《Entangled: Crisscross》


 Chapter 1 - Rumor Has It

    The thick smell of coffee permeated the suffocating atmosphere. The silence lasted for a few minutes before it was interrupted by the sound of her long, perfectly manicured fingers drumming against the circular coffee table. Finally, she looked up, removing her gaze from the steaming cup of coffee in her hand.


    "Mr. Lan, you say?" Sera Zhang asked, lifting her eyebrow.


    "Yes. I am Lan Xing, the executive secretary of¡ª "


    "And you are here because your boss wanted to marry me?" Until now, Sera still couldn''t believe her ears. She had already pinched her legs earlier, but even then, it took her a few minutes to realize this wasn''t a dream at all. "Mr. Lan, I have watched a TV series about CEOs proposing marriage to their assistants and women whom they have met before through fateful circumstances. But this¡­ I don''t even know who your boss is!" Sera had heard of Quinn Media before. In fact, she had heard about their sinister CEO''s harsh way of handling the matter of his talents, but she had never met this man, not even once.


    "Miss Zhang, this is not important anymore. Just read the terms of this contract and you ¡ª "


    "Stop right there!" Sera lifted her palm before she narrowed her almond eyes. "Are you trying to scam me?"


    "Miss Zhang, you already saw my card and even¡ª "


    "And you think I don''t know how to make a card like that? Mr. Lan, with all due respect, but the card you gave me was something that a small elementary student could make. You really want me to believe that you work with Quinn Media with that kind of card?"


    "Mr. Quinn designed that card himself."


    Sera nodded and smiled. "Right¡­ Truly believable." Quinn Media was the biggest Entertainment Agency in the western regions of Xu Country. How could she believe that the CEO would design such a lousy card? Sera leaned against the wooden chair as she exhaled. The smooth sound of jazz from the background was the only thing stopping her from laughing at this scammer. "So, why would your boss want to marry me?" She crossed her arm against her chest and watched as the man opened the white folder.


    "Here¡­. Everything is here. Mr. Quinn is interested in¡ª "


    "I just graduated from college." Once again, she interrupted the man. "I don''t have a job. So I can''t give you money. If you could just leave me alone, then that would be better for both of us."


    The man sighed and shook his head before he leaned closer, resting his elbows on the coffee table. "Miss Zhang, I am very serious. My Boss, Mr. Quinn really wants to marry you. Please take this matter seriously."


    Sera snorted in response. Mr. Quinn was someone that no one saw. Not even his staff saw him. They said that he hated crowds and that he had an extremely antisocial personality. He was also an introvert and didn''t like to even show himself at board meetings. However, they said that he was adept at reading people.


    Rumor had it that this man would just read the files of people and analyze their data, and then he would be able to read them like a book. Of course, Sera knew this was all bullshit. To her, someone who didn''t even show his face to the people working for him was really suspicious. Was this man a criminal who was trying to hide his identity from everyone? Maybe even a wanted international criminal?


    "Alright, since you won''t read the papers, then I will read it for you." Mr. Lan said before sighing. "This marriage is between Party A and¡ª "


    Sera only pursed her lips as she listened to the scammer. Today was supposed to be her birthday and the day that she would receive her graduation certificate, and yet she was actually unlucky enough to meet someone who wanted to scam her out of her money. She sighed inwardly.


    All she had wanted was to eat her small cake and have coffee in this small cafe, and yet this man had just appeared out of nowhere, declaring that his boss wanted to marry her. Just what kind of scam was this? Sera started eating her strawberry cheesecake.


    She then opened her phone and started checking her nonexistent messages. So far, except for her roommate who was also her best friend, Cross, no one had sent her any birthday greetings. But what did she expect? For the past five years, she had been celebrating her birthday on her own.


    Logic dictated that she should have gotten used to this.


    "And, the boss wanted to greet you with a "Happy Birthday". There will be flowers and cakes in your rented apartment as well as a gift. We already delivered this a few minutes ago."


    "Hm? What did you say?" Sera frowned.


    "The Boss said Happy Birthday, and he hopes he can celebrate this with you next year."


    Sera blinked. Then she blinked again. She could feel goosebumps all around her body. Seeing Mr. Lan''s serious expression, Sera started playing with her long black hair, using her fingers as she tilted her head and studied the middle-aged man in front of her.


    "Mr. Lan, I am not looking for a sugar daddy," she said after a few seconds of silence. First and foremost, she wasn''t that beautiful. She wouldn''t stand out in a crowd of supermodels. Now that she thought about it, Sera immediately got confused. "Mr. Lan, I think you got the wrong person. Did you mistake me for an escort?" she asked. Today, she had specifically worn some light make-up and a pale blue dress that hugged her body as it was her birthday. Was that the reason Mr. Lan had mistaken her for an escort? "I''m sorry, Mr. Lan, but I am really not an escort." She uttered.


    She might not be considered rich, but she had enough money to survive. She would never marry some rich old executive just to survive!


    "Miss Zhang, I think there is a misunderstanding. I am not mistaking you for someone else." Mr. Lan said before letting out another sigh. "Mr. Quinn of the Quinn Media really wanted to marry you. He doesn''t want an escort. He wants you."

 Chapter 2 - Freezing Cold

    "Hah?" Sera fought the urge to burst into a puddle of laughter at this man. She shook her head. "Mr. Lan, the only reason why I haven''t called the police yet is that I am actually in a good mood earlier. Today is my birthday and I don''t know why you are using that scam me. But if you¡ª "


    "Miss Zhang, this is really not a scam. Please believe me. My boss would have come here to talk to you, but he was truly busy. He is currently out of the country for some conference." Lan Xing said as helplessness flashed in his eyes. Flocks of women from various families wanted to marry the boss, but Mr. Quinn still chose this woman! Someone who just got out of college, a young hacker who is starting her own cafe. Moreover, this was a woman that was shunned by her own family because of a crime she committed when she was younger! How could Mr. Quinn choose someone like this?


    "So there will be flowers in my apartment?" she asked.


    "Yes! Yes!" Lan Xing nodded profusely. He had been working under Mr. Quinn for more than five years now, and he never once heard someone say no to his requests. "The colors and arrangement were something that the boss chose himself. Even the gift! He chose it for you." This was something that even Lan Xing never understood. How could the boss just offer marriage to some random woman?


    "Hmmm." Sera nodded. "Alright, I will surely review the contract. Can you leave me alone now?" she beamed before she opened the message that she just received from her phone. Seeing that it was her father''s number, Sera frowned. She quickly opened the message and realized that the little excitement that she had was for nothing. It was actually a reminder for her sister''s engagement party.


    "I will leave, but please call me once you already made your decision. Here¡­ I will give you another card." Lan Xing let out a sigh of relief when he saw her expression turned serious. He knew that this woman was thinking he was trying to scam him, but aside from his words, he couldn''t really use any other methods to convince the woman. After all, the boss just said he wanted to marry her then went back to his own business of not let anyone seeing him.


    Lan Xing let out another sigh before giving the woman a bow and leaving the cafe. Lan Xing immediately called Mr. Quinn on his way to the car that was waiting for him."Boss, I already talked to Miss Zhang. She said she will call me once she decided to marry you," he said.


    "Hmmm. Keep me updated." A deep voice answered before the line was cut off. Lan Xing could only stare at his phone for a few seconds before going inside the car.


    Meanwhile, Sera immediately called her best friend after Lan Xing left.


    "Hey, Cross¡­ are you on break?" Sera smiled as she thought of her serious and goofy best friend. Cross Qin had been living with her for the past four years now.


    "Hmmm." She doesn''t need to see him know that he was nodding while still staring at his computer.


    "Hey, Cross, working in the financial industry is a really stressful job. You can''t even spend some time on my birthday or my birthday, you should totally consider quitting the job and find something less stressful." Sera smiled as she thought of the man''s pale appearance and thick eyeglasses. "You work too much and earn too little."


    "Are you celebrating your own birthday in the cafe?" he asked, ignoring her mumblings. "Do you want me to order something for dinner?"


    "No! No need. I have something tonight."


    "You do?"


    "Cross today is my twenty-third birthday. Of course, I have something!"


    "You don''t have friends."


    "Hey! That is such a rude thing to say!" Sera pouted before laughing. "I do have you."


    Silence followed her words. Sera didn''t have to see him know he was once again looking at his computer with his lips pursed into a thin line. "Aish¡­ alright, alright. I will call you tonight. I know you are busy. Take your dinner on time, Cross Qin, and stop doing overtime, it will make you ugly."


    He heard a low chuckle on the other line before she ended the call. Sera couldn''t help but smile. How long has it been since Cross helped her on that night? Even though he doesn''t know any martial arts and got beaten up in the end, the man didn''t hesitate to help her when she needed someone.


    Just the thought of their friendship was enough to make her day. After a few minutes, Sera finished her coffee and cake before she put the folder that Lan Xing gave her earlier, planning to throw it away later.


    Sera dragged her suitcase out of the cafe and immediately called a taxi to one of the hotels with a hot spring and spa. Tonight, Sera was planning to enjoy the night alone. She was planning to have some Spa, and pamper herself before going to a bar and end the night after a few glasses of her Vodka Martini.


    With this in mind, Sera opened her phone and sent some text messages to Cross telling him what she was about to do tonight, hoping to get the man to accompany her. After all, Cross is a certified workaholic who doesn''t take holidays and would prefer to face his computer and the stock market all day than talk to other people.


    Then she immediately turned her phone off as she stared at the traffic before her. She already graduated, and to be honest, she doesn''t have many plans yet. Unlike Cross, who always had his eyes on money and calculations, Sera was different. She took mathematics to train her mind. She then doubled her major to computer science so she could learn how to hack. Then she took martial arts courses to defend herself. She trained in gun and knife handling so no one would try to bully her and live. Everything that she did since that night was for herself and for herself alone.


    The thought of that night made her gaze icy, freezing. The smile on her face vanished and was replaced with nothing but coldness.

 Chapter 3 - Cris

    Sera Zhang should have known better than to order her sixth Vodka martini.


    She knew that five shots were her limit. A headache would await her once she goes beyond that. However, the fact that tonight was her birthday seemed enough to shut the silent nagging in her brains about her headache tomorrow. She just turned twenty-three¡ª isn''t that something worth celebrating? She looked at the almost empty bar, the soft music filled her ears. She had been living on her own for the last five years now, and surviving without her skills wasn''t very easy. However, she survived.


    And she was very proud of that.


    "Another one," she looked at the bartender, smiling. This should be her seventh Vodka Martini, and she could already feel the pang of regret inside her. But that was too late now. The thought of her father texting her about an engagement swirled in her mind. As the first miss of the Zhang Family, this engagement should have been hers.


    However, she knew that wasn''t possible now. She was no longer a part of the Zhang Family. She couldn''t help but wonder why that man would suddenly invite her for a party when she was just a nobody now. Was it to face slap her? Remind her of the sins that she committed?


    "Hey, I''ll have whatever it is that she''s having."


    Sera''s head turned towards the man who sat next to her. His dark, expensive suit caught her attention. She squinted. Was this another scammer?


    Sera turned her head away when the man looked at her. "Hey, another one." She pretended not to notice the man staring at her as she asked for another glass of her martini.


    "You sure you can handle that?"


    Her gaze focused on his as she considered his question. She already knew that she couldn''t handle it, and yet here she was. "Yeah," she nodded.


    "You look too young to drink." The man turned towards the Bartender. "Hey, did you see her ID before you gave her alcohol?"


    The stranger''s words made her frown, but she only shrugged in response. She was¡­ a little bit short. Maybe around five foot one, but that was none of his business. Plus, she was wearing such tall heels to match her dress. Even she could say that she actually looked more mature than her current age. "Are you blind?" she asked, irritated. She was wearing make-up and had her cleavage on display. Does that really look underaged to him?


    "Feisty, I see." The man chuckled and met her gaze, "I''m Cris. You are?"


    "Bored," she was surprised to hear her own answer. "Since you are too good at guessing then, why don''t you guess my name too?"


    "You know, people who heard those lines would smile and laugh, then show me their ID."


    "That''s such a lame way to get their names." She sneered as she wondered if she should laugh at herself for missing his point. She wasn''t even aware that he was trying to compliment her. Sera shook her head inwardly. She was truly bad at flirting.


    "You here alone?"


    This made her smile, she turned towards him as she held the glass in her other hand. "Not anymore." Soon, she cringed at her own words but was able to maintain her sweet smile on the outside. Yep, she was truly bad at this.


    The sudden change in her voice caught him by surprise. He gave a short laugh. "I see." Nodding his head, the man leaned closer. "This is a remote part of the region. Are you here for business? Or pleasure?"


    She snorted at that. Lifting an eyebrow, Sera leaned towards him. Their faces were too close, she could feel his hot breath against her cheek. "Why don''t you guess?" She stared at the shadowed face of the stranger. The lighting was preventing her from seeing his entire face, but she knew he was young. Probably in his late twenties and tall too.


    She heard him chuckle, and she watched him loosened his tie before dragging his gaze back to her face. "Let me guess, " he smiled. "You are not planning to tell me anything about yourself, right?"


    "Is that necessary for us to have a good night?" Her bold question made her freeze for a few seconds before she smiled and turned her body towards the counter. "Nevermind," she added, awkwardly. The sudden need lurching in her stomach must have been the alcohol kicking in. She sighed and put some money on the counter. She really should just go back to her room and have some goodnight sleep instead of trying to flirt with a stranger.


    "Of course it''s not." The man answered. "I don''t need to know your name to have a good night with you."


    Her gaze sprang back to his face, she already felt her face flushed, her throat dry. A part of her was screaming at her, telling her to leave now as this was such a horrible idea. However, another part of her wanted to reach out to the stranger.


    This should be the alcohol, she consoled herself. She actually drank too much and became someone so bold. How lame.


    "Do you want to dance?" the man smiled and held his hand in front of her. "I promise, I won''t bite."


    His tone surprised her. She found it a little familiar, but she was certain she never met this man before. She opened her mouth, about to say no, however her hand was quicker than her brain. She held his hand and only responded with a curt nod.


    Sera immediately reprimanded herself. What was happening to her?


    She let the man lead her to the dance floor as new slow music started filling the air. "Surprised?" he asked.


    "I was expecting that you would ask them to play something more¡­ lively." The soft music immediately changed the atmosphere, and some couples were quick to join them on the dance floor. She didn''t even notice these people earlier. She couldn''t help but wonder when did the club become so crowded.


    She felt his hands on her small waist. As she folder her arms on his neck.


    "Really? I thought I give off the happy and nice vibe?"


    She gave a small laugh. If anything, the man actually gave off a familiar yet dangerous vibe. Until now, she was still thinking about where did she see this man before but soon decided to give up. She knew her memory was pretty good, and she could remember faces and names easily. Because of this, she knew that she had never met a certain Cris before. She stared at his eyes. The lighting was messing up her eyes. She knew it was darker than her light brown ones. But under the lighting, it actually looked black.


    Unknowingly, her gaze started to explore his handsome face. The feeling of familiarity surge inside her. The man truly looked familiar¡ª too familiar. She squinted. She was about to ask him when she heard him say¡­


    "If you keep staring at me like that, I would be tempted to kiss you."


    She snorted. "Yeah?" It was a challenge that doesn''t need an answer. He slid his fingers beneath her long dark curls at her nape and tugged her face closer to his.


    "Yeah," he uttered. Then his lips covered hers. The kiss was voracious and hungry, something that she never expected.


    And yet, she didn''t do a damn thing to stop him.

 Chapter 4 - A Little Hungry

    Pain.


    That was the only thing that Sera noticed before she even opened her eyes. She frowned when she opened her eyes in the unfamiliar room she was in. Then the wracking headache hit her like a brick. She quickly slammed her eyes shut. Sera stilled for a few seconds as she took some time to compose herself. She held her breath before turning towards the man sleeping like a log next to him.


    The frown on her face deepened. Embarrassment rush through her. She could feel heat spread from her neck as her hands turned colder.


    Relax, she consoled herself as she stared at the man''s handsome profile. A long straight nose and beautifully crafted lips. Soon her gaze turned towards his neck and naked chest. Sera didn''t know if she would cry or laugh at herself.


    Really? A one nightstand?


    Her face turned hotter when she remembered everything that happened. No, she should just forget it and act like she wasn''t the one who asked him to come to his room.


    Damn Vodka Martini!


    Sera didn''t know what had gotten into her. She had been drunk before. But she never flirted or wanted someone so much, she could practically feel her core dripping. Her thoughts were interrupted when he moved, rolling over towards her and resting his arm on her stomach. Half of her was immediately thankful that he didn''t pull her for a hug.


    That would make getting out of here harder.


    He moved closer and murmured something. Was that her name? Did she tell him her name after all? Sera were really helpless. She couldn''t seem to remember telling him her name. Slowly, Sera moved his arm from her stomach and wriggled her way out of the bed, hoping that he won''t notice the slight movements.


    Biting her lower lip, Sera tiptoed and started looking for her clothes. Her dress should be somewhere on the couch. She remembered throwing it away as she undressed for him. Then her underwear should be¡­ Sera started cursing when she couldn''t seem to recall where she threw them. Was it on the bed? Luckily, she found her strapless bra on the lamp near the bed.


    Then she tried to find her equally black panties. After sighing for the umpteenth time, Sera decided to change into her clothes and just go commando.


    So embarrassing.


    Sera could only curse inwardly. She needed to make sure to delete all the CCTV''s in this hotel once she was gone and not give this man a way to find her. Sera found her bag and immediately got a couple of dollars, putting it into the nightstand while leaving a note that it was for his suit that she¡­ ruined. Just the thought of herself ruining all those buttons just so she could see him naked was just too embarrassing, she could feel her blood boil all over her body.


    Shaking her head, Sera left the room and went to the elevator to go back to her own room. Staring at her reflection on the elevator doors, Sera tried to fix her hair before walking towards her room. Even ants could tell where she was last night.


    When Sera arrived in her room, she immediately took a bath and examined some red spots that the stranger left on her chest. Regretting what happened would be useless. After all, she also enjoyed it. All she can do now is forget it and move on.


    Right, she needed to go home and just erase everything from her mind.


    It took her a few more minutes to finish her bath before she changed into a white turtleneck and dark pants. Then she tried her long black hair that she just straightened and dragged her sore body out of the hotel. After checking out, she immediately got into a taxi and went back to the city.


    ¡­..


    Sera stared at the ten-story apartment building where she was staying with Cross.


    "Sera! Did you enjoy your vacation? I thought you will be coming back tomorrow?" Mr. Yuan, the security guard, smiled at her. Cross and she had to stay in this place for the past four years now, and everyone already knows her.


    "I got sick," she gave the old man a cordial smile.


    "Eh? You look a little pale. You should rest then. Cross didn''t get home last night, so no one would be able to take care of you. Just call me if you need anything. I will ask your Aunt Yuan to make something for you later."


    "Right¡­ Thanks, Uncle Yuan," she scratched her cheek and went to the elevator. Good thing she actually brought a turtleneck that was enough to cover her kiss marks or that would have been too embarrassing.


    After a few minutes, Sera finally arrived in the two-bedroom apartment that she was staying in. She immediately went back to her bed. The fact that Cross didn''t go home last night actually didn''t bother her as this was something that the man does a lot.


    Cross worked in the financial industry, and analyzing financial trends was his job. The man practically lived in his office and had his eyes on the world market all the time. Mostly, the man just comes back during weekends or times where the market was closed. But he would always spend his time sleeping or reading.


    Just the thought of Cross made her smile.


    Sera wasn''t someone that would trust anyone easily, but that man was just an exception. Soon, Sera fell asleep while thinking about the man who saved him years ago. Cross Qin.


    When Sera woke up, she noticed that the room was already dark. She must have slept all day. A sigh escaped her lips before she got out of bed and change into some pajamas.


    "Eh? You''re here?" She paused when she noticed Cross standing by the kitchen. Wearing another one of his colorful and mismatched clothes, the man had his head lowered in front of the fridge. "It''s not weekend?" she walked towards him.


    "Uncle Yuan said you were sick." As usual, he answered without looking at her.


    "Oh, that¡­ must be because I got too exhausted. You know I haven''t really had a vacation since my last birthday." She watched as he got some carrots and started chopping them. Then he paused and stared at her.


    "Are you alright?" Without waiting for her answer, he lifted his hand and touched her forehead.


    The quick action made her leaned back. Blinking at him, Sera smiled. "I''m fine." Did Cross just attempt to touch her forehead? "Are you alright?" She stared at his eyes beneath his thick eyeglasses.


    "Yeah? Yeah! Yeah¡­ Just¡­" Unlike the usual Cross who always avoided her gaze, this time the man met her eyes.


    "Just what?" she asked.


    He smiled, his Adam''s apple bobbing. "A little hungry."

 Chapter 5 - Being Weird

    "Hmmm¡­ This is good." Sera smiled before she avoided Cross'' gaze. "What''s wrong with you today? I thought you are hungry? Why aren''t you eating?" she asked.


    "I am done eating."


    "So, you decided to just stare at me?" she reasoned before she used her chopstick to get one shrimp and put it on his bowl. "Seriously, try it. It''s fantastic." Another smile flashed on her face before she took a few more shrimps and put them in his bowl.


    "Hmm. Alright." Cross smiled and started eating his food.


    "You seem different today. Did something happen in the market lately? Did you receive some big commissions?"


    "Hmmm," he nodded and continued eating. "It''s hot today, but you are still wearing some long-sleeved shirt. Are you feeling cold? If you want, I could buy some med¡ª "


    "No! No¡­ No. It''s fine," she awkwardly smiled. "It''s fine. I just¡­ I forgot my laundry, and this is the only pajamas that I have left."


    "Then just borrow one of my big shirts," he shrugged.


    "I was exhausted when I got home earlier. I just fell asleep and forgot about it." Wearing his clothes was not something new. In fact, she loved to borrow some of his clothes, especially during the summer when it got too hot. Moreover, a shirt of a six-foot-tall man was very comfortable when worn by someone so small as her. It was like wearing an enormous dress.


    "I thought you went to that hotel to rest? Why were you so tired?" He added some shrimps to her bowl before adding more to his.


    "Hm?"


    "Why are you so tired? Did you do something while you were out there?"


    "Huh?" she stilled before unknowingly biting the chopstick. Memories of the previous night made their way into her head. She immediately felt her neck turned hot. "I¡ª I went to the spa and got a little drunk."


    "Oh," Cross nodded. "Next time, you should stop spending your birthday on your own and spend it with me." A small dimple appeared on his left cheek. "We can drink together."


    "Huh?" Again, thoughts of that man''s kiss crossed her mind.


    "I said, let''s drink together to celebrate," he chuckled. "Why are you so absent-minded lately?"


    "Oh, I just¡­ My head is aching. Probably because of last night." Cross had never asked her to drink before. The man was always away because of his job and doesn''t have the time to drink with her. "Do you even have the time to drink? I mean, you are so busy. How come you suddenly wanted to drink? Did something happen? You are being weird since you arrived."


    "No," he shrugged. "I am a little bored. I need some time to relax."


    This made her giggled. "Cross Qin, I have been telling you to relax from time to time! Have fun and take some vacation, but you never listen to me. Now, out of nowhere, you wanted to drink? Say, did someone broke your heart or something?"


    He only stared at her and did his typical ''I don''t know what you are talking about'' shrug. She made a face before rolling her eyes.


    "Hey, I''ve known you for over four years now and I haven''t met any one of your girlfriends. You really should let them met me sometimes or I will ruin your wedding day," she snorted. In fact, she had never met anyone of Cross'' friends. But that doesn''t matter. For someone like her who was also busy with her various jobs and university, meeting new people is not one of her priorities.


    "Are you still going to go back to the university? You mentioned taking a master''s in computer science? Are you planning to teach after graduation?" Ignoring her question, Cross asked.


    "Oh, no. I just changed my mind. I want to develop something that companies could use for cybersecurity." She started eating sweet and sour spareribs.


    "Cybersecurity?"


    "Yeah."


    "That is considered in demand right now. Do you want to work for a company? Maybe I can help¡ª "


    "It''s fine. I already submitted my resume to some companies," she beamed. "I already have some scheduled interviews next week."


    Cross nodded as he started adding more ribs to her bowl. "Then you should eat more."


    "Are you going to stay here tonight? I can make something for you."


    "Yes. That would be good. I will buy some beer later."


    Once again, the scene on the other night flashed in her head. They kiss and the¡­


    "Are you alright? Are you still sick?"


    "Huh?"


    "You are turning red."


    "Oh? No¡­ I just¡­ I wanna pee." She suddenly stood and run towards her room. "Let''s do some groceries later, I will cook something delicious. You can buy the beers." She said before closing the door. Sera controlled her breathing as she leaned against her door. Her heartbeat was racing against her chest, her hands were already cold as she bit her lower lip.


    After a few seconds, Sera lied on her bed as she thought about the embarrassing thing she did. After some thought, Sera opened her computer and hacked the system of the hotel that she was staying. She needed to delete the CCTV.


    "Hm?" Sera immediately turned confused when she couldn''t seem to find the videos of her and that man. "What''s going on?"


    Soon, the sound of tapping was the only thing that can be heard inside her room. Her fingers flew on the keyboard as she tried to find out what the hell was going on. "Someone deleted it?" she mumbled. If her guess was right, someone already deleted the video before. But why would they delete it? Slowly, her eyes widened. That man is not some super-rich entrepreneur, right?


    Perhaps there was a problem on the hotel''s end? Perhaps they remove the tapes? After a few more minutes, Sera decided to delete everything that would connect her to the hotel, like the video of her checking in and out in the lobby and the CCTV around the hotel. Even the CCTV from the traffic cameras were not spared.


    "Hey, Sera? Are you ready?" she heard Cross before he walked inside her room.


    "Hm? Oh! Groceries! Yes, just please give me a few minutes to fix my makeup," she closed her laptop and immediately went to her closet, looking for clothes that could cover her chest. After a few minutes, Sera and Cross walked out of the apartment.

 Chapter 6 - Boyfriend

    "You know, not all oranges are orange," Cross said as he handed her a box of her favorite orange juice. "In the subtropical regions of Xu Country, the temperature isn''t cold enough so oranges don''t turn orange."


    "Even if they are ripe?" she asked, curiosity swirled in her eyes as she followed him.


    "Yeah, they stay green or yellow."


    "I haven''t tried a green orange,'' she mumbled and eyed the almost full cart. "Why are you buying a lot of things?" her gaze turned suspicious. "Hey, don''t tell me you lost your job?"


    "Your imagination is really something," he chuckled and started putting some eggs on the cart.


    "Then? Why are we buying a lot?" This man usually stayed in the apartment a few days a month. "We can''t finish everything."


    "You just finished your school and are looking for a job," he side-eyed her. "Once you find a job, then you can pay me back."


    "Huh?" she blinked. "You mean¡­ this is not free?"


    "Of course not!"


    "But this¡­ these are all¡ª "


    "All healthy?" he chuckled. "You look so skinny you should eat more and hope that you will grow an inch."


    "Stop mocking me." Her mood turned sour. For some reason, this man love mocking her height. True, she was little! But she was dangerous! "I may be small, but I could knock you out with one kick!" She walked past him.


    Cross was a very busy person, but they once went to try out Taekwondo and she absolutely beat his ass! Just the thought of his ass on the floor was enough to make her mood lightened.


    A smug smile appeared on her face. "Hey, Cross don''t lie to me¡­ Did something happen lately?"


    "Hm?"


    "This is the first time that you accompanied me in grocery shopping. Tell me, did someone fire you?"


    "What If I was indeed fired?"


    "Then you should find a better job! How could they fire someone like you!? Aren''t you like the best employee every month? You barely go home and spend your time in your office all the time! Can they find someone so hardworking as you?"


    "If someone fired me, I will definitely tell you so you can beat them for me." She heard him muttered.


    "You should. Or we can just hack into their computers and make them learn a lesson."


    "That''s illegal."


    "Only if they know that it''s us," she patted his back. "Alright, alright, I don''t believe that someone fired you. But if they did, then you should stay at home and rest. You can rest for a few months before looking for another job. Don''t worry, I can cover the rent for you."


    "Since when did you become so rich?" he laughed. "Did you win the lottery or something?"


    "That ¡ª Is a secret," a mischievous smile appeared on her face. She knew that this man would scold her once he knew that she did something¡ª


    "Ah, so it was something illegal."


    She immediately elbowed him. This man knows her too much, he could practically guess what she was thinking. "It''s not!"


    "Because they didn''t know it was you?" he cocked an eyebrow.


    Seeing the man''s smug face, Sera rolled her eyes. "You are so annoying."


    "Then are you still going to cover the rent for me?"


    "Of course, as long as you do the chores." She checked the items that they got on the cart and smiled. "I think we are done. Let I will pay for everything today. Remember to pay it once you have the money."


    In fact, Sera just received a sizeable amount of money from a few jobs she took secretly. A few girlfriends who wanted to hack their boyfriend''s social media account and computers were something very profitable lately. And she had been taking advantage of this demand.


    Cross only lifted an eyebrow while watching her put all the items on the counter. A mysterious smile soon appeared on his face.


    After doing the groceries, Cross and Sera went to the bakery to get some bread, and surprisingly, Cross bought a cake to celebrate her graduation.


    "Why not buy two cakes?" Sera asked while eying the strawberry cheesecake.


    "Why would I buy two cakes?"


    "For my birthday and graduation," she said and was expecting him to say some funny comeback, but to her surprise, Cross paused and stared at her before he nodded.


    "You are right. I should buy two."


    Her eyes sparkled as her smile grew wider. Cross always knew her favorite and would occasionally buy her cakes and other sweets. However, his next words made the smile on her face evaporate. "I know you eat a lot, but two cakes is just¡­ I truly underestimated you. No wonder you can''t find a boyfriend."


    "¡­" Hey! That was like a strike below the belt! She glared at him and walked away from the inconsiderate man. Of course, she didn''t forget to grab her cake from his hand before she strode out of the bakery while hearing him laughing behind her.


    "You are really something. How could you destroy the ladder after I bought you the cake?" she heard him say behind her. "Why are you upset? It''s not like I am lying. Aish, women are really something. If you lie to them, they get angry, but if you tell the truth they get offended too."


    "What truth!?" she hissed.


    "You eat a lot of cakes. Isn''t that the truth? You eat this type of cake every day. You really should have your blood sugar checked."


    "Hmph!" she snorted. "I am as healthy as a horse. Plus, that''s not the reason why I don''t have a boyfriend. This ¡ª This is called a lifestyle preference!"


    "True. That is true. Plus, you don''t need a boyfriend. You already have me. I am enough."


    "Heh," she rolled her eyes. This man had been taking care of her since she arrived in the coldest part of Country Xu. His words were actually right. Who needs a boyfriend when you have a Cross Qin taking care of you? "Hey, Cross if you are a little more manly, I would have seduced you a long time ago."


    "Even if you try to seduce me, you won''t succeed. After all, you aren''t my type. You don''t even comb your hair all the time and your feet stink. Who wants a girlfriend like that?" she heard him grumble.


    Sera paused before she turned towards him. "I don''t stink!" she hissed.


    "You do!"


    "No, I don''t!"


    "Of course, I will keep this as a secret and will only reveal it to your boyfriend. But since you don''t have one, there''s no need to worry. Just stay with me and we won''t have any problems." He gave her a cheeky smile before running towards the car, leaving a fuming Sera alone.

 Chapter 7 - Bracelet

    "Hey Cross since you don''t have a job anymore, then why don''t you accompany me to our graduation celebration next week?" she asked as she chopped the onions.


    "Ah? Is this another one of your friend''s scheme to embarrass the perpetually single people like you?"


    "I am not perpetually single," she pouted and turned towards him only to see him already staring at her. For some reason, Cross avoided her gaze this time.


    "I can''t," he said.


    "Hm?"


    "I will be busy next week and stop assuming that I no longer have a job. I am so handsome and smart. How could they fire me?"


    Sera let out a series of mocking coughed as she nodded. "Alright then¡­ I can always come alone."


    "Where is this place and what is the time? Let me see if I can squeeze it in my schedule."


    "It will be a Harlton Hotel it will start at six in the evening for dinner in a private room. Then we are going to have some Karaoke. It''s fine if you arrive late. Just pretend to be my boyfriend."


    "Why? I thought you want to me come as your roommate again?" He squinted at her. "Is someone bothering you? Did they want to become your boyfriend?"


    "Why are you asking as if it''s such an impossible thing to happen?" This wouldn''t be the first time that Cross would accompany her in gatherings like this. However, every time she would introduce him as a friend.


    "It is! I really should commend this person for liking you!"


    She made a face. "I already said no, and I told him I already have a boyfriend."


    "You did?"


    "Of course! Why else would I want you to come to this party and listen to my tone-deafness?" she rolled her eyes and went back to her onions. "I told him I am taken. So I need someone to pretend to be my boyfriend."


    "What If I can''t go?"


    "It''s fine. They already assume it was you, anyway." After a few minutes, Sera finally finished cooking, and the two had a sumptuous dinner before drinking some beers while watching movies. At the end of the night, Sera fell asleep in Cross'' arms.


    Cross could only sigh as he slowly lifted her up, carrying her into her room. This woman was really too trusting, too naive. Cross tucked her in and stared at her flushed face. She was never really good with her liquor, and yet she still dared to drink. "How irresponsible," he mused. After a few seconds of staring at her, Cross examined the bracelet that he gave her. Inside was a tracking device that would tell him where she was anytime.


    This was the reason he dared to let her go to school with no guards. A smile surfaced on his face before he leaned and kissed her forehead.


    When Sera woke up the next day, Cross was already gone. She opened her phone and saw a text from him saying that he needed to go back to work. Sera just smiled and replied alright. Cross was always like this, busy and always unavailable. Of course, there will be cases like him showing up every time she was sick or just not feeling well to take care of her.


    But that is only because Uncle Yuan from downstairs would let him know once she showed up sick.


    After a few minutes, Sera finished her bath and came back to a few missed calls from one of her friends.


    "Hey, Je''er what''s wrong? Did something happen?"


    "Sera! You have to help us this time!"


    "Hm?"


    "I am currently working and I think I missed up something. Can you come here and help me? Don''t worry, I will definitely pay you!"


    "What kind of problem is it?"


    "Sera, I know you are working on Cybersecurity and I really don''t have a choice but to call you this time. It''s my fault, I actually did something horrible, and now the entire system is a mess. My boss will fire me once he¡ª "


    Sera listened to her classmates mumbling before she sighed. Je''er was her classmate and one of her friends in college. The woman came from a rich family and is always using her money to achieve her goals. If Sera''s guess was right, then this woman just paid her way to her job or used her family connections to get it. "You will pay me?"


    "Of course! I already asked you to make a lot of things for me and I always pay you extra. I can always afford to pay!" In simple terms, Je''er always hired her to do her projects when they were still in college. In fact, Sera is confident to say that she was the reason this woman graduated college.


    "Alright, as long as you pay me the right price. I can help you," she smiled.


    "Good. Now, come to Quinn Media I will meet you at the¡ª "


    "Quinn Media?" she interrupted her. "Why are you in Quinn Media?"


    "Sera¡­ just come here. I will explain everything to you once we met. Hurry, alright?"


    Sera let out another sigh. "Alright, I will. Wait for me." The thought of the scammer who tried to scam him resurfaced in her mind as she ended the call. That man should be some trafficker or maybe someone scamming young girls promising them marriage while asking for their money.


    However, Sera found this really confusing. She had no money. She might have come from a rich family, but that family abandoned her years ago. Moreover, they live in another region far away from here. Unless they intentionally checked into her background then those people wouldn''t know that she is from the Zhang Family from the Cone Lands in Saka Region.


    Quinn Media.


    The name reverberated inside her head like an echo. The company was the top media company and has over hundreds of artists. They are considered a giant company not just in Pane City but the whole Northern Region in Xu Country. With this in mind, Sera finished applying her makeup and wore her thick glasses before she grabbed her laptop and bag and rode a taxi towards the company.

 Chapter 8 - Ugly Mr. Quinn

    "Sera, I am so sorry for calling you this time. I know you are busy looking for jobs, but this is something that I cannot solve without you," Xu Je''er mumbled as she led Sera into the staff entrance. "I already chase away the person guarding the place and would delete the footage later after you left so, you don''t need to worry about your safety."


    This made Sera stare at Je''er, she couldn''t help but wonder what kind of mess did the woman made this time. Her eyes only met with Je''er''s shrugged.


    "Sera, I know you are a trustworthy person as long as the price is right, so I called you to fix this problem for me."


    "Can you tell me about it first? How sure are you I can fix it for you?"


    "You see¡­ I am now working in the Cybersecurity of Quinn Media." Je''er said, her voice almost like a whisper.


    "You aren''t qualified for a job like that." First, Xu Je''er''s course had nothing to do with Cybersecurity. Second, she had no experience in tackling codes. She was clearly not qualified for this job. Sera immediately knew that Xu Je''er must have used her connection to get in this time.


    "Ai, you won''t understand it even if I tell you. However, I was looking for a vacant job in Quinn Media and this is the only vacant one. So I got it. Of course, I am planning to quit after I see Young Master Quinn''s real countenance."


    This made Sera stopped walking. She looked at the love crazed smile on Xu Je''er''s face. "Why would you want to see him?"


    "Simple! He is the richest man in Navut Region! My family would surely try to propose marriage! I am so beautiful! What if he agrees to marry me?" Xu Je''er said. "But how could I marry someone I haven''t seen before?"


    "So¡­ what do you want me to do? Are we going to hack into the CCTV of his office? I''m afraid¡ª "


    "Aish¡­ I know! I know you can''t do that here! It will definitely get us in trouble."


    "As long as you know," Sera continued walking. "I heard that Mr. Quinn doesn''t like other people seeing him. If he knows that you are scheming to¡ª "


    "I know, right!? That''s why you have to help me do something or I will get in trouble." After a few seconds, they finally arrived in a room full of CCTV and computers. "It''s lunchtime, and I made everyone leave this place. Here¡­ come here¡­"


    ''What are you trying to do?" Sera asked, calmly as she examined the room. It was a big space, probably three times bigger than her two-bedroom apartment. There were about twenty computers in the space. Across them was a gigantic screen that shows over twenty CCTV footage.


    "I want to hack into their system and change my files. Make it like yours."


    "Huh?" Sera''s attention was pulled back to the current situation. "You wanted me to hack into their system? But that is¡ª "


    ''Can you do it or not?"


    "Of course I can, but why would you want to change your information? If they found out the truth then¡­"


    "This is why you are going to change the information from the university, too. Or just create some sort of different persona for me." Xu Je''er patted one of the computers. "If I don''t do this, then they would know who I am. You know, I have to tell my parents that I left for abroad and I will be gone for the next three months. However, they got angry and cut off all of my credit cards. Right now, I have no choice but to hire you as your services are cheaper than other people that I met before. Plus, you are quite professional that would surely keep this secret for me."


    Sera stared at Xu Je''er, trying to see where did her brains go. Did it run away after she graduated from college? Was it too tired to deal with this woman''s stupidity? A sigh escaped her lips. In doing business, her motto was ''As long as the price is right''. And she had been using this motto in everything that she does. "Are you sure you want to do this? I mean¡­ can''t you ask your parents to give you a picture before they asked for a marriage alliance? Moreover, I don''t think your parents will let you marry an old man."


    "What do you mean?"


    Sera let out another sigh before she leaned towards Je''er. "I heard that the President of Quinn Media is actually an ugly man with lots of scars on his face. Even technology can''t heal these scars. So, he became afraid to meet other people."


    Xu Je''er took a few seconds to process her words before she widened her eyes. "Truly?"


    "I don''t know! These are just rumors." Sera shrugged, unaware that her words would soon reach the ears of the other socialite in the city. "Or else, why would he refuse to see anyone? Two things, it''s either he is really ugly with a scarred face or he did something wrong in the past and is scared that someone will recognize him. Something wrong like¡­ you know maybe murder or kidnapping. He must be a wanted criminal."


    Xu Je''er shivered. While Sera''s words sounded too far-fetched, it was actually an excellent explanation. "You¡ª "


    "Shh¡­" Sera looked to her left and right as she put a finger on her lips. "Don''t tell anyone else about this matter. Who knows what he will do if he knows we found out his secret?"


    "Sera¡­ this is a very¡­ Oh my god! I have to convince my parents not to propose marriage to this person!" Xu Je''er''s face was so pale, her eyes wide as she opened her phone. However, before she could dial a number, Sera already stopped her.


    "Hey, are you a lunatic? You told your parents that you will go abroad and now you want to call them?"


    This made Je''er realized the absurdity of her actions. "Then¡­ Then what can I do?"


    "Simple!" Sera smiled. "Here''s¡­ what you can do to solve this problem."

 Chapter 9 - Black-Bellied Individual!

    Unbeknownst to them, someone is watching all their actions from the CCTV in the room.


    "Master, shall I escort both of them out of the building?" The one who spoke was none other than Lan Xing, the person who spoke with Sera a few days earlier.


    "No need," the man responded, his gaze was glued at the screen. "I want you to sell the shares that we own on the Xu Family''s Empire."


    "Master, doing this could possibly ruin them. Are we really going that far?" Just this morning, they discovered that Xu Je''er the heiress of the Xu Family started working in the cybersecurity team. While Lan Xing didn''t understand the motive of this young miss, he still thought that punishing the whole company just because of one single mistake was wrong.


    "They failed to educate her."


    Lan Xing nodded, helplessness flashed in his eyes. Once they sell their shares, the other investors would surely sell theirs too, after all, Quinn Media is a superpower in the business world. They don''t need to use their words to make a company fail. Just a simple action was enough to make people think that the Quinn media''s trust in a company already vanished, gone. "What about the ¡ª "he eyed the woman whom Xu Je''er brought. " The future madam?"


    "Leave her be."


    "But sir, she is spreading rumors against you. This¡ª "


    "Lan Xing¡­ since when did I care about rumors like this?" Finally, the man turned towards Lan Xing, showing a handsome yet cold countenance. "Will that make me earn more money?"


    "No, sir."


    "Then it doesn''t matter," the man turned his attention back to the screen. "The words she said could be true. After all, only a few people in this world, know what I really look like. " A devious smirked appeared in his face. "First, fire everyone from the Cybersecurity team. Accepting bribes to let someone like Miss Xu enter is an unpardonable offense. Send an invitation to Miss Zhang, tell her we will sue her and Miss Xu if she refused to work for us. Surely, she wouldn''t want her friend to suffer in prison, no?"


    "¡­" Why does it sound like Mr. Quinn is different today? "But sir, Miss Zhang would surely hate to work with us if we threatened her." The last time he met this woman, Lan Xing received a lot of mockery from her. She even mocked the card that Mr. Quinn personally made!


    "Second, give her an offer she cannot refuse. She hacks other people''s social media accounts and accepts payments. She loves to earn. Third, send someone else to do this. Do not show your face to Sera unless necessary. Do you understand me?"


    He gulped as he recalled what happened when he told Mr. Quinn that Miss Zhang refused his offer. The latter actually laughed out loud. Confused, Lan Xing couldn''t help himself. He asked him if he would choose another candidate for this marriage.


    To his surprised, the master got angry. His face turned cold, brows furrowed. The changes were too quick, even Lan Xing who had accompanied this young master since he was a kid couldn''t believe his eyes. What was happening? Why did he become so angry? Isn''t this just women?


    It was public knowledge that Chris Quinn was the richest man in the whole northern region. If he really wanted to, he could have any woman that he fancies. Meaning, he doesn''t need to force people to marry him. "Are we going to threaten the future madam?" he asked.


    "Of course." The man answered, smiling. "Do everything to make her work for us."


    "But sir¡­"


    "Hm?"


    "With all due respect, Miss Zhang is not really that outstanding compared to the other young heiress in this region. If we ¡ª " Lan Xing didn''t continue his words when he felt the temperature of the room dropped. He immediately cleared his throat. "I will¡­ I will tell her about this."


    "Hmmm." Mr. Quinn nodded, a smile was once again plastered on his usually stoic face as he turned to look at Sera. "Good."


    Lan Xing looked at Mr. Quinn. For some reason, he felt that Mr. Quinn already knew this would happen. Now that Lan Xing thought about it, Mr. Quinn had been really weird since this morning. He had been watching the CCTV as if he was waiting for Miss Zhang to arrive!


    If that is the case, then there is a possibility that Mr. Quinn deliberately let Miss Xu inside the company to create a trap for Miss Zhang! What a black-bellied individual!


    Of course, Sera was unaware of this. She and Xu Je''er continued talking for a few minutes before the latter gave her a few dollars to reimburse her efforts in coming here.


    "Sera, I really have to thank you for this time. Without you, who knows what kind of law I would break just to see Mr. Quinn''s face?"


    "No need," Sera smiled. "I will leave now. I will see you at the graduation party."


    Xu Je''er beamed. "Right! The Graduation party! How about I buy you some clothes as thank you?" The idea made Xu Je''er so happy that she failed to see the peculiar glint in Sera''s eyes.


    "What? No need. Je''er we are good friends. How could you spend thousands on me? You know that I only helped you because you are a dear friend and a customer there is no need to¡ª "


    "Alright! That is final! I will go get my bag inside and let''s go shopping together! I will buy you new clothes and shoes as a thank you present. No need to feel embarrassed after all, you helped me realized something today."


    "Really? What did you realize?" Interest flashed in Sera''s eyes.


    "That Mr. Quinn might be really ugly and old!"


    "¡­" Sera just nodded and gave a wry smile. This woman was truly hopeless. She then watched as Xu Je''er ran back inside to get her bag.

 Chapter 10 - Competition

    "What do you think? Does it look good on me?" Xu Je''er beamed as she looked at her black dress. It was a body-con dress that perfectly hugged her body, emphasizing her long slender legs. Xu Je''er was already taller than Sera by a few inches, with her four inches heels, she towered over her friend. Seeing Sera''s small frame, Xu Je''er giggled. "Hey, I think you should buy some heels that would make you taller. You are beautiful, but when you are standing next to me, your dazzling beauty will disappear."


    Sera only chuckled. Xu Je''er was actually telling the truth. Sera wasn''t tall in the first place, and her body cannot be considered sexy. So, when standing next to a taller and beautiful woman like Xu Je''er, Sera would only look like a cute little kid.


    Of course, this doesn''t matter to her at all. After all, other people''s thoughts don''t really concern her. "Je''er this is a graduation party with eating, drinking, and karaoke. Why are you acting like it''s some important event to show off?" She rolled her eyes and grabbed a simple black and white dress. "This one suits you very well. It looks simple and it would make you look pure and innocent. That dress is too bold for you it will make you look older."


    "Really?"


    Sera nodded. When it comes to clothes, Xu Je''er who grew up in a rich family loves to wear something that would make her look more mature. She loves bold colors like red and black and tight clothes that would always emphasize her figure. "Isn''t it good to wear something new this time?"


    "Now that I think about it¡­ you actually have a point." Xu Je''er said before she darted her tongue out and made a face. "But I am still going to wear this black dress. The gods gifted this body! I have to show it off."


    In the end, Sera just smiled wryly. In the first place, this dress was truly out of place. It was sparkling and looked too elegant for a simple dinner party with their classmates. Moreover, there will be a lot of drinking and games. How could she move while wearing such tight clothes?


    Of course, she chose not to say her thoughts.


    "Oh, so you will wear some tattered jeans and this?" Xu Je''er eyed the white sleeveless loose blouse that she chose. "Looks boring."


    "I am a boring person." Sera shrugged. She chose something that would give her comfort and something she could pair with anything. Of course, she was going to pair this with some comfortable heels and bring some flats later. After all, they are going drinking. She wouldn''t want to walk in her heels while drunk and risk an injury. "We should go."


    "Alright, I will also buy these," Xu Je''er grabbed the black and white dress that Sera chose earlier and marched towards the cashier with her card to pay for everything, including Sera''s clothes.


    "Hmm? Isn''t this the young miss of the Xu Family and our top student Miss Zhang?" A mocking voice reached their ears the moment they got out of the boutique.


    "Oh, Isn''t this Miss Quanquan?" Xu Je''er''s tone immediately changed. "Did the Yuan Family finally agree to let you go outside without your guards? Oh, wait¡­ they should be here somewhere following you around. After all, the Yuan Family is one of the richest family in Pane City, they couldn''t afford to let their young miss out of their sights."


    "You ¡ª Xu Je''er, I heard from your grandfather that you went abroad! Then why are you here now? Ah, let me guess? You are just trying to hide from your parents, right? Did they try to set up another blind date for you?"


    Almost immediately, Xu Je''er''s face turned red. She was about to walk in Yuan Quan''s direction but Sera was quick to stop her. "Stop causing trouble," Sera said lowly before she turned towards Yuan Quan. "Miss Yuan, I never thought that someone like you would actually shop in malls. I thought your dresses were all custom made. "


    "Of course they are custom made! I am not here to buy clothes in these malls. I am not a pauper like you. I am here to join a competition for my grandfather!"


    Sera smiled. "Was it a beauty competition? I am sure Miss Yuan will definitely win first place if that is the case!"


    "Don''t use your tongue on me!" Yuan Quan said. "But at least, you are sensible enough to accept that I am more beautiful than this Xu Je''er!"


    "You ¡ª Sera! Stop me! Or I will definitely strangle this woman to death!"


    Sera rolled her eyes inwardly. It wasn''t a secret that the two women before her came from rich families. However, they develop some sort of weird rivalry. If one would buy a blue dress, then the other would buy the same dress at a more expensive price. If one would buy a diamond, then the other would buy a bigger one with the same design.


    Both women went to the same university and took the same courses, constantly trying to one-up each other with everything.


    "Miss Yuan, both of you are actually beautiful. However, I am curious about this competition that Miss Yuan spoke of?" Sera said, ignoring the raging Xu Je''er.


    "Why should I tell you?"


    "If you won''t tell her, then I will!" Xu Je''er immediately said. "Sera, today there is a competition in Cyber Security in this mall. The Yuan Family had been trying to find talents to work with their business. They wanted someone to develop an app that would help their banking business. Of course, they are looking for young talents like you. She must be here because she told her grandfather that she could recruit the winner of this contest!"


    "You¡ª "


    "Not only that, Quinn Media and other prominent companies sponsored this competition, so there will be a lot of talents joining the competition this time! She is actually hoping she could snatch talents from Quinn media? Yuan Quan¡­ you are dreaming!"


    "You ¡ª You ¡ª You are despicable!" Yuan Quan immediately reacted. "Do you want to fight with me!?"


    "If you want to fight, then fight!" Xu Je''er said as she handed her paper bags to Sera. "Do you think I am afraid of you!?"


    "Hey, Je''er¡­" Sera''s words interrupted her friend''s fury.


    "What? Don''t stop me! I will strangle this woman!"


    "I won''t stop you," Sera said. "I am just curious. About the prize of this competition?"

 Chapter 11 - A Dangerous Lesson

    "This competition is called CTF or Capture the Flag," Xu Je''er explained while smirking at her lifetime rival. Now that she thought about it, Sera is actually a genius in programming. The woman graduated top of their class and developed a lot of programs for the entire school. In fact, this woman should have supported her whole college years by creating programs and making projects for other students.


    This meant that Sera could actually win this competition! Isn''t that a good way to face-slap this Yuan Quan?


    "Come¡­ Sera we should go to the third floor and check it out. I think the prize is not only money but some contracts for some companies. I am not sure about the exact amount, but the first prize should be around twenty thousand RMB. If you think about it, the amount this time is not that big. But that should be good enough, right?"


    Sera just nodded her mind was already calculating. Her monthly rent share is about three thousand RMB. Daily expenses around fifty RMB. Meaning, this money will last her a long time. She immediately smiled.


    It''s not that Sera doesn''t have the money, but she was saving a lot because she wanted to create her own company soon. She needed money to invest in her own company!


    "How about this¡­ Sera is you win this competition I will give you another five thousand RMB."


    Sera looked at Xu Je''er, "Why?"


    "What do you mean, why? Because you are my friend."


    Sera didn''t miss the scheming glint in Xu Je''er''s eyes. Again, she asked, "Why?"


    "Aish¡­ this woman is too cunning. I can never outsmart you! If you are not a bit smart, I would have abandoned you as a friend a long time ago!" Xu Je''er mumbled.


    "What did you say?"


    "No, I mean¡­ Heheh¡­ Sera, my friend is really the smartest. I am giving you five thousand as long as you win this competition and say no to that woman''s offers."


    "They will offer me something?" Sera asked, her eyes shone.


    "Sera Zhang! Why are you smiling like that! I can see the money sign in your eyes! I should have known that you will betray me for a mere contract! Hmph!"


    "What are you talking about?"


    "They will surely ask you to work for them once you win this competition! That''s what I meant. If you decline their offer, then that will embarrass that woman!" Just the thought of Yuan Quan getting embarrassed made Xu Je''er giggle.


    "Je''er, I think you are becoming too childish," Sera said as the two of them arrived on the third floor. "Of course, I would decline their offer. I am not planning to work under someone."


    "Truly?" Xu Je''er beamed. "Aish¡­ of course, I already know this. I know you are already like this." She held Sera''s hands, swinging it. "You are really my friend. How about I double it? Ten thousand RMB as long as you make your voice louder while declining them?" Just the thought of it was enough to make her so excited.


    "Alright, make it fifteen thousand and give you a great show."


    Without any hesitation, Xu Je''er nodded. "Deal!" She said. Xu Je''er already witnessed Sera''s way of dealing with things, and she would never doubt this woman''s capabilities. Sera was not easily bullied, and she already witnessed this a lot of times when they were in college. There was this instance when one of Sera''s clients refused to pay her because she didn''t find anything on her boyfriend''s social media accounts. That woman actually asked Sera to hack her boyfriend because she suspected him of cheating.


    However, when Sera hacked his accounts, they didn''t find any proof of his cheating. Therefore, that woman refused to pay her. At that time, she even threatened to expose Sera to the university what they are doing was illegal.


    At that time, Xu Je''er was with Sera because she was asking her to finish a project for her and she witnessed what happened. Xu Je''er saw Sera''s calm expression. She didn''t say anything and just nodded and watch as the woman left with a smug smile on her face.


    Sadly, that smug smile didn''t last too long.


    Xu Je''er wasn''t very sure what happened as she didn''t ask Sera. However, soon screenshots of that woman''s boyfriend''s conversation with his friends were posted in the university forums. Worse was the fact that these conversations contain details about their sexual activities, as that man was actually making fun of that woman''s abilities in bed.


    Some say that the screenshots were actually from the man''s gaming account. At that time, no one asked who hacked that man''s accounts. Instead, they started ridiculing that woman, making fun of her, and even making memes about it. The next time that Xu Je''er went to find Sera, she saw that woman crying and begging Sera to remove the news. She even promised Sera to double the payment as long as she doesn''t post the rest of the images.


    Xu Je''er became so curious and asked Sera about the images. Apparently, that man actually sent some nude images of her girlfriend on that group chat. Sera didn''t include this in the forums, but she sent a copy of the images to the woman.


    At the end of the day, the woman doubled the compensation, and the images were not posted online.


    That day, Xu Je''er learned a dangerous lesson. Never offend someone capable of hacking your account. That was also the day she decided to proclaim herself as Sera''s best friend.


    Xu Je''er continued smiling until she noticed that Sera wasn''t standing by her side anymore. She immediately looked for her friend and discovered that she already registered her name to join the competition. "Hmm?" Xu Je''er looked at the sponsors of the competition and noticed that the names of the companies were just subsidiaries of Quinn Media. "Maybe they are desperate to find talents?" Xu Je''er mumbled. Still, she found this too weird.


    Quinn Media might be a superpower, but their businesses don''t have anything to do with cybersecurity. They are more into Media Industry and Medicine as they also owned a lot of hospitals. Was it possible that they wanted to start their own cybersecurity company too?


    That is also possible, but still¡­ Xu Je''er found this all weird.

 Chapter 12 - Extremely Profitable!

    On the other hand, Sera was already sitting calmly on the chairs reserved for participants. She roamed her gaze around the other participants, reading the rules that were given when they registered. Apparently, Xu Je''er was actually right. This competition is designed to recruit some talents. There are three levels of competition for this event.


    Capture the Flag is a special Cybersecurity competition that was designed to challenge the participants into solving computer security problems. This competition involves hacking into different resources and capturing the flag of their enemies.


    Mostly, this competition is done by groups or teams of people.


    However, the event today also includes individual contests with Jeopardy-style CTFs.


    Basically, the mission of capturing the flag is still the same in the individual contests. However, instead of fighting against a team of other people, the individual participants will fight against a program that was designed to hide the flag. The competition this time was actually much simpler compared to the team competitions on the other side of the hall.


    First, fighting against the computer program is easier compared to fighting against people that could easily alter their strategies. Moreover, this individual competition does not include attacking and defending against other teams. What you need to do is finish the task in the least time possible. Then the ranking will be revealed. Only the top twenty will be able to fight for the second level. From there, the top 10 will finally fight in the third level.


    This Capture the flag, scavenger hunt style was only the first level of competition. The second level involves a basic programming exercise, and the third was hacking into a server to steal data. Of course, the difficulty of the second and third was higher than the first level.


    She eyed the prizes before nodding. The top twenty will receive two thousand RMB each. The top ten will receive Three thousand RMB each. Then, the top three will also receive some monetary prizes. The third place will receive ten thousand, the second place will receive fifteen thousand, and finally, the first place will receive twenty thousand and possible offers from different companies who sponsored the event. Meaning, this competition is extremely profitable!


    Of course, Sera wasn''t planning to work under these companies. This wasn''t really her target. Her real goal today is to attract the eyes of possible investors! Gaining investors for her business is the best reward that she could get today.


    Sera''s eyes shone as she started eying the number of tech companies that sponsored the event. Aside from Quinn Media, there were also other companies here that she knew. Just having one of these companies support her is enough to start her plans.


    "I don''t understand, this competition is supposed to be for adults. Hey, kid! Why are you here! Are you lost?"


    Sera lifted her gaze and looked at the bulky man standing in front of her. What was happening? However, the man''s next words were enough to inform her that someone was deliberately trying to make trouble for her.


    "Little Quan said that you are a good hacker. However, I don''t believe her. How could a university graduate like you defeat us?"


    ''Us?'' Sera''s gaze shifted towards the people standing behind the big man. She nodded inwardly. It seems that these people were here to fight as a team. What are they doing in this individual arena?


    "Do I know you?" Sera asked, her face calm.


    "I am sure you have heard of my name before. I called, Feng Xiaotan." The man said, eyebrow lifted as if waiting for her to say something about his name.


    "I don''t know you. Can you move? You are too big, I''m afraid I won''t be able to hear the announcement if you continue to stand there."


    The man''s face reddened. How could he miss her point? This small woman just said that his size might be enough to block the sounds. Isn''t she calling him fat? How could Feng Xiaotan who is also a bodybuilder accept this insult? "You don''t know me?" he snickered. "Who would have thought that you are this ignorant? Little girl, I suggest you leave this place now."


    Sera stared at the man, her gaze placid. She wondered how much did that Yuan Quan paid this man to try and provoke her. Did that woman hope she would fight against a six-footer like this? She looked to her right and left and immediately saw Yuan Quan, standing a few meters away from her. The woman was on her phone, pretending not to notice the current situation.


    It seems that the petty Yuan Quan is actually trying to sabotage her to get back to Xu Je''er? Sera sighed inwardly. These two women are really so childish and naive. "Hey, Security! Someone is trying to hurt me!" Sera''s voice attracted everyone''s attention. "This man wanted me to leave this arena because he wanted my seat. There are a lot of vacant seats here, and yet he really wanted my seat and even threatened to hurt me if I don''t leave. Security, please give me justice!"


    Who would have thought that Sera''s voice would be this loud? Feng Xiaotan''s eyes widened as she stared at Sera''s pale face. Earlier, this woman was calm and collected and now, she was showing an extremely pitiful reaction! "I didn''t hurt her!" he immediately defended herself. However, the current situation was enough to prove Sera''s point.


    In the first place, Sera was a small woman about five feet one or two in height. She was wearing simple clothes and sneakers, her hair was in a simple ponytail, and she wasn''t wearing any make-up. If one would look at it, she looked like she was in her teens.


    Compared to her, Feng Xiaotan was six foot two with really bulky muscles. Behind him were also about five other people who looked mature and obviously older than Sera. With just one look, everyone immediately believed the pitiful party and glared at Feng Xiaotan for bullying a small little miss.


    How could Feng Xiaotan endure this injustice? However, before he could say another word and two security personnel were already standing next to them.


    "We do not allow bullying in this place. I suggest you find another area to sit and avoid this little lady or I will disqualify you."


    How could Feng Xiaotan rebut their words?


    "Mr. Security, thank you for your help." Sera bowed, face paled as tears started to stream down her cheeks.


    "Aiyo¡­ this little lady had been frightened. No need to bow¡­ No need. Go and arrange a seat for this little one on the VIP at the front. And someone gave her some water and snacks! How could we have someone suffer from bullying?" One of the security immediately said before glaring at Feng Xiaotan. "Another word and your whole team will be suspended from joining all events sponsored by the company! You are lucky, I am in a good mood today and is quite magnanimous or I would have directly banned you from this competition!" The man said and moved his coat, emphasizing the words from the ID that hung on his neck, Quinn Media Head of Security Department.

 Chapter 13 - Changes In The Rules

    "No need," Sera immediately declined. What VIP? The security personnel was really too generous. It made her feel a little suspicious. "I will just stay here." A fake smile appeared on her face.


    "Alright. I won''t force you then." The security said before glaring at the man. "You ¡ª take your people away or I will ban you from attending the competition."


    Feng Xiaotan immediately nodded and left while glaring at Sera. Seeing them gone the security gave her another apology before leaving her alone.


    "This miss¡­ excuse me."


    Sera looked at the man who sat next to her. "Are you working for a company?" the man asked. "Oh, I don''t want to offend you I just got curious. The security was pretty kind to you. So I thought you know them."


    "No."


    "Oh, is that so? Then maybe they are just kind to smaller women." The man mumbled. "Oh, I am called Manjun. Dong Manjun. I just graduated from T university and I am looking for a job and some experience too! I hope I can attract the attention of one of these companies today."


    "T University¡­ That is located on another City?"


    "Yes. Yes. Our university is not well known. Hey, are you a fresh graduate too?"


    "Yes, I am."


    "Then are you looking for a job too?"


    "No."


    "Then why are you here?"


    Sera looked at him before she pointed at the signage where the prizes were written.


    "Oh, money?" Manjun smiled and nodded. "Ah, what is your name again?"


    "Sera," she answered. Her eyes were already on the stage as the host started saying something.


    "Eh? They wanted to change the rules? Why do they want to change the rules?" Manjun immediately complained when he heard the new announcement. "Hey, Sera¡­ why did they suddenly change the rules. Instead of mixed events, then wanted to change it into attack and defense style. And we can challenge other people too? Isn''t this¡­"


    "Stop talking," Sera said as she listened to the new rules. Apparently, there were some errors in their system, forcing them to change the rules. This new one is going to be a single-elimination knockout system where the loser is immediately eliminated.


    "How could they suddenly change the rules like this?" she heard Manjun mumbling next to her. Sera ignored him. Instead, she turned her head to the sharp gaze that was directed her way. It was none other than the man named Feng Xiaotan.


    "Oh, Sera I think this might be because of that Feng Xiaotan! You don''t recognize that guy, do you? He is a member of one of the CTF teams in the Country! I am telling you¡­ that man is dangerous. This is why I was asking if you are working for Quinn Media, since that security actually helped you out when your enemy is Feng Xiaotan."


    "CTF team?"


    "Yes, have you heard of them? They are called the Double Dragon. That Feng Xiaotan is one of the dragons, and his younger brother Feng ¡ª Feng ¡ª I forgot his name is the other person. Those people behind him should be his teammates! Eh, Sera, now that the rules have been changed then¡­ that Feng Xiaotan could challenge you now!"


    Sera frowned. Why would they suddenly change the rules? "Manjun I will leave first, I will talk to my friend." She said when she saw Xu Je''er waving at her from the audience''s seat.


    "Oh! Alright. Be careful. I''ll see you later."


    Sera smiled and walked towards Xu Je''er. Before she could even greet her, the woman already started cursing her mortal enemy Yuan Quan. "I am telling you. This is something that her family requested. She wanted that Feng Muscles to challenge you and embarrass me! She knew that I can''t call my parents right now. That woman is truly evil! I am telling you if you won''t beat that Feng Muscles I will ¡ª I will fight her!"


    "Je''er¡­ you sound like a child. Can you lower your voice? It''s embarrassing." She calmly said while patting her friend''s back.


    "Why are you still so calm? You should have heard about this Double Dragon, right? You are a computer science student, you should have heard of them! They represented Pane City in the Regionals."


    "And yet they lose," Sera said. "They only won one competition and lose terribly."


    "You know them?"


    "No." But she saw the results of the regionals competition before. So, she knew that this Double Dragon is not particularly outstanding in this field.


    "But they are the best in Pane City!"


    "Hmmm," she nodded.


    "Why are you still calm?"


    "Then what do you want me to do? Can we change the rules?" she asked.


    "That ¡ª I can''t call my parents right now. But we can try to complain¡­ but that would make us look like we are scared. They might think we are not skilled enough for the competition."


    "Since we can''t change it, then what''s the use of thinking too much?" Sera sighed.


    "You ¡ª You really¡ª "


    "Just stop thinking about it and go with the flow. There is no use in worrying about things that haven''t happened yet."


    "This woman¡­ I am really speechless!" Xu Je''er pouted. Sometimes, she really hated Sera''s calmness. It was like, the world doesn''t concern her at all! However, a part of her also envied Sera. After all, the woman was really skilled and talented.


    "Alright, the competition will start. Everyone can challenge people now. So¡­ I guess the whole team will challenge me." Sera said before she lowered her head. "Hey, I can defeat them but you have to give me thirty thousand RMB later."


    "Everyone? The entire team?" As expected, her words were enough to make Xu Je''er smile.


    "Of course." Confidence laced her voice.


    "Ah¡­ Sera money is not a problem just do your best, alright?" Xu Je''er said with a loud voice before giving her a wink. Seeing this, Sera chuckled and walked back to the seat reserved for the contestants. Her gaze landed towards Feng Xiaotan and his team, who were already staring at her. With a smile, Sera walked towards the personnel who is in charge of the challenge. "Mr. Personnel¡­ My name is Sera Zhang and I want to challenge the gentleman right there. His name should be Feng Xiaotan."

 Chapter 14 - CTF World

    "Oh, Mr. Feng is from the group category. If you want to challenge him, then you have to challenge his entire group too. You can only have two losses before you are eliminated. However, if one of them loses, then they are immediately eliminated. Are you sure you want to challenge someone from them? Don''t you know that they are from Double Dragon?"


    "What happens if I win?"


    "Then, you qualify for tomorrow''s challenges. Listen, the rules state that as long as you have ten consecutive wins you will qualify for the next day. But challenging a group is different. You don''t get to rest and have to challenge fight them one after another. Although there are only seven people in one group, winning against them is still equivalent to winning against ten people."


    "Then, I will challenge them."


    The attendant smiled. "I understand. Let me arrange it for you." He typed on his laptop and immediately informed her that it would start thirty minutes later. He then went to inform Feng Xiaotan that he and his group had been challenged.


    Soon, everyone in the vicinity immediately knew that someone was brave enough to challenge the Double Dragon. Moreover, it was an individual! One person against a group of experienced CTF players! Isn''t that too much?


    Sera calmly sat while listening to the various opinions of other players that are gossiping behind her. None of them knew that she was the ''crazy'' one who challenged the entire team. Of course, Sera had her own reasons for doing this.


    She wasn''t the type to wait for other people to scheme against her. For Sera, it is better to challenge them first before they could even make plans against her. Moreover, fighting against seven people can be a bit tiring. This is why she chose to challenge them before someone else will challenge her.


    "Hey, Hey!"


    Sera''s thoughts were interrupted when Manjun suddenly approached her. "What are you doing?"


    "Come¡­ come¡­ follow me. I want to talk to you." The man said while pulling her towards space with lesser people. "Did you ¡ª Were you the ¡ª "


    "Hm?"


    "Did you challenge the Double Dragon?"


    "Yes."


    "Ah? I just went to the toilet and when I came back you already challenged them? This¡­ Are you sure you haven''t heard of them before? Ah, I get it¡­ are you trying to see if they are really good? I heard they were the champions in the citywide competition before. So¡­ "


    "Hey, Manjun¡­"


    "Hm?"


    "Can you summarize your thoughts into ten words? This is a challenging task, and few people can do it. But I think you have the skills, right?"


    "What? Of course! I can do that!" Manjun beamed.


    "Good. As expected of brother Manjun." Sera nodded. After a few more minutes, they announced Sera and Double Dragon''s competition.


    "Alright, I know it''s hard to beat them." Manjun gulped as he tried to count his words. "But it''s alright to lose!"


    "¡­" Sera just nodded. What kind of good luck words was that? Sera smiled and walked towards the stage where the computers were located. Then she got her own keyboard and connected it to the computer.


    "Eh? She even had her own keyboard. It seems that Sister Quan''s words were right. She studied computer science."


    "Of course, her words were right. However, how could she defeat all of us?" The woman in the group rolled her eyes. "If she''s lucky, she could defeat you, but I am confident she won''t be able to defeat me." The woman sneered while looking at the calm Sera.


    "She already has the guts to challenge us. This is already praiseworthy. Just focus on the task. Don''t embarrass our name!" The one who spoke was Feng Xiaotan. Actually, the younger people around him were the new recruits. They only joined this competition because he wanted to give them the feel of the real CTF world.


    "Brother Feng is right. We should use her to show our skills in this game! Ah, that''s right¡­ why don''t we bet? The person who can defeat her in the least amount of time will win?" Another one said. "Of course, Brother Feng is not included since he is the expert here.


    "Ah? But she can only lose twice!"


    "Then¡­ let''s make a request. She needed to fight all of us even if she already lost. How''s that?"


    "I agree! Go and talk to the committee about it!"


    Without even asking Sera, the group already decided that they wanted her to fight all of them even if she already lost twice. When Sera heard this, she only smiled and nodded. How could she miss this opportunity? This group of people was digging their graves. She should help them bury themselves.


    After it was already decided, the competition started. It was Sera against the woman named Guan.


    "I can defeat her in five minutes," the woman said confidently.


    "Sister Guan, individual games are different from the group ones. In this game, you have to attack and defend at the same time. That is pretty difficult. Of course, if your opponent is just a fresh graduate, then that is a different story."


    "Alright, Little sister Guan. Remember everything that I told you. Everyone will be given five minutes to prepare, then you can start attacking each other."


    After Feng Xiaotan said those words, the attendant also announced the same thing.


    "To the right side is number twenty-three, Miss Sera, and the other side is the Double Dragon. Everyone will be given five minutes to familiarize themselves and create some preparations for patching and securing the PC. In these five minutes, they can discover and patched up as many vulnerabilities as possible. After five minutes, they are now allowed to attack their opponents. Miss Sera will be fighting against each of the seven people from the Double Dragon and it was already agreed that Miss Sera won''t be eliminated even if she already lost twice. The Double Dragon agreed that she will only be eliminated if she lost against all of them."


    The announcer''s words surprised everyone. Who would have thought that Double Dragon would be so kind against Sera? They even agreed to an arrangement like this? Of course, some people immediately saw through it and knew that Double Dragon wasn''t kind but was looking down on the woman''s skills.


    They clearly wanted to embarrass her and punish her for challenging them!


    "Alright, the five minutes starts now!"

 Chapter 15 - Weather Update

    "What is happening?" Xu Je''er couldn''t help but asked the person sitting next to her. "What is going on?"


    "This miss¡­ I also don''t know. I think they will only show us the screen once they started attacking." The man sitting next to her answered. "But that Sear Zhang is really brave to challenge a professional team like that. I heard that Double Dragon is the city champion last year. They are very ruthless when it comes to attacking their opponents too!"


    "Ah? But ¡ª But didn''t they lose terribly during the regionals? They don''t sound too scary at all!"


    "Of course they would lose! They are against prominent universities from the capital! You really are ignorant. The top three universities in the region were too scary back then! However, this doesn''t mean that they aren''t good. It''s just that the top universities are better than them and they have the money to hire experts too!"


    Je''er snorted in response. Good? Then if they are good, Sera was better! No¡­ Sera should be the best! A smug smile appeared on her face as she watched her mortal enemy. From where she was, she could actually see what Sera was doing however, she doesn''t understand anything about it. All she saw was her fast fingers flying to the keyboard.


    After a few minutes, the announcer finally informed them that they can now start attacking their enemy. Then the huge screen showed everything that Sera and her opponent were doing.


    "Huh? What is she doing?"


    "Why isn''t she attacking?"


    Xu Je''er frowned when she heard the surrounding people started whispering.


    "Hey, what is going on?" she asked. Aside from social media, Xu Je''er was not really good when it comes to computers. In fact, even all of her college projects before were made by Sera.


    "I don''t know! The other person¡­ the woman from the Double Dragon is not attacking her opponent."


    "Huh?"


    "Oh, I know look! She is defending! She isn''t attacking simply because she can''t!"


    Xu Je''er immediately nodded in approval. Ah, it seems that she actually hugged the right thigh! Sera Zhang would never disappoint as long as money is involved! She immediately turned excited. While she couldn''t understand what was happening on the screen, she could see both Sera and her opponent from the stage. While Sera still had that bland face, the opponent actually looked pale!


    "It''s done! Miss Zhang broke through the defense!"


    "That was fast. I guess two minutes?"


    "One and thirty seconds," Xu Je''er said. She had been eying the huge timer on top of the screen, so she clearly knew the time. "She beat the woman in one minute and thirty seconds!"


    A few gasps echoed around her. It made Xu Je''er smile. She lifted her chin and looked in her enemy''s direction. Heh, Double Dragon? Can you really beat the top university''s top computer science student?


    After it was announced that Sera already won, the people watching started getting noisy again, some were obviously surprised and amazed that she was able to beat the top team in this City. Moreover, she did it in about two minutes!


    "I heard this woman is a trainee. So it''s reasonable that her skills were not as good as the professional players."


    "In fact, aside from young master Feng, the rest of the members today are trainees. All of them are inexperienced!"


    "Ah? Is that so? Then that Miss Zhang just got lucky! Let''s wait for her to lose against Master Feng."


    The people talking just now were staff, and they are talking just a few feet next to Sera. Naturally, she heard their words too. Sera shrugged inwardly. Trainees or not, she was only here for the money.


    "Alright, next?" Sera looked at the people opposite her. "Six more people to go. Please hurry up, I am a bit hungry."


    "You ¡ª " A man with thick eyeglasses spoke. "That was only lucky! Little Sister Guan had an upset stomach just now so she wasn''t able to concentrate!"


    "Oh. What does it have to do with me?" Sera asked. "Are you going to talk all day? Or fight?"


    "You¡ª "


    "Alright, enough." Feng Xiaotan uttered grimly. "Let''s not stoop down to her level. This should serve as a lesson to everyone. Be careful when you are about to go to a competition. Don''t eat any greasy food. Be careful. Alright, Xiao Er, you go. This time, I want you to focus on your defense." Even if Feng Xiaotan is a very prideful person, he knows how to accept that some people are actually better than him. However, he refused to believe that this little girl is one of them. In his mind, Sera must have planned everything carefully earlier. She was a university graduate, so it''s not surprising that she knew a little bit.


    However, these kids that he accompanied now were all trained and even went to university specifically for cybersecurity. How could a mere nobody beat them?


    "Yes, boss!"


    However, Feng Xiaotan''s previous assumption was shattered once again when Sera defeated the second person. Just like earlier, she only used more than a minute to hack into Xiao Er''s firewall. This Sera even went as much as hacking into the computer and sending a message to Xiao Er. The message only contained some numbers.


    2-0


    Xiao Er almost burst into tears. Despite being a man, he was still seventeen! He looked at Feng Xiaotan''s dark expression. "Boss¡­"


    "I know¡­ it''s not your fault. This is¡ª "


    "Next!" Sera''s voice echoed towards them. "Hurry up! I am hungry!"


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "So overbearing! Now that I think about it, this woman is actually very pretty!"


    "How come I haven''t heard of her before?"


    Sera just stared at Feng Xiaotan as she ignored all the words buzzing in her head. She really wanted some hotpot right now. Seeing that Feng Xiaotan ignored her and actually started lecturing the person she defeated just now, Sera sighed. They are actually given a five-minute break after every game.


