Ch. 651..660
Chapter 651 The Calm Before The Storm
The policewoman exchanged glances with her colleague before revealing. “It’s your grandmother, Mrs. Lazuli.”
With a light furrow of her brows, Christina asked, “What happened to her?”
“Earlier tonight, there was a significant car accident near the Gibson residence involving Mrs. Lazuli,” the policewoman said solemnly. “Based on the evidence found at the scene, there were no signs of braking. and the driver responsible for the accident has fled. The initial investigation points toward it being an intentional homicide. We understand that there have been some recent unpleasant interactions between you, Ms. Steele, and Mrs. Lazuli. Therefore, we need to gather further information from you to accelerate the progress of the case.”
Azure was a decisive and cautious woman and had a knack for manipulating people’s emotions. In her daily interactions, she always maintained an elegant and graceful demeanor. Apart from herself, Christina couldn’t think of anyone else whom her grandmother might have offended in the past.
Christina, having done nothing wrong, maintained a calm expression as she looked into the policewoman’s eyes. The relationship between my grandmother and me deteriorated due to disagreements over dividing the family assets. Although we had a few unpleasant arguments, it never reached a point where I would harm her.”
The policewoman continued to inquire, “Could you please share your schedule for today?”
“I was at the hospital visiting my father this morning until this afternoon. There are surveillance cameras at the hospital that you can check…
Christina meticulously recounted every place she had been and everything she had done throughout the day to the policewoman, sparing no details. She even called Lyle over to be her witness but deliberately concealed the interaction that took place between her and Yerek.
“Could we look around your garage, Ms. Steele?” the policewoman suddenly requested.
“Of course. Please come with me,” Christina responded. Without further inquiry, she personally guided the two police officers to the garage.
As they entered the garage, they were greeted by a collection of luxury cars, all acquired by Timothy for Christina. Besides the regularly-used black Mercedes-Benz, the rest of the luxury vehicles remained untouched, and each car was meticulously covered with dust covers, preserved in pristine condition.
Christina instructed the butler to remove all the dust covers, enabling the police officers to inspect the vehicles more easily.
The two police officers carefully searched the vehicles but did not discover any significant evidence. They bid their farewells and promptly departed.
After instructing the butler to escort the guests out, Christina returned to the living room. There, she directed Lyle, saying, “Find out exactly what happened with Mrs. Lazuli’s car accident. I expect to have all the details within half an hour.”
Lyle wasted no time and swiftly embarked on his task.
During the wait, Christina replied to Rayne’s message, reassuring her not to worry.
She then proceeded to persistently dial Nathaniel’s phone number but to no avail. His phone remained unreachable, and none of her messages received a response.
Christina tried contacting Sebastian instead. While her call did go through, there was no answer from the other end.
This heightened Christina’s anxiety even more. She made a firm mental note, resolute in her determination to extract information about Nathaniel’s whereabouts from Lyle as soon as he returned.
A popular romance drama played on the television in the living room, but Christina had no interest in watching it. Her mind was consumed by other concerns, leaving her unable to focus on the show.
Half an hour later, Lyle returned with the information. “Mrs. Lazuli had a car accident near the Gibson residence. The car involved in the incident is the same make and model as the Mercedes-Benz you regularly use. Due to the poor lighting conditions at the accident site and the ongoing adjustments to the surveillance equipment in that area, the nearby surveillance cameras were unable to capture the identity of the hit-and-run driver. However, the police gathered information from individuals who revealed that Mrs. Lazuli had visited you several times, and there were witnesses who saw her being assaulted in your office.”
Christina tapped the armrest of the couch rhythmically as her thoughts raced.
The individuals most likely to harbor ill intentions toward Mrs. Lazuli, aside from Nigel and his son, are Anya and Macy. However, Nigel is in custody, unable to save himself, let alone orchestrate such a plot. Moreover, Mrs. Lazuli is his mother, making it highly improbable for him to be driven to the point of madness where he would hire someone to commit murder.
Christina had just reached an agreement with Yerek, and the man wouldn’t be so foolish as to create trouble for himself. Therefore, the primary suspect, who not only had the strongest motive to harm Azure but also stood to benefit from framing others, was none other than Anya
Mrs. Lazuli’s misfortune is not a mere coincidence. Her relationship with Anya has changed, and there’s a possibility that Mrs. Lazuli possesses undisclosed knowledge of certain secrets about Anya, which could have led to her being silenced. On the other hand, Macy is simply a woman who enjoys a life of wealth and luxury, and it seems unlikely that she would have the audacity to cause harm to Mrs. Lazuli.
With those thoughts in her mind, Christina instructed Lyle. “Find out what Anya has been up to recently.” Her eyes were fixed on him unwaveringly as her words hung in the air. As the silence stretched on without any response from Christina, Lyle’s confusion grew, accompanied by a growing sense of unease.
Lyle, unable to contain his curiosity any longer, mustered up the courage and asked, “Mrs. Hadley, is there anything else you need?”
“There is,” came Christina’s blunt response. “What are Nathaniel and Sebastian doing overseas? If you can’t provide me with a clear answer today, I’ll simply drag this out and keep you here until I get what I want.”
She refused to give the man a chance to dismiss the matter.
Knowing that this day would come sooner or later, Kyle carefully considered his words before responding, “The Hadley family is involved in a wide range of businesses overseas, including military and arms trade. Two weeks ago, our shipment was hijacked in Erihal. The perpetrators not only demanded a substantial ransom of one billion in Anglandurn currency but also requested for Mr. Hadley to personally negotiate with them.
“Erihal is technologically underdeveloped, especially in remote areas where communication facilities are often damaged. The chosen negotiation venue is situated in the mountains. Our team experienced a loss of contact with Mr. Hadley due to poor signal.”
A sudden pang of tightness gripped Christina’s chest, causing her voice to tremble slightly as she anxiously inquired. “And what about now? Did something happen to Nathaniel and Sebastian?”
Lyle furrowed his brow, remaining silent for a long while before continuing. “Our people who are stationed in Erihal are working diligently to investigate the situation. Please try not to worry too much,
Mrs. Hadley. For those who frequent Erihal, no news is often considered good news,”
It was then Christina finally realized that Nathaniel had kept this from her because of the inherent risks of the mission.
“Before leaving, Mr. Hadley instructed me to keep a close eye on you and prevent any interaction between you and Mr. Stone.” Lyle pondered for a moment before adding, “Mr. Hadley and Mr. Stone are business competitors, and the most evident proof of their discord lies in the rivalry of their respective businesses in Erihal.”
“Are you suggesting that the issues encountered by the Hadley family could potentially be orchestrated by the Stone family?” Christina daringly speculated.
“We can’t rule out that possibility. After all, if the Stones manage to push the Hadleys out of their position. as the top business in Erihal, the Stones can take their place,” Lyle didn’t provide a definite answer but rather spoke in a vague manner.
The newfound knowledge forced Christina to weigh her options. “I can’t completely cut ties with Sheridan at the moment. If I want to deal with Nigel and Yerek, Sheridan will be of great assistance to me.”
“Mr. Hadley is aware that you intend to use the Stone family to deal with Nigel and his son, which is why he isn’t insisting on you staying away from Mr. Stone. Also, he left you something.”
Chapter 652 Confident
Christina turned to gaze at Lyle. “What did he leave me?”
“I’m sorry, but according to Mr. Hadley’s orders, I cannot give you the item unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
Nevertheless, Christina’s focus was not on the item that Nathaniel had left for her. Now that she had uncovered the reason behind his trip abroad, her next course of action was to wait for him to contact her.
At this moment, I must prioritize my own safety to protect others. Moreover, I have confidence in Nathaniel, and I’m sure he made a wise decision.
Despite Christina’s efforts to convince herself not to worry about Nathaniel, there was no denying that she was unable to fully control her own actions.
That night, she couldn’t avoid the restless grip of insomnia.
