Ch. 661..670

Chapter 661 You Must Trust Me

If they weren’t in public, Nathaniel would’ve embraced Christina and told her how much he had missed her over the past two weeks.

“I know. I trust you.” Nathaniel held her hand and looked at her tenderly.

Suddenly, someone barged in and interrupted the romantic atmosphere.

“You’re here, Christina!” Sheridan pretended he didn’t know Nathaniel was there. “I thought you wouldn’t attend my great-grandma’s birthday banquet! After all, you’ve been busy ever since you took over Gibson Corporation…”

Oh? Sheridan is so friendly toward Christina! I wonder how often he looked for her when I was abroad. Nathaniel was overwhelmed by jealousy.

“Christina is my wife, so it’s only right for her to attend this birthday banquet with me. As the younger generation, we must show Old Mdm. Garcia some respect.” Nathaniel wrapped his arm around Christina’s waist and pulled her into his embrace.

Christina smiled politely, allowing Nathaniel to stake his claim on her.

“Oh! You’re here as well, Mr. Hadley!” Sheridan acted surprised. “I’m so sorry. You had your back facing me, so I didn’t know you were here. I thought you were the bodyguard Christina had been keeping by her side.

One should never be rude to someone who is smiling. I know Sheridan ignored me on purpose, but I’m in the Stone family’s territory now, and I must protect the Hadley family’s reputation. No matter how much I dislike him, I can’t kick up a fuss in front of so many people. If I were to do that, I would seem immature.

With that in mind, Nathaniel smiled faintly and replied, “It’s fine, Mr. Stone. But you shouldn’t have problems with your eyes since you’re still so young. Luckily for you, I know quite a few optometrists. Perhaps I should introduce you to them

Sheridan’s mouth twitched. A hint of resentment flashed across his eyes when he responded, “Thank you for your concern, Mr. Hadley. I’ll attend to my personal matters privately.”

Although Sheridan was a prideful man, he was taught not to have a falling out with someone in public.

Christina noticed the tension between the men, so she stepped forward to defuse the situation. “The birthday banquet is about to begin. I haven’t wished Old Mdm. Garcia a happy birthday. Let’s go.”

Nathaniel arched a brow and looked at Sheridan. “Christina and I have never been to the Stone residence before this, so we don’t know our way around. Would you please lead the way, Mr. Stone?”

Sheridan’s expression stiffened, and he forced a smile as he replied, “My bad. My great-grandma and my grandpa are entertaining the guests in the main hall. Come with me.”

While holding Christina’s hand, Nathaniel purposely created a distance between Sheridan and them. He whispered in her ear, “I didn’t know you were so close to Sheridan. Have you guys been meeting in private all the time?”

Nathaniel sounded annoyed. Christina blinked innocently and asked, “Who told you that?”

“How many times have you guys met behind my back? What did you two do together?” Nathaniel’s expression turned solemn.

Christina chuckled and grabbed Nathaniel’s necktie to pull him in. Her lips grazed his earlobe as she uttered, “There’s nothing going on between me and him. I still remember every word you said to me.”

“You’re distancing yourself from him, but he seems to have other ideas in his head,” Nathaniel sneered. “Even a blind person can tell he’s into you.”

All of a sudden, Christina’s expression turned slightly hostile. “I don’t care what other people think. You my husband, so you must trust me!”

She puffed out her cheeks and widened her eyes in anger.

“I was wrong, Darling. There are too many people here. When we get home, you can deal with me as you see fit.” Nathaniel would only show Christina his soft side. “You’re pregnant. You shouldn’t get agitated.”

Christina was a rational woman, so she knew when to stop. She moved her hands toward his collars to help him tidy up his shirt. “If you get jealous again, you’ll be sleeping in the study,” she warned softly.

Instead of getting angry, Nathaniel looked at Christina affectionately and replied. “You wouldn’t bear to do that to me.”

The couple’s intimate interaction attracted the crowd’s attention. Due to their good looks and graceful aura, plenty of the guests were eager to get to know them.

However, Nathaniel was an incredibly handsome man, so he was recognized fairly quickly.

A few shameless and daring businessmen brought their wives and daughters with them to greet Nathaniel. Some even tried to introduce him to their daughters.

“I’m sorry, but the woman next to me is my wife,” Nathaniel said coldly. “It’s rather inappropriate for you guys to introduce your daughters to me under my wife’s nose. Also, I’m not interested because I’m a loyal man. Now, please excuse us.”

Nathaniel led Christina through the stupefied guests and arrived in front of Sheridan.

“You’re still as popular as always, Mr. Hadley,” Sheridan said meaningfully.

Nathaniel cast a cold and sidelong glance at Sheridan and asked, “If I were to give this blessing of mine to you, would you want it?”

Sheridan hated dealing with those who would arrange blind dates for him on their own initiative. That was especially the case when it came to those who approached him with an ulterior motive from the very beginning.

“You’re a funny man, Mr. Hadley.” Sheridan smiled awkwardly and led Nathaniel and Christina into the bustling main hall.

When the trio appeared, the initially boisterous main hall went noticeably silent.

Sheridan walked up to Wendy and uttered loudly next to her ear, “Great-grandma, I brought you the person you wanted to see the most. The long-lost eldest daughter of the Gibson family has finally returned. She’s now in charge of Gibson Corporation.”

“Oh? Where is she? I would like to see her.” Wendy was smiling sincerely, unlike the formal smile she had worn when she entertained the other guests.

The huge difference in her smile prompted the guests to grow curious about the woman Sheridan was talking about.

“Great-grandma, she’s here. Put on your glasses, okay? The most beautiful girl you see is Christina Steele, the eldest daughter of the Gibson family.”

Christina quickly realized something. Nathaniel and I have become the center of attention.

She scanned her surroundings but paused slightly in a certain direction. Without the slightest change in her expression, she approached Wendy and told Lyle to bring forward the gift she had prepared.

“Old Mdm. Garcia, Nathaniel and I would like to wish you a happy birthday. We’ve never met before, so I didn’t know what you liked. However, I heard that you were into artwork, so I’m giving you a painting. I hope you like it,” Christina said.

Lyle removed the painting from the box, untied the ribbons, and slowly opened the wrapping.

The crowd gasped upon seeing the painting.

 

Chapter 662 Slander

The scroll didn’t feature any incredibly exquisite paintings. Instead, only a phrase was written on it in bold letters: Rest in peace.

Wendy stared at the words on the scroll intently. Her mood soured as the kind smile gradually dissipated from her aged countenance. She clenched the armrests with her emaciated and shriveled hands.

“Christina, what do you mean by this!” Barnaby was the first to snap out of his shock. “The Stone family sincerely invited you to attend this birthday celebration. If you didn’t want to come, you could’ve declined. There’s no need for you to act so maliciously as to curse our family. Do you think the members of the Stone family are pushovers?”

Christina was also dumbfounded as the antique artwork she had bought for a hefty sum at an international auction had now become an ominous piece of junk.

Before leaving the house earlier, Christina had thoroughly checked the painting, and she could firmly say with a clear conscience there was absolutely nothing wrong with it.

As for why the painting had been swapped, she reckoned there must be a complicated reason behind it that couldn’t be explained with just a few words.

Nathaniel shifted his piercing gaze onto Lyle. “What exactly is going on?”

That was the first time Lyle had made such a huge mistake. A cold sweat covered his forehead. “Mr. Hadley, Mrs. Hadley, I don’t know what happened. Mrs. Hadley and I carefully examined the painting and ensured it was fine before we departed from the house. I’m certain someone must ve tampered with the gift.”