    With this in mind, she opened her phone and sent a text.


    "Hey, I am about to win some money. Do you want to have dinner with me?" She pressed send and didn''t wait for Cross to reply. He probably won''t reply, after all, he was a very busy person.


    The vibration on her phone made her smile. Did that man reply? She immediately opened her WeChat app and frowned when she saw it was just a message from one of her weather update subscriptions.


    "..."

 Chapter 16 - Next!

    Eh, nevermind. Cross seldom replies to her messages. No, that man seemed to hate texting and would directly call her. She opened the message again and reviewed their past conversations. Ah, now that she thought about it, this man was actually pretty boring. He would only reply using one word. Ok. Can. Can''t.


    What kind of man is this? Sera decided to focus on her money and sent a smirk towards Feng Xiaotan who was glaring at her. This time, she didn''t say anything and just observed her opponent. Since this is a knockout contest, then if she defeats this group today, she wouldn''t see them again tomorrow.


    This means she would have a peaceful day! Sera smiled when the announcer told them that the five-minute break time is up.


    "Hey, quickly check the background of this woman," Feng Xiaotan said as he watched the third round. Right now, he really wanted to find a hole where he could bury himself and just hide from this embarrassment. The timer just started and the one that he sent was already losing! Moreover, Sera was using the same tactics as earlier. She was attacking them!


    This woman was too aggressive. Even Feng Xiaotan couldn''t help but cursed inwardly. The only reason why he agreed to offend this woman is because of Yuan Quan. They grew up together, and he had long seen her as a little sister. Of course, his Feng Family and her Yuan Family is also talking about marriage in the past years but both of them refused to marry each other without developing some feelings for each other first.


    Who would have thought that because of this, his double dragon team would be shamed like this? Feng Xiaotan sighed. The announcer already announced that Sera won. 3-0.


    If they were using the previous rules, Double Dragon would have been defeated by now. "Alright, I will play with her next." Feng Xiaotan said. "I want you to show you your mistakes. Keep an eye on the screen. Let me show you how to handle opponents like these." Feng Xiaotan said. "No need to take a break!" Feng Xiaotan told the announcer before he glanced at Sera. He wanted to say something to provoke her, but seeing her yawn made his blood boil like blood.


    All of his teammates that she defeated were actually about to cry from embarrassment! However, this woman was yawning? She was sleepy? Does this mean fighting against them bore her? "You ¡ª You just wait and see!"


    Sera fought the urge to roll her eyes. So childish. "Alright, no need for a break. If we take another break, I will really fall asleep." Her words weren''t loud, but Feng Xiaotan who had been paying attention to her still heard it.


    He clenched his jaw, anger flashed in his eyes.


    "Since you don''t want a break then¡­ no more break. This is the fourth round! Miss Zhang even if Mr. Feng will defeat you, you still needed to fight against the last three members of their group. Don''t think too much, Mr. Feng had been in this industry for a few years now."


    "Oh," Sera nodded. This means Feng Xiaotan''s skills should be better than those people, right?


    Seeing Sera donned her bland face, Feng Xiotan became more and more irritated. Oh? Her answer was just Oh? "Let''s start!"


    Sera nodded. After a few seconds, the announcer told them that their five minutes to build their defense already started. Then, the five minutes to start attacking the opponent slowly followed.


    "Ah? Feng Xiaotan actually had the chance to attack her? Wow!"


    "Feng Xiaotan is really an expert! Look at him attacking and her defending?"


    Feng Xiaotan ignored the other people as his finger flew on the keyboard. Faster, he thought. Faster! His brain was already in fight mode, he couldn''t think of anything else but attack and attack! No matter how difficult her defense was, he believed that he would be able to break through and defeat her.


    However, after two minutes, his expectations didn''t happen. Another two minutes passed and still, Feng Xiaotan was struggling to break into her defenses. Soon, it was already six minutes¡­ then ten.


    Feng Xiaotan used a lot of methods, but none of them were able to break her defense system. His heart started to turn erratic, sweat drenched his shirt. What is going on? For the outsiders, it looked like he was attacking Sera, but he knew that wasn''t really the case. In fact, until now, he hasn''t really made any progress. All he was doing was entering some code, but all of them failed!


    "Hmmm¡­" Sera nodded as she looked at her own screen. Manjun said that Feng Xiaotan is one of the Double Dragon of the team, so she tried to assess his skills by letting him attack her first. It seems that his skills weren''t really noteworthy. She sighed inwardly before deciding to launch her own attack.


    Since Feng Xiaotan was so focused on his own attack, he failed to notice Sera''s actions. In the end, he was defeated in just a few minutes. Once again, Sera took the time to hack into the system and sent him a message.


    4-0


    Unable to stop himself, Feng Xiaotan slammed his hand against the keyboards. Without saying anything, he stood and glared at Sera before leaving the stage.


    "¡­" Sera watched as the bulky man strode out of the competition area. Apparently, losing was such a big deal to Feng Xiaotan. But he was actually acting like a bully earlier. Did he really think no one could beat him in this city? Eh, nevermind. That doesn''t concern her anymore. Her gaze landed on the remaining three players. Smiling, Sera said. "Next!"

 Chapter 17 - Eating Can Solve Everything

    7-0


    The number on the screen wasn''t that big. It was only about a foot tall, but to Feng Xiaotan it was like an enormous boulder of stone crushing his whole body. He eyed Sera''s calm expression as the announcer announced her as the winner. "Did you find anything?" he asked.


    "She is an orphan, twenty-three, a fresh graduate from Bright University. It''s the top university in Pane City. She graduated top of her class too and created multiple software for the school."


    "Does she have a job?" Feng Xiaotan asked.


    "This¡ª "


    "What?" he hissed.


    "Well, she doesn''t have any jobs. As far as I know, she creates software for people. According to her classmates before she makes everyone''s project for money. And that''s how she survived in an expensive university like that."


    "Just from projects?" It sounded too impossible. Bright University is the top university in this City. It''s not only considered best in academe but also pretty expensive. Most people who got into the school are kids from rich families or scholars. "Ah, she must have a scholarship."


    "Yes, Sir."


    "Then recruit her."


    "Eh?" The man stared at Feng Xiaotan. This young master was always arrogant and thinks he is above everyone else. While they didn''t win in the regionals, the Feng Brothers are still considered the king of CTF in this City. "Recruit¡­ Recruit Miss Zhang?"


    "Her skills are excellent. Recruit her." He was arrogant, but he also recognized talents. How could he let go of this opportunity?


    Seeing Feng Xiaotan''s resolute gaze, the man nodded and walked towards¡­" Eh? Where is she?"


    Feng Xiaotan turned towards the stage and realized that the woman is no longer there. He frowned as he recalled the woman''s blank face. "Find her and make her one of us." He said before leaving the area. He already had enough embarrassment for today.


    Meanwhile, Sera was already enjoying her hotpot with Xu Je''er.


    "Ah? I didn''t know about this place!" Xu Je''er was really happy right now. As expected, Sera gave her a good show. She won and didn''t give them a chance to save their face! Because of this, Xu Je''er had the opportunity to laugh at that woman who was scheming against their back. That woman actually thought that she could embarrass Sera Zhang!? How lame! "Ah, this is good! Eat¡­ eat! Order everything. I will pay for everything."


    Of course, Sera complied. Free food is still the best.


    "Hey, Sera you are really good with computers. How about working for my Xu Family''s company?"


    "No."


    "Aish¡­ Then what do you want to do with your life? Your classmates must have already found a job by now. You are top of your class! A genius! And yet here you are¡­" This was truly a waste, ah. Xu Je''er already knows that Sera had a weird personality, but a job is important! With her status, how could she survive in this world, without one? "Listen, I will be the Company''s future CEO. If you work with us, you will become my adviser. How about that?" She beamed.


    "How could your father leave the company to you?" Sera said as she finished another mushroom. "If I am your father, I would never trust you with your company."


    "You ¡ª " Xu Je''er pouted. "How could you say that? We are friends! Your supposed to support me in this kind of thing."


    "Eh, a real friend would tell you the truth." Sera shrugged. She focused her attention on the plates of seafood. "You aren''t really outstanding, Je''er. In the future, you need to work harder if you want to become the CEO." Talking to Xu Je''er really feels like she was talking to a child.


    "Then just become my adviser."


    "I am not good with business. I can''t give you any advice."


    Once again, Xu Je''er pouted. "My father also told me that I am not fit to become the CEO because I am not that smart."


    "Your father loves you."


    "¡­"


    "If he doesn''t love you, he would tell you are so outstanding. Now, that is a lie. Aside from your beautiful face, you have nothing else. Your brain is mediocre at best."


    "You ¡ª How could you be so harsh?" Xu Je''er glared at her before laughing. She was already used to this woman''s attitude. "At least you think I am beautiful. Father said that I can only find a good husband if I continue being like this."


    Sera nodded in agreement. "If I was your father, I would say the same thing."


    "¡­" This woman really loves to say the truth! "How could you ruin such a happy occasion?"


    "Je''er you are ruining your own occasion," Sera said before she used her chopsticks and gave Xu Je''er some meat. "Here¡­ just eat. If you feel bad, just eat. If you are sad, just eat. If you broke your heart, just eat. In this world, eating can solve everything."


    "¡­"


    "Oh, right¡­ Don''t forget to send me the money. I need it for my rent."


    "¡­" As expected, this woman just loves money. "Sera¡­ you are really good at changing the topic. I was asking you. What do you want to do with your talents? Are you going to waste it by doing illegal things?"


    "No, I am planning to make software and sell it to companies."


    This immediately attracted Xu Je''er''s attention. "Then sell it to me! I will give it to my father!"


    "You can''t afford it."


    "I am rich! Sera Zhang¡­ you don''t know this, but I am really rich."


    "Rich people don''t need to say that they are rich."


    "¡­" Still so harsh! "Just sell it to me! How about this? My Xu Family will also introduce you to some of my father''s contacts. Although we are not the richest, we are a very old family in this City! Everyone knows my Xu Family!"


    "Hmmm. I will think about it." Aside from money, she really does need to build relationships with other companies. After all, she is starting her own security software company. "Je''er how about this¡­ Why don''t you work for me and my company?" she asked.

 Chapter 18 - Big Boss

    "You wanted me to work for you?"


    Sera nodded. This woman majored in business. Surely, she knows something about it, right? Sera gave a gentle smile. "If you think about it, this is going to help you too."


    "In what way? I am going to inherit my father''s company! I am a future CEO! Why would I work for you?"


    "Je''er¡­ don''t be like this. I know you aren''t that smart, but think about it carefully. I am just a start-up company. If you work for me and the company becomes big in the future, can you imagine what would your father do? Can you imagine the pride that he will feel? Think about it? Right now, he thinks you aren''t capable of doing anything aside from shopping and being pretty."


    Xu Je''er stared at her, dumbstruck. The thought of seeing her father laugh while praising her for being perfect flashed in her head.


    "See?" Sera smiled. "I know you can already see it. If we become big, your father will naturally see your talents! Do you think he would still marry you off to some CEO that no one has seen before?" Victory flashed in Sera''s mind. "If we become big in the future, no one would doubt your capability anymore!"


    Xu Je''er started beaming as she thought about Sera''s words. She was telling the truth, if she becomes the big boss of a start company that became big then her father would never doubt her ever again! Forget marrying her into an old dude, her father would surely never mention that topic again! Stars appeared in her eyes as she thought about it.


    ''Ah, Sera¡­ did I tell you that you are an angel?" Xu Je''er beamed before she held her hand in front of Sera. "Then we have a deal! I will help you out in this company."


    "Help? You will become my company''s CEO!" Sera smiled. "What do you think?"


    "Really? But¡ª "


    "Aish¡­ I am not after these useless titles. As long as I have the money then it won''t be a problem." Moreover, if she became a CEO and the company would grow, she would need to attend parties and would risk meeting someone from the Zhang Family!


    "Then..it''s a deal! I will take care of everything! What about the name of the company?"


    "That ¡ª " She hasn''t thought of any names yet! "I will have to think about it. For now, let''s celebrate this matter! Let''s eat!"


    "Hey! That man looks familiar."


    She followed Xu Je''er''s gaze and was surprised to see Cross. He was standing at the entrance of the restaurant. She immediately waved her hand. "That''s Cross¡­ you have met him before."


    "Oh! Your nerd boyfriend?"


    Sera rolled her eyes before beaming at the man approaching them. "Hey! How come you''re here?"


    "You sent me a text. I figured you will be here." Cross sat next to her. A smile was on his face. "Did you rob someone?" he asked.


    "Hey! She won a contest! What kind of boyfriend would say that his girlfriend rob someone?" Xu Je''er chimed in. She actually met this man once or twice. And she didn''t like him. She felt that he wasn''t deserving to become her friend''s boyfriend. The man''s fashion sense was off, his eyeglasses were too thick, his hair weird. Even that smile of his looks weird!


    He might be a little good-looking, but his eyes were different. Xu Je''er already told Sera that this man is weird and the woman would just smile.


    "Contest?" Cross smiled. "Then¡­ congratulations! You didn''t tell me about it. I could have prepared something."


    "It''s just the first stage. Just give it to me once I win the first place." Sera answered. "Eat¡­ eat something."


    Seeing Sera acting so nicely towards Cross made Xu Je''er snorted. Sera doesn''t even treat her like this! Indeed, being in love makes someone blind! Sera was just too beautiful. She was smart too and yet her boyfriend is just¡­ "Hey Cross¡­ how did you know we are here?" Xu Je''er asked. She had never seen Sera text someone on their way here.


    "I guessed," Cross said while staring at Sera. "This is her favorite hotpot place. It''s easy to guess."


    "Oh¡­" Xu Je''er said. "Then¡­ why don''t you treat us today? Did you know? We just decided to start a company. You should pay for everything as a congratulatory gift!" She observed a few changes in the man''s face.


    "Really?" Cross leaned towards Sera. "Are you sure you will work with this woman?"


    "You ¡ª Of course she will work with me! I am her best friend after all! Plus, I majored in business. I know a lot of stuff about it."


    Sera gave a wry smile. "Yeah, I will work with her. She will become the big boss of the company."


    "Oh¡­" Cross nodded, his eyes devoid of any expression. "Why don''t you hire someone more capable? I can help you¡ª "


    "Oi, Cross! How could you act like this?" Xu Je''er raised her voice. "We already agreed to work together! Plus, I am really capable!"


    Cross snorted and started to take the meat that already started floating on the hotpot. Then he put it in Sera''s bowl. "Eat something. Once you are full, think about your decision again. Think about it carefully. Are you really going to trust this woman to handle your company?"


    "¡­"

 Chapter 19 - Jealous Person

    "Hey, hey, you shouldn''t drink too much." Cross furrowed his brows as he snatched the liquor from her hand. He then glared at the equally drunk Xu Je''er.


    "I am not drunk," Sera stared at him, wide-eyed. She just had a can of beer! And he was already panicking? "I still have a competition tomorrow, I can''t get drunk."


    "Good, from now on you''re not allowed to get drunk."


    "Hm? Why?"


    "Your breath stink if you drink."


    "Hey!" She playfully slapped his arm.


    "Kidding¡­ I meant¡­ You will start your own business soon. You can''t keep on drinking like this."


    "Sera, this man is too possessive and controlling, you should leave him." Xu Je''er beamed at Cross. "He is not that handsome, and he is not that rich. You should find someone else."


    Cross clenched his jaw but said nothing. He waited for Sera to defend him, but she was just beaming at him. Was she drunk? "Why are you looking at me like that?" He leaned back.


    "I think you don''t look so bad."


    "¡­" He squinted.


    "I mean it. I don''t like handsome men."


    "Really?" Xu Je''er asked. "Ah? Is that why you keep on refusing the handsome gods that wanted to become your boyfriend back in college?"


    "Why don''t you like handsome men?" Cross asked, curiosity flashing in his eyes.


    "Why would I want a man that attracts other people''s attention?" Sera took the can of beer back. "I am a jealous person."


    "Really?" Cross gave a twisted smile.


    She nodded. "Really."


    "Sera, does this mean you won''t introduce your future husband to your friends because you are scared that someone will snatch him?"


    Sera snorted. "If someone is capable of snatching, then snatch him! If he cheats, then it means he doesn''t deserve me." Isn''t that too simple? It''s like dodging a bullet!


    "You are weird."


    Sera just beamed at her friend and turned towards the man next to her. "Oh, I forgot to ask. Are you going home now? Or you still want to go back to your office?"


    "So hardworking?" Xu Je''er lifted an eyebrow, sarcasm laced her tone.


    "He is hardworking, alright." Sera smiled. "He needs to work hard to feed me."


    "Ah, too much dog food. I will die from jealousy." Xu Je''er giggled before she finished her beer. "We still have a competition tomorrow so we''re not allowed to get drunk¡ª "


    "Excuse me, are you Miss Sera Zhang?"


    The three of them lifted their heads and look at the man wearing a suit. "I am called Cheng, I work with Team Double Dragon, I want to talk to you about your performance earlier?" The man was wearing a cordial smile on his face. With his slick hair and black suit, he looked extremely out of place in the hotpot place.


    "What is it?" Xu Je''er immediately asked. "I am her manager. She doesn''t accept interviews."


    "¡­" The man looked at the woman wearing expensive clothing, his face still calm. "I am not here for an interview. I am here to give you this." He handed a card to Sera, which was immediately snatched by Xu Je''er. Then he continued. "The Feng brothers wanted to schedule a meeting with you. They wanted to recruit you to the team. If you are interested, please call that number on the card. We can immediately have the meeting tomorrow and we will give in to your demands as long as it is reasonable."


    "Oh," Xu Je''er''s already red face turned redder. Sera didn''t know if it was only because of the alcohol or the woman was furious. "It seems that this person is not giving me any face. How dare you try to recruit my employee under my nose?" Xu Je''er stood.


    "Miss, you are drunk. Miss Zhang is not working with anyone right now."


    "Well¡­ that was a few minutes ago! Right now, she is working with me and my company!"


    "What company?" the man asked, unperturbed.


    Xu Je''er immediately turned towards Sera. "What was the name of our company?"


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "Well¡­ anyway. The name is not important. What''s important is she working with me. I am the CEO and she is my most trusted employee. So stop dreaming and leave us alone!"


    The man stared at Xu Je''er drunken expression before shaking his head. He turned towards Sera. "Please call me." Then, without sparing Xu Je''er another glance, he left.


    Sera smiled and sent a wink at the speechless Cross. As if sensing her thoughts, Cross nodded and lowered his head. Now, he completely understood why Sera wanted to hire this Xu Je''er as her CEO. It was to fend off against people like that.


    Ah, now that he thought about it, Xu Je''er''s attitude is just like a dog''s. She really likes to bark! The corner of his lips lifted upwards. "You don''t want to work with companies?"


    "We will work with companies. Just not as employees." She is making software and going to sell it to different companies.


    A flash of understanding glinted in his eyes. "Alright." It seems that his approach had been wrong. Sera would never work under him. Well then¡­ He still has other ways to get close to her. "Let''s go home?"


    Sera nodded.


    ...


    Cross made sure that Sera was already asleep before he left her room. He then went directly to his room and used his fingerprint to open a secret vault on the small bookshelf in his room. He grabbed a phone and dialed a number.


    "Tell me," he said.


    "Boss¡­ Old Zhang is already dying. He can walk and eat and yet, people are scheming for his wealth. The young miss¡­"


    "The only person who knew about her real identity is that evil stepmother of hers. The woman wouldn''t reveal that to other people." However, this would mean that she might send people to kill the real heir of the Zhang Family''s wealth soon. "I want you to increase the security around Sera. Never let her out of your sight."


    "Yes, boss."


    Cross sigh. If only it was that easy to convince her to marry him. Ah, forcing her would not do him any good. "Alright, contact me as soon as you have anything." He ended and call and put the phone back on the vault. Then he grabbed the photo inside. "Don''t worry, uncle, I will protect her. At all cost."

 Chapter 20 - Familiar

    It was already seven in the morning when Sera woke up. As always, Cross was nowhere to be seen. She sighed and just finished the food that he made for her before leaving. After taking a bath and changing her clothes, she immediately left. Her destination is of course to attend the competition. At the end of the second day, Sera was qualified to join the finals.


    On the third day, Sera started to receive calls asking her if she was interested to work with their companies. Of course, her manager, Xu Je''er ended up declining everyone including her lifetime rival who tried to scheme against them. However, just as everyone thought she would win the finals, Sera lost.


    This made Xu Je''er so shocked she almost fainted. The Sera that she knew loves money so much! How could she lose? This isn''t possible!


    Xu Je''er immediately asked her friend about it. Who would have thought that her answer was that she didn''t want to associate herself with other companies?


    That''s when Xu Je''er remembered that one of the prizes is actually a contract from Quinn Media.


    "Are you insane? Quinn Media is THE Quinn Media! Why don''t you want to work with them?" Xu Je''er fumed. She really couldn''t understand how Sera''s mind worked.


    "Why does it sound like you are already throwing me away? Our company just started."


    "You really¡­ how could you not win the first prize? People would want to work with you! Plus the money¡ª "


    "The money that you gave me when I beat that Double Dragon team is more than enough. I don''t like to complicate things."


    "Aish¡­ this woman is, really... Are you really the Sera that I know? It''s money and contract! In this world, everyone wants to work with Quinn Media and yet you ¡ª "Ah, she was so angry, she had to pat her chest just to calm herself down. "Let me tell you something. The big boss of Quinn Media actually fired their whole cybersecurity team because of what happened back then. Eh? Don''t look at me like that. I already compensated everyone involved in the matter. However, Quinn Media is now recruiting people ¡ª talented ones for their security team. I think you should apply and¡ª "


    "Xu Je''er¡­ I thought you want to start a company with me?" Sera asked.


    "You don''t get it." Xu Je''er sighed. "Working with a big company like that would help your resume and credibility. Right now, you are brilliant, but you lack experience."


    "Oh, then you won''t hire me because I lack experience?"


    "No. But other people might not take a look at our software because It was made by someone unknown in this business world."


    For a few seconds, Sera bit her lips. She fought the urge to laugh at this woman. She hired her because she was well known in the upper society! This is only one of the reasons why she wanted to work with Xu Je''er. Ah, it seems that Xu Je''er doesn''t understand this until now? "I hired you to do that," Sera said. "I would make the software. Do you want me to talk to businessmen too?"


    The woman stared at her, blinking. She blinked her beautiful eyes until she realized that Sera was indeed right. She could actually take care of that matter because of her connections! "Ehem¡­ forget what I just said. It''s just¡­ I was too excited¡­ too excited I became emotional." Quinn Media was her dream company before. If her father knew that Quinn Media offered a contract to her, that old man would surely feel proud!


    "Hmmm. I understand." Sera lowered her head as she looked at the cheque in her hand. It was the prize for second place in the competition.


    "Hey¡­ why did you purposely lose the competition?"


    Sera and Xu Je''er turned their heads to their left. Feng Xiaotan''s dark face welcomed them.


    "I know you could win," Feng Xiaotan approached them. "Why did you do that? Did you really want to embarrass me?"


    "Huh?" Even Xu Je''er wasn''t able to react immediately.


    "Mr. Feng," Sera just smiled. "You are thinking too much."


    "Then why?" In Feng Xiaotan''s mind, this woman actually did that to show that someone else is superior to Feng Xiaotan. The equation on his mind was too simple. First, Sera beat him. Then another person beat Sera. This means that the person who won against Sera was actually better than him!?


    "Brother Feng¡­ you shouldn''t blame Miss Zhang too much." The sweet voice of Yuan Quan made Feng Xiaotan frowned.


    "What are you doing here?"


    "I am only here to help brother Feng out. Miss Zhang should be innocent in all this." Yuan Quan smiled. "She is a simple-minded person. She loves money the most. I believe, the reason why she purposely loses is that another person already offered her more money than the first prize. Is that right, Xu Je''er?"


    Before the two could fight again, Feng Xiaotan suddenly turned and face Yuan Quan. "Stop provoking me. This doesn''t concern you. Leave!"


    Yuan Quan widened her eyes. She looked at Feng Xiaotan, her face red from embarrassment. "Brother Feng¡ª "


    "You told me she was a beginner!" Feng Xiaotan hissed. "You were the one who told me that this person bullied you! Yuan Quan, you schemed against me and made me lose face in front of everyone! Just you wait¡­ I will tell your parents about what you have been doing!"


    "Brother Feng¡ª "


    Seeing the two started arguing, Sera sighed inwardly. This is why she no longer wanted to be associated with the rich society. Ah, too complicated. She looked to the entrance, wanting to leave when she saw a familiar silhouette.


    Eh? She looked at the broad shoulders of the man wearing a simple black shirt and jeans. Too familiar¡­ Too Familiar.


    Slowly, the man moved his heel and turned towards her. Eh? Cross?


    "Hey!" Cross waved at her, a boyish grin plastered on his face. He then walked towards her. "I heard you didn''t win?"


    "You came here to tease me?" she asked as she calmed her emotions down. She really should stop thinking about a one-night stand. So embarrassing! She looked at Feng Xiaotan, Yuan Quan, and Xu Je''er who were still busy arguing.


    "I''m here to comfort you."


    His answer made her chuckle. "This is not so you¡­" In a week, she had already seen him three times. Isn''t this too much? Did the heavens finally grant her wish? Eh¡­ She lifted her head and looked at him. "Cross Qin, tell me, are you starting to like me?"

 Chapter 21 - God Quinn

    Cross stopped walking. He leaned towards her, a smile plastered on his face. "Why? Do you want to become my girlfriend?"


    "What?" she asked, flustered. "Who wants to be in a relationship with you?" She immediately scolded herself inwardly. Why was she saying weird stuff again?


    "Really?" he cocked an eyebrow. She instantly felt irritated.


    "Really!"


    "Then¡­ if no one wants to marry you in the future, you won''t beg me to marry you?"


    "Pardon?" Why would she beg him? She rolled her eyes and changed the topic. "I have been seeing you a lot these days. Did something happen?"


    "Hmmm. I''m bored."


    "So you decided to see me because you are bored?"


    "True."


    Sera playfully slapped his arm, earning a chuckle from him. "Let''s go? Let''s leave them. Why do you always associate yourself with childish people?"


    "Aren''t you one of them?"


    "I am a caring, handsome, smart, responsible best friend."


    "Lies."


    He smiled, and the two started walking towards the exit of the mall. "I''ll be traveling in a few days. My company sent me abroad. I will be busy. I might not be able to go home for a few weeks."


    Sera nodded. She was already used to it. After walking for some time, Cross brought her to some park a few minutes away from the mall. Then he bought her a cup of coffee. Sitting next to her, a relaxing smile lingered on the man''s face. "You didn''t win this time. Was it intentional?"


    She pursed her lips. "You wanted me to win?"


    "Of course, I do."


    "I don''t want to work with companies."


    "Quinn Media?" he took a sip at his coffee.


    "Yeah."


    "Why not? They are big."


    She shrugged in response. Working with big companies would mean she would get to travel more often. Traveling means meeting new people. She doesn''t want to risk it. "I want to stay here."


    Cross stared at her. "You don''t want to see your family?"


    She nodded. "The night that you save me¡­ was that night that I ended my relationship with them." A sad smile lingered on her face. Sera Zhang¡­ wasn''t a saint.


    In fact, she was evil.


    No. She wasn''t the good one. In the fairytale, Sera would be the evil stepsister. In a novel, she was the scheming sister. She was well aware of this. Slowly, memories of the past swirled in her head. She was once a happy young woman. Talented, smart, beautiful, rich, and spoiled.


    That was until she heard the truth from her mother.


    She wasn''t a Zhang.


    She heard her mother tell her most trusted servant that the DNA arrived. She wasn''t her daughter. She wasn''t related to the Zhang''s. Sera couldn''t accept it. Without listening to the rest of her mother''s words, she left and locked herself in the room.


    She was stupid. And selfish.


    So, despite knowing the truth¡­ she acted as if nothing happened. She pretended to be sweet and caring to her younger sister and to the Zhang Family.


    Then the problem came¡­


    She fell in love.


    "What are you thinking?" Cross asked.


    "Someone called me. They wanted me to go back."


    The man''s face darkened. "You can''t do that."


    "I know."


    He pursed his lips, brows furrowed. "You also can''t hide here forever. Soon, they will know. They will track your phone number and¡­ "


    "I know." A sigh left her lips. She then leaned her head against Cross'' shoulders. "But I''m not alone. You are with me. Right?"


    "I will be away." It pains him to say this. She hated the look in her eyes every time he said these things. This is why Cross would just leave while she was sleeping. "You have to keep your phone on all the time. Call me if something happens."


    Silence followed his words.


    "Cross?"


    "Hmmm?"


    "Why are you so good to me?" She remembered that night. It was raining, the road was dark and slippery. She just got off the train. She had been banished by her own family, she had been running away for days. She reached Pane City after riding trains. Those people must have thought she was some rich woman with her expensive-looking luggage. She just got lucky. Cross was there to save her.


    And thus, the weird friendship began.


    "Because you''re beautiful?"


    "Hey! Are you saying that you wouldn''t have helped me if I was ugly?"


    "Yes."


    "So superficial," she snorted. "By the way¡­ Xu Je''er¡­ You don''t like her to work with me?" Sera''s knowledge of the rich family of the city was limited because she wasn''t interested to learn about them. However, Cross was different. He worked in a finance company and is working with rich people all day.


    "She is dumb and unreasonable. Childish, too. She will only bring trouble to you."


    Sera nodded. "I need her connections."


    "I know you would say that," he smiled. "I heard that Miss Xu''s family is being punished by God Quinn. The current situation is not really good for them. However, they are already established and are a very old company in this City. Their connection is still good."


    "God Quinn?" She turned towards him. "Mr. Quinn of Quinn Media?" She wanted to ask how come he was calling that man God. She has heard this nickname long ago. This was because of his mysterious personality and other rumors of his powerful family. However, how could Cross call him God too?


    As if sensing her thoughts, Cross smiled. "God Quinn is an intelligent man. He is kind and considerate. Very warm too."


    "¡­" She gave him a weird gaze. "You ¡ª Have you met him?" The words that came out of his mouth sounded so weird. It gave her goosebumps!


    "Of course! As someone who worked in finance, I have met a lot of high-profile personalities. He had a weird personality, but he is kindhearted and handsome too."


    "Oh." She shrugged. "Stop praising him like that."


    "Why?"


    "It sounded like you are his fan, ah. No¡­ it actually sounded like you like him? Cross Qin¡­ be honest. Do you¡ª Do you swing that way?"

 Chapter 22 - Enticing Offer

    His laughter echoed. "What do you think?"


    This made her flinched. She didn''t miss the amusement in his voice. Why was he so happy? "Do you like Mr. Quinn?"


    "What''s not to like?"


    Sera widened her eyes. She blinked and blinked again. "You¡ª "


    "You silly girl. What are you thinking this time?"


    "I just¡­ " She lowered her head, scared that it will show all the mischievous things in her mind. "So¡­ Mr. Quinn is also like you?"


    This made Cross silent. "Like me? What do you mean?"


    "I mean¡­ is he¡­ you know¡­ does he like men too?"


    "Who told you that I like men?" He squinted and laughed. "What are you thinking?"


    "Nothing!"


    "Oh¡­ wait¡­ I remember seeing some comics in your room before. Was it¡­ some boy''s love comics that¡ª "


    "Hey! I don''t have something like that!" She could feel her face turned hot. "Stop slandering me."


    "So, the smart Miss Zhang actually ¡ª " Cross didn''t have to finish his words. He threw his head back and laughed. "Tell me. What were you thinking?"


    "Nothing, alright. It''s just some comics plot. You know¡­ the domineering boss who doesn''t like other people. A germaphobe CEO that everyone fears. And then¡­ then one day the CEO will meet a nerdy, hardworking man. And they will fall in love. Of course, the question of who gets to stay on top is¡­ hehe¡­"


    "So you have dirty thoughts."


    "Hehe¡­"


    "You should stop reading stuff like this."


    "Hehe¡­"


    She really wanted to find a hole where she can bury herself. How embarrassing. Sera ignored the weird look he was giving her as she started drinking her own coffee.


    "The Quinn Media might find you soon. If my guess is right, they would try to recruit you."


    "Oh." She silently thank the gods for making him change the topic. "Not working."


    "You are hell-bent on starting your own company?"


    She nodded in response.


    "Then¡­ do you need my help? I have contacts in some IT companies if you are looking for people to work for you, I can always call them. Maybe they can recommend someone."


    "It''s fine. I will see my classmates soon. I might be lucky to recruit some of them soon."


    "Then how about I invest in your company? Surely you are looking for investors, right?"


    "You¡ª?" she eyed him.


    "I may not look like it, but I saved all my salary while working in the finance industry. I also have a lot of investments."


    "Then, how much are you going to invest?"


    "Three million," Cross answered. "Three million RMB should be enough, right? Tell me if you need more."


    Sera held her breath. "You have three million?"


    "Do you really think I am a poor bachelor? I was preparing this for my wife, alright? You should not fail me. If your company goes bankrupt, I won''t be able to marry anymore."


    "You¡ª" Sera thought about Cross''s lifestyle. The man always rode trains and buses. He doesn''t even have his own car. He was living a life like that for his future wife? "Hehe¡­ then¡­ if I go bankrupt, how about I just marry you?"


    The smile on his face froze. "You will?"


    "I wouldn''t be able to pay you if I go bankrupt. But you can always marry me. How about that?" To be honest, he was expecting him to laugh at her joke. Instead, his expression turns serious.


    "Alright, I will remember your words."


    "¡­"


    ...¡­


    After the competition, Sera and Cross went home, and she watched as the latter pack his things for his business meeting. When Sera woke up the next day, Cross was no longer there. She shrugged and decided to find a space that she could use for her new office.


    The knock on the door interrupted her.


    "Hello, I am Liu Chengyu from Quinn Media, may I come in?"


    Sera smiled. "May I know why someone from the Quinn Media wanted to see me?" She didn''t invite him in. "Please show me an ID."


    "Oh, I''m sorry. Here you go." Liu Chengyu gave a wry smile. In the past, every time he mentions his company, people would act as if he was some celebrity and would never ask for an ID.


    "You are a lawyer?" Sera squinted. "Lawyer Liu? The Lawyer Liu?" The man was a very well-known corporate Lawyer. Sera knew this because¡­ well¡­ Hacking is illegal. She needs to know the law, and the known lawyers that she could pay to defend her in case something happened.


    "Ah, I remember having some speeches at Bright University before." A cordial smile appeared on his face.


    "Please come in¡­" Sera gestured the middle-aged man inside.


    "Thank you, Miss Zhang."


    "Would you like some tea? Coffee?"


    "Water is fine, thank you."


    After giving the man water, Sera sat opposite him and asked, "Can I help you with anything?"


    "Well¡­ Miss Zhang, I am here on behalf of Quinn Media. I would like to offer you a job."


    "Mr. Liu, I don''t understand. I didn''t win the competition yesterday. So¡­ I don''t think I qualify to work with your company?"


    "You were right. However, we are very interested in your skills. Quinn media always valued talents and skills. We already offered another contract to the person who won. But we also wanted to offer you the same thing."


    Sera gave a wry smile.


    "I understand that Miss Zhang might be hesitant to work with us, but¡­ " Lawyer Liu opened his briefcase and gave her an envelope. "Please take a look."


    Sera accepted the folder, expecting it to be an employment contract. She was wrong. "You ¡ª These are¡ª "


    "A consultation contract." The lawyer smiled. "We don''t need you to work with us full time. Just lend us your time. Two hours every day. You will work five days a week. You can see the bonuses is also there. Paid time off and vacations. Health insurance, too. Please take a look."


    "This ¡ª " Now, this is really making her suspicious. "May I know why you wanted me to work with the company?"


    As if sensing her thoughts, Lawyer Liu smiled. "Actually, we don''t want you to officially work with us. The position that we are offering is unconventional, to say the least. We want you to take care of the internet. You are a cybersecurity expert, so we wanted your help in scandals and PR. You will be task to investigate the sources of questionable images and videos posted to discredit our artists and fix them. Given your skills, I believe these are considered very simple tasks, no?"


    "You only wanted me to work for two hours?"


    "Or as long as there is an emergency. If you take a look, the overtime pay is very generous too."


    "¡­" But why her?


    "Ah, I know what you are thinking. I know you are curious why we picked you. This is because of your skills. We know that you will be very difficult to track. You can stay in this apartment and do your work, and the world will never know who you are. We have studied your background and we¡­ know that this is your expertise." Lawyer Liu smiled. "What do you think? Do you think this offer is very enticing?"

 Chapter 23 - Psi

    When the lawyer left, Sera stared at the contract again. Just now, she told the lawyer that she needed time to think about it. This answer was enough to surprise the lawyer. But he still nodded and left with a smile on his face.


    "This offer is really generous," Sera reviewed the documents again as she finished her tea. She wondered why Quinn Media would hire someone like her. This itself was really suspicious. Did she offend them? Was it because she showed up in their building with Xu Je''er?


    Sera thought about that pickle woman. She heard that the Xu Family suffered because of Xu Je''er''s actions. So foolish. Sera ended up with another sigh. She removed all the thoughts from her head and started working on her current proposal for a bank loan. She really wanted a loan for her business.


    However, Cross was kind enough to lend her some money. So, she doesn''t need a loan anymore. Soon after, Sera left her apartment to find a suitable office for her new company. However, after spending the entire day walking around the busy streets of Pane City, she realized one thing.


    Starting a business is quite hard. Even looking for an office is already so hard, ah. All offices in the center of the city were pretty expensive. She couldn''t afford it.


    "Hey, Sera¡­ what are you doing sitting here all by yourself?"


    She lifted her head and look at Mrs. Yuan, this was the security guard''s wife and the person in charge of the apartment.


    "Ah?" Sera smiled, but her gaze soon turned towards the car that just slowed down in front of her. Isn''t that Yuan Quan''s car? Xu Je''er and Yuan Quan had been rivals for years, even Sera had become familiar with Xu Je''er''s enemy.


    "I was asking you. How come you are here alone?" Mrs. Yuan smiled.


    "Oh, I was uh¡­ I was tired from walking around." She was sitting on the bench just outside of the apartment building.


    A gentle smile appeared in the older woman''s eyes. "So, you were looking for a job?"


    "No. I was looking for an office space." She didn''t lie. "I wanted to find a place that I could rent for my small company."


    Surprise flash in Mrs. Yuan''s eyes. "Kids these days are really hardworking. What space do you want? I have some friends in real estate maybe they can help you?"


    For a few seconds, a flash of embarrassment can be seen on her face. Her income is actually limited. Three million RMB is not really a lot for starting a business. Even if she added her measly four hundred thousand RMB savings, it wouldn''t be enough for the pieces of equipment. "I just a small space."


    "Hmmm¡­ "As if understanding her thoughts, the old woman nodded. "Then, how about you accompany me for a while? I will show you something."


    ¡­..


    Sera sat inside the small space in front of her. A satisfied smile was apparent on her face.


    "This used to be an Internet cafe. As you can see, it''s not so big. The Internet cafe had become bankrupt a long time ago. I know the person who owns this place so I can directly talk to him if you want to rent this place."


    Until now, Mrs. Yuan''s words continued ringing in her ears like a bell. It sounded pleasant. It was enough to make her smile. It had been a few minutes since she signed the contract with the owner and until now, she still couldn''t believe it. Once again, she eyed the space and smiled.


    This space wasn''t big. It was about sixty meters squared. For an office that can be very small. However, she doesn''t really have that many employees. Right now, it''s only her and Xu Je''er. Once her company succeeds, she can always change into a bigger place.


    After recovering from her emotions, Sera immediately called Xu Je''er and asked her to come to their new office. It took Xu Je''er a few minutes to arrive. Just like her, Xu Je''er was actually pretty satisfied with the small office. To her surprise, Xu Je''er was already talking about recruiting people for their company.


    "So? I will work on the registration and other permits. But I need a name." Xu Je''er eyed her. "How can you start a company without even a name?"


    "I want to name it¡­ Psi."


    "That sounds cool. Totally like a company that would become one of the brightest in Xu Country! Psi. Hmmm¡­ I like this name." Xu Je''er beamed. "It''s like a title of a science fiction movie. May I know what does it mean? Is it like Pi? Does it have some special meaning in hacking?"


    "Oh, umm¡­" Sera stared at her. "It means¡­ Pounds per square inch."


    "Huh? Can you repeat that?"


    "I mean, it could mean Personalized System of Instruction too. Your choice."


    For a few seconds, Xu Je''er gave a wry smile. She could never guess what this woman is thinking. "So no other special meanings?"


    "It''s umm¡­ its used to measure pressure on gasses," Sera uttered. "Psi sounds cool too."


    "¡­" She was really thinking too much. Xu Je''er could only nod. After all, this woman was really the boss. "Alright, let''s name it Psi. Actually, this idea is good too. When we get big and people will ask us why we use this name, we can always say because it sounded cool." She forced a smile.


    Sera nodded. Of course, the name would sound cool. Hehe¡­


    Seeing the smile on Sera''s face, Xu Je''er pursed her lips and started discussing recruitment for their new software company. She also presented Sera with new market research that she created for their new company. The detailed research actually surprised Sera, as she never expected Xu Je''er to act like this.


    "Don''t look at me like that! I spent the whole night doing this." Xu Je''er pouted. "I talked to my mother, and she said that¡­ that the Quinn media is putting pressure on our company. She actually didn''t know why they did it, but I know! It was because of me that might might have tracked me and got angry. Sera, I can''t go home now because I am too embarrassed. I made my father suffer because I was too reckless. So I decided to put my heart into this company and prove to my father that I am worthy of being a Xu, ah!" Xu Je''er sighed. "Anyway, I already decided. I am going to help you make Psi one of the best companies in the City! Let''s make a promise, alright?"


    "What promise?"


    "We will go to the top! You and me! We will make Psi number one!"


    Sera smiled as she looked at the naive girl next to her. "Alright. Let''s do that!"

 Chapter 24 - Act As My Boyfriend

    Starting a business was never an easy thing.


    Sera''s biggest advantage was, of course, her brain and of course, having someone who grew up in the business industry of Pane City. Xu Je''er had been really busy over the past few days. She had been running around with contracts in her hand. She even took care of the recruitment for the company.


    All Sera had to do was sit there and finish a security software that will become their company''s first product.


    "We are going to focus on cybersecurity," Xu Je''er yawned. She was currently in Sera''s apartment reading some contracts. "I tried talking to some of my friends, but all of them were hesitant about our company. When I mention that we will create the best cybersecurity software, they laughed and made me look like a fool."


    "Hmmm, that''s expected."


    "Well, we were friends for years! They have even given me generous gifts on my eighteen birthday!"


    "Your definition of friendship is really shallow," Sera continued typing various codes on her laptop. "You weren''t friends, you were acquaintances who are close with each other because you wanted benefits." High society is always full of complicated people like this. They would always act like you are their best friends, but would stab you in the back for benefits.


    "I tried to set up a meeting, but I guess they already heard about the difficulties that my family suffered in the past few weeks. They are kicking me when I''m down! Just wait¡­ once¡­"


    "Since you are so energetic, just review that contract that I gave you."


    "But this one is for a small gaming company? The contract is only a hundred thousand! I can''t accept this."


    "Oh?" Sera lifted her head and took a sip of her tea. "You expected to receive a million-dollar contract just a few days after we registered our business?" Sera couldn''t help but wonder if Xu Je''er''s brain was polluted or something. Was this the product of being spoiled rotten by her parents?


    "Now that you mention it¡­" Xu Je''er sighed. "Alright, I will take care of this contract. Tomorrow, our first two employees will start working. One is my secretary, the other will be your assistant. You should know that man, he joined the contest last time with you. His name is Manjun. He was looking for a job but because he didn''t graduate from top university, he was having a hard time obtaining one."


    Sera nodded. Her memory was really good so, she immediately remembered the man who repeatedly warned her about the Double Dragon.


    "Also, the renovation is done. The small office is impressive, and I was able to purchase the pieces of equipment needed. I actually wanted to ask my father to lend me a few million and invest in our company, but now that I thought about it, I think we should start from scratch. It is good that your boyfriend invested this time. Just like him, I will also invest another three million. This should be enough to purchase the remaining equipment that we lack."


    "Where did you get three million?" Sera asked. "Did your parents give you the money?"


    "It''s from my Dowry. My mother gave me a few million after I turned twenty-two. I can use it for my marriage." Xu Je''er frowned. "Meaning, if you go bankrupt¡­. I might not have money for my marriage anymore."


    "¡­" Alright, this sentence was so familiar it made her smile. Speaking of Cross, the man said that he will be traveling abroad. He had been sending her images of food and sceneries that were taken from trains and buses. He also asked her to give him a list of the things that she wanted him to buy.


    After Xu Je''er approved the contract for the small gaming company, they received their first payment. To Xu Je''er eyes, it was small. It wasn''t even enough to buy one of the bags in her closet, but the feeling of holding a decent amount of money that they earned was enough to make her laugh with glee.


    "Why are you smiling so much?" Sera looked at her friend.


    "The more I look at this cheque, the happier I am," Xu Je''er answered without batting an eyelid. "I recruited more people to take care of the finances and recruitment. I also hired someone to guard this place. This place is actually so small for us. Soon, if we receive another contract, we might need to transfer."


    Sera nodded in response. She looked at the cheque and smiled too. "Alright, you can decide about that. For now, we should target smaller companies first. We could always collaborate with them, right?" She wasn''t really good at business, and she wouldn''t be able to decide these things on her own. Right now, she only wanted Xu Je''er to focus on smaller companies.


    "Oh! Don''t forget you have a graduation celebration with your classmates later!" Xu Je''er grumbled. "I am the CEO and yet, I am acting as your secretary, ah." Reminding Sera about menial things like this is not a part of her job but this woman was an extreme workaholic. Once she started typing on her computer, she wouldn''t stop and would often forget to eat.


    "Oh¡­ Do I need to go?"


    "Of course! What are you talking about? These celebrations are made so you can gossip and boast about each other''s job, ah!"


    "¡­" Sera didn''t know if she wanted to laugh or cry. Honestly, the reason why she doesn''t want to go is that one of her classmates suddenly announced that he wanted to become her boyfriend. Of course, she quickly told him that she was already taken.


    If she attended events like this, people will start asking her to introduce her boyfriend! The thing is¡­ she doesn''t have one. Ah¡­ she silently scolded herself for lying like that! "Hey, Xu Je''er¡­ why don''t you accompany me this time and act as my boyfriend?"

 Chapter 25 - Heart

    "Hey, Sera! I thought you already have a boyfriend? Why didn''t you bring him tonight?"


    "¡­" Sera glanced at Tang Zheng and smiled. "Unlike young master Tang, my boyfriend is busy with his job."


    "Ah? He works until seven in the evening?" the man laughed and drank the beer in front of him. "Don''t you get lonely at night? I can¡ª "


    "Young master Tang, I am never lonely. I am busy looking for other people''s dirty deeds on their computers."


    Laughters followed Sera''s words. Everyone of her classmates knew that she is particularly good at hacking. However, everyone here was also curious about this boyfriend that she used to stop Tang Zheng from courting her. Most of them actually saw Sera and Cross multiple times however, they didn''t believe that the man was Sera''s boyfriend.


    Sera can be considered a beauty. Despite not being really tall, her face and figure are really good. Skirts and formal wear would surely enhance her beauty. However, Sera loves wearing shirts and jeans, then her signature sneakers. This, coupled with her height, made her look cuter than anyone in this room. However, no one inside underestimated this cute beauty.


    Sera graduated top of their class. Despite her refusal to join regional competitions, Sera''s grades were high enough to make her the top one of their department. Moreover, this cute beauty also helped create a lot of software for their university.


    In fact, rumor has it that the University''s Computer Science Department Professor Song invited her to become a university professor and pursue post-graduate studies. There were also rumors that she had been invited by some big company to work for them. Sadly, the cute beauty refused.


    "Ai, Tang Zheng stop talking about this matter, Sera doesn''t like you! That''s the only reason why she didn''t accept you."


    Once again, laughter followed. This made Sera more uncomfortable. She was right, she shouldn''t have attended events like this, ah. She really hated socializing with these people. However, Xu Je''er convinced her that coming into events like this would be beneficial for a start-up business owner. In the end, Sera awkwardly smiled and just lowered her head, pretending to sleep in the middle of the party.


    "Excuse me, is Miss Zhang here?" an attendant interrupted her noisy classmates.


    "Yes?"


    "This is the receipt for unlimited drinks and food. Mr. Qin already paid for it. Here is a note from him." The attendant handed her the receipt with the note. For a few seconds, Sera just stared at the receipt.


    "Who is Mr. Qin?" One of her classmates asked.


    "Miss Zhang, Mr. Qin said to remind you not to drink too much alcohol and also the list of the things that you wanted him to buy abroad." The attendant smiled, then he promptly left.


    "Hey, who is Mr. Qin?"


    "Ah?" Sera stared at her classmate. She could only utter her own words and that is, "Boyfriend."


    "Oh! Wow! So rich?"


    "Oi Tang Zheng! You should give up on your love. She really had someone already."


    "Maybe she just set this up!" Tang Zheng argued. His handsome face contorted into an ugly scowl.


    "You think she would spend thousands just to impress us?"


    Slowly, the noisy atmosphere continued. However, Sera ignored the teasing and just stared at the note. No, really, it wasn''t a note. It was just a heart. Aside from hearts, nothing was written on the piece of paper. She glanced at the receipt and smiled.


    Cross actually helped her this time. She immediately opened her phone and texted him a thank you with a heart. Since coming to this City, Cross was always there to help her. He said she reminded her too much of her younger sister, who he lost when they were younger. So, he wanted to take care of her like how he should have to take care of her late sister.


    Her classmates decided to go home around eleven in the evening, and since she was the only one who didn''t drink, she was tasked to call some taxis for everyone. Of course, some people had their lovers pick them up but a few of them cannot even use their phone to call someone.


    "Hey, was that man really your boyfriend?"


    Sera flinched at the thick smell of alcohol that assaulted her senses. "Tang Zheng, the taxi is waiting for you."


    "I was asking you a question."


    "Of course," she stepped back, but he quickly took a step towards her, narrowing the gap between them. "If you take one more step, you will have bruises tomorrow." That was a warning. Every one of them knew that she could defend herself, so she was confident that this man would stop. Sadly for her, Tang Zheng was really drunk.


    The man was broken-hearted, and he wanted her to answer his questions. "Why?" he asked. "Since we started university, I already liked you. I was waiting for us to graduate because I thought you wanted to concentrate on your studies. Do you think I am lacking?"


    Sera squinted, she was already preparing herself to tackle him once he approached her. Just as she expected, Tang Zheng, really tried to touch her. He extended his hand and tried to touch her face. However, before she could block him, a huge shadow appeared. Everything happened too quick.


    The next thing she knew, Tang Zheng was already on the ground, crying as he hugged his hand. Her face instantly darkened.


    "Are you alright?" a warm voice reached her ears.


    "I could handle him. Thank you very much. Now I will have to pay for his hospital bill and get in trouble with his parents!" She lifted her head, irritated. She had ways to subdue him without hurting him. Tang Zheng might be taller than her but he is pretty lean plus he is drunk! There is no need to twist his hands and broke a finger like that! "Huh? You ¡ª It''s you?"

 Chapter 26 - One-night Stand, Cris!

    Short black hair, handsome features that she would never forget, tall and fit physique. It was indeed him.


    One-night stand, Cris!


    The man quickly hid the surprise in his face. He smiled, ''I will help you pay the hospital bill."


    "I ¡ª uh. Oh, I will call the ambulance." For some reason, her heart started racing.


    "No need. I have a car." Without waiting for her reply, he already walked towards the car to her left. She didn''t even notice the car earlier. "Let me help you." He opened the backseat and grabbed Tang Zheng, making him scream as he dragged him to the car.


    "¡­" Speechless. She didn''t know how to react. How could this man be so¡­ so vicious?


    "Are you just going to stand there?" His lips lifted into a gentle smile. Funny how he could easily smile like this after hurting someone.


    "Oh! I¡­ Let''s go."


    "Take the front seat." It was an order. "He won''t die."


    Sera opened her mouth but close it without saying anything. Then she sat on the front seat and waited for him to drive the car. She turned her head and look at the pale Tang Zheng who was still groaning from the pain. "Why did you do that?" she asked the man who was driving the car.


    "You mean¡­ why did I save you?"


    "Yes. I didn''t need your help."


    "You''re welcome," he smirked.


    "I could handle it myself. He is drunk and weak." She knew she sounded ungrateful. However, she was just thinking about the possible trouble she was in. Tang Zheng came from a rich family while she¡­ she was nothing..


    "Don''t worry about it."


    She glared at him. "Let''s go to A hospital."


    "No."


    "Huh?"


    "We''re going to Hospital Yi."


    "But that''s ¡ª " They needed at least thirty minutes to arrive at that hospital. Whereas hospital A is about ten minutes away from where they are. "What are you doing? He needed immediate care!"


    "Is he dying?"


    "You¡ª "


    "A few broken bones won''t kill him."


    Sera widened her eyes. This man¡­ She wanted to ask him why he was doing this, but ended up staying quiet until they reached Hospital Yi.


    "His parents?" Sera could smell the trouble coming. "Did they call his parents?"


    "Hmm," the man sat next to her. He leaned against the chair and smiled at her. "Why are you so worried? Was he your boyfriend?"


    "What? Of course not!" Her face darkened. She glanced at the flickering sign of the operation room. When they arrived, the doctor immediately informed them he would do surgery to his broken fingers. She could only hope that the procedure won''t result in more complications. That would give her more trouble.


    "Look at you, he fell and broke his fingers and you are so worried." Amusement apparent in his voice. "Do you like him?"


    She glared at him. Cris¡­ that''s right. This man''s name should be Cris. How could this man be so hateful? "Stop talking nonsense." She gnashed her teeth. The man''s smug smile irritated her. It reminded her too much of her carelessness. Turning her head away, Sera looked at the operating room and sigh inwardly.


    "I already took care of his bill. You should leave and take some rest." His warm voice drifted towards her. She frowned.


    "I will wait for his parents."


    "His parents are overseas. Their butler is on his way. This is no one''s fault. After all, he fell on his own."


    She pursed her lips. What kind of reason was that? Clearly, he did something to him. He didn''t fall on his own.


    "There''s no CCTV in that area while there are three people that could confirm he fell on his own. The taxi driver earlier confirmed it too. Of course, if he is planning to take this to the court, the taxi driver will say he tried to assault you. It was self-defense."


    "¡­" Sera stared at his face. Now that they are in a very brightly lit area, she could clearly see his features. His eyes weren''t black. It was actually light brown. It was kinda like Cross''s eyes. Aside from the color of their eyes, their faces were too different.


    Wait¡­ why was she comparing Cross to this man?


    "Let''s go?"


    "I will wait here," she insisted.


    "Then¡­ I will wait with you,"


    "You don''t have to."


    "Hm." He nodded.


    Silently, Sera gritted her teeth, half in irritation, half in embarrassment. How could the world be this small? How could she meet him like this? She looked at his side profile. The bridge of his nose was tall and straight. In fact, his looks could easily rival some models and actors.


    Wait¡­ was this person an actor? She remembered how people always stared at him while they were walking towards the emergency. Was it because he is some known personality?


    "Satisfied?" he smirked. "Stop ogling me. I am sensitive to passionate gazes, so it''s making me uncomfortable."


    "¡­" She wasn''t ogling! Once again, she opened her mouth to rebut, but she couldn''t really say anything. She was caught in the act. She lowered her head and clenched her hands.


    "Sera? Miss Sera Zhang?"


    Sera jolted and stared at the man wearing a black suit. "Yes? Are you¡ª "


    "I am Tang Family''s butler, Tang Yong. Pleased to meet you." The man before her smiled. "The master and madam asked me to take care of this matter."


    Sera nodded and look at Cris. Was he trying to intimidate the poor butler with his icy gaze?


    "This way¡­ please." The butler gestured them to the canteen and didn''t speak until they were already seated. He then gave the two bottled water and cordially smiled. "What happen just now was¡­"


    "Your young master tried to assault a poor woman." Cris'' voice rang in her ears. He didn''t bother to hide the anger in his voice. "If I wasn''t there to help her, your young master might have succeeded."


    Sera blinked. For some reason, this interaction made her confuse. First, the butler didn''t ask who this man is. He only greeted Sera and acted cordial. By now, this butler must have known that she doesn''t have any background. So¡­ why was he acting like this?


    Again, her suspicion that this Cris was an actor resurfaced in her mind. Perhaps he is well known? Sera doesn''t like watching local TV. She does have a cable and would watch world news and movies. Because of this, she isn''t very familiar with the actors and actresses in the country.


    "That ¡ª Master and Madam are on their way to teach young master a lesson."


    "¡­" She was clueless. She looked at Cris, blinking. "Ummm¡­ I am Tang Zheng''s classmate, and what happened just now was really ¡ª " She was about to explain that it was nothing but an accident. Tang Zheng was drunk. However, before she could finish her sentence, the old man already stood from his seat and gave him a low bow.


    "Miss Zhang¡­ I would like to apologize for my young master''s mistakes. I have been with the young master since he was a child and he doesn''t like drinking. He is also very kind and obedient. Please forgive Young Master Tang. I can promise you. We will keep this incident a secret. From now on, Young Master Tang would never bother you again."


    "¡­" Ummm¡­. What the hell?

 Chapter 27 - Insured

    Aristotle once said, the more I learn, the more I realize I don''t know.


    The more you learn about something, the more you realized that you actually still have a lot to learn. Sera used to think she had a clear understanding between the rich and the poor in Pane City. She knew the prominent family names of the rich people and try her best to avoid them. She memorized the family names of the people that are known not only to this small city but to the whole Xu Country.


    She did it to keep herself safe.


    She didn''t like associating with these people. That was, of course, except for the silly Xu Je''er. However, right now, Sera realized that sometimes fate is weird. She prepared herself. She studied their last names and reminded herself not to associate with this people, over and over again.


    Sera frowned at the man in front of her. She actually thought he was an actor when in fact¡­ that old butler called him, Mr. Quinn. Quinn of Quinn Media.


    "It''s not Cris¡­ It''s Chris. Chris Quinn," he smiled, his eyes curving into two beautiful crescents. "It''s not my fault you didn''t ask for my last name before you decided to sleep with me."


    "¡­" She deadpanned. Right now, Sera could clearly say that her small brain short-circuited and stopped working. She couldn''t find any words appropriate enough to say to this man. "I''m leaving." She wanted to sleep. It was already dawn, and the sun is about to shine. She needed her sleep and maybe when she woke up, she would discover that this didn''t happen.


    "I will drive you to your place."


    She didn''t say anything as she walked towards the exit. She couldn''t understand her raging emotions too. Was she angry? Yes, she was definitely angry. But why? The fact that she didn''t ask for his last name only meant that she wasn''t hoping to find him or meet with him again. Moreover, who asks for some random stranger''s last name in a bar?


    Plus, she was a little drunk.


    In the end, she concluded that she could only be angry at herself. She was careless and stupid. For a few seconds, she was tempted to slap her own face but realize that it would hurt.


    She continued walking and ignored the man walking next to her.


    "Hey¡­ "


    Sera turned to her left. She soon realized that she was walking away from the hospital. To her left was Chris in his car.


    "Come¡­ let me take you home." He continued.


    "Thank you, Mr. Quinn but that''s not necessary. I can get a taxi."


    "It''s already four in the morning. Are you really going to ride a taxi at this hour?"


    She continued walking and started checking the taxi app on her phone. She thought that there would be many taxis around as she was near the hospital. It seems that she was wrong?


    "Get in."


    She heard him say. This time, she didn''t respond and get into his car instead.


    "What do you want to eat?"


    "I''m not hungry. Please take me to this address." She showed him the address that she typed on her phone.


    "But I''m hungry."


    "¡­" Is that any of her concern?


    "I didn''t have dinner because I stayed with you at the hospital."


    "¡­" Was that her fault? She didn''t ask him to stay, alright?


    "So cold-hearted." He started driving. "Then¡­ how about takeouts?"


    "¡­" She pursed her lips in response.


    "Maybe hotpot?"


    "¡­"


    "Then, I will go to some drive-through, we can eat on the road."


    "¡­" So persistent. Sera chose not to say anything. When this man saved her, it was already after ten in the evening. It''s impossible for him not to have his dinner at that time.


    "I know what you''re thinking," he spoke. "You must be thinking that I''m lying, right?"


    "¡­" This man is really talkative and probably a mind reader too.


    "I didn''t have dinner because I was really busy. I don''t usually have dinner and just go home to sleep."


    "¡­" Despite her silence, this man is still talking, ah. So weird. She heard rumors about this Mr. Quinn and thought he was some cold CEO who is allergic to people and everything. This situation is really weird.


    "Now that I think about it. I want to eat something hot. Do you like to have some hot pot? I like the Cow Dung Hotpot. How about you?"


    "Mr. Quinn¡­ " She stared at him. "I am not hungry and thank you very much for saving me. I owe you a lot." She doesn''t necessarily hate this man. However, she doesn''t like him either. Sera could only imagine the complications that accompanied this man''s identity.


    "Oh¡­ you are angry? I saved you and you are angry? So ungrateful."


    "Mr. Quinn, the rumors said that you are extremely antisocial. You don''t like people talking to you and you don''t like to talk to anyone either. Even your executives only know your voice. I never expected you to be like this."


    "Ah? You actually said more than three sentences? That must be hard on you!"


    "¡­" Is this guy serious?


    "Alright, I''ll stop messing around. I had a few cups of coffee in the hospital so I am a bit¡­ different."


    "¡­"


    "And stop believing in rumors like that. The reason why I don''t show my face is that I am too handsome. I can''t have agents approaching me, asking me to join some reality TV show again."


    "You remind me of someone." Surprisingly, her words made him silent.


    "Someone as good-looking as me?"


    "¡­" She rolled her eyes inwardly. "Someone who can irritate me to death."


    "Why are you so mean?"


    "Mr. Quinn¡­ eyes on the road!"


    "Oh¡­ My car is insured."


    "¡­" Before she could say anything. The car came to a sudden halt, the force threw her body forward. A few curses left her mouth. "What the hell! Are you trying to kill me?"


    "No. We''re here. It''s a twenty-four-hour hotpot. Let''s go?"


    Sera balled her hand into fists. Can she punch him? Can she punch his pretty face?


    "Did you hit your head?"


    "Luckily, I did not!"


    "Good. That''s good. If you hit your head, I can just take you to the hospital."


    "¡­" Alright, she was done talking! She would never talk to this guy again!

 Chapter 28 - Black Maserati

    "Sera who had been in a daze for a while now. Are you alright?" Xu Je''er sat opposite her. She put the plastic cup with coffee on the table. "Were you able to choose the best candidate for your team?"


    "Ah? Right¡­ how did you manage to get so many resumes?" She stroked her temple. It was already six in the evening and she just finished interviewing the last person applying for her development team. She spent the day interviewing people, and it was indeed very tiring.


    "I just posted a random announcement on our school''s social media. Who knows that many people would actually try to send their application? Ah, speaking of which, some of your classmates applied too, but you didn''t interview them. May I know why?"


    "I only need two people to help me out. Seven of my classmates applied for the position, and I don''t want to sound bias. All of them are qualified for the position." Sera handed the resume to Xu Je''er. "You chose. All of them are qualified."


    "Oh? Including Tang Zheng?"


    Sera''s face darkened when she heard Xu Je''er''s words. After that incident, Mr. Quinn actually had dinner with her. In the end, it was already six in the morning when she arrived home. She was too exhausted, she slept the entire day and didn''t answer her phone.


    It made Xu Je''er worried. So, she went to her apartment. Thus, Sera was forced to tell her friend what happened. It had been seven days since that incident that Tang Zheng is already out of the hospital. "Don''t hire him." She immediately said.


    "But you said, they were all qualified? We should consider their skills, right?"


    "I won''t be comfortable working with him."


    "Oh, then I won''t hire." Xu Je''er threw the resume away. "By the way, that Mr. Quinn that you said¡­ did he call you?"


    "Call."


    "And you still didn''t answer his call?"


    "I answered the first time because I don''t know it was his number. Next time he tries to contact me, I will block him."


    "But he saved you. Why are you so ungrateful?"


    Sera pursed her lips. When she told Xu Je''er that Mr. Quinn from Quinn Media is actually a handsome dude, the latter didn''t actually react. "I thought you want to marry him?"


    "Huh?" Xu Je''er blanked. "What are you talking about?" She widened her eyes. "Sera! Are you saying that you aren''t answering his call because of my stupid mistake? So what if he is handsome? Do you think, this woman cannot find a handsome man all by herself?"


    "I thought you two had an engagement?"


    "Silly, woman!" Xu Je''er rolled her eyes. "I won''t marry someone I don''t like. But I am more interested in your reasoning." She leaned towards her and smiled. "Why didn''t you answer his call and thought that I wanted to marry him? Hmmm? Do you like this person?"


    "What? Of course not!" She just thought it would complicate things. After all, she already slept with this guy. If Xu Je''er married him, then¡­ that would mean she slept with her friend''s husband! That¡­ that is against any code in the world, ah. "I just thought it would be weird to associate with rich people like him."


    "Really? Then¡­ you think I''m not rich enough? You are still friends with me, right?"


    "You are different."


    "How different!?"


    "Ummm¡­. You are pretty."


    "Oh? I didn''t know my friend, actually likes pretty women more than pretty boys?" Xu Je''er laughed and stood. "I will check this out and I can give you my decision tomorrow. By the way, Mr. Feng of Feng Corps wanted to schedule a meeting with me tomorrow. I will take you to meet them."


    "Feng¡­ Feng Xiaotan?"


    "It''s his elder brother. They must have heard that you can code pretty well. So they wanted to collaborate."


    "Then¡­ can you just meet them alone?" Honestly, she doesn''t have any good impression of Feng Xiaotan. Moreover, that man is associated with Xu Je''er''s enemies. All she wanted was to avoid troublesome people, ah.


    "Alright. By the way¡­ that Mr. Quinn that you met. Be very careful. I tried to ask my parents about Quinn Media and they said¡­ they haven''t met him before. So, we don''t really know if he is trying to scam you."


    "It''s not like I will meet him again." Actually, she had thought about this matter before. However, she decided to stop thinking about it and focus on her job. Moreover, that Tang Butler clearly recognized him as Mr. Quinn. The Tang Family is quite influential too, so they must have met Mr. Quinn before. Maybe the Tang Family''s master and madame knew Chris Quinn and instructed their butler to be respectful to him.


    Of course, this is no longer her business.


    She recalled how Mr. Quinn told her that if she wanted to thank him she could always treat him to dinner next time. She immediately declined. This isn''t some CEO drama, alright! She isn''t some damsel that needed saving. She isn''t some damsel that would easily agree to the CEO''s words and would end up getting close to him. Please, she didn''t need him to save her. She could have easily handle Tang Zheng that night.


    Her sharp words finally made the smiling facade of that man cracked. He frowned at her and asked her why was she displeased with his actions. Of course, she coolly shrugged and didn''t answer him.


    However, his next words made her angry again. That man actually dared to tell her how he thought leaving him after sleeping with him was very embarrassing. He actually said it hurt his pride. He even dared ask her if it was because she wasn''t satisfied and wanted to know if she wanted to do it again so he could convince her otherwise!


    In the end, she ran away.


    That''s right. She got out of the car and run away towards her apartment.


    Just recalling the conversation now is enough to make her angry! It made her blood boil, her face red.


    "Ummm¡­ Sera¡­"


    "Manjun? What''s up? Do you need something?" She asked the man who walked inside her office.


    "Just now¡­ a man asked me if you are working here," Manjun said. "He was¡­ leaning against a black Maserati and looked a little annoyed. Say, did you owe someone money? Was he here to collect money? I heard that some debt collectors are really bold and would try to intimidate people by showing off. It''s like they are silently telling them that they have the money to sue them."


    "¡­" Maserati¡­ A black one. Isn''t this the car that Mr. Quinn was using last time?

 Chapter 29 - Closer Than Friends

    "So? Did you owe money to some big-time loan shark?" Manjun was giving her a weird gaze, so weird it made her cough a few times.


    "Are you done with the last codes that I sent? Please give it to me as soon as you can. I need it by the end of this week."


    "Huh? But you said, I have ten working days to work on it? The deadline should be next week, right?"


    "No. I just¡­ change my mind. After all, I have big loans that I need to pay. Please send it to me before six in the evening. Friday." She waved at him before she lowered her gaze and checked her phone. As expected, she already had two missed calls. She then opened two messages.


    [I am waiting downstairs. I''m hungry.]


    [It''s already six. Why are you working so hard?]


    "¡­" She was tempted to reply but ended up putting her phone down. She needed to relax, she needed to lower her blood pressure and survive. After calming down, she stood and gathered her things. Then she told Je''er that she will finish working at home.


    With that, she immediately went outside.


    Just as Manjun mentioned, Chris was indeed outside. He was wearing a casual black jacket on top of his white shirt. He paired it with a Khaki Chino and some white sneakers. She frowned. Why would Manjun think that he was a loan shark?


    She wasn''t aware that loan sharks can become so handsome?


    Or was she just a little judgmental?


    "Why are you here?"


    "To pick you up, of course," he winked at her.


    "Who told you that you can pick me up?"


    "You didn''t tell me that I can''t pick you up, so I assumed that I can just drop by."


    "Mr. Quinn¡­ why are you doing this? Do I owe you anything?"


    He chuckled. "I saved you. Of course, you owe me dinner. But you are so ungrateful and you refused to answer my calls."


    "That''s because you were stalking me. First and foremost, how did you get my phone number?" Why would she spend some time with a stalker?


    "Ah, I know what you''re thinking. I didn''t ask my people to find it. Actually, It was really easy. You left your phone number in the hospital last time. I just copied it."


    "¡­" Speechless. She was totally and irrevocably speechless. "I''m going home." This place is not very far from her apartment. In fact, it would only take her about ten minutes to walk.


    "Then, were having dinner?"


    "Mr. Quinn¡­" she stopped walking. "How did you know where I worked?"


    "I saw it on your LinkedIn."


    "¡­" She forgot she actually put the name of their company on her LinkedIn profile. If one would click the website of the company, it would easily show their address.


    "I''m not stalking you. I swear."


    "Yeah¡­ whatever." She started walking and ignored him. "Rich people always think they can do whatever they want," she mumbled.


    "Why are you being so mean to me? I am just being nice, you know."


    "I am mean to people, I don''t like."


    However, instead of getting angry, the statement made him laugh. Why was he laughing? Does that statement make him happy?


    "Stop following me!"


    "But I''m hungry!"


    Once again, she halted her steps and glared at him. "Mr. Quinn¡­ I already told you. I didn''t want you to save me that night. I can take care of my own self. There is no need for you to intervene. Meaning, I don''t you owe anything!"


    "Then¡­ "


    "Before you say another word, let me tell you this! I am not some naive Cinderella. I am not sure why you are acting like this, but you actually looked like a desperate stalker! I am not interested in any friendship with you, so please¡­ stop wasting each other''s time and let''s move on with our lives."


    "So¡­ you don''t want to be friends with me?" he asked, curiosity swirling in his eyes.


    "No."


    "Then what about¡­ becoming my girlfriend!?"


    "¡­" Her blood pressure is rising again. If she keeps on seeing this man, she would surely die a horrible death. "I already like someone else."


    "Oh? Someone as handsome as me?"


    She smiled while gritting his teeth. "The man that I like is not only tall and handsome. He is kind, gentle. Most importantly, we already live together. The only reason why we''re not together is that I am not courageous enough to climb into his bed!" And he wasn''t around all the time! "But I like him so much, I dreamed of him every night! The next time I see him, I will ask him to marry me."


    "Cough¡­ cough¡­" Chris covered his mouth. "You ¡ª You just said you will ask him to marry you? But you haven''t confessed your feelings. How could you marry him? What if he doesn''t like you?"


    "Then I will make him like me!" she declared boldly. She wasn''t actually lying. She had liked Cross since he saved her that night. However, she doesn''t have the guts to confess and ruin their friendship. Moreover, Cross always treated her like a sister.


    She was too scared to confess! What if he rejects her? What if he tells her that he likes someone else? That would not only break their friendship, it would also break her heart. To save herself from the broken heart, she decided to wait.


    "Then if you like him so much, why did you sleep with me?"


    His words interrupted her stupor. She glared at him before stomping her feet and walking away from him. Of course, he followed her.


    "Was it because I am more handsome than him?"


    "Mr. Quinn¡­ I was drunk that night. And I thought you look like him." She said in a low voice.


    "Really?" he laughed.


    "Really."


    "This person must be really good, huh? I never thought that one day someone would reject me." He leaned closer. "Say, was it because you weren''t satisfied on that night?"


    "Can you please¡­ act like a CEO and stop talking about something so embarrassing like that?" This man¡­ why does he tease her like they were close!? "Moreover, we aren''t very close."


    "But we already saw each other''s naked body. We should be considered closer than friends, right?" His laughter almost made her want to vomit blood.


    She fought the urge to punch him.

 Chapter 30 - Old Man Zhang

    "Alright. Let''s stop arguing. I am here to talk about business."


    "Business?"


    "You are looking for investors, right?"


    Pursing her lips, Sera''s face instantly darkened. "Mr. Quinn¡­ May I invite you to dinner?" She asked. This man had been creepily following her around. She knew going to the police wouldn''t do anything, as he could probably influence the justice system. So, she needed to be more frank with him. Being direct while it''s still early is still better than anything else. "Meet me in this place in about two hours." He showed him her phone with the address of the restaurant.


    "How about taking the car with me?"


    She smirked at that. "I called the tow services earlier. It was parked illegally."


    "¡­" So mean. He stared at her before turning around. "See you." However, his voice didn''t show any signs of anger or irritation.


    Maybe this was the difference between being rich and not rich? Surely, someone not rich would get sad if their Maserati gets towed, right? Seeing his back disappear, Sera continued walking towards her apartment. After a few minutes of walking, a pale faced Mrs. Yuan suddenly ran towards her.


    "Sera!"


    "Auntie Yuan, what wrong? Did something happen?" She asked the flustered older woman who running towards her. Just looking at Mrs. Yuan was enough to make her nervous.


    "I was on my way to your office. I tried calling you, but you won''t answer!"


    "What happened? What''s wrong?" Her heart started racing. For some reason, Cross''s face flashed in her head. Was it an accident? Did something happen to him?


    "No! I mean¡­ someone came! A woman with two big bodyguards. They said¡­ They said I mean¡­ that woman said she was your mother? She was Mrs. Zhang? Sera, do you need me to call the police?"


    Sera almost blanked out. The mention of Mrs. Zhang made her mind shut down. Mrs. Zhang? Her stepmother? "Ah, no¡­ I just¡­ where are they now?"


    "Inside your apartment. They forced your uncle to open the door for them. They were really intimidating and huge."


    "Oh, alright. I will take care of it." Without saying anything else. Sera walked towards the apartment building. Sweat started to trickle down her back. She couldn''t help but recall the past and wondered why that woman is here?


    She recalled the phone call that she received a few days back. It was a phone call from them inviting her to her younger sister''s engagement party. She told them she would think about it, but she wasn''t planning to go back to that place and show her face to everyone.


    It took her a couple of minutes to arrive at the door of her apartment. Biting her lips, she used her key and walked inside the house. As expected, three people were already in her small living room. The smell of tea wafted through her.


    "I hope you didn''t mind. I was thirsty. So I asked my people to brew tea for me." The gentle voice of her stepmother, Zhang Xin. She eyed the woman''s beautiful face. Despite being already in her fifties, Zhang Xin still looked like in her late thirties. Her skin was still the same, white as jade. She smiled at Sera, her gaze lowered through her simple clothing. "How have you been?" Zhang Xin asked.


    "May I know why you are here?" Sera asked. She stood a few feet away from them, by the door. In case the two bodyguards would try to seize her, she could easily use the bat behind the door and escape.


    "Why are you so nervous? Unlike you, I am not someone that had ill intentions. I am here to chat."


    Sera''s face didn''t show any emotions. She didn''t take a step away from where she was at. "Mrs. Zhang¡­ May I know why you are here?" Zhang Xin wasn''t really a Zhang. She just married into the Zhang Family and decided to change her last name to show how much she loves her husband.