The following morning. Christina appeared in the dining room, visibly worn out. She half-heartedly had a couple of bites of breakfast, declining Raymond’s suggestion to have a doctor come and check on her.
She then went to the company and attended a scheduled meeting that lasted until noon before finally coming to an end. Christina, completely worn out, sank into her office chair, longing for a brief respite.
Lyle had gone out to fetch a nutritious meal for her. Thus, she instantly perked up at the sound of footsteps. Warily opening her eyes, Christina recognized the person standing in front of her and said with a hint of annoyance in her tone, “You’re not supposed to be here, Anya.”
The thick-skinned Anya casually plopped herself down on the couch in the lounge area and helped herself to the fruits and snacks on the coffee table.
Christina glared at Anya but did not call for her secretary to have the uninvited guest removed from her office.
After finishing a plate of snacks and a plate of grapes, Anya turned to regard Christina with a smile on her face. “Your life is becoming quite comfortable. You even had the gall to reject Old Mr. Stone’s offer of several billion as compensation. When did you become so confident, Christina?”
The negotiation between Barnaby and me took place at my mansion, with no more than five people present. Excluding myself and Barnaby, the other people present at the negotiation are our trusted confidantes. How did Anya come to know the details of our conversation
Christina rose to her feet and walked over, taking a seat opposite Anya. “Are you here to plead for leniency on Nigel’s behalf?”
The insincere smile on Anya’s countenance faded, only to be replaced by a sneer. “Plead with you? Why would I bother pleading with you? Nigel abandoned me and my mother. Whatever happens to him has nothing to do with me.”
Even so, Christina was not naïve enough to believe that Anya had come to see her just for a casual chat. “Get to the point. I’m busy,” she said, cutting to the chase.
“Grandma was in a car accident. She was in the emergency room all night, and her condition only stabilized this morning,” said Anya. “I won’t beat around the bush. She’s your grandmother too, and the upcoming medical expenses require a substantial amount of money. I’m sure you’re well aware of our family’s financial situation and that we can’t afford those expenses. Right now, you’re the only one capable of covering her medical bills, so shouldn’t you step up and provide the funds?”
Timothy was still hospitalized. Logically, it should be Christina’s duty to fulfill the filial responsibilities on behalf of her father. Even though she was displeased with Azure, she couldn’t shirk the obligations that were expected of her in this situation.
Of course, Christina would provide the necessary funds for Azure’s medical fees, but she absolutely would not entrust the money to Anya. “I understand. I’ll send someone to the hospital to take care of the matters concerning Mrs. Lazuli. I’ll also ensure that all the medical expenses are covered. Thank you for making the trip here to inform me.”
Having been seen through, Anya didn’t bother hiding anymore. She boldly demanded what she wanted from Christina, “Grandma despises you the most. Even though you’re fulfilling your father’s duty on his behalf, I’m sure she wouldn’t be pleased if she were to find out that you were the one who paid for her medical expenses. If your actions end up angering her and bringing her harm, none of us will be able to shoulder that responsibility
Christina took a sip of water, her calm gaze seemingly carrying a penetrating power that struck directly at Anya’s heart.
“So, you want me to entrust the medical fees to you?”
“It’s for the best,” Anya stated brazenly. “You’re a busy woman, and I’m sure you don’t have the time nor the energy to take care of Grandma. Hiring a caretaker isn’t something my mom and I are comfortable with. We’ve already discussed it among ourselves and decided that the two of us will take turns looking after Grandma. If you’re not willing to contribute your efforts, then you should at least contribute the money.
Christina didn’t interrupt Anya’s self-righteous speech, prompting the latter to add, “Also, considering the current market rates, hiring a caretaker is expensive. My mom and I can’t work for free. You’ll have to pay us for our services as well. How about starting with a million?”
Staring at Anya as if the woman was a fool, Christina said with a hint of mockery in her voice, “Anya. you’ve lived a life of luxury since childhood, and your mother spends her days attending gatherings.
shopping, and traveling, yet you’re expecting me to pay you a million as compensation for your services? Do you really think I can entrust you and your mother with taking care of Grandma?”
Anya had been driven to the brink of madness by her mounting debts. Desperate to make money, she saw Christina as her prime target, and Azure’s medical expenses were merely a convenient excuse for her to approach Christina for money.
At that moment, as she realized things weren’t going in her favor, Anya swiftly shifted her stance. “Christina, don’t think I’m unaware that you’re involved in Grandma’s accident. Even the police have come looking for you. I’m sure you had a hand in this!”
“How do you know the police came looking for me? Did you bug me, or did you plant an informant in my house?” Christina asked solemnly.
Anya looked away. “I went to see you last night and happened to see the police officers entering your mansion with my own eyes. I didn’t come to see you after because I couldn’t leave the hospital.”
No matter how perfect Anya’s explanation was, Christina didn’t believe a single word that came out of her mouth.
“You suspect me of wanting to harm Grandma, but I have reasons to suspect you too,” Christina stated matter-of-factly. “In fact, the reason is simple. Grandma found out about your secret, so you wanted to silence her while simultaneously pinning the blame on me. Isn’t that right?”
“Nonsense!” Anya almost leaped out of her seat. Glaring at Christina, she continued, “I have always been transparent and truthful in my actions. Grandma is so good to me, so why would I ever want to harm her? Christina, you must’ve sent someone to do this. You’re unhappy that Grandma favors my father, so you want to seize her entire fortune.”
Christina had never been interested in Azure’s assets; her only desire was to seek justice for Timothy.
“Don’t think you can clean your hands of everything. Anya. The case involving Madison and Miranda isn’t fully resolved yet.”
“Madison? Who is that?” Anya feigned ignorance, her voice laced with sarcasm. “Oh, I remember now. Isn’t that woman your love rival? What possible gain would I have in killing her? She was after your man, not mine. And as for Miranda, she is even more irrelevant to me. She’s your stepmother, and we all know how much you despise Emilia. After all the abuse you endured from them, your reasons for wanting them dead seem all the more justified.”
Following the passage of time, despite occasional moments of fear when she feared her deeds might be exposed, Anya grew increasingly confident.
After all, given the lack of concrete evidence, the police would be unable to establish her as the perpetrator.
“I have no patience or tolerance for your harassment, Anya. If you continue to bother me, I won’t hesitate to have you reunited with Nigel behind bars.”
Chapter 653 Direct Confrontation
Anya realized that without the backing of the Gibson family, she stood no chance against Christina. She understood that engaging in a direct confrontation with Christina would only put her at a disadvantage.
However, Anya’s pride prevented her from acknowledging that Christina was living a more successful life than her.
Before leaving. Anya could not resist leaving some biting remarks. “Christina, you’ll pay for every ounce of humiliation you’ve inflicted on me! I swear, even if it means dragging you down to hell, I won’t rest until you’ve suffered as I have!”
“You all initiated this cruel game, remember? If you can’t handle the consequences of your own actions, why did you willingly create such an uncomfortable situation in the first place?” Christina retorted.
With a heart full of resentment, Anya stormed out and coincidentally bumped into the secretary who was coming in with a cup of coffee.
The coffee spilled all over the secretary, who screamed in pain.
Not only did Anya refuse to apologize for her reckless behavior, but she also seized the opportunity to shift the blame to the secretary and delivered her accusations with a self-righteous tone.
“Are you blind?” Anya scolded, her voice dripping with disdain. “Why are you staring at me? Do you want me to pluck your eyes out? Consider yourself lucky that the coffee didn’t spill on me. Otherwise, you’d be held accountable and have to compensate me with a year’s salary. I highly doubt you’re capable of handling that!”
The secretary, her eyes red with distress, cast a glance at Christina. Having had several encounters with Anya before, she was well aware that Anya was not an easy person to deal with.
Despite her innocence, she found herself unjustly blamed. Being scalded by hot coffee without any fault of her own was already a distressing experience. However, the false accusation added insult to injury. making it impossible for her to overlook the injustice. No matter how forgiving she might be, she could not simply let the accusation slide. “You bumped into me.