Barnaby sneered. “You’re in this together, so you would naturally defend your employer. Isn’t this the Gibson family members’ style, saying one thing and doing another?”

Any sensible and clear-headed person could tell Barnaby harbored great prejudice against Christina as his remarks were filled with doubts and dissatisfaction toward her.

Nathaniel frowned in displeasure. “Old Mr. Stone, no one wishes something as inauspicious as this to occur during Old Mdm. Garcia’s birthday banquet. The Hadley family hasn’t fallen so low as to be unable to present a genuine antique artwork. You can be objective here, but you can’t blame us because of your biased opinion and make use of this incident to create unnecessary misunderstandings. Those not in the know might think you and the Hadley family have irreconcilable differences.”

Only then did Barnaby realize that he had displayed his true feelings toward Christina unreservedly in front of everyone. Colors drained from his face as he spoke. “I’m merely stating the facts. Although the relationship between the Stone and Hadley families has remained normal in recent years, we have never stood in one another’s way. According to you, Mr. Hadley, does that mean the Stone family deserves to suffer this misfortune, and if we wish to pursue this matter, we’re in the wrong?”

Nathaniel’s gaze darkened as he calmly refuted, “Not once have I stated that I intend to cover up this matter.

Just as Barnaby was about to argue further, Sheridan piped up, “Grandpa, there might be more to this matter that we’ve yet to discover. I’m familiar with Christina’s character. She’s not an evil or insensible person.”

Nathaniel uttered sarcastically, “It seems there is at least still one smart and reasonable person left in the Stone family.”

His statement had essentially offended the entire Stone family.

Nevertheless, Nathaniel couldn’t care less about the insignificant Stone family.

He would never allow anyone to bully his woman.

At that moment, every member of the Stone family present grimaced. Nathaniel is being too arrogant!

As the head of the family, Sheridan, as composed as he was, couldn’t help but feel slightly irked after listening to Nathaniel’s sarcastic comment.

“That’s too much, Mr. Hadley. Today is my great-grandma’s hundredth birthday celebration. This was supposed to be a joyous event, but it unexpectedly turned south. My family members are displeased, so their language might’ve been slightly harsh. I hope you can be magnanimous and not take it to heart, Mr. Hadley.” Sheridan, exuding the poise of the head of his household, attempted to defuse the situation. “Since Christina and her bodyguard are certain there weren’t any issues with the antique painting before arriving at the venue, the gift must’ve been tampered with here. We installed surveillance cameras in our residence, so why don’t we review the surveillance footage before making further decisions? What do you all think?”

Christina glanced at Nathaniel, and both of them tacitly reached an agreement. She nodded. “Since we’re the guests, we shall gladly follow the host’s arrangements. Let’s do as you suggest, Mr. Stone. Nathaniel and I have no objections.”

Now that Sheridan had personally stepped in to solve the problem, other members of the Stone family naturally had to comply. After all, Sheridan held the position of the head of the family. Even Barnaby had to follow Sheridan’s directives.

“Retrieve all the surveillance footage from the Stone residence immediately,” Sheridan ordered.

“Yes, Mr. Stone.” The butler hastily turned and left.

Wendy cast a pensive look at Christina and Nathaniel before getting to her feet. She said in a weary voice, “I’m a little tired, so I’m returning to my room to rest. I’ll let you younger generations handle these things All I want is a reasonable explanation.”

She departed from the venue with the help of the housekeeper.

Since Wendy had mentioned letting the younger generations resolve that matter, an aged member of the family like Barnaby didn’t feel it appropriate to linger.

“I’ll go and greet the guests.” Barnaby walked away gloomily.

As soon as he turned to leave, two people hastily trod on his heels.

Christina knitted her brows slightly at the sight of Azure’s and Yerek’s retreating figures as they trailed behind Barnaby.

Sheridan politely evacuated his family members and guests in the hall, leaving only four people, including himself, at the scene see her get into trouble.

However, some points didn’t add up. Anya and Emilia weren’t on the Stone family’s guest list. Moreover, from their reaction when they saw Christina earlier, the duo apparently didn’t know Christina was attending the birthday banquet.

Even if they knew, Anya and Emilia wouldn’t be so foolish as to try something like that at the Stone family’s territory, which had tight security.

Azure and Yerek were even less likely to be the culprits since they were clearly focused on targeting Barnaby.

Simply put, they wanted to take advantage of Wendy’s birthday banquet to force the Stones to accept Nigel and Yerek back into the funily.

Otherwise, Azure and Yerek wouldn’t have clung to Barnaby persistently throughout the event.

With all the most likely suspects ruled out, Christina wondered who was trying to frame her.

Unable to come up with an answer, she massaged her throbbing temples in frustration.

“Don’t worry. No one can slander you. I’ll never allow such a thing to happen to you,” Nathaniel reassured her.

Chapter 663 Selfish

Christina was not worried that she would be wronged. Nathaniel was with her, and this wonderful, clever man would definitely not let her suffer.

Her confidence in Nathaniel kept her calm as she fended herself against Barnaby’s questions and doubts.

“I’m fine.” Christina gave him a small smile.

Nathaniel shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over Christina’s shoulders. He looked at her with gen eyes, completely unaffected by the problem at hand.

“It may take some time to deal with this issue. Are you hungry? I’ll get someone to bring you some food.” he asked her casually.

Christina had been snacking on fruits earlier, so she shook her head and replied, “I’m not hungry.”

“If you start to feel tired, you must tell me. We’ll go home immediately and let Sebastian handle this on his own,” Nathaniel said softly into her ear.

Christina nodded gratefully. Wrapped up safely in Nathaniel’s love and affection, she really began to feel sleepy.

However, she shook off her drowsiness, reminding herself that the problem had been caused by her and that she should not be depending on Nathaniel to clean up her mess.

Sheridan felt a stab of envy watching the intimate interaction between the two of them, especially when he saw Christina smiling unabashedly at Nathaniel. He wished he could replace Nathaniel and be the only one in Christina’s eyes and heart.

Even though he knew that there was no hope for him to be with Christina, he still allowed himself to indulge in those feelings. By the time he snapped out of it, it was already too late.

Perhaps he had been staring too hard, and Nathaniel had sensed his eyes on Christina. Nathaniel raised b head and glared back at Sheridan with eyes full of warning.

At that moment, the butler, Walter, appeared in the lobby with the records from the surveillance cameras

Walter projected the recording onto a large blank wall so that they could all watch it together.

“I’ve looked through the surveillance recording for tonight, and I didn’t see anyone approaching Mrs. Hadley’s car,” said Walter. “There are security guards patrolling the parking lot regularly, and they did not see anything unusual tonight either.”

Christina stared unblinkingly at the recording playing on the wall. Something felt a little off about the recording, but she could not quite put her finger on it.

“Is this all the surveillance recording?” Sheridan asked Walter. “Is there anything else?”

“Nothing has been left out, Mr. Stone.”

“Mr. Stone, you won’t mind me making a copy of all these recordings, will you?” Nathaniel asked bluntly. “These things should be looked over by a professional. I have to be sure that these recordings have not been tampered with.”

“Mr. Hadley, are you suspecting that I secretly tampered with the recording?” Walter asked pointedly.

Nathaniel glanced at him. “I don’t mean anything by it. I’m just accustomed to ascertaining facts for myself. This concerns my wife’s reputation, which in turn concerns the Hadley family’s reputation. We do not take lightly anyone besmirching our name. If the situation were reversed, I’m sure Mr. Stone

would do the same. He did not even say anything. Why are you, a mere butler, so bothered by my request? Have the recordings actually been tampered with?”