    "Well? Is that how you treated the woman who raised you? Sera¡­ stop being too guilty and sit down. I am not going to devour you." The smile on the woman''s face didn''t falter. And it somehow reminded her of the good things that the Zhang Family did to her.


    In the past, they never mistreated her. In fact, she was the one who hurt them. She was the one who schemed against her younger sister just because she was the fiance of the man that she liked. The Zhang Family doesn''t owe her anything.


    After a few minutes, she decided to sit down next to Zhang Xin.


    "Good. At least, you didn''t forget the manners that I taught you while growing up." Zhang Xin''s voice was sweet, it was the same voice that she usually used while talking to them while Sera was still a child. "I came here to invite you back."


    Sera blinked. Invite her back? After she tried to kill her younger sister? She hid the emotions in her eyes and lowered her head. "I am fine here. As you can see¡­ I am happy here." Moreover, she wasn''t a Zhang. Zhang Xin made it clear that she wasn''t a Zhang after she hurt her little sister.


    She was the evil, scheming, adopted child that they decided to raise because they were kindhearted.


    Why would the Zhang Family want her back?


    The older woman''s sigh reached her ears. "Your grandfather is sick. He wanted to see you."


    Old Man Zhang? Sera frowned inwardly. She couldn''t remember anything about that old man. She knew that Old Man Zhang stayed abroad since she was younger because of his weak body. "Mrs. Zhang, I don''t understand. By now, Old Man Zhang should have known that I am just an adopted child, whom you pick up from an orphanage. Why would he want to see me?"


    "This¡­ I have no idea either." Mrs. Zhang smiled. Since Sera''s head was lowered, she missed the evil glint in Zhang Xin''s eyes.

 Chapter 31 - Framed

    "Of course, you don''t have to go. If you don''t want to." Zhang Xin added.


    "What?" She lifted her head and saw the sinister smile on the woman''s face. For a few seconds, a sense of danger traveled through her body. She could feel the chilly gaze of Zhang Xin bored through her.


    "In fact, you can just stay in this city from now on. No need to feel scared. I will take care of that."


    This sentence rang into her ear like a bell. She jolted up and turned towards the security personnel who were walking into her. "What are you doing? You told me that you would not come after me anymore! I have been keeping my promise! I have been low key! I stopped my contacts!"


    "Sera dear¡­" Zhang Xin was still sitting, her voice was still sweet. But the malicious gaze that she was giving her was enough to convince Sera that she wasn''t here because of some goodwill. "When you decided to be born, you already offended me. I am only here to do the things that I failed to do when you first arrived at my house."


    "What are you¡ª" Sera''s words were interrupted when one of the guards suddenly approached her. He tried to hold her arm, but she sidestepped and avoided him. Without thinking, she let go of a kick towards the man''s face. Who would have thought that the man could easily dodge her leg? She was expecting him to throw her towards the wall, however, the man just restrained her. She let out a few curses.


    How could a five-foot woman easily overpower a guy who is more than six feet in height?


    "Zhang Xin! What are you doing? Let me go!" For some reason, she didn''t get scared. In fact, she felt angry. She already told the woman that she would never bother the Zhang Family again. She ran away and tried to stay low key. She hid her skills and even let Xu Je''er become the CEO of her company just so she could avoid the spotlight!


    True, she schemed against this woman''s daughter, but she didn''t succeed in hurting her! She failed in her schemes and ended up being kicked out of the Zhang Family with nothing but her suitcase! It has been years since that accident!


    She had moved on and is trying to rebuild her life. She wasn''t even trying to provoke them or have revenge. She knew she was wrong, and she was sincerely trying to change her life! But why are they here now?


    For a few seconds, she thought Zhang Xin would ask her people to kill her. They could easily make it look like she killed herself. However, what happened next surprised her.


    "Make her slap me." Zhang Xin said with her smiling face.


    "You ¡ª What are you doing?"


    "Sera everyone knows that you are malicious. Surely, slap from you is expected, right?"


    Her words made Sera confused. What is going on here? But she didn''t have the time to think anymore, the man who was holding her arm and dragged her towards Zhang Xin and borrowed her hand to slap the woman. The man held her hand tight, gripping it and using it to slap Zhang Xin''s face. The sudden pain of her hand hitting Zhang Xin''s flesh made her grimace. It actually felt like her hand hit a wall!


    Wide-eyed she watched as Zhang Xin fainted, her cheeks instantly turned red.


    "Do it!" She heard one of the bodyguards hissed behind her. Zhang Xin tried to struggle, she opened her mouth to scream but the man quickly covered it. She then felt a dull ache from her neck. Slowly, Sera felt she lost her strength, her arms turning numb.


    Are they going to kill her after all? The thought swirled in her mind as darkness took her consciousness away.


    ...


    The sound of people talking woke her up. Sera opened her eyes and frowned. Prison? Obviously, the thick metal bars and the police who just walked past the cell made her conclude that she was indeed in a prison cell. She gritted her teeth. It seems that Zhang Xin was here to frame her?


    "Hey!" she stood. "I want a lawyer!" Her face darkened when she realized how dry her throat was. She swallowed. "Hey! Can anyone hear me?" She eyed the other cells. Most of them have a few people in each cell. "Hey!"


    "Hey shut up!" Someone from the other cell said. "No one will help you here!"


    She pursed her lips. She wanted to continue shouting, but her throat was really painful. So she sat on the concrete rectangular seat and leaned against the wall. Contrary to one''s expectations, she wasn''t nervous this time. Nor was she angry. In fact, she only felt stupid.


    All this time, she had been thinking that she was free from them. That they were magnanimous enough to let her go. Turns out, that wasn''t the case. Turns out Zhang Xin was still after her. The only thing that she couldn''t understand is the fact that Zhang Xin had to frame her just so she could stop her from going to see Old Man Zhang?


    Why?


    She lowered her head, her mind was already thinking of ways to get out of here. What happened earlier was totally a surprise to her. All her life Zhang Xin never treated her like that. Even when she tried to scheme against her daughter, Zhang Xin never slapped her. In fact, Zhang Xin only cried and acted as she failed in raising her.


    Thinking back, it seems that her seventeen-year-old self actually fell into a trap.


    Was that really the case?


    "Miss Sera Zhang?"


    Sera lifted her head and eyed the man wearing the police uniform. Before she could answer the man already opened the metal bars. "You are free to go. Someone bailed you out."


    Sera didn''t say anything. She stood and went out of the cell.


    "You are one lucky woman."


    She heard the police murmured behind her. She clenched her hand into a fist. She couldn''t help but wonder if it was Xu Je''er that bailed her out.


    Cross mentioned that he would be out traveling, so he can''t help her out now.


    "Miss Zhang, please follow me."


    Sera Zhang froze. She stared at the man whom she thought was a scammer. Lan Xing¡­ his name should be Lan Xing, and he claimed to be that man''s secretary.


    Then the person who saved her should be¡­ Mr. Quinn?

 Chapter 32 - Investing In You

    "Here is your stuff that the police took. Mrs. Zhang said you slapped her, and she is currently in the hospital being treated for her hypertension. Her face was also swollen." Chris uttered as the car started moving.


    Sera just nodded, she lowered as she stared at her phone. It was broken.


    "They said, the two men tried to restrain you but you can do martial arts. There was a fight. Both men were suing you for an assault too."


    "Ridiculous," Sera said in a low voice. She held her phone closer. "Thank you for the bail. I will pay you back as soon as¡ª "


    "No need."


    She lifted her head and stared at his stern face.


    "I have a business proposition."


    "Mr. Quinn¡­ you wanted to talk about investing in my company?" She just got out of prison and the man still wanted to talk about business?


    "I want to talk about investments, but that wouldn''t be in your company. I want to invest in you."


    She lifted an eyebrow, confused. However, before she could say anything, Chris already added.


    "Let''s get you clean up first. Let''s talk once you are already calm. I will take you to my villa."


    "No, please take me home."


    "You are not safe in your apartment. That woman might try to hire people to hurt you."


    She already expected that. "Then¡­ can you accompany me? I want to get something."


    The man continued staring at her before he nodded without saying anything. After a few minutes, they arrived in the apartment. She instantly packed a few of her things, including her laptop and her stuffed toys in the living room.


    "Stuff toys?" Chris lifted an eyebrow at her. "You are only going to pack this many clothes?" Sera was only using a medium-sized suitcase for her clothes. Then another bag for her gadgets.


    She nodded. The stuffed toys are very important evidence that she didn''t hit that woman. Or at least she didn''t mean to. Yes, inside of the stuffed toys is a simple nanny cam that she bought for the thieves. It was connected to her phone and would instantly record once it would detect a movement in the living room.


    Meaning, she had evidence that could clear her name! And this was the reason why she had been very calm even when she was in prison.


    That woman actually dared to frame her? Did she think Sera was still seventeen? Did she think she was still a child, so easy to manipulate?


    "I''m done. Please take me to a hotel."


    "No. You are coming with me."


    She halted her steps. "Why?"


    "Because you are not safe in a hotel."


    Then should she just run away again? For a few seconds, she considered running away to a different place. Maybe even abroad! However, she knew that uprooting her entire life and running away like a coward won''t be any good for her.


    Not when she was framed just like that.


    Everyone would immediately think that she was guilty.


    Perhaps Zhang Xin was even hoping that she would run away so she could continue her acting in the Zhang Family''s mansion.


    "Then¡­ take me to your villa."


    It was Chris'' turn to be surprised. He squinted. "You agreed?"


    "You are the best bet. Going to Xu Je''er would involve her family who is already struggling thanks to you." And she was alone. Cross is not here. She had no other friends. Of course, she could stay in a hotel, but that would be dangerous.


    "Alright then. Let''s go."


    The ride to his Villa was almost twenty minutes. The place was located in an upscale village called Golden Everland Resort. It was an expensive village where one percent of the people in Pane City lives. It wasn''t a surprise that someone like Mr. Quinn would be living in a place like this.


    "The security in this place is topnotch." Mr. Quinn said as they slowly descended and drove into a beautiful two-story house with underground parking. "Everything is here, pool, gym, a library, gaming stations, sauna."


    "It''s a mansion," Sera said. This wasn''t some Villa! This was definitely a mansion.


    "Oh, I call it Villa. Aside from the cook and some housekeepers that would clean the house three times a week, I am here all by myself. I designed the place so, I won''t need to go out anymore. I just stay here all day which doesn''t really happen all the time as I am very busy. Feel free to use the place as much as you want."


    "How much do I need to pay per night?"


    "¡­" Chris stared at her, wondering if he heard her right. "What do you mean?"


    "Nothing in this world is free. So? How much is it?"


    He shook his head. "Let''s get out of the car first. Let me take you to your room, take a bath, then we can have a proper conversation."


    Before she could smell herself, Chris added, "You smell like the prison."


    "Oh." Nodding her head, she followed him out of the underground parking with Lan Xing carrying her luggage as he followed them. Earlier, Sera didn''t have the time to think too much about it. However, now she couldn''t help but look at Lan Xing again. This man¡­ isn''t a scammer? Then the proposal was legit?


    She opened her mouth, wanting to ask Lan Xing something, but quickly closed it. What the hell? She couldn''t even think of any questions.


    "Aw!"


    Sera was looking at Lan Xing that she didn''t see Chris halted his steps. So, she continued walking and hit his back that was hard as concrete. "Watch where you''re going."


    "I know, I''m sorry."


    She eyed the living room. "Why did you stop walking?"


    "I just wanted you to appreciate my living room."


    "¡­" She looked at the minimalistic design and nodded. "It''s good."


    "I designed this whole place and the only thing that I would get from you is that it''s good?"


    "I am not into minimalism."


    "Really?"


    She frowned. Why was he acting like this was unbelievable? It''s not like they live with each other before. There is no way that he would know she isn''t into minimalistic style.


    "But your living room had¡ª "


    "Oh, my roommate decided the furniture." She explained. Cross loves minimalist style, but she didn''t.


    "I see. So you let him decide whatever he liked because you like him," he nodded in understanding. Before he smiled. "Let''s go. Let me take you to your room."

 Chapter 33 - A Normal Life

    "This will be your room. It''s just across from mine. So if you need anything, you can knock, anytime."


    "Oh." Sera examined the room that was double the size of the room in her apartment. "Thanks."


    "Hm. Take a bath. I''ll be at the library waiting for you."


    "Thanks."


    "The library is three doors from your room." He looked at her before leaving the room. Sera sighed, she didn''t continue checking the room as she dragged her suitcase to the bed and quickly found new clothes. Then she grabbed her toiletries and took a quick bath.


    Ten minutes later, she was already on her way to the library.


    "That was a quick shower." She heard him say the moment she walked inside the library. When he told her about having a library, the first thing that came into her mind was a study and perhaps a few bookshelves against the wall.


    She was wrong.


    The room was indeed like a library. She couldn''t see the walls because of the huge bookshelves in the middle of the room. Even the entire place smelled of books.


    "This place is¡­"


    "A library," he responded.


    After walking around the bookshelves, she finally found him sitting in a wooden chair, a hot tea can be seen on the coffee table on his left. Behind him stood Lan Xing.


    "What are you reading?"


    "It''s German."


    "Oh."


    "So, about my business proposition."


    "My business might get affected because of Mrs. Zhang, so I don''t think investing in me is a good idea."


    "Hm?"


    "I know that you want to invest in my skills. I am good with computers, but I am not omnipotent. If Mrs. Zhang knew about Psi, she would surely do something about it."


    "Who told you that I want to invest in your computer skills?"


    "You said you want to invest in me."


    "True. In you."


    She blinked, lips pursing into a straight line. What does it mean?


    "Marriage Alliance."


    She blinked again. Did she hear the right thing? Was she hallucinating?


    "Why are you staring blankly at me?"


    "Huh? I was waiting for you to say something," she said.


    "I already said. I want to marry you." He gestured at his secretary. "Lan Xing give it to her."


    Lan Xing immediately handed her the folder ¡ª the familiar folder that he gave her before. "The marriage is between Miss Zhang and Mr. Quinn. Both parties are not required to be intimate or act like they were lovers in public or private. However, Miss Zhang needed to help Mr. Quinn with one thing. Miss Zhang needed to¡ª "


    "No."


    Sera''s words seemed to change the temperature of the room.


    "Excuse me?" Lan Xing dared to ask.


    "I sad no. I am not marrying anyone." Is this the famous contracted marriage that she read from the novels when she was still in her teens?


    "Miss Zhang, you haven''t even heard our conditions yet. How could you say that you won''t marry the master? Do you know how many women would want to marry the master?"


    "Then why not marry those women?" she fired back.


    "I want you to help me ruin the Zhang Family." Chris interrupted her.


    Almost instantly, her face changed. "You¡ª "


    "The greedy Zhang Family did something unthinkable to my only family member. I want to ruin them."


    "Then I can''t help you." Despite being an adopted daughter, the Zhang Family still raised her. They fed her clothe her and educate her like a proper human being. The reason why she left the family wasn''t that they bullied her, but because she got too ambitious, she schemed against them.


    "Because you owe them?"


    "Yes." She wasn''t some saint. And she would surely make Zhang Xin pay for framing her. However, she couldn''t and wouldn''t ruin the Zhang Family just because of that woman.


    "Then¡­ what if I tell you that they were the ones that owe you?"


    "I won''t believe you." She answered without batting an eyelid.


    "Very well." Chris smiled. "Read the last page of the contract."


    She was about to refuse but ended up reading it. She was interested to know what did he ¡ª "What is this?" She widened her eyes, mouth agape. "What do you mean by this?"


    "That is¡­ a copy of Old Man Zhang''s will. I got it from his lawyer. Half of his properties and millions worth of shares were willed to you."


    "Why would he do that?" She couldn''t remember talking to the old man when she was still in their mansion. Why would he give her something like that?


    His lips lifted into a beautiful smile. "Guess." Seeing her face darkened, Chriss chuckled and added in a slow, irritating voice. "Because you¡­ my dear is a Zhang by blood."


    "Mr. Quinn, please stop saying nonsense things." What the hell was he talking about? "I think we already had enough of this conversation. I will rest and leave tomorrow morning. I will¡ª "


    "Sit down."


    Sera frowned. His cold voice surprised her.


    "Let me tell you why and you can decide for yourself."


    Sera didn''t move. Mr. Quinn is not some clown on the streets. Surely, he had some basis in his claims, right? Seeing this, Chris added continued.


    "You are the daughter of Melissa Zhang, Old Man Zhang''s late daughter who was impregnated by a married man. They tried to hide the pregnancy by sending her abroad. She died of childbirth, leaving you with Old Man Zhang and his wife. To turn you into a legitimate Zhang, they devised a plan to make his second son adopt you. Thus, you become the adopted member of the Zhang Family."


    "This story¡­"


    "Is real. I will arrange a flight for you. Go see the old man confirm everything. Right now, no one knows about this aside from the Old Man, his late wife, and Zhang Xin. You were chased out of the mansion because you were a bit stupid and easy to manipulate." He decided to be honest with her simply because he trusted her. He knew that she would come up with the right decision. However, now his priority is their marriage.


    "This ¡ª This is too sudden." Why does it feel like hearing the story made her lose all her strength? She knew it was impossible. How could it be like that?


    "I wasn''t planning on approaching you. However, the old man is already dying. The greedy bastards are going to target you once the secret is out." Seeing her standing as still as a statue, Chris instructed Lan Xing to leave them. Then he continued, "The first time that Lan Xing approached you. I was serious about the marriage. Of course, I didn''t expect that you would easily agree. So, I tried to meet you."


    "At the bar¡­" realization hit her like a brick. When he approached her, she was already drunk and then that happened.


    "Yes. When I arrived, you were already drunk."


    "So, you wanted to marry me because I would become the primary shareholder of the Zhang Corp?"


    "Yes."


    "You know¡­ I am not interested in the Zhang Family." She sat opposite him. "I don''t want trouble and chaos." What would scheming and power struggle bring her? Living in Pane City made her realized that she loved the peace and living a normal life.


    For a few seconds, he stared at her peaceful expression. He didn''t expect her to act this calm, despite knowing the truth. However, isn''t this the thing that he loves about her? "After we destroy them¡­ I can promise you a normal life." A normal life with him.


    "Earlier, you said you wanted to marry me because they would soon target me. Why would you want to protect me?" Sera wasn''t dumb. She knew something else is going on here. "Mr. Quinn¡­ I am nothing to you. I also thought that we didn''t meet before that bar¡­ escapade."


    "It''s a long story. Let me make it shorter. As the eldest granddaughter of the Zhang Family¡­ I am your fiance."

 Chapter 34 - Not A Good Person

    She snorted in response. Yep, Fiance. Only fools would believe that.


    "Mr. Quinn, I am sure I already mentioned this. I already like someone else." What marriage? She would never marry someone she doesn''t like. "If you badly want the shares, then I would sell it once I get it."


    Chris stared at her, his face serious. "You need love to marry someone? I didn''t know that you are so traditional."


    "I am not someone that would walk into something I don''t like." Staring straight into his eyes, Sera decided not to back down. "I will sell the stocks and you take care of the Zhang Family on your own. Your business had nothing to do with me. Please don''t drag me into something like this."


    "I can protect you."


    "Can''t you protect me if I don''t marry you?"


    "My name is enough to protect you."


    This made her silent. That was true. Mr. Quinn is a very influential man and his name should be enough to protect her. But¡­ what about Cross? What about the man that she liked? "Thank you very much, Mr. Quinn. But I would have to decline. I can''t marry you."


    Chris stared at her hardened face. He knew how stubborn she was. "Alright. Then¡­ It''s fine."


    "What do you mean?"


    "You stay in this place in the meantime. I won''t force you to marry me, but you have to sell your shares to me once the time comes. I will accompany you to the Zhang Family''s mansion once you are ready." Funny how his only rival is himself. He knew Sera ¡ª he knew her too well. This made him scared of telling her he had been pretending to get close to her as Cross to protect her. What would she do once she realized that the man that she liked and the man who wanted to marry her were the same?


    Judging from this woman''s stubborn character, she would surely raise hell and leave him. Running away was something she was good at.


    She let out a sigh of relief when she heard his words. At least he is not like the CEO''s in those novels? At least, he isn''t forceful?


    "So you have no interest in fighting against them?"


    "No," Sera said. What is the use of fighting? "I am a coward." That''s right. Sera was a coward. She was scared of fighting and losing everything. She was scared of running away, again. She wanted a peaceful life away from them. "But I would make that Zhang Xin pay."


    And that was the last thing that she said before she excused herself to think things through. Of course, this ''thinking things through'' came up with nothing.


    The next thing she knew, she was already riding a plane back to Cone Lands ¡ª with him. She didn''t know what made her agree to come back. Maybe it was her curiosity? Maybe it was the fact that his revelation made her sleepless that night. It was just pure chaos in her mind, and she wanted it gone. All of it. And most importantly, she wanted Cross.


    Sadly, no matter how much she tried to call him, he isn''t responding. This was not normal, but Cross already told her he might not be able to contact her for a while. Still, her heart is currently full of worries.


    What if¡­ What if something happened to him? Something dangerous?


    "Can you please tell me why you are coming with me to my hometown?" she asked for the umpteenth time. And as usual, he answered.


    "Business."


    She pursed her lips and looked at the clouds dancing outside of the private plane that he owned. "Mr. Quinn¡­ please don''t get involve in my own matters."


    He angled his head and gave her a meaningful smile. She was expecting him to say something and start another argument. To her relief, he didn''t say another word. Arguing with the man who owned the plane is not a very wise thing to do.


    Not when no one else knew that she was with him.


    She squinted at the clouds. It looked light and cold. And it looked like it was following them. "I never thought that I would come back, one day."


    "Why is that?"


    She could feel his eyes on her, but she refused to look at him.


    "Because I never wanted to come back." It took her years to get rid of the nightmares. To make herself forget about those disgusting stares that everyone gave her when they knew she was the adopted who tried to scheme against the heiress."


    "I know you were not asking for my opinions, but I believe your grandfather was just protecting you. He wanted you to go far away and didn''t contact you because he was scared they will scheme against you."


    "Probably," she shrugged. All this time, it never occurred to her that the old man might be protecting her. Why would he protect someone he doesn''t know? Even now, she is hesitant to listen to this man''s words. After all, she would never trust someone who only wanted to use her for revenge.


    "What would you do if you knew that I was telling the truth?"


    She shifted her gaze towards him. What would she do? "Would doing anything give me something in return?"


    "Are you usually this passive?"


    "No. I don''t consider myself passive. I believe I am a realist." She snorted. "This isn''t some movie. In real life, things happen. You would lose something and not get it back. It''s just that simple."


    Sera always considered herself simple-minded. If something is making her happy, then she would do it. If something is making her upset, then she would avoid it. Why complicate her life?


    "What about the things that you went through?" Interest flashed in his eyes. Maybe the fact that she was like this entertained him.


    "I already told you. Zhang Xin will pay. As for the others¡­ I believe I was ostracized because of my own actions. It''s the cause and effect. The consequences. Why would I make other people pay for something that I did? It was their right to react that way and I am not taking their right against them."


    "To be honest, I never see you as a good person."


    She chuckled at his words. "Because I am not a good person." But the things that do not benefit her don''t concern her anymore. She was that simple.

 Chapter 35 - Firm Abs

    "I can stay in a small rental. There''s no need to stay in this expensive hotel." She had the money to pay for Airbnb however, this man never stopped hounding her about the hotel.


    "I already booked it and were already here. This is the only two-bedroom suite in this hotel. I think you should be grateful."


    She didn''t like owing him too much. "Then I will pay half of it."


    "You won''t be able to afford it."


    OUCH. Does he have to rub into her face that she didn''t have the money for this luxury? "I can afford it." Of course, her stubborn self wouldn''t let him treat her this way.


    "You are my fiancee, I am obligated to pay for menial stuff like this."


    "Can you stop saying that?"


    "Saying what?" he cocked his eyebrow.


    Irritated, she closed her eyes and let out a long sighed. "I need sleep." She stood from the velvet L Shaped sofa in the living room and walked towards her room. "Don''t wake me up. I don''t want to eat."


    He chuckled. "Got it."


    Exhausted, Sera slumped into the queen-sized bed inside the spacious room and closed her eyes. After a few seconds, her low snores echoed inside her room.


    When Sera woke up again, she was already tucked in the bed, a blanket covered her body. She blinked, staring at the beige ceiling. She was back. In the place where she was born.


    After a few minutes of staring at the ceiling, she sat on her bed and eyed the blackout curtains that covered the glass doors that should lead her to the balcony. Both rooms in this suite have their own personal balcony. Meaning, she could have her own space and enjoy a glass of coffee without that man''s constant nagging.


    After checking her phone and realizing that Cross was still unreachable, she let out another sigh and put her phone back to the bedside table. Then she walked towards the blackout curtains and opened them, using the button next to the walk-in bathroom and closet.


    The scorching light of the sun made her eyes snapped shut. Daytime.


    It was already ten in the morning.


    She remembered sleeping when they arrived yesterday. It was only four in the afternoon and, just as that man promised, he didn''t wake her up for dinner.


    Hey! At least he was considerate enough to know that she was tired. She watched the view for a few minutes before she got bored and opened her laptop to check her emails and current deadlines.


    Sera didn''t realize that she had stayed too long on her laptop until she heard her stomach grumble.


    That''s right.


    She didn''t have dinner and breakfast.


    And now, it''s almost lunchtime.


    After changing her clothes, she walked out of her and found the living room empty. Mr. Quinn said he was here for business. Perhaps it was the truth?


    Roaming her eyes inside the suite room, she realized how big this place was. It was equipped with complete kitchen amenities, a nice dining and living room with the perfect chandelier that complemented its sophisticated beige theme.


    She was curious about the price of this room per night. After walking inside the kitchen, she realized something wrong.


    Nothing was in the fridge except some water and fruits. She looked at the table and realized that Mr. Quinn actually left a note for her, telling her to order whatever she wanted.


    And so she did.


    To her surprise, it only took them about ten minutes to deliver her order. The service was really great compared to the other room. She also noticed that the person who delivered the food was actually the head chef of the hotel.


    Money.


    In this world, people with money are always treated with kindness.


    But this doesn''t concern her anymore. She just smiled at the chef, then started eating her food. It was no brainer. Since that man said she could order, then she would order and enjoy the food. However, she was planning to buy some groceries later and make her own food, too.


    Maybe buy a few more junk foods?


    As someone who lived in the man''s house for a few days before coming here, she knew that Mr. Quinn was a bit like Cross. Both men don''t eat junk foods or drink cold water. In fact, Mr. Quinn''s huge fridge that occupied one wall in his kitchen doesn''t have an iota of unhealthy food. It was all fruits and veggies. No cakes or doughnuts. Not even single red meat.


    To someone like her, this was torture.


    Perhaps it was how they maintained their fit physique and, um¡­ firm abs.


    When she realized that her thoughts were once again bending towards the darker side, she slapped her own forehead and chuckled. As a woman, she too appreciates men ¡ª good-looking ones. Just like Cross and Mr. Quinn.


    Obviously, she would prefer the smart Cross anytime, but appreciating Mr. Quinn''s body is not really a sin, right? Alright, why does it feel like she was actually cheating? It''s not like they were in a relationship?


    She shook her head and just decided to stop thinking about unnecessary things.


    After lunch, she took a quick bath and found some casual shirt and pants. After putting on a simple make-up. She put on her sneakers and grabbed her coat.


    "Hm? Where are you going?"


    "Can you stop doing that?" she hissed. "Why do you appear out of thin air?"


    "I''ve been standing here for a few minutes. But you just kept on staring at your appearance in that mirror. Don''t tell me you fell in love with your own face while getting dressed?"


    She rolled her eyes. "I was appreciating my face." And telling herself that she looked like a toddler with her midget height. Alright, maybe a cute toddler.


    "Hmmm. So? Where are you going?"


    "How did you come inside my room?" she asked, ignoring his question.


    "I opened the door?"


    "¡­" That was not what she wanted to know. But¡­ never mind. "I will go buy some groceries."


    "Why? You don''t like the food here? I can hire a professional chef if you want. No need to¡ª "


    "Thanks, Mr. Quinn¡­ but I enjoy cooking my own food." Her cooking was not bad, but it wasn''t considered the best either. Still, she would prefer it over the ones made by Michelin starred chef.

 Chapter 36 - Regrets And Scars

    "Then, let me come with you."


    "Excuse me?"


    "Let''s buy some things. For the new house."


    New house? "You mean¡­ this is your house?"


    "No. But I just finished buying one. Everything should be ready for tomorrow. We need to buy stuff." Without waiting for her to rebut, he already opened his phone and told his secretary to cancel everything in his schedule in the afternoon. "Also, cancel that interior designer. We no longer need their services. Hmmm. Yes, she will design the house. Hmmm. Alright. Bye."


    "Mr. Quinn¡­"


    "Do you want to stay in this hotel forever?"


    What is this man talking about? "You bought a house in the city?" she asked.


    "I bought a house for us. It''s under your name."


    "Mr. Quinn¡­"


    "Consider it as bridal payment."


    She blinked as she tried to suppress the irritation inside of her. "Mr. Quinn¡­ I don''t remember agreeing about your proposal."


    "You didn''t agree¡­ yet. There''s a difference."


    She is really getting tired of talking to this man. She inhaled and closed her eyes, she fought the urge to just punch his pretty face. "I will pay for the house."


    "You¡ª "


    "I have the money. I will pay you."


    "Stubborn."


    She snorted before she looked at this tailored suit. "I don''t think you can accompany me In that outfit. You are too eye-catching."Alright, it had nothing to do with his clothes. No matter what he wore, she was certain that he would catch attention.


    "Give me a minute." He left her room and came back after two minutes. "How''s this?" he asked her. By now, she was already sitting on her bed.


    "Nope. Look at my casual clothes. You are wearing a shirt and some chinos. I would look like your servant." She grumbled. "Let me look at your clothes."


    "Oh? You are already choosing clothes for me?" His face lit up like some fireworks.


    "Never mind! Just wear some shorts and a plain shirt." She strode past him. "I will wait in the living room." This man had the tendency to just walk inside her room without even knocking. It was as if, he was already used to it.


    Funny how the action reminded her of Cross.


    Sitting on the velvet sofa, she started reading some fashion magazines and flinched when she saw her sister on one of the covers. Zhang Ying.


    She was now known as Yingying. A popular idol with millions of fans. Seeing the woman''s beautiful face only reminded her of that night that she tried to drug her. She wanted to stop the party¡ª Zhang Ying''s birthday party. She wanted to stop her stepmother from announcing that she was adopted.


    She wanted to have that man¡ª the man who ruthlessly kicked her while she was down.


    "How about this?"


    Sera quickly put the magazine back to the table and looked at Chris. "Good enough."


    "I thought you would say, I still look handsome."


    She rolled her eyes again. This man really loved to praise himself too much. "Just so you know¡­ you are not that handsome," she said as they walked out of the room and boarded the elevator.


    "Oh? Do you know anyone more good-looking than me?"


    "I do," she answered with confidence. "So stop embarrassing yourself in front of me."


    She heard him laughed at her and she hated that his laughter actually reminded him of someone. She turned towards him, lifting her head to see his face. It was funny how a few touches of laughter seemed to have made him looked younger. However, the contract between his gentle perfectly shaven face and the lecherous smile that he had plastered on her face reminded her that this man¡­ only wanted to use her for revenge.


    Just the thought of it made her scowl. She immediately lowered her gaze and didn''t speak until they reached the parking lot.


    "No nice cars."


    "I only have a Mercedes."


    "Anything cheaper than that?"


    "Hmmm¡­" he stopped walking and looked at her. "My Volkswagen should be a few thousand cheaper. But¡ª My secretary is driving it."


    She sighed. "Come on¡­ let''s just walk towards the nearest mall. Have him park the car somewhere in the mall and give us the key."


    He opened his phone and called Lan Xing without any hesitation. Seeing this, Sera couldn''t help but shook her head inwardly. It is funny how her midget self was actually giving instructions to a six-foot-tall billionaire. "You don''t mind walking¡­ right?"


    "I should be fine."


    "Good," she shrugged.


    "You grew up in this place?"


    She nodded without saying anything.


    "Did you like it?"


    She looked at the crowded road ahead of them and the pedestrians. "Years ago. It wasn''t this crowded." In fact, years ago, this hotel didn''t exist.


    "Oh."


    Clearly, she was avoiding his question. Growing up, Sera was a very jealous person. At least not at first. Her insecurity and the fact that her adoptive parents clearly love her younger sister more than her, made her a bit jealous.


    Soon, her jealousy consumed her like a fire. It burned her, leaving nothing but regrets and deep scars..


    "Did you hate it?"


    "No. I don''t hate it." This time she answered as she shoved her hands into the pockets of her black coat. "But I don''t necessarily like it either." If this was a novel, she was the villain who got caught and punished for her sins. Obviously, the villain would not like the place where she got punished.


    At least, right now, she felt nothing but indifference about this place. She simply doesn''t belong in this place anymore. "How about you? Where did you grow up?" she asked, trying to ease the tension building inside her.


    "Hm? "Lifting an eyebrow, he smirked at her. "Should I take this as my fiancee being interested in me?


    Ugh! She hates this man!

 Chapter 37 - Acting Dead

    "You like it, minimalist, right?"


    Chris held a black and white throw pillow, both had some geometric patterns on them. "We can stick with black, white, and gray and just play with the textures and patterns. We can tie it all up with a huge gray rug with geometric patterns. What do you think?"


    Sera blinked, and for a few seconds, she thought she heard the wrong thing. How did this man know about patterns and interior design? Alright, maybe she was a little prejudiced.


    "Why are you staring at me like that?" he asked. "You don''t like it? We can choose a different theme if you want to."


    "Umm¡­ No. This is fine. That pattern is nice too." Earlier, they already chose a dark grey modern sofa and decided to put it against a feature wall.


    "Good. Now, let''s go to the kitchen and bathroom."


    "This is too much. You are buying a lot of things. Don''t you think it''s a bit¡­ extravagant? Plus the house¡­ isn''t a mansion, right?"


    "No. Not a mansion."


    "Good."


    "But I want to make it as comfortable as possible. Don''t worry, they will finish arranging everything by tonight. Then, we can move tomorrow."


    "That quick?"


    "Everything is quick if you have the money."


    She pursed her lips and nodded. He was right. As long as you have the money, then people would work day and night for you. That''s just how the world works. "Then just chose everything else. As long as it matches the theme." When Sera thought about shopping, she thought of buying the plates and cups, not buying some enormous sofa and entire store of light fixtures.


    Obviously, she was aware that she was a very boring person. She doesn''t like too much hassle. And her tastes in interior design is not as good as his. All she wanted was simple stuff. A sofa she could sit, a tv to watch news and some utensils for her noodles.


    His idea was the exact opposite of hers.


    She tried to object to this crazy idea, but he insisted that the lights would make the interior of the house look good. Obviously, he offered to pay again. Though this time, she handed him her credit card. She might not be rich, but this will be her house.


    Why would he let this man pay for something in her house? It''s not like they are married or something.


    In the end, Chris accepted the card and called her stubborn.


    "You sure? Don''t tell me you are already tired from walking?"


    She lifted her head and stared at him without saying anything. She had read about men and women shopping and knew that most men don''t like it. They would follow their wives and lovers or friends, then sit down and let the women chose.


    Well¡­ this is the other way around. Who would have thought that this billionaire would be so energetic in shopping for furniture? She had read novels and watch CEO dramas about men giving their black cards to their women, letting them shop until they drop dead. They would let their women chose everything and renovate the house according to their tastes.


    But the current situation is far from that.


    Alright, in the first place they aren''t lovers or anything, so their situation is a bit different. Second, why was she thinking about CEO Drama? She eyed him and smiled. "My feet are a bit uncomfortable."


    "You want me to carry you?"


    She deadpanned. "We are in a mall."


    "I can''t carry you inside the mall?"


    "You were supposed to ask me if I want to sit somewhere!" she calmed herself.


    "Oh. Then let me find you a chair." He said and looked at the attendant that had been assisting them with everything. "Find a chair ¡ª something she could ¡ª ah ¡ª I want a wheelchair."


    "¡­" She wasn''t sick! However, before she could say anything else, he already added.


    "Pregnant."


    Sera and the attendant widened their eyes, but the attendant was quick to react. After giving them some words of congratulations, he immediately went and got some wheelchair for Sera.


    "What are you doing?"


    "I can''t choose the furniture on my own," he answered while looking at the plates. "It''s going to happen soon, anyway. I was just being excited about it. Being advance is not really bad, right?"


    "¡­" Was he serious?


    He looked at her. "You''re not excited?"


    She clenched her fist. "If I punch you¡­ are you going to sue me?"


    "Yes."


    "¡­"


    "My face is a bit expensive. But you can punch somewhere else. I won''t sue."


    Breath in.


    Breath out.


    If she won''t keep her calm, she would definitely die from hypertension or something. This man was really good with words, she hated it.


    "This is porcelain. What do you think?" he calmly asked her.


    "Good."


    "It''s a set. Shall we buy everything?"


    "I don''t think my credit card could afford that."


    "Oh," he nodded. "Then, let''s use my card? I should talk to Mr. Lan about opening a joint account for us."


    She didn''t know what to say anymore. "I think you need some psychologist. Have yourself tested for some hallucinations."


    He chuckled at that, then he eyed the attendant bringing a wheelchair. "Come¡­ I will push it."


    "¡­" Sera thought that she was a pretty scheming evil character. However, when it comes to this man, she was helpless. She could, of course, leave him, but she knew that he won''t stop bothering her.


    Should she just approach a lawyer for a restraining order?


    But then she thought about the reason why they were here. He was trying to help her find out the truth that she doesn''t really need. She sighed inwardly as she sat on the chair. "Let''s go."


    "Yes, your majesty."


    "¡­" Was he still teasing her? Or he was just weird? The fact that he was acting as If they were really close was bugging her. She felt he was really being creepy. Isn''t it weird for a billionaire acting like this to a woman he just met?


    "Alright, I want this set and that, too. Also, include those throw pillows and the duvet. Ah, yes¡­ she likes black and white stuff. So five whites and five blacks."


    She heard him say. Sera decided to just act like she is deaf. Actually, she doesn''t require all this expensive stuff in her room. A bed with pillows and a blanket is enough. But Chris insisted on making her as comfortable as possible.


    "Yes, I want that. My wife needed absolute comfort, especially now that she is pregnant. Hm. Yes. The most comfortable. Alright¡­ that one too. "


    "¡­" Alright. She should just act dead.

 Chapter 38 - The Wise Madam

    After acting dead for a few hours, she soon realized that Mr. Quinn is not only good at shopping for furniture, he is also good at spending his money buying food.


    "I get that you''re rich, but we just had dinner." And wasn''t he supposed to have this super healthy diet?


    "You don''t want to eat snacks?"


    "Who eats snacks after dinner?" she asked.


    "You don''t?"


    "¡­" she followed him inside a milk tea shop.


    "Would you like some milk tea? Gacha?"


    "Milk tea."


    "Two milk teas please." Chris smiled. "You should eat more."


    "If I became fat, I would look like a ball." She is about five foot one or two. She always thought that her current weight is normal for her height.


    "Balls are kinda cute, don''t you think?"


    "You have a weird taste."


    He chuckled and led her to the corner most table of the shop. "Why do you look so tired? You were in a wheelchair the whole time that we were shopping."


    "I was thinking of walking around and buy some groceries. I want to cook."


    "Then we should buy some groceries."


    So he could buy the whole store again? Nope. "Nah, I''m good. We should just leave. I still have projects that I need to finish."


    "Hmmm. My lawyer is already talking to your boss."


    "Je''er?"


    "I forgot her name."


    "You wanted us to work for you?"


    "I want you to work with me."


    "What do you want me to do? I am just a small-time programmer."


    "We need people that could get rid of scandals fast. Our cybersecurity should be strong to combat the hackers that would hack our artist phones and other computers. Plus, I need someone to lead my cybersecurity team. You are the perfect fit."


    She shrugged and looked at the waitress that was bringing their order. "I don''t think I am the perfect fit. I don''t like working under another person."


    "You sound content."


    "That''s because I am?" She took a sip of her own milk tea. "I don''t want trouble." She had been in trouble before and she thought it was quite tiring.


    "No need to worry. You have me now." he winked and chuckled. "I won''t let the Zhang Family hurt you."


    "..." She sighed inwardly. By now the Zhang Family should have known about what happened to Zhang Xin, right? Surely, that woman made it look like she slapped her. The MO was too predictable.


    Sometimes, she wondered if Zhang Xin purposely let her hear those words before so she would act against Zhang Yingying. However, at the end of the day, Sera could just blame herself for being too stupid.


    "Let''s go?


    Sera nodded at his words. Then the two of them left the shop unaware that a man had been watching them since they arrived.


    "Sir, here is your order. Enjoy your drink."


    The man nodded and immediately left. He then walked towards the parking lot where a black sedan was waiting. "Madam, here is the cake that you like."


    "Why do you look like that?"


    "I thought I saw Miss Sera in the shop." The man said as he started the car.


    "Sera?" Zhang Xin snorted. "I thought you already checked the flights in the next two days? You said you didn''t see her name?"


    "Yes, I will make sure to check everything later once we get home. It was probably just my hallucinations. She was with a man, someone I didn''t recognize."


    "Hmmm¡­ you should check it. That woman cannot come here. Check all the transportations. I want our people to check the city borders too. Who knows, she would drive here by car." Zhang Xin''s red lips lifted into a sinister smile. "But even if she showed up, everyone was aware of how she treated me when I tried to convince her to see grandfather. If she wanted to be treated like how she was treated years ago, then she would come. But I highly doubt that."


    "Madam is wise."


    Zhang Xin chuckled. "Did you find out who bailed her out?"


    "It was just some random lawyer. Probably someone that she hired. That lawyer had no connections to Miss Xu''s friend. Also¡­ their business¡­"


    Zhang Xin squinted her phoenix eyes. "What about it?"


    "It''s new. We can easily ruin it. Shall we¡ª "


    "Let''s leave it. What can a woman like her do in the business world? She is nothing." Disgust clouded Zhang Xin''s gaze. "Let''s go, take me to see the old man. I need to ''convince'' him to make me invite her again."The stubborn old man always acts like he was above everyone else. If only her husband was more capable, that old man would have long died a long time ago.


    ¡­


    "You saw that man right?" Chris asked the moment, they got into the car.


    "I saw him."


    "And you just let him ¡ª "


    "I did," Sera turned towards him. "He could report to Zhang Xin. I am already here. That woman won''t be able to stop me from seeing my grandfather."


    "When are you going to see him?" he asked.


    For a few seconds, she just stared at him. She stared at his face for a long time. Chris had the looks of a god. That was undeniable. His eyelashes were perfect. It was long and curled as if the gods especially made it for his face. His nose was tall and straight. His usually smiling lips looked pinkish and full. To some, he looked like a model in the magazines. To her, he looked a little ethereal and peaceful. It kind of reminded her of Cross. Obviously, Cross'' s voice was much deeper than Chris''s baritone one.


    "Did someone tell you that you looked different when you turned serious?" she asked.


    "How different? Is it a good different? Or bad different."


    She snorted and avoided his gaze. "You''re not coming with me."


    "Hey, how did you know that I was about to ask that? But I think it will be safer if I come with you. After all, you are my future wife. What if they do something to you? What if¡ª "


    Her glare shut him up.


    "Alright¡­ I won''t go. I will stay in the car and wait for you."


    ...


    PLEASE ADD NEW NOVEL: The Hustler''s Bride

 Chapter 39 - House

    Just as Chris promised, they checked out from the hotel the next day and moved into the house that he bought. It was located in one of the residential areas downtown in Cone Lands.


    "So Cone Lands is called Cone Lands because of the pine trees?" Chris asked when they arrived in front of the huge gate. He opened the car door for her to get out and continued. "This isn''t my first time in this part of the country but I was never really interested in this place."


    "Cone Lands is just some term that natives use. There are seven cities inside Cone Lands. Ashil, where my Zhang Family is located, Isul¡­ we are in Isul now. And Aluya City where the slums are mostly located.."


    "Weird names."


    "Those are considered heroes in the city." She answered and eyed the steel and slick Grey gate. It was modern with patterns that were laser cut into the steel. "This is¡­ "It looked expensive. She wondered if she could really afford it.


    "I know you will like it. Come, let''s go inside." He held her hand and pulled her inside the gate, revealing the small walkway that would lead them to the door.


    "Outside is still a bit bland. Don''t worry, I already asked some people to arrange the garden. Ah, the parking lot could accommodate three cars. The house has five rooms in total. Two of the rooms we can use as our office. Two guest rooms and one master''s bedroom."


    She nodded and decided to ignore the fact that he was still holding her hand. She wondered if he would sleep in the guest room or masters. Right now, he still owned the house. It is only right that he sleeps in the master''s bedroom, right?


    He walked inside the house and extended his hand towards the living room. Smiling, he pointed at the sofa that they bought yesterday and some painting on the walls that he chose. Again, she nodded, her eyes roaming around the living room.


    Just like the sleek and clean design of this gray and white exterior of the house, the living room also had a tinge of a modern yet cozy atmosphere. The white walls looked great, as with the wooden floorings. It perfectly contrasted the gray sofa and black coffee table. The ring-like chandelier sitting above the living room made the tall ceiling more sophisticated.


    "But this is not the most beautiful place." He dragged her to the wooden staircase with a glass baluster. She wanted to tell him how she would like to look at the kitchen that was located past the stairs, but his excitement about the second floor made her speechless.


    "This!" Chris said and opened one of the black doors that looked like steel. When she saw what was inside the room, her eyes widened. "So? So? What do you think?"


    She gulped. "This¡­ "She walked inside and caressed one of the computer screens. "This is expensive." This room was a haven for hackers. It was full of screens and if her guess was right, this computer should be more sophisticated than the one that he had in Quinn Media. She blinked and looked at him. She wouldn''t be able to afford this¡­ now. "I¡ª "


    "Bridal price."


    "¡­"


    "And since you will be working with me, you need the best computers. Ah, I am not an expert so¡­ if this isn''t enough or if something is not the latest model then¡­"


    "It''s good. Thank you."


    "Turn it on."


    She nodded and sat on the most comfortable gaming chair that she was able to sit in all her life. She brushed her fingers against the mechanical keyboard and smiled at it slowly, changing its white light into different bright colors.


    Obviously, she was planning to keep it simple and white. However, watching it do its magic was a reminder that she needed to work hard to pay this man for the computer. After a few seconds, she started setting the computer up. Seeing that it was actually the latest model, she couldn''t help but smile and immersed herself in the magic of technology.


    Sera didn''t even notice him leave the room as she tightened the security of her new computer.


    When her stomach started grumbling, she realized that she had been inside the room for more than four hours. She went out of the room and opened the nearest door to the office. Chris didn''t finish touring, so she had no clue where the guest room or her things were.


    She walked inside and realized that this was another office. Unlike her office, that looked dark with lots of LED light, making it look like it came out of the tech magazine, this office was the exact opposite.


    It was bright and spacious, with a wooden table and a white couch. The bookshelf that occupied one wall was especially attractive. She wondered if he had read all the books on that shelf or was only using it for decorations.


    She decided not to spend more time in his office and walked out only to see him standing behind the door, a towel was on his shoulders as he wiped his wet hair. "What are you doing here?" she asked, and frowned when she realized how stupid her question was. Obviously, he was here because this was his office.


    He smiled and gave her a knowing look.


    "I was¡­ looking for the room." She said and gulped when she noticed that he wasn''t wearing any shirt. She quickly lowered her gaze, then pinched her own leg when she realized how awkward she was.


    "Hm. It''s the next one."


    Without waiting for him to say anything, she rushed towards the room, locking the door behind her. Leaning against the door, she let out a long sigh of frustration. Being shy does not really suit her.


    After what felt like forever, she walked towards the bed and collapsed on the bed. It was already six in the afternoon, and she was starving. When she heard the door of the room open, Sera jolted up and looked at Chris. Then she asked, "What are you doing here?"


    ....


    Check out comment section.

 Chapter 40 - Compromise

    "I was going to ask you to eat."


    "Oh¡­" She couldn''t help but stare at his firm abs. For some reason, she felt like a pervert. By the way¡­ my stuff is already here, right?"


    He nodded in response.


    "Alright, I will change my clothes."


    "Then¡­ I will wait in the kitchen?"


    Sera nodded, and once again ran towards the bathroom. She assumed that there was a walk-in closet in the bathroom and just as she expected¡­.


    Wait¡­


    "Hey!" It didn''t take her thirty seconds to come back out. Chris was still there, leaning against the door, smiling at her. "Your clothes are in the closet. Is this your room?"


    "It''s yours, but this is the only one with a walk-in closet. I thought it would be cool to put my clothes in here. Plus, the bathroom is spacious enough for two people."


    She squinted. "Then let''s move my stuff to the other room."


    "You don''t want to share a bathroom with me?"


    "That is¡ª "


    "Don''t worry, I don''t walk around naked. I mean¡­ I can if you want to. But ¡ª "


    "I don''t want to see you naked!"


    "Really?" he cocked an eyebrow and smirked at her.


    "Mr. Quinn¡­ I hope you don''t mind, but I think we should establish boundaries, for the time being, right?" she said. "It''s only fair that we Ummm¡­ avoid walking around shirtless and stop teasing each other." Seeing her frown, he chuckled and shook his head.


    "You are difficult."


    Her face turned darker.


    Then he added, "But I like it." He approached her and used his right hand to tuck a loose strand of her hair behind her ears. "I always thought that most women would agree to marry me if I use my name. I guess you are not one of them?" He didn''t wait for her to answer. "You will stay in this room. With my clothes." Now that wasn''t a question. He wasn''t asking for permission. He was ordering her.


    However, this only made Sera more irritated. "Your clothes will stay. I am leaving." This time it was her turn to show some attitude to the man who only wanted to use her. "Or you can stay in this room. Your choice." The flash of disbelief in his eyes made her smirked. She would call this victory. "And if you want someone that you could order around, please¡­ find someone else. That''s not gonna be me."


    Most of the time, she would like to stay calm to keep the peace. However, she isn''t someone that would just let anyone bully her. "No, you can stay here if you want. I am changing my clothes." With that, she turned her back and walked towards the closet, leaving Chris standing there on his own with a myriad of expressions on his face.


    Sera took a few minutes before she found some of her pajamas. After quickly changing into them, she walked out of the bathroom and realized that Chris left. She smiled. She was already expecting to have dinner alone.


    Contrary to her expectations, the man was actually waiting for her in the dining room. She didn''t say anything as she sat next to him and started eating some native dish In the city. Just like her, the man sitting next to her also didn''t say anything.


    The thick suffocating silence wrapped around them. Normally, Sera wouldn''t care about anything like this. So what if he wasn''t planning to speak to her? She could survive without him. In fact, she didn''t want him to tag along, and yet he insisted.


    Alright, maybe she needed to say something? Maybe had been really harsh? Maybe¡­. Maybe she hurt the man''s feelings? Mr. Quinn should be someone who grew up around the rich, right? This is the only thing that could explain why he is demanding, right?


    For a few seconds, she tried to talk herself out of apologizing. But at the end, she looked at him just as he glanced at her.


    "Look¡­."


    "Look¡­."


    They stared at each other after saying the same word at the same time.


    "You first¡­"


    "You first¡­"


    "Then I will¡­"


    "Then I will¡­"


    She blinked and waited for him to say something.


    "I¡ª "


    "I¡ª"


    "Alright¡ª "


    "Alright¡ª "


    "I''m sorry for saying something like that."


    Sera''s jaw dropped when Chris apologized.


    "I forgot that you already have someone you liked. I was acting too friendly."


    Is this how he treats his friends? But¡­ this is such a weird treatment?


    "Say something¡­."


    Did she just saw a flash of fear in his eyes? "It''s good. I want to apologize too."


    "So¡­ we''re good?"


    "Yeah¡­ I think we are."


    He smiled. The crease in between his brows slowly vanished. "Then about the wedding¡­"


    "Let''s just¡­ not talk about any of that now."


    After that, Chris started talking about random things like her business and what other stuff she could do. Then, they finished their meal and had some wine while watching the view from the balcony of the master''s bedroom.


    When it was time to sleep, he insisted that she stay in the master''s while he stays in the guest room. Again, the topic of clothes came up, and they decided to just use the same walk-in closet.


    Thinking about it now, Sera couldn''t believe how she chose to compromise this time. She stared at the ceiling and silently stared at the darkness that surrounded her. The silence would be suffocating to some, but she liked it. The fact that this room is actually soundproof is really making her ecstatic.


    Then she thought about showing up in the old man''s mansion tomorrow. She wasn''t actually planning to ruin any big moments. All she wanted to do is show that video to her grandfather. Then she would ask him about her mother and Chris''s claims.


    She sighed and thought about the past.


    Ah, revenge is just a waste of her time. There is no use thinking about something like that. After a few minutes, she sat back up and opened her laptop, then started writing some programs that she needed to give to Xu Je''er.


    This room was the epitome of comfort and luxury, and yet she couldn''t sleep. Funny how the most comfortable bed is actually not doing its job to ease her nerves.


    After some time, she got out of her room and walked towards her office. However, her footsteps took her towards Chris''s office. For a few seconds, she hesitated before she finally knocked on the door. "Hey¡­ are you in?"

 Chapter 41 - Panda *

    WARNING! R18


    ....


    When she heard his soft hum, she opened the door and went straight towards his couch. Sitting, she casually opened a few magazines on the coffee table. "I can''t sleep."


    "You would look like a panda tomorrow." His eyes were on his laptop, fingers were typing as if he was playing a complicated piano piece instead. How could someone type so elegantly? "You have to sleep, or people would think that I bullied you," he added.


    "What you said about my grandfather¡­ and mother. Was it true?" she asked.


    "You aren''t here to hear my answer, right?" he peeled his gaze away from the laptop as met her curious eyes. Lifting an eyebrow, his gaze turned towards her clothes¡ª something that she didn''t notice.


    "Probably," she shrugged. "Alright. Yes, I won''t believe anything you say."


    "Why is that?"


    Can he really blame her? When he revealed everything, he made it clear that he wanted to use her. She blinked as he stood from his seat and approached her.


    "Why is that?" he repeated his question just as he neared her. "Was it because I said¡­ I wanted your help?"


    "What are you doing?" she leaned back when she realized that he was already sitting next to her. But her question only made him leaned closer. The smell of his aftershave made her frown.


    It was the same one that he used when they met at the bar.


    One thought of that bar made small electric pulses vibrate in her skin down to her stomach and into her core. A part of her hated that she liked it.


    He didn''t hide the amusement in his eyes. "I was the one asking the questions." Before she had the time to answer him, he added, "Was it because you can''t accept the fact that they played you?"


    His breath was warm against her skin. She forced herself to stare at his dark brown eyes, hoping to make herself looked more courageous. "That is none of your business." She avoided his gaze only to see that he was only wearing a robe.


    She gulped as her ears turned hot. What the hell? She could only cursed inwardly.


    "Was it so hard to face the truth that all this time¡­ they were letting you dance in their palms like a damn toy?"


    His words sounded rough against her ears. She wanted to rebut, argue that she wasn''t some toy. Then she thought of Zhang Xin''s face. She thought of what that woman did in her apartment. She thought of going to jail and the possibility of being framed for something that she didn''t do.


    She was lucky she had the video to prove her innocence.


    Without the video, everyone would surely think she was trying to hurt that woman.


    "What is it?" he asked. "Did you realized it now?"


    His words made her realized how close he was to her face. His beautiful eyes were only a few centimeters away from hers. Again, she didn''t say anything.


    Even if they played her, so what?


    Wasting her time on revenge and spending the rest of her life angry was not part of her plan. She wanted to tell him something but realized that no voice would come out of her mouth.


    "I see¡­ you are still in denial?" he smirked. "You look tense. Why don''t you relax and stop looking at me like you were expecting me to kiss you?"


    Then he used his hand to lift her chin up.


    "What are you talking about?" she tried to move her face away. But his hand were preventing her from doing so.


    "How about I make you relax those conflicting emotions... tonight?" He didn''t wait for a response as his lips sealed hers.


    Instead of pushing him away, Sera folded her arms around his neck, her heart raced, drumming against her chest as she closed her eyes.


    His hand found her waist as he angled her body. Making her back leaned comfortably against the couch. He deepened the kiss, his hand massaging her thigh. Then, he slowly parted her legs as he positioned himself in between her things.


    He pressed his erection against her core. The sensation made her tremble in delight.


    Sera told herself it was a bad idea¡ª to take when she was already in love with someone else¡ª but the thought didn''t stop her from responding. She opened her lips and welcomed his tongue, her hand stroked his nape and slowly trailed towards his robe, tugging it down.


    As much as she wanted to deny it, this man had awakened some parts of her she didn''t know existed. She felt him wrapped his hands around her waist. Seeing that he wasn''t planning on removing his clothes, she ran his hand on his back.


    She felt her core fluttered, electric pulses started rampaging in her stomach. A small touch from him, and she was already reacting like a crazed maniac.


    She couldn''t help but ridicule her own self.


    When he slipped one of his hands inside her shirt, Sera seemed to have forgotten all the mockery that she felt earlier. She let out a soft moan when his finger brushed against her nipples. She didn''t even notice when he managed to remove her shirt. He must have pulled her shirt up in a swift motion before dropping it on the floor! Who knows?


    All she knew was that his hands were already on her bare chest, tugging and making her nipples roll in between his finger.


    She arched her back, the sensation was enough to kick all the reason out of her head. She then wrapped her legs around his waist. Eyes closed, she bit her lower lip just as he started trailing kisses across her chest.


    When he took her breast on her mouth, she trembled and once again tugged his robe.


    The need inside her escalated.


    She stared at him, her half-opened eyes seemed to fuel something inside his body as he lowered his head and started kissing her already swollen lips. Then she felt his hand in between her thighs, slowly moving towards her core.


    When his finger reached her clit, Sera couldn''t help but let out a few curses. The sensitive spot made her want to beg him to finish this now. Her impulsive self wanted it to be done. But a part of her was urging her to sit tight and enjoy it.


    A part of her seemed to know that¡­ something more is coming.

 Chapter 42 - Getting Started *

    WARNING: R18!


    ...


    Just a few hours ago, she was so determined to resist whatever it was that she felt towards him. Perhaps she should have hit her head to make herself realized that this was wrong! Everything about this¡­ this man is wrong!


    But here she was, anticipating everything that was about to happen.


    Sera laced his fingers behind his neck as he pressed his erection against her sex. The spark of awareness raced inside her when she felt his skin against hers.


    He was naked.


    Just like her.


    And she was enjoying every minute of it!


    Unable to stop the sensations sweeping inside her, she held his hand that was fondling her breast and guided it towards her core. When she felt him gave her clit a little tug, she moaned and wrapped her fingers around his shaft.


    The action made him hissed. A few curses left his mouth. A few simple strokes and his breathing turned strained. The discovery made her excited.


    She liked the power that she had over him. Just a few strokes, and she could see the lust appear in his face. The need, the want overflowed inside her.


    She stared at him as he stared back. "You''re even more beautiful than the day I first saw you."


    She snorted softly. "You were drunk when you saw me."


    Was he?


    He let go of a small chuckle as he slowly pushed his hand away from his manhood. Then he lowered his head and started kissing her stomach, trailing down towards her aching core. For a few moments, she pushed aside all the confusion that she had, as excitement made her senses run wild.


    Her hand touched his head and guided him in the middle of her thighs.


    The sensation from his tongue against her clitoris made her powerless to resist.


    She felt his finger inside her, casually pushing and pulling as he used his thumb to flick her clitoris.


    "Sera?" he whispered, his lips against her ears. His warm, maple-like baritone pulled her out from the sensations inside her body. "You can say stop if you want to."


    And he was asking her¡­ Just before she could beg him to put it inside her, he was telling her that she could say whatever it is to stop it. What the hell?


    "You can¡ª "


    Sera interrupted his next words when she wound her free hand around his neck and leaned into him, kissing him until his head was about to explode. He pulled back and stared at her without saying anything.


    Before she knew it, his lips were already on her mouth. His fingers skillfully went inside her. In and out, making her moan in pleasure.


    Her eyes snapped shut, back arched towards him. She wanted to beg him, tell him that she needed more than his fingers. Her stubborn self would never let her beg, especially to the man who only wanted to use her.


    She opened her eyes, the hunger in her orbs made him smirk. "More?" he asked.


    She could have nodded or said yes. But for some reason, a different sensation possessed her body. Squinting, Sera smiled and suddenly pushed him towards the carpeted floor, then straddled him.


    Without waiting for him to say anything, she lowered her core towards his manhood.


    The feeling of being filled by his flesh made her shivered inwardly. She could feel herself stretch to accommodate his size. Pure pleasure struck her insides like a bolt of lightning. And she wanted more.


    "You¡ª "


    "I''m on a pill. And I''m clean."


    "That was not what I was trying to say." He smirked, his hands were already locked on her waist. "But that''s good. " He massaged her waist. "Didn''t know you have this side¡­ in you."


    She felt her cheeks turned hot. She tried to suppress the embarrassment and focused on what was already inside her wet cave. She felt her body burned under his warm gaze. To her surprise, her body reacted before she could even think about it. Her hips started moving, rotating.


    "Touch your breasts."


    She heard him say.


    And she complied.


    The feeling of him inside her, coupled with the erotic sensations from her breast, immediately brought her towards the precipice. The surge of electric pulses intensified as he guided her, making her move up and down. Her breathing turned strained and shallow as she moved her hips faster, clumsier.


    He felt him sat up, his lips started playing with her nipples, biting and licking it, making it roll in his tongue.


    She clung to him. Folding her arms around his neck as she braced herself for the climax that she had been anticipating for a while now.


    Her climax came at her like waves. It rushed through her, without warning, making her body tremble. She convulsed, blood hummed In her veins as she let out a soft moan. She steadied her breathing, her arms still tight around him.


    "Satisfied?" he heard him asked.


    But she had no time to react as he suddenly lifted her body. She let out a surprised squeal when he turned her around, letting her bent over on all fours. From behind, he entered her and started thrusting, pumping in and out of her.


    She could feel him grow larger inside her. She moaned and let out a few curses as he started moving faster in a relentless rhythm that overlapped the moans that escaped from her mouth.


    Then her brazen hands reached out and started to play with her clit, devastating her control. The onslaught that followed seemed to ignite a hunger she didn''t know she had before meeting him.


    Soon, his voice turned husky as he whispered words of want and need against her ears. Then there it was, the deep thrust that signaled his climax.


    It was followed by a growl that only reminded her of how he wasn''t done. The night is long and¡­ he was just getting started.


    .....


    If you haven''t already, please add the novel: THE HUSTLER''s BRIDE into your library. It is romantic fantasy with Lycan''s, witches and magic. Thank you.

 Chapter 43 - Sexual Frustrations *

    Warning: R18!


    ....


    It took Sera a few seconds before she realized that it was already morning. And she was already in bed. The last time she remembered, she was still at his office table.


    She took a few seconds to shed the sleepiness before she tried to move her legs out of the bed. Weak and spent.


    The fact that she couldn''t even lift her leg without making it tremble made her curse. She sighed in frustration and stared at the ceiling. She is spent.


    Her core felt sore and numbed and her body¡­ is couldn''t move without trembling. Last night she thought about the embarrassment that would come the next day. Then she decided to let her need a win and stop thinking about it. At that time, she chose to live for the moment and forget about everything else. Now, it is inevitable for her to wonder what is going to happen next.


    What about Cross?


    Sera thought about his four-eyed best friend. It had been days since she heard something from him, and she was getting anxious to hear from him again. Or at least that was before last night.


    Right now, Sera felt she just did something irredeemable. She felt guilty. Shame and tears clouded her gaze.


    Sadly, the shame came too late.


    She felt like she just cheated on him.


    "Ahhhh!" she used a pillow to cover her face as she screamed in frustration. Of course, she isn''t going to blame anyone but her lustful self. She was just too¡­ thirsty!


    "What are you doing?"


    Almost immediately, her face reddened. He felt him tugged the pillow, trying to remove it from her face.


    "Are you alright?" he added.


    She gulped and slowly lowered the pillow. "Exercise."


    "Huh?"


    "Stress exercise. I do this when I have a lot of deadlines. Just so¡­ you know¡­ I could release my stress." She faked a smiled and sat in a jolt. "What are you doing?" she asked. He was standing next to her side of the bed. He wasn''t that close, but close enough for her to breathe in his scent.


    "I just took a bath."


    "Oh¡­." She lowered her gaze. "What time is it?"


    "Ten in the morning."


    "Oh."


    "You should get more sleep. Six hours of sleep is enough for an adult but¡­ not an exhausted one."


    "Six¡­ oh!" So, they slept at four in the morning!


    Great!


    Just great!


    Her face turned hotter. Her heart started racing against her chest. Until now, Sera didn''t really know that she could still any type of embarrassment. She wanted to find a hole to bury herself alive.


    "Sleep¡­ your appointment with the old man is not until this afternoon. You still have time to rest."


    "It''s fine. I''m not that weak." With that, she stood in front of him. She then realized that she was actually wearing nothing but a huge shirt that almost reach her knee.


    "Ehem¡­ you alright?"


    She lifted her gaze and met his eyes. "Huh?"


    "You are so red."


    "That ¡ª I am." Jesus¡­ she just woke up and she already thinking about removing the shirt in front of him! What was happening to her? Why does it feel like she had some sort of pent-up sexual frustrations that she had been hiding for years?


    "I''m brushing my teeth." She strode towards the bathroom and immediately found what she was looking for. But her expression quickly changed when she saw another toothbrush next to hers. She squinted. The brand reminded her of Cross.


    It was his favorite.


    Shrugging, she quickly brushed her teeth and washed her face. Then she went inside the walk-in closet only to see him choosing a shirt. Quickly turning her gaze to the opposite side, she ignored the shirtless Chris. "Eh?" Sera looked at the dress and clothes in front of her. She couldn''t remember¡­ "Hey, Mr. Quinn?"


    "I think you should start calling me a husband."


    She almost jumped when she realized that he was standing behind her. Sera''s body turned stiff as his body heat surrounded her. Memories of last night suddenly appeared inside her head.


    "The clothes¡­"


    "If you don''t like it, you can sell it, throw it away, or donate. Then we can buy new ones."


    "No, I mean¡­ "She turned towards him and realized that they are actually closer than she originally thought. "I mean don''t buy things for me without my permission." She got it, he was rich. But buying stuff that she doesn''t need is nothing but a waste of money.


    "I didn''t buy this. These are designer clothes that some designers would send the company for some artists to wear. These are the smaller sizes and the brand-new ones that they sent. I thought it''s good to let them send it here."


    "Designer clothes?" No wonder the fabric looked fantastic. But then again, she should have already expected this.


    "It would be a waste to let them send it to other people, no?"


    She nodded at that. "Thank you. I will pay you¡ª "


    "With your body?"


    Her breath hitched when he narrowed the space between them. She immediately felt her blood hummed, the familiar longing squeezing inside her. She tried to maintain the little bit of reasoning she had left.


    Obviously, it vanished when he suddenly lifted her up and pushed her against the glass wall. Out of instinct, her legs wrapped around his waist. The kiss that followed spoke of things that were left unsaid. Their lips fused, savoring each other''s hot flavor of desire.


    He was quick to pull the shirt out of her, his hand immediately kneaded her bosom. Then he clumsily opened his belt, removing his pants that were the only thing stopping him from claiming what was his.


    The reason that she held earlier slowly stumbled into oblivion as he moved the small clothed that covered her sex. "I have a meeting in five minutes."


    She widened her eyes, unable to react to his words. Before she knew it, he already penetrated her. The slow, repetitive movement that followed made her quiver with delight. Their bodies radiated with heat and lust. Need and want intertwining in the air.


    Sera closed her eyes as she gave herself up to her desire, to his magic. Lost in the beauty of the moment, she clung to him as if her life depended on it. Soon, the slow rhythm turned faster and rough. She heard him curse before both of them exploded with delight.


    Ripples of pleasure wracked their brains.


    When her thoughts came back into the earth, he was already putting his pants back on. Then he leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I''ll see you at lunch? And you really should start calling me husband." He grabbed a shirt with the color of her eyes and winked at her before leaving.

 Chapter 44 - Cooking

    All morning, Sera had been in dazed as she stared at the codes running on her computer. The unusual stillness in the air that she used to love so much seemed a bit uncomfortable today.


    "So, I already signed the deal this morning. I sent you another hundred thousand for your share. Also, the security program that you created was bought by X company. They actually liked it. Ah, the Quinn Media also¡ª "


    She nodded at Xu Je''er whose face on her phone. Xu Je''er insisted on a video call her to know if she was still alive or if some dude kidnapped her.


    "Hey! Are you listening to me?" Xu Je''er asked.


    "Of course. I am just busy with the programs."


    "You must be working too hard again! You looked stressed!"


    "Yep!" she was obviously working too hard. Her body felt sore.


    "Sera! I am telling you, stop working too hard and use this vacation time to relax. Plus, the deadlines ¡ª come on. You own this company too. You deserve a break. Plus, we have some junior programmers that could help us."


    Sera nodded. "You said something about Quinn Media? Are they going to sue you for what you did?"


    "You ¡ª Can you stop talking about that? I am proving to my father that I have changed. In fact, I offered to tour him inside our company."


    "What did you say when he refused?" Sera asked.


    "How did you know he refused to visit us?"


    "I would refuse to visit my spoiled daughter too."


    "You ¡ª Are you really my friend?"


    "Nope."


    "Sera! How could you be so ruthless? I always thought you are already treating me as a lover! Hmph!"


    Sera chuckled. "Did your father invested?"


    "Hey! Can you read my mind? How did you know I asked for an investment?"


    Sera didn''t know what to say. "You are a pampered little princess. You don''t have the patience to start a company from the ground up." Sera didn''t miss the guilt that flashed in her friend''s eyes. "No need to worry. I will talk to Quinn Media for an investment."


    "Eh? Quinn Media? The Quinn Media? What are you talking about? Are you hiding something from me? Hey! Quinn Media is a huge company. Why would they invest in us? They only wanted to steal you away from me! That Mr. Quinn must be a pedophile! You know what? You are right, I am thankful that I didn''t see him!"


    Seeing her silly friend make another assumption made Sera smile. Sometimes, having a friend like this is enough to make her day better. "Alright, I will finish this program. Tell the junior programmers to test the downtime and testing it against identity theft and DoS and DDoS attacks. I sent them an email just now for the instructions."


    Seeing her turned serious again, Xu Je''er beamed. "Yes, sir!" With that, the two quickly ended the call. Xu Je''er''s call was actually the thing that pulled Sera out of the weird moment that she had earlier.


    After the call, she started working. Her fingers flew on the keyboard as she took care of the security in the house, CCTV and alarms, as well as facial and fingerprint recognition.


    Luckily, she knew that Mr. Quinn was working on his room so she won''t have any problems with letting him in later. After setting up everything, she decided whose identification should she input aside from herself? Should she allow Mr. Quinn to come in and out of this place?


    But getting his fingerprint sounded too much, no?


    Maybe just face and voice recognition will do. She didn''t want to sound like some paranoid. After a few more minutes of working, Sera started stretching. She wanted to go out and get herself some warm water, but decided against it when she thought of accidentally seeing Mr. Quinn somewhere.


    Right now, the house was empty, except for the two of them. Who knows if that man would suddenly ask her to pay him on the stairs? Or in the kitchen sink? Or against the two-door fridge?


    Wait¡­ what was she thinking? Why was she thinking of lewd things in the middle of the day?


    She stood and finally decided to walk out of her office. The moment she took a step out, her expression instantly turned ugly. She could smell something burning.


    Alarms rang inside her head as she sprinted towards the kitchen. "What ¡ª What are you doing?" she was staring at the source of the smell. It was¡­ uh¡­ meat? Black and charred. "What is that?"


    "It''s supposed to be steak." His voice was rather down. "It didn''t go that well."


    "Eh? Why would you cook steak?"


    He pursed his lips in response. The action reminded her of a little child¡­


    Wait! Was he trying to serve her food? Was he trying to cook for her?


    She approached the burned meat. "Next time, just order something. Or you can eat my food."


    "You know how to cook?" his face lit up.


    She snorted as she recalled how the food that Cross could make. For some reason, she always found that skill sexy. "Simple ones." She answered. "Don''t cook anything. I don''t want you to risk burning my kitchen. I''m still working hard to pay for it."


    She immediately scolded herself for mentioning the word ''pay'' around him. Before he could say anything or do something that might involve pushing her against anything, Sera decided to run back to her office.


    Her swift action made him laugh.


    Hearing his deep voice echoed, Sera felt goosebumps all over her body as she hastened her steps away from him. Because she was trying to get away as fast as possible, she missed the cunning smile that was plastered across Mr. Quinn''s face.


    Sera offered to cook for him.


    She offered to let him eat her¡­ food.


    He looked at the now silent kitchen before he shook his head and walked towards his office as he used his phone to order some food for their lunch. He wasn''t really that heartless to let her cook after what happened the other night. So, he would order some food and bring it to her office.


    Then, they could enjoy the food together.

 Chapter 45 - Number Two

    "You sure, you''re ready for this?" For the umpteenth time, he asked her.


    "Really?" she asked.


    "Really! I mean¡­ if you don''t want this then¡­"


    "I already told you. I want this." She didn''t hide the irritation in her eyes. Since they left the house, Chris had been asking her if she really wanted to do this. The man graciously drove her towards the hospital, then keep on talking about the Zhang Family.


    The man wanted her to know the truth, but for some reason, he also didn''t want her to go to the hospital now and risk seeing the whole Zhang Family. Yes, the original plan was for her to visit tonight and enjoy dinner with the old man before talking.


    However, they received news that the old man had to go to the hospital.


    "Alright. My people are going to keep you safe. In case¡­ turn on the recorder of your phone. It will protect you against schemes. Currently, there were no people from the Zhang Family, yet. But they will soon come. I want you to leave immediately in the first sign of danger. I don''t want them to bully you. You know what? Why don''t I just accompany you inside?"


    His words reminded her of a caring mother. She quite liked it. But then, she recalled how he wanted to use her. Perhaps he was only treating her like this because he was still thinking about using her against the Zhang Family? The thought stopped her from smiling.


    She stared at him. "Thank you."


    "Hmm. Put my number in your speed dial number one."


    "Uhh¡­ nope."


    "That''s needed."


    Cross was speed dial number one. "Let me put you at number two."


    "Why not number one?"


    "Just number two."


    "Why can''t I be number one?" he continued asking.


    "Just number two." And she continued saying the same thing. It was a deadlock.


    Obviously, he isn''t number one because someone else is already using that number. Is that so hard to understand?


    "Alright¡­ I will stay number two. For now."


    She chuckled and shook her head. "Alright." She looked at him before she went out of the car and marched towards the entrance. She lowered the cap that covered almost half of her face as she walked inside the elevator and pressed the VIP floor where the old man was located. It took her a few seconds to find the old man''s room.


    For a few minutes, she stood at the door, staring at the number. She thought of the last time that she saw the old man.


    By then, he should be around seventy. He was still active, he was playing golf with her father or uncle or adoptive father. She chuckled at the thought of it.


    Perhaps, she should just start calling that man by his name. After all, they made sure to tell everyone that she wasn''t a Zhang anymore on that night. She gave the door a soft knock and almost immediately, the door opened. A man, whom she recognized as her grandfather''s assistant smiled at her.


    He gestured her towards the old man that was lying on the huge bed. She roamed her eyes around the VIP room and discovered that it looked more like a hotel room more than a hospital. She immediately noticed the absence of oxygen tanks and pieces of medical equipment.


    She inhaled, the smell of disinfectants was the only thing that reminded her this wasn''t a hotel but a VIP room in a hospital.


    "I have to pretend to get sick today and asked my people to refuse any visitations from the Zhang Family." The old man''s voice was weak and croaky. "I wanted to make sure that no one would attempt to do something to you."


    She stared at his wrinkled face. The last time she saw him, the white strands in his head were not that obvious. Right now, his hair already turned silver-white.


    "Sit." The old man gestured her to sit on the table a few feet away from the bed. She complied.


    The room was actually like a suite room in a hotel with complete amenities. She spotted a stove and oven in the kitchen to her left, a huge two-door fridge can be seen next to it. To her right, was the old man''s queen-size bed, a few books can be seen stacked on his side table.


    Sera watched as his assistant assisted him as he walked towards her.


    "Do you want some coffee?" he asked.