“What did you say?” Anya yelled fiercely, instantly silencing the frightened secretary, who did not dare to utter another word.
“Apologize to my secretary, Anya,” Christina said sternly, her voice filled with unwavering resolve and authority. “Otherwise, don’t even think about walking through that door.”
“Do you think I’m afraid of you?” Anya sneered, casting a disdainful glance at Christina and the secretary. “Just like you, Christina, your employees enjoy framing and deceiving others, playing the innocent victim card. They may be afraid of you because they’re under your employ, but not me. I have no fear of you.”
With that. Anya arrogantly turned and left, exuding an air of superiority.
Christina looked at her departing figure calmly, making no immediate move.
As the secretary watched Anya step into the elevator, she prepared herself to swallow her grievances and let the matter rest, but at that moment, Anya suddenly staggered backward in terror.
Lyle emerged from the elevator, walking steadily and maintaining a composed demeanor, carrying a bag of takeaway meals from a nearby restaurant.
“Lyle, bring her over here,” Christina commanded with a cold tone. Lyle’s timely return spared her the need to call security,
Lyle approached Anya, who looked at him with a terrified expression as if she had seen a ghost. She continued to back away, desperately wishing she could shrink herself into the crevices of the wall.
“Don’t come near me! Don’t touch me!” Anya exclaimed, waving her hands frantically.
Unfazed, Lyle calmly grabbed Anya by the collar with one hand while holding the bag of takeaway meals in the other before walking steadily toward Christina.
With a casual toss, he let go of Anya and turned to Christina. “Mrs. Hadley, are you ready to have your meal now?”
The onlookers were astounded. In the midst of this urgent chaos, only Lyle could remain calm and worry about whether Christina would go hungry.
Lyle paid no attention to the others, as he was committed to executing and carrying out his superior’s orders flawlessly. It was his professional code of conduct. Anyone who interfered with his work would not be spared.
To Lyle, ensuring that Christina adhered to her scheduled meals and sleep was a crucial directive conveyed by Nathaniel.
Sometimes, Lyle’s rigid adherence to protocols would give Christina a headache. She smiled and said, “Thank you for your hard work. Take the things into the office and keep them there. I’ll have my meal once I resolve the problem here.”
Lyle frowned and responded, “Mr. Hadley will not be pleased to hear this.”
Christina did not want to make things difficult for Lyle either. “All right. I’ll leave this matter to you. Make sure she apologizes to my secretary and compensates her for the medical expenses. If she refuses, you handle it as you see fit as long as it doesn’t endanger her life.”
Anya glared at Christina. “Christina Steele, how dare you?”
Ignoring her, Christina walked into her office, leaving Anya to publicly unleash a torrent of abusive words at her.
Anya was wary of Lyle, her legs turning weak with fear, but her tongue remained sharp, especially when it came to hurling insults without repeating a single word.
Lyle handed the takeaway meal to his assistant to take inside, then fixed his cold gaze on Anya. “Apologize, Compensate.”
Anya glared at Lyle and said in a low voice, “It was you. You barged into Warren’s house and left him disabled!”
The gruesome events of that night had tormented Anya in her nightmares for the following two weeks.
Cindee Weyverine, Warren’s mother, pinned all the blame on Anya, accusing her of masterminding the entire incident and influencing Warren to confront Christina.
However, their plans hit a snag. The truth was eventually exposed, resulting in a tarnished family reputation and significant financial losses for the company. Warren paid a heavy price, ending up crippled before the matter was finally resolved.
Cindee grew to despise Anya, taking every opportunity to physically attack her and even resorting to public shaming by exposing Anya’s dark secrets through posters plastered around the neighborhood where she and lived.
Anya and Macy had to endure the constant gossip and judgment from their neighbors whenever they stepped outside. Unfortunately, they could not afford to find a new place, and their current landlord refused to return their security deposit. Reluctant to waste their money, they had no other option but to continue living there.
Anya and Macy did make efforts to find employment, but Cindee would consistently undermine their job opportunities behind the scenes.
“Warren reaped what he sowed. He can only blame himself for his action.”“ Lyle’s eyes showed a hint of impatience. “Ms. Gibson, I’ve warned you before not to cause trouble for Mrs. Hadley, but it seems you haven’t taken my words to heart
Lyle flexed his fingers, his icy gaze sweeping over Anya’s figure as if he were browsing through a marketplace, “Ms. Gibson, would you like me to spare your hands or legs? I’m open to both options.”
Upon hearing that, Anya felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. The thought of ending up like Warren, confined to a wheelchair for the remainder of her days, terrified her. “F-Fine! I’ll apologize to her and cover her medical expenses, but you better not lay a finger on me. I want you to remember that I’m the granddaughter of Old Mr. Stone. If anything terrible happens to me, my grandfather will make sure you pay for it!”
Lyle’s expression remained impassive as he delivered a cutting remark. “As long as your name is not recorded in the family genealogy, you’ll never truly be one of the Stones.”
His words added insult to injury, further aggravating Anya’s anguish.
Fueled by anger and despair, Anya rummaged through her wallet in a frenzy, forcefully thrusting several large bills into Lyle’s arms. She clenched her teeth and begrudgingly muttered, “I’m sorry,” before leaving hastily, looking disheveled.
Lyle handed the money to the secretary and turned to enter the office, reporting back to Christina.
“Did she say anything else before leaving?” Christina asked.
Chapter 654 Cannot Afford To Offend Her
Lyle replied, “No. She left after apologizing and leaving behind the money for the medical expenses. Mrs. Hadley, if you have something to ask her, I’ll get her to come back.”
“No need. It’s nothing important. Just let her be.” Christina did not wish to see Anya and had nothing to talk to her about. Whenever they saw each other, they would either insult each other or get into an argument, or the conversation would always lead to a discussion about money.
Christina’s money did not appear out of thin air. She had already drawn the line with Anya during the division of the Gibson family’s assets back then. If Anya had even an ounce of self-respect, she wouldn’t be finding trouble with Christina all the time.
Christina had to host two meetings that afternoon, and she did not have much free time before that. The only chance for her to rest was after breakfast
“Any news from Mr. Hadley?” Christina turned to look at Lyle after removing her coat and hanging it on the coat rack.
“We have managed to get in touch with Mr. Taggart. Everything is well with Mr. Hadley. Mr. Hadley has also instructed his subordinate to pass a message to you, telling you not to worry.
“All right.” A rare joyful smile appeared on Christina’s face. Feeling less gloomy, she said, “I’m going to get some rest. Wake me up after an hour.”
“Understood.” Lyle walked out of the lounge and stood guard outside the door.
After Anya came out of Gibson Corporation and got into her car which was parked by the roadside, her phone started ringing.
Without looking at the caller ID, she picked up the call and started lashing out at the other party. “Why are you in such a rush? I will return whatever I owe you!”
“Anya, did you and your mother steal money to gamble again?”
Anya froze when she heard Yerek’s voice. She glanced at the phone screen, and her heart sank. “Yerek, I don’t gamble. I didn’t check who it was before I picked up. I thought it was a previous creditor calling to ask for payment. I wasn’t scolding you,” she explained in a humble manner.
Yerek let out a cold snort and went straight to the point, saying. “What did Christina say when you asked her to pay for Grandma’s medical bills?”
Anya would not pass up on any opportunity to criticize Christina.
“She didn’t believe me. You should have seen how smug she was just now. She has never treated Grandma as a family in the first place. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have encouraged Timothy to request a division of the family’s assets. It’s impossible to get her to play her part as a filial grandchild,” she said, twisting the truth.
“Anya, did you say anything wrong to her and anger her? Is that why she refused to pay for Grandma’s medical bills?”
Yerek understood Anya very well. She would rather kill herself than humble herself in front of Christina.
Nevertheless, Yerck did not care about that. He was not genuinely concerned about Azure. He only had one goal, which was to sow discord between Anya and Christina, turning them against each other.