The butler’s face instantly flushed red. His retort became stuck in his throat, and he could only shake his head vehemently.

“That’s quite enough. Since Mr. and Mrs. Hadley are the parties involved here, they have every right to make such a request. Cease talking right now., You’re attracting undue suspicion, Sheridan said coldly to Walter. “You have no business here anymore. Leave.”

Walter turned and left, looking dissatisfied.

Nathaniel instructed Lyle to make a copy of the surveillance recording and to have a professional inspect

“Mr. Hadley, is there really a need to blow this matter up to such an extent?” Sheridan asked in a mocking tone when he saw that Nathaniel had spared no expense in dealing with this matter. “Am I really so untrustworthy?”

“Mr. Stone, instead of questioning my intentions, why don’t you deal with your family first?” Nathaniel stood up. “If you don’t, you may find your position in the Stone family at risk. All right, it’s getting late. I’m taking my wife home. I hope we’ll be able to reach a mutually agreeable conclusion in three days’ time.”

Christina had been lost in her own thoughts, so she was startled by Nathaniel suddenly wrapping his arms around her and subconsciously resisted his gesture.

When she realized that it was Nathaniel, Christina relaxed and leaned into his embrace. “Mr. Stone, I’m so sorry for what happened tonight. Please call if you need to reach me. Good night.”

“Let me walk you out,” Sheridan replied.

“No need to trouble yourself, Mr. Stone. We can make our own way out as long as nobody stops us,” Nathaniel said pointedly and left with Christina in tow.

As soon as the Hadleys left, Walter appeared behind Sheridan and said, “Mr. Stone, are you really going to let them go so easily? It’ll be difficult to explain this to the elders.”

Sheridan smiled without humor. “No one can stop Nathaniel from doing what he wants. Haven’t you realized that yet by now?”

The butler hung his head in shame. “I apologize, Mr. Stone.”

Sheridan did not want to waste his time pressing the matter. Instead, he asked, “Where is my grandpa?”

“I saw him go into the study with two guests,” Walter replied.

“Go attend to the guests,” Sheridan instructed Walter in a flat voice. Then, he turned and headed toward the study.

In the study, Barnaby, Azure, and Yerek were deep in an unpleasant conversation.

Emotions were running high in the room, especially when Azure heard Barnaby refuse to acknowledge. Nigel and Yerek as his blood.

“Barnaby, that’s not what you said back then when Nigel’s identity was first revealed!” Azure grabbed Barnaby’s collar and screamed into his face. “You swore that no matter what happened, you would grant Nigel and Yerek legitimacy. This wasn’t even that long ago, and now, you’ve already changed your mind!”

Barnaby tried to pull away from Azure’s claws, but he could not break free. He was not the kind of man who would lay his hand on a woman, so he merely stared back at her flatly.

“Let go. This is the Stone family’s home, not the Gibson residence. This is not the place for you to be acting like this. Don’t you have any dignity?”

“What’s the use of having dignity? Your son is about to go to prison. This will affect his future and his children’s future! Even if you deny it, Nigel is still your blood! You wouldn’t want anyone saying that you have a son who has been in prison, do you?”

“Don’t use those words to provoke me! You are also at fault for what has happened to Nigel. If I had known that you were pregnant back then, I wouldn’t have allowed you to have the baby!”

Azure stared at Barnaby in horror. It suddenly dawned on her that she had loved that man for her entire life, and still, she did not really understand him at all.

“Barnaby, you are so selfish!”

Chapter 664 Wasted Effort

Yerek’s eyes gleamed slyly. He deliberately tried to dissuade Azure, “Grandma, don’t act so rashly. It won’t solve anything. Let’s calm down and talk this through civilly. Nothing is black and white. I believe Old Mr. Stone must have his reasons for his decision.”

Barnaby could not help gaining a little more respect for Yerek upon hearing the latter’s words.

In truth, Yerek’s behavior endeared him to Barnaby, but unfortunately, he was neither strong nor willful enough to lead the family.

Sheridan was a more suitable heir to the Stone family.

If the events that followed had not occurred, Barnaby might have considered legitimizing Yerek later on. However, when Azure heard Yerek’s words, she only became even more enraged.

“Yerek, stop caring about others! Think about the precarious position that you and your father are in. Haven’t we been oppressed enough as it is?” Azure said angrily. “Now, your own grandpa wants to do the same and pour salt on our wounds! I can’t stay calm!”

Barnaby was not without conscience. After all, Azure was his first love whom he had loved for many years, and she had even bore him a child.

“I cannot legitimize them for the time being. Nevertheless, if there’s anything else you need, I’ll do it as long as it is within my control, Barnaby said, capitulating partially to Azure’s demands.

He had only agreed to compromise so that Azure would calm down and stop embarrassing him by appearing suddenly at the Stone family residence.

Azure cracked a satisfied smile. “Well, if so, don’t you think you should make it up to Nigel and Yerek since they won’t have the right to the Stone family’s inheritance which Sheridan will be entitled to? Shouldn’t they be treated like the other Stone family members and receive some assets at least?”

What Azure was asking for was essentially the same as demanding Barnaby acknowledge Nigel and Yerek as his blood. The only difference was their official legitimacy.

Barnaby was about to reject her when the door to the study burst open suddenly,

“I do not agree!” Wendy hobbled in with her cane, leaning heavily on Sheridan for support. Her sharp eyes pierced into Barnaby’s. “Barnaby, you’re the head of the Stone family, but yet, you’re under this woman’s thumb. If people got wind of this, it would bring the Stone family shame!”

Barnaby stared at the ground as he listened to his mother’s tirade, not daring to deny her accusations or defend himself.

Wendy was an influential figure in the Stone family. Her word could determine a person’s fate and position within the family.

Azure sneered and countered, “Old Mdm. Garcia, this is between Barnaby and me. You should stay out of

Wendy looked at Azure indifferently, and her voice dripped with contempt when she spoke. “If you were

Barnaby’s lawfully wedded wife, I would definitely not interfere, but you are not. You are an outsider. Frankly, you are just another gold digger. As the head of the Stone family, I’m merely watching over our family’s affairs. You, on the other hand, are the one who’s meddling in our family matters.”

Azure was no match for Wendy’s words. Thus, she turned her eyes to Barnaby and demanded angrily, “Barnaby, tell me now, do you agree to my request?”

Wendy glared at Barnaby, the warning look in her eyes a silent order to stand down. “Well, Barnaby, since you seem to be unable to make up your mind, I’ll make the decision on your behalf.”

Barnaby could not go against Wendy’s words. He nodded and said weakly, “Yes, thank you, Mom.”

Azure’s hatred for Barnaby burned intensely. She had wasted too many years loving him.

“As Sheridan said before, the Stone family does not acknowledge any illegitimate children. We will not allow Nigel to call us his family, and we certainly will not be giving away our assets to any outsiders. You can cause as much drama as you want, but be warned that if you harm the good name of our family, we will not show you mercy. I’ve heard about your family’s nasty habits. To put it bluntly, all you want is money. Well, the Stone family does not care about spending a little money if it means a problem can be solved.”

Then, Wendy turned to Barnaby and said, “If you want to solve a problem, you must pay the price. You must pay what is due. We must not let people think that the Stones are tight-fisted with our money.”

“Yes, I’ll remember that,” Barnaby replied meekly.

“Sheridan, let’s go receive the guests. It’s my birthday banquet today. Let’s not allow such trivial matters to ruin the mood.” Wendy’s eyes were gentle and kind when she turned to Sheridan,

“Okay, let’s go.” Sheridan cast a smug glance at Azure and Yerek, then turned to leave the study with Wendy holding onto his arm.