    "Tea would be nice. Thank you," she answered.


    The old man''s face froze before he looked at his assistant. "Bring her ¡­ her mother''s favorite."


    Mother¡­


    The word was a bit familiar and unfamiliar to her. Growing up, she never really had someone who treated her like a mother would treat her child. She was spoiled, yes. But no one really took care of her like how Zhang Xin would take care of Zhang Ying when they were still children.


    "You are here to hear about the truth?"


    She opened her mouth wanting to say something but ended up nodding. She was indeed her to know about the truth.


    "Ah, let me preface this by saying that¡­ the only way that I could protect you and teach you the brutality of the real world is if I send you away. If you stood by my side, they will only attack you and turn you into someone else."


    Again, she said nothing.


    The old man took this as a chance to take a sip of his own tea. Judging from its strong smell, she knew it was must be some herbal tea. "Your mother was kind of like you. Spoiled, she was rude too. Oh, let me say that she was cruel and impatient." Despite his words, the old man''s eyes were gentle. "My eldest¡­ I thought loving her meant giving her everything that she wanted."


    The old man let out a sigh, his face morphing into sadness. "I was wrong. But it was too late for me to realize my mistake. By then, she was already hurting other people and thought the world owed her something. Let me start her story by saying that she was actually the antagonist of her own life. The villainess who was raised by her controlling and authoritative father."

 Chapter 46 - The Zhang Familys Heir

    "She grew up in Du Empire. Your mother. She was smart, real smart that she got into a scholarship program and graduated college at the tender age of eighteen." The old man started.


    "Can you imagine how proud I was?" He glanced at his assistant who started serving her tea. Seeing that Sera wasn''t planning on saying anything, he continued, "She grew up as my little princess. She was beautiful and special. Soon, her privilege turned her into a monster. When she was abroad, she met a man that she liked. But that man is already engaged to another woman. This fact devastated her."


    Ah, so she seduced the man? Sera couldn''t help but imagine a blond, tan, tall, smart queen bee from a university trying to steal someone else''s man. Maybe she had watched a lot of movies?


    "The man liked her too. In fact¡­ that man approached me and talked to me about a marriage alliance. At first, I was hesitant. Especially knowing that he already had¡ª or at least his family already had a marriage alliance with another family. But they insisted that they wanted to get married." The Old Man sighed. "They wanted to marry each other at the tender age of twenty."


    "It was madness," the old man added. "I know. They were head over heels for each other. In the end, I agreed to her request. I gave them my blessings. Of course, the marriage didn''t happen."


    "Why?" She couldn''t help but get curious.


    "Because the man fell into a scheme. He impregnated his fiance."


    Tragic.


    "He was forced to marry her," Sera stated. The old man nodded in response.


    "My daughter¡­ almost turned crazy. She spent most of her time in her room, alone. She refused to eat and spent most of her time staring blankly at the ceiling. She lost a lot of weight and just turned into someone, I didn''t know. Someone¡­ I don''t recognize anymore."


    Sera lowered her head. So, her mother stole someone else''s fiance but she wasn''t successful so she turned into some evil character. No matter how hurt she was, the fact that she was aware that the man already had a fiance and still tried to steal him was already wrong.


    Oh well, it seems that her mother was actually just like her? She couldn''t help but chuckle inwardly.


    "I sent her to have a therapy abroad and after four years, she came back. To my surprise, she was already pregnant."


    Sera nodded, understanding glinted in her eyes.


    "She refused to tell us who impregnated her. At first, I told her to raise the child. We have the money, we can afford a child. So what if she doesn''t have a man? At this age, raising a child on your own is not really that hard to do. She was independent, smart, and beautiful. She can do it."


    "For months, I thought she was alright with the plan. I have talked to her and told her that I would never care if she was unmarried. She is my daughter. And she will always be my daughter. Who cares about society''s opinion? I love her and that''s what matters."


    "Do you know who my father was?" she asked.


    "No. But we soon discovered he was married. I guessed it was the same man that she wanted to marry. Until now, I have no clue who your father was. I tried to ask my people to check it. Retrace her steps and just¡­ see if he can find out anything about your father."


    "I assumed they failed?"


    The old man nodded. "Not only did they fail. They also¡­ didn''t found any traces of a man around your mother. Everyone around her were females and we didn''t see her interact with any males when she was still abroad."


    That''s crazy. Even Sera thought this was crazy. However, at this point in time, she was not even curious who her father was. Maybe people would call her evil but she thought thinking about things like this would only complicate her life.


    She didn''t want a complicated life.


    "Unfortunately, your mother passed away a few hours after she gave birth. I was scared that your father might appear and suddenly claimed paternity and take you away. So I did my best to hide you."


    Understanding flashed in her eyes. She already heard this different story from Mr. Quinn.


    "I asked your uncle, your mother''s younger brother to adopt you, turning you into a Zhang. Then I made another mistake. I failed to see how he had been jealous of your mother. Of course, I am not blaming your uncle. Again, I can only blame myself for everything."


    "I spoiled your mother too much. She was the golden child. I failed to notice that I already failed as a father to your uncle. I am old now Sera and I am not ashamed to say that this was all my fault. I created your monster of an uncle. I was the reason why your mother became that way and now¡­ I am also the reason why you suffered."


    Sera blinked, speechless. Honestly, she didn''t know what to say anymore. At least, the old man was honest enough to accept that he played a part in his daughter''s tragic ending.


    "You know what surprised me more?" the old man turned his gaze towards her. "It''s the fact that this doesn''t surprise you anymore. Was it perhaps¡­ you have experienced something more cruel than this?"


    "Ah? No¡­ No I just thought It was unfortunate. But living in the past won''t get us anywhere."


    "Practical¡­ I see."


    She didn''t know why the old man would say something like that. She watched as the old man chuckled and laughed. "This¡­ You are indeed different. Very different." He nodded. "Your younger sister will announce her engagement in the coming days. I want to use this opportunity to announce that you are my legal heir."


    Sera didn''t know what to say as she was really surprised to hear this from the old man. "But¡­ "


    "You are the Zhang Family''s heir. And it is time for the world to know this."


    "Old man¡­ I¡ª I don''t think that is a very good idea."

 Chapter 47 - Adopted

    "Is this because of Zhang Xin? Did she threaten you?"


    Sera didn''t say anything. Instead, she gave the old man her phone and showed him the video. "I am innocent."


    "This ¡ª " Slowly, the old man''s face turned dark. "She¡ª "


    "I wanted to avoid her as much as possible. I just want to clear my name. I never hurt her. She did it to scare me."


    "That woman!" Considering that Zhang Xin is only the old man''s daughter-in-law is not really a Zhang by blood, the video immediately infuriated him. "Augustus! Call my lawyer!" he ordered his secretary. "I want to arrange a meeting now!"


    Sera wanted to ask what he was planning to do, but ended up shutting her mouth instead. This has nothing to do with her anymore. After a few more minutes, the old man returned her phone and gave her another set of apologies for what happened.


    "But this wouldn''t change my mind. I want to announce your existence to the world at your cousin''s engagement party. This is Zhang Xin''s punishment for what she did."


    This old man is quite fearsome and petty. Even Sera doesn''t really care that much about her identity. All she wanted now was to use the video against Zhang Xin. As punishment, she wanted to send the video to Zhang Xin and scare her to death.


    Alright, maybe she didn''t want to murder someone. But she was hoping to make that woman suffer by slowly sending clips of the video every day. She was planning to hack into Zhang Xin''s computer and erased her files and just make that woman suffer.


    Then she hoped the anger would cause some issues with her health.


    And that was it.


    To some people, this isn''t that grand for an act of revenge. The thing is, she wasn''t really here for revenge. She just felt that Zhang Xin owe her something, and she wanted her to pay. The anxiety that Zhang Xin would feel while waiting for the rest of the video should be enough punishment, right?


    She could already imagine the woman pacing around, unable to sleep while waiting for the sender to demand some sort of money in exchange for the video.


    Of course, she isn''t going to ask for anything which would surely anger that woman to death.


    "You have suffered enough. When they announced that you are adopted, I didn''t intervene. I knew you fell into a scheme and I thought, helping you out would only attract their ire. It would mean that I cared for you and that would anger them even more. For years, I had to pretend that I never cared about an illegitimate child like you. I have to pretend that you don''t matter to me."


    She didn''t miss the sadness in the old man''s eyes. "But now that my life is about to end¡­ "


    "You seemed too sure that you are about to die. Can''t you find any means to live longer?" Her words came before she could even think about it. There was no hint of emotion in her tone. It was as if she was casually talking to an acquaintance instead of her grandfather.


    For a few seconds, her words surprised the old man. Not long after, he chuckled. "I am not accepting any treatments anymore. I am tired. I am already almost eighty years old. I have lived enough¡­ It is time for me to go." As much as it hurt him to hear Sera talked to him like this, he didn''t have a choice. Aside from their blood, they didn''t have any sort of relationship.


    He could only blame himself for this matter.


    At least Sera had acted as an honest person. She didn''t try to console him or made him feel better for his sins. Unlike those people who would try to praise him and use their honeyed tongue to try and get close to him, Sera was just being real.


    Her placid reaction somewhat reminded him of her mother, his daughter. However, the calmness in her eyes was different. It didn''t have the anger that her mother used to have or any resentment. In fact, he could see nothing in Sera''s eyes.


    There was just indifference.


    It was as if she never cared about the past. The old man stared at Sera''s calm appearance.


    Since coming in, the woman didn''t say too many words. But this actually made him feel good. At least, she isn''t some dramatic woman that would cry and vow revenge for the suffering that she experienced. The old man already lived for a long time. He saw people rise and fall; he saw companies succeed and failed.


    By now, he knew that the best way to enjoy this life is to live away from the drama, away from the toxic.


    "If you don''t want me to announce that¡ª "


    "I want to know something else." Sera interrupted the old man''s voice.


    "What is it?"


    "The last time¡­ I mean that incident years ago. When I heard that they are planning to announce I was adopted." She hesitated for a few seconds. "I am wondering if they intentionally let me hear the conversation and changed the context for me to act like a crazed woman?" She was hoping that the old man could tell her the truth about the past.


    Scratch that.


    Sera intentionally asked the question to inform the old man what really happened that night! Hearing the old man''s story made her recall Zhang Xin''s words, the one that she heard. She clearly said they are going to announce that she was adopted.


    But if she was really the heir then¡­ does that mean the announcement would also include that she was a real Zhang? After all, many prominent people were there!


    However, Zhang Xin''s words didn''t include this. She was just clearly talking to her mother about Sera being adopted and it was time to tell the world about this.


    "You ¡ª " As expected, the old man''s expression sank. "You heard that you were adopted¡­ "He mumbled as he lowered his head. ''That night¡­ That night was supposed to be the night that I would announce you as my heir. How did you hear about being adopted? Who did you hear it from?"

 Chapter 48 - Mother And Daughter

    Sera let out a long sigh as she walked away from the VIP room. She wanted to reach the elevator as fast as possible and leave this place. But the moment she turned towards the corner that would have led her to the elevator, she heard a shrill voice that immediately made her want to find a place to hide.


    It was none other than Zhang Xin.


    Her complicated emotion about what she and the old man talked about was still inside her and now she has to see Zhang Xin and Zhang Ying!


    "Why can''t you let us in?" Zhang Xin''s voice echoed inside the whole aisle. She wondered if the guard that stopped them are going to let them in or not. After deliberating for a few seconds, she walked towards the toilet, without even caring that the sign said, male.


    The VIP floor is actually on the topmost floor of the building. Aside from the fact that it was expensive and not many could afford to have their patient stay in this room, most of the rooms are actually reserved for people with big names.


    For instance, the room that Old Man Zhang occupied was only for him. No one else could occupy the room, even if Old Man Zhang is not here. There is also a room for the mayor and his wife and even the Governor and his family.


    Aside from this, the security on this floor was also top notch. Anyone without any appointments or is not related to the patient cannot come in. Even doctors and nurses who serve this area signed a different type of NDA form and are thoroughly checked before being allowed to come and go on this floor.


    This was just a part of the VIP services that they offered.


    "But that is my grandfather!" Zhang Ying''s voice followed. "I came to bring some fruits and ¡ª "


    "Young Miss, please. The master isn''t accepting any visitors. He is weak and cannot talk to anyone else."


    Sera listened as she leaned her ears against the toilet door. Even the toilet in this building looked like a hotel''s too. It had two cubicles and an enormous mirror with golden frames that covered the entire wall next to the sink.


    Looking at her appearance from the mirror, Sera couldn''t help but laugh inwardly.


    Who would have thought that she would one day eavesdrop and even get inside the toilet for men just to avoid some people? Speaking of eavesdropping, Sera turned on the recorder in her backpack as she continued to listen to them.


    "Mother! What are we going to do now? Are you sure Sera is back?"


    Sera''s ears twitched when she heard Zhang Xin mentioned her name.


    "They said it looked like her. I tried to ask my people to find any CCTV from the mall to confirm that she was there but there were some problems on that day. The cameras were not working. They said, she was accompanying a man, and she was pregnant, or at least that''s what the staff who helped them out said."


    "Pregnant?" Zhang Ying asked. "Then¡­"


    "Yes, there is a possibility that it wasn''t her. After all, they were choosing furniture. And Sera is not yet married. So, just relax. What I want you to do is beg your father so he would accompany you in visiting the old man."


    "But mother¡­"


    The two were actually standing outside of the toilet.


    "That old man never liked me because I didn''t come from a prominent family. This is why he was looking down on you. I told you, even if you are well-known and many people adore you, your grandfather would still look down on you." Zhang Xin let out a dramatic sigh. "This is all my fault. This is because of my family."


    "Mother¡­ you must not blame yourself. Please¡­ stop crying¡­"


    This two¡­ Sera deadpanned when she heard the two start consoling each other. What are the odds that Zhang Xin would also manipulate her own daughter? Now that she thought about it, Sera used to fantasize about being Zhang Xin''s daughter before.


    She would think what would have happened if she was actually her daughter. For so long, she wanted to become this woman''s daughter.


    Who would have thought that a day like this ¡ª the day that she would thank the heavens for not making her Zhang Xin''s daughter ¡ª would come? She felt shivers ran down her spine as he continued to listen to the two women outside.


    "My apologies for reacting this way¡­ It''s just that I am unsure if your grandfather refusing to see us, has something to do with what my secretary told me about Sera being here."


    "That''s shouldn''t be the case. Grandfather didn''t like her, right? He didn''t even keep in contact or even tried to send her money to help her."


    "Yingying, please stop being so naive. I believe that the old man still cared about her. And he did all those things, ignore her, and acted as if she no longer exists because he didn''t want us to bully her."


    "Bully her? She was the one who bullied me!"


    "Shhh... I know¡­ I know¡­ Come, I will take you to the bathroom, do not ruin your make-up. What would your fans say if you walk out of this hospital looking like a witch?"


    She heard the two women''s footsteps falter away.


    Sera immediately let out a sigh of relief. Another reason why she chose to hide in the men''s toilet is that she feared that those two would go inside the women''s toilet. Honestly, just the thought of talking to those two is already draining her energy.


    Another sigh left her lips.


    "What''s with that sigh?"


    Without thinking, Sera suddenly let go of a punch towards the source of the voice. Her adrenaline was still pumping, and she wasn''t able to recognize the voice behind her. "Mr. Quinn?" she froze when he avoided her punch by holding her fist.


    "It''s not Mr. Quinn¡­" he smiled. "It''s husband."


    She could only cringe inwardly.

 Chapter 49 - Cubicle *

    WARNING: R18


    ....


    "What''s with that look?" he asked.


    "Why are you here?"


    "You were taking too long."


    She frowned at him. "Then let''s go¡­"


    "But they are still outside, right?"


    "How did you know that?"


    "I don''t." He used his arm to push the door, enabling her from opening it. "But what would happen if I''m right?"


    "How long had you been standing here?" she couldn''t help but ask.


    "Long enough to know that you are eavesdropping."


    She silently gnashed her teeth. "Open the door," she said.


    "What about Madam Zhang?" the corner of his lips lifted into a smirk.


    "I¡ª "


    "Shh¡­ Someone''s coming¡­"


    The next thing she knew, he already pulled her inside the corner most cubicle. She was about to ask him what he was doing when she heard the door opened. She widened her eyes when she realized that she was leaning against his chest. She leaned back, trying to increase the distance between them until her back hit the door of the cubicle.


    He watched as her face reddened. "I told you¡­ jeans are uncomfortable," he whispered.


    Her face darkened, she glared at him just as the men who walked inside started talking. Apparently, one of them was a doctor, the other was a nurse.


    "That Mrs. Zhang was quite bold. Mr. Zhang already said that he is not accepting visitors and yet she refused to leave," the man said.


    Sera tried to relax and stopped her brain from running into places that she didn''t want to explore. She turned her head away, pretending to listen to the conversation.


    She gulped as she felt his hot gaze towards her. The fact that they are in a confined space seemed to make her blood rushed out of her head. Slowly, she felt his gaze burned through her. Again, she pretended not to feel anything.


    "If you want to listen properly¡­ " His hand suddenly slid into her waist. "You should turn your body around¡­" With that, she turned her around, her face towards the door, her back leaning against his muscular chest.


    She stiffened, goosebumps crawling in her body.


    "Relax¡­ we won''t do anything you won''t like."


    She felt his hand massaged her waist, one hand sliding up towards her rib rage and into her breast. While the other slowly unbuckled her jeans.


    "What are you doing?" She tried to remove his hand away from her crotch.


    She felt him inhaled her scent. "You want me to stop?" he asked in a husky voice, enough to grip the sensation building inside her. Without waiting for her to answer, his brazen hands move inside her jeans, reaching her sex in a few seconds. He pressed two of his fingers into the entrance of her core.


    "You¡ª "


    "Shhh¡­ you''re too loud," he said just as he started playing with her already swollen clit. "Eh? You are already dripping?"


    She gritted her teeth, her breathing turned shallow.


    "You like it here, don''t you?"


    She didn''t answer¡ª rather, she couldn''t say anything. Not when his hand was already inside her. Not when she was actually enjoying the pulses inside her stomach. Not when she knew that the moment she opened her mouth, she would only let out a moan.


    The throbbing sensation in between her legs made her eyes shut, breathing sparse. She put her hand on the door of the cubicle and arched her back towards him, silently begging him not to stop. She tried to extend her senses outside of this cubicle and noticed that the men outside were already gone. This time, another person was inside, humming a tune for babies.


    Then her attention switched back to his hand that slipped inside her shirt, playing with her breast.


    A soft moan escaped her lips just as he increased the pacing of his fingers. Soon, her breathing turned ragged and he continued to pick his rhythm until she purred beneath his touch. The sensuality brewed inside her as she braced for her release¡ª something that immediately followed when she felt him lowered his head to kiss the back of her neck. She felt herself shattered in his finger, her slick juices flowed as the shock waves of pleasure made her knees weak.


    She let out a whimper when he suddenly removed his finger inside her, the absence of his flesh made her eyes widened. She turned towards him only to see him, licking his fingers. "More?" he asked.


    She gulped but didn''t say anything. She was too shy to nod and probably too prideful to beg.


    Then an idea appeared in her mind. She smirked and pushed him away from her. Without waiting for him to react, she unbuckled his jeans and tugged his boxers.


    He stared at her, wondering what she was about to do. Then she lowered herself until her face reached his crotch. Without any hesitation, she tugged her boxers down, revealing his erection. She then lifted her head and stared as the anticipation flashed in his face. Her hand soon made its way into his manhood just as she stuck her tongue out and started licking him.


    He held back a moan as he closed his eyes, his hand touched her hair, slowly guiding her. "There¡­" she heard him say. But she was too busy to asked him what she meant, her tongue swirled as his manhood skimmed against her lips.


    She felt him grew larger, stronger. She knew he was about to climaxed. Somehow, knowing that she had the power over him right now made her ecstatic. His breathing grew ragged as he bit his lower lip.


    Soon, his hips started moving, welcoming the heat from her mouth. His release came.


    He shattered inside her mouth, the taste of his fluids almost overwhelmed her senses. It was salty, a bit metallic. She peered at him as she licked the remaining fluids from his manhood.


    "Damn."


    He uttered just as he opened his eyes and met her orbs.


    She lifted an eyebrow in response and fixed her clothes before she marched out of the cubicle. By now, she was certain that the mother and daughter pair already left the building.

 Chapter 50 - Burden

    "As I was saying, you should tour me in this city. I am not¡ª "


    "I''m sleepy," she interrupted him. "And both of us are busy. I have deadlines too." Her company was just a start-up. And Startup means fewer people. Right now, she is the only head developer and is the only one leading a team. Obviously, she was really busy.


    "But I already told Lan Xing to invest."


    "What does it have to do with my workload?" She turned towards him. Chris smiled, his eyes were on the road.


    "You can use it to hire more experts. Then, you can work for me."


    She rolled her eyes and turned her attention to the side of the road where the pedestrians were. To be honest, this relationship that she had with him only made her more confused. She already liked someone else, but obviously, she couldn''t control her lustful self and was attracted to another guy.


    Shameless.


    No, she was more than shameless.


    "My grandfather would introduce me to everyone five days from now. This will be the engagement party of my cousin."


    "He will introduce you as the heir?"


    She felt him tensed.


    "Eyes on the road." She said when she felt his gaze boring towards her.


    "Why did you agree? I thought you didn''t want trouble?"


    "I didn''t," she said. "He said, the world needed to know the truth."


    "The truth?"


    "Zhang Xin had been crying to everyone about the incident in Pane City. Most people, socialites knew that I slapped him and is calling me ungrateful and colorful names."


    He nodded and stayed quiet.


    "He said, I will become the primary holder of the shares after his death. He wanted me to start working for the company. I refused." She doesn''t have any knowledge of the business industry and would always prefer to stay in the background.


    "So¡ª "


    "My grandfather doesn''t have long." She stated. "After his death¡­ I want you to acquire the company."


    Silence descended in between them. Sera noticed his face darkened, but she refused to ask him why he was upset.


    Isn''t this what he wanted?


    The shares?


    Until they reached the house, Chris didn''t say anything. He parked the car and opened the door for her.


    Suddenly, his silence made her wonder if she said something wrong. He wanted the shares, and she was planning to give him that. So¡­


    What''s wrong?


    Seeing that he wasn''t planning to say anything, she just shrugged and walked towards her office. Before she could open the door, she felt his hand wrapped around her wrist. "Is there a problem?" she asked, frowning.


    "After your grandfather''s death, you will become the majority shareholder?"


    She nodded.


    "Thirty percent?" he asked.


    "I will own forty-eight percent of the company. My uncle''s family would own twenty-five percent combined. If I sell you my shares, you can acquire the company."


    "And after you sell the shares?"


    "What do you mean, after I sell the shares?" she chuckled. "Obviously, I don''t want to involve myself in the matters of the Zhang Family."


    "What about your mother?"


    She stared at his eyes. "What about her?" She heard her mother''s story and thought that everything happened because of her mother''s choices. It was the consequence of her actions.


    "You won''t do anything against your uncle? Didn''t he treat you¡ª "


    Her shrug interrupted him. "No." Again, she wasn''t the type to stir some drama just to have some revenge against someone. She was the type that would just sit on her computer and earn money while watching them succumbed to the consequence of their actions.


    He shook his head as a sigh left his lips. "What will happen after you give me your share?"


    "I live happily ever after?" Isn''t that everyone''s goal? Living happily ever after?


    "What about me?"


    She deadpanned. So, he was curious about them and their current relationship.


    "What about you?" she asked.


    "Are you leaving? What about us?"


    She angled her head as she tried to understand the gentle expression in his eyes.


    She wanted to say that there was actually no ''us'' but she chose not to say anything that she would regret later. "You still want me to marry you?" she chuckled as she swallowed the nervousness inside her.


    This conversation is inevitable. Tackling it head-on was always better than¡­ refusing to say anything and being confused for a long time.


    "What''s wrong with marrying you?" he asked.


    She chuckled in response. Actually, everything is wrong in marrying someone like her. After all, her heart already belonged to someone, a man that she might not have in this lifetime.


    At the end of the day, she was still a woman. Someone who is attracted to good-looking people, someone who fell in love, someone who cheated because of some undeniable attraction.


    "Why do you want to marry me? I thought you just wanted the shares?" This man was rich, handsome, and single. Many girls would flock around him and he could sleep with anyone that he wanted to, anytime. So, what the hell is this marriage thing?


    Why was he so adamant about marrying her?


    "You are my fiance and marrying me ¡­ has its own advantage."


    Again, she laughed. Funny how this man¡ª someone that could probably marry anyone because of his status¡ª was trying to tell her how marrying him has its own advantage. "Why don''t¡­ we stop talking about marriage first and just¡­ " for a few seconds she hesitated. "And just focus on what''s going to happen right now?"


    Why does her word sound suggestive?


    She couldn''t help but wonder if her brain finally left her head.


    "I mean¡­ let''s enjoy the moment and take it from there," she immediately clarified.


    Someone like her who had been damaged by experienced had a lot of burden¡ª she was a lot of burden. She had traumas and is just considered a damaged good.


    "But what if you marry someone else?"


    She fought the urge to laugh. If she would marry someone else, it would be Cross. But she was already sleeping with Chris. Marrying Cross was just one of those things that she would think about without any possibility of happening. "I won''t," she smiled. "That won''t happen."


    For a few seconds, he turned quiet. Then he nodded, hesitation disappeared in his eyes. "Then follow me... I need to tell you something. Something important."

 Chapter 51 - Help

    "What the¡ª " Madness. Sera couldn''t help but cursed inwardly as she opened the images on his laptop. "Can we take back the deposit?" she asked, as she leaned closer at the screen and examined the details of the wedding. "How come you prepared this much without even consulting me? You''re not even sure that I would agree. Can you move a bit?" He was sitting on his chair while she was standing next to him, trying to check out the details about the wedding.


    He complied, giving her the space to access the laptop. "You can sit in my lap if you want."


    "That¡ª no thanks." She ignored the memories in the bathroom just a few hours ago. "How did you know I would like this theme?" The theme of the wedding was actually black and red.


    "Your clothes¡­ are mostly plain. I figured you wouldn''t want something colorful."


    She heard the swivel chair squeaked as he leaned back.


    "And you paid in full for the venue and everything else?" she continued asking.


    "Of course."


    "Who does that?" she mumbled inwardly. She checked the date and notice that he actually did it after that bar escapade. At that time, she wasn''t even aware of him. Just how confident is he that she would agree to marry him? "You''re crazy."


    He chuckled. "I would ask Lan Xing to just keep the reservation and rescheduled the date. About the wedding dress¡­ you can try it on."


    Sera scoffed and straightened her back, her eyes never left the screen. "I''m not paying you back." In the first place, why was he showing her this stuff? Was he planning to sue her for making him spent hundreds of thousands on a wedding without even knowing if he had a bride?


    The fact that he was so confident wasn''t her fault!


    The silence that followed made her froze. Without waiting for him to say anything, she dashed out of the room, trying to escape the consequence of saying the word, ''pay''. She thought she heard him laugh just as she closed the door of his office.


    Sera felt like spending more time with this man is going to make her a maniac. She quickly went to her room and took a quick bath. Refreshed, she put on a new set of pajamas and went to her office to finish a few things.


    "Hey, I was waiting for you ."


    At this point, she wasn''t really that surprised to see him inside. "What is it?"


    "I had some emergencies in the company. I need help."


    "Help?"


    "I sent something in your email¡­" His serious expression kicked the suspicion that she had earlier. The moment she saw him, sitting in her comfortable gaming when she opened her door, some nasty thoughts immediately appeared inside her head¡ª thoughts that made her breathtakingly aware of his opened shirt that showed a part of his sculpted chest. "I told you¡­ I had to fire my cybersecurity team¡ª thanks to you."


    "Wasn''t my fault," she approached him. "My seat."


    "Oh!" He let her have the chair as he stood behind her.


    Sera immediately opened her email and frowned. "A scandal?"


    "Someone deliberately spread it. She is a well-known social media influencer who found success in acting. She signed under Quinn media. Lan Xing said the actress said her ex-boyfriend was the guy on the video."


    Sera lifted an eyebrow as immediately tracked the IP address of the person who posted the video online. "Two hundred shares in fifteen minutes¡­" she muttered inwardly as a series of code appeared on one of her screens.


    "Angie Ting, twenty-eight, been in the industry for four years now¡­" Sera continued mumbling. "You said, she claimed it was her boyfriend?" she asked.


    "Yes. She dated the man when she was twenty-three, they broke up two years ago. Now, he wanted her to send him money for the video. But she refused to."


    "Hmmm." Sera nodded. "This is an Internet cafe¡­ in the outskirts of Pane City. If¡­ I could just hack into the CCTV real quick¡­ let me¡­ "


    Aside from their calm breathing, the continuous tapping of the keyboard echoed inside the room. The smell of tea made her smile. "You made a tea, huh." She didn''t remember making one for herself. At least, Mr. Quinn can actually make a tea?


    "I thought you would like it."


    She nodded at his words. "There we go¡­ this is the CCTV footage from the building across the internet cafe. See that CCTV right there? That was hacked¡­ it''s broke when the incident happened. But they didn''t hack this security camera. My guess is¡­ they didn''t know this existed because it''s actually hidden and was pointing at the parking. What they don''t know is that you can actually see whoever will go in and out of the Internet cafe using this window right here."


    "You''re good!"


    "I know," she shrugged then took a sip of her tea. "Let me check the history of her boyfriend." After quickly typing a few codes, an image of a man with a Mohawk haircut appeared on her screen. "Seems like he had a history of abuse both a victim and the abuser. Let me just¡­. Trace his location." Then she froze and lifted her head to look at him. "This is illegal." She gave an awkward smile.


    "It is illegal." He nodded, confirming her words. Then he gave her a boyish grin. "But I didn''t see anything at all."


    That was the assurance that she needed. In a few seconds, a map appeared in front of her. Then, a blinking dot appeared. "This man¡­ didn''t leave his apartment building for the last eight hours. My guess is he was sleeping."


    It didn''t take too long for her to access the CCTV of the man''s building. After a few minutes, she was able to confirm that the boyfriend didn''t actually leave his apartment. She continued typing, absorbed in her own little world.


    "Wait! Is that¡ª "

 Chapter 52 - A Concrete Reason

    GUYS! PLEASE DON''T BUY PRIV YET! The rest of the priv is not yet ready! There is a massive discount for everyone in the priv later!


    "Facial recognition," she said. "I am ¡­ slowly trying to develop one. It is connected to the database of the police station. Again¡­ this is a bit illegal."


    She heard him chuckle. "Alright¡­ "


    "Ah, these are the people who walk in and out of the internet cafe in an hour window. Two male students and three adult men. I checked the bank accounts, the students are paupers because of some hentai subscriptions. The other two are normal employees but this man¡­ received a hundred thousand in his bank account two weeks ago. He withdrew everything the next day. I traced the bank account but it was from an unknown account abroad."


    "Untraceable?" he asked.


    "When it comes to me, there is no such a thing as untraceable but it would take time. The security in their banks is more developed than our banks here."


    To her surprise, he suddenly turned the chair around, making her face him. "How much?" he asked.


    This made her smile. Mr. Quinn is indeed a businessman. "Hundred thousand in two days."


    "I didn''t know that your services are actually this cheap. I''ll give you three hundred thousand if you do it in two days."


    She smirked. "I was gonna charge four hundred thousand for sixteen hours."


    "Sixteen hours?"


    "Yes."


    "Then¡­ I need this information in sixteen hours. I will send the money to your account."


    A satisfied smile appeared on her face. It seems that working with this man is actually not that bad. "Don''t mind me, I just talk while working," Sera said. "But¡­ If I am right, the person who spread the video should be the artist."


    "Why do you say so?" he asked as he grabbed one of the white Nordic chairs at the corner of the room. Sitting next to her, he added, "Miss Ting had a gentle personality both inside and outside of the company."


    "You seemed to know a lot about her?'' The irritation in her voice surprised her. She bit her lower lip and focused on the screen instead.


    "I know a bit about my employees. I review each of their contracts."


    "Oh?"


    "You don''t believe me?"


    She only smiled in response. Quinn Media is actually a huge entertainment company in the northern part of Xu Country. Who would have thought that their CEO would actually be this involved? But then again, if he doesn''t care about the company and his people, Quinn Media would never become one of the top ten companies in Xu Country.


    The sound of Chris''s phone interrupted them. "I will answer this. Excuse me." With that, he left her alone in the room.


    After a few minutes, he came back, face dark. "Miss Ting posted something online. Her manager didn''t know it."


    "And you need to go back to Pane City?" she turned and face him.


    "I should¡­ but I won''t." Chris shrugged. "I trust you."


    "Huh?"


    "You''re gonna solve it in sixteen hours, right?"He gave her a knowing look.


    She immediately wondered if her previous assumption about him being caring towards his employees was actually wrong. Perhaps, he is just another businessman out there? Heartless, cruel, and would always look into the profitable side of things.


    Instead of answering him, she changed the topic. Actually, she could trace this poster in a few hours. However, she didn''t want him to treat her as a monster. After all, not many people could actually do what she does in just a few hours. "It seems that there are actually rumors in your office about her sleeping with the boss."


    "Where did you hear the rumors?"


    "Forums¡­ company forums. It''s a lock server for your employees. Mostly cameramen and people behind the scenes. They are doubting her skills and are actually wondering if she slept with¡­ you."


    He was quick to lift one of his perfectly formed eyebrows. "How?"


    "You mean how did that happen?" She fought the urge to laugh. "Your employees don''t know what you look like. Some of them have conspiracies. They said you are just one of them, working silently observing your employees in the shadows. Someone said you are working as a janitor to spy on the beautiful actresses."


    "And they thought I was sleeping with her?"


    "Bingo! Mr. Quinn is really smart."


    "Why not just show your face?'' she asked. What''s with his secrecy?


    "I can only show it if you agree to marry me."


    This again? "Why?"


    He rested his left elbow on the table and propped his chin on his palm as he looked at her side profile. "Because I want to be introduced as a married man. Can you imagine the trouble that I would face once women will see this face? I know a few families would not hesitate to drug me to sleep with their daughters and have some marriage alliance. How could I just spread my genes to those kinds of families?"


    "¡­" She had never met anyone more shameless than this man!


    "But if you marry me, then they would hesitate to do something."


    "So, you wanted to use me as a shield?" she asked.


    "You are my wife¡­ not a shield."


    "But you are going to treat me like one."


    "I protect you, you protect me. Isn''t that what marriage is for? For better and for worst. I promise to take out the garbage, in pouring rain or freezing ice. I promise to unclog the tub, even though you are the only one of us with long hair. I promise to protect you from people who wanted to treat you like a child because you look like one. I promise to spend the rest of my life protecting you from schemes. I also promise to give you my salary and let you buy whatever it is that you want! While you can just get rid of the women after me! How''s that for a wedding vow?"


    "..." That was the worst wedding vow that she heard! "I think I just found a concrete reason not to marry you."

 Chapter 53 - Tiny Bud *

    WARNING: R18!


    GUYS! PLEASE DON''T BUY PRIV YET! The rest of the priv is not yet ready! There is a massive discount for everyone in the priv later!


    ***


    "Are you sure that he actually called his lawyer while he didn''t allow us to get inside?" Zhang Xin started pacing inside her room.


    "Yes, Madam."


    "But¡­ I thought something happened? Did he do that because he knew that we won''t be able to raise hell just to see him if he is in that hospital?" She gritted her teeth. No matter what she does, the old man never stopped underestimating her!


    How infuriating!


    "How about the rumor about that damn Sera?"


    Her assistant smirked "Even if she comes back, her reputation in the upper society is already bad. She won''t be able to recover."


    "Hmph! That old man is really underestimating me!" Zhang Xin said. "I will show him while my daughter should be the heir of the family and not that illegitimate Sera!" That old man was a hypocrite. In the first place, he hated her because her background is not as good and her mother was a mistress.


    Then what about her daughter? What about Sera''s mother? Isn''t she the mistress of a married man too? "If that old man would make Sera the heir¡­ " Just the thought of it, made her nauseous!


    "Madam, worrying is not good for your health, the old man is aware that Miss Sera slapped you when you urged her to visit him. I am sure, he summoned his lawyer to change his will, make it favorable towards the second master."


    "He should! My husband had been working under him, licking his ass for years! He deserves more than the measly ten percent of the company!" She squinted. "I want you to check what is she doing now¡­ that Sera! I want to know if she is still in Pane City!"


    "Two hours ago, I was able to confirm that she was taking a leave and is planning to change her apartment."


    "Send me the details of her new place. I want you to talk to the owner! Tell the owner she is someone with a police record of assault! That woman¡­ did she think¡­ I would let her go now that the old man is already dying?" The only reason why she didn''t touch Sera while she was away is because of the old man.


    However, now that the old man''s life is about to end, then¡­


    A sinister smile appeared on her face.


    ***


    Meanwhile, Sera smiled when she finally finished tracking the source of the person who paid the one who spread the video. She eyed the clock and beamed with pride when she discovered that she actually did it in twelve hours!


    Turning to her left, she was about to call Chris and announced her victory when he noticed him curled up, sleeping in the three-seater sofa inside her office. She didn''t even notice when he started sleeping. Earlier, he brought his laptop here and started working. She didn''t even notice when he changed into his pajamas!


    Slowly, she approached him. She wondered if she should put something around him. Should she give him a blanket? Pillow?


    Standing in front of him, Sera stared at his face. Her eyes focused on his long eyelashes as they fluttered.


    Perhaps he was dreaming?


    After a few seconds, she decided to get a blanket in the bedroom. It didn''t take her a few minutes to come back with a thick blanket in her hand. She then slowly draped it over him, making sure to cover his body.


    She looked at his face for a few more minutes before she decided to just leave him here and sleep in the bedroom. However, just as she was about to stand up, his hand suddenly held her wrist. With a soft pull, she landed on top of him.


    Instincts kick in as she automatically rested her elbows on his chest. She looked down and met his eyes.


    "Done?" his eyes were half opened and moist. For some reason, it reminded her of Cross.


    "Yeah¡ª Yeah!"


    "What time is it?" he asked as he snaked his arm around her waist, locking her in his embrace.


    She tensed as her eyes shifted towards his pinkish lips. A few stubbles can be seen on his chin. "Late," she uttered as she tried to sound composed. "I should go. You can stay here if you want or¡­ we can talk about the result."


    He only smiled and used the back of his hand to touched her cheek. "We should sleep. We can do that tomorrow."


    "Sleep? Then¡­" She didn''t continue her words when his hand slowly trailed down towards her collarbone. In response, she stilled as she let the carnal desire inside her overwhelmed her senses. She felt her nipples pebbled against his chest. She gulped, trying to hide the raging lust inside her body.


    It was just a damn small touch and she already trying to stop herself from ripping his clothes off. What the hell is happening to her?


    Until now, she couldn''t explain the attraction that seemed to stir her primal need. As much as she liked it, she felt betrayed by her own body. The feeling that she couldn''t get enough of him made her more confused.


    How is that possible? She just met him for a few days!


    "We can sleep later¡­" his hand slid at the back of her neck as he slowly pulled her towards him.


    Their lips touched.


    He sat on the sofa as she stood in front of him. Her arms folded around his neck as she let him deal with her thin pajamas. She felt tired and sore from last night''s escapade but she doesn''t care.


    Just the thought of him inside her already caused a tingling sensation to ricochet inside her body. The kissing deepened as he used his hand to spread her legs and let her sit on his lap.


    Sera wasn''t surprised to hear him gasp when he discovered how wet she was.


    Her core was aching for the hard length inside his pajamas. She squirmed when he started playing with the tiny bud in between her legs. The unexplainable lust inside her made her want to beg him to just put it inside, to satisfy her need. It made her want to do something. And she did.


    She reached out and pulled down his pajamas. Then she circled his hard length with her hand, slowly stroking its head before she lowered her entrance, letting it impale her. A soft moan escaped her lips as he grunted.


    She could feel him throb inside her as she slowly circled her waist.


    "You''re good¡­"


    She heard him say in a deep almost guttural voice.

 Chapter 54 - Attention *

    WARNING: R18


    She closed her eyes as he held her waist, urging her to start moving. His touch was firm and gentle, something that she liked.


    Sera complied.


    Slowly, her hips moved up and down, following a familiar rhythmic pattern that quickly sent her over the edge.


    Seconds.


    It only took her seconds to reach the climax that her body longed for. She heard the hunger in his voice that certainly matched her own. Then she felt him raise his hips, thrusting against her undulating hips.


    He peppered kisses from her neck to her full breast as she arched her back, giving him access to her chest. The sensation of him inside her forced her to let go of control and get lost in the moment.


    It didn''t take too long for them to move in rhythms. Then the muscles inside her stomach tightened, the spasms in her core started. Her release ¡ª the very thing that she wanted the most ¡ª exploded just as he pumped faster and harder until his own release pulsed through him.


    Spent, he pulled out before collapsing next to her.


    "We need a shower," he said while catching his breath.


    "We''re not going in there together."


    He chuckled and lift her up like a princess. "Yes, we do."


    "I''m tired." And sore and numb¡­ but damn, she still wanted more!


    "A soak in the tub is always nice." He said as he left the room and walked towards the master''s bedroom. "But having someone else in the tub is twice as nice."


    "Pervert." She thought of getting in on it in a confined space, then shook her head. She was flexible, but she was damn tired! She wanted to sleep.


    "What are you thinking? I was talking about washing each other. Since you are already tired¡­ then you can just let me wash you. Isn''t that twice as nice?"


    She playfully slapped his arm, an action that earned a chuckle from him. She wasn''t expecting him to follow his words. After all, they were acting like horny teenagers for the past twenty-four hours.


    To her surprise, Chris didn''t do something explicit inside the tub. Of course, he made sure to assure her that this was only because she already said she was tired. He is not going to force her into doing something she doesn''t like.


    After a quick bath, the two changed into comfortable pajamas and sleep.


    ***


    Sera woke up from the loud ringtone that Xu Je''er set up for herself. She insisted she should have a special ring tone so Sera would know that she was calling her.


    "What?" she hissed.


    "You''re still sleeping?"


    "It''s early!"


    "It''s already two in the afternoon!"


    "Oh¡­ I''m exhausted," she grunted, and eyed the vacant space next to her.


    "Sera tell me¡­ I want you to be honest with me."


    Sera''s eyes flew open. The sleepiness in her head vanished as she sat up in a jolt. "What''s wrong?"


    "Did you offend some drug boss or mafia leader lately?"


    "What? What are you talking about?" Was it Cross? Did something happen? Almost immediately, her mind started wandering.


    "Some people are asking about your whereabouts! They claimed they are your family and wanted to know where you are! Sera¡­ please be honest. Did you hurt someone rich and famous? I don''t remember you saying you have a family. What is going on?"


    Zhang Xin.


    "What did you say?"


    "They didn''t ask me," Xu Je''er said. "But they asked your teammates, a good thing I already told them that you are on leave because you were looking for a new place to live."


    "Alright¡­ I will handle it."


    "Don''t you dare end the call!"


    Sera almost let go of the phone when Xu Je''er suddenly screamed at her. "What is wrong with you?" Sera asked.


    "Do you know Mr. Quinn?"


    "Huh?"


    Xu Je''er cleared her throat. "Yesterday, we talked about investments, and today, they just signed a contract with the company? They invested millions! I want to know what is going on here!"


    "I helped him in the current scandal."


    "The one with Miss Ting?"


    "Yes, I found out who did it."


    "Oh? Interesting!" When she stopped asking her questions, Sera heaved a sigh of relief. She was actually telling the truth, right? She helped him with the scandal and he invested in her company. "Anyway, check your emails and send me the files that I wanted. Also¡­ remember Mr. Feng?"


    "Feng¡­ Feng Xiaotan from double dragon?"


    "Yes. He wanted to see you ¡ª You know what? Now that I thought about it, I am actually acting as your secretary!"


    "Why did he want to see me?"


    "No idea. Probably want you to work for his company. You are an expert in Cyber Security, you could help his team."


    "What did you tell him?" she asked just as Chris walk inside the room.


    "Nothing. I don''t even know where you are. He asked for your number but I thought nah, he was a jerk back then. So I gave him a fake one."


    This made Sera laughed. Her eyes were already on Chris, who was smiling as he sat on the bed.


    "Listen, just send me everything that I needed to do. I have to go now."


    "Why? I thought you''re still in bed? Hey?¡ª "


    Sera just ended the call and asked the man who was lying on the other side of the bed. He turned his body towards her. "You were right. It''s her."


    "I told you. Spreading the scandal was of her own accord. That''s why she issued a statement even before you and her manager asked her. She wanted to gain everyone''s sympathy."


    "We actually have no proof that she told her assistant to pay that person but she tried to kill herself this morning."


    "Tried?" So, she didn''t die? Wait¡­ why does her thoughts sound so evil?


    "She begged her assistant to call my secretary, hoping that I would come to see her. When Lan Xing told the assistant that I am not in Pane City, she accepted interviews on her own without the approval of her secretary."


    "So, she is creating a ruckus." But why? Was it just to attract Mr. Quinn''s attention?

 Chapter 55 - Trouble

    "This was a poorly planned scheme to attract your attention," Sera said as she tried to get out of bed. But how could he easily allow her to leave the bed?


    Chris pulled her towards him.


    "It''s so early," she managed to say. Realizing that it was already two in the afternoon, she closed her eyes. At this point, she didn''t know if she was waiting for him to do something, perhaps kiss her? Remove her clothes?


    "I was going to say, thank you."


    Her eyes flew open. What the hell? Was she actually waiting for him to kiss her? She laughed inwardly and pushed him away from her.


    "I''m hungry."


    "I can''t cook."


    "I know!"


    "Which is why I already ordered something. We should eat. I was waiting for you to wake up. I''m really hungry too."


    For a few seconds, Sera didn''t say anything. Waiting for her to wake up? Isn''t that something that Cross always does? She stared at Chris''s handsome face. The smile on his lips was quite refreshing and somewhat contagious. She forced a smile out of her frozen face. "I''m taking a bath."


    "Want company?"


    She glared at him. "No, thank you!" She stood and disappeared towards the bathroom, leaving him laughing in the bed alone. Sera took a quick back before going to his office to ask and told him to eat with her.


    "You wanna tell me something?" Sera asked.


    "Hm, it''s about your grandfather."


    "Something happened?" she asked.


    "It seems that Zhang Xin and your uncle found out that you went to see your grandfather. There was a fight and they are demanding to talk to your grandfather. My people said they are currently looking for you at every hotel. Obviously, they didn''t ask about that hotel that we visited previously as that was pretty expensive."


    He blinked at her as if waiting for her to praise him for her wise decision to book an expensive hotel room. "They wanted to see me?" Sera smiled.


    "Yes. Everyone wanted to meet the heir."


    "The Heir?"


    "Your grandfather announced it early this morning?"


    "Excuse me?" Surprise shook her core. "What announcement?"


    "That you will inherit the company. I believe this is because they found out. He didn''t want to hide it anymore and give them the chance to actually kill him before he could announce it."


    "Kill him¡­ you think they would go as far as killing the old man?"


    "Really?" he lifted an eyebrow. "Is that even a question? People kill for money all the time. That''s not surprising."


    She lowered her head and stared at the chicken and pork dish that he ordered for them. Despite the decadent smell of the food, she couldn''t get herself to eat it. Her life just turned even more complicated overnight! "I want to marry you."


    The declaration suddenly made him froze. He stared at her just as his chopstick fell from his fingers to the table. Before he could ask why, she continued, "It''s the only way." It''s the only way to protect everyone. Cross, Xu Je''er, and even herself from the schemes.


    "You are hoping that my name would scare them?"


    "No, I am hoping to use this opportunity to give you the shares legally. I don''t want any trouble with the board. I don''t want the hassle. You can have the shares and do whatever you want. They don''t have the power nor the will to change anything once we get married. As I am planning to¡ª "


    "We will sign a prenup¡­" Chris''s words made her silent. "You can have everything of mine before¡­ we got married just as I can have everything that''s yours before the marriage."


    "That ¡ª Isn''t that too much?"


    "What''s too much about that?" he asked.


    "You are worth billions." She said.


    "And you are worth more than that."


    She couldn''t stop the heat that is starting to spread around her neck. "I don''t think this is the right time for this¡­" She thought they are talking about some serious topic? What''s with this flirting in the middle of a serious conversation?


    "I don''t think that''s fair," she added. "How about we add something? If¡­ If I divorce you. I would lose everything?


    "Would that stop you from leaving me?"


    That took her by surprise. Leaving him? Leaving¡­


    She hasn''t thought about leaving.


    But what about Cross?


    She lowered her head, her gaze turned complicated. She had been sleeping with Mr. Quinn and is actually enjoying it. How could she still face Cross after all this? Cross deserved more¡­ he deserved someone better than her.


    He deserved someone that wouldn''t let their lust overpower their head.


    Sera always thought she was smart.


    Well, it turns out she couldn''t really withstand something as tempting as Mr. Quinn?


    "I think it is too early to say anything right now." She managed to say just as she lifted her gaze and met his curious eyes. "Just so you know¡­ I love someone else."


    "And you might leave the marriage for him?"


    She nodded. She was just being honest.


    "Even if I am richer, more good-looking, smarter, and definitely good in bed?"


    That made her snort. "Who told you that you were more good-looking?" This confidence is absolutely comical. "But yes. I would leave ¡ª I might leave everything. If he asked me too."


    "You do know that you are trying to confess your feelings for a different man in front of your future husband, right?" Chris smiled.


    To her surprise, there wasn''t a hint of anger in his eyes. Does this mean that Mr. Quinn is not actually the jealous type? Or maybe it was because he doesn''t care enough.


    She nodded inwardly.


    Yes. Mr. Quinn wanted to use her for revenge. Why would he care about her personal matters? "I was just trying to set your expectations straight. I believe I am a very straight forwards person. I don''t want to pretend that you can have my heart. It already belongs to someone else."


    Mr. Quinn stared at her before he chuckled and shook his head. Again, there was no sign of anger on his face. "Well, then¡­ I will ask my lawyer to prepare everything. Let''s sign the documents today and tackle the trouble that is coming your way."

 Chapter 56 - New Perspective

    "Mother take this tea¡­"


    Zhang Xin accepted the cup of tea that her daughter gave her before she massaged her chest. Her face was pale, hands shaking. She tried to give back the cup to her daughter only to end up letting go of the teacup. Good thing, her daughter''s reflexes were fast enough. Zhang Ying caught the cup and immediately helped her mother. "Mother¡­"


    "Do not tell your father about this." Despite everything, Zhang Xin didn''t want to make her husband worry.


    "Mother, let me take you to the hospital."


    "And tell your father what? That I became like this because I knew that the old man talked to that woman?"


    "But mother you are¡ª "


    "Stop it Yingying. I cannot let your father find out that I am really affected by everything. It''s just¡­ " Zhang Xin started crying. She tried to stop the old man and even volunteered to see Sera just so she could prevent this from happening. But in the end¡­.


    "Mother, please stop crying. Seeing you like this is just¡ª "


    "Please, mother, stop crying. I just can''t¡­" Seeing her mother cry also made Zhang Ying cry. She felt her heart broke for her mother, who had been bullied by her own grandfather for as long as she could remember. Zhang Ying immediately pulled her mother for a hug, stroking her back, consoling her. "Shhh¡­ mother, please calm down. We don''t really know what they talked about. The old man might have called her to confirm the disrespect that she did to you. Please stop crying because of this matter. I think that woman does not deserve that at all."


    "What do you mean by that?" Zhang Xin asked. "Do you understand what you are talking about? Sera¡­ is your aunt''s daughter. The golden child of the Zhang Family. The old man already declared her as the heir. What do you think would happen to us?"


    "But mother¡­ how could she manage the company? She doesn''t have any background or any experience in the business. Even if she is the biggest shareholder, she wouldn''t be able to manage the company and would be bullied by the board members into giving up the CEO seat. In the end, father would surely become the CEO and would slowly take everything away from her."


    For some reason, her daughter''s words made her a little more comfortable. Right now, Sera is indeed useless in business. She doesn''t have any experience or knowledge in that aspect. This means that she would become the next laughingstock in the region. However, Zhang Xin still couldn''t stop herself from crying. She wondered what did Sera told the old man about the incident.


    Did she tell him the truth?


    But she doesn''t have the proof! The old man is not going to be that dumb to listen to her words, right?


    At the end of the day, Zhang Xin was crying because of two reasons. First, there is a possibility that Sera told the old man that she was just framed by Zhang Xin and her people, and second, the whole society now knows that Sera is the heir and not Yingying. What about the people who are praising Yingying because of her brilliance? Are they going to laugh at her daughter now that the old man suddenly declared Sera as his long-lost granddaughter?


    "So, he is planning to have a conference? Without even consulting us? or your father? The least he could do is talk to his own son!" Zhang Xin said, as her shoulders shook.


    How hateful!


    It seems that the old man never put her in his eyes at all!


    Why was he trying to act as if she was nothing?


    Hasn''t she done enough for this family?


    Unbeknownst to Zhang Xin, her husband was actually having a meeting with the old man at that very moment.


    "You wanted her to become the next CEO of the company?" Nick Zhang snorted. Since he was a child, the prodigy was always his sister. The star, the brilliant one, the golden child of the family. Who would have thought that even when she is already dead, her daughter would once again outshine him? "Father¡­ I have been working with your company for more than thirty years. Have you heard me complain or say anything that hurt you?"


    "Nick¡­" Arman Zhang sigh. "Even if I tell you¡­ you wouldn''t understand."


    "Understand what?" he straightened his back as he glared at his father, who was calmly having his herbal tea. He rested his clenched hand on the table and tried to compose himself. "That I am always the second best?"


    "I don''t think you are the second-best. To me¡­ you and Alyssa were¡ª "


    "Please don''t tell me you are not going to say we are equal in your eyes."


    "Nick¡­"


    "What father? Did I say something wrong again? I remember when that woman is still alive, all she did was cause you pain and heartache! And you still gave her everything. Why can''t you treat me like that now that she is dead?" Nick''s face reddened. "Was it because I am not brilliant enough? Was it because I like soccer while she likes scrabble and chess and Go? Was It because I eat meat while she eats all of your favorite vegetable dishes?"


    The Old Man stared at Nick Zhang. For a few seconds, he wondered if one day his son would forgive him for what he did in the past. "You have always been a brilliant business executive. You are hardworking and never caused any issues in the company. You did what I told you to do without asking questions or raising your own concerns." Right now, the old man was just being an entrepreneur instead of being a father. "From a father''s perspective, you are the best son in the world. But as a businessman, you lack a lot of things that would help you manage the company. You have no opinions and just do everything that I told you to do. What would happen after my death?"


    "You¡ª "


    The old man stood and turned his back on his son as he walked towards his bed. "The company had been stagnant for more than ten years now. I believe this is the best time that we switched leadership and open our eyes to a newer perspective."


    "How¡­ how could you be so cruel?"

 Chapter 57 - Vile

    GUYS! PLEASE DON''T BUY PRIV YET! The rest of the priv is not yet ready! There is a massive discount for everyone in the priv later!


    "I own a company with more than four hundred employees. I could care about our blood relations and make those people and their families suffer. But I wouldn''t do that."


    "Father you ¡ª " Disbelief flashed in his eyes. "And you think that granddaughter of yours is ready? You think she can handle a multi-million dollar company? She? A fresh graduate who didn''t show any interest and not an iota of experience in the industry?"


    "Who told you that she would become the next CEO?"


    The old man looked at his son as he wondered when did he say that Sera would become the company''s next CEO.


    "What did you say?"


    "I said, I never say anything about her becoming the CEO. She is my heir, the largest shareholder of the company. But not the CEO."


    "How ¡ª How is that ¡ª Then who will be the next CEO?"


    The old man thought about the report that he received after Sera left the hospital. "You will know soon."


    "Father, what are you talking about?" Confused, he walked towards his father, who was now leaning against the headboard of his bed. "Who is going to be the next CEO? If it''s not Sera then¡­"


    "It''s not you." The old man clarified. "As the director, I have the right to veto anyone''s vote and make someone CEO. Of course, if the board would really approve of you then, I would not do anything to stop that."


    "You are saying that ¡ª I still have the chance to¡ª "


    "Nick Zhang¡­ earlier¡­ I told you my personal opinion about the company. I have been very honest. I don''t think you are ready to become the next CEO. But if the board would all vote for you then¡­ I wouldn''t do anything to stop it." A cunning glint can be seen in the old man''s eyes.


    "Vote? You mean someone else is there?"


    "I would assume." The old man said. If Sera was smart enough, she would exactly do what he thought she would do. Sell her shares to Mr. Quinn, who was about to hire her in their company. Last night, the old man discovered that Sera is actually being coaxed by the people of the Quinn Media. They wanted her to work for them.


    From the reports, the old man discovered that Sera''s expertise lies in cybersecurity, which is very in demand in the business world today. However, she refused to apply to any company and chose to start her own company with her friend, Miss Xu from Pane City. However, the most interesting thing about this matter is the fact that Quinn Media just invested in Psi.


    The old man discovered that Quinn Media took an interest in Sera''s work in cybersecurity. In fact, even Mr. Quinn''s personal lawyer visited her in her home just to offer her a good contract. The old man thought that Sera is very different from the past Sera, who is interested in a lot of things about being a Zhang.


    Right now, Sera doesn''t even care about becoming a Zhang. She was indifferent about the money and the status. But, the current Zhang Corp would never improve without the input of someone new, someone smart and modern. The old man wanted Sera to inherit the company, hoping that she would use her expertise in computers to help the company.


    But seeing how she didn''t even react when she told her this, it was clear that being a CEO doesn''t excite her at all. So a plan to help the company. The plan was actually too risky, as he wasn''t sure how Sera would react once she heard about the news. All he could do now is hope that she would sell the company to Quinn Media.


    An acquisition.


    The old man was actually hoping for Quinn Media to acquire the company. According to the man''s calculations, this was the easiest way to get rid of the shares that Sera would inherit. Yes, he already knew that Sera would try to get rid of those shares to avoid trouble. Running a company wouldn''t interest her at all.


    He watched as his son''s face turned from dark to excited to confused. "But father¡­ forty percent plus of the share is worth hundreds of millions. Are you certain, you are going to give her the shares? I mean¡­ don''t get me wrong, but Sera is pretty ambitious and aggressive. Who knows if she would attempt to hurt my family to get the rest of the shares? If you have already decided then¡­ I believe it is best that you hire a representative for her. We need someone that would represent her in the meetings and even in your will read. I don''t want her hurting my wife and daughter, my family."


    "Hurt your family members?"


    "Just like when she slapped Zhang Xin, you saw it. That slap mark didn''t disappear for days."


    "Of course it won''t." The old man snorted. "My secretary sent something to your email. You can check it if you want to."


    "What email?" Using his phone, Nick immediately opened the message, and almost immediately, his face turned grim. "This¡ª "


    "Are you certain she is going to hurt your family and not the other way around?"


    Nick was completely speechless as she stared at the video, surprise flashing in his eyes.


    "This is¡ª "


    "Your wife with her people. Trying to hurt my granddaughter." The old man said. "The only reason why I am not pressing charges is that I was hoping that Zhang Xin would withdraw the case against Sera. Once she does that, I wouldn''t file a case against her. She has until tonight to do that."


    "But father this could be an¡ª "


    "I have my people analyzed it. That is real. In fact, the reason why I agreed to see you today is because of this video. Take care of your wife. Make sure she doesn''t do anything like this again."


    Nick continued watching the video until he saw what Zhang Xin did to get that slap mark. "That woman is-"


    "Vile." The old man only gave a gentle smile. "But aren''t we all?"

 Chapter 58 - Attraction

    What the old man didn''t know was the fact that everything that he knew about Sera was the things that Chris allowed him to know. When Sera heard this, she couldn''t help but laugh at Chris. "Schemer." Just to get what he wanted, he manipulated the old man into naming her as the heir, thinking that she would run away and sell her shares.


    But running away wouldn''t really take care of her problems. Well, to be fair, running away was her go-to.


    Sera actually likened herself to a villain who failed and got traumatized by her dark past. Tired and battered, running away is her best way to cope when the bad turns worse. So why did she agree to marry him?


    Isn''t it better to just run away?


    It was out of impulse! And she didn''t know that he manipulated the old man into announcing her as the heir! Ah, now that she was thinking about it, she felt so dumb! Wasn''t this just like when she saw him in that bar?


    Why was she doing a lot of illogical things when this man is around?


    "Ummm¡­ I need to say something."


    "Nope." Chris beamed at her. "You can''t change your mind."


    "But¡ª "


    "Nope." He shook his head and leaned towards her. Chris was sitting next to her in front of her computer. His action made her leaned back. She tried to push her chair away from him, but failed. "Do you believe in love at first sight?"


    "What?"


    "Just answer my question."


    "No."


    "Same. Meaning¡­ love is not something that appeared out of nowhere. It gradually grows. Like a plant."


    "So¡­ what are you trying to say?" she asked.


    "You don''t understand?"


    "No." What the hell? Love is like a plant? She read that quote somewhere before. But what was his point? This man really loves to talk too much.


    "I thought the concept is simple? It turns out you are incredibly dense when it comes to these things." He shook his head in dismay.


    "Are you calling me stupid?"


    "Well¡­ did you have a boyfriend before?"


    "I ¡ª Uh ¡ª No. Not exactly. "Cross is not exactly her boyfriend and that man¡­ Zhang Ying''s fiance is obviously not her lover too.


    "This explains it." It was as if the man just had an aha moment. He leaned back and chuckled. "This is why you are a bit dense."


    "I''m not stupid."


    "When it comes to emotion, you are stupid."


    She frowned. Are they going to start arguing about random things again? She ignored him and shifted her gaze back to her computer. "Why are you even here? Can''t you see that I''m busy?" she asked. "I would like to ask you to leave, this stupid woman needed to work hard to earn money."


    "Ah, you are not only dense, but you are also petty! No wonder you didn''t have a boyfriend before."


    "What the hell? Can you just stop¡­" Sera knew that when she was around this guy, she would lose all the reasoning that she has. Moreover, she also had the tendency to become easily irritated. The action made her wonder why she was acting so comfortable towards him. Normally, she wasn''t the type that would show any emotion to other people. For some reason, a part of her felt this familiarity that is preventing her from acting indifferent around him.


    "Stop what?"


    "Stop disturbing me. I am busy." The man knows how and when to push her buttons! She hated it. "And why are you always following me around anyway? You are a CEO. I thought CEOs are busy all the time."


    "You have a huge misconception about me. I don''t work for money anymore. I let the money work for me."


    How arrogant.


    He continued, "I would rather work hard for you than work hard for money."


    Cringe.


    Goosebumps skittered all over her skin.


    "You''re blushing," he chuckled.


    Sera chose to ignore him. Talking to this man is just pointless.


    "Anyway, my point is. You are not allowed to change your mind anymore. You will meet my uncle when we go back to Pane City. He is the only living relative I have left. He is a bit quirky and worked as a fortune-teller. He likes to scam people. He would probably ask you why you would agree to marry me."


    What a peculiar family, she thought inwardly.


    "Then, he would tell you everything that I am not good at. You can tell him I am good in bed and that would shut him up.


    Gross! Sera maintained her silence.


    "The documents will arrive tomorrow, Lawyer Liu will personally show up for us. Just relax, I won''t devour you¡­ at least not until you sign the documents."


    *BANG!*


    Sera slammed her hand on the table. So noisy. This was the first time that she met someone who just¡­ talks nonstop! "I''m going to get water." Just hearing him talk nonstop is actually hurting her head!


    With that, she stood up and walked towards the door, hoping that he wouldn''t follow her out.


    "You know that I am just trying to make you relax¡­ right?"


    Sera froze when she heard his voice behind her. She didn''t notice him move nor hear his chair sound when he stood.


    "I know." But noise doesn''t relax her.


    "And?"


    She flinched when she felt his hand on her shoulders.


    "Relax¡­" he added.


    He started massaging her shoulder, his hand moving towards the nape of her neck. But the close proximity is really making her tense. How could she relax when she could feel his erection against her back?


    "I should¡­ I need water." She said. And a shower. Yep, she would probably need a cold, long shower too. She gulped when she realized how her body was reacting to his.


    The attraction was too strong. It wasn''t that awkward attraction that a young girl could feel towards her teenage crush. The attraction between them felt casual. It was as if they have known each other for so long.


    Suddenly, he moved forward, pressing his hot manhood against her back. "I need a shower." He mumbled. "Would you like to join me?"

 Chapter 59 - Hot And Bothered

    Sera was bothered.


    Hot and bothered.


    She looked in the direction of the master''s bedroom before she finished her second glass of water. She should have just accompanied him in the shower. Sera felt her cheeks turned hot, the heat spreading from her face to the other parts of her body. What was she thinking? Why was she so bothered by his words? She stared at her phone before she slowly walked back to her office.


    The fact that she needed to walk past their room wasn''t making her feel any better. She walked inside her office and realized that she actually needed to work. After staring at her computer for a few minutes, she smiled and opened the video with Zhang Xin. After a few video manipulations, she pressed enter and sent the video to both Zhang Xin, her husband, Nick Zhang, and Zhang Ying.


    Meanwhile, Zhang Xin was trying to beg her husband to believe her. She didn''t hurt Sera, it was the other way around.


    "Nick, why would you believe that woman? It''s easy to create videos now! Especially for someone like her, that is very used to computers. Do you really think I would hurt her just because your father wanted to see her? Nick! I am not that dense!" Zhang Xin''s tears were already streaming down her cheeks as she slammed her palm on the table in her husband''s office. "I want to see father and talk¡ª "


    "He refused to see you."


    "But ¡ª " Zhang Xin was interrupted when Nick suddenly chuckled.


    "All these years, I always believe whatever it is that you said. But¡­ now¡­"


    "Nick¡­ what are you saying?"


    "I don''t know Xin¡­ I don''t know." Nick massaged his temple before he let out a long sigh. The old man said something about voting for the CEO. However, Nick had been calling the board of directors and found out that the old man never mentioned this to them. What was going on?


    Nick''s head had been hurting because of the current situation. Then here comes Zhang Xin and her shrill voice.


    "I want to see him. I can explain everything. I am sure that¡ª "


    "Can you stop that?"


    "What?" Zhang Xin instantly paled when she heard her husband raised his voice. Nick¡­ Nick never treated her like this before. Was it because he believed the video?


    *DING*


    Zhang Xin stared as her husband opened his phone. Wondering why his face darkened? A foreboding feeling suddenly hit her. "Nick?"


    "Someone sent the video to me." Nick showed her his phone. "Check your phone."


    "I ¡ª "Without waiting, Zhang Xin run towards her phone that she left on the sofa inside his office. She immediately opened her email and saw the video. "This¡ª It must be Sera! She did this! Look! She is trying to blackmail me!"


    "She wouldn''t do that."


    "Nick! How could you¡ª "


    "How could I be so sure? Because it wouldn''t make sense. She was just announced as the heir and on the same day, she would send you some text to blackmail you? Wasn''t she scared that we will show this to father? Plus, sending us the email would be akin to telling us that she edited the video. She wouldn''t risk making my father angry. I am sure she wouldn''t want father to rescind his decision to make her the heir."


    Zhang Xin turned silent as she played the video. She lowered her head, trying her best to hide the rage in her eyes. Who would have thought that Sera would have this kind of talent? She actually hid a camera inside her house and recorded what happened? How dare she?


    She fumed as her hand tightened against her phone. It seems that the current situation is really against Zhang Xin and her daughter.


    Should Zhang Xin just kill the old man and frame Sera?


    That would be the best-case scenario!


    *BANG*


    The sound of Nick''s office being abruptly open made Zhang Xin flinched. "What the ¡ª Yingying¡­ what is happening?" she asked her daughter, who is already crying.


    "Is this true?"


    "Yingying¡­ I¡­"


    "Mother, is this true!?"


    "No. Of course, it is not true! I would never do that to Sera." She immediately approached her daughter as an idea started growing inside her head. "But¡­ I believe Sera is trying to frame me. She must be¡­ she must be trying to have her revenge because we kick her out years ago for hurting you."


    "Zhang Xin, what are you saying!?" Nick chimed in. He didn''t want her own daughter to hear his wife''s poisonous words. But judging from Zhang Ying''s reaction, it was clear that she was already used to this. She didn''t show any surprise or anger.


    More like she was annoyed that someone is trying to fight against her.


    Nick never noticed this before.


    All this time, he was busy working in the company, he rarely spent time with his wife and daughter. Before the video, before his father confirmed that the video was real, he never once doubted Zhang Xin''s words and reactions before.


    However now¡­


    It seems that his eyes would automatically scrutinize Zhang Xin''s words and actions.


    "Isn''t it true? Sera must have poisoned the old man''s mind. She must have said something. Nick, think about it. Our Yingying is excellent, smart, and beautiful. Everyone adored her. Everyone in Cone Lands thought that she is the heiress. Sera must have thought that everything should have been hers, considering that she was actually older than our daughter! That woman is scheming against our Yingying!"


    Nick''s face instantly darkened. This was about the video! This was about Zhang Xin framing Sera. How did it become Sera, bullying their daughter?


    "Mother¡­ please calm down."


    "What do you mean, calm down? Yingying, that woman is trying to hurt you. She already succeeded and made your grandfather gave her what was rightfully yours! I am not going to allow her to continue ruining your life!"


    "Zhang Xin! If anyone is trying to ruin your daughter''s life that would be you!" Nick''s sharp voice made her already panicked wife stilled. Zhang Xin stared at him in disbelief.


    "What did you say?" Zhang Xin asked.

 Chapter 60 - Genius

    Zhang Ying couldn''t believe that her father just said those words to her mother. Growing up, her father never treated her mother like this. She immediately pulled her mother behind her. "Father¡­ this wasn''t mother''s fault."


    "Wasn''t her fault?" Disbelief flashed in Nick''s eyes. "Did you see what she just did? She was manipulating you! And you¡ªyou are falling into her traps!"


    "Father! I am not going to allow you to treat my mother like that!" Zhang Ying''s eyes were wide as she clenched both of her hands into two tight fists. "I am not going to allow you to yell at us and project this¡­ this anger that you have inside!"


    Seeing her mother and father turned quiet, she added, "Can''t you see? The goal of the video is to make us hate each other! And as much as I hate to say this¡­ whoever was behind this succeeded!"


    "Yingying¡­"


    "This isn''t about me, mother." Zhang Ying said. "This is about what you did." Her fierce gaze landed on her mother. "If she¡­ if she spread this video then we are over."


    "Yingying!" Even Nick was surprised to hear his daughter''s words. Is this really the gentle Zhang Ying that he knew? What''s with this fierce gaze?


    "I don''t care about grandfather''s wealth. What I care about is our family name, our prestige. Money¡­ I can earn that. I am famous and I have millions of fans. All are going to disappear if something happens." Zhang Ying shifted her gaze at her mother and father.


    At the end of the day, all she cared about is her name. Who cares about the Zhang Family''s money? Her fianc¨¦, Edward Fu is the heir of the Fu Family. With her current net worth and her husband''s money, the Zhang Family''s wealth is not even worth her eyes.


    However, the Zhang Family is one of the oldest families in Cone Lands. They are known in the entire region as upright and honest. Even her characters in her films had always been upright and honest to the point of becoming a villainess.


    To Zhang Ying, the most important part of the Zhang Family is its prestige. And she would let no one change the opinion of the people towards her Zhang Family.


    "Then Yingying¡­ what are you planning to do?" Zhang Xin asked her daughter. In response, Zhang Ying stared at her mother.


    A part of her really loves Zhang Xin. However, most of the time, she thought her mother is not only stupid but really shallow. Of course, Zhang Ying knew why her mother was acting like this.


    Zhang Xin didn''t really grow up in a prominent family. She lacks the elegance of a woman and is just someone who cares about her outside appearance. Zhang Ying would say that a part of her is somewhat like her mother.


    Just like Zhang Xin, Zhang Ying cared a lot about her appearance. But she was being smart about it. She would always use her head and be mindful of her environment to avoid situations where someone could easily take a video of her showing her true colors.


    "Yingying¡­ I know I''m wrong¡­" Zhang Xin started sobbing. In response, Zhang Ying used this opportunity to wipe her own tears earlier, before she sighed and sat on the chair. If she wasn''t surprised by her mother''s actions, then why did she cry earlier?


    She cried because she just finished talking to her fianc¨¦. She cried too much that when she walked inside the door, her tears were still flowing. She looked at her stupid mother and wondered what was she thinking.


    Sera Zhang is someone who loves tech. Isn''t it expected that she would have some random tech stuff in her house to protect herself?


    "Father, tell me how are the current events in the company right now. Edward told me that the stocks already fell because of grandfather''s announcement?" Zhang Ying calmly asked.


    "Yes. It was down by almost ten percent today. I am sure it would continue to go down unless there is something good."


    "Edward said that people are assuming that grandfather is drying. That''s why he announced the heir even if she isn''t ready." There wasn''t a hint of emotion in Zhang Ying''s face.


    "You are right."


    "But there is something more to that, right?"


    Nick stared at his daughter. He was too busy working that he didn''t notice how she had already changed a lot. She was no longer the na?ve little girl that used to love candies and toys.


    Pride soared in his eyes. "Yes, your grandfather said that Sera is not going to be the CEO."


    "I thought so too." Zhang Ying looked at her mother, silently telling her that her words were actually right. "So, who will become the next CEO?"


    "Your grandfather said, this is going to depend on my ability."


    "So there is going to¡­ " Zhang Ying nodded. She wasn''t some business genius, but she had been to a few of Edward''s meetings and she knew the ins and outs of being a CEO. "What do you think of Edward and the Fu industries?"


    Nick immediately frowned. "You wanted to make him the CEO?"


    "No father. I saw how much effort you put into the company. We cannot lose it to Sera who was practically a stranger to us." Zhang Ying said. "Acquisition. We sell our shares to Fu industries and let Edward appoint you as the CEO."


    "That¡ªthat is¨Cbut our shares are not as big as Sera''s. If she appoints some random person, then we are done."


    An indifferent glint can be seen in Zhang Ying''s eyes. "That woman doesn''t have any business skills or knowledge. Even if she appoints someone, we can easily create something that would ruin her plan. Moreover¡­ I believe I can make Edward buy her shares."


    "You will what?" Zhang Xin raised her voice. "But that woman liked Edward! What if¡ª"


    "She won''t do anything. Even if she does¡­ it won''t end well for her." Zhang Ying said before she gave a sinister smile to her mother. "Just like how it didn''t end well for her all those years ago."

 Chapter 61 - Talented Mother

    Meanwhile, Sera had no way of knowing that those people were once again scheming against her. That night, Sera spent her time staring at the ceiling.


    She didn''t know if it was because she was alone in the bed or¡­ because she wanted him next to her! Wait¡­ why does it sound the same?


    Because of this, Sera decided to just go back to her office and focus on her unfinished job. This time she made sure to lock her office door until she felt like sleeping.


    Slowly, time passed. The seconds turn into minutes and into hours. Right now, Sera was actually busy with something very important.


    The Zhang Family.


    Because of her conversation with her grandfather, Sera realized one thing.


    There is a big possibility that Zhang Xin and maybe even Zhang Ying schemed against her. The conversation made her wonder if that is something that the mother and daughter would do.


    At the end of the day, the answer would be¡­ yes.


    Zhang Xin never really treated her like a daughter and now that she thought about it, Zhang Ying always acted as if she was a rival. Sure, she was sweet and sounded so na?ve but she also took the opportunity to tell Sera everything that her parents did to her¡ªthe thing that they never did to Sera.


    It didn''t take too long for Sera to build resentment against Zhang Ying.


    Growing up, Sera was aware that she was beautiful but she was always the shorter one, the chubbier one. Maybe she was smarter than Zhang Ying but at that time she always thought that people would never see the brains of someone.


    They would judge people by the way they dress and their height and their flawless skin.


    Sera recalled being so insecure that she would always keep some extra clothes in her locker in case other girls in the school would have the same clothes as her. She always thought it would be an embarrassment.


    Aside from her brain, Sera thought she had nothing else.


    In her teens, Sera started dieting because she was so jealous of Zhang Ying''s slender body. At five-seven, Zhang Ying looked like a model with her slim physique and perfectly curled waves that seemed to match her gentle smile.


    Meanwhile, her five-foot-two self was just smart.


    This jealousy intensified when she started liking, the man that practically grew up with them.


    Edward Yu.