However, Anya was not a useful weapon to him. As she was extremely short-sighted, the most she could do was to make a few superficial cuts on the enemy’s body. She would not be able to fatally wound them.
“Yerek, you don’t know how evil Christina is. That b*tch even ordered her bodyguard to chop off my legs. If I didn’t run fast enough, she might have already killed me.” Anya was racking her brains to
come up with lies to fool Yerek. “She even threatened that she would send me to prison to accompany Dad if I looked for her again. I have to stay away from her. I really can’t afford to offend her.”
“Think about it carefully. If we fail to get money from Christina, Dad’s company will go bankrupt. If that happens, we will no longer have a chance to turn things around. How are we supposed to convince Barnaby to acknowledge us as part of the Stone family then?” Yerek said plainly.
He was anxious to return to the Stone family, and no matter what Sheridan would do, that desire of his would not be extinguished.
As Nigel would not be able to escape going to jail, Yerek knew that he could not rely on him and had to seek a way out for himself.
He had approached Anya not because they were siblings or because he thought that two were stronger than one. Rather, there was simply no one else who could help him, and Anya happened to clash with Christina. With just some instigation from him, Anya would be more than happy to create trouble for Christina.
He would be able to get rid of Christina without even lifting a finger.
If he had known how useless Anya was, he would never have approached her.
“Christina can get anything she wants because she has Nathaniel supporting her, but I have nothing. What can I possibly threaten her with? Do you think I enjoy being humiliated by her and letting her step all over me? Do you think you’re the only one who’s frustrated? I am too!”
“You can snatch Nathaniel away from her and make him your man instead. Isn’t that your forte? Did what happen with Mrs. Yackley scare you?”
“Me? Scared? What happened to Warren was just an accident. He would have already been mine if his wife had not suddenly shown up.
“I found out that Nathaniel’s been going on frequent business trips recently. He’s attending an international business conference in Lostaria next week, and I managed to get you an invitation to the event. You should know what you’re supposed to do next, right?”
“Of course. Don’t worry, I know what to do. All right, if there’s nothing else, I’m gonna drive now.”
With Yerek’s support, ill intentions started brewing in Anya’s mind once again.
The international business conference was one of the most prestigious business events held annually. The invited guests consisted of some of the most powerful and influential businessmen in the country. Even if she failed to seduce Nathaniel, there would still be plenty of other choices for her.
Anya bit the bullet and contacted her previous styling team to customize a special look for her. Her goal was to be the most glamorous woman at the event.
Christina’s secretary passed her the invitation to the international business conference when she returned to her office after hosting two meetings in the afternoon.
Even though Christina had attended fashion shows of various scales, it was her first time attending at business conference.
It had been barely a week since she had taken over Gibson Corporation. As she was still not familiar with the ways of business and had yet to be recognized by the company’s business partners, she did not feel comfortable attending the event.
“Get someone else to go,” she said as she placed the invitation on the table.
Just as the secretary was about to reply, Lyle quickly interjected. “Mrs. Hadley, Mr. Hadley has confirmed his attendance at the event. If you go, you will be able to see him.”
Christina’s eyes lit up. “That’s wonderful! Make the necessary arrangements. I’m going to Lostaria.”
“Understood. I’ll book the air ticket and hotel right away.” The secretary did not leave immediately after saying that. She remained rooted to the spot while fixing her gaze on Christina, looking as if she had something to say.
Feeling uncomfortable being stared at, Christina asked, “Is there anything else?”
After a moment of hesitation, the secretary replied. “The hospital called just now…”
Chapter 655 Proposition
Christina’s heart skipped a beat when she heard the word “hospital.” She asked anxiously, “What happened?”
Sensing the tense atmosphere, the secretary quickly explained, “The hospital called and mentioned Old Mrs. Gibson has already accumulated a huge amount of medical bills. If you do not pay up, they may seriously consider stopping the treatment immediately.”
Christina had forgotten an important point as she panicked earlier. She had left her own contact information at the hospital.
If something did happen to Timothy, the hospital should’ve called her private number. She figured the hospital must’ve contacted her to talk about Azure’s situation because of Anya’s doing.
“I got it. You can continue with your work.” Christina instantly relaxed. She got up and put on her coat while instructing Lyle, “Prepare the car. I’m going to pay her a visit.”
Naturally, Lyle knew who Christina was referring to by “her.”
Due to the lack of money, Anya had arranged for Azure to stay in the most basic ward.
Even though she was the only person staying in that ward, Azure was still unsatisfied.
The first thing she did after waking up was to seek assistance from Barnaby, who was on vacation in the mountains.
Barnaby had been keeping a low profile lately. Although he couldn’t make it there in person, he expressed his utmost sincerity by sending his personal butler, Chandler Duncan, to attend to Azure.
Chandler arranged for her to be transferred to the VIP ward and brought along two experienced caregivers to take care of Azure, providing her with extravagant accommodation and meals.
Azure had turned her boring hospital stay into a luxury vacation.
When Christina arrived at the ward and saw the scene featuring Azure leisurely watching a television show on the hospital bed with two caregivers serving her, she thought she had entered the wrong room.
Azure snorted in displeasure when she noticed Christina, clearly not welcoming the latter’s presence. “What are you doing here? I’m not dead yet. You don’t need to come to collect my body.”
As that was the Gibson family’s matter, Chandler thought it would be best for him not to get involved. He made an excuse and was about to leave the ward with the two caregivers when Azure stopped him.
“She should leave, not you. What do you think you’re doing? Come back here, all of you.”
Chandler halted in his tracks and explained patiently, “You have something to discuss with Ms. Steele, so it’s not appropriate for us to stay.”
“I have nothing to talk to her about. If there really is something to discuss, why don’t you ask her why she had someone run me over with a car? Clarify this matter so you can report back to Old Mr. Stone about what happened, Azure uttered angrily.
Although Chandler had been instructed to come over and care for Azure, Barnaby didn’t tell him to do anything else. Besides, he wasn’t Azure’s butler. He felt somewhat reluctant to comply whenever she ordered him around condescendingly.
“I’m sorry, Old Mrs. Gibson. The police are still investigating your car accident. Without evidence, I don’t know how to question Ms. Steele either.” Chandler evaded the responsibility. “It’s not suitable for me to get involved in these matters, so we shall stand by outside. You can call us anytime if you need anything.”
With that, Chandler and the two caregivers exited the ward.
Azure grimaced and swept the fruit and pastries off the table.
Christina signaled for Lyle to leave. Then, she took a few steps forward and stood beside the bed, meeting Azure’s gaze.
“It seems your injuries aren’t severe. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have the strength to throw a tantrum. If I had known Old Mr. Stone had paid for your medical bills, I wouldn’t have come. After all, it is quite embarrassing because the hospital called my company to urge me to settle the bill.”
“It’s not as if I can’t afford to pay the medical fees, so cut that pretense of yours. Do you think that by saying all those things you can have a clean slate? Hmph! Dream on!”
“After you got into the car accident, the police did come to find me, but only to acquire more information. My suspicion has already been ruled out, so your suspicion of me is insignificant.”
Christina picked up an orange and slowly peeled it with a fruit knife. Azure warily stared at the fruit knife in Christina’s hand, training her eyes on Christina’s every move.
“Of course you think you’re innocent with Nathaniel helping you clean up the mess. Still, I don’t believe you. Sooner or later, I will find evidence and expose your nature as a hypocrite.”
“Whatever floats your boat. As I said before, I didn’t harm you. It is not worth it for me to take that risk for you anyway. Aside from your title as Old Mrs. Gibson, nothing else about you piques my interest. The assets under your name aren’t even as expensive as the limited-edition handbag my husband bought for me.”
Azure had never been so disdained by others. She was so furious that she could barely catch her breath. prompting her to hastily grab the oxygen mask next to her and take a few deep breaths.
“Do you know why Barnaby’s butler didn’t execute your orders?” Christina felt inexplicably thrilled to see Azure’s pathetic demeanor. “This is because members of the Stone family are keeping their distance.”