Barnaby quickly set about carrying out Wendy’s instructions. He signed a cheque for fifty million in Azure’s name and pulled out the deed for a property worth several million.

“Take this. This is the most compensation that I can give you. This will be enough to refill the company’s empty coffers. Be more cautious in the future.” Barnaby pressed the check and the title deed into Azure’s hands. “Please don’t contact us again if there’s nothing important.”

Azure felt so self-righteously angry that she wanted to throw the cheque and title deed back in Barnaby’s face, but what he said was the truth.

She really needed the money.

Nigel wanted to appeal for a lighter sentence. They would have to hire an experienced lawyer to file the appeal, and such lawyers did not come cheap. In the past, Azure could have easily afforded the fees, but times had changed. Nigel had drained her private funds to pay off the company’s debts. She was barely getting by at the moment.

“Barnaby, you b”stard! Karma will come back to bite the Stone family!” Azure cried out angrily. She snatched up the cheque and title deed before leaving in a whirl of grief and anger.

Yerek looked at Barnaby sadly. Then, he, too, turned and left without another word.

He had thought that Barnaby would step up to his responsibilities as a father and grandfather, but he had turned out to be a spineless worm with no real influence. Belatedly, Yerek realized he had wasted too much time focused on Barnaby, He should have learned from Sheridan and curried for Wendy’s favor instead

From that moment, Yerek shifted his focus from Barnaby to Wendy

After Christina and Nathaniel got home, they sent some men to trail after the Stone family and take note of their movements

As expected, Azure and Yerek did not manage to get what they wanted from the Stone family Instead they had only succeeded in increasing the Stone family’s dislike for them.

Azure had wanted to take advantage of Wendy’s birthday banquet to force Barnaby’s hand. The timing was right, but Azure had made a mistake by overestimating Barnaby’s position within the Stone family and underestimating Wendy’s ways.

The Stone family already had an excellent successor in Sheridan. Wendy would not allow Nigel to retur to the family to avoid any power struggle between the two

“Christina, we have the results from the surveillance records

Chapter 665 The Most Suspicious Person

Nathaniel approached Christina with a grim expression on his face. “The surveillance footage was tampered with. The footage we saw was the final prodiet after being trimmed and edited

Christina frowned. “Is it possible to get the original footage

“I sent someone to the Stone residence to retrieve the original footage immediately, but it was still too late. All the records in the Stone family’s surveillance room were destroyed, Nathaniel replied

Despite the serious damage done to the devices in the surveillance room, there was no reaction from Sheridan at all. It almost seemed like he was already aware of it

Hence, Nathaniel couldn’t help but think that Sheridan was involved in the swapping of the painting

Only a member of the Stone family could cause such destruction openly and erase all traces discreetly

With that thought, the suspicion surrounding Sheridan instantly increased.

Christina was worried because their enemy was operating in the dark and they didn’t know what else they were up to. The current situation was unfavorable to them.

The perpetrator behind the scenes surely had motives beyond embarrassing her at the Stone family’s banquet

As Christina racked her brain trying to guess the person’s ultimate goal, a sudden thought crossed her mind. Her expression changed slightly.

Could it be that the perpetrator is intentionally provoking conflicts among the Hadleys, the Stones, and the Gibsons?

Suddenly, she felt a cool hand on her forehead. Startled, she almost leaped off the couch.

Placing his hands on her shoulders, Nathaniel asked worriedly. “Are you feeling unwell? You look pale

Forcing a smile, Christina replied, “I’m fine. I was just too engrossed in my thoughts. I’m sorry for making you worry.”

“What were you thinking just now?” Nathaniel’s expression softened. “Don’t keep it to yourself. Tell me We can solve this together.”

“At first, I suspected Anya and Emilia because we had an unpleasant incident at the banquet. But when you mentioned the destruction of the surveillance equipment at the Stone residence, I ruled out their suspicion,” Christina concluded. “Nathaniel, who do you find most suspicious?”

“I think it’s Sheridan, Nathaniel replied frankly

Christina’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Why?”

Nathaniel embraced her from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder as he replied, “Lyle must have told you about my business trip to Erihal. My rivalry with Sheridan is much more complicated than us vying for your love. In truth, it’s about the intense competition for the family business. Since the Hadleys and Stones have business collaborations, if the Hadleys were to initiate a conflict, it would cause the relationship between the two families to deteriorate. Sheridan will then be able to seize the Hadley family’s business effortlessly”

Christina had come to understand the cutthroat nature of the business world over the past month.

However, she found it hard to imagine Sheridan as a scheming person when he looked so polite and courteous.

Christina recalled every detail of her interactions with Sheridan and pondered carefully. Now that she thought about it, Nathaniel’s suspicion wasn’t entirely without evidence.

If Sheridan had approached me with other intentions right from the beginning…

A cold sweat broke out on Christina’s forehead. She gulped, saying, “Nathaniel, I should have realized it sooner when you strongly discouraged me from getting close to Sheridan at first.“

She looked at Nathaniel apologetically. “I’m sorry. It seems like I’ve caused you trouble again.”

“Although I don’t like you being friends with Sheridan, it’s not your fault for not knowing the stakes involved. You haven’t caused me any harm.” Nathaniel sighed before continuing, “Christina, you don’t have to be afraid of me or tiptoe around me. You know that I can be ruthless and heartless to anyone except you.”

Christina smiled and pinched his cheek. “I know I married an exceptional husband, but you shouldn’t spoil me too much. I have this bad habit that once I’ve been indulged, I won’t know how to restrain myself. You may be the one suffering in the end.”

“Well, go ahead then. I don’t consider it a trouble.” Nathaniel kissed the corner of her lips affectionately. “It’s getting late. We can deal with the rest tomorrow. Go take a shower and rest early

Christina rubbed her belly and cooed, “The baby is hungry and wants to eat spicy pasta.”

“Ill cook some pasta for you in the kitchen, but you can’t have spicy food.” Nathaniel replied with an affectionate smile. “Go take a shower first.”

Christina pouted in disappointment. “Fine.”

She got up and walked into the bathroom while Nathaniel went downstairs to cook supper for her.

When Christina finished showering, Nathaniel had already cooked the pasta.

The moment she looked at the sauce of the pasta, her appetite plummeted. She stared at Nathaniel and said, “I want to eat fried eggs, Nathaniel.”

“Wait for a moment. I’ll make it for you,” Nathaniel replied patiently before turning to walk into the kitchen.

Christina quickly tiptoed toward the refrigerator. She remembered that the housekeeper had placed several bottles of chili sauce in the refrigerator’s cold storage compartment.

However, after searching through the entire refrigerator, she couldn’t find a trace of the chili sauce.

“Are you looking for this?” Nathaniel’s teasing voice suddenly sounded from behind her.

Feeling guilty, she slammed the refrigerator door shut. As she nervously turned around, she saw him waving the bottle of chili sauce in his hand with an amused expression on his face.

“I just felt like having some juice suddenly, but it seems we don’t have any in stock,” Christina said sheepishly as she walked back to her seat.

“I heard that you’ve been craving spicy food recently and eating recklessly behind the nutritionist’s back.”

Nathaniel placed the chili sauce on the table with the label facing Christina. “These are confiscated for now. After you give birth, I’ll let the nutritionist rearrange your diet. Don’t make me worry, Christina. Be a good girl, okay?”

The way he dragged his last word carried a hint of threatening yet thrilling danger.

“Okay” Christina nodded obediently. Then, Nathaniel reached out and caressed her head, soothing her.