    Oh, the dashing Edward Yu.


    Smart.


    Handsome.


    Tall.


    Rich.


    He was everything that every woman wanted. Every woman¡­ including her. At first, she always thought Edward Yu would become her fianc¨¦. After all, she was the eldest, right?


    Well, the hard truth struck her face like a huge concrete. The Yu Family and the Zhang Family didn''t want to intervene in the marriage of the young ones. They would let Edward decide about his marriage.


    Well¡­ to Sera this news was really big. After all, she wasn''t that pretty. At most, she was cute, like a poodle. Short and feisty.


    Compared to her perfect younger sister, Sera looked like a wall.


    She didn''t even the wallflower because this time, she knew she looked like the wall. Plain, boring, and unnoticeable.


    Once again, this made her do some rush things that cause a lot of trouble.


    First was of course the stealing.


    Sera was well¡­ she thought buying more clothes would make her look more beautiful. She wasn''t blaming anyone for this. She could only blame herself for being so shallow. For someone who thought they are smart, Sera was just¡­ hopeless.


    Then the framing and lying.


    She thought she needed to get Edward''s attention so she invited him into dates.


    How shameless.


    At first, she noticed that Edward wasn''t really comfortable with her. So, she started inviting her sister. Obviously, she ended up becoming the third wheel.


    This only fueled her rage. To be fair, she always thought that she loved Edward. In her teenage years, her standard wasn''t really that good and Edward was just a prince in her eyes.


    Just thinking about all the embarrassment that she caused to herself made her cringe. She even went as far as trying to seduce him!


    Hell! The thought of it made her want to puke!


    For years, Sera didn''t have the time to even think about the past. After all, she was very aware that she was the evil one, the selfish one, or as Zhang Xin said, she was a sociopath.


    She lacks emotional attachment and is just pure evil.


    However, now that circumstances are different. The old man''s words led her to believe that Zhang Xin orchestrated everything that she heard. Zhang Xin knew how insecure she was thus, she let her in on the secret that she was actually adopted.


    She wasn''t a Zhang.


    All these years, she actually thought she wasn''t a Zhang!


    Even when they kicked her out and banned her from going back to the mansion. Even when they threw her clothes in the streets as she begged them to take her back, those people never mentioned anything about her being a Zhang!


    From her grandfather''s words, it was obvious that the old man was aware of the misdeeds that she did when she was a teen. He also said everything was reported by Zhang Xin and Zhang Ying as they asked him to forgive Sera for acting like that.


    What the hell?


    Sera wasn''t even aware that the old man knew about her ''rebel phase!'' And if the old man was indeed aware, why would the mother and daughter asked him to forgive Sera? Why didn''t they just bring Sera with them?


    That mother and daughter and plain weird.


    After a few minutes of reading the news and some articles about the Zhang Family, Sera realized that the old man''s words about her mother were actually true. She was beautiful¡ªthough, she wasn''t that tall¡ªshe was smart and even graduated at the top of her class in a prestigious university abroad!


    No wonder, she was the golden child.


    After hacking into her mother''s school, she realized that her mother wasn''t only the top of her class but even the champion of Go, Chess, and painting?


    Who would have thought that her mother was actually this talented?

 Chapter 62 - Full Time Pervert

    Sera continued snooping into her mother''s background, and that was when she realized some discrepancies. Her mother never had any pictures in prom.


    Or any other intimate events in the university.


    At this time, the CCTV wasn''t that many in the streets near her school so, Sera had no way of checking her mother''s whereabouts. However,


    She noticed something weird.


    There were times and days where the CCTV was cut off just before her mother would go inside the gates and walk near the CCTV.


    The cut was made in a very professional way. Even Sera found it hard to notice it first because of the lack of traces left by the person who did it. However, just what type of hacker was Sera?


    She wasn''t some dumb one that lacks observation skills!


    Anyways, Sera couldn''t really check all the videos in one night, so she decided to just download everything about her mother. She wasn''t even sure what her goal was.


    All she knew was the fact that she wanted to know more about the woman and maybe¡­ the man who impregnated her. Sera''s father.


    After some time, she started researching about her mother''s friends and realized that she had none.


    What?


    Yep. The golden child in Cone Lands wasn''t really close to anyone in her class. Or at least that''s what the photos said about her.


    "Hm??" Sera''s expression changed when she noticed that someone is trying to hack her computer. "What the hell!" She calmly checked the file that contained some destructive virus that would ruin everything in the same folder as the videos that she downloaded from the school.


    "Eh? It seems that someone didn''t want me to download these videos?" Suspicious. Sera smirked. The enemy was hoping that the person who downloaded the file was just some dumb hacker. They never expected that the firewall in her computer that Chris bought was actually thicker than the walls of the capital.


    After a few seconds, Sera was able to eliminate the virus that was planted on the file. She sighed as she realized that the virus was planted manually. Meaning, the person who did it, used the computer from the university and used a USB to transfer the virus.


    If the person who did it use some other remote methods like hacking into the university remotely, it would have been easier for her to track this person down.


    She looked at the time and let out a soft curse when she realized that it was already five in the morning. After stretching her petite body, she opened the door and almost had a heart attack in shock.


    "What are you doing here?" she gasped and took a step back, allowing Chris to walk inside.


    "I couldn''t sleep."


    "¡­" It''s already five in the morning. This man told her that he would be working late. Then he sent her a text in the middle of the night telling her that he needed to leave for some important meeting. He needed to go back to Pane City for a meeting!


    Why is he here now?


    "Umm¡­ you said¡­"


    "It''s done."


    "Huh?" Pane City is really far from Cone Lands, though. The plane¡­ did he go there by his private jet? But the time doesn''t add up.


    However, before she could say anything, he suddenly pulled her into his arms. His slow, steady heartbeat and warm embrace somehow made her confuse as it felt really familiar. Maybe it was the sex?


    Maybe her body had been accustomed to being near his body and it is reacting weirdly?


    Still! The fact that she is getting used to him after days of being together is alarming!


    Was she turning into a full-time pervert?


    "I miss you¡­" Chris said after letting out a sigh. "Let''s sleep?"


    For some reason, she felt a bit disappointed that a kiss didn''t follow that hug. But well¡­ she couldn''t really beg him to kiss her, right?


    Alright, what the hell was she even thinking? What kiss?


    She slowly pushed him away. "How''s business?"


    Chris didn''t say anything as he led her out of the office. Hand in hand, the two arrived in the room. "Busy," he said as he started to unbutton his shirt. "How''s hacking?" He approached the lamp near their beds and adjusted the light, making it dimmer.


    With the blackout windows, Sera was confident that the sunlight would never get inside this room.


    "Good." She was already in her pajamas, so she doesn''t need to change into anything. When she saw him in his boxer''s, Sera quickly turned her attention to the soft bed. She sat on the bed and leaned against the headboard, her eyes still trying to avoid his umm¡­ abs.


    "Miss Ting killed herself."


    Sera shifted her gaze back to him. "Killed or¡­"


    "The police are considering murder."


    Sera pursed her lips and watched him changed into a comfortable sky blue¡­ wait¡­


    They have matching pajamas?


    She blinked when she noticed him staring at her. "Murder, huh." Why does she feel like the woman died because of Chris? But that is wrong.


    Miss Ting and Chris didn''t have any connections aside from her working in the company.


    "I need your help with something."


    Sera didn''t answer. She just watched him from her peripheral vision, observing him as he sat next to her. What happened next was something that he didn''t expect.


    Chris suddenly pulled her towards him, making her head use his arm as her pillow, making her snuggle comfortably against his chest. A hint of musky smell mixed with lemon filled her nose. Lemons¡­ just like Cross''s favorite scent.


    She was waiting for him to continue talking about that something that he needed from her. Or maybe even start to touch her. After all, they had been touching each other a lot lately.


    But none of this happened.


    The next thing she knew, his breathing already turned slow and calm. She lifted her head and peered at him.


    He was already sleeping. Sera stared at him for a few minutes before she made herself comfortable in his arm. Then she smiled and close her eyes.

 Chapter 63 - Breakfast *

    WARNING: R18


    When Sera woke up, it was already three in the afternoon. To her surprise, Chris was still sleeping next to her.


    Slowly, she tried to remove his arms around her waist and climb out of the bed, hoping to get some food. But he was quick enough to pull her back into the bed.


    "Wait¡­" she said. "I''m hungry¡­"


    "For what?" His voice was sultry, warm, and immediately woke up something inside her. This man is a walking sin!


    "Food, idiot."


    He blinked in surprise, emphasizing the delicate lacework of his lashes. Then he smiled. "Well¡­ I believe this is the first time that someone called me an idiot. And I believe you''re going to pay for that."


    Before she could say anything, his hands were already at her nape, tugging her mouth closer to his. "Do you know how much you make me crazy?"


    His words were enough to short circuit her brains. Her mind seemed to shut down as she stared at his eyes. Her insides seemed to churn as he darted his tongue and lick her lower lips.


    And she didn''t do anything to stop him.


    Instead, she reached out and settled her hand at the back of his neck. Then she slowly dug her hand into his hair.


    "You should try and resist¡­" he added. "Because I can''t." Her scent was enough to make him into a tangled mess.


    Sera didn''t answer him. Instead, she pulled him, locking their lips together. She melded into him. The thought of Cross swiftly flashed in her head. She wanted to resist, maybe tell him about Cross. But she couldn''t.


    All the strength that she had was close to nonexistent when it comes to him. Every wall that she had destroyed. Every defense, broken.


    She was a tangled mess.


    Their tongues met in a sensual slide. The feeling of his hot erection against her stomach made her felt like she was drowning. And she didn''t want to be saved.


    She shivered when he started removing her clothes.


    He nuzzled the side of her chin, trailing kisses into her neck as his hand flicked her nipples. Desire rushed through her core. She wanted him to move a bit faster towards her core. He wanted his lips down there, teasing, biting her clitoris.


    But a part of her didn''t want to sound like a damn maniac.


    She bit her lips, trying to stop herself from telling him to put his fingers inside him.


    Then he withdrew. He stopped teasing her breast and kissing her neck.


    Sera''s eyes flew open as she stared at him. "You''re not resisting¡­" he kissed her collarbone. "You like it, don''t you?" his finger suddenly made its way into her stomach, tracing circles on her navel.


    "What are you talking about?"


    "You don''t like it?" he tilted his head and gave her a devilish smirk. "I can stop¡­ if you want."


    Why the hell would she want that? She blinked at him in surprise. "I¡ª "


    "Do you like it?"


    Jesus. This man''s ego is just¡­


    Her thoughts stop when he started to move away.


    "Yes!"


    "Yes, what?"


    "I like it."


    "Like what?" he cocked an eyebrow as his head moved towards her right nipples.


    "This¡­" she shivered. His tongue felt hot against her nipples.


    His hand that was on her stomach started tracing circles towards her thigh. His mouth latched onto her breast, making her groan, and arched into him. Then he took her other breast before he pulled the small piece of clothing that was covering her hot, pulsating core.


    He then pressed one of his fingers over her core.


    The heat flowing inside her intensified. She could feel her core tightened, beckoning him with his fingers to explore its wetness.


    "Damn¡­" he let out a few curses when he discovered how wet she was. "I can''t take it." He murmured as he slid a finger inside her.


    Unable to stop herself, she moved her hips and thrust against his hand. She couldn''t help it.


    She wanted more¡­ more of him.


    He stared at her as he slid his finger in and out of her.


    Sera let out a soft moan. Her eyes half opened, revealing the raw desire that made her want to push him against the bed and ride that rock-hard length manhood.


    Reaching up, she pulled his head down to hers.


    She needed something more satisfying than his fingers. And she needed it fast.


    Sera kissed him hard, biting his lower lip and thrusting her tongue inside his mouth. And he returned it with equal fervor.


    "Please¡­" she managed to whisper in between the kisses.


    "Please what?"


    "Inside¡­ I can''t." She could feel her core shivering from anticipation.


    She closed her eyes, her body hot and ready as she waited for him. A whimpering groan slipped from her mouth as he slid his body on top of hers.


    Her thoughts scattered when she felt him slid slowly inside her. When he started thrusting, she couldn''t help but dug her fingers on his shoulders and locked her ankles behind him.


    She arched, moan and call out his name before she started begging him to move faster. She lifted her hips and started meeting his thrust, matching his pace.


    Their moans soon filled the room, followed by her strangled cry of pure pleasure. Long moans, one after the other, echoed inside the room. She wrapped her arms around him as both of them started to lose themselves in pure pleasure.


    Immersed in the raw lovemaking, she wanted to open her eyes and watch him. But he was taking her to the edge faster than he did the other day. And this time, she wanted to savor every minute of her release.


    She gasped for air and returned each of his ferocious thrusts with equal force. Then he released a harsh groan of surrender just as her body trembled from the upcoming climax.


    Her core tightened around him just as pleasure shuddered inside her. She could feel her body convulsed in pure pleasure.


    She collapsed on top of her spent as they tried to catch her breath.


    "Well¡­" he said. "That was the best breakfast that I had ever."

 Chapter 64 - Muffins And Sausages

    "That was¡­." Sera tried her best to sound calm. "That wasn''t breakfast. And I''m starving¡­"


    "Starving for what?" He smiled when he saw her frown. "Alright¡­ I get it. Let me order something."


    "I can cook."


    "Oh? You wanted to cook for me on your own?"


    This only made her irritated. She pushed him away and immediately found her clothes. "What do you want to eat for breakfast?" she asked.


    "If given a chance, I would like to eat you. Every breakfast."


    "Pervert."


    He laughed at that. Then he sat on the bed and stared at her. "I want everything that you would cook."


    "You will eat everything?"


    "Everything."


    "Even if it''s poison?"


    "Even if it''s poison."


    The assurance in his voice surprised her. She gave a wry smile and snorted. "I''m cooking some muffins and sausages."


    "Sausages huh¡­"


    "pervert!"


    "Hey! I feel attacked!" Amusement apparent in his voice. "I will talk to some people then come down for breakfast."


    She heard him say just before she left the room.


    Whipping up a quick breakfast was really easy for someone like her who had been living alone for the past years. Oh well, there were times that Cross would join her but that was only once or twice a month. That man was so absorbed in his job that he was acting like he was thinking of something even when he was with her.


    Just the thought of Cross made her smile. She wondered if he was safe, or even still alive. As harsh as it was, Sera''s mind had sometimes wondered if Cross had died somewhere. This wasn''t really the first time that he would disappear for a few weeks then suddenly show up out of nowhere.


    At some point, she thought he was some sort of mafia boss or a drug leader. She used to tell herself that the reason why Cross didn''t want to spend a lot of time with her is that his job was pretty dangerous. He didn''t want to put her in any danger.


    With this in mind, she felt a bit better about his absence. Right now, she was wondering what would Cross say once she tells him that she married some stranger. Would he get angry? Would he¡­ get jealous?


    Jealous?


    She snorted at the thought.


    Cross saw her naked, wasted, and in her weakest state. The man never acted as if she was someone special. He was¡­ friendly and would tease her about her small flabs. But he never made her feel uncomfortable or insecure.


    If she didn''t accidentally felt his erection while they were watching an intimate movie, she would have thought that he was actually gay.


    Alright, maybe she wasn''t just his type. Or maybe, he always sees her as a younger sister. Either way, now that she was sleeping with another man and is about to sign some marriage certificate, she isn''t planning to tell Cross about her unrequited love.


    Sera stared at the muffins and sausages in front of her. Wondering what to do with her life now. She married Chris then let him manage the company. So¡­ what is going to happen to her?


    Oh well, she could just sleep with that man. After all, they were already married. Sleeping with him is not bad at all.


    Scratch that.


    It was mindboggling.


    And maybe this was her pervert brain talking.


    Or her hormones going on a rampage when she thought about sleeping with him.


    But she was telling the truth.


    Just the thought of it is making her stomach throb.


    Damn.


    Didn''t she just have sex with him less than an hour ago?


    How embarrassing!


    "You''re so red. Why are you red while staring at the sausage?"


    She straightened her back and look at him. He was already wearing black sweatpants, shirtless.


    Maybe he was trying to tempt her again?


    And it was working.


    For some reason, a part of her wanted to do it in the sink. And on top of this marble counter. Maybe against the fridge.


    "Thinking about me?"


    She didn''t even realize that he was already standing close to her. She leaned back instinctively, her face burning. "What?"


    "I said, why are you so red while staring at the sausages? You''re not thinking of¡­"


    "Huh?"


    "Sex toys?"


    "What?"


    He laughed and moved back. Then he picked one of the small sausages and toss it in his mouth. "I''m buying you some."


    "Wait¡­ what?" she asked. "What are you going to¡­"


    He only chuckled in response and moved across her. "Hmmm¡­ this is pretty good. Where did you learn how to bake muffins?"


    "Internet."


    "Oh, I thought it''s some kind of secret recipe."


    She shrugged and ignored him. To prolonged her life, the best way to approach this situation is to ignore him. Ignore his seductive squinting eyes and a warm baritone voice that is turning her on. Ignore his tone muscles and abs.


    Ignore that he even existed.


    "I would¡­ do it against the fridge. But we are in a hurry."


    "What¡­ how did you¡ª"she widened her eyes as he laughed and gave her a wink.


    "Got Ya."


    So irritating. Seeing her starting to fume in anger, Chris held both of his arms up. "Alright, I''ll stop teasing. But we are really in a hurry. We need to meet with our lawyer for the marriage certificate. From now on, he would take care of your affairs too. No need to worry, he is a top-notch lawyer in the country."


    "I know that. Thank you." Having a good lawyer is actually a privilege that most people don''t get.


    "Oh, after that we need to do lingerie shopping."


    "Huh?" For some reason, a vision of her in red lingerie being tied up in bed appeared in her mind. "I don''t need that."


    "My people didn''t buy you some lingerie. I didn''t ask them to. I don''t want them knowing your bra size."


    She blinked. What was this man talking about?


    Seeing her daze expression, he continued, "Now that you are already my wife, we need to make sure that you don''t run out of lingerie."


    "Huh? What does that mean?"


    He only laughed and grabbed the coffee that she prepared for him before saying, "I have a meeting in less than five minutes. I''ll see you in thirty minutes."


    Then he left her.


    Alone.


    Wondering why she would need a lot of lingerie.


    "Weird man." She mumbled before she finished her breakfast.


    It seems that her days would turn a little more colorful around him?

 Chapter 65 - Doomed

    "Once you sign your name and signature, you and Mr. Quinn will be considered officially married. At least in an hour. I will take care of everything. You do understand that¡­ whoever will cheat on this marriage would become penniless, right?" Lawyer Liu felt that this clause was too much, especially for Chris. However, before he could voice out his concerns, Chris already told him that it was only a disadvantage if he would cheat¡ªwhich would never happen.


    Once again, the lawyer cast Sera a complicated glance.


    Was love really blind?


    It''s not that Sera was not good-looking. She was actually really pretty. She was petite and her face looked really cute.


    The lawyer just thought that she was too simple¡ªa little too simple for a billionaire like Mr. Quinn. Perhaps Mr. Quinn liked the simple, innocent-looking ones?


    "In case of divorce, the one that would file for the divorce would only take fifty percent of his or her wealth before they got married. Is that understood?" The Lawyer said. Chris originally wanted it to be the first clause as well. Whoever will file would end up penniless. But Sera insisted on the fifty percent.


    Obviously, this didn''t go too well with Chris, and now he was sulking. Like a child.


    If Lawyer Liu wasn''t too used to this attitude, he never would have believed that Mr. Quinn was Mr. Quinn that owned Quinn Media.


    "I understand." Sera nodded and turned her attention to Chris, who was resting his chin on his palms as if he just lost a billion in some gambling. "Do you?"


    "No," Chris said. "Why can''t it be everything? I don''t like this fifty percent. It''s like you are telling me that you are planning to leave and take fifty percent of your money. That''s not fair."


    "Why is that not fair?" Sera asked. "If you stop liking me and decide to¡ª "


    "That won''t happen."


    "I said ''if''." This argument is just¡­ endless.


    "There is no ''if''!"


    "Mr. Quinn¡­"


    "This is why I hate these rules. It''s like¡­ you haven''t even signed the marriage certificate and you are already assuming that the marriage would be doomed."


    "Stop being so na?ve. I am just trying to protect your assets! After all, you are a billionaire. Feelings change all the time. Who knows if you ¨C "


    "There is no if!"


    Sera''s face darkened. It was like talking to a child. A billionaire child! "Can you at least¡­ think about it?"


    "I already thought about this for months."


    "¡­" There was no winning this argument. "Look¡­ there''s actually no need to worry about this." She sighed and gave a wry smile at the lawyer. She felt a bit embarrassed, but it was just too late now.


    Lawyer Liu had been listening to them argue for more than thirty minutes now. By now, the lawyer might have already connected all the dots and guessed the nature of their relationship.


    Wait¡­ what was the nature of their relationship?


    Sera didn''t have the time to think about this now. "I know you are worried that I would leave."


    "At least you are smart enough to notice that." He didn''t hide the sarcasm in his voice.


    "If I want to leave. I would. Even if I would end up with nothing."


    Chris scowled. "I know!"


    "Meaning, this is useless. So, we can just make it fifty percent."


    "You said it yourself. It''s useless anyway. So, why not make it everything?"


    Yep, there is definitely no winning in this conversation.


    "You can leave anytime and I can leave anytime. It''s not like money is that hard to earn. This doesn''t matter. So, we need to make it everything. If you leave, you end up penniless and the same goes for me."


    Sera let out a deep¡ªdeep sigh. He was using her logic against her. This man is just¡­


    This man is definitely good with debates! "Alright. Let''s just¡­ get it over with." She said as she signed the marriage certificate.


    Beaming, Chris signed the paper too.


    "See? This is easy. I told you it would be quick." Chris looked at the lawyer.


    "you told me it won''t take ten minutes. We''ve been here for more than an hour."


    "Oh." Chris nodded. "Well¡­ let''s talk about her affairs. The Zhang Family''s shares? How was it?"


    "This morning, I already went to see Mr. Zhang, the Patriarch, and confirmed that Miss Zhang is now the heir of his company. She has a total of forty percent shares and five percent shares from the other companies. Considered as the Major Shareholder of the company, Miss Zhang could do almost everything that she wanted as long as it does not violate any corporate laws."


    "Like¡­ veto the decision of the board?" Chris asked.


    "Yes, you are right. Like vetoing some decision of the board. Also¡­" Mr. Liu started discussing Sera''s liquid assets and many other things that are a part of her inheritance. But Sera could only frown.


    Why was the old man giving her this much money? Was he trying to get her in trouble?


    No, that old man was hiding something.


    "Do you have any questions?" Lawyer Liu asked.


    "No. I''m good."


    "Good, then let''s proceed to the next topic. That would be hiring a secretary for you and¡ª "


    "I don''t need one." She was a hacker. Why would she need a secretary?


    "Will... you would need one now. The board would surely start calling you tomorrow once I send them the document with your name as the largest shareholder in the company. A meeting would then be scheduled. And¡­"


    So complicated. "I don''t want to meet them," Sera said. "I don''t think I am a business person."


    "Which is why you needed a representative. Since Mr. Quinn already mentioned that you would give the shares to him and let him acquire the company then¡­ I suggest¡­"


    "I think it is best to talk to Mr. Quinn about this," Sera said. "As my husband¡­. This is his job."


    Hearing the word husband, Chris beamed and nodded. "I agree. You should talk to Lan Xing. As always, he would act as my representative in meetings like this."

 Chapter 66 - Lingerie Shopping

    Sera could already feel his gaze boring towards her. She avoided his gaze and tried to focus. Now that Sera thought about it, most people haven''t really met Mr. Quinn. Most don''t even know what he looked like.


    This means that¡­ he wouldn''t show his face in the company. "Ah, I will go with Mr. Lan Xing. During the meeting." Sera said. At least Lan Xing is not as attractive as Mr. Quinn. Going with Lan Xing wouldn''t attract that much attention.


    "I will go with you!" Chris almost immediately said.


    "I thought Mr. Lan would handle this?"


    "He will," Chris nodded. "I will be your¡­ secretary."


    "Huh?"


    "You would need one."


    "Mr. Quinn¡­ "


    "Call me husband." He gave her a cheeky smile.


    "¡­" Really? She deadpanned. But ended up saying, "Husband¡­ I don''t think this is necessary. You have a billion-dollar company to attend to. There''s no need to come with me." She faked a smile. "Why don''t you spend some time in your office and look at the prices of your investments in the stock market?"


    "I can do that on my phone."


    "Hehe¡­" she faked a peal of laughter. "You can''t come with me."


    "Why is that?"


    "You are too attractive." And your face screamed pheromones that could make anyone horny.


    WAIT!


    What was she thinking?


    "Oh? So you think I am handsome."


    Seeing the two start to banter, Lawyer Liu turned on the music on his phone that was connected to the Bluetooth earphones in his ears. Listening to some classical could ease the embarrassment that he felt inside.


    "I need to be there¡­ in case some random people would approach you."


    "Random people?" she frowned.


    "Like a previous crush."


    "You mean¡­" she blinked in surprise.


    "Exactly," he nodded and winked at her. "He is slowly buying some shares from other people. Of course, that would be useless since I already have twelve under my company name. My twelve and your forty is already fifty-two. We already won before the competition began." A smug smile appeared on his face.


    "That¡ªWhy would Mr. Fu involve himself in¡ª "


    "He is your cousin''s fianc¨¦."


    "Still, you can''t come with me."


    "Why?"


    Again, the conversation ended with a tie. No one was willing to give way this time.


    "Alright, I think that is all for today." Lawyer Liu interrupted them. "I need to leave. I have to take care of the marriage certificate and everything that you guys agreed to in front of me."


    "Thank you so much, Lawyer Liu." Sera smiled at the older man. By now, all the embarrassment that she felt when she met this man earlier totally vanished. Her banter with Chris seemed to make her a bit more relaxed.


    She didn''t know if he was purposely arguing with her because he wanted her to forget and just show her true nature. Either way, she was a bit thankful.


    She watched as the lawyer gave them a cordial smile before leaving the private teahouse that was actually owned by Chris.


    "So, about that lingerie¡­"


    She immediately turned towards him. She was about to start another round of argument when her phone vibrated. She immediately opened it, thinking it was one of Xu Je''er texts asking her if she already slept with a stranger on this vacation.


    To her surprise, it was an unknown number.


    "Huh?"


    "Who is it?"


    Sera didn''t answer as she read the full text. It was actually an introduction from a certain Mon Go. He said he was Mr. Fu''s secretary and is asking her if she would be available for a phone conversation. "I think you are right. Mr. Fu is indeed starting to act." Sera gave him his phone.


    To her surprise, Chris suddenly started typing something. "Hey, what are you doing?" This man¡­ This man is really acting so comfortable with her. He would even use her phone when she was just intending to let him read the text.


    After a few seconds, Chris gave her the phone. "I just said¡­ no. You are not available."


    "I¡ª "


    "Are you going to say that you were available?" he asked.


    "No. Of course not."


    "Then, I just saved you the time and effort to reply." He stood, revealing his casual sky blue polo shirt and light brown chinos. His simplicity was really something that she found amusing.


    "We should shop lingerie," he said. "That is a high priority. Especially that we are officially newlyweds."


    "Can you stop saying embarrassing stuff like that?"


    "What''s so embarrassing about telling the truth?" he asked.


    Yep, she would never win an argument with this guy. "You are not really acting like what you are." She mumbled in a low voice that only Chris could hear. Right now, they are already walking in the streets, hand in hand like ¨C newlyweds.


    "How am I supposed to act? Please don''t tell me you watch those movies about CEOs and stuff," he chuckled.


    She didn''t answer him. Maybe her perception about CEOs was indeed wrong. She always thought of a cool-looking CEO like Edward Fu. Cold and calculating. A man whose brains could rival that of an encyclopedia. A man of few words.


    Alright, her perception was clearly wrong. She just wasn''t expecting him to be more vocal. To be more human.


    "Hmmm?" Sera''s attention shifted towards her phone when she suddenly received another text. This time it was from her grandfather. "He wanted to see me." Relief flashed in Sera''s eyes when she finally found an excuse not to go through with this lingerie shopping. "The old man."


    "Then I am coming with you." Before she could even say no, he already added. "Isn''t it time that you introduce me to the old relative who seemed to care about you?"


    She turned silent before she nodded.


    At this point, Sera wasn''t aware that taking Chris with him is actually something that would save her from her apparent demise.


    .....


    Guys, please check out comments for Sera and Chris'' images. This is something that i made using an artbreeder website.

 Chapter 67 - Twisted

    "He won''t believe it." Sera immediately said when Chris opened the idea of her introducing him as her husband.


    "Why? I thought I have all the excellent qualities of being a husband. Anyone would be proud to have a husband like me."


    She pursed her lips. "That''s not my point."


    "Then?"


    "The old man is greedy."


    "You noticed that?" Chris lifted an eyebrow. "I was kidding. At most, you can introduce me as your bodyguard or something." Chris said as he drove the car inside the parking lot of the hospital. "Or maybe even a boyfriend? It''s not weird that you have a boyfriend like me. I''m sure he won''t find it weird or something."


    "What are you trying to say?"


    "I am really good looking so¡­" he shrugged and her face darkened.


    "Stop being so smug about your looks."


    "Hey! I was trying to describe myself."


    "Yeah, no one really describes themselves like that."


    Chris laughed and slowly parked the car. Then he got out of the car with her following him. After a few seconds, the two were already on the elevator that would lead them to the topmost floor of the hospital. "By the way, I will be away tomorrow and the day after. But I will call you. No need to worry. We had a few emergencies, and the board needed me."


    "It''s fine, you can concentrate on whatever it is that you want to do." In her mind, the word peace seemed to dance.


    "You are acting like you won''t miss me."


    "That''s because I won''t."


    He leaned towards her, his face too close she could feel his warm breathing against her cheek. "Really?"


    "We are in the elevator."


    "huh?" He lifted an eyebrow. Then he smiled. ''What are you thinking?"


    "W¡ªWhat? I was just¡ª "


    "It''s alright to be shy. You will get used to it soon."


    "¡­" What the hell does that mean?


    "As I was saying, no need to worry, I would call you all the time."


    "I''m not worried and you really are a bit clingy¡­"


    "If I''m not clingy and you''re not clingy, then¡­ how would our relationship grow? Without oxygen, the fire won''t last long."


    "¡­" Oxygen? Fire? What the hell was he talking about? Sera maintained her silence until they got out of the elevator and started walking towards her grandfather''s room. However, her footsteps halted when Cross suddenly moved in front of her. "Hey, what are you doing?"


    "Something''s wrong¡­" Chris said, his grim tone surprised her. Was this the man that was just joking around a few seconds ago?


    "What?"


    "This place was crawling with¡­ guards and nurses," Chris said as he pulled his phone. "No signals."


    Sera took her phone and was surprised that he was right. There was no signal. She frowned. A signal jammer? She immediately eyed the CCTV camera.


    "Let''s get out of here." Without waiting for her to say anything, Chris already pulled her towards the emergency exit. This time, Sera didn''t complain or say anything. She just followed him down to the building.


    However, she couldn''t help but wonder if he had been this observant before. He was a CEO and not some special spy, right?


    "What''s wrong?" Chris stopped when he noticed that she stopped moving.


    "I¡ª "


    "I know you are weak, but damn. I didn''t know you are this weak." He said, and lowered his body. "Come."


    "You¡­ "


    "I''ll carry you down."


    "Mr. Quinn¡­ "


    "Come!"


    She stared at his broad shoulders. The urgency of his voice seemed to made her adrenaline boil. She walked towards him and secured herself into a piggyback ride.


    "It''s not like you are heavy."


    She heard him say as she rested her head on his back, inhaling his familiar scent.


    "You should do some exercises for your body. You don''t need flexibility as you are already flexible. You needed some cardio, though. I mean¡­ how did you become so weak when you are really good in bed?"


    "Shut up."


    "You could last long in bed but not on the stairs? This is making me wonder¡­"


    "Shut up!" she hissed and slowly pinched his neck.


    "You know that you are going to pay for that, right?"


    Why was he talking about payback when they are in the middle of something like this? She fought the urge to say what was on her mind. Who knows if this man would suddenly drop her?


    After a few minutes, they finally arrived in the parking lot and back to the car. Sera didn''t immediately ask him to leave the place as she opened her laptop and started hacking the hospital.


    Just as she expected, the CCTV on the topmost floor had been turned off. Sadly, she couldn''t recover data that wasn''t there in the first place. "Let''s leave." She had some methods to prove that she didn''t enter the old man''s room, but she could do it on her computer.


    Chris mumbled something about lingerie but started driving, anyway. When they arrive, Sera immediately went to her computer and started checking the angles of the CCTV in the neighboring buildings. Right now, Sera wasn''t sure what was happening, but her first priority is to set up a strong, impenetrable defense for herself.


    She had been through a lot of scheming to know that everything won''t end well if she would act like a dumbo.


    "My people said, all the doctors were suddenly summoned by the directors for an emergency meeting," Chris said.


    People? Sera couldn''t help but feel that there is really something suspicious about the ''people'' that Chris would always talk about. However, she felt that this is none of her business at all, so she chose not to ask any more questions.


    "What about the nurses?"


    "Some emergencies too and check this out, the only one occupying the topmost floor right now is your grandfather."


    Sera shrugged. It is always bad to assume the worst thing, but right now, she is almost a hundred percent positive that her grandfather is dead. And she¡ªwell she was supposed to be the suspect of his murder.


    Yes, why else would they turn off the CCTV and remove all the other people if it was just a natural death? At least, she wasn''t that dumb to assume that everyone would be happy to hear about her grandfather''s death just after he announced her existence, right?


    "He''s dead," Sera calmly said. "The police might probably arrive here in a few minutes."


    "You seemed¡­ too calm?"


    She scoffed. Should she panic? It''s not like this was her first time being treated like a criminal?


    "Should I cry?" It''s not like the old man was someone close to her. She went back to her computer and felt a bit weird. Was she acting too cold?


    Sera always knew she was a bit weird and maybe a bit crazy and the fact that she felt nothing knowing that the old man died was the real evidence of this craziness inside her. Sometimes she wondered if she was some sociopath. She even wondered when had she became too detached from feeling any emotion towards other people.


    She had become so indifferent. She found it scary. Was it because she had suffered and was used to how the world works?


    "What are you doing? You''re not working, are you?" he sat next to her, looking at her with such curiosity in his eyes. It was as if he was reading a book.


    "No. I am trying to check the hospital''s server. I want to try to¡­ here you go." She smiled. Here she goes. Using hacking as the best way to escape herself. Sera found out long ago that hacking, or doing something she had full control over, is enough to calm her down.


    It was the best therapy for her damaged self.


    "What is that?"


    "Someone indeed hacked into the server and they haven''t left yet. I can track them¡­ if I am fast enough."


    "And¡­ are you?"


    She snorted. In this world, the only thing she had control over was actually her computers. "Is that even a question?"


    Since Sera was looking at the computer, she missed the worry that flashed in Chris'' eyes. She didn''t even hear him sigh as her fingers flew towards the keyboard.


    Sera continued for a few minutes before she stopped. It seems that whoever hacked the CCTV was actually watching them earlier? They must have turned off the CCT when Sera and Chris left the top floor.


    With this evidence, Sera was sure that no one would be able to frame her in the old man''s death. "I actually feel a bit¡­ sad." Sera blurted out while typing another series of codes.


    "Sad?"


    "I feel like the old man was the only thing that could give me the truth. If he really¡­ died. Then¡­ he died lying to me." Was that some twisted feelings? Probably.


    Did she sound twisted?


    Yes, she does.


    And she was very much aware of this.


    She tilted her head and smiled at him. For some reason, she thought she would see some surprise in his face. But she saw none of this.


    What she saw¡­ immediately reminded her of Cross and how he would stare at her with that worried look in his eyes. This man¡­ reminded her to Cross too much.


    Was that the reason why she felt so attracted to Chris?

 Chapter 68 - Seras Brain

    Just as Sera finished copying the things that she thought would be enough to clear her name, the police arrived to invite her to the station.


    "Call, Lawyer Liu," Sera said. As always, she would let the lawyer do the talking this time.


    "I can¡ª "


    "It''s fine." She looked at him and grabbed a coat before going with the two police personnel. The ride towards the police station was short and, well¡­ boring. Sera didn''t speak and the two older men didn''t say a word towards her, too.


    When they arrived at the station, they lead her towards the interrogation room where¡­ someone unexpected was waiting.


    Sera had a placid look on her face as she sat on the chair across from Mr. Fu. She then eyed the mirror behind him and wondered if someone was watching them. After a few seconds, she shifted her gaze back the Edward.


    She looked at his eyes, then nose, then lips and chin, and¡­ damn. He looked older. Compared to Chris or even Cross, Mr. Edward Fu looked really haggard. This made her a bit disappointed.


    "Sera¡­" Edward smiled the same smile that he used to everyone else. The sound of her name coming from his mouth made her recall some memories¡­ the morbid memories that she had with him. Edward Fu¡­ the perfect Edward.


    The very reason why she chose to study computer science and learned to hack. The very reason why she accessed the dark web just to know everything about him. Sera used to be so obsessed, she actually tried to drug Zhang Ying just to have him.


    Funny.


    Now that she looked at the man, she thought her standards were actually so low before. How could this man, with this kind of looks, make her so obsessed she even tried to kill herself when she couldn''t get him?


    Wasn''t she pathetic?


    "You are just going to keep staring at me?" he smirked. It was the same smirk that he always used before. It was oozing with confidence, yet it wasn''t sexy. At least not compared to the smirk that Chris had. "Are you wondering why am I here?" Edward asked. "Tell me what you are thinking."


    It was an order. Since he was in his teen, he always uses this order to let her do everything that he wanted. Their age wasn''t that far apart, and they grew up close to each other. Or at least, she thought they were.


    Obviously, she was wrong.


    "Are you really just going to keep staring at me?" Edward asked.


    And she didn''t bother to answer. She could stare at him forever and think about other things. She could stare at him and think about Chris or Cross. Funny how she was staring at him with nothing but mockery in her head while he was thinking how she was still crazy for him. She could see it. The arrogance in his eyes, the pride in his smirk. He should stop thinking that she still liked him. Because right now, all she felt was disgust and mockery. Not to him.


    But to herself.


    She was mocking her previous choices.


    She was mocking her stupidity.


    "Sera¡­ Look, I know you are upset that we asked the police to pick you up."


    The keyword is ''we'', meaning someone else is actually watching them right now. Her gaze shifted towards the mirror. Was it Zhang Ying? Zhang Xin? Was it her uncle?


    "I know hearing about your grandfather''s death from the police is a bit hard. But¡­ right now¡­ we are waiting for the doctors to clear you out. The camera recorded you visiting the top floor then leaving in a few seconds. The Zhang Family thought that you murdered the old man."


    ''Murder'' the keyword is murder. How did they know it was murder when the doctors didn''t even say it yet? Simple, because they were the ones who killed the old man.


    Sera still stared at Edward, as if she couldn''t understand what he was talking about. For years, Sera basically considered herself alone. The only person who stood by her was Cross, who is also busy and would occasionally vanish now and then. Aside from him, no one else cared about Sera.


    And she was already used to that. Sometimes, she felt that her brain had developed this program to cope with silence. She could spend hours without talking and just listening to someone blabber.


    It was kinda like how our brain isolated the surrounding sounds to let us hear the voice of the person that we are talking to. When you are in the middle of a noisy restaurant, our brain would process everything to let our ears focus on the person speaking before us.


    This time, Sera''s brain could shut down the noise around her and just focus on her thoughts.


    "Sera? You¡ªAre you really going to spend the entire time staring at me like that?"


    She didn''t answer him. Sera wouldn''t blame him, really. It must be awkward¡ªbeing stared at by someone who is not saying a word. But who cares about him?


    "The Zhang Family thought that you killed the old man. Are you just going to sit here and stay silent?"


    She will. She would stay here and stay silent until Lawyer Liu arrives. They had no warrant or any evidence against her. Meaning they couldn''t arrest her. They didn''t take her phone, and she had a laptop in her backpack. She could stay here and not do anything else.


    Seeing frustration flashed in Edward''s eyes made Sera smile inwardly. There it was. The frustration, the annoyance. Soon, he would reveal the real reason why he was here.


    "Zhang Ying told me to help you." Edward sighed. "Her mother thought that you killed the old man and is planning to file a case against you. This time, you are an adult. Your age cannot save you from the law."


    Ah, they wanted to play good cop, bad cop. Sera maintained her placid look. Did they think she was still seventeen? Did they think they could still make her dance in their palms?


    Sera felt a bit insulted.


    Did they think her brain would stop growing? That she would never mature?


    How atrocious!


    "Zhang Ying told me to come here and help you out. That is, of course, you would accept my help." Edward Fu continued.


    She was waiting for him to say, in return. What are they planning? Make her owe a favor to them? They must have wanted the shares, right? They wanted her to owe them so they could just ask her to sell her shares to the Fu Family.


    The plan was a bit brilliant¡ªfor stupid people.


    And Sera was never stupid.


    Moreover, they also failed to do something very important in this plan. They did not consider the fact that Sera would have evidence to save herself. They thought she was still the helpless Sera who was alone and clueless all those years ago.


    "Your still not saying anything?" Edward sighed. He didn''t hide the frustration in his eyes. "You¡ªI came here to help. The least you could do is thank me or maybe say something."


    He wanted her to say something? Then she would, "I¡ª "


    Edward''s face lit up like a candlelight in the middle of the night.


    But her next words made him frowned. "I have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions. Anything I say may be used against me in a court of law. I have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police and to have an attorney present during questioning now or in the future."


    "You¡ª "


    "Are you the police, Mr. Fu?" she asked. And the answer was pretty clear. He wasn''t. So why would she talk to him? Slowly, the edge of her lips lifted upwards into a sinister smirk.


    She then opened her phone and blatantly ignored his dark expression. After a few taps, she lifted her head and gave him an innocent smile. These people are basically forcing her to reveal her cards.


    And she would give them that. She is prepared to give them what they wanted.


    A war.


    And this time, she would win.


    "Sera¡­ you¡­" Edward leaned back and loosen his tie. "You have changed."


    She didn''t answer him. It was obvious. He could tell her something she doesn''t know about herself. But then again, he doesn''t know her anymore. They were just strangers now.


    And she was planning to keep it that way.


    Edward''s lips straightened into a thin line, a thing that he loves to do while he was thinking. "Since you seemed to have guessed my goals, then let me be more direct with you." He gulped, his Adam''s apple bobbing. "I want the shares. I am willing to pay for everything. Don''t get me wrong. I don''t care about the Zhang Family. But I care about Zhang Ying."


    It''s a pity, Sera thought inwardly. She doesn''t care about any of them at all.

 Chapter 69 - Assault

    Again, Sera just stared at Edward.


    "You-You''re not saying anything?" Edward asked. He didn''t know if this was intentional or if Sera wanted to anger him to death. Either way, he isn''t liking the fact that he is losing control of the conversation. "Sera?"


    He couldn''t help but wonder why was she acting like this. Was it possible that the trauma that she received all those years ago made her this way? That¡ªthat is possible. Edward let out a few curses inwardly.


    Sera wasn''t saying a word, and yet it was obvious who was in control of this conversation. As much as he hated it, he couldn''t do anything about it either. He stared at her beautiful face.


    It was the face of an innocent angel. Everyone around Sera knew how beautiful she was. Yet behind all the beautiful eyes and kissable lips was not an angel, but a devil. Someone who would do everything to get what she wanted.


    He used to wonder what would happen if he fell into Sera''s schemes. At the end of the day, he was thankful that he wasn''t that stupid to believe this woman.


    "If you won''t say anything. I am leaving this room and once that happens, the police would start questioning you."


    This time, Sera smirked. Then she turned her head towards the mirror as she asked. "Question me for what?"


    For what¡­.


    For what¡­


    Indeed¡­ why would the police question her? Was she a suspect of anything? Edward squinted. The absence of any emotion in Sera''s eyes was unsettling. It is making him feel that she actually knew something he doesn''t. Her composure wouldn''t do him any good.


    "For killing your grandfather."


    Sera angled her head towards him, yet her eyes never left the mirror. Did she know that Zhang Ying and Zhang Xin were standing behind that mirror? Impossible!


    "Killing who?"


    "Your grandfather," Edward answered. He wanted her to speak more. The more she does, the easier it would be for him to get inside her head, control her like he always did before.


    "Oh¡­ "Sera smiled, then she looked at her wristwatch. "The old man is about to hold a press conference and introduce me to everyone. After all, everyone already knew of my existence, but no one saw me. Then¡­ he magically died." She shifted her eyes towards him, the smile on her face didn''t vanish. "Suspicious."


    Suspicious?


    Who is suspicious?


    Why does it feel like she knew that this would happen?


    He held her gaze, he wouldn''t want her to know that her actions were already affecting her. Edward wasn''t new in the industry. This wasn''t his first time meeting someone like her. In fact, most business executives in the industry talked like Sera, as if they knew everything, as if they were in control.


    However, this was all a fa?ade.


    Edward knew that he could break her. "You know¡­" he started as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table that separated them. Despite the lighting of the LED bulb inside the room, Edward is starting to feel as if it was getting darker. It felt like he was in a dark cave, trying to find his way towards the exit, trying to crawl into the light.


    Talking to Sera is like that.


    He could feel the darkness inside her, the absence of emotion in her beautiful face only made this worse.


    "I always thought you were not capable of killing someone."


    "Mr. Fu¡­ where is the police?" Sera said, ignoring his words.


    "I am disappointed Sera. I am very disappointed."


    He didn''t miss the surprise that flashed in Sera''s eyes. Did his word hurt her? Was it¡ª


    "Ha-ha ¡ª "Sera said, sarcasm rich in her tone. Then she suddenly stood and grabbed her bag.


    "Where are you going?"


    She didn''t answer him. Instead, she started walking towards the door.


    "Sera, you''re not allowed to leave!"


    "Says who?" Sera said without looking at him.


    "You are not allowed to¡ª "


    "Are you trying to detain me, Mr. Fu?"


    "You¡ª "


    "its illegal detention."


    "Sera¡ª "


    "I thought so too." Sera continued walking. She then opened the door. She wasn''t surprised to see Zhang Xin standing outside of the room, glaring at her.


    "Who told you that you could leave?"


    Sera only smiled at the woman. With her high heels on, Zhang Xin towered over Sera. But right now, Sera''s presence was obviously stronger than Zhang Xin. "Mrs. Zhang¡­ When you tried to frame me for slapping you. Did you think that those videos would one day¡­ reach the hands of your socialite friends?"


    Almost instantly, Zhang Xin''s face paled. She covered her gaping mouth with her trembling hands as she staggered. The reaction was a kind of over the top. Sera scoffed.


    "You¡ªwhat did you say?" Zhang Xin asked, she could feel her face lose all its color, her body seemed to lose all of its strength. Her friends¡­


    Socialite friends¡­


    "What did you say?" she yelled. "You¡ªwhat did you just say?"


    Slowly, Sera''s tight-lipped smile turned into a sinister beam. However, she didn''t say another word. Instead, she walked past Zhang Xin and towards the entrance of the police station.


    Satisfying.


    She always loved to see people cower in fear. She likes to hear them stammer as panic flashed in their eyes. Then she counted¡­ one¡­ two¡­ three¡­. steps.


    "Sera! Don''t you dare walk away from me!" Zhang Xin held her shoulder before turning Sera around to face her. "How dare you!"


    *PAK!*


    Despite expecting the slap, Sera couldn''t deny that it was very painful. Her face wasn''t made for slapping. She immediately concluded not to let anyone else slap her again.


    Almost immediately, tears appeared in Sera''s eyes as she fell towards the floor with a loud thud. She lifted her gaze and met Zhang Xin''s panic eyes.


    There she goes¡­


    The woman who loved to show that she was kind and gentle.


    The woman who was respected by everyone in this city.


    The monster of a woman who tried to frame her.


    Tears fell from Sera''s eyes like waterfalls.


    "Mrs. Zhang! What do you think you''re doing?" A police officer helped Sera up.


    "She started it! She¡ªshe hurt me! It was self-defense!"


    Sera sobbed, saying nothing.


    "That''s right¡­ she hurt Madam Zhang first."


    Sera wasn''t surprised to hear Edward''s words.


    "Are you sure that my client started it first?" Lawyer Liu said as he walked towards them. His presence alone made them wonder who he was. "I am Liu Chengyu, Miss Sera Zhang''s lawyer." He gave some papers to the police officer who helped Sera up earlier. "I am here to represent my client and¡­" Lawyer Liu looked at Mrs. Zhang and Edward. "File a case for assault and defamation."


    "You¡ª "Before Zhang Xin could say anything, she felt Edward tugged her arm. Zhang Xin didn''t recognize the international lawyer, but Edward did. This made Edward wonder if the slap was a coincidence or it was a calculated attack¡­


    "Not here¡­" He whispered towards Zhang Xin. "Let''s leave this place."


    "But this woman¡­"


    "Now." Edward was intently staring at Sera. He was gauging her reaction. He wanted to see if he could see any changes in Sera''s expression. But he didn''t Sera was crying, she was holding her cheeks, her eyes showed sadness and anyone watching him couldn''t help but pity her appearance.


    She looked like she was bullied!


    Without waiting for her mother-in-law to react, he dragged her back towards the other room next to the interrogation and opened the door. From the room, Zhang Ying walked out.


    As someone famous, Zhang Ying didn''t show herself earlier and was watching everything from the room. She met Sera''s eyes and, without saying a word, she left with Edward and her mother.


    Sera changed, and unfortunately for them, it wasn''t a pleasant change.


    She was evil, maybe even more sinister than she was before.


    She had gotten smarter and maybe even deadlier.


    This wasn''t a piece of good news for them.


    Meanwhile, Lawyer Liu immediately took care of everything and even filed an assault case against Zhang Xin and Edward Fu.


    After a few minutes, Sera and Lawyer Liu were already walking towards the car where Chris was waiting for them.


    The moment Sera arrived inside the car, Chris handed her an ice pack. She stared at it for a few seconds before looking at him.


    "Your face¡­" he said.


    Two words.


    Two simple words immediately made her nervous. Something was different in him. Was it his cold eyes, his tone?


    He was angry.


    She could feel his anger, his rage. She could feel the temperature of the car dropped, and for some reason, she could look at his eyes. She lowered her gaze and accepted the ice pack without saying anything.


    Slowly, the car started moving with Lawyer Liu sitting in the front seat and Chris and Sera at the back seat of the sedan.


    ....


    I will slowly update the chapters. Thanks for your patience.

 Chapter 70 - Deal Breaker

    Sera never hated confrontation. But for some reason, the current scene in front of her gave her a bit of pressure. She looked at Chris who had been staring at her, without saying anything.


    Was this the pressure that Edward felt earlier when she did this very same thing? A part of her actually wondered what he was thinking. Clearly, he looked upset. But¡­ what''s with this silence?


    "I''m going to¡­ sleep," she blurted out before she stood and turned her back towards him. She was about to walk out of his office when she felt his hand on her wrist. And to be honest, she immediately expected him to start shouting.


    His gaze was enough to tell her that he might start shouting anytime. It was like he had been trying to control himself. Maybe stop himself from breaking all the things inside his office.


    And yes, that sounded toxic.


    And yes, that would be the greatest deal-breaker for her.


    She simply had no time to deal with any toxic behavior right now.


    To her surprise, he just held her wrist, saying nothing.


    Sera looked stared at his hand on her wrist before turning around to face him. He was already standing close, his tall frame towered over her. "What?" she lifted her gaze and looked at his shadowed face.


    "Did you really have to do that?" His voice ¡­. Was actually the opposite of his sharp eyes. It was soft, gentle event. It made her feel secure.


    "Yes."


    "You didn''t have any other choice?"


    "No."


    "Are you going to do that again?"


    "No."


    "Good."


    She could feel his heat vibrate towards her. She pursed her lips and stared at him but he was standing against the light and it enabled her from seeing his face. Despite this, she could feel the intensity of his gaze boring towards her.


    She gulped. A part of her actually wanted to say that she was sorry. But¡­ why would she apologize for something that actually made her gain some profits? Next thing she knew she was already in his arms.


    He pulled her towards him and enveloped her in a tight hug.


    "I''m sorry."


    She heard him say in a voice that reminded her of Cross. His tone¡­ the way he said it¡­. It sounded just like Cross.


    Was she hallucinating?


    Perhaps she missed the man too much, her brain was trying to use Chris to ease her strong emotions towards Cross.


    But that wouldn''t make sense.


    "Why are you apologizing?" she asked, confused. She was certain that Chris had nothing to do with her being slapped. Why was he saying¡­ sorry?


    "I''m sorry¡­"


    His arms around her tightened.


    She tried to look at his face but she couldn''t really move her head. "Why are you saying sorry?" her voice softened.


    "I was slacking."


    Huh? What''s that supposed to mean?


    "I could protect you. I could have¡­"


    "What do you mean?" she asked.


    "You had to resort to having yourself slapped just to make that woman suffer. If I¡ª "


    "If you did something to her¡­" she slowly got out of his embrace. "If you do something. Did you think it would make me happy?" She wouldn''t like it If he would intervene in her plans.


    Once again, he stared at her as if¡­ as If he was about to tell her something.


    "Did you want to tell me something?" she asked.


    "Hm?"


    "Did you¡ª "


    "No. I just thought you''re beautiful."


    She snorted. "My cheek felt swollen. I didn''t know you would find that beautiful." She then lifted an eyebrow. "Was it a kink?"


    "Your face is swollen and you were joking about my kink." He shook his head before letting out a sigh. "If you''re not wounded, I would have already lifted you up and back you up against the wall. Then¡­ "He moved ?loser, so close she could already feel his erection against her stomach. "But you look like hell¡­ so¡­ why don''t I give you a good bath instead?"


    She gulped. Bath¡­ with him.


    "No thanks." She swiftly took a step away from him. "I need sleep." She knew going in a bath with him would mean staying in there for more than an hour. That¡­ that is not good for her right now.


    She immediately bolted out of his office. Staying around with him for too long is not very good for her heart and definitely not her body.


    Chris stared at the closed door and sighed. Sera was an independent woman. She does her own thing, and she clearly doesn''t need any help. And that is the thing about her. She doesn''t need a man.


    She can do her own thing with or without him. A girl like this can be very difficult to handle since he needed to do everything for her to want him, not need him. Obviously, he isn''t someone that would just give up because of this silly reason.


    He had been watching her for too long. He loved the kind of woman she was and he knew he would love the kind of woman she will become.


    He shook his head. All he needed to do now is¡­ make her love him and that is kinda difficult considering his rival is his very own self. At one point, he struggled to tell her the truth about him.


    He wanted to tell her the reason why he had to use Cross to get close to her. But he was scared, scared to see her eyes, those blank eyes that she used when they first met.


    He sighed and sat on the sofa as he started calling a number. "Mr. Barnes, good evening. Yes, I want to withdraw all the deals that we currently have with the Fu Family. Yes, including all the real estate. I understand. No, cancel all the meetings that you will have with Mr. Fu and his father. Hmmm." Chris nodded. "There''s no need to explain to this kind of people. Let''s boost their rival instead. Yes, everything. Hmmm¡­ then let them lose billions. If they cannot recover, then they can only blame their stupidity. Alright, I will see you in a few days."''


    Chris ended the call before he started working again.


    Meanwhile, Zhang Xin had been crying since she arrived in the Zhang Family mansion. Obviously, it wasn''t because of the old man''s death. It was because of the thirty-three messages that she received asking her about the video that they received on their phones.


    Sera sent it.


    She sent the messages to her friends. Zhang Xin didn''t know how she got her friend''s number. She didn''t know how Sera knew that she was close with these people. All she knew was the fact that she was over.


    Everything about her is over!


    "Mom, you have to relax¡­ if we can still do something about this."


    "How? Yingying¡­ you knew those people You saw how much I worked hard just to get close to them! And now¡­" Zhang Xin clenched her hands. Unable to stop herself, she approached one of her expensive vases and throw it towards the wall.


    The feeling of throwing something immediately eased the tension inside her.


    "Mom, sit down. I think we can find ways to clear out your name. We can clearly say that someone¡­ edited it. That¡ª "


    "No!" Zhang Xin interrupted her daughter. Those women were wives of politicians and other influential people. They would never accept this kind of excuse! She held her phone and dialed a number and just as she expected, the number wasn''t receiving any calls from her.


    She was blocked.


    Just because she failed to give a few explanations, the person immediately blocked her! In times of need, those women¡­ were the first people to leave.


    Why is it like this? How could they leave her?


    "Mother, I think you reacting like this would make father angry." Zhang Ying calmly said. "Grandfather just died and you were worried about your friends. That is¡ª ""


    "You wouldn''t understand even if I tell you." Zhang Xin blurted out before she started drinking whiskey straight from the bottle. "You grew up from a rich family. You were born a Zhang¡­ while I¡­" She just adopted the last name of the Zhang Family in an attempt to erase her dark past. She looked at her daughter. "Please don''t blame your mother for acting like this¡­" Tears filled Zhang Xin''s eyes. She had been trying so hard.


    She showed up in every event, in every gala. She donated to every charity and impressed them at every tea party. She tried her best to get close to these women, to become a part of their circle.


    She wanted to be one of them.


    And she succeeded. After a few years of trying so hard, she finally became one of them.


    And then¡­ Sera just¡­


    Sera ruined everything in a few minutes.


    "I will kill that woman!" she hissed. "That woman¡­ ruined my life!"

 Chapter 71 - Empowering

    "You''re not asleep, yet?" Chris asked the moment he saw Sera still awake with her laptop on the bed.


    "No."


    "I thought you would sleep?"


    "I can''t."


    "May I know why?" He wanted to know if she was willing to tell him why.


    "That man thought he could still manipulate me." Sera''s eyes were glued to her laptop. "Bad move."


    "Edward Fu¡­"


    ''Without him, Zhang Ying would be helpless." Sera said, her fingers weren''t showing any signs of slowing down. "Edward is¡­ someone ruthless." He was someone like her, except he had more experience. She stopped typing and stared at him, wondering how would he react.


    Surely Chris knew about her first love, right? Or maybe first obsession?


    "I know." He nodded. His lips were thin, eyes devoid of any expression. "And I don''t think he is someone worth your attention. If it makes you feel better, I already withdraw everything that I have with the Fu Family."


    "And you did it for me."


    He nodded, wondering if she would feel offended. However, Chris wasn''t planning to hide this from her. As someone who could manipulate information using computers, he knew that Sera could easily obtain this information if she wanted to.


    "I understand," Sera said. She then lowered her head and started typing again. "I''m not angry," she clarified. "But I feel uncomfortable that you would involve, hundreds of millions just because of my personal matters." At least he was mature enough to talk about this now.


    "Our¡­"


    "Hm?"


    "Our matter. The moment he showed up at that police station, it became our problem." He sat on the edge of the bed and slowly massaged one of her feet. His hand seamlessly slid from her ankles to her toes. "The Fu Family is influential in this part of the region. And even in Cone lands. But they are business owners, their money is out there somewhere. All we needed to do is damaged their investments. It wasn''t really a big deal and a few millions don''t matter to me."


    Chris continued, "The Zhang Family is one thing. The reason why I am not touching them is that it is your personal matter. I have my own vendetta against them, but I am not planning to do anything without your permission. However, Mr. Fu is different."


    To his surprise, Sera just kept on staring at him without saying anything. "You¡ªYou are not¨C"he gulped. "Are you angry?"


    "No. But the fact that you are willing to miss a few hundred millions for me is rather¡­ astonishing." And surprising. Especially knowing that she wouldn''t be able to pay that hundreds of millions.


    "You''re not thinking of paying me back, right?"


    She cleared her throat before awkwardly avoiding his gaze. "Mr. Edward Fu had received a lot of complaints since he became the CEO of Fu Group. One of which is actually murder. A hit-and-run case which was acquitted because the medical examiner said that the man was dead or dying when he hit him. They said there was already damaged in the man''s brain before the accident. He was cleared because of this claim."


    "So, you are saying that Edward paid the medical examiner."


    "I don''t know, yet. Medical Examiners work for the state. For someone to be able to pay¡­ If someone would do that, it wasn''t Edward. It would be his mother, Miss Liliana Montez - Fu. She''s not a native."


    "Montez¡­"


    "Yes, the councilwoman. She is very influential among her peers and is considered the Queen in this City." Sera started typing, hoping it would somehow change the awkward atmosphere around them and maybe ease the fluttery feeling inside her stomach.


    She really should control her urge around this man.


    "A councilwoman¡­"


    "She is just like a bird, swooping down to save her son, every time that he does something wrong," she said. "Of course, I don''t blame her. Mothers can be very protective. Especially if the child is as promising as Mr. Fu."


    "You said¡­ every time?"


    "This wasn''t the first time that she intervened to save her beloved son. When Edward was in college, he threw some acid on another student''s face. It was ruled out as self-defense."


    "Where did you see all this? Even I¡ª "


    "You are underestimating the power of technology. Everything that you put in the computer using the internet can be acquired even if you already deleted it. Pictures, documents, secrets. Everything out there is already floating waiting for someone to just pluck them down and use it."


    "So you''re just plucking them down¡­ from the tree."


    "Exactly," Sera said. "There is this space. It''s called the dark web. Everyone in this place is basically anonymous. You can gain some weird friends there and you can easily ask them to obtain some information for you. For a price, of course. No one would care where the info came from or¡­ how they obtain it. Once the ends are met, you can pay using crypto. Everything is untraceable."


    "That¡ªI have heard about the dark web. It''s a breeding place for ped*philes and people with some different kinks. I too have used it before to obtain some information." Chris said. "No one is really safe out there¡­ huh." Ordinary people don''t really know anything about this stuff. They post images on social media not knowing that a simple image could be used to track down their information, even their location.


    Someone malicious could easily track someone these days.


    "What are you doing now?" he moved closer to her.


    "I''m using Mrs. Fu''s computer."


    "You¡ª "


    "Hacking sounds illegal. I prefer to use ''borrowing''."


    "What are you looking for?"


    "I also sent the video of Zhang Xin trying to frame me to Mrs. Fu. I was trying to see if she already sent some emails condoning this behavior or¡­ maybe even saying that it was false. However, she did nothing. She must have been watching everything unfold right now. My guess is¡­ she never liked Zhang Ying and was using this opportunity to let Edward realized that Zhang Ying is a manipulative b."


    "You know... hearing you speak like this is just different."


    "Different?"


    "It''s hot."


    "Excuse me?" she looked at him. "What''s hot?"


    Instead of answering her, he reached out towards her cheek and pulled her for a quick kiss. Almost immediately, she felt an acute tension of desire building inside her.


    But the kiss ended quickly¡ªsomething that she didn''t expect. She blinked at him, her brain could only focus on the fact that they were close and this made her thighs quiver in anticipation.


    He said nothing as his hands started tracing her collarbone. The familiar longing inside her intensified. She wanted to feel him against her naked skin. She wanted his hands to fondle her breast, then play with her already damped sex.


    She wanted him to kiss all the deep dives and curves of her body. She wanted him to stretch her, fill her up and make her convulsed in a consuming climax.


    But she couldn''t say anything.


    She just stared at him and waited for him to kiss her again.


    And he did.


    But this time, it only lasted a few seconds. He leaned back and smiled. "I will take a bath."


    He didn''t even wait for her to respond as he removed his shirt and started walking towards the bathroom.


    Sera felt her throat turned dry as she watched his back disappear from her sight. She didn''t even realize how her heart was already beating so fast, it was the only thing that she could hear now that he was gone.


    She touched her fevered skin and shivered. The fierce flare of yearning overtook her senses. It made her want to run towards the bathroom and just¡ª


    *DING*


    Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard an email notification. She was on Mrs. Fu''s computer, so she would also receive everything that Mrs. Fu received.


    She watched as Mrs. Fu opened an email. Then her eyes widened. A sudden coldness hits her core. The fluttery feeling inside her stomach turned heavy as she read the files about¡­ her.


    Sera Zhang.


    It contained an image of her and some information that someone could easily obtain. Her school, course, friends, friend''s background, and her new net worth after inheriting everything from the old man.


    It seems that Mrs. Fu had been busy.


    Then she saw the woman print the information and quickly delete the files. Obviously, before she could even delete the files, Sera was already tracking down the people who sent the files.


    And there it was.


    The IP came from the Zhang Mansion. Her first guess was Zhang Xin, but it could be Zhang Ying too. Sera sighed before she closed the network between them and started checking out Zhang Xin''s phone. As expected, the woman had been calling her friends after the video was spread.


    However, it seems that there was only one person who answered Zhang Xin, and that was Mrs. Fu. The rest is really no brainer.


    Zhang Xin must have said that Sera edited the videos.


    Sera swallowed before she smiled. It turns out that she was right. Being able to hack into almost everything felt very empowering.

 Chapter 72 - Schemed

    All previous chapters are already updated! Thank you for your patience!


    ...


    "What do you mean?" Zhang Ying frowned when she heard that Edward would be staying late at his office tonight. "What do you mean, an emergency? Is there something more important than what is happening to my mother and me?"


    "Yingying¡­ listen. I have no time for this. I know you are angry but a big investor suddenly changed his mind and now I have to deal with it."


    "Edward¡­ you¡­."


    "I know¡­ I''ll get home as soon as I can, right?"


    "But¡ª"


    "Alright, I have to go now. I have a meeting in two minutes."


    Zhang Ying frowned when she heard that he already cut off the call.


    "He can''t be here?" Zhang Xin asked. She was sitting across her daughter, drinking some tea that her daughter brewed. "Did he say why he can''t come?"


    "Mother¡­" Zhang Ying sent a warning gaze towards her mother. "I will go and accompany him."


    "Yingying¡­"


    Zhang Ying gave her mother a placid look. "It wasn''t my fault that you didn''t consider the consequences of your actions before doing it."


    Zhang Xin''s eyes immediately turned teary. Who would have thought that her daughter would treat her like this? "I¡ª "


    "Look, mom. I''m sorry. I''m just really tired from¡­ taping. I need him with me. So I will go to his office."


    Zhang Ying didn''t wait for her mother to say anything as she left her mother''s office. Right now, her priority is her fianc¨¦.


    "Young Miss, Mrs. Fu said she wanted to meet you."


    Zhang Ying turned towards the Fu Family driver that was waiting for her outside of the mansion. "Now?"


    "Yes."


    Zhang Ying nodded. Mrs. Fu, Edward''s mother, was a domineering woman who would always do everything to protect her family. To be honest, she was already expecting Mrs. Fu to meet her. But she never thought it would be this fast.


    She got into the car and sighed. It seems that she needed to distance herself from her foolish mother. If she wanted to become Edward''s wife, she needed to stay away from Zhang Xin.


    Just as she expected, the moment she walked inside the Fu Family''s mansion, she felt the weird gaze that everyone in the mansion gave her. Did they saw the video of her mother and Sera?


    "Young miss¡­ this way."


    Zhang Ying nodded and followed the maid towards Mrs. Fu''s office. She then watched as the maid knocked and ushered her inside.


    "Mrs. Fu¡­" Zhang Ying said. "Good evening." Even if she was Edward''s fianc¨¦, Mrs. Fu never asked her to call her aunt or mother. She always called her Mrs. Fu and the latter never asked her to change the way she addressed her.


    "Take a seat."


    Zhang Ying smiled and stared at Mrs. Fu, who was standing in front of the window, staring at the lights from the garden at the back of their mansion. Despite not seeing the woman''s reaction, Zhang Ying knew that she wasn''t happy.


    Unlike their previous meeting, Mrs. Fu didn''t even say hi to her.


    "You should know¡­" Mrs. Fu started. "I never liked you for Edward."


    It was as if a huge stone was stuck in Zhang Ying''s throat. This¡­ this was indeed something she knew.


    "I never said anything because you made my son happy." Mrs. Fu turned and face her. She was moving her hand and twirling the wine inside her wine glass. Then she watched as the light of the circular lighting fixture sparkled against the scarlet liquid.


    After a few seconds, she lifted her head and smiled at Zhang Ying. "You don''t have to act in front of me. I know what you did to get my son. And to be honest, I cannot blame you." Her blood-red lips lifted into a tightlipped smile. "So, you can take off your mask and be real with me."


    "Mrs. Fu¡­ I¡­"


    "I know you are smart Miss Zhang but let me clarify." Mrs. Fu slowly walked towards the sofa across from the sofa where Zhang Ying was sitting. She sat and made herself comfortable before she continued. "I know that you deliberately made Miss Sera Zhang believe that¡­ she was raped. She wasn''t."


    Zhang Ying gasp. Surprise flashed in her eyes. "Mrs. Fu¡­ I don''t understand."


    "I know¡­ you told your friend to befriend Sera and made her more jealous of you. I know you gave your friend the pills so she could give them to Sera. Then, Sera could use it on you."


    Zhang Ying paled.


    "But I am not here to talk about the past." The smile on Mrs. Fu''s face turned into a beam. It was beautiful. But it sent shivers down Zhang Ying''s spine. She felt exposed. It as if Mrs. Fu knew all her secrets. And she didn''t like it. "I am here to tell you that your mother has been compromised. If you want to continue dating my son, you should know what to do¡­ right?"


    "Mrs. Fu¡ª "


    "For a long time¡­ your cousin was in a very dark place. She thought she was dirty." Mrs. Fu smiled. "Her first was my son. Then you led her to believe she was no longer worthy of love."


    "I¡ª"Zhang Ying felt her throat turn dry. She needed water.


    "I don''t know what she would do once she discovers that it was you who schemed against her. But if I discovered that someone did something like that to me¡­ I would probably go crazy and kill them. Of course, that is after I skin them alive and remove their nails one¡­ by ¡­ one."


    Zhang Ying gulped. She gnashed her teeth and nodded. "I understand."


    "Remember, the reason why I am with you is that Edward¡­ liked you. If he stops liking you." Mrs. Fu pursed her lips before she took a sip of her wine. "You already know what''s going to happen¡­ right?"


    .....


    Lazily Yours will be updated and possibly completed tomorrow. Today, I will focus on this novel. Thanks

 Chapter 73 - Romance Novel

    Domineering¡­


    Bossy¡­.


    Arrogant¡­


    Controlling¡­


    That is Mrs. Liliana Montez¡ªFu,


    And she would never let a minor mishap ruin her son.


    Zhang Ying nodded at her future mother-in-law. Her blood was boiling with anger and humiliation. Who would have thought that this woman would just lay out all the cards in front of her?


    How could Zhang Ying let someone control her actions like this?


    "Good. I believe we already have an understanding." Mrs. Fu''s tone turned gentle, her eyes wrinkled as she smiled at Zhang Ying. "I always knew that you are one smart woman. I never doubted my son''s choice. As long as you would do everything that could benefit my son then¡­ we won''t have a problem. Your crimes will stay a secret. Until you die."


    "I understand, Mrs. Fu." She forced a smile. "I love Edward and¡­ I would do everything for him."


    "Oh, dear¡­" Mrs. Fu laughed. "Edward is lucky to have you. I heard from the driver that you are going to Edward''s office?"


    "Yes, Mrs. Fu."


    ''Wonderful. I ¨C I won''t let you stay any longer. I don''t want Edward to be upset that I stole you away from him."


    Zhang Ying smiled and nodded. Then she excused herself and left the office. The moment Zhang Ying got into the car that would take her to Edward''s office, she burst into tears.


    Talking to that woman was just as suffocating as being kept in a small room without any windows or sunlight.


    The moment Zhang Ying left the room, the smile on Mrs. Fu''s face disappeared. She finished her wine and went back to sit on her chair behind her rectangular wooden table.


    "Madame, Miss Zhang already left."


    Her secretary bowed.


    "Hmmm. Good." Then she opened her computer and looked at the video of Zhang Xin with Sera again. "You said that¡­ she was charged with assault?"


    "Yes, Madame. Miss Sera Zhang was charged with assault but she was able to post bail."


    "And this happened before she arrived here?"


    "Yes, Madame."


    Fu snorted. "It seems that she had gotten a bit smarter. Show me her file again?"


    Fu opened the folder that her secretary gave her. "So¡­ she is working in a computer company."


    "Yes, her fried Miss Xu is the CEO, but if you check the shares. They have equal shares with the company. They just had a deal with Quinn Media."


    "Quinn Media. Do we know someone from Quinn Media?"


    "Unfortunately, Mr. Fu informed me that Quinn Media just canceled a big project with Fu Group."


    "When was this?"


    "A few hours ago."


    "Was it after¡­ or before Miss Sera Zhang was invited to the prison?"


    "After."


    "Interesting." Mrs. Fu stared at Sera''s image. "I would love to know more about Miss Sera. Invite her for a coffee. You know what? I believe we could squeeze in some massage together. Why don''t you find out her schedule and¡­ create some coincidences?"


    "Madame this¡­"


    "Is there something wrong?"


    "I already tried to check her schedule and¡­"


    "And what?"


    "She doesn''t have one. Also, the place that she is living is under her name so I can''t send out men to asked about her from guards."


    "The house is under her name?"


    "Yes, Madame. It was a few¡­ millions worth."


    "Where did she get the money?"


    "That¡ªOur people are still trying to find out who gave her the money."


    "Very¡­ interesting."


    "Madame¡­ if Young Master finds out that¡­."


    "Oh, no. He can''t find out about Sera. He would tell me to stop intervening again when all I really wanted was to make him as comfortable as possible." Mrs. Fu sighed. Men and their ego. "Call my husband tell him to avoid the Zhang''s for now. I cannot let him associate with Nick anymore. Ah, let me call him myself."


    Meanwhile, Zhang Ying could only hide the fact that she had been crying as she applied another layer of make-up. She then got out of the car and immediately smiled at the guard, who opened the door for her.


    ¡­..


    Just like Zhang Ying, Sera was actually feeling a bit stressed right now. It wasn''t because of Mrs. Fu. It was because of a certain Mr. Quinn who was trying to¡­ seduce her?


    Well, he wasn''t really doing anything to her, and she found this a bit¡­ weird. Alright, maybe she was waiting for him to do it. And it was indeed shameful to admit that she was getting used to him, always doing something that could easily irritate her.


    This man sitting next to her, reading a book without even touching her is just¡­ new.


    "You look tired," Chris said. "Do you need a massage? Maybe some wine could help you relax?"


    "Huh?" She frowned and looked at the book he was reading. "No need. I will sleep."


    "You have been saying that you will sleep for a few hours now."


    "Yeah. I am too tired. I can''t sleep. And I need to finish something."


    He slowly moved closer to her. Almost immediately, the goosebumps started. It slithered into her body, creating pulses in her core. "What are you doing?"


    "Creating a code."


    "For what?"


    "Copying something."


    "Copying what?"


    "It''s illegal."


    "Oh!" He leaned closer and rested his head on her shoulders. "You smell so good."


    She stiffened, but quickly relaxed when he moved his head away and started reading the book again. She wondered what was so interesting about the book. Was it some¡­ "What are you reading?"


    "A romance novel."


    "Oh?" She moved her head to check the book, but he was quick to move it away.


    "Don''t peek. You should just code."


    Sera squinted. Then she slowly put her laptop on the side table near her. "What is it?" she asked.


    He chuckled and put the book behind him. "Not telling."


    Sera smirked before she suddenly pushed him and straddled his hips, Then, she rested on his haunches and tried to reach out for the book. "What are you doing?" he asked, chuckling. "You are too small. How could straddling me help you?"


    And she hated to admit that he was right. She glared at him and was about to move out of his hips when his hand held both of her legs, stopping her from moving. Then, his lips lifted into¡­ a smile.

 Chapter 74 - Babysit

    Partial R18


    .....


    Before she could react, his mouth was already on hers. She fell into his trap and she god damn knew it. And maybe it was her. Maybe it was because she had been craving for his touch all night. Maybe it was because she is slowly getting used to him around her.


    All she knew was the fact that the moment he kissed her, she responded. Her need had long defied any reason. It had long turned into a raw hunger that only he could appease. She put her hand on the side of his face as her heart drummed against her chest. She let his hands roamed around every curve of her body as she closed her eyes and let out a soft moan.


    The next thing she knew, his hand already slid up her thighs, around the band of her underwear, pulling them down. She felt his fingers feathered over her stomach, down to her hips until it reached her core, her aching and wet core.


    She whimpered and begged him to do it. She wanted him inside her. The fact that he didn''t do anything all day somehow drained her. And knowing that he was about to prolong her suffering is making her frustrated.