Azure removed the oxygen mask. “What do you mean by that?”
“The Stones are ashamed to be involved with the Gibson family. Undeniably, Barnaby still has feelings for you, but in the face of his family’s interest, both you and Nigel will be the ones to be abandoned.”
Since Nigel was imprisoned, Azure had been living a life of seclusion. The only person she took the initiative to contact was Barnaby. No wonder Barnaby has been treating me with less affection and passion than before recently!
“Christina, why are you telling me this?” Azure was skeptical about the change in Christina’s attitude as the latter had suddenly become so concerned about her affairs.
“Of course it’s because I want to make a deal with you.” Christina placed the peeled orange in front of Azure, having also removed all the orange pith. She curled her lips into a cold, mirthless smile. “It is your lifelong dream to become Barnaby’s wife, right? I can help you make your wish come true.”
Azure’s pupils abruptly constricted as her usual composure and steadfastness vanished without a trace. “Christina, will you only be satisfied after you completely ruin my reputation?”
Christina mercilessly exposed the secret Azure was still desperately trying to keep under cover. “If it weren’t for Sheridan’s obstruction, you and Old Mr. Stone would’ve reconciled long ago. Your relationship has long ceased to be a secret, so you don’t have to fear others bringing it up.”
Christina’s effort of arranging for her subordinates to keep an eye on the situation in Hallsbay wasn’t in vain, after all.
She hadn’t planned on taking action against Azure in her revenge against Nigel’s family, but Azure refused to stay out of that matter.
Since Azure insisted on meddling, Christina naturally had to fulfill her wish.
“That’s none of your business!” Azure began coughing violently. She pointed at the door. “Get out! Get the hell out of this room!”
Christina tossed the fruit knife into the fruit basket. Her emotionless eyes gleamed without a hint of warmth as she spoke the following words, which sounded like a great temptation to Azure. “Attaining the position as Old Mr. Stone’s wife signifies a higher chance for Nigel to regain his freedom. Consider my proposition thoroughly and come to me whenever you’re ready.”
Chapter 656 Killing Two Birds With One Stone
Azure was skeptical of Christina’s words. To prove she hadn’t made a mistake, she immediately dialed Barnaby’s number, only to find that his phone had been unreachable.
Unwilling to give up, Azure summoned Chandler and asked, “Did something happen to Old Mr. Stone? I haven’t been able to reach him on his phone.”
The butler, who had just spoken to Barnaby, knew that there was only one reason why no one answered the phone: Barnaby was ignoring her on purpose.
He replied calmly. “Perhaps he’s busy.”
Since Barnaby was on vacation, he had left Stone Corporation in Sheridan’s hands. No matter how busy Barnaby was, he could definitely still spare a moment to answer her call.
Although Azure was almost convinced by what Christina had said, she couldn’t give up completely without having witnessed it personally first.
“Deliver a message to Old Mr. Stone. I wish to meet him in person.”
“All right. I will convey your message as soon as possible.”
“That’s not enough. I must meet him latest by tomorrow.”
“I will do my best. I suppose you understand Old Mr. Stone’s temperament well. He dislikes others disturbing him during his vacation.”
He actually thinks that I’m being unreasonable?
Azure’s frustration caused a pang in her heart. However, she couldn’t afford to have a falling out with Barnaby’s subordinates at this point.
Once she successfully met Barnaby, she would have various ways to deal with that annoying butler.
“Remove all this food from the ward. I need to rest. Once you’ve tidied up, you may leave,” ordered Azure as she turned around and lay down.
Chandler summoned the caretaker in to clean up the mess on the floor before silently leaving the ward.
“Old Mr. Stone, Mrs. Lazuli wishes to meet you tomorrow.” The butler called Barnaby in the hospital corridor. “Mrs. Hadley visited half an hour ago. They had a lengthy conversation in the ward. They seemed to have talked about Mr. Nigel’s return to the family. Mrs. Lazuli still has feelings for you.”
If Barnaby heard that Azure was still in love with him in the past, he would have been so overjoyed that he wouldn’t be able to sleep.
However, he felt troubled now. He couldn’t allow a woman he had loved in the past to jeopardize his family’s reputation or undermine his authority in front of the younger family members.
“Tell her that I am busy preparing for my mother’s birthday celebration. It’s inconvenient for me to meet her. Let her rest well. If she needs any money, fulfill her requests. Just ignore everything else. When the time is right, you can come back.”
“Understood.”
That day, the butler found an opportunity to inform Azure about Barnaby’s refusal to meet her. She threw such a huge tantrum in the hospital ward that news even reached Christina.
Christina was not surprised.
Azure had masqueraded as a virtuous wife and mother for so many years. Now that everyone knew that Nigel was an illegitimate child, she would become a laughing stock should she continue with her act.
“Next week marks the hundredth birthday of the Stone family elder?” When Christina was browsing her phone, she saw that almost half of the news headlines were dedicated to the upcoming grand banquet hosted by the Stone family. Suddenly, she had a different idea.
“Yes. Mr. Stone has already sent over the invitation,” Lyle said, then turned to leave. Shortly after, he returned with an exquisitely designed invitation card.
“Prepare a generous gift. The Stone family is quite prominent in Hallsbay. Since I’ve only recently taken over Gibson Corporation, I cannot be absent from this banquet.”
This was a chance for Christina to expand her social network. She would never miss this opportunity.
Moreover, something interesting would definitely happen at the Stone family’s birthday banquet. If she attended, she would be able to witness the spectacle too.
I hope they won’t disappoint me.
“Mrs. Hadley, Mr. Hadley will be attending the Stone family’s banquet as well,” said Lyle, having just received the updates.
It had been nearly half a month since Christina had last seen Nathaniel, so the news filled her with uncontrollable delight. “Will he be coming to Hallsbay ahead of time?”
Lyle hesitated before responding, “If everything in Erihal is settled without a hiccup, Mr. Hadley will make his way directly to Hallsbay.”
“Take some rest for now. I’d like to be alone for a while,” Christina dismissed Lyle and immediately dialed Rayne’s number. “Have you picked a new workspace for our studio?”
She had been so busy caring for Timothy and handling the company’s affairs that she had no time to ask about the progress of the restart of the studio.
Rayne was also overwhelmed with work. As they were unable to meet the project deadlines, she had to personally apologize to the clients, who would sometimes deliberately make things difficult for her. At the same time, she had to prepare for the lawsuit.
All the responsibilities in the studios seemed to rest solely on Rayne’s shoulders. Although Christina had assigned two assistants to her, Rayne, mindful of the past experiences, preferred to personally oversee certain core aspects of the business.
Several days had passed since Rayne last contacted Christina. Christina could not help but feel worried.
Rayne’s voice sounded weary and weak as if she had just woken up. “Um…”
An awkward silence followed, which was then interrupted by Rayne’s exclamation. “Christina, I’ve already found a promising workspace. We were about to sign the contract, but someone sabotaged it midway! The owner of the office building is Emilia’s sponsor. Even though she is unable to attend any events during this period, she frequently accompanies the sponsor to various drinking gatherings. This sponsor, who lost his wife a long time ago, has now set his sights on Emilia. He even publicly announced his intention to marry her. This news has spread all over Jadeborough.”
Rayne couldn’t stop ranting. “And that’s not all! I’ve previously reached an agreement with a client regarding the compensation, but they suddenly backtracked and demanded to increase the amount. If we refuse, they threaten to seek justice through the media and ensure that we’ll be blacklisted in Jadeborough!”
Having suffered significant losses from the devastating fire, the studio had limited funds available for its operation.
They had dedicated so much effort to building a reputation for their brand. If they were forced to close down, all the painstaking work and investments they had put in earlier would go down the drain.
To protect the studio’s reputation, Rayne had been tirelessly running around to persuade the clients to honor the original contracts and resolve the issues.