After Christina had her supper, she leaned against the headboard and waited for the food to be digested.

Buze!

Nathaniel’s phone, which was placed on the bedside cabinet, vibrated slightly. As the screen lit up automatically, a message abruptly caught Christina’s eye.

She glanced toward the bathroom. Nathaniel did not have the habit of setting a password on his phone, so she picked it up and opened his text message app. She then saw Sebastian’s message.

Mr. Hadley, the matter has been resolved. She indeed has murderous intentions toward Mrs. Hadley, Attached below the message was a photo of Anya tied to a chair, covered in wounds.

The photo looked like a scene from a horror movie.

Startled, Christina accidentally let the phone slip from her fingers, but a hand reached out and caught it

Nathaniel glanced at the content on his phone calmly.

“Anya harmed you. There’s no way I can let her off easily.”

 

Chapter 666 I Will Remember This Forever

Christina’s office.

Since the office building was right next to Hadley Corporation, he would be able to pick her up and drop her off anytime. Only by having her nearby where he could keep an eye on her would he feel asured

“I know your fashion studio is looking for a new office space. How about moving into the same office building as Gibson Corporation? When you’re further along in your pregnancy, you won’t have to travel back and forth. By that time, I’ll have Sebastian manage the company for you and share the workload, Nathaniel suggested.

Nathaniel was gradually luring Christina into his plan.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Christina nodded. “Okay, I’ll have the secretary issue a notice about the company relocation and make the necessary arrangements today.”

“Let’s have breakfast first. I’ll drive you to the company, Nathaniel offered, his eyes glinting victoriously.

After breakfast, he accompanied her to Gibson Corporation.

While it looked like Nathaniel was there to accompany her on the surface, in reality, it was a disguised form of supervision. Christina had been busy for less than half an hour when he ordered her to take a break

As time went by, Christina’s work fell into Nathaniel’s hands, and he reviewed and handled everything for her.

Eventually, all Christina was tasked with was to eat and drink to her heart’s content. Eventually, she lay down on the sofa and fell asleep. Nathaniel then brought her to the lounge so she could rest well

When a secretary came in to deliver some documents and saw Nathaniel handling work on Christina’s chair, she thought she had walked into the wrong company. She stared at Nathaniel at the office entrance for a while.

When Nathaniel noticed the burning gaze directed at him, he raised his head. “Do you need something?”, he asked the secretary.

The secretary walked in with the documents, her eyes scanning the surroundings. When she couldn’t find Christina, she opened her mouth to ask, but Nathaniel spoke first. “She’s resting in the lounge. Put the documents down; I’ll take care of them.”

“Okay.” The secretary quickly left the documents and exited the office while glancing at Nathaniel warily.

In the span of a morning, chaos erupted within the company. Rumors suggesting that Gibson Corporation was going to have a change in its successor were all over the place. More outrageously, there was a rumor about a merger between Gibson Corporation and Hadley Corporation.

Christina slept until noon, unaware of everything. After she woke up, Nathaniel took her out for hunch

Christina was about to leave the restroom after cleaning her coat when she was startled by Anya’s sudden appearance

Anya, who used to be radiant, now looked pale and resembled a vengeful ghost. No amount of delicate makeup could hide the wounds on her face.

Her expression was vicious. She looked like she was about to pounce on Christina and bite her neck in the next second.

I Will Remember This Forever

Christina instinctively took a step back while watching Anya warily. “What do you want?”

Anya let out a hoarse and unpleasant laugh. Licking her dry lips, she said, “I regret not killing you directly last night, Christina. I shouldn’t have pushed you down the stairs. I should have stabbed your heart with a knife!”

After being caught by Sebastian and given a painful lesson, she almost didn’t make it back alive.

She would remember this grudge forever!

“Seems like you haven’t learned your lesson, Anya Gibson. Do you need another one?” Christina glared at her coldly. “You won’t be so lucky every time.”

Anya suddenly looked around skittishly. After ensuring that no one was heading toward the restroom, she closed the door behind her.

Step by step, she approached Christina, her eyes locked on Christina’s abdomen beneath the latter’s loose dress.

“You’re pregnant, aren’t you?” Anya’s eyes flickered with madness. “Tell me, what do you think Nathaniel’s reaction will be if I get rid of the child in your belly?”

Christina shielded her abdomen with her hands as she continued to retreat. Then, with a jolt, she realized that she had no more room when her back pressed against the wall.

“He will definitely kill you.”

Anya smiled nonchalantly. “It’s worth dying if I can take someone down with me.”

With that said, she pulled out a fruit knife from her waist and swung it toward Christina’s abdomen.

Christina dodged. As the fruit knife plunged into the spot where she had just been standing, she rushed into one of the cubicles and quickly locked the door from the inside.

She patted her pocket anxiously.

Oh no! I didn’t bring my phone with me!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Anya kicked the door frantically while spewing vulgarities.

“Don’t hide from me like a coward, Christina! Let’s settle this face-to-face!”

Chapter 667

The bathroom door was forcefully smashed open, and Nathaniel rushed in, swiftly grabbing hold of Anya, who was clinging to the cubicle door.

Due to the forceful pull, deep gashes were left on Anya’s neck and chin from being dragged off the door.

Nathaniel flung her aside in one smooth motion, causing Anya to crash into the wall. Blood instantly began streaming from the back of her head.

Without even sparing a glance at Anya, Nathaniel urgently knocked on the compartment door, saying, “Christina, it’s me. Open the door.”

Stumbling, Christina quickly stood up and almost lunged at the door, trembling as she opened it and rushed into Nathaniel’s arms.

Nathaniel held her tightly, and his aura of hostility dissipated, replaced by gentle reassurance. He softly comforted her, saying, “It’s okay. It’s over now

With a tight grip on his shirt, Christina choked on her words, unable to form a complete sentence. “N- Nathaniel, my stomach… hurts…

Nathaniel’s expression turned serious. “I’ll take you to the hospital right away.”

He lifted Christina in his arms, disregarding Anya, and swiftly rushed out of the bathroom.

The car sped toward the hospital, where doctors and nurses were already waiting at the entrance, ready to

assist

At that moment, Christina’s face was ghastly pale, and the intense pain in her abdomen caused her to gradually lose consciousness.

“Save her!” Nathaniel grabbed a doctor and urgently exclaimed, “If you can only save one of them, make sture you save her!”

The doctor swiftly withdrew his hand, maintaining a composed demeanor. “Mr. Hadley, we’ll do everything we can. Please try to remain calm and await the results patiently.”

With those words, he joined the medical team, swiftly disappearing into the emergency room.

Nathaniel’s white shirt was now tainted with the vivid red of blood. He sat forlornly on a bench outside the emergency room, seemingly undisturbed by the disarray of his

appearance.

Sebastian rushed to the scene upon hearing the news, and for a moment, he struggled to recognize the disheveled man seated in the corridor.

“Mr. Hadley, are you all right? Did you sustain any injuries?” As Sebastian stared at the horrifying patch of blood staining Nathaniel’s clothes, his heart skipped a beat in shock

“It’s not my blood.” Nathaniel lifted his head to look at Sebastian with a deadpan expression. “Where’s Anya?”

“She was gone when I arrived at the restaurant. I’ve sent people to search for her. Given the severity of her actions, it’s likely that Anya is in hiding. It’ll take some time to locate her. Mr. Hadley, please give me a little more time.”

Nathaniel’s gaze turned fierce. “Sebastian, you’re well aware of my impatience. I don’t care about the methods you employ, but you must bring Anya to me, whether she’s alive or dead. You hear me?”