    She could feel his ardent gaze on her, but she was too engrossed in the sensations to open her eyes and stare back at him. She knew it sounded embarrassing. And maybe begging him sounded vulgar and lustful. But she could no longer contain herself.


    And the carnal juices that flowed from her core were enough to tell him how ready she was.


    Then he plunged his manhood inside her in one fluid motion. The electrifying sensations that followed made her moan and grunt and begged for him to do it faster, rougher. The rhythm was incessant as he moved faster and clumsier inside her.


    It didn''t take too long before she shattered around him. Soon, his climax came at him in drugging waves. Spams of pure delight surge as both of them reached the pinnacle, one after the other.


    After a few seconds, pulled away and rolled next to her, spent. She stared at the ceiling and for a few seconds; she closed her eyes, trying to catch her breath.


    Then she stood and walked towards the bathroom, naked. She needed a bath.


    What she never expected was for him to follow her inside the luxurious bathroom.


    "You¡ª "


    "I want a hot bath too." He was smiling at her as if he could read her mind.


    "You just took a bath." She tried to reason, but she already knew it was useless. When it comes to stubbornness, no one could beat Chris Quinn. "Let me wash you?"


    That wasn''t a question, but a request. Of course, she could easily say no.


    But what for? What''s the use of saying no when she actually liked the idea of him washing her body? She stared at him for a few seconds before she handed him the body wash. "Do it."


    He was beaming as if he just won the lottery.


    "I won''t spend thirty minutes here," she said. "I wanted to sleep."


    "Of course."


    When his hand touched her skin, the searing need inside her started to stir, and she knew he could feel it.


    ¡­..


    The next day, Sera woke up around seven in the morning. She wasn''t surprised to see the bed beside her empty. After a few seconds of stretching, she went out and went to the kitchen to cook something for breakfast. She thought of cooking for herself but recalled that Chris doesn''t actually know how to cook.


    After making some healthy porridge and stir-fry vegetables, she went up to his office to try to ask him to eat. Sadly, he wasn''t in his office either.


    Sera then recalled that he told her about leaving for a while. But how could he just leave without saying goodbye? Or waking her up?


    Then she recalled that she hasn''t actually checked her phone when she woke up. She went back to her room and just as she expected, there were a few messages and two missed calls, all from Chris telling her that he left. He was on his way to Pane City for an emergency.


    He made sure to tell her that he would be back tonight.


    After a boring breakfast, Sera went to her office and checked some emails. Then went back down to get some snacks.


    "Whoa! Lawyer Liu! Why are you here?" Sera''s soul almost left her body when she saw the lawyer standing in the living room.


    "I should ask you that question. Mr. Quinn told me to come here."


    "To babysit me?" she asked.


    "That¡ªI never thought that you would be so direct." The older lawyer gave an awkward smile. "But I am here to talk about the video that Mr. Quinn sent. I believe it was already spreading in the upper society of this place?"


    Sera pursed her lips and got herself a glass of water before she answered. "You are talking about the video of Mrs. Zhang?"


    The lawyer nodded. "We could file a case against her."


    "A case?"


    "Yes, Miss Zhang. She framed you and gave false statements to the police just to make you look guilty. We can file¡ª "


    "I don''t think that is a good idea."


    "Mr. Quinn insisted that you do it."


    Sera paused. She sat on the chair by the counter and stared at the lawyer. "Alright, since Chris said so."


    These people cared about their reputations. A case would be a very hard blow for someone like Zhang Xin and even Zhang Ying.


    "Another thing¡­"


    "Hm?"


    "There are a lot of reporters outside."


    "Reporters?"


    "Someone leaked your information to the media. Someone also leaked that you were invited by the police for questioning about the old man''s demise. I suggest you stay here all day and not¡ª"


    "Not happening."


    "Excuse me?"


    "I will talk to the reporters."


    "Miss Zhang¡­"


    "The people who leaked this expected me to stay at home and hide," Sera said before she finished her glass of water. "Obviously¡­ I am not doing that."

 Chapter 75 - Not Fair

    "Alright, Miss Zhang is going to answer your questions. Please, one at a time¡­ one at a time." Lawyer Liu could only shake his head inwardly as he forced a smile. Is this the reason why Mr. Quinn asked him to babysit his wife? He looked at Sera, who was surprisingly calm as she smiled at everyone.


    "Firs and foremost¡­" Sera said. "I bought a coffee truck for everyone. I know you have been here since earlier. You stayed under the sun for hours just waiting for me to say something." Sera pointed at the truck, who just parked outside of her gates. "Please feel free to have some coffee! It''s a reward for your efforts, after all, going inside this village is not an easy feat. It made me wonder what type of difficulties have you suffered just to get inside. Rest assured, I will investigate this matter. Isn''t that right, lawyer Liu?"


    Lawyer Liu felt cold sweat trickled down his back. This woman¡­ who could she sound so sweet? Clearly, she was threatening the person who left these people inside this village. But the way that Sera said it actually sounded like she was giving them a favor. He looked at the faces of the reporters and immediately knew that they felt the pressure coming from Sera.


    "Thank you, Miss Zhang but we are not here for the coffee."


    "Ah?" Sera lifted an eyebrow. "Then are you just here to disturb this private village?" She emphasized the word private. This place was supposed to be a high end village. No one could easily get inside the gates, especially not reporters. "Anyway, since you don''t like the coffee, then please ask away." Sera was once again smiling at them as she calmly sat in a chair that the lawyer helped her dragged outside of the gates earlier.


    All his life, this was actually the first time that Lawyer Liu encountered someone as ''chill'' as Sera. Instead of showing any anger or irritation, she was calmly sitting in a chair wearing her shades and drinking some juice. If Lawyer Liu was a bystander, he would have thought that she was an actress having a press conference.


    "Miss Zhang, what are your involvements in Old Man Zhang''s death?"


    "Miss Zhang, we heard reports that the police invited you about the old man''s death."


    "Miss Zhang, can you tell us why your identity was kept a secret for years?"


    "Miss Zhang¡ª "


    Sera rolled her eyes. "If all of you would ask questions at the same time, then how am I supposed to answer you?" She sighed. "First, my grandfather''s death has nothing to do with me. He was still alive when he drafted the will. Obviously, his death does not change the fact that I am now the Heiress of the Zhang Clan. You should ask the people with huge losses."


    "Miss Zhang¡­ by huge loses do you mean¡­"


    Sera interrupted the man''s words. "I was asked to go to the police station because the Zhang Family thought I murdered the old man even before they receive an autopsy. Obviously, they are smarter than the people who autopsied the old man."


    "Miss Zhang¡­"


    Again, Sera interrupted the reporter. "I didn''t keep my identity a secret. You should ask the people who knew who I am about this matter."


    "Miss Zhang, are you suggesting that the whole family knew who you were before?"


    "How should I know? I can''t read their minds." Sera answered while still smiling.


    "Miss Zhang, how about¡ª "


    "Alright, I think it''s enough for today. If you wanted her to ask any more questions, you can call my office. I am sure you can easily find my contact information¡ª "


    Sera raised her hand to stop the lawyer. "Oh, it''s already Lawyer Liu. I can answer everything. I have nothing to hide."


    "But ¡ª " Seeing Sera''s resolute expression, Lawyer Liu could only sigh inwardly. This woman¡­ is really giving her a headache.


    "Miss Zhang¡­ the old man''s death doesn''t seem to bother you at all. Can you tell us why you looked calm instead of looking like you lost someone important to you?"


    When the reporter asked, the other reporters turned to Sera and stopped asking more questions. Every one of them can actually see that Sera wasn''t showing any signs of sadness or devastation.


    "Well¡­ first and foremost, I grew up in the Zhang Household. However, I only met the old man once or twice a year. There were years that I never saw him at all. I have no contact or relationship with him. And I am sure most of you are aware that the old man met my cousin, Miss Zhang, and her family, but not me. I am sure you never saw me in any of their major life events before. Suffice to say, we were never close." Her voice was clear, without showing any signs of hesitation. "While I am sad about his death, I will not act hysterical and fake my emotions just to satisfy everyone."


    Before anyone could ask her any more questions, she stood and removed the dark shades that covered most of her eyes. "That is all for today. Rest assured, I would ask the people who managed this community who let everyone in. People who didn''t follow protocols will be fired even if the one who instructed them to let you in is someone influential."


    "Miss Zhang, what was that supposed to mean?"


    "Miss Zhang, are you trying to say that someone is trying to scheme against you?"


    "Miss Zhang¡­ "


    "I am not going to point fingers here. However, let me tell you something. My grandfather wanted to introduce me to everyone before his death. After his death, instead of being consulted by his lawyers about his burial and estate, I was invited to the police station. Until now, no one approached me or informed me about his wake. Of course, I am not saying that they are bullying me because I have no other family anymore. I just think it was not fair, that''s all." She smiled and stared at one camera pointing at her. Then she put her shades back on and let the security guard of the house stopped the reporters from following her and lawyer Liu inside the gate.

 Chapter 76 - Reaction

    *Play*


    *Pause*


    *Play*


    *Pause*


    *Play*


    *Pause*


    "See? Did you hear what she did back there?" Zhang Xin was shaking as she pressed the pause and play button of the remote control repeatedly. She gnashed her teeth and throw the remote towards the sofa where her husband was sitting. "Did you see that? She was making it look like it was our fault! This woman¡­ was so manipulative! This is ridiculous!"


    "And yet everyone believed her." Nick Zhang sighed. "I have received not less than five phone calls already. All of them wanted to know why she wasn''t informed about anything. They are demanding to meet her and talk about the future of the company."


    "No. We should wait for Yingying. She said Edward would do something about this. And Edward never failed us." Zhang Xin bit her lower lip, beads of sweat trickled down her forehead. " This doesn''t make any sense at all. Sera shouldn''t have the ability to talk like this. Edward said it was the man standing next to her the last time¡­ That Lawyer. Edward said he was an international lawyer. He is teaching her how to speak." Obviously, Zhang Xin immediately thought that Lawyer Liu was the person behind Sera. "He must be doing this for the money."


    "Let''s stop making assumptions for now."


    "But it makes sense! Since that lawyer arrived, she had been doing something new! Something that is¡­ unexpected. She even managed to fake that¡­ that incident in the station. Nick if this goes on¡­ I''m afraid that this lawyer would own the company soon."


    "Xin, that sounds too far-fetched." Nick stood up and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I will talk to our lawyers. It is indeed time that we talk to her about the estate. Moreover, I needed to be a father''s wake. I will call you when I get there."


    "Really? You are going to talk to her about the estate? Does this mean¡­ does this mean we are going to treat her as the new matriarch of the family?" Zhang Xin''s eyes were wide. Irritation slowly gripped her heart. "I would never allow that! How could she become the matriarch? Her mother was a whore! Just because she was smart doesn''t mean her daughter is smart too!"


    "Stop talking like that. She is still a Zhang." Nick side-eyed his wife. "And I don''t know why you have been acting like this since Sera arrived here. Is there something that you wanted to tell me?"


    "I¡ª "


    "Zhang Xin¡­ Sera had a video of how you framed her. If you keep on treating her like an outsider, who knows what else is she going to reveal about the family?"


    "That¡ª "


    "I know you are hiding something from me. I am not going to inquire further. However, I hope that you will act like a Zhang and stop talking like the world owed you something. If anything, we were the ones who owe her."


    "Nick! How could you say that? Owe her? Are you out of your mind? She is not our child! She is your sister''s child! The child of a mistress! Just from that alone¡­" Seeing her husband''s face darkened, Zhang Xin bit her lower lip. "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to say that. However, I just felt that you are acting weirdly these past few days. Growing up, her mother was always the top, the golden child. Father favored her too much. Now that she is dead, her father is still giving her everything by treating her daughter nicely. What about our Zhang Ying? What about you?"


    Zhang Xin knew how her husband resented his sister and father because of this favoritism. At first, Nick had been acting hostile against Sera. However, for some reason, Nick''s tone suddenly changed. Zhang Xin couldn''t help but wonder why is this happening. She stared at her husband, who was standing by the door, frozen. "Nick?"


    "I am tired." Nick sighed. "I want to start divorce proceedings after my father''s ¡ª "


    "What did you say?"


    Nick turned his head in her direction. "Let''s divorce." Then, without waiting for his wife to say anything, he walked out of his office. Then he thought about receiving Zhang Ying''s call earlier. It was about Mrs. Fu and her warnings about Zhang Xin.


    After a few hours of deliberation, Nick realized something. Mrs. Fu was right. His wife was indeed a loose end. She was ambitious, who always cared about her appearance. She never had real talents, but she wanted to become a part of the higher society.


    All this time, Nick knew this. He knew she was scheming, and she did a lot of nasty things behind his back. He knew she had been hurting people and chose to turn his head the other way. The only reason why Nick never left her is because of his father. He was scared of disappointing him. He was scared that his father would look down on him again because he divorced his wife. Now that his father is dead, Nick could do everything that he wanted.


    "Take me to the office," Nick said towards his secretary, that was waiting for him. "And tell my lawyers, I want them in the office as soon as possible."


    "Master, Mrs. Zhang is calling¡ª "


    "Ignore her calls from now on," Nick said. If he had a choice, he wouldn''t have married someone like Zhang Xin. At that time, he recalled marrying her just to attract his father''s attention. For once, he wanted the old man to care about his choices. And he got what he wanted.


    The old man got mad because of his relationship. He married her to get more attention from his father. After all, a negative reaction is still a reaction. At least, he was now looking at him, scrutinizing his marriage every time that he saw him.


    "Also¡­ call Zhang Ying. Tell her to come to my office. Ah¡­ tell the security not to let Mrs. Zhang inside the building anymore."


    ....


    For more updates about real life  and book situations follow me on instagram: @blips01


    1/3

 Chapter 77 - Mother Of The Year

    Meanwhile, Sera decided to stay in her office and stop causing trouble anymore. She had a lot of backlogs and hearing Lawyer Liu''s nagging is making her head hurt. So she shut herself inside her office while the lawyer was forced to do all of his paperwork in the living room ¡ª alone.


    Sera only went down to order some food for the two of them, then went back to work.


    After a few hours of working, she heard a knock on her door. Irritated, she opened it and waited for the lawyer to say something.


    "The lawyers of the Zhang Family wanted to see you. I scheduled a meeting for tomorrow morning at nine. I will accompany you to meet them."


    Sera nodded and went inside without saying anything. Seeing that she left the door open, the lawyer went inside and stared at the codes on her computer before sitting on the couch. "Mr. Quinn will be away for a few days. I need you to behave yourself. You can''t just accept any interviews without scripts. Though you handle that one better than I expected, we don''t really know if they would throw questions at you that would implicate you. As the current matriarch of the Zhang Family, you should be careful of everything that you do."


    Sera sighed.


    Matriarch.


    That is such a weird term for someone like her.


    Status.


    To her, status doesn''t matter anymore. She ignored the old man and started typing on her computer.


    "The old man''s funeral rites will be two days from now. If you want to attend, I have already arranged guards and transport. If you don''t¡ª "


    "I will be there."


    "The autopsy said the old man died of a heart attack. However, our people were able to confirm that he had high levels of carbon dioxide in his blood. He might have been smothered to death."


    "But they said it was a heart attack?" she stopped typing and turned her chair towards the older man.


    "Yes."


    "So¡­ It seems that I am dealing with someone with a bit of brain?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "Simple. Edward tried to intimidate me at the precinct. He was hoping that I would be scared of him. However, when he saw that I was no longer the woman that I was once, he backed off and even had the guts to change the story. It must be because he saw you. He knew you were someone famous. Someone, that is not scared to expose people like him."


    Lawyer Liu squinted at her. "Now that I thought about it, it was indeed weird. After all, I found traces that the call towards the media came from Edward''s office. Meaning, someone inside his office tipped the paparazzi about you. I also found out that the guards who let those people in left their post and their houses in a hurry. Someone must have paid them off. However, you handled the situation gracefully and even planted some doubts about them. So they revealed the cause of death to redeem themselves." Lawyer Liu started stroking his chin.


    Then he added. "This means that his next agenda is to actually talk to you? Perhaps he is going to buy your shares?"


    "That is possible. After all, he would do everything for his woman."


    *DING*


    When Sera heard it, she immediately turned towards her computer again.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Arming myself?" she answered.


    "With ¡ª Why are you ¡ª Did you just hack the treasury office of this region?"


    "Not really. Hacking is such a bad term. I am just looking around with the intention of borrowing some information."


    "¡­"


    Sera ignored his expression as he started copying thousands of files from the site. "Oh, don''t mind me. You can talk I am listening."


    "¡­"


    "Don''t be shy."


    A sigh escaped the old man''s lips. "You are officially married to Mr. Quinn and I am already working on transferring the shares under the Quinn Media. A representative will show up during the board meeting to confirm this." He continued. "However, you have to be very careful. I heard that Mrs. Fu also launched an investigation against you."


    She lifted an eyebrow. It seems that she still underestimated Mr. Quinn''s people.


    She wondered how did they know about this matter. Was it possible that Chris had someone in the Fu''s household? Perhaps a spy? "You are making it sound like she was launching a missile." She snorted. The thing is, Mrs. Fu is a really influential woman. She was considered a ruthless matriarch who always protected her husband and son. For instance, Mr. Fu is actually gay and has relationships with younger men. However, Mrs. Fu never once showed any anger nor lost her composure about this matter.


    When the rumors about Mr. Fu''s lifestyle exploded, Mrs. Fu never left and stood by her husband. She showed him love and even supported his relationship. So¡­ how did she found out about this?


    Simple.


    She just looked around.


    After all, everything that had been posted on the web will forever stay on the web. Be it an old email that was sent twenty years ago or an old photo that you tried to delete over and over again. Everything was just out there.


    You have just to¡­ look around.


    Anyway, while her husband was fooling around with men, Mrs. Fu was supportive and never once asked him for divorce. Obviously, it was also partly because she didn''t want to ruin her precious name. Aside from her husband, Edward Fu is also someone who received the support of his mother all his life.


    All this time, Edward thought he was the best. The top of his class, the most brilliant student, and the brightest business executive. What he didn''t know is the fact that his mother was behind everything.


    Mrs. Fu would never allow the world to hurt his son.


    So she manipulated everything. Every result, every panel of judges had been manipulated. Every enemy dead. Every rival defeated. The award of the most pampering mother should just go to her.!


    Again, she found evidence of this after looking around. In fact, what she found totally surprised her. After all, she once fell for that idiot Edward Fu. How did she not notice that he was stupid and the only reason why he was shining brightly is because his mother deemed the people surrounding him?


    Obviously, Mrs. Fu had been very careful about her actions. However, she underestimated technology and how it had affected the people that she manipulated. For instance, she was very careful not to show any signs that she contacted one of the educators who give Edward a full mark on his research way back in college. Sera wasn''t able to find anything that could connect him to Mrs. Fu. Her emails and files came up with nothing.


    However, she found out that the educator received a few thousand dollars three days before the presentation. To make matters worse, Sera was able to trace the account into an offshore bank where Mrs. Fu had an account. It was really that easy.


    "Mrs. Fu is a councilwoman. She is very influential in this region." Lawyer Liu reminded her.


    "True," she snorted. "But is there really more powerful than technology?"


    ....


    Don''t forget to vote for the novel.

 Chapter 78 - Evaluation

    "Yingying! You have to save me! You have to stop your father from divorcing you!"


    These were the first words that Zhang Xin uttered the moment she saw her daughter got out of her car. She ran towards Zhang Ying. Hands trembling, Zhang Xin pulled her daughter for a hug. "I don''t know what to do anymore¡­ your father refused to answer my calls and even sent his people to get some of his clothes. He will be staying somewhere else as they process the divorce! He also told me not to go to your grandfather''s wake and the company. I ¡ª Yingying¡­ what is happening? How could your father act like this?" She let go of her daughter. "Why aren''t you saying anything?"


    Surprised and hurt registered on Zhang Xin''s face when she saw that her daughter was staring at her as if she is a stranger.


    "Mother¡­ you need help."


    "W ¡ª What? What did you say?"


    "I said, you need help." Zhang Ying grabbed her handbag and her mother''s hand. "Let''s go inside." Then she eyed her driver and secretary, who was standing by her car. She wanted them to wait for the medical personnel to arrive to take her mother to a mental facility.


    Mrs. Fu already warned her last night that if she won''t let her mother go, she would break her and Edward apart. How could she still ignore her mother''s illness?


    Zhang Ying thought of ways to deal with this matter. After hours of deliberation, the best way that she found is to admit her mother to a mental institution and use her insanity to get rid of all the current issues surrounding them. She wanted to use this opportunity to show Mrs. Fu that she can be trusted and that she would never do something that could ruin the Fu Family''s name.


    Instead of thinking of this as a stroke of bad luck, Zhang Ying decided to turn this into an opportunity instead to prove herself to Mrs. Fu.


    "What is happening? Why are you looking at me like that?" Zhang Xin tried to hide the panic that she felt inside. How could her own daughter abandon her? That is not possible! She raised Zhang Ying well!


    "Mother¡­ know you are anxious. Have some tea first." Zhang Ying handed her mother a freshly brewed tea that their servant handed her when they went inside the mansion. "This should calm you down."


    "I ¡ª Thank you." Without having second thoughts, Zhang Xin finished the tea before turning her attention back to her daughter. "Did ¡ª Did your father called you?"


    "Yes, he did. He informed me about the divorce."


    "And? I have been calling you all day! Why ¡ª why didn''t you answer my call?"


    "I talked to father about it. I also tried to convince him not to do anything."


    As expected, Zhang Xin''s face lit up. "And?"


    "You know how dad is. Once he decides to do something¡­ only grandfather can stop him."


    "You mean to say that ¡ª " Zhang Xin started trembling again. She bit her lower lip as tears stream down her face. "Is he really going to leave me?"


    "That is the case."


    "But how could he do something like this? Why so sudden? The other day¡­ the other day¡­ wahhhh¡­. Yingying! What would my friends say if your father divorced me? Yingying! You must help me this time! You have to convince your father not to do this crazy thing! I am sure we can still work this out! We have been together for so long! We have been through a lot!"


    "MOm¡ª "


    "No one would understand this apart from him! When your grandfather favored Sera''s mother, I was there to comfort him! I was with him when your grandfather declared Sera''s mother as his heir and not your father! I accompanied your father through the years and comforted him every time your grandfather would bully him! How could he leave me like this?"


    "Mom¡­ I think¡ª "


    "No! I am not going to sign in this divorce! This is baseless! I have never cheated or something that to break his heart! How could he do this to me?"


    Seeing her daughter''s morose expression, Zhang Xin continued. "This must be because of Sera. She must have talked to your father about me! That Lawyer! He must have something to do with this!"


    "I think¡ª "


    Zhang Ying wasn''t able to complete his sentence when her mother started sobbing again. She always knew that her mother was stupid and impulsive however, this was the first time that she witnessed her act like a crazy woman who lost her pet. Zhang Ying stroked her mother''s back. "I''m afraid that it will not stop attacking Sera¡­ she would fight back. I think it is wise that we stop doing this now." Zhang Ying calmly said. Obviously, she was lying. How could she stop attacking that woman?


    Sera stole everything from her! How could she let her go?


    However, unlike her mother, Zhang Ying was smarter. She would never show her claws and attack now. She was patient and has always been like this when it comes to her prey.


    "What are you talking about?"


    "I mean¡­ this lawyer could compromise everything. So, I thought of a plan." First, she was planning to satisfy Mrs. Fu. Of course, she couldn''t just kick her mother to death. So, she needed her on board with her plans. Zhang Ying thought that she needed to make her mother think that she was only trying to protect her Sera. In this way, she would cooperate and would stop making herself look like a fool.


    "A plan?"


    "I want you to hide for a while."


    "Hide?" Zhang Xin''s beautiful eyes widened. She watched as her daughter took a piece of paper from her handbag. "This¡­ what is¡­" she accepted the paper and started reading its contents. "You wanted me to pretend that I''m crazy?"


    "Bipolar syndrome and schizophrenia. Even if she sues you¡­ we can use insanity as your defense."


    "Yingying¡­ "


    "I already arranged for you to stay inside a mental institution. No need to worry, you are going to be taken care of as you will stay inside of their VIP Villa. Nurses and maids will be available to take care of you all the time. Edward arranged all the security so no one would be able to harm you. We need to establish that you are crazy. Sera could obviously sue you but I''m sure the court will dismiss it once they see this evaluation."


    ....


    For more updates about my upcoming webcomic/ manhwa please follow me on instagram: @blips01

 Chapter 79 - What Are You Wearing?

    "You wanted me to pretend to be crazy?"


    "This is the only way! Edward told me earlier that Sera studied cybersecurity. The reason why she seemed really confident is that she could easily hack into our phones and laptop. He said that this is a minor matter for cybersecurity experts. She could easily record our conversation using our own phones!" Obviously, she was just trying to scare her mother. Edward told her about this matter, but she never believed it. How could someone like Sera be this capable?


    True, she wanted to pursue cybersecurity. But does this mean that she is an expert in hacking? The only reason why she has the video with Zhang Xin framing her is that she hid a camera! It wasn''t because of hacking!


    Moreover, she was able to send those videos to her mother''s friends because she grew up around them! She grew up seeing Zhang Xin accompany her friends. She clearly knew their names and finding their email address online is something that a teenager could easily do!


    It wasn''t because of hacking at all!


    "Is that true?"


    She nodded at her mother''s question. "Even Edward told me to be careful. He also installed some security software on my phone that would protect me from potential hacking. Everything about my phone had been encrypted." This was partly true. Last night, Edward was busy with his company. However, he asked his secretary to help Zhang Ying out.


    She met someone who is an expert in this matter and now she was confident that no matter what Sera does, she won''t be able to get into her laptop or computer anymore! Edward promised her that they would do the same thing to all of her CCTV and smart appliances inside her house.


    "Then¡­. Then¡­ we need to¡­"


    "Do not worry about this matter. I especially arranged your new place not to have anything that she could easily hack."


    Zhang Xin lowered her head and bit her lower lip. She started fidgeting as she thought of Zhang Ying''s words. In this incident, the greatest thing that she didn''t want to lose is her reputation. Pretending that she was crazy would surely ruin her reputation, too! However, it would save her from being labeled as the evil aunt that Sera wanted her to become.


    Moreover, she could always claim that she was already healed and is stable after a few years! By that time, people would surely forget about this matter! "Then¡­ I trust you."


    Zhang Ying smiled and immediately hugged her mother. She just killed 3 birds with one stone.


    First, this would take care of Zhang Xin''s reputation, that would surely affect her one way or the other.


    Second, this would show her capability to Mrs. Fu.


    And third? She could use this opportunity to become the daughter of the crazy woman, the granddaughter of a dead man, and the daughter of a depressed man. When it comes to confrontation, the people would surely favor her!


    Zhang Ying was aware that Sera had become a bit smarter now. However, she had carefully arranged all the chess pieces on the board. She wanted to make sure that Sera would have nowhere else to go.


    "Alright¡­ let me help you prepare your clothes." Zhang Ying said.


    The two immediately went to Zhang Xin''s room and prepared her luggage. After about two hours, the people from the medical facility arrived and escorted her towards the facility where Zhang Xin would stay¡­ for a long time.


    When Sera heard about this news, it was already nine in the evening. She was staring at the screen again when Lawyer Liu walked inside and informed her about Zhang Xin''s records showing that she had undiagnosed bipolar syndrome and is experiencing schizophrenic episodes.


    "Those people would not even hesitate to use mental health as an excuse just to get away with framing you!? How dare they! Did they think I am not capable of prosecuting them? Did they think I am a useless old guy?"


    "I think you should sit down," Sera said after a few minutes of silence. "I told you I am not suing."


    "You¡ª be honest! Is this the reason why you didn''t want to sue in the first place?"


    "Partly." A greedy person would do everything to achieve their goals. This was already expected for someone like Zhang Ying and Zhang Xin. "I am just curious who would diagnose her," she snorted.


    "Then what are you going to do?"


    "I will come to the funeral. Then talk to the lawyers for the will. The meeting should be coming after the funeral. I will be joining this meeting with the representative too. Zhang Xin, that stupid woman, is no longer there. So, I shall expect Zhang Ying and Edward to be there instead. Also¡­ I want to talk to my uncle."


    "Nick Zhang?"


    "Yes. I wanted to talk to him."


    "Before or after the funeral?"


    "Before. Please call him and arranged a meeting tomorrow."


    Lawyer Liu nodded. "Alright. I will take care of that." He then sighed while silently gritting his teeth. "I will also take care of hiring a secretary for you." After all, he was a well-known lawyer! How could Mr. Quinn treat him like a secretary!?


    "Let Chris recommend a secretary. I am sure he knows a lot of capable people and I trust his judgment."


    "No problem." Lawyer Liu told her a couple of things about the current Zhang Company before leaving.


    Sighing, Sera held her head, her brows knitted.


    Then she reached out and opened her phone. For a few seconds, she stared at the starry wallpaper before she finally decided to send a text to Chris.


    [Hey?]


    She wasn''t expecting him to respond. After all, he already told him he was busy. However, she really wanted someone to talk to and well¡­ he was the only one who knows what is going on aside from Lawyer Liu. To her surprise, before she could put down the phone, she received a response through a call.


    "Hey?"


    "Hey¡­ did something happen?" Chris sounded worried. For some reason, it made her feel guilty.


    "No. I¡­ I just want to ask about something." Sera gulped.


    "Sure. What do you want to know?"


    "I¡ª "What does she want to ask? She knew he was busy with work, so calling at his hour¡­ could mean that she was disturbing him. Unless, of course, she was calling to make him feel good? That pervert of a man would not get angry¡­ right? "I wanted to know¡­ what are you wearing right now?"

 Chapter 80 - A Big Bed

    A thick silence followed her words.


    "Ummm¡­ can you hear me?" Maybe it was her phone? She immediately looked at her phone, wondering why Chris wasn''t saying anything. "Oh¡­ are you on loudspeaker? Hello?" Maybe her phone is broken? She stared at her phone, confused. Did she say something wrong?


    Did he faint on the other line?


    "It''s noontime." Finally, Chris said something. She nodded. It only meant that Chris was not in Xu Country, right?


    "Oh¡­ "And it also meant, he is in the middle of something. "Then¡­ I will call you again." She ended the call without waiting for him to say anything. After a few seconds, she decided to call Xu Je''er to discuss a few projects, just to take her mind off those scheming people.


    "So, you will stay longer? What do you mean? Are you going to extend your vacation? Sera, how could you leave me alone here?" Xu Je''er''s face looked pale because of the lighting on her phone. Judging from her background, she was still in her office. Her face also seemed to become smaller. She wanted to ask if she was using some filter, but that seemed inappropriate.


    "You lost some weight?" she asked.


    "Of course! I am managing a company, acting as your secretary, and talking to investors!"


    "Oh, then you should double your salary."


    "That''s not my point. I''m not complaining. However, as my partner, you have the responsibility to come here and help me out. I don''t know stuff about cybersecurity and our clientele is increasing every day. I don''t think I would be able to handle them." Xu Je''er frowned and shifted her attention to the documents in front of her. "You know¡­ the fact that Mr. Quinn invested in our company put a lot of pressure on me. I can''t just¡­ I don''t know¡­ my dad must have heard about it. Now, they are treating me better."


    "Maybe he is planning to have you marry Mr. Quinn?"


    "Impossible."


    "How so? Can you read your father''s mind?"


    "Mr. Quinn¡­ is an old man. I already told my father this."


    Sera bit her lower lip, trying her best to stop herself from laughing. What would this woman do if she knew that Mr. Quinn is a good-looking young man with oozing sex appeal and excellent talent in bed? Wait¡­ what was she thinking? "I lied."


    "Hm?"


    "Mr. Quinn is not really an old man. I''ve never heard of that before. I was just trying to save you from that stupidity that you did in his company."


    "Hm?" Xu Je''er lifted her head and looked at her. "I know. I just told my father such nonsense so he would stop. Besides, I made it clear that I don''t need a man to take care of me. I can do that to myself."


    Sera snorted. "True."


    "Uhh¡­ yeah. You are trying to divert the topic. About your extended vacation. I can''t give it to you. As the head developer, I need you beside me all the time."


    "Then¡­ how about two weeks? Can you give me two more weeks to fix my issues?"


    The woman let out a long sigh before she rolled her eyes. "Alright. Two weeks! After that, you are coming back to the office. You know¡­ I am exhausted from answering the phone calls from people that wanted to talk to you. I suggest you buy a phone where you can use for these kinds of phone calls so, they can call you directly."


    "Phone calls?"


    "People who wanted to work with you are increasing every day. Of course, I know that you are not going to work with them. However, the Tangs are pretty persistent. I hate it."


    For a few minutes, Sera listened to her friend''s rants before she ended the call. She really needed to take care of her personal business as fast as possible to avoid stuff like this in the future. After all, starting a company was her idea. After ending the call, stood up and went to her room. Then she quickly realized that the bed seemed too big for her.


    She couldn''t sleep.


    She tossed and turned to no avail.


    Was she getting used to his presence?


    Obviously, she wasn''t that naive. She knew that this anxiety was caused by the fact that she wasn''t with him.


    But how could that be?


    She covered herself with the thick sheets as she lay on her back and stared at the ceiling.


    The surrounding silence was deafening.


    On usual days, she would have loved this silence. But for some reason, she actually felt a little lonely now. What was going on with her?


    She thought of Chris and his teasing. She wondered where he was right now. She shook her head, hoping to get rid of the thoughts inside her brain. Of course, it didn''t work.


    The next thing she knew, it was already two in the morning.


    And she was still awake. She knew that a terrible headache would surely come tomorrow morning. Maybe she needed exercise?


    Without second thoughts, she jumped out of her bed and started doing yoga before turning to rigorous exercises like running up and down the stairs just to tire herself out. In the end, she ran out of breath and almost fainted from exhaustion. Smiling, she changed her clothes and immediately went back to her comfortable bed. She looked at the time from her phone and sighed when she discovered that it was already four in the morning.


    Why was she trying to torture herself to death?


    Irritation started to build up inside her. Sera didn''t even notice when did she close her eyes. All she knew was feeling all the types of aches in her body when she woke up. A soft curse left her lips as she reached out and looked at her phone. Nine in the morning.


    She glanced at the blackout curtains that filtered most of the lights from the outside.


    Ahhhh! She felt so lonely!


    Was this the consequence of feeling a little attachment to someone?


    She had never felt anything like this before! Not even towards Cross. But then again, Cross and she never slept with each other or slept on the same bed. He treated her like a little sister and didn''t really spend a lot of time with her. The difference between Chris and Cross is just so huge, it wasn''t even worth it to compare the two anymore.


    When she heard her stomach grumbling, she forced herself to stand up and change her clothes before going downstairs to get some food. Because of her aching legs, walking down the stairs almost took her two minutes.


    "Ah, Sera!" Lawyer Liu''s face was dark as he strode next to her. "I received a call from Chris that he is going to send someone to guard you, and this woman arrived early in the morning. Her name is Athena Hill." Lawyer Liu pointed at the woman who was sitting in the living room, casually reading a fashion magazine. Her long beautiful legs were the first thing that Sera noticed.


    "Oh." She tilted her head when she realized that the woman didn''t even lift her head to acknowledge her presence. "Guard?"


    "Yes, and she would be acting as your secretary too."


    "Oh." Sera shrugged. She eyed the woman one last time before she went to the kitchen to get something to eat. Clearly, the woman was forced to come here. Maybe she really needed to have this conversation with Chris soon. After heating her sweet and sour pork, fried tofu, and porridge that was leftover from her order yesterday, she sat on the counter and positioned her body towards Miss Hill.


    As she started eating, she couldn''t stop thinking about Chris''s choice of people. How could he assign some random people around her?


    Oh¡­ wait. Didn''t she tell Lawyer Liu to tell that man to choose a secretary for her?


    Well, it seems that she was wrong after all. Chris''s judgment was not as good as she thought it would be.


    "She didn''t even acknowledge me!"


    Sera stopped walking when she heard the woman whined. She looked at the woman and realized that she had Bluetooth earphone on her ear. Sera squinted before she lowered her head and started eating the leftover that she had. It seems that she was wrong again.


    Chris sent this woman here because of something. After all, Chris isn''t that stupid. He knew that this kind of person would irritate Sera. However, she couldn''t help but wonder what was Chris'' real purpose in sending the woman here. Was he trying to get a reaction from Sera? Make her jealous?


    "Lawyer Liu, I wasn''t aware that you have some leftover food," Athena said, her voice was cold. "I am hungry."


    Lawyer Liu snorted. "Miss Hill¡­ did you think I was your servant?"


    When Sera heard the old man''s tone, she immediately lifted an eyebrow. However, she pretended not to hear anything and just enjoyed her food.


    "Miss Zhang, can you give me some of those leftovers?"


    "Hm?" Sera turned her head towards the woman on the sofa.


    "I''m hungry."


    She was still sitting on the sofa. Did she expect Sera to bring her any food? Sera''s lips thinned. This Chris¡­ how dare he schemed against her? "No," she answered.


    "Excuse me?"


    "I said no Miss Hill. I''m hungry. I am giving you my food."

 Chapter 81 - Stupid

    This is stupid.


    Sera couldn''t help but frown when she saw Miss Hill walking towards her like she owned the place. Obviously, this place is newly bought, so it means, this woman haven''t been here before.


    "You refuse to let me eat?" Athena was standing in front of the counter, glowering at her. Sera just shrugged. This woman was pretty tall. Probably about five foot eight. Standing next to Athena would make her look like a hobbit. Alright, maybe she was indeed a hobbit.


    What would a hobbit do in this type of situation? Ah, they would go home and hide.


    Hobbits aren''t really brave, they are just a persistently ignorant race.


    "No," Sera answered after a few seconds of silence. Then she started eating her pork again. She was hungry and grumpy, and she can be a bit harsh while she was in this situation.


    "You¡ª "


    Seeing that Sera ignored her, Athena slammed her palm onto the table. "Listen here¡­ punk." She glared at Sera. "I volunteered to come here. To teach you a lesson. Do you know how many jobs did Mr. Quinn missed because of you?"


    "No."


    Athena squinted. "I don''t care if you think you have him wrapped around your fingers. However, I am warning you. Whatever it was that you two have is nothing. One day, he will get tired of you and leave."


    "Good." Sera nodded.


    "You¡ª "


    Sera gave the woman a tight-lipped smile.


    Trouble. Trouble. Trouble.


    As usual, handsome man could give her nothing but trouble. Now that she thought about it, Chris must have been aware of this woman''s real purpose. Did he want her to deal with this woman? That is not very gentlemanly at all.


    Such a turnoff.


    This woman clearly liked him. How could he let her deal with her? Was it just to establish her spot in his life?


    Nah, too hassle. She would rather work and get more monies.


    However, her nonchalant behavior only made Athena more and more upset. The longer she stared at Sera as she ate her food, the angrier she became. She felt her face turn hot, she was about to explode from extreme irritation!


    "Lawyer Liu, please order some food for both of us." She turned her attention towards the lawyer.


    "I''m done eating."


    "You too?"Athena asked.


    "Miss Hill¡­ are you here to order me around?" Lawyer Liu said. "You must have forgotten why Mr. Quinn sent you here. If you won''t do your job properly¡­ did you think Mr. Quinn would let you off?"


    "This doesn''t have anything to do with eating!"


    "Then¡­ why don''t you order your own food?"


    Sera listened as the two started arguing. It seems that Lawyer Liu isn''t the type to back out and let this woman treat him like a servant. Judging from this interaction, Sera was able to conclude that Lawyer Liu is quite familiar with this woman.


    This could mean that Lawyer Liu and the Woman knew Mr. Quinn for quite some time now.


    "Just because your father is working closely with Mr. Quinn doesn''t mean you can boss me around. Even your father would never treat me like this. Maybe you have forgotten who helped your family when you had problems abroad?" Lawyer Liu''s sharp words made Athena''s face so red it looked like a tomato. "Good. It seems that you recall. The fact that Mr. Quinn treats your father well doesn''t mean that I would treat you like a princess. So stop showing this attitude in front of me. If you want to eat, then eat. No one is stopping you!"


    Sera stopped herself from clapping at the lawyer! As expected! The old man is so eloquent with his words. It''s sharp and direct! Sera couldn''t help but smile!


    This is entertaining!


    She quickly finished her food and put her dishes in the dishwasher before going to her office. All this time, she didn''t even look at Miss Hill who was sitting on the sofa silently, like a sulking puppy. Sadly for her, she wasn''t as cute as a puppy.


    When she went inside his office, Lawyer Liu immediately followed her. "I don''t understand why Chris would send that woman here! I tried calling him this morning to ask for an explanation but he only said you can handle her."


    "You knew her well?" Sera said as she opened her computer and started checking the woman''s info.


    "I worked with her father a couple of times. She is a spoiled brat who thought the world belongs to her just because she was a martial art champion in her country. She is childish and petty. Spoiled by her father and brother."


    "Ah."


    "But don''t worry, she won''t hurt you. She knew hurting you would earn Chris''s ire." Lawyer Liu massaged the spot in between his brows. "But her attitude is nasty. Her father must have begged Chris again to let her help him in his company. However, Chris always refused this request. This must be the reason why her father sent her instead of her brother."


    "So it was supposed to be her brother."


    "Yes. It was supposed to be him. I''m not sure what happened. Mr. Quinn said, he will explain when he gets back."


    "Stupid," Sera said as she opened her phone and sent a text to Chris.


    [Take your dog back.]


    That man is really stupid. How could he do something without even consulting her? Now, this woman would only add to her burden! She was already busy with this scheming family of hers and her business! Irritation stirred inside her.


    [Take your dog back or you will never see me again!]


    She sent another text. Surprisingly, she received a reply almost immediately.


    [Are you jealous?]


    Huh? What the hell was this man thinking? Was she just trying to make her jealous?


    So childish. She couldn''t understand why his words suddenly made her so angry. She clenched her jaw. Maybe Mr. Quinn was trying to use her to get rid of the woman. But how could he do it without even telling her? This wasn''t what she signed up for.


    Without saying anything, she grabbed her laptop and marched towards her room.


    "Ummm¡­ Miss? What are you doing?"


    Sera rolled her eyes. Isn''t it obvious? She was packing her clothes! She is going to leave!


    "Miss, I don''t think you should be impulsive. I think¡­"


    "Mr. Liu¡­ respect is very important in every relationship," Sera said while folding her clothes and putting them inside the suitcase. "Mr. Quinn doesn''t respect me." Maybe he does. But he didn''t respect her enough to inform her about his plans. Clearly, this would affect her as well.


    Moreover, she was getting attached to him.


    "Then¡­ then are you going to leave? Just like that?" Lawyer Liu stared at her, flabbergasted. What is going on here? These weren''t really the events that he was expecting! How did it escalate like this?


    Sera didn''t answer him. Obviously, she is leaving. Running away was her best coping mechanism.


    "Ummm¡­ he is calling you."


    Sera looked at the phone and nodded. She thought of not answering it, but knew that this man would never stop calling her. "I am packing my stuff," she said. "I''m leaving this house."


    "What? Why?"


    She didn''t answer and just ended the call and turn off her phone. After finally packing all of her old clothes and essentials, she immediately dragged her suitcase down. She ignored Lawyer Liu''s pleading and found a taxi to take her to the nearest hotel.


    All her life, she had been manipulated by a lot of people. Is she really going to allow that to happen again?

 Chapter 82 - Wife

    "She left¡­" Chris sighed as she stared at his phone. "She left the house."


    "Mr. Quinn¡­ if you don''t mind me asking. Did you expect Miss Sera to stay?" Seeing that the master didn''t say anything, Lan Xing smiled. "Forgive me for being blunt, but Sir, we have read Miss Sera''s history. She has trauma and refused to get close to anyone except his friend Mr. Cross Qin and Miss Xu Je''er. She doesn''t trust anyone and had been surviving alone for years. If this kind of person would suddenly receive some kindness from someone, it would be natural for her to show some confusion and even suspicion." Isn''t this basic in human psychology? Unless, of course, they were talking about some naive woman then this wouldn''t apply at all.


    "So¡­"


    "So I believe that it was wrong for you to send the troublesome Athena to Miss Zhang''s way. After all, Miss Zhang had been trying to avoid trouble for years now. She had the tendency to run away from them. You cannot blame her for thinking that you were playing around and wants to use her." Usually, Mr. Quinn always acted mature and smart. How could he not understand these things?


    Sometimes, Lan Xing would start to wonder if love could really make everyone stupid.


    "Then I will go home¡­"


    "But what about the meeting with the ¡ª "


    "Cancel it."


    "Sir, I don''t think being impulsive right now is good." Lan Xing said when Chris grabbed his coat. "Sir, I think you got this all wrong. If you approach an upset person right now for a confrontation, it would only make it worse."


    "Who told you that I am going to confront her? I''m going to apologize."


    "Sir, please think about this. Miss Sera is already very impulsive. She left immediately, without even asking any more questions or explanations. A woman like this differs from the others. A woman like that is tired of the world. She wouldn''t hesitate to leave and run away." Lan Xing heaved a sigh of relief when Chris stopped moving.


    Chris turned towards Lan Xing. "You mean to say?"


    "Miss Sera is not someone who needs men in his life."


    That ¡ª that is true. Chris nodded. Seeing this, Lan Xing continued. "If you keep pestering her when she is still angry, she will become more and more irritated. Miss Sera is not some cardboard cut out of some women described in a book. She has her own troubles and complications."


    "So, you mean to say, I needed to give her time?"


    "Yes, sir."


    "Mr. Lan¡­ are you married?"


    "No, sir."


    "I am married."


    "¡­" Was he trying to brag about his marriage? Didn''t he force Miss Sera to marry him? "Sir, if you will confront her now, she would see you as someone irresponsible that only knows how to think using his¡­ "


    "His what?" Chris frowned when he saw his secretary point at his crotch. "Do you want me to find you a coffin?"


    "Ah?" Almost immediately, Lan Xing stilled. "No sir! I am just¡­"


    "But you actually have a point. Call Mr. Hill, tell him to remove his daughter from the house."


    "Re ¡ª remove?"


    "Mr. Hill wanted me to teach her a lesson so she would stop bothering me." He sent that woman there to let her know that he already had a wife! Who would have thought that Sera didn''t introduce herself as his wife and even left the house? Why was she always so impulsive? "And tell Mr. Hill to teach his own child a lesson or I will kill her."


    Lan Xing sigh. So immature. Why was he punishing Miss Hill for something that he decided? Is it really too much to accept that his calculations were wrong? Lan Xing bowed and left the room, and followed Chris''s instructions. After a few minutes, he went back to the office and saw Chris staring at the view from his office. "Did you really think she would kick me out if I talk to her now?"


    "Yes, sir."


    "Why?"


    "Because you were not honest."


    "Hm?" Chris looked at Lan Xing. "What do you mean?"


    "Honesty is very important in any relationship. She knew that you were trying to use her to get rid of the woman. After all, Miss Sera is very smart. However, she hated that you did it without even consulting her."


    "I was trying to see if she would tell the woman that she was already my wife!" Was that really so hard to do? His face darkened. Was it possible that she didn''t like introducing him as her husband? But their relationship was considered good in the past few days! And they are already legally married.


    "Ummm¡­ Sir¡­"


    "Say it!"


    "Did you have a girlfriend before?"


    "Why do you asked?"


    "Well¡­ if you had a girlfriend, you would know that not all woman likes to deal with other women. Some of them, are confident enough and find it troublesome to deal with the women that are pestering their partner."


    "Is that so?"


    "Yes, sir¡­ in fact. I met someone before in my college years. She wasn''t that beautiful but she was pretty confident that I would not cheat. She saw me talk to my classmates but she never gets jealous and just¡ª "


    "But you broke up, right?"


    "Yes. But that wasn''t my point!" Lan Xing felt flustered when he heard Chris snort. "My point is¡­"


    "You can leave now. It''s late."


    "Uh¡­ yes." Lan Xing didn''t even ask questions. It was already dawn and he too needed to sleep. It was just so sad that Mr. Quinn is good with the business but his luck with women isn''t that great. Anyway, he could only hope that Mr. Quinn learned a thing or two from his words.


    Meanwhile, Chris sighed. He already knew where Sera was staying. Judging from that woman''s stubbornness, she isn''t going to listen to any of his explanations at all. Alright, he was indeed wrong. He got overconfident and thought that she would show her superiority towards Athena. It seems that he was wrong.


    Another sigh escaped his lips as he stood and grab his jacket. Then he opened his call and called the pilot of his private plane. "Ah, yes. I want to fly out of this country now. You can just fly Lan Xing back tomorrow. Got it. I will see you there."

 Chapter 83 - Sorry

    Sera stayed inside the hotel and was thankful that no one dared to bother her. Not even Chris.


    Even after she turned off her phone, she didn''t receive any messages from everyone. Of course, she knew his people were still following her around. She even spotted them in the hotel''s lobby. This wasn''t really a problem. After all, he was just trying to make sure that she would be safe.


    She spent the entire day and most of the night working before she decided to sleep for her grandfather''s funeral the next day. She wasn''t really planning to get close. After changing into an all-black dress paired with black stilettos and a black hat, she found herself in the lobby with four tall bodyguards waiting for her.


    She was thankful that she was also wearing large shades that cover half her face. At least the people watching them wouldn''t immediately recognize who she was. "Mr. Quinn sent us. The car is waiting outside."


    She heard the bald man to his life speak. She nodded in response. She walked inside the black sedan and wasn''t really that surprised to see Chris waiting for her.


    "You''re not going to leave the car, right?" he asked.


    She snorted. At least he wasn''t asking if she was still mad? "No. I am not that childish."


    "Good. Let''s go."


    The silence that followed was deafening, intimidating even. It was as if a huge boulder was lodged in between the two passengers at the back of the car. The atmosphere was heavy.


    It took a few minutes before Chris cleared his throat. "I''m sorry¡­"


    Sera sighed inwardly. Alright, she wasn''t expecting him to immediately say sorry. To be honest, she was expecting a confrontation. He would ask her why she immediately left without even asking for an explanation. Then she would retaliate by telling him it''s none of his business. Then, shouting might start. Chaos. Then probably he would leave and cool off. He would drink inside a bar, then a beautiful woman would¡­ Alright. What the hell was she thinking?


    "I just assumed that you would show your superiority as my wife and take care of her. I was wrong."


    Sera turned her gaze towards him. Since she was still wearing her black shades, he could not see her expression. And a part of her felt relieved that he didn''t show how surprised she was.


    "Miss Hill had been bugging me for years. I just shrugged it off and made her father handle it. I work closely with her father." He added. Still, Sera maintained her silence. "I''m sorry. I didn''t inform you about it. I was hoping that¡­ you would at least¡ª "


    "You wanted me to fight another woman for you?" she asked.


    "No ¡ª that¡ª "


    "That is so immature."


    He pursed his lips. Perhaps her words surprised him. A part of her doesn''t really care what he felt. However, another part of her was wondering if she had been too much. "If you wanted to say something. Say it." Sera said. She eyed the driver and, as if sensing her thoughts, Chris instructed the driver to find a place where they could park so he could leave them alone.


    The moment the driver left, Sera removed her shades and stared at Chris'' serious expression. From the information that she had gathered so far, it was obvious that Quinn Media is not really the only company that Chris owned. On this continent, he had this mysterious identity. Not even his employees saw him.


    However, the fact that he was in a different time the other day was enough to prove that he wasn''t in the country at that time. Then he said something about working with Mr. Hill. Maybe she was overthinking again. But does this mean that Chris has another business abroad?


    "My world is different from your world, Sera. There are going to be dangerous people everywhere." Chris said with a sad tight-lipped smile. Isn''t that why he couldn''t tell her that he was Cross? If only she knew that he had been with her for years, maybe she would have opened up to him and even accept him. However, there are things that he couldn''t just say.


    "And I supposed that is enough reason for you to decide something that could ruin my own plans?" she asked, unfazed.


    "Yes."


    "Anything else?"


    "Will you forgive me?"


    "No," she answered without batting an eyelid.


    "Will you trust me?"


    "No."


    "I see." He nodded before letting out a sigh. "You are my wife."


    She snorted. "You are trying to divert the conversation." Did he think she was that stupid? With the things that she suffered in the past, did he think a simple title could give him the right to control her life? She was here because she wanted to know the truth! Not because of him!


    For some reason, the anger that she felt yesterday started to resurface. She squinted at him. No, he was still lying. This wasn''t just because she was his wife. Something else is going on here. "Are you really going to keep hiding the truth from me?"


    "I sent her here so she could seek the Fu Family''s support against you."


    Sera lifted an eyebrow. So, he was indeed using her. But why would she feel disappointed? Isn''t this the consequence of this marriage? He used her, and she used him. It was only fair.


    She nodded before she lowered her head. "The Fu Family¡­"


    "Are targeting you. I wanted to use Miss Hill as a reason to deal with the Fu Family and the Hill Family."


    So he wanted to use her as bait. She snorted. "I understand."


    "This is the only way to protect you from both of the families."


    "Both of the families?"


    "The Hill and the Fu Family''s matriarch our acquaintance."


    Usually, most women would feel thankful that he was actually doing this for their sake. But she wasn''t. If anything, she felt a little irritated at being incompetent in his eyes. Right now, all of her moves had been defensive. She was just trying to defend herself from these people. She wasn''t trying to be aggressive and would only act if they do something to her.


    Is that the reason why he hid these things from her?


    She let out a sigh. "This is a huge misunderstanding." Sera shook her head and chuckled. They are mature adults. They could obviously talk like normal adults.


    "I know, and I''m sorry. This is all my fault. I was thinking about how you would feel." After all, she had been through a lot in the past. Lan Xing was right. What he did was wrong. It was just simply wrong.


    Sera snorted. Of course, it was his fault. However, she had been really impulsive, too. After a night of thinking, she realized how childish she had been. For some reason, the fact that he did it without even sending her a text made her feel like she cannot be trusted. And it made her scared. Obviously, she isn''t going to inform him about this.


    A part of her was scared. Her mind was in chaos. After all, she felt that she already started to feel a little attachment towards him. What if he suddenly abandons her? The fact that he could not trust her meant that she isn''t someone worth it! How could he stay with someone not worth it?


    Sera just wanted to protect herself from all this. She was too damaged, too scarred to even think of other people aside from herself. And yes, that was wrong.


    But after all the stuff that she went through in this place, Sera thought it was the only way to protect herself. "Next time you wanted to do something like that. Text me." She turned her head away from him and put her sunglasses back. Obviously, she wasn''t really blaming him for not fully trusting her. After all, she was but a stranger, a tool that he could use.


    And as much as she wanted the sex, the intimacy, the feeling of being touched, looked at, and admired, she shouldn''t forget that she was nothing but a dirty, scheming bitch. She had been tainted, raped, embarrassed. She was not someone that deserves a happy ever after with a handsome CEO. She was just a tool, and she had forgotten about that because she had been enjoying her time with him.


    After realizing that the car was not moving, she turned towards him and asked. "Did you want to say something else?" she asked. Her tone was cold, devoid of any emotion. She didn''t miss the surprise in his eyes.


    "What were you thinking just now?" he asked, his voice quivered.


    "Excuse me?" Looking at him now, she wondered how much did he know about her past. Only Cross knew about it, and he made sure to hide everything that could threaten her secret. Did Chris find out because of his money?


    That is possible.


    "I want to know your thoughts." It was a demand.


    "It has nothing to do with you." Why would he want to know what she was thinking? "And even if I tell you. I could just make up some lie."


    Another sigh escaped his lips. "You''re right." She was about to turn her gaze away when he suddenly held her hand and pulled her towards him. "I''m sorry. I really am."

 Chapter 84 - Relationship Rules

    Sera heaved a sigh of relief when the car started running again. The tension inside the car already lessened, which made her a bit more comfortable. However, the environment between them was still awkward.


    Every relationship contracted or not should at least have proper communication. It''s not like they were children, right? Sera bit her lower lip. Right now, she should be concerned about the funeral, but here she is thinking about this misunderstanding.


    What is happening to her?


    She shouldn''t have cared, right? Why does it feel so irritating?


    She pursed her lips. She had demanded him to communicate but¡­ it sounded unfair on his part. Should she just create proper rules in this relationship?


    She had gotten careless. Perhaps it was because she never actually thought that she would start to care about his actions. Not caring would have been easier. Being indifferent would help her.


    Unfortunately, she is getting angry and irritated. And having these feelings only meant she is starting to care.


    "We''re here."


    Surprisingly, she didn''t flinch when Chris touched her hand to inform her that they have arrived. She nodded and faked a smile. "I will go out. Alone."


    "But ¡ª We just received some news. The Zhang Family secretly cremated the old man last night. The coffin should be empty right now. "


    She squinted. "Are you sure?"


    "Positive."


    She sighed. It can''t be helped. It seems that she would still need to create some chaos and act as the villain after all. Oh well, not that she cared about this matter."I will call you if I need your help." She said, hoping it was enough to assure him. "Thanks." With that, she walked out of the car, leaving Chris alone inside.


    Just as she left, his phone vibrated.


    "What is it?"


    "Boss! How could you leave me here?"


    "Boss?"


    "Hello?"


    "Boss? Are you there?"


    Chris rolled his eyes. "What is it?"


    "Boss! Why did you leave me alone here!? Mr. Hill¡­ He¡­ He wanted to talk to you and then I¡­"


    ''What did you tell him?"


    "That you¡­ went jogging."


    "And?"


    "Well¡­ he said he will come back later!"


    "And?"


    "Well¡­ he said that Miss Athena is going to stay with a relative."


    "So I was right."


    "Yes, sir!"


    Chris nodded. When Mr. Hill immediately agreed to send his own daughter to this place, he already had his suspicions that the Hill family wanted to get closer to the Fu Family. Of course, he allowed it to happen.


    Now, all he can do is wait for the Hill family to act. His nose crinkled in disgust. So it seems that the Hill Family was really hiding their greed all along.


    "Don''t do anything stupid. However, assign a few more people to infiltrate the Hill family. You can also increase the people following that woman."


    "Yes, sir."


    Meanwhile, Sera stood a few meters away from everyone who attended the funeral. All of them were wearing black clothes. The ceremony was about to finish when she arrived so it didn''t take too long before ''coffin'' was lowered.


    Which obviously was too stupid, considering there was nobody inside. What was the use of this ceremony, anyway?


    Obviously, they wanted to gain more sympathy from the media. If her assumptions were correct, Zhang Ying planned all this to help her mother, Zhang Xin out. She sneered, disgust apparent in her gaze. Ah, Zhang Ying, you schemer.


    "Miss Zhang, Mr. Quinn asked me to stay by your side to protect you. I have a camera in the pen in my pocket, as well as a recorder. Everything is recorded in case something happens."


    Sera just nodded when a man wearing a black suit stood a few feet away from her. Since Chris wasn''t able to accompany her, it would be reasonable that he would send one of his people to follow her around.


    Until now, Sera still felt a little angry with that man. But she chose to focus her energy on the Zhang Family and Edward Fu who just spotted her. Just as she expected, Zhang Ying, who was crying in Edward''s arms, also saw her as she followed her lover''s gaze.


    "Sister!"


    Zhang Ying said in a voice that should be enough to attract the surrounding reporters. Even Nick Zhang was now looking at Sera.


    To her surprise, Zhang Ying ran towards her. Was she that excited to embarrass herself?


    Sera didn''t move, she just eyed the media who trailed behind the star of the show, Zhang Ying. Why was Zhang Ying making too much effort now? Sera couldn''t wait to find out.


    "Sister! It''s really you!" Zhang Ying said as tears streamed down her eyes. "Sister, you are really back!"


    "Miss Zhang¡­ please don''t touch me," Sera said as she slowly shook off Zhang Ying''s hands that were holding her arm. Just as she expected, Zhang Ying used this opportunity to lose her balance.


    *BAM!*


    Huh? Sera stared at Zhang Ying that was already on the ground. Wasn''t this the most clich¨¦ scheme anyone could think of?


    "Sera! What did you do?"


    Obviously, the knight in shining armor immediately arrived to defend Zhang Ying. Edward Fu immediately arrived at Zhang Ying''s side, helping her up.


    "Edward, it''s fine. It''s not her fault. It was just an accident." Zhang Ying''s voice was soft, gentle, and fragile like a doll. She looked weak as she tried to wipe her tears. She was pale, her gaze wavered as she faked a smile at Sera.


    What an acting talent!


    Is this the level of acting that those people from Oscars could do?


    Sera''s lips twitched when her gaze was interrupted by Edward''s tall frame as he tried to block Sera''s line of sight. "Stop staring at her!"


    "Huh?" Sera wanted to laugh out loud. Was this guy on drugs?


    "I said¡­"


    "Mr. Fu are you high?" she snorted.


    "Edward, let''s not create some trouble. Everyone is watching us. It wasn''t really sister Sera''s fault. It was an accident."


    "Accident? Yingying! You should stop protecting her! She clearly pushed you!"


    "No, she didn''t." Zhang Ying looked stern as she shook her head. "Why would Sister Sera hurt me? That¡ª "


    "You ¡ª "Edward pointed at one of his people. "Bring Sera out of this place."


    "Mr. Fu, I think you have no right to involve yourself in my family''s matter." Sera calmly said. She turned her gaze at her bodyguard and signaled him not to interrupt. "Asking your people to drag the new heiress of the Zhang Family is a bit¡­ low, no?"


    "You¡ª "


    "I am here to bid my grandfather farewell," Sera said, there wasn''t a hint of any emotion in her voice. Since she was still wearing her shades, no one could see the emotion in her eyes. "Everyone of us knew that Zhang Ying and I did not like each other. But she still approached me. Did she expect that I would hug her?" Sera smirked at Zhang Ying, who seemed to cower in fear and hid behind Edward.


    What the hell?


    This woman looked like a scared rat hiding behind a cat!


    "Sera, I think we should talk in private."


    Sera looked at Nick Zhang, her uncle who stood behind Zhang Ying. "Creating another scandal just after your grandfather died¡­" Nick Zhang continued as he sighed and shake his head. "I am disappointed."


    "So¡­ are you saying that I should leave, too? Is Mr. Zhang trying to stop me from seeing my grandfather for the last time?" Sera''s gaze darted towards a few people whom she recognized. Those were the elites in this region. Rich, bored, and people who would enjoy good gossip.


    "Sister, father never said those words. He only wanted to protect the family."


    These people were really annoying. "And¡­ how is that irrelevant to me, who just wanted to say goodbye to my grandfather?"


    Silence.


    Soft murmurs and whispers followed her words.


    Of course, Sera was taking advantage of everyone''s nature to gossip. Right now, the position of the Zhang Family is really fragile because Sera was declared as the heiress and not Zhang Ying. The news about Sera''s interview must have spread by now. Meaning everyone knew they didn''t inform Sera about her grandfather''s wake.


    The Zhang Family claimed that she didn''t care enough. But now that she was here, they are trying to make her leave. Isn''t that confusing?


    Does this mean that Nick Zhang and the whole Zhang Family didn''t consider Sera as the new family head? If that is the case, then what would happen to the stocks that are under Sera''s name?


    Everyone immediately understood what was about to happen to the company after this funeral.


    Chaos.


    The stock prices would likely to drop.


    "Sister you¡ª "


    "Oh, Miss Zhang. Did you expect that you can make them pressure me to leave once you frame me?"


    "I¡ªI didn''t frame you!" Zhang Ying''s voice trembled. "I would never do that!"


    "Yes, of course. I believe you." Sera smiled, sarcasm thick in her voice. Then she turned her gaze to Nick. "Now, Mr. Zhang please escort me to see grandfather for the last time."


    "You cannot do that!" Nick uttered.


    "Excuse me? I didn''t hear you."

 Chapter 85 - Murder

    "I said, you cannot do it now that we already lowered the old man''s coffin."


    "Ah¡­ that''s simple. Just bring it up again." Sera was smiling at Nick. How pathetic.


    "Sera, I don''t think that is such a good idea. That''s disrespectful to your grandfather." Nick''s face was dark."You should leave and we can talk once we arrive in the mansion."


    "Thanks, Mr. Zhang. I would rather see my grandfather." Sera tried to walk past Edward by three people suddenly blocked her. One was Nick, the other was Edward and the third was Edward''s bodyguard. "You don''t want me to see the man who gave me the entire fortune of the Zhang Family?"


    "Uncle already told you not to create any ruckus. Please leave¡­ you aren''t welcome here." Edward said.


    "Was it because you are trying to hide something?"


    "Sera¡ª what are you saying?"


    Sera rolled her eyes at Zhang Ying''s question. Zhang Ying''s tone was extremely irritating. It was soft and too innocent. She was even tearing up! She looked scared and weak. How infuriating. Sera was too tired to handle this. "Three men are trying to gang up on me. And yet no one seemed to care." Sera sighed. She didn''t hesitate to look at the camera from one of the media personnel that was allowed in the funeral. "The media¡­ is here and you are shamelessly trying to stop me from seeing my grandfather. Mr. Zhang, I am wondering. Are you trying to hide something?"


    "What¡ª what are you trying to say?" Nick paled when he heard Sera''s question. How could it be like that? There should be no way that Sera would know about the cremation!


    "It seems that I was right. You are trying to hide something. What is it, Mr. Zhang?"


    "You¡ª "


    "Sera you are going overboard." Obviously the knight in shining armor, Edward Fu already had a dark look on his face. Seeing Sera bully his beloved Zhang Ying''s family made him so angry, he was about to burst. Rhea''s smile turned brighter.


    "Then please show me, my grandfather." Sera''s smile was full of meaning. "If you are not hiding something¡­ show him to me."


    "Uncle already said he cannot do that. He ¡ª "


    Sera''s chuckle interrupted him. "Was it because¡­ grandfather is not really in the coffin?" Her question started another round of whispers and gasp from the people around them. "If he isn''t in the coffin¡­ then what''s with all the tears Zhang Ying?"


    "I¡ª "


    "Stop talking to her Yingying. She is just an evil woman who wanted to cause chaos wherever she goes." Edward hugged the ashen-faced Zhang Ying.


    "So, what is your choice, uncle? Are you going to show me grandfather''s body and explain why he isn''t in the coffin?"


    "You¡ª " Nick really wanted to cursed Sera. However, he couldn''t do it in front of so many people!


    "You¡ª escort Miss Zhang out of this place." Again, Edward tried to order his people to make Sera leave. But how could Sera accept this?


    "Mr. Fu, if your people will touch me. You will regret it." There wasn''t a hint of emotion in Sera''s voice. It was the exact opposite of the beautiful smile on her face. "When you showed up in that police station. I knew you were stupid. But this¡­ your actions now just proves that you are actually beyond stupid."Her smile turned cold, freezing. "I know you are protecting your woman and I don''t care about that. What I care about is my grandfather. I want to see the man for the last time."


    When Edward heard her sharp words, he couldn''t help but frown even more. The creases in between his brows deepened. The fact that he went to see her at the police station wasn''t revealed. Edward thought that Sera would dare show her face here. And if she did, she wouldn''t dare cause so much ruckus.


    Moreover, he also expected that she wouldn''t mention anything about the police station as that would embarrass her.


    Who would have thought that she would nonchalantly say it in front of all these people? This woman was either not in her right mind or she simply doesn''t care about what people think.


    "You are an embarrassment to the Zhang Family!" Edward hissed.


    "I don''t know about that Mr. Fu. I don''t remember killing anyone, especially not my grandfather."


    What the hell was Sera trying to say? Even Edward felt infuriated. What does she mean by she didn''t kill anyone? Why does it feel like she was trying to say something? Just as he expected, Sera was looking at Zhang Ying. She was staring at his woman!


    Edward acted on instinct. He tightened his arms around Zhang Ying. How could Sera be this shameless?


    Doesn''t she care about what everyone would think about her?


    "Now, please move," Sera said.


    Edward didn''t move an inch. Instead, he signaled his people to stop the reporters from recording.


    Seeing this, Sera also signaled his bodyguard to move towards her. She only wanted to make sure that the guard could still record everything that she says and do.


    "I''m sorry Miss Zhang, but I cannot allow you to approach the funeral," Edward said.


    "And why is that?"


    "You have caused a lot of problems to Uncle and Yingying. I don''t think it is appropriate for you to come here. After causing all that stress."


    "Stress from what?" she asked, smiling.


    This smile, however, only made Edward more infuriated. He was already planning everything in his mind. All the reporters that were present here and witnessed what happened will receive a few hundreds of thousands from him just to keep their mouths shut.


    The news about what happened today will never reach the ears of the people supporting Zhang Ying.


    And as to the people who were watching the show, most of them would always value benefits on top of everything. How could they ally themselves to a woman like Sera? Edward''s mother is a politician while his father was a businessman. There is no way that Sera would be able to match his background!


    Because of this, he was confident that the people surrounding them would not spread this to everyone in the rich community.


    "From what you did in the past." Edward bravely answered.


    "Ah¡­ I see¡­" Sera nodded. "So¡­ you are indeed hiding something. You don''t want to show me my grandfather''s body because¡­ he isn''t there. Then you are trying to intimidate me by mentioning my past. Smart move Mr. Fu. You are indeed very smart."


    Edward''s lips thinned. He had a bad feeling about Sera''s smile.


    "However, you have forgotten one thing," Sera added. Her gaze then shifted towards the people around her. "I don''t care about other people''s opinions." Before she left this region, her reputation was already ruined. So what if those people would try to check her past?


    All those years ago, she already experienced the greatest pains in her life. Other people''s opinions wouldn''t hurt her.


    "However," Sera added, "You Mr. Fu, care about your woman''s reputation. I don''t know what her fans would do if they knew that¡­ she along with her father cremated my grandfather''s body to remove the evidence of murder?"


    "You¡ª "


    ''Murder? What did she say?''


    ''Did I hear it right?''


    ''Murder?''


    ''I thought it was some heart failure?''


    ''So it was murder?''


    ''I think she is just spouting nonsense.''


    ''But it does make sense, no?''


    ''You can easily resolve this matter if they let her see the old man''s body.''


    ''It''s not like the old man hated her, considering she was set to inherit everything that he had.''


    ''I know, right?''


    ''Isn''t it suspicious?''


    Edward''s face turned grim when he heard the murmurs of the people standing close to him. He turned his head towards Sera. This woman was trying to accuse Zhang Ying and Nick Zhang in front of everyone? Why? Why does she look so confident that her words were true?


    "Isn''t that right, Miss Zhang?" Sera looked at Zhang Ying who was shaking in Edward''s arms.


    To everyone''s surprise, Zhang Ying slowly pushed Edward''s arms away. "It''s true. We already cremated grandfather."


    Everyone turned their eyes towards Zhang Ying''s pale face. At this point, everyone couldn''t help but feel pity towards the pale and weak woman who was standing in front of the domineering Sera. She looked like an ant, standing in front of a dragon!


    True, Sera didn''t look that tall. However, her confidence was enough to make her look strong and powerful.


    "And true¡­ we are indeed trying to cover a murder." Zhang Ying said. "But you must understand¡­ the person who killed grandfather is already paying for her sins!"


    Eh? Sera lifted an eyebrow. Zhang Ying was planning to tell everyone that her mother killed Old Man Zhang? This woman¡­ was poisonous and dangerous!


    Sera couldn''t help but shiver inwardly.


    How could Zhang Ying just betray her mother as if the woman didn''t raised her and pampered her since she was a child?

 Chapter 86 - Dramatics

    How scary!


    Sera never saw anyone that could easily abandon someone like that!


    "I never thought that you would confess in front of everyone, Miss Zhang." Sera didn''t hide the mockery in her voice. "Are you going to tell us who¡ª "


    ''THUD''


    Zhang Ying knelled in front of her.


    Huh? Why was this woman kneeling? Sera took a step back as she sneered inwardly. "Miss Zhang should be careful. What if Miss Zhang''s lover would once again say that I push Miss Zhang down?"


    "Sera¡­ my mother¡­ my mother didn''t mean it."


    As expected, she used her mother as a shield.


    "She has mental health issues. She is already in a mental intuition! I beg you¡­ please spare my mother from your anger!"


    ''What?''


    ''It was Zhang Xin?''


    ''Zhang Xin killed Mr. Zhang?''


    ''The gentle Zhang Xin?''


    ''What do you mean by gentle? Did you see what she did to Miss Sera in her house?''


    ''What? I didn''t see that¡­''


    ''Aigo¡­ let me send you the video.''


    ''Zhang Xin is indeed brutal and scheming.''


    ''I still can''t believe that she would murder someone!''


    "Please Sera¡­" Zhang Ying was trembling, tears were rolling down her cheeks like a waterfall. She looked like a drenched kitten! "Please¡­ mother had a lot of mental issues. So I¡ª "


    "So you bought her a villa in the mental institution," Sera smirked. How could she let this opportunity go? Her guard was taking a video and Zhang Ying was happily scheming in front of her! Wouldn''t it be nice to share this with the public?


    Zhang Ying... ah... Zhang Ying...


    Did she realize how foolish and rash she had been?


    Sera was certain that Edward would soon take care of the reporters around her. However, Edward didn''t know that Sera had cameras too! Just the thought of it made her smile.


    "What are you talking about? I didn''t¡­ I didn''t buy any villas! I just wanted to make my mother comfortable."


    "Miss Zhang¡­ it''s useless. I have proof of what you did. What mental illness are you talking about? How come no one knows this mental illness before she schemed against me in Pane City? Before she killed the only person who cared for me?"


    "Sister¡­ I don''t understand. How could you say that? We grow up together. You should already know what kind of woman mother was. You saw how terrible she had been. She is¡ª "


    "Zhang Ying¡­ that won''t work, my dear," Sera said. "Since you publicly outed your mother¡­ then I can only file a case against your family. Murder and tampering of evidence."


    Zhang Ying widened her eyes. File a case? What? She was expecting to get everyone''s sympathy and hoped it would pressure Sera. What is happening? "Sister¡­ please you can file a case against me. I will pay for the crimes that my mother did. I will do it. Just please¡­ leave mother alone." Of course, Zhang Ying decided to be more dramatic.


    What is more pitiful than a woman who was raised by an abusive mother with mental illness? A woman who only wanted to save the same mother? A woman who was kneeling and crying?


    Zhang Ying was confident that her acting would soon touch the hearts of everyone.


    "If your mother is indeed ill, then she needed to spend some time in a mental institution for dangerous people like her. Not in a villa." Sera''s voice thundered inside Zhang Ying. What? How did Sera know about the Villa? She kept it a secret from Edward and even took care of the people who brought her mother to the mental institution. There are no cameras or anything that Sera could hack in that place! So¡­ what is going on?


    "Yingying¡­ what is she saying?" It was Edward. He was also crouching next to her, trying to make her stand up. On the other side, Nick was also trying to help his daughter. Right now, it really looked like Sera was bullying Zhang Ying.


    "I ¡ª I don''t know Edward. I don''t know what she is talking about. All I wanted was to take care of my mother. If Sera wanted to sue someone, then¡­ she could just sue me! I am willing to go to prison just to protect my mother!" Zhang Ying sobbed.


    "Miss Zhang¡­ did someone told you before that your sobbing is a bit irritating? It''s too high-pitched. It''s ruining my eardrums."


    "How dare you insult Yingying when she is already kneeling in front of you?" Edward yelled. "Zhang Ying was such a kind-hearted girl and you are treating her like she did something wrong! She grew up being abused by Zhang Xin. She was forced to attend parties and socialize because of her mother! And now that her mother did something, she is still trying to protect her! Yingying is a gentle and kind woman! How could you treat Yingying like this?"


    ''What?'' Sera looked at Edward as if he was spouting some nonsense. This man is really stupid.


    "Mr. Fu, did I tell her to kneel?" she asked.


    "You¡ª "


    "Did I tell her to apologize?"


    "Shut up!"


    "Edward¡­ please let us stop antagonizing Sister. It''s all my fault."


    Sera crossed her arms across her chest. She was waiting for Zhang Yin to faint. Of course, this acting is not going to be completed without some exaggerated fainting, right? She never expected this woman to act like she was a victim. Sera slowly clenched the pin that she put on the right side of her dress as she put her arm on the side.


    She was holding a pin.


    And she was planning to poke it on Zhang Ying''s feet if she tried to fake fainting.


    Sera couldn''t help but wonder how long is she going to pretend to faint if she would feel a little pain.


    Heh, it was a mischievous thought.


    "Sera! Are you just going to stand there and not accept your sister''s apology?" Nick Zhang asked, anger apparent in his face.