“I have thoroughly investigated the backgrounds of those troublesome clients. It turns out that their husbands’ companies are desperate to collaborate with Emilia’s sponsor. Hence, they have no choice but to curry favor with her,” spat Rayne through gritted teeth. “Christina, if our studio wants to reopen, we must deal with Emilia as quickly as possible.”
Christina said coldly, “I’ve got a lot of incriminating evidence against Emilia. Get someone to release them. Give extra coverage to how she managed to get Melissa to become her manager.
Emilia’s rise to stardom was completely financed by Anya. However, the money came from dubious sources. If Emilia were to get into trouble. Anya would inevitably find herself dragged into a precarious situation.
By killing two birds with one stone. Christina could quickly resolve this matter.
Chapter 657 Frivolous Past
Christina sent all the incriminating evidence about Emilia to Rayne, who was astonished after taking a brief scan of everything.
If these secrets were revealed, it would be catastrophic for Emilia’s career. Even if she were to secure a sponsor much more powerful than Nathaniel, no one would be able to salvage her crumbling reputation.
Not only did Christina intend to blacklist Emilia, but she also aimed to drive Emilia to sign her own death warrant.
“Christina, are you absolutely certain about releasing all this evidence? Our conflict with Emilia is at its peak, so she can easily trace it back to us. Her sponsor is really protective of her.”
Now that they were actually going to do it, Rayne could not help but feel worried. After all, this was not a joke.
Emilia was a utilitarian who wouldn’t go down without dragging a few people down with her. Christina’s safety would be in jeopardy.
“Who’s Emilia’s sponsor?” Christina was curious about the sponsor’s identity. If Emilia has spent so much effort trying to secure him, he must be quite exceptional
“His name is David Labarge. His marriage life is not short of its drama,” Rayne shared. “I heard that there’s a hereditary mental illness in David’s family. Apparently, he beat his wife to death. Back then, David wasn’t wealthy, so they lived in a village that was not quite technologically advanced. The incident remains shrouded in mystery, and nobody knows the whole truth.”
David Labarge… Why does the name sound so familiar?
Christina furrowed her brow, searching her memory until a sudden realization struck her like lightning.
David is Winston’s cousin and business partner!
She had underestimated Emilia’s abilities. Slowly, she started to grasp Emilia’s true intentions of seducing David.
Is this a coincidence or did Emilia seduce David on purpose? I have to find out the answer to this as soon as possible. If Emilia did it on purpose…
Christina narrowed her eyes, “Get someone to monitor Emilia and David closely and find out who they usually interact with.”
“Now that you mention it, I suddenly remember something.” Rayne said. “I once stumbled upon Emilia and Winston having a date at a restaurant. It was clear that there was something more going on between them. Does David not know that Emilia’s cheating on him?” Rayne seemed to have discovered something interesting. “Hahaha! If I were to inform David that Emilia’s two-timing him, wouldn’t things become incredibly exciting?”
As Christina was all the way in Hallsbay, she could not deal with the problems in Jadeborough. “Rayne, I’ll leave this to you. If you encounter any problems that you can’t solve, contact me right away and we’ll find a solution together.”
“Got it. I’ll reach out to the media now. Emilia has been acting all high and mighty in front of me for far too long. It’s time for her to face the consequences.”
Rayne ended the call excitedly. The thought of Emilia’s downfall reinvigorated her. She quickly contacted her friends from the media and exposed all of Emilia’s incriminating materials.
While the headlines in Jadeborough were dominated by her scandal, Emilia remained oblivious. In fact, she was fooling around with David at a private mansion.
Her manager relentlessly bombarded her phone with calls, but she paid no heed. It was only when David went to bathe that she strolled to the balcony to accept the call.
“Emilia, you lied to me!” As soon as the call connected, Melissa erupted in a fit of rage. “Do you realize your career is on the brink of ruin? How dare you disappear on me? Had I known that your private life was such as mess, I wouldn’t have chosen you,as my artist even if Anya threatened to kill me.”
During this period when Emilia was blacklisted by the company, Melissa had not been very kind to her. When she accompanied David to social events and encountered other celebrities from the company, she would face snide remarks.
Although Emilia lacked a powerful background, it did not mean that she could be bullied and manipulated so easily.
Furthermore, having gained the support of David and Winston, she became much more confident. “Melissa, I was busy with Mr. Labarge just now. You know his temperament. If I spoil his mood and make him unhappy, he’ll withhold resources from me. How would you be able to profit from me, then?”
“Resources?” Melissa sneered. “Even if I showered you with a bunch of opportunities right now, you wouldn’t stand a chance. Your scandals have flooded the internet. Everyone knows your frivolous past. Now that your scandals have severely impacted the company, brace yourself for legal repercussions. You’ll have to compensate the company for breaching your contract. Don’t assume that David will readily come to your aid.”
Overwhelmed by the mess Emilia had caused, Melissa vented her frustration before cutting off all ties with Emilia. “Emilia, I hope you’ve got nothing to do with the rumors circulating online about me. Otherwise, I won’t let you off. Our collaboration ends here. Find another manager. I can’t possibly turn you into a top celebrity now.”
After Melissa hung up, Emilia remained dazed for a moment. She hastily logged onto the internet, only to be bombarded by a deluge of negative news articles. Each one of them was able to completely ruin her life and career.
The most shocking news was how Emilia had managed to skip the company’s stringent selection process and sign a contract with them after Anya bribed Melissa. In fact, she even had access to top- tier opportunities. This angered the celebrities who had participated in the selection process. Their fans joined forces and flooded Emilia’s and the company’s official social media accounts with a barrage of criticism.
The entertainment company’s hastily published a statement, saying that they would investigate the matter. However, that failed to quell the fans’ fury. The Public Relations Department’s hotline received so many calls that they almost broke down. The media scrambled to cover and get the scoop.
“Who’s behind all this?”
Emilia glared at her phone, wishing she could capture those fans who had insulted her online and make them pay.
“Emilia!”
Suddenly, David’s furious roar sounded from behind. She was so startled that she nearly flung her phone away.
Emilia swiftly regained her composure, trying to present her most tender and caring side to the man.
When she turned around, she was caught off guard by a sharp slap on her cheek. Then, she felt a sharp pang in her scalp. David was grabbing her hair and beating her up on the floor.
Emilia stood there, utterly bewildered. She cried out, “David, what did I do? Why are you hitting me?”
Gripping her hair, David forced her to look up. He looked as vicious as an untamed beast.
“You b*tch! Haven’t I been nice to you? How dare you fool around with men after being together with me?”
Chapter 658 Half Complete
Instinctively. Emília denied, “I-I never!”
“Never?” David let go of her and took out his phone. He clicked on the message and was close to throwing the phone in her face. “Explain yourself!”
There were photos of her and Winston behaving intimately in all sorts of places.
The evidence was irrefutable.
No matter what Emilia said, she would not be able to downplay the issue.
“David, please listen to me.” Emilia started to put on a pitiful act, and tears began to flow down her face. “He made me do it. If I don’t accede to his request, he will make sure I won’t be able to stay in the entertainment industry.”
David gave her chin a hard squeeze and said angrily, “Winston and I are cousins. We may be on good terms, but we aren’t so close that we will share the same woman. You can’t lie to me anymore!”
Emilia was dumbstruck, and her face turned pale.
She was a goner. She had thought that she had found a wealthy backer who could assure her that her career as a celebrity would be smooth sailing.
If there was no dirt on the internet, Emilia was sure that she would be able to turn things around for herself eventually.
Both Winston and David were equally paranoid. During this period, both men had been in a disagreement over an investment project, so David had the intention to set up his own company. Their relationship was no longer as cordial as it appeared to be.
Privately, the two men had sent spies to keep an eye on one another. If they could obtain some dirt on the other party, it might come in handy in the future when they went their separate ways. They would be able to get more benefits from the other person.
With that thought in mind, David decided not to let Emilia go. He walked up to her and questioned. “Did Winston send you to get close to me?”