“Got it, Mr. Hadley,” Sebastian replied. After a moment’s hesitation, he added, “But things may become complicated if she seeks help from Old Mr. Stone.”

Nathaniel sneered, “Barnaby knows what matters most. Unless he wants to offend the entire Stone family. Sheridan will never allow Barnaby to create trouble for himself over an outsider who only causes nothing but trouble”

“Mr. Hadley, I’ll attend to my tasks now. Do you want me to assign a few people to be on standby for you?” Sebastian expressed his concern for Nathaniel’s mental state. He wanted to ensure that there would be someone to restrain his boss if anything went wrong in the emergency room.

“No need, Nathaniel replied in a deep voice. “Take Lyle with you. He excels at tracking people down.”

Sebastian hummed in response and left to carry out his order.

Meanwhile, Anya, who had managed to escape from the restaurant, crossed paths with Macy, who was searching for her.

“Anya, where did you go? I’ve been searching everywhere for you. I thought someone had kidnapped. you!” Macy shrieked upon seeing Anya’s bloodied face, My goodness, you’re bleeding so much! Who did that to you?”

Anya frantically dragged Macy to a secluded corner. “Mom, don’t ask me questions now. Get a car here quickly. We need to leave this place as soon as possible.”

Macy did not fully grasp Anya’s meaning. “All right. I’ll take you to the hospital.”

Anya yelled, “No, we’re not going to the hospital! We’re heading straight to the airport. I can’t stay in this city any longer. If I do, I’ll be dead. I’ll be dead, I swear!”

She burst into tears, her entire body trembling.

Macy stood frozen, taken aback by her daughter’s words. “Anya, explain yourself clearly. Who wants to kill you? What happened while you were away just now?”

Earlier today, Macy had accompanied Anya to see a psychiatrist. However, during the brief moment when Macy entered a store to buy water, Anya vanished without a trace.

Although she had finally located Anya, it was evident that Anya’s mental state had further deteriorated.

Anya’s frantic gaze scanned the surroundings, her eyes darting in all directions. Witnessing her distraught state, Macy could not hold back her tears any longer. “Let’s go. Let’s not see the psychiatrist anymore. We’ll head to the Specker residence to seek your grandad’s help!”

 

Chapter 668 Distorting The Truth

When Macy pressed Anya for the reason behind her injury on the way to the Specker residence, she learned that Anya had gone to cause Christina trouble Anya had even been intending to kill her out of anger. Macy almost fainted at the revelation.

However, now that things had come to this point, further complaining and blaming wouldn’t solve the problem Macy could only place all her hopes on the Specker family, so she brought Anya back to them.

As soon as the mother and daughter stepped into the Specker residence, Sebastian received the news and immediately brought men there to surround the residence.

Upon seeing this situation. Vladimir felt that the Hadley family had gone too far. He leaned on his cane and personally confronted Sebastian to demand an explanation

“You’d better withdraw all the people outside within ten minutes!” Vladimir said sternly. “The Specker residence is not a place where you can act recklessly like this. If things escalate, it won’t benefit Nathaniel in the slightest.”

Sebastian’s expression turned cold as he replied, “Mr. Specker, your granddaughter Anya wanted to harm Mrs. Hadley. Currently, Mrs. Hadley is in the hospital, fighting for her life. This is not the first time Anya has done such outrageous things. Are you sure you want to protect her?”

Anya harmed someone?

Why is this different from what Macy and Anya told me?

Although Vladimir had heard rumors about Anya’s actions, rumors were still just rumors. They were far from being as reliable and true as what family members said. He didn’t believe the words of outsiders

With a stern expression, he said, “Clearly, it was Christina’s bad behavior that started it all. I believe Anya accidentally injured her in self-defense. On the contrary, you relentless people are hounding her.

Go back and tell Nathaniel that if he wants to take Anya away from me, he needs to present evidence.”

Sebastian never went to a fight unprepared. Upon learning that Anya had sought refuge with the Specker family, he had made preparations in advance. He had been collecting all the evidence of Anya’s crimes and compiling them into a dossier, which he now presented in its entirety to Vladimir.

Lyle handed a stack of thick documents to Vladimir, accompanied by a tablet containing surveillance footage.

Vladimir quickly flipped through the stack of documents, his expression becoming increasingly grin the further he read

“Mr. Specker, all these documents are concrete evidence of Anya’s embezzlement and a series of financial crimes committed during her tenure as a senior executive at Gibson Corporation,” Sebastian coldly remarked with a smirk. “Even if I randomly pick one of the mistakes she made, the Specker family’s power won’t be enough to shield her from the due punishment. Mr. Specker, please don’t make a mistake by helping her.”

Expression stony, Vladimir handed the documents to the butler behind him and played the surveillance footage on the tablet. Those videos not only captured the moment when Anya attempted to assassinate Christina in the restaurant restroom but also presented evidence of Anya murdering Madison in the mental hospital and killing Miranda in a fire

The tablet slipped from Vladimir’s hands and fell to the ground as he closed his eyes in disappointment.

Macy and Anya have deceived met

“I cannot let you take Anya away” Vladimir opened his eyes, his gaze piercing “She has broken the law, so she should be punished by the justice system. I will personally send her to the police station

It Anya fell into Nathaniel’s hands, she was as good as dead. He had promised Macy to protect Anya, and he always kept his word.

“I cannot comply with your request, Sebastian said. “Mr. Specker, please don’t make things difficult for me II Mr. Hadley doesn’t see her when I return, I won’t be able to give him a good enough explanation”

T

“I will seek out Nathaniel myself and explain my reasons. I won’t cause trouble for you. Rest assured Vladimir said firmly. “The Hadley family might always get their way in Jadeborough, but this is Hallsbay The Hadley family shouldn’t think they can rule everything here!”

Sebastian saw that Vladimir was determined to do things his own way, so he didn’t want to waste any more

time

Nathaniel had given a strict order, and not even Vladimir himself could protect anyone. Today, even if the king himself came, Sebastian would have to take Anya away.

“Mr. Specker, it seems I have no choice. Please forgive me for intruding” Sebastian looked at Lyle. ‘Search the place!”

“Sebastian, how dare you!” Vladimir widened his eyes in a glare. These men under Nathaniel’s command are simply too insolent!

Lyle pushed past Vladimir and his butler, then boldly rushed into the mansion with his men.

Vladimir was trembling with anger as he said to his buler, “Joe, quick! Call the police!”

Shooting them an icy look. Sebastian sneered, “Call the police? Well, make sure you hide all the evidence of Anya’s crimes. Otherwise, when the police come here, they will certainly arrest her.”

Vladimir hurriedly stopped Joe from making the call, all while gasping for breath. “Don’t call the police!”

Sebastian’s lips curled into a mocking grin as he looked up at Lyle, who had just walked out of the mansion. His eyebrows furrowed.

“Where is she?”

“She ran away. There’s a secret passage in the basement of the mansion that leads outside. She must have escaped through there

Sebastian glanced at Vladimir and said in a deep voice, “Let’s go.”

With his command, all the bodyguards guarding the Specker residence were withdrawn,

Vladimir let out a sigh of relief and stormed into the mansion.

Macy sat on the couch in the living room, looking lost and slow to react. She turned her head slowly toward Vladimir and asked, “Dad, have they all left?”

Vladimir raised his hand and struck Macy with his cane. “You brat! Anya caused such a big mess, yet you actually lied to me and told me it was Christina trying to kill you!”

Macy hid behind the couch, her gaze flickering. “Dad, Christina is full of tricks. Her people are not good people either. Please don’t believe what they say.”