    "Huh? What do you mean? Why would I accept something that is not for me?"


    "What?"


    Sera smiled. "Why do I need to accept her apology? Did her mother kill me? Obviously, she needed to apologize to grandfather and not me!" Because of Zhang Ying''s words, the Zhang Company''s stocks would surely go down. So, it was already a win for Sera. No matter what happens after this, Sera is already the victor of this confrontation.


    Right now, Zhang Ying was only thinking of saving herself. She wasn''t thinking of her father or the Zhang Family. The fact that Sera knew about the Villa must have surprised her.


    Sera thought it was suspicious. Was it possible that this Zhang Ying already got the approval of that Councilwoman Fu? Oh well¡­ that is no longer a part of Sera''s business.


    "What do you mean by that?"


    "Isn''t it clear, Mr. Fu?" Sera asked. "Why is your woman apologizing to me and not to my grandfather? I don''t see any reason why she would kneel in front of me. Perhaps she wanted everyone''s sympathy?" What''s so good about someone''s sympathy? Sera couldn''t understand this. As someone who grew up without experiencing any sort of sympathy from everyone, she couldn''t understand why this should matter. "But¡­ would that change the fact that she is a daughter of a murderer?"


    "Sera, you are going overboard! Look at Yingying she is already too pale and weak!"


    "Did I say something wrong?" Sera sneered. "Miss Zhang¡­ you are the daughter of a murderer who helped your mother escaped and even tampered with the evidence by cremating your own grandfather without the knowledge of your father."


    Sera was chuckling as she looked at them.


    Her words just put the father and daughter into a very tough position. First, if Zhang Ying would say that her father knew, then it means that Nick Zhang knew who murdered his own father. How could he be that heartless? Because of this, Nick Zhang would hesitate to say that he knew about the cremation and Zhang Xin''s case. However, not saying anything would only make Zhang Ying the supervillain who knew that her mother is the murderer of her grandfather and chose to hide it from the authorities and her father!


    Sera waited for the father and daughter to answer her words.


    This is making her so excited!


    "I¡ª no matter what my wife and daughter did, they are still my family!"


    Sera almost burst out laughing when she heard Nick''s voice. That''s it. He wouldn''t save his daughter and wife. He would feign ignorance. She then watched as Zhang Ying''s face lost all its color, she looked like some white paper. Then there it was¡­


    Zhang Ying held her head before she started to sway.


    "Yingying?" Edward clutched his fiance''s body as Zhang Ying lost consciousness.


    ...


    For more info about the upcoming Manhwa and Tapas work please follow me on instagram: @blips01

 Chapter 87 - There Is No Rest For The Wicked

    Sera was originally planning to prick Zhang Ying with the pin in her hand. However, before she could even touch her, Edward was already yelling at her.


    "GET AWAY FROM HER!"


    Sera straightened her back.


    ''Boring''


    Too bad, it would have been fun to prick that woman with the pin, she thought as she laughed inwardly. Ah, this is really getting more and more exciting. Seems like being the villainess is really the right choice after all.


    "I guess¡­ I will see you in court. Sister." Sera coldly said before she turned her back and walked back towards the car where Chris had been waiting for her. The moment she sat inside the car, she immediately declared. "I''ve made up my mind."


    "Hm?"


    Sera was staring at him as she frowned. Chris was on his laptop, he was reading something while wearing eyeglasses.


    "What are you looking at?" Chris flinched before he removed his glasses. He then smiled at her. "Are you done?"


    It was as if Sera had forgotten the rest of the words that he wanted to say. She turned her head away. "Yes. We should leave." Her mind was in chaos.


    How could that be?


    Is It really possible to have two people with the same gaze under their glasses? That''s impossible. Maybe she just missed Cross a lot? She was definitely hallucinating right now.


    "Are you alright? You look¡­ ill."


    "No. I''m good. Please take me back to the hotel."


    "Hotel? You''re not going to move back to the house?"


    "No," Sera said.


    "Why?"


    "Just because I don''t want to."


    She pursed her lips.


    "You are really stubborn." Chris sigh. "Well¡­ if you are not going to the house then I will move and live to your hotel."


    "I won''t open the door for you."


    "I''ll have my own key."


    "¡­" She frowned as she looked at his serious face. "That''s trespassing."


    "I just want to see my wife every day. How can that be trespassing?"


    "Who''s your wife?" This man is back at it again. He was trying to irritate her to death.


    "Aren''t you my wife?"


    "Then¡­ "


    "No divorce." He was shaking his head as if his life depended on it.


    Why does he sound like he just won some war? She glared at him. "That''s not what I wanted to say!"


    "Oh?"


    "I will go back," she said.


    "That was easy. Did you finally have a change of heart and started liking me?"


    "No. I just thought that the house belongs to me." She coldly smiled at him. "It''s mine. I can change its locks anytime."


    "¡­"


    Seeing his expression, a sense of victory invaded her heart. She beamed. "Of course, I''m not doing it now. But next time¡­ that you asked people to get inside my house. I will change its locks." Of course, he could easily break into her house. But he would not do that. Unless, of course, he really wanted her out of his life.


    "Let''s go back to the hotel first. I need to pack my things."


    "Oh, I can help you with that."


    "No need."


    "I will help."


    "Why do you want to rummage into my stuff?"


    "I just want to help. How could you think that I have other motives?"


    Again, she glared at him before turning her gaze away. She didn''t say anything until they arrive at the hotel. Chris helped her pack her things, which wasn''t really a lot to begin with. After about an hour, the two finally arrive back in the house.


    "Hm?" Sera paused as she looked at the living room. "You changed the sofa and other furniture?"


    "It''s contaminated," Chris said with a proud smile. However, it only made her irritated.


    "Isn''t that your fault?" Sera said. "It''s good that you know how to properly clean your surroundings."


    "¡­" Chris only stared at her as she walked towards her room. Why does he feel something about Sera changed? For some reason, he couldn''t say what it was. But he could feel it.


    The changes.


    There was a change in Sera''s attitude.


    Sera sat on the bed, sighing. Being too passive really isn''t the right way.


    But she had been so dormant until now. She didn''t want to actively participate in any scheming and wanted to avoid such things as much as possible.


    But damn!


    ''I guess there really is no rest for the wicked, huh?''


    She could only smile as she recalled her dark past.


    Soon her thoughts changed to Cross and Chris''s eyes. How could it be so similar?


    But now that she thought about it, Cross disappeared when Chris appeared. A foreboding feeling slowly crawled inside her. She shivered. If they are one person, then¡­


    What would she do?


    She bit her lips as she lay on the bed, unmoving. Her gaze was glued to the familiar ceiling. First things first.


    She needed to take care of the Zhang Company.


    ¡­.


    Just as she expected, the news about Zhang Ying''s words didn''t reach the masses. Instead, the news about Sera''s appearance that caused Zhang Ying''s fainting was published in all outlets of the media.


    She wasn''t surprised to see Chris working inside her computer room this time. "What are you doing here?" Last night, this man slept in his own room.


    Of course, she had no issues with that.


    It was just a bit surprising.


    "You don''t look like you will work at home? Are we going somewhere?" Chris asked.


    "I need to hire a qualified assistant," Sera said. "I am sorting out the board members of Zhang Corp."


    "You will do it?" he asked, disbelief apparent in his eyes.


    "You look surprised?" She was wearing a pale yellow, loose-fitting shirt and flesh-colored pants. She tucked it in, which emphasized her curves. She was also wearing some flesh-colored heels, which made her look taller.


    "You look gorgeous."


    She nodded. She already expected his reaction. Even she thought that she looked fantastic like this. It sounded narcissistic, but it was the truth.


    "Thanks. I already know that." S


    "So?"


    "I want you to arrange a secretary for me. Someone hardworking and¡­ smart." By smart, she meant scheming. Hopefully, Chris understood her meaning.


    "No need to say that. Here¡­ I chose three people for you. You can choose. All reliable. You can trust them."

 Chapter 88 - Slacker Life

    "You are being weirdly proactive today," Chris uttered as he rested his chin on his palms. He was staring at Sera with a weird smile on his face.


    "What''s wrong with trying to be rich?" Isn''t that good? Once she sorted out all the people that were trying to hurt her, she could live a good life. A life of a slacker with expensive computers that had access to every satellite in the world.


    "What''s weird. I didn''t know you can be this active."


    "I''m just lazy." And she thought once she stayed away, those people would stop bothering her. However, Chris''s words about the Hill Family working with Fu Family are akin to a wake-up call. There is so much more to the story and if she wanted to live, she needed to establish her position.


    And the thing is, she is just like a bystander, watching everything without even a hint of interest in knowing the truth. She just wanted to live a peaceful life away from everyone. The truth struck her like a sharp sword.


    She is a wicked one. And wicked ones don''t just get to live a happy life because they wanted to.


    Oh well, the years that she had lived with Cross were actually really peaceful and fun, she would miss that. The thought of Cross made her look at Chris. Even their names aren''t that far from each other. Moreover, Cross would disappear for weeks before and showing up just to check on her. They were friends, and she considered him her best friend. Or so she thought.


    What if the reason why he saved her in the first place and the reason why he stayed next to her all those years was something else?


    What if he was only acting as her guardian or something?


    Her gaze lingered on the bracelet that he gave her on her birthday.


    It was a beautiful white gold bangle that would go with any clothes. He especially gifted this to her because it matched her white gold wristwatch. He must have thought that she hated wearing gold and would prefer white gold, as it looked like silver. The stones that embellished the bangle looked minimalist but at the same time elegant.


    It looked expensive.


    She recalled how Cross told her he had to save two months'' worth of his salary to buy it. Because of this, she was obligated to wear the bangle every day. Since then, she never once took it off unless she takes a bath.


    It had become a part of who she was.


    In fact, she really treasured it and used it to remind herself that somehow she still found a friend.


    But what if those were all lies?


    "Why are you looking at me like that?" Chris was smiling at her again. The similarities were definitely there. But Chris''s face looked slimmer, smaller. Everything about his features looked smaller than Cross''s. The color of their eyes was a bit different, too.


    "Nothing." She finally decided to turn her gaze away.


    All this suspicion was just distracting her from her real goal. "This one¡­. Mr. Ramik. He is good with both guns and knives, management, and first aid. I believe this one should suffice."


    "Why did you pick the most good-looking one?" Chris asked.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Ramik is the most good-looking one."


    "Is he?" Sera check the other profile again and nodded. "I didn''t even notice it." Maybe being around Chris made her immune to attractive people. However, her eyes still naturally choose the most good-looking one. How amusing. "I guess, it''s instinct." She turned towards him. "I always prefer good-looking ones."


    "How could you say that without a smile on your face?"


    Sera rolled her eyes inward and ignored his question. Why would she smile while saying something like that? "Please hire this person. I want him to start working today."


    "You have something to do today?"


    "Yes," Sera nodded. ''Je''er had been nagging me lately. She wanted me to return. The company isn''t really functioning well without their core."


    "How could she say that? I invested hundreds of millions to your company!"


    Sera only shrugged in response. "I will meet one of the board of directors today."


    "You arranged it in advance?"


    "You are looking down on me, Mr. Quinn," Sera said. "Of course, I didn''t arrange to meet him."


    "Huh? If you didn''t arrange to meet then¡­"


    "I will ''accidentally'' meet him." Sera grabbed her laptop and handbag. "Accidents happen all the time, Mr. Quinn. What are the odds that I would meet some investors today?"


    "Ummm¡­ where are you going?" Almost immediately Chris stood up. How could he allow her to leave alone?


    "I already have the guard that you assigned to me. He alone is enough."


    Chris stood there, flabbergasted. So¡­ does that mean¡­ she no longer needed his help?


    "Mr. Quinn, may I say something?"


    Chris flinched when he heard Lan Xing''s voice. "What the hell? How long have you been standing there?"


    "I followed Miss Zhang inside. You just didn''t notice me because you were staring at her as if she was the only person in this room."


    "You¡ª "


    "Sir, may I say something?"


    "What is it?"


    "Miss Zhang¡­ is not the type of woman that would need your help all the time. I suggest you let her run wild and just save her when she really needed it."


    As expected, Lan Xing''s words were a wake-up call, something that was enough to ruin his day.


    Chris furrowed his brows.


    He came back because he thought she needed his help. But what he saw just now was a different type of Sera. She seemed so confident and strong. She was no longer the Sera that only had indifference in her eyes before he left.


    "Did something happen while I was gone?"


    "Hmmm¡­ except for Miss Hill, causing trouble for Miss Sera? I don''t think something else happened."


    Then what could have happened?


    What''s with this sudden change?


    Why did Sera¡­ the Sera who seemed disinterested about everything else, became so proactive about the Zhang Company?


    It was as if a clap of thunder struck him. "Check it. I want to know if she met someone while I was away. I want to know everything that she did, the people that served her in the restaurant and that hotel. Check."


    "Yes, sir!"


    .....


    Follow me on instagram for more updates on manhwa: @blips01

 Chapter 89 - Rose

    Sera ignored the guard, who was staring at her. She just smiled as the man closely followed behind her. "Your task is to protect me¡­" she said. "Don''t ask questions," she added. Being curious is normal, especially when she was inside a strip club at two in the afternoon.


    "Madam¡­"


    "Please don''t call me that." The other day, this man called her Miss Zhang, now he was calling her madam. Clearly, this was all because of that petty Chris.


    "But¡­"


    "What was your name again?"


    "Dalgo."


    "Great¡­. Nice to meet you, Dalgo. Please call me Sera."


    "But Mr. Quinn said¡­"


    "Don''t listen to him."


    "¡­"


    "Ah¡­ I forgot he is still your boss. You should resign and start working for me." Sera looked at the man''s confused gaze. Dalgo wasn''t old. He looked early thirty, but he should be older than that. He had a tattoo on his neck that is covered by some weird makeup. "And don''t cover your tattoo using cheap makeup. It''s weird." She turned her focus to the person who walked towards them.


    "Hello Miss¡­ how may I help you?" The woman smiled, her eyes turned towards Dalgo. Of course, Sera couldn''t blame the woman. Dalgo isn''t that good-looking, but he is about six feet tall with a fit body. He was more attractive than more than fifty percent of the people that Sera knew. "Are you looking for some fun?" the woman smiled at Dalgo.


    "I am looking for some fun. Take me to Mr. Tan."


    "Huh?" Surprised registered on the woman''s face. "I''m sorry but¡­ may I know this client''s name?"


    "Tell him Miss Zhang is here to see him. I will wait here¡­ I will give you five minutes."


    "But miss¡­ how did you know that we have a client named Mr. Tan here?"


    Sera lifted an eyebrow. The woman in front of her had red lips and deep-seated eyes that seemed to exaggerate the emotions in her face. She looked scared, yet somehow, she still looked beautiful and delicate. Sera couldn''t help but wonder if looking like that, requires training or something. That face is Zhang Ying''s signature look.


    "What is your name?" Sera asked.


    "Everyone calls me Rose."


    "Like the flower?"


    The woman smiled. Despite the smile on her face, she still looked delicate. Any man would immediately feel that she needed their protection. "Yes. They say I am as beautiful and thorny as a rose." Rose said.


    "Ah¡­" Sera nodded. "Miss Rose¡­"


    "Rose is fine."


    "Good. Then Rose. Stop wasting your time. Tell Mr. Tan that I am here or I will call the police."


    "Huh? This miss¡­ what are you talking about?"


    "Prostitution is illegal in this part of the city," Sera said. And just as she expected, the expression on Rose''s face changed the moment she realized that Sera was threatening her. "And I can prove it. So¡­ I will give you three minutes now."


    Seeing the smile on Sera''s face, Rose felt goosebumps throughout her body. She shivered and immediately nodded. Then she ran towards the elevator and immediately went to the third floor of the ground floor.


    All of the Tulips Men''s Club''s illegal transactions are held downstairs. It was the same location where the prostitution den was located. And of course, it was where Mr. Tan, one of their VVIP clients, was.


    "Sir¡­ someone is looking for you!" Rose said, after knocking on the door. Of course, she couldn''t open the door as it was private, and she knew that the people inside were currently naked.


    "Rose? Come in." A gruff voice made her flinched. She complied.


    She walked inside. The smell of sweat, sex, and blood wafted through her nose. She immediately lowered her head. "Yes, a woman named Miss Zhang is looking for you. She said she will wait for three minutes or she will call the police."


    "What did you say her name was?"


    "Miss Zhang¡­ She didn''t mention her first name."


    "Damn¡­ are you sure she said, Miss Zhang?"


    "Yes, sir." Rose flinched when she heard a loud bang that was followed by a woman''s whimper.


    "Getaway, you b*tch!" Mr. Tan cursed. As usual, he would kick the woman that he was in when he was in a foul mood. Rose glanced at Jasmine, who is Mr. Tan''s favorite. Despite being favored by the old man, Jasmine still received some punches and kicks every time he is in a foul mood. Because of this reason, Rose was thankful that the old man thought she was too old for him.


    After all, Rose is already twenty-nine while Jasmine just turned twenty this year.


    "Where is she?" Mr. Tan grunted as he started dressing himself.


    "He is waiting on the first floor, sir," Rose answered.


    "Why did you tell her that I was in?"


    "She immediately looked for you when she arrives, sir."


    "Shut up! Did I ask you to answer me?"


    Rose could feel it. She could feel the slap coming.


    "You are lucky. You are the only entertainer on the first floor today. If I slap you¡­ people will notice." Mr. Tan said as he walked past her. "What are you waiting for!? Lead me to that woman!"


    "Ah? Yes sir!"


    ¡­.


    Meanwhile, Sera was currently leaning against the bar counter. She looked relaxed as she smiled at the bartender, who just handed her some non-alcoholic mix. "Dalgo¡­ how good is your martial arts?" she asked.


    "So¡ª so¡­"


    "How humble," Sera said. "Mr. Tan would probably hurt me today. But¡­ I don''t want you to hurt him back."


    "But¡ª "


    "Unless you have a method that would hurt him without causing any bruises."


    "Ah?"


    Sera met the man''s eyes.


    "Do you have a method like that?"


    "Ye ¡ª yes."


    "Good. As expected of an ex-special forces soldier."


    "How did you¡ª "


    "Your tattoo." She pointed at the part of his neck. It was a part of an eagle that is only found in the special forces unit of the country. She is very familiar with the eagle as she always sees this every time she¡­ ehem¡­ peeked into their files.


    "I told you to stop using cheap concealer. I should probably recommend you some in the future." Sera added and beamed as she spotted the three hundred pound man that was walking her way. "Mr. Tan¡­ how have you been?" she said.

 Chapter 90 - Preparations For Bigger Enemies

    "Miss Zhang?"


    "Did you expect another Miss Zhang?" Sera was still smiling.


    "You ¡ª You are Sera Zhang?" Mr. Tan frowned when he realized he got the wrong Zhang. "Follow me. Let''s not talk here."


    Sera nodded and followed him into one of the VIP rooms on the second floor. This was where the legal business takes place.


    "The Tulips¡­ is doing good." This club was in the middle of the city and even when it''s daytime, there were people inside.


    Mr. Tan flinched when he heard her words. "Miss Zhang¡­ I wasn''t expecting to see you here." He turned towards Rose. "Please give me some whiskey. What do you want for your drink, Miss Zhang?"


    "Water is fine. Bottled."


    After Rose left, Mr. Tan immediately added. "What are you here for? I don''t remember having any business with you."


    "Not yet." Sera smiled. "We will have a few businesses soon."


    Mr. Tan lifted an eyebrow. "What kind of business are we talking about?" Just seeing Sera''s smile immediately made Mr. Tan suspicious. Usually, his clients would go to the backdoor and meet him secretly. However, this woman used the front door in broad daylight. It was like¡­ she wanted to be seen around him! Slowly, realization sits in. "You ¡ª You are not trying to¡ª "


    "Inform everyone that we know each other?" Sera finished his sentence. "You are indeed sharp."


    There are seven cities in Cone Lands. Isul which is considered the base of Zhang Corp. Ashil City which is where Sera and the rest of the Zhang Family were born, Aluya City which is the part that has the most pine cones, Cen City, Alarkin City, Pasen City, and Ace City or the biggest city in the whole Saka Region.


    The entire Saka region was ruled by a governor and Mayor and councilmen ruled each city.


    In reality, the cities were ruled by business executives like Mr. Tan. People who enjoyed life to the fullest. They hated politics and rarely involve themselves in anyone''s business. They just gave money to the politicians and to the other businessmen to ensure that they live a happy and enjoyable life. In short, these are filthy rich people who could pay their way into everything and everyone.


    Mr. Tan owns a lot of businesses in the entire country and he is also one of the shareholders of Zhang Corp.


    What most people didn''t know was the fact that these people also run the black market in the whole Saka region. This is a place where illegal tradings happen, sex slaves can be bought, drugs were treated as water, and being a criminal is a norm. In the black market, the laws never existed.


    Now, as someone who hacks her way through most things, Sera was very familiar with these people. After all, there is just a small part of the dark web where she used to frequent.


    "You threatened your way here and now you are trying to use me? You are bold ¡­" Mr. Tan had a dark look on his face. "Why are you here?"


    "Mr. Tan¡­ I heard that someone from the government is trying to target your business lately?" Sera asked.


    "That''s obvious."


    "The election is coming up."


    "What does it have to do with your business?"


    "Well¡­ it has nothing to do with my business. I was just saying that once the leadership in this city changed¡­ "


    "It will not affect my business!"


    "Is that so?" she chuckled. "But what if¡­ the person who is trying to bring you down is someone that is considered your rival?"


    As expected, her words made the old man glared at her. "Direct to the point!"


    "Mrs. Fu is trying to work with the authorities and had been tipping them to the location of the people that you¡­ saved." She used the term saved instead of kidnapped because the women working for Mr. Tan are women who agreed to work for him in exchange for his protection. Of course, this wasn''t enough to justify all the things that this man did to those poor women.


    From her research, Sera found out some documents and CCTV videos that show that the women prostituting themselves were not really from Xu Country but from other parts of the world. This man didn''t kidnap them either. They were illegal settlers and people who were trying to run away from their past that were scammed into working for Mr. Tan.


    Again, this man was truly evil.


    But Sera was planning to use him.


    So, she will not touch him. For now.


    "Fu¡­ from the Fu Family? It was her?"


    "The people that you sent out lately had been disappearing, right?" Sera knew this because she had seen some people on the dark web talking about this lately. Those were, of course, anonymous people that are talking about another family who is going to take over the entirety of the black market in the Saka Region. At first, she didn''t think too much about it.


    However, Chris'' words about Hill Family and Fu Family reminded her of something that she had read before. It was about two well-known families in the black market. The Hills and Fu were said to be close and are rumored to be allies. They were well known not in Saka Region but Aiba Region and Northern Islands. It is said that they have a lot of diamond mines in another country too. Surely, this isn''t just coincidences, right?


    Just hearing their names was like a wake-up call for Sera. She recalled everything that Chris told her so far. Chris said the Zhang Family owed him something. However, no matter how much she tried to check online, she couldn''t find any connections between Mr. Quinn and the Zhang family. Because of this, she had to be innovative.


    She had to think about the only member of the Zhang Family who stayed abroad.


    Her mother. Melisa Zhang.


    Right now, she just decided to start gathering more information about her mother and her father. She needed to know why Chris was using her. She needed to know the truth. And she needed to prepare for bigger enemies!


    She needed to be ready once they come for her.


    ....


    Map is posted below.

 Chapter 91 - Turning The Tables

    "What is the point in all this?" Mr. Tan angrily grabbed the whiskey that Rose served a few seconds back.


    "I believe Mr. Tan is a talented businessman. So, let me be direct. I want you to sell your shares to me. The shares that you own in Zhang Corp. In exchange, I will tell you who is trying to sabotage your business by killing the people that you are sending to negotiate with other business executives."


    "You ¡ª you just said it was Mrs. Fu!"


    "But don''t you want to know who is working for her? I''m sure you needed evidence, right?"


    "You mean¡­ a spy?"


    "I am not saying anything anymore unless you agree to sell me your shares and¡­ give me a ten percent ownership of your Tan Industry." She had been in her computer all the time to research about the Edward Fu and his family as well as Zhang Ying. She knew almost everything about them. Even their preference in coffee and shower gel! A simple spy is very easy for her to track but she isn''t going to give the information for free.


    "WHAT? Preposterous little b*tch!" Mr. Tan''s eyes widened, his jaws tightened. "Get out! I''m done talking to you."


    Just as she expected, Tan Industry is really this man''s sore spot. After all, it was worth billions. "Are you sure that you don''t want to hear the rest of my words?" Sera asked.


    "I said GET OUT!"


    Sera only smiled in response. She didn''t know how she had the confidence to do all this, but she felt fantastic right now. Everything is just according to what she planned. "Well¡­ I guess I am leaving. However, since I am a good person, I would like to show this to you." She didn''t wait for the old man to say anything as she pressed the video on her phone. "I am certain that you are aware of the trouble inside Zhang Corp. I am going to release this video of her confession later today at five in the morning." She smirked just as the video of Zhang Ying saying that it was her mother who killed Old Man Zhang.


    "Mr. Tan¡­ you are an expert in the business industry. You should know what would happen to the stocks tomorrow¡­ right?"


    "You ¡ª " Mr. Tan couldn''t help but tremble as he shifted his gaze back to Sera.


    "But of course¡­ you are not very interested to sell your shares to me so¡­ I cannot really do anything about it. I am just warning you since¡­ I really liked to do¡ª "


    "I am selling."


    "Eh?" Sera lifted an eyebrow, surprised at the old man''s words. "That easy?"


    "You bitch¡­ " Mr. Tan mumbled.


    "What did you say?"


    "I said¡­ yes!"


    "Oh¡­ I thought I heard you say b*tch. It completely ruined my mood. Now¡­ I don''t want to buy your shares anymore."


    "You ¡ª " Mr. Tan''s face turned ugly when he realized he had completely fallen into Sera''s trap. "That damn Fu family wanted to buy my shares as well! But I refused to even see that bastard Edward Fu! Who would have known that someone like you would completely put me inside your trap? And now you wanted to play with me? Are trying to kill yourself, little girl?" There was a hint of mockery and disgust in his voice.


    She already assumed that Edward would try to help Zhang Ying by buying the stocks. But she never expected him to try buying Mr. Tan''s shares, considering that Mrs. Fu had been going against Mr. Tan in the past few years now. Did he really just meet with this old man and ask him for his shares? Did he think threatening the old man would work? "Mr. Fu¡­ is completely lacking in the brains department," Sera responded. Edward is really dumb if he thought that old man would budge after all the things that his mother did to Mr. Tan''s businesses.


    "That is true."


    "Well¡­ since you already said that you will buy it, then I guess I will just buy. However¡­ I still want ten percent of Tan Industry."


    "Stop being so greedy! I already agreed to sell you my shares."


    "Mr. Tan¡­ it''s either that or nothing. Take a pick." Sera was here because of two reasons. First, she wanted to ally herself with this man because of this, she showed her capability in front of him. The second was because of Mr. Tan''s connections in the black market and his current problem with the Fu Family. They have common enemies. However, Mr. Tan is not just someone that one could easily approach. He is completely mannerless and doesn''t respect anyone that he considered lower than him.


    Mr. Tan loved women, but he would never hesitate to kill them. He loves money, but he would never hesitate to let go of it to save himself. He is selfish and greedy and someone that would let no one screw him.


    And Sera took advantage of this.


    Sera knew that Mr. Tan and Mrs. Fu werecurrently at a standstill. It was because Mr. Tan was really rich while Mrs. Fu is being careful as she was planning to run for mayor. She didn''t want to involve herself in any scandal. Because the two cannot really decide who would win and become the ruler of the black market in this region, why not help one of them?


    "Little kid you are being too greedy."


    "Mr.Tan¡­ I am helping you save millions of dollars. How come I am the greedy one? All I wanted were shares."


    "My company is worth billions.


    "Exactly, which is why I wanted to become a part of it."


    "What you said about that Fu bitch is useless. I already know it was her." Mr. Tan was not budging. And it seemed that he wasn''t planning to budge. Seeing this, Sera could only sigh.


    Sera only smiled in response. Seeing this, Mr. Tan frowned. "You ¡ª You already know this?" If Sera already knew this, then¡­ it means she purposely made him angry by mentioning the shares. Once he asked her to leave, she showed the video that reversed the tables. Then she didn''t raise the price of the things that she wanted.


    To anyone. It was a stupid move on Sera''s part. After all, she could have raised the price now that there are stakes involved.


    But this wasn''t because she was stupid.


    Mr. Tan understood what is happening right now.


    Sera¡­ is not really here for the shares. She wanted something else.

 Chapter 92 - Trusting His Greed

    "Five percent." Despite knowing that Sera wasn''t really here for this, Mr. Tan persisted to haggle. After all, Tan Industry is something that he considered his baby. How could he just let some random person inside his company?"


    "Ten."


    "Six!"


    "Ten no more no less."


    "You¡ª really¡ª let''s settle at eight."


    "Ten."


    "Ten percent is worth hundreds of millions are you planning to rob me?"


    "Think what you want to think¡­ ten percent is going to be the payment of the information that I will give you. Moreover, I also tipped you for the upcoming downfall of Zhang Corp."


    The old man glared at her.


    "Mr. Tan we all know the value of people who could obtain important information for you."


    "You think I don''t have anyone that could help me with the information? If I want to ¡ª "


    "I don''t think you have someone. If you do¡­ three of your people won''t die."


    "You¡ª "


    "I am well informed."


    Mr. Tan could only frown. Sera Zhang¡­ wasn''t she just someone who doesn''t know anything about business? When he heard that Sera Zhang is the new heiress, Mr. Tan immediately talked to Nick Zhang, and the latter assured him that there would be no problem. Sera would surely make Nick Zhang the CEO because she is clearly inexperienced to run a company.


    These words, coupled with the research that he had about Sera were enough to convince him that the board of directors could just intimidate Sera into submission.


    It seems that he made a mistake.


    The creases in Mr. Tan''s forehead increased. "What else do you want?"


    "Hm?"


    "I am assuming you still want something from me? I really cannot give you ten percent of my company. That¡­ is just too much."


    "So you are willing to give me something else?"


    "I assumed this was already a part of your calculations?"


    Sera only smiled at him. "Mr. Tan is praising me too much. How could I be that smart?"


    He snorted in response. Even Edward Fu wasn''t able to convince him. And yet this woman was saying that she wasn''t smart? If she wasn''t smart, then everyone else is considered stupid!


    "Not my company. I can give you anything else."


    "Are you sure about that?" Sera lifted her perfectly curved eyebrow.


    "Yes, as long as it won''t hurt my company."


    "Good¡­ then¡­ I want your help when I needed it."


    "What¡­" Mr. Tan pursed his lips. By now, he understood that this woman isn''t just saying nonsense things. "Elaborate."


    "We have a common enemy. I will help you become the biggest name in the black market of the whole region. But¡­ you have to help me once I asked you to."


    "Help?"


    "As you can see¡­ I am alone." Sera said. "All I can trust is my skills." The thing that Chris did was a wake-up call to her. She couldn''t rely on anyone else. She only has herself. She doesn''t have people on her side or people that she could trust. Obviously, she doesn''t trust Mr. Tan as well. What she trusts is Mr. Tan''s greed.


    "Skills?"


    With this, Sera gave him a flash drive along with her calling card. "Open it once I''m gone. Then call me once you decide. As for the shares, my lawyer will get in touch with you in a few hours. The shares will still be under your name. In fact, you will still act as my representative. You will attend the board meeting¡­ and you will watch."


    "Watch?" Watch what? "If you are planning to bankrupt the company¡ª "


    "I''m not going to bankrupt it. That''s all I can say right now."


    Seeing her confidence, Mr. Tan shook his head and accepted the flash drive. "I don''t know what you want¡­ but I can smell trouble from you."


    "I am taking that as a compliment. From now on¡­ the world will know that I approached you and you declined to sell your shares to me. The world will know how stupid I was to approach a man like you." Sera gave him a tight-lipped smile before she stood. The reason why she came here in broad daylight is that she wanted everyone to know that she met with Mr. Tan.


    Once people think that she is stupid, they would look down on her and feel a sense of¡­ victory. They would lower their guard down and it would be easier for Sera to target them from now on.


    Mr. Tan had a serious look on his face when he heard those words. Then he nodded at her. "I will inform my people that you cannot enter this facility again. I will call you once I decide." This woman¡­ is really clever. Mr. Tan couldn''t help but wonder why was she still alive until now. If that Zhang Family knew that Sera was this smart then¡­ why didn''t they kill this woman when she was younger and helpless?


    If he was a part of the Zhang Family, he would have immediately killed this woman the moment she showed any talent and skills that would harm the family. But they still let her live.


    This could only mean two things. First, Sera must have hidden it well. Or¡­ the Zhang Family is just really dumb and blind to notice someone like her.


    "Wonderful" Sera clapped her hand. She was smiling at him. Now then¡­ please watch the news. Everyone will know that the Zhang Family is rotten to the core." Now that the conversation is over, Sera left the room without looking at the man again. She heaved a sigh of relief. She was confident that once Mr. Tan would see the files that she gave him, he would call her and agree. After all, those files would give him millions.


    Those files should be enough to keep Mrs. Fu busy for the next few days.


    That would be enough time for her to turn the tables.


    ¡­.


    Meanwhile, Dalgo could only lower his head as he followed behind Sera. The woman that he was supposed to guard let him hear such important transaction. He couldn''t help but wonder if she was testing him. What would happen to him if he would tell everything that he heard to Mr. Quinn?


    And what would happen to him¡­if he keep the information to himself?

 Chapter 93 - A Questionable Relationship

    "She did what?" Mrs. Fu scrunched up her nose as she lifted her gaze from the document she was reading. "Mr. Tan? Tan Enterprise?" She looked at her secretary. "And?"


    "Mr. Tan asked her to leave and never see him again. He shouted at her and banned her from entering the club again."


    "Really?" Mrs. Fu snickered. "How embarrassing. She must have heard that Mr. Tan declined Edward''s attempt to buy his shares. She thought Mr. Tan would sell it to her just because she isn''t in a good relationship with my son. That woman¡­" Mrs. Fu smirked. She originally thought that Sera had become a bit smarter. It turns out she was still dumb. It seems that the only reason she became that smart is because of that lawyer behind her.


    Without the lawyer, she was still useless. "This information is¡­ useless to me. From now on¡­ stop following her around. She is such a waste of our resources. Instead, focus on other things. I am sure that Zhang Ying can handle her."


    "Yes, madam."


    Mrs. Fu looked at the papers that she needed to sign. "Oh¡­ maybe just tell Edward about it. That child had been working so hard to help his fiance. He is slowly forgetting that he is still a Fu. Tell him to let his wife handle it."


    "Yes, madam."


    Once Edward heard the news, he couldn''t help but frown at Sera''s actions. On the day of the funeral, Sera was totally different. She looked strong and confident. So how could she do something so stupid like that?


    "Sir, Madam said that you should let Miss Zhang Ying handle everything."


    "I understand. You can leave now." Eyes narrowed, he pressed his lips together. It seems that he only misinterpreted everything? Sera was still the same woman who would foolishly scheme but won''t succeed in the end.


    At least this made him feel relieved. He had thought that Sera could become a formidable enemy. He was wrong. He overestimated her capabilities! She was still the same stupid woman all those years ago.


    Because of this, Edward stopped thinking about that woman. He already took care of the video from the media yesterday. So he was confident that Zhang Ying could handle the rest. The thought of Zhang Ying made his eyes warmer. Yesterday, when Zhang Ying fainted, his heart almost couldn''t take it.


    At first, he was upset that he didn''t know anything about Zhang Ying''s plans to save her mother. However, he completely understood her. Zhang Ying was a sweet woman who loves her family so much that she is even willing to accept punishment just to save her mother. Speaking of Zhang Xin¡­


    Edward''s face darkened. That woman had been very harsh to Zhang Ying. She needed to learn her lesson.


    The news about what happened to Sera also reached the ears of Nick and Zhang Ying. Obviously, the two of them were really happy right now. The fact that Sera actually went to see that old man despite his terrible reputation only meant one thing. Sera doesn''t have someone behind her.


    "It must be that lawyer. "Nick said. "Lawyer Liu is the reason why she grew some spine. Without that lawyer, she is useless."


    Zhang Ying nodded, but she didn''t say a thing. Despite all this, she was still a bit suspicious about Sera and her plans. For some reason, Zhang Ying could still feel that smirk that Sera gave her the other day. She felt that Sera was too smart to go to that old man.


    "Perhaps she heard that Mr. Tan refused to sell his shares to Edward Fu. So she thought that the old man would allow her to buy it. Mr. Tan is a screwed entrepreneur. How could he allow something like that to happen?" Nick added.


    "You''re right. She must have someone following Edward around." Zhang Yi lowered her face as she hid the glint of anger in her eyes. It seems that Sera was still eying Edward until now?


    Now that she thought about it, Sera''s actions at the funeral didn''t make any sense at all. She didn''t hesitate to ridicule Zhang Ying because of the small information that she had. It was as if¡­ she was trying to break them apart. Zhang Ying''s eyes narrowed.


    Despite everything, she was confident that Edward would never look at Sera.


    But why does she feel something different about this matter?


    In fact, this whole matter felt weird.


    Did she miss something?


    What could it be?


    "I have investigated Lawyer Liu." She spoke after a few minutes of silence. "If Sera wanted to file a case against mother, she would surely use Lawyer Liu and I thought it would be hard to defend against that man, given his reputation."


    "And?"


    "I will meet him tomorrow night. He would be in the region around that time."


    "Tomorrow is also the will reading. Sera could be here with her lawyer."


    "Exactly. After that, Lawyer Liu would stay in the city for a few days to handle Sera''s matter. I have enough time to see him."


    "Yingying¡­ what are you planning to do?"


    "Don''t worry, father. I am very confident with my plan." Zhang Ying smiled gently. When it comes to scheming, Zhang Ying was very confident with her skills. In fact, she was very confident that she could easily beat Sera.


    "Mr. Liu is not just someone that anyone could see. This matter is really suspicious. After all, Mr. Liu wouldn''t just accept anyone as his client. All of his clients were big names in this country and abroad."


    Zhang Ying smiled. "You finally get it¡­ father." Lawyer Liu is not just someone that Sera could hire. Unless, of course, she was using a different method to hire the man.


    "You think¡­ she is sleeping with the Lawyer?" Nick asked.


    "I am not certain about this, but there is no way that Lawyer Liu would work for someone as incompetent as that woman. I have made my research, and it seems that Lawyer Liu¡­ personally made an appearance to invest in Sera''s business back in Pane City." Zhang Ying said. "Their relationship is very questionable." And she was planning to use this relationship to scare that lawyer away from Sera!

 Chapter 94 - Dripping With Florals

    While they were thinking various things about Sera, she was busy talking to Mr. Liu about the shares.


    "So, you are still planning to leave the management behind to Mr. Quinn?"


    "Yes." Honestly, she doesn''t have the talent to manage a company. "I will remain in the background."


    "Mr. Quinn would assign one of his people to do it."


    "Hm¡­" Sera nodded. Speaking of people¡­. She turned towards the man who sat next to Mr. Liu. He was her new secretary. Chris told her that Ramik just arrived from abroad and immediately want to start working for her. Ramik was indeed more good-looking in person than in the photo. He was tall, tan, and ripped. He had deep-seated blue eyes and thin, attractive lips. Any woman would stare at someone like that.


    "Madam¡­ please stop staring."


    ''Huh?'' Sera rested her chin on her palm as she smiled. And yes, he was shy too. She could see the man blushing. Cleodel Ramik should be near thirty. And he was still shy from her gaze. "Sorry¡­ I have a habit of staring and please call me Sera or Miss Zhang." She responded, still smiling. She really does stare a lot. "Anyway, let''s get back to our topic. I am going to sell my shares to Mr. Quinn and he would take care of everything else. I don''t think I have a say about the rest of the business. He can do whatever he wants."


    "Hmm. I understand." Mr. Liu nodded before sighing. "So the cases¡­"


    "Yes, please file it. In public. Right now¡­ In a few hours¡­ someone will release the video online. It would spark a lot of rumors. Prepare your people. They would have to answer a lot of questions."


    "Questions?"


    "Well¡­ I am not going to answer any questions from now on. I will refer them to my lawyer."


    "You ¡ª " Lawyer Liu couldn''t believe his ears. "Are you trying to kill me?"


    "It''s not like you don''t have a lot of assistants in your firm. Just tell them I don''t know who released the video and we are also investigating this matter. Of course, we will file the case tomorrow morning. Let''s expect a lot of hate on this one."


    "Hate?"


    "Yes, Zhang Ying is a TV personality. She had a lot of fangs. She would surely cry and apologize on TV use her charisma to win the crowd. Moreover, my past will be revealed and people would start hating me for scheming against her in the past. Zhang Ying would not hesitate to reveal the past to defend herself."


    "You ¡ª How are you still calm about this?" Lawyer Liu felt like Sera just dropped a major bomb on him. How was she still so calm?


    "Mr. Liu¡­ I never cared about my reputation. I have nothing to lose." And this is something that most people don''t realize.


    Mr. Liu sigh when he heard Sera''s words. For some reason, a tinge of pity swirled in his eyes. Sera is smart and beautiful. Yet, her view of the world is too dark.


    Even her new secretary, Mr. Ramik, couldn''t help but pity this young madam. The two men sitting in front of her in the elegant cafe couldn''t help but wonder what kind of things did she endure in the past to have such opinions in life. Silently, they promised to help her.


    Seeing their reaction, Sera could only sigh inwardly. It was a misunderstanding!


    Why does it feel like these two men pity her? She was the one scheming behind everyone''s back! She doesn''t deserve any sympathy, alright!


    An awkward smile appeared on her face before she lowered her gaze and hid the confused look in her eyes. Evoking someone''s pity wasn''t really her plan, but she guessed¡­ this would work too?


    "Ah, Madam¡­ Mr. Quinn arranged dinner for the two of you."


    "Dinner?" People are still following her around. Edward''s people, Zhang Ying''s men, and even Mrs. Fu''s spies. How could Chris arrange a dinner for her? "Where?"


    "That¡­ is just inside the house. But he hired the best chef and interior¡ª "


    "I understand." She didn''t want to hear the rest of this man''s words. She was sure that it would make her cringe! "Alright¡­ then we should end the meeting now. Mr. Liu¡­ you will accompany me tomorrow. The will reading is at one in the afternoon. Ramik and Dalgo will escort you to the house. We will go to the Zhang estate together."


    "I understand." Mr. Liu nodded before he massaged his temple. "I will leave first. There is a lot of things to be done here."


    "Alright."


    Sera also left the cafe after a few minutes.


    When she arrived at the mansion, Ramik excused himself and told her that his room was located at the back of the house. This was something that Mr. Quinn arranged for him. Even Dalgo left and made up some excuse. Sera shrugged and bid them goodbye.


    Then she walked inside the house.


    And just as she guessed, the interior of the house is now different. The moment her feet reached the hallway that would lead her to the living room, soft music wafted towards her. It was violin and while she isn''t a big fan of music, she quite liked its calm sound.


    "You''re here?" Chris approached her. He was wearing a black suit and a lazy smile on his face. "Do you like it?"


    She managed a curt nod. In fact, the place in front of her really looked different from the previous living room. Right now, it looked like a palace. Candlelights can be seen everywhere, a red carpet was placed from the hallway to the table that is in the middle of the room. Next to the carpets were Arch''s that were decorated with flowers. The area was dripping with florals; it looked like it was some wedding from a magazine.


    She expected dinner and some music, but damn¡­ she never expected this extravagant display!


    ....


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 Chapter 95 - Emotions

    "What is this?" she couldn''t help but asked as Chris led her past the arches and into the circular table.


    "Dinner."


    "I''m not talking about that." She sat on the chair. "What''s with all this extravagant stuff?"


    "I thought you will like that?"


    Sera waited for him to sit across her. "I do like it."


    Chris opened a bottle of wine and poured off their glasses before he said. "I would like to apologize for what happened. I was¡­ muddled."


    "You are."


    "Will you accept my apology?"


    Sera extended her hand to accept the wine glass from Chris. "Doesn''t matter anymore. I made a decision to act on my own." Did Chris just flinch? She couldn''t help but wonder why she saw fear in his eyes.


    "Will you accept my apology?" he asked.


    "I will. I was too impulsive back then. I acted like a child too." To be honest, she was honestly confused about her emotions. First, she was well aware that she liked Cross, and sleeping with someone else felt like a burden to her. However, she also liked sleeping with Chris and she couldn''t deny the fact that she was attracted to him. Then she started to wonder if she is trying to use Chris to replace Cross.


    Her poor heart just couldn''t take it.


    She isn''t very strong in the EQ department.


    The appearance of that woman only made it worse. She didn''t have enough sleep because she honestly missed this damn man and suddenly someone would appear out of nowhere and declare that she is nothing but a toy. That Chris would throw her away soon.


    Sera might not be that normal, but she got angry and irritated, too.


    Coupled with her lack of sleep, confusion, and irritation, she made an impulsive decision to just¡­ run away.


    Simple.


    Runaway.


    "Let''s stop talking about this." She awkwardly smiled before taking a sip. "I don''t think spending a lot of money just for an apology is worth it though."


    "You are worth it."


    "Next time¡­ you can buy me the latest motherboard or the sleekest laptop out there. No need to prepare something like this."


    "Really?"


    Sera snorted. "Really."


    "Lan Xing said all women would love it."


    "Yeah¡­ that''s the reason he is still single," Sera answered bluntly. "And stop listening to a single guy''s advice. There is a reason he isn''t married yet."


    "Oh¡­" Chris smiled and ordered the chef to serve their food. All throughout dinner, Sera just answered everything that Chris asked. And just like that, dinner was one. Dinner was uneventful, to say the least.


    "Are you still going to work?" Chris asked.


    "Yes." Sera didn''t even look at him as she walked towards the stairs. She was really planning to check the result of her hard work. By now, Zhang Ying''s video should be out. She needed to see the drama.


    "You''re still mad at me?"


    "Hm?" Sera stopped walking and looked at his hands that held her wrist. "What are you talking about?"


    "You don''t feel angry anymore?"


    "No, I don''t."


    "Then¡­ do you feel anything?"


    She met her eyes. What was he on about? Was he drunk? She couldn''t help but look at the empty bottle of red wine from earlier. Sera wasn''t that good with alcohol either, but¡­ she didn''t really feel anything after drinking the wine. "No." She answered truthfully. What was she supposed to feel?


    She wasn''t someone that would sit down and dwell on her feelings for too long. She had been someone who experienced a lot of pain in the past. She was smart enough not to dwell on those useless things anymore. "Really?" Chris took a step towards her, his face unreadable.


    Slowly, she removed his hand from her wrist. "Really." Right now, she was only excited to see the drama on the net. She couldn''t understand why this man keeps on asking her something obvious. "I need to go to the office." She waved her hand and continued walking towards her office.


    However, the moment she walked inside the office, she felt someone suddenly hugged her from behind. She flinched and stood as straight as a statue. Goosebumps skittered all over her skin.


    "C¡ª Chris?" The familiarity swept her. She could feel his breathing against the back of her neck, his arms tight around her. "Chris?"


    Without saying anything, he turned her towards him, his hands on her shoulders.


    "What are you doing?" she asked. "Is there something wrong?"


    "You''re different," Chris said.


    "I am different." What was she supposed to do? Rely on someone she couldn''t fully trust?


    As if reading her thoughts, his gaze trembled. His eyes trailed down towards her lips before he took another step closer.


    "I''m sorry. I cannot tell you anything¡­ now."


    Sera''s lips thinned. What is going on here? "You promised you won''t do it again. That''s enough." Plus knowing whatever it was that he was hiding might complicate things. Her life is complicated enough. She managed a fake smile. "I think¡ª "


    Before she could finish her words, his lips sealed hers. She widened her eyes. She had the urged to push him away but her hands¡­ wasn''t listening to any reasons right now. The emotions that she had when he was away eliminated whatever resistance that she had.


    And there she was again.


    Kissing him back.


    How pathetic.


    She closed her eyes, as a single tear made its way into her cheek.


    She didn''t even know why she was crying.


    But he must have felt it.


    As he stopped kissing her. His lips left hers without any warning. It left her as fast as it arrived.


    The feeling of the sudden loss made her shudder. She opened her eyes and stared at his eyes. Then the emotions started pouring.


    She didn''t understand it at that time.


    Sera didn''t know why she felt hurt and betrayed and she couldn''t understand what was happening. Despite the confusion, the tears didn''t stop. He pulled her into his arms. His warmth reminded her of the sunshine.


    And she didn''t know why¡­ at that time¡­ all she could think of was not Chris.


    But Cross.


    Was her suspicion right all along?

 Chapter 96 - Dark Past

    Surprisingly, what she expected never happened that night. Chris didn''t kiss her again. He just kept on hugging her, consoling her until she fell asleep. When she woke up, it was already near midnight. She was in her pajamas. Obviously, Chris changed her clothes.


    How come she didn''t notice it?


    Was she that tired?


    Ah, scheming was indeed tiresome.


    She looked at the man next to her.


    Chris was sleeping in the bed but the lights inside the room were still on. Perhaps¡­ he fell asleep while staring at her?


    The assumption sounded weird. Why would he stare at her while she was sleeping?


    Seeing that he was still in his suit, Sera slowly opened the buttons of his shirt before tucking him under the blankets. Then she went to her office.


    ''Ah¡­ seven missed calls.''


    All of them were from Lawyer Liu.


    For a few seconds, she debated if she should call him back, since it was already past midnight. But in the end, Sera still called the old man.


    [When you said that I should prepare for the calls¡­ you didn''t tell me that there would be more than twenty media channels that would call me even if it was already late at night!]


    "Hehe¡­ lawyer Liu¡­ are you alright?"


    She heard a loud sigh on the other line.


    [If you are asking if I am still alive. Then I am alive! But your issue is really stressing me out! How could you ¡ª ah ¡ª I wasn''t aware that you really are one of the most hated people in the industry! Zhang Ying''s fans are planning to barge into your house and kill you for bullying their goddess! Tsk! Sera¡­ this mess¡­]


    Sera only smiled as she put her phone into loudspeaker mode. Earlier, she had a really good cry in Chris''s arms. Because of this, she felt really light and refreshed. The fact that she felt something like this without even saying a word as she cried last night was speaking volumes about how comfortable she was with Chris. Just like how she was so comfortable crying in Cross''s arms.


    She decided to stop thinking about those two men and focused on the issue in front of her.


    "Lawyer Liu¡­ we already expected this. There is no need to panic."


    [Who is panicking? I am just surprised! How could you have offended a lot of people in the entertainment industry when you were so young? You are too troublesome!]


    "It is a little troublesome," Sera said as she looked at the current trending article.


    ''Sera Zhang and her Dark History''


    ''Sera Zhang bullying Zhang Ying!''


    ''Sera Zhang trending for Being Evil; Again!''


    ''Why did Sera Zhang came back?''


    Sera couldn''t help but scratched her eyebrow. She already expected Zhang Ying to retaliate. Because of this, she was preparing a lot of things. However¡­ she fell asleep.


    And it was already midnight.


    She missed the timing.


    After checking the video, she realized that someone had deleted it.


    ''It must be Edward Fu'' she thought inwardly.


    [Right now, reporters are trying to bother my people. They wanted to know if we released that video. The angle of the video is from the person behind you. Edward Fu and Zhang Ying should know that it was your bodyguard who took the video. However, the reporters don''t know this.]


    "What did you tell them?" she asked.


    [I told them it wasn''t us. And we are currently investigating the matter.]


    "Ah¡­ they hired some professionals to delete the video." She noted.


    [And? What is going to happen now?]


    "If they deleted the video, then their computers are already fried. Touching the video would automatically install a virus in their computer. Unless they are smart enough, then¡­ they would be able to avoid the destruction of their computer. But it would still affect their files. The virus is¡ª "


    [Can you use the same language as my language?]


    "Oh¡­ in short. They are screwed." Sera said. "Even if they delete the virus¡­ it will resurface in the net after six hours."


    [How did you do that? Isn''t that illegal?]


    "What is illegal? Did I ask them to delete it?"


    [Shameless! Then I can see why you are hated you are obviously evil.]


    "Hehe¡­ Lawyer Liu is praising me too much."


    Sera started checking some of the articles and found really interesting ones.


    ''Caught in the Act, Sera Zhang bullying Tang Meimei!''


    ''Sera Zhang jealous of Tang Meimei for being close to Edward Fu''


    ''Tang Meimei and Edward Fu are cousins! Check for more details!''


    ''Sera Zhang is Edward Fu''s girlfriend?''


    ''Sera Zhang willing to do everything for her lover Fu Family heir apparent Edward Fu.''


    ''Sera Zhang and Edward Fu broke up?''


    ''Caught in action! Sera Zhang in bed with other men?''


    ''Sera Zhang caught cheating!''


    ''Sera Zhang a Serial Cheater?''


    ''Dirty woman Sera Zhang targeting her sister because of Edward Fu?''


    ''Love triangle; Sera, Edward and Zhang Ying!''


    A mocking smile crossed Sera''s face.


    "Those people really republished some of the old articles about me. How interesting."


    [You think this is still interesting? You brat¡­ this is really troublesome for me! Now people are thinking that you are evil! How could they sympathize with you?]


    "Then¡­ should I publish some good deeds?"


    [Do you have one?]


    "I don''t skip the lines, I don''t throw my garbage anywhere, I don''t¡ª "


    [Stop! Those are¡ª ]


    "I also follow traffic laws." Sera nodded as she silently praised herself. "Yes, I follow traffic laws! I don''t cross when it''s not crossing time yet."


    [You ¡ª You will anger me to death.]


    "Lawyer Liu¡­" Sera chuckled. "Just answer their calls. Stop worrying about what other people think about my reputation. Let them think whatever they want."


    [You don''t understand. This would surely affect my reputation too.]


    "Oh¡­ then just tell them the truth."


    [What truth?]


    "That I am paying you. Nothing personal."


    [You¡ª ]


    Sera chuckled. "It''s fine lawyer Liu. Stop stressing yourself out. We need the news to complete our plan. So just sit back and answer the calls. Alright. I need to work. See you tomorrow."

 Chapter 97 - IAmWatchingYou123Heart

    If there is no monster then, how could they create the hero?


    Right now, Sera is the monster, and the bullied hero is Zhang Ying.


    But what would happen if the truth about the past would come out?


    Sera started messaging some of the people that she knew on the dark web. In this part of the Internet, most people would accept payments through bitcoin. Meaning she could anonymously do everything using that currency. She already started compiling all the details about this matter a long ¡ª long time ago. So, accessing those files and sharing them with other people like her is as easy as one, two, three.


    After a while, someone replied on her screen.


    It was a thumbs up.


    Sera leaned back and smiled.


    When Zhang Ying issues her statement about that matter tomorrow, she would have another surprise waiting for her.


    ...


    "She''s not doing anything. Her side just said that they didn''t release those videos." Zhang Ying''s manager Lin Xiyu squinted at the comments from the tablet that he was reading. "I don''t think you need to worry about anything else. Our lawyers will handle it. Rest assured, we will not let these people slander you, Yingying."


    Manager Lin had been Zhang Ying''s manager and for years. How could he let someone unknown tarnish Zhang Ying''s reputation like this? "Our cybersecurity team is already tracking the people who posted those videos. We don''t have any luck yet as the IP address is pointing us everywhere."


    "I know who posted this." Zhang Ying''s eyes were swollen. She tried to cover it up with makeup, however, since she had been crying since she saw the video, the makeup wasn''t enough to cover it up. She sobbed, "Manager Lin¡­ it was my cousin."


    "I know! However, we cannot prove that with no proof. However, I already sent some of our water armies to deal with them. Not even the top people in the industry could survive the insults from those vicious people. Of course, I am not going to settle with just water armies. Tomorrow, it will be the will reading of your grandfather, I will ask a few of our people to wait for Miss Zhang at the gates and throw some rotten fruits and vegetables. Let''s see if she would still stay in this place despite all this.


    "Manager Lin... You don''t understand. My cousin is really different. She has no shame at all. I don''t think¡ª "


    "Any normal human would feel embarrassed. I doubt your cousin would still act calm if a rotten tomato would hit her head."


    "Manager Lin¡­ thank you so much. I ¡ª " Zhang Ying lowered her head as she hid the vicious look in her eyes. "I can''t thank you enough¡­ I have given you so much trouble. How could I repay you?"


    "Aish¡­ this kid. Stop crying. I am only doing my job. Stop crying¡­ stop crying¡­ CEO Fu is also calling me all the time, asking for updates about you. How could I tell CEO Fu that you are crying because you are thankful for my help?" Manager Lin sat next to Zhang Ying. Aside from being Zhang Ying''s manager, he is also the CEO of Lin Entertainment. His agency became really famous because of Zhang Ying''s acting.


    Because of this, he promised to never let Zhang Ying go and support her in everything that she does.


    "Ah¡­ you should sleep. You should sleep. You have a press conference tomorrow morning. Be sure to show up at eight in the morning and apologize to Sera. In this way, people would hate her more."


    "Yes, manager Lin. Thank you so much for everything."


    "Alright¡­ I will leave for now. I needed to call CEO Fu and update him about this."


    Zhang Ying nodded and asked one of her maids to escort Manager Lin out. When Manager Lin left her room, the tears that pooled in Zhang Ying''s eyes earlier disappeared, it was as if it wasn''t even there in the first place. She immediately stood and examined her face in the mirror.


    Her eyelids were swollen, her eyes were red, and she looked pale. She smiled in satisfaction.


    She had been wasting her tears for hours now. At least, the result is just as good as she expected. She opened her phone and took a selfie before she went back to bed and started reading some comments on the Internet.


    "Sera¡­ I don''t know what you are trying to do but¡­ you should have already known that revealing the video would create a backlash. After all¡­ you were always the evil one."


    She extended her hand and opened the bottle of alcohol next to her bed. She used this bottle as props earlier to make it look like she had been drinking. Seeing her terrible appearance made Manager Lin panicked, he immediately called Edward about the matter.


    However, Edward only said he was still in a meeting.


    She sighed. She wanted Edward to be here with her, consoling her for her tragic life. However, he was in his office. It was already midnight, and he was still in his office. How could he act like that?


    However, Zhang Ying could only grit her teeth in silence. Right now, she needed to lower her head. Especially that the Fu Family has yet to acknowledge her as their future daughter-in-law.


    That''s right.


    Everyone knew that she was Edward''s Fiance and that they have been together for years. However, the Fu Family didn''t officially announce it yet. They were about to have her engagement party a few days ago, but her grandfather died. Because of this, the Fu Family postponed the announcement.


    Those rotten Fu Family!


    Just that thought of the smiling Mrs. Fu made her curse inwardly.


    ''Hmm? What''s this?''


    Zhang Ying opened a message on her Weibo. It was from one of her fans named, ''IAmWatchingYou123Heart''.


    ''Goddess¡­ I was out clubbing and I saw CEO Fu with a drunk woman. Goddess, do you know this woman?''


    Attached is a picture of a tall woman in Edward''s arms.


    .....


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 Chapter 98 - Athy

    Zhang Ying trembled. The woman in Edward''s arms was clearly a foreigner. She hasn''t seen this woman in the past. Moreover, Edward never mentioned knowing a foreigner.


    IAmWatchingYou123Heart: Goddess, this woman was really drunk, she was slurring her words. She had been clinging to CEO Fu and calling him Brother Ed. Is this CEO Fu''s sister?


    Zhang Ying clenched her hands into fists. She immediately opened her phone and dialed Edward''s number. After a few rings, she ended the call. Edward didn''t answer.


    Should she just go to the Fu Family mansion and confront him? But what if¡­


    She gritted her teeth and dialed his number again. Luckily, the man answered this time.


    "Hey¡­ why are you still awake?" Edward asked the moment he picked up the phone. No hi''s or hellos. His voice sounded hoarse. "Yingying?"


    "I ¡ª I was waiting for you." She sighed inwardly when she noticed that there was no background noise- it was completely silent. This only means that Edward wasn''t outside, right? Then the club and the image¡­.


    The relief that flashed in her eyes vanished when she heard someone whimper on the other line.


    "Ah, Yingying, I still have an important meeting. I will¡­"


    "Who is that?" Zhang Ying asked when she heard someone cleared their throat. "Is that a woman?"


    ''Brother Ed¡­.''


    Zhang Ying''s eyes widened. "Brother Ed? Who is that?" she asked. "Did someone just call you brother Ed?" Zhang Ying couldn''t stop her hands front trembling so much, she had to put her phone on a loudspeaker and put it on top of her dresser.


    "Yingying¡­ I don''t¡­ let me explain."


    "Explain? Where are you now? You are not in your office, are you?"


    "Yingying¡­ it was a family friend. I receive a call from my mother. She asked me to help Athy who is currently drunk in¡ª "


    "Athy?" Zhang Ying''s yelled. "You are calling her nickname?" This only meant that he was close with that woman? That he knew the woman on a very personal level?


    Just who is she?


    Zhang Ying fought the urge to demand an answer. She needed to be calm and logical about this matter.


    "Yingying¡­ we should talk in person. Athy is really drunk right now. I will come home as soon as I can."


    With that, Edward ended the call.


    He didn''t even wait for her to say anything.


    Zhang Ying''s jaw dropped. She was speechless. Athy? Who the hell is Athy? She opened her image on her phone again.


    The woman in Edward''s had long legs and a beautiful figure. Sadly, she couldn''t clearly see her face.


    ''Good. Very good! That Madam Fu is really evil!'' Zhang Ying fumed inwardly. Of course, she didn''t miss Edward''s words about his mother telling him to help a woman. For some reason, she couldn''t help but wonder if Madam Fu is trying to set his son up. She gritted her teeth as she started biting the nails on her finger.


    "No! Impossible!"


    How could Madam Fu choose another woman for Edward? What if... Madam Fu is thinking that she isn''t suitable for Edward anymore?


    Soon she started pacing inside her room. Madam Fu is akin to the Matriarch in this city. She came from a rich family and even made her husband changed his surname for her. She was really domineering and cunning. From Zhang Ying''s perspective, Madam Fu is a caring mother. She loved Edward and would do everything to make Edward happy. Choosing Edward''s wife is not something that she would do.


    She knew Edward loved Zhang Ying. If she forced Edward to marry another woman, her son is not going to be happy at all. And her son would hate her.


    But what it¡­ Edward agrees?


    "No! That will not happen." Edward would never leave her. That''s just impossible. Edward loves her and he will continue loving her despite everything. Even if she isn''t the heir of the Zhang Corp, Edward would still love her. So what if she isn''t the heir? She started earning her own money when she was really young! Right now, she had hundreds of millions in her bank account, just from her various projects.


    Moreover, status and money don''t matter to Edward.


    He was not that type of person!


    But his mother was different.


    The entire region knew Mrs. Fu as an iron lady. She would always prefer benefits over love and happiness. She is ruthless and would never hesitate to leave anyone that wouldn''t give her any benefits. Before Sera became the heir, Madam Fu was really cordial towards Zhang Ying. She isn''t warm and sweet, but she is cordial and respectful. But since Sera arrived, the woman had been very cold towards Zhang Ying.


    Until now, Zhang Ying couldn''t forget what Madam Fu told her at her office.


    Just the thought of it is making her rage.


    That woman is clearly looking down on her.


    She sat on her bed and opened the drawer on her bedside table. Her eyes landed on the medicine and vitamin box inside the drawer. Inside the box were some of her vitamins and contraceptive pills. She debated for a few seconds before determination flashed in her eyes.


    If she gets pregnant now, the Fu Family would never abandon her.


    However, getting pregnant would also affect her career in the show business industry. Giving birth would not only affect her physically. It would also affect her livelihood. This matter is really hard.


    She sighed and closed the drawer. Then she lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling.


    A burst of mocking laughter escaped her lips.


    Just now, she was acting like her crazy mother.


    The sadness in Zhang Ying''s eyes vanished. It was replaced by coldness.


    She was beautiful, smart, and talented. How could she act like her insecure mother?


    Disgust flashed in her eyes. She is very confident in her skills, but she doesn''t completely trust Edward''s mother. Jaw''s clenched, Zhang Ying squinted her eyes.


    That woman¡­ needed to vanish!


    .....


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 Chapter 99 - Not An Option

    "So you are telling me that this Athy is the Athena Hill who came from Plaria?" Zhang Ying knew Edward spent a few years in Plaria when he was a child. He also mentioned having a lot of friends in that place.


    Plaria is considered the biggest continent next to Sceastein. "Why would someone from Plaria come to Xu Country?" she added, as she watched Edward change into his pajamas. He immediately took a bath after he arrived.


    "She had business to attend to. She had fun¡­ I don''t know, I guess she had problems? She was drunk. Mother didn''t trust anyone to help her out. Since the Fu Family and the Hill Family have history way back in Plaria, my mother asked me to escort her. And make sure that she safely arrived in her hotel room. When you called me, we just arrived in her hotel room."


    "Is that so?" Zhang lowered her gaze. "Then¡­ how is she now?" She badly wanted to meet this woman. However, she is scared that it would only cause more issues for her. Right now, Zhang Ying was in a very delicate situation. One wrong move, and she might lose everything to Sera.


    "She is fine. I already asked my people to take care of her." Edward sat down next to her. "Her flight is the next day."


    "She''s going back? Already?"


    "Yes. Mother said she is just visiting our family. No big deal."


    "Really?" Zhang Ying couldn''t help but smile. She held Edward''s hands. "Then¡­ "


    "Yingying¡­ I''m sorry that I worried you. Please take care of yourself before worrying about me. You know that your body is weak. How could you cry for hours? You fainted at grandfather Zhang''s funeral and you cried again because of that video." Edward held her cheek. "If something happens to you. I wouldn''t be able to survive."


    "Edward you ¡ª " Hearing the assurance in Edward''s voice, Zhang Ying''s heart fluttered. Her tears pooled as she lifted her gaze and welcomed his kiss.


    "You didn''t miss your medicine, right?"


    Zhang Ying immediately shook her head. Medicines¡­. The medicines that he was talking about were actually the contraceptives that she had been taking. Edward and her agreed they weren''t ready for some children, so she had to take some precautionary measures.


    Well¡­ that was before Athena Hill came.


    Knowing that the woman whom Edward helped was someone from Plaria changed everything. Plaria may not be the richest country in the world, but they are still one of the richest. Moreover, she remembered that the Fu Family had strong ties in the upper echelons of Plaria. Meaning, that woman should be a member of a very prominent family that is also close to the Fu Family.


    Just this fact alone is enough for her to start doubting Edward. Was love really enough for them to be together? Soon, Edward removed her clothes and her moans started to echo inside the room. Maybe being pregnant and using a child as an excuse to get married is selfish. And maybe it won''t make Edward happy. But she loved him- she loved him too much.


    Seeing him together with another woman is not an option.


    Therefore, it is better for her to be selfish now and just fix everything after she gets pregnant.


    ¡­..


    Sera was beaming.


    Just as Chris told her, Athena was indeed going to meet with Mrs. Fu. But this wasn''t the thing that made her happy. It was the fact that Edward helped Athena when she was drunk. Just the thought of the message that she sent to Zhang Ying was making her night.


    As Sera started thinking about Zhang Ying''s reaction, she thought about the past. Now that the previous news about her reached the ears of the media, she couldn''t help but think that this has always been Zhang Ying''s style. When Sera just met Edward Fu, she didn''t know that the woman named Tang Meimei was actually his cousin. They were really closed and she just assumed that Tang Meimei was a marriage prospect for Edward.


    Of course, the reason why she thought like this is that of Zhang Ying.


    Zhang Ying would always use the pretense of being concern. She would follow Sera around, asking about Tang Meimei and Edward''s relationship. Zhang Ying would then say that the relationship was really suspicious. She would also send photos to Sera with Edward and Tang Meimei, laughing or eating together.


    Of course, this made Sera so jealous, she pushed Tang Meimei into the river during one of their ''trip''. Rage blinded her so much that she didn''t even carefully plan anything, and just pushed that woman to the river. Ah, if she wanted to kill Tang Meimei, she should have planned it better!


    What she didn''t know was that Edward, and Zhang Ying were watching them. Obviously, chaos ensued, and Zhang Xin ground Sera.


    Ah, she was really foolish.


    Growing up, Zhang Ying was always sweet around her. She trusted that woman too much.


    "Hm?" Sera started typing on her computer. Now that she thought about it, Mr. Liu said that Athena''s father worked closely with Chris. However, from the information that she had gathered so far, Mr. Hill is a really rich entrepreneur from Plaria.


    He doesn''t have any connections in the Xu Country aside from the Fu Family.


    Sera started typing and saw that Mr. Hill''s business is in the oil industry. He is rich and considered one of the top businessmen in their country. If he is closely working with Mr. Quinn then it should somehow show in their websites or latest business news, right?


    A quick search proved that they weren''t working closely.


    What could this mean?


    Sera shook her head.


    Thinking too much about that man would only damage her heart.


    "What?"


    She paused. What was she thinking?


    It is better to work on her own and not bother Mr. Quinn at all. She could only trust herself this time.


    Sera started working again, but it was soon interrupted when she received a call from Mr. Tan.


    "Old man¡­ what took you so long?" she asked. Right now, her phone was connected to her computer. With the current cyber defense from her computer, tracking her exact whereabouts is hard. This was just some over-the-top defense that was still on the testing stage.


    "You brat."


    She could hear Mr. Tan''s rough breathing. She couldn''t help but wonder what made the old man so angry.


    "The information that you gave me¡­ I was able to confirm it."


    "It was the truth. I wasn''t lying," Sera said. "I wasn''t expecting that your people are like this. If I had known that they are so technologically backward, I would have sent a simpler file that is easy to cipher." She chuckled. Of course, the file that she gave the old man was encrypted. She purposely did it to showcase her ability. Who would have thought that his people would be that stupid?


    "You purposely did it, didn''t you? Did you know I had to pay someone to decipher it?"


    "Old man... it wasn''t my fault that your people cannot decipher it. If I had known..."


    "Enough!"


    The old man sounded furious. "The information that you gave me about the diamond transaction was reliable. Tell me what you want! I don''t like owing other people!"


    .....


    Please don''t forget to vote. :)

 Chapter 100 - Oolong Tea

    "Speak! What do you want from me?"


    "Mr. Tan¡­ let''s take it slow. First¡­ make sure that the information is indeed accurate. I don''t want you to think that I am trying to trap you or something. Sell your shares to me then¡­ I will call you when I need something."


    "As long as it wouldn''t affect my business."


    "It won''t. If anything¡­ It would help you."


    "Hmmm. And that thing that you did with the flash drive, the person that I hired said it was impressive. It took him two hours to crack it. Can you sell that to me?"


    Sera smiled. "Of course¡­ please check your phone. I sent you my bank account we can use that account from now on. Let your IT personnel talk to me. I will give him the details of the product."


    "Good. This is my personal number. Keep it."


    "Got it!"


    When the call ended, Sera started working for a few hours. Before she knew it, it was already six in the morning. She sighed.


    Her body is used to working this much without sleeping. She felt like working like this is really worrying.


    "Hey¡­"


    Sera turned towards Chris. He was leaning against the frame of the door. His arms crossed as she looked at her. His messy hair was especially attractive. "You took a bath." Sera pursed her lips when she realized what she just said.


    "And you didn''t have enough sleep."


    "I got busy."


    "Scheming?" he lifted an eyebrow. His gaze was sharp, lips pursed as he waited for her to answer.


    "What else?"


    "You are playing a dangerous game."


    She shrugged in response. She was in a good mood and she didn''t want to change that. "Guess what happened last night?"


    "What?"


    He still looked angry. But how could he blame her? Chris refused to tell her anything important, and she wasn''t planning to beg him to say something. That is just out of her character. What was she supposed to do? Wait for them to scheme against her again and again and hope that Chris would show up to save her?


    That¡ª


    Just the thought of it is making her cringe.


    "Miss Hill was seen with Edward Fu."


    "You are stalking Edward Fu?" His face darkened. He finally took a step towards her.


    "Huh? That ¡ª That is not the point¡­ here¡­"


    He turned her swivel chair, making her face him. Then he leaned forward, eyes squinted. "What are you planning to do?"


    "Make Zhang Ying deal with Miss Hill." She blurted out before she could stop herself. Alright, she wasn''t really so used to making smart schemes, she just blurted it out like it was some normal thing. She couldn''t even keep it a secret for a few days! How embarrassing.


    "How about Edward Fu?"


    She leaned back and tried to avoid his gaze. "What about him?"


    "Were you watching him?"


    "Of course I am watching him. I need to gather more information about him."


    "Stop watching him."


    "Huh?" Her gaze sprang back to his face.


    "Stop watching him."


    "I can''t."


    "Why?"


    "Because I need to watch him."


    "Why?"


    She looked at him, confused. What is going on? What''s with this man? Edward is Mrs. Fu''s weakness. Obviously, she needed to watch him all the time. "Mr. Quinn¡­ don''t tell me¡­ you are jealous?"


    "And if I am?" His chin lifted, it was as if he was challenging her.


    "Mr. Quinn¡­ be honest." Sera didn''t know where she had the guts to accept the silent challenge in his gaze. Despite all the red flags in his identity, Sera dared to ask. "Mr. Quinn¡­ are you falling in love with me?"


    The question must have surprised him, he froze before blinking at her. Then he straightened his back and stared at her without saying anything.


    What is wrong with him now?


    His gaze was stern, yet complicated. It was as if he wanted to tell her something important.


    But in the end, he just took a step back.


    "I will make breakfast. Come down after thirty minutes." He said before leaving her office.


    "What was that for?" Sera uttered. She turned towards her computer again and started typing.


    Oh, well¡­ it seems that there is indeed a big secret behind Chris'' identity. The man was as complicated as she thought. She sighed.


    This is why she thought she could only rely on herself for now.


    The fact that he was connected to the wealthy Hill''s from Plaria and that his interaction with them isn''t on the news only meant that Mr. Quinn had another identity. But this is enough to strengthen her suspicions. The familiarity that she was feeling towards him wasn''t just some hallucination. This wasn''t because she was too crazy for Cross.


    No.


    It was because¡­ Cross was with her all this time.


    He could fool her eyes.


    But not her heart.


    Shaking her head, Sera decided to just focus on her codes.


    In this life, the only thing that she could control was her codes. In the end, it is still better to put her trust in numbers and letters.


    After thirty minutes, Sera went down to have breakfast with Chris.


    "How did you know I like oolong tea?" she asked when she noticed him preparing the tea for her. Their breakfast is a bit on the heavier side, with spicy sausages and some meat. Chris said that he is going to pair it with some tea.


    She raised her eyebrow. Of course, Cross knew that she liked Oolong tea, but she had never mentioned this to Chris before. Moreover, there was no tea in this house before. She assumed that Lan Xing or Chris brought the tea back from Plaria.


    "Oh¡­ I just assumed that you would drink it." Chris gave her a gentle smile. "I actually liked Oolong tea, too. I thought it''s best to pair it with our breakfast."


    Sera chuckled. Of course, he liked Oolong tea. After all, Cross was the person who first gave her that kind of tea.


    ....


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    Happy 100 Chapters!

 Chapter 101 - It Was All Zhang Ying’s Fault

    Zhang Ying woke up with pains all over her body.


    "You seemed to be in a good mood." Manager Lin noted when Zhang Ying arrived in the living room of her house. Manager Lin was already there waiting for her to go issue an apology to Sera in public." Did something happen?" Manager Lin asked.


    "No. I just thought it''s useless to dwell on hurtful things anymore." Zhang Ying responded with a gentle smile on her face. "Manager Lin, we should have breakfast together. I asked the maids to prepare some delicious food today." Zhang Ying walked towards the kitchen with Manager Lin.


    "These foods¡­" Manager Lin frowned. "Yingying¡­ you were always mindful of your diet. How could you eat¡­ Don''t tell me you are pregnant?"


    "Manager Lin is funny. Ed and I agreed we weren''t ready for any babies yet. However¡­ I have been too stressed in the past few days, Ed told me to take care of my body well. Last night, I realized he was right. I don''t want to faint again."


    "This child¡­ you really are too softhearted. Yingying¡­ I already warn you. If you keep this up, people will just continue to bully you."


    Zhang Ying didn''t answer as she started eating her porridge and meat. She doesn''t usually eat meat but this time, she wanted to gain some weight to prepare her body for the upcoming pregnancy. Zhang Ying thought she was too thin to birth another life, she needed to add some weight.