Emilia was still shaken from David’s act of violence toward her earlier on. She looked at him with a blank expression and shook her head. “No…”
David had nothing to prove that Emilia was Winston’s spy, so he could only let her go.
“Remember what you say today. If I ever find out that you’re working with Winston to set me up, I’ll kill you!”
David grabbed his clothes and left. His good mood had been utterly ruined, and he blamed it on his luck.
It took Emilia a long while before she returned to her senses. Every time something went wrong, she would look for Anya to deal with the aftermath. This time was no different.
Before she could dial Anya’s number, Anya’s call came in.
Anya said, “Emilia, which powerful man have you offended? You’ve been blacklisted on the entire internet. I have spent twenty million on you. Twenty million! Even if I throw this amount of money into the water, I’ll be able to hear something! I’m ruined because of you!”
That night, the scolding and abuse that Emilia had received was more than she had ever endured in her entire life. She might be down and out, but she would not allow anyone to trample on her.
“Anya, you have no right to reprimand me. It was a fair exchange.” At the thought of something, Emilia asked, “Are you the one who exposed my dirt on the internet?”
Anya sneered, “Are you crazy? I have invested so much money in you. Why would I do something like that? What good does it serve me?”
“We are in the same boat, Anya. You have to help me.” Emilia was at her wit’s end and intended to drag Anya down with her. “Help me find out who the mastermind is.”
Anya had no wish to be involved with somebody as unlucky as Emilia. “What can you do for me if I help you? You are the cause of all my problems right now.”
“What do you want?” Emilia knew she was not in a position to bargain, so she humbled herself to try to trick Anya.
“Get rid of Christina for me!” said Anya. “I want all of her wealth. They belong to me!”
“You want to be Mrs. Hadley.” Emilia did not know whether Anya was having wishful thoughts or she was being stupid. “Have you forgotten about Madison? Christina has a way with men. What makes you think you can get Nathaniel to fall for you and marry you?”
Anya detected the sarcasm in her words. She said confidently, “Just tell me if you’re going to help me or not. Don’t worry about the rest.
At the mention of Christina, Emilia seemed to have realized something. Perhaps she had been suspecting the wrong person right from the start. If Anya was not the one who did those things, then it must be Christina.
During this period of time, she often instigated others to find fault with Christina’s studio, preventing Christina from making a fortune. In return, Christina ruined her career. It was fair enough.
“I’ll help you. In exchange, you continue to help me stay in the entertainment industry. We’ll sign an agreement first. You’ll have to make me famous. As of now, your mission is only half complete.” Emilia had to find a way out for herself. In order to do that, she must have the skills to negotiate first.
Anya said contemptuously, “Emilia, you really don’t want to take any losses, huh? I have no more money to hire a manager for you or give you any more high-quality resources, but I can provide a way for you to fight for resources if you are interested.” She added sarcastically, “This is something you are good at. Find a rich man and be a gold-digger.”
Emilia gritted her teeth and agreed, “I’ll do it!”
Anya knew it. “Then clean up and come to Hallsbay with me. The Stone family is having a birthday banquet next week, and you’ll be coming with me.”
Emilia immediately bought an air ticket to Hallsbay. Without a public relations team to stop Emilia from appearing on the trending topic, she was on it for three whole days and suffered the onslaught of scolding from netizens.
Soon, it was the day of the Stone family’s banquet.
Christina brought Lyle with her to the Stone residence.
Lots of people knew about the Gibson family’s scandal, but hardly anyone had met Christina.
When Christina attended the banquet, she did not attract much attention. She was able to find a quiet place to rest.
She would have left after giving her well wishes if not because she wanted to meet Nathaniel.
Such a noisy occasion was not suitable for a pregnant lady.
“Is Mr. Hadley not here yet?” Christina asked Lyle as she scanned the guests. She did not see Nathaniel.
Lyle took a look at his watch and replied, “He should be here by now. Perhaps he is delayed because of the traffic condition. Mrs. Hadley, please wait for a while more.”
The music was giving Christina a headache. She put down her glass of juice and said, “I’m going to the lounge first. It’s too noisy here.”
“Mrs. Hadley, this way.” Lyle led the way to the lounge.
After taking a few steps, she noticed two familiar figures from the corner of her eyes. She paused in her tracks and frowned.
At the same time, the two women noticed Christina’s presence as well.
Anya quickly dragged Emilia and headed in Christina’s direction.
“Christina, it’s been a while since we three sisters got together. Why don’t we have a chat?”
Chapter 659 Two Notes
Christina did not want to have anything to do with them. She ignored the two women and turned in another direction.
Anya went in front of Christina and tried to provoke her. “Christina, did you do something to Emilia and me behind our backs? Why are you running away? Is it because you feel guilty?”
When Emilia heard that, she was infuriated. She yanked Christina’s arm, looking very fierce.
“Christina, did you reveal my secret on the internet? And those photos! You sent them to David, didn’t you?”
Indeed, it was Christina who got Rayne to expose her dirt. As for the intimate photos of Emilia and Winston, it was Rayne’s idea to show them to David.
Of course, Christina could not admit it. She teased, “Who is David? I don’t know anyone by the name of David. My parents only have one daughter, and I have no sisters. Please don’t behave as if I’m your sister. I don’t want such a misunderstanding.” She pushed Anya aside and took a few steps before she added, “Let me correct myself. I don’t have embarrassing sisters like the both of you.”
Embarrassing!
Both Anya and Emilia were furious.
“Christina, you b*tch!”
The music stopped at that moment. Anya’s angry curses reverberated in the air, and all the guests turned to look at them.
“Gosh! Today is Old Mdm. Garcia’s hundredth birthday. It’s a festive day. I can’t believe there are people who would dare to cause trouble.”
“Since when did the Stone family become so low class? Why do they invite just about anyone? If I were them, I would have chased them out for sure. This is so embarrassing.”
“Those two women look familiar. Ah! The one in the pink dress is Emilia. She’s been trending for the past two days. Apparently, she’s a promiscuous woman.”
The crowd’s taunts and mockery struck Anya and Emilia like knives.
Emilia found it embarrassing, so she grabbed Anya, and the two women left the place.
Christina’s lips curled into a smile as she watched the two women retreat in misery.
She ignored the crowd’s doubtful looks and walked calmly toward the quiet garden, Lyle maintaining an appropriate distance behind her.
“Lyle,” Christina called out his name softly. The bodyguard went up to her. As she stared at the blood- red roses, an evil thought arose. “Come closer. There’s something I want you to do.”
Lyle went closer, and Christina whispered something into his ears. He nodded and left.
Lyle went to the banquet hall and stuffed two notes and some tips into the hand of a waiter.
Please give these two notes to Ms. Emilia Steele and Mr. David Labarge. Remember, don’t let anyone see you.
The waiter kept his tips and smiled ingratiatingly. “Don’t worry, Sir. I’ll take care of it.”
Without any expression, Lyle urged, “Go on, then.”
He did not return to Christina immediately. Instead, he waited until the waiter had handed the notes over to Emilia and David before walking away in another direction.
Lyle looked for Winston in the crowd. When he located Winston, he went behind him and whispered, “Mr. Winston, Mr. David is waiting for you in Lounge 202. He has something to discuss with you.”
Winston gave Lyle a hesitant look. However, since he had not reached an agreement with David regarding the investment project, he decided to meet him.
“I understand. I’ll be there in a short while.”
Lyle turned and left.
After finishing up the conversation with his friends, Winston headed toward the lounge.
At the same time, Lyle told Christina that everything was in place. All three of them had taken the bait.
Christina put down her juice happily and said, “Come. Let’s go and watch the show.”
Just as Christina arrived at the hall of the lounge, she heard a commotion coming from the second floor. The guests started to gather around and looked upstairs.
“I was wondering why you refused to come here with me. You lied that you were unwell and couldn’t come to the banquet. It turns out you are fooling around with my cousin.” Winston’s loud voice reverberated throughout the hall. “Tell me, how long has this been going on?”
