adeline''s heart started to tremble, and she was thinking calmly. Adeline was two-thirds of the way there. There was a security guard at the back door of the neighborhood, and she could call for help. But if she walked backward right now and provoked that three guys, she would not be able to run to the intersection easily instead, so just she continued to walk forward. She pretended to be calm and called Curtis. As soon as the call was connected, she deliberately said in a loud voice, "Huh? Honey, are you coming to pick me up? No need, it''s just a few steps to the back door. What? You''re already on your way here." Several men behind Adeline exchanged nces and secretly yelled out inwardly, "Something unexpected has happened!" One of the men owed a loan shark. Alexander, Victoria''s nephew, promised him that if he took Adeline captive, the loan shark he owed would be canceled. He made up his mind and said to his twopanions, "Go! Pull her into the car right now! Or else we''ll never get a chance!" The three guys rushed forward, and Adeline mmed her handbag into the face of the man who rushed up to her, bellowing, "What are you trying to do to me?" "What? Someone tried to kill you and hired us to kidnap you." The head of the gang touched his face, which was hit by Adeline''s handbag, spat once deftly out of the corner of his mouth, and rushed up to Adeline, pulling her hair. "Bitch, you just lied to us on purpose, didn''t you? Where''s your husband?" "I''m right here. You let go of her." On the dark night of winter, a chilly wind whipped by, but the three goons realized that the voice of the man behind them was terribly colder than the chilly wind! The leader of those goons was so scared that he let go of Adeline''s hair. Then Adeline rushed to get behind Curtis. A couple of goons turned to look at Curtis and couldn''t help butugh out loud. They thought to themselves, "A cripple? How dare a cripple yell at us?" Chapter 59 Mr. Riley Was Arrogant Chapter 59 Mr. Riley Was Arrogant Chapter 59 Mr. Riley Was Arrogant A few goons couldn''t help butugh when they saw Curtis sitting in the wheelchair. Curtis didn''t care about the ridicule of the three nobodies. His eyes fell on Adeline''s pale face. He took her cold hand and asked in a soft voice, "Are you freaked out?" Adeline''s chest heaved with emotion. There was a moment when she really felt like she would be finished. Adeline was still afraid. Curtis rubbed her hand, heartbroken. "Don''t be afraid. I''m here. It''ll be okay." He said while warming up Adeline''s hand, and asked again with concern, "Tell me. Where did they touch you?" Curtis really wanted to chop them up! Curtis''s lips curved into a sneer, and there was an evil look in his eyes behind his lenses. Adeline''s heart fluttered slightly when she remembered that Logan had said Curtis was extremely possessive and didn''t like people touching his things. Then she subconsciously shook her head. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "He just... pulled my hair." A slight smile broke on his lips as Curtis looked at the three goons. "Very good. You may get ready to wear your wigs." Adeline thought Curtis was arrogant. She subconsciously looked at the three tall, stout men, and was still a bit worried. The head of the gang spat, and the right side of his mouth pulled up into a sneer. "Just you? You''re a cripple. How could you possibly be able to fight the three of us?" The other two goonsughed out loud. Curtis looked at the leader of them indifferently. "You don''t deserve a beating from me myself." The leader got angry at this, rolled up his sleeves, and took a few steps toward Curtis. "I''ve never seen such a tough talker like you." "Don''t get too close." Curtis looked at him askance. The leader of the gang was amused by that. "You''re scared, aren''t you?" "It''s just that you''re too ugly." Curtis looked serious and didn''t look like he was lying. Adeline was so anxious that her heart was in her mouth. She subconsciously touched Curtis''s shoulder, signaling him to stop provoking that guy. But Curtis calmly patted the back of her hand. "Don''t worry. As long as I have a breath in my body, I won''t let anyone bully you." The leader of the gang shook his head as if he had heard a joke. "How dare you, a useless cripple, remain that arrogant?" He pointed to his face. "See? Your wife hit my face. Originally, if you sucked it up and let me hit your face, I would let it go, and you could leave with your wife. But now I''m telling you I''ll get you for this!" Curtis raised his eyes at Adeline. "You hit his face?" Adeline nodded. Curtis frowned and said in a critical tone. "Why did you hit him so lightly? You remember to beat those bullies to death next time. If anything happens, I''ll take the responsibility." Adeline didn''t know whether tough or cry. She was so touched and anxious at the same time. They were trapped, and there was no one to help them. But Curtis was still talking tough! As expected, what Curtis saidpletely enraged the leader of those guys, who raised his hand and rushed over. "I''ll blow your head off straight away!" Sitting in his wheelchair, Curtis calmly whistled. Immediately following, a behemoth shed through the darkness and swooped over. The sharp mouth opened and bit on the wrist that was going to hit Curtis. Then the entire bulk pounced on the leader with a thud, knocking him to the ground and biting on his wrist. Even when the back of his head hit the ground, the man somewhat didn''t know what was going on here. It wasn''t until he felt a sharp pain in his wrist that he screamed in fear. "Dog. Ah. It''s a dog. Ah! " The man tried to get rid of the dog, but the General bit on his wrist and growled angrily from his nostrils. The man howled loudly in pain. "Help. Come quick! My hand is going to break!" Adeline was a little shocked. Curtis gave her a sideways nce and whispered a warning, "The General, stay cute." The General was silent. The General was a 200-pound mastiff. How could he be cute? The dog stopped growling. Chapter 60 I Had Nice Driving Skills Chapter 60 I Had Nice Driving Skills Chapter 60 I Had Nice Driving Skills The General actually zoned out at this moment, and the man was able to break free when the General''s mouth opened slightly. At this point, the three goons were stepping back with trembling legs. The General barked fiercely at them. Recalling Mr. Riley''s reprimand, the General gave a low, tentative bark. "Woof? Woof? Woof?" Adeline was able to get a good look at the big dog in front of her under the streetlight. The General was bulky with long brown hair and sturdy limbs. He lookedmanding and terrifying, but why did he have all kinds of bows tied to his fur? Those bows really didn''t fit. One of the goons tentatively tried to run backward. The General immediately jumped on him and pinned him down. "Don''t you run away from me. The lovely General will not let you get away with this." The three goons looked frightened. This big dog was awfully scary. "You''re all losers." "We yield!" The three goons almost cried out. They didn''t expect the disabled man in the wheelchair to have a mastiff! Soon after, Steffen came running over. "Mr. Riley, I''ve called the police. I think the police are almost here." Curtis nced at the three goons. "Go down the ramp and wait for the police at the intersection, got it?" "Yeah, we got it." Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. The three goons nodded continually in fear. Seeing that the mission was aplished, the General rushed to Curtis and Adeline, wagging his tail and begging to be petted. Curtis pushed the General away in disgust just as the General''s big head came near. "You smell like those gangsters! Go away." With that, Curtis turned around to look at Steffen. "Take the General to the pet store, get him rewashed and styled before you bring him back." Adeline''s heart missed a beat when she heard what Curtis said. It was exactly as Logan had said. Mr. Riley hated it when others touched his things or his stuff smelled like someone else''s. Adeline was a bit uneasy to recall the sulky expression on Curtis'' face when he asked where they had touched her. Adeline wondered, "Would Curtis despise me if I''d been touched by those viins before he got here?" Adeline was rather uneasy. It had been said before that Mr. Riley was the king of Prodiff. She now seemed to realize that it was dangerous to stay with him. Curtis raised his eyes at Adeline, who was lost in her thoughts, and thought that she was still in fear. Then he took her hands and let her sit on his legs. Adeline let out a gasp of shock and subconsciously put her arms around Curtis'' neck. Their warm bodies clung to each other. Curtis was pleased, and his lips curled into a smile. "Mrs. Riley, let me walk you down the ramp." "No, no need..." Adeline tried to stand up, only to be held down by Curtis. "Don''t worry. This wheelchair is customized. It has a good load and goes fast. " Still struggling to get up, Adeline whispered in Curtis''s ear, "It''s not good. There''re many people here." She was not used to being so intimate with her husband in front of outsiders. But Curtis always did whatever he wanted and never cared about what people thought. He smiled and patted the back of her hand. "It''s okay." With that, he looked to Steffen. "Did you guys see anything?" "Nope! I didn''t see anything!" With that, Steffen turned around, pped a few of the goons on the head, and said, "Go, follow me down there. No peeking!" The goons were obedient, looked away, and walked down the ramp, one after the other. The General was also very sensitive, looked away, and then walked down the ramp. Curtis was pleased, put his arm around Adeline, and whispered, "Mrs. Riley, no one''s watching us now." Adeline flushed to the ears, still feeling shy as hell. Curtis pressed the forward button, and the wheelchair drove off. It was a ramp, and when the wheelchair was going forward, Adeline felt like she was going to fall. Then she rushed to tighten her arms around Curtis''s neck. Curtis loved it when Adeline took the initiative to hug him. Heughed loudly, "Mrs. Riley, don''t be afraid! Your husband has nice driving skills." As expected, the tiny wheelchair was as fast as a small electric scooter. The swooshing night wind blew in their ears. Adeline hugged Curtis tightly and thought it was exciting. When the wheelchair reached the intersection, it bumped into a rock and flipped to the side. Curtis wrapped his arms around Adeline and let her fall on top of him. Seeing this, Steffenughed out loud. Curtis tried to be cool, but now his wheelchair overturned! Chapter 61 Dont Laugh at Mr. Riley Chapter 61 Don''t Laugh at Mr. Riley Chapter 61 Don''t Laugh at Mr. Riley Steffen turned serious for a second and admonished those minions, "Noughing!" The General turned his head away. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. If the General stared at Mr. Riley who was making fun of himself, he would not be allowed to eat meat anymore. Adeline hurriedly helped Curtis up and seated him in the wheelchair, trying to contain herughter. She could still hear the echoes of him saying how good he was at driving. It was really too amusing. Soon, the police came. A few minions saw the police as if they wanted to see their rtives, and were so moved to rush toward them. It was the first time the police had seen such punks and felt a bit weird. They arrived at the police station. On the way, Curtis''s face fell. When they arrived at the police station, Curtis'' acquaintance recognize him, hastily served him coffee, and asked, "Mr. Riley, why are you here?" Curtis grunted coldly. "Why? It must be because I''ve been too kind all these years, some people think I''m too weak to fight back, and that''s why I''m here." The police officers were confused. Steffen was speechless. The General was silent. Could anyone believe this? Curtis didn''t give a damn about the weird looks on these people''s faces and was not embarrassed at all. Unperturbed, he crossed his legs and brought the cup of coffee to his mouth. He paused as if he remembered something, blew on the coffee, and handed it to Adeline. "Take a sip before you catch a cold." Adeline froze, wanting to refuse. After all, the police officer served Curtis the coffee because he respected Curtis. Curtis'' eyes fell on her for a few moments, and he said, "Be good." Adeline did as he told, took a sip of the hot coffee, and really warmed up. But she did not dare to drink too much at night, for fear of not being able to sleep, so she put the coffee cup back on the table. At this moment, Curtis calmly picked up the coffee cup, press his lips against the cup rim, like Adeline did just now, and drank it. Adeline''s cheeks flushed. Mr. Riley wouldn''t eat someone else''s food and hated it when people touched his stuff. At this point, Steffen couldn''t help but roll his eyes again. Mr. Riley made a very public disy of affection! Moreover, when someone took a bite of fish from Mr. Riley''s te back then, Mr. Riley left right away. Steffen felt strange! Meeting the crowd''s shocked gazes, Curtis said in a t voice, ''''Give my wife and me a statement first. Hurry up, my wife needs to get her beauty sleep early at night." The police reacted and hurriedly inquired. "May I ask why Mr. Riley was there sote at night?" "I was walking the dog." The police looked at the General with a look of disgust on his face. Why did this dog have all kinds of bows tied to his fur? And the General seemed to read the police''s expression and wailed sadly. Adeline also felt a little pity for the dog. The police asked the minions what they were doing there. A few minions changed their story. "We lost a bet and wanted to ask thedy for some money. Seeing her walking alone, we thought it would be easy to rob her." Adeline frowned and said what the minions had told her before. But they refused to admit that they had said that to her. "No, you heard that wrong!" The police knocked on the desktop and gave a low rebuke. "We will investigate and find out whether she misheard or not!" After half an hour of questioning, the police got up to walk Curtis out. "Mr. Riley, you can rest assured. We''re gonna get to the bottom of this. But those guys are charged with..." With that, the police nced at Adeline. "What do you think of this case as a robbery?" Curtis naturally knew what the police meant. After all, if it was defined as a molestation charge, this would give Adeline some bad publicity. Therefore, Curtis nodded. "Just do as you said. But they are also charged with bullying the disabled." The police had no problem with that. The three minions were scared out of their wits. Stephen wheeled Curtis away in a wheelchair. Just outside the front door, Curtis gave Steffen a look. "I want you to look into this. And by the way, have someone pull the hair out of those three minions!" How dare those guys pulled his wife''s hair? Steffen was a little speechless but agreed to do what Curtis said. After putting Curtis and Adeline in the car, Steffen took the General to the pet grooming shop and instructed his men about Curtis'' arrangements. Soon the driver drove Curtis and Adeline back to the apartment. Just as they entered the house, Curtis took Adeline''s hand and looked at her inquiringly, "Adeline, may I not be Mr. Riley for a while?" Chapter 62 Curtiss Tenderness Chapter 62 Curtis''s Tenderness Chapter 62 Curtis''s Tenderness Adeline looked at Curtis in confusion. He gently took her hand and said, "Give me half an hour. I want to hug you and be a good husband." Adeline remembered she had said on the blind date that when she got in trouble, she hoped her husband would hug and care for her instead of ming her. So, she nodded. Curtis pulled her to sit on hisp, tenderly hugged her, and stroked her back, saying, "It''s my fault. I failed to protect you, so you were scared." Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Adeline felt warm and said, "It''s not your fault." "No. Steffen has found out they did it because of me." Hearing his self-reproaching words, she was stunned and looked up at him. Then, he continued, "Alexander sent them there. He is Victoria''s cousin." Adeline frowned, "Victoria is behind the scenes again!" Curtis chuckled, "It''s not surprising. She did a shameless thing. And Logan is about toe back. She is so anxious that she wants to ruin you. Therefore, it''s my fault." Meeting her puzzled gaze, he rubbed her head and said, "Victoria invested 10 million dors in Alexander''s Bold Ax. He is a Loan Shark." Adeline widened her eyes in surprise and said, "It is illegal!" Curtis nodded, "When Victoria hired paid posters to nder you on the Inte, I was so angry that I tipped the police off about Alexander''spany that has harmed many people. Steffen said a person borrsomeoneey from Bold Ax because his family member was sick. In the end, he committed suicide because of the unfairly high rates of interest. My tip-off can retaliate against Victoria and do good deeds for the poor borrowers." Adeline was terrified to hear his words. She took his hand and said, "You did the right thing. It is Victoria''s fault instead of yours." Adeline had not expected Curtis to be so righteous. After they hugged for a while, she remembered what her colleague had said about the ring this morning. So, she straightened up and said, "By the way, didn''t you say this ring is not expensive? My colleague said it is worth tens of millions!" "Really?" Curtis smiled. Adeline put on a severe face and ventured, "Did you lie to me?" Curtis''s heart skipped a beat. He keenly sensed the problem, quickly looked away, and coughed. When he turned to look at her again, he showed a weak look and said, "This ring is indeed expensive." Hearing this, Adeline immediately tried to take it off. "I lied to you because I was afraid you would not wear it. I''m a sick person, so I have nothing to give you. I can only give you what I bought before." When she paused, he quickly pushed the ring back. Looking at her white hand, he thought it was pretty. "I bought the ring for my future beloved woman when I was rich. So, I gave it to you after we met. Don''t refuse it, okay?" Adeline nced around the apartment, looked at the ring, and murmured, "The money you earned in the past is enough to support us for the rest of our lives." Curtis chuckled without denying it. He had so much money that he did not even know the exact number. Anyway, he had money to burn. A ten-million ring was not worth mentioning. He nned to buy a hundred-million one when she epted him more. After a while, Steffen came over with General, who had been showered. Seeing him, Adeline hastily tried to stand up. Curtis pressed her down and coaxed her, saying, "You have to sit on myp. Otherwise, General will not recognize you as its owner." Adeline was dubious. But she was a little scared when facing such a big dog. So, she sat on Curtis''sp without standing up. Anyway, Steffen had seen such scenes before. Adeline felt her skin had be thicker recently. Curtis snapped his fingers to motion for General toe over and gently said, "Adeline, this is our pet, and its name is General." Adeline dared not move but respectfully said, "General, nice to meet you." Curtis chuckled, "You don''t have to be afraid. General is a good and cute dog." Adeline did not think it was cute at all! Seeing her not believe his words, Curtis nced at General. General''s heart instantly skipped a beat, wondering what he wanted it to do. Chapter 63 Saving Her Life Chapter 63 Saving Her Life Chapter 63 Saving Her Life "Shake hands," Curtis ordered. The General did not look cute but looked a bit silly. Curtis gave it a warning nce and said, "Shake hands! If your paw hurt my wife, you will be dead meat." General widened its eyes, hurriedly rubbed his paws against the ground, and tremblingly stretched out a furry paw. Curtis looked at Adeline with a gentle smile and said, "Hold its paw. It''s obedient and doesn''t bite people." It had bitten two punks, so Steffen was speechless, thinking Mr. Riley was increasingly good at telling bare-faced lies. Adeline nced at the furry paw and was slightly tempted, so she tremblingly stretched out her hand and gently touched it. Seeing the dog very docile, she shook hands with it. Its paw was so soft that she felt her soul was healed. No one else had touched General like this before. Feeling a little itchy, it let out a soft groan. Curtis ordered, "Come here! Let her touch your head." N?velDrama.Org owns this text. General obediently took a step forward and stretched out his head. Curtis grabbed Adeline''s hand and let her touch its forehead. After getting used to it, she became more courageous and rubbed the dog''s head alone. Women''s strength was weaker than men''s, so General squinted and groanedfortably. Seeing this, Curtis showed a gloomy look. The more Adeline touched General, the more attractive she felt it was. So, she couldn''t help asking, "Can I feed it? Will it listen to me? Can I take it out for a stroll without you?" Adeline was worried she would encounter simr trouble in the future. If she had a dog with her, she would be much safer. Curtis replied with certainty, "Sure." Adeline was surprised but did not think much about it. She would slowly build up a bond with General. But she did not know professional people had trained General with her photos and belongings since it had been a puppy. And the purpose was to ensure it would never attack her. After ying with the dog for a while, Adeline returned to the main bedroom to shower and rest. As soon as the door closed, Curtis kicked General. Hearing General''s aggrieved groan, Steffen widened his eyes and asked, "Mr. Riley, why did you kick it?" "When Adeline touched it, it coquettishly groaned." Steffen was speechless because he had not expected him to be jealous of General. "Mr. Riley, it''s a dog." "It''s a male dog." Steffen was at a loss for words. General seemed to understand their conversation and let out another aggrieved groan. Steffen walked over, rubbed its head, and said, "Stop barking. Otherwise, you will soon lose your balls." General instantly shut up. --- The Other Man sent her a message as soon as Adeliney down in the bedroom, saying, "Good night." Then he used the other ount and said, "Mrs. Riley, sweet dream." Adeline smiled and replied to both ounts, "Good night." When she was going to turn off the phone, she received a call from an unknown number. "Adeline, please don''t be angry with Logan. It was my fault." Hearing this, Adeline showed a gloomy look. She had not expected Jodie to call her and felt a little disgusted. "You don''t need to apologize to me. I won''t forgive you. I will hang up now." Jodie anxiously said, "Wait! Are you still angry with me? What can I do to make you forgive Logan? I''ll do it right now! Please don''t block his number. He has been depressed all day and frequently made mistakes at work today. " Adeline interrupted, "Jodie, I''ve broken up with him. I''m married. Please don''t call or bug me anymore. I''m hanging up!" When Adeline was about to hang up the phone, Jodie said in a more anxious voice, "How could you marry someone else? Have you forgotten how Logan risked his life to save you?" Adeline''s hand holding the phone suddenly froze. After returning to her senses, she hung up the phone and blocked Jodie''s number. After turning off the phone, she leaned against the headboard gloomily and recalled what had happened a few years ago. Chapter 64 Adelines Secret Chapter 64 Adeline''s Secret Chapter 64 Adeline''s Secret It had happened in her sophomore year. She and her family had attended old Mrs. Riley''s birthday party because she had been Logan''s fianc¨¦e. After receiving the gifts, Old Mrs. Riley had let young people enjoy themselves instead of apanying her. Then, someone suggested ying hide and seek. Adeline and Vi had hidden behind the Riley family''s vi in a thatched hut on the hill. And Vi had locked the door to prevent others from finding them. After waiting a long time, no one had found them. But unexpectedly, there had suddenly been a raging fire outside. The fire had rapidly spread with the help of the mountain wind and immediately surrounded the hut. So they could not get out. And they soon felt dizzy because of the smoke. When she was about to lose consciousness, her three brothers hade. They had kicked the door open with a bang, rushed in, picked Vi up from the ground, and carried her out. But no one had noticed Adeline lying not far away. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. "Help... me... " Her voice had be hoarse because of the smoke, so she could only make a weak sound. But her brothers had directly rushed out with Vi. They had not even looked back. Maybe they had not heard her voice. She had desperately watched them leave, feeling envious. And she had thought maybe she deserved to die in the fire because she had been born without blessings. But she had been unwilling to die at such a young age! When she had been desperate and anxious, she had heard Logan loudly calling her name. "Adeline! Is Adeline in there? She is still inside!" She couldn''t hear his words clearly but had known people were persuading him out ofing in. The fire had destroyed the beams, so the roof would copse anytime. The situation had been dangerous. Then, she had vaguely seen a tall man resolutely rushing into the mes. He hesitantly hugged her and shouted, "Adeline, don''t sleep! Wake up! I''ll take you out. You will not die!" She had never expected Logan to be so strong. After all, he had looked thin. He had said she would not die. Those words had sounded pleasing to the ear. But she had been so sleepy that she could not open her eyes. She vaguely remembered the hut had copsed as soon as Logan had carried her out. Before passing out, she had smiled because of her survival. It had been a narrow escape. It was Logan who had given her a second life and let her know someone was willing to sacrifice his life for her. He had made her realize she was not inferior to Vi. When she woke up, he anxiously sat by the hospital bed. Seeing this, she had made up her mind to marry him. After all, he had risked his life for her. Recalling the past, Adeline let out a long sigh. After carefully thinking about it, she found she had had no feelings for Logan before the fire. There had been no passion in their rtionship. But from that day on, she had been determined to marry and be more enthusiastic toward him. Because Logan had saved her life, she had repeatedly forgiven him. He had barely apanied her. Judie had frequently appeared in their life. And they did not share the same values. Adeline became more rational now. She knew there were a lot of ipatibilities between them. But she had ignored them in the past because he had saved her life. It might not necessarily be bad for them to have failed to get married. But was Curtis suitable for her? At the thought of this question, she suddenly wondered what his posts would be like. She couldn''t help turning on her phone. When she opened the app, Curtis happened to post a posting. Chapter 65 Failing to Pretend to Be Poor Chapter 65 Failing to Pretend to Be Poor Chapter 65 Failing to Pretend to Be Poor Curtis highlighted the date and posted, "We went on a blind date." The executives were speechless to see it. Sure enough, he had gone on a blind date! Adeline smiled. When she was about to turn off the phone, Steffen suddenly posted a photo of General, writing, "General refused to have a new styling. It did not cooperate until Mr. Riley came. Is General cute today?" Owenmented, "F*ck! What an ugly styling! Did General offend you? I saved the photo. I will zoom in and show it to General if it bullies me. It will disgust it to death!" Adeline didn''t friend Owen on WhatsApp, so she couldn''t see hisments. Looking at the photo of the General, she couldn''t helpughing out loud, thinking Curtis had done it for her. Thinking of him doing something to please her, Adeline couldn''t help beaming joyfully. Then, she had a good sleep. Curtis got up at half past five and secretly did morning exercises in the bedroom. He had always been self-disciplined and maintained a good figure. After reading Owen''s love n, he felt abdominal muscles were important. After all, he could use them to seduce her at critical moments. After the workout, Curtis got out of the bedroom in the wheelchair. Soon, Steffen entered the apartment with breakfast. Adeline hadn''t gotten up yet, so he hurriedly began to report on his work. "Mr. Riley, our people plucked the hairs of the three young men and let them suffer from severe pain, but they still refused to testify against Alexander. He must have promised to write off their debts if they refused to confess after being arrested. It is his usual way of doing things. " Curtis took a sip of coffee and looked out the French window with deep eyes, saying, "It is an attempted robbery, so they know the sentence will not be severe. Their choice is the lesser of two evils. It''s not surprising. Keep an eye on Alexander." "Yes." As soon as Steffen responded, Adeline came out. And she was stunned to see him and asked, "Steffen, why did youe here so early?" "Mrs. Riley, I brought breakfast for you and some food for General." Adeline walked into the kitchen, took out the meat defrostedst night, quickly cooked it, brought it out, and smiled, "You don''t need to prepare food for General now. I can cook for it." While speaking, she took out a bowl, poured meat into it, turned to look at Steffen, and said, "I studied online before going to bedst night and did not add salt to its food. Don''t worry. I can take care of General." Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Then, she pushed the bowl forward, looked at General expectantly, and said, "Eat it." General listlessly nced at the meat in the bowl and didn''t bother to move. The smile froze on Adeline''s lips. Then, she looked at Steffen in confusion. "Mrs. Riley, let me feed it. General only eats Kobe beef transported by aircraft from abroad." "Kobe beef?" Adeline showed a surprised look because it was expensive! "Yes. And it only eats fresh beef. It will refuse if the beef has been cut off for more than 8 hours." Adeline widened her eyes in shock because she had not expected the dog to be so particr about food. Steffen skillfully fried the steak and said, "General only eats beef from this cattle ranch. The fat content must be above 60%. If it is lower, it will not eat the beef either." Adeline was speechless, thinking it was ridiculous. "And it only eats medium well steak." Adeline asked in disbelief, "Steffen, are you serious?" "Yeah. Dogs are like their owners. General''s temper and eating habits are like Mr. Riley''s. They are both particr about food." Curtis was at a loss for words. After speaking, Steffen keenly noticed the surrounding air be a little colder, so he quickly corrected his words, "I mean, they both have good taste!" Adeline was speechless, thinking these were two different things. She didn''t believe his words at first. But after Steffen cut the steak into small pieces and put it in a particr dog bowl, General instantly wagged its tail and began to eat. Seeing this, she could only believe him! So, she gave Curtis a meaningful look and said, "Curtis, the fresh Kobe beef transported by aircraft is not cheap, right? Do you also buy it with the money you earned in the past?" Chapter 66 Adelines Trap Chapter 66 Adeline''s Trap Chapter 66 Adeline''s Trap Steffen''s heart skipped a beat! He would be screwed up! He should not have said so much! So, he quickly replied, "No! Mr. Riley used to be rich. We bought many things in advance. We''ve prepaid in full for the Kobe beef for the next fifty years. General can eat it until it dies!" Hearing the word "dies", General fiercely bared his teeth at him. Then, it continued to eat the beef. Adeline nced at Curtis and asked, "Is what he said true?" Curtis nodded. "So, you have no money now?" Curtis calmly responded, "I''m much poorer than before." "It means that General can eat the beef because of your previous glory." Curtis nodded, "Yes." "You feed your dog with the Kobe beef transported by aircraft. But our children can only live a normal life because of your current economic condition. Your children''s life conditions will be inferior to that of your dog. Am I right?" Curtis was speechless. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Steffen apuded Adeline in his heart, thinking she was clever. Seeing Curtis not reply, Adeline couldn''t help secretlyughing. Did he think she was stupid? She would be a fool if she still believed he was poor. However, it was not surprising. Mr. Riley used to be influential in Prodiff. He was not an idiot, so he must have prepared before stepping down. Adeline didn''t bother to expose his lie. Anyway, she did not hate money. It would be better if she did not need to lead a poor life. She sat at the dining table, opened the breakfast brought by Steffen, and was stunned. "It looks simr to what the maid cooked here before." Steffen nodded, "It''s her who cooked it. Mr. Riley thinks her cooking breakfast here will affect your rest, so he asked her to cook in my apartment. And I''ll bring it over every day." Adeline felt warm in her heart. She had never expected Curtis to be so considerate. She casually asked, "Where do you live?" "I also live in thismunity. Mr. Riley bought me a small apartment here for the convenience of my coming over in the morning." While speaking, Steffen felt a little awkward. Curtis gave him a deep look, praising him for finally knowing who the boss was. Adeline was stunned and said, "You don''t need to exin. He must have bought it with the money he earned in the past." Steffen drylyughed, "Mrs. Riley, you''re right." After breakfast, Adeline left home. When she went out, she received a text message from Curtis, saying, "Honey, I was wrong." While waiting for the elevator, she asked, "What''s your mistake?" He replied, "I confused what I think is poor with what you think is poor." She was speechless. He added, "I didn''t lie to you. My wealth has greatly shrunk. I lost about half of it! I''m much poorer than before." She was at a loss for words, thinking she should not have underestimated his wealth. He continued, "But my money is enough for our children to live better than General." She did not know what to say because he was much more eloquent than her. So, she walked straight into the elevator without replying to the messages. After a while, her phone rang. After Adeline answered the phone, a crying voice said, "Adeline, please forgive Logan. I was so sad last night that I couldn''t fall asleep. It was all my fault! You can beat me and scold me. Please don''t ignore Logan. " Adeline was annoyed and snapped, "Jodie, can you stop pestering me? Don''t change phone numbers to call me again. Even if I need to discuss the matter, I will talk with Logan instead of you. It''s none of your business." "No, Adeline! I can understand you are angry with me. I''ll kneel for you, okay? I''ll make a video call. After you answer, I''ll kneel." As soon as she finished speaking, Logan''s voice came from the other end of the phone. "Jodie, what are you doing? Why are you kneeling?" Chapter 67 Argument Chapter 67 Argument Chapter 67 Argument Hearing his voice, Adeline sarcastically smiled, "B*tch, you turn out to be acting in front of Logan early in the morning." Jodie sobbed, "I''m not that kind of person. You misunderstood me. I sincerely want you to get back together with him." Logan instantly snatched the phone and said in a reproaching voice, "Adeline, how could you do this to Jodie? How could you call her b*tch? You''re a teacher!" N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. After a pause, he sighed, "I know it is improper for me to leave. I can understand you are angry. But how did you be like this? You seem like a stranger now!" Adeline coldly smiled, "Do teachers deserve to swallow insults? Can''t teachers me fake people? If I say pleasant words to her, will you give me the best teacher award at the end of the year?" Logan frowned, "Adeline, why are you so mean? You used to be gentle." Then, he took a few steps away with the phone and said faintly, "Jodie is different from us. Our families are rich, so we are confident. But her family is poor. She has low self-esteem. You can''t belittle her like this." Adeline''s voice became more serious when she said, "I told you we need to solve the problems between us by ourselves. Why do you always get an outsider involved?" "Jodie is not an outsider." "Yes, I''m the outsider." Adeline wearily smiled, "Logan, I''m tired. Please don''t force me to change my phone number. Tell Jodie I will be rude if she calls me again!" Logan anxiously exined, "Why can''t you understand her? She did it for our good. She wants us to reconcile! You misunderstood her." Adeline interrupted, "Logan, can you be mature?" When he was stunned, she calmly continued, "When youe back, we will settle the matter between us face to face. After all, we''re adults. You were always absent when we dated. You can''t always solve problems on the phone. Jodie''s family is poor. Her life is miserable, and she has low self-esteem. But have you cared about my life? Do you know how I have been doing in the Burton family? Even if I have a better life than her, why should I tolerate her? Since you think it''s okay for an outsider to intervene between a couple, I''ll ask my suitor to friend you on WhatsApp and keep in touch. You can experience it too!" After speaking, she quickly hung up the phone and put the number on the blocked list! When she arrived at school, she was still a little bit angry. In the past, she had not encountered such problems, so she had not found Logan to be so unsuitable for her. Now, the ipatibility had be prominent. She and Logan had been dating for three years but still had many problems. So, Adeline suddenly worried about what would happen to her and Curtis. She had no ss in the morning, so she opened WhatsApp and sent a message to The Other Man, saying, "Mr. Riley, good morning." Curtis was stunned to see the message and excitedly replied, "Good morning, Ms. Burton." She thought for a while and asked, "Can I ask you two questions?" He immediately sat up, wondering what she wanted to ask. Chapter 68 Friending Logan on WhatsApp Chapter 68 Friending Logan on WhatsApp Chapter 68 Friending Logan on WhatsApp Curtis replied, "Ms. Burton, please go ahead!" Adeline thought for a while and said, "If my bestie eavesdrops when we talk on the phone, will you get angry? What will you do if she disagrees with your words, snatches my phone, and scolds you?" Curtis was stunned to hear this but did not think it was a problem. The most critical matter for him was whether his wife liked him. Two people in love must be loyal to each other. It was his principle. He would not be troubled by other things than that. However, he still sent a voice message, saying, "First of all, I don''t think it is a serious issue. When girls fall in love, they always hope their friends can advise them. You''re a mature and independent person. You must trust her if you let your best friend hear us talk on the phone. I don''t think you will let her hear anything private or intimate. I will not be angry if you think she could hear our conversation. But if she snatches your phone and scolds me, I will think she is impolite. However, if your best friend does such a thing, it must be for your good. I will forgive her and have introspection." After a pause, he softly asked, "How many scores can my answer get?" N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Adeline''s heart skipped a beat because his deep voice sounded sexy. She admitted his satisfying answer but calmly replied, "I hope you''re not coaxing me. Is it your sincere answer?" Curtis smiled, "Of course. What''s the second question?" Adeline thought for a while and asked, "If you''re a teacher, will you scold the people who deliberately irritate you?" "I will!" Curtis replied without hesitation, "But if the person is my student, I will deal with him or her ording to circumstances." "Why?" Adeline had not expected him to give such an answer. "Because I must be responsible to the students if I am a teacher. I cannot bring a bad influence on any of them. But when facing the people who''re not my students, I will not let them go!" Adeline smiled, thinking they might share the same values. But she needed to observe him more before concluding. Then, she sent him Logan''s WhatsApp ount and said, "I have a task for you. My ex''s friend often harasses me. I am annoyed. Can you serve him with the same sauce?" Curtis replied, "Sure! You can count on me." Then, he hurriedly sent a friend request to Logan with his alt ount, saying, "Ms. Burton rmended me to learn archeology from you." Logan was stunned when seeing the request on WhatsApp. He didn''t want to ept it. But he remembered what Adeline had said. She wanted him to experience being pestered by her admirer, so he epted the request angrily. He did not think he would fail to endure it. Soon, The Other Man sent him a message, saying, "Hello, Mr. Riley. I appreciate Ms. Burton. I heard you are engaged in archaeology, so I want to ask some questions. Don''t worry! I won''t snatch her. I''m here to join you. The more friends, the more opportunities in life." Chapter 69 Her Best Friends Approval Chapter 69 Her Best Friend''s Approval Chapter 69 Her Best Friend''s Approval Logan frowned, feeling an indescribable difort in his heart. Then, he checked The Other Man''s posts. Seeing it was empty, he immediatelyughed. It turned out to be an alt ount! So, he calmly replied, "Melissa, is it fun? I''m busy with work, so I can''t y with you now." Then, he put his phone away. Failing to annoy his nephew, Curtis showed a gloomy face. Steffen was startled when he secretly nced at his phone screen because he had never expected Curtis to speak like an angelic b*tch. Then, Curtis calmly turned on hisptop and began to choose a TV drama to watch. Most of the dramas on the screen were romantic soap dramas with a love triangle. The corner of Steffen''s mouth twitched before he said, "Mr. Riley, you barely watched TV dramas. Why are you suddenly interested in such dramas?" "Owen rmended them to me. He said I should learn how to chase after Adeline from them." Steffen was speechless. "He said the role of the other man is suitable for me." Steffen did not know how to reply and suddenly felt sympathetic to Logan, who had such a diligent and motivated rival in love. After watching a drama for a while, Curtis felt bored. So, he opened Owen''s love n. The first step: Get acquainted. The second step: Take the initiative to ask her out. Curtis thought it made sense, so he sent Adeline a message, asking, "Ms. Burton, would you like to watch a movie with me tonight?" When Adeline received the message, Melissa was sitting beside her. Melissa saw the news and said, "I didn''t expect Curtis to be so polite." Adeline nodded, "Yeah. Many details show his good upbringing. The Riley family deserves to be called a distinguished family. He is polite to those he recognizes but arrogant when facing those he dislikes." N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. While speaking, she couldn''t help chuckling, "However, he does have the capital to be arrogant." Melissa raised her eyebrows and joked, "I didn''t expect you to think so highly of him. It''s only been a few days." "I''m telling the truth!" Adeline red at Melissa with a red face and quickly replied to Curtis, "OK." When she was to type something else, Melissa stopped her and whispered a trick in her ear. Adeline nodded, edited the message, and sent it out. "I want to y a game with you. After ten minutes, we will write down the movie we think the other would like to watch." Her purpose was to test him and know him better. After getting the examination question, Curtis opened the cinema app and chose two films. He liked an action movie, and the other was a sci-fi movie she wanted. After ten minutes, they sent out their answers simultaneously, which was the same. Melissa eximed, "Oh my god! It is amazing!" Adeline couldn''t help asking, "How do you know I like sci-fi movies?" Curtisughed lowly and replied, "When you go to the old house, you always bring a science fiction book. It''s easy for me to know you like sci-fi movies." Adeline was stunned because she had not expected him to have paid so much attention to her. After all, they had had no dealings with each other in the old house. Melissa excitedly nudged her and said, "He is not bad! The idiot Logan doesn''t know you like sci-fi movies and always takes you to watch romantic movies. As your best friend, I approved Curtis!" Adeline bitterly smiled. Melissa was telling the truth. She had read a lot of fiction novels in front of Logan, but he used to take her to watch romantic films every time. Adeline and Curtis decided to watch a sci-fi action movie. She had not watched sci-fi movies long, so she beamed joyfully. When she got off work, he came to pick her up. After having a simple dinner, they went to buy the tickets. Adeline kept smiling along the way. But when she suddenly saw a familiar face, her hair stood on end. Chapter 70 Delinquent Teenager Chapter 70 Delinquent Teenager Chapter 70 Delinquent Teenager Curtis keenly noticed the change in Adeline''s expression, so he asked, "What''s wrong?" Adeline looked away from the person and shook her head, "Nothing." He followed her gaze and saw several high school boys fighting in jest. One of them had a crew cut and dyed his hair yellow, so he was eye-catching. He had a stud on his right ear and had a sinister smile, looking like a delinquent teenager. Curtis frowned. Adeline''s face had turned pale. Even if the boy was her disobedient student, it was strange that she reacted like this. Adeline was absent-minded and felt weak in her legs. After sitting in the cinema, she could not focus on the movie. Before the movie ended, she whispered, "I''m feeling unwell. Let''s go home." Curtis nodded. Then, they left the cinema and returned to the apartment. As soon as entering the door, Curtis took her hand, intending to ask what was wrong. But he suddenly frowned, "Why are your hand so cold?" "I''m feeling a little ufortable, so I asked you toe back with me," Adeline exined, looking ill at ease. "I''ll send for the family doctor." She stopped him when he took out his phone and said, "I will be fine after a good rest in my bedroom." Then, she locked herself in the main bedroom. Staring at her running away, Curtis felt depressed, wondering why she was so afraid of a teenager that her hands turned cold. Steffen had been secretly protecting them. When he came to the apartment, Curtis nced at him and ordered, "Get the surveince video of the cinema. We saw several high school students there. I need all their information, especially the yellow-hair boy." "Do you suspect those teenagers made Mrs. Riley ufortable?" Curtis nodded, "Yeah." Adeline had been in high spirits before seeing them. After meeting them in the cinema, she had been so panicked that she couldn''t breathe steadily. Steffen coughed and embarrassingly whispered in Curtis''s ear, "Maybe she is in her period." Curtis denied it without hesitation, saying, "Impossible." Steffen was stunned and asked, "Why are you so sure?" N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Seeing Curtis narrow his deep eyes, he was so scared that he quickly slipped away, saying, "Mr. Riley, I''ll collect their information right now!" Curtis showed a self-mocking smile. He, of course, knew her period. Adeline used to go to the old house once a month and on holidays. For the past three years, he had never missed her visit! He had always stared at her from afar, so he remembered when she had frowned in difort, refused ice water, and felt cold. Therefore, he knew when she had her menstrual period. In the middle of the night, Curtis sneaked into the main bedroom. In the moonlight, he saw Adeline. She was curling up with a pillow in her arms, looking insecure. He stroked her brows, tucked her in, and returned to his bedroom. In the morning, Steffen came with the information about the high school students in the cinema and said, "Mr. Riley, those students are all high school seniors. They are delinquent teenagers at West District Middle School who had the worst grades." Then, he pointed to the yellow-haired boy and continued, "You guessed it right. It should be him who made Mrs. Riley ufortable." Curtis looked up and asked, "Are you sure?" Steffen nodded, "Yes. She has nothing to do with the other boys. This yellow hair one is Jonathan Morris. Mrs. Riley used to be an intern at West District Middle School. And Jonathan was her student." After a pause, he added, "She graduated with excellent grades. West District Middle School tried to let her continue to work there. But she refused the offer and chose to work in an elementary school." Strangely, she had refused a job offer from an excellent high school and chosen to work in an elementary school. "What happened between them?" "We''re still investigating. I don''t know if there was any conflict back then." When Steffen finished speaking, Adeline pushed the door open and walked out. Chapter 71 Good Show Chapter 71 Good Show Chapter 71 Good Show Curtis and Steffen instinctively froze. Adeline was in a daze, so she had not heard their conversation. She forced a smile, said hello, and walked toward the dining table. Seeing this, Curtis frowned and wheeled himself over to help her unpack the breakfast. She violently trembled when his elbow touched her body and instantly distanced herself from him. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Curtis''s frown became more profound. Adeline knew she had overreacted, so she quickly exined, "Sorry, I didn''t expect you to be behind me." Then, she lowered her head and silently ate breakfast. She had dreamed about what happened a year ago and felt ufortable. She had a splitting headache and wanted to vomit. Seeing her pale face, Curtis gently asked, "Should I send for a doctor?" "No, thanks. I''m full. I will go to work now." Adeline anxiously got up, grabbed her bag, and quickly left the apartment. As soon as the door closed, Curtis''s face became extremely gloomy. Seeing this, Steffen dared not make a sound. Judging from her reaction just now, they both vaguely sensed something. Sophia asked Adeline to go to her office when thetter arrived at the school. "Get ready! You will go to West District to participate in the excellent teacherpetition tomorrow." Adeline subconsciously eximed, "West District? Can I refuse to go?" Amber happened to enter Sophia''s office. And she was stunned to see Adeline overact. Sophia frowned, "Why? Thepetition is held in West District every year. The preliminary contest was held in East District, and you are the only teacher of our school who entered the next round. If you refuse, who will go?" Hearing this, Adeline quickly breathed. In a trance, she heard a male voice saying, "Don''t let me see you in West District again." The icy voice wound around her like a boa constrictor, sending shivers down her spine. Sophia shouted, "Ms. Burton!" Adeline returned to her senses and nodded, "Okay, I see. I''ll make preparations now." Then, she left the office in a daze. Sophia rolled her eyes and said to Hannah, "She is crazy." Amber narrowed her eyes, feeling Adeline was afraid of going to West District. As soon as she left the office, she told Hannah about it as a joke. "Hannah, you are close to Vi. Do you know why her sister is so afraid of West District?" ... Victoria was sitting in a private room of a coffeehouse, listening to the half-white-haired driver Samuel''s report. Suddenly, her eyes lit up! "Jonathan? The only son of the Morris family?" Samuel nodded, "Yes." Victoria poured him a cup of coffee, ced it on the table, and said, "Samuel, sit down. You don''t need to be so polite to me." Samuel was her right-hand man, who she had brought from her natal family. He was in his early fifties. Because he was calm and agile, she liked him very much. Samuel sat down, took a sip of coffee, and asked, "Ma''am, why did you suddenly ask me to investigate the boy?" "My informer told me when Adeline went to the cinema with Curtis, a few high school students scared her." Suddenly, Victoriaughed, "I didn''t expect to find such a valuable person!" Samuel narrowed his old eyes and asked, "Do you want to use Jonathan to deal with Adeline? Didn''t you ask Alexander to do it in a few days?" "I need double insurance." Victoria gloomily sipped the coffee and said, "Jonathan is the only son of the Morris family, so they regard him as a treasure. Compared with Alexander, he is a more valuable pawn." Then, she smiled, "His sister Reba has chased after Curtis before, right?" Samuel received a message from his subordinate, so he hurriedly reported to Victoria, saying, "Adeline will go to West District to attend apetition." Victoria banged the table with a long sound and said, "Good! Immediately inform Alexander!" When Samuel was about to leave, she said, "Anonymously send Reba the photos of Curtis and Adeline going to the cinema and tell her Adeline will be in West District tomorrow." Then, she smiled in satisfaction, thinking there would be an excellent show to watch! Chapter 72 Hannah Probed Viola About the West District Incident Chapter 72 Hannah Probed Vi About the West District Incident Chapter 72 Hannah Probed Vi About the West District Incident Hannah was very clever. After receiving her sister''s message, she immediately went to find Vi. In Vi''s room, she chatted for a while before asking, "By the way, Vi, do you know about what happened to your sister in the West District before?" Vi''s expression subtly changed, and she looked at her suspiciously. "What have you heard?" "Oh, nothing much. I just heard from my sister that your sister seemed to be afraid of going to the West District." Vi popped a strawberry into her mouth, squinting at Hannah due to its sourness. "Why? Are you interested in this matter? How would it help you?" Hannah smiled begrudgingly, "Well, I haven''t taken down Mr. Riley yet, so I thought I could make good use of this matter." "You have no idea how envious I got during myst visit to Valentino. Your brother-inw bought all the handbags in the store and gave them to your sister." "The entire store?" Vi eximed while she was sitting up straight. "Yes!" Hannah said sarcastically, "If this situation persists, your sister will be even more arrogant and step all over you!" "No way!" Vi mmed the table, "I''ll tell you everything! You go and tell my brother-inw!" After pausing for a moment, Vi narrowed her eyes and spoke mysteriously. "I''m not entirely sure about the details. This matter was handled by Leon back then. He was unwilling to disclose the specifics." "But from what I heard from my mom, that student seemed to have tried to assault my sister, her clothes were ripped off..." Vi added some embellishments to the story. In fact, she had no idea whether Adeline''s clothes were ripped off by that student. But based on her family''s reaction at the time, it was likely to be something serious. Hannah covered her mouth in shock. "Oh my! They say Mr. Riley is very sensitive about this kind of thing." Vi pondered for a moment and nodded emphatically, "Yes, Jacob has mentioned that Mr. Riley is particrly sensitive about others touching his stuff. He won''t let anyone touch his things, let alone a person!" Hannah slowly curved her lips into a smile, "Alright. I''ll go find Zac and inquire about Mr. Riley''s whereabouts. Vi, you just have to wait for my good news." Zac was a small-time thug whom Hannah had befriended at the nightclub. Whenever she needed to find out about Curtis''s whereabouts, she relied on him. Vi smiled triumphantly. "Adeline, let''s see how you dare to be arrogant in front of me in the future!" "I don''t believe that your life can be happier than mine with the kind of fate you have!" On the other side, Adeline was restless all day long. After returning to the apartment and exining her business trip to Curtis, she locked herself in her room. Adeline was hiding something, and Curtis was feeling upset too. The entire atmosphere at home became tense and oppressive. The next day, Curtis personally apanied Adeline to the train bound for the West District. Before entering the station, Curtis tightly held Adeline''s hand. He looked determined and said, "Adeline, let me say it again. I am your husband, and I can protect you. Whatever happens, you can tell me. You can always trust me." Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Curtis''s voice was warm like a mountain breeze, always giving people a sense of stability. Adeline felt warmth. She managed to smile faintly and nodded, "Okay." Curtis watched as Adeline entered the station and then nced at Steffen, asking, "Have you arranged for someone to protect Mrs. Riley?" "Yes, I arranged for Sara to apany Mrs. Riley on her business trip. Sara is a woman, so it''s more convenient for her to stay with Mrs. Riley." Curtis nodded, but he felt a slight unease in his heart. Steffen urged him to leave the train station, saying as they walked, "Mr. Riley, at ten in the morning, you have a meeting to discuss the project in the North Mountain area..." "Cancel it." Steffen was confused. "Get the tickets for the next train. We''ll apany Mrs. Riley on her business trip." Steffen was in shock. "Also, have someone bring my clothes for the trip, and while at it, bring General along too!" Steffen seemed clueless. "What are you waiting for?" Curtis''s grip tightened and his heart felt somewhat uneasy. Two hourster, Curtis and Steffen boarded the train to the West District. Not long after, Victoria''s nephew, Alexander, and Hannah also set off for the West District. Chapter 73 Curtiss Cultivation of Virtue Chapter 73 Curtis''s Cultivation of Virtue Chapter 73 Curtis''s Cultivation of Virtue Along the way, Adeline had thought a lot. She told herself that she shouldn''t be afraid. After all, it wasn''t her who had done something wrong! She should bravely ovee her inner fears. Moreover, she had Curtis as her strong support now. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Thinking of Curtis, Adeline''s lips curled up slightly. When she arrived at thepetition venue, she walked into the examination hall with ease. Two hourster, Curtis also arrived at the hotel where Adeline was staying. He went to the front desk and took out his ID card, and marriage certificate. "I am Adeline''s husband. These are my credentials. My wife left in a hurry today and took one important document of mine with her. Could you please provide me with the spare key card? I need to go in." After ncing at Curtis''s ID card and marriage certificate, the receptionist politely replied, "I''m sorry, sir, but we need to contact your wife first." "My wife went for an exam, and her phone is switched off." The female receptionist hesitated. At that moment, the hotel manager walked over and was startled to see Curtis. "Mr. Riley, what makes you here?" Steffen exined Curtis''s request to the manager. The hotel manager immediately reprimanded the female receptionist, "Hurry up and give the key card to Mr. Riley! If something happens, I''ll be responsible! Do you still want to keep this job? Don''t you afraid that..." Before he could finish speaking, Curtis interrupted him, "No need to fire her. She''s being diligent." Upon hearing that, the hotel manager immediately put on a smiling face, "Of course, of course, Mr. Riley is always right." Then, he handed the key card to Curtis. "I also need a presidential suite." "Sure." The manager bowed, instructed the female receptionist to arrange a presidential suite, and then handed the key card to Curtis. Steffen pushed Curtis into the elevator and asked in confusion, "Mr. Riley, you already took Mrs. Riley''s key card, why do you still want to have another presidential suite?" Steffen was wondering if that was for him. Curtis lowered his gaze, looking at the two key cards in his hand, and said, "I asked for an extra key card for my wife''s room just as a precaution. In case something happens, swiping the card to open the door is faster than kicking it open." Steffen was speechless. He thought to himself, "Oh, I have thought too much." "The presidential suite wasn''t for me." Upon entering the presidential suite, Curtis immediately started a video conference with his subordinates. The cooperative negotiations for the North Mountain project were arranged to be done online. He had two consecutive meetings, from morning till afternoon. Just after those meetings finished, Steffen came over to report to him. "Mr. Riley, Alexander and Hannah are also here." Curtis''s expression got darkened. As expected, the decision to apany Adeline on this business trip was the right one. "I have expected that Alexander would be here as he was told by Victoria. Figure out who revealed our whereabouts to Hannah and teach that person a lesson." "It''s already taken care of. The person confessed that Hannah mentioned having important information to disclose to you, promised him that you wouldn''t make things difficult for him, and he revealed your location." "Important information?" Curtis toyed with the pen in his hand as if he was contemting something. Suddenly, he pulled up the corners of his mouth in a way that sent a chill down Steffen''s spine and said in a low voice. "Bring Hannah to the caf¨¦ downstairs and tell her I want to meet her." Steffen was confused and asked, "Why don''t we bring Hannah here? It would be more private, and she might feel more at ease revealing any secrets." Curtis shot him a sharp re, saying, "Bringing another woman to my room, do you want my wife to divorce me?" Steffen trembled with fear and muttered softly. "But I''m here..." "No!" Curtis said decisively, "I won''t do anything that could be used against me by others! If someone takes a screenshot of the hotel''s surveince which shows that Hannahes to my room, how can I exin it to my wife?" Steffen was left speechless, shocked by Curtis''s unwavering principles. It seems he had engraved the virtue of a man into the depths of his bones! Soon, Steffen arranged for Hannah toe over as requested. Chapter 74 Hannah Revealed the Secret to Curtis Chapter 74 Hannah Revealed the Secret to Curtis Chapter 74 Hannah Revealed the Secret to Curtis As Steffen escorted Curtis downstairs, he took the opportunity to report to him. "Mr. Riley, I found the phonemunication between Alexander and Victoria. He might go to Mrs. Riley''s room tonight and do something to her." "Hmm, keep a close eye on him," Curtis replied calmly, showing no concern for Victoria, who was his nephew. Upon arriving at the caf¨¦, Hannah stood up excitedly as Curtis approached. Her eyes locked onto him, and she greeted in a flirtatious tone, "Mr. Riley." Curtis was pushed forward by Steffen. When he passed by Hannah, a strong, pungent industrial perfume hit him, almost making him vomit. Suppressing his displeasure, he spoke straightforwardly, "What do you want from me?" Hannah considerately poured a ss of lemon water for Curtis and nced at Steffen subconsciously. "Spill the beans," Curtis lightly caressed the wedding ring on his ring finger and calmly said, "As a married man, I will not meet with other women alone in private. So my people will not leave." Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Upon hearing that, Hannah''s expression stiffened for a moment, but she quickly forced a helpless smile. "I do envy Adeline to have such a good husband like you. However... Mr. Riley, I truly feel sorry for you." "Oh?" Curtis''s tone turned colder. "Mr. Riley, marriage should be based on sincerity. But, it''s evident that Adeline has been hiding something from you." As Hannah spoke, she carefully observed Curtis''s expression. Seeing his face darken slightly, she felt a sense of satisfaction and continued, "Adeline probably didn''t tell you about her and Jonathan, right?" "What could have happened between her and Jonathan?" Curtis''s pale face seemed to be covered with ayer of frost in an instant. Hannah''s excitement grew and answered, "She was assaulted by Jonathan!" "It''s impossible!" Curtis''s voice was stern and it sounded very determined. Hannah lowered her gaze, already having an idea of his reaction. Looking around cautiously, she whispered, "ording to Vi, it didn''t go all the way. But... Jonathan did strip her clothes off and tortured her. The process was... and there were many props involved... He even recorded videos and took photos. If it wasn''t for Adeline''s brother rushing in at thest moment, it''s likely... It would have gone further." With each sentence Hannah had said, Curtis''s expression grew darker. As Hannah reached the end of her speech, she let out a sigh. "Mr. Riley, I genuinely feel sorry for you. I''m sorry that you have been kept in the dark about these things. Adeline hid this from you." "If those indecent videos were to be released, how could you continue to live in Prodiff?" "Mr. Riley..." Hannah cooed, "Give me a chance tofort you." "Since Adeline was unfaithful before the marriage, why do you need to..." As she spoke, Hannah reached out toward Curtis''s hand, wanting to touch the back of it. But before she could make contact, Curtis pulled away. Hannah''s expression darkened and revealed a hint of disappointment. But in the next moment, a key card was pushed towards her, which caught her attention. Curtis didn''t say a word and was ushered away by Steffen. Hannah looked at the hotel key card with room number 8-404 and instantly became ecstatic. She thought to herself, "After tonight, buying a designer bag would be a piece of cake!" She picked up the key card and kissed it several times. Meanwhile, Adeline had just finished her exam and returned to the hotel. A female receptionist greeted her, "Hello, I am the receptionist for the citypetition. Are you Adeline Burton?" "Yes, I am," Adeline nodded politely. "Sorry to bother you for a few minutes, Ms. Burton," the receptionist gestured towards a window- side booth, "We have a survey for thepetition that we would like you to fill out. Please wait here, and a staff member wille to assist you shortly." Adeline took a seat. Then, the enthusiastic receptionist poured her a ss of lemon water. Adeline picked up the ss, but she hesitated. She remembered the incident with the milk Victoria gave her. She quickly put the ss down. Instead, she took out a mini bottle of mineral water from her bag, unscrewed it, took a sip, and then put it back. After a short while, a woman wearing a white Chanel-style suit approached arrogantly and her gaze coldly fixed on Adeline''s face. "Are you Adeline Burton?" Chapter 75 Threats From a Woman, Mr. Riley Was Not Someone You Could Dream to Get Chapter 75 Threats From a Woman, Mr. Riley Was Not Someone You Could Dream to Get Chapter 75 Threats From a Woman, Mr. Riley Was Not Someone You Could Dream to Get "Yes, I am," Adeline replied, facing the woman''s unfriendly gaze with a hint of annoyance. With a loud smack, the woman tossed her car keys with the BMW logo onto the table, followed by her LV handbag. Then, arrogantly, she sat opposite Adeline, crossing one leg while staring at her. "Well, not even a stunning beauty, though you have a little innocent charm." As she spoke, she looked at the ss of lemon water with contempt and showed off her manicured nails to Adeline, asking, "Do you like them? I just had them done, and they need a bit of moisturizing spray." After that, she took out a small bottle of spray from her handbag and sprayed it on her nails. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh. The pungent scent of the spray filled the air. Adeline instinctively held her breath and felt bewildered by the woman''s provocative actions. "Are you here to help me with the survey? If not, I''ll be leaving." The woman chuckled and continued spraying the mist, "I''m here to tell you to give up the competition." "Giving up thepetition?" Adeline''s expression froze for a moment, and then her eyes narrowed, showing a hint of seriousness. "Who are you to tell me to give up thepetition?" "I am Reba Morris," the woman said confidently. As soon as Adeline heard the surname, her face changed. "So, there was no survey at all, right? You bribed the staff to make me wait for you here?" "That''s right," Reba raised her eyebrow, arrogantly admiring her manicured nails,pletely dismissing Adeline. "I remember my brother said that you are not allowed to appear in the West District anymore." She lifted her eyes and smiled at Adeline. "So, I''m asking you to give up thepetition right now and get out of the West District." "I''m sorry. Your brother might have said that, but I didn''t agree. Prodiff is a big city, and it doesn''t belong to anyone, nor does anyone have the final say over it. I will go wherever I want." After saying that, Adeline picked up her bag and stood up abruptly. Reba nced at her and asked nonchntly, "What''s your rtionship with Mr. Riley?" Adeline frowned and nced back at her. "I have no obligation to exin that to you." After that, Adeline turned around to leave. Reba''s voice faintly sounded from the back. "I don''t care how you ended up watching a movie with Mr. Riley... But I am warning you, stay away from him. He''s not someone you can dream to get." Adeline couldn''t be bothered by Reba and walked towards the elevator. However, after taking a few steps, she furrowed her brows, feeling something was off. Her body seemed to get increasingly warm, her legs weakening, as if she was treading on cotton and couldn''t use her strength. How could that be? She didn''t drink anything just now. Suddenly, Adeline''s expression changed! It was that bottle of spray! It looked like it was for the nails, but it was not! Instead, it contained some kind of love potion! N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Adeline instinctively turned her head to look towards the lobby caf¨¦ and saw Reba smirking with her fiery red lips, looking pleased with herself. That contemptuous gaze seemed to say that crushing her would be as easy as squashing an ant. Hatred surged in Adeline''s mind. But the more agitated she felt, the faster the drug seemed to take effect, and her body seemed to be burning up! No, she couldn''t sumb to that viin''s n! Gritting her teeth, Adeline forced herself to walk towards the staircase. As she reached the corner, arge hand covered her mouth tightly. "Ah!" Adeline''s heart trembled, and she let out a muffled cry. However, her voice waspletely muffled by the man''s hand, and it wouldn''t alert anyone! What should she do? Adeline was dragged into a dark corner... Chapter 76 The Sitting Duck Chapter 76 The Sitting Duck Chapter 76 The Sitting Duck Adeline felt a sense of despair. She wanted to struggle, but her body seemed unable to muster any strength. However, as she calmed down, she noticed something familiar about that man''s breath. How could it be? She must be desperately hoping that Curtis woulde to her rescue at that moment. Otherwise, why would she find that man''s chest and scent were like Curtis''s? "Hush, don''t be afraid, It''s me," a familiar male voice whispered in her ear. Upon hearing that, Adeline''s body trembled, and her eyes became moist within seconds! Curtis slightly loosened his grip on her. When Adeline turned her head, she saw Curtis supporting himself with a cane, while his other hand was around her shoulder. "It''s you," Adeline said with a sob and tightly hugging Curtis. Curtis gently patted her back tofort her, saying, "Don''t be afraid, everything is fine now. I''m here." In the next moment, Adeline couldn''t hold onto it any longer and leaned into Curtis''s arms. Steffen stood not far away and quickly pushed the wheelchair over, his gaze falling on Curtis''s self- supporting legs. He said, "Mr. Riley, you... draw too much attention." Curtis understood Steffen''s meaning, so he sat back in the wheelchair and let Adeline sit on hisp. He casually folded the portable cane in his hand and ced it under the armrest of the wheelchair. With a serious expression, he looked at Steffen and said, "Go to the hospital and inform our contacts there." Curtis had his people in various hospitals across Prodiff. "Got it," Steffen nodded, swiftly taking both of them to the hospital. The doctors that Curtis had arranged quickly came forward, had a look at Adeline, whose face was blushed while being held by Curtis, and immediately knew that something was wrong. He whispered, "Mr. Riley, in fact, you can neutralize this drug. Moreover, since she is your wife, it should be you..." "No!" Curtis immediately refused, "She has been drugged by my sister-inw before. It hasn''t been even two months, and now she''s drugged again! I''m worried that her body won''t be able to take it. You must handle this properly and ensure that there are no residues of the drug in her body." The doctor looked slightly surprised but quickly prepared several bottles of intravenous drips and instructed the nurse to administer them. "After this, use whatever tonic medicine she needs. Don''t worry about the cost. I want her to be healthy!" The doctor nodded, "Understood, Mr. Riley. Please don''t worry!" Curtis watched Adeline being taken to the VIP ward for the drip and then turned to Steffen. He asked, "How are the arrangements going?" "Everything is under control." Curtis adjusted his sses on the bridge of his nose and spoke in a cold tone, "Give Reba twice the amount of drug she sprayed on my wife!" "Alright," Steffen efficiently made the arrangements. At the same time, inside the hotel room, Alexander had already bribed the hotel staff and entered the room where Adeline stayed. He set up three night-vision cameras, which could capture the scene on the bed from different angles. Excitedly, he stripped down to just his underwear. Shortly after, Hannah, who was wearing sexy lingerie and wrapped in a woolen coat arrived at the door of the room and used the key card to open the door. Beep. Beep. The door opened and she walked in. Before she could say a word, her hair was grabbed by Alexander. "You bitch,e here!" Hannah was caught off guard, her hair yanked, and she was thrown onto the bed. There were tears in her eyes because of the pain. "Who are you? You''re not Mr. Riley!" Hannah finally realized what was happening and tried to defend herself by reaching out to stop Alexander. At that moment, the room was dark, and Alexander couldn''t see if the person was Adeline or not. He pped Hannah without hesitation. "You bitch, shut up! I''ll take care of youter, or you''ll regret it!" While Alexander was saying that, he started tearing Hannah''s clothes rudely. Her woolen coat was torn open, and her flimsy nightwear was ripped apart with a tearing sound. Hannah was terrified and trembled. She had never experienced such a situation and tried to resist fiercely. However, with each struggle, Alexander struck her. After being beaten a few times, Hannah felt like her organs were shifting inside her. "No! You''ve mistaken me for someone else! Help! Help!" "Ah! Please stop, please stop!" Hannah cried and begged for mercy. Alexander took off his underwear and pounced on Hannah. In the next moment, two beeping sounds were heard, followed by the growl of a fierce dog. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. "Woof, woof, woof!" Immediately after, the ankle of Alexander was caught in sharp teeth, which terrified himpletely. Chapter 77 Steffen Uncovered Mrs. Riley and Jonathans Incident Chapter 77 Steffen Uncovered Mrs. Riley and Jonathan''s Incident Chapter 77 Steffen Uncovered Mrs. Riley and Jonathan''s Incident "Woof!" General barked, loosened his grip, and took another bite. "Woof!" He was repeating the same action. "Don''t move. If you move, General might just crush your bones." A man with dyed blonde hair and charming features walked leisurely from the doorway. It was Connor. He held a cigar between his fair fingers and sniffed it beneath his nose as if he was savoring some earthly delicacy. With a crisp sound, the lights in the room turned on. Connor calmly turned off those three night-vision cameras, removed their memory cards, and ced them in his pocket. Then, he looked warmly at the tearful Hannah. "Hey, poor little thing, you are looking so sad. I will help you to call the police!" Hannah, with the bedsheet tightly covering her chest, trembled in fear, but she managed to respond, "You can''t call the police. You can''t! I won''t go to the police station." "Why not!" Connor smiled and revealed a mouthful of sparkling white teeth. "There is video evidence here that this guy assaulted you. This is incriminating evidence, and as a good citizen, I must report it." Soon, the police arrived and quickly apprehended Alexander. But General still refused to let go. Connor whistled, and only then did General release his grip, allowing the police to take Alexander away. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. As the female officer tried to take Hannah with them, Connor walked up to her, considerately picked up a tissue, and wiped her tears. Then, he lowered his voice to speak softly in her ear. "Mr. Riley asked me to convey two messages to you. The first one is that Alexander must go to jail. If he doesn''t, you''ll be the one in trouble." Hannah''s body trembled as she looked at the man before her with her swollen face, and he was more beautiful than most women. He tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing a chilling and eerie smile that made him seem more terrifying than the Grim Reaper. At that moment, she figured out everything! Mr. Riley gave her the room card! It was to set her up! He caused her to be violently beaten by that terrifying man and almost got assaulted. She had never encountered anything like that before. But how could Mr. Riley do this? She was a girl! Tears streamed down Hannah''s face in anger as she looked at Connor in disbelief. She said, "Why? What''s wrong with me? Adeline..." Before she could finish her sentence, Connor interrupted, "The second message from Mr. Riley for you is that before climbing into someone''s bed, you better figure out who is yourself first. This time is a warning. It won''t be just like this if there''s a next time." After he finished talking, Hannah shuddered. Her body weakened as the police took her away. At that moment, she seemed to truly realize how terrifying Mr. Riley could be. That man was not someone she could mess with. After Hannah was taken away by the police and with the video evidence provided, Alexander was sessfully charged with the crime. Meanwhile, while Reba was on the phone with Victoria, establishing an alliance rtionship, someone suddenly covered her mouth and pulled her to the side. Then, he took out a spray from her bag and sprayed it on her face. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh. "What are you doing?" Reba struggled, but soon her hands and feet were restrained by the ck-d man, leaving her helpless as he sprayed the entire bottle of the spray on her face until it was empty. The spray bottle was thrown to the ground. Before leaving, that person said, "Mr. Riley told you to stay away from his people." Reba''s body weakened, and she could only grit her teeth as she managed to drag herself back to her apartment. She filled arge bathtub with ice-cold water andy down in it. In the depths of winter, lying in such a tub of icy water, Reba''s eyes filled with hatred. "I won''t let this go so easily!" At the same time, Curtis, who was at the hospital was listening to the report from Steffen. "Mr. Riley, everything has been taken care of, including Alexander, Hannah, and Reba." "Um." Curtis nodded lightly. "Get rid of Hannah''s sister as well. She yed a role in fueling this situation." Steffen was taken aback. "How should we get rid of her?" "Transfer her to an ordinary elementary school. I can''t have any potential threat near my wife." "Alright," Steffen responded but hesitated. "Speak up, is there something else?" Steffen remained silent for a moment. "I found records of Mrs. Riley consulting a psychologist. This matter... is rted to Jonathan." Chapter 78 Impact on the Couples Relationship Chapter 78 Impact on the Couple''s Rtionship Chapter 78 Impact on the Couple''s Rtionship "What exactly happened?" Curtis''s sharp gaze locked onto Steffen. Steffen furrowed her brows, seemed like he was trying to think of how to express himself in a better way. "Jonathan is not a good person. He relies on his family''s wealth and power to assault several girls." Curtis''s gaze intensified and he interrupted Steffen, "I don''t want to hear about other women. I only want to hear about my wife''s incident." Steffen swallowed nervously and continued, "I haven''t found out all the details yet." "But I did find out that one time, Mrs. Riley left in a daze with Jonathan from the same hotel." "At that time, it was Leon who went to pick Mrs. Riley up. It seemed that he even made some agreement with the Morris family... Since then, Mrs. Riley hasn''te to the Western District." "She hasn''te to the Western District?" Curtis frowned, "He''s such a useless man! That''s the deal he made with someone like him?" "After that incident, Mrs. Riley went to see a psychologist. The psychologist has confidentiality principles, so we couldn''t investigate the specific details," Steffen said with his head down, feeling somewhat afraid to upset Curtis. It wasn''t difficult to guess what had happened in between, ording to what Hannah had revealed and the discovery of Mrs. Riley seeking psychological counseling. Those events undoubtedly touched upon the points that would enrage Curtis. Steffen instinctively took a few steps back. The ambiance became awkward for a while, and Steffen caught a glimpse of the veins on Curtis''s hand tightening around the wheelchair armrests. For a moment, he thought Curtis might stand up and rush to the Morris family to tear Jonathan apart. However, in the next second, those veins gradually rxed, and Curtis responded in a calm tone. "Hmm, I see." Steffen was surprised. "Is he able to digest all this information just like that?" Staring at Curtis''s back as he wheeled himself into the hospital room, Steffen''s expression became more serious. Curtis truly loved his wife dearly. He loved her enough to ept everything about her, including her past. He loved her to the extent that he seemed like a different person now... Curtis wheeled himself into the hospital room and approached the bedside where Adeline was sleeping. He tenderly reached out and brushed her forehead, running his fingers through her hair. After some time, Adeline woke up and was startled by the unfamiliar surroundings. "Don''t worry. You''re in the hospital." When Adeline saw Curtis, who stood beside her, she felt relief. "Since you are awake, drink some soup. Your stomach will feel better," Curtis paused and added, "Yourpetition is scheduled for tomorrow. Today, you should rest." "Okay." Adeline got up and freshened up. Then, she went to the dining table to have breakfast. Ding! Ding! Ding! The sound of Adeline''s phone receiving a WhatsApp message from Amber came through. "Ms. Burton, there''s something I''ve been thinking about for a long time, and I''ve decided to tell you." "My younger sister, Hannah, heard from your sister about your past incident involving Jonathan viting you. She deliberately went and gossiped to your husband." "Ms. Burton, I''m really sorry. I couldn''t control my younger sister! I hope this incident hasn''t affected your rtionship with your husband." "Also, I heard that your husband apanied you on a business trip to the Western District yesterday. Hannah has a somewhat open personality... Your husband should have returned to his roomst night, right?" "Ms. Burton, I mean no harm. I''m just worried that Hannah might cause problems in your marriage. If that''s really the case, I am so sorry for that." Adeline nced at the WhatsApp message sent by Hannah''s sister, and with a cold smile, she replied firmly. "Ms. Miller, please don''t make any false rumors. I was not assaulted by Jonathan."N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. "As for my marriage, you don''t need to worry, Ms. Miller. My husband was with me all nightst night." "However, there is one thing you got right. You are to me for Hannah''s actions." After sending the WhatsApp message, Adeline ignored her. She couldn''t believe that Ms. Miller had no idea about Hannah''s actions! If she was intending to warn her, why didn''t she do itst night? Why she waited until the next morning to tell her about it? Putting down her phone, Adeline nced at Curtis and asked, "Did Hannahe to see you?" "Yes," Curtis replied without any evasion. Adeline''s heart skipped a beat, and she asked anxiously, "So, you have nothing to ask me?" Chapter 79 What if Someone Touched Me Chapter 79 What if Someone Touched Me Chapter 79 What if Someone Touched Me Curtis gazed steadily at Adeline, his expression was unreadable and he said, "So, do you have something to tell me?" Adeline felt somewhat nervous. She picked up her milk and took a hurried sip, "Isn''t Hannah already told you everything?" "No, I want to hear it from you," Curtis''s tone remained calm, without a hint of pressure, more like a gentle encouragement. "When ites to your matters, I never want to hear it from anyone else. I want to hear it from you." "If you choose not to say it, I''ll wait until the day youpletely trust me." Adeline''s heart trembled slightly, and she tightened her grip on the ss. After a few seconds, she made up her mind. Putting down the ss, she looked at Curtis with a serious expression, "I heard that you don''t like others touching your things. Is that true?" "Yes," Curtis answered without hesitation, "It''s true. People say I have an extremely possessive nature, and I don''t like others touching my things" "Once someone touches my stuff, I would rather destroy them and buy new ones than use them again." Adeline instantly recalled the incident with the couch and decorations at home, and she understood it. "And..." Curtis paused, maintaining hisposure, "When ites to dining, except for family members and people I truly trust, I never share a table or use the same te of dishes with others. Those rumors you heard from others are all true." Adeline looked at Curtis in shock, not expecting him to be so candid. So, did that mean he was drawing a clear boundary between himself and Adeline, after hearing from Hannah about what happened to her? Adeline''s hands nervously clutched the ss as she asked the question that had been on her mind all along, "What if... someone touched me?" "What if those three delinquents had touched me that night?" "If, I mean, if..." Adeline took a deep breath, felt struggling, and closed her eyes, "What if I''ve been touched by Jonathan?" The air instantly became still. Adeline bit her lip, anxiously waiting for Curtis''s response. After a long time, she still didn''t receive an answer, and with a sense of disappointment, she opened her eyes and looked at Curtis. Then only she noticed that Curtis had been gazing at her all along, waiting for her to open her eyes before he spoke. "Mrs. Riley, if I haven''t earned yourplete trust, it must be because I haven''t been doing good enough before." His voice was as warm as ever, gentle as a mountain breeze, causing Adeline''s heart to skip a beat. "You are not an object. You are a person." "A living, breathing individual with thoughts." "No matter if it was in the past or the future, even in the unfortunate event, if something happen to you, it would only mean that I failed to protect you." "In such cases, the ones who are truly at fault are the criminals. You shouldn''t be to me for anything." Adeline''s eyes welled up with tears, she asked in a soft voice like a little kitten, "So, you don''t mind?" "Am I such a shallow man in your eyes?" Unable to endure it any longer, Adeline pounced into his arms and hugged him tightly. Curtis gently patted her back and emphasized once again, "Regardless of any circumstances, you can trust me." "If an uncontroble ident really happens, I will only feel sorry for you and seek revenge on your behalf." N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. "Adeline, I am already very content with you marrying to me." Adeline sniffled, readjusted her emotions, and then slowly began to talk about Jonathan. "Jonathan was a student in the ss I interned with. He... is not a good person." Adeline chuckled self-deprecatingly. "I never thought that in my life, I would describe a student this way." "I... I always thought of students as uncut jade, and teachers as the ones who carve and shape them." "But until I met him, hepletely changed my previous beliefs." "I still remember that day..." Chapter 80 Having a Husband Who Was Supporting You Chapter 80 Having a Husband Who Was Supporting You Chapter 80 Having a Husband Who Was Supporting You "I discovered Jonathan bullying a girl at school." "That girl was very well-behaved and had the best grades in the ss." "He dragged her into the sports equipment room, and fortunately, I happened to pass by and found them, so I rescued the girl." "After learning about Jonathan''s despicable actions, I talked to him several times. "I was trying to figure out how to change him and make him realize that bullying others is wrong." "I even tried reaching out to his parents privately, but the results were minimal." "Then one day, I found that girl being forcibly taken by Jonathan to a hotel. I chased after them, wanting to save her, but turned out..." Adeline covered her face in agony as if recalling a terrible nightmare. "At the end, Jonathan pulled me in as well and locked me in the closet. Then he... raped that girl." "I was inside the closet at that time, listening to the girl''s cries for help, one after another, each one piercing into my heart like a knife." "Then... Then, the girl stopped crying for help and started begging in extreme agony..." As Adeline spoke, her breathing became unstable. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Curtis wheeled over and embraced her, saying, "It''s okay. It''s not your fault. Don''t think about it." Adeline buried her face in Curtis''s shoulder, shaking her head. "No... If I hadn''t thought that Jonathan was still a child and believed that reporting him to the police would ruin his life, I would have reported him without hesitation. Maybe such a tragedy wouldn''t have happened." "I can never forget the heart-wrenching cries of that girl. After that, Leon came." "His friend saw me being taken into the room by Jonathan and told him about it. He came and took me and the girl away." "Jonathan wouldn''t let me go and insisted on teaching me a lesson. But Leon stood up for me. He repeatedly promised him that I wouldn''t report him, wouldn''t testify, and that I wouldn''t step foot in the Western District ever again. Only then did Jonathan give up." "I never dreamed that an underage child... Could be so cruel to that extent!" Curtis stared at Adeline and said firmly, "You don''t seem like someone who wouldn''t report the incident." Adeline was momentarily stunned by Curtis''s understanding of her, then she sarcastically smirked. "I did report it. I took that girl to the police station to report the incident. Leon was so angry he almost cut ties with me." "And then what happened?" "After that, that girl was probably threatened, and her family was bribed, so she voluntarily went to the police station to withdraw the case." "The girl''s family said that she was in the room watching a horror movie with Jonathan. Since she couldn''t pursue a rtionship with him, she resorted to falsely using him." "As for me, I was locked in the closet and couldn''t see what was happening outside. I could only hear the voices and making me unable to be a witness. That''s how the case was closed." "Then did you be an elementary school teacher because of what the Morris family does under the table?" Curtis''s eyes turned cold as if Adeline said "yes," he would immediately go and take revenge on that family! Shaking her head, Adeline replied, "It was because of Jonathan, but not because of the Morris family." "After that incident, I realized that I couldn''t change the mindset of a high school student." "It takes time for someone to change deeply ingrained beliefs. Many high school students'' values and personalities have already formed and are difficult to change." "So, I want to teach in elementary school and nurture their personalities and values from a younger age." Curtis nodded. He gently held Adeline''s arms and said solemnly. "You can do whatever you want, regardless of which district it is. I will support you!" "Okay," Adeline nodded in agreement. Curtis then asked in a gentle voice, "Is seeing a psychologist also rted to that incident?" Adeline''s expression turned bitter, and she hesitated as she bit her lip before finally speaking, "Because of the experience of that day, for a long time, I found that action was dirty, frightening, and resisted it." "Logan had asked me a few times in that regard, but I always refused." "However, I knew it wasn''t healthy to continue like that, so I sought counseling from a psychologist." Curtis''s eyes dimmed, "So when we were together and doing that, you were nervous and tense, right?" Chapter 81 The Annoyingly Playfulness of Mr. Riley Chapter 81 The Annoyingly yfulness of Mr. Riley Chapter 81 The Annoyingly yfulness of Mr. Riley In just a moment, Adeline''s cheeks turned crimson, too embarrassed to look up at Curtis. "In that case, I want to sincerely apologize to you. The first time, I must have scared you, right? That time was my fault." Adeline pursed her lips and spoke softly, "No... no need to apologize, it''s not your fault." "No, it''s my fault as your husband. I didn''t make you fall in love with that feeling during the following two times too. I didn''t do well, and I need to continue to work on it." Hearing that, Adeline''s cheeks burned even hotter, and she lowered her head as much as she could. She hurriedly reached out to cover Curtis''s mouth, "You don''t need to say anything." Curtis moved her hand away, lightly pecking her blushing cheek, a pleased smile forming on his lips. "Mrs. Riley, please be rest assured. Leave this matter to me. I will take responsibility for healing your psychological issues in the future." Adeline was feeling extremely shy. She was somewhat regretful about being so open with Curtis, but then again, not entirely regretful. After their heartfelt conversation, Adeline felt that her understanding of Curtis had deepened, and her fondness for him was continuously growing. Especially the phrase "You don''t seem like someone who wouldn''t report the incident," struck her mind like a blow! Of course, Curtis had no idea what Adeline was thinking about. He then took out a specially made keychain and gave it to her. It was a palm-sized "shlight" that was easy to grip and could be hung on a keychain, making it very convenient to carry around. "Adelie, keep this for now. When we get back to the apartment, I''ll teach you some basic self- defense techniques." Adeline toyed with the "shlight" and asked, "Is this for me to use as a shlight?" "No, it''s a specially made stun baton for your self-defense." Hearing "stun baton," Adeline was startled, "But what if it identally electrocutes someone to death?" "No worries, I have your back!" Curtis''s voice was resolute and sounded more like a promise. Adeline''s heart trembled, feeling once again enticed by Curtis''s words. She yed with the "mini stun baton" in her hand and asked with a hint of disbelief, "Are you sure this won''t kill someone?" Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "I promise you, it won''t! It just gives a tingling sensation when the electric current passes through the person''s body, making them unable to grab you, and it gives you time to escape," Curtis exined. "Oh, I see." As soon as she finished speaking, Steffen knocked on the door and entered the room. Then, he saw Adeline using the "specially made stun baton" to touch Curtis. Zzzap! A strong electric current passed through half of Curtis''s body, and his expression changed. But seeing Adeline''s curious and watchful eyes, Curtis suppressed the pain on his face and raised his eyebrow. Then, he insisted. "See, I didn''t lie to you. This stun baton won''t make people feel too ufortable." "Oh, indeed," Adeline nodded. Steffen pursed his lips and kept twitching, almostughing uncontrobly. The way Mr. Riley wanted to shout out but didn''t dare to was so amusing. If their buddies knew about it, they would definitelyugh their hearts out. That specially-made stun baton could instantly knock out a 200-pound pig. Mr. Riley''s ability to hold back from shouting was truly admirable! Hahaha! After having a goodugh to himself, Steffen came in to report, saying that the doctor wanted Mrs. Riley to undergo a check-up. Adeline followed the nurse to get the examination. After the examination, they found no issues, and she was discharged from the hospital. The next morning, it was Adeline''s turn to give a lecture on stage. She performed very well. She got the first ce in the written test and teaching practicals. Adeline only needed to get through the afternoon interview to secure the top spot in the citypetition. In the afternoon, Adeline confidently walked onto the stage. Underneath, as a special guest, Curtis waved to her. However, that scene caught the attention of Reba, who was watching the surveince. Her face turned sour and dark. During thepetition, the judging panel asked Adeline several questions, and she answered all of them fluently. But when it came to thest question, one of the judges looked at the information in his hand and raised his doubts. "Ms. Burton, your performance in your field has been outstanding. By all rights, you should have secured first ce in thepetition. However, ourpetitionmittee has also received an anonymous report about you." Chapter 82 Fought Back the Complaint Letter and Took the First Place Chapter 82 Fought Back the Comint Letter and Took the First ce Chapter 82 Fought Back the Comint Letter and Took the First ce "Aint letter about me which was sent anonymously?" Adeline was stunned for a while. And Curtis who was offstage looked serious. His deep eyes narrowed a bit. Steffen was ready to check who had sent theint letter. But Curtis stopped him and said, "Wait, Mrs. Riley can deal with this herself." The judges on the stage nodded and said. "Yes, we have received an anonymousint letter. It said that you have received counseling from a psychiatrist." "We think that as a teacher, if you aren''t healthy mentally, it is impossible for you to teach students with proper views on the world, life, and values." "Considering this, we decide to make you the second ce instead of the first ce. Do you agree with our decision?" Adeline thought for a while on the stage. Then she raised her head with firm eyes. "Sorry, judges, I don''t agree with you." "OK, then please state your opinion." The judge made a gesture of "please". "First of all, it is my personal reasons to receive counseling from psychiatrist. I don''t think it is a shameful thing or something that shouldn''t be known by others." "Mental health has been regarded as a more and more important thing these years. It is normal for modern people to suffer from various of mental problems because of life pressure or working pressure." "We are always emphasizing that mental problems are not psychosis. If one person has mental problems, that doesn''t mean he is crazy!" "We encourage adults and students to receive mental consulting to have a healthier psychology." "As a teacher, I actively search for help because I have the need in this aspect. I don''t think it should be my deduction of point." Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Adeline added after stopping for a while. "Secondly, the Competition Committee has no proofs about I have false views on the world, life, and values or I have problems when I guide students on forming their three views." "Thirdly, psychologist shouldn''t disclose the personal information of his patients. This is illegal and is not epted by thew. So the information which is provided anonymously is illegal. It shall not be taken into consideration by the Competition Committee." "The three points above are my contradict. Thank you for the judges to listen to me." Curtis gave Adeline a thumb up as she finished her talk. Steffen also said with shock, "Mrs. Riley is so good!" After being silent for some time, the judge who just put question to Adeline firstly pped. Then other judges also nodded and pped. "Congrattions, you deserve the first ce!" The head judge stood up and shook hands with Adeline. Adeline bowed politely and got off the stage. Curtis went close to Adeline with his wheelchair. He handed the pink roses to her, "Congrattions, Mrs. Riley." "Thank you." Adeline said so with smile. Reba was jealous like in fire seeing that the two were so sweet before monitoring screen! She said to the person next to her gritting her teeth, "Curtis is always arrogant. He never gave flowers to any women before! This woman should die! Go and check what rtionship they are now!" "But... " That person hesitated and said, "If Mr. Riley knows that we are checking his personal things, we can get killed." Reba kicked that man and said, "Get off, you useless rubbish!" That man left immediately. It was not joking! He would rather disobey that spoileddy than offend Mr. Riley. Reba stared angrily at Adeline who was epting the prize. Her eyes got colder and colder. Mr. Riley was hers, as she thought. The hostess of Prodiff could only be her! She was thinking to kill Adeline. ... The other side, Adeline returned home after epting the prize. When she arrived at Bay Hall, it was already night. After having dinner and taking shower, Curtis secretly took her to the video room and said he was going to give her psychological guidance. Chapter 83 Just Close Your Eyes Chapter 83 Just Close Your Eyes Chapter 83 Just Close Your Eyes Adeline was taken to video room. She then knew that she had never been in the room since she moved into the apartment. There was a fitness room next door. She had never been in there, either. Maybe she always had the feeling that it was other person''s house and she couldn''t act casually. She looked carefully at the room which covered twenty square meters or so. The room was not very big. But it was simple with tatami design. There were only a double sofa and a tea table in the room except a whole set of high-end family movie device. There were several kinds of fruits on the tea table, which were all prepared by Curtis. Adeline thought Curtis was going to rx her. She didn''t think too much about Curtis''s treatment. Adeline helped Curtis off the wheelchair and helped him lean against the sofa. Then she leaned against the sofa too. As she started to eat the strawberries, she thought it was morefortable than in the movie theater. Curtis chose a romantic love movie. The heroine who lived in the hero''s house called the hero "uncle". And the hero was the inheritor of a noble manor. They fell in love when they got along with each other. But their rtionship was disagreed strongly and the hero''s fiancee also obstructed them. Finally, they broke through ss barriers and got married. There were also many funny things during their marriage. They came from different different sses so they had many difference with shopping and daily life. They ran it altogether and finally got sweet marriage. That was a good movie. But Adeline didn''t know that there were scenes about the hero and heroine having s*x. The director of the movie was a good one. He made the scenes looked fantastic in detail. Adeline was shy to keep on watching, but she hadn''t finished the movie and wanted to watch. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. As she wanted to find an excuse of going to the bathroom, Curtis''s big hand grasped her small hand and interlocked her fingers.\ Adeline was stunned. She pretended to keep on watching the movie. Curtis encouraged her gently to her ear. "Adeline, it is an fantastic thing to enjoy the body love of the two genders." "It is not just a need of breeding from ancient times to the present. It is also a higher need of love throughout the evolution of so many years." "They are enjoying it. It is not like with Jonathan." "Most men in this world are normal. Only a few of them are abnormal." Adeline felt she was moved inside. She understood Curtis then. He really wanted to treat her mental problems with this movie. Curtis was five years elder than her. He got more life experience than her. He was really her guide on growth. Adeline was encouraged. She turned her face and wanted to thank Curtis, but her lips were blocked. Curtis''s big hand was on her back side of head. His lips kissed hers gently. "Be good. Close your eyes and rx." Adeline couldn''t think right. She could obey his order and close her eyes. But as she closed her eyes, she felt her senses more sensitive. Curtis''s lips pressed against her lips, but not as powerful as before. What she felt more was his comfort to her, like the hero in the movie. Her body was slowly put down on the soft sofa. His encouraging voice came into her ear. "Don''t be afraid. Feel it with your heart. Rx your body. You are safe right now." Curtis''s voice was gentle like mind wind and gave her some sort of feeling of safety. His kiss fell on her one by one. From her earlobe to her neck, to her jaw and again and again. It seemed that he was kissing a valuable treasure. His gentle move made Adeline feel that she was treasured. Her whole body rxed. She was totally unguarded. She thought that Curtis was better than that psychological counselor a lot because he guided her well. Of course, that thought disappeared the next second as Curtis pulled away the belt around her waist. Chapter 84 How Could Mr. Curtis Be So Bad Chapter 84 How Could Mr. Curtis Be So Bad Chapter 84 How Could Mr. Curtis Be So Bad "No." Adeline clutched Curtis''s hand. Curtis pushed her hand aside and put her hand on the edge of the tea table. "Be good. If you have no ce to clutch , you can clutch here." Adeline felt speechless. Curtis continued his action and kept on encouraging her. "Rx, the hero and the heroine in the movie are also acting like this, right? This is not a dirty thing." Curtis''s voice was gentle, but also with a kind of hint. Adeline didn''t know if he was wanting to have s*x with her or treat her mental illness. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. There was groaning out from her mouth. Adeline graded the edge of the tea table harder. And the groan from the movie kept going into Adeline''s ears. God. How could he be so bad! But Curtis kept on his action. The truth seemed to blend with the scenes in the movie. And they stimted Adeline''s senses together. "Don''t be afraid. You can make your request." "You are doing very well. Your body soften a lot this time." "Especially your waist, how soft it is!" After saying so, Curtis bit her slightly, "It is even softer than marshmallow." "Shut up!" At that time, the heroine in the movie also said, "Uncle, stop saying so!" Hearing that, Adeline was so shy that her toes moved a bit. "How can wemunicate if I stop talking? Mrs. Riley, we need to understand each other deeply through talking." "You... shut up! Don''t do it, Uncle Curtis!" Adeline called out the most familiar name of him. Curtis bit her again, but he didn''t seem like being mad. He said, "Mrs. Riley, can we make a deal that you can''t call me Uncle Curtis anymore in the future. Or I will feel that I am a beast." Adeline suddenly screamed and scratched Curtis''s shoulder angrily. "Curtis, you are worse than a beast!" ... Adeline didn''t know how long it had kept. The movie was already over. But Curtis kept going. When he finished, Adeline felt that her whole face was hot. Curtis picked the clothes on the ground and helped her wear. He asked seriously, "Mrs. Riley, is it comfortable? Have I behaved well?" Adeline stared at him angrily, "Curtis, didn''t you say that you would chase after me? Is this your sincerity? You just want to have s*x with me..." Adeline was so shy that she couldn''t saying more. Curtis smiled slightly and said feeling wronged, "I will chase after you, but I was your husband just now, not the other man." "Besides, you feelfortable, right? Your body is not so stiff now. How can you burn bridges?" "Your husband is treating your mental disease. Your mental problem still need more treatments... " Before he finished speaking, Adeline kicked him hardly and returned back to the room. When she went back to the master bedroom, she felt a bit remorseful. What did she do? She kicked Mr. Riley who used to make waves in Prodiff? But then she thought that was no big deal. He deserved it! Besides, he was not the previous Mr. Riley any more. He was her husband! He was so bad. He deserved to be kicked by her! Adeline was so angry. When "the other man" sent message to her to ask if she was alright these days. She just ignored him. "I am not good." Curtis: Why? Adeline: Because I was bit by a dog just now. Then she turned off her phone after sending the messages. Curtis felt speechless. He thought that Adeline was getting more and more fearless. She dared to say he was a dog? But thinking about the scenes in the video room, he raised the corner of his mouth. Next time he wanted to change the ce and kept on his treatment to Adeline. The next day, Steffen brought Curtis the breakfast which the maid had made and said, "Mr. Riley, we have gave Jonathan a lesson." After Steffen said so, Adeline just opened the door and came out the master bedroom. She looked at Curtis a bit surprised. "Did you ask someone to hit Jonathan?" Chapter 85 Steffen Wanted To Cry But Had No Tears Chapter 85 Steffen Wanted To Cry But Had No Tears Chapter 85 Steffen Wanted To Cry But Had No Tears Curtis''s handsome face was slightly stiff, as if he was embarrassed about being caught. He pushed his elegant gold-rimmed sses back up, and looked at Steffen reproachfully. "Steffen! How many times have I told you! You can''t just beat people! I''m now married to Ms. Burton, and we should learn from her. Moreover, I''m not what I used to be. We can''t be as arrogant as before." He passed the buck, and Steffen quickly carried the can, "Yes, Mrs. Riley, it''s my fault! At that time, Mr. Riley heard that Jonathan locked you in the closet before, and Leon promised not to let you set foot in the West District. He was so annoyed and very dissatisfied with your brother''s handling. So, I misunderstood the meaning of Mr. Riley, and took the initiative to act for him." Curtis nodded with satisfaction, and seriously looked at Adeline. "It''s Steffen''s fault. Later, I''ll ask Steffen to write you a 1,000-word letter of self-criticism! A thorough review of his inappropriate behaviour!" "Huh? 1,000 words!" Steffen wanted to cry, "Erm... How about four hundred words?" "Two thousand words!" Curtis''s voice was a little louder. Steffen wanted to cry but had no tears. Adeline stared at Curtis, gave him a cold snort, and walked to the dining table to have breakfast. Curtis turned his head and asked Steffen, "What does Mrs. Riley mean? She believes it or not?" Steffen lowered his voice and said, "Mr. Riley, I think Mrs. Riley''s expression just now seems to say, give you a look to feel it yourself." Curtis, ... "Then it means you''re not good in acting!" Steffen stamped his foot, "I''m not good in acting? I..." N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. "Three thousand words!" Curtis calmly said, moving to the dining table in the wheelchair. Steffen, ... I had never written an essay of more than 800 words in my life! The only time was during the college entrance examination! God, what did I do wrong?! Adeline invited Steffen by the way when she was having breakfast, "Steffen,e and eat too." Steffen ate here every day, and there was no distinction between master and servant. His identity was an assistant, but he was actually more like Curtis''s younger brother and family member. As soon as Steffen sat down, Adeline asked. "Steffen, how did you give Jonathan a lesson?" "For your information, Jonathan wanted to hook up with a woman who had a boyfriend, and even asked his men to beat her boyfriend. I knocked Jonathan unconscious and exchanged the clothes between Jonathan and the woman''s boyfriend, then pushed Jonathan to the back alley ording to their n. Afterwards Jonathan''s men went to beat him." Steffen took his mobile phone out and showed Adeline a short video. In the short video, Adeline saw Jonathan was pushed to the back alley with his face toward the wall. A group of men in ck rushed forward to punch and kick him. Maybe they beat him too hard, Jonathan woke up in pain. Jonathan yelled, "Who dares to beat me? I''m Jonathan!" Several men in ckughed. "He''s quite smart. He actually deres the name of our young master." Then, that man in ck viciously kicked him. "You idiot! Your voice doesn''t sound like him!" "That''s right!" Another man in ck also violently kicked him, "It''s your blessing that our young master can fall in love with your girl! You pretentious idiot!" "Ah- you''re courting death! Hiss- I''ll tear you apart!" The several men in ck felt something was wrong. They frowned and looked at each other. One of them winked, and they viciously beat Jonathan together again. "How dare you pretend to be our young master! How dare you!" They couldn''t tell whether those men really did not recognize him, or they pretended not to know and continued to beat him. But Jonathan''s whining became more and more shrill. The video ended abruptly. Adeline could not help asking, "How''s that couple doing?" Chapter 86 Rode Coattails Chapter 86 Rode Coattails Chapter 86 Rode Coattails "Don''t worry, Mrs. Riley!" Steffen followed the good advice, "I informed them of Jonathan''s n in advance, and then encouraged them to pack their bags and go elsewhere to make a living." "Is it okay to go somewhere else?" "It should be fine. Jonathan''s uncle works in the police station in the West District. The reason why Jonathan dares to be so violent is also because his uncle''s men would not arrest him. Out of the West District, he would be a lot more well-behaved. These bodyguards also know it. When the bodyguards found out the person they beat was Jonathan, they quickly vented their anger and left the West District." Adeline nodded her head, "Steffen has worked hard." "Then Mrs. Riley... that 3,000-word self-criticism?" Steffen expectantly looked at Adeline. Adeline did not have the habit of abusing Steffen, so she softly said, "You don''t need to write it." Steffen smiled. It seemed that he should ride Mrs. Riley''s coattails more often in the future! "Steffen is a good guy, naturally you don''t need to write a self-criticism. Unlike someone, who is being dishonest and not well-behaved." Then, Adeline took a deep look at Curtis. Curtis, a dishonest and not well-behaved student, ... Steffen instantly wanted to cry. Mrs. Riley, actually, I would rather write a self-criticism. Otherwise, if you provoked Mr. Riley again, I had to be sent to work in a remote ce. Adeline went to school after breakfast. As soon as she arrived at the office, she saw Amber packing her things. It looked like she had been fired. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Adeline felt a little strange, but she was not a gossip, so she did not ask anything. When Amber saw Adeline''s indifferent appearance, she became so annoyed. She hurled the notebook in her hand and wanted toe over and question Adeline. But just after walking half the distance, she turned the other cheek on it with a strange expression, returned to her seat, and continued to clear up the desk by pulling a long face. She remembered the warning from Steffen, "Mr. Riley said, if Mrs. Riley knows about this matter, it''s not as simple as going to an ordinary school for Amber." Amber angrily packed her things and left. As soon as she left, the teachers in the office began to gossip. "I heard Amber has been transferred to River Primary School." "Huh? Why does she get transferred to such a remote primary school?" "I don''t know, just say it''s a regr job transfer, and the teachers of both schools interchange with each other." "You''re kidding, our Prodiff Elementary School is the first batch of key elementary school. Can we interchange with such poor school?" "Who knows? Anyway, it''s not like we''re being transferred. I''m scared to death!" "I know right!" After listening to the gossip, Adeline raised her eyebrows, but did not take it seriously. And Amber finished packing and walked out of the school. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became! She was not reconciled. She was not reconciled to be transferred from Prodiff Elementary School just like this. Prodiff Elementary School she was in was the best elementary school in Prodiff. Some men with good financial conditions would prefer to marry the teacher of this school, then their children would be able to study in this school. It could be said that the school was the gilded stepping stone for her to marry a quality man. She must not give up! Amber gritted her teeth and walked into a women''s clothing store on the street. She chose a suit and a narrow skirt that was simr to Adeline''s usual style, and put on ck stockings. She asked Hannah for the location of Curtis''spany, and directly took a taxi there. Arriving at Curtis''s office, Amber walked in, nervously wrung the bag in her hand, and said to Curtis. "Mr. Riley, I''m here to apologise." Curtis looked up at her. His eyes slightly brightened, then continued to bury his head in reading the documents. Amber was shy. She knew exactly what the man''s gaze meant! Curtis looked at the document in his hand and casually said, "Amber, what are you apologising for?" Chapter 87 I Was Willing To Do Anything Chapter 87 I Was Willing To Do Anything Chapter 87 I Was Willing To Do Anything "I apologise for what Mr. Rilley thinks I should apologise. I''m sorry for doing something inappropriate. I hope Mr. Riley can give me a chance." Amber took a few steps forward. Thinking of her own sister exaggerating the power of the man in front of her, she was suddenly a little bit moved. She threw caution to the wind and said. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. "If Mr. Riley thinks that I''m not suitable to work with Mrs. Riley, then I can also ept Urban High School. As long as Mr. Riley lets me off this time and don''t send me to the remote primary school, I''m willing to do anything." When Curtis heard this, the hand that was signing the document stopped. He raised his eyes and gave Amber an indifferent nce. "Amber." He smiled, but his eyes were inhumanely cold. "It''s a respect to call you a teacher, but... don''t treat yourself as a prostitute." A simple sentence, like a sudden sharp p in the face, made Amber instantly turn pale, and fled in panic with her bag. But she was not reconciled! She thought that her knowledge and temperament were much more better than Hannah. Being an intellectual teacher herself, she thought this would work on Curtis. And he was clearly interested in her with the look in his eyes just now! Amber supported the threshold, refused to give up, and turned her head to look at Curtis, "May I ask, which part went wrong? When I came in just now, Mr. Riley was clearly interested in me with the look in your eyes." Curtis raised his eyes, suddenly chuckled, and jokingly said, "If you don''t mind, can you tell me where to buy this skirt? At first nce, I think this skirt would look very good on my wife." Especially the ck stockings, which might feel very good when tearing them off. Amber turned pale again. That jokes and quietugh made her voice stuck in her throat. She was extremely embarrassed, and could only turn her head and leave directly. After signing the documents, Curtis got up and said to Steffen, "Get ready, I''m going to visit Alexander." "Okay." Steffen responded. When he was ready, he sent Curtis to the detention centre to visit Alexander. The staff brought Alexander into the visiting room and seated him on one side of therge table. Steffen pushed Curtis in and sat opposite Alexander. The staff took a look at Curtis, "Mr. Riley, do you want someone to stay here?" "No need. Steffen will do." Curtis calmly responded. A Steffen could fight ten policemen. After all, Steffen passed special training, one in a million. The staff nodded, "Okay then, Mr. Riley, I''m just outside, give me a shout if you need anything." Then, the staff closed the door. Seeing the staff was polite to Curtis, there were some doubts in Alexander''s eyes, but he still teased in a ruffian way, "It seems that Mr. Riley is still able to save face anywhere, though you''re not in power." "That''s right." Curtis nodded with a smile, "It''s more than enough to make your life miserable with this little face left." After the voice fell, Alexander''s expression froze, and could not even crack a smile. "What does Mr. Riley mean? Why? Mr. Riley is still not satisfied with sending me here?" Nowyer in the entire Prodiff dared to take his case, so he could only wait for the trial here. All the criminal evidence was in ce. This time, he would have to stay here for at least ten years! Was not Curtis satisfied with this? Alexander suddenly seemed to understand something, and sneered, "Anyway, I bear the consequences of my own acts! Curtis, don''t expect me to betray my aunt!" "You''ve misunderstood." Curtis smiled, "I''m a good-hearted person. Seeing you like this, I really can''t help but to tell you who brought down yourpany." Steffen, ... Mr. Riley, you really werepletely ck-hearted! Chapter 88 I Forgot That You Are All Single Chapter 88 I Forgot That You Are All Single Chapter 88 I Forgot That You Are All Single "Tell me, who is responsible for reporting mypany?" Alexander stood up with excitement, visibly tense, as his entire wealth was at stake. "It was me," Curtis replied coolly, a slight smile ying on his lips. Alexander''s face hardened in an instant. After he finally came back to his senses, he shot an angry look in Curtis'' direction and said, "Are you kidding me? We hold no grudges at all! As far as I know, Mr. Riley is not someone who would meddle in the affairs of others." "Indeed, because the only person I care about is my wife," Curtis nonchntly crossed his leg, savoring the sight of Alexander''s furious face. "Victoria didn''t tell you that she was the reason I destroyed your business. In retaliation for Victoria''s treatment of my wife, I made her lose her ten million dor investment." Alexander was stunned for a moment, then eximed, "That''s impossible! My aunt has always treated me well and never asked me for that ten million back. Don''t try to fool me!" Curtis chuckled lightly and remarked, "That''s because she knows you couldn''t repay it on your own. Instead, she reasoned that having a loyal dog to deal with me would be a better choice. After all, it''s not easy to find someone willing to confront me in Prodiff." Alexander had a hesitant expression on his face. Curtis then yed the recording of his conversation with Victoria. After listening to it, Alexander mmed his fist on the table in frustration, producing a resounding bang. "That despicable woman! She apparently knew everything! She manipted me, made me provoke you, and imprisoned me!" Alexander seethed with anger, his teeth grinding together and his eyes clouded with gloom. "Don''t me me for retaliating against you, Victoria." As he spoke, Alexander provided Curtis with the password to a safe: "Go and get it. Inside there are recordings of Victoria''s every visit to mypany for investments and dividends." "Thank you," Curtis said, a slight smile appearing at the corners of his mouth. Steffen pushed his wheelchair and took him away, leaving Alexander alone, consumed by anger. Shortly after leaving the detention center, Steffen took the initiative to speak up, "Mr. Riley, I can go and retrieve the evidence now." "There''s no need to hurry. I already have some evidence of what Victoria had done, but I haven''t made it public yet because I want to show my brother some respect," Curtis replied calmly. Steffen asked in astonishment, "You didn''te to the detention center just for that?" "Not really," Curtis responded nonchntly. "I was bored in the office and wanted some excitement." Steffen was at a loss for words. Curtis continued to make statements that rendered Steffen unable to respond. "Don''t you think it''s funny that Alexander went insane when he discovered the truth? After discovering the truth, he felt trapped and manipted and developed a desire for vengeance. But, he had to stay helpless in jail." Steffen inwardly sighed, thinking, "You''re even more cunning than them!" "Take me to the Royal Bar," Curtis instructed. Steffen answered as he couldn''t help but frown, "Okay." He thought, "Mr. Riley must be wanting to provoke someone else this time." When Curtis arrived at the private floor of the Royal Bar, his friends Max and Owen were already there. Curtis stood up, walked in, and then turned to Steffen, saying, "Go and retrieve theptop that Alexander mentioned." "Okay," Steffen responded, closing the private room door before leaving. As they settled in, Max raised his scarred eyebrow at Curtis and said, "I heard you stood up from your wheelchair in the West District just now." "Yes," Curtis answered calmly without trying to conceal the fact. Owen grew slightly agitated. "But how can you do that without even finding the mastermind behind the car ident? What if they find out and go even deeper into hiding? It would make it even more difficult to deal with them." Curtis'' eyes darkened when he was reminded of the car ident that nearly killed him. No matter how carefully he searched, he was unable to find the person who was responsible because they were so well hidden. He had pretended to be partially paralyzed and even been ousted by the board of directors, all hoping that the person behind the ident would reveal himself. "Do you think it could be Victoria? She always wanted to remove you from the board and rece you with Leo," Owen spected. Before Owen could finish his sentence, Max interjected, expressing his doubts. "Not very likely. Victoria isn''t the type to act so recklessly." Curtis nodded in agreement, "I hope it''s Victoria, to be honest. But I''m afraid it might be the remaining members of the Flying Eagle Gang from back then." Max and Owen were both concerned about this as well. Thanks to several families '' coborative efforts, they all yed a part in eliminating the Flying Eagle Gang. If any remnants of those ruthless criminals still existed, it would undoubtedly pose a significant threat to them. Frustrated, Owen mmed his hand onto Curtis'' leg. "Since you''ve thought about all this, why did you stand up in the West District?" Curtis responded calmly, taking a sip of his tea before replying, "Given the circumstances, there was no other choice. Someone was bullying my wife. If it were you, you probably wouldn''t have hesitated either." Curtis paused for a moment, then added with a hint of sarcasm, "Oh, sorry, I forgot that you guys are both single." N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Max and Owen found themselves speechless. Chapter 89 Mr. Riley is Afraid of His Wife Chapter 89 Mr. Riley is Afraid of His Wife Chapter 89 Mr. Riley is Afraid of His Wife Curtis couldn''t help but grin as he watched as his friends were defeated. "I feel obligated to add a few more words about why you shouldn''t get married." "Why?" Owen asked directly before Max had a chance to say anything. Max furrowed his brow, realizing it was toote to stop Owen. Curtis put on a helpless expression. "The only advantages of marriage are having someone to serve you a warm bowl of soup when you come home, to cuddle with a soft and fragrant body at night, to have apanion for watching movies when you''re bored, to hold hands and go on dates during holidays, and to avoid the pressure and mockery of being single." Owen thought to himself, "I''m so jealous! Are those the only benefits? You''ve listed quite a few!" "But dealing with women is also troublesome. You have to be cautious in every aspect and avoid saying anything hurtful. If you identally make a mistake, you must ease the situation yourself. But if you spoil her too much, she might take advantage of you and be arrogant." Curtis'' mouth curved into a grin as the memory of Adeline kicking him came to mind. "She looks so adorable when she kicks me! I''ve discovered a new lovable side to her!" he thought. Owen felt speechless after hearing about Curtis and his wife''s affectionate dynamics. Unable to tolerate Curtis'' smug expression, Max asked directly, "Curtis, dare you say these things in front of your wife?" Curtis froze in ce. With astonishment on his face, Owen eximed, "No way! Are you serious, Curtis? Are you afraid of your wife?" "I wouldn''t say I''m afraid, but rather that I deeply respect her," Curtis responded, although there was a slight awkwardness in his tone. Owen trembled as he questioned whether the world was real. He couldn''t believe that Mr. Riley from Prodiff, who used to be unstoppable and notorious for his cruelty, had transformed into someone like this after getting married. Owen patted Max on the shoulder and said with mixed feelings, "You better not get married, Max. I can''t take it if you end up being like him. Maxim disdained the idea and said, "Don''t worry, that won''t happen." Curtis looked at him with a questioning brow raised and asked, "Are you sure?" "Yes, without a doubt." Curtis said with a grin, "Well, I''ll wait and see! I understand what you''re thinking, though. Who knows how long it will be before you find a partner with how you''ve acted? Just keep talking big for the time being." Max took a sip of tea and retorted, "You can keepughing for now. But let me remind you that it''s only two months until Christmas. Even if you continue to obstruct him, Logan will most likely return home for the holidays. Will you be able tough then?" Curtis'' expression darkened suddenly. "Oh, let me remind you. Olivia Riley ising back. Once she returns, how long do you think it will take for Logan to find out that you married his ex-fianc¨¦e?" Curtis frowned, "How do you know Olivia''s whereabouts?" "I have my sources keeping an eye on her," Max replied without any intention of concealing it. Hearing this made Curtis''s expression even more gloomy. Owen nced between Curtis and Max, choosing to remain silent as he stuffed a few more mouthfuls of food into his mouth. He intentionally ate so much during this meal to sustain himself until lunchtime, hoping to avoid any further involvement in the dispute between the two powerful individuals. -- Over at the school, just as Amber departed, Sophia entered the office. Putting on a fake smile, she nced at everyone present and announced, "I have some great news to share. Ms. Burton recently represented our school in the city''s esteemed teachers''petition and secured the first-ce position." Instantly, Sophia led the apuse, and the other teachers in the office joined in, offering their congrattions to Ms. Burton. "Ms. Burton, congrattions." Adeline gracefully stood up and graciously epted their congrattions. Sophia continued, "Due to Ms. Miller''s departure, our academic department has decided to appoint Ms. Burton as the new head of the Literature department. We fully believe in her ability to enhanceN?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. our fourth-grade students'' academic performance." Adeline responded without any sign of modesty, "I will put forth my utmost efforts." "Yes! I hope you can work hard!" Sophia walked out of the office after proudly patting Adeline on the arm. As soon as Sophia exited, the teachers couldn''t help discussing the news. Chapter 90 Catching Sister-in-law With Uncle Curtis Chapter 90 Catching Sister-inw With Uncle Curtis Chapter 90 Catching Sister-inw With Uncle Curtis N?velDrama.Org owns this text. "Hey Adeline, with this ''Outstanding Teacher'' award from the city, your sry will increase by ten bucks!" a female teacher said admiringly. "Ten bucks? That''s the district rate. I heard the city''s award gets you an extra fifteen bucks per month! Oh Adeline, I''m seriously jealous of you!" Then, a male colleague, Mr. Shaw, who used to pursue Adeline, made a sarcasticment, "Only fifteen bucks, huh? Well, it''s a total joke to Ms. Burton. That''s not even close to what her husband makes in a second!" Adeline chuckled and calmly responded, "True, my husband is pretty amazing. But hey, fifteen bucks is still money. If we get that extra amount every month, it''ll widen the gap between my sry and yours, right Mr. Shaw?" Mr. Shaw sulked and shut up. A few female teachers snickered as they found it difficult to tolerate Mr. Shaw''s jealous behavior as well. After putting Mr. Shaw in his ce, Adeline continued evaluating student records. When she finished all the data, she had a whimsical idea. She created an assessment form for dating between boyfriends and girlfriends and sent it to Curtis, whose name was ''The Other Man''. Upon receiving the form, Curtis immediately knew it was school-rted file, and he couldn''t help but chuckle. Was his wife treating him like a primary school student? He opened the form and quickly filled it out. Then, he sent it back to Adeline. Adeline was taken aback for a moment when she saw the form. When she clicked open the form, she realized Curtis had actually edited the content and even assessed her by giving marks! And she got full marks! In an instant, she was overwhelmed by his action. After filling in a few numbers herself, she also sent the form back to Curtis. Curtis couldn''t wait and opened the form. But in an instant, his face darkened. Gentle +1 point, remark: Still in the early stages of dating, need to observeter. Considerate +1 point, remark: Still in the early stages of dating, need to observeter. Honest -10 points, remark: Not honest, tells lies, a bit cunning, needs further evaluation. Mentality -10 points, remark: Obsessed with inappropriate stuff. Obedient -10 points, remark: Not obedient at all in that aspect,pletely ignores others'' rejections. ... After seeing the overall scores, Curtis felt like crying. One point added for each positive trait, but ten points deducted for each negative one! When would he be able to turn things around? After sending the evaluation form, Adeline felt quite satisfied. Hmph, he shouldn''t expect her to give him top marks in every category just because he gave her full points. No way! Last night, she clearly said she wasn''t ready, but he still didn''t listen. He imed the first time was for psychotherapy, but what was this second time for then? He even had the nerve to say that this was a ''consolidation therapy''! Ugh, he was so shameless! How did she ever see him as a respectable elder before?! As Adeline was inwardly criticizing, her phone vibrated, and the screen lit up. "I''ll arrive in Prodiff at 3 p.m. today. Come pick me up." It was a WhatsApp message from Olivia. She was Logan''s younger sister and her former almost-sister-inw! Seeing themanding tone in the WhatsApp message, Adeline felt a bit uneasy. She replied to Olivia, "I have sses in the afternoon, can''t pick you up." Soon, Olivia responded with a voice message, "Then just take a leave!" That tone of hers sounded so entitled, and it brought back a lot of unpleasant memories for Adeline. Olivia was always traveling around the world. Every time she returned to Prodiff, Victoria would ask Adeline to pick up Olivia. Even though Adeline didn''t have a car and there were three or four drivers at home, Victoria would insist Adeline borrow a car to pick up Olivia, as she imed that Olivia liked Adeline as a sister-in- law. The way Victoria and Olivia bossed Adeline around without hesitation really didn''t sit well with Adeline. "Sorry, I can''t take a leave. I''ve got things to do." After replying to the WhatsApp message, Adeline didn''t look at her phone andterpletely forgot about it. When she finished work, Curtis came to the school gate to pick her up. Only then did she remember about the WhatsApp message, but she didn''t really care. After refusing, Olivia would surely figure out how to take a taxi back on her own. After all, she was a growndy, and there was no need to spoil her. Adeline walked towards Curtis''s car. Today was the first date with ''The Other Man''. Considering Curtis''s leg condition, she agreed to have barbecue for dinner together. Just as she opened the car door, ady rushed over. "Adeline, why didn''t youe to pick me up!" Thedy''s voice clearly had an edge of annoyance. She nced instinctively at the person in the car, and eximed in surprise. "Uncle Curtis, why are you here?!" The person, who was speaking, was none other than Logan''s younger sister, Olivia. Chapter 91 Thought You Liked My Sister-in-law! Chapter 91 Thought You Liked My Sister-inw! Chapter 91 Thought You Liked My Sister-inw! Curtis and Adeline were both taken aback. They never expected Olivia to suddenly show up here! The atmosphere turned awkward in an instant. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Olivia''s gaze kept shifting between Curtis and Adeline. Suddenly, she mmed the car door hard, and it caused a loud noise. "Oh... I know it!" She drew out her words, and looked at Curtis and Adeline with a strange look. Adeline felt the way Olivia looked at her was actually morally torturing her. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Adeline lowered her head. She still had some unresolved feelings about her engagement to her fianc¨¦''s uncle. It was just her nature to be that way. "Oh, I know... I know!" Olivia repeated, "I heard that before my brother went on a business trip, you ran into some jerk of a director, right? So, now you let Uncle Curtis protect you, am I right?" Steffen, who was sitting in the driver''s seat, was speechless. Olivia smiled confidently and said, "Ah-hah, that must be it! Well, you did the right thing finding Uncle Curtis! Even though he''s got a limp, he still holds some sway in Prodiff!" Saying that, Olivia casually hopped into the car and didn''t forget to greet Adeline. "Heye on, Adeline, get in!" Adeline''s face stiffened as she nced at Curtis, and finally bent down to get into the car. As the car door closed, Olivia eximed excitedly, "Uncle Curtis, are you here to take Adeline out for dinner?" Without waiting for Curtis to answer, Olivia continued. "That''s great! You can treat me too! Consider it a little weing gesture from you two elders!" "Yeah, let''s consider it a weing gesture from us two elders," Curtis repeated meaningfully. Adeline secretly chuckled, as she caught the meaning behind Curtis''s words. For some unknown reason, Curtis didn''t debunk Olivia''s im. Adeline had no courage to reveal the truth and decided to deal with this situationter. The car quickly arrived at Sunset Grill. This restaurant located on the rooftop of a 101-story building. It was a popr spot for office workers to enjoy BBQ after work and watch the sunset. It was quite romantic. As soon as they sat down, Adeline received a WhatsApp message from ''The Other Man'', "Miss Burton, today''s sunset is beautiful, but it''s not even one percent as gorgeous as you." Adeline''s lips curved slightly as she felt pleased by the message, but she replied with a teasing tone. "Smooth talker, points deducted." The Other Man, "Hey, I really meant it! From the heart." They exchanged messages back and forth. Steffen observed with amusement and felt Olivia was quite careless. Due to Olivia''s arrival, their originally two-person date turned into a dinner for four. After the dishes were served, Curtis and Steffen took the initiative to pick up the tongs, and assisted in grilling the meat for the twodies. Adeline looked at Curtis, who was sitting across from her. Having a handsome appearance, Curtis bathed in the golden sunset glow, and exuded an air of elegance and pride. His hands, as graceful as those of a pianist, were long, slender, and immacte, making them incredibly appealing. Adeline suddenly felt a faint flutter in her heart and couldn''t help but sneak a nce at Olivia. She felt an inexplicable sense of excitement as if she was engaging in some secret affair with Curtis. Once Curtis finished grilling a long piece of Wagyu beef, he handed it to Adeline. Olivia opened her mouth as she was intended to say something, but ended up swallowing her words. As Curtis grilled the second and third pieces of meat for Adeline, while Steffen grilled for himself, Olivia became visibly displeased. "Hey, Uncle Curtis..." Olivia pouted her mouth, "I haven''t had any yet!" "Then grill it yourself! You''re twenty-two, don''t you have hands?" "Well, Adeline has hands too," Olivia muttered under her breath. Finally, Curtis gave in and gave her a small piece of meat. Olivia pouted even harder, "Adeline got three slices of top-grade Wagyu beef, and mine is just the leftovers. Theparison is so obvious! People who don''t know anything would think you like my sister-inw!" With that statement, Adeline''s heart skipped a beat. Steffen thought in his heart, "Well, you hit the nail on the head there!" Chapter 92 To Defend Her Brothers Romantic Relationship Chapter 92 To Defend Her Brother''s Romantic Rtionship Chapter 92 To Defend Her Brother''s Romantic Rtionship When she saw Adeline''s face turning pale, Olivia quickly tried to smooth things over. "Oh, please don''t mind my words, Adeline... I was just kidding!" Curtis warned Olivia with a re. Olivia hurriedly smiled, "Fine, I get it! Adeline isn''t officially part of the family yet, so you should treat her well as a guest. But I''m already a part of the family, so there''s no need for you to treat me so formally, right?" Steffen was totally speechless. Steffen couldn''t believe it, Olivia waspletely clueless about the rtionship between Curtis and Adeline. As she spoke, Olivia raised the Japanese sake in her hand, "Come on, I suggest we each share something happy and raise a toast! I''ll go first... Well, here to celebrate the fact that I''m back!" Adeline raised her ss and lightly clinked it with Olivia''s. Curtis didn''t raise his ss and said in a calm tone, "Your return isn''t something to celebrate." Olivia pouted and coquettishly asked, "Uncle Curtis, you''re not happy that I''m back?" "Yeah, not really." Olivia was speechless with Curtis''s reply. Oh well, that was just how Curtis was. To cover up the awkwardness, Olivia asked Adeline to share something worth celebrating. Adeline raised her ss and looked at Curtis and Steffen, "Well, I got the notification that I secured the first ce in the city''spetition. The academic department also informed me of a raise, and I''ve been promoted to the head of thenguage research group." Curtis lifted his ss and proactively clinked it with Adeline''s, "Congrattions, Ms. Burton." Steffen also raised his ss, "Congrattions, Ma..." Curtis nced at Steffen. Steffen quickly corrected himself, "Ma... Marvelous!" Adeline breathed a sigh of relief. But throughout the whole process, Olivia remainedpletely oblivious to the others'' reactions. Steffen was speechless as he found out Olivia was exceptionally careless and insensitive. After the four finished their barbecue, they nned to head back. In the car, Olivia casually asked, "Adeline, where are you living now?" Adeline''s face froze, and she heard Curtis calmly answer. "She''s living with me now." Olivia was dumbfounded. She looked at Adeline sitting on her left, then at Curtis on the right. Steffen, who was driving ahead, was in total shock. Hahaha, this was getting interesting! Adeline gulped in anxiety and nervously clenched her small hand. After a while, Olivia went, "Oh, I get it now! It must be Uncle Curtis protecting you and making you stay with him for your safety! Oh, he''s being all protective of your well-being!" Saying that, Olivia turned her head towards Curtis, "Thanks, Uncle Curtis. When my brotheres back, I''ll make sure he properly thanks you!" Adeline was stunned. Curtis didn''t know how to respond. Steffen was speechless as well. Olivia couldn''t read Curtis''s expression either. So, she blinked her eyes at him and coquettishly said, "Uncle Curtis, I want to sleep with Adeline. Come on, just let me stay with you. I came back secretly this time, and my mom doesn''t know." "No, go stay in a hotel!" Curtis firmly refused. "Why not?" Olivia''s voice raised a bit, "Why can Adeline stay with you but I can''t? Technically, aren''t we even closer as rtives?" Olivia was known for speaking her mind without thinking. After blurting that out, she felt it might not have been the best thing to say and turned tofort Adeline. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. "Oh Adeline, please don''t overthink my words. I didn''t mean it that way. I meant, from a rtive''s standpoint, I should be closer to Uncle Curtis than you are, as you haven''t yet married my brother." Saying that, Olivia looked back at Curtis with a puzzled expression. Curtis remainedposed, "I''ll book a hotel for you, and Steffen can take you thereter." "I''m not going! Hotels are not asfortable as staying with family!" With that said, Olivia firmly held onto Adeline''s arm, "Anyway, I don''t care. Wherever Adeline goes, I''ll go! I''m not going to a hotel! Besides, this time I came back with a grand mission." Curtis''s brows furrowed, "What''s the reason for your return this time?" Olivia raised her chin, "Of course, I came back to defend my brother and Adeline''s rtionship!" "I want to personally expose the man who''s trying to snatch Adeline away when my brother isn''t around!" Steffen was dumbfounded. Oh boy, this was going to be entertaining! Curtis''s expression turned serious. Chapter 93 Curtis Flirted in Front of Olivia Chapter 93 Curtis Flirted in Front of Olivia Chapter 93 Curtis Flirted in Front of Olivia Olivia was good at chivvying people. Adhering to the principle of "I have no sense of shame, and whoever feels ashamed will lose", she finally got Curtis''s acquiescence. On the way, as the road was slightly bumpy, Adeline got a feeling of nausea and quietly covered her mouth. Curtis keenly noticed that and asked, "What''s wrong?" Adeline took a deep breath, suppressing the feeling of vomiting, and then said lightly, "Nothing. Maybe I drank too much just now." Olivia reacted a bit too much, and quickly warned, "Adeline, you mustn''t vomit on Uncle Curtis''s car. Otherwise, a murderous devil like him will kick you out of the car in minutes." Curtis cast a cold nce at Olivia, then looked at Adeline''s pale face, and chided, "If you can''t drink, you shouldn''t indulge yourself with it too freely." "That''s right!" Olivia echoed. At this moment, she finally felt that it was just what Uncle Curtis should be like! However, she didn''t expect that in the next instant, Curtis said calmly, "Give me your hand." Olivia felt confused. Pressured by the majesty of Uncle Curtis, she stretched out one of her hands trembling with fear. Curtis didn''t hesitate to p her hand away and said, "I am asking Adeline to do so." Adeline froze, watching Curtis stretch his hand out in front of her and urge her. "Hurry up." Adeline put one of her hands upon his hand in confusion. Curtis then grabbed her hand and pinched the acupoint on the purlicue of her hand with moderate force. It did sooth Adeline quite a bit. Olivia was in between the two of them, watching Curtis held Adeline''s hand and kneaded it. Adeline suddenly felt shy. Seeing Adeline blushing, Curtis couldn''t help but secretly tickle her in the palm of her hand. Adeline was stunned and then gave him a hard stare covertly. Curtis smiled quietly. Olivia had no idea what was going on and sat obediently, watching Uncle Curtis massaging the acupoint on the purlicue of Adeline''s hand in front of her, and keeping praying in her heart. "God bless Adeline not to vomit!" "It will be a disaster if she throws up in Uncle Curtis''s car!" she thought. Although Steffen didn''t know what Olivia was praying for in her heart, he felt that she was quite an interesting girl when he looked at her through the rearview mirror. He wondered how foolish she was. He thought that she would be quite surprised when she came to know that Uncle Curtis had married Adeline. Soon, the car arrived at Bay Hall. Adeline withdrew her hand. Curtis held her hand all the way in front of Olivia! And he not only held her hand, but also secretly tickled her in the palm of her hand. He kneaded and tickled her hand! It was not even known if he really knew how to press acupoints! Back in the apartment, Adeline naturally walked into the master bedroom. Olivia was shocked again. "Adeline, I didn''t expect Uncle Curtis to treat you so well. He even gave you the master bedroom to sleep in, while he went to sleep in the guest room himself!" N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Steffen, who was carrying the luggage up, felt speechless. He thought that this girl was foolish. The genes of Logan and Olivia were really the same! Adeline smiled stiffly, "Uncle Curtis indeed treats me quite well." Curtis responded with a smile, "That''s true!" Olivia had wanted to walk towards the master bedroom as well, but after being gazed at by Curtis, she obediently shrunk her head and asked, "Uncle Curtis, then where should I sleep?" She knew Uncle Curtis highly valued his own area, and it was already lucky enough for her to be allowed toe to the apartment, so she didn''t dare to be rash. Curtis pointed to the small vacant room on the side. Olivia gave him an "OK" gesture happily, and then spoke to him mysteriously. "Uncle Curtis, you have to help me this time." Curtis looked up and asked, "What do you mean?" "My brother''s colleague, Jodie, contacted me and told me that my brother and Adeline were already broken up, or Adeline had her lover outside." Olivia sneered and said, "Well, that bitch, she thought I''d believe her for saying that! She underestimated me too much! I immediately went to ask my brother. My brother told me about his business trip, and also said that a person who seemed to be pursuing Adeline added him on WhatsApp. You see, how can I stand it? I definitely have to help him!" With that, Olivia patted Curtis''s shoulder heavily. "Therefore, Uncle Curtis, you have to help me find out who the other man is!" Curtis responded lightly, "OK." Steffen felt speechless. Chapter 94 Uncle Curtis, Do You Know Who Adelines Lover Is? Chapter 94 Uncle Curtis, Do You Know Who Adeline''s Lover Is? Chapter 94 Uncle Curtis, Do You Know Who Adeline''s Lover Is? Olivia couldn''t help but ask, "Uncle Curtis, do you think that it is possible for Adeline to have a lover?" With his eyes dull, Curtis didn''t answer but asked instead, "What do you think?" "I definitely don''t believe it!" Olivia replied affirmatively. She then narrowed her eyes slightly and continued to say with spection, "I think, there must be someone who is more flirtatious than my brother and is trying to take Adeline away from my brother! Uncle Curtis, what kind of person do you think the other man would be?" "An excellent man," Curtis responded lightly and pushed his wheelchair back to the second bedroom, leaving Olivia hopping mad alone. "Uncle Curtis! How can you be like this? We''re family. We''re on the same page." N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Before Curtis closed the door of his room, Olivia added. "Anyway, I don''t care. I''m resolutely on the side of my dear brother!" Saying that, Olivia took her phone and sent the group photo of the three of them in the car just now to her dear brother. She wrote, "I have returned home! I didn''t expect Uncle Curtis to be so nice to talk to when I returned this time! Yeah! We have made an alliance. Brother, you just wait for me, and I will definitely help you to find out the other man." Logan soon replied, "Is Adeline okay? Is that Mr. Baker still harassing her?" Olivia replied, "Brother, don''t worry. Uncle Curtis is protecting her." Logan''s face suddenly changed and asked, "Is that matter so serious that even disturbed Uncle Curtis?" Olivia answered, "Yes." Logan wrote, "No wonder Adeline was angry with me. Help put in a good word for me in front of her." Olivia replied, "Rest assured, brother. I promise that I willplete the task! And I will definitely crucify the other man!" Olivia was shouting slogans while sending messages on WhatsApp. Steffen, who was about to leave, gave Olivia a nce and thought she was a fool! The next day, Olivia sneaked into the master bedroom while Curtis was out and said, "Urgency, urgency. It is killing me." Olivia rushed straight into the restroom. Adeline couldn''t help but chuckle when she saw Olivia''s anxious face and asked, "Isn''t there a restroom in the living room?" "The General has been in the restroom early in the morning. I guess it''s constipated. It hasn''te out yet for a long time." Hearing that, Adeline walked out to check on the General''s condition and also peeled a banana for it. "You need to eat more fruits and probiotics, understand? Eating meat all the time will make you constipated." "Woof! Woof!" Without knowing if the General understood, it was eating the banana while wagging its tail vigorously. Having spent a few days together, Adeline became increasingly fond of this big dog. After stroking the head of the General, Adeline went back to her room. Just as she entered her room, she saw Olivia using her skincare products. Those were the skincare products that Curtis had bought for her. They were expensive. She didn''t use them too much on weekdays, and every time she used them, she would just scoop out a little bit of it with a spoon. Olivia, however, took out arge dollop of it with her fingers and wiped it on her face, which made Adeline feel bitter, but she felt awkward to say anything about it. If she said it, it would make her look stingy. Olivia used several of her skincare products one after another, including neck cream and eye cream. Adeline reminded indirectly, "Olivia, didn''t you bring your own skincare products back this time?" "Yes!" Olivia had a look at Adeline, then giggled and said, "Don''t worry. I don''t mind using other people''s skincare products, and I don''t just use the products of a specific brand. I''m an easy-going person." With that, Olivia then used Adeline''s perfume. In the end, she chose one of Adeline''s lipsticks and applied it in front of the mirror. Adeline wrinkled her eyebrows in displeasure. In fact, to Adeline, lipstick was a personal item, and she didn''t like it when other people used her lipstick. After Olivia had applied the lipstick, she said with dissatisfaction, "The color of this lipstick looks pretty good, but I don''t know why it doesn''t look good after I applied it. s, forget it. Adeline, let''s go shopping." With that, Olivia pulled Adeline out of the door without saying a word and went to the most famous shopping center in Prodiff. She took out her cell phone and recorded a short video of herself and Adeline. "Sisters, look, this is my sister-inw, Adeline, who is popr and loved by everyone. Adeline is now bringing me to the shopping center to buy things. You''re envious, aren''t you? You''re envious that I have a sister-inw who spoils me so much, right?" As Olivia finished that, Adeline wrinkled her eyebrows in displeasure. But before she could say anything, she was dragged into a clothing store by Olivia. Chapter 95 Gather at the Luxury Store Chapter 95 Gather at the Luxury Store Chapter 95 Gather at the Luxury Store This clothing store was a luxurious brand that many aristocraticdies loved to shop at. As soon as Adeline stepped inside, she looked at the price tags on the clothes and was shocked. A in vest for 800 dors! Adeline instinctively wanted to leave. She had always been reluctant to spend her hard-earned money on luxury goods. But Olivia stopped her and excitedly took out her phone to take a selfie video. "Wow, I''m so lucky! My sister-inw brought me to this store to buy clothes! Having a doting sister- inw is pure bliss!" Before Adeline could retort, Vi held her mother Edith''s hand and walked in angrily. "Sis, if you''re buying her clothes, then what are Mom and I?" Edith, who rarely visited this store herself, was annoyed to hear that her eldest daughter wanted to buy clothes for someone else. "That''s right! If she''s getting something, I want it too. And I''m your mother, I should get twice as much!" As their voices fell, other wealthy women in the store also turned their attention to them. Among them were Reba and E, who came from the west district. Olivia had seen the true faces of this mother-daughter duo and couldn''t help but roll her eyes in disdain. "What are you two? How can youpare to me?" As she spoke, Olivia picked up a dress that caught her eye and without hesitation said, "Salesperson, wrap this up for me. My sister-inw is buying it for me!" Vi couldn''t stand it and grabbed a fur coat that she liked, decisively telling the salesperson, "Wrap this up, my sister is buying it for me." Vi even poked her mother''s elbow and said, "Mom, you should pick a few items too! There''s no reason to buy for outsiders but not for family members." "Outsiders? How could I be an outsider?" Olivia''s voice grew louder. Vi didn''t recognize Olivia and hummed, "Anyway, she''s definitely not as close as my sister and me!" Olivia''s expression froze for a moment before she retorted, "What''s the use of blood rtion? It''s the emotional closeness that matters! Don''t believe me? Just watch, who will be paying for everything in the end!" Olivia arrogantly grabbed a few more pieces of clothing. Vi frowned and whispered to her mother, "Does Curtis have a younger sister?" Edith thought for a moment and said, "No, but he has an older sister who lives abroad. Her son is already in college; how could he have a sister at this age?" "I don''t care, this person is definitely a fake!" Vi didn''t back down and also grabbed a few pieces of clothing. Edith also picked a few coats. The other wealthy women in the store couldn''t help but look at Adeline. Who was this person? She seemed so wealthy, yet she looked unfamiliar! Reba, who frequently visited this store, naturally knew the value of the clothes these three women were taking. She subconsciously crossed her arms and walked closer, wanting to see if Adeline could afford such expensive clothes. She wanted to see how far Adeline''s rtionship with Curtis had progressed. To what extent could she freely use his ck card? Meanwhile, Olivia and Vi continued their argument. "I don''t believe Reba will pay for you! Do you really think the clothes you picked are cheap?" Vi retorted with her hands on her hips, "She will pay for my mom and me. We''re family! Is there any reason not to buy it for her own mother and sister? I don''t believe that with so many people around, my sister won''t understand this!" Exhausted from their argument, they both turned to look at Adeline. "Sister-inw, pay for it!" "Sister, pay for it!"Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Chapter 96 Sister Uses Her Brothers Card Chapter 96 Sister UsesHer Brother''s Card Chapter 96 Sister Uses Her Brother''s Card Adeline was sitting on the VIP sofa at the moment, elegantly crossing one leg over the other, sipping her coffee, her face serene and calm. The wealthy women around her saw this and whispered to each other. "Do you know who she is, a madam or missy? She truly has the demeanor of an aristocrat!" "I have no idea! I''ve never heard of her in Prodiff, but her temperament is really good." N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. "She seems to have the air of a family matriarch." ... While everyone was discussing Adeline, Olivia and Vi suddenly asked her to pay the bill. Adeline curled her lips, responding with a light smile, "I''m not paying for your stuff. Fair enough?" "What?!" Olivia and Vi eximed in surprise simultaneously. Olivia was the first to approach Adeline, asking incredulously, "Adeline, aren''t you going to pay for me?" As far as she could remember, Adeline had never refused her. "Well, no," Adeline answered without any burden in her heart. Olivia was a little embarrassed, and whispered into Adeline''s ear, "Adeline, we can''t lose face in front of all these people. Look around. Everyone is watching!" "Olivia, these clothes amount to hundreds of thousands. It''s not a small sum. This isn''t something a mere teacher like me can afford. I''m sorry, but I can''t and won''t be able to cover this expense." At this, the surrounding rich women snickered. Public opinion suddenly shifted. "I thought she was some newly rich wife! So that''s all there is?" "She can''t afford it! And here I thought she was so calm!" "She ims to be a teacher. Her temperament is really good." Reba listened to the people''sments, her mouth curling up in a smirk. Meanwhile, E, the chairwoman''s wife, remained silent, curious to see how Adeline would handle this. Olivia, much like Victoria, cared a lot about reputation. Seeing everyoneughing at her, she hurriedly whispered to Adeline. "Just use my brother''s card! Besides, I''m his sister. It''s perfectly reasonable for me to use his card." Olivia''s voice was very low. She felt very wronged. She wasn''t even asking Adeline to use her own money! Adeline looked calmly at Olivia. "Regardless of whether it''s reasonable for a sister to use her brother''s card to buy luxury items, the problem is, your brother''s card isn''t with me." "What? My brother didn''t give you his card?" Olivia was stunned. "How could my brother not give you his card? Didn''t he even give his card when something happened at Jodie''s house?" Once she said it, Olivia realized she had said too much and quickly covered her mouth. But Adeline justughed and didn''t mind. After all, Logan was already history for her. She didn''t feel wronged. "Even if Logan really gave me his card, so what? Olivia, Logan''s monthly sry and subsidy add up to just over 1,300 dors, and my sry is over one thousand a month. Evenbined, we can''t afford a single item of clothing here. Do you think it''s reasonable to ask us to pay?" Without thinking, Olivia replied, "But my brother has a dividend card! The Riley group gives at least one million in dividends each quarter!" Adeline''s face changed slightly. This was something Logan had never mentioned to her. No wonder Logan could afford to buy Victoria a bag before. So that was because he had such a card! After Olivia said it, she immediately covered her mouth again! Shoot, she might have said too much. Adeline smirked, "As you can see, I''m just an ordinary office worker. You want me to spoil you, I can treat you to a meal within my means, but I can''t afford the clothes here." "Can''t afford? Are you joking? Sister, how can someone living in Bay Hall not afford to buy this?" Vi was too fond of the mink coat. She was determined to make Adeline buy it for her today no matter what! Chapter 97 Too Much to Ask for a Few Clothes Chapter 97Too Much to Ask for a Few Clothes Chapter 97 Too Much to Ask for a Few Clothes Vi looked at the others in the store. "Everyone, please. My sister married into a wealthy family, living in a grand t in Bay Hall. Now, as her sister and this is her mother, is it too much to ask for a few clothes?" As her voice fell, the wealthy women around began whispering again. "Bay Hall! It''s more valuable than a vi!" "Yeah, one grand t in Bay Hall is worth three or four suburban vis!" "So, it''s not that she doesn''t have money, but she''s pretending to be poor and doesn''t want to buy for her family!" Seeing the public opinion leaning towards Adeline, Vi proudly walked up to her. "Sis, see, everyone disagrees with you! I don''t believe that Uncle Curtis didn''t give you any money! Hurry up and pay the bill. Don''t make a fool of yourself here." Edith also joined in, "Yes, I raised you. Is it too much for you to buy some clothes to honor your own mother? "It''s almost New Year, and you haven''t bought me any clothes all year round. Oh my... What a failure as a mother I am!" As she spoke, Edith''s voice was choked up. "Others also have daughters! My daughter got married, didn''t give a penny to her natal family, and even smashed the antiques of her natal family! How unfortunate I am!" Edith wiped the corner of her eyes that had no tears. "As a mother... I just want a few clothes now, and I can''t even get them! You guys, what kind of teacher is she? Is there such a teacher? "Shouldn''t teachers educate students to respect their parents?" Olivia knew that Adeline was "borrowing" a ce to live at Uncle Curtis'' house. Hearing the mother and daughter, she was so angry! "You... are too shameless! The house belongs to Uncle Curtis. My sister-inw is just staying there. It''s none of your business! "Moreover, you guys are so brazen to ask my sister-inw for clothes! You guys have no shame. You conspired against her, forcing her to have to live at Uncle Curtis''. Do you have a conscience? "Respect! Respect my ass! If it were me, I would have killed you guys long ago and made it to the headlines! "You even ask Uncle Curtis to buy clothes for people like you. Go look at yourselves in the mirror!" This amount of information was too much, leaving Reba, Edith, and Vi stunned. Reba heard that Adeline was "borrowing" a ce to live at Curtis'' house, and her entire face turned ck. While Edith and Vi felt even more confused. What did she mean by borrowing? Did it mean that Adeline wasn''t actually married to Curtis? More and more wealthy women changed their views of Edith and Vi. Vi and Edith couldn''t help but re at Adeline. "Sis- Are you satisfied now?" "Yeah, you''ve made everyone lose face!" Edith rolled her eyes. Adeline still smiled faintly, sipped her coffee casually and stood up. "It''s you guys who are losing face! Not me. "Let''s talk about being unreasonable. Asking if I am excessive for not buying you these clothes? Not at all. "I know exactly how much I earn in a month. With a monthly ie of merely more than 1,000, there''s no need for me to buy luxury goods for my sister and mother. "Furthermore, about respect. Mum, I have bought new clothes for you. I remember when I got my first month''s sry from work, I bought gifts for everyone in the family. "I gave you a new outfit, but the next day, I saw it in the trash bin. Since then, I have never bought you clothes again. "If you insist on discussing respect, fine, let''s go to the shopping street downstairs. I can afford the clothes there, and as a daughter, I can buy them for you. "As for losing face, it''s your own loss, not mine. I made it clear from the beginning that I can''t afford to consume here with my sry. "Yet you guys greedily demand, under the banner of being a sister and daughter, that I purchase luxury items for you, which is unreasonable. "If I willingly buy, it''s because I want to, it''s because I respect; but if you force me to buy, it''s moral kidnapping! "Even if my man is rich, it''s his business, it''s not something I can squander at will!" Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. As her voice fell, E walked out and apuded loudly. "Well said!" Chapter 98 Slapped in the Face Chapter 98 pped in the Face Chapter 98 pped in the Face Upon seeing E''s support, the richdies quickly chimed in. "That''s right, we never expected this mother-daughter duo to be so shameless!" "Exactly, we usuallye here to pick out a few clothes, and we just pick one or two for the sake of it. Unlike this mother and daughter, who choose piles of clothes as if they''re free!" "Indeed, they''re just looking for a scapegoat!" "Still iming to be a mother! How can she scam her own daughter like this!" "I''m the eldest in my family too! I can''t stand it when people say that the eldest should act like a savior! The eldest is asked to pay for everything, even for a brother''s wedding, as if the eldest is just a scapegoat!" Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. E walked towards Adeline, took her arm, and said with increasing admiration. "Adeline, you speak very well, logically and convincingly, respecting your elders but refusing moral coercion, respecting your elders and sticking to personal principles. You''re far better than those who tter the powerful and trample the weak!" As soon as her voice fell, the wealthydies who had just spoken felt a stinging sensation in their faces. Reba, wearing high heels, came over and gave Adeline a deep look. "E, you''re right. But a family is a ce for love, not for reasoning." With that, she nced at the pile of clothes. "Buying so many is indeed a bit excessive. But as rtives, shouldn''t we consider each other''s dignity? Why not just pick one out of courtesy? "After all, Christmas ising. Buying a piece of clothing for your mother and sister is no big deal. "But as you said, if you can''t afford it, you shouldn''te to this shop! "This shop is a famous luxury brand shop in our city, that''s a consensus!" Adeline''s face flushed with anger. She recognized the woman in front of her, Jonathan''s sister, the one who had drugged herst time! Before she could say anything, Steffen walked in and politely nodded to E, who had just informed everyone. The counter manager greeted him politely. "Mr. Degen, how can I help you?" In this ce, not just the salesgirls, many people recognized Steffen. A saying went around: seeing Steffen is like seeing Mr. Riley. Everyone knew Steffen was a favorite of Mr. Riley! Steffen had been with Mr. Riley for a long time and had gained some prestige. He pulled out a document with a poker face. "Mr. Riley has just acquired this shop." Upon hearing this, everyone gasped. The city''s No.1 luxury store, acquired just like that?! Steffen then pointed to Adeline. "Mr. Riley has said, from now on, give Ms. Burton the highest VIP service whenever shees into this store. "Any clothing she sees or touches, she has the right to buy first. "Anything Ms. Burton likes, she can take and it will be charged to Mr. Riley''s ount." As soon as he finished speaking, the wealthydies were shocked again! And Reba was so angry that she was grinding her teeth. Why would Curtis treat this cheap woman so well! And she had just mocked her for not being able to afford anything here, and then in a matter of seconds, she was "pped in the face"! Reba was so angry that her chest heaved! Olivia wanted to say something, but Steffen raised his voice a few notches. "Mr. Riley also instructed that this privilege is only for Ms. Burton! Anyone associated with Ms. Burton, including Mr. Riley''s other rtives, does not have this right. Unless Ms. Burton herself agrees." After saying this, Steffen gave a nod to Adeline and left the scene. He didn''t rify the rtionship between Adeline and Mr. Riley, leaving those who didn''t know in confusion. E, holding Adeline''s arm, asked, "Adeline, do you still want to look at the clothes here?" Adeline nced around and said, "Honestly, I still don''t really like them." "Well, let''s go somewhere else," E suggested. Adeline nodded. "Okay." The two left hand in hand. Seeing the embarrassment, Vi also quickly left with her mother, Edith. On the way, she couldn''t help but ask, "Mom, do you think my sister is married?" Chapter 99 Sister Scolds Logan Chapter 99 Sister Scolds Logan Chapter 99 Sister Scolds Logan Edith said, "That... I really can''t say. After all, none of us have ever seen your sister''s marriage certificate!" Edith pondered. "Initially, Steffen wanted to get her ID from our house. Since Steffen represents Mr. Riley and the Riley family, your father and I had no choice but toply. Later, when he returned the ID, we had no way of verifying her marital status." Vi narrowed her eyes slightly. Mom, don''t you think it''s possible that my sister conspired with Mr. Riley? They pretended to get married so that she could move out of the house. In reality, they might not have married at all. That''s why we didn''t receive any bride price, and those ims aboutnd were all nonsense. We haven''t seen any of it!" "Right!" Edith thought it made sense, but then became skeptical again. "Then your sister living over there..." "Didn''t that woman just say it? She''s borrowing the ce! Old Mr. and Mrs. Riley have always liked my sister, probably asking Mr. Riley to protect her. The incident with Mr. Baker was so embarrassing." Edith nodded. "But what about buying that store?" "Mom, how can you not understand?! Look, did Mr. Riley give my sister clothes?" "No! It was all talk! All for show! "Moreover, businessmen prioritize profits. Investing in a luxury shop is a guaranteed profit! "It''s not really an investment for my sister. "Even if it truly was for my sister, I guess the most she could be to him is a mistress." "Yeah, Vi, you''re absolutely right." Vi snorted lightly. "I thought my sister had married into the Riley family. Turns out she''s just staying there temporarily!" Edith agreed. "Yes, how could your sister be so lucky!" ... On the other hand, after Edith and her daughter left, Olivia also left the luxury shop. She waited impatiently in Bay Hall for Adeline''s return. As she waited, she sent a message to her elder brother Logan: "Logan, I want to ask you, have you ever given Adeline a card?" Logan was taken aback: "What card?" "Bank cards, like a secondary credit card!" Olivia said, a bit excited. "No, Adeline doesn''t need these things." "Then does Adeline know about your dividend card?" Olivia continued to ask. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. "Hmm, Mom said we are not married yet, so there''s no need to tell Adeline. For a while, mom even took my card. But I barely touched the money on that card. "Other than buying bags for you and momst year, I borrowed some money to help Jodie''s parents build a house in the countryside. That''s all. "The money is saved, nning to use it after marrying Adeline." Olivia was speechless: "Logan, if I were your wife, I would have an affair, you know?" Logan chuckled: "Adeline isn''t as materialistic and realistic as you." "Logan, forget about materialistic or not. Which woman doesn''t want her boyfriend to give her a card! It''s a sign of trust! "Moreover, you haven''t spent any money on Adeline with that card, but you''ve lent money to that Jodie?!" "Olivia! Don''t speak ill of Jodie! Her family is having difficulties. I lent her the money, not gave it!" Logan''s tone became a bit harsher. Olivia rolled her eyes: "My dear brother, how has Adeline not dumped you for being like this! You don''t even know... I thought the dividend card was with Adeline, today... I..." Olivia told him about the incident today in a fragmented way. Logan furrowed his brows: "Why has Adeline''s rtionship with her family be so bad?" Chapter 100 Is There a Problem Chapter 100Is There a Problem Chapter 100 Is There a Problem "Logan, is that the point?" Olivia really wanted to knock open Logan''s head to see what was inside! "The point is that mother and daughter are extremely shameless!" Olivia stamped her foot. "Olivia, there are no bad parents in the world! A good person should know how to get along with their family. I know Vi has a good rtionship with her family. Her brothers like her and her parents treat her well. I always hope that Adeline can improve her rtionship with her family. When I get back this time, I''ll talk to her again." "Logan! You''re hopeless! Really!" Olivia pped her forehead. "Anyway, starting from today, listen to me! I''ll teach you how to pursue Adeline! Stop listening to that damn Jodie!" As she finished speaking, she spotted her stern-faced Uncle Curtis out of the corner of her eye, and was so frightened that she quickly hung up the phone, not knowing why she felt guilty. "Uncle Curtis, didn''t you go out today?" "Hmm." Curtis slowly pushed his wheelchair and responded lightly, "I have stepped down now and have nothing to do. Just an unemployed idler all day long, oh no, an unemployed cripple." After saying this, Curtis coughed lightly a few times. Hearing his words, Olivia widened her eyes and quickly walked over, squatting down to act coquettishly. "Uncle Curtis, you always knew that Logan and I don''t take sides! Whether it''s you, Big Uncle, or my dad, whoever bes the chairman, we don''t care." As she said this, Olivia observed Curtis'' expression. "And in my mind, Uncle Curtis is a giant with a powerful aura! Regardless of whether you can hold power or stand up, Uncle Curtis is still a famous figure of Prodiff." Curtis'' expression softened a bit. Victoria might be annoying, but his two children were quite pure when it came to inheriting the family business. "Then let me ask you, were you just talking about helping Logan pursue Adeline?" Curtis looked at Olivia without revealing any emotions. Olivia nodded heavily. "Yes! If Logan marries that Jodie, who knows how many times he will get cheated?!" Curtis'' eyes darkened. "So how do you n to teach him?" "First step, hand over economic control! Women sometimes don''t want your money, they want a sense of security! "As the saying goes, men tend to be bad when they have money. When a man willingly hands over financial control to a woman, it''s also a way to show loyalty, to say that he doesn''t have money to mess around outside! "Anyway, all my girlfriends are like this! Their boyfriends would at least give them a ck card with no limit." Curtis approved and nodded. Suddenly, Olivia asked, "Uncle Curtis, why are you asking this?" Curtis calmed down a little and said lightly, "I am of age. Learn something, and I can pursue a girlfriend." Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "Uncle Curtis, you should have said it earlier! In the future, if you have any questions about this, just ask me! I can be your and Logan''s love advisor!" "Good." Curtis agreed lightly. "Next, let''s talk about your problem." "Me? What''s my problem?" Every time Olivia heard Uncle Curtis say this, she felt the fear of being caught doing something bad by the Dean of Students. "Tell me, what did you do today?" Curtis took a slight sniff. "And why did you use Adeline''s perfume?" Olivia didn''t think it was a big deal. "I used Adeline''s perfume, and I put on Adeline''s lipstick. Is there a problem with that?" Before Curtis could open his mouth, Olivia''s expression changed slightly. "Don''t tell me? You think Adeline would mind? "It can''t be! It''s just a bit of perfume and lipstick, right? "Is it necessary to be so petty?" As soon as she finished speaking, Adeline just happened to open the door of the apartment and walked in. Olivia turned her head to look at her and directly asked, "Adeline, do you mind if I use your perfume, use your lipstick?" Chapter 101 The Baby Chapter 101 The Baby Chapter 101 The Baby Adeline paused, her lips slightly parting, but Curtis raised his hand to signal her to stop. "I''ll handle it." He said calmly and with authority. These simple words carried a sense of assurance that Adeline had never experienced in that household. No one had ever stood out and protected her whenever something went wrong. Curtis nodded at her, gesturing for her to take a seat. "I am the elder in this household. I will take care of it." Then, Curtis turned to Olivia and asked her to get a chair to sit on. As Olivia sat down, she heard Curtismandingly say, "I need you to go to the and pick someone up for me from the West District tomorrow morning." Olivia was taken aback. "But Uncle Curtis, I have ns to meet a celebrity and take photos for her tomorrow." "Then cancel it and do as I say," Curtis insisted firmly. Olivia immediately pouted in frustration and retorted, "Who is this person? Can''t he take a taxi here? Uncle Curtis, I really can''t do it tomorrow! It''s an important step for me to be a photographer!" Before Olivia could say more, her expression suddenly changed. Curtis stared at her and asked, "If that''s the case, why did you ask Adeline to take a day off and pick you up?" Olivia''s face turned bitter. "Olivia!" Curtis''s voice grew stern. "I am your uncle, teaching you all this for your good. You treat Adeline as your future sister-inw, assuming she has to please you because she will marry your brother. Do you realize such behavior would not be tolerated in a normal household? Furthermore, Adeline isn''t even married to your brother, yet you expect her to buy luxury goods for you already, right?" "Uncle Curtis!" Olivia felt a bit aggrieved. "I''m not like my mom! I don''t intend to boss Adeline around. It''s just a habit. Besides, how would I know if Logan didn''t give her a card to use? I thought she was using my brother''s money like me." "Even if your brother gave her a card, you shouldn''t behave like this!" Curtis''s tone became more serious. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. "Even among family members, there should be boundaries and a sense of respect. Let''s say your brother is getting married. That means he would start his own family. His money would now belong to their household finances. If your brother and Adeline are willing to buy things for you, that''s fine, but you shouldn''t actively demand it." After a pause, Curtis continued, "The same principle applies to best friends or closepanions. Before using someone else''s belongings, you should ask for permission out of respect for them. It''s a matter of personal character, regardless of your rtionship with them. You have always been careless in your actions, neglecting the finer details of life and using other people''s belongings without asking. No one has med you because you''re part of the Riley family, not because you''re doing the right thing. Olivia, you must understand these things to manage your future rtionships and marriage better." Olivia fell silent for a moment, genuinely contemting what Curtis had said. She then lowered her head and apologized to Adeline. "Adeline, I''m sorry. I will be more considerate in the future. But I do see you as my best friend." Adeline nodded lightly, indicating that she understood. At that moment, Curtis pulled out a long lens and handed it to Olivia. "This is a gift from me, Olivia. Despite the lecture, I will still support your dreams." Olivia''s eyes lit up when she saw the package, and she jumped excitedly. "Oh wow, this lens is so expensive! I can''t believe you bought it for me." Curtis nodded. "If I''m willing to give it to you, it''s yours. But don''t always expect things others don''t offer you." "Thank you, Uncle Curtis. I understand," Olivia said, kissing the long lens. "I can use this to take photos of the celebrity tomorrow!" After speaking, Olivia returned to her room, retrieved her beloved camera, mounted the lens, and eagerly rushed out of the apartment to test it out. Grateful, Adeline walked toward Curtis and said, "Thank you." Curtis held her hand in return. "I have a sister living abroad. I can''t guarantee that she will be easy to get along with, but I promise that as long as I''m here, I will manage your rtionship with her. You don''t need to worry about that." Curtis reached out and pulled her onto hisp, asking gently, "What were you thinking just now?" While lecturing Olivia, Curtis observed his wife''s subtle expressions. For a moment, he felt that her reaction was quite peculiar. Adeline smiled softly. "I was just thinking about the baby." "The baby?" Curtis was taken aback. Chapter 102 Surrendering Their Financial Power Chapter 102 Surrendering Their Financial Power Chapter 102 Surrendering Their Financial Power "The baby?" Curtis''s eyes flickered with a hint of regret, and he cautiously reached out to touch Adeline''s t abdomen. His expression made it clear that he wasn''t entirely enthusiastic about the prospect of a new addition to the family! After all, they had just gotten married, and he didn''t want to practice abstinence! Adeline gently pulled away hisrge hand, her cheeks turning red as she exined softly. "No, I''m not pregnant. I only thought you had a way of being an elder when I saw you talking to Olivia. If we have children in the future, you would be good at leading them to the right path." Her troubled family background had always been a source of pain for her. That was why she longed to start her own family early and create her own happiness andplete family. She yearned for children who she could raise into loving and confident individuals. But Curtis hadn''t anticipated this. Upon hearing that there was no imminent child, he breathed a sigh of relief and took a card from his pocket, handing it to Adeline. "Mrs. Riley, I present to you the globally customized ck Gold Card," said Curtis as he handed the bank card to Adeline. "ck Gold Card?" Adeline had never heard of such a card and took it with confusion. She noticed Curtis''s solid and robust signature on the back mirrored his personality. "Yes, it''s the ck Gold Card. Each man can only have one in his lifetime. And this card is exclusively for wives, not girlfriends. The password is your birthday. You can use it for all future transactions with no credit limit." Curtis then handed Adeline another bank card. "This is thepany''s bonus card. Although I don''t have full control of it yet, I still hold a certain percentage of shares in the Riley Group. Thepany will deposit bonuses into this card every quarter." Upon hearing "bonus card," Adeline was shocked. It took her a while to ask the next question. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. "Would that be more than multimillion-dor bonuses?" After all, she had just learned that Logan received multimillion-dor bonuses every quarter. Curtis smiled faintly. "I reckon it''s more than that." "And you want me to have them both?" Adeline couldn''t believe her eyes. "Well, why not give them to my wife? We''re family!" Curtis replied. "Mrs. Riley, I''m entrusting you our family''s financial power. From now on, you have the final say in our household!" Adeline couldn''t help but smile. She hugged Curtis tightly and nted a kiss on his cheek. The feeling of being trusted was genuinely excellent. Curtis sensed her joy and continued, "We must change houses and make big purchases soon. Let''s discuss the expenses from now on. And if I need pocket money, I''ll have to ask you." "Okay!" Adeline originally wanted to refuse. After all, there was an immense amount of money involved. However, the idea of Curtis having to ask her for pocket money made her agree. After all, Curtis was known for his extravagant spending. Curtis didn''t say anything for a while. He suddenly had a bad feeling. But seeing his wife so happy, he couldn''t help but smile and lean in to bite Adeline''s tender lips. However, their intimate moment was interrupted by the doorbell. Olivia returned, and Adeline''s phone began to ring. Being disturbed, Curtis went to open the door with a gloomy expression. If it might be a parent of one of her students, Adeline answered the call from an unknown number. To her surprise, it was Logan. "Adeline, it''s me. Don''t hang up. I want to talk to you," Logan pleaded. "Logan, I''ve made it clear. If you want to talk,e back, and let''s resolve our past issues face-to- face. If you can''te back, please don''t call me again." Adeline felt exhausted. Just as she was about to end the call, she identally switched on the speakerphone. Logan''s voice echoed in the living room, reaching the three of their ears. "Adeline, don''t be mad at me anymore, okay? If you think I''m not sincere enough, how about I send you my sry and bonus cards?" Chapter 103 Im Married to Your Uncle Chapter 103 I''m Married to Your Uncle Chapter 103 I''m Married to Your Uncle Adeline''s face turned pale when she heard Logan''s words. She felt shocked and embarrassed. On the other hand, Olivia shouted excitedly, "Logan, you finally get it! Bro, Adeline''s blushing!" Olivia''s excitement grew, but she was oblivious to the chilling aura surrounding Curtis. Caught off guard, Adeline found herself in a four-person "battlefield." Sheposed herself and continuedmunicating with Logan through the speaker right before Curtis and Olivia. "Logan, thank you. But what you''re saying has nothing to do with me anymore. I''ve already told you I''m married." "Married? That''s impossible!" "Married? That''s impossible!" Logan and Olivia eximed in unison, firm in their beliefs. Olivia was the first to react, extending her hand toward Adeline. "Then show me your marriage certificates." "I don''t have it with me." Adeline replied truthfully, but Olivia smirked, convinced that Adeline was lying, and shouted into the speaker, "Logan, Adeline doesn''t have a marriage certificate. She''s deceiving us!" Hearing this, Logan softened his tone. "Adeline, I''ve told you not to lie to me. I won''t believe you''re married." Infuriated by the sibling duo, Adeline shouted back into the phone. "I am married! And I''m married to your Uncle Curtis! If you want proof, go ask him!" After saying that, Adeline hung up the phone. The living room fell silent for a moment. Olivia looked at Adeline in shock. "Are you crazy? How could you marry my uncle? That''s unbelievable!" Adeline took a deep breath, feeling speechless. "Why is it impossible for me to marry your uncle? Am I not good enough or what?" At that moment, Olivia calmly replied, "It''s not about being good enough. But you cannot marry Uncle Curtis. If you were my auntie, I''d do a handstand in this living room and eat dirt! And look, you live in the main bedroom, and he lives in the guest bedroom. What kind of couple does that?" Curtis was speechless. And Adeline lost her voice for the moment. "See? Adeline, you can''t answer, can you? I''m probably the smartest one here who figured it all out!" When she finished speaking, "the General" in the living room seemed bored and yawned, curling up to sleep. Adeline red at Curtis. "Will you exin it to her?" Adeline then retreated to her room. Olivia was scared, her face pale as she approached Curtis in his wheelchair. She squatted down and pleaded on behalf of Adeline. "Uncle Curtis, can you please not me Adeline for saying that? She''s been going through a tough timetely because of her breakup with Logan. It was mainly because of that other woman who made her so angry! I''m sorry for getting you involved earlier." N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Curtis thought back to Adeline''s previous reactions and nodded thoughtfully. "Tell me, do women hate those young schoolmates of their men?" "Definitely! They hate these people! It''s not just about young schoolmates, but also female secretaries, schoolmates, or assistants." Curtis'' expression grew serious. He didn''t have any female secretaries or assistants. "So, are you suggesting that there should be no members of the opposite sex around?" "It''s not like that." Olivia shared her opinion. "Normal working rtionships are fine, but the key is to avoid cheaters and maniptors! Men should rify their intentions and avoid having ambiguous rtionships with such people." "Okay, I understand," Curtis nodded. Suddenly, Olivia looked puzzled and suspicious at Curtis. "Uncle Curtis, why... Why have you suddenly be so interested in gender issues?" Curtis stared directly at Olivia. "Well, I have feelings for your auntie." "What! Uncle Curtis, do you have someone you like? Who is it?" Just as Olivia asked the question, Adeline happened to walk out. Her gaze also fell on Curtis when she heard the question. Chapter 104 Dreaming of Having His Card Chapter 104 Dreaming of Having His Card Chapter 104 Dreaming of Having His Card "She''s your Auntie Adeline." Curtis didn''t hide his gaze as he looked at Adeline, raising his chin and pointing at her. Adeline felt a bit ufortable being flirted with in front of a girl from their next generation. Olivia rolled her eyes. "Uncle Curtis, can you please stop joking about marrying her? Is this going to continue?" Olivia was worried that Curtis would scold Adeline, so she took the initiative to hold her hand and led her out. "Adeline, I''m taking you out for lunch today. Consider it an apology for making you buy clothes for me in the morning and for interfering with your makeup." Since it was already lunchtime, Adeline didn''t refuse. She left just now to arrange their lunch. But before she could say anything, Olivia forcefully dragged her along. On their way to the restaurant, Olivia lectured Adeline earnestly, "Adeline! How could you use Uncle Curtis as a shield? Let me tell you, ever since Uncle Curtis had his car ident, and he has be more approachable because he no longer possesses the same power and influence as before. If it were in the past, he would have thrown you into the sea for plotting against him like this! Anyway, you must not bring this up again." "Okay." Adeline smiled and decided not to exin further. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Olivia noticed that Adeline didn''t mention the marriage matter again and visibly became happier. She brought Adeline to a sushi restaurant. "Adeline, this is Mommy''s favorite ce." Then, Olivia raised her eyebrows and said, "You know, you can bring Mommy here to eat in the future." Before Adeline could answer, Olivia pointed to a small booth ahead and asked, "Adeline, will you reserve our seats? I''ll use the restroom and be right back." After saying that, Olivia walked towards the restroom with her phone in hand. As soon as she arrived at the restroom, she called Logan. "Logan, here is the truth. Adeline said it deliberately to make you angry. I didn''t see any marriage certificate." Logan''s voice sounded confident from the other end of the phone. "Do you think I would believe it when she imed she married Uncle Curtis?" "That''s right. It''s the biggest joke of the year!" "Yeah, Olivia, can you help me reassure Adeline? I''ve already informed Mom I''m giving Adeline a dividend card." "No problem! Bro, leave it to me. I''ll make sure to keep an eye on your wife!" At that moment, Adeline spotted an empty booth and lifted the curtain to enter. However, she heard an annoyed voice behind her. "What do you think you''re doing? This booth is upied!" Adeline recognized the familiar voice and furrowed her brows. Just as she turned around, she came face to face with Victoria and her irritated expression. Both of them were startled upon seeing each other. "Why are you here?" Victoria couldn''t help raising her voice. "I was just thinking about finding you! And here you are!" "I have nothing to say to you," Adeline replied calmly, turning to leave. Victoria thought Adeline seemed guilty, so she forcefully grabbed Adeline''s arm. "Don''t you dare leave! Let''s resolve this! Adeline, I''ve seriously underestimated you! Howe you instigated Logan to ask me for his bank card? Have you no shame?" Adeline frowned. "I didn''t do that, and I would never ask for Logan''s bank card." "Do you expect me to believe you?" Victoria got carried away and forgot that Adeline was already married. Instead, she imagined herself as Adeline''s mother-inw and became even more agitated. "Let me tell you, and there''s no way you''re taking my son''s sry card!" As her voice fell, many people from the surrounding booths emerged to witness themotion. An older woman, also a mother-inw, couldn''t help but ask, "What''s going on?" Victoria, filled with rage, pointed at Adeline. "Guys, would you please tell this woman that she is wrong? Isn''t a mother supposed to keep her son''s back card? But the woman asked my son for it! She wants to rob me of it! Tell me if she is not a cunning woman!" Chapter 105 Being Mocked Chapter 105 Being Mocked Chapter 105 Being Mocked Victoria used Adeline with great enthusiasm! She felt she had gathered an audience, especially those mothers-inw around her age. These women had strong personalities, and their words could drown Adeline! Adeline gazed at Victoria with a smile that held a tinge of amusement. Before she could speak, the meddlesome woman who asked the question earlier uttered. "Oh, dear, I understand your concern. But don''t let yourself get too worked up. At our age, most of us have health issues. Don''t jeopardize your well-being by getting angry." Victoria was taken aback and felt rather unlucky. She didn''t have any health issues! N?velDrama.Org owns this text. The meddlesome woman didn''t notice Victoria''s sour mood and nced at the people around her, sighing. "It''s a new era with a new approach. As mothers-inw, we need to adapt as well. We can''t always meddle in young people''s affairs, especially their finances. They earn their money, so let them decide how to spend it. Whether they want to have children, let them make their own choices. We shouldn''t interfere. Instead, we should take a step back. Otherwise, we''ll only breed resentment! That''s the key to maintaining a harmonious family. What''s the use of arguing all the time?" As she spoke, she looked at several women of simr age and eximed, "Ladies, do you agree with me?" "Yeah, anyway, we''re having a good time." "Yeah, I don''t have to take care of my grandson either, so I came to have sushi with my friends." A few onlookers nodded in agreement, chiming in as well. A young woman couldn''t bear it and said, "That''s right. Why do you keep the card to yourself when your son gives it to his wife? It''s your son''s decision. Why are you directing your anger at your daughter-inw? It''s a pity that your son is married. If they weren''t married yet, I would''ve advised this girl to give up this marriage! A grown man who gives his bank card to his mother is either a mama''s boy or incapable of handling finances. Such a person shouldn''t be married!" Victoria couldn''t tolerate it when someone criticized her son and was infuriated. "What did you say? Shut your mouth! My son is the most amazing person in Prodiff!" The woman who stood up for Adeline felt uneasy when she was refuted. Adeline looked gratefully at the woman who defended her and said, "Thank you. I''m d I didn''t marry her son, and I''ve already broken up with him." The woman was taken aback and asked, "Then why is she still bothering you?" Only then did Victoria remember that Adeline had married Curtis. But when she heard Adeline speak ill of her son, she immediately became agitated, ready to fight. "What did you say? What''s wrong with my son? He doesn''t squander money, and he''s obedient and respectful. Can you think of any man who is better than him in Prodiff? You cursed woman, and you''re not lucky enough to marry him! Now that my son won''t marry you anymore, you want to encourage him to give you money instead? Let me tell you, as long as I, Victoria, am alive, you can forget about setting foot in my house!" Olivia rushed over with an angry expression as soon as her voice fell. "Mom, is this how you bullied Adeline when Logan wasn''t around? No wonder Adeline wants to break up with him. I wouldn''t want such a marriage if I had a mother-inw like you!" Victoria was stunned,pletely caught off guard by her daughter witnessing this violent side of her. She had always been cautious, ensuring Logan and Olivia wouldn''t see her bully Adeline. Now that it was revealed directly, she couldn''t help but feel a bit guilty. But then, she furrowed her brows. "Olivia, what are you doing here? Oh, I see, it''s her. The bitch Adeline purposely called you back to provoke me and drive a wedge between us!" Chapter 106 Victoria Loses Control and Dignity Chapter 106 Victoria Loses Control and Dignity Chapter 106 Victoria Loses Control and Dignity "Mummy, I came back on my own." Olivia looked at Victoria in shock. "And how could you act like this? How could you resort to derogatorynguage towards Adeline?" Olivia had received a good upbringing since childhood and was a bit spoiled, but she never used foulnguage or insulted anyone. Thus, seeing her mother behave like this wasn''t very pleasant. Adeline quickly realized that "Logan" and "Olivia" were Victoria''s weak points, so she approached them with a sense of revenge. "Calling me a derogatory name is not the worst thing she has done to me..." Before she could finish her sentence, fear shed in Victoria''s eyes as she hastily raised her hand to silence Adeline. "Shut up, you slut!" With a swift motion, Victoria did what she wanted to do. Olivia reacted immediately and protected Adeline, taking the full blow on her face. Her head buzzed, and she nearly lost her bnce. Within moments, her cheeks felt hot and painful, and one side of her cheeks swelled up. Victoria felt distressed and didn''t know what to do. "Olivia, Olivia, don''t scare me. Are you okay?" At that moment, Mrs. Hodges and several wealthydies emerged from their private booths. Mrs. Hodges gently pulled Adeline away and sighed, "You''re unfortunate to have such a crazy ex- mother-inw." The other wealthydies also looked at Victoria with disdain. "Victoria, we tolerated your love for showing off before. But you seem to resemble a noblewoman less these days." "That''s right. You used to be part of high society, but now you''re behaving like a shrew in public, disgracing all of us!" "I remember when we entered this circle, and we told you that the women in our circle need not only wealth and family background but also high personal decorum and refinement. Look at you now. What sets you apart from a fishwife?" They took turns criticizing Victoria, making her feel ufortable and embarrassed as if she were being roasted alive. She recalled her previous warning to Adeline about being easily provoked and unable to survive in the world of the wealthy! But she hadn''t expected to lose control of herself today over a bank card. "Olivia, let''s go to the hospital." Victoria held Olivia''s hand and attempted to leave. But Olivia withdrew her hand, saying, "Mommy, you should go ahead. I want to stay with Adeline." Olivia felt uneasy not only because of the pain on her face but also because of the inner turmoil within her. She couldn''t bear to imagine how much it would have hurt if that p hadnded on Adeline''s face! Olivia rejected her mother''s approach and held Adeline''s hand. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. "You!" Victoria seethed angrily and gave Adeline a furious re before leaving. Mrs. Hodges looked at Olivia with appreciation and said, "You''re different from your mother. I''d say you are wiser and more sensible." Adeline nced at Olivia''s swollen face, feeling grateful and concerned simultaneously. "Olivia, let me take you to the hospital." "Sure, it hurts so much. I don''t want to be disfigured." Mrs. Hodges and Adeline apanied Olivia to the nearest hospital. Olivia vented her frustrations to Logan on WhatsApp on her way to the hospital. "Logan, you won''t believe what happened. Mom went too far. She called Adeline a bitch and even tried to p her!" As she sent the message, she took a selfie and sent it to Logan. "Logan, if it weren''t for me taking the blow, Adeline would look like this now." "Logan, Mom has crossed the line! Since you left, I have no idea how she has been tormenting Adeline!" Mrs. Hodges nced at Adeline teasingly. Adeline shrugged helplessly. "I told Olivia I married Curtis, but she didn''t believe me." As her voice fell, Olivia rolled her eyes. "Mrs. Hodges put yourself in her shoes. Would you believe it?" Mrs. Hodges opened her mouth, hearing Olivia''s remark. "Definitely not! Only a fool would believe it!" Mrs. Hodges didn''t utter a word. Adeline shrugged at Mrs. Hodges. Meanwhile, Victoria stormed out of the restaurant, only to be intercepted by Vi and Edith, who had purposelye. "Mrs. Riley, if you''re avable, we''d like to invite you for a cup of coffee," Edith took the initiative to invite her. Victoria understood Edith''s cunning intentions and arrogantly declined, "I''m not avable." Victoria was about to leave. Edith called after her, "Mrs. Riley, I have something essential to tell you. My daughter... Adeline never married Mr. Riley." Victoria''s face changed, and she stopped in her tracks. Chapter 107 Edith Makes People Sick Chapter 107 Edith Makes People Sick Chapter 107 Edith Makes People Sick Victoria turned around, squinting at Edith. Edith took a few steps forward. "Mrs. Riley, how about chatting at a caf¨¦?" "Hmm," Victoria coldly responded. The three of them went to the nearest caf¨¦. Reba, who had alsoe to see Victoria, secretly followed them. Victoria, Edith, and Vi entered a private room in the caf¨¦. Edith gestured to Vi. "Why don''t you serve Mrs. Riley some good coffee?" Vi shyly smiled and quickly got up to pour coffee for Victoria. "Auntie, here you go." Victoria looked disinterested. "Just say it. You said Curtis and Adeline didn''t get married. What''s going on?" Edith briefly exined the incident at the luxury store. Vi added, "Adeline has no money, and she admitted it herself. She barely earns enough to make ends meet, let alone afford expensive clothes." Edith said, "Yes, and then your daughter directly mentioned their rtionship, saying that Adeline is living with Mr. Riley." "Living with?" Victoria furrowed her brow. Edith nodded. "Afterward, we overheard Olivia saying they each had a room. They told Olivia they got married, but Olivia didn''t believe them and asked for their marriage certificate, which they couldn''t produce." Victoria''s expression changed. "So, you haven''t seen their marriage certificate either? Isn''t she already married?" Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Edith mmed the table in outrage. "Mrs. Riley, do you see the problem here? Mr. Riley sent someone to our house to get Adeline''s identification card, and we didn''t dare refuse. Would a proper marriage be so secretive? There were no wedding gifts at all. They said the house was given to Adeline, but we haven''t seen the property certificate!" Vi poured another cup of coffee for Mrs. Riley and continued, "We suspect that Mr. Riley found a small house for Adeline, and then they faked their marriage to deceive old Mr. Riley. That small house is the benefit Adeline received!" Victoria''s eyes suddenly lit up, and a smirk appeared on her lips. "Well yed, Curtis! So, he was pretending in front of our father!" Having obtained helpful information, she stood up, ready to leave. She would not lower herself to be associated with the Burton family! Edith noticed Victoria''s intentions and quickly stopped her. "Mrs. Riley, I know you look down on our humble family. But old Mrs. Riley promised our engagement. And now, since Adeline didn''t marry anyone from your family..." Victoria''s face changed before Edith could finish her sentence, and her voice grew louder. "What do you mean? Are you using the past engagement to threaten me?" "No, it''s not a threat," Edith anxiously exined. "Even if you look down on us, we can help you." "Help? How?" Victoria sneered. "Vi is our family''s pride. If Vi could marry Logan, our family would do everything in our power to help your son and husband rise to the position of Chairman of the Riley Group." Victoria''s eyes narrowed, and her voice became excited. "Do you have a n?" "Adeline is my eldest daughter, but for the happiness of my younger daughter and the sake of your family''s power, as a mother, I am willing to overlook the consequences and assist you. Just give the word, and we will follow yourmand." She implied that she was willing to sacrifice Adeline to secure the happiness of Vi. Seeing that Victoria didn''t object, Edith continued to persuade her. "Now that Adeline is tied to Mr. Riley, we have ways to make her life miserable. Isn''t this equivalent to bringing Mr. Riley down?" Upon hearing this, Victoria couldn''t help but roll her eyes. What a shame that she had expected Edith to offer a perfect n! But if someone came forward to be her subordinate, she wouldn''t be a fool to turn them away. She casually made a few remarks and arrogantly left. Before leaving the caf¨¦, she was intercepted by Reba. "Mrs. Riley, they may not have a n, but I do." Chapter 108 Hitting Three Birds with One Arrow Chapter 108 Hitting Three Birds with One Arrow Chapter 108 Hitting Three Birds with One Arrow "You?" Victoria scoffed, "Miss Morris was once Curtis'' ardent pursuer. Do you think I would trust you if you offered to help?" "Yes, you will!" Reba spoke confidently, "You want to unite Olivia with the Burke family''s son, and he has a good rtionship with me. I can push this thing forward. Besides, we share amon enemy, Adeline." Upon hearing this, Victoria thought Reba was much better than the fools from the Burton family, so she followed her into the private room. As Victoria took her seat, she wasted no time speaking her mind. "Miss Morris, I''m sure you know my rtionship and position with Curtis well." Reba nodded knowingly. "Of course. You want power, and I want Curtis. There''s no conflict there." Determination flickered in her eyes as she continued, "I want him. Regardless of his past arrogance or rejection, I want him to submit to me twice as much in the future. I want him to understand that only I, Reba Morris, is worthy of him in Prodiff." Taking a sip of coffee, Reba smiled cunningly. "And as for Curtis, I will have a better chance of bringing him down only when he loses power. You know it better than me, don''t you?" Victoria hesitated for a moment before nodding. Reba said, "Now, let''s talk about ourmon enemy. Your daughter has aligned herself with Adeline. Once your son returns and discovers that you pushed his girlfriend into Curtis'' arms, he will surely turn against you. Both of your children will betray you, and you will be left isted. So, you need me. We can work together to eliminate Adeline before your son returns and help you win back your daughter''s heart." Panic shed across Victoria''s face. She knew it would be difficult for them to forgive her once Logan and Olivia discovered the truth. It was also her greatest worry at the moment. "What do you suggest?" she asked. A wicked smile yed on Reba''s lips as she replied, "I have a n that kills three birds with one stone... We''ll drug Olivia through Adeline and push her into Reuben Burke''s bed." At the mention of "drugging" and "Olivia," Victoria''s face turned pale. "No, we can''t do that." "Rx, I''m talking about drugs like Philter-just sleeping pills. I assure you, your daughter and Reuben will sleep peacefully, nothing more. I''ll arrange for the Burke family and the press toe the next day, sealing this marriage deal! Your daughter will also sever ties with Adeline. Once your daughter talks to your son, he''ll surely be disappointed with his ex-girlfriend. And there''s more... We can report Adeline to the police and have her arrested. Isn''t this a perfect solution?" Victoria''s heart pounded, and she rose unsteadily to her feet. "I... I need some time to think about it." Victoria then walked out of the private room, her steps faltering. Meanwhile, Adeline apanied Olivia toplete her examination before returning to the apartment. Adeline still had matters to attend to with the literary research group at school, so she retreated to her study. Meanwhile, Olivia remained in the living room, dialing Logan''s number. "Logan, listen up. You must put in more effort to win Adeline''s heart back." "The first step is to hand over your financial control. Since our mother won''t give you your share card, move on to the second step, seduction!" At the mention of "seduction," Curtis perked up his ears. "Logan, you need to work on yourself during this period. Women adore men with abs. When you return, let''s n a trip to a luxurious resort. Imagine this. In a private vi enveloped in mist, you casually drop your bathrobe and reveal your chiseled abs... Just imagine the effect it will have on Adeline!" N?velDrama.Org owns this text. A faint smile curved Curtis'' lips as he imagined the scene. After Olivia ended the call, Curtis suggested, "Let''s go to the luxurious resort tonight." Olivia didn''t expect to hear that. Chapter 109 Another Terrifying Figure in Prodiff Chapter 109 Another Terrifying Figure in Prodiff Chapter 109 Another Terrifying Figure in Prodiff "Isn''t it strange to go to a hot spring at this time?" Olivia looked at Curtis curiously. "Uncle Curtis, going to a hot spring is a very private matter. It''s strange for you, Adeline and me to go together. Usually, close friends or couples should go together, like Logan and Adeline." "Oh?" Curtis innocently adjusted his sses on the bridge of his nose. Seeing that he genuinely didn''t understand, Olivia nodded. "You should keep your distance from Adeline as well." "Well, alright then," Curtis sighed disappointingly. "When you mentioned the hot spring, I thought of going to Max''s house. You know, Max''s vi is located near the hot springs resort. He introduced hot springs in his backyard this year and built a hot spring building. He also reserved two rooms for me..." Before he could finish talking, Olivia screamed, "Ah, I want to go! I want to meet Max!" When Olivia dragged her into the main bedroom, Adeline had just left the study. "Ah! Adeline, hurry up and get packed. We''re going to Max''s vi to enjoy the hot springs!" Adeline quickly packed her clothes and essential items, feeling confused as she was led into the car. It wasn''t until they got in the car that she realized "Max" was none other than Mr. Powell, the terrifying figure of Prodiff that struck fear into everyone''s hearts. They said Max had a terrifying face, could mute crying children, and had ruthless methods to deal with his enemies. Those who offended him met unfortunate fates. His ancestors were from a family of warlords and left behind considerable wealth and mysterious influence. He was a prominent figure and quite influential in the city, referred to as one of the two well-known figures alongside Curtis. Since Curtis had a gentle appearance, he was called "the Smiling Devil," while Max, with his terrifying face, was called "the Grim Devil." Thinking about meeting such a terrifying person, Adeline couldn''t help but tremble. The next moment, she heard Curtis''s gentle voice. "Don''t be afraid. Max is not as bad as the rumors say." Of course, Curtis wasn''t telling the truth. Max wasn''t just as bad as the rumors. Instead, he was even worse! Adeline felt slightlyforted but still couldn''t believe it as she looked at Olivia. "You like Mr. Powell?" "Yeah! Since I was young, my goal has been to marry Max and be his wife! I want to be his spouse!" Olivia was so excited that she applied anotheryer of makeup to her swollen face. Adeline still found it unbelievable. "What do you like about him?" Olivia pondered for a moment. "I remember when I was in junior high, and Max was in high school. A few bullies once provoked him, and he punched one of them, smashing the boy''s head. Max''s face was covered in blood, but he calmly asked the guy, ''Do you submit?'' Damn, he was so cool!" Olivia''s eyes twinkled. "I felt like Cupid shot an arrow into my heart. Oh, Max, I''m hopelessly in love with him! After that, those bullies respected him and regarded him as their boss. When I followed him once, they even took me as his girlfriend. Hehehe..." Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Olivia chuckled, covering her face in embarrassment. "Since then, I''ve had a lofty pursuit in life! I want to be the girlfriend of someone important! And I want him to be Max! Hahaha..." Adeline didn''t know how to respond. "Then does Mr. Powell like you?" Adeline asked Olivia, but her gaze was directed at Curtis. "He doesn''t." Curtis bluntly shattered Olivia''s fantasy. "To prevent her harassment, Max even has people keeping an eye on her." "Humph, Uncle Curtis, just wait and see! Sooner orter, I''ll win him over and be Mrs. Powell! Hahaha..." The car arrived at the Powell family''s vi area in the blink of an eye. Chapter 110 My Strap Wont Untie Chapter 110 My Strap Won''t Untie Chapter 110 My Strap Won''t Untie The Powell family bought a mountain without blinking their eyes, built their vi, and arranged for security. When the car reached the foot of the mountain, the guard recognized Curtis and immediately let them through. The car slowly drove along the minor road in the vi area. Adeline looked around in astonishment at the armed bodyguards stationed on both sides. "Isn''t this a private vi area? Why are there so many security guards?" There was a "security guard" and undercover guards almost every five meters! "These are not security guards. They''re the Powell family''s henchmen," Curtis said with a faint smile. "That guy has too many enemies, so he needs to be on guard." Adeline was shocked and didn''t know how to respond. Olivia, on the other hand, became even more excited. "How cool is that? If I be his wife, these people must call me Mrs. Powell daily... Hahaha, I''ll be blissfully happy." Adeline was speechless. Olivia seemed to be overactive. How could she fall in love with someone with such a terrifying background? Before long, the car arrived at the entrance of a vintage-style vi. As they got out of the car, Adeline anxiously hid behind Curtis, pushing the wheelchair carefully to avoid any mishaps that might result in her head being detached. With their menacing appearance, the Powell family did not seem like friendly individuals. The three of them entered the living room, where Adeline spotted a man sitting on a sofa chair dressed in a ck shirt and trousers. He was meticulously wiping an antique knife. The de shimmered brightly but was not as chilling as the man''s gaze. "Max!" Olivia eximed excitedly, ready to rush towards him. However, Max raised his knife, blocking Olivia''s path. Adeline''s heart nearly stopped from fear. She nced at the man standing before her, realizing he was quite different from what the rumors depicted. He had dark skin and handsome features and didn''t appear terrifying enough to be the cause of children''s nightmares, as the rumors suggested. However, there was a fierce gleam in his eyes, especially apanied by a scar on his right eyebrow, as if a vengeful sword strike had left it. Max coldly nced at Curtis and inquired, "Why are you here?" "We came to enjoy the hot springs," Curtis replied. Max was displeased, furrowing his brow. "Do you think my ce is a hot spring resort?" Curtis remained silent and turned to Olivia. "It''s been a while since youst spoke to Max. Catch up with him. I''m getting older, so let Adeline push me to the hot springs first." Max''s face darkenedpletely as his words fell, intensifying his fierce appearance. So, it turned out that Curtis and his wife had thought of this house as a hot spring resort, and in his eyes, Max was obligated to help him get rid of Olivia. Olivia believed that Curtis was giving her and Max some private time and enthusiastically gestured for Curtis to proceed. "Go on, hurry up!" N?velDrama.Org owns this text. She had forgotten how she had reminded Curtis to keep his distance from Adeline. As soon as Curtis left, Olivia fearlessly approached Max, standing just centimeters away from the knife. "Max, it''s been so long. Do you miss me?" "No," Max replied curtly, continuing to clean his dagger. He found her incessant chatter highly irritating. However, Olivia was Curtis''s niece, so he couldn''t do anything about it. She seemed ustomed to Max''s indifferent attitude and continued babbling about various topics. Growing annoyed, Max said frankly, "Olivia, it''s never going to happen between us." "Why?" Olivia inquired. "I will never refer to Curtis as ''Uncle'' in my lifetime!" Max asserted firmly. Olivia pondered for a moment. "Then should I sever ties with Uncle Curtis?" Max was left speechless. Determined to keep the conversation going, Olivia bbered about her experiences abroad and the attention she received from foreign boys. On the other hand, Curtis guided Adeline to the hot spring room. "Max reserved this room exclusively for me; no one else has used it. So, it''s impably clean. The hot spring pool is supplied with fresh water from the mountaintop, making it incredibly soothing to soak in and providing beautifying effects." Intrigued by the mention of the "beautifying" effects, Adeline became curious. She changed into her swimsuit for the hot springs. Just as she finished changing, she heard Curtis calling out to her. "Adeline, can you help me? I can''t undo the strap on my clothes." Chapter 111 Adeline, Have You Had Enough Rubbing? Chapter 111 Adeline, Have You Had Enough Rubbing? Chapter 111 Adeline, Have You Had Enough Rubbing? As Adeline heard her name being called, she hurriedly walked over to the cubicle and saw Curtis sitting in a wheelchair. However, the strap of his white bathrobe was caught in the wheelchair''s wheel, leaving half of his robe open and giving him a disheveled appearance. "I was just trying to stand up but got stuck. I had to wait for your help," Curtis expressed helplessness and loneliness, "I''m sorry for troubling you with my disabled self." "Don''t say that. It''s no big deal." Adeline quickly approached and examined the stuck strap of the robe, tugging at it, but it wouldn''t budge. Feeling nervous, she half-knelt down to figure out how to handle it, only to identally hit her head against Curtis''s chest. "Sorry..." She started to apologize, but as she lifted her head, Adeline was left dumbfounded. Her face was almost pressed against Curtis''s pectoral muscles, yet there was still a certain distance between them. She could feel the heat radiating from Curtis''s body, mixed with his masculine scent, which made her heart pound in her chest. She had never observed a man''s body from such a close distance before. Even when she was with Curtis previously, she dared not open her eyes. Unexpectedly, she was now seeing it in this situation! The chest and abdominal muscles had deep and defined textures, full and solid! Every line exuded aesthetic tension, even captivating someone like her who wasn''t particrly interested in men''s physiques. "What are you looking at?" A low chuckle resounded from above her head. "N-nothing...," Adeline''s face turned shy and she quickly lowered her head to examine the stuck strap. She pulled with force, but it still wouldn''te loose. She couldn''t help butin, "Why is it stuck so tightly?" Curtis chuckled softly, "You need to figure out what the problem is. If it circles, the more you pull, the tighter it gets." "Oh," Adeline blushed, not daring to look at Curtis, and instead, she brushed her hair behind her ear and continued to examine the stuck strap. But some parts of the strap were in blind spots, making it difficult to observe. She had to constantly change positions, inadvertently bringing her face closer to Curtis''s chest and abdomen. She rubbed against it again and again, the firm and warm texture making her face even redder. No wonder Melissa always said she didn''t find Logan''sckluster figure attractive, and that a man needed muscles to be a real man. So this was what muscles felt like. Hard. Giving a sense of strength and security. Adeline''s mind started to wander as she felt the slightly heavier voice from above her head, apanied by an unknown gasping sound. "Have you had enough rubbing?" Adeline''s body jolted as if struck by lightning, and she dared not lift her head. The first few idental touches were indeed unexpected, but the subsequent ones seemed to make her addicted to the sensation of being close. Caught in the act, she felt too embarrassed to raise her head. But when she lowered her head and took a look, she seemed to have discovered something. Her eyes widened, and without thinking, she blurted out, "What?" Curtis looked down at her from above, his gaze condescending, "Adeline, you don''t think your husband is a celibate man, do you?" As he spoke, Curtis lifted Adeline up and sat her on hisp. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Adeline struggled, and Curtis''s reaction was even stronger, emitting a muffled groan. "Mrs. Riley, this time you provoked me yourself." Saying that, Curtis forcefully captured Adeline''s lips and his hands also became restless as they traced the curves of her slender waist. "Don''t... Isn''t your robe stuck?" Adeline pushed against Curtis, feeling extremely embarrassed. But Curtis let out a lightugh, "What''s the problem with that?" As he spoke, he pulled his hand back, directly taking off the bathrobe and allowing the strap to remain caught. Adeline was speechless. "Why didn''t you do this earlier..." Chapter 112 Dont You Find This More Exciting? Chapter 112 Don''t You Find This More Exciting? Chapter 112 Don''t You Find This More Exciting? Before Adeline could finish speaking, she was led into the water by him. The warm spring water rippled in waves. Low whispers from Curtis echoed in Adeline''s ears. "Mrs. Riley, if you wanted to see your husband''s muscles, you should have said earlier." "When we get home, I''ll let you have a closer look." "Come on, touch them first." Curtis continued with his seductive words, holding Adeline''s hand and guiding it inch by inch over his chest and abdomen, outlining his pectoral muscles and abs. Adeline wanted to pull her hand away, feeling so embarrassed that she wanted to hide in the water, but Curtis wouldn''t let her. He forced her hand to explore every inch of his muscr body. "This is the deltoid muscle, this is the rhomboid muscle, this is the pectoralis major, and this is the biceps..." "Adeline, feel it properly. I used to work out it." Blushing, Adeline bit down on the muscles of his shoulder. Curtis''s joyfulughter echoed above the hot spring pool. "Mrs. Riley, your willingness to explore your husband''s body voluntarily indicates that the previous therapy was effective. You no longer resist the pleasures of intimacy. Come, let me help youText content ? N?velDrama.Org. consolidate the results." Adeline covered Curtis''s mouth with both hands as he leaned in to kiss her. "No! This ce belongs to someone else." She felt insecure. "Don''t worry, that guy Max is smart. He won''t disturb us." Saying this, Curtis removed Adeline''s hands. "No, no, Olivia is here too!" Ignoring Adeline''s struggle, Curtis chuckled lowly. "Don''t you find this more exciting?" Adeline suddenly realized. Oh, this guy had nned it all along! The idea of the strap getting stuck was just an excuse. He didn''t want her to soak in separate pools. He deliberately led her here. But it was already toote. This guy was getting better and better at manipting her. With just a few moves, he made her completely surrender... ... In the living room of the Powell Family, Max was being pestered by Olivia and wanted to throw her out. Before long, a bodyguard came in to report. "Mrs. Powell is here." Max''s expression turned cold in an instant. The bodyguard swallowed nervously. "Mrs. Powell brought a woman with her..." "Hmph, let here! I''m not afraid! Max, I''m here for you! You''re mine, and no woman can take you away!" Olivia pouted. She knew that Mrs. Powell was not easy to get along with, but she wasn''t afraid. Mrs. Powell was the second wife of Max''s grandfather. Max''s parents died in a car ident, and he had always suspected that this old witch had something to do with it. He treated her with hostility. After Max''s grandfather passed away, Mrs. Powell took charge of the Powell Family''s affairs and oppressed Max in various ways, trying to take the power of the head of the family away from him and give it to her own two sons. Little did they expect that Max, with the people left behind by his father and his own ruthlessness, would carve out a path of blood. Now, although Mrs. Powell held nominal power, the majority of the Powell Family''s influence and shares were in the hands of Max. In the moment Olivia was lost in thought, Mrs. Powell entered the living room with a woman whose expression didn''t look too good. The woman was timid and kept her head down, not daring to make a sound. When Mrs. Powell saw Max, she revealed a loving smile. "Oh, my dear grandson, I haven''t seen you for a while. I missed you so much!" She yfully scolded Max, "You, why haven''t youe to visit me at my house for so long?" Max couldn''t be bothered by Mrs. Powell''s false affection and asked coldly, "Why are you here?" "What am I here for? Naturally, it''s to introduce a potential partner to you! You''ve been refusing blind dates all this time, so I had to personally bring a blind date for you." Sighing, Mrs. Powell said, "Last night, I dreamed of your grandfather. He asked me why, at almost thirty, you still don''t have a caring partner by your side!" As Max looked at the sincere appearance of his grandmother, he coldly raised his eyebrows. "Oh? Why didn''t my grandfather say he missed you and wanted to bring you down with him?" Chapter 113 The Relationship Between Mr. Riley and Adeline was About to Expose! Chapter 113 The Rtionship Between Mr. Riley and Adeline was About to Expose! Chapter 113 The Rtionship Between Mr. Riley and Adeline was About to Expose! Mrs. Powell''s face stiffened for a moment, but she quickly regained herposure. "Oh, if I hadn''t seen you bringing prosperity to the Powell Family, I wouldn''t have the face to meet your grandfather down below." With that, the olddy pulled the silent, head-down woman to sit on the sofa. Olivia followed suit with a sarcastic smile. "Well, you can happily close your eyes now. Because by Max''s side, there''s someone who cares about him, and that''s me!" Saying that, Olivia was about to reach out and hold Max''s hand. A cold gaze shot from Max''s eyes, causing Olivia to stop abruptly. Olivia knew that when Max wasn''t pleased, you couldn''t go against him, or it would backfire. Seeing this, Mrs. Powell smiled and said, "Olivia, don''t try to please me. You''re young, and you have plenty of time to enjoy yourself. You''re not suitable for marriage." What a joke! She had always wanted to seize Max''s power, so naturally, she couldn''t let him marry the daughter of the Riley family. If they joined forces, would her son still have a say? Hearing Mrs. Powell''s words, Olivia pouted. "Who said being young means not suitable for marriage? As long as Max agrees, I''ll marry him immediately!" Mrs. Powell smiled and looked at the woman beside her, who had no presence at all, and she held her hand tofort her. "Don''t pay too much attention to this girl''s words. She has been infatuated for years, but she hasn''t made any progress. My grandson has been rejecting her all this time!" The woman forced a smile. She didn''t respond and didn''t dare to lift her head to speak to Max. Max''s gaze fell coldly on her dark head. "Who are you, the daughter of which family?" The woman lifted her head and her lips slightly parted, but before she could say a word, she heard Max say, "Are you courting death?" The woman trembled in fear. "Have you not heard that most women who were supposed to marry me met an unfortunate end?" "Have you not heard that I am ruthless and have killed several women in bed?" With a thud, the woman knelt down. "Please spare me, Max! It was... it was my family who forced me toe. Our family business was going bankrupt... They forced me toe." As she spoke, the woman kept kowtowing. Mrs. Powell''s face darkened at the sight, and she silently cursed, "What a useless thing!" Meanwhile, Olivia provocatively looked at Mrs. Powell. "Oh, the one you brought along doesn''t stand a chance, Grandma!" Mrs. Powell''s face turnedpletely ck at thement. She caught a glimpse of Curtis being slowly pushed forward by a woman, and her old eyes suddenly widened with astonishment. Then, a hint of realization shed across her face. Curtis nodded lightly towards Mrs. Powell. "Grandma, have you been keeping welltely?" He had a handsome and gentle appearance, with gold-rimmed sses perched on his nose. When he said to someone, there was a hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth, giving off an impression of sophistication and refinement. But Mrs. Powell didn''t see it that way. She knew deep down that Curtis was a smiling tiger through and through. Asking her if she was in good health was a reminder that she was getting old and might pass away one day! Mrs. Powell was annoyed, but she still put on a kind face and said, "Thanks to Mr. Riley''s blessings, I''m still in good health. If it weren''t for seeing Max bringing prosperity to the Powell Family, I wouldn''t have the face to meet our ancestors." Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. With that, Mrs. Powell nced deeply at Olivia and smiled as she spoke. "To be honest, I envy Mr. Riley." "Oh?" Curtis smiled, epting the provocation. "Logically speaking, Mr. Riley had a car ident and has difficulty walking. On top of that, your reputation precedes you, so it must be more challenging for you to find a suitable marriage partner But who would have thought that your sister-inw would generously push her own prospective bride onto your bed? Now, Mr. Riley has a charming and understandingpanion by his side, doesn''t he?" As the words fell, Olivia''s facepletely changed. "Old hag, what nonsense are you spouting!" Chapter 114 Confrontation Between Olivia, Uncle Curtis and Adeline Chapter 114 Confrontation Between Olivia, Uncle Curtis andAdeline Chapter 114 Confrontation Between Olivia, Uncle Curtis and Adeline "Is it true or not? You can just ask your Uncle Curtis and you''ll know," Mrs. Powell raised her eyebrows and nced at Curtis, a hint of a teasing smile ying at the corners of her mouth as she stood up. "Ah, I''m getting old, and I can''t sit for too long without feeling ufortable. Let you young ones have your gathering." As she spoke, she nced at the woman still kneeling on the ground. "Useless thing. Help me up." The woman realized it and quickly stood up, supporting Mrs. Powell and they left. Olivia, at this moment, thought about Adeline living at Uncle Curtis'' house and the conversations they had in the past few days. Her face turned even paler. She hurriedly walked towards Adeline, gripping her arms tightly, as if a person on the verge of death was clutching onto a piece of driftwood. "Adeline, tell me! This isn''t true! None of this is true! It''s that old hag''s nonsense!" "Let her go." Curtis''s brows furrowed with displeasure as he sternly reprimanded, "You''re hurting Adeline. If you have something to say, say it to me. I''ll tell you everything you want to know." Olivia realized Uncle Curtis'' attitude and trembled as if struck by electricity. She let go of Adeline''s arms, turning her head to look at him in disbelief. "So... it''s all true?" "Yes. It''s all my fault." Curtis voluntarily took the me. But Adeline couldn''t bear to listen anymore and interjected, "It was your mother who drugged your Uncle Curtis. On the day of the incident, I smashed Mr. Baker''s head and went to your brother for help. Despite my pleas, your brother chose to go on a business trip, leaving me in the hands of your good mother, and he said she would protect me. I believed her! Because I believed her, I drank the ss of milk she handed me. When I woke up, I was lying on your Uncle Curti''s bed." Adeline''s face was filled with shame and anger, but she didn''t want Curtis to shoulder all the me. "I won''t deny that your Uncle Curtis and I both have some responsibility, but your mother is the one who orchestrated this whole thing. Olivia, your Uncle Curtis, and I never wanted to deceive you. At first, we didn''t know how to exin this humiliating andplicated rtionship to you. Butter on, we admitted it, and you just didn''t believe us." Olivia''s heart trembled, her eyes turning crimson, and she shook her head continuously. "No... my mom... how could my mom... you''re my sister-inw!" Thest sentence almost came out as a roar from Olivia. Although Adeline hadn''t married her brother, after three years of being together, she had always treated her as her sister-inw! Olivia looked at Curtis as if she had been dealt a heavy blow. And Curtis nodded heavily in response to her. "Your mom pushed your sister-inw onto my bed and then she told your grandfather about it. Being the useless person that I am, Ipletely lost my standing in the family. With my moral misconduct, your grandfather won''t hand over the management rights of the Riley Group to me." Olivia''s body trembled and her face was turning pale to the extreme. Upon hearing about the management rights of the Riley Group, she instantly understood everything. "So, in order to seize power, my mom didn''t hesitate to sacrifice my sister-inw, right?" Olivia''s heart ached to the point where she couldn''t find the words to express it. "No, your mother never had any interest in me. She has already nned for your brother''s next partner." "That''s impossible!" Olivia almost asserted, "My mom always treated you as a daughter-inw." Adeline sneered, "Can a daughter-inw be pushed onto someone else''s bed?" N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Olivia choked, but she still shook her head with tears in her eyes. "No... I still don''t believe it! I can''t believe my mom would do this to you and Uncle Curtis! I''m going to ask her!" After saying that, Olivia ran out of the Powell Family vi in a daze. Adeline was originally worried about Olivia''s state and wanted to catch up, but Curtis stopped her. "She will find it out sooner orter. She''s not a child anymore and she needs to learn to face the truth." As the voice fell, Curtis arranged for someone to secretly follow Olivia, protecting her all the way to the old mansion. When Olivia got out of the car, she rushed straight into her mother''s bedroom. "Mom, I''m asking you, did you drug Adeline and push her onto Uncle Curtis'' bed?" Chapter 115 Why Victoria Didnt Like Adeline... Chapter 115 Why Victoria Didn''t Like Adeline... Chapter 115 Why Victoria Didn''t Like Adeline... Victoria had just finished dinner and was applying a face mask when she heard her daughter''s question, causing her to be so startled that the mask fell off. She hurriedly rushed out of the room, looking around anxiously. Relieved to see that nobody was there, she pulled Olivia into her room. She closed the door and reprimanded her. "Why are you shouting like that? What if your father hears?" Olivia wasn''tpletely foolish and could already guess the general situation from her mother''s reaction. Tears that had been welling up in her eyes finally couldn''t be held back any longer. "Why? Why would you do that?" Seeing her daughter in tears, Victoria''s heartstrings were tugged, "Olivia, listen to me. Things are not as you think." "What do you mean? Tell me!" Olivia''s tone was forceful. "I want to hear your version, whether it matches what those women in the high society say! If they''re using you wrongly, I''ll tear each one of them apart tomorrow. I won''t allow anyone to bully my mommy!" Victoria choked up, wanting to refute but fearing Olivia''s personality. She might actually follow through and cause a huge scene in high society. If her reputation were to be ruined, which family would dare to ept her? At this moment, Victoria was seething with hatred towards Adeline. If it weren''t for her exposing the truth in front of everyone at the restaurant, Victoria wouldn''t have been forced to admit to the matter. Weighing the pros and cons, Victoria finally calmly said, "Yes, I did it. As for the reason, don''t you already know deep down in your heart?" "Mommy, where did our lives go wrong? I truly don''t understand. Even if my dad didn''t be the chairman, the monthly dividends he and my brother receive are enough for our family to live a decent life. Why did you..." "Why? Because I want power! I want to be the head of the Riley family! I want my rtives to look up to me! I want everyone from the Riley family to treat me with respect! I want all thedies in Prodiff to bow their heads and tter me! I just can''t stand the perpetual arrogance of your Uncle Curtis! He was always looking down on others! Why should he!" Olivia was so shocked that she couldn''t speak, and it took her a while to open her lips. "Mommy, how could you be like this? If you want power, you can make my dad and my brother work hard for it. But you... how could you use such despicable means to frame Uncle Curtis? How can my brother face you? How can I face Adeline?" Olivia shook her head and added, "My brother will never forgive you." Victoria sneered and took out a document from the drawer. "Your brother will only be grateful to me in the future! I''m making decisions for his own good! Do you think I want to do this? Do you think I didn''t consider Adeline as my daughter-inw? But the fact is that she''s simply not suitable to be a part of the Riley family!" N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Olivia frowned and picked up the document that Victoria had thrown on the bed. It was a medical report! The diagnosis on it stated Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, and difficulty getting pregnant. And it rmended seeking professional treatment at a fertility clinic as soon as possible. Olivia staggered back, and her face was pale as she looked at Victoria. "Mommy, how do you have this medical report? This is a matter of personal privacy. How did you get it?" "A few months ago, Adeline''s own mother, Edith, met me and gave it to me. Olivia, don''t you think Adeline is a failure as a person? Even her own mother betrayed her! Do you think I can rest assured if I hand over my excellent son to someone like her? Besides, Adeline knew about her condition and deliberately concealed it. That''s deceitful marriage!" Chapter 116 Logan Learned About Adelines Medical Report Chapter 116 Logan Learned About Adeline''s Medical Report Chapter 116 Logan Learned About Adeline''s Medical Report Olivia was startled when she heard about infertility and found it hard to catch her breath. She repeatedly looked at the report in her hand. Seeing her daughter''s emotions calming down, Victoria continued to persuade her. "Do you not understand how important a child is to a family? Especially between a husband and wife, without a child, no matter how good the rtionship is, it won''tst long. Olivia, as a mother-inw, is it wrong for me to want a daughter-inw who can bear children? Is it wrong for me to want grandchildren? Moreover, don''t forget that the Riley family is one of the top aristocratic families in Prodiff. In such a prominent family, any daughter-inw who can''t conceive will be looked down upon! Any wife who can''t bear children will be despised! When marrying into an aristocratic family, which woman doesn''t give birth to three or five children to solidify her position? Mrs. Hart and Mrs. Barker gave birth to three sons and still wanted more!" Olivia folded the report and put it in her purse, speaking angrily, "So you pushed Adeline to Uncle Curtis, ensuring that he will have no heirs and no qualifications to compete for the position of chairman with us, is that right?" Victoria remained silent. She did have such considerations. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. The session of the heir in an aristocratic family was a crucial assessment. "Mummy, does my dad know you''re so vicious?" Olivia''s voice turned cold. Victoria stood up excitedly. "What did you say? Am I vicious? Who am I doing this for? If your father or your brother takes power, your status will also be different, and you will be more noble. By then, all the young masters in Prodiff will be at your disposal! Olivia, you can''t be so irresponsible with your words!" "Mummy, I would rather not have this kind of status obtained through such means!" Olivia''s eyes became sharp. "Mummy, no matter how reasonable you sound, I still find it difficult to ept what you''ve done. Uncle Curtis is our rtive. How could you target a family member like this? Besides, whether my brother wants to break up with Adeline or not, that should be his decision, not yours. Modern medicine is advanced, and they can seek treatment or even adopt a child." "Mummy, times have changed. A woman''s worth is not solely based on her ability to bear children! If a wealthy man marries me just to have me bear him three or five sons, then I would rather not have such a marriage. I want to choose someone I like, someone I love, and someone I can be passionate about every day for the rest of my life. I want to go with him to see the mountains, watch the sunset, and feed pigeons in Paris. Even if we never have children, I would still consider it a happy life." "Someone you like?" Victoria''s face darkened. "You''re talking about Max, aren''t you? Let me tell you, you can forget about him in this lifetime! Max is in cahoots with your Uncle Curtis! I will never agree to you marrying him!" "Then we''ll see about that!" Olivia retorted firmly, "I won''t marry anyone other than him!" "Olivia, wake up. Don''t be so naive anymore, okay? There isn''t a man in this world that fits your ideal, and there is no perfect marriage as you imagine. Do you think your Uncle Curtis is a saint? Do you think Adeline''s infertility would go unnoticed by your cunning Uncle Curtis?" Olivia furrowed her brows. "What do you mean, Mom?" Victoria chuckled softly. "Don''t use me of plotting against your Uncle Curtis'' heir. He, on the surface, deceived your grandfather by promising to marry Adeline and take responsibility, but in reality, he never even registered their marriage! Olivia, this is what men are like! This is your respected Uncle Curtis!" "No, it can''t be!" Olivia refused to ept the truth and shook her head as she ran out of the vi. She ran to a secluded ce and burst into tears. The shock she experienced today was simply too much. She had always known her mother''s ambition, but she never thought she would go to such lengths. It disgusted her. After calming her emotions, Olivia called her older brother, Logan. When he answered the phone, she couldn''t bring herself to say what she originally nned. She couldn''t bring herself to tell him that their own mother drugged Adeline and pushed his fiancee into their Uncle Curtis'' bed. After a long pause, Logan asked, "Olivia, what''s wrong? What happened?" Olivia sniffled and asked in a slightly choked voice, "Brother, let me ask you... If Adeline couldn''t conceive, what would you do?" Chapter 117 Logan Told Adeline the Truth Chapter 117 Logan Told Adeline the Truth Chapter 117 Logan Told Adeline the Truth There was a silence on the other end of the phone for a while before Logan''s slightly heavy voice came through. "Are you sure?" Olivia''s heart skipped a beat. "Brother... I..." "You don''t need to specte it. Recently, our mom and Adeline have been acting strange, and I knew something was wrong between them, but I didn''t expect it to be this serious." Olivia felt her heart sink deeper and deeper. Her thoughts were more progressive, and she always believed that fertility did not define a woman''s worth. Hearing her older brother say this, she felt somewhat disappointed. "Brother, do you really care about this issue?" "Olivia, I won''t give up on Adeline just because she can''t conceive, but marriage is not as simple as you think. There are many factors to consider, especially for a prominent family like us. Now, I''m asking you, are you sure about this matter?" "Yes, I saw the medical report," Olivia responded. "Good, Olivia, don''t get involved in this matter anymore. I''ll handle it." Olivia wanted to ask how did he n to handle it but Logan hung up the phone before she could ask. Feeling frustrated and upset, Olivia didn''t call back. When she returned to the Bay Hall apartment, Adeline and Curtis were resting in their respective rooms. Staring at the two closed doors, Olivia recalled her mother''s words and felt a sharp pain in her heart. She felt sorry for Adeline, being used as a pawn and pushed onto her Uncle Curtis'' bed, only to be denied the promises she deserved. Olivia didn''t know how to face Adeline, so she quietly retreated to her own room. The next day, Adeline went to work as usual. During her lunch break, a stranger in herte twenties found her in her office. "Hello, are you Adeline, the literature teacher for ss C?" The woman asked. Adeline nodded. "Yes, I am." "Can we talk for a moment?" The woman had a gentle appearance and spoke with a soft and polite voice, making it hard to refuse her. Adeline thought she was a parent and nced at her watch before asking, "Can we go to the coffee shop across the school?" "Sure." With that, the two of them walked to the coffee shop. As soon as they sat down, Adeline spoke, "Hello, may I ask which student''s parent you are? Is there something you want to discuss with me?" "I''m not a parent. I''m Logan''s senior colleague and a doctor. Here''s my business card." Saying that, Dr. Hawkins handed over her business card. Out of politeness, Adeline took the card and nodded. "May I ask what brings you here to see me?" "Well, Logan asked me to take you for a fertility check-up. He said that if there are any issues, he wants me to help you with the treatment." "A fertility check-up?" Adeline''s voice rose a bit, wondering if Logan had gone crazy! "Miss Burton, there''s no need to get agitated. Please rest assured that we have a privacy protection agreement. I won''t disclose any personal information about your body. Please trust me." Dr. Hawkins spoke sincerely. Adeline''s emotions became somewhat agitated. "I''m sorry, but I don''t need any kind of treatment!" Dr. Hawkins wanted to say something more but was interrupted by Olivia, who hade specifically to apologize to Adeline during lunchtime. "Sorry, you can leave now. I''ll talk to Adeline." Olivia nodded at Dr. Hawkins. "I''m Logan''s younger sister." N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Dr. Hawkins smiled and stood up. "Alright, let me know if you need anything." With that, Dr. Hawkins picked up her bag and left. Adeline waspletely confused and her eyebrows furrowed. "Do you know anything about this?" Before she could finish speaking, Adeline''s phone rang, disying an unfamiliar number. Worried that it might be a parent contacting her, she couldn''t afford to ignore it. As soon as she answered, she heard Logan''s voice. "Adeline, it''s me. Did my senior colleague find you?" Receiving a call from Logan at this moment, Adeline was furious. "Logan, have you lost your mind? Why did you arrange for someone to give me a fertility check- up?" Adeline felt that Logan was not respecting her! Even if they were still together, he shouldn''t have made such a decision without discussing it with her, let alone arranging for someone to take her for a fertility check-up. Moreover, they had already broken up, and now she was his aunt! Logan took a deep breath. "Adeline, you don''t have to hide anything from me. I know about your situation. I don''t care that you can''t conceive. On the contrary, I''m actively trying to find a solution with you. Can you understand?" Chapter 118 Doctor, Can I Conceive a Baby? Chapter 118 Doctor, Can I Conceive a Baby? Chapter 118 Doctor, Can I Conceive a Baby? "I don''t understand!" Adeline suddenly felt a headache and rubbed her throbbing temples. She asked, "Logan, do you respect me?" "Adeline!" Logan''s tone grew slightly heavier. "This is not about respect or disrespect! Right now, I want to solve the problem. You... you have issues in that aspect, yet you kept it from me. Let me ask you, have you ever respected me?" "That aspect?" Adeline couldn''t help butugh. Before she could say anything, Olivia snatched the phone away. "Brother, it''s me, Olivia. I''vee to see Adeline. She is not aware of this matter herself, so I''ve come to exin it to her. She probably didn''t intend to hide it from you." After speaking, Olivia hung up the phone and returned it to Adeline. Adeline stared at Olivia. "What exactly is going on?" Olivia fidgeted with her hands, keeping her head down. "First of all, I want to apologize on behalf of my mother. Adeline, I... I can''t face you. It was my mother who caused you so much suffering." "Since you know the truth, you shouldn''t have treated me like this!" Adeline''s face darkened. Upon hearing this, Olivia felt a pang of pain in her chest. "You will always be my sister-inw! As for what happened between you and my Uncle Curtis, I haven''t told my brother yet. Maybe... maybe he won''t mind it?" "But Olivia, I mind it. I can''t get over it myself!" Olivia trembled. "So, are you breaking up with my brother because of this?" Adeline didn''t want to dwell on this matter, so she changed the subject and asked, "Earlier, you mentioned that you know what''s going on. What is it that I don''t know, and it''s not intentional to hide it from your brother? Also, what''s the deal with this gynecologist?" Olivia looked somewhat embarrassed and took out a medical examination report from her bag. "This... this is the report that your mother gave to my mother a few months ago. It was after my mother saw this report that she decided to give up on you..." "My mother?" Adeline furrowed her brows and took the report, and then her eyes widened in shock. A few months ago, she and Vi had gone to the hospital for a check-up. Every year, their family would undergo regr check-ups, so she didn''t think much of it at the time. Later, she asked her family if they had taken the medical examination reports, and they said they hadn''t. But the doctor had said that everyone in the family was healthy, so she didn''t pay much attention to it. But how could she have known... Her biological mother had actually taken this medical examination report and betrayed her in front of her future mother-inw! Tears welled up in Adeline''s eyes. Why? Why would she treat her like this? Just so that Vi could marry Logan? Adeline closed her eyes in pain. And it was because of this document stating that she had fertility issues that Victoria had made up her mind to give her up, to let her marry Curtis and deny him any offspring so that she could seize power! Adeline felt as if her heart had been torn apart. Infertility! N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. She was betrayed by her biological mother! She was tricked by her future mother-inw! All the pain crashed over her like a giant wave, threatening to engulf her. "No, I don''t believe it! I don''t believe this report is true! I don''t believe that I can''t conceive a baby!" Clutching the medical examination report, Adeline stumbled out of the cafe shop. Olivia rushed forward and hugged her. "Adeline, don''t be sad! Medical science is advanced now, and the situation might not be as bad as it seems!" Adeline shook her head. "No, this... this report has definitely been tampered with. I don''t believe it." She didn''t have any sses in the afternoon, so she immediately took a leave of absence and went to the hospital for further examinations. Olivia was worried about her emotions and had been apanying her to go through blood examinations and various examinations. Soon, the blood test results and other reports were ready. Olivia apanied Adeline as they went to see the consulting doctor. The doctor was an experienced head of the gynecology department in her forties. The doctor carefully examined all of Adeline''s data but remained silent. Unable to bear the torment in her heart any longer, Adeline asked, "Doctor, what is my condition? Can I conceive a baby?" Chapter 119 Does Your Uncle Curtis Know About It? Chapter 119 Does Your Uncle Curtis Know About It? Chapter 119 Does Your Uncle Curtis Know About It? Adeline remembered the times she had been intimate with Curtis without any contraceptive measures and she still hadn''t gotten pregnant, and her face turned even paler. The doctor took off her sses and looked at Adeline. "Your endocrine data does have some issues." With just one sentence, Adeline''s eyes immediately turned red. She loved children so much and wanted to have her own children. The thought of not being able to conceive a baby made her feel a sharp pain in her chest. "Hey, youngdy, don''t cry. I''ve looked at your data, and it does have some minor problems. It''s probably due to excessive stress in your daily life, but it doesn''t require treatment at this stage." "Can I still get pregnant?" Adeline asked anxiously. "To be honest, your condition is not severe. Polycystic ovary syndrome is aplex condition. In clinical practice, many patients with polycystic ovaries get pregnant without treatment. There are also many people whose data doesn''t look severe but have been undergoing treatment for years without getting pregnant. My suggestion is to try natural conception first because you''re still young." "You needn''t use hormone drugs for now. Based on your data, I don''t think it''s necessary to intervene with hormone drugs at the moment. You can try dietary therapy, exercise, and yoga to rx and reduce stress. If it doesn''t work,e back to me, and I''ll prescribe medication." "Okay," Adeline nodded. Seeing her pale lips, the doctor couldn''t help butfort her with a few more words. "Don''t worry, your data is really not severe. It''s just a slight hormonal imbnce. I''ve seen many people with more severe data than yours who still got pregnant." "But doctor, what if... what if I really can''t get pregnant? How would it be treated?" Adeline asked worriedly. "Usually, it starts with ovtion induction to see if the couple can conceive naturally. If that doesn''t work, we can consider artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization. Rx, youngdy. You''re still young, and it''ll be fine." The doctor smiled kindly. Adeline picked up the examination form and walked away with a floating gait. Just as she walked out of the chief doctor''s office, she saw a woman of simr age to hering out of another office. The woman wailed loudly as soon as she walked out. Two women in their sixties surrounded her, trying tofort her. "Daughter, it''s okay. Don''t cry. Don''t scare me! Modern medicine is so advanced, and it''ll be fine!" "Yes! If you can''t get pregnant, then let''s not conceive! We don''t need to suffer from this! What''s the point of carrying on the family line in this day and age? My daughter-inw, don''t worry. I''m an open-minded mother-inw. If you want to try again, go ahead. If you don''t want to have children, you don''t have to. You can also consider adoption, and it''s up to you! Life is short, and you shouldn''t waste all your time in the pursuit of having children. You should experience life to the fullest. Whether we have children or not, in the end, we all turn into a handful of earth." Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Upon hearing these words, the woman cried even harder. "Mom... thank you all." Perhaps influenced by these three people, Adeline turned her face and wiped her tears. She envied that woman so much! That woman had such a caring mother-inw and a biological mother. If she also had such a strong support team, she wouldn''t feel so helpless right now. Olivia knew that Adeline was upset and couldn''t help but hug her tightly. "Sister-inw, don''t be sad. The doctor said it''s not as serious as you think." Adeline knew that both the doctor and Olivia were trying tofort her, so she forced a smile. "Sister-inw..." "Don''t call me sister-inw," Adeline''s voice was low, revealing her mncholy mood. "If you don''t want to call me Aunt, you can call me Adeline." "I... I''m not unwilling," Olivia bit her lip, feeling awkward. "I''ve always thought of you as my sister-in- law! Well... for now, I''ll call you Adeline." Adeline nodded. "Your brother knows about this and does your Uncle Curtis know about it?" Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Olivia shook her head, "I''m not sure." She originally wanted to say that her mother spected that her Uncle Curtis knew, but she felt that the truth was too cruel, so she didn''t say it. "Adeline, this is your privacy. I respect you. Whether you want to tell Uncle Curtis or not, it''s up to you. And... even if you want to tell him, it should be you who says it." Adeline forced a relieved smile, "Olivia, you''ve grown up and learned to consider others. Thank you." Back at the apartment, Adeline locked herself in her room and sat on the windowsill, lost in thought. She didn''t know how long she had been sitting there when Curtis sent her a WhatsApp message, "Mrs. Riley, I won''t being home for dinner tonight. I have an important business partnering over to discuss a project." Adeline replied with a simple Okay. Coincidentally, she was feeling low and in a bad mood, and she really didn''t want to face Curtis right now. With Curtis'' sensitive nature, if he saw her current state, he would definitely sense something and then ask her what was wrong. But for now, she didn''t want to confess to Curtis. Adeline sat on the windowsill, tightly hugging her knees. For the first time, she wanted to be a little selfish, and temporarily, she didn''t want to tell Curtis this secret for the time being. On the way back, she actually thought about a lot of things. She was afraid that Curtis would divorce her if he found it out. And she was afraid of losing him. She had never been cared for and cherished like this before, and when she was about to lose it, she realized that she cared more about Curtis than she had imagined, and she was more attached to the warmth he gave her. Just like a person ustomed to walking in the dark suddenly having a guiding light, she could no longer tolerate sneaking around in the darkness! Ding! Her phone beeped with another WhatsApp message. Curtis, "Mrs. Riley, don''t you tell me toe back early? Other wives tell their husbands not to drink and toe back early. Aren''t you worried about me? Aren''t you afraid that I''ll be seduced by other women?" Adeline suppressed her emotions from the afternoon, and when she saw this message, she couldn''t help but smile. Even through the screen, she could feel Curtis''s yfulness. She curved her lips and replied, "Drink less ande back early. I''ll be waiting for you at home." Curtis replied, "Yes, my wife!" Just as she put down her phone, it beeped again. It was a text message from an unknown number. "Adeline, it''s me, Logan. I apologize for what happened this afternoon. Olivia told me everything. It was your mother who secretly gave my mother the medical report. You had no idea about it. Adeline, please believe me. I didn''t despise you because of this. I love you and won''t change because of anything. I admit that I didn''t handle the situation well this afternoon. I was also anxious to solve the problem and quickly find a solution for your health so that I can convince my mother. I admit that I was too hasty and didn''t consider your feelings. I''m sorry." Adeline feltplicated when she saw the message. Finally, she replied, "This matter has nothing to do with you anymore." After sending the message, Adeline repeatedly fiddled with her WhatsApp on her phone. She thought, wouldn''t it be great if Curtis didn''t mind this matter? As she thought about it, tears couldn''t help but flow down her cheeks. She didn''t understand why she was so unlucky. Nothing had ever gone smoothly for her from childhood to adulthood. Just when she finally met Curtis, her own body might not be able to conceive. She loved children so much, why did fate have to be so cruel and prevent her from having her own child, making her family iplete? She didn''t know how long she cried, but when she was tired of crying, Adeline finally went to bed.N?velDrama.Org owns this text. In a daze, she felt the bed next to her sink down, and an arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her into an embrace. Adeline''s body trembled, and the person behind her held her even tighter, as a familiar and warm voice reached her ears. "It''s me." Adeline''s body trembled again, and she turned around in Curtis'' arms, cupping his face and kissing him. The sudden initiative caught Curtis off guard. As he responded, he asked, "Honey, why are you so passionate tonight?" Chapter 121 Babe, Dont... Chapter 121 Babe, Don''t... Chapter 121 Babe, Don''t... Adeline cradled the back of Curtis''s head and softly nibbled at his chin as she murmured. "Being passionate... don''t you like it?" "Of course, I do," Curtis let out a pleased chuckle, "it just goes to show that my therapy is working." Amidst the rasp of their closeness, Adeline asked, "Honey, do you want a child?" Curtis''s body stiffened suddenly, and his passion dwindled a bit. He recalled his reaction that day, and he realized it was a ssic move indicating he didn''t want kids. So, he quickly responded with a smile. "Absolutely! As long as it''s with you, I want it." That was the truth. Whether a boy or a girl, as long as it was a child with Adeline, he''d be thrilled. But the premise was that he and his wife would first enjoy a few more years of being just the two of them. Adeline got her answer, but a heavy feeling sank in her chest. The topic of children sat on her heart like a massive stone. Curtis sensed Adeline''s unusual demeanor and gently kissed her earlobe, "Hey babe, why the sudden question? You want a child already?" "Yeah... Honey, let''s have one!" Adeline blurted out, thinking that maybe, as the doctor said, she could conceive naturally! Yes, while she was still young, they should hurry and have a child! As the words left her lips, Adeline pushed aside her embarrassment and reached for Curtis''s pants. Curtis''s expression changed all of a sudden. Oh no, he hadn''t taken his male contraceptives today! And by looking at the situation now, he couldn''t take them in advance either. "Mmm," Curtis grunted as he quickly restrained Adeline''s meddling hand, "Babe... not now." "Why?" Adeline looked up in puzzlement, and her clear eyes focused on Curtis, "Am I not doing well?" Curtis was aroused and his whole body felt like it was about to explode with heat. This wasn''t about her not doing well! She was indeed incredible! Suppressing the desire raging in his chest, Curtis muffledly replied, "I had some drinks tonight. If you get pregnant, it''s not good for the baby." Hearing his words, Adeline''s heart grew heavier. It seemed that Curtis was just like her and really loved children. Otherwise, he wouldn''t be so cautious when it came to matters rting to pregnancy. The two of them fell silent for a while. However, they had initiated intimacy, and now finding themselves stuck halfway, it left everyone feeling ufortable. "Ahem..." Curtis pulled the covers up a bit and sank his body lower, "Babe, how about I help you?" "Don''t..." Adeline''s voice changed when she spoke. "It''s fine, I can help you in other ways. Later, you can help me too." "Hey, you... shut up!" ... The next day, Adeline arrived at the school. Just as she entered her office, she caught wind of a major piece of gossip. "Did you hear? The homeroom teacher for sixth grade, ss D, is getting a divorce." Adeline was somewhat surprised, "Why would someone seemingly fine suddenly want a divorce?" The teacher next to her, who was eager to gossip, whispered, "Word is she can''t have kids. They''ve been married for seven years, tried everything, but still no luck. Her inws have been pestering her, and her husband is pushing for a divorce. She''s been resisting, so her husband went and found a mistress to have a son with. Heard he found one, had a daughter, then found another, and finally got a son. Now, he''s dead set on divorcing Mrs. Rees and making the mistress official for the sake of his precious son." Adeline was taken aback, "Her husband sounds like such a scumbag. Continue staying with him won''t lead to anything good for her anyway." "Sigh, it''s true though! But Mrs. Rees is almost forty, can''t have kids, and now she''s going through a divorce. Who''d want her in future?" Adeline didn''t chime in. Another teacher from the side jumped into the gossip as well. "Sigh, you can''t really me her husband for being a scumbag. He does run a small factory, after all! If he doesn''t have someone to give him a son, who''s going to inherit the factory in the future? So, if they''re pointing fingers, it''s Mrs. Rees who can''t conceive that should take the me." Adeline couldn''t help but feel sorry for Mrs. Rees, "So, not being able to have children is a heinous crime? It''s not like she chose this herself." "Sigh, Adeline, you''re newly married and still in the honeymoon phase. You don''t get it yet. In a marriage, having a child is crucial for the long haul! Love fades within a few years of marriage, so what''s left to hold onto?" "It''s the kids, it''s the family bond that keeps things together!" Another teacher chimed in, "For men, it''s truly normal for them to have the desire for offspring. I''ve lost count of how many cases like this I''ve seen, where not being able to conceive led to divorce." Adeline''s face turned pale. She stood up to pour some water as she tried to avoid the two teachers continuing their gossip. But the more she tried not to care, the more those words from the two teachers lingered in her mind. And when she thought about how Curtis also wanted to have a child so badly, her heart tightened again in sadness. During lunchtime, Edith called her, "I''m at The Fork & Knife near your school, in private room number 6. Come find me!" Adeline coincidentally needed to discuss the medical examination report with her, so she headed over. As she stepped into the small private room, Adeline saw her mother, Edith. For a moment, she felt dazed. They didn''t seem like a mother-daughter rtionship, more like that of enemies. Before she even had a chance to sit down, Edith snapped at her. "Hey, you little brat, now that you''re with Mr. Riley and have some backing, you''ve stopped contributing to the household expenses every month, huh?"Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Chapter 122 Why Should I Support You! Chapter 122 Why Should I Support You! Chapter 122 Why Should I Support You! It was then that Adeline remembered she hadn''t given Edith her monthly contribution for this month yet. When Adeline had just started working, she had bought gifts for her family. At that time, Edith said that gifts weren''t necessary anymore, and since Adeline had grown up, she should contribute to the household expenses every month. It sounded simple enough. But at the time, Adeline''s sry was only five hundred bucks, and Edith took two hundred for herself. However, since contributing to the household was reasonable, Adeline didn''t argue. Sitting down, Adeline was about to pick up her phone to transfer the money when she suddenly put it down again. "Mom, you''re here just in time. I have something to ask you." "What? Don''t bother with anything else for now, just transfer the money! Two thousand!" Edith got angry when she saw Adeline put down her phone. "Two thousand?" Adeline frowned in confusion as she looked at Edith. "That''s right! Before you got involved with Mr. Riley, it was two hundred for the monthly expenses. Now, you''re rolling in money, so giving two thousand a month isn''t too much, right? What''s the matter? You''ve be Mr. Riley''s mistress, so now you can''t even bear to give your mom money, huh?" Adeline furrowed her brows as she didn''t understand why Edith suddenly referred her as Curtis''s mistress, but she didn''t feel like correcting Edith. She went straight to the point. "Yes, to be honest, since I''m with Mr. Riley, he even provides his bank card for me. So, I can afford to give you two thousand a month. But Mom, there''s something I need to ask you. Did you give my medical examination report to Victoria?" Edith''s expression showed a hint of embarrassment, but she quickly regained herposure. "Yes, I did give it to Logan''s mother. So what?" Looking at Edith''s unapologetic and guilt-free demeanor, Adeline felt utterly disappointed and heartbroken. "Why? From my childhood until now, when have I ever disobeyed you?" "From when I was little until now, I worked so hard. After graduating and getting a job, I still tried my best to be a good daughter and show filial respect to you." "So, why are you treating me like this? Don''t you know what consequences I would face by giving my medical examination report to my almost mother-inw?" Facing Adeline''s tearful and flushed eyes, Edith didn''t dare to meet her gaze directly. She looked away and awkwardly avoided it. "Well... that''s the truth! It''s better than you getting married and not being able to have kids, ending up divorced! Why not give the chance to Vi? Let Vi bear children for the Riley family. Isn''t that a good thing?" N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. "Vi? Vi again! I don''t understand. What have I done wrongpared to Vi? I''ve worked so hard since I was young, she''s notpetent at anything, and she even had to rely on connections to get a college diploma! Why? Why have I worked so hard, but you''ve never looked at me with any respect?" Getting more and more emotional, Adeline stood up, "When you were nning my life, didn''t you think about what would happen if I lost my engagement and my almost mother-inw rejected me?" Edith sneered, "What''s so great about Vi? She''s so much better than you! Right after she was born, a big order came in for our family. She was born to be fortunate! You, on the other hand, are cursed by fate! Everything goes wrong for you, you''re always unlucky, and you even bring trouble to the family. And you have the nerve to ask why! Besides, how about you now? Aren''t you doing fine now? Aren''t you capable now? You''ve be Mr. Riley''s mistress. Weren''t you pretty arrogant in front of us before?" With a bitter smile, Adeline said, "Oh? So it''s okay for your daughter to be someone''s mistress?" Edith didn''t pay attention to Adeline''s question. She pointed to her phone, "You little brat, after saying so much, are you trying to avoid giving me the money?" "Yes!" Adeline said firmly, "Not just this month, I won''t give you money anymore. Not next month, or any other month after. I''ll keep the money for myself, for my own expenses. Isn''t that nice? Why should I give money to someone who''s been stabbing me in the heart?" "That''s something you should do! As a child, contributing to the family is only right," Edith mmed her hand on the table. "Has Vi given you money then? Is she not your daughter anymore?" Adeline sneered, "What a righteous principle! Let me ask you, have you fulfilled your duty as a mother? No, you haven''t! So why are you forcing me to fulfil my duty as a child?" Edith''s anger distorted her face, and her eyes were filled with hatred. "Fine, Adeline Burton, now that you''re getting all high and mighty, you don''t want to support your parents, huh? Well, I''d like to see if you dare to be so arrogant in front of me once you lose Mr. Riley''s backing!" Adeline furrowed her brows, "What do you mean?" Edith looked at the adjacent private room''s wall and asked, "Is everything recorded?" As she spoke, Victoria and Olivia pushed open the door connecting the two private rooms and walked out. Chapter 123 No More Saintly Acts from Me! Chapter 123 No More Saintly Acts from Me! Chapter 123 No More Saintly Acts from Me! "Everything has been recorded," Victoria crossed her arms and strutted out. "With this evidence, how will you and Curtis exin yourselves to the Riley family?" Adeline looked at Victoria and Edith with confusion, "What are you two talking about?" Victoria looked at her disdainfully, "No need to act anymore. The pinhole camera recorded everything you just said. You admitted to being Curtis''s mistress, and you two aren''t even married! Curtis said he wants to take responsibility for you, but it''s all a lie to deceive Frank. Just you wait, I''m going to expose you!" Adeline didn''t understand why Victoria and Edith were suddenly insisting that she and Curtis weren''t married. They had both gone to the Marriage Bureau! But Adeline didn''t bother refuting it. In the end, Victoria would end up being embarrassed in front of Frank. Adeline scoffed and said, "Victoria, you''re quite ridiculous! You pushed me onto Curtis''s bed and forced me on him. Don''t you know if he willingly wants to marry me or not?" "Clearly, you set up this situation. Now that things don''t go your way, you want to use it against me. How shameless you are! Do your sons and daughters know about this?" "Shut up!" Victoria scolded angrily under her breath, then turned to Olivia. "See? Adeline isn''t the obedient and well-behaved person she used to be! She''s quick to call me Victoria and shows no respect for her elders!" N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. "Quite amusing, you''re really trying to save face, aren''t you? Why should I respect you? Where have you shown that you deserve my respect?" "Your actions, at every turn, are meant to destroy me. Do you think I''m still going to y the saint and call you my second sis-inw?" "Victoria Riley, let me tell you, save your dream!" Finishing her words, Adeline''s disappointed gaze shifted to Olivia, "Have you also be like this? Are you also hoping to see me in trouble?" Olivia trembled and hurriedly exined, "No... I''m not... Adeline, I... My mom forced me toe! I didn''t know it was you sitting in this room. By the time I realized, it was toote." Victoria cast a disdainful look at Olivia, "Why waste words with her? The reason I brought you here was for you to see clearly that this woman is now your Uncle Curtis''s mistress. Don''t keep trying to pass this dirty thing onto your brother!" "Shut up!" Without waiting for Victoria to finish, Olivia yelled uncontrobly, "Clearly, it was you who pushed her onto Uncle Curtis. How can you call her dirty without feeling any guilt? If anything''s dirty, it''s you! Even if she became Uncle Curtis''s mistress, it''s because of you. Mom, how could you be like this? I don''t even recognize you anymore!" Edith couldn''t be bothered to deal with the mother-daughter squabble. She walked a few steps ahead and looked at Adeline triumphantly. "Adeline, be a good girl, give me two thousand every month, and I won''t tell Mr. Riley about your infertility issue. Otherwise, you''ll be in a bad situation, and you won''t even be able to be a mistress." After hearing that, Victoria chuckled and remarked, "Olivia, can you see this person clearly now? Even her own mother doesn''t stand up for her. Her mother seems to want her life to be miserable and even aims to make things worse." Upon hearing this, Adeline closed her eyes in agony. Indeed, even her own mother treated her like this in front of others. How could she not be looked down upon by everyone else? Adeline opened her teary eyes and stared intently at Edith as she was struggling to hold back tears. "Can you tell me why? I''m your daughter. Why do you hate me so much? Let alone being mother and daughter, even as ordinary people, there shouldn''t be such hatred." Affected by the atmosphere, Edith''s teeth ground together as she asked, "Do you really want to know?" Chapter 124 The Reasons For Resenting Adeline Chapter 124 The Reasons For Resenting Adeline Chapter 124 The Reasons For Resenting Adeline "Yeah, I really want to know! Since I was little, I''ve always dreamed of knowing whether I''m truly your biological daughter!" Adeline clenched her fist tightly with her nails digging into her palm as she desperately held back tears in front of Edith. Edith''s eyes held a distinct undertone of hatred as she took a few steps closer. "Well, then I''ll be straight with you. Yes, I hate you! When I was carrying your three brothers and even when I was carrying Vi, I didn''t feel this burden." "Only you! You, the bringer of bad luck, made my pregnancy so difficult." "After giving birth to three sons in a row, I wished for a daughter. You have no idea how ted your father and I were when we found out your gender." "Back then, I was newly pregnant and suffered from constant nausea, even vomiting bile. Yet, I was still happy." "My mother-inw consulted a fortune teller who said your conception was ill-timed, that you were cursed and would bring cmity upon our family. I didn''t believe it, and I was determined to give birth to you." N?velDrama.Org owns this text. "But, fate had other ns. Not long after, at the seventh months, we discovered that you were growing alongside a uterine fibroid. You and the fibroid grew together." Edith recalled the past and took a painful breath. Olivia interjected upon hearing this and objected repeatedly, "But this can''t really be Adeline''s fault!" "And why shouldn''t we me her?" Edith''s voice grew more intense. "The doctor said it was her leg thatpressed the fibroid, preventing the ultrasound from detecting it. It was her pressure that stimted the fibroid to grow uncontrobly. Throughout the pregnancy, while others had morning sickness for three months, I was sick until giving birth. I was unable to get out of bed, worrying daily about the fibroid rupturing." "Adeline, I resent you! Honestly, with a child who had caused so much trouble like you, I couldn''t really have any positive feelings towards you. Finally, when the day came to give birth and have the surgery to remove the fibroid, I ended up hemorrhaging. Family matters went awry due to a business deal gone wrong, and they had to rush to thepany. I was left alone with just the driver at the entire hospital. They even issued a critical condition notice, but there was no one around to sign it. Whose doing is all of this?" Speaking about the incident, Edith pointed sharply at Adeline, "It''s you! It''s all because of you! If you weren''t cursed, I wouldn''t have developed fibroids when carrying you! If it weren''t for you, on the day of delivery, my family wouldn''t have been away, dealing with thepany going bankrupt! It''s you, it''s you, all because of you!" Edith''s furious rant left her short of breath. After taking a deep breath, she continued, "Honestly, because of you, I don''t dare to have more children. So when Vi was supposed toe, I considered getting rid of her. I even had your grandma consult a fortune teller, and she said Vi would bring us good luck. I was skeptical but decided to keep her. But I never expected the entire pregnancy to be unbelievably smooth. I didn''t vomit once, and I could even go on trips with my friends. On the day of birth, not only was there no trouble, but thepany also got a huge order. So until now, I''ve felt guilty towards Vi. I actually contemted getting rid of her! And all of this is because of you, Adeline. Do you dare to say it''s not your fault?" Adeline smirked sarcastically, and felt a heavy lump in her chest. But, she couldn''t utter a single word. She wanted to say it wasn''t her fault! What did any of this have to do with her? She didn''t believe in any of this superstitious nonsense! But the coincidences were toopelling for her to argue against. Seeing her struggle to respond, Edith took a couple of steps closer. "You''re asking if I''ve ever thought about what would happen to you? What could even happen to you, huh?" "Even the fortune teller said, you''re never going to have good luck in this lifetime! You''re destined to be unlucky forever, to lead a miserable and solitary life till the end!" "With a fate like yours, what could I possibly consider for you? I definitely had to think about Vi first!" After a prolonged silence, Adeline finally took a deep breath. It was as if she had reached a decision, and she began to speak slowly. Chapter 125 Severing the Mother-Daughter Relationship! Chapter 125 Severing the Mother-Daughter Rtionship! Chapter 125 Severing the Mother-Daughter Rtionship! "Well then, I won''t burden you anymore, Mrs. Burton!" Edith''s expression suddenly changed, "What did you say?" Adeline calmly smiled, "I said I won''t cause you any trouble anymore. Since you''re so worried that I bring misfortune to the family, to you, then let''s cut ties." Saying this, Adeline felt a sense of relief. "Throughout my life, I thought that you favored Vi over me. I went out of my way to try and please all of you, especially you." "I believed that someday, you would see my worth, and you would reflect on whether you''ve been too harsh on me all these years." "But now that I know the truth, I think... our rtionship can never be repaired, so why not just leave it like this?" "Honestly, you''ve repeatedly set me up and wished me ill. I''m not a saint, you know. I can''t ept you as my mother without resentment." "And just like you said earlier, with such deep-seated resentment in your heart, you can''t possibly see me as your daughter either. So, let''s treat each other as strangers." Edith''s eyes were filled with shock. After a while, she managed to squeeze out a sentence, "You... you cut ties with Jacob, and now you want to cut ties with me? You...you... Just to avoid contributing to our family, you came up with this scheme!" Picking up her bag, Adeline turned around and prepared to leave. Before she walked out, she nced back at Edith, "You curse and scheme against me on one hand, and on the other, you still want my money. Well, Edith, where in the world does such a sweet deal exist?" With that, Adeline left the private room swiftly. Behind her, came intermittent curses from Edith. "Adeline, go to hell! I hope you get hit by a car when you leave!" "Adeline, I shouldn''t have given birth to you. You''re nothing but a harbinger of bad luck!" "People like you deserve a lifetime of misery! A lifetime of bad luck!" "I''m telling you, I won''t y along with your scheme!" "I''ll tell Mr. Riley that you''re infertile, like a hen that can''ty eggs! Let''s see if he still cares about you!" Amidst a stream of curses, Adeline walked out of the restaurant and crouched by the side of the road. Suddenly, her chest was aching, and it almost left her breathless. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Olivia caught up and quickly helped Adeline up, "Adeline, are you okay? What''s wrong?" Adeline''s face turned pale, and she pushed Olivia away. Olivia stepped back a few paces, "Adeline, I''m really concerned about you." "Olivia, I know. Just let me be alone for a while. I need some time to myself." Adeline''s eyes were now filled with tears, yet they stubbornly lingered on the brink, refusing to spill. "Olivia, could you give me some space? Let me be alone for a while, okay?" Seeing how genuinely distressed Adeline was, Olivia nodded, "Alright, Adeline... Don''t be sad. None of this is your fault. I... I''ll leave." Olivia intended to hail a taxi and leave, but she realized she had forgotten her phone, so she turned back. And as Adeline watched her walk away, that was when her tears finally broke free. Boom, boom, boom... The sky darkened with clouds, and drizzles of rain began to fall. People on the street were hurriedly seeking shelter from the rain, and some were rushing to get home. Only Adeline looked up at the overcast sky, letting the raindrops ssh onto her face. Lost and disoriented, she walked aimlessly as she was unsure of where to go. Where could she possibly have a home to return to? Edith''s curses echoed in her ears, especially that one line... "I''ll tell Mr. Riley that you''re infertile, like a hen that can''ty eggs!" So, if Curtis were to find out, would thest person who was going to protect her also be taken away? Was her final source of warmth going to vanish too? But she couldn''t ept that! Adeline wandered the streets like a ghost without purpose. Meanwhile, as Olivia went to retrieve her phone, she unintentionally overheard a malevolent voice coming from the private room, belonging to Reba. "In situations like this, most people would be devastated and end up drinking. I''ve already had someone follow her. If she goes to drink, she''ll have a spiked drink..." Victoria pressed for more details, "What if she doesn''t drink?" Considering Adeline''s personality, it was unlikely she would go to a bar. "Well, I''ve got n B ready for her as well. My people report that she''s wandering aimlessly for now." "Just wandering... and if she happens to stroll into a secluded area... on a day like this, it would be possible for a few ruffians to drag her into an alley..." Chapter 126 Theres Not Much Time Left... Chapter 126 There''s Not Much Time Left... Chapter 126 There''s Not Much Time Left... "Bang!" The door swung open as Olivia kicked it in. "Have you all lost your minds? Do you know that you''remitting a crime here?" As Olivia''s voicended, it caused the expressions of Victoria, Reba, and Edith to change. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Olivia marched over to Edith in anger, "Are you even a mother? When you heard they were plotting this against your own daughter, how could you not utter a word! Did you misce your conscience somewhere?" Edith turned her face awkwardly and stammered, "I... I didn''t know they nned this. I... I hadn''t even had a chance to say anything, and you barged in!" Olivia shot her mother a disdainful look, "I''m very disappointed in you." Saying that, she went straight for her phone. Picking it up, she dialed Adeline''s number. Reba exchanged a nce with Victoria. Then, Victoria steeled herself and walked over, grabbing the phone from Olivia''s hand and hanging up the call. "Hey, Mom!" Olivia eximed in shock, "Give me back my phone. Otherwise, something really bad might happen!" Victoria held the phone and took a step back, "Olivia, in a serious situation like this, you can''t afford to be too kind-hearted! Trust me, you''lle to appreciate what I''m doing in the future. Every move I make is for you and your brother!" "No way! This is insane, you''ve gone totally crazy!" Olivia was so exasperated that she stomped her foot, "You''re not doing all this for me and my brother, you''re doing it for yourself!" As she said this, Olivia moved to snatch the phone. Reba signaled with a look, and the Morris family''s bodyguards moved forward to restrain Olivia''s hands. Olivia screamed, "Let go of me! Let go... or it''ll be toote! Mom, don''t make me hate you!" Olivia struggled desperately, but she was held tight. Her heart grew colder inch by inch. ... Outside, the rain intensified. Adeline''s clothes were soaked through, clinging to her skin, and a bone-chilling cold set in. Yet, this coldness paled inparison to the icy feeling gripping her heart at this moment. Walking aimlessly, she didn''t even know where she had wandered to. When she looked ahead, she realized she was in a dead-end alley. She turned around to retreat, only to find a group of thugs blocking the entrance of the alley and leering at her. A shiver ran down her spine as she remembered there was no way out behind her. "Hey, cutie, you''ve got a nice figure. We''re gonna have some fun with you today, boys!" "Hey, guys, I''ve never had a teacher before. Just thinking about it gets me excited." The lewd voices of the men reached her ears, one by one. Taking a step back, Adeline searched frantically for something to defend herself with, "You... you want money? I can give it to you. All of it, just spare me!" "We don''t want money, we want you!" The man, who was leading, advanced towards Adeline. Adeline looked around, but the alley was deserted, without even a stick to defend herself with! Edith''s curse echoed in her mind again. "You''re never going to have good luck in this lifetime! You''re destined to be unlucky forever, to lead a miserable and solitary life till the end!" Adeline''s body trembled once more. Was this truly her fate?! No-! She wouldn''t believe it! She''d been kind and worked hard since childhood. This shouldn''t be her fate! Seeing her pleas were in vain, Adeline started shouting desperately. "Help! Is anyone there?" While screaming, she targeted the man, who was closing in, and kicked him squarely in the groin. The man recoiled in pain, and another from behind rushed in, yanking her hair and delivering a p to her face. A resounding smack left her disoriented. Before she could react, she was shoved to the ground. With a tearing sound, her sleeve was ripped. "I won''t let you animals have your way!" Saying that, Adeline''s head was about to collide with the wall! But in the next instant, the alley echoed with a man''s agonizing scream. A familiar female figure in ck seized one of the men''s arm with swift precision and snapped it. Then, with a swift kick, she disabled another man. Then, it was immediately followed by the sound of a dog barking. Woof, woof, woof- It was the General! Adeline fed the General every day, and she could recognize its bark! Adeline''s heart lit up with a glimmer of joy as she witnessed the General''s massive form charging over and mping its teeth onto one of the thugs'' arms. "Ah-ouch-!" The thug cried out in pain as he was struggling to shake off the General''s grip. The rain drizzled down steadily. Adeline, who looked disheveled, nced up and saw Steffen holding a ck umbre, pushing Curtis towards her. She swore it was the most beautiful sight she''d ever seen in her life. In the misty rain, a strikingly handsome man in a white shirt and a ck wool coat sat in a wheelchair, extending his well-defined hand towards her. His voice,ced with apology and warmth, fell along with the raindrops. "Sorry Mrs. Riley, I''mte." In that moment, Adeline couldn''t discern whether the wetness on her face was from tears or raindrops... Chapter 127 The Unexpected Move of Curtis Chapter 127 The Unexpected Move of Curtis Chapter 127 The Unexpected Move of Curtis Adeline ced her hand in Curtis''s palm. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. With a firm grip, Curtis pulled her up and bent down to embrace her. Just as Adeline sat on Curtis''sp, her vision went dark. Curtis opened his ck coat and enveloped her entirely within it. Her small face nestled against that man''s chest, listening to the powerful and rhythmic beats of his heart. Thump, thump. It gave her a sense of tranquility and warmth. A slight tingling sensation in her nose and tears began to flow again. Perhaps that was thest trace of warmth she could feel from him. Once Edith informed Curtis that Adeline was unable to conceive, he would likely abandon her. The wheelchair moved slowly ahead, with an umbre held by Steffen over their heads. Wherever they went, the bodyguards would call out. "Mrs. Riley." "Hello, Mrs. Riley." "It''s our fault, Mrs. Riley!" General also barked at the right time, "Woof... Woof!" As if he was also calling her Mrs. Riley as well. The people around them, one by one, showed great reverence. After that, they started to beat someone up. She could hear there were cries of desperate pleading. "Stop, Mr. Riley, please stop!" "Mr. Riley, please spare us!" "Mr. Riley, we didn''t know that was Mrs. Riley!" "We wouldn''t dare to do it if we knew! Ah... Ah..." The young hooligans cried out miserably, and there were even sounds of vomiting. But Adeline had no sympathy for them at all. She even felt happy with it. She couldn''t imagine what she would have experienced if it weren''t for Curtis arriving in time. Those people simply didn''t deserve any kindness. The wheelchair came to a halt, and Curtis said, "After beating them, send them to the police station." "Yes!" Steffen replied promptly. Then, Adeline was helped into the car. Throughout the journey, Curtis didn''t say a word and enveloped Adeline in his coat. Adeline could sense that Curtis seemed quite angry, probably because he knew about her inability to conceive. Thinking of that, her heart grew heavy, and she held onto his waist tightly, reluctant to let go. Upon reaching the Bay Hall, Olivia rushed over anxiously, "Adeline, are you alright?" Adeline awkwardly emerged from Curtis''s coat, "I''m fine." Seeing that only a sleeve of Adeline''s clothes had been torn, Olivia let out a sigh of relief. "I was so worried. I was afraid I wouldn''t make it in time. I overheard Mom''s n and wanted to inform Uncle Curtis immediately. But that wicked woman Reba had her bodyguards restrain me. If I hadn''t bitten them and hit their heads, I wouldn''t have been able to escape..." Olivia was about to say more but suddenly covered her mouth. Adeline looked at Olivia calmly and said, "I know it. Those thugs know I am a teacher." Olivia felt so sorry and said, "I... I''m sorry, Adeline, I..." Olivia was about to say something, but Curtis interrupted directly, "Tonight, you will stay in a hotel." As he finished speaking, Olivia was forcefully taken away by Steffen. As the apartment door closed, Curtis nced at Adeline and said, "You should take a shower immediately." After saying that, he pushed the wheelchair back to the guest room to freshen up. Adeline stared at the closed door, a faint sense of unease creeping into her mind. Curtis said he wanted to rekindle their love and pursue her again. That was very likely that he wanted to coax her into having a child. Considering Curtis''s condition, if she could bear him an heir as soon as possible, it would help him to regain his power. So, now that he knew she couldn''t conceive, did he regret marrying her? Adeline felt like her heart was sinking into an endless abyss, shivering from the cold. After taking a shower and tidying up, Adeline was about to step out of the bedroom and confess to Curtis, but a text message from Logan was seen. "Adeline, I''ve made up my mind. This time when I get back, we''ll try to conceive a bay first. Let''s have a child first, and then we''ll talk to my mom about getting married. She definitely won''t object by then!" Upon reading the message, Adeline''s face turned incredibly pale. Chapter 128 Adeline Confessed Her Infertility Chapter 128 Adeline Confessed Her Infertility Chapter 128 Adeline Confessed Her Infertility A ding sounded. Logan''s second text message was received. "Adeline, don''t worry. After Olivia told me, I immediately consulted a doctor. The doctor said that your condition has a high chance of conceiving naturally." Staring at the words on the screen, Adeline felt her heart turning cold inch by inch. That was her boyfriend of three years! The man who had once risked his life to save her! At that very moment, he was saying such selfish and incredibly irresponsible words! In simple terms, he wasing back to have sex with her, to see if she could get pregnant. If she could, they would get married. If she couldn''t, he wasn''t making any losses as well. Adeline replied word by word, "Logan, you are such a jerk. You are highly educated for nothing!" After sending the message, she lie on the bed and began to cry. If her boyfriend of three years was like that, what could she expect from a hastily married husband? Knock, knock, came two polite taps on the door. "It''s me." After that, a deep voice was heard. Adeline wiped her tears and stood up, "Come in." Only then did Curtis push his wheelchair in. He looked at her with a slightly cold gaze. When his eyes met her red ones, his expression changed momentarily, but in the next instant, he continued with a stern face, "I have something to ask you." Adeline''s heart skipped a beat and a wry smile tugged at her lips. She thought to herself, "So, it had finallye to this?" She sniffed and spoke slowly, "Well, I also have something to tell you." Curtis couldn''t wait for Adeline to exin and went straight to the point, "What were you nning to do if I hadn''t arrived just now?" His tone grew more intense with each word and it seemed that he was slightly losing control of his emotions. Adeline froze, then lowered her head and pursed her lips, finding it difficult to speak. "Were you thinking of killing yourself by banging your head against the wall... Am I right?" Curtis tightly gripped the wheelchair armrests, his voice almost squeezing through his clenched teeth. No one had any idea that when he had arrived at the alley and witnessed that scene, his heart almost stopped in fear! He had been about to stand up at that moment. If Steffen hadn''t held onto his shoulder, he was certain he would have lost control. "Adeline Burton," Curtis called out. Adeline was startled and her body froze. Curtis had never addressed her by her full name before. That was the first time she saw him being in such a stern manner. "Did I or did I not tell you my stance on this matter thest time?" "Did I or did I not tell you that even if something really happened, I wouldn''t care? What I want is you, I want you to stay alive! I want you to take care of yourself at all times! If you die, there''s nothing left! Who would I live with?" Adeline stood rooted to the spot, feeling as if a massive hammer had struck her head, leaving her dazed. She hadn''t anticipated that the point of Curtis''s anger was her suicidal thoughts! Her tightly pressed lips quivered, tears falling relentlessly. She was so overwhelmed by sadness that she couldn''t even breathe. She truly couldn''t bear to part with Curtis. She didn''t want to let go of someone so good to her! Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Seeing tears streaming down from her face uncontrobly, Curtis''s expression changed, and his heart, which had been hardened, began to ache. "Damn it." He inwardly cursed himself for being so weak, then he pushed his wheelchair over. Before his wife could console him, he gave in first. "Alright, stop crying. Promise me you won''t do this again, and I''ll forgive you." His tone instantly softened. General, who had witnessed this scene from outside the door, snorted as if it was too disapproved of his master''s behavior. Seeing his reaction, Adeline found it amusing yet still sad, which made her cry even harder. Curtis reached out and stroked her head, "Alright, it''s going to be okay. I''ve arranged for people to protect you discreetly." Adeline was taken aback and then heard Curtis''s gentle inquiry. "Tell me, what happened? Why did you lose yourself and run around like that? I''m upset because you were in trouble and didn''te to me first. I feel like you don''t trust me." Adeline clenched her fists tightly and cautiously looked at Curtis. "What if... What happened is rted to you?" "Then you should have asked me!" Curtis replied promptly. Adeline swallowed nervously and forced herself to speak. "I... I went for a gynecological examination, and the doctor said that most likely I can''t have children." Chapter 129 Mrs. Riley, Did You Have Me in Your Heart Now Chapter 129 Mrs. Riley, Did You Have Me in Your Heart Now Chapter 129 Mrs. Riley, Did You Have Me in Your Heart Now Curtis let out a light sigh and asked, "Is it just this matter? Nothing else?" Adeline was dumbfounded, she slightly raised her voice in frustration and continued, "What else could there be? This matter is terrible enough. You want a child so badly..." Before she could finish her sentence, Curtis''s tone turned slightly stern as he retorted, "Who said that?" He would take care of that person! That person was interfering with their rtionship! "It was you!" Adeline looked at Curtis in disbelief, "Just a few days ago, you said you liked children." Curtis choked for a moment, his expression was awkward as he touched his nose, "Well... I lied to you." Adeline couldn''t quite tell whether he was being truthful or not for a while. "I don''t really like kids. I find them noisy all the time, very annoying. Moreover, having children can affect a couple''s rtionship. Many people around me have neglected their partners'' feelings because of their children." It seemed as though he was afraid that Adeline wouldn''t believe him, so Curtis added, "Those who know me well are aware that I don''t like children. Whenever kids see me, they cry. E knows that very well." Seeing his annoying expression, Adeline began to believe him somewhat. "So... You really don''t mind that I can''t bear children. You don''t care?" "I don''t mind," Curtis shrugged, "I married you not just to have children." While he was saying that, he affectionately embraced Adeline, "Stop trying to guess my thoughts all the time. If you have something to say, just tell me. We''re a couple, we need tomunicate more." Adeline held Curtis''s waist tightly, breathed a sigh of relief, and gratefully said, "You''re so good to me, I will treat you well in the future." Curtis rubbed her head and said, "You''re my wife, if I''m not good to you, who will I be good to? Adeline, I didn''t lie to you. I genuinely wanted to pursue you. I believe that a married couple should spend their lives together and they must love each other. If you don''t love me and still spend a lifetime with me, how tiring would that be?" Adeline''s heart trembled, a look of surprise in her eyes, "So that''s why you wanted to pursue me?" N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. "Otherwise? Adeline, I hope you have me in your heart, just like you had Logan before. I want to step into your heart." Curtis patted her back and asked, "So, do you have me in your heart now?" Adeline felt touched, she nodded her head and answered, "A little bit. Actually, it was more than just a little bit. Since Curtis asked so directly, it was embarrassing for her to answer it. Curtis asked again, "Just a little bit?" Adeline chuckled softly and continued, "Well, you saved me today, and you said so much. That could earn you some extra points. But then you lied to me, saying you like children and want to have kids. Lying deducts ten points!" They chatted for a while after, and then Curtis rubbed her head and said, "Alright, you should rest early. I promised you that I won''t enter your room to sleep until I''ve sessfully pursued you." Adeline quickly grabbed his hand, her head lowered so much till it couldn''t go any lower, and said, "Make an exception tonight. You... You stay here with me tonight, I''m scared." "Alright, I always listen to my wife," Curtis''s lips curved into a faint smile. In fact, his departure was just for show. He swiftly pulled back the covers andy down. The movement was exceptionally nimble. Adeline alsoy down. She was hugging Curtis''s warm body, unable to help but say, "I still want a child." "Mmm, I''ll go along with your wishes. If you want it, we''ll try to make it happen. If you don''t want it, we won''t." Adeline thought about Curtis''s many business ventures and also remembered Mrs. Rees, the sixth- grade teacher who divorced at their school. So, she lifted her head from his embrace and asked. "But what if we really don''t have children? Who will inherit your properties?" "Let''s donate them to society," Curtis replied nonchntly, "After all, these things can''t be taken with us." Adeline was shocked, she hadn''t expected such an answer! After a moment of silence, Adeline decided to talk with Curtis, "Dear, I''ve been thinking about asking you for some assistance." "Assistance?" "Yes. I can''t keep being bullied by Edith and Victoria!" "I want to fight back using your power! So, I need resources and people to help me gather evidence against them..." "Sure." Curtis chuckled softly, rubbing the back of Adeline''s head affectionately, and said, "Adeline, you''ve finally grown up and learned to leverage your position. I''ll provide you with the resources and people you need. Go ahead and do whatever you want to do! Even if the sky falls, I''ll hold it up for you." ..... The next day, as Adeline walked out of the room, she was startled to see a woman doing a handstand in the living room. Chapter 130 Mr. Riley Supported His Wife and Sought Parental Intervention Chapter 130 Mr. Riley Supported His Wife and Sought Parental Intervention Chapter 130 Mr. Riley Supported His Wife and Sought Parental Intervention Before Adeline could even ask who the other party was, Curtis pushed his wheelchair out. He looked at the inverted woman expressionlessly and asked, "Has the foolishness in your brain completely drained?" "It''s drained," the woman answered like a disciplined soldier. "Apologize to Mrs. Riley," Curtismanded. The woman spoke like a well-trained soldier, "Mrs. Riley, I didn''t do my job yesterday and failed to protect you, causing you distress. Please forgive me, Mrs. Riley." Seeing Sara bncing on her hands, Adeline didn''t know how long she had been in that position. Her face had turned pale, and her hands were trembling. With a heart full of sympathy, Adeline said, "Come down now." "I can''t. Mr. Riley hasn''t given the order yet, so I can''te down," Sara responded. Adeline looked at Curtis and said, "You should let here down. Treating a girl like this is too over... Besides, I''m fine now." Curtis nced at Sara and said, "Aren''t you going to thank Mrs. Riley for this?" Sara put her feet on the ground, breathed slowly, and politely bowed to Adeline, "Thank you, Mrs. Riley." Adeline finally got a clear look at Sara''s face and said, "Oh! You''re the kind-hearted person who helped me when I was surrounded by those journalists previously." "Mrs. Riley, my name is Sara. Those are my jobs." Curtis pointed at Sara and said, "From now on, Sara will be assigned to you. She is usually responsible for discreetly protecting you. Being a woman, it should be more convenient with her by your side." Adeline hadn''t realized that Curtis had been secretly sending a female bodyguard to protect her. She felt warmth in her heart once again. "Alright, thank you, dear." "You never have to be this polite to me," Curtis said warmly, looking at Adeline. However, when his gaze shifted to Sara, it turned cold as ice. He asked, "Why didn''t you follow Mrs. Riley into the alleyway immediately yesterday?" Sara''s face turned pale, her hands clenched tightly, and she offered no excuses, "Mr. Riley, it was my negligence!" Curtis frowned slightly, knowing that Sara must have encountered something. Otherwise, with her vignce and skills, Adeline wouldn''t have been bothered by a small hoodlum. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. His tone grew heavier, "Sara, remember your duty. I don''t want there to be another next time!" "Yes, Mr. Riley." Sara nodded. Then, Curtis provided a few phone numbers to Adeline, "Steffen, Sara, Connor, and George. These are the people you can deploy at any time. They all have your number in their phones and know who you are." Upon hearing that, Sara widened her eyes. She thought, "Mr. Riley assigned all four of his trusted subordinates to Mrs. Riley?" Ding dong. The doorbell rang and Steffen entered. "Mr. Riley, everything has been arranged. Brayan is at the Java Manor." "Good. Adeline, let''s go to the Java Manor for coffee." Saying so, Curtis led Adeline, Steffen, and Sara to the caf¨¦. Adeline didn''t know who Brayan was. Seeing Curtis''s demeanor, it didn''t seem like they were just going for coffee. It felt more like they were up to something. She couldn''t help but ask in a low voice, "What are we doing here actually?" "Seeking parental intervention! My wife was bullied, so I have toin to their parents!" Curtis adjusted the sses on his nose bridge and smiled warmly. As they reached the entrance of the private room, two ck-d bodyguards blocked their way. "Who are you? Do you have an appointment?" Curtis signaled Steffen with a nce, "Make an appointment with them." As he finished speaking, two muffled thuds were heard. The two ck-d bodyguards fell onto the ground. Adeline was speechless. That method of making an appointment was unique. Steffen kicked the door open and then pushed Curtis into the room. As Adeline entered the room, she saw seven or eight well-dressed elderly men seated around the table and all of them were looking at them. Curtis pointed to a man who was sitting in the middle, in a ck suit, and introduced him with a light smile. "There, that''s someone with the same surname as mine. To distinguish him, people call me big Mr. Riley, and he''s referred to as little Mr. Riley, Brayan Riley." Brayan, eighty-two years old that year, couldn''t hide his displeasure at being introduced as "little Mr. Riley" by a junior. Before he could say anything, he heard Curtis teasing again. "He''s also the father of Victoria. Today, I''ve brought you here toin to her parent." With that, Curtis raised his chin and looked at Brayan with a warm smile. "Hey, old man, your daughter bullied my wife. How should we settle this matter?" As his voice trailed off, the entire room fell silent in an instant. Chapter 131 Spoke Arrogantly With the Utmost Sincerity Chapter 131 Spoke Arrogantly With the Utmost Sincerity Chapter 131 Spoke Arrogantly With the Utmost Sincerity Seated in the room were the esteemed elders from the prominent families of Prodiff, most of whom were familiar with Curtis. Upon witnessing Curtis openly causing trouble for Brayan, many of them excused themselves and left. There were two elderly men, who were unafraid of the Riley family, patted Brayan on the shoulder and said in a cryptic tone. "Well, little Mr. Riley, we shall take our leave now." "Indeed, we don''t want to disturb the bonding time between big Mr. Riley and little Mr. Riley." After those mischievous old men left, the atmosphere in the room finally quieted down. In the next instant, over 20 individuals in ck swiftly rushed up from downstairs, and surrounded Adeline and hispanions in a tight circle. Adeline, who had never encountered such a scene before, was startled. Meanwhile, Brayan remainedposed as he sat leisurely in his chair, sipping his coffee calmly. "Curtis, don''t be too arrogant. After all, I am older than you." Brayan adjusted his sses and smiled politely. "Am I being arrogant?" As soon as Curtis finished speaking, Sara''s military-like voice shouted, "You are not arrogant!" Adeline was speechless. Curtis turned to Brayan and shrugged, "You see, people say that I''m not arrogant. If I were arrogant, I''d just go ahead and hit your daughter. I won''te to you andin it to you with manners." Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. After that, Curtis nced at Adeline again and continued, "Oh, by the way, I forgot to introduce him to you. Some people privately distinguish our family and Victoria''s family by calling ours the big Riley Family and theirs the little Riley Family." Curtis deliberately emphasized the word "little". Brayan''s face twitched with anger. But strangely, Curtis acted as if he didn''t see Brayan''s reaction, and continued, "So, to distinguish Victoria''s father from my father, people will address him as little Mr. Riley." After finishing, Curtis even nodded at Brayan and said, "Isn''t that right, little Mr. Riley?" Seeing Brayan''s face turn red with anger, Adeline gave Curtis a meaningful look, urging him not to be so arrogant. In the next instant, there was a loud thud. Brayan threw the cup in his hand away and eximed, "Curtis, you''ve gone too far!" After saying that, Brayan signaled to his henchmen. Sara immediately positioned herself in front of Adeline and asked, "Mrs. Riley, how would you like me to handle this?" "Huh?" Adeline was a bit dumbfounded. Curtis nodded affirmatively at her and said, "Sara is now under yourmand. You can make requests." "Yes, Mrs. Riley. You''re my mistress now. You can order me as how Mrs. Riley did before. Should I take these people down? Or should I break their hands and legs? Or perhaps you want some bloodshed?" Sara spoke confidently, leaving Adeline utterly perplexed. She finally understood why Curtis was acting so arrogantly. It seemed like his subordinates were all arrogant too! Adeline, who was still not used to ying the viin, murmured, "Just knock them down, but don''t hurt them too much." After saying that, she nervously looked at Steffen, "Could you help Sara out? She''s just a girl..." Before she could finish her sentence, there were several thuds heard. Sara had already taken down several of the ck-d bodyguards. The bodyguards were writhing on the ground in pain. Sara even bent down and earnestly asked them, ''Doesn''t hurt too much, does it?'' Those bodyguards were speechless. Adeline and Brayan didn''t say a word too. After taking down a few bodyguards, there were still around ten left. Sara looked at them and straightforwardly said, "You guys aren''t a match for me, should we just call it quits?" Her gaze was sincere, devoid of arrogance. But that was her using the most sincere attitude to say the most arrogant words! Adeline was left speechless. In less than a few minutes, Sara had taken down about 20 bodyguards, and her hair remained perfectly styled. Brayan''s mouth twitched with anger and yelled, "Curtis, what exactly do you want?" Curtis chuckled lightly and reminded him, "Next time when you talk to me, make sure to add "big" in front. I am the big Mr. Riley!" Once again, Adeline and Brayan didn''t know what to say. Where did he learn such infuriating skills? After that, Curtis casually sipped his coffee. "Well, you see, your daughter has repeatedly bullied my wife in a very serious manner and hasn''t learned her lesson. Out of a psychological need forpensation, I believe you shouldpensate me with a piece ofnd." While Curtis was talking, he tossed a legal document from Steffen onto the table. "Take a look, if there''s nothing wrong, just sign it!" Adeline was speechless. She thought to herself, "How is this any different from robbery?" Chapter 132 Mr. Rileys Mischief, Infuriating People to No End Chapter 132 Mr. Riley''s Mischief, Infuriating People to No End Chapter 132 Mr. Riley''s Mischief, Infuriating People to No End Brayan sneered mockingly, "Do you think I would sign this? And for free? Curtis, are you daydreaming?" "You will!" Curtis smiled confidently and turned to Steffen, making a gesture. Steffen immediately turned on his tablet and showed a surveince video clip. Pointing at the video, Curtis exined, "This is evidence of Victoria''s involvement in the loan operations of the loan sharkpany. Each transaction is recorded, and I have all the documentation. If I were to hand this over to the police..." "Are you threatening me?" A cold glint shed in Brayan''s eyes. "Little Mr. Riley, don''t get agitated. I''m not threatening you. I''m just helping you to analyze the pros and cons." Curtis spoke with a warm smile, "You see, your daughter has openlymitted a crime, who will be humiliated? It will be you, of course!" Brayan''s face twitched in anger and couldn''t say a word. Curtis added, "From what I know, yourpany recentlyunched a new loan product. It has received a positive response in the market, and your son intends to use this opportunity to take the subsidiarypany public. If this video is out, people will say your family is using the fa?ade of financial products to engage in usurious lending practices. Whether it''s true or not, yourpany''s stocks will plummet, and the subsidiary''s public listing ns will be ruined. The stakes here are worth far more than the value of this piece ofnd..." "You..." Brayan''s chest heaved with anger. He picked up the document and nced at it. Then, he signed his name with a huff. After signing, Brayan angrily threw the pen at Curtis. Curtis quickly caught the pen aimed at his face, stopped him from leaving, and said, "Hold on!" N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. "What else do you want to do? Don''t go too far!" Brayan had lost all patience. At that moment, Sara politely handed over a pair of oranges. "These were specially prepared for you by Mr. Riley! Wishing you good luck and sess." She said it with utmost sincerity, "Can''t you see how nice Mr. Riley is? He could have easily taken away a piece of yournd, but he didn''t do so and give you a pair of oranges instead. He is truly a good person." Adeline was speechless. "Hmph!" Brayan red at the oranges, snorted, and then left with an annoyed grunt. After Brayan left, Curtis looked satisfied with the document in his hand and exined it to Adeline. "Our family has a billion-dor project, a renewable energy environmental project in cooperation with Drendia. If this project can be materialized, it will not only lower the electricity costs but also make the power generation process more environmentally friendly and pollution-free. It''s a sustainable development project that benefits both the nation and the people. However, the project''s nning requires two pieces ofnd from Victoria''s family, but they have been unwilling to give up thend. They demand exorbitant prices for thends which led to the project being put on hold for two years..." Adeline nodded as she felt supportive of this environmental project. She said, "So, you took the opportunity to get a piece of theirnd. But didn''t you say you needed two pieces ofnd?" Curtis chuckled lightly and answered, "Victoria isn''t worth two pieces ofnd. If I ask for too much, Brayan is likely to turn against me and the scheme won''t work." Adeline nodded again, then pretended to be annoyed and said, "Oh, Curtis, you said you were here to seek justice for me, but it turns out you are here for thepany''s benefit." Curtisughed softly, "This is indeed for your justice. You could say it''s a win-win situation. Let me ask you, with my status, can I beat Victoria up?" Adeline shook her head. "That''s right. Victoria is my sister-inw. My parents have always advocated for family harmony. As long as my brother isn''t thinking about divorce, Victoria will always be my sister-inw. If the younger brother-inw was to p his sister-inw, ethically, I wouldn''t have a leg to stand on." Listening to Curtis''s analysis, Adeline found it reasonable. "But, it''spletely fine for a father to discipline his daughter." "I took a chunk out of Brayan''s hide here, and he''ll be angered enough to p Victoria. In this case, ethically speaking, there won''t be any problem." That guy''s thinking was so meticulous and unsettling! Curtis smiled politely and said, "Let''s go. Let''s go tease Victoria." Chapter 133 Adeline and Mr. Riley Were Flirting with Their Tugging Gaze Chapter 133 Adeline and Mr. Riley Were Flirting with Their Tugging Gaze Chapter 133 Adeline and Mr. Riley Were Flirting with Their Tugging Gaze Adeline was dumbfounded. It made her feel that she had only just begun to truly know Curtis. He was quite mischievous. Yet kind of handsome! Soon, the two of them arrived at Riley''s mansion. Before they even entered the living room, Curtis and Adeline could hear voices arguing. It was Victoria and Olivia. "Mom, I''m very disappointed in you." "Olivia, we''re family!" "I''m going to tell Grandpa and Dad about this. If no one restrains you, Mom, you''re going to get into big trouble!" "I won''t..." As soon as Victoria stopped yelling, Curtis approached with his wheelchair. Olivia''s eyes turned red as she averted her face, and she muttered "Uncle Curtis." "Hmm." Curtis responded lightly and said, "I heard your father wasing today to visit Grandpa. I came specially to have a chat with him and your grandpa." As his voice trailed off, Victoria became nervous, hopping in ce, while saying, "Curtis, what are you nning? I warn you, don''t speak nonsense. Otherwise, I''ll expose your fake marriage." Curtis raised his eyebrow and asked, "Oh? Victoria, why are you so nervous? Are you worried about what I might say to Frank? Are you implying that you sent your nephew to make advances on Adeline? Or perhaps you''re concerned about your coboration with outsiders yesterday, attempting to do something bad on Adeline?" Victoria''s expression became stiff, and her demeanor was quite uneasy. Oliva, who was unaware of her mother''s prior dealings with Alexander, looked at her in astonishment, and her expression showed deep disappointment. Seeing that, Adeline pretended to be frightened, pressing her hand on Curtis''s shoulder. Then, she softly said, "Don''t... Our situation would be ruined if she tells Frank." "Haha..." Curtis smirked, teasingly pinched Adeline''s nose, and whispered in her ear, "Looks like you''ve learned some bad habits too." Indeed, she had learned how to set a trap for Victoria. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Adeline gave him a yful re and answered, "Aren''t you the one who taught me that?" The two of them bantered as if no one else was around, their gazes towards each other were so sweet. Olivia was a bit puzzled. She touched the back of her head and thought to herself, "Why do these two seem to be flirting?" "Cough, cough..." At that moment, old Mr. Riley slowly walked out, leaning on his dragon-headed cane. When he saw Victoria and Curtis, he rolled his eyes in secret. "Dad..." Victoria and Curtis eximed in unison. Frank''s headache intensified as he knew something wasing to him. Neither of these two was easy to handle. Without responding, Frank looked towards Olivia and Adeline, a kind smile forming at the corners of his mouth. He said, "Olivia and Adeline are here. Come, quickly join me for tea." Then, Frank turned and headed to the living room. Olivia obediently stepped forward to pour a cup of tea for her grandfather. A trace of contentment shed in Curtis''s eyes, he said, "The biggest contribution my sister-inw has made to this family is probably raising a pair of well-behaved children." Upon hearing that, Adeline blinked her eyes slightly. She recalled Oliva''s argument with Victoria over her affairs just now and thought about everything Olivia had done for her during those periods. She couldn''t help but admire Curtis''s character even more. He scolded Olivia, yet he also gifted her an expensive camera, which showed his approval of Olivia''s character. Despite his fierce sh with Victoria, he could still differentiate between the two of them. At that moment, Adeline looked at Curtis, who was engrossed in conversation with Frank and found him even more charming. Of course, Curtis had no idea what was going through his wife''s mind at that moment. After discussing a few unrted topics, he suddenly mentioned Victoria''s name. "I''ve heard that Victoria is quite knowledgeable about financial lending and investments, is that right?" "No, I''m not." Victoria immediately denied it. "Oh? I''ve heard that you''ve been involved in..." Before he could finish his sentence, Victoria stood up nervously and asked, "How''s your rtionship with Adeline recently? Do you have any ns for the wedding?" Chapter 134 The Reason Mr. Riley Delayed His Wedding Ceremony Chapter 134 The Reason Mr. Riley Dyed His Wedding Ceremony Chapter 134 The Reason Mr. Riley Dyed His Wedding Ceremony Compared to the anxious Victoria, Curtis appeared rather calm and unhurried. He smiled in response and said, "No rush. I will definitely give Adeline the rightful status she deserves. As for the wedding ceremony, it will be grand. However, there are some matters needed to be dealt with first." Curtis''s words were ambiguous, but Victoria continued to press him insistently. "Isn''t your brother, Leo has taken over the management of the business? What else could you be busy with? Curtis, please don''t me me for being nosy, but you wouldn''t be having second thoughts about marrying Adeline, would you?" "The matter of marrying Adeline is not something for you to worry about." After that, Curtis said a few names in session, "Michael Johnson, Joseph Brown, Andrew Taylor... I wonder if you know these few hoodlums? Yesterday, these hoodlums scared Adeline." Victoria''s expression changed instantly. "I came here today just to see my brother. I heard that my brother has connections in the North District police station. I want to use his influence to extract information from these hoodlums about the person behind them." Victoria''s body suddenly grew cold, her blood freezing as an unexpected shiver ran down her spine. At the same time, a maid entered the living room and addressed old Mr. Riley, "Mr. Leo just called, saying he can''t make it due to some urgent matter. He has been trying to reach you on your phone, but it''s unreachable. He asked me to inform you." "Okay." Frank waved his hand, signaling the maid to leave. A visible sigh of relief appeared on Victoria''s face. Before she could say anything, Frank gave her a stern nce, causing her to reluctantly close her mouth. "Curtis,e upstairs with me. I have a few questions to ask you." N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. After that, Steffen pushed Curtis to follow Frank and went upstairs. Upon entering the study, Frank immediately inquired, "Curtis, what do you mean? What else could be keeping you so busy? Why haven''t you held the wedding ceremony with Adeline yet?" Mentioning the wedding, Curtis''s expression grew somber. "Just have to wait for a bit more." Frank stomped his cane in frustration and said, "Wait again! Adeline is a sensitive girl. I''m worried she might misunderstand." "Dad, Adeline and I have already registered our marriage. Legally, we are already husband and wife. As for the wedding ceremony, we just need a bit more time." "How long do you intend to wait?" Frank stared sharply at him. Curtis let out a slight sigh and continued, "At least until she has resolved things with Logan, until she''spletely free from him, only then can she walk down the aisle with me. I want her to marry me wholeheartedly, with me being the only one in her eyes and heart. Besides... I also want to wait until the day I can stand on my own feet before holding the wedding. I don''t want her to be a joke in Prodiff." Frank nced at Curtis''s legs, his eyes darkening, and said, "Still no progress on that matter?" "Yes," Curtis replied in a low voice. Frank stroked his beard, nodded, and said, "If there are remnants of the ck Hawk Club, that would indeedplicate things." It would also affect Adeline''s safety. Keeping it low-profile was a form of protection for her. "Alright then. You may go now! I have nothing more to ask. You and Victoria keep arguing and giving me a headache, raising my blood pressure." "Then I''ll leave now." Curtis pushed the wheelchair and suddenly turned to Frank and said, "Did you ask Leon not toe back?" Frank didn''t answer but he said, "His birthday ising up in a few days, he will know eventually." Curtis gave him a meaningful look and said, "I''m just worried that before that happens, Victoria might do something desperate." Frank remained silent. Curtis stopped talking too. He went downstairs and left with Adeline. Before leaving, Curtis looked at Victoria and said, "You always look so amusing when you feel guilt about your wrongdoing!" Upon hearing that, Victoria''s expression changed, and asked, "Curtis, what did you just tell Frank?" "The one who told him about it was you. Wasn''t it?" Curtis looked at Victoria with a faint smile. "Me? What did I tell him?" Victoria was utterly puzzled. Chapter 135 Victoria Got a Lecture at Her Parents Home Chapter 135 Victoria Got a Lecture at Her Parent''s Home Chapter 135 Victoria Got a Lecture at Her Parent''s Home Suddenly, Victoria''s expression stiffened, her pupils shrinking in shock, and said, "You... You deliberately set me up just now!" Adeline''s eyes sparkled with a smile and replied, "My husband didn''t say a word, it''s your conscience that makes you feel guilty." While Adeline was saying that, she pushed Curtis''s wheelchair and prepared to leave. She gave Sara a sidelong nce and continued, "Remember this person. If she dares to touch me, you give her ten in return!" "Sure, that''s easy!" Sara replied confidently. Victoria''s raised hand had nowhere to go at that point. She awkwardly let it drop, ring at the retreating figures of the two, her anger almost reaching a boiling point. After a short while, Victoria''s phone started ringing. Upon answering, she heard the authoritative voice of Brayan. "Come home immediately." Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. After that, Brayan hung up the phone. Holding her phone, Victoria nced at her side where Olivia was and said, "I''m warning you, don''t get too close to your Uncle Curtis. You just witnessed it, our families have officially fallen out. And as for Max, don''t even think about it! I won''t allow you to stand on their side." Olivia immediately got angry upon hearing that and said, "Mom, who do you think you are to control me? I can be with whoever I want and I like. You have no right to interfere!" "You..."Victoria shot Olivia an exasperated look and said, "I''m going to your grandfather''s ce now! I''ll talk to you when I get back!" Then, Victoria hurriedly returned to her parent''s home and walked into Brayan''s study. "Dad." Before she could even finish her sentence, a sharp pnded on her face. It struck Victoria without warning. "Dad?" Victoria held her stinging face bewilderedly. Brayan was infuriated. He pounded the nearby table and roared, "I told you not to provoke Curtis, not to mess with that lunatic! Why didn''t you listen to me?" Victoria''s brows slightly furrowed and asked, "Dad, did Curtis tell you something? I can exin." Before she could finish speaking, Brayan threw a CD onto Victoria''s face. "Exin what? Exin how you''ve been meeting Alexander? Exin how you''ve been going to him offering loan and it''s all caught on surveince with crystal-clear audio?" Victoria sucked in a breath, feeling the blood rush to her head. "That bastard, Alexander... How... How dare he!" Brayan clenched his hands behind his back and paced around the study. "How dare he! How dare he! If you don''t have the capability, don''t provoke Curtis!" "Dad... I did this for Matthew to take his ce. I did it for our family!" "For our family?" Brayan sneered, "Just don''t hold us back. To retrieve these pieces of evidence, I gave Curtis a piece ofnd for free!" "What? For free!" Victoria eximed, then quickly fell silent. Brayan fixed his sharp gaze on her and asked, "What else could I have done? What choice did I have? If the news of my daughter lending money is out, how humiliating would I get? What about thepany''s stock price?" "I''m warning you! From today onwards, you''re not allowed to provoke that madman! Just focus on being a good wife to your husband, and don''t meddle in anything else." "I still have three sons, and it''s not your turn to stand up for me!" ...... On the other side, as they headed back to their apartment, Adeline couldn''t help but ask Curtis, "What kind of person is Logan''s father?" Having been in a rtionship with Logan for three years, Adeline had barely met his father a few times. She vaguely remembered that the man was thin, liked to wear white clothes, and appeared to be easygoing and approachable. Curtis thought for a moment, chuckled lightly, and answered, "My brother is quite simr to Logan. You''ll get to know more about him over time." Adeline caught the implication of his words and spected, "So, Victoria should be worried that he knows about these things?" "Yes," Curtis nodded. "Then how could she dare to scheme against me? Oliva, Logan, and your brother, none of them would support her." "She was blinded by self-interest. They approached her and promised to contribute assets to her." "Victoria probably thought of settling things quickly. Before Leon was out from theboratory, she wanted to secure the marriage." "By that time, with the situation firmly in ce, my elder brother, my parents, wouldn''t have much to say!" "She''s crazy," Adeline remarked, as if she realized something, her expression changed, "I remember that your brother''s birthday ising up soon..." "Yes," Curtis nodded and continued, "So you should be careful these days." "Alright." The next day, Adeline returned to her office, turned on herputer, and was shocked by the notification she saw. Chapter 136 When You Heard My Call for Help, You Came Running Chapter 136 When You Heard My Call for Help, You Came Running Chapter 136 When You Heard My Call for Help, You Came Running "Ms. Burton, you''ve seen the notification, right?" Mrs. Williams, who taught math in ss C, walked over and asked. Adeline nodded and said, "I didn''t expect to have home visits this year." Speaking of home visits, it wasn''t just the students who felt nervous and pressured. Parents found it troublesome, and teachers themselves weren''t enthusiastic about it either. After all, it meant going door-to-door for visits. Mrs. Williams handed her a list and said, "The principal''s thought is for the two of us to split the visits evenly. I came to discuss with you, to see which families you''ll be visiting." Adeline nced at the addresses on the list, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Mrs. Williams, how about us do the home visits together? You see, the school now advocates that teachers shouldn''t ept gifts from parents. If the two of us go together, we can be witnesses for each other. Besides, some students live far away, and walking at night can be dangerous. If we go together, we can look out for each other on the way." Mrs. Williams looked troubled and said, "Ms. Burton, if we split it up, it''s about 20 households each. But if we go together, it''s 45 households." "It''s exhausting only by thinking about it." Mrs. Williams wasn''t too enthusiastic. She pulled out a chair and sat down, absentmindedly rubbing her belly, looking troubled, and continued, "And you see, I''m ate-age second-time mother. I''ve just gotten pregnant recently, and I can''t withstand so much hassle." Adeline was surprised and asked, "Mrs. Williams, you''re pregnant?" Mrs. Williams was already 42 years old. She blushed slightly and nodded, "Well, you know, at my age, having a second child is tiring..." "Alright, I understand. Mrs. Williams, since you''re not feeling well, you can choose to visit the families nearby, and I''ll take care of the rest." "But... Is that okay?" Mrs. Williams was surprised and delighted. "No problem. I have a driver at home. I''ll have the driver take me. It won''t be a hassle," Adeline smiled and looked at Mrs. Williams''s belly. Mrs. Williams touched her belly and said, "Thank you, Ms. Burton. After the baby is born, I''ll treat you to something delicious." "Sure." Adeline smiled and agreed, then made a simple n for visiting the students'' addresses. When it was time to leave work, Curtis had somethinge up, so he had Sara pick Adeline up instead. On the way, Adeline curiously asked Sara, "Do you have any special self-defense tools?" "I don''t need them. I can knock down three men with one punch. My record is taking down 25 men in 15 minutes. Ordinary people can''t get close to me, so I don''t need those things." Adeline was speechless.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. "Alright." After a moment of silence, Sara nced at Adeline and asked, "Mrs. Riley, are you asking if I have any self-defense products that I can give you?" Adeline nodded and said, "Yes. I was wondering if you have any high-tech gadgets or pepper sprays for self-defense." "I do." Sara reached under the passenger seat, took out a toolbox, and handed it to Adeline, "We often use these tools during missions." Adeline opened the box and saw some brooches, earrings, and other small essories, her face filled with confusion. Sara exined, "The brooch is a pinhole camera, and the earrings are listening devices." "Listening devices?" "Yes, usually when we''re on a mission, we can pretend to remove the earrings and leave them with the other party to eavesdrop on their information if needed." Adeline was amazed, feeling like she had just opened up a whole new world. After exining the functions of several tools in a row, Sara suddenly fell silent. She probably realized she had said too much. Adeline was also smart enough not to ask about Sara''s usual missions. After returning to the apartment and freshening up, Adeline asked Sara to apany her for the home visits. She eagerly put on themunication earpiece, feeling excited as if she was involved in some underground intelligence work. "Sara, Sara, put this onter. We''ll stay in constantmunication. When you hear my call for help, youe running to save me!" Sara looked at Adeline, almost wanting to tell her that she was going a bit overboard with all the high-end gadgets on her. That was a home visit, not a covert operation. Moreover, she had never carried all of these tools on her during a mission. However, she still responded loudly, "Sure." Soon, Sara dropped Adeline off at the doorstep of the student''s home she was going to visit. Chapter 137 Curtis Stared at the Black Stockings and His Eyes Widened Chapter 137 Curtis Stared at the ck Stockings and His Eyes Widened Chapter 137 Curtis Stared at the ck Stockings and His Eyes Widened Adeline walked into the student''s home, and the student''s parents warmly greeted her. After a brief chat about the student''s performance at school, the conversation mostly consisted of awkward small talk. The student''s parents were smiling so much that their faces looked stiff. Adeline felt a bit awkward as well. She nced at her watch, exchanged a few pleasantries, and was ready to leave. The student''s parents immediately handed her two cans of tea leaves, saying, "Ms. Burton, these are..." Adeline pushed the tea leaves back and said, "No matter what it is, I can''t ept it." Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. "Ms. Burton, these are tea leaves from our home. They''re not valuable." Adeline declined politely, "Regardless of their value, I can''t ept them. Our school has regtions. If I ept gifts, I could be dismissed." After a few attempts by the student''s parents to insist, they eventually gave up. Adeline visited several more families in session, and the situations were mostly simr. When she reached thest household, Adeline felt a bit tired. Leaning against the car window, she regretfully said to Sara, "Your high-tech gadgets haven''te in handy at all, what a shame." Sara was speechless. They weren''t on a mission. What could happen? "Ah, I thought Victoria was up to some tricks again! It seems I was being overly cautious." Sara was momentarily stunned and said, "Mrs. Riley, having such high alertness is a good thing." "Yes," Adeline replied with a faint smile, "Alright, after we finish thisst visit, today''s task will be consideredplete, and you can go home and rest. After saying that, Adeline carried her bag and entered the vi of a student named Jacob Martinez. As soon as she entered, Rosa warmly weed her. "Wee, Ms. Burton. I''ve prepared some cherries and fruit tea for you, Ms. Burton." "Rosa, you don''t have to be so formal," Adeline followed Rosa into the living room. After a brief exchange, Rosa took the initiative and said, "Ms. Burton, I heard that you like dogs?" "Yes, I like dogs," Adeline replied with a smile. "Then let Jacob show you around quickly. We have several dogs at home, including Golden Retrievers, Pr Bears, Shiba Inus, and Poodles... Mainly because Jacob likes them. His dad even set up a special room for him to keep them." While Rosa was saying that, she got up and asked the child to take the teacher to the dog kennel. As they walked away, Rosa''s expression darkened. Adeline had loved dogs since she was a child, and now she couldn''t resist ying with the fluffy little puppies. After a while, an affectionate little Teddy dog became even more intimate with Adeline, jumping up and down, tugging at her leg, asking to be held. A "hiss..." was heard. The little Teddy''s paw tore open arge hole in Adeline''s skin-colored stockings. It just so happened that Rosa walked over and saw it. She said, "Oh dear, Ms. Burton, I''m so sorry. Our little Teddy damaged your stockings. Come with me. I have new stockings in my closet. I''ll get them for you to change." Adeline had initially thought of refusing, but when she looked at the torn stockings, she found it inconvenient and agreed. Rosa led Adeline toward the master bedroom. Adeline paused at the bedroom door and politely said, "Rosa, I''ll wait for you here." After all, it felt a bit inappropriate to enter someone else''s master bedroom, especially on the first visit. Rosa warmly invited her, "It''s fine, my husband is not here. Juste in with me, you can change here." "No need, Rosa. I''ll change in the restroom," Adeline firmly declined. Rosa couldn''t persuade her, so she finally took out a new pair of ck stockings from the closet and handed them to her. After changing the stockings, Adeline took out her phone and politely asked, "Rosa, how much are these stockings? I''ll transfer the money to you." "No need! How much can a pair of stockings cost? Ms. Burton, just keep them." Rosa said generously. "I can''t, these are yours, I should pay for them." "No, no need. Ms. Burton, consider these stockings as mypensation to you. After all, it was our Teddy that caused the damage." Rosa was adamant about not epting the money, so Adeline had to give up. Back at the Bay Hall, as soon as she entered the apartment, Adeline saw Curtis sitting in the living room waiting for her. "You''re home. Mrs. Riley, you''ve worked hard..." Before he could finish his sentence, Curtis''s gazended on the long legs d in ck stockings, and his eyes widened in surprise. Chapter 138 Mr. Riley Transformed into a Top Masseur Chapter 138 Mr. Riley Transformed into a Top Masseur Chapter 138 Mr. Riley Transformed into a Top Masseur "Well, I''m a bit tired indeed," Adeline didn''t notice his peculiar gaze and responded with a light smile. As she was about to head to her room, she heard Curtis''s soft voice from behind. "Mrs. Riley, you seem tired today. How about I give you a massage?" Curtis smoothly pushed his wheelchair closer. "No need. You''ve been busy too. How can I let you give me a massage?" Adeline smiled and declined, but as she turned around, she found that Curtis had already entered the master bedroom. "It''s not a big deal. I just apanied a few clients for meals," Curtis''s gaze never left her stockings, but his tone was sincere, "You''ve visited so many students'' homes today. Your legs must be tired." "How about I soak my feet on my own?" Before Adeline could finish her sentence, Curtis had already gestured for her to lie down, jokingly saying, "Come on, let me, the massage expert serve you." Amused by his antics, Adeline reluctantlyy down, "How about I change my clothes, or take off the stockings?" "No need, neither is necessary." Curtis''s hands adeptly began massaging Adeline''s arms, "Just rx, no need to be tense." Adeline''s arm was gently kneaded a few times, and she felt quitefortable. Curtis''s gentle inquiry sounded in her ear. "Have you ever had a massage before?" "No," Adeline shook her head and truthfully answered, "I used to have to contribute to the household expenses, and Vi often asked me for gifts. With my sry, how could I dare to spend recklessly." After hearing those words, Curtis''s heart seemed to be tugged at, and he continued to massage Adeline''s shoulders. "Then I will be Mrs. Riley''s exclusive masseur from now on. Whenever Mrs. Rileyes here, please remember to ask for me." "Sure," Adelineughed until her belly shook. "Now, my VIP guest, kindly close your eyes and enjoy the service provided by your exclusive masseur. Is the pressure suitable for you right now? Would you like it a bit stronger?" "Yes, a bit stronger is fine," Adeline responded with a smile. Curtis''s expression changed slightly, and his breathing became a bit hurried, "A bit stronger..." His gaze lingered on those wless, beautiful ck stockings that covered her long legs. He continued to massage her while moving downward, now working on Adeline''s feet. "Ah..." Because of the stockings, she felt ticklish with even the slightest touch, catching Adeline off guard and making her cry out. "Don''t... It''s ticklish. Curtis, it''s ticklish..." Adeline drew her legs closer. Curtis firmly held onto her ankle to prevent her from moving, "Good girl, be obedient. You''ve walked so much, your feet need to rx." While he was saying that, he gently caressed her ankle a couple of times. Those stockings... felt so good to the touch. Lying down with her eyes closed, Adeline felt increasingly strange. But as Curtis''s hands grew less and less restrained, she suddenly opened her eyes and saw Curtis acting like that little Teddy earlier, fervently sniffing her ck stockings. "You..." Before she could finish her sentence, a shadow fell over her, and Curtis firmly pressed his lips against hers. Then came a rustling sound. The stockings were torn open. Adeline desperately pounded on Curtis. But Curtis paid no attention... ...... In theter hours of the night, Adeline felt more and more furious. She angrily kicked Curtis and said, "You jerk!" "Yes, yes, yes, I''m a jerk. It''s all my fault." Curtis grinned and responded yfully, adopting an attitude of taking hits and insults. Adeline was exasperated. She grabbed a pillow and hurled it at his face. "Were you doing it on purpose just now? Did you n this from the beginning? Telling about how you thought I was tired, offering to give me a massage, and even wanting to be my exclusive masseur. You... Your mind is filled with that matter!" "Dear, don''t be angry." Curtis tried to soothe her frustration, "me it on your alluring ck stockings. I couldn''t resist." N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Adeline pped his mischievous hand and pushed him away. "Go back to your room and sleep! You... You lied to me just now and acted like that toward me... Minus points!" As soon as Curtis heard "minus points," he became timid. The more points he lost, the longer it would take for him to go back to sleep! "Dear, can you deduct fewer points this time? Don''t deduct ten points at once." "Fine." A glimmer of hope appeared on Curtis''s face, but he soon heard Adeline say angrily. "Twenty points deducted this time!" Curtis was speechless. The next day, as soon as Adeline arrived at school, she overheard snippets of gossip about her in the office. "She asked Mrs. Williams to go somewhere else, and she went to wealthy students'' homes by herself. How could she do such a thing?" Chapter 139 The Storm of Over Four Hundred Dollars Worth Black Silk Stockings Chapter 139 The Storm of Over Four Hundred Dors Worth ck Silk Stockings Chapter 139 The Storm of Over Four Hundred Dors Worth ck Silk Stockings "Ah, I never thought she would be that kind of person!" "Could this be fake? I heard it with my ears. She even told Mrs. Williams that her family has a chauffeur and can go to further ces!" "Further ces meaning those vis halfway up the mountain! Wealthy people give teachers expensive gifts." ...... Listening to the discussions among her colleagues, Adeline felt a chill run down her spine. Did she fall for the scheme again? Couldn''t one be a kind-hearted person in the workce? Adeline was about to walk in when Mrs. Williams, who had been leaning against the window, turned around and spoke harshly. "Are you guys done? I just went to pick up a call, and you guys can gossip this much!" The two colleagues who were gossiping were caught red-handed, looking embarrassed. One of them whispered, "I heard it with my ears." "You heard it? Let me ask you. Did you hear the entire conversation? You''re spreading rumors here. I''m expecting my second child and the centa isn''t stable yet. I asked Ms. Burton to help me with those distant home visits. So, what''s it to you if they have a chauffeur? Wouldn''t it be more convenient to go up the mountain with a chauffeur? Do you think it''s better for us, who are riding the motorcycle go halfway up the mountain? Moreover, we''ve all been to Ms. Burton''s house. With her living conditions, what is shecking? Is it worth risking getting fired for a small gift? Let''s be reasonable, even if you''re making up stories!" The teacher who was being criticized froze for a moment, then awkwardly shifted the topic with a forced smile, "Mrs. Williams, you''re pregnant? Congrattions." Mrs. Williams gave a cold snort, "Save your congrattions, please. I know you will be mocking me for being an old-aged mother at my back." Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. The colleague rolled their eyes in secret. After all, their rtionship would be sour in the future. At that moment, Adeline walked into the office wearing high heels and nodded toward Mrs. Williams, "Thank you." "Thank you? I should be the one thanking you." As Mrs. Williams finished talking, two police officers entered the room, asking, "Is Adeline Burton here?" Adeline''s heart skipped a beat, and she turned around to respond, "That''s me." "This is our identification. We suspect you may be involved in a recent theft case. Pleasee with us to the police station for investigation." As those words were heard, many colleagues in the office stood up in surprise. Some even gathered around to watch themotion. The two teachers who had been gossiping about Adeline earlier smirked to themselves, "Look at her trying to act all high and mighty. See, the police areing to her." Ignoring the chatter of her colleagues, Adeline furrowed her eyebrows and looked at the police officers, "Is there some kind of misunderstanding?" Mrs. Williams chimed in as well, "Yes, officers. Ms. Burton has an impable character. She wouldn''t be involved in such petty crimes!" The dispatched police officers exined truthfully, "We received a report from a parent who imed that you used the pretext of a home visit tomit theft. They allege that you stole a valuable gemstone ne worth millions from their home. The case is still under investigation, and we request your cooperation." At the same time, Sophia arrived and approached Adeline, earnestly advising, "Ms. Burton, you should cooperate with the police investigation. Go to the station and exin the situation regarding the incident." She sighed, "Look at you! This matter has even caught the attention of the principal! As a teacher, how could you behave so recklessly? "Last night at 11 PM, the principal and I both received a report from Rosa. She imed that you went to their house, saw a pair of ck silk stockings worth over four hundred dors, and tantly asked for them. She also mentioned that you demanded to have them and even went into her master bedroom to change into the ck stockings. She suspects you were trying to seduce her husband. Tell me, with your behavior like that, how can parents trust the teachers at Prodiff Elementary School in the future?" As Sophia finished speaking, Melissa stormed in angrily, "Nonsense! Adeline would never do something like that!" Mrs. Williams also chimed in, "That''s right, Ms. Adams. The case hasn''t been fully investigated yet! It''s inappropriate to jump to conclusions like this." Chapter 140 Could She Tell the Police that Her Husband Ripped the Black Stockings Chapter 140 Could She Tell the Police that Her Husband Ripped the ck Stockings Chapter 140 Could She Tell the Police that Her Husband Ripped the ck Stockings "Hey, Melissa, why are you cursing at people? Don''t go overboard. Remember, I''m your superior," Sophia adopted a stern tone to reprimand. "Did I curse at you? You misunderstood! I was cursing that troublemaker!" Melissa replied with a yful grin. "We all know Adeline''s character, don''t we? I said "nonsense" just now, directed at the person using Adeline of being a thief. Whoever says it, I am cursing them! If you say Rosa said it, then I was cursing her!" Sophia''s face turned slightly red with anger, leaving her momentarily speechless. At the same time, Adeline had a clearer understanding of the situation, and she calmed down. She smiled calmly and nodded appreciatively at Melissa and Mrs. Williams. In that kind of situation, finding people who were willing to speak up for her wasn''t easy, especially since it might offend the narrow-minded superior, Sophia. She pulled Melissa to her back and looked at Sophia with aposed gaze. "Firstly, I didn''t steal anything from Jacob''s home. The case is still being investigated, and you''re already implying that Imitted a crime. Ms. Adams, the way you''re talking could potentially constitute defamation against me!" Sophia seemed shocked after hearing those words. She knew that Adeline''s husband was wealthy, and the thought of being sued for defamation by theirwyer made her face pale. Adeline was pleased to see her being difort and gave a slight smile. "Secondly, it was Jacob''s dog that tore my stockings, and Rosa specifically brought me a new pair to rece them. At the time, I wasn''t aware that ck stockings were so expensive. I even offered to pay, but Rosa insisted they were of little value and repeatedly declined my offer. Furthermore, it was Rosa who suggested I change them in the master bedroom, which I refused. In the end, I only went to the restroom in the living room to change. That''s everything of the incident." Sophia looked awkward and said, "Do you have any evidence to support your ims?" N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Adeline gave a faint smile and replied, "I have logical evidence. Let me ask you. Is itmon for someone to guess that a pair of ck stockings is worth over four hundred dors?" The surrounding teachers shook their heads. Someone whispered, "Who knows if it''s true or not?" "Yeah, it''s just a pair of stockings. I wouldn''t believe they''re worth that much." Adeline raised her eyebrow at Sophia and said, "You see, this is the majority''s reaction. Besides, stockings are typically kept in a drawer. How could I have taken a liking to Rosa''s ck stockings before seeing it?" "Furthermore, stockings are nothing special. Even if Rosa casually left them in the living room, how could I be so foolish as to pass up other expensive items and go for a pair of stockings?" Melissa chimed in at the right moment, "Exactly! This matter needs a thorough investigation! What kind of stockings are worth over four hundred dors? I don''t believe it! If it turns out they''re not worth that much, Adeline you should sue that parent for defamation!" Adeline''s expression shifted slightly at Melissa''s words. As expected, a female police officer asked, "So, where are those ck stockings now? Could you please hand them over? The stockings are also important evidence." As the words were spoken, Adeline''s expression stiffened, and she seemed visibly uneasy. Could she tell the police that her husband had torn the stockings into pieces? The more Adeline thought about it, the angrier she became. It was all that scoundrel, Curtis''s fault! "Officer, well... I might not be able to hand them over. The stockings were damaged, so I threw them away." At that point, the teacher who had been reprimanded by Jacob just moments ago couldn''t hold back and spoke up. "Did you throw them away, or did you sell them? Can a branded pair of stockings worth over four hundred dors be damaged so easily?" The rest seemed to be influenced by those words and started to discuss it. Adeline noticed many of her colleagues nodding in agreement, albeit subtly. The female police officer''s expression became serious and asked, "Fromst night until now, it hasn''t been too long. Even if you threw them away, we could still find them in the trash. Where did you throw them?" Chapter 141 Adelines Self-Defense and Rosas Panic Chapter 141 Adeline''s Self-Defense and Rosa''s Panic Chapter 141 Adeline''s Self-Defense and Rosa''s Panic Seeing Adeline''s expression, the police officer continued to speak. "Mrs. Riley, please trust us. No matter the extent of the stockings'' damage, we can gather evidence and have experts determine their value. We''ll see if a single pair of ck stockings is truly worth over four hundred dors, as imed by the parent. Rest assured, our work is based on evidence, not someone else leading us by the nose. We make judgments based on the evidence presented." Adeline pursed her lips, "The stockings are at home. They were torn by a dog after I took them off last night. Should I have someone from home bring them over?" Seeing the police officer nod, Adeline called Curtis. "Honey, could you please bring over the stockings that the dog torest night? The police officers at my school want to use them as evidence." Adeline deliberately emphasized the word "dog." Curtis was momentarily taken aback, then responded with a warm chuckle, "Got it, I''ll have awyer bring them over." His response was concise, and Adeline understood. After hanging up the phone, Rosa rushed into the room in a state of agitation, "Officer, have you found my ruby ne? My ruby ne is very valuable." The male police officer handling the case looked at Rosa and answered, "Ma''am, we are still investigating." Rosa pointed at Adeline''s bag excitedly and said, "It must be in her bag! It must be! She was carrying this bag when she came to our housest night." Sophia joined in, "Then please, Officer, open that bag and clear our school''s teacher of any suspicion." Adeline understood the situation and smiled lightly,pletely unafraid. "You can open my bag, but I have a condition." The male police officer handling the case became a bit impatient and said, "You have no right to make demands! You are to cooperate with our work, not the other way around." "Oh?" Adeline raised her eyebrow calmly and said, "Since that''s the case, I''ll wait for mywyer to arrive before making a decision. Right now, I have the right to refuse to cooperate." Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. The female police officer working on the case shot a re at the male officer, then turned back to Adeline, maintaining a neutral stance. "Tell us your request. As long as it''s reasonable andwful, we will consider it. But let me remind you, right now we are the ones requesting your cooperation, and you should be cooperating with us." Adeline nodded and answered, "Fine. You can search my bag, but I request that you wear white gloves and use evidence bags to preserve the items." She narrowed her eyes and looked at Rosa and continued, "Because fromst night until now, I haven''t touched anything in my bag." "If someone is trying to put the ne in my bag to frame me, then there won''t be any of my fingerprints on the gemstone." "I''m asking the police officers to wear gloves, carefully preserve the evidence, to prove my innocence. Is that too much to ask?" As she finished speaking, Rosa looked more panicked. The female police officer nodded and replied, "Your request is reasonable." After that, she put on the white gloves, took out the evidence bags, and cautiously opened Adeline''s purse. As expected, a ruby ne was found inside. Seeing Adeline''sposed demeanor and the pale lips of the person who reported the incident, the female police officer already had a clear understanding of the situation from her years of experience. She nodded to her colleague, "There is indeed a ruby ne." She then carefully removed the ne, ced it into an evidence bag, and sealed it. Rosa rushed forward and attempted to grab the evidence while saying, "Officer, I just need to take the ne back. I won''t press charges. I won''t press charges against this teacher. The female police officer deftly stepped back a few paces, avoiding Rosa''s attempts to seize the evidence. The male police officer''s tone became stern and said, "Not pressing charges? You were the one who said this ne is worth millions. This is a case that could be prosecuted, leading to a prison sentence." "I won''t press charges. She''s my child''s teacher. If I press charges against her, how can my child continue going to school?" Rosa continued to plead and attempted to reach for the ne again. The female police officer stood her ground. Rosa''s voice became desperate and begged, "Officer, I wasn''t in a right mind when I said I wanted to press charges against my child''s teacher. I am begging you, please. Give me the ne. I won''t press charges anymore!" Chapter 142 Refusing to Settle, Determined to Investigate to the End Chapter 142 Refusing to Settle, Determined to Investigate to the End Chapter 142 Refusing to Settle, Determined to Investigate to the End Adeline calmly watched as Rosa and the female police officer argued. She said firmly, "I will not agree to settle. Even if you withdraw the report, you still won''t be able to get your hands on this diamond ne." Rosa raised her voice in protest, "Why not? I am the rightful owner of this ne, so why am I not allowed to touch it? I reported the case! And if I decide not to press charges, I''ll drop the case!" "That''s because this ne is important evidence that you''re ndering me! Do you want to stop suing me? Fine, I''ll sue you now!" Adeline''s eyes narrowed, her powerful auraing through in every word. "That''s right! We don''t agree to settle!" A man''s stern voice came in from outside the office. All eyes turned to the source of the voice and saw a malewyer wearing thin-rimmed sses and a sleek ck-gray suit enter the office alongside Sara. Sara, dressed in a ck tracksuit, tucked a notebook under her arm and greeted Adeline with a polite nod. "Hello, Madame." Thewyer also nodded in acknowledgment and gracefully presented his business card to Adeline. "Hello, I am your attorney, Mason Taylor." Mason fixed a sharp gaze upon Rosa. "While a theft case can be dismissed after it has been filed, this must meet specific conditions. These include minimal significance, no substantial harm or criminal offense, or the expiration of the statute of limitations for prosecution, among other factors. However, in your case, this ne is valued in the millions, making it no longer meet the criteria for being significantly minor. Its recovery serves as evidence of a criminal act. Therefore, we will not agree to settle, and we demand that the police conduct a thorough investigation to restore my client''s innocence!" Confidently citing legal provisions, Mason delivered his words with unwavering resolve, instantly captivating the entire room. The teachers present exchanged whispers among themselves. "It seems Miss Burton''s husband is really rich. The attorney showed up at lightning speed. " "Oh my goodness! I know him! I''ve seen him on TV before. He''s a very famous and impressive lawyer." "Yes, I remember now that you mention it. He is said to charge a fortune even to appear in court. Even the wealthy elites have to wait in line if they want to hire him!" There was a lot of whispering going on. After Rosa overheard these conversations, her face changed drastically. She stammered, "I... I also want to hire awyer." "I don''t see why not. It''s your right to do so," Mason smiled, sure of his self-assurance. An officer made a "please" motion toward Adeline and said, "Now, both of you, pleasee with us to the police station for investigation." "Wait a moment," Mason interjected with a smile. "This woman has defamed my client''s reputation in her office. Before proceeding with our joint investigation, I would like to present the evidence and publicly vindicate my client''s innocence." Mason looked at Adeline as he spoke, seemingly seeking her opinion. Adeline agreed and said, "That''s right. I won''t stand for being falsely used and carried into police custody. I have always acted with integrity and have nothing to fear. I will now present the evidence publicly and hand it over to the police in case anyone suspects that I lied. I don''t want there to be rumors going around that I forged evidence after I am released." The female police officer realized that Rosa made a mistake by messing with Adeline. She put on a smile and asked, "So, what evidence are you nning to reveal?" "I have surveince videos of the entire process as evidence," Adeline cast a quick look at Ms. Williams. "I asked to be apanied because I''m concerned that if someone tries to bribe us, we won''t be able to prove our innocence." Ms. Williams nodded in agreement, saying, "That''s true. But due to my health condition, I declined her suggestion." Adeline nodded, "When I went for home visits, I brought a miniature brooch pinhole camera to record everything I said, where I went to, and what the parents said. We can quickly determine from this recording whether I was the one who wanted the stockings but refused to enter the main bedroom or if someone gave them to me and led me there on purpose." When Adeline was done talking, Rosa''s eyes widened, and she copsed back to the floor. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Sara popped open herptop and yed the video Adeline had recorded when she visited Rosa''s house. Everyone in the room immediately understood everything after the video ended. In fact, the dog had unintentionally torn Adeline''s stockings after Rosa had led her to see it. Rosa had most likely slyly slipped the gemstone ne into Adeline''s bag at that moment. Rosa''s assertion that Adeline entered the main bedroom was unsupported by any evidence. Sophia tried to slink away as her face turned red with embarrassment. "Ms. Adams, Do you still think that I went into someone else''s bedroom on purpose to seduce her husband?" Adeline asked. Chapter 143 Sophia in Fear and Adelines Calculated Moves Chapter 143 Sophia in Fear and Adeline''s Calcted Moves Chapter 143 Sophia in Fear and Adeline''s Calcted Moves Sophia resorted to a forced smile upon being caught attempting to escape and found herself speechless. "I did it because I''m concerned about the reputation of our school." Adeline calmly responded with wless logic, "Oh? The reputation of the school is important, but what about the reputation of us teachers?" Melissa chimed in, echoing Adeline''s words, "Exactly! As our superior, you should prioritize standing by our side in a situation like this. Protecting us means protecting the school''s reputation. Don''t you agree, Ms. Adams?" Sophia was ovee with fear as she saw Mason whisper in Adeline''s ear. She hurriedly said, "Yes, you''re right. I will do better next time." Sincerely, Sophia approached Adeline and apologized, "Ms. Burton, I genuinely apologize to you! Please forgive my rash words. I should have trusted your character." "Very well, I ept your apology," Adeline said as she nodded to Mason. Sophia finally breathed a sigh of relief and left. Adeline felt satisfied with her rification and said to the police, "Let''s go. I agree to go to the police station for further investigation. I will submit a report about itter." Adeline nced at Rosa, whose face had turned pale. The group then left the school. Meanwhile, Victoria, sitting in her car, smirked as she watched Adeline being taken away by the police. "Adeline, don''t me me for being so ruthless. Leo''s uing birthday party is just around the corner, and I absolutely can''t allow you to tell everyone the truth there. I hope you can obediently stay behind bars after you stole that ne worth over thirty million. If Logan finds out you''re in jail, he''ll bepletely disappointed in you." ... In the mediation room at the police station, Mason told Rosa, "Actually, we can find a path of reconciliation in this matter." Those words breathed new life into Rosa, who immediately seized the opportunity to implore, "Ms. Burton, I admit my wrongdoing. Please forgive me." With a soft chuckle, Adeline responded, "Very well then, since you acknowledge your mistake, you can totally correct it. It''s an idea that even the kindergarten students canprehend." Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Rosa nodded in agreement, "You''re right." "I don''t think there''s any animosity between us, and I am confident that you were not deliberate in conspiring against me. So, if you expose those who manipted you, I am willing to extend an olive branch and make peace with you." A shadow cast over Rosa''s face upon hearing Adeline''s words, causing her to fall into a momentary silence. Sensing Rosa''s hesitation, Adeline skillfully yed mind games with her emotions, saying, "I understand the challenges you face, Mrs. Martinez. The person who instructed you may have something on you or enticed you with the promise of profits. However, spreading rumors and using others of something are illegal. Regardless of the duration of your confinement, it will leave a mark on your life." "And consider the implications for your child, Jacob. Have you thought about how Jacob will have to cope with the situation? How will it impact his future career prospects or rtionships? Imagine the judgment that will be ced upon him because he has a mother with a history of being in jail." Rosa rose from her seat in agitation and cried out, "No! I... I cannot tolerate such nder against my son. But if I expose her, my husband''spany will be ruined!" Adeline chuckled softly and got ready to stand, remarking, "The choice of pursuing wealth or ending up in jail ultimately rests with you." After speaking, Adeline turned around, preparing to leave. Rosa hesitated, anxiously pinching her fingers, and finally managed to say with difficulty, "I will tell you the truth." Mason shifted his gaze toward Rosa and asked, Do you have any evidence to support your ims?" Mason knew it would be difficult for them toe up with substantial evidence because those who abetted people to do such things typically made verbal agreements. Ultimately, the situation would deteriorate into both sides ming each other. Chapter 144 Battle Arena: Victorias Arrest and Logans Return Chapter 144 Battle Arena:Victoria''s Arrest and Logan''s Return Chapter 144 Battle Arena: Victoria''s Arrest and Logan''s Return "I have evidence," Rosa swallowed nervously, "because I was concerned that Victoria wouldter retract her promise and won''t hand the project to my husband. I secretly recorded our conversation and even obtained her signature on a project guarantee." Adeline andwyer Mason exchanged excited nces. Adeline called Curtis after gathering substantial evidence. "Honey, I want the police to arrest Victoria. Though her sentence may not be long, she may learn a valuable lesson from it. What do you think?" "You have the final say," Curtis replied firmly. Adeline was taken aback and cautiously asked, "Aren''t you worried that this will disrupt family harmony?" Curtis let out a gentle and affectionate chuckle, "There''s nothing more important than you in this world. Plus, maintaining peace in the home requires work from everyone involved. I think never standing up to her bullying is not the answer. "That''s exactly what I mean! Victoria''s haughtiness will only grow unless we intervene. So, should I ask my grandfather, I mean, my father''s opinion about this?" Curtis let out a "hmm," followed by a light chuckle. "Adeline, it''s wonderful that you considered seeking my father''s opinion. Thank you for considering my parents'' feelings when handling this matter. Go ahead. Feel free to give my father a call." With Curtis''s approval, Adeline called Frank and gave him a brief rundown of Victoria''s behavior during this time. "Dad, I''d like to let the police handle this. What do you think?" A long silence filled the other end of the phone, and it took a while before Frank let out a sigh. "It''s really unfortunate for our family that Leo ended up marrying a woman like her." Listening in silence, Adeline couldn''t help but feel a pang of disappointment. She could almost predict what Frank would say next: "But family harmony is most important..." Being an elder, he always prioritized peace within the family. But the next thing she knew, a very firm voice was on the other end of the phone, "Since both of you are my daughters-inw, I won''t favor any of you. Just do what you want!" Caught off guard by this unexpected response, Adeline paused for a moment before gratefully responding, "Dad, thank you!" "You''re wee, my child. You''ve suffered a lot during this time," Frank replied, his simple words bringing almost tears to Adeline''s eyes. The Burtons had never been so supportive of her in her whole life. Taking a deep breath, Adeline looked at Mason with determination. "Mr. Taylor, let''s thoroughly pursue this matter." "Very well!" Mason nodded in agreement. With thepelling evidence in hand, the police swiftly began the operation to arrest Victoria. Adeline, Mason, and two officers soon arrived at Riley''s mansion. The police stormed into the living room abruptly, showing their identification badges to Victoria, who was casually drinking coffee. "Hello, Miss Victoria Riley. Here is our identification. We are investigating a case of framing and false usations, and we request that you apany us for questioning." Victoria''s expression changed as she caught sight of Adeline and Mason. As the police officers exined their purpose, she was filled with terror, causing her coffee cup to slip from her hand and crash onto the floor with a loud noise. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. "What... what do you mean by framing and false usations? I have no idea," Victoria panicked and shouted at her servant, "Quick, go get Mr. Riley here." The servant hesitated before saying, "Mr. Riley went fishing. He said he didn''t have his cell phone with him and told us not to bother him." Victoria, shocked, sank onto the sofa and red at Adeline. "It must be you! You called him and told him about it, didn''t you?" Adeline didn''t argue and instead headed in Victoria''s direction. "We''re a family, so I don''t want things to escte any further, and I''ll give you onest chance. You can now call Logan and his father in front of me, admit what you have done to me, and apologize. I won''t press charges if you''re willing to apologize and make things right." "You wish!" Victoria red at Adeline fiercely. Adeline shrugged. "Well, in that case, we can now trust the police to handle the matter impartially." Adeline took a few steps back, and the police officers came forward to take Victoria away. Victoria retaliated fiercely, shouting, "Don''t you dare touch me! I am Mrs. Riley! Let''s see who dares toy a finger on me! My husband is the Chairman of The Riley Group. You''ll be digging your own grave if you dare to touch me!" "Please cooperate, Ma''am! We''ll have to handcuff you if you keep acting this way." One of the officers approached her and reached for his handcuffs. Victoria refused toply, even putting up a strong resistance by fiercely striking out at the officers. "Stay away from me! I''ll sue all of you for sexual harassment! Don''t you dare touch me!" Caught off guard by Victoria''s aggressive behavior, the officers had no choice but to restrain her by cing handcuffs on her wrists. With a click, the restraints were locked in ce. A male voice suddenly rang out from the living room. "What are all of you doing?" Adeline turned her attention toward the source of the voice and was taken aback. In the doorway stood a man dressed in a sharp and stylish beige overcoat, holding a rolling suitcase, his figure outlined against the sunlight filtering through the room. It was Logan. He had returned. Chapter 145 The Three of Them Gather Together Chapter 145 The Three of Them Gather Together Chapter 145 The Three of Them Gather Together When Victoria saw Logan, she cried emotionally and shouted desperately, "Logan, help me! Help me quickly! Adeline the malicious woman called the police to arrest me." Upon hearing this, Logan lost his head and left his luggage at the entrance. He strode into the living room and looked at Adeline reproachfully. "What''s going on?" Adeline''s heart sank with a dull pain. She didn''t feel the delightful surprise of meeting him again but undisguised disappointment. When Logan saw that Adeline didn''t answer, he looked anxiously at the cop and asked, "Officer, is there any misunderstanding here? This is my girlfriend, and that is my mother. It should be an internal conflict within the family." The cop said in a businesslike manner, "This is no longer an internal family conflict. It is a crime. We will look into the case and see if there is a misunderstanding. We won''t let go of any bad guy or put any good guy in the wrong. However, the current evidence isplete and indicates that Ms. Riley intentionally made a false charge against Ms. Burton, so the higher authorities issued a warrant for her arrest. This is the warrant." As he spoke, the cop showed Logan the warrant. Logan carefully looked at the warrant and found that it was authentic. His lips turned pale, and he staggered back a few steps. The cop nced at Logan and said, "Excuse me. Please stay out of the way." Logan panicked and held the cop''s hand. "Officer, can we reconcile in private?" The cop looked at Adeline and said, "Ms. Burton, would you like a reconciliation?" "No." Adeline insisted. Victoria had never been handcuffed since childhood, and now she felt embarrassed and resentful. Hearing that Adeline didn''t agree to reconcile, Victoria stamped her feet in anger. "Logan, look. This is the good wife you chose. She wants me to die. We''re family. Why did she have to call the police instead of settling it in private? Now do you see her true colors? Don''t marry such a malicious woman." Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Adeline couldn''t help giving a mocking smile when she thought of the conditions she had offered to Victoria. How could this kind of person confess her crimes to her son? Victoria might not repent until she died! When Logan learned that Adeline refused to reconcile, he got anxious and rushed up with red eyes, hissing, "Adeline, I order you to reconcile immediately." "Why? Why do you order me to do that?" Adeline''s eyes were filled with deep disappointment with Logan. "I''m sorry, but the arrest warrant has been issued, so we have to take Ms. Riley away. As for your internal affairs, you canmunicate with each other." As he spoke, the cop turned to take Victoria away. Jodie got impatient after waiting outside for a long time and ran inside. When she saw the cop taking away Victoria, she was startled. "Logan, what''s going on?" When Logan saw Jodie, he remembered why he came back to Prodiff this time. He went up to Victoria awkwardly and asked in a low voice, "Mom, where''s my bonus card?" Victoria immediately became vignt and said, "Why do you ask?" Logan got embarrassed and whispered, "Something happened to Jodie''s family, and I promised to lend her money. Mom, just tell me where the card is." Upon hearing this, Victoria burst intoughter and looked at Adeline, intentionally saying loudly. "So you came back for Jodie. That''s fine. Your bonus card is in the second drawer of the bedside table in my room. I told you the password before." Logan instantly lowered his head, not daring to look at Adeline. At this moment, Curtis was wheeled in by Steffen and asked with a soft chuckle, "What is going on?" Chapter 146 He Stands up for Her Chapter 146 He Stands up for Her Chapter 146 He Stands up for Her When Victoria heard Curtis'' gloating voice, her face contorted with anger. "Curtis, you''re very happy, aren''t you?" "Well, I''m quite happy," said Curtis with a smile on his lips. "You..." Victoria was fuming with anger, her head aching. "Logan, you have to help me." The cops ignored Victoria''s struggle and directly took her away. At this moment, the servant hiding in the corner secretly captured this scene with his phone. After Victoria left, the living room of the old house suddenly quieted down. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Logan went up to Adeline and said reproachfully, "Adeline, what''s wrong with you? My mother doesn''t want me to be with you, but she has a reason. Which woman can ept that her future daughter-inw can''t have children? Regarding this, I take a proactive approach with you. I didn''t say I would break up with you. What are you unsatisfied with? To be honest, I think I haven''t done anything wrong to you." He continued, "But why did you do that to my mother? Didn''t you intensify the conflict between the two of you? I was trying to make peace, but you sabotaged everything. How can my mother ept you in the future after you did that to her?" A hint of delightful surprise shed across Jodie''s eyes. It turned out Logan''s mother didn''t like Adeline! It turned out Adeline couldn''t conceive babies! That was great! In the next moment, Jodie disyed her excellent acting skills. She covered her mouth in surprise and eximed, "Logan, what did you say? Did Adeline call the police to arrest your mother?" Logan said angrily, "Yes. Moreover, she refused to reconcile. The police wouldn''t have arrested my mother if Adeline had agreed to reconcile." Jodie looked at Adeline in shock. "Adeline, you''re wrong. Ms. Riley is an elder, and you should tolerate her no matter what mistake she makes or what conflicts she has with you." "That''s right!" Logan echoed. Jodie said, "If I were you, I wouldmunicate well with Ms. Riley. If I can''t solve the conflict, I''ll ask Logan toe back and act as an intermediary instead of making a big thing out of it. The Riley family is dignified and respectable. If this spreads out, Ms. Riley and Logan will be embarrassed. We''re young and should tolerate the elders for the sake of the family even if we have grievance." Logan nodded solemnly in agreement. Adeline felt a mixture of anger and amusement. "Who are you?" She and Curtis asked in unison. After they spoke, they paused and exchanged a meaningful smile. Curtis nodded at her with indulgence, motioning for her to let him speak. Adeline was a bit tired at the moment, so she simply sat down and asked the maid to serve her tea. Curtis wheeled up slowly to Jodie and asked again, "Who are you?" Jodie had never met anyone with such an imposing air before, so she unconsciously took a few steps back in awe. Logan spoke for her and said, "Uncle Curtis, this is my schoolmate. Her name is..." "I didn''t ask you!" Curtis interrupted him sternly and looked at Jodie with sharp eyes. "Who are you? What''s your name? Do you think our family needs your opinion? If you were Adeline? Are you joking? Do you think you''re qualified to say that?" Jodie turned pale at his words. Logan felt that Cutis had gone too far. When he was about to speak, Curtis continued. "Logan, stop bringing irrelevant people to me from now on." Adeline instantly felt much better. Her husband had a sharp tongue. But she liked it very much. Chapter 147 Logan Feels Guilty Chapter 147 Logan Feels Guilty Chapter 147 Logan Feels Guilty Since he was small, Logan had been afraid of his uncle, who was famous in Prodiff. He didn''t dare to argue with Brody, so he turned to look at Adeline. "Adeline, please withdraw your usation. I beg you." Jodie echoed, "Adeline, please don''t make a big thing out of a trifle. Moreover, Logan risked his life to save..." Before Jodie could finish speaking, Logan anxiously interrupted her and said, "Why did you bring it up?" After telling Jodie off, he gave Curtis a guilty look. Curtis did not miss Logan''s subtle expression, but he remained indifferent. He didn''t understand why Logan was upset. Did Logan risk his life to save Adeline? Shouldn''t a boyfriend ignore the danger and save his girlfriend who was in danger? Jodie did not mention the fire, and Curtis didn''t react to her words, so Logan let out a secret sigh of relief. Adeline sneered at Jodie and said, "Jodie, didn''t we ask you just now? Who are you to use me here? You and Logan don''t know what happened at all, but you didn''t ask me about my grievance and why I did that before asking me to tolerate her and withdraw the usation." As she spoke, Adeline gazed at Logan in disappointment and asked, "Do you really want to trade that with me? If you say yes and want me to repay your kindness, I will do that. From now on, I''ll have nothing to do with you." Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Logan''s heart trembled when he sensed the determination in Adeline''s words. He quickly denied, "Adeline, I don''t..." Before he could finish speaking, Jodie''s phone rang. The sudden ringing of the phone interrupted their conversation. Jodie picked up the phone and listened for a while. When she spoke, her voice was choked. "Okay. Brother, stop talking. We''ll go back now." Jodie stamped her feet anxiously. "Logan, my brother said my mother was being beaten to death." "I... I''ll go get my bonus card right away." Logan turned to rush upstairs to get the bank card. Adeline sneered and said, "Your mother is about to be killed? Why do you ask Logan for help? Why not call the police? Why not call an ambnce?" Logan paused and looked back at Adeline in disbelief. "Adeline, why are you so mean? Do you think everyone is like you? Do you know that Jodie''s father is hitting her mother? Jodie doesn''t want the police to arrest her father. Everyone wants to have a harmonious family!" As he spoke, Logan sighed again and helplessly said, "I know you''re angry. I know... I''m doing what Jodie''s boyfriend is supposed to do. But you have to understand. Jodie doesn''t have a boyfriend, and she can only count on me when something happens to her family. What else can I do?" As Adeline listened, her heart turned cold gradually. "You gave up your archaeology and flew a long way back when something happened to her family. When I was in trouble and begged you to stay for half a day longer and marry me before you left, you refused and left me alone in Prodiff." "So you deliberately retaliated against my mother and forced me toe back?" Logan frowned sulkily. Jodie cried out timely and said, "Logan, please. Adeline, I''m sorry, but can you talk about thister? My mother is dying..." Adeline gave a sarcastic smile. If Jodie''s mother was in danger, Jodie should call the police and ambnce instead of asking for help from an acquaintance. It would take at least one or two hours to drive back to the countryside. If her mother was really in danger, she would have died long ago. Upon hearing what Jodie said, Logan quickly rushed to Victoria''s room and took his bank card downstairs. Before leaving, he gave Adeline a deep look and said, "I''ll talk to you when Ie back." After that, Logan left with Jodie. Curtis slowly pushed the wheelchair to Adeline and asked. "Are you sad?" Chapter 148 Feeling It Funnier and Funnier Chapter 148 Feeling It Funnier and Funnier Chapter 148 Feeling It Funnier and Funnier Adeline was a little tired and instead of answering, she said, "Let''s go eating. I''m hungry." "OK." Curtis nodded and led her to the box at The Grand za Hotel. When the waiter served, Adeline ate some. After filling something in her stomach, she took a deep breath and said. "You just asked me if I was sad." Curtis heard the words and looked at her face. "It does hurt." Adeline smiled and felt her broken heart awakening again. "After all, we have been in love for three years, and I still have some affection to him. It''s hard to say I didn''t care when he did that to me." Curtis'' eyes darkened a little and he nodded to show his understanding. The next moment, Adeline put her hand on his. The corner of her mouth slightly raised, showing some relief, "But because of this, I am more grateful to meet you." Curtis looked up and was surprised, "What are you saying?" "I am saying, I am sad, but more with disappointed, and d. I''m d I don''t end up with Logan. I''m not the right one for him. Even if the three fundamental views of us fit well, I would have been mad at that Jodie." Curtis couldn''t help but grin, "Don''t worry, I have no contact with any junior or senior female schoolmates. Besides Sara, you are the only female I am with." Adeline nodded and asked curiously, "What do you think of Logan''s actions today?" Curtis held Adeline''s hand and rubbed it, "Do you think it''s appropriate for me to makements on it?" "Tell me." "I spent less time with Logan than Olivia did. My nieces and nephews are afraid of me, but Logan fears me the most. Logan and I are estranged, so I don''t really know him very well. But today, the way he handled things surprises me. It was despicable. He didn''t have any sense of boundaries." The words "sense of boundaries" really hurt Adeline, and she nodded for Curtis to continue. "Asking you topromise and be inclusive without asking what''s going on is not putting your feelings at the first ce." "As far as I use WhatsApp to contact him, he does not know that you and I are married, and does not admit that you two have broken up." Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "Which means, in his thought, you two are still together. Bringing Jodie back without breaking up with you is a little inappropriate and disrespectful to you." "In addition, excessive involvement in other members of the opposite sex''s family affairs is an act that has no sense of boundaries." Curtis watched Adeline''s face as he spoke, since she didn''t disagree with him, he continued. "Also, based on my observations, I think Logan is a little overly concerned about this Jodie. When you asked him to stay, he didn''t. Today, his mother was arrested by the police, and he immediately went to deal with the matter of Jodie." "If either he likes Jodie so much that he doesn''t even know it, or he doesn''t know how to prioritize things and distinguish affairs between home and outside." "He may be a good man, but marrying him would be tiring." Adeline nodded thoughtfully. What Curtis said was also speaking for himself, but he was not wrong. Logan actually left his mother alone, and went to take care of Jodie''s shit in the countryside. Adeline was going to pick up asparagus with chopsticks. Curtis then picked up the asparagus with his big, chiseled hand and carried it to her, and picked up his phone and took a picture. The angle of that picture was very special. Adeline''s clothes could be seen, but not her face, and his hand was shown. It was a standard man''s hand, which meant there was a man in the room. After taking the picture, Adeline was confused. Then she saw that Curtis using the ount of "The Other Man" of WhatsApp to send it to Logan. [Addie was upset, so I invited her to dinner tofort her. I know this is supposed to be a boyfriend''s task, but what can I do? She doesn''t have anyone around tofort her.] When Adeline saw the content edited by Curtis, she was amazed! Wasn''t the content what Logan had just said to her? His words were like, "What can I do? Jodie doesn''t have a boyfriend, so I am the only one to help her?" Curtis was going to fight back in this way? Well, it was getting funnier and funnier. Why would she have this feeling? Chapter 149 But It Felt so Slippery! Chapter 149 But It Felt so Slippery! Chapter 149 But It Felt so Slippery! Adeline talked more as she was in a good mood. She red at Curtis with coquetry, "You don''t know it. Today the police asked me for the ck stockings, which scared me to death. I don''t know what I would have done if Mr. Taylor didn''t help me!" After taking a sip of her drink, Adeline asked, "I heard from my colleagues that Mr. Taylor is one of the bestwyers in Prodiff, and he is expensive and difficult to hire. Is that true?" "Well, sort of." Curtis nodded. "Then how can you make an appointment? I heard he was booked till next year." Curtis smiled, "He''s my exclusivewyer." "Exclusive?" Adeline froze for a moment. Curtis patiently exined, "Well, it''s a long-term agreement. All disputes over my business will go to him. Whenever I need him, even if he takes on other people''s matters, he has to decline them." "So it is! Honey, have you ever seen Mr. Taylor in court?" "He was awesome and gentle in court today. He wore a pair of sses, looking quiet. I didn''t think he was that powerful." Adeline spoke of Mr. Taylor with admiration on her face. Curtis'' eyes went dark and he began to feel jealous. sses! sses again! It seemed that Addie really liked it when men wore sses. With his eyes narrowed slightly, he quietly sent a WhatsApp message to Mr. Taylor: [From today on, no sses.] Mr. Taylor: [?] Curtis: [Anyway, no sses.] Mr. Taylor: [Boss, I''m nearsighted. I''m not like you. You have a in lens.] Curtis typed the words in a demanded way: [Then wear contact lenses!] Mr. Taylor: [Did my sses annoy you?] Curtis: [If you don''t want to break up the long-term rtionship then do what I tell you.] Mr. Taylor: [Hey hey, I''m kidding. Boss, I''ll buy contact lenses right now!] Adeline didn''t know what Curtis was sending and she continued to praise Mr. Taylor. Then she red at Curtis with coquetry and said, "It''s all your fault! The ck stockings are valued more than one thousand dors! It''s brand new... You just tore it up." But seriously, knowing that the ck stockings were stolen to frame her, she wouldn''t put them on again. Curtis smiled and took several beautifully wrapped boxes out of a gift bag on the side and handed them to Adeline, "It''s my fault. These are gifts to show my apology." Adeline felt a little happier when she saw the gift. All girls like to receive presents. "Can I open them now?" Curtis raised his eyebrow and said, "It doesn''t matter, but it would be better to do that when we get back to the apartment." When Adeline heard him say that, she did not open the presents, but quickly ate the food on the table. She was like a child who couldn''t wait to go home and open presents. When she arrived at the Bay Hall apartment, Adeline opened the first beautifully wrapped box. Inside the box were ck stockings, just like the ones she had been wearingst night! Adeline was stunned, "Are these stockings really valued more than one thousand dors?" Curtis nodded and said, "It''s 55 percent natural silk, so it''s rtively expensive." But it felt so damn slippery! That brand was really good! "Here you go." Curtis smiled, wearing gold sses on the bridge of his nose. He didn''t looked like having any "bad" thoughts. Adeline repressed her strange feeling and opened the second exquisite gift box. It turned out to be a pair of ck stockings too! But those were ck silk fiss, which were sexier and bolder. Puzzled, she opened the third gift box. ck stockings again! Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. But it was an open strap ck pantyhose withce thong, which revealed a different feeling. Adeline blushed as she looked at the design. Curtis wheeled the wheelchair slowly to her side, and pointed to the third ck stocking. He whispered, "Mrs. Riley, can you put on this pair for me tonight?" Chapter 150 Mr. Curtis Was an Old Rascal Who Would Say Anything Chapter 150 Mr. Curtis Was an Old Rascal Who Would Say Anything Chapter 150 Mr. Curtis Was An Old Rascal Who Would Say Anything ¡°Curtis!¡± Adeline squealed with coquetry, blushing, "You... you wear it yourself!" Adeline thought, "You filthy old rascal!" How could he say that? Curtis came forward with a calm look and sincerely held her hand, "How about starting with ordinary-style ck silk stockings? You''ve just had an effect on our therapy. You need to consolidate curative effect." How could Adeline not know what Curtis was thinking. She threw away his hand and said, "Shame on you!" And then, with a bang, she locked herself in the master bedroom. Curtis chuckled outside the door. "Addie, I know you and I aren''t close enough right now. I''ll wait. When you give yourself to me once and for all, you will find that these are normal marital stuffs. It doesn''t matter..." Before the words were finished, Adeline shouted inside the door, "Deduct twenty points! Curtis, your score is now negative!" Curtis was speechless... -- Logan, on the other hand, rushed to Jodie''s house in the countryside without even looking at his phone. Jodie pointed to a small white three-story house not far away, "That''s my house." Logan froze for a moment, feeling that the house was not as he had imagined. In his mind, he thought that the delicate Jodie should live in one of those run-down old houses. Jodie knew what Logan was thinking and quickly exined, "The house has just been built and is rtively new. Last time, the vigers said our house was dpidated and asked us to rebuild it. Thanks to you for lending me 30 thousand dors." Jodie lowered her head and said, "We haven''t repaid all the money. So I borrowed from you..." Logan tapped Jodie on the shoulder, "It''s OK, my money is not used for financial management. I lent it to you, and you promised to pay me interest! This is also financial management!" Jodie took a deep breath, "In that case, let''s go." A few steps closer, they heard pleas for mercy. "Ah! Stop hitting, stop hitting!" Jodie''s heart skipped a beat and she ran after Logan. He came in and saw Mr. Cook pping himself. Mrs. Cook, who had obviously been severely beaten, with her hair disheveled and blood all over her mouth, forehead and body, fell to the ground and held Mr. Cook''s hand. "Please stop. I know you don''t want to hit me. It''s all that disease!" Mr. Cook continued to p himself in the face, "It''s my fault that I have this weird disease! You''d better let me die!" Meanwhile, Jodie''s brother stood by, watching the scene and secretly wiping tears. "Mom!" cried Jodie, rushing to hug Mrs. Cook, who was covered in blood. Mr. Cook also began to cry, "You call the police to arrest me! Put me in jail and I won''t hit anyone again." Jodie let go of her mother and shouted at her father, "Dad, no. We all need to be together as a family. We can ovee any problems together." Logan was impressed by what he saw and felt a little emotional. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. He remembered that Adeline and her mother were beset with terribly contradictions and had to call the police to arrest someone. What a difference! He was unable to resist his desire to help that family, so he walked toward Jodie''s brother and asked with concern, "What''s going on?" Jodie''s brother shook his head and sighed, "The doctor said it was mania. He said that stress led to rage and aggression. When he hits someone, he doesn''t respond if we call him. He looks like he is in a trance and will just beat my mom to death." "Did the doctor say how to treat it?" Logan asked. Jodie''s brother looked at Logan embarrassedly, "Yes, but it''s too expensive. The doctor exined a lot of technical terms that we cannot understand, saying this treatment will cost at least 40 thousand dors." "Are there any other problems besides money? You said Mr. Cook was under a lot of stress. We should try to find out what the problem is." After hearing that, Mr. Cook wailed, "It''s all my fault. It''s my fault. If it wasn''t me..." Chapter 151 Plotting Against Logan Chapter 151 Plotting Against Logan Chapter 151 Plotting Against Logan "If I hadn''t been such a poor loser with such a strange illness, my family wouldn''t have suffered so much!" Mr. Cook cried out in anguish. Moore nced at Logan with a gloomy expression. "Not long ago, someone crashed into our pigsty. We don''t know who it was, and our vige has no surveince cameras. After the crash, the vehicle fled. The hovel was damaged, and the piglets inside ran away. Some vigers secretly took them and refused to admit they belonged to our family." Before Moore could finish speaking, Mrs. Cook burst into tears. "Our piglets are gone, and we have to repair the pigsty, buy new piglets, and get my husband treated. What are we going to do?" Seeing the whole family in such poverty, Logan felt a pang of sympathy. "Mrs. Cook, don''t be sad. Money is not a problem. As long as we repair the pigsty and get new piglets, things will get better." Mrs. Cook shook her head. "Jodie''s meager sry won''t help much. We can give up doing business, but we have to get my husband treated!" She then turned to Moore. "Here''s what we can do. I can sell one of my kidneys. I''ll still have one left. We can afford the medical expenses with the money from selling the kidney." Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Moore hugged Mrs. Cook and said, "Mom, if anyone is going to sell their kidney, it''ll be me! I''m still young!" The entire family huddled together, four crying and embracing one another. The scene moved Logan before him. "Mr. and Mrs. Cook, you don''t need to sell your kidneys. I''ll lend you the money." Mrs. Cook was taken aback. "You''ll help us? With my husband''s medical expenses and the pigsty repairs, we''ll need $800,000!" Logan nodded without hesitation. Moore stood up in excitement and knelt before Logan. "Mr. Riley, I don''t know how to repay you! If you need anything in the future, say the word, and I''ll do anything for you!" Logan quickly helped Moore to his feet. "It''s not a big deal. I just happen to have some money." Soon, Logan transferred $800,000 to Jodie''s ount. Jodie personally wrote an IOU for Logan, saying, "Logan, here''s an IOU. Keep it." "No need," Logan replied, "We used to be schoolmates, and we work at the same organization. I''m not worried you''ll run away." With that, Logan tore up the IOU before the Cook family. Jodie was stunned but then showed a delighted expression. She and her brother exchanged nces, their lips curling into faint smiles. As night fell, the Cook family invited Logan to stay for dinner and spend the night before leaving. After dinner, Logan sat on the second-floor balcony, gazing at the tranquil countryside scenery, and once again, he thought of Adeline. He tried calling her with his phone, but he couldn''t reach her because she had blocked his number. This left him increasingly frustrated, so he called his father, Leo. "Hello, Dad; Mom is in trouble." A deep voice came from the other end of the phone, "What happened?" "Adeline reported Mom to the police, and Mom was taken away." Logan pinched his brow, feeling embarrassed. Leo paused and asked, "Why did Adeline report your mom?" Logan hesitated, stammering, "I... I''m not quite sure. When I arrived, the police were about to take Mom away. I asked Adeline to drop the charges, but she refused." "Did youe back?" Leo sounded surprised. "So, where are you now?" "I''m at Jodie''s ce in the countryside," Logan replied honestly. "Logan, you saw your mom being taken away, and you did nothing? You haven''t even figured out what happened, and you followed Jodie to the countryside?" Leo''s voice contained shock. "Dad, Jodie''s family is in trouble!" Logan interrupted his father, feeling frustrated. He was angry that Adeline didn''t understand him, and now his father didn''t either. Leo''s tone grew sharper, "And so is our family! The police took away your mom." Logan was left speechless once more. "I''m going to check on your mom''s situation now. Youe back immediately!" Leo said before abruptly ending the call. As Logan stood up, preparing to return to Prodiff, Moore approached with a liquor bottle and blocked his way. Chapter 152 Artificial Insemination Chapter 152 Artificial Insemination Chapter 152 Artificial Insemination When Moore saw Logan carrying his luggage, his expression changed. "Mr. Riley, where are you going?" "I need to go home right away," Logan replied, moving toward the exit with his luggage. Moore''s face turned even more severe. "No, Mr. Riley. The road near our vige doesn''t have streetlights and is an ident-prone area. It''s too dangerous for you to go back to Prodiff now!" "But my family..." Logan''s words were interrupted by Moore, who continued, "Did your girlfriend ask you to go back? She''s being unreasonable. It''s toote now. What if something happens to you on the way?" With that, Moore took Logan''s luggage from him. "We owe you a big favor, and I won''t let you leave at this hour! If anything happens, our entire family will be guilty for the rest of our lives. Mr. Riley, it''s already ten o''clock at night, and you can''t do anything by returning now. Just sleep here, and tomorrow morning, I''ll apany you back. I''ll exin things to your family and your girlfriend." Logan was convinced and chose to stay. Moore raised a liquor bottle, saying, "Come on, let me have a drink with you." Logan quickly waved his hand. "I don''t drink." Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "That''s okay. Come on, just a little for a man. It won''t hurt. Let me tell you the truth, it was my sister who asked me toe. She said you fought with your girlfriend, and you''re feeling down. She wanted me tofort you. I''m rough; I don''t know how tofort people. I just knew that when you''re feeling down, having a few drinks helps. Mr. Riley, the humidity in this mountain area is high, so you need to drink some alcohol." After saying that, Moore, ignoring Logan''s objections, forcefully poured him a ss of liquor. "Here, Mr. Riley, here''s a toast to you. Thank you for saving our entire family." Logan, unable to refuse further, took a small sip of the alcohol. His throat immediately felt a burning sensation. Seeing Logan''s reaction, Moore poured another ss for him. "Come on, Mr. Riley, one more ss. You''ll feel much better after drinking it." Soon, Logan was drunk, and he bbered on and on while being held by Moore. "Adeline, Adeline, I miss you so much!" "Adeline, please don''t ignore me." "Adeline, I can''t live without you." Moore, feeling disgusted, carried Logan to the bed and called his sister. Jodie had no experience in such matters and hesitated when she saw Logan on the bed. She looked at Moore and said nervously, "Moore, what should I do... I don''t know how to do it." Moore handed her a test tube and a small freezer with a disdainful look. "You have a crush on this man, and now you can''t handle this yourself?" Jodie lowered her head, blushing with embarrassment. Moore rolled his eyes. "You college students are timid! Take off his clothes, kiss him, nibble on his lips, touch him-turn him on and make him want to make out with you." Jodie swallowed nervously. "But what if he doesn''t respond? What if he doesn''t touch me?" Moore''s eyes darkened, and he said menacingly, "Then use your hand! Get his stuff and put it in the test tube! And make sure to leave some marks on his body. When he wakes up tomorrow, he''ll know what happens." "Alright." "Remember! If you want to change your fate, you must be ruthless!" Moore looked deeply into her eyes, then turned and closed the door. With the test tube in her trembling hands, Jodie approached Logan... After a long while, Jodie finally sealed the test tube and ced it in the freezer. She dressed Logan and then hurriedly went to find her brother. "Moore, I''ve got the stuff. What do we do next?" Moore gave her a signal. "Go to the hospital now for artificial insemination!" Chapter 153 Logan Wakes Up to Find Chapter 153 Logan Wakes Up to Find Chapter 153 Logan Wakes Up to Find Moore rode his motorcycle with Jodie to a suburban hospital and exined their intentions to the doctor. "Doctor, my sister is in her ovtion period. She wants to have artificial insemination." The female doctor in her fifties removed her sses and looked at the siblings, finding their request somewhat unusual. It was her first time seeing a brother apanying his sister for artificial insemination. She extended her hand. "Show me your marriage certificate." "Marriage certificate?" Jodie was bewildered. Moore quickly signaled her, then said to the doctor, "Doctor... we rushed out and forgot it." "Then you''ll have to return tomorrow with your husband and bring the marriage certificate. We can arrange it then," the female doctor said. Moore looked troubled. "Doctor, we''ve been waiting for this day for a long time... We''re just worried that it won''t be as effective tomorrow. Could you make an exception?" "That''s not possible!" The female doctor refused firmly. "If everyone did this without a marriage certificate, it would create chaos in society! What if someone wanted to frame their boss or be a home-wrecker? Absolutely not! You need a marriage certificate and shoulde with your spouse to sign written consent forms." Moore continued to persuade and even attempted to bribe the doctor with money. However, the doctor''s response was quite stern. " Don''t get me into trouble! Doctors cannot ept bribes!" In the end, Jodie and Moore left with disappointment. As they left the doctor''s office, Jodie furrowed her brows and looked at her brother. "What should we do?" "How should I know? I never thought you needed a marriage certificate for this." Mooreined and cast a disdainful nce at his sister. "It''s all your fault! You couldn''t even handle a nerd like that! He kept calling his girlfriend''s name when he held me just now! If you can''t get pregnant with his child, you probably won''t have a chance to marry into that rich family!" Jodie''s face darkened when she heard that Logan, in his drunken state, had been calling out Adeline''s name. She handed the freezer to her brother. "You wait for me here. I''ll go to the restroom." With that, Jodie headed towards the women''s restroom. As she squatted down, she noticed a flyer on the restroom door. It read: "Infertility treatment, artificial insemination with male offspring guaranteed, ultrasound scans for gender." Below were a series of phone numbers. Jodie''s eyes lit up, and she quickly tore off the flyer and ran out. "Moore, there''s a solution! These small clinics surely won''t have such strict requirements as the big hospitals!" Moore''s eyes brightened, and he immediately called the doctor''s number from the flyer. They were given an address, and Jodie and Moore followed the instructions to find a run-down small house. Seeing the entrance, Jodie felt a bit uneasy. "Moore, is this going to work?" she asked hesitantly. Moore pulled her forward. "Of course! Fortune favors the bold! Don''t you want to be like the elite ladies of high society, driving luxury cars and spending days on beauty treatments and shopping?" Jodie imagined that scenario and nodded. Upon entering the clinic, they saw an older man in his sixties wearing a white doctor''s coat. The older man looked them up and down. "Youe here for medicine sote at night? Don''t worry; my family has three generations of expertise in gynecology." Jodie frowned and nced inside. "Is there no female doctor?" The older man snorted. "Our family specializes in medical techniques for conceiving sons, and we pass our skills down only to males! Take it or leave it!" Moore quickly shook the older man''s hand. "Sir, we''ll take it!" He then red at his sister. "Do you not want to marry a rich guy?" Thinking about having this older man examine her, Jodie felt ufortable. But then, she thought about Logan calling out Adeline''s name while drunk. She clenched her teeth and nodded. Seeing Jodie''spromise, the older man softened his tone. "Give me your hand; let me check your pulse." Moore quickly exined, "Doctor, we''re not here for health check-ups; we want to have artificial insemination." He showed the older man the test tube. "Oh? You''re here for that?" The older man sounded surprised, but his eyes grew sinister after ncing at Jodie. "I can do that, but you must be fully anesthetized." Jodie followed the older man into a separate room, leaving her brother outside. After being injected with anesthesia, Jodie lost consciousness. An hourter, she felt her body had been torn apart, and she struggled to get out of bed. "Doctor, why am I in so much pain?" The old man touched his beard and replied, "You have no sexual experience, and you''re also taking in the man''s sperm. Naturally, it will be quite ufortable." Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Jodie realized it made sense and paid the money. Despite the pain, she gritted her teeth and limped back home with her brother. As dawn broke, Logan woke up and immediately sensed that something was different about his body. Chapter 154 Logans Father Found Something Chapter 154 Logan''s Father Found Something Chapter 154 Logan''s Father Found Something Logan had a pounding headache. He subconsciously touched his surprisingly intact clothes. However, his mind was filled with scattered images, and he couldn''t identify what had happened with Jodie. His heart raced, and as he got up, he noticed a bloodstain on the white sheets, confirming his suspicions. He stumbled out of the room and asked, "Where''s Jodie?" Moore appeared hesitant, looking like he wanted to say something but couldn''t find the words. Eventually, he muttered, "What are you looking for her?" Logan''s face turned pale, and he couldn''t find the right words to respond. Just then, Jodie limped out of her room. Herplexion wasn''t great, but she forced a smile and asked. "Logan, what''s the matter?" Logan observed how Jodie walked, and his heart sank. He took Jodie outside and asked, "Last night...st night..." Tears welled up in Jodie''s eyes as she smiled and said, "Logan, nothing happenedst night!" Logan felt as if his mind had exploded. He stepped back, muttering, "That''s good, that''s good. I... I need to go find Adeline." Upon hearing these words, Jodie grew even paler, feeling as though a knife had stabbed through her heart. She never expected that, despite the apparent hints she and her brother had given, Logan would still mention Adeline at this moment. She set a trap for Logan, but her love for him was genuine. She had been in love with him for many years; she transferred majors in college just for him and even pursued archaeology to be with him. And althoughst night, Logan hadn''t taken her virginity, she had lost something precious in her pursuit of carrying his child through artificial insemination. How could he say something so hurtful? Logan hastily packed his things, stumbling as he grabbed his luggage and left. Moore was in a state of panic. "Why didn''t you tell him the truth? We paid that older man fifty thousand dorsst night! After all that, you didn''t tell him?" Jodie clenched her teeth. "Trust me, it''s not the right time now. It''s better to wait until I''m pregnant. Besides, the more guilty he feels now, the better he will treat me in the future and the more money he''ll give our family." Moore nodded in agreement. "Having a college education makes a difference!" -- Meanwhile, Victoria''s husband, Leo, went to the police station. After inquiring with some acquaintances, he asked, "Is there enough evidence?" "It''s a nailed-down case." "Is there any possibility of a misunderstanding or something else?" Leo inquired. The other person shook their head. "Alright, I understand," Leo said, wrapping his coat tightly. He then arranged for a visit. When Victoria saw Leo, her hair was messy, and her emotions were uncontroble. "Honey, save me, get me out of here! That Adeline is trying to kill me!" Leo sat down calmly without saying a word. He just stared at Victoria silently. After Victoria spoke ill of Adeline for a while and got no response, she started to feel increasingly uneasy. "Honey, why are you looking at me like this?" Leo leaned back in his chair, exuding an air of aristocratic dominance. He calmly said, "If you''re going to talk to me like this, you don''t need to say anything. Victoria, I''m not a fool." Victoria was stunned and grew highly embarrassed. It was as if all her previousints had been a one-woman show. "Why are you doing this? Adeline is our future daughter-inw. She has good character, and she and Logan get along well. Why would you want to frame her?" "Because she can''t have children!" Victoria argued confidently. Leo frowned. "That''s not a valid reason. They decide to break up, not ours." Victoria hastily grabbed Leo''s hand. "Honey, help me. I don''t want to go to jail." "If you want me to help you, you''ll have to do as I say," Leo replied, his eyes revealing little. Victoria quickly agreed. "I''ll do whatever you say." "Alright, first, you need to apologize to Adeline." Before Leo could finish his sentence, Victoria eximed, "I''m the elder here; I have to apologize to her?" Leo stood up, intending to leave. Victoria''s expression changed, and she quickly corrected herself, "Honey, I''ll do as you say!" "Good. I''ll go find Adeline now." Leo left the police station and asked his assistant, "Find out where Adeline is. Prepare a gift and take me there." Shortly after, the assistant located Adeline and brought Leo to Bay Hall. Leo stood before the familiar apartment and furrowed his brow as he asked his assistant, "Are you sure Adeline is here?" Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. As he spoke, Curtis opened the door. "Leo, wee." Chapter 155 Leo Senses Something Wrong Chapter 155 Leo Senses Something Wrong Chapter 155 Leo Senses Something Wrong Leo''s dark eyes narrowed slightly. He wasn''t a fool, and it didn''t make much sense for Adeline to be at Curtis''s ce now. However, when his gaze fell on his younger brother''s smiling face, his gaze softened a bit, and there was a touch of indulgence. Olivia''s voice came from inside. "Dad, why are you here?" In the next moment, Olivia bounced over to Leo and gave him a big hug. "Dad, I''ve missed you so much!" Leo smiled contentedly and patted Olivia''s back. "You''re all grown up and still acting like a baby." Olivia pouted. "No matter how old I am, I''m still your baby." Leo chuckled. "Alright, you''re the best at buttering me up." Adeline watched the interaction between Olivia and her father with envy. Leo gently released Olivia and raised his chin slightly. "Let''s go inside." With that, he wheeled Curtis inside. Adeline nervously stood in the living room and saw a middle-aged man in an apricot-colored windbreaker walk in. He was slightly slender, and the windbreaker didn''t give his frame the same robustness as Curtis, but he exuded a different charm. Leo was in his early fifties, but he had taken good care of himself, appearing like a man in his early forties, mature and refined. Adeline was somewhat nervous when she saw Leo and forgot to greet him. Leo nodded slightly and smiled warmly when he saw her. Once seated, Leo''s concerned gaze fell on Curtis''s legs. "How have you beentely? Any improvement?" "About the same," Curtis replied vaguely. Leo''s eyes darkened slightly, and he patted Curtis''s shoulder. "It will get better." Then, Leo invited Adeline to sit. "Adeline,e, sit down. I came to see you this time." Adeline walked over and took a seat across from Curtis. Olivia also sat down next to her. Adeline walked over and chose to sit opposite Curtis. Olivia also sat beside her. When Adeline sat down, Leo asked with a half-smile, "What brings you both to Curtis''s ce today?" Leo wanted to know why Adeline was there. Curtis wasn''t known for being particrly weing or hospitable. Without giving Adeline a chance to answer, Olivia chimed in. "Dad, you might not know this yet, but my brother is unreliable. A director has been bothering Adeline; my brother left her behind and went on a business trip. If it weren''t for Uncle Curtis helping Adeline and letting her stay here, she would have been in big trouble!" "Oh?" Leo''s lips stiffened slightly, and his gaze toward his brother deepened. "Curtis, you rarely meddle in other people''s business." With this remark, Adeline''s heart skipped a beat. Leo didn''t seem like a wimp described in rumors. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. On the contrary, he seemed pretty slick. Curtis was about to speak, but Olivia chimed in again. "But Adeline is our family. Uncle Curtis has to protect her, of course." Leo chuckled and looked sincerely at Adeline. "Let''s get back to thatter. Adeline, I came today to apologize to you. I''ve already been to the police station to understand the situation. What Logan''s mother did was wrong, and I apologize on her behalf." Adeline calmly replied, "No, you are not the one who''s supposed to apologize." Leo waved his hand with a tinge of regret in his eyes. "No, I am responsible for it too. I spend all my time in theboratory and often neglect what''s happening with my family. Adeline, I have to say sorry to you." After a brief pause, Leo had his assistant bring over some gifts. "These are some gifts I''ve prepared. I''ll have the police provide a detailed exnation and request it to be posted at your school to restore your reputation. And I''ll ask Victoria to apologize to you in person. It was indeed our fault. Adeline, could you do me a favor and withdraw the case?" Chapter 156 Adelines Countermove Chapter 156Adeline''s Countermove Chapter 156 Adeline''s Countermove "And if you have any further requests for reconciliation, feel free to bring them up," Leo added. Adeline instinctively nced at Curtis. Curtis had a hint of a smile on his lips as he spoke, "You are the victim. If you want to reconcile, go ahead; if you don''t, then don''t. It''s up to you." In a word, he supported whatever decision Adeline made. Leo looked at Curtis with surprise, his brow furrowing slightly. He keenly sensed that something was amiss in the rtionship between these two. Adeline was his daughter-inw-to-be, so why would she seek Curtis''s opinion? And Curtis, who had never meddled in affairs like this before, why was he so concerned about Adeline''s matter? Leo felt the need to have a private conversation with Curtis after he managed to send Olivia away. Something was off here. Adeline understood Curtis''s words and took a moment to respond, "Based on the promises you just made, I agree to reconcile. But this is thest chance. I know Logan''s mother doesn''t like me. And if it happens again, I won''t let her go." Leo showed a hint of surprise on his face. He remembered Adeline as someone who was usually gentle and easy to talk to, even giving off an impression of being too submissive andcking in assertiveness. He hadn''t expected her to be so determined this time. That''s good. That''s how she should be. He nodded approvingly and said, "Alright, I understand. Thank you, Adeline." With that, he smiled slightly, ced his hand on Curtis''s shoulder, and squeezed it. He hinted at something, saying, "How about you and I have a chat, just the two of us?" There was a fleeting moment when his gaze rested on Adeline. Curtis knew what Leo wanted to talk about. He nodded and said, "Let''s go to the study." Before they left, he cast another reassuring nce at Adeline. Adeline wasn''t naive and could guess that Leo had noticed something about her rtionship with Curtis. Leo gracefully stood up and politely looked at Adeline. "My birthday is in a few days, Adeline. You shoulde over." Adeline replied with a hint of a faint smile, "Sure, but in what capacity?" Leo''s brow instinctively furrowed. Olivia looked at Adeline, Uncle Curtis, and her father, appearing utterly bewildered. Before Leo could answer Adeline''s question, his phone rang. After answering the call, he eximed, "Is that true? Alright, I''ll be there right away!" He hung up the phone and immediately crouched in front of Curtis, locking his eyes with him. "I just received news that Fermet Lab has cultivated the X-ring Antibody! If true, the virus can be eliminated from your body!" Curtis''s eyelids drooped slightly, his expression unreadable. "Leo, I''m fine. It''s been many years since I had an outbreak." "No! My lifelong wish is to help you detoxify! Even if you''re not experiencing symptoms, as long as the virus still exists in your body, I won''t give up!" He tightly grasped Curtis''s knee. "We don''t know what''s wrong with your legs, but you can''t stand up. It''s very likely due to the virus. You will get better if we can sessfully cultivate and replicate the X-ring Antibody!" Leo became increasingly excited as he spoke and immediately instructed his assistant to book a flight. Curtis held onto Leo''s hand. "Leo, your birthday ising up..." "It''s okay. Birthdayse every year, and I can return before my birthday. Don''t worry." With those words, Leo left with his assistant. After Leo left, Curtis made a call to Steffen. "My brother is heading to Fermet Lab. Send some people to protect him during the journey." Steffen agreed. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Once Leo was gone, Olivia was also called by her friends to go out and y. Seeing that Curtis had been in a low mood, Adeline approached him and gently ced her hand on his shoulder. She asked, "What''s wrong?" Chapter 157 Black Stockings Chapter 157 ck Stockings Chapter 157 ck Stockings "When I used to do business, I was injected with a virus by some bad guy, but it waster cured," Curtis exined casually, holding Adeline''s hand. "But there''s still a small amount of the virus in my body. The doctors said it doesn''t affect my daily life. But my brother, all these years, hasn''t given up." Adeline rarely saw Curtis look so lonely. She thought it probably wasn''t as easy as he made it sound, so she stood there and embraced him, allowing his face to rest against her soft abdomen, gently stroking his head. "It must have been quite painful when you were injected with the virus, right?" Curtis shivered, a memory of those dark days crossing his mind. He rarely feared anything. Except for that one thing. He instinctively held Adeline tighter and nuzzled against her tender belly. "Thankfully, I have you... It''s all in the past now." Adeline chuckled softly, taking Curtis''s words as a form offorting her. Little did she know that she was his light during those dark days, his sole salvation. She was only sixteen then but had left a deep mark on his heart. Adeline asked casually, "Is Leo treating you well?" From how he had spoken to Curtis while crouching down earlier, it was clear that Leo cared about his younger brother. Curtis nodded, "That''s also why I''ve spared Victoria multiple times. She''ll never understand our sibling bond. She doesn''t understand anything and thinks I fear her family. But I don''t want Leo to be in a difficult position." "So, Leo never really intended to take over from you?" Curtis chuckled lightly, "As you''ve seen, Leo cares more about the experiments than running the company. If he can cultivate a new type of cell or develop some antibodies, it makes him happier than holding power. In terms of their obsession with their respective fields, Leo''s dedication to experiments is identical to Logan''s passion for archaeology." Adeline was surprised. She remembered Curtis mentioning earlier that Leo and Logan were simr in some ways. Now she understood what he meant. "That means Leo never intended to take control, and it was always Victoria''s wishful thinking? And you didn''t have anypetitors for the position?" "Yes and no," Curtis exined with a warm smile. "Leo probably never had the ambition to take control. Although he is officially in charge of thepany now, his focus is on theboratory, and many business matters are delegated to professional managers. Most of those managers are my people. But the Riley Family''s business empire is vast, with several branches of the family involved and many outsiders as shareholders. Over the years, our equity has been continuously diluted, and quite a few non-Riley Family members are waiting in the shadows to rece us." Adeline nodded and gently pushed Curtis away. She sensed his mood was still low and then said, "I''ll make you something delicious. They say good food can heal a sad heart." Curtis raised his eyes and asked, "Do you want to make me happy?" Adeline nodded. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. "Then how about wearing ck stockings for me?" Curtis said without changing his expression. "Only that can lift my spirits." In an instant, Adeline''s face turnedpletely red. She couldn''t believe he still remembered the ck stocking thing. She gave Curtis an annoyed look and said, "In your dreams!" Then she went to prepare lunch. After lunch, Curtis was still feeling down, sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window and gazing at the river. His brows were furrowed, clearly preupied with something. Adeline returned to her room and took out the three pairs of ck stockings Curtis had given her. She hesitated for a moment, biting her lip... At that moment, Melissa, who was feeling bored, sent her a message on WhatsApp. Chapter 158 Curtis is Stunned by Adeline Chapter 158 Curtis is Stunned by Adeline Chapter 158 Curtis is Stunned by Adeline Adeline had always been open with Melissa, so she briefly exined today''s events. Melissa immediately replied with a voice message. "Adeline, what''s there to think about? Aren''t you two married? You''re just making love legally and rightfully! It''s a perfectly normal thing!" Adeline blushed, "I can''t stand his quirks. You have no idea... If it weren''t for him tearing my stockingsst time, I wouldn''t have had such a hard time with the police''s questions." "Oh, my Adeline, Curtis is already wonderful enough! Nobody''s perfect! In my eyes, he''s already close to perfection! So what if he has some special preferences? It''s not a big deal. When ites to having a baby, his answer is perfect. And I heard from my cousin that you need to rx if you want to have a child. Do you know my cousin?" Adeline thought momentarily and recalled an introverted woman, "I remember her. She tried to conceive for several years, right?" "Exactly. She couldn''t get pregnant for five years, and her inws constantly pressured her. Her husband, on the other hand, was very supportive. Afterpletely letting go and doing what they felt like, they stopped worrying about getting pregnant. My cousin even tried role-ying seduction with her husband. They had a wild time, and eventually, she got pregnant, and she''s due to give birth at the end of this month! Adeline, why don''t you give it a try? What''s the harm in wearing these stockings? I''ll send you a nurse uniform just like my cousin''s." "No... there''s no need," Adeline declined. However, to her surprise, half an hourter, Melissa had an errand person deliver a nurse uniform with a note that read, Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "Nurse outfit with ck stockings always works!" Adeline was left speechless. But thinking of Melissa''s cousin, she felt a little tempted. Should she try it for the sake of having a child? She changed into the uniform, chose the least sexy ck stockings, and then sent a WhatsApp message to Curtis, asking him toe in. As he entered the main bedroom, Curtis didn''t see her. The bedroom curtains were drawn behind ayer of sheer curtains, making the room dimly lit. "Adeline," Curtis called out with confusion. Adeline peeked her head out from behind the door, her face blushing, almost dripping with embarrassment. "Sir, I heard you''re not feeling well. How about I give you a check-up?" After saying this, Adeline felt like biting off her tongue. What was wrong with her? She couldn''t believe she had used such a shameful line after listening to Melissa! Curtis was confused. However, the next moment, he saw Adeline emerging from behind the door, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head! His heart skipped a beat! He gripped the wheelchair''s armrest tightly and, with a hoarse voice, said, "Well, thank you then, Miss." Adeline lowered her head, her heart pounding wildly. She had just helped him onto the bed when Curtis took the initiative and came closer. The stockings, worth over three thousand dors, were torn to shreds in less than a few seconds. Adeline didn''t understand... What was the point of wearing them in the first ce? As they made out, she couldn''t even think about the stockings anymore... ... Late into the night, Curtis chuckled softly, "Mrs. Riley, you can''t deduct points from me this time. You were the one who called me in." Adeline looked at his gleaming smile and was about to retort when her phone rang. It was an unknown number. She initially intended to hang up, but her hand slipped, and she identally pressed the speaker button. "Hello?" As Adeline spoke, her voice was low, tinged with a hint of post-sex shyness and sensuality, which made Curtis wish she hadn''t taken the call. The next instant, Logan''s voice came from the other end of the phone, full of surprise. "Adeline, is that you?" Chapter 159 Logans First Confrontation with His Mother Chapter 159 Logan''s First Confrontation with His Mother Chapter 159 Logan''s First Confrontation with His Mother Logan had never heard Adeline speak in such a voice, which stirred something within him. He pressed further, "Adeline, is it you?" Adeline cleared her throat and returned to her usual tone. "Yes, it''s me. What''s up?" "My dad asked me before he left on his business trip to let my mom apologize to you in person. Can we meet at The Grand za Hotel in private room 6 tomorrow night?" "Alright." Adeline hung up and immediately called Sara, "Keep an eye on Victoria for me over the next few days. Given the Victoria I know, she won''t just let this slide. Leo''s birthday is in three days, so Victoria should feel extremely anxious." "Okay, no problem," Sara replied swiftly before setting off with her equipment. -- Meanwhile, Logan arrived at the police station in a state of anxiety and inquired about the details of the dispute. After listening to the police officer''s ount, his eyes widened in shock. "Is this for real?" The police officer showed him the records and evidence. Logan examined the records and evidence, and after hearing out the audio recordings, he slumped into a wooden chair as if he had been profoundly struck, murmuring to himself.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. "How could my mom... How could she do something like this..." The police officer, aware of Logan''s identity, offered some words offort. "You need to communicate more." Logan removed his sses, painfully pinching the bridge of his nose. He thanked the officer politely and then asked, "Can I take my mom with me after signing these documents?" The police officer reviewed the documents and nodded in agreement. Logan took Victoria with him. Upon seeing Logan, Victoria began wailing, "My son, that bitch Adeline is bullying me! You have to take my side!" Victoria reached out to grab Logan''s arm, but he impatiently pulled away from her. "Mom, I know how you treated Adeline in the past! You constantly bossed her around, made her do this and that, and didn''t give her money when needed. I saw all of it. Have I ever criticized you? I always told Adeline to be tolerant because you''re the elder. I told her we would be family, so she shouldn''t be so petty. But you... Look what you''ve done this time! Mom, you''ve gone too far!" Victoria stared in disbelief at her refined and usually docile son momentarily. "Son, I... I was just worried that Adeline would bug you. I was helping you two break up! Adeline, she can''t have children!" "Mom," Logan''s voice grew louder, "That has nothing to do with this! Do you know what Adeline cares about the most? It''s her career! She loves teaching so much. What you did could ruin her career and even send her to jail! Mom, I never thought you could be so malicious!" "Malicious? Son, you''re saying I''m malicious?" Victoria felt like a dagger had been thrust into her heart. Logan, still feeling frustrated from the events of the previous night, didn''t have the patience to console his mother. "Dad was right; you should reflect on your actions. And right now, it''s not Adeline bugging me; it''s me pestering her. She wants to break up, but I won''t let her. Mom, stay out of my rtionship with Adeline. I can handle it, and Adeline and I will not break up!" With that, Logan, overwhelmed by his frustration, grabbed his hair. "Mom, please don''t cause any more trouble for Adeline. I''ve owed her so much." Sensing something unusual about her son''s demeanor, Victoria tentatively asked, "Why did you say so? What did you do?" Chapter 160 Let Adeline Make Olivia Sleep with Reuben Chapter 160 Let Adeline Make Olivia Sleep with Reuben Chapter 160 Let Adeline Make Olivia Sleep with Reuben Logan hesitated but ultimately didn''t say anything more. "Just leave me alone." After taking Victoria out of the police station, Logan went his separate way. Victoria watched her son walk away, her heart filled with resentment. It was all because of Adeline, that bitch! Her son used to be different. He used to obey her every word and was so respectful. It was the first time he had been so harsh with her and had left her alone outside the police station. Honk! A BMW pulled up in front of Victoria. The window slowly rolled down to reveal Reba''s heavily made-up face. "Get in; I''ll give you a ride." Still seething with anger, Victoria needed someone to vent to desperately. Without a second thought, she got into the car. Reba drove Victoria to a restaurant. Sara quietly followed them. Reba and Victoria entered a private room. Sara, disguised as a waitress, nted a listening device in their private dining room. After the waitress left, Reba couldn''t take Victoria''s endlessints any longer and spoke frankly. "What do you think about the n I mentionedst time? If you continue to hesitate, Adeline might gain the upper hand. And Olivia is now the only bridge between you, your husband, and your son. You can''t afford to waver any longer." Victoria furrowed her brow. "What do you mean by that?" "As far as I know, your husband is heartbroken about what you did. He didn''t confront you because he hurried to leave on his business trip. But he''ll be back in three days. After all, it''s his birthday. As for your son, you just saw how he reacted. The only thing that can now help you reconcile with your husband and son is your daughter, Olivia. If Adeline targets Olivia, and Olivia bes disappointed in her, she will take your side and speak up for you. And if Olivia is hurt, they will immediately start disliking Adeline. After all, Olivia is your true family. You should know that." Reba''s words subtly swayed Victoria. But the thought of manipting her daughter left her feeling uneasy and troubled. What if something terrible happened? However, her rationality told her she should listen to Reba. She reassured herself that it would be fine; it was just a sleeping pill, not the kind of thing that could cause harm!Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Victoria was in a mental tug-of-war. Reba knew that Victoria hadn''t decided yet, so she opened a Twitter ount on her phone and showed it to Victoria. Victoria looked puzzled and asked, "What is this?" "It''s Olivia''s secret ount. I had someone dig it up," Reba said with a faint smile. Victoria''s expression suddenly changed. She looked like a mother eager to read her daughter''s diary during her teenage years as she quickly began to browse through the content. This secret ount contained documented Olivia''s infatuation with Max. ... Victoria saw Olivia''stest Twitter post, where she mentioned she had her eye on a wine-red, sexy dress she nned to wear to her father''s birthday party to seduce Max. "This is outrageous!" Victoria mmed the phone down and, with determination, turned to Reba. "Alright, let''s do it your way! Tomorrow, we''ll tamper with the drinks and make sure Adeline takes Olivia onto Reuben''s bed! You handle things on Reuben''s end carefully!" Chapter 161 The Devastated Jodie Chapter 161 The Devastated Jodie Chapter 161 The Devastated Jodie Reba smirked, "Oh, don''t worry, nothing will go wrong! I''ve already arranged everything with the media." "When reporters spot Olivia and Reuben leaving the hotel tomorrow, you can expect some news stories rted to this incident to hit the headlines." "Solid Proof of Riley-Burke Family Union: Reuben Burke and Olivia Riley''s Sweet Date Hints at Good News Ahead..." Reba chuckled, "Once this news gets out, you can bet the stock prices for both families to shoot up. Grab some shares at a bargain tomorrow morning, and in just a few days, you''ll have that million-dor loss back in your pocket, won''t you?" Listening to Reba, Victoria found her words increasingly convincing and nodded, "Alright, I''ll follow what you''ve said." Of course, Victoria wasn''t cingplete trust in Reba! She had to take action to ensure her n''s sess! Tomorrow night, she nned to set Max up with a woman using Reba''s name. She would then record a video of that scene to show Olivia, hoping it would convince her to give up of Max entirely. In any case, she wouldn''t allow her daughter to align with Curtis''s group! Unaware of Victoria''s thoughts, Reba stood up and said, "Alright then, let''s split up, each handling our own tasks. Make sure to find a way to keep your son, Logan, upied. Our ns for tomorrow night might getplicated if he''s around." "Got it." Victoria agreed and promptly made a call to the archaeological team. Soon after, Logan, who had just arrived at Jodie''s doorstep in the countryside, received a call from his head. "Hey Logan, we''ve made a new discovery here! There''s a piece of fragment with oracle bone script on it. Since you''re skilled in this area,e and take a look, help us trante." As soon as Logan heard ''oracle bone script'', he was as excited as Leo hearing about ''X-ring Antibodies''. He immediately replied, "Sure, boss. Just wait for me. I''ll buy a ne ticket and head back right away." Ending the call, Logan noticed Jodie and her brothering out. At first, they were taken aback by his presence. But they then secretly pleased. "Hey, Logan, what brings you here?" Jodie still appeared weak and wasn''t feeling well. Upon seeing Jodie, Logan''s initial excitement waned slightly, "Uh... I need to talk to you." Jodie and her brother exchanged a nce, both feeling thrilled. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Jodie put on a show of difort as she approached Logan and said, "Hey Logan, what''s going on?" Logan nced at Jodie''s brother behind her and irritably said, "The team wants us back as soon as possible. So, I''m here to pick you up. Go grab your luggage, quick." After speaking, Logan turned and headed back to his car, leaving Jodie standing alone with her hair disheveled in the wind. What? Back to the archaeological team? Even if he was here to bring her back, shouldn''t he help with her luggage? Couldn''t he notice she was feeling unwell? While she might have been exaggerating her condition a bit, she truly wasn''t feeling well. After all, the artificial insemination procedurest night left her feeling as though her body had been split open! Jodie had no choice but to tell her brother, "Can you help me get the luggage down?" The entire Cook family relied on Jodie, so her brother naturallyplied with her request. After loading the luggage into the trunk, Jodie was about to open the passenger seat door. Logan grabbed the door handle and lifted his chin, "Sit in the back." Feeling devastated, Jodie felt a pang in her heart. From the past until now, she often went on business trips with Logan. But whenever Logan drove his own car, he insisted that she sat in the back, reserving the passenger seat as Adeline''s exclusive spot. Jodie wasn''t satisfied, so she opened the door of the passenger seat and coquettishly said, "Hey Logan, I''m feeling a bit carsick today and don''t feel like sitting in the back. Can I sit in the front?" With watery eyes and a pitiful look, she seemed delicate and vulnerable. Her injured appearance was genuine too. After all, she had taken off Logan''s clothesst night, kissed him all over, and even helped him... In her mind, that counted as intimate contact between them. How could Logan possibly refuse her today? However, in the next instant, Logan''s face remained impassive as he said, "No, sit in the back. I promised this seat to Adeline, and I won''t let any other woman sit here." "Even me?" Jodie''s jealousy was about to drive her crazy, though her expression was on the verge of tears. "Yes, even you!" Logan replied firmly and decisively. Jodie could only begrudgingly move back to the seat at the back. After driving for a while, Logan pulled the car over to the side of the road. Taken aback, Jodie heard Logan started speaking. "Well, I have a friend. He got drunkst night and ended up sleeping with a woman who wasn''t his girlfriend..." Chapter 162 Adeline Didnt Know What to Do Chapter 162 Adeline Didn''t Know What to Do Chapter 162 Adeline Didn''t Know What to Do Jodie''s face lit up with joy. Was Logan nning to have a heart-to-heart talk with her? She blushed and lowered her head, quietly listening to Logan''s story. "My friend is really troubled, so he came to me asking for advice," Logan paused for a moment after speaking. He then nced at the backseat and continued, "If you were that girl, what would you do?" Jodie knew Logan was testing her. Her lips quivered slightly as she assumed a righteous demeanor, "If I were in her shoes and knew he didn''t have feelings for me, I''d see it as an adult mistake and quietly walk away, pretending nothing had urred." Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Getting emotional, Jodie sniffled and said, "I''d also tell that man not toe looking for me again. I wouldn''t disturb his and his girlfriend''s happiness." "Right," Logan nodded in approval. "Well, your thoughts align with mine." Jodie was taken aback! Why did Logan respond this way? Shouldn''t he have thought she was being tactful, incredibly noble, and then felt sorry for her? Lost in shock, Jodie heard Logan''s calm voice before she could react. "I also told my male friend that if he truly loves his fianc¨¦e and wouldn''t marry anyone but her, then he should forget about this incident and take proper precautions." With that, Logan took out a box of contraceptive pills and ced it on the armrest between the front seats. Feeling shocked, Jodie''s face turned pale at the sight of the pills, and she looked at Logan in disbelief. "Logan, you..." Logan didn''t turn around, and said in a calm tone, "Your perspective is the same as my friend''s, isn''t it?" Jodie choked up as she struggled to find words. She was overwhelmed by a sense of despair, as if her heart were being relentlessly pierced by sharp des. Feeling miserable, she picked up the contraceptive pills with her hand trembling uncontrobly. "Logan, does your friend really have no feelings for that woman?" "No, my friend can''t seem to understand it. It''s quite clear that the woman could have easily called for help or asked her brother to assist. Why did she have to tarnish his reputation?" Logan said with frustration evident in his tone. Hearing this, Jodie''s heart felt like it almost stopped due to the piercing pain. Was he implying that she had tarnished him? Sorrow turned into anger as tears began to fall from Jodie''s eyes. They both spent the remainder of the journey to the airport in silence. Once on the ne, Logan also secured separate seats for both of them. Jodie clenched the box of contraceptive pills in her hand until it was deformed, and her gaze turned increasingly furious. There was no way she was going to take contraceptive pills! -- On the other side, at the Bay Hall. After receiving Sara''s recording, Adeline was left speechless for a while. After a long moment, she turned to Curtis, "Has Victoria gone crazy?" Curtis squinted his icy-cold eyes and barely managed to squeeze out a sentence through his teeth, "She probably wants to kick herself out of the Riley family!" "Oh hubby, this is too dangerous. Perhaps I shouldn''t have Olivia apany me tomorrow night." As Adeline finished her words, she hesitated and furrowed her brows, "Or do you think I should tell Olivia about this?" Curtis''s expression softened a bit as he looked at his young wife, "You already have the answer in your heart, don''t you?" "Even if we manage to keep Olivia away from it this time, what about next time?" "As long as Victoria insists on pairing Olivia with Reuben, she''d continue resorting to these dirty tricks." "The best way to protect Olivia isn''t to shield her from the world, but to help her grow up quickly." As his words trailed off, Olivia returned from outside. She looked excitedly at Adeline, "Hey, my mom wants to apologize to you in person! My brother had an urgent matter with his archaeological team, so he went back. He won''t be able to make it tomorrow. Worried that you two might feel awkward, my mom asked me to join you." With that, Olivia took Adeline''s hand and expressed her feelings. "Both of you mean a lot to me. I hope that after tomorrow night, your rtionship will be okay, and I won''t be caught in the middle anymore. Adeline, can you please forgive my mom after she apologizes tomorrow? Can we just let this matter go? Is that okay?" Adeline withdrew her hand and looked troubled as she gazed at Olivia. "Well, I can''t just let this matter go." After those words, Adeline yed the audio that Sara had covertly recorded. Chapter 163 Max Would Rescue Me! Chapter 163 Max Would Rescue Me! Chapter 163 Max Would Rescue Me! After the recording finished ying, the entire living room fell silent. Adeline kept her eyes fixed on Olivia, who remained surprisingly calmpared to how most people would react. Olivia then blinked a couple of times and smiled at Adeline, "Anyway, I''ll apany you tomorrow night. If you go alone, who knows what might happen, right?" "Olivia..." Adeline barely started speaking before Olivia interrupted her. "Uncle Curtis, can you arrange for people to go into the hotel and rece the spiked drinks?" "Yeap, sure," Curtis replied with extreme confidence. Receiving a definite answer, Olivia looked at Adeline as she shrugged. "Then that''s settled. Anything else?" "Olivia..." Adeline moved her lips as she wanted to speak, only to be interrupted by Olivia once more. Olivia put on an indifferent yet excited expression. "Tomorrow, I''ll pretend to sip the spiked drinks and then call Max right away. I''ll make Maxe to the hotel to rescue me. I''m confident that when he hears I''m in trouble, he''ll rush to the hotel like aText content ? N?velDrama.Org. knight in shining armor! Then, I''ll change into a sexy little dress and surprise him. What happens after that will be our mutual choice, and our rtionship will be solidified by then!" After finishing her statement, Olivia yawned, "Alright, you guys can discuss the details. I''m exhausted, so I need to go back to my room and sleep." As thest note fell, Olivia rushed into the guest room as if escaping. She then closed the door and slid down against the door to sit on the floor, covering her mouth while silently sobbing. There was a mixture of surprise, disappointment and sadness. She couldn''t understand why her own mother, who had always doted on her, would treat her this way! Was power more important to Victoria than her own daughter?! ... Outside the room, Adeline and Curtis exchanged nces. Curtis held Adeline''s hand and said softly, "Let''s give her some space. It''s time for her to learn how to grow up." Adeline nodded as she gazed deeply at the closed door. She recalled the painful day she discovered her own mother had handed over her medical report to her prospective inws... The next day, Curtis sent a text message to Adeline using a new number. Adeline nced at Curtis''s message but didn''t reply. When it was time to leave work, Melissa volunteered to apany her. "Oh, don''t worry, Curtis will go there with me. Besides, too many people going might make Victoria suspicious. Olivia is still waiting for this matter to improve her rtionship with Max, you know!" Melissa, upon hearing Olivia''s n, looked surprised, "Can this actually work?" Adeline shook her head, "I''m not sure either. But Olivia has had a crush on Max for many years." As they spoke to each other, Melissa apanied Adeline to Curtis''s car. When closing the door, Melissa gave Curtis a stern look, "Well, Mr. Riley, I''m entrusting Adeline to you now. Adeline told me not to go, so you better make sure her safety is your top priority!" Curtis, in an unusually good mood, nodded, "Oh, don''t worry, I''ll make sure the mission is aplished." Melissa then closed the car door. Curtis drove Adeline and Olivia to The Grand za Hotel, then left. After arriving at a private parking lot, Curtis switched to a different car to avoid being followed and stealthily made his way with Steffen to a private room at The Grand za Hotel. Meanwhile, Adeline and Olivia pushed open the door to Room 6 and found Victoria sitting alone inside. A smile appeared on Victoria''s face the moment she saw them. Chapter 164 A Plot Within a Plot! Chapter 164 A Plot Within a Plot! Chapter 164 A Plot Within a Plot! "Oh, you''re finally here!" Victoria got up and approached Adeline and Olivia. As Victoria reached them, she shot Olivia a nce andined, "Hey you little troublemaker, I suggested youe with me, but you refused, leaving me here all alone. It''s so boring, you know!" As Victoria spoke, her gazended on Olivia''s wine-red slip dress, and she blinked in shock for a moment. "Hey Olivia, why dress up like this? It''s not a g or anything." Olivia, who was holding Adeline''s hand, replied with a hint of attitude, "Mind your own business! I''m wearing this outfit just for Max." Victoria looked momentarily puzzled but decided to hold back her temper after considering her mission tonight. After all, once tonight was over, Olivia''s connection with Max would be history. Victoria returned to her seat. Adeline took the initiative to speak, "Well Victoria, you owe me an apology, remember?" "Sure, I remember." Victoria''s mouth twitched, "You know, tonight''s dinner is our make-up dinner. Why else would I go through the trouble of having Logan book us a private room if I''m not intending to apologize, right?" Victoria signaled the waiter to serve the food. Adeline spoke candidly, "Victoria, I still regard you as my sister-inw out of respect. I''m genuinely here to reconcile, and one of the conditions I''ve agreed with my brother-inw to reconcile is receiving your apology." Olivia paused as she wondered why Adeline was addressing her mom as ''sister-inw'' and her dad as ''brother-inw'' so easily today. Weren''t Adeline and Uncle Curtis not married yet? But before Olivia could dwell on it, she heard Adeline''s calm yet slightly stern voice. "I know what you''re thinking, Victoria. Don''t worry, I won''t trouble Logan anymore. Your choice of a future daughter-inw doesn''t concern me. All I ask is for your apology today and a promise that we won''t have conflicts in the future. Well, since we''re family, I''m willing to let go of the past if you are. But if not, I, Adeline Burton, will stand by my stance until the end." In saying this, Adeline was actually giving Victoria onest chance. As Curtis''s wife, Adeline was trying to maintain a harmonious family dynamic and prevent their rtionship from deteriorating too much, especially given Curtis''s emphasis on brotherly love. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. However, Victoria''s thoughts were not aligned with this. She found Adeline, who was actually younger than her, too audacious! Victoria put on a fake smile, beckoning Adeline and Olivia, "Come on, let''s eat first." "No, apologize first!" Adeline insisted. Even though Curtis had initially said that he would handle the drinks, Adeline still had some reservations. She feared that things might get out of hand. "What''s this? Adeline, you say you''re willing to reconcile, yet it seems you have no desire to dine with me, huh?" Victoria quipped with a forced smile. On the other hand, Olivia seemed nonchnt and started eating from the dishes on the table. Seeing this, Victoria picked up some food and offered it to Olivia. "Adeline, in the future, we''ll often have meals together at home. If you can''t handle this, what will you do in the future, huh?" Adeline remained unruffled and smiled faintly, "Oh, you''re underestimating me." With that, she symbolically picked up a morsel of food and took a couple of bites before discreetly spitting it out onto her napkin. Victoria got up and poured red wine for Olivia and Adeline. After pouring, she took the initiative to raise her own ss and said awkwardly, "Well, I made a mistake in this matter, and I apologize. I hope you can let bygones be bygones and not seek revenge on my children." After she downed her wine, she seemed sincere as she bowed. Adeline held her ss as her expression grew colder. Thatst statement, about seeking revenge on her children, was clearly an attempt to influence Olivia, wasn''t it? Well, it seemed Victoria hadn''t given up on her n. Adeline sipped her champagne lightly, while Olivia, seemingly triggered, downed her ss abruptly and asked for another. The strange look in Olivia''s eyes as she nced at Victoria seemed to convey, "If you want me to drink, I''ll drink myself to death." Olivia continued to down several sses in a row, prompting Adeline to intervene, "Hey, Olivia, that''s enough, you''ve had too much." However, Olivia disregarded Adeline and continued drinking until she got herselfpletely stered. Victoria looked surprised, "Oh dear, why did this stubborn child get herself drunk?" With that, she turned to Adeline, "Go get a room for Olivia, I''ll take care of her here." Giving Victoria a deep, mocking look, Adeline followed the original n and booked a room at the counter and returned to the private room after that. At that moment, Victoria clumsily found an excuse to leave and requested Adeline to help Olivia into the room. Adelineplied and escorted Olivia to the room before leaving. At this moment, Olivia, who had pretended to be drunk, furrowed her brow. Something was wrong, her body was feeling increasingly odd. That wine... Did Uncle Curtis not handle it properly? As Adeline was about to leave, she spotted a familiar figure. It was Jonathan! Adeline then followed him... Chapter 165 Plot Within a Plot (Part 2) Chapter 165 Plot Within a Plot (Part 2) Chapter 165 Plot Within a Plot (Part 2) Oliviay on the bed with her body temperature rising, and she felt increasingly weak. In a panic, she dialed Max''s number. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. "Hello," a deep voice answered on the other end. "Max, it''s me, Olivia. I... I''ve been drugged at The Grand za Hotel, Room 802. Please, hurry and save me." "Olivia, you can call the police or your Uncle Curtis..." "No, Max, I need you to save me..." Olivia writhed on the bed in intense difort. Before she could finish speaking, Max heartlessly hung up the phone. Struggling to her feet, she made her way unsteadily to the hotel room door. As she was about to touch the doorknob, she hesitated and retracted. "Max, I don''t believe you won''te to save me! I''m betting on you!" With that, Olivia gritted her teeth and returned to the bed. She smoothed out her beautiful red dress, imagining the moment when Max would kick the door open. A slight smile instinctively yed on her lips. After all these years, this day had finallye. ... Meanwhile, in the hotel corridor, Adeline caught a glimpse of Jonathan''s figure, fleeting like a shadow. Intermittent cries of a girl echoed from around the corner. "Please." "No." "Please spare me." Those voices were eerily reminiscent of that girl from years ago. Without hesitation, Adeline followed the sounds. Arriving at thest room at the corner, the door had just closed. Adeline knocked on the door, "Jonathan, open the door! If you don''t open, I''m calling the police! Open up!" Desperate, Adeline turned the doorknob and, to her surprise, it was sessfully twisted open. She rushed inside and intended to help that girl. Just a few steps in, she hesitated and considered calling Curtis to provide him with the address. Unexpectedly, a loud thud struck her head, inflicting pain, and she then lost consciousness as she copsed to the ground. At that moment, Curtis, who was in the private room, felt an unsettling difort in his chest. He nced at his watch. It hadn''t been long, but Adeline should have been here by now. Curtis''s phone rang suddenly, and he answered it. At the other end of the line, Max mentioned a room number and said, "Olivia says she has been drugged." "Yeah, I know. I''m right here," Curtis replied casually. "Alright, it has nothing to do with me anymore then." After speaking, Max was about to hang up. But Curtis hit the nail on the head. "She wants you toe save her." "Ridiculous." Max coldly uttered the word before ending the call. Sara cast a nce at Curtis, "Mr. Riley, something might have gone wrong." Curtis''s brow furrowed, "What''s going on?" Sara gestured towards the surveince feed, "The video has frozen on Mrs. Riley assisting Olivia into the room. I just checked, and it''s not a live feed. Moreover, I can''t reach Mrs. Riley now." Before Sara could finish her sentence, Curtis pounded the table and rose to his feet, with his eyes as sharp as knives. "Steffen, immediately lock down the hotel and bring the General from the car. You need to conduct a thorough search for Mrs. Riley! Sara, you''re in charge of bringing Reba here!" With that, Curtis left the room. Steffen, seeing Curtis walk out on his own, gasped for air in shock and quickly dialed his subordinates. "Hurry, lock down The Grand za Hotel. Nobody can leave their rooms! Cut off all the corridor surveince." After making the arrangements, Steffen rushed back to the car, with the General in tow, and entered the hotel at a brisk pace. A security guard stepped in front of Steffen, "Sorry, no pets allowed in our hotel." The General grew impatient and barked at the security guard, showing off his sharp teeth. The guard, who was frightened, took a couple of steps back but still dutifully said, "I''m sorry, sir, this is a five-star hotel..." Before he could finish, Steffen grabbed the guard by his cor and asked, "Can you bear the responsibility if Mr. Riley''s wife goes missing in your hotel?" The moment the guard heard ''Mr. Riley'', he was petrified and sat down on the ground. He then cleared a path for Steffen and the General. Steffen quickly led the General to the eighth floor. Curtis had just reviewed the surveince and found no sign of Adeline. When he saw the General, his eyes lit up. He approached and patted the General''s head vigorously, "Hurry, find Adeline for me!" The General seemed to understand. With two sharp barks, it started sniffing the ground. After a couple of sniffs, it sneezed twice. The General then repeatedly sneezed. Steffen''s face paled, "Oh no, the scent on the ground has been tampered with. Someone must have known we have the General and deliberately used strong perfumes to create interference." Chapter 166 Only One Could Be Saved Chapter 166 Only One Could Be Saved Chapter 166 Only One Could Be Saved As Steffen finished speaking, Sara rushed over and informed Curtis with a serious look on her face. "Bad news, Mr. Riley. Miss Riley is likely in trouble too. We''re short on manpower here. Should we split..." Her words were cut off as Curtis intervened. "Put every ounce of effort into locating my wife! I won''t tolerate any harming to her, and I mean that!" Curtis''s stern gaze pierced through Sara, "Did you do what I asked?" His tone carried a hint of me for her getting distracted. Sara''s heart sank, and she quickly reported, "We''ve apprehended Reba. I had attached a tracker to her earlier, and she''s been skulking around the hotel, monitoring the situation inside." "Take me there." Sara led the way, and Curtis strode toward the private room. Seeing Curtis in his ck coat and walking on his own, a mix of surprise and delight swept across Reba''s face. "Hey Curtis, your legs are fine! I knew you wouldn''t..." Before she could finish, Curtis immediately grabbed her neck, and his eyes were filled with intense hostility. "Where''s Adeline?" Reba''s neck was tightened by Curtis''s grip, and she struggled to breathe, causing her face turn red. "You''re choking me for that slut?" Upon hearing the word ''slut'', Curtis''s grip tightened even more. Veins protruded on his fair hand, and his eyes became bloodshot, as if he had no mercy left in him. Reba''s face turned red as she gasped for air, and her eyes bulged as she suffered to speak. Steffen, rmed by the situation, quickly tried to pull Curtis''s wrist away but failed. "Mr. Riley!" Steffen anxiously called out, "You''re going to kill her!" Curtis didn''t care about Steffen''s words one bit and continued to apply pressure on Reba. "Mr. Riley! The most important thing right now is to save Mrs. Riley! If you kill her, it''ll be hard for us to find..." Before Steffen could finish, Curtis regained his senses and released Reba. Reba slumped to the side and desperately gasped for air, like a fish stranded on the beach. She was unable to speak for a long while. "Tell me, onest time, where''s Adeline?" Curtis''s eyes darkened with a menacing intensity. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Reba smiled, causing pain in her chest. She hated Adeline. It was Adeline who made Curtis want to kill her. "Hahaha!" Reba''s red lips curled into a maniacal grin as sheughed. "Curtis, you''re mine! In the entire Prodiff, I''m the only one who truly understands you. I even foresaw that you''d use the General for the search. So, give up on finding that slut! The General won''t locate her." With a sharp ''smack'', Sara stepped forward and pped Reba across the face. "Mr. Riley can''t hit women, so I''ll do it for him!" Reba''s cheek instantly turned red and began bleeding. She shook her disheveled hair and still smiled provocatively. "Well, let''s take a guess, shall we? What do you think Adeline is going through right now? Curtis, I''m the one who knows you better than anyone else in this world. You''re a bit of a clean freak and hate others touching your things. But what if Adeline has been with a dozen guys? Hahaha... I might even film a little something and send it your way. I doubt you''d be able to, you know, get it up when you see her again in this lifetime. Hahaha... Just looking at her face might bring back memories of those scenes." ''Smack''! Sara delivered another sharp p, sending Reba reeling. But like an indestructible cockroach, Reba sat up again with a smile on her face. Curtis stepped forward and grabbed Reba''s neck. His gaze was piercing like a knife, "I''ll ask one last time, where''s Adeline? Don''t make me ask a second time!" As his wordsnded, Reba seemed to recall the fear of imminent death from moments ago and stammered, "Fine, I''ll tell you!" Curtis released her neck, and his eyes fixed on her intensely. Reba''s grin turned wicked as she said, "Well, I''ll give you a multiple-choice question. I can offer you a hint, but you can only save either Olivia or that slut. Who''s your choice, huh?" Chapter 167 Hubby Stood Up Chapter 167 Hubby Stood Up Chapter 167 Hubby Stood Up "I choose Adeline!" Curtis''s voice was resolute, without a hint of hesitation. Hisrge hand firmly grasped Reba''s lower jaw, almost as if he intended to crush it. Reba was taken aback, seemingly surprised that Curtis would make a decision so quickly. He replied without even needing to think! In the next moment, her lower jaw throbbed in pain, and she stared at Curtis in disbelief. "You... You''re actually giving up Olivia for that slut? She''s your niece, you know!" Curtis''s gaze turned icy, and he tightened his grip. "I''ll ask you once more, where''s Adeline? If you choose not to answer, you might never speak again in this lifetime." As his words fell, Steffen rushed in while panting heavily. "Mr. Riley, we''ve got a situation! The General is barking like crazy at room 634..." Before he could finish his sentence, Curtis had already rushed out like a whirlwind. Steffen quickly followed. At first, he had contemted forcibly entering the room, but the fear of witnessing something he shouldn''t had deterred him. As a result, he had no other choice but to inform Curtis first. When Curtis arrived at room 634, the General was furiously barking. Bark! Bark! Bark! Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. The General kept scratching at the door. "Step back!" With amand, the General stepped aside, and Curtis immediately kicked the door open. It was a perfect team effort between a man and his dog. With a loud bang, the door swung open, and Curtis stormed inside. Meanwhile, Adeline was holding a stun gun and pressing it against one of the thugs. Zzzz... The thug was jolted by an electric shock, which coursed through his body and sent him copsing to the side. Adeline was frightened and quickly ran toward Curtis, hugging him tightly. "Hubby, hubby... I... I think I might have just killed someone." Her hands were trembling as she pointed to the four big men lying nearby. She was so scared that she had forgotten Curtis was standing on his own two feet. When she had entered this room earlier, she had already felt that something was wrong. When the back of her head had started to ache, she finally realized she had fallen for a trap. As soon as she saw the four men in the room, she quickly came up with a n. She pretended to faint andy on the ground. Then, she secretly took out the stun gun from her keychain. When one of the thugs tried to move her, she immediately pressed the stun gun against his chest. The first thug had copsed without even having a chance to scream. Later, when the two thugs pounced on her together, she was terrified. She wielded the stun gun Curtis had given her as if it were a knife and swung it wildly. By pure ident, she shocked another thug. Then, the third thug lunged at her with harmful intentions. In her panic, she aimed the stun gun at his groin area. This time, it was the most gruesome shock. The thug cried out in agony, begging for mercy, and it seemed like there was even a hint of a burnt smell. Curtis coldly eyed the four thugs lying on the ground and snorted, "Well, they deserve it!" At this point, Adeline''s head was spinning as her nerves had stretched to the limit. When she heard what Curtis said, it scared her even more. "What... What do we do now? I''m going to jail..." Her consciousness faded as she finished her words. "Anyway... it''s... it''s good you''re here." As her words trailed off, she passed out. Curtis quickly caught her and carried her back to the private room. As the door to the room opened, Reba instinctively looked up. Seeing Adeline unscathed, her clothes not even disheveled, Reba stood up angrily and eximed, "No way! How can this slut be perfectly fine?" Curtis gave Reba a stern look and warned, "Reba Morris, my patience has limits. Refrain from calling her a slut again." "Slut! She seduced you, so she''s definitely a slut!" Reba showed no fear at all! Curtis''s expression darkened to an extreme. He turned to Sara and said sternly, "Strip her and take her to Victoria''s father''s room!" Upon hearing this, Reba''s eyes widened as she stared at Curtis. "How dare you! Curtis, one of my uncles is the Director-General of Customs, another is the Chief of Police for West District, and my father is Tristan Morris! Do you even dare toy a hand on me, huh?" "Well, it''s true that it might lead to someplications." Curtis admitted candidly, "But I''m not afraid of a little trouble." With those words, Sara took Reba away. Reba struggled and screamed all the way. "Curtis Riley, you''re insane!" "Curtis Riley, I hate you!" "Curtis Riley, I''m going to kill you!" ... Reba''s voice, perhaps too piercing, prompted Adeline to regain consciousness. Adeline touched her throbbing head as she woke up, and found herself in Curtis''s arms. "Hmm? How did I end up here?" Adeline looked at Curtis, who was sitting in a wheelchair and holding her. "Hey hubby, I remember you just stood up, didn''t you?" Chapter 168 Olivia Got Brutally Injured Chapter 168 Olivia Got Brutally Injured Chapter 168 Olivia Got Brutally Injured "Really?" Curtis asked casually as he reached out to rub Adeline''s head. "How''s it feel? Still hurting badly?" Adeline looked at Curtis''s leg in confusion and mumbled to herself, "Could I be hallucinating due to the pain?" Sara, who was growing impatient with their intimacy, cleared her throat twice and reminded them, "Mr. Riley, Miss Riley might be in danger." Curtis was shocked a little, and he turned to Sara, "Quick!" Sara rushed out of the private room after receiving the instruction. Curtis sheepishly rubbed his nose as he felt a little guilty, "I got so caught up in saving you that I forgot about Olivia." Adeline widened her eyes as she realized the danger, and hastily followed Sara out. As they reached room 802, Sara and Adeline frantically pounded on the door and rang the doorbell, creating a ruckus. However, after several minutes, no one inside came to open the door. Adeline''s face turned pale, "This is bad! Something''s wrong!" ording to the original n, Olivia was supposed to pretend to be drunk and drugged, so there was no reason she couldn''t open the door. Even if she was being intimate with Max, hearing their urgent knocking should have prompted her to call them. Sara nced at Adeline and took a few steps back to kick the door. But she had much less strength than Curtis and couldn''t force the door open. Bang, Bang! After two failed kicks, Victoria walked over and reprimanded them, "What are you doing?" Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Adeline answered with a serious tone, "There might be trouble inside." "Trouble? What kind of trouble could there be inside?" Victoria looked unnatural and evasive. Noticing that Victoria wasn''t acknowledging her own mistake, Adeline decided to stop speaking to her and turned to Sara. "Keep kicking! And if that doesn''t do the trick, let''s get the manager to help us open it!" As Adeline spoke, she shouted into the room, "I don''t care who you are, open the door right now, or I''ll call the police." Bang, Bang! Sara kicked the door hard two more times. Victoria, visibly affected by Adeline and Sara''s nervousness, took out a room key and came up with a flimsy excuse. "I was worried that Olivia might get sick, so I asked the front desk for a room key." Ding-ding. The door opened, and a woman''s agonizing scream pierced the air. "Whoosh!" Along with the sound of a whip cracking, there were screams of pain from the woman and a man''s crazed voice. "You slut! You all want toe between me and my girlfriend!" "I''ll destroy you... all of you who think about sleeping with me all day!" Adeline, Sara, and Victoria were shocked at the man''s words and instantly rushed inside. Adeline froze in her tracks first. Olivia''s dress was torn, and her hands were bound to the bed. The man, with red eyes and a deranged look, was standing at the foot of the bed and whipping Olivia. There was hardly an inch of unharmed skin left on Olivia''s body. It was an extremely brutal scene. Once Adeline snapped out of it, she immediately grabbed a nket and covered Olivia in order to preserve her dignity. Then she helped untie Olivia''s hands. Olivia, her lips drained of color from pain, began sobbing loudly when Adeline held her up. Seeing this, Reuben attempted to run away from the scene, but Sara kicked him hard in the knee. "Ah!" Reuben felt like his bone was splitting. He dropped to his knees, and was unable to escape. Victoria stood in shock, and was unable to recover for a long time. When she finally regained her senses, she screamed at Adeline, "Adeline, what happened to my daughter?" Before Adeline could respond, Olivia wriggled out of her embrace and sat up, calmly looking at Victoria. "Mom, what happened? You know it, don''t you?" Victoria shook her head in disbelief, "No, I don''t know! I... I entrusted you to Adeline to take care of you! And just now, I had a bad feeling, so I sent the bodyguard to the kitchen to check, and they found out that Adeline had drugged your food! Olivia, I... I''m your mom. How would I ever want to harm you, right?" As Victoria spoke, she had fully convinced herself of her own lie. Yes, she would never harm her own daughter! It was Adeline! All of this was Adeline''s doing! "I''m calling the police. I''m going to make the police arrest Adeline! The kitchen staff can testify against her!" Chapter 169 Hubby, He Wanted to Kill Me Chapter 169 Hubby, He Wanted to Kill Me Chapter 169 Hubby, He Wanted to Kill Me "Well, mom, I never knew your acting skills were this good before this," Olivia said calmly as she lifted the corners of her mouth. Her eyes showed no emotion, not even tears. Perhaps when one reached the point of utter despair, one couldn''t even cry anymore. Adeline, feeling a bit sorry for Olivia, wanted to pat Olivia''s shoulder tofort her, but worried about touching her injuries. "Olivia, if you want to cry, just let it out. Let''s not talk about anything else. Do you want me to take you to the hospital?" Olivia forced a bitter smile, "Mom, do you see it? At a time like this, Adeline is thinking about whether I''m sad or in pain, and if I need to go to the hospital. What you''re thinking about is how to frame her!" "I..." Victoria was left speechless. Olivia struggled to stand up and removed thest piece of covering in front of her, revealing her bloody, tortured wounds. "Mom, take a good look. I hope you''ll remember every single one of these. These are your gifts to me!" Victoria was so shaken she almost couldn''t stand. She turned her face away and couldn''t bear to look at it, "No... no, it wasn''t me. It really wasn''t me!" Olivia walked over to the closet, opened it, and found a white bathrobe to put on. She then turned her head weakly to look at Victoria.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. "Do you need to hear the recording of how you and Reba nned to make me sleep with Reuben? Do you still want to call the police and arrest Adeline? Or would you prefer to have yourself arrested?" Victoria''s heart skipped a beat, and her blood ran cold. She shook her head as she couldn''t believe what she had heard. "No, Olivia, listen to me. It''s not like what you think..." Olivia''s lips curved coldly, "Alright mom, I''m listening. Go on." Victoria''s heart tightened, and she almost couldn''t breathe. Tears streamed down her face. She covered her mouth and sobbed, as her mind filled with the image of Olivia''s blood-soaked body. "Reba told me it was just sleeping pills... There was nothing... I... I didn''t know it would turn out like this... I really didn''t know..." Victoria cried uncontrobly. In her agitation, she reached out and grabbed Reuben by the neck, "Why? Why would you do this to my daughter?!" "Because I hate all of you! I hate you all, you vixens! If it weren''t for each of you trying to manipte your daughters into my life for the sake of wealth and status, my family wouldn''t have pressured me to break up with my girlfriend! It''s all your fault!" Reuben yelled hysterically. Victoria was stunned. She never expected that Reuben, who appeared refined and had an excellent reputation in their social circle, could turn out to be mentally disturbed. Adeline couldn''t stand it any longer. She picked up the whip from the floor andshed Reuben directly, "Have you ever considered that she didn''t do this willingly?" "Hiss!" Reuben gasped, and his eyes filled with resentment as he red at Adeline. "I don''t care! She''s a slut by lying here on this bed!" Adeline raised the whip once more and struck Reuben forcefully, "You can''t me others for your own rtionship problems! If you have the guts, stand up to your family instead of directing your anger at an innocent woman." Getting increasingly emotional, Adelineshed him once more. "Ah! How dare you strike me?! Are you out of your mind? Do you know who I am? How dare you hit me?!" Reuben, with a broken knee, remained immobilized in the same position, and vulnerable to the whip. Just as the words left his mouth, Curtis arrived at the door and knocked on the door, "Can Ie in?" ncing at Olivia, Adeline responded after Olivia nodded, "Alright,e in." As soon as Curtis wheeled himself inside, Adeline rushed to his side and pointed to Reuben on the floor as sheined. "Hubby, he said he wants to kill me... I''m scared..." Chapter 170 Curtis Put Himself into Trouble Chapter 170 Curtis Put Himself into Trouble Chapter 170 Curtis Put Himself into Trouble Reuben was speechless. Was this the same woman who had just whipped him so harshly? How could she change her demeanor so quickly? Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. "Don''t be scared," Curtis gently reassured Adeline with a pat on her hand, then turned to Reuben. Curtis spoke coldly as if addressing a lifeless body, "There''s no need to be fearful, babe. Taking his life is the solution." Once again, Reuben was speechless. Adeline leaned close to Curtis''s ear and softly exined what had happened. Curtis''s expression grew grim as he turned to Olivia, "What do you want me to do for you?" Before Olivia could respond, Victoria shouted, "Curtis, don''t pretend to be righteous here. My people told me that just now, Reba asked you to choose between saving Adeline or Olivia, and you didn''t hesitate to choose Adeline!" If not for that, Victoria wouldn''t have hurriedly gotten the room key and rushed up here. She didn''t expect that something bad would really happen! Ignoring her mother''s attempts to stir trouble, Olivia cast a ruthless nce at Curtis, "Have your people strip him of his shirt and pants, leave him only in his underwear. I want to whip him and return the number of whips that he had given me!" "Alright!" As Curtis''smand fell, Steffen and Sara immediately stripped Reuben and pinned him to the bed. With one hand getting support from Adeline''s shoulders, Olivia raised the whip with the other and lashed Reuben. Whip after whip! She didn''t stop until she had inflicted a simr level of harm on Reuben as she had experienced. Tossing the whip aside, Olivia nearly copsed. Adeline and Curtis promptly rushed her to the hospital. At the hospital, the director promptly arranged a resting room for Curtis and ensured Olivia received confidential medical care with the best doctors. After the director left, only Adeline and Curtis remained on the sofa in the resting room. Exhausted, Adeline rubbed her temples, and Curtis pulled her into his embrace. Adeline nestled in the familiar warmth of his embrace and couldn''t help but ask after recalling what Victoria had just said, "Did Reba really give you the choice between the two of us?" "Yeah," Curtis didn''t hide it. "And you chose me?" Adeline looked up, and her eyes filled with astonishment. "Yes," Curtis nodded firmly. Adeline''s heart surged with emotion. Throughout her life, she had always been the one sacrificed in various situations. Just like that time during the big fire, her family didn''t hesitate to abandon her. Whenever something good happened, everyone always thought of Vi first. Yet, without hesitation, Curtis had chosen her over Olivia, and that moved her deeply. Adeline sped her arms around Curtis''s neck and couldn''t resist leaning in for a kiss. Her lips curved sweetly as she asked, "But why?" "No exnation is necessary. You''re the most important person in my life. You are my wife, and I must save you." "But Olivia is your niece," Adeline teased with a sly grin. "But she''s just my niece!" Curtis looked at Adeline with determination. Adeline''s heart danced with joy, but there was still a hint of surprise on her face. "So, if it were me and your second brother in trouble, whom would you save?" Curtis replied without any hesitation, "Definitely you!" Adeline''s lips curled up again, and her voice turned even more yful. "Are you sure you''re not lying?" "I''m not." "Then, between me and your elder brother, whom would you choose?" "You, you!" Curtis yfully bit her, "I''d choose you every time!" Curtis could tell that Adeline was in a great mood. But he didn''t understand why she was so happy. Wasn''t saving his own wife a clear-cut action? Curtis couldn''t help but flick Adeline''s nose, "But Adeline, please don''t ask me what I would do if you and my mom fell into the water together." Adeline blinked her eyes and her mischievous smile deepened. "Well, let''s suppose neither of us can swim, we both fall into the water at the same time, and you don''t have a lifebuoy or anyone else to help. Who would you save, huh?" Curtis was speechless. Could the scenario be any more detailed? Chapter 171 The Answer From Curtis When Wife and Mother Fell Into the Water Chapter 171 The Answer From Curtis When Wife and Mother Fell Into the Water Chapter 171 The Answer From Curtis When Wife and Mother Fell Into the Water Curtis sighed, but his tone was still filled with indulgence. "Adeline, I have very clear boundaries in my heart." "Boundaries?" Adeline was slightly stunned. "Yes. I have clear boundaries for each family member. I draw a circle with myself at the center. The spousal rtionshipes first, followed by parents and children in the secondyer, and siblings in the thirdyer. Nieces, nephews, and friends are only outside the thirdyer. That''s why I saved you and not Olivia. Logan is different from me. He doesn''t have a clear sense of boundaries with family and friends, which is why he made the decision to apany his junior sister to the countryside when Victoria was arrested." Adeline was taken aback and deeply shocked. She looked at Curtis, who exined with a serious expression. "So, you don''t need to ask me what to do if there are mother-inw and daughter-inw issues. You don''t need to ask me how to deal with a difficult sister-inw. My boundaries are clear. For me, you are the most important and youe first. But I can''t tell you who I would save if both you and my mother fell into the water at the same time. I will make a quick judgment based on the situation at that time. I will try to save the most dangerous person first and try to save both of you. But if it''s not possible, Adeline... don''t ask me anymore. That would be too cruel." Adeline nodded, moved, and hugged Curtis. "Thank you, thank you for cing me in such an important position." She was truly touched. "No need to thank me. You deserve the best treatment," Curtis lightly pecked her. Adeline''s heart trembled again, then a smile appeared on her face. Curtis always knew how to hit her soft spot. "I''m telling you about these boundaries because I don''t want you to feel guilty towards Olivia," Curtis affectionately rubbed her head. Adeline was struck by his words and widened her eyes. "Can you see that?" "Mhmm." Curtis nodded lightly. "Adeline, you are too kind. You always take everyone''s problems onto yourself, but it''s not your responsibility. Understanding theyers of rtionships can help you unload unnecessary moral burdens. Don''t burden yourself with the problems of people outside your circle. We are not saviors. We cannot save and change everyone''s fate. We can only live our own lives well. Adeline, you need to be clear about who is most important to you." Adeline red at him coquettishly. "Shameless! Are you saying that you want to be ced in the most important position?" Although she said that, Adeline understood in her heart that Curtis was saying all this for her own good. Realizing this, Adeline earnestly cupped Curtis''s face. "My husband, don''t deceive me. What you''re saying is all very nice, and you are truly a good person. It seems like... I can''t be without you anymore." Curtis froze, his pupils trembling along with his eyes. "Mrs. Riley, are you confessing to me?" He had expected to hear a reproachful shameless remark, but Curtis saw Adeline nod seriously once again. "Yes, today I officially inform you, Curtis, that you have been promoted. But don''t let me find out one day that everything you said was a lie, from beginning to end, deceiving me. Then I will revoke your promotion." Curtis was both excited and guilty. Hearing the word lie, his expression slightly changed, perhaps due to nervousness, he even coughed. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. "Can''t even a little bit of deception be allowed?" "No!" Adeline rubbed his back while muttering, "It''s been a long time since youst coughed. Why are you coughing again? It seems like the aftereffects of the car ident still need to be properly treated." Upon hearing this, Curtis felt even more guilty. Worried that Adeline would continue to question whether he had deceived her, Curtis quickly changed the subject. "Adeline, as a teacher, you don''t have the demeanor of a teacher." Adeline was puzzled. "Why do you say that?" Was she not dignified enough just now? Curtis chuckled. "You''re not rewarding and punishing clearly enough! There should be penalties and rewards! Usually, you deduct twenty points from me. So this time, since I did something right, you should reward me, right?" Adeline thought it made sense and blushed, whispering softly, "I''ll... wear ck stockings for you when we get home." Curtis was shocked! He had originally expected a twenty-point increase! He felt that adding just one point was too little! But when he heard the mention of ck stockings, he thought it was eptable. After Adeline finished speaking, her face was burning hot. For some reason, this guy had a thing for ck stockings. Once she put on ck stockings, he couldn''t stop nibbling... Feeling too embarrassed to face Curtis again, Adeline got up to check on Olivia''s condition. However, she ran into Edith and Vi at the door of the ward. "What are you doing here?" Chapter 172 In Her Imagination, Her Crush Would Kick Open the Door... Chapter 172 In Her Imagination, Her Crush Would Kick Open the Door... Chapter 172 In Her Imagination, Her Crush Would Kick Open the Door... "What are we here for? Of course, we''re here to visit the patient!" Edith raised the fancy fruit basket in her hand and walked in without even knocking on the door. Olivia, who was resting, sat up upon hearing themotion. In an instant, Edith''s face showed a pained expression. "Oh my dear, Olivia, let me have a look. How did my poor little girl get hurt like this? I feel so sorry for you." Adeline stood by, sneering. From childhood to adulthood, she had never heard Edith show such concern for her. But now she suddenly cared about someone else''s daughter. Well, forgot about it. Thest time they met, she had already severed the mother-daughter rtionship with Edith. She couldn''t be bothered with it now. Olivia frowned and looked at Edith and Vi. "How did you know I was injured?" "It was on the inte!" Edith blurted out without thinking. Vi chimed in, "Didn''t you know? The gossip spread like wildfire. And at first, there were reports from a public ount, saying that you were abused by the young master of the Burke Family, saying that he was into kinky stuff like ying with whips in bed... Reporters even captured you leaving the hotel room together!" As soon as their voices fell, Victoria burst in, ring fiercely at Edith and her daughter. "Why are you telling her all this?" Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Olivia''s face turned pale, and she quickly trembled, taking out her phone to check the news mentioned by Edith and her daughter. Adeline grabbed her hand. "No need to look. Your Uncle Curtis and Max arranged for people to delete it as soon as possible." "Max?" Olivia looked up at Adeline. Adeline nodded. "He should have helped. That''s what I heard." Olivia stood frozen in ce. Edith, seeing this, quickly instigated, "Olivia, don''t be like this. I am really worried about you." Victoria became impatient and interrupted Edith. "Is the show over? Finish it and leave!" "No, actually..." Edith sighed, and her words were not yet finished. She took a deep breath and said, "I actually came here to give you a warning." As she spoke, she looked at Adeline and said, "This person is an unlucky star, a disaster. Olivia, such a good girl, got involved in this, and it''s rted to my eldest daughter." Adelineughed angrily, "Edith, what do you want to say?" Edith, upon hearing Adeline call her by her name, exploded. "Adeline, you''re bing more and more disrespectful! You dare to call me by my name! And don''t you understand what I''m saying? It''s because of your bad fortune. Whoever is with you will never have a good life! Your bad luck affects the people around you! Olivia is an example!" Vi also whispered in agreement, "Yes, Olivia, you should stay away from my sister. When I slept with her once as a child, I broke my leg the next day. The kitten I raised died the next day when she touched it once. My sister''s bad fortune is really... not good." Saying that, Edith pushed Vi forward, "But Vi is a lucky star. As soon as she was born, our family received a big order. Believe me, sometimes you really can''t ignore things like metaphysics! Besides, you and Vi are the same age. You can benefit from each other." Victoria seemed persuaded and nodded, "Yes! Olivia, listen to what they''re saying. The original n wasn''t like this, and it''s all because of Adeline''s bad luck. Otherwise, you wouldn''t be in such a miserable state." "You all shut up!" Olivia stood up straight, grabbed her clothes, and walked out. Victoria grabbed her, "Olivia, you''re still injured! Where are you going?" "I''m going to find Max. I can''t ept this! I want to ask him." Olivia shook off Victoria''s hand and rushed out of the hospital. She hailed a car and went straight to the Powell Family. As soon as she walked in, she saw Max sitting in the living room as if he had anticipated her arrival. Olivia looked at Max''s face, the face she had loved for so many years, and tears uncontrobly streamed down her face. "Max, I want to ask you... Why didn''t youe to save me?" As she spoke, a woman in a revealing nightgown came downstairs, calling out in a sweet voice. "Max" Chapter 173 The Woman I Desire, Ill Do Whatever It Takes to Get Her Chapter 173 The Woman I Desire, I''ll Do Whatever It Takes to Get Her Chapter 173 The Woman I Desire, I''ll Do Whatever It Takes to Get Her Upon hearing the woman''s voice, Olivia felt as if she had been struck by lightning. "Who is she?" Max had never had any other women by his side! In a way, Max was simr to her Uncle Curtis. He resisted women. Max flipped through thepany documents expressionlessly, not even bothering to look up. "Your mother sent her to me." "My mom?" Olivia''s voice grew louder. "Yes, she sent her yesterday. Thank her for me," Max replied in a cold and indifferent tone. Olivia''s heart sank. "So... did my mom set me up and send a woman to you at the same time?" "Yes," Max put down the documents and looked at Olivia, whose face had turned pale. She could barely stand and took a step back. "So, you couldn''te because of her?" "No," Max raised his gaze. "You know that. No one can force me to do something I don''t want to." "Then why?" Olivia''s heart felt as if it was being torn apart, and her tears couldn''t stop flowing. "If you don''t like me, why did you help me delete the negative news online?" Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. "Because you''re Curtis'' niece, that''s all," Max spoke honestly. "That''s all?" Olivia shook her head and grabbed Max''s clothes. "No, I don''t believe it! Is it because of my Uncle Curtis? You said you didn''t want to be the younger generation. Be shorter than him." "No, Olivia, I''m not like your Uncle Curtis," Max furrowed his brows and pried Olivia''s hand off. "Your Uncle Curtis had feelings for Adeline, so he endured and restrained himself. I''m different. The woman I desire, regardless of generation or status, I''ll do whatever it takes to get her. It''s just that I haven''t found anyone in these years." "So, you just don''t love me, right?" "Yes, I''ve never loved you," Max stood up briskly and looked at the woman beside him. "Let''s go, I''ll take you shopping for clothes." "Sure, Max was so annoyingst night. He tore all of my clothes." The woman walked seductively towards him, wanting to hold Max''s hand, but his gaze was too intimidating, so she reluctantly withdrew her hand. Max got into the car with the woman, and Olivia stumbled out of the Powell Family vi. The sky started pouring rain, drenching Olivia. The coldness was as sharp as a de, cutting through her heart. She walked aimlessly on the road,pletely lost. Max''s car slowly passed by her. Olivia nced at it, and the woman inside the car smiled beautifully. But Max never once looked at her. "Heh~" Olivia smiled, and her heart felt like it had fallen onto a floor covered in shards of ss, rolling back and forth. All these years of love turned out to be her own wishful thinking. She recalled the images she had previously fantasized about. A man kicked open the door, raising his fist and beating the man who had tried to harm her, punching him relentlessly. Then, he would hold her tightly in his arms and say, "I will never let you suffer again." Now, thinking about it, it really hurt! Inside the car, Max made a phone call to Curtis. "Olivia is standing outside my vi in the rain." "Do you feel sorry for her?" "No, I just wanted to inform you. And besides, she shouldn''t bother me anymore." Upon hearing this, Curtis knew what means Max had used and replied, "Thank you." Not loving someone and making them give up, having no illusions was the best approach. "Hmm," Max responded indifferently and hung up the phone. He then wrote a check for the woman in the car. "Remember what to say and what not to say, understand?" "I understand," the woman, who was sent by Victoria to drug Max and seduce him, replied. But she was smart enough not to do anythingst night and immediately confessed. Max didn''t touch her either. "By the way, do one more thing for me." "What is it?" The woman paused for a moment, then she quickly realized. "Do you want me to provoke that woman?" "No need. My people will secretly send you to Victoria''s father''s bed, and you will be responsible for seducing him. If you get caught, just say I forced you, and you had no choice." Max nced at the woman from the corner of his eyes. "Victoria provoked me, and it''s just a matter of tit for tat." This statement was also a warning to her. The woman''s heart trembled in fear, and she quickly nodded in agreement. Max felt bored and instructed the bodyguard to send her to Victoria''s father. He then got out of the car. A heavy rain poured down from the sky. Max took shelter in a bus shelter. The bodyguard shouted at him, "Max, I''ll have Nicke and pick you up." "Hmm," Max responded apathetically. In the next instant, a graceful woman hurriedly ran into the bus shelter as well. Chapter 174 The Official Return of Logan Chapter 174 The Official Return of Logan Chapter 174 The Official Return of Logan A woman brushed past him, leaving behind a faint scent of gardenia. Max instinctively nced at her. He saw her long hair cascading down to her waist, drenched by the rain and slightly disheveled. Yet, unexpectedly, her alluring profile caught his eye, with wless fair skin like a peeled egg and a slender, unblemished neck. Her rain-soaked dress clung to her body, entuating her exquisite figure, and exuding a seductive charm as if a fairy had descended from heaven. But her innocent and watery eyes added a touch of innocence. Sensing Max''s gaze, the woman discreetly moved away, creating some distance between them. Max''s eyes darkened and his expression became impassive as he redirected his attention. The sky seemed to tear open, pouring down heavy rain. Before long, a group of mischievous-looking youngsters also sought shelter in the bus shelter. The woman, noticing this, instinctively moved closer to Max''s side. Compared to those less reputable young hooligans, the man beside her appeared more refined. "Heh," Max sneered coldly. His mocking tone made the woman blush, and she bit her lip. The mischievous youngsters caught sight of the woman''s figure and appearance, whistling yfully as they approached her. In a panic, the woman grabbed hold of Max''s hand, desperately pleading, "Darling, let''s not quarrel anymore. I was wrong." Thest three words were spoken softly, sounding like a kitten scratching at one''s heart, causing a tingling sensation. Max looked at the woman with a smile that didn''t reach his eyes. At that moment, Nick arrived in the car. Max opened the car door and got in without any indication of inviting the woman. The curious gazes of the young troublemakers turned towards them. The woman gritted her teeth, mustered her courage, and got into the car, pleading, "Sir, can you give me a ride? I can pay for the fare." Max nced at the young men outside the window and asked, "How much can you offer?" "One hundred, just take me to the subway station at the intersection. Please," the woman pleaded with her hands sped together. Max remained silent. "What about the two hundred? It''s already ten times the price outside!" Nick couldn''t help but scold, "Outrageous! Our young master doesn''t need your two hundred!" The woman became increasingly anxious, ncing at the young men outside the window and then at Max. Just as she was about to give up and get off the car, Max coldly uttered two words. "Drive on." Nick immediately started the car and drove to the subway station at the corner. In a straightforward manner, he said, "Pay up." The woman hurriedly rummaged through her bag, whispering, "I... don''t have any change." Nick sneered, "Ha, with your pick-up techniques, our young master has encountered countless people like you. Do you think we would believe you? Next, are you going to ask for our young master''s WhatsApp and im that you''ll transfer the money?" "No, it''s not like that." The woman lowered her head, embarrassedly gripping her skirt, and exined softly, "I can scan the payment to you, just the QR code. No need to add as a friend." "Alright! Scan mine!" Nick showed his payment QR code. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. The woman transferred two hundred to him. She said thank you and felt embarrassed so she quickly rushed into the subway. Nick received the two hundred, transferred it to Max, and proudly said, "Boss, didn''t I do a great job?" "Hmm." Max responded, "But your physical fitness has beencking recently. You came to pick me up sote. I''ll make you do a 25-kilometer weighted run at the main camp tonight as a punishment." "25 kilometers?" Nick''s voice rose, and then his face seemed like he was about to cry, "Boss, running 25 kilometers is already a marathon, and do I have to do it with weights? Moreover... moreover, I came as soon as I received the notification." Nick felt wronged. Max raised his eyebrows and nced at him. Nick''s back straightened instantly. "I''ll go! Max, I will definitely strengthen my training tonight." "Hmm." ... On the other side, Logan had just arrived at the archaeological site and immediately began working on his trantion tasks. When he finally had a moment to rx, he checked his phone and saw a message from Curtis sent earlier. The message included a photo showing him and Adeline having dinner together. Logan furrowed his brows. Could it be that Adeline really had other suitors? A strong sense of crisis made him hand over his work and take aplete leave of absence to go home. The director tried to persuade him repeatedly, but Logan refused. "My father''s birthday is in a few days. Shortly after that, it will be New Year. This year, I want to spend the New Year with Adeline." After saying this, Logan borrowed a colleague''s phone and sent a message to Adeline. After sending the message, Logan booked a flight back to Prodiff. Chapter 175 Curtis Turned Into a Show-Off Husband Chapter 175 Curtis Turned Into a Show-Off Husband Chapter 175 Curtis Turned Into a Show-Off Husband As soon as Logan boarded the ne, Steffen received a message. ncing at Max, Nick, and Owen in the private room, Steffen hesitated and he was unsure whether to report the news or not. Curtis raised his eyebrows. "What''s the matter?" Steffen quickly lowered her voice and said, "Logan has taken leave and is currently on the ne. He should arrive in Prodiff in about two hours." "Hmm," Curtis responded indifferently. "It doesn''t matter." Owen was a bit surprised. "Didn''t you say that your nephew couldn''te back until you won your wife?" "Yes, I won her. My wife just confessed her feelings to me," Curtis revealed with a knowing smile. "Her voice is especially pleasant. You single guys wouldn''t understand how nice it sounds." Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Max was speechless. Owen was silent. "Just a friendly reminder, the New Year ising soon. You two will probably be relentlessly pressured by your elders to get married." Max was speechless. Owen was speechless. "I won''t be pressured to get married this year, but I''ll probably be pressured to have children. You two wouldn''t understand this kind of pain." Max was speechless. Owen was speechless. Nick couldn''t help but speak up. "Mr. Riley, you''re so amazing. Please teach Max quickly! He is having a hard time! He''s almost thirty and hasn''t even touched a woman''s hand!" Max looked at Nick with a sharp gaze. But Nick seemed oblivious and continued speaking. "I''ve been with Max for so long, and the only woman who wasn''t afraid to pursue him was Olivia. But now, Olivia is heartbroken, so I don''t think she''ll bother him anymore. I''m worried he might be a bachelor for life! After all, he had so many fianc¨¦es whoter encountered misfortunes. s..." Max was speechless. What''s with the slightly disdainful tone? Owen''s expression changed slightly when he heard Nick mention Olivia. He knew about Olivia''s situation, and today he had called the two of them together because he was worried that they might have some grievances in their hearts. Since the topic had reached this point, Owen couldn''t help but ask, "Do you want to beat up Max for what he did to Olivia?" Curtis chuckled. "Do I seem like someone who can''t distinguish right from wrong?" Owen''s voice grew louder. "But he hurt Olivia! Shouldn''t you give him a few punches? Curtis, give me some face. Don''t keep everything hidden inside. Just punch him a few times to vent your anger. The three of us should continue to have a good rtionship." Max sipped his red wine, a red liquid hanging at the corner of his mouth. Then he looked at Owen with a sinister gaze. "What? Are you not at ease if he doesn''t beat me up?" Owen was caught off guard and rubbed his nose in annoyance. "Why did the General scare me so many times, and he never once scared you?" Curtis nced at Owen. "How about introducing Olivia to you and letting youfort her wounded heart?" "No way! I have no feelings for that girl!" Owen''s voice grew louder. Curtis chuckled. "Well, that settles it then. If you can''t handle her yourself, how can you expect Max to handle her?" Upon hearing this, Max raised his wine ss towards Curtis. Curtis curled his lips and smiled. "No need to thank me. I can rte to your situation, which is why I understand you. Because I love my wife very much. Besides my wife, I don''t want anyone else. If I put myself in your shoes, it would be quite annoying to have someone I don''t like confessing to me and sticking to me all the time." Max was speechless. Why did every conversation have to revolve around his wife? Owen was speechless. Why was he still sitting here and listening to such a showing-off? Just as the words were spoken, Curtis stood up. "Alright, I''m going back to the old house to apany my wife. She has prepared a surprise for me tonight." Max looked at Curtis deeply. "Since Logan is returning to Prodiff, there''s a high possibility that he will go back to the old house first. Are you not worried about going back to the old house with your wife at this time?" "s, there''s no choice. An ugly daughter-inw must meet her inws. My mother, my brother, and my sister-inw are alling back to attend Leon Burton''s birthday banquet. Considering the timing, it''s about time." After speaking, Curtis walked towards the door of the private room. Just as he reached the door, he turned his head and nced at Nick. "Regarding the question you just asked me, I can actually give Max a suggestion." Nick''s eyes immediately lit up. "What is it?" "Fire you." Nick was speechless. Max nodded. "That''s actually not a bad idea." Nick wore a pained expression and wailed, "Max, if you fire me, there will be no one like me who is loyal and concerned about your lifelong affairs!" Max thought that was not really necessary. Chapter 176 Adeline was Drugged and Yetta Sought Help from Logan Chapter 176 Adeline was Drugged and Yetta Sought Help from Logan Chapter 176 Adeline was Drugged and Yetta Sought Help from Logan On her way, Adeline bought some pastries that Olivia liked and headed to the old house. As soon as she entered the old house, she bumped into Yetta, Curtis'' sister-inw. They hadn''t had much contact privately, so Adeline didn''t know what to say. But Yetta, with her gentle and warm voice, greeted her affectionately, "Adeline,e here, and let''s have cubilose together." After saying that, Yetta brought out two bowls of cubilose from the kitchen. "Try it, it''s coconut cubilose. I stewed it myself. It''s delicious." Her voice was soft and sweet, and it felt very pleasant to listen to. "Okay," Adeline responded and ate the cubilose with Yetta, but soon they ran out of topics to talk about. Yetta discreetly nced at Adeline and tried to find a topic of conversation. "Adeline, I think your temperament suits ancient costumes very well. Have you ever worn the traditional dress before?" "No." Adeline shook her head. "Oh, what a pity! I think you would look beautiful in it!" Suddenly, Yetta had an idea. She took Adeline to her own room. She opened the wardrobe and showed her the traditional dresses she owned. "Look, this one is from the Jin Dynasty, and this one is from the Tang Dynasty. Tang Dynasty clothes often have low-cut designs, which are sexy and elegant when worn." Yetta took out a white embroidered dress and handed it to Adeline. "Try it on." Adeline looked at it. This dress was from the Tang Dynasty series, exposing arge area of the chest. She felt a bit embarrassed, but the embroidery on the dress was beautiful, which made her somewhat tempted. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Seeing Adeline''s hesitation, Yetta nudged her elbow. "Go ahead and try it on. It''s just the two of us girls, and what''s there to be afraid of? Besides, I have aplete set of essories. I can help you with the stylingter." After saying that, Yetta also chose a Tang Dynasty chiffon skirt for herself. "I''ll change too. We can take a photo togetherter." Yetta was a fan of ancient-style traditional dress and loved ying around with them in her daily life. Adeline was also influenced by her and quickly changed into the clothes. When she saw herself in the mirror, she was stunned. The low-cut design exposed her sexy and deep corbone, while the waistband entuated her slender waist. At this moment, Yetta also finished changing and walked out, looking at Adeline in shock. "Oh my God, Adeline, you look stunning! If you were in the Tang Dynasty, you would definitely be a favored concubine." Adeline smiled. "If I were in the harem of the Tang Dynasty, I would starve to death. Don''t forget that the Tang Dynasty valued plumpness as beauty." Yetta was momentarily stunned, then she quickly responded, "That''s true. But maybe the emperor would change his mind when he sees you! Adeline, let me style your hair." Saying that, Yetta stood in front of the mirror and helped Adeline let her hair down, creating a simple hairstyle. She styled her own hair as well, and then she started taking selfies. Bang, bang. A servant knocked on the door. "Yetta, Mr. Riley has returned. He just went upstairs to his room." "Oh." Yetta waved her hand dismissively. "Adeline and I are doing our hair. I''ll greet him when my husbandes back." After all, her husband wasn''t here at the moment, so it would be strange for her, as the sister-inw, to go and greet him. Just as she finished speaking, the servant nced at the cubilose on the table and hesitated, "Yetta, did you eat the cubilose?" "Yes, I did! Is there a problem?" Yetta looked at the servant with a puzzled expression. This servant was hired by her, and she was quite fond of her. "Why didn''t you ask me to bring it for you?" The servant pointed at the bowls and asked, "Yetta, which bowl did you eat from?" Yetta''s expression changed slightly, and she blinked innocently. "The white bowl!" The servant''s pupils suddenly contracted, and she pointed at the beige stewing bowl and asked, "Then... who ate from that one?" Yetta''s eyes widened, and she looked at Adeline and the servant. "Did you drug it?" The servant swallowed nervously and nodded. Yetta couldn''t sit still anymore. She stood up excitedly. "Did you drug the package of powder I bought from the ck market? It demands that the person who consumed it must engage in intimate activities, or else their blood vessels will burst and result in sudden death. Furthermore, they have to engage in intimate activities continuously for seven days and nights to detoxify that package of powder!" The servant wanted to cry. "But you told me to do it! You said it was for your own use!" Adeline''s face turned pale. Hearing that not engaging in intimate activities would result in sudden death, her face turned even more shocked. Yetta patted her chest and reassured Adeline, "Don''t be afraid, I''ll call Logan. He should be on his way." After saying that, Yetta picked up her phone and dialed a number. Chapter 177 Curtis Felt Adeline Was Getting More Charming Chapter 177 Curtis Felt Adeline Was Getting More Charming Chapter 177 Curtis Felt Adeline Was Getting More Charming Upon hearing Yetta say that she was going to call Logan, Adeline made a quick decision. "No need, I can handle it myself." With that, she swiftly ran out of the room and rushed upstairs. She skillfully opened Curtis'' door and then ran inside. Yetta followed the servant and just happened to see Adeline entering Curtis'' room. Her eyes widened in shock. She looked at the servant with disbelief. "Did you just say my brother-inw is here?" "Yes! Isn''t that Mr. Riley''s room? Why did Adeline..." Before the servant could finish speaking, Yetta covered her mouth. "Shh... don''t say anything." She looked down and saw that she had identally dialed Logan''s number on her phone. She was so scared that her heart almost jumped out of her chest, so she quickly hung up. "Oh no! It''s over! It''spletely over now!" Yetta panicked and spun around in circles. "What should we do? We''re done for! We''re done for!" Suddenly, Yetta froze and quickly said to the servant, "Quick, move the sofa over. In case Curtis throws Adeline down, at least the sofa can protect her and save her life." The servant nodded and helped Yetta move the sofa. But after waiting for a while, they didn''t see Adeline being thrown down. Yetta thought this was not logical! Meanwhile, inside the room. Adeline was wearing a white chiffon dress, running and twirling, with the hem of her skirt and sleeves fluttering like a fairy. Her heart trembled with excitement, and she exuded a charming aura. Curtis couldn''t take his eyes off her. With a bang. Adeline pounced onto Curtis. Curtis lightlyughed as he caught Adeline''s slender waist, feeling that his little wife had be more charming since confessing her feelings. Curtis raised his eyebrows and teasingly said, "Where did this little fairye from?" Adeline went straight to work, untying his tie and hurriedly unbuttoning his shirt while speaking. "This little girl is called a female ghost. She got poisoned while passing by here and happened to borrow your body to detoxify." Curtis was momentarily stunned. "A female ghost?" Adeline scolded him with a nce. "You''re so slow! You almost killed me with your slowness. If you don''t take action soon, I''ll die from the poison!" Curtis chuckled and swiftlyid her down on the carpet. "It''s my fault for making Mrs. Riley so anxious." With that, Curtis''rge hand began to roam around her slender and soft waist. After several intimate encounters, Curtis now knew her weak spots very well. Wherever his hand touched, sparks ignited. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. It was incredibly seductive. Adeline couldn''t help but let out a moan. Curtis chuckled satisfactorily and nibbled on her earlobe as he whispered. "Adeline, do you remember? Our first time was also here. Your voice was so beautiful back then, like a kitten''s meow. Can you make more sounds?" Adeline red at him, but soon she was teased into uttering meaningless sybles. ... Outside the room, Yetta quietly pressed her ear against the door and heard a few seductive moans from a woman. Her legs trembled in fear. Her face was pale. She walked downstairs and happened to run into her husband, Alston Riley. Immediately, she sobbed and threw herself at him. "Honey, I don''t want to live anymore..." Alston was the eldest son of the family and a feared devilish instructor at the military academy, with a muscr physique. Despite being 12 years younger than him, his petite and spoiled wife knew how to handle him well, ying role-ying games with him every day. Seeing his wife''s crying appearance, he grinned. "Oh, my dear wife, what poison have you been afflicted with this time? How can your husband help you?" Yetta desperately shook her head. "No, it''s not... " She pulled on the white silk scarf around her neck and stuck out her tongue. "Honey, this time I''m really, truly dead, do you know?" "In that case, shall I perform CPR on you?" As his voice fell, Olivia happened to arrive in the living room. Alston was silent. Yetta was speechless. Chapter 178 Arena of Chaos! Logan Would Catch the Cheaters! Chapter 178 Arena of Chaos! Logan Would Catch the Cheaters! Chapter 178 Arena of Chaos! Logan Would Catch the Cheaters! Yetta''s face turned slightly misty as she yfully hammered Alston. "Look at you, always so inappropriate, saying nonsense in front of the younger generation!" Olivia, who had just suffered a heartbreak, saw the affectionate disy between Yetta and Alston and she immediately burst into loud sobs. "Even you guys bully me! Even you guys unt your love in front of me!" After saying that, Olivia angrily cried all the way back to her room. Alston, always shameless, didn''t care about the presence of the servants and simply picked up Yetta in his arms. "If you want to me someone, me my charming wife." With that, he carried Yetta back to their room, slowly undoing her clothing. After being teased a few times, Yetta''s mind went nk. "Honey, I think I had something to tell you just now." Alston bit her, right on her corbone, and scolded, "Focus." ... Night fell, and Yetta was left feeling sore and exhausted from their activities. She changed into casual clothes and followed Alston out of the room to find food. Speaking to herself, she said, "Honey, do you think I''m getting old? I clearly had something to tell you just now, but I can''t seem to remember." Just as the two of them reached the living room, Logan walked in with his luggage and called out, "Uncle, Aunt." Alston nodded coldly. Logan asked, "Have you seen Adeline? I heard she came to the old mansion early." Without thinking, Yetta pointed upstairs to a room. "Oh, she went to your Uncle Curtis'' room." "Uncle Curtis? Why would Adeline go to my Uncle Curtis'' room?" Logan put down his luggage and headed towards his Uncle Curtis'' room upstairs. Alston furrowed his brows, also finding it strange. He nced at the peculiar arrangement of the sofa in the living room and asked Yetta, "Why is the sofa pushed over here?" The servant had been silently mouthing to Yetta, using signnguage, "Why did you lead Logan up there?!" The servant was in a panic! Yetta looked at the sofa. "Oh, right, why is it dragged over here?" Suddenly, she let out a scream. "Ah!" Alston was startled. "It looks like I wasn''t energetic enough, which makes you scream so loudly." Yetta yfully punched his chest. "Honey, we''re in big trouble this time! I think your father is going to kick me out of the house!" As she spoke, Yetta tiptoed and whispered the events to Alston''s ear. Alston''s face changed, and just as he looked up, Logan had already raised his hand to knock on the door. "Adeline, are you there?" Alston was shocked! Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Yetta was shocked! Adeline was shocked! Adeline, who had just put on her clothes, broke out in a cold sweat in the room. It''s Logan! What should she do? It''s Logan! Although she had nned to exin things to him, she hadn''t expected it to happen in this way! Adeline pulled Curtis and opened the closet door, pushing him inside. Curtis'' face turned dark. "Adeline, we are a legitimate couple. Are you asking me to be The Other Man?" Adeline was in a panic, sping her hands together. "Please, honey, I... I will exin everything clearly to Logan, but not in this situation. Can you please give me some dignity?" Curtis'' face grew even darker. "I ever didn''t hide in the closet!" Joking aside, he was the distinguished Mr. Riley of Prodiff! He was the one who forced others to hide in the closet. How could he hide in the closet himself? It was too embarrassing! Adeline kissed him on the cheek. "Be good, after this is over, I''ll wear ck stockings for you." "No! This is a matter of principle!" Curtis turned his face away. "I won''t hide in the closet!" "Then two times!" "No! It has to be three times! And I get to choose the pattern!" Curtis pushed his luck. Adeline took a deep breath, filled with resentment. "Fine!" As the words fell, Logan, outside the door, worried that something was wrong and knocked twice more. "Adeline, are you in there? I''ming in." Before he could finish his sentence, with a click, the door was pushed open... Chapter 179 Adeline and Yetta Had the Same Red Marks! Chapter 179 Adeline and Yetta Had the Same Red Marks! Chapter 179 Adeline and Yetta Had the Same Red Marks! Adeline''s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly closed the closet door and turned to look at Logan. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. This couldn''t go on. She had to confront Logan about this today, or it would seem like they were having an affair! At that moment, Alston and Yetta also walked in. Alston nced at the white bathrobe wedged in the crack of the closet door:... Could he hide any more carefully? But deep down, he was also shocked. His younger brother had always been so self-assured, when did he start hiding in closets?! The scene was awkward, and Logan was the first to speak. "Adeline, what are you doing here?" Yetta quickly caught on and covered for them. "It was me who asked her toe up!" Adeline nodded. "Yes, it was my sister-inw who asked me toe up!" "Sister-inw?" Logan frowned at Adeline and walked over to touch her forehead. "Adeline, what''s wrong? You should call her aunt." Adeline avoided Logan''s touch, feeling ufortable all over. "I''m fine." There was still a lingering smell in the room, and she didn''t know if Logan had noticed it or not. Alston and Yetta exchanged a nce. As a married couple, they were all too familiar with this smell! Yetta gave Alston a look, which meant it was over! They were done for! Alston gave her a reassuring look, which meant don''t worry and I''ve got this. Logan stared at the three of them suspiciously. "Aunt, why did you ask Adeline toe to Uncle Curtis'' room? Have you forgotten that Uncle Curtis hates peopleing into his room?" "Yeah, why did I ask Adeline toe?" Yetta''s eyes darted around. "Oh, I asked her to get the ashtray!" "The ashtray? Aunt, you don''t smoke, and you could have just gotten it downstairs," Logan felt that something was off. Alston cleared his throat. "It was me. I like Curtis'' ashtray." "Oh." Logan nced at Adeline. "Hurry up and go downstairs. If Uncle Curtis finds out, it''s over." Adeline nodded, and everyone walked out of Curtis'' room. Suddenly, there was a slight collision sound from inside the closet. Alston was shocked! Yetta was shocked! Adeline was shocked! Logan turned his head and his gaze fell on the white bathrobe outside the closet. Alston pretended to be casual as he walked over. "Curtis, he never puts things away properly." With that, he opened the closet and saw Curtis sitting there, looking frustrated as their eyes met. Alston calmly bent down and threw the piece of bathrobe inside, and then he closed the closet door. Logan''s view was blocked by the closet door, so he couldn''t see what was inside, but seeing Alston nonchntly putting the bathrobe away, he didn''t think much of it. Everyone moved downstairs, and at that moment, a new servant looked at Yetta and asked, "Madam, is it time for dinner?" "Yes, let''s eat!" Yetta rubbed her temples. She had been on edge for a while now and she needed to eat to replenish her energy. Moreover, the dining hall was over there, and if they all walked over to have dinner, they wouldn''t be able to see what was happening upstairs, and Curtis coulde out. That would resolve the situation. The servant nodded and called out to the servant by the dining hall, "You can start serving the dishes." After saying that, the servant was about to go upstairs. "I''ll go call Mr. Riley." "No need! Uncle Curtis is not upstairs," Logan spoke up. "That''s impossible! I clearly saw Mr. Riley go in!" The servant insisted firmly. Adeline was speechless. Alston was speechless. Yetta was speechless. "Don''t you believe me? I''ll go check for you!" The servant rolled up her sleeves and was about to go upstairs. "And I didn''t see Mr. Rileye out at all!" Adeline was speechless. Alston was speechless. Yetta was speechless. At that moment, the servant Yetta had called over had keen eyes and quickly stopped her, forcefully taking her away. Yetta let out a sigh of relief and called everyone to go eat. Before long, Curtis had changed into a suit and calmly came down in a wheelchair, pushing it over to join them for the meal. Adeline was about to call out Uncle Curtis, but her voice was extremely hoarse. Logan furrowed his brows. "Adeline, what happened to your voice?" Yetta, feeling like she had been electrocuted, quickly came up with a cover story. "I, I was just singing karaoke with Adeline... Hahaha..." Yettaughed awkwardly and touched her corbone. Logan''s gaze fell on the red marks on her corbone and asked with concern, "Aunt, what happened to your neck?" Yetta, who was usually carefree, without thinking, said, "Oh, it was your uncle''s bite." Logan''s expression turned bitter as he unexpectedly saw a simr red mark on Adeline''s corbone. "Adeline, why do you have the same mark as Aunt?" Yetta chuckled. "How could it be different? The two brothers both bit us." Adeline was speechless. Curtis was speechless. Alston was speechless. Chapter 180 A Sting in Logans Heart Chapter 180 A Sting in Logan''s Heart Chapter 180 A Sting in Logan''s Heart "Aunt, what did you just say?" Logan looked at Yetta in disbelief. Before he could say anything, he heard the voice of his junior sister, Jodie, from outside the door. "Logan, are you there?" Upon hearing this, Logan stood up as if struck by lightning, feeling guilty and unable to look at Adeline. "I... I..." Logan looked extremely ufortable. Jodie outside the living room, who was stopped by a servant, continued to shout loudly. "Logan, are you there? It''s Jodie." Alston''s brows furrowed deeply, and when he looked at Logan, his expression was not angry but imposing. "How could another womane looking for you? The Riley family has strict rules and principles. Haven''t you disciplined yourself?" "She... she is my colleague," Logan said, lowering his head. "Even colleagues should maintain their distance!" Alston''s voice grew louder, taking on the appearance of a devilish coach. "Yes, Uncle, I will handle it immediately." Just as Logan was about to leave, he looked guiltily at Adeline before dejectedly walking out of the living room. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Upon seeing Logan, Jodie''s face lit up with joy. "Logan!" Logan pinched her arm and led her outside the old mansion. "Why did youe here?" A hint of disappointment shed through Jodie''s heart. She hadn''t expected that she still couldn''t enter the Riley family''s old mansion this time. After working with Logan for so long, he had never once invited her inside. There was one time when she had brought it up, but Logan politely declined, citing the strict family rules and saying that only those recognized by the Riley family could enter. Every time, Jodie would feel extremely jealous when she saw Adeline freely entering the Riley family and even staying there. She also wanted to enter this century-old mansion and take a few selfies. After all, these photos would be something to boast about on social media. And in Prodiff, having these few photos could bring various conveniences. It seemed that the Riley family was well aware of this, thus they strictly controlled the quality of their visitors. Logan brought her to an empty area and scolded her angrily, "What are you doing here? I have a girlfriend, and your actions make it difficult for me." Jodie''s heart skipped a beat and her eyes welled up with tears at his words. She lowered her head and twisted her clothes. "Logan... I... I heard that you suddenly came back, so I wanted to see if something happened at home. Why are you leaving in such a hurry?" As she spoke, Jodie''s face turned pale, revealing a pitiful and aggrieved look. "I... I''m just concerned about you." Seeing Jodie like this, Logan couldn''t bear to scold her. "There''s nothing wrong with my family. It''s just that my father''s birthday ising up, and I came back to celebrate. I also want to repair my rtionship with Adeline." Jodie forced a smile. "That''s good... repairing your rtionship with Adeline, that''s good. If... if there''s a need, you can tell me. I can exin it to Adeline for you. If she needs it, I can even kneel down for her." "Jodie, you don''t have to do this! There''s no need to be so submissive!" Logan furrowed his brows tightly. Jodie smiled bitterly. "As long as you''re fine, I don''t care about anything else... Logan, I just hope you can be happy." Logan felt a pang in his heart, but he forced himself to turn away. Before he could say anything, a sweet voice came from a distance. "Logan." Before the voice could finish, Vi, who had been brought over by Victoria, rushed over and proactively held Logan''s hand. Jodie''s expression changed in an instant! At this moment, Alston, who had finished his dinner, put down his chopsticks and looked at Curtis and Adeline, speaking with stern parental authority. "Both of you,e with me to the room!" Chapter 181 Relationship Exposed Chapter 181 Rtionship Exposed Chapter 181 Rtionship Exposed Saying this, Alston took Yetta and went back to the room. Alston and Yetta''s room was quite spacious, with a separate sitting area and bedroom. At this moment, Alston sat with his lovely wife on the sofa in the main position. Adeline pushed Curtis and followed them inside. When Yetta saw Curtis, she immediately stood up and hung her head, sincerely apologizing, "Curtis, I was wrong. Please don''t tell Dad about this, okay? The food Adeline ate by mistake. I bought it from the ck market." Curtis raised an eyebrow, a hint of sharpness in his gaze, "Yetta, why did you buy such things? You know Dad hates this kind of stuff the most!" Yetta, in her forties, was being scolded like a child. She lowered her head and exined with a grievance, "Curtis, you''re not married yet, so naturally, you don''t understand the fun in it. I just bought some trinkets from an acquaintance, pretended to be poisoned, and then had my husband save me. Besides, I''ve been working on a script recently and got to this part of the story, so I wanted to personally verify it... I didn''t buy it to harm anyone. Curtis, Adeline, I''m sorry." After finishing her exnation, Yetta made a deep bow. Adeline was stunned, not expecting her to be so unpretentious. The wife of the head of the Riley family, if in Prodiff, would definitely be someone highly regarded! With teary eyes, Yetta looked at her husband, "What should I do? Now everyone thinks that Logan''s wife cheated on him." Alston embraced his wife andforted her gently. "It''s okay." "That''s not necessarily true," Curtis reached for the sofa armrest, speaking softly. "Dad hates it the most when people bring these things home. Unless Dad doesn''t find out about this..." Before he could finish his sentence, Alston kicked Curtis directly. "Not done yet? Scaring your sister-inw, is that fun?" Curtis raised an eyebrow. "Alston, I want your Royal Tea. Maybe if I enjoy it, I''ll forget about this matter." After saying that, he nced at Adeline and whispered, "Alston''s Royal Tea is excellent, limited edition nationwide, and costs hundreds of thousands per 500g." Adeline was astonished. Alston kicked him again. "You think you can enjoy my Royal Tea? Quite audacious!" Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Despite his words, Alston turned to Yetta and ordered, "Go and bring my Royal Tea and tea set." Yetta brought the tea set over and brewed the Royal Tea for everyone. Just as they were about to take a sip, Alston asked with an extremely confident tone, "So, you two, when did this happen?" Pfft! Yetta spat the tea out. Realizing her slip, she red at her own husband. "What are you saying!" Curtis raised an eyebrow. "Can''t Alston be a bit more refined?" "You''ve lost all shame, and you want me to be refined?" Alston nced at Curtis askance. "Do you really think I''m blind?" Yetta nudged her husband''s elbow and whispered, "Honey, if you want to help me, don''t be so obvious! Adeline is Curtis''s prospective niece-inw. What you said makes Curtis look like a beast." Curtis and Adeline didn''t know what to say now. Alston chuckled. "Did you not see their interaction? It''s clear it''s not the first time!" Most people would be flustered in such a situation. But Curtis and Adeline looked so calm and composed! Saying this, Alston was about to kick his brother again, but Adeline got a little angry, "Uncle, can you stop kicking my husband? He had a leg injury from a car ident!" Alston reluctantlyughed a couple of times. "Adeline, sorry, I''m used to kicking students at school." As soon as he finished speaking, Alston''s pupils suddenly dted, and his voice became louder. "What did you just call him? Husband?" Yetta also became excited and kept pinching Alston. Both of them were quite rmed. Chapter 182 Big Affair Chapter 182 Big Affair Chapter 182 Big Affair Upon hearing Adeline defending him, Curtis couldn''t help but smile, his mood greatly improved. He took a sip of tea and nodded at Alston. "It''s nice to have a wife who cares for you." Afterwards, Curtis nced at Yetta, "Adeline, what you said earlier was not right, suggesting that I, an unmarried person, wouldn''t understand. I am married, and Adeline also knows about this kind of stuff." As he finished his sentence, Adeline''s face suddenly turned red, and she angrily twisted Curtis''s arm. Curtis was in a good mood and simply didn''t feel the pain. Yetta, on the other hand, waspletely bewildered. She pinched her husband hard. "Does it hurt? Are we dreaming? You heard what he just said, right?" "It hurts, honey," he said. Although he could tolerate pain, Yetta was delicate, and she imed that pinching his muscles made her hand hurt, so every time she went for the soft flesh in his arm. That hurt a lot. "Oh my God, it really hurts!" Alston was also greatly shocked, looking at Curtis. "What did you just say...?" Curtis took a small booklet from his suit pocket, opened it, and ced it on the table. "We, Adeline and I, have a valid marriage certificate." The tone in his voice sounded somewhat proud. Adeline didn''t want to make a sound. "Who carries their marriage certificate with them when they go out?" she thought. Alston and Yetta couldn''t believe it, picking up the booklet and examining it repeatedly. Yetta''s mouth hung open wide. "Does Logan know about this? Oh my God, oh my God! TV dramas wouldn''t dare to depict this! My niece-inw has be my sister-inw?" Adeline felt somewhat awkward and exined helplessly, "Logan hasn''t returned yet. I told him we broke up and that I got married, but he didn''t believe me." Yetta said, "That silly boy. What a big affair. How can he still be so naive?" Adeline was speechless. Alston''s face darkened, and he looked at Curtis sternly. "What''s going on exactly? If you don''t tell me, I''ll smack you." Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. After saying that, he hesitated and looked at Adeline. "Adeline, sorry, I''m used to saying it at the military academy. I won''t actually hit him." Curtis held Adeline''s hand and reassured her while exining what Victoria had done. Alston listened with a stern face. Yetta was shocked once again and covered her mouth. "Can Victoria get any more shameless?" "Not just that!" Curtis also briefly described Victoria''s recent actions. Alston sneered. "It''s really unfortunate for our family." After a pause, he asked, "How many people know about this?" "Dad knows," Curtis replied. Alston nodded. "We''ll deal with this after our brother''s birthday. This matter is very significant. Have you thought about how it might hurt our mom?" Curtis rubbed his nose. "Isn''t it just Logan''s wife bing mine?" Upon hearing this, Alston raised his foot and then let it down when he saw Adeline. Alston warned Curtis with a re. "Well, be careful. Mom had a heart attack while she was at your sister''s ce this time. Now that she''s back, we need to be cautious!" "Okay, I understand." Curtis nodded lightly. Adeline held Curtis''s hand and suggested, "Let''s talk to Logan first." Even though she had been a victim of maniption, why did it feel like she was cheating on Logan now? Curtis understood her thoughts and nodded. "Alright, I''ll apany you." Alston also agreed with a nod. "Dealing with Logan first is the right move." Adeline got up, pushing Curtis to leave, and then nced at Yetta with a somewhat embarrassed expression. "Yetta, is there an antidote for that drug?" In her panic, she had jumped onto Curtis and had forgotten to ask if there was an antidote. Chapter 183 Logan Thinks Adeline Is Jealous Chapter 183 LoganThinks AdelineIs Jealous Chapter 183 Logan Thinks Adeline Is Jealous "There''s no antidote. The person who sold it to me said that the stuff is extremely potent and dominant, and you have to do it every night..." Yetta said very seriously. "And you have to persist for at least forty-nine days, and you need to mark it every day!" Seeing Adeline''s embarrassed expression, Yetta walked over and nudged her elbow, chuckling. "Anyway, you and Uncle Curtis are husband and wife, so it doesn''t matter. This might even improve your rtionship, and who knows, if you''re diligent enough, you might conceive a child sooner." When Adeline heard "conceive a child," it felt like a stab to her heart. Yetta, who had always been a bit foolish, couldn''t read Adeline''s expression and continued, "But, we don''t know if the medicine has any impact on pregnancy. To be safe, you should still use contraception." Alston, hearing his young wife say so much, cleared his throat discreetly. "This medicine doesn''t require an antidote; it''s a multivitamin." Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. "Multivitamin?" Adeline and Yetta eximed in unison. Alston gave Yetta a look. "Did you really think there''s a medicine in this world that requires you to do something for forty-nine days, or you''ll die? And did you think I''d let you take that?" Yetta didn''t understand. "But the ck market guy..." "That''s my person." Yetta suddenly realized and blushed. "Honey, you''re so annoying, deliberately making it sound so mysterious." Alston didn''t shy away and smiled openly. "I have to secure some benefits for myself, don''t I?" Curtis and Adeline couldn''t find a word to say. Did this couple know that they hadn''t left yet? Adeline had thin skin and couldn''t bear to listen any longer. She pushed Curtis to leave. Just as they reached downstairs, Logan walked in. Adeline spoke up first, "Logan, I need to talk to you. Let''s sort out our situation." As soon as she finished speaking, Vi also entered, her voice sweet andining. "Sis, what are you going to say to Logan? He just promised to take me to visit the old mansion! I haven''t been here in a long time, and many ces have be unfamiliar." Adeline''s expression turned slightly cold. "It won''t take long. Logan, give me ten minutes. Let''s talk privately and resolve our issues." Before she could finish speaking, Victoria walked in, wearing a smile. "Adeline, you''re in the wrong here. Vi came all the way here, and it was me who asked Logan to take her for a tour. Vi is a guest after all." Logan nodded in agreement. "Yes, Adeline, can''t we discuss thister? I want to have a proper conversation with you. Ten minutes won''t be enough, and besides, Vi is your sister. Shouldn''t you be happy that I''m spending time with her? Adeline, I just want to improve the rtionship between our families." Adeline felt exasperated by Logan''s persistence. "Whether you apany Vi or Jodie, it has nothing to do with me anymore, Logan. We''ve already broken up. I''m just being responsible and want to exin to you why we broke up. Because I believe you have the right to know the truth." As her words fell, Victoria turned pale, nervously speaking up, "Adeline, isn''t what you''re saying the same as not saying anything? Your words, both overtly and subtly, are still about you being very jealous of Vi and Jodie, right?" Adeline saw through Victoria''s guilt-ridden expression and smirked. "Victoria, you don''t have to twist the facts. Are you afraid that I''ll reveal everything you''ve done? I gave you a chance to confess on your own. Since you''re unwilling to speak up, I''ll do it for you!" Chapter 184 Logans Self-Righteousness Chapter 184 Logan''s Self-Righteousness Chapter 184 Logan''s Self-Righteousness Hearing that Adeline was about to reveal the truth, Vi, at the right moment, welled up with tears and quickly interrupted. "Sis, I never thought you were this petty. After all, I''m Logan''s little sister. What''s wrong with him apanying me to visit this mansion? Since you dislike me so much, I''ll leave. But you shouldn''t address Auntie by her name. It''s disrespectful." After speaking, Vi unconsciously nced at Victoria. Victoria had promised to bring her to the old mansion, giving her and Logan some alone time, with the condition that she prevented Adeline from revealing the truth. So, she had to fulfill this mission properly. Victoria visibly rxed. Logan, with a stern expression, scolded Adeline, "Adeline, the way you said that was unreasonable!" Adeline was stunned. Not just her, but upstairs, Yetta and Alston, who were watching the scene unfold, were also taken aback to varying degrees. Logan, with the posture of a boyfriend scolding his girlfriend for her own good, continued, "You used to say that Vi and your mom bullied you. Think about what you just said. It''s clearly you bullying Vi." Vi cried at the right moment. "Logan, finally, you are standing up for me." Victoria secretly chuckled. It seemed bringing Vi to the old mansion to disrupt things was the right decision. Logan gestured to Vi not to be sad and continued to reprimand Adeline, "I can understand why you used to dislike Jodie, but Vi is your sister! Even if she asionally acts out, you are her sister! You should understand and be more tolerant." "Ridiculous! Does being a sister mean suffering like this?" This hit a nerve with Adeline, and her presence became stronger, her gaze sharper. "I''ve heard this argument a hundred times since I was little. You all emphasize how a big sister should be and what a big sister should do. Is a big sister meant for taking care of a whole family? Who will protect the big sister''s rights and happiness?" "Well said!" Curtis chimed in. "The rtionship between sisters and brothers should be based on equality. Everyone whoes into this world doesn''t live for others. Older sisters also have the right to be willful. Besides, Vi is already an adult. She''s not a child. Why should Adeline have to amodate her every time?" "Uncle Curtis! I just didn''t want Adeline to have a bad rtionship with her family. Why are you adding fuel to the fire?" As he spoke, Logan still looked at Adeline in a lecturing manner. "Moreover, how can you directly address Mom by her name? Adeline, I know you''re angry, but you should direct that anger at me. If Mom is also upset, she can also direct it at me. I can handle it all. As long as we build a harmonious family together, I don''t mind taking the heat from both sides." Adeline was so exasperated that her eyes rolled back. She wanted to say something, but then a call from an unknown number came in. After answering her phone, she heard a girl sobbing on the other end. "Teacher, please save me..." Adeline''s body trembled. It was Quinna! The girl who had been bullied by Jonathan before! "Teacher, I have no one else to turn to. Everyone refuses to help me. Teacher..." Adeline''s expression turned serious. "Where are you?" "I''m at Royal Bar." "Royal Bar?" Before Adeline could inquire further, the caller hung up. Adeline looked anxious, and Yetta hurriedly came downstairs to ask, "What happened? Are you going to Royal Bar? I have a VIP card for that ce." Saying this, Yetta took out a VIP card from her wallet. "Thank you." Adeline took the card and was about to leave. Curtis nced at her and reminded, "Take Sara with you." Adeline nodded appreciatively and then rushed out. She liked the unconditional support from Curtis! Seeing Adeline leave, Victoria showed a hint of satisfaction. Reba was still quite reliable! She said she would help distract Adeline and she did it. After witnessing Adeline leave without exnation, Logan felt somewhat annoyed. He then turned to Vi. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. "Don''t be upset. I''ll take you to explore the old mansion." Victoria smiled kindly. "Alright, Logan, take care of Vi. I''ll go visit your grandma for a while." Chapter 185 Ensure Adelines Safety Chapter 185 Ensure Adeline''s Safety Chapter 185 Ensure Adeline''s Safety After saying this, Victoria also left the old mansion. Meanwhile, Logan took Vi to explore the backyard garden. Yetta looked at Alston in disbelief and said, "Honey, do you think Logan has gone mad studying for his master''s degree? How can he not see through such an obvious act? Who''s the bitch here?" Alston snorted. "If our son ever bes like him, I''ll break his legs." Such a disgraceful disy! "Exactly!" Yetta sighed and shook her head. "Honey, to be honest, I''m quite relieved that Adeline married Curtis. Look at what Logan did just now; what''s wrong with him? Adeline kept saying she wanted to talk to him about something, but he either went to see Jodie or apanied Vi. He even spoke up for Vi. If I had a husband like that, I think I''d be driven crazy." "Yeah." Alston agreed indifferently, ncing at Curtis. "He''s lucky." Despite what he said, Alston was secretly pleased. Ever since his little brother had been in a wheelchair, he hadn''t rushed him into marriage, but he still worried about Curtis'' lifelong happiness. Now that he saw Adeline protecting Curtis like this, it fulfilled one of his wishes. Alston gave Curtis a disdainful kick. "What are you waiting for? Go see your wife. Aren''t you afraid she''ll get into trouble?" Curtis raised an eyebrow at him. "Don''t you just take advantage of my wife not being here to bully me?" Alston didn''t know what to say. "This guy is showing off!" Alston thought. "Don''t forget that Royal Bar is my ce," Curtis said calmly. As soon as Adeline left, he had already notified his people on the other side. They must monitor the situation from the moment Adeline entered and ensure her safe departure. Once they detected anything unusual, no matter who the person was, they''d deal with them first! The bossdy''s safety must be ensured! At this moment, Curtis called for Steffen and asked him to apany him to Royal Bar. Simultaneously, Victoria returned to the Riley family vi. As soon as she entered, her mother pped him. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Victoria was bewildered by the sudden p and covered her red face, looking at her mother. "Mom, why did you hit me?" "Why did I hit you? Your father told you not to provoke Curtis, but you insisted on doing so! He even sent two women to your father''s bed!" Old Mrs. Riley was so furious that she stomped her foot. "Two! Two young women were sent to your father''s bed stark naked! It drove me crazy!" Victoria widened her eyes in shock. "My dad wouldn''t..." Old Mrs. Riley gave her a stern look. "What are you thinking? Your father is not that young anymore! When he lifted the covers, he was shocked, and he even took some heart medicine!" Victoria didn''t know what to say now. "In any case, don''t mess with Curtis. He''s like a wolf. He''ll take a bite out of you and strip your skin!" Victoria was scolded, feeling somewhat wronged. At this moment, Logan was absentmindedly apanying Vi as they strolled through the backyard garden. Vi noticed that Logan seemed distracted and handed him her phone, saying, "Logan, can you help me take a few pictures? The flowers here look very beautiful." Logan agreed and took her phone to capture some photos. Vi took off her coat, revealing her sundress, and ran into the flowerbed, striking various poses. "Logan, do you think my poses look good?" Logan was uninterested in such matters and asked, "Vi, aren''t you feeling cold?" Vi''s smile froze, and she looked awkward. "Logan doesn''t understand... We... Young girls like to wear pretty dresses and take photos." "Oh," Logan replied emotionlessly as he took several photos. "Adeline doesn''t do this." Vi didn''t make a sound. After taking several photos, Vi realized that Logan wasn''t very interested, so she stopped. When she walked up to Logan, she intentionally flicked her hair and let one of her dress straps fall from her shoulder. Logan quickly averted his gaze. Vi thought, "Is this guy a monk?" They continued to stroll for a while, and Vi bit her lip, hesitating before saying, "Logan, after you left, there''s been a rumor circting in Prodiff about my sister. I don''t know if I should tell you." "It''s okay, you can tell me. I won''t believe it," Logan responded decisively. Vi twitched her mouth before finally speaking, "Some people say that my sister climbed into your Uncle Curtis'' ... bed and became Uncle Curtis''s lover." Logan smiled and looked at Vi. "How could there be such an absurd rumor? Aren''t they afraid of Uncle Curtis cutting out their tongues?" As he spoke, Vi subconsciously shrank her tongue. "Besides, Uncle Curtis isn''t interested in women. Don''t you know that?" Logan said firmly. "And your sister isn''t the kind of person who would climb into someone else''s bed! Alright, Vi, I''m done strolling with you. I need to go to Royal Bar to find your sister. I''m worried about her safety." With that, Logan left Vi behind and walked away. Chapter 186 Take My Life for Jonathans Chapter 186Take My Life for Jonathan''s Chapter 186 Take My Life for Jonathan''s Adeline arrived at Royal Bar but couldn''t find Quinna, and she didn''t know which private room she was in. When she called Quinna, there was no answer. Royal Bar was very private, making it impossible to check each room one by one. Adeline was getting anxious. Every minute Quinna wasn''t found, the danger increased. "Adeline." Just when Adeline felt helpless, Curtis'' voice came from behind her. "I''ll take you to the control room for a faster search." Adeline turned around and saw Steffen pushing Curtis towards her. She greeted him excitedly, "Honey, you''re really my lucky star!" She was growing to appreciate Curtis''s straightforwardness and unconditional trust more and more. Soon, Adeline watched the surveince footage and saw that Jonathan had forcibly dragged Quinna into a private room. It was evident that Quinna was unwilling. Once she identified the room, Adeline rushed over. The private room door happened to open, and Jonathan was about toe out. Through the partially open door, she could see Quinna inside, as if someone was trying to force her to drink. "Jonathan!" Adeline saw him and couldn''t contain her anger.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. The next moment, arge hand was ced on her shoulder, holding her back and preventing her from moving forward. Adeline turned her head to look at the person behind her and saw that Logan had urgently grabbed her wrist and forcefully led her to the side. "Let''s go. Youe with me." "Logan, what are you doing!" Adeline shook off his hand, feeling like she was about to go crazy! "What am I doing? You almost got into trouble again. Do you know who Jonathan is? The Morris family has aplicated background, even Uncle Curtis wouldn''t easily provoke them. You have made a mistake and you want to do it again? You had Leon protect youst time, but what about this time? Adeline, don''t meddle in other people''s business. Even if you help that girl today, so what? What if she changes her mind like thest time? You''ll end up in trouble inside and out!" Adeline looked at Logan in shock. "There''s an innocent girl involved here! Not to mention that she once helped me. Logan, I''m very disappointed in you. I''m grateful that I didn''t end up with you in the end. Logan, today Ipletely understand that you and I are not on the same path. If I don''t go in today, I''ll be gued by this matter for the rest of my life. But if I help her today and she doesn''t help herself, then I won''t help her again." Adeline returned to the private room and witnessed Sara grabbing Jonathan''s cor and beating him relentlessly. Each punch was exceptionally brutal, and one could almost hear the bones cracking with each strike. Jonathan''s friend attempted to help him, grabbing bottles to threaten Sara. "Be careful-" Adeline rushed over and pushed that man aside. Sara, alerted by Adeline''s voice, executed a side kick, sending another man trying to intervene flying. Now, Jonathan''s friends no longer dared to approach. Sara continued to pummel Jonathan mercilessly, striking him until it seemed life-threatening. Logan rushed into the room and shouted, "Stop! Someone might die!" Adeline also sensed that something was wrong; Sara''s eyes were filled with extreme ruthlessness. She seemed like she wanted to kill Jonathan! "Sara, stop this quickly!" Adeline anxiously stepped forward to restrain her. Sara turned her head, nced at Adeline, and sinctly stated, "Take your student and leave! I''ll take full responsibility for this. If Jonathan dies, I''ll pay for his worthless life." Chapter 187 Madman Jonathan and Victorias Fall Chapter 187 Madman Jonathan andVictoria''s Fall Chapter 187 Madman Jonathan and Victoria''s Fall "Stop," Curtis spoke with a calm tone. Adeline turned around and saw Steffen pushing Curtis into the room. She rushed over to him like she had found her savior. Sara had one hand gripping Jonathan''s cor and the other raising a fist, but when she heard Curtis''s voice, her fist halted. Jonathan, his face swollen like a pig''s head, licked the corner of his mouth and smiled. "You better kill me. If you don''t, all of you will die." As he spoke, with a loud thud, Sara''s fist came down without hesitation. Jonathan winced in pain but continued tough manically. Sara kept on hitting him brutally, "Mr. Riley, you all should leave! I''ll handle this on my own. I said if this scum dies, I''ll give him my worthless life." "What if I don''t want you to give me your life?" Curtis''s voice was calm, but Logan was getting anxious. "Uncle Curtis! Look at Jonathan... If she keeps beating him like this, can the Morris family let it go? You must let Steffen pull her away!" Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Curtis remainedposed and uttered, "Sara, if I tell you to stop now, will you listen?" Sara, with bloodshot eyes and panting heavily, finally let go of Jonathan. Jonathan copsed like a pile of mud. Seeing this, Quinna, frightened and covering her face, crouched down and burst into tears. "I don''t want this... Why won''t you let me go... Why..." Quinna knew that this whole situation had started because of her, and Jonathan would not let her go now. Adeline went over and hugged her,forting her. After all, Quinna was just a child. But now that things had escted to this uncontroble point, she also felt somewhat responsible. "Teacher... Why won''t he let me go... I just wanted to take the college entrance exam properly and study in another city, far away from this devil. But why won''t they let me go? Teacher, I didn''t want to come with them, but they took my backpack. I had no choice but toe with them." Adeline gently stroked Quinna''s head. "Don''t be afraid. Bad people will face consequences." "No, they won''t." Quinna cried uncontrobly. "People like them, who are rich and powerful, won''t face consequences. In the end, it''s the unfortunate ones without money or power like us who suffer." Hearing this, Adeline felt that her heart ached. "Why?" Jonathan leaned against the wall andughed maniacally. "Haha ... because you look so obedient! I hate students who seem obedient and studious the most. I want to drag you into the abyss, hahaha..." Adeline gave Jonathan a fierce re. "There''s no hope for you!" "Adeline! Don''t say anything!" Logan scolded her in a low voice. "This has nothing to do with you! Originally, it was a problem between this girl and Sara. Don''t meddle." Adeline was surprised by Logan''s words and looked at him. "Do you know what you are saying?" Jonathan continued tough insanely, "Ms. Burton, your boyfriend is helping you absolve responsibility! Hahaha... Don''t worry; we''re all in this together! Whoever messes with me today, I''ll kill you all. Since the day I was born until now, no one has dared to hit me. You all just wait for me; I''ll kill you one by one!" As his words fell, Victoria had just arrived at the private room, and her whole expression changed. She quickly took Logan''s hand and reprimanded him, "What are you doing here?" She then gave Jonathan an apologetic smile. "Mr. Morris, this has nothing to do with my son. He and Adeline broke up a long time ago. Please don''t mind him. I''ll take him away now." With that said, Victoria forcibly led Logan out. Logan nced at Adeline. "You should leave too; stop meddling here." Adeline''s gaze suddenly sharpened, "Victoria, how did you know Jonathan was here?" Curtis chuckled softly, adding salt to the wound, "Logan, you''ve grown up now. You should think about many things on your own. Think about it carefully: how could your mother just happen to come here and rescue you so coincidentally?" Chapter 188 Uncle Curtis Slept with Adeline Chapter 188Uncle Curtis Slept with Adeline Chapter 188 Uncle Curtis Slept with Adeline Logan''s body suddenly stiffened, but in the end, he didn''t say anything and followed Victoria. On the way, Logan remained very quiet. When they were almost back at the old house, Victoria couldn''t help but speak up, "Logan, I..." Logan gave Victoria a bitter smile. "Mom, do you really dislike Adeline so much? Do you dislike her enough to get involved with the Morris family?" "No, that''s not it. Mom doesn''t," Victoria defended herself cunningly. Logan, feeling exhausted, rubbed his forehead. "Mom, I''m not a child anymore. I''ve evenpleted my postgraduate studies. Do you really think I have no brains at all?" Victoria''s lips moved slightly, about to say something in her defense, but then she heard Logan''s voice, filled with frustration. "I hate the people from the Morris family!" Victoria froze, as if she hadn''t expected Logan to say such words. Logan got out of the car, stood at the entrance of the old house, and looked at Victoria with a hint of resentment in his eyes. "I know everything about what happened back then! I witnessed how the Morris family twisted the truth and ruined a female student! Mom, I didn''t want Adeline to get involved in these matters, it''s because I was incapable! I couldn''t protect her, couldn''t ensure she came out of this situation unscathed, and that doesn''t mean I think the Morris family was right! The Morris family, and Jonathan, are nothing but beasts! How... Can you cooperate with them?" Logan''s eyes were filled with disappointment, and there was a hint of teary-eyed pain. "Just now, did you intentionally distract Adeline by Jonathan? Just to create an opportunity for me and Vi?" Logan gave a wry smile. "Mom, you''re really ridiculous!" With that said, Logan walked straight into Olivia''s room and knocked on the door. Olivia, who had been affected by Reuben and had been harshly rejected by Max, was currently drinking alone in her room. Seeing Logan push the door open after only two knocks, she was startled and quickly tightened the neckline of her nightgown. "Logan, what''s wrong with you?" Logan walked over, took the red wine from Olivia''s hand, poured himself a ss, and asked, "I''m feeling upset, so I came to talk to you. This time I came back, I found Mom to be terribly unfamiliar." Hearing this, Olivia sneered and smiled. "Logan, you just realized this? Let me tell you, this time when I came back, I felt that she was not my mom at all, as if she had been possessed by someone else. Do you know?" "Olivia!" Logan''s voice raised slightly. "Don''t speak like that about Mom. I have some grievances, but after all, she is our mother, and as children, we shouldn''t say such things!" Olivia shrugged. "Suit yourself, I don''t care. Come on, Brother, let''s have a toast to our lost love." "I didn''t lose love." Logan refused to clink sses with Olivia and paused before asking, "Olivia, if... I were to get drunk and identally sleep with Jodie without realizing it, and then I confessed it to Adeline, do you think she would forgive me?" Olivia nced at Logan with a sidelong look. "Logan, there''s no need to say ''if.'' Hasn''t this already happened a long time ago? With Jodie, who has a thousand tricks up her sleeve, I wouldn''t be surprised." "Don''t change the subject. Just answer, will Adeline mind?" Olivia''s expression darkened a bit. "Then let me ask you, what if Adeline also slept with someone else? Would you mind?" "Impossible!" Logan said firmly. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. "What if I told you it was an uncontroble situation? She was drugged by someone, and the person who slept with her was Uncle Curtis. What would you do then?" Olivia asked tentatively. Logan smiled and shook his head. "You and the others heard rumors in Prodiff and came to tell me this? Do you really think I would believe it? Olivia, I unconditionally trust Adeline not to betray me. Forget it, I won''t discuss this with you. I''ll call Uncle Curtis now." With that, Logan dialed Curtis''s number. Chapter 189 The "Affair" Is Discovered Chapter 189 The "Affair" Is Discovered Chapter 189 The "Affair" Is Discovered Curtis was currently in a private room dealing with the matter of Jonathan. Seeing Logan''s call, he calmly answered it in front of Adeline. Logan''s voice came through the phone. "Uncle Curtis, it''s me." "Okay," Curtis responded calmly, reaching out to hold one of Adeline''s hands and gently rubbing it in his palm. After a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, Logan''s voice finally came through. "Is Adeline still there?" "Yes," Curtis''s voice remained calm, giving no hint of any unusual circumstances. "Uncle Curtis, I have a favor to ask. "Tell me." "Can you protect Adeline for me and make sure Jonathan doesn''t harm her? If possible, help that girl too. She''s very pitiful. Later, I''ll also trouble you to bring Adeline back." Curtis raised an eyebrow at Adeline and gently said, "You can rest assured, I will protect Adeline for sure." After saying that, Curtis hung up the phone and turned to Adeline, " Logan asked me to protect you." Upon witnessing this scene, Jonathan couldn''t hold back. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. "What the heck? Weren''t you with that bookworm? Howe you''re with Curtis?" Jonathan then nced at the two of them holding hands and remarked, "Impressive, Ms. Burton, you''ve actually crawled into the bed of Mr. Riley in Prodiff. No wonder you don''t pay any attention to me." Taking advantage of the situation, Adeline sat on Curtis''sp, disying an air of authority, "Since you know now, I won''t hide it from you. Anyway, when ites to my affairs, our Mr. Riley will definitely take care of it. The person I want to protect, he will protect as well." With a somewhat uncertain look, Adeline nced at Curtis and asked, "Is that right?" "Everything you said is correct." Curtis replied affectionately. Adeline couldn''t help but smile, and when she looked at Jonathan again, her expression turned somewhat fierce. "Jonathan, don''t disturb Quinna! She''s a good student and is about to take the early admissions exam for the top university. If you dare to bully her again, I won''t spare you! I''m not the same Ms. Burton you used to know!" Jonathan sat on the ground, unable to get up due to the pain, but he still pped arrogantly. "Oh, impressive! But don''t you know that your current Mr. Riley is both crippled and in decline? Do you really think he can protect you?" Seeing that, Sara raised his fist again and ncing at Curtis, "Mr. Riley, let me finish him off, so you won''t have any future trouble!" Curtis gave her a cold look, and Sara had no choice but to grit her teeth and lower her hand. Jonathan became even more arrogant, "See, Ms. Burton, Curtis is afraid to finish me off. Hahaha..." Curtis patted Adeline''s leg, signaling her to stand up. Once Adeline stood up, he slowly pushed his wheelchair to the corner of the room. Without saying a word, he grabbed Jonathan''s hair and lifted his head, then with a loud thud, he mmed it into the white wall. Blood sttered on the wall, a gruesome sight to behold. Jonathan''s head felt as if it had split open, and he heard Curtis''s calm voice in his ears. "I won''t kill you, but I don''t want my people''s hands to be tainted because of the likes of you. For a despicable creature like you, I won''t sacrifice my people''s lives." Saying that, Curtis looked at Sara. Sara''s eyes instantly turned red, and she clenched her fists tightly. Steffen lifted Jonathan''s head and gave him a few more ps. "Brat, how dare you address my boss by his name!?" Jonathan was released, and he slumped against the wall, still arrogant. "Do you dare to keep hitting me? You''re asking for death! When my dad arrives, you''re all doomed!" Curtis nodded. "Alright, I''ll call Tristan toe pick you up." With that, Curtis signaled to Steffen. Steffen immediately dialed Tristan''s number. Adeline couldn''t quite understand what Curtis was nning to do. She had interacted with Tristan before, and he was a biased man who was so partial to his son! After hanging up the phone, Steffen gave a signal to his subordinates. At this point, several subordinates surrounded Jonathan. Jonathan couldn''t figure out Curtis''s intentions and became nervous. "What... What do you want to do?" Chapter 190 Dealing with Scoundrels Requires Scoundrel Methods Chapter 190 Dealing with Scoundrels Requires Scoundrel Methods Chapter 190 Dealing with Scoundrels Requires Scoundrel Methods At this point, several ck-d individuals surrounded them and threw Jonathan''s friends together. Steffen took out his phone and started recording, giving the order, "Search!" The ck-d individuals immediately began searching them. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Soon, someone found a white powder packet and reported, "Mr. Riley, found it!" "And this one has it!" "Mr. Riley, this guy has it too!" All of Jonathan''s friends had illegal drugs on them. Jonathan smiled brightly in front of the camera. "What can you do to me? I don''t carry any drugs. I don''t even know that these guys have them. I''m innocent." Jonathan was a clever individual. When taking drugs , he never carried them himself; he always had his friends bring them to him. Curtis chuckled. "A urine test can easily determine the truth." Jonathan''s expression darkened a bit, and he heard Curtis slowly say, "We suspect that you deliberately brought these drugs here to sell to your friends. The crime of trafficking is heavier than possession." Jonathan''s eyes shed with determination. "Are you threatening me? Let me tell you, I''m not afraid! I have cop friends, and my uncle can change the test result for me! In the end, I won''t have any problems! Curtis, I''m telling you, when I get out, I''ll kill you, youme bastard!" Curtis adjusted the stylish sses on his nose and smiled softly. "I''m quite scared. So... I think it''s necessary to leave myself a life-saving measure." Jonathan''s face changed slightly, and he found it difficult to understand Curtis''s intentions. "What do you mean?" Curtis pushed his wheelchair slowly past Jonathan, preparing to leave the private room, but before that, Curtis cast a nce at him. "After you y around with too many women, how about trying men for once? Since you have such a close rtionship with your friends, why not have some fun together?" With that, Curtis looked up at Steffen. "You''re responsible for recording." Hearing Curtis'' request, Steffen was shocked and thought to himself, "Can I say no to this? It''s so disgusting to shoot that scene." Jonathan looked dumbfounded for a moment, then reacted strongly, cursing, "Curtis, how dare you!" Curtis nced at Jonathan, and the coldness in his eyes behind the lenses was frightening. "Go ahead, try me if I dare. With the recording, I warn you. Stay away from those three girls in this private room. If you dare to harass them again, I''ll make you famous on the inte!" With that, Curtis immediately asked Adeline to leave, who helped the weak Quinna to her feet and apanied her out. Quinna pointed to her bag. "My backpack." Sara immediately understood and took her bag. The private room door closed, and soon, the sound of Jonathan''s miserable screams could be heard from inside. ... Curtis ordered someone to take Quinna back home. Before leaving, Quinna held Adeline''s hand and bowed deeply, saying, "Ms. Burton, thank you for coming to rescue me again. I''ve caused you trouble once more." Adeline rubbed her head and replied, "It''s okay; you helped me before. I should return the favor. If it weren''t for your bravery in standing up as a witness during my internship, I would have had my teaching credentials revoked, and I wouldn''t be able to teach for the rest of my life." Quinna looked at Adeline and wiped away tears. "Ms. Burton, don''t you hate me? You helped me so much, even at the cost of offending the Morris family. In the end, I admitted in court that I had a romantic rtionship with that scumbag, Jonathan." Adeline forced a smile and said, "Everyone has their own choices. You were young back then, and facing all those rumors and gossip, you wanted to put an end to it. I understand. You were afraid of facing the dark forces, and I can understand that too." Suddenly, Quinna covered her face and cried. "No, it''s not that! My mom has kidney disease and needs to undergo kidney dialysis three times a week. The Morris family found a kidney donor for my mom, and they said that as long as I changed my testimony, they would provide the kidney for my mom, and they''d cover all the expenses. I didn''t want to ept, but my dad and brother kept scolding me, calling me ungrateful. My mom even cursed me, saying that if she died, I would be her killer! Ms. Burton, what would you do if you were in my shoes? Would you be the executioner who killed your own mother?" Adeline looked at Quinna in shock, hugged her, patted her back, andforted her. Besides that, she didn''t know what else she could do. She didn''t know the immense pressure that Quinna had faced back then. She even med Quinna for not holding on until the end. Yes, if it were her, what choice would she make? She was also a child controlled by her family from a young age. How could she not understand what Quinna had suffered? Afterforting Quinna for a while, Adeline let Curtis''s men take her away. When she returned, Tristan had angrily taken his barely conscious son with him. Adeline didn''t know what Curtis had said to him, but she vaguely felt that this matter might not end easily. Adeline wanted to say something, but Curtis spoke first, "Mom is back; let''s go home first and not make her worry." Adeline nodded. As they returned to the Riley''s residence, Logan came out to greet them. "Adeline, I have something to talk to you." Chapter 191 Old Mrs. Riley Doted on Her Daughter-in-Law and Dealt with the Bully Chapter 191 Old Mrs. Riley Doted on Her Daughter-in-Law and Dealt with the Bully Chapter 191 Old Mrs. Riley Doted on Her Daughter-in-Law and Dealt with the Bully As soon as Logan finished speaking, old Mrs. Riley left the house and called out joyfully. ¡°Adeline.¡± Adeline bowed and lowered the ramp of Curtis''s car, then she tied his wheelchair securely and began to push him down. Hearing that old Mrs. Riley calling for her, her body instinctively trembled. After she managed tond Curtis on the ground, she turned around and responded, "Grandma." Old Mrs. Riley warmly shook Adeline''s hand, smiling as she examined Adeline more closely. She was very pleased to see her. She turned her head and scolded Logan, "Don''t you see that your Uncle Curtis is here? Why don''t you offer to help? Look at how considerate Adeline is. She knows the importance of respecting the elderly and caring for the young even though she was young." Then, she tured to Curtis and said, "Look at you. Adeline is so considerate. You, as the elder, don''t seem to know how to take care of others. Look how cold these little hands are." Curtis was speechless. At the same time, Alston and Yetta, who were also there to make sure nothing had happened, almost choked on their saliva when they heard old Mrs. Riley''s words. Alston repeated with a faint smile, "Yes, she''s very respectful to the elderly and caring for the young.¡± Adeline didn''t say anything. Old Mrs. Riley took Adeline by the hand and walked away while she was saying, "Stop standing there. I had Shaylee prepare some hot soup to keep you all warm. Everyone, go inside and have some before sleeping.¡± The others moved towards the dining table. Victoria, who was worried that something might go wrong, hurriedly put on her coat and came downstairs. Vi, who was lodging there temporarily also came down and called sweetly, ¡°Grandma.¡± "What makes you here?¡± Old Mrs. Riley''s expression turned cold "It was Aunt who invited me to Uncle''s birthday party. She was concerned that my sister would be ufortable on her own here, so she invited me to apany her," while Vi was speaking, she was looking at Victoria Victoria replied with a smile, "That''s right, Mom. I was worried that Adeline would be alone.¡± "Oh? So, are you saying that nobody in this house can keep herpany now?" Old Mrs. Riley raised her eyebrow, her tone tinged with sarcasm as she nced at Victoria. "This year, your husband''s birthday party is low-key, just for the family to gather. As the wife, shouldn''t you have a sense of propriety?¡± Victoria tried to joke and make herself less embarrassed, ¡°Mom, where are these wordsing from? Vi and Adeline are sisters. She is part of the family too.¡± Old Mrs. Riley snorted, "It''s right that they are sisters, but there are distinctions in closeness. It''s fine for her toe and have a meal. We can afford this little meal expense. What I''m afraid of is that some people''s ambitions soar to the sky while their abilities are paper-thin. yet they still think they can achieve the impossible." Adeline was shocked Old Mrs. Riley was very blunt with her words! Vi''s expression looked awkward, and she wished she could find a hole to hide in it. Victoria''s expression froze too and was finding it difficult to respond. Seeing old Mrs. Riley holding Adeline''s hand throughout the conversation, Victoria felt somewhat annoyed. "Mom, Vi was invited by me. Isn''t it a bit disresGectful to me for you to act this way? Besides, Viand =. Adeline @e biological sisters. Yous have been holding onto one of their handsince you entered the house while speaking so harshly tothe other one. Don''t you find that you are a bit over?" Victoria''s words made Adeline realize that old Mrs. Riley had been holding her hand since she arrived and felt somewhat embarrassed. She wanted to pull her hand away. Old Mrs. Riley held onto it firmly and responded determinedly. ¡°That''s what I prefer!" Victoria was speechless. "I find Adeline very pleasing!" Victoria didn''t know what to say. "When Adeline gets married, I even want to give her a share of my assets!" Hearing that, Victoria¡¯s expression darkened slightly. ¡®Furthermere, Adeline saved my life. in the past If I don''t treat her well and treat others well, wouldn''t it be a disgrace? People might say that as an.olddy, I have no conscience." Victor clenched her fists and didn''t dare to say a word. Old Mrs. Riley gave Vi a casual nce. Then, she told Victoria with a tone of admonition as if teaching the younger generation. ¡®Self-awareness and self-respect are valuable traits: If everyone practices them in thei? daily life, no one will ever look down upon them. Victor, you reolder but still inexperienced in assessing people. I don''t me you. Lean it from me in the future." "Alright," Victoria gritted her teeth in response. Adeline was shocked to see Victoria being humiliated like that. Old Mrs. Riley''s words were exceptionally powerful! She managed to criticize Victoria for being so unwise as well as her old age indirectly!Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. She subconsciously nced at Curtis, who happened to be looking at her. Curtis said internally, "Look. That''s how impressive our mom is." Adeline seemed to read those words which were on Curtis''s mind and blushed slightly. Old Mrs. Riley keenly caught the exchange of nces between the two and thought to herself. "Why do they look sweet?" Chapter 192 Logan Questioned in Front of Everyone, "I Heard You and Curtis..." Chapter 192 Logan Questioned in Front of Everyone, "I Heard You and Curtis..." Chapter 192 Logan Questioned in Front of Everyone, "I Heard You and Curtis..." Alston saw a hint on his mother''s expression, and he should have sensed something. He quickly intervened by saying. "Come on, let''s go and have some soup.¡± As he finished speaking, a car stopped in front of them. When the car door opened, General swiftly jumped out of the car and ran towards them Originally, it had wanted to cling to Adeline, but upon seeing old Mrs. Riley, it hesitated. It was unsure of whom to approach. In the end, he didn''t go to anyone. Instead, he wagged his tail continuously. "General! Why are you here?¡± Old Mrs. Riley joyfully reached out to pat General''s head, "Oh, you''ve even got two little braids now. They are so cute.¡± Just as old Mrs. Riley finished speaking, Steffen entered while carrying tworge bags of items for General. He exined, "Mr. Riley knows that you like General, so he specially sent it here to keep youpany." "Good, good.¡± Old Mrs. Riley couldn''t stop smiling. At that moment, General was desperately trying to grab the toys from Steffen''s hands. Old Mrs. Riley noticed it and asked Steffen, "What''s this?¡± "Oh, it''s a dog voice recorder that Mr. Doyle sent. There''s a round button on it, and when you press it, it makes a sound." As Steffen spoke, he took out a few small toys from the bag. General had a strong desire to perform, and immediately, he pressed the yellow button. The yellow button emitted a mechanical voice, "Eat, eat." Then, General pressed the red button. The red button emitted a mechanical voice, "Hello, hello." Old Mrs. Rileyughed with her eyes squinted, then patted General''s head again and said, "You''re so clever.¡± Adeline also rubbed General''s head. Vi walked over, pretending not to know anything, and asked, ¡°Adeline, why are you so close to Mr. Riley''s dog? This dog isn''t even afraid of you." As soon as she finished speaking, General started tugging at the box in Steffen''s hand. All the buttons in the box spilled out. General found one button and pressed it. The button emitted a mechanical voice, "You''re the dog! You''re the dog!" After pressing it, General even barked a couple of times at Vi, "Woof! Woof!" Vi was frightened, her face turning pale, and she quickly backed away. Upon seeing that, old Mrs. Rileyughed and said to a maid, "Give General some drumsticks! Our General is so clever!" After a few more pats, old Mrs. Riley left to wash her hands and prepare to have some soup. Vi was looking at old Mrs. Riley''s arrogant demeanor with an unhappy expression. She thought to herself, ¡°Old Mrs. Riley is more enthusiastic towards a dog than me!" ¡°Isn''t that too much?" Adeline also followed to wash her hands and returned to the dining table after finishing Logan walked over and wanted to sit next to her, but General immediately rushed over and barked loudly. Yetta was surprised! She thought to herself, ¡°This dog is too smart!¡± Alston nced at Curtis. Curtis appeared calm. He adjusted his sses on his nose as if saying to his brother, "I haven''t done anything." Logan had-always been afraid of this Tibetan} Mastiff, so in the end, hes . could only move to the other end of the table and sit across from ¡ã Ad¨¦line. - Then, he was a bit curious too. He asked, "Adeline, why aren''t you afraid of Uncle Curtis''s dog?¡± "Woof! Woof!" General barked fiercely at Logan and then pawed at a button again The button emitted a mechanical voice: "None of your business! None of your business!¡± Logan was speechless.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. The rest remained silent too. The maids served bowls of soup, and everyone began to eat. At the same time, Olivia also came down to join everyone. She instinctively nced at her brother and then saw Adeline sitting with Uncle Curtis. She felt somewhat bewildered. ¡°Had it be public now?¡± Logan understood the looks NN exchanged between Olivia and Vi. He putthe spoon in his bowl, c¡ã making a sound that wasn''t too lout. ...* - That sound managed to draw everyone''s attention. He stared straight at Adeline and said, "Adelina, I just returned to < Prodiff-and I''ve heard quite a few rumors about your rtionship with Uncle Curtis." Content bfigs to 7 As soon as he finished speaking, everyone''s hearts tightened. Yetta thought to herself, "Is it getting that intense?¡± Alston talked internally, "It sounds troublesome." Old Mrs. Riley was wondering to herself. "Is there something I don''t know?¡± Olivia thought to herself, ¡°Is it time toe clean?¡± Curtis seemed like he was saying, "I''m not afraid at all.¡± Adeline was speechless and thought. "Can we change the subject?¡± Chapter 193 Curtiss Surprising Revelation Chapter 193 Curtis''s Surprising Revtion Chapter 193 Curtis''s Surprising Revtion Logan stared directly at Adeline and said, "There are also rumors that you sent yourself to Curtis''s bed." Adeline looked displeased, and as soon as her lips parted, she heard the sound of old Mrs. Riley mming the table. "Those are nonsense! If I find out who spread these rumors, I''ll tear their mouth apart!" "Yes, Grandma,¡± Logan calmly reassured, then looked at Adeline with conviction and said, "I don''t believe a single word of it.¡± Alston didn''t say a word. Yetta remained silent too. They thought to themselves. ¡°This silly child..." Adeline took a deep breath, wanting to say something to Logan, but old Mrs. Riley spoke first. ¡°Adeline, go upstairs and rest.¡± As she was saying that, she didn''t allow any objections and called a maid to escort Adeline to her guest room. Seeing that, Adeline didn''t want to embarrass old Mrs. Riley and nodded. Then, she left with the maid. As soon as Adeline left. old Mrs. Riley turned her sharp gaze toward Logan and said, "You''re a grown man, don''t you know what to say in different situations?" Logan tried to exin, "Grandma, I just wanted to let everyone know that I trust Adeline. My words were meant for certain people to hear!" Old Mrs. Riley furrowed her brows and instinctively nced at Oliva and Vi, but in the end, she scolded Logan. "That still depends on the situation!" Alston quickly stood up to soothe old Mrs. Riley by saying, "Mom, don''t get upset. You just got back.¡± Curtis also wanted to say something to calm old Mrs. Riley down, but as soon as his lips moved, old Mrs. Riley painted at him "Don''t say a word!" Curtis was speechless. "I can''t even stand seeing you!" Curtis didn''t know what to say. "What makes you think that you canment about it as yourself is single? Do you have a girlfriend? You''re still not in a hurry to settle down at your age! Look! Even your nephew is getting married soon. Looking at you makes me even angrier!¡± Curtis didn''t say a word Yetta and Alston remained silent too. After that, everyone went back to their rooms.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. The next day, old Mrs. Riley got up early and invited Adeline to the Prodiff Theater to watch a y. Just as they were about to leave, Curtis approached them in his wheelchair. "Mom, let mee with you.¡± Old Mrs. Riley gave him a sideways nce and said, "What are youing along for? You''re the one who hates watching ys the most." "As long as you like it, I''m cool with it." Curtis replied casually. Old Mrs. Riley squinted at him for a moment and thought to herself, "That''s once in a blue moon. Curtis is acting so abnormal today." He was even dressed in a custom-made navy suit, paired with a well-crafted tie and high-end French cuffs, making him look quite sophisticated. ¡°Humph, do as you please. Come with us if you want to." Adeline held onto old Mrs. Riley''s hand and instinctively nced at Curtis. Although he couldn''t stand up and in the wheelchair, he exuded a sense eli elegance and refinement, just like a cleatand tranquil breeze under the bright moonlight on that day. Adeline''s heart fluttered as she looked at him How could someone who always appeared so aloof suddenly be uncontroble when seeing the ck silk stockings? Thinking aboutthose scenes, Adeline''s cheeks blushed. Unfortunately, he caught her looking at him. His lips curved slightly asvf he coutd see through everything, and thatstartled Adeline, causingier to qui¨¦kly avert her gaze. Cont¨¦nt b¨¦longs to Old Mrs. Riley followed Adeline¡¯s gaze and scolded Cutis with a stern look, "Don''t scare Adeline." They got into a spacious RV and arrived at the Prodiff Theater. Old Mrs. Ri ey-seemed to remember something. She turned to Curtis and said, "You presence today is just - right. I have a few old friends here ll haye them introduce you to Some potential partners. So, what kind of girFdo you like?¡± oy Curtis looked straight at Adeline. his eyes tinged with a gentle smile, and he spoke softly. "I like... someone like Adeline." His voice was so mesmerizing that it sent shivers down one''s spine. Adeline''s heart fluttered and her fingers curled up nervously. Chapter 194 Old Mrs. Riley Saw Curtiss Secret Touch On Adeline Chapter 194 Old Mrs. Riley Saw Curtis''s Secret Touch On Adeline Chapter 194 Old Mrs. Riley Saw Curtis''s Secret Touch On Adeline Seeing that old Mrs. Riley hesitated, Curtis lightly chuckled and asked, "Mom, don''t you like someone like Adeline? Good-looking, obedient, and a teacher." Curtis subtly praised Adeline. Adeline lowered her head slightly, feeling like she had been flirted with again Old Mrs. Riley cast a disdainful nce at him and said, ¡°With yourme leg and temperament, someone like Adeline wouldn''t be interested in you." "Grandma," Adeline gently tugged at old Mrs. Riley''s arm, signaling her not to hurt Curtis''s pride too much Old Mrs. Riley didn¡¯t pay much attention to Adeline''s remark and continued as they walked, "Adeline, you don''t need to worry about Uncle Curtis. His heart is wrapped in ayer of iron and it isn''t that fragile. Those few words won''t hurt him." Though she said that, as soon as old Mrs. Riley sat down, she turned to the first friend who approached and asked, "Do you know any teachers? Is there anyone at a marriageable age? Will they match up with my youngest son?¡± Just as old Mrs. Riley finished speaking, she added thoughtfully, "It''s fine if they''re a bit older. My youngest son isn''t picky." "Mom..." Curtis''s voice sounded a hint of displeasure. Old Mrs. Riley gave him a sideways nce and continued, "With your qualities, what kind of person are you looking for? What''s wrong with someone a bit older? They know how to take care of others.¡± That friend hesitated at old Mrs. Riley''s words and cautiously inquired, "Well, there are some older candidates, but they''re around 38 years old. Of course, they know how to take care of others. But... 38 years old... Will that...?" Pfft! Adeline almost spat out her tea. She quickly grabbed a tissue from the table to suppress the urge tough. Curtis''s expression turned extremely dark. Old Mrs. Riley grumbled, "Just a bit older... But can¡¯t be that much older.¡± "All right. All right..." that friend responded, "I''ll find someone else for you.¡± "Good," old Mrs. Riley nodded. Her concern was her child''s marriage. She might say she wasn''t picky, but she couldn''t really be that nonchnt about it! After all, choosing a spouse was a lifelongmitment It couldn''t be taken lightly. Adeline reached out to pick a walnut from the table, intending to offer it to old Mrs. Riley. Just as her hand was about to reach the walnut, Curtis''s hand also extended In front of old Mrs. Riley, Curtis secretly touched the back of Adeline¡¯s hand. Adeline reacted immediately. Her body trembled slightly. She quickly picked up a walnut and pulled her hand back. Old Mrs. Riley''s heart skipped a beat and she furrowed her brow. She had just noticed Curtis''s subtle move! It already surprised her when he said that he liked someone like Adeline. How dare he touch Adeline in front of her? "I''m sorry,¡± Curtis politely apologized to Adeline. "It''s okay,¡± Adeline lowered her head and opened a walnut, offering it to old Mrs. Riley. Curtis also happened to open a walnut and handed it to old Mrs. Riley. Both of them were taken aback. Old Mrs. Riley-softened her expression quite a bit when she saw that. She was d that they were => thoughtftv. She epted the > walnuts and suppressed the strange thoughts that had crossed her ¡®mind jusEnow. .t¨¦ 4 At the sam¨¦time, before the y had evenstarted, another friend ? approached and handed a photo to old Mrs. Riley with a smile. She said, "Thisis my niece. What do you think, mata?¡± - Old Mrs. Riley took a nce at the photo. The girl had a plump figure, but herdacial features seemed gentle-and friendly, and she . appeared to be a cheerful young woman. - She turned to Curtis and asked, "What do you think of this one?" "Nothing special." Old Mrs. Riley frowned and continued, "You didn''t even look at it.¡± Curtis deliberately took a nce and said, ¡°Too fat! Her legs are like an elephant''s! I prefer someone slender!" He said that intentionally for Adeline to hear. Adeline got what he was trying to say. She bit her lip and lowered her head Old Mrs. Riley was worried that her friend might feel embarrassed and scolded Curtis, "What do you know? A bit of extra weight is good for childbearing." In just an instant, Adeline''s face turned pale Curtis quickly retorted, "No need for childbearing. My genes aren''t anything special, no need to pass them on!" "You...!" Old Mrs. Riley raised her hand and she was ready to smack Curtis. That friend felt embarrassed. She quickly said a few words and excused herself. Before old Mrs. Riley''s hand couldnd, a middle-aged man¡¯s voice was heard. "Well, isn''t this old Mrs. Riley?¡± Adeline and Curtis turned their heads to look at him, and their expressions darkened to varying degrees. It was Tristan! His appearance here right couldn''t mean anything good! Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Chapter 195 Adeline and Curtis Fell Flat in Front of Old Mrs. Riley Chapter 195 Adeline and Curtis Fell t in Front of Old Mrs. Riley Chapter 195 Adeline and Curtis Fell t in Front of Old Mrs. Riley Tristan was dressed in all ck and came with ten bodyguards. His appearance seemed like he hade to pick up a fight Old Mrs. Riley had just lifted her teacup, but she slowly put it down, nodding vaguely as she said, "What a coincidence." "It''s not a coincidence. I am here today to ask you for something.¡± While Tristan was saying that, he handed over a bag of chestnut pies wrapped in paper. He opened it and broke one of them in half, then handed half of it to her. "I heard that you enjoy these, so I came to deliver them personally. You can enjoy them with tea while watching the y." Old Mrs. Riley''s expression seemed to think of something. She knew that Tristan was reminding her of the favor the Morris family had shown the Riley family during a chaotic period in the past. Back then, the patriarch of the Riley family had been wrongly used, and the entire family had been forced to flee. Along the way, they encountered various hardships. All their money had been stolen and they starved for several days. The patriarch of the Morris family had taken pity on them and given their daughter half a chestnut pie. Later, the old patriarch of the Riley family revisited his old haunts and unexpectedly encountered the Morris family. He mentioned that he would certainly repay the favor of the half piece of chestnut pie in the future. Old Mrs. Riley scrutinized that half piece of chestnut pie for a long time before eventually epting it. After all, back in the day, her eldest daughter had eaten most of that pie It could be said that it saved her daughter, who had been on the brink of starving. However, after epting it, Old Mrs. Riley didn''t eat it. She just ced it aside and stared at Tristan. She asked, "Who do you want from an old woman like me?" Seeing that old Mrs. Riley epted the pie. Tristan had a sense of assurance He straightened up and pointed at Adeline. He said, ¡°She''s one of them.¡± Adeline sat calmly without showing any response. She remainedposed and didn''t rush to defend herself. Old Mrs. Riley cast a sidelong nce at her and silently praised her demeanor andposure. That aura and reaction were truly suitable for a potential mistress of the household Old Mrs. Riley took a sip of tea and smiled as she asked, "Why do you want my granddaughter-inw? Has my granddaughter-inw done something wrong?" "¡°Granddaughter-inw?" Tristan smiled, leaned down, and answered old Mrs. Riley, "Are you sure she is the granddaughter-inw or something else? Why did I hear from my ipetent son that Ms. Burton... climbed into the bed of Curtis?¡± Old Mrs. Riley''s heart skipped a beat. She tightened her grip on the teacup for a moment but then she took a few sips of tea and smiled as she replied to Tristan. "Well, what you have said isn''t entirely wrong. Your son is indeed someone ipetent. At such a young age, he''s already learned to stir up trouble and spread rumors.¡± Tristan''s expression stiffened, but he forced a smil¨¦.and said, "Old Mrs. Riley, whether it''s stirring up trouble_ or spreading rumors, you can figute it out yourselfter. They say that am iematters should not be.aired in public, so it''s perfectly a understandable for you teprotect your son." Old Mrs. Riley''s heart skipped a beat as she noticed that neither Curtis nor Adeline were in a hurry to refute the allegations. There seemed to be some truth to the matter. Adeline''s fingers tightened and her expression turned slightly embarrassed. Tristan wasn''t wrong. It was a dirty linen at home! Even though she was now officially Curtis''s wife, revealing this matter wouldn''t be honorable. They couldn''t just go around telling everyone that Victoria was behind it. It was truly frustrating. Curtis sensed Adeline''s tightly clenched hand and his mouth couldn''t hold onto it anymore. As he calmly ran his slender fingers along the wheelchair''s armrest, he asked in a subdued tone, "Mr. Morris, are you treating me as if I''m dead now?"Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. His voice was faint but carried a strong sense of intimidation The eye contact between them was intense. Curtis''s stern and a domineering gaze made even the experfenced businessman Tristan, whowas i in his fifties, feel ? somewhat overwhelmed. b¨¦longs to ~ "I have warned youst night. If you don''t want your son to be arrested on drug trafficking charges, you should behave yourself.¡± Tristan recalled the embarrassment of being threatened and immediately became furious. "Old Mrs. Riley, I vee today to ask for your Kelp! I know Curtis has his way in Prodiff, manipting =. others agd whatnot, but I don''t cate. But myson is innocent of drug- ¡ª traffick ng. He deliberately fraried myson, and for the sake of Ms. Barton, he even had my sen admitted to the ICU!" As he spoke, Logan also entered the Prodiff Theater, carrying the chestnut pie. He hurried over and spoke anxiously. "Grandmother, what Mr. Morris said just now, except for the part about Uncle Curtis and Adeline, everything else is true. Please help Adeline." Chapter 196 All Sorts of Troubles Emerged Chapter 196 All Sorts of Troubles Emerged Chapter 196 All Sorts of Troubles Emerged When Tristan heard those words, his face lit up as if he had discovered something. "Look, old Mrs. Riley, even your grandson is saying the same thing!" Meanwhile, Curtis''s face was now dark as iron, and he wished he could strangle Logan How did he not know before that his nephew had such a muddled mind? Old Mrs. Riley''s expression stiffened slightly and she suddenly became passive. At the same time, Edith rushed up with Vi. Seeing ald Mrs. Riley, Edith picked up a handkerchief and covered her face, pretending to cry, "Old Mrs. Riley, you must save my Adeline! It''s Adeline who''s done wrong in this matter. A year ago, her brother apologized and made amends with them because of her. Who would have thought this stubborn girl would cause trouble for their family again?" As Edith spoke, she reached out to poke Adeline''s head. Adeline dodged Edith¡¯s touch with a stern gaze. Edith became angry in an instant and said, ¡°What''s with that look? That''s how you look at your mother? I''m here to help you!" Adeline sneered. She had initially thought about saying that she had severed ties with her and that her affairs had nothing to do with Edith. However, she held back. After all, in such a situation, revealing too much about her family¡¯s dirty linen would only bring embarrassment upon herself. Meanwhile, Vi also spoke up, "That''s right, Adeline. Mom was so worried about you and couldn''t sleep all night because of you. It was Logan who overheard his mother''s phone conversation and knew that the Morris family was causing trouble for you, so he rushed over to help you. He didn¡¯t want to tell me in the beginning, but I was so worried about you that I pestered him for a long time before he finally told me. As soon as I called Mom, she rushed over immediately, without even having time to do her makeup.¡± Old Mrs. Riley gave a sideways nce at Edith''s bright red lips and well-applied eyeliner. She couldn''t help but feel speechless. Old Mrs. Riley rubbed her temples wearily, and then she heard Edith kneel with a thud "Mr. Morris, it''s my eldest daughter''s fault. I beg you to spare her. I promise that she won''t interfere in your family''s affairs anymore. Please pity a mother like me. This daughter has been rebellious since she was a child, always contradicting me in everything and being distant from me. Now, she doesn''t even provide for the family and she doesn''t support me... But she''s still flesh and blood from my body! How can I not love her?" As Edith was talking, she became emotional and burst into tears. Adeline''s heart felt colder inch by inch How could a mother be so shameless?Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. In front of everyone, she was openly using her of being unfilial! Ding! A notification sound from WhatsApp interrupted the moment Adeline didn''t check her WhatsApp, but she instinctively nced at Curtis. Curtis nodded faintly at her. Adeline took out her phone and opened WhatsApp, where she saw that Curtis had sent her a message. As Adeline held her phone, her grip tightened slightly, and there were some tears in the corners of her eyes when she looked at Curtis. Yes, no matter how embarrassing the situation was, having him was enough. Old Mrs. Riley was no ordinary person. She had stood by the Riley family through all the ups and > downs: How could she not see thraagh the true colors of those peaple and their intentions? Content b¨¦longs ~ Edith, who imed to be her for her daughter''s good, was using every word to put Adeline on the "guilty" pir of shame in front of everyone. In the name of "helping her sister.¡± Vi''s words were all about conveying how close her rtionship was with Logan to Adeline. That made Adeline a real pity. Old Mrs. Riley wanted to hold her hand, offering somefort, but she couldn''t do it at the moment. If she was to grasp Adeline''s hand, it would be tantamount to indirectly conveying to everyone that she might be biased. Therefore, adopting the manner of an elder, old Mrs. Riley nced at the manager of the Prodiff Theater and said, "Prepare a private room for us upstairs.¡± The ProdiffT heater manager smiled in agreement, "Of course, please do handleyour matter with the younger generation first. We''ll start the y a bitter and wait for you. " Content ~~ Old Mrs. Riley responded with a warm smile, "You''re too kind. That''s too much.¡± ¡°It''s no trouble at all. This performance is made for you, Madam. I''ll just inform the other guests briefly." Old Mrs. Riley rose from her seat and didn¡¯t say anything further. After all, there were plenty of people in the city willing to curry favor with the Riley family. At the same time, she also wanted to show Tristan how powerful she was. Once they entered the private room and took their seats, old Mrs. Riley spoke up. ¡°Tristan, you''re the victim here. Why don''t youstart by exining what happen¨¦d? Why did Curtis have''to hit your seemingly ipetent sonzAnd how does this incident rte to Adeline?" Content! belongs to¡° ¡° Old Mrs. Riley deliberately emphasized the word ¡°ipetent.¡± Chapter 197 Old Mrs. Riley Supported Her Chapter 197 Old Mrs. Riley Supported Her Chapter 197 Old Mrs. Riley Supported Her Tristan mistakenly thought that old Mrs. Riley was going to intervene on his behalf and he hastily exined. "Itisn''t a big deal. It was just some children''s issues, but Ms. Burton took it seriously and chose to involve herself in my family affairs." Old Mrs. Riley chuckled softly and diplomatically responded, "We''re all parents here, so there''s no need for us to beat around the bush. I''m well aware of my third son¡¯s character as a mother myself. As for Adeline, I know her very well. Both of them tend to get involved in other people''s affairs and conflicts. If you still want to remain neutral, then I suppose we can conclude our discussion here, and I won''t be able to assist you." Tristan smiled and nodded. "Yes, yes, you''re right. My son is dating a girl from their ss. They''re just young kids, and a little mischief is normal. you know? One time, my son couldn''t smooth things over with that girl, and she turned around and falsely used my son of rape. Ms. Burton even sided with that girl and used my son. Fortunately, the courtter cleared my son''s name. Now, that girl and my son have patched things up again. But they''ve had another argument, and Ms. Burton rushed over yesterday, iming that she had saved that girl. Mr. Riley is taking Ms. Burton''s side, helping her confront my son. After that, they even threatened me not to pursue this matter. Old Mrs. Riley, what do you think? Is it good for our families¡® rtionship to deteriorate like this?" As Tristan finished speaking, Logan walked up to him and said, "On behalf of Adeline, I apologize for this matter. I hope you, as an honorable person, can be magnanimous...¡± Before he could finish his sentence, old Mrs. Riley cut him off. "Logan." Logan instinctively looked toward his grandmother.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Old Mrs. Riley''s lips curled slightly. She looked at him and said, "Did I ask you to speak?" Logan hesitated and replied, "Grandma, I was just trying to help Adeline...¡± "For Adeline''s sake, you better keep your mouth shut!" Logan wanted to talk back, but old Mrs. Riley''s gaze turned fierce. ¡°Our family members must carry themselves with pride outside! Listen carefully! Until things be clear, I won''t allow you to bow or apologize!¡± Logan''s expression was a bit conflicted and he retreated to the side. Edith exchanged a nce with Vi and quickly spoke up on behalf of Logan. "Grandma, Logan was only speaking up for my sister''s sake." Edith joined in, "That''s right, old Mrs. Riley. You care about Adeline, and so do I as her mother. But we must be fair in our words and actions. Event. Au ¡°VET: dare notgshow too much favori sr toward-Adeline, for fear of ruining her insthe future. Mr. Morris ¡®swords aretrue. A year ago, Adelhe ped acgirl fabricate false evidence, and she suffered from anxiety for a long time. She even consulted a psychologist. I have the evidence right here.¡± As Edith spoke, she produced the counseling receipt. Adeline''splexion instantly drained of color and thought to SS herself," ¡®Mrs. Burton, you say you wantto help me, but aren''t you trying to make things wors@ now?" Old Mrs. Riley remainedposed as she took over the counseling receipt. A faint smile appeared at the corner of Edith¡¯s mouth. She was pretty sure that after today, old Mrs. Riley would never favor Adeline. With the push from Edith, her beloved Vi would undoubtedly be the daughter-inw of the Riley family! Old Mrs. Riley held the counseling receipt and nced at Edith. Then, she asked politely, "Mrs. Burton, did I ask you to speak?" The smile that had appeared on Edith''s face froze in an instant. Old Mrs. Riley''s voice gained a stern edge as she continued, "Since each one of you respects me and asks me to take charge, you must listen to me.¡± Seeing thateveryone had fallen silent, old:Mrs. Riley spoke ina < gentle tone to Adeline, "Alright,.now you tet us, what''s going on? If- there''s any misunderstanding, exin it to Tristan." Conterit b¨¦longs to ~ It was obvious that old Mrs. Riley was encouraging Adeline to speak boldly and she was ready to take her side. Chapter 199 No One Was Holding Back, They Were Officially Breaking Ties Chapter 199 No One Was Holding Back, They Were Officially Breaking Ties Chapter 199 No One Was Holding Back, They Were Officially Breaking Ties When old Mrs. Riley heard that. her face suddenly turned cold, and a smile crept onto her lips as she nced at Edith.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. "Mrs. Burton, if you still trust me, leave Adeline with me, and you and your youngest daughter may leave now. Since this involves matters concerning our families, I have a few personal words to say to Tristan. I am requesting you to step aside.¡± Edith hesitated for a while as she looked at old Mrs. Riley''s smiley face. It wasn''t friendly and conveyed a sense of distance and dignity, keeping her at bay. Edith couldn''t find a reason to persist any longer, so she smiled and responded. ¡°Alright. then I''ll leave with Vi." After all, she had already achieved her goal today. Before leaving, Edith held onto old Mrs. Riley''s hand and sighed, "After this matter is resolved, please do me a favor." As she said that, she nced at Adeline before she continued, "This girl is not happy with what I say all the time. She isn''t supporting the family and she also says that she wants to cut ties with me. Tell me. How could I not be upset when I heard that? You are highly respected, and this girl is willing to listen to you. Please help me to give her a few words of advice." When old Mrs. Riley heard "cut tie", she gave Adeline a surprised look. Edith raised the corners of her mouth and looked at Vi, with a satisfied look shing in her eyes. "Old Mrs. Riley, I''ll leave it to you then. I''ll leave first." After saying that, Edith left with Vi. After the door was closed, old Mrs. Riley looked at Logan and asked, "Is what Adeline said a lie?" Logan shook his head and answered, "I knew a thing or two about this back then.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Old Mrs. Riley nodded and looked at Tristan, "Tell me, what do you want to do when you get Adeline and Sara from me?" Tristan''s expression turned stern, and he had no intention of hiding it from old Mrs. Riley. He answered, "I will make them feel exactly of my son has suffered!" ¡°Okay.¡± Old Mrs. Riley nodded and asked further, "Let me ask you again. Is what Adeline said about the incident and those things that happened to Sara true?" Tristan hadn''t even spoken yet, but old Mrs. Riley''s eyes gleamed with authority. ¡°You should know, I''m not easily fooled. Lie to me once, and don''t evere looking for me again. Besides, I have plenty of ways to verify who''s telling the truth here!¡± Tristan didn''t look confident but lifted his chindefiantly. He said, not very antill ar with this person x you mentioned, Sara. But no matter who shevs, how can theypare to myson? They are just some¡¯ cheap women. My son is farrnore noble than any of them! Itmiust have been their foolishness that led to their deaths!" A loud crash was heard. Old Mrs. Riley smashed the teacup in her hand "Tristan Morris! Do you realize why is your son so ipetent? It''s because he has a father with such twisted values as you!¡± "After hearing both sides, Adeline didn''t do anything wrong! Neither is Sara! As long as no lives were taken, they are not at fault!" "When ites to a matter which involves of several family members of your-Own, any person would rush to beat.up the culprits. Even an inanimate object would inhecit some human qualities, let alone. Sara" C¨¦ntent belongs to "Today, if you ask me for these people, my answer is a firm "no"! I won''t give any of them to you, not a single one protected by the Riley family!" ¡°Not only will I not give them to you, but if you ever dare to touch them in the future, I''ll make sure the entire Prodiff knows that you''re against the Riley family!" Old Mrs. Rileywas dressed in a dark red dress wittrher hair neatly pulled back. Ever.in her seventies, her <> voice was still strong and S unwavering, she stood straightand exud¨¦d the aura of a formidatle wofhan. t¡é to 4 Tristan was so infuriated that his mouth twisted. He asked, "Have you forgotten the favor you received from us back then, old Mrs. Riley? Do you want to turn against the Morris family?" After a pause, Tristan added with his hatred gaze. "If this gets out, don''t you worry that people will say that the Riley family is ungrateful?¡± Chapter 200 Old Mrs. Riley Lectured Logan Chapter 200 Old Mrs. Riley Lectured Logan Chapter 200 Old Mrs. Riley Lectured Logan Old Mrs. Riley sat gracefully, holding a teacup with poise, and her expression was calm andposed as she spoke. "The favor that the Morris family gave to the Riley family in the past was thanks to old Mr. Morris. He was an upright and generous man. Despite not being wealthy himself, he had a piece of bread and willingly gave us half. We have not forgotten this favor, and when the Riley family prospered, we promised to extend a hand to the Morris family. Tristan, think carefully about how much help the Morris family has received from the Riley family over the years. How many projects were entrusted to you? Even though you aren''t qualified, the Riley family has been there to support and clean up after you. But remember, the Riley family''s debt is to your father, not to you." Pausing for a moment. old Mrs. Riley continued, "Furthermore, our family''s patriarch has strict expectations for his descendants. He once wrote down family principles, stating that one should not forget their roots, show gratitude when it''s due, but also act within their means and not prioritize repaying favors above all else. If the other party seeks to exploit the debt, vites morality, human conscience, or thew, then they do not deserve repayment." "Tristan, the Riley family can bear thebel of being ungrateful, but we cannot be used of aiding and abetting wrongdoing or being unable to distinguish right from wrong. I believe that if old Mr. Morris is aware of having such a despicable grandson, he would get furious and jump out from his grave.¡± Tristan''s face turned dark as he seethed with anger. His chest was heaving. "Hmph, it seems that old Mrs. Riley is being impartial here. My son was beaten by your son, and not only did I not demand you to hand over your son, but I also willingly came here to offer gifts. I only asked for two people who are not rted to your family, and you refused it! If this gets out, won''t it be seen as the Riley family going too far?¡± Curtis replied with a light snort. "If my mom had offered me to you, would you have epted?¡± Tristan was taken aback and found himself at a loss for words. "If you can''t handle it yourself, don''t make yourself out to be so great," Curtis added with a smile. ncing at Logan. Then, he continued, "Logan come over. Pack these chestnut pies for Mr. Morris. We can¡¯t afford these luxuries." Logan furrowed his brow and whispered, "Uncle Curtis, let... let''s keep the peace. Don''t make Mr. Morris get too embarrassed.¡± Upon hearing "keeping the peace,¡± Tristan chuckled and issued a threat. "Mr. Riley is speaking so confidently. Perhaps he''s forgotten that my second brother is the head of the customs department! Do you still wish the goods of the Riley family would be passing through Prodiff''s port?" Curtis raised his eyebrow and acted like his mother. He took a sip of tea and calmly said, "Allow me to remind you that port belongs to the nation, not to any private entity. If he is willing to go through the proper channels and offer a favor to the Riley family, I''ll respect his position as the head of the customs department. But if he is unwilling to do so, then he is nothing to us. Those helped up by the Riley family, we can also bring them down." Curtis''s vaice sounded calm, but it . carried-an extremely arrogant and: domineering tone that sent chilis dawn the spines of those who heard if Regardless of who in Prodiff heard it, they would acknowledge that Mr. Riley truly had the power to back his words. Adeline''s heart fluttered like a startled deer, finding her husband''s demeanor incredibly handsome. Arrogant yetmanding! Tristan snorted and was about to leave. Quick on his feet, Steffen handed him those chestnut pies Tristan''s expression darkened with anger while Curtis''s calm voice could be heard from the back. "Steffen, buy a hundred thousand chestnut piesand send them to the orris familyter. They once sent_ us half ashestnut pie, and now welll send them a hundred thousand Spread) the word, and we won''t''be worried about what people ifProdiff are ¡®going to say about the-Riley family forgetting to repayYany favors." "Yes!" Steffen replied energetically. Tristan angrily tossed the chestnut pies to the ground and left in big strides. As soon as Tristan left, old Mrs. Riley requested a wooden ruler from the Prodiff Theater''s owner and told Logan. "Come over.¡± Logan walked over. Then, old Mrs. - Riley stood up and moved behind him. With a snap, she used thec> wooden ruler to lightly striked his back. . "Stand up straight! Those from the Riley family should have strong character and hold on tight to their dignity!¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!