“They have evidence of Anya’s crimes.” Vladimir suddenly felt utterly hopeless. “Anya killed people. Two lives were lost by her hands. How can the Specker family protect her?

A stunned expression crossed Macy’s face. “That’s impossible! Anya would never dare to kill someone. She doesn’t even dare to slaughter a chicken! The evidence they have must be fabricated. Dad, think about it. If Anya really killed someone, then why haven’t the police come to arrest her?”

Vladimir had initially shared the same thoughts as Macy, but Anya’s actions couldn’t withstand scrutiny.

“Then you should go and ask your husband, Nigel, what’s really going on.” Vladimir said. Having traveled far and wide, Vladimir was familiar with even the most despicable methods.

Anya was used to relying on her father. He couldn’t possibly be completely unaware of the terrible things she did. Perhaps Anya’s impunity was a result of his work.

“The Specker family can’t keep you around anymore. You should leave quickly.” Vladimir was determined to distance himself from Macy. “Nigel’s biological father is Barnaby Stone, right? Go and talk to him. He won’t ignore your plea for help. I can’t deal with your affairs.”

Even if he didn’t care about himself, he had to consider the interests of the Specker family.

Mary’s last hope shattered, and desperation filled her heart. “Dad, Anya is your granddaughter, and 1 am your daughter. How can you heartlessly abandon us? Anya is my only lifeline. Nothing must happen to her. I beg you, please save us!”

Vladimir sighed, appearing as if he had aged ten years in a day

“If you’d known this would be your fate, you wouldn’t have ended up in this situation. Well, why don’t you take Anya to visit Christina and beg for her forgiveness? Perhaps there’s still hope.”

Chapter 669 A Desperate Situation

Macy would rather someone end her misery with a swift blow rather than beg Christina for forgiveness.

“No, I will never beg Christina!” Macy shouted. “That old man Barnaby doesn’t even acknowledge Mrs. Lazuli. If he had any conscience, Nigel wouldn’t have ended up in prison. The members of the Stone family are selfish and only care about themselves. They would gladly disassociate themselves from Nigel. Dad, considering the help Nigel provided our family in the past, please save Anya. I beg you! I’ll even kneel before you!”

She crawled over and knelt before Vladimir, repeatedly knocking her head heavily on the ground.

The Specker family was Macy’s last ray of hope, and she would never give up.

Joe couldn’t bear to see her like this and interjected, “Mr. Specker, although Ms. Macy has been married for many years, she still represents the Specker family. While the Specker family may not be as wealthy as the Gibson family or the Hadley family, we still hold a certain reputation in Hallsbay. If we let others trample over us, it will only make us appear weak and powerless. Soon, no one will fear us anymore.”

Vladimir glared angrily at Joe. “You don’t understand. The Hadley family is not to be trifled with. That brat Nathaniel is even more difficult to deal with than his father Charlie. Even if I’m inclined to help, Anya still can’t compare to the greater importance of the Specker family.”

-Joe wanted to say more but was silenced by Vladimir’s stern gaze.

Macy’s heart sank as her eyes filled with despair. “So, you really don’t care about me and Anya?”

“Macy, this is the path you’ve chosen, and others can’t help you.” Vladimir sighed helplessly and turned coldly to go upstairs.

Joe hurriedly approached Macy and helped her up. “Ms. Macy, Mr. Specker is currently blinded by anger. Why don’t you go find Ms. Anya first? Once Mr. Specker has calmed down, he will naturally handle the trouble for you.”

Macy sneered, “He won’t help me and Anya. He’s my father, and I understand him. Thank you for speaking up for me just now, Joe. I’ll be leaving.”

She walked out of the mansion with a desolate expression. Joe rushed up to her and handed her a check worth one million.

He said, “Ms. Macy, this is what Mr. Specker asked me to give you. With the Gibson family’s scandal making such big waves recently, Mr. Specker has naturally been paying attention. He can’t intervene in- other matters, but at least he can take care of your daily needs.”

Macy accepted it expressionlessly, feeling dead inside. “Thank him for me.”

Joe watched Macy leave before turning to head back to the mansion. “Mr. Specker, Ms. Macy has accepted it.”

Vladimir stared at the scenery outside the window, feeling lost. “Anya is just like her father. They’re both too eager for quick success and instant benefits. The truth will always come out. Nigel should have anticipated this day.”

Joe only partially understood. He stood silently by the side without saying a word.

As night fell, Nathaniel remained by Christina’s bedside for several hours without moving at all. Fatigue

was evident in his weary eyes.

Sebastian slowed his pace as he walked in and whispered a few words in Nathaniel’s ear. Following that, Nathaniel stood up and walked out of the hospital room.

He didn’t dare to go too far and deliberately left the hospital room door slightly ajar, ensuring that he could see Christina at all times.

“After Anya left the Specker residence, she disappeared. Our men found her discarded phone near the Specker residence, but the street surveillance cameras couldn’t trace her whereabouts,” Sebastian said quietly.

He continued, “Mr. Specker made it clear that he won’t meddle in this mess, while Mrs. Gibson returned to the rented house and hasn’t left home all afternoon. Communication records show that she only contacted Mrs. Lazuli, though without any success. She hasn’t contacted anyone else.”

Anya had run out of options. She had almost no one to rely on in Hallsbay, nor did she have anyone backing her up. There was no way she could escape Sebastian’s pursuit.

Nathaniel pondered before asking, “What’s the situation with Yerek and Barnaby?”

“Yerek/has been trying to find ways to use Barnaby’s money to solve the company’s problems. He’s been on a business trip out of town these past couple of days and is overwhelmed by work,” Sebastian said. “According to the investigation, Yerek and Anya’s relationship is not harmonious, especially after the Gibson family split. Anya has conflicts with Mrs. Lazuli as well. Old Mr. Stone has been ordered by Old Mdm. Garcia to reflect and meditate in the ancestral hall, so he’s unaware of what’s happening in the outside world.”

Nathaniel noticed Christina’s fingertips trembling slightly, so he quickly said, “Go investigate Sheridan.”

The moment he finished speaking, he pushed open the door and hurried to the bedside, grabbing Christina’s hand and tightly holding it.

“Christina?”

Upon hearing Nathaniel’s voice, Christina slowly opened her eyes, her confused gaze gradually finding focus.

She suddenly pulled back her hand and touched her belly, wanting to make sure the baby was safe. Then, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Christina looked up at Nathaniel. In an instant, she felt aggrieved, and her eyes reddened. “Nathaniel, I–I thought we lost the baby.”

Nathaniel said, “I won’t let anything happen to you both. You had a fright, and the baby was slightly affected. The doctor recommends full bed rest.”

Christina nodded. “I understand.”

She gently rubbed her belly, feeling lucky that she had not lost the baby.

“Christina, there’s something I want to discuss seriously with you,” Nathaniel said solemnly. “From now on, you should focus on taking care of yourself and the baby. You won’t be able to manage both Gibson Corporation and the studio. How about we relocate Gibson Corporation to Jadeborough starting tomorrow? I’ve already asked the secretary to gather opinions from the employees, and they are all willing to move with the company. The only thing we need is your approval.”

Every decision Nathaniel made was well thought out and centered around Christina. Christina trusted him wholeheartedly, and she had no reason to refuse.

“Okay, I’ll follow your arrangement.” Christina smiled. Once again, I’m relying on you to handle the troublesome work matters for me, Nathaniel. I find myself increasingly unable to live without you.”