Next, everyone heard slapping sounds coming from the room. Emilia came running out, but she was pulled back by Winston in a rough manner.
The disheveled David had long sneaked away in the midst of the chaos.
“Stop hitting me! Stop!” begged Emilia as she wept. “Mr. Labarge, I was wrong. Please… Please let me off.”
“I told you before to be loyal to me. The moment I find out that you are cheating on me, I’ll make you suffer.” Winston had gone crazy when he saw them getting intimate. “You actually disregarded my words!”
As the commotion in the lounge was getting louder, the news soon reached the ears of Sheridan and Barnaby. They had to resolve the matter as soon as possible before they got to Barnaby’s mother, Wendy Garcia.
If the scandal got out, it would bring shame upon the Stone family.
“Mr. Labarge, stop!” Barnaby ordered his men to disperse the crowd and stop Winston. “This is the Stone residence. I invited you here to celebrate the birthday of my mother, not to cause trouble!”
Winston stopped hitting Emilia. He glared at Emilia and straightened his suit. “My apologies, Old Mr. Stone. I lost control of my emotions. Sorry for the trouble. I’ll take her away right now. We’ll come and offer our apologies another day.”
Barnaby could not wait for them to get out of there in case something else happened.
“This is your personal matter. I shall not say anything. I’ll get someone to see you out.” Barnaby got his butler to see Winston and Emilia out.
Winston grabbed Emilia, and the two of them left the banquet hall swiftly.
Christina looked away disinterestedly. From the corner of her eyes, she caught sight of Anya who had been hiding in a corner. A hint of coldness flashed across Christina’s eyes.
When Anya noticed Christina staring at her, the hair on her back stood on end.
Christina! She must be the one who set Emilia up!
Anya looked viciously at Christina’s back and caught up with her.
When Christina heard footsteps behind her, she turned around to see a beautiful figure giving her a hard push.
“Go to hell, Christina!”
Chapter 660 No One Can Change The Fact
There was a ladder behind Christina, but there was nothing on either side of the ladder. It happened so suddenly that she couldn’t react in time.
Right as she reflexively held her tummy, someone wrapped an arm around her waist, and she felt a warm and familiar breath on her body.
Just like that, Christina fell into the man’s embrace and she heard the voice she had been missing.
“Are you all right?” Nathaniel asked, then shot Anya a piercingly cold look.
Christina nodded, looking pale. “I’m fine. I was just startled.”
Nathaniel’s gaze was filled with murderous infent as he glared at Anya.
Anya’s expression contorted as she argued. “I didn’t push her! She lost balance on her own. 1-I saw her falling down, so I came to help her.”
Obviously, that wasn’t true because Christina had been extra careful ever since she got pregnant. Furthermore, Nathaniel had seen Anya rushing forward to push Christina with his own eyes.
Nathaniel was determined to teach Anya a lesson.
Right then, with Yerek supporting her, Azure appeared before the crowd.
As though she had found her savior, Anya quickly hid behind Azure and uttered pitifully, “Grandma"
Azure glared at Anya in response. This brat is stirring up trouble, but everyone’s watching, so I have no choice but to side with her. After all, everyone thinks we’re a happy family.
“Christina, it’s Old Mdm. Garcia’s birthday. Why can’t you settle the matter privately? Must you cause a scene in public? You are too ignorant,” Azure said sternly.
“Anya tried to harm me. Why can’t I settle scores with her? If that were to happen to you, could you brush it off?” Christina sneered.
Azure shot Anya an inquisitive look.
Anya panicked. Thinking that no one had witnessed the scene, she lied, “She’s lying, Grandma. She almo fell down, and I rushed toward her out of kindness. She framed me.”
Azure and Yerek knew Anya’s true nature like the back of their hands. They would rather believe Christina’s words.
Seeing that the guests were starting to turn their attention toward them, Azure wanted to prevent unnecessary trouble. However, as an elder, she couldn’t let go of her pride.
“Christina, consider it a favor to me.” Azure suddenly coughed violently, and her complexion turned pallid.
“Grandma has just gotten discharged from the hospital today, so she can’t afford to get agitated. Christina, although our relationship isn’t as strong as it was back then, I don’t think it’s wise to cause a scene in public. You still have to look after the Hadley family’s reputation, Yerek chimed in.
“I strongly advise you guys to back off. Also, I don’t need outsiders to worry about the Hadley family’s reputation on my behalf,” Nathaniel uttered in a deep voice.
Azure’s and Yerek’s expressions turned grim at once when they heard Nathaniel’s threatening words.
There’s no way Nathaniel will let me off the hook. Anya quickly realized things weren’t going smoothly for her. Suddenly, she saw Barnaby from the corner of her eyes and shouted, “Old Mr. Stone!”
Barnaby was trying to avoid Yerek and Azure, so he froze momentarily when he heard that. In the end, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk toward them.
“There are too many guests around, so please, forgive me if I appeared inhospitable, Mr. and Mrs. Hadley.” Barnaby purposely ignored Azure and the rest. “Please excuse me. I have some things to attend to.”
The venue was packed with members of the Stone family and other guests. Barnaby wanted to avoid being seen together with Azure and her family.
At the same time, Barnaby was rather exasperated because he had clearly told the others he didn’t want to invite Azure, Yerek, and the rest. It seems that they have shown up uninvited. Not only did they come uninvited, but they have also come to stir the pot!
Feeling frustrated, Barnaby stopped having a soft spot for Azure.
What a loser! Anya criticized Barnaby inwardly and felt helpless when she saw that.
Meanwhile, Azure’s heart sank, and she started to hate Anya and Christina even more.
“Mr. Hadley, I’ll get Anya to apologize to Christina. Would you let the matter slide after that?” Azure asked coldly. “Even if you’re unwilling to show me some respect, you should still respect Old Mdm. Garcia.”
A sarcastic smirk appeared on Christina’s face. Based on Mrs. Lazuli’s words, I’ll look bad if I don’t let the matter slide.
Nathaniel only cared about what Christina had in mind. “I don’t get to decide on that. It depends on Christina.”
Christina let out a cold chuckle and said, “Fine. If Anya kneels before me and apologizes, I’ll forgive her.”
“Dream on!” Anya yelled.
Christina turned toward Azure and said, “You heard her. It’s not that I don’t want to respect you. It’s just that she’s unwilling to give in.”
Christina is taking advantage of the situation. Azure felt that Anya had let her down. She fumed, “Anya, do as she says!”
Were my ears playing tricks on me? Anya stared at Azure in disbelief. “Grandma, 1-”
Azure delivered a tight slap across Anya’s face and thundered, “Apologize!”
Anya held her cheek and held back her tears. While biting her lower lip, she lowered her head reluctantly.
“I’m sorry!”
With that, she turned around and left, refusing to kneel.
Azure said, “If you’re still not satisfied, I’ll bring her to see you another day, and we’ll settle the matter.”
She then brought Yerck away as though they were the victims.
“I’ll bring you somewhere to rest,” Nathaniel said to Christina before shooting Sebastian a look.
Sebastian understood the signal and went after Anya.
Christina didn’t see Sebastian leave as she felt discomfort in her stomach. While leaning against Nathaniel’s chest, she went to the lounge with him.
Nathaniel poured her a glass of warm water. She took a few sips and smiled at him with the glass in her hands. “Thank goodness you’re here.”
“You didn’t have to attend this birthday banquet.” Nathaniel’s tone was gentle. He wasn’t blaming her. “There’s a reason for this banquet. Old Mdm. Garcia is actually picking a woman here to be Sheridan’s fiancée.”
Christina laughed and teased, “Are you worried that Old Mdm. Garcia would pick me? I think everyone knows I’m pregnant and married to you.”
“Old Mdm. Garcia has never seen you before, but she knows your mother’s family.”
Christina held Nathaniel’s hand and said, “Well, that’s the previous generation. Now, everything has changed. No one can change the fact that I’m your wife.”