    This was only possible because she doesn''t have any upcoming movies this year. She only has a few commercials, but those were not really that difficult and she could do it before her stomach will become bigger.


    After her sumptuous breakfast, Zhang Ying and her manager went to the hotel where the press conference was supposed to happen. On the way, Manager Lin asked her if she was able to memorize the script that he gave her last night.


    At exactly eight-thirty, the press conference started.


    As usual, Zhang Ying donned on her gentle, tear-stricken face as she spoke. "Good Morning¡­ my name is Zhang Ying." She bowed at the reporters.


    "I am here to apologize about everything. First, I am apologizing to the people that my mother hurt. She isn''t in her right mind and we are currently trying to find ways to improve her mental health."


    She continued. "Second, I would like to apologize on behalf of my mother. I am willing to accept all punishments that she deserves. As her only daughter, I am willing to do everything for my mother. I love my mother so much and I would never want to make her suffer."


    "Third, Miss Sera Zhang. I would like to apologize for dragging you into this matter. I have been trying to call you and I know you are upset about the news that is currently on the web. My team and I are trying our best to get rid of every piece of news out there. You didn''t wrong me. In fact, I was at fault for not preventing this from happening. I deeply apologize and I hope we can start fresh after everything. After all, both of us came from the Zhang Family."


    "Fourth, the video of my confessions about my mother''s crimes was true. My mother did all those things and as her daughter, I am only doing everything to help her out."


    "Fifth, it wasn''t my intention to hurt anyone or find excuses for my mother''s crimes. I already said that I am willing to be punished for what I did. However, I would like to beg you¡­ please do not touch my mother. Please let her heal first."


    "Sixth, my matters are my own personal affairs. Please do not drag anyone else, especially the people that I really love."


    "And lastly, I would like to thank my supporters for the support and believing in me. I am beyond grateful for the support and love." After saying this, she gave everyone a low bow.


    "Alright¡­we will now accept questions." Manager Lin, who sat next to Zhang Ying, said.


    ...


    "Ah, this Zhang Ying is very shameless!" Lawyer Liu said. Right now, he was in Sera''s office, along with Sera''s secretary Ramik. "Over and over, she said that she was willing to accept punishment for the things that her mother did. She wanted to emphasize that she was a good daughter who loved her mother so much. How lame." Basically, she was trying to divert all the attention towards her being the good daughter who only lied to protect her mother. "If mental health is a valid excuse for killing someone, then everyone can definitely kill anyone they hated and use mental health as an excuse. Tsk. What a stupid woman!


    "This is why I hated people from the entertainment industry!" he added.


    "Hmmm¡­ that''s expected." Sera started chewing on a cheese stick. She was calmly leaning against her chair. "I have delayed the articles because of her press conference. It would be released thirty minutes from now."


    "What articles?"


    "Zhang Ying and her bad luck."


    "Huh?"


    "Ramik¡­ explain it to Lawyer Liu." Sera was already typing on her keyboard again. She was calm and was acting like this doesn''t concern her at all.


    "Ah, Lawyer Liu, someone wrote an article about Miss Zhang''s unfortunate events. All the people that had gotten close to her suffered a thing or two in the past. All of them suffered but in the end, Miss Zhang is always the one to apologize and make it all about her."


    "What do you mean?"


    "One example is her previous personal assistant. She fell from the stairs and cannot walk now. After the accident, Miss Zhang held a press conference and apologized to everyone, saying that it was her fault. She said she had been overworking her PA. She also said she would shoulder all the expenses and even said she is going to give the PA monthly pension now that she couldn''t work anymore."


    "And what was so unique about this?" Lawyer Liu asked.


    "Well¡­ this happened to everyone around her. Miss Sera suffered, even her own mother suffered, most artists that are trying to compete against her also suffered some bad luck because of her."


    "Because of her?"


    "Ah, yes. The article said that¡­ Miss Zhang Ying is a bad omen and everyone that will get close to her would suffer. The list is really long. It includes the misfortune that her family has suffered so far. The article said that it was all Zhang Ying''s fault."

 Chapter 102 - The Cursed Of Zhang Ying

    "The press conference was a success!" Manager Lin was beaming as he poured a glass of wine and handed it to Zhang Ying. "Congratulations."


    "Manager Lin¡­ why are you saying it as if I won something? If we think about it, Sera had been very silent. It''s scary."


    "Why are you scared of that woman? It''s not like she is smart enough to do anything about the current situation. She lacked the experience and backing to do so." Manager Lin was very confident that the conference would be the final nail to Sera''s coffin. "That woman dared to bully you! She should suffer!"


    "Manager Lin¡­ let''s talk about the break you promised me." Zhang Ying decided not to dwell on the things that are going to stress her out. As someone who was planning to get pregnant, she needed a healthier mind and body.


    "You are really going to take a break? You''re not going to accept projects for the rest of the year?"


    "Yes¡­ my mother''s mental health is pretty bad right now. I wanted to visit her but I can''t because of my upcoming projects. I just wanted to spend more time with her." Of course, Zhang Ying didn''t want to miss this opportunity that her mother gave her. She was already planning to use this excuse to avoid everything. Using this excuse, she was certain that Madam Fu wouldn''t suspect that anything was wrong.


    After all, she could just say that she wanted to make sure that her mother wouldn''t create any more trouble for her and Edward.


    "Alright then¡­ I will give you until the end of the year. We will not be accepting any more projects for you. This is good too. Lately, there are a lot of issues involving your name. It is best to let everyone forget first before we stage a comeback."


    "Issues?" Zhang Ying asked. "I mean¡­ I¡­ "


    "Aish¡­ I am not talking about your mother''s issues. I meant your personal issues."


    "Personal issues? What are you talking about?" Zhang Ying already made her mother the ultimate scapegoat. What issues was he talking about?


    "You and CEO Fu."


    "Huh?"


    "I mean¡­ some people saw him with another woman last night. They posted a few pictures. Obviously, I immediately had those images removed, but some people were quick enough to download them and upload them on their own social media. The image was clearly him hugging a drunk woman. I didn''t tell you anything because I didn''t want you to worry and think about it while doing the press conference."


    Zhang Ying swallowed her anger. "Maybe you are talking about Ed''s childhood friend? Was that Athena? She is not originally from Xu Empire."


    "You know her?"


    "Of course, Ed would never hide something from me." Zhang Ying smiled. "But those assumptions¡­"


    "Hmph! Those fans were trouble vicious. They immediately started coursing CEO Fu. You should¡ª "


    "No." Zhang Ying shook her head. "I am not going to explain this to the public." Why would she help the Fu Family? This was something that Madam Fu caused! She should fix it. Zhang Ying was confident that her fans would surely make assumptions and since Madam Fu was scared to tarnish her reputation, she would ask Zhang Ying to take care of it.


    "You¡ª "


    "I don''t want to involve myself in the Fu Family''s matter. After all, they haven''t formally announced me as Ed''s fiance."


    "You mean¡­" Manager Lin''s eyes widened. "Yingying, don''t tell me that the Fu Family is actually bullying you?"


    Zhang Ying pursed her lips in response. "Manager Lin¡­ I am really sleepy. Let me sleep for a bit. Wake me up when we arrive at home."


    Seeing that Zhang Ying had avoided the topic, Manager Lin assumed it was only because she was scared of the Fu Family. He squinted his eyes as he thought of Zhang Ying enduring all those bullying from the Fu Family.


    It seems that he needed to help her behind the scenes!


    He opened his phone and sent a couple of text messages to his people. Since someone from the Fu family wanted to bully Zhang Ying, then¡­ he is going to let Zhang Ying''s fans bully them back! "Don''t worry Yingying¡­ the Fu Family will soon beg you to ask your fans to stop it."


    When Zhang Ying heard her manager''s voice, her eyelids fluttered, but she didn''t say anything. Mission accomplished, she thought.


    She could only smile inwardly as she thought of Madam Fu.


    However, her glee didn''t last too long when her manager received a call.


    "What? What do you mean?"


    "What article?"


    "Really?"


    "Let me open my laptop."


    "Yingying¡­ can you check your phone? Check the trending article. My laptop is inside the luggage at the back." Manager Lin said as panicked apparent swirled in his eyes.


    "What? Why? Did something happen?" Zhang Ying opened her phone and almost immediately, her face changed. "This¡­ "


    "What is happening?"


    "This¡­ Why is it all about me?"


    "Yingying¡­ what is going on? Why would someone publish so many mean stories about you?" Even Manager Lin couldn''t help but tremble when he read the title of the articles.


    [Zhang Ying the Highschool Bully.]


    [Zhang Ying''s Fake Highschool Grades.]


    [Exclusive proof of Zhang Ying''s evil deed.]


    [Zhang Ying killed her classmate!]


    [Zhang Ying''s bad luck.]


    [Zhang Ying is Dangerous. Here''s why¡­]


    [List of Actresses Who had accidents While Working with Zhang Ying]


    [Zhang Ying pushed her Assistant on the Stairs! Exclusive proof inside!]


    "What¡­ what is this? Who would do such a vicious thing?" Manager Lin started calling his people to delete the articles. "Zhang Ying! What are you doing!? Call CEO Fu and asked him to help you. These articles can damage your name!"


    [The Cursed of Zhang Ying]


    [How Zhang Ying single-handedly became the endorser of X product.]


    [Zhang Ying poisoned Actress Xin because of jealousy?]


    Zhang Ying''s eyes reddened. She didn''t need to ask who did this, as it was pretty obvious.


    It was none other than Sera!


    Sera Zhang!


    .....


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 Chapter 103 - Full Of Drama

    "That woman is really something, " Madam Fu couldn''t help but grit her teeth as she read the news about Zhang Ying. "This past¡­ is too troublesome. I don''t want this to affect our Fu Family."


    "Mother, why are you blaming Yingying for those malicious articles. You should blame the one who posted it."


    "Hah¡­ so you are thinking that the person behind it was Sera Zhang? Do you have what she was doing these days? Right¡­ you don''t. It was because you keep on following Zhang Ying!"


    "Mother¡­"


    "What do you think of Athena?"


    "What?"


    "I am asking you!" Madam Fu squinted her beautiful phoenix eyes. "What do you think of Athena Hill?" She leaned against her cozy black chair.


    "Mother, are you trying to arrange my marriage?"


    "It can''t be helped. Zhang Ying is dragging our name. Look¡­ you were photographed with Athy and people immediately assumed that I am trying to set you up. That I am making you leave Zhang Ying because of her family troubles. I am so busy with everything else, we can''t do this all the time, Edward."


    "No. I am not going to marry another person aside from Zhang Ying."


    "You¡ª "


    "Athena is perfect, but she doesn''t like me either. She told me she loves someone else."


    "How could that be? You grew up together. Moreover, love is something that you learn over time. As long as you are compatible, then it should be ¡­."


    Her words were interrupted when Edward suddenly stood from the sofa. "We are not going to talk about this matter anymore. Athena and I¡­ we are not compatible. A marriage between us will never happen." Finished speaking, he turned his back and left his mother''s office.


    "Hah¡­" Madam Fu snorted. She pushed her chair away from the table and got up. Then she walked towards the floor-to-ceiling window that gave her the view of the sea. "All this is because of a girl." Madam Fu uttered.


    "Madam¡­ what are we going to do? The news about Miss Zhang''s wicked deeds when she was younger is already a hot topic. Even if it''s not true, the curse that was on the articles was already attached to her name. From now on, everything that is going to happen will be blamed on Zhang Ying and her terrible curse. I''m afraid that young master will¡ª "


    "Leave it be."


    "Madam?"


    "Since he wanted to run towards that woman, then let us teach him a lesson. Saying no to me¡­ is never going to end well for him."


    "So¡­ are we going to leave Miss Sera alone?"


    "Yes. Leave her alone. What can she do to us? Let Zhang Ying handle her. I am done helping Zhang Ying. All she did was bring shame to my son''s name!"


    "Understood."


    Meanwhile, Edward was already on his way to see Zhang Ying. He was planning to join the will reading today and show his support to the woman that he loves. After all those new accusations about the gentle and kind Zhang Ying, Edward was certain that his woman was once again crying her hearts out.


    He couldn''t make Zhang Ying suffer anymore.


    He needed to protect her.


    But how?


    He already looked into the articles, and they were posted from various sources. He couldn''t simply delete it as it was all over the Internet already. Trying to delete it would only spark a rumor that Zhang Ying is trying to avoid taking responsibility for what she did.


    This is bad.


    Should he just target Sera, then?


    That woman¡­


    That woman had become bolder because of the money that she received. He needed to wake her up from whatever dream she was having.


    "Sir, we have arrived."


    "Hmmm." He nodded at his driver and immediately got out of the car. After fixing his black suit, he started walking towards the enormous door. Just as he was about to open the door, someone opened it from the inside.


    It was none other than Zhang Ying.


    Just as he expected, Zhang Ying''s eyes were swollen again. She immediately clung to Edward''s arms.


    "It''s not true. I don''t have a curse¡­"


    "Yingying¡­ let''s go inside. The will read is about to start." Since Zhang Ying was still crying, Edward lifted her up and carried her like a princess.


    "Ahw¡­ look at them¡­" Sera said. They just arrived after Edward and they saw everything that happened just now. "Like a fairytale¡­ a princess being carried by the prince. How sweet."


    "That ¡ª That is Mr. Fu. Why is he here? He shouldn''t be allowed to attend the reading as he isn''t a Zhang."


    "It''s fine. His presence won''t change anything." Sera calmly said. "We should also go inside." Her gaze was rather complicated as she stared at the mansion where she grew up. This¡­ was Nick Zhang''s mansion. This wasn''t as big as the mansion where the old man used to live, but it was really grand as well. If she was right, the mansion had about twenty-seven rooms and three master''s bedroom.


    After a few minutes, the two arrived inside Nick''s study, where the reading was supposed to happen.


    Nick was already inside the room.


    "It would take a few more minutes before our family lawyer will arrive." Nick calmly said. "Would you like some tea?" He asked while looking at Lawyer Liu.


    Seeing the unexpected development, Sera silently sat on one of the single-seat sleek and black chairs that surrounded the oval table inside Nick Zhang''s office. It did not surprise Sera to see that this office had been maintained and updated since she was living here. Nick still liked the modern architecture.


    For instance, the table that Nick used for his meeting when he was inside the house was made of glass and other sleek material. An elegant rectangular chandelier that was hanging on top of the table made the atmosphere more modern.


    "How about you, Miss Zhang?" Nick''s question brought her out of her stupor.


    "Bottled water."


    Nick gave her a tight-lipped smile as he gestured his secretary to get her water from the built-in fridge inside his office. After Sera accepted the water, Edward and Zhang Ying also arrived, followed by the lawyer.


    "It seems that everyone is here?" Lawyer Perri is the head of the group of lawyers that the Zhang Family hired to protect the family. He had been working with the Zhang Family for more than ten years now. Or at least that''s what the report that Sera had stated. "Let me start then¡­" Lawyer Perri didn''t beat around the bush.


    The man started by opening a wax-sealed letter. "I have six letters here. One is for Mr. Zhang''s properties, abroad. One is for his properties in Cone Lands. Another one is his properties outside of Cone Lands. The fourth one is of the factories that he owns. The fifth is for the shares of Zhang Corp and the last one is for the shares that he owned on other companies."


    "Mr. Zhang''s wealth has an estimated total of four billion in dollars. Every party will be addressed as such; Mr. Nick Zhang as My Son. Miss Melissa Zhang as My Daughter¡­"


    "Wait¡­" Nick frowned. "What do you mean, my Melissa Zhang? My sister has been dead for years!"


    "Ah¡­ I believe old master never informed you. He still included his only daughter in the will."


    "What does it mean?" Edward asked. "Since Miss Melissa is dead then¡­"


    "Everything will be automatically transferred to Miss Melissa''s daughter, Miss Sera Zhang." Lawyer Perri smiled. His hawk-like eyes twinkled as he roamed his gaze at the people inside the room. "Shall I continue?"


    "Yes, please." Zhang Ying said.


    Since Zhang Ying and Edward were sitting directly across Sera, it was easy for Sera to see that Zhang Ying''s hands were tightly clenched. Her knuckles turned white.


    ''Ah, the perks of having a glass table.'' Sera mused.


    "Miss Sera Zhang will be known as First granddaughter."


    "Miss Zhang Ying will be known as Second granddaughter."


    "Miss Zhang Xin will be known as First daughter-in-law."


    "Charity Z will be known as My charity."


    Once again, the voice of the lawyer echoed inside the room.


    "Now then... Let''s start with the properties of the master in Cone Lands."


    "First¡­ is the house by the beach. It is a two-story beach house with four rooms, a garage, pool, and rooftop. It will be given to my first daughter-in-law. I hope she will enjoy the rest of her life, living peacefully by the beach."


    Hearing that her mother had something in her name, Zhang Ying couldn''t help but wipe a nonexistent tear from her eyes. However, the lawyer was not done.


    "Everything inside that house will also be under my first daughter-in-law''s name. The pieces of jewelry and paintings inside the vault will all be under her name. This will serve as compensation and she will only receive this after she divorced my son, Nick Zhang."


    A thick, suffocating silence followed the words of the lawyer.


    Even Sera was surprised. A divorce? Did the old man predict that Nick would divorce his wife?


    "Aside from this, my first daughter-in-law is no longer allowed to set foot into my other properties and shall remove the Zhang last name. Moreover, she isn''t allowed to use my Zhang Family name in anything, including building connections to the upper echelons of society. Once proven that the conditions given were not met, the property will put under my First granddaughter''s name, instead."


    Sera widened her eyes. That old man... that old man is really cruel! Sera was expecting to become really rich after this but she never expected would be full of dramas too!

 Chapter 104 - Too Calculative

    That old man is too calculative!


    That was the only thing that Sera could think of as chaos ensued in front of her. As expected, the first person who showed anger was Zhang Ying. "How could this happen? How could my mother¡­ No! My mother received the Zhang Family name when she married my father! How could she change it? My mother is already in a mental institution! She is already suffering from¡ª "


    "Considering that your mother murdered grandfather, I''d say this punishment was really light." Sera''s words interrupted Zhang Ying''s crying. Silence followed.


    That''s right. Zhang Xin murdered the old man.


    "How could you ask something for your murderer of a mother?" Sera smirked.


    "You¡ª "


    "Did I say something wrong?"


    Zhang Ying''s face reddened, her fist tightened, she could feel her nails against her palms.


    "Miss Zhang¡­" Sera rested her elbow on the table. "Are you delusional? Maybe you should have yourself checked."


    "Sera stop it! Can''t you see? Zhang Ying is already so stressed. Why can''t you just maintain your silence and listen to the lawyer?"


    "Oh? So when Miss Zhang Ying was talking you didn''t ask her to maintain her silence but now that someone rebutted her¡­ you are¡­ hehe¡­ Mr. Fu if you really cared about your fiance, why didn''t you stop her from talking and embarrassing herself just now?"


    "Shut up!" Edward hissed.


    Sera didn''t say anything else anymore. The sense of satisfaction inside her grew. She should have some wine later when she arrived home.


    "Mr. Perri, please continue," Nick said.


    "Alright then¡­" The lawyer shook his head and sigh. "I have three houses in Cone Lands. Everything, including the mansion where my son is living, shall be given to my son. The transfer shall be done immediately."


    "My property near Idera and my mansion will go to my Second Granddaughter."


    "To conclude, everything will be considered null and void if the other party would have any criminal records in the next five years. If the other party will incur some criminal record, everything shall be given to my daughter, Melissa Zhang."


    "What?" Even Nick was surprised to hear those words. "What does this mean? Why would father¡­"


    "Clearly, grandfather thought that you would try to kill me for the inheritance," Sera said, she was smiling at everyone. "Grandfather is a kind man, yet he isn''t dumb. He knows what you are capable of." Adding fuel to the fire is really fun.


    "Lawyer Perri¡­ I think there is a problem with that." Edward immediately said. "How could the clause include something like this?"


    "Ah, Mr. Fu, that''s because I am not done yet."


    "There''s still another one?"


    "Yes. Please let me continue." Lawyer Perri said. "If my daughter Melissa Zhang would incur a criminal record, all of her property shall be given to my son."


    Everyone blinked as they wondered if they heard it right.


    This clause made the will seem fair, but in actuality, it was very unfair. Melissa Zhang is already dead!


    How could a dead person incur some criminal records in the next five years?


    "Alright¡­ next are the properties outside of Cone Lands. First is the penthouse that I own in Pane City and the three other real estate properties in Navut Region. Everything shall be under my first granddaughter''s name. Two houses in Aiba will be under my second granddaughter''s name¡­."


    As the lawyer started reading the rest of the will, Sera discovered that her grandfather was very mindful about the properties that he owned. Most of them were actually located in very profitable areas and have been rented by a few people. Meaning, the income doesn''t stop. It is indeed an asset. Just the money coming from those properties would be enough to make her survive until the day she dies.


    This is really making her happy.


    She recalled what Chris told her about making the money move instead of moving for the money.


    Is this how good entrepreneurs think?


    "Now for the shares¡­ I believe everyone already knows that my first granddaughter will have a total of forty-eight percent of Zhang Corp that includes my daughter''s ten percent share. Ten percent will be given to my son and fifteen percent will be given to my second granddaughter."


    "Two hundred million will be given to my son."


    "Two hundred million will be given to my first granddaughter."


    "Two hundred million will be given to my second granddaughter."


    "Fifty million will be given to my charity."


    ¡­.


    "And that concludes everything."


    It was as if a huge thorn was removed from Sera''s chest when the lawyer finished reading the will. Just as she expected, she inherited more than 2 billion worth of assets from the old man. That alone is considered very huge for someone like her.


    "I will leave first¡­ Mr. Liu¡­ Lawyer Jin¡­ please follow me to my office for the documentation." Lawyer Perri asked both Sera and Nick Zhang''s Family''s lawyers to follow him.


    "Are you going to be alright, here?" Lawyer Liu put his hand on Sera''s shoulder. "These people¡­"


    "I will be fine. Thank you so much for your concern Lawyer Liu, I will see you at home."


    Of course, this quick interaction didn''t miss Zhang Ying''s eyes. Her eyes met Nick''s eyes. "It seems that Elder Sister is really lucky." Zhang Ying started. "After this¡­ you are already considered as one of the richest in Cone Lands. Congratulations, Sister."


    "Thank you, Miss Zhang." Sera smiled. "I am indeed lucky."


    "What are you so proud of? You got all this money from your grandfather. It''s not from your hard work."


    "Mr. Fu is right. I got all the money from my grandfather just like how you became the CEO because of your mother. Ah¡­ now that I thought about it¡­ CEO Fu is also lucky!"


    "You¡ª "


    "Edward¡­ leave her. Let''s not waste our time. We should leave as well. I want to go home. I feel really weak."


    "Of course¡­ Uncle, we will leave first." Edward helped Zhang Ying up.


    "Ah, this reminds me. Miss Zhang¡­" Of course, Sera used this opportunity to create some problems for Zhang Ying." I recalled that you were supposed to announce your engagement with CEO Fu. Unfortunately, grandfather passed. So you have to postpone it. Do you have the new date for the announcement?"


    "Miss Zhang, please mind your own business." Edward furrowed his brows.


    "Ah? Why is Mr. Fu so angry? I was just asking a yes or no question. Was it possible that¡­ you guys¡­" Sera widened her eyes. She was really enjoying this! "Are you guys not going to announce your engagement? But¡­ My cousin and Mr. Fu had been living together for years now. If Mr. Fu would delay the announcement, then everyone would surely judge my cousin! How could it be like this?"


    Sera''s words weren''t really loud. But to Zhang Ying, they were like thunders. It boomed loudly in her ears. The reality behind Sera''s words pierced her heart. Sera was right. Zhang Ying and Edward had been living together for over three years now. Even her fans knew about this. However, Edward and the Fu Family aren''t showing any signs that they are going to announce her engagement soon.


    This¡­ is making her heart nervous.


    "Can you just stop it?" Edward was already red from the embarrassment. Clearly, Sera was mocking Zhang Ying''s floating status.


    How could he endure this?


    "The fact that you are already considered one of the richest is nothing! Do you think it would attract my attention? Do you think I would look at you because of your money? Stop dreaming! Yingying and I love each other! What would an engagement announcement do? We know that we love each other and that''s what matters!"


    Sera couldn''t help but chuckle. "So, you are not interested in making her your official fiance," she nodded. Despite all those nonsense words about loving each other. Edward was a coward who cannot convince his mother to announce Zhang Ying as the person that he will marry. Sera looked at Zhang Ying''s pale face.


    Just as she expected, her words affected Zhang Ying''s mood. She couldn''t help but wonder if about the things that Zhang Ying would do just to make Edward her official fiance. After all, standing idly and watching isn''t really Zhang Ying''s style.


    Zhang Ying and Madam Fu.


    She couldn''t wait for the two women to deal with each other.


    "CEO Fu, as a woman. I think you should announce your engagement. True, it doesn''t matter since you love each other so much. However, your woman isn''t just any woman. She is the cousin of one of the richest women in the region." Sera was grinning at them. "And she is an actress too, so everyone is well aware of her status. Those people must be mocking her behind her back. Tsk¡­ as the cousin of the concerned party¡­ I advise you not to embarrass the Zhang Family name anymore."


    "You¡ª "


    "Ed it''s fine." Zhang Ying gave a sad smile. She knew that Sera just wanted to use her status and was very eager to include herself in her matters as ''one of the richest people in the region'', however she still decided to cooperate. Zhang Ying thought that Sera''s narcissistic words would actually benefit her!

 Chapter 105 - Sexy Librarian

    Sera watched as Edward and Zhang Ying left the room. "Are you going to stay here?" Nick Zhang decided to break the silence between them.


    "Yes."


    "Why? Your lawyer said¡­"


    "I am selling my shares¡­" Sera interrupted him. Sure enough, Nick Zhang''s face contorted into an ugly smile.


    "Stop trying to bait me. Do you think I am that easy to fool?"


    "After selling my shares. I am going to leave this place¡­ and never come back."


    "You¡ª "


    "That is the reason why grandfather didn''t give me anything in this region."


    Nick squinted at her. "Who would you ¡ª "


    "Not telling you. However, changes in the company are going to happen soon. Resisting is nothing but a waste of your energy."


    "Why are you telling me this?"


    "Nothing much," Sera smiled. "I just thought it''s fun."


    Nick''s face darkened. Fun? What is fun? Seeing him react to her words? Or seeing him struggle to find out of her words were true or not? He snorted. "It seems that I underestimated your tendency to cause chaos everywhere."


    "I agree."


    "That wasn''t a compliment."


    "It was to me."


    Seeing that he couldn''t win when it comes to petty words, Nick said. "You can leave now. You are not welcome in this place anymore."


    Of course, Sera didn''t move. "Tomorrow¡­ the board meeting will happen."


    "I know that."


    "I''m just saying¡­ you have until tonight to prepare yourself. By tomorrow, you will know that I am not bluffing in any way. I don''t want you to faint when the time comes." With that, Sera stood and grabbed her handbag. "I will see you tomorrow¡­ uncle."


    Sera was supposed to go back home, but just after she walked out of the mansion, she received a call. It was from Mr. Tan.


    "Uncle! How come you are calling me in the middle of the day?" Sera asked.


    "What uncle?"


    "Oh¡­ I miss you too, uncle. Is something the matter?"


    "You ¡ª Are you outside?"


    Sera eyed the maid that was following her under the pretense of sending her back to her car. "Uncle is jesting, of course I am outside. I am currently working."


    "Then come and see me¡­ I will send you an address. It''s a restaurant downtown."


    "Hm? Why did something happen?"


    "That uncle of yours called me just now. He wanted me to sell my shares to him."


    "Ah? That ¡ª " Seeing that the maid was still standing not far away from her, Sera waved at the woman and beamed. "I told you about this before. You should take care of yourself well. You are getting older and fatter every day. How could you say that you are going to see me when I come back when you don''t take care of yourself? Tsk¡­ uncle¡­ I don''t want to see you in a coffin before you pay me, ah."


    "You ¡ª are you cursing me?"


    "Alright¡­ I will see you soon, Uncle. Don''t forget your debt! Don''t you dare die from your hypertension or I will burn your body to the ground¡­ hahaha¡­" Sera didn''t let the fuming old man answer. She ended the call and look at her phone. Sure enough, there was an address on her phone.


    "Thank you for sending me back." Sera smiled at the maid and got into the car.


    "Miss? Are we going home now?" Dalgo asked.


    "No. I need to shop."


    "Alright then¡­ to the nearest mall?"


    After a few seconds, Sera glanced at the GPS on her phone and gave Dalgo the address of a mall near the restaurant where she was scheduled to see the old man. From the maps, they are only about twenty minutes away from the mall. However, the schedule was still an hour away. Meaning she still had some time to shop for newer clothes.


    Of course, she was just using this as another reason to get rid of the people following her. "Ah¡­ also¡­ I need you to create a diversion for me."


    "Diversion?"


    "I have to go meet someone."


    "But miss¡­ the boss said¡­"


    Sera let out a loud sigh. This is the problem. Dalgo''s boss is actually not Sera. It was Chris.


    Obviously, the man would listen to Chris'' words. She needed to have a good conversation with that man once she got back later. For now, she needed to convince Dalgo to let her go. "I have a very important meeting, but people are following me around. This is a secret meeting so¡­ I trust that you could do just this one thing for me."


    "But Miss, your safety is ¡ª "


    "If you keep on doing that¡­ I will have to fire you, Dalgo." Her voice was firm, steady, and confident. She met his eyes in the rearview mirror. She frowned. "I need someone that will listen to me."


    "I''m sorry Miss. I will follow your orders."


    At least he is smart? Sera sighed inwardly. If Dalgo will not cooperate, then it would be very problematic. Of course, she also has the option not to see that old man. However, she had some guesses about today''s meeting. The old man isn''t just someone that would meet just anyone to tell them that their uncle called him.


    No.


    The old man wanted to meet her because of another matter.


    And she was really excited to find out about it.


    Was it possible that the old man was able to find out something about the Fu Family? Just the thought of Madam Fu made her smile. Madam Fu can become a big problem in the future. That''s why she is willing to sacrifice a few years of her life just to deal with that woman now.


    Ah, the stress¡­


    She could already imagine the wrinkles that she will have just from dealing with Mrs. Fu.


    Not long after, they arrive inside one of the prominent malls in the downtown area. She immediately instructed Dalgo to park in the basement parking and come with her inside the mall.


    After visiting a lot of boutiques, Sera was finally able to change her clothes. This time, from her flowy dress earlier, she changed into a black suit. Then she tied her hair into a neat bun and added some eyeglasses and red lipstick that made her look like a sexy librarian from some movie.


    The type of actor that would act as the first victim of some sociopath.


    ...


    Have you guys seen the WEBTOON of my upcoming novel? The Title is Her Highness The Mafia Queen! It''s comedy/ romance.

 Chapter 106 - Bigger

    "Eh? You are¡­"


    "Hello, uncle." Sera was smiling at the old ''uncle'' who sat inside the private tea room. He was wearing a suit that looked two sizes smaller than him. He squinted at her.


    "You look different."


    "Thank you," Sera said as eyed the sitting area of the teahouse. This isn''t some traditional teahouse but a foreign one. There were no chairs or couches inside the small five-by-five room. Instead, there were pillows that one could use in sitting on the carpeted floor.


    The smell of sweet brewing tea coated the room.


    She removed her stilettos while cursing inwardly. She had to wear taller stilettos to make herself five foot two self taller and fool the people following her. Moreover, she underestimated walking in the streets with these types of shoes. Because of this, her feet were already aching.


    But she could only complain inwardly and act calmly in front of the old man.


    "Your uncle wanted me to sell my shares. He knew you visited me at that time. He told me he would double that price that you offered." Mr. Tan immediately went directly to the reason why he called her to see him.


    "But you told him, no. Right?"


    "Of course. The shares were already under your name!"


    "Good." Because of the video, the stock prices were still at the lower end of the spectrum. It wasn''t showing any signs of increasing any time soon. However, once Quinn Industries would take over, she was confident that the stocks would immediately shoot up like a rocket. "But you didn''t just ask me to see you because of this?"


    The old man grunted. "I need your help."


    "Help?"


    "I will give you this¡­" He pushed a small velvet box that looked like a case of an earring and necklace set to her.


    "These are¡­ sparkling. Too sparkling." Sera smiled. She only opened the velvet case halfway before she closed it again. "But I don''t need diamonds." Moreover, if her guess was right, these diamonds were stolen from the Fu Family. "But¡­ Mr. Tan¡­ I just want to say that you are very fast. I already expected that you would attack them from the information that I gave them. However, I never expected that you would do it in the next twelve hours."


    Crazy.


    This old man is crazy.


    No wonder people hated him and the Fu Family had been plotting to bring him down.


    "Ah¡­ hahaha¡­ thanks to that information¡­ I was able to get back at them for killing a few of my people." The old man poured himself another tea before he added. "Take it. It is compensation for what you did."


    "Mr. Tan, unfortunately, I don''t like shiny things." Why would she want to hold something that would incriminate her? She wasn''t that crazy about money!


    "You¡ª "


    "If you really want to compensate me, then¡­ why don''t you give me some shares from your company?"


    "Eh? You brat! Do you really want to become a part of my company?"


    "I have analyzed your profits and the idea of your online businesses and I believe they are going to get bigger in the future. After all, this is already the land ruled by the Internet." Tan Enterprise is focusing on creating a huge online selling platform where small-time online sellers could safely sell their goods. Sera immediately knew that this is going to turn bigger soon.


    Of course, she wanted to become a part of it!


    She wanted to make the money work for her! And receiving dividends sounds very nice to her ears.


    "Alright¡­ if you help me this time, I will give you five percent shares."


    "Five? That''s too¡ª "


    "Five percent is worth millions."


    "Mr. Tan must be joking. This little ancestor of yours is worth billions. Why would I think about a few millions?"


    "You really¡­"


    "How about you give me ten percent? You think about it carefully. I am an IT expert. I have connections on the dark web. I can help your platform become more successful in the future. Think about this as¡­ an investment."


    Mr. Tan narrowed his eyes but didn''t say a word. He started tapping the square table in between them. Seeing this, Sera maintained her silence.


    This businessman had been in the industry for years. She was confident that the old man is brilliant enough to know that Sera was indeed an investment.


    "Alright! Ten percent!"


    "Then I am willing to hear about the real reason you wanted to see me!" Sera uttered almost immediately.


    "It''s like this¡­ I need someone to delete some traces on the internet."


    "Not possible. No one can actually do that."


    "But the movie¡­"


    "Bullocks," she said. "As long as there are CCTV''s around you, everyone can find you. This world is like the world ten years ago. The evolution of the web is scary and not even the best hacker could do that."


    Mr. Tan pursed his lips.


    "You wanted me to help you hide your son?"


    "How did you¡ª "


    "Internet," Sera answered.


    "I thought I have kept him a secret¡­"


    "He has his own Twitter account. What do you mean by keeping him a secret? True, you can''t see him if you search his name on social media sites, but what made you think he was using his real name?"


    "That¡­"


    "He should be¡­ twenty? Twenty-one?"


    "Twenty-three¡­"


    "Ah¡­ my age."


    "Yes, your age."


    "Does he know about you?"


    "Of course, he does."


    "Then¡­ did you tell him that he needed to hide his identity as your son?"


    "Of course!"


    "But he is acting like a normal college student. Well, in college, only a few people don''t have social media. Most communications about were done on social media and the Internet. So, you can''t really blame him about that."


    "Then¡­ what can we do about it?"


    "Hmmm¡­ I can''t delete his social media. He would only make one. Maybe you can¡­ imprison him in a tower somewhere?"


    "That¡ª "


    Sera smiled. "I am joking. I can easily help you. I can create something that would alert us if someone would try to search his name on any social media platforms or search engine platform on the planet." Seeing the old man''s eyes widened, Sera added. "What do you think, Mr. Tan? Are you willing to give me 15 percent of the shares now?"

 Chapter 107 - Moon Cake

    When Sera walked out of the teahouse, she had a beaming smile on her face. Fifteen percent of Tan Enterprise will soon be transferred under her name. Even Mr. Tan said that this share was bigger than the share than the rest of his family''s shares.


    But then again, she was an investment.


    The fact that she could do something to keep his son self was reassuring to Mr. Tan.


    Sera believed that the old man already talked to a few other people and most of them said that completely hiding someone''s social media was simply impossible.


    In this world, the only way for you to hide is if you quit social media and live underground.


    Now that she had accomplished one of her priorities, she went back to the house with Dalgo and talked to Mr. Liu about the transfer of shares. After tomorrow, she was planning on leaving Cone Lands and finally going back to Pane City for her start-up business.


    After all, Xu Je''er''s nagging is really giving her random headaches.


    "You plan to go back to Pane City?"


    "Yes." She wanted to ask him if he was going back, too. After all, Chris had been staying with her in Cone Lands using the excuse for letting her know the truth. "I no longer have business here. After all, I am not going to be a part of the Zhang Corp anymore." Plus, she already builds some connections. Using Mr. Tan''s influence, she could still destroy them even when she was away.


    "Hmmm¡­ then I am coming with you."


    "Oh? You no longer have business abroad?" She tried to gauge his expression. As usual, she saw nothing.


    "I am taking my business with me."


    "Ah."


    "And you will leave Mr. Lan here?"


    "Yes."


    "Oh¡­"


    She used the knife and cut another piece of her steak.


    "Dalgo said¡­ you went shopping earlier?"


    Sera stilled. She told Dalgo to tell Chris that she went shopping. It was a test. She wanted to know if Dalgo would tell Chris about her sneaking out.


    "Yes, I did."


    "And did you buy anything?"


    "Yes. I bought new heels." She couldn''t lie about this because he saw her walking using the same heels that she wore while she had her meeting with Mr. Tan.


    "Really?"


    "Really." She wondered if he knew anything.


    Suspicion flashed in his eyes. "You didn''t buy anything for me?"


    "Why would I buy anything for you?"


    "Isn''t that something a wife should do when she shops?"


    "¡­" Should she start another argument with this obnoxious man again? "Well, then you went abroad. Did you buy something for me?" She sounded so petty, but she liked it.


    "Of course I did."


    She raised an eyebrow, surprised at his quick answer. "You did?"


    "As I said, I am your husband and I will act like one. I''m not like other people who couldn''t even buy a pair of jeans for her husband."


    What the hell? "Then¡­ what did you buy for me?" She wondered if this was something extravagant, like that romantic dinner that he just did.


    "It''s in your closet."


    "Really? How come I didn''t find it earlier?"


    "You totally changed your wardrobe. I wasn''t expecting that you are going to wear something in colors. I put it next to your black-and-white clothing."


    "Really?" He even knew that she liked wearing black and white. She snorted inwardly. The more he talked to Chris, the more she could see similarities between Chris and Cross. Moreover, she couldn''t deny the fact that she felt really familiar around him. It was as if, they have known each other for a long time. "What is it?" Her eyes couldn''t help but glance at the bracelet that Cross gave her. It looked really pretty under the chandelier above their dining table.


    She recalled how Xu Je''er thought it was custom made sense she couldn''t find the same design in the market. Xu Je''er really liked the bracelet and wanted to buy the same one for herself. Unfortunately, she couldn''t find the design anywhere.


    While there were a lot of bracelets that initially looked like it, Xu Je''er pointed out that the traces of the jeweler who made it were too distinct and unique. It is very hard to imitate it.


    Sera actually felt happy that time. She thought that the bracelet was something that Cross bought for her in one of her travels abroad. After all, he couldn''t really afford some custom-made jewels.


    However, if Chris and Cross were the same people, then that would explain the origin of this beautiful bracelet.


    "You should check it yourself. It won''t be a surprise if I tell you."


    "But I didn''t buy you anything when I was shopping¡­ ah! I was wrong." Sera straightened her back. "I actually bought something and just forgot about it."


    Chris'' eyes lit up as he beamed. "Really?"


    "Yes. I just forgot about it."


    "Then¡­ can you give it to me now?"


    "Of course!" Sera said. She stood and went to her office to grab her handbag. Then she went back to the dining room.


    "What is it?" Chris asked.


    "It''s something that I really love."


    "Really?"


    She nodded as she slowly opened her bag and handed him a moon cake.


    "This is¡ª "


    "This moon cake is the best one in Isul City. It''s a White lotus moon cake! I love it ¡ª Whoa¡­" She stopped talking when Chris suddenly pulled her towards his lap. "What is¡­ what are you doing?"


    "I know it''s white lotus moon cake I can smell it."


    "Eh?" Why was he smiling? She didn''t actually buy the mooncake for him, but for herself. She was starving after taking all that walk in high heels and saw the store. However, she forgot to eat it because she had to change her clothes on her way back. "What is happening?" she asked.


    "Do you know what a round moon cake means?"


    "Hm? That¡­ I didn''t ask. I just knew it''s delicious."


    "Of course."


    "What does it mean?" Is this some random legend that she should know?


    "A round mooncake means togetherness and completeness. Giving this to me means¡­ we will be together and that we complete each other."


    "¡­" What? She gave him a look. "Where did you hear that from?" Despite frowning, she didn''t do anything to move out of his lap. No¡­ it wasn''t that she had no intention of moving. It''s just that. She couldn''t move.


    His hands were resting on her navel, locking her into him.

 Chapter 108 - Missing Him

    Chris laughed. "It''s pretty popular among younger generations."


    Does he mean older generations? Once again, she furrowed her brows. "Let me go."


    "I won''t."


    "Please don''t do this in front of the food," she uttered. "That''s disrespectful."


    "Ah¡­ so I can do this without the food?"


    She smiled. "Probably?"


    "Probably?"


    "Yes, probably."


    He smiled and leaned his head closer, his forehead soon rested against hers. "Are we still going to fight?"


    "Are we fighting?"


    "You changed."


    "Change¡­" she lowered her eyes towards his lips. "Is constant." She was really in a good mood today, she didn''t want to ruin it by thinking about his secrets. To be honest, she just wants to forget about secrets.


    After all, she too had her own dark secrets.


    "What are you going to do with the Zhang Family after you go back?"


    "I believe, they will destroy their own selves." Yes, this is right. She had planted enough words to trigger Zhang Ying. Soon, she is going to send her more images that would surely blow her mind away.


    With these, Zhang Ying''s selfish nature would surely kick in. Her fight against the matriarch of the Fu Family would follow. After all, Zhang Ying was not someone that would just let someone else took Edward away from her.


    "What are you thinking?" he asked.


    "Eating the moon cake."


    He looked at her, a little disbelief flashed in his eyes. "I would like to eat some moon cake too."


    She jumped out of his arms when she heard his words. For some reason, a part of her knew that he was talking about a different kind of cake.


    "I will leave for now," Sera said, an awkward smile appeared on her face as she strode towards her office and made sure to lock the door this time. The fact that she was actually thinking that Chris and Cross are the same people is actually affecting her attraction towards Chris.


    She had long liked or maybe even loved Cross. And this fact alone is really making her feel awkward. She couldn''t explain it in simple terms. In fact, even she couldn''t understand the confusion that she felt right now. She recalled her first meeting with Chris in that bar.


    She was already drunk and she immediately felt her flesh tingle around him. And yes, they actually slept together. At that time, she thought it was nothing but a casual hook-up¡ª a first time for her. She never thought that she would meet Mr. Quinn again. Moreover, meeting him opened up a new realm of things that she never expected to happen.


    But if she would really think about it, she actually slept with Chris on the first night that they met! If Chris was Cross then¡­


    Ah, how embarrassing.


    Her actions were really shameful.


    If Chris and Cross were the same people then she couldn''t help but wonder about his opinion towards her. Was he perhaps thinking that she was such an easy woman?


    Eh, maybe she was an easy woman but damn!


    How could she let the person that she liked think that way!?


    Wait¡­ since when did she start thinking about other people''s opinions about her?


    Ugh! This is frustrating!


    As expected, mixing business and pleasure can be very hard for someone like her.


    Sadly for her, no matter how much she tried to overwork herself that night, sleeping was just impossible. She walked out of the room and went to the master''s bedroom. She was really tired and she could feel her feet started to feel the brunt of walking in the streets with those high stilettos.


    Yet, she didn''t feel sleepy.


    After taking a short half bath, she laid next to Chris and stared at the ceiling.


    She kept on telling herself not to care about this man''s opinion anymore. But she couldn''t deny the fact that he is no longer ''other people''. To her, he matters.


    His opinion about her matters.


    "What are you thinking?"


    "Huh?" Sera almost fell out of the bed when she heard his voice. She turned towards him, frowning. "How come you are still awake?"


    "It''s still early."


    "Early?"


    "Aha¡­ you weren''t working, were you?"


    "That¡ª Of course I was working."


    "It was still ten in the evening."


    "Really?"


    "Really." He stared at her, his hand tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.


    "Then I will go back and¡ª "


    "No need. Just lie down here. Next to me." Before she could do anything, his hand was already around her body. The next thing she knew, her head was already lying in his arms. "Something is bothering you?" He made her face him, his face only a few inches away from her.


    "There''s a lot of things that bother me."


    "You looked tired."


    "I am tired." Sadly, she couldn''t sleep.


    "Why don''t you sleep?" A gentle smile appeared on his lips.


    "I can''t."


    "Hmmm?" He lifted an eyebrow as his eyes trailed down towards her lips. "Need my help?"


    "What?"


    "Relax¡­" He whispered before his lips claimed hers.


    Sera almost shivered with delight when his hand touched the bare skin beneath her shirt. Since she was thinking a lot, she didn''t have the time to chose good underwear and just randomly pick something.


    She knew it was pink and something else.


    What the hell? Why was she thinking about underwear?


    She let out a soft moan when he suddenly bit her neck. It was painful, but it caused electrifying sensations- something that she had missed. Before she could even process what was happening to her body, she felt her nipples turned rigid, her stomach twisted. She missed him.


    She missed everything about him.


    .....


    Sorry about the release. My 2nd son''s bday is Aug. 15. So Yes, I have 2 august. We are not going to prepare any party because of you know what. However, he is asking for a specific gift and well... Let''s just say it''s not in the Philippines. Lol. After days of trying to look for it!


    I apologize for the inconvenience. Let me take the time to announce that my comic: Her Highness the Mafia Queen is already on webtoon. Please check it out if you have the time.


    Thanks!

 Chapter 109 - Jealous

    To her surprise, Chris stopped and stared at her. "Are you alright?" he asked. She could only open her eyes wide, surprised.


    What? Why was he asking her about this now? She could see his shadowed face close to hers. Did he look¡­ sad? Did something happen?


    "I need to leave for a couple of days," he started speaking.


    "I see¡­" Well¡­ this is better. At least she could do everything that she needed to do with no distractions around. That''s right, Chris is simply distracting her. "When are you leaving?" she asked.


    "Tomorrow. It is an emergency."


    "Ah." She fought the urge to ask any more questions. She simply doesn''t have the right to ask those questions. Anyway, just thinking about the dynamics of their relationship is giving her a headache. It is best not to show any weakness and emotion at all. Moreover, a woman like her isn''t worthy of him.


    That''s right. She wasn''t worthy.


    "Then¡­ you should take care."


    "Are you not angry?"


    "Angry?" The reason why this man is here is that she threw a tantrum and left this house. His trip was cut short, and he had to go home. It was logical that he would have unfinished business that he needed to do outside of this country. "I understand why you are here."


    "I want to prepare for a wedding. Once I come back, we should start the preparations. I can¡ª "


    "Huh?" Aren''t they already considered husband and wife?


    "I want to give you a grand wedding."


    "I don''t think that needed."


    "It is needed."


    She stared at him. What''s wrong with him now? She swallowed the rest of her words. "Alright."She suddenly folded her arms around his neck. Sensing the surprise in his eyes, she pulled his face closer, making his lips land on top of hers. A wedding isn''t really that bad, but it wasn''t necessary. After all, they are still going to divorce soon.


    However, she wanted to find out why he would suddenly want to give her a proper wedding. Was this related to the secret that he was keeping from her?


    Chris¡­ just who are you?


    She believes that everything isn''t a coincidence.


    Soon after, their moans echoed inside the room.


    ¡­.


    After making sure that she was already asleep, Chris put on a robe and went back to his office, where Lan Xing was waiting.


    "Boss¡­"


    "You are here?"


    "Yes. I just finished the conference meeting with the higher-ups of Quinn Media." Aside from being Chris'' secretary, he is also the one who attends meetings inside Quinn Media. This is because Chris didn''t want to show his face to anyone.


    "How is it?"


    "We have eleven percent increase In profits this year. The resources that we gave to our actors were worth it. As expected of the boss. Everything that you said is true. I told them about your plans to create a new girl group under our music team. Everyone agreed."


    "Hmmm."


    "Boss, are you sure you are leaving without me?"


    "Hmmm."


    "But boss¡­ we are not even sure if it was really that woman. How could you just leave everything behind?"


    Chris didn''t say anything. He looked out of his window and stared at the moonless sky. Seeing this, Lan Xing continued, "Plus¡­ it''s been so long since she disappeared. How could you ¡ª "


    "Let''s not talk about it anymore."


    "But sir¡­"


    "No," Chris said. "You can leave now."


    "Alright." Lan Xing bowed, but before he could leave the door, he heard Chris said.


    "Take care of my wife."


    Lan Xing didn''t say anything as he gave Chris a deep, contemplating look. At first, he never understood why Chris wanted to marry Miss Sera. To him, she looked ordinary and was always gloomy. He actually thought there was nothing special about her. Well¡­ he was wrong.


    It turns out that her background is really special.


    Even Chris couldn''t compare to Miss Sera''s real background.


    Just the thought of offending such a woman who came from those¡­ dangerous parents are making him trembled. "Yes sir. I will do my best to protect Miss Sera."


    "Madam."


    "Eh?"


    "Call her Madam from now on."


    "Ah¡­ "But isn''t this only a fake marriage? "Alright. Yes, I will protect the Madam."


    "Good. Also¡­ I forgot to ask. Tell me about the current events. Sera is hiding something from me and even her bodyguard¡­ is now hiding something from me too."


    "Ah¡­ it wasn''t that big. She is now working with Mr. Tan."


    "Mr. Tan¡­ black market Mr. Tan?"


    "Yes. She wanted to keep it a secret and must have warned her bodyguard about it."


    "But why would she work with¡ª "He waved his hand. He didn''t continue the rest of his words as he already knows the answer. It turns out, she was preparing for something. Was she preparing to fight against Mrs. Fu? But this one doesn''t make any sense at all. After all, Sera was planning to go back to Pane City and leave this place.


    "Also¡­ after her first visit with Mr. Tan¡­ shipments of diamonds from the Fu Family from Plaria¡­ disappeared."


    "Diamonds?" Chris frowned. "Was it Sera''s work?"


    "Sir, as we all know, the Fu Family is dominating the diamond market in the black market. Their security is top notch. How could someone just breach their security? This is just a suspicion, but I believe we know someone that might be able to destroy their security system, right?"


    Chris didn''t say anything. Because of technology, most of the things that people use nowadays can be hacked. Sera could easily hack a car, phone, laptop, and even satellite. However, this is not the only thing that she could do. She could also hack into things that have an operating system. Fridge, TV and even Ovens. If one would think about it. As long as she knew what to target, she could easily kill someone or make an oven explode on fire.


    "So¡­ she was targeting the Fu Family after all." He looked through the window again. "I believe no one knows this yet?"


    "Yes, sir. The rumor that she met with Mr. Tan was actually popular, however, it was because people are trying to ridicule her for thinking that Mr. Tan would give in. That old man is someone who survived in the industry for years. Even Edward Fu failed to convince him."


    "Edward is dumb," Chris said. "Let''s not talk about that person anymore."


    "Ah¡­ Yes¡­ my apologies."


    "Anyway, what is going on with the Zhang Family now?"


    "Ah¡­ Lawyer Liu called. He was fuming."


    "Why?"


    "Miss Zhang Ying approached him and tried to blackmail him."


    "Hm?" This made Chris curious. "Blackmail?"


    "Miss Zhang thought that Lawyer Liu is sleeping with Miss Sera." Lan Xing stilled when he heard someone''s knuckles cracked. He looked at Chris''s hands and, just as he expected, it was clenched in a tight fist. He immediately added. "This happened a few hours back. Miss Zhang Ying shamelessly blocked him while he was on his way home and asked him to have some tea with her. Then¡­ she started talking about making him lost his license for sleeping with a client. It was actually a stupid story. Hehehe¡­"


    Seeing that Chris already had a dark look on his face, Lan Xing quickly added. "But master¡­ this was nothing but a futile attempt to make Miss Sera suffer. Miss Zhang Ying just wanted to destroy Miss Sera''s name. That''s why she was trying to make things up. Her argument was that Miss Sera isn''t someone that could easily hire Mr. Liu."


    "That woman is a fool."


    Lan Xing nodded as if his life depends on it. There was already sweat dripping on his back. "Yes¡­ Yes¡­ that woman is a fool."


    "I didn''t want to do anything since I wanted Sera to handle this on her own but that woman is crossing the line."


    Lan Xing was confused. Why was he so upset? Both of them know that Miss Sera would never do that. Moreover, Chris and Sera were husband and wife, and the reason why Mr. Liu agreed to work for Sera was because of her husband.


    So¡­ this overreaction doesn''t make sense.


    Was Chris jealous of Mr. Liu because of Miss Zhang Ying''s words? But that can''t be.


    How could he be this shallow?


    Ah, he must be overthinking it.


    "Release the video of Zhang Xin inside the mental facility. The one which shows she is staying inside a villa with her own servants and personal doctors to cater her needs."


    "But Sir¡­ what about Miss Sera?"


    "I will take care of it. Go ahead¡­ release it. That woman Zhang Ying just keeps on making it look like she was a pitiful woman who was only trying to protect her mother when she was just a fox disguising to be a sheep. She should not blame me if I slaughter her like a sheep."


    .....


    I am so sorry for the delay. I was busy both of my sons were born on August just about a week apart. I have to prepare for something special for them.


    Thank you for your understanding.

 Chapter 110 - Brains

    Four hours ago.


    "Miss Zhang? Why are you blocking my way?" Lawyer Liu had already a dark look on his face. "I never thought that you would be this bold to try and block me." He sneered. He had clients and enemies more powerful than this woman, but none of them dared to act this way.


    "Lawyer Liu¡­ May I invite you for a coffee?"


    The smile on Zhang Ying''s face only made him more irritated. "No."


    "Lawyer Liu, please don''t take this the wrong way. I was just¡­"


    "Take this the wrong way? Miss Zhang, I am a foreigner in this region, and you and your bodyguards are trying to block my way. Are you going to kill this lowly foreigner?"


    "Lawyer Liu¡­ please there is no need to be afraid."


    "Huh? You think I am scared of you?" This old man has seen a lot of death in his career. How could he be scared of a little girl like this dumb Zhang? If anything, he was shivering because he felt insulted! He felt angry. He raised his hand and almost immediately, the man standing next to Zhang Ying fell. A bullet hole was in his head.


    Zhang Ying let out a gasp. "You¡ª "


    "You think I am scared of you, Miss Zhang?"


    "Lawyer Liu¡­" Clearly, the lawyer''s actions made Zhang Ying scared. Her face lost its color, her hands clenched as she tried to stop it from trembling. "I just want to talk. There is no need to resort to any violence."


    Seeing this, a smile appeared on the older man''s face. No matter where he was, he always has bodyguards following him around and guarding his residence all the time. And these people weren''t just mere bodyguards. These were well-trained assassins that were used to spying and killing people. The primary mission is to keep him safe. One hand signal and they would kill anyone that would pose a threat to the lawyer.


    "If you want to talk, you would have sent me a proper invitation and not have your men block me!" Lawyer Liu hissed. He is really getting angry! "Leave!"


    "Lawyer Liu¡­ just hear what I wanted to say."


    He squinted at the foolish woman. He couldn''t help but wonder what was she up to.


    "If you are reluctant to talk to me as an acquaintance, then¡­ I am willing to pay an hour of your time. I could pay you tenfold. Just hear me out."


    "I see¡­" Lawyer Liu nodded. She was even willing to pay tenfold? This¡­ is really making him wonder about this b*tch''s schemes. He handed her a piece of paper. "Send the money to my account now. My hourly rate is ten thousand in USD."


    "That¡ª "


    "What? You can''t afford that?"


    "Of course, I can." Zhang Ying smiled. She accepted the piece of paper and handed him a card in exchange. "I won''t let you get inside my car. I don''t want you to misunderstand anything. Please come to that address. I already booked a personal space for us to talk privately. I will be there in a few minutes."


    "Hmph." Lawyer Liu accepted the car and immediately started driving towards the location. It took him about five minutes to reach the restaurant. Just as Zhang Ying said, she already booked a private room for them. When he got inside the room, Zhang Ying was already there, waiting for him.


    "Lawyer Liu¡­" A gentle smile appeared on Zhang Ying''s face. If Lawyer Liu didn''t know what kind of woman she is, he would have thought that it was a sincere smile. "Please have some tea."


    "No need. I won''t drink anything from the likes of you."


    "Lawyer Liu¡­ how come you hate me so much? I don''t remember offending Lawyer Liu before. Can you please make this junior understand why you are acting like this?"


    "What junior?" Lawyer Liu loved scheming, and he loved scheming people like Chris and Sera. But those two were both clear and upfront with what they want. Unlike them, Zhang Ying was the exact opposite. She was the kind of woman that would laugh at you today and stab you the next day.


    She is someone who used and betrayed her own mother. A person like this can never be trusted. Moreover, he already knew everything that this woman did to Sera because Chris told him everything! Those things¡­ were things that can never be forgiven!


    The sweet smile on Zhang Ying''s face only made him more irritated. He wanted to tear that smile off this woman''s face.


    "Speak¡­ what do you want?" he demanded.


    "I want you to abandon Sera Zhang."


    "Excuse me?" he raised an eyebrow. He wanted to make sure that he heard the right thing. Was this woman¡­ crazy? Maybe she hit her head or something?


    "And work for me," Zhang Ying added. "I can double your pay, triple it if you want. I just need you to disappear from Sera''s life."


    "And why would I do that?"


    "Because¡­ I can give you everything that you want. Women, money, fame. I can give it to you. These are things that my foolish sister couldn''t afford."


    The lawyer''s eyes turned cold. "And if I say no?"


    "That wasn''t exactly a question, Lawyer Liu. It was an order."


    "Hah?" Lawyer Liu was speechless. Did she just¡­ "Hahahaha!" Lawyer Liu couldn''t stop the laughter anymore. How could she be this stupid? She was actually planning to order an international lawyer feared by a lot of people? "Miss Zhang¡­ let me tell you something. I have been a lawyer for more than ten years."


    "I already know that, Lawyer Liu. I have your background with me."


    "Then do you know who my clients are?"


    "That ¡ª Some of them."


    "No¡­ I meant not the official ones." The smile on Zhang Ying''s face vanished. Does this woman think that he only had clients from big corporations? No, his clients were from all over the world. These are people feared by other nations! Criminals, terrorists. He was someone who knows them well. "I know people that could wipe out your family in one night."


    "That¡ª "


    "And that wasn''t a question either." Lawyer Liu said. "Ah, I honestly thought that you would have a little bit of brain in you. I am very disappointed."


    "You¡ª "


    "There must be a reason why you think you can just order me around? Let me guess? Blackmail? What do you have this time?" There was a flash of confusion in the woman''s eyes, but she quickly hid it as she handed him a folder. "Oh? A letter?"


    "Of your indecent acts."


    "Indecent? Oh?? You want to ask them to disbar me? What? Hahaha¡­" Again, he couldn''t stop himself from laughing when he started reading the paper. "Hahaha¡­. You actually thought that I am sleeping with Miss Sera Zhang?" Ah¡­ of all the things that she could accuse me. She was actually accusing him of something that would never happen? What is this? How could someone like this exist?


    "Stop laughing! Sera had no brains. How could she think of the schemes to ruin my family? Clearly, it was because she had you! Now, why would someone like you help someone like her? Lawyer Liu¡­ I am allowing you to abandon her and work for me. Or the world will know of your indecent affairs. I know you are working with a lot of popular people. What would they think if they know that you liked to sleep with your clients?"


    "Ah¡­ all these efforts¡­" Lawyer Liu was already shaking his head. "Last night¡­ I was playing a game that I recently discovered on my laptop. It''s called Plants Versus Zombies." He smiled. "I started wondering what would happen if zombies like that exist. It would be scary for people like me who would have¡­ delicious brains. As for you¡­ they would surely ignore you." Seeing the woman paled, he added. "You don''t have brains."


    "You- How dare you!? Do you think I am just scaring you?"


    "Who told you that a mere complaint could scare me?" Lawyer Liu smirked before he leaned forward. "Why don''t you try it, Miss Zhang? Why don''t you try to submit it."


    Seeing Zhang Ying''s face turned uglier and uglier, he laughed. "I have eaten more salt than you have eaten rice. Did you really think something like this would work on someone like me? Sleeping with clients? Did you think my clients would think about my sexual life, Miss Zhang? They hired me not because of my body. It''s because of my capability. It''s because... I always win."


    "That-"


    "You just earned another enemy, Miss Zhang. You better watch yourself. Your bodyguard earlier got lucky because he died without pain. I doubt he even noticed that he is already dead. But you... If you keep this up... you might not be as lucky."


    "Are you threatening?" Zhang Ying hissed. "Do you-"


    "No. I am warning you. The next time you do something like this to me. You will die.... miserable death. Did you know that even your future mother-in-law wouldn''t dare do this to me?"

 Chapter 111 - Leave Her!

    Seeing Zhang Ying''s face turned uglier, Lawyer Liu sneered. "You incompetent brainless twerp." With that, he left the private room and went straight into his car. He felt furious and irritated he wanted to kill someone. Sleeping with Sera? Why would he do that?


    First, Sera is Mr. Quinn''s wife. Just thinking about sleeping with her is a sin.


    Second, Sera is just like a daughter to him! Just thinking about those obscene acts made him want to puke.


    And third¡­ he would rather sleep with Mr. Quinn than Sera!


    Those were just three of the top reasons he would never do that. On top of everything, he would never do that to his client. He was a professional. If he was someone who just sleeps with anyone, he wouldn''t have survived this cruel¡­ cruel world until now.


    He started his car and immediately called Lan Xing, informing him about this matter. He even told Lan Xing to tell Chris not to hold back in punishing that woman!


    Hmph!


    ¡­..


    3 hours ago


    "That shameless man!" Zhang Ying was fuming. The elegance that she always had disappeared as she downed another glass of strong wine. "How dare he?"


    "Can you calm down and tell me what happened?" Her father, Nick, folded his arms across his chest as he looked at Zhang Ying, who just arrived in the mansion. Zhang Ying was really in a foul mood. However, she didn''t say anything about why she was so angry.


    "What happened?" he repeated when he saw her started to drink from the bottle. "I thought you were trying to take care of your body?"Those words seemed to wake her up. She put the bottle of wine down and finally turned to look at her father.


    "That man insulted me."


    "Isn''t that expected already?"


    Zhang Ying furrowed her beautiful brows. Her cheeks were already flushed. "Expected? I expected him to insult me! I never expected him to act like¡­" She thought of all the insults that she received. "I never expected his tongue to be so sharp!" Who would have thought that a lawyer like him would say those things?


    She was expecting him to get angry but not show his anger because of his special position.


    "What did he say?" This only made Nick more curious.


    "I''d rather not talk about it." Zhang Ying sat on the couch and opened her phone. She then threw it next to her when she didn''t see a single text from Edward. "This is Sera''s fault."


    "What do you mean?"


    "She must have poisoned that lawyer''s mind and told him things about us. That woman must have made herself look so pitiful, the lawyer just couldn''t help but love her. Shameless!" Just the thought of the words that the Lawyer said made her angry again. "Ahhh!" She could only clench her hands into tight fists, her nails grazed her palms. The pain reminded her to calm herself.


    If she wanted to destroy someone, then being calm is necessary.


    "Now that the Lawyer isn''t cooperating then¡­ what are we going to do?"


    "What do you mean?" Zhang Ying hissed. "Tomorrow, I will secretly release this news to the media. I am sure that this scandal would somehow affect that man''s reputation."


    "Yingying¡­ you know that Lawyer Liu isn''t someone that we could just bully. I think you should avoid that man instead."


    "Are you scared of him?" This coward! Zhang Ying always hated how she was born to a cowardly father. Nick Zhang was not only a coward, but he was also very passive and would always choose to avoid things than directly facing them.


    She could only blame this man for the things that her mother did for her and their family. If Nick Zhang had some spine and showed that he had some character to that old man, then her mother would have felt security. Zhang Ying believed that her mother''s fate could have changed if Nick was more aggressive!


    "You don''t understand. I made my research about him and notice that he doesn''t just defend officials. He would defend criminals and win. These are¡­ crime bosses and even dangerous gang bosses. If Lawyer Liu would ask them to hurt you¡­ I think they wouldn''t hesitate to do it."


    Zhang Ying squinted. Actually, she was also aware of this fact. She was just too confident that she could scare the lawyer. She snorted and turned her attention to her phone. She hated how she felt really helpless against Sera right now. "How the hell did she find that backer?" she mumbled while cursing Sera inwardly.


    Without Lawyer Liu, that Sera would have been helpless. She thought of the things that Sera received and even the crazy conditions that her grandfather set up for their family. Why was it so unfair?


    Sera was not beautiful or tall or as smart as her. She was ambitious and tried to seduce Edward when they were younger. She did bad things too! So why is it that the old man still loved her? Zhang Ying was also the old man''s granddaughter! Why can''t he love her instead?


    Was it just because she was the daughter of his favored child?


    After a few more minutes, she grabbed her phone and got up. "Where are you going?" her father asked.


    "I am going to see Edward."


    "Alright¡­ you should be more careful. I suggest you don''t do anything for now. Let''s relax and see what is that woman planning to do."


    "Hmph!" she scoffed. Why was it that all the thinking was on her? Once again, she started cursing her father for being too dumb!


    On her way to Edward''s house, she called him, informing him that she was on her way. However, Edward told her that he was still in a meeting and might be home a little later. While she felt irritated, she hid her emotions. Irritated, she turn off her phone and decided to try to relax for the night.


    ¡­.


    Current time: Thirty Minutes after midnight


    Edward couldn''t help but feel like he was carrying a huge, heavy boulder when he watched the video of Zhang Xin inside the villa that she was staying. Contrary to Zhang Ying''s claims, Zhang Xin doesn''t look like she had problems in her head at all. If anything, she looked like she was having a vacation.


    She was sitting in a rocking chair, a romance novel was in her hand, while juice and some snacks were placed on her left. She was smiling and would occasionally giggle because of the book that she was reading. After a few minutes, she called a servant and asked them to make her some special dish that she liked for lunch.


    Then she went inside and changed into a swimsuit and started sunbathing.


    How could Zhang Ying say that her mother was crazy?


    The more he thought about it, the more irritable he was. This video was released a few minutes ago. He was still in a meeting, so he wasn''t able to see it. Right now, it was already too late to try and delete it.


    All he could do was try to influence the trending topic of the social media site where the video was released. He looked at some of the mean comments and some memes that people created with Zhang Ying and Zhang Xin on it. They were harsh and calling Zhang Ying a fake because she tried to target people with mental disabilities and use them as an excuse for her mother''s crime.


    Earlier, Edward already received a call from Zhang Ying''s manager, telling him that he couldn''t reach Zhang Ying and that most products who paid as her their ambassadress already tried to cancel their contract with Zhang Ying. After all, this issue is turning big.


    "Sir, your mother is on line one." His secretary informed him. He nodded and answered his mother. "Mom?"


    "Tomorrow, you will go to the Hill Mansion and tell Mr. Hill that you wanted to marry Athena."


    "What?" His mother didn''t hold back. She didn''t say hi or asked him what he feels. She just told him to marry someone else.


    "I don''t want this issue to affect the future election." Madam Fu''s voice was cold. "That woman of yours¡­ I overestimated her. She is dumb and careless. She doesn''t deserve to stand next to you."


    "Mom! How could you say that? You know that I love Yingying! I would never marry anyone else aside from her!" Marrying Athena? That would never happen! "Besides, Athena has someone she really liked! How could you ask me to marry someone who already loves another person? Athena and I would never work!"


    "Hmph! Did you think you still have a choice? If you won''t do it, I will ruin Zhang Ying until she begs you to marry someone else! That woman is causing problems left and right. She is attracting too much attention towards you! Did you know that she had the guts to offend Lawyer Liu, that even my family would never dare to offend? I thought she was just bold. It turns out, she was actually stupid! Leave her!"


    "Mother!"


    ....

 Chapter 112 - Marriage

    "The video was on the net?" When Sera woke up, she immediately checked her computer and was surprised to see that everyone already saw the video of Zhang Xin. "This¡­"


    "Where is Chris?" she asked Ramik, who stood by her side. When she woke up, that man was already gone. If her guess was right, he should be the one responsible for the release of the video. She wasn''t even aware that he had this video!


    "He already left," Ramik answered.


    "Tsk¡­"


    "Madam, this would surely affect the stocks. Isn''t this good though?" Lawyer Liu immediately said. Clearly, Sera''s face was dark from anger. He decided to act carefully. "The stocks would go down and once we announce that Quinn Media would takeover, it would soar higher. If we think about it. Master really helped you this time."


    Sera didn''t answer. She understood that he was helping her. However, she was planning to do it slowly. She wanted to see Zhang Ying desperate. Once she was desperate enough, she would surely make more and more mistakes.


    Chris just took this away from her. But she could only sigh. What he did wasn''t wrong, either. She was just trying to up the game by letting them think they succeeded. Anyway, she was still thankful because of Chris. These are footages that she didn''t have because there was no CCTV or anything that she could hack near Zhang Xin. While she has evidence that Zhang Xin was living a luxurious life, she didn''t have any videos at all.


    "What''s the situation outside?" By now, Zhang Ying is already aware of the video. Meaning, Zhang Ying would surely think that it was Sera who released it. "Chris isn''t usually like this. I wonder why this happened?"


    "Ah, it must be because of last night."


    "Last night?" she looked at Lawyer Liu. The Lawyer quickly explained what happened last night leaving no details. "That woman is dumb. How dare she think that I would do something so despicable?"


    "Lawyer Liu, the only reason why she would think that way is because she is someone that would resort to such means," Sera said. "Since it is already like this¡­ please prepare to buy the stocks using Quinn Media''s company. Chris told me last night that I could do whatever I want with the shares, since he was away. I think we should take advantage of this and gain benefits."


    "Hmmm¡­ I already took care of everything. For now, all you need to do is prepare yourself for the board meeting later."


    Sera nodded. Now that she thought about it, Chris must have gathered a lot of things about the Zhang Family too, right? She started typing as she thought of having her own people, too. Right now, she has the money, but she couldn''t really trust anyone around her.


    However, having her own people would not mean anything if she doesn''t trust them too. Another sigh escaped her lips. It seems that she still has a long way to go.


    She started checking the live news from reporters camping out of Edward and Zhang Ying''s house. So far, they didn''t see any signs of Edward or Zhang Ying. Sera couldn''t help but wonder if Edward even went home the other night. The news was out by midnight. Meaning, Madam Fu should have seen it already. Did she already talk to her son?


    "Alright¡­ I will prepare for the board meeting." She said as she locked her computer and went to her room.


    .....


    Zhang Ying woke up with a smile on her face.


    "You''re still here?" she looked at the man sitting next to her. He was already dressed, a gentle smile was on his face.


    "How are you feeling?"


    "Hmph¡­ " She felt her face turned hot. "After what you did last night, you still have the nerve to ask me? My whole body is sore!"Last night, after her stressful encounter with Lawyer Liu, she decided to come back home and relax her mind. She fell asleep around ten and woke up after midnight because of Edward''s passionate kisses. "How could you even ask that with a smile on your face?" she pulled the blankets up and covered half of her blushing face. "You are mean."


    Edward responded with a low chuckle. He placed the book on the bedside table and leaned down to kiss Zhang Ying''s cheeks. "I have a surprise for you."


    "A surprise?"


    "Yes." Edward gave her an envelope.


    "What is this?" Sitting, she opened it. "A ¡ª A marriage certificate?"Letting out a surprised gasp, she widened her eyes at the document in her hand.


    "Sign it."


    "You¡ª "


    "I want to register our marriage. Sign it then we can go to the affairs bureau to register our marriage."


    "Why ¡ª All of a sudden?"


    "Sera was right. I believe we have been together for so long, yet mother still refused to formally announce our engagement. I wanted to register our marriage first."


    "This¡ª "


    "I already have your registry. I asked your father''s permission about it before coming home last night."


    "Edward¡­" Zhang Ying couldn''t help the tears from flowing out of her eyes. Who would have thought that Edward would actually do this? The happiness in her heart surged. Yes. Despite everything, Edward was the only person who loved her the most.


    "Are you going to sign it?"


    "Ah? Yes¡­ let me get my phone first."


    "No need."


    "Huh?"


    "There''s no need for you to turn it on. I think it''s best that we just celebrate this day as a couple and turn off our phones."


    Zhang Ying''s hands trembled. "What is going on? Did something happen?" Why would Edward suddenly act like this?


    "Of course not. I just thought that both of us have been very busy in the last few weeks, we didn''t even have the chance to spend some time with ourselves. When was the last time that we went out on a date without looking at our phones? You know¡­ just like when we were younger?"


    "I ¡ª " Again, emotions swirled inside her eyes. She knew that something must have made Edward like this. However, the assurance in his voice was enough to stop her from asking more questions. "Alright. But my manager¡­"


    "No need to worry. I already informed him that you won''t receive any calls in the next two days."


    "What about the board meeting? I thought you will join the meeting day?"


    "I already sent a representative to handle everything."


    Zhang Ying smiled. "Then¡­ please give me a minute. I will change my clothes." She immediately went to the bathroom and started taking a bath.


    Meanwhile, Edward narrowed his eyes as he looked at his phone. Unlike Zhang Ying, he didn''t turn his phone off and just put it into silent mode. Right now, he could see ten missed calls, all from his mother''s secretary.


    A few missed calls from Zhang Ying''s manager and a few calls from his lawyers. Despite his lawyer''s warning and his mother''s nagging, Edward already made up his mind. He will help Zhang Ying resolve the current issue. First, he needed to give her a proper title. He needed to make her his wife.


    After a few minutes, Zhang Ying went out of the bathroom and changed her clothes.


    "Eh? Why are we using this car?" she looked at the older blue sedan in front of her. The black cars that she and Edward owned were no longer in the garage.


    "Do you really like those cars?" Edward smiled at him.


    "Ah? No¡­ I was just curious." Even Edward''s bodyguards were not here anymore. "Are you going to drive?" she asked. This¡­. This is just too strange. What is happening? Zhang Ying couldn''t help but be suspicious. She knew that Edward was hiding something from her. And she couldn''t help but start to wonder if she should be worried about it.


    Despite asking all those questions, she already knew that Edward must have used the cars and bodyguards as decoys. Meaning, reporters were once again camping outside of their house. But why? Slowly, her eyes widened. Did Lawyer Liu expose her?


    But¡­ How could that be?


    He didn''t have any evidence! Anything he would say against her could be seen as hearsay!


    Just what is happening?


    While she was in deep thought, Edward already started driving the car. Just as she expected, there were no reporters outside of their house. So Edward''s plans succeeded. She bit her lips as she thought of the reasons why reporters would want to talk to her. Did Sera do something again?


    But isn''t this good news?


    Sera might have schemed against her, but in the end, she gets to marry Edward earlier. In the end, she still won.


    It took them about thirty minutes to arrive at the bureau and another twenty to finish all the procedures.


    "Eh? Where are we going?" she asked when she noticed that they were not on their way home.


    "There is a hot spring just outside of the city. I already booked it last night."


    "But what about my clothes?"


    "I already packed it." Edward''s gaze was gentle. "No need to worry. I already took care of everything."


    Zhang Ying smiled in response. She looked out of the window and stared at the dark skies. It looked like it is going to start raining anytime soon. She shifted her gaze to the man driving next to her. Right now, she is already Edward''s wife. She was no longer alone. "Thank you for doing this."


    "Why are you thanking me?"


    "I know that something happened, and that''s why you chose to do this." She wasn''t dumb. She knew this must have something to do with Edward''s mother. After all, that woman is really a threat to their relationship. After thinking it through, she realized that the reason why Edward married her in such a hurried way was because of his mother.


    It wasn''t because she did something.. It was because of Madam Fu.