Nathaniel’s tone was indulgent as he said, “We’re husband and wife, so we’re one entity. You need me, and I’m glad to be here for you.” He then changed the subject. “What do you want to cat? I’ll have

someone bring it over.”

Christina mentioned a few dishes she liked, and Nathaniel made a call to have them delivered.

After eating and drinking to her heart’s content, Christina finally remembered the main issue. “What about Anya? What did you do to her?”

Upon hearing that name, Nathaniel looked unhappy. “I was in a hurry to bring you to the hospital that day, so she had a chance to escape. Sebastian is searching for her, but she won’t be able to hide for long.”

While enjoying the fruits that Nathaniel had specially washed for her, Christina furrowed her eyebrows. “If Sebastian catches Anya, what will you do?”

Nathaniel focused his attention on her and asked in return, “What do you want me to do?”

Naturally, Christina wanted to punish Anya severely and make her pay a painful price, but she didn’t want Anya’s life.

Nathaniel had said before that Anya wouldn’t be lucky every time, and she might not be able to escape this time.

Christina felt conflicted. Should I plead for mercy for Anya?

What would Nathaniel think of me if I do?

He definitely won’t be happy…

At last, Christina looked into his eyes and said, “You decide.”

 

Chapter 670 Lingering

Nathaniel could just deal with Anya without seeking Christina’s opinion, but her opinion was something he valued.

Nevertheless, Christina’s answer delighted him.

“I’ll give you results you’ll be contented with,” Nathaniel answered, his lips curling as a vicious look flashed past his eyes.

For the next two days, Christina stayed in the hospital to recover. The relocation of Gibson Corporation was left to Nathaniel, and she enjoyed the momentary freedom from her usual tasks.

Nathaniel was traveling back and forth between the hospital and Gibson Corporation. Sometimes, he even had to work overtime to deal with Gibson Corporation’s matters. He was exhausted, but he was gladly taking everything on.

“Christina, it’s sudden, but I need to meet a client. If I don’t come back in time, the nurse will accompany you for the test instead. Go back to the ward once you’re done with it; don’t wander elsewhere. I’ll come and pick you up to take you to the airport tonight,” Nathaniel said to Christina.

Christina chuckled. “Don’t worry and just focus on work. I’m not a kid. Stay safe on your way there.”

Nathaniel then made a cup of hot milk and washed some fruits for her before leaving with a lighter heart.

After that, Christina took a nap. When the afternoon came, the nurse brought her to another room for her test.

“Wait,” Christina suddenly said. She turned around to look at the corridor behind her, but she did not see anyone suspicious. There were only medical staff and patients with their families around.

“Ms. Steele, is something the matter?” the nurse curiously asked her. “Did you leave something behind?”

Christina looked away and took out her phone from her pocket. As she gave the nurse an apologetic smile, she said, “Sorry, I thought I dropped my phone, but it was actually in my pocket all along. I’m fine now. Let’s go back.”

The nurse then wheeled Christina into the elevator.

With a neutral look on her face, Christina watched the elevator doors close. Yet, the fear that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand lingered.

There was no way she was just being paranoid. Ever since she came out of her ward, she sensed a pair of eyes following her wherever she went.

It was impossible for those eyes to belong to Nathaniel’s guard, for she already had Lyle as a bodyguard.

She had sent Lyle out to buy cake, and he would not be back so soon. Moreover, there was no need for Lyle to watch her from the shadows.

When Christina returned to her ward, she scanned every corner and everything within her line of sight. Finally, her gaze landed on the fruits and half–finished cup of hot milk on the coffee table.

All of a sudden, she grabbed her calf as a look of pain manifested on her face. “Ow! My calf hurts! I think it’s cramping!”

Not daring to risk anything happening to Christina, the nurse quickly summoned the other staff. A nurse aide hurried to the ward, and the two helped Christina onto the bed to lie down before taking turns to massage her calf.

Christina felt immensely guilty to watch them busy over her.

Nonetheless, before she could find out who was tailing her, she could not stay in the ward alone. That would be putting herself in danger.

She and her baby could no longer bear any more risks.

Half an hour later, Lyle returned with desserts, and Christina found an excuse to dismiss the nurse aide.

When Lyle put the desserts on the coffee table, he froze. Then, he turned to Christina and asked, “Mrs. Hadley, did you touch anything on the coffee table after returning to the ward?”

“No,” Christina uttered in a low voice. “Your guess is right. Someone came into the ward earlier and tampered with the things on the table.”

There were two streaks of milk stain on the saucer. Before Christina left the ward, she had only stirred the milk once, so it should have been only one streak, not two.

Christina was strict with her habits. Everything she used would be habitually placed back to its original position.

Furthermore, the tip of the small knife on the fruit platter was initially facing the handle of the cabinet, but now, it was thirty degrees away from its original angle.

It felt as if someone had invaded her private space, and that infuriated her.

Lyle then removed the items on the table and called two of his subordinates to take the coffee table away After that, he checked the entire ward thoroughly to ensure that no spy cameras were installed while Christina was away. Only when he found nothing did he finally stop.

Lyle also sent the tampered items to the lab, and sure enough, there was something wrong with them.

“There’s poison in the milk and on the paring knife. The one who put the poison was careful and left no fingerprints on any of the items,” Lyle informed. “I’ve sent my men to retrieve the surveillance footage of the corridor. There was a nurse who entered your room ten minutes after you left, and I talked to the hospital staff about the nurse. As it turns out, she’s not an employee here.”

“I’d like to see the footage,” Christina said, putting down her glass. Lyle passed her his phone.

The second Christina saw the silhouette, she figured out who it was.

It was Anya.

Returning the phone to Lyle, Christina told him, “It’s Anya.”

Lyle furrowed his brows. “She’ll try again. Maybe she’s still hanging around near the hospital to watch you. I’ll send people to look for her right away.”

Christina grinned icily. “It’s fine. As long as I’m still alive, she’ll be unable to hold herself back and will jump right into the trap.”

“But it’s hard to keep you safe like this,” Lyle hesitantly replied.

Christina smiled. “Lyle, have faith in your abilities. I trust you.”

Lyle averted his gaze shyly. “Thank you for your trust, Mrs. Hadley.”

Due to the episode, Lyle remained in the ward to protect Christina until Nathaniel was done meeting his client and came to the hospital to pick Christina up.

Before coming to the hospital, Nathaniel even took a shower and had a change of clothes in the hotel so that the scent of alcohol and tobacco would not overwhelm Christina.

Despite his careful actions, Christina, who was sensitive during her pregnancy, still refused to come close to Nathaniel. It made him crestfallen!

After getting on the plane, Christina slept. She did not notice Nathaniel’s low spirits.

Once they were back at Scenic Garden Manor, Nathaniel headed straight for the shower and scrubbed. himself clean.

Christina thought that it was another episode of his mysophobia, so she did not dwell on it. Only when Nathaniel returned to her dressed in a bathrobe and smelling like the cologne she had gifted him did she notice something amiss about him.

After taking a sniff of Nathaniel, she asked in confusion, “Why are you using cologne at night?”

As if he was a clingy octopus, he wrapped his arms and legs around her and whined, “You wouldn’t let me come close to you on the plane.”

Christina rubbed the tip of her nose guiltily. “That’s because the alcohol and tobacco smell on you was too strong. I didn’t like it.”

“I know…” Nathaniel pinched her cheeks. “Now that I’ve cleaned myself up, you can’t avoid me anymore.”

Christina felt that Nathaniel was acting a little childish that night. If not for the hint of his usual icy demeanor seeping out of him, she would have thought that he was an imposter.

“Nathaniel, did you encounter something strange when you went to meet your client today?”