Ch. 991..1000

Chapter 991 Torturing

At the Duncans' dungeon, Zobber finally got Karl's permission to enter here safely after sucking up to him for days.

Zobber was totally impressed by the dungeon, which looked like it was made of iron.

She thought Hacker Alliance was mysterious enough, but it turned out Karl was even more badass.

Everyone thought that the Duncans' roots were in Casier, so they wouldn't have much influence when they first arrived in Loxton. But to everyone's surprise, Karl had such an influential background here in Loxton.

Zobber wasn't in a rush to meet Selene. She looked around carefully and studied for a while. 'Paxton, Karl is quite something. That was truly impressive to have such a huge dungeon hidden in the bustling Loxton."

Paxton gave a somewhat arrogant smile and said, 'Have you ever thought about how distinguished Karl was back in the day? This is nothing. Do you want to meet her or not? If not, I have other work to attend to."

These days, the Duncans were busy preparing for Branden's upcoming wedding. As the assistant to the Duncans, he was so busy that he didn't even have time to sleep.

It was such a joyous occasion that he naturally had to make every effort. He had even fought hard to seize many opportunities.

If it weren't for Karl's orders and Zobber specifically requested his presence, he wouldn't be wasting time here.

Zobber suddenly lost all interest and gave Paxton a displeased look. "Hmph. What's so great about it? I'll come with Catherine next time."

Paxton was so angry that he wanted to grab Zobber, hang her upside down, and spank her. 'This girl was really infuriating,' he thought.

They walked to the bottom floor of the dungeon, where the most heinous criminals were held.

However, there was someone special.

Through the small window, Zobber saw a figure curled up in the corner inside.

For just a few days, she had completely lost her charm from before.

Paxton asked Zobber for her opinion, then opened the cage.

Hearing some commotion, Selene slowly lifted her head from the ground.

Yep, the person detained here was Selene.

Everyone thought she had run away and disappeared, but no one knew Karl had already taken her away.

Karl locked her up in the dungeon of the Duncans, waiting for Catherine to finish up and then decide her fate.

At first, Selene was wilding out. She was causing a ruckus practically every second.

But this was the prison personally arranged by Karl. Many bad guys had been held here.

They didn't even need to do much and just gave Selene a little bit of food every day to make sure she didn't starve.

After just one week, Selene had already grown up and become obedient.

She stopped messing around, stopped crying and being loud, and just behaved.

The guard increased her portion to two meals a day, and she instantly stopped complaining because she had learned her lesson.

When she heard some noise, she thought it was the guards coming to bring her dinner. But to her surprise, she saw Zobber and Paxton standing there.

Her eyes instantly darkened, and her entire expression became incredibly cold. 'Are you all here to see me off?" Paxton didn't say anything. Zobber walked straight up to Selene. Content belong to NôvelDráma. Org.

She squatted down, giving Selene a cold stare with a strange smile. "You're pretty clever, huh? You can even guess why we're here. Since you already know what's going on in your heart, we won't make things difficult for you. Do it yourself."

Zobber threw a medicine bottle in front of Selene and stared at her with a blank face. "I'm giving you a chance. Take action quickly. This medicine won't have any side effects. It won't make you feel uncomfortable."

This made Selene's body shake uncontrollably.

She thought she didn't care about living or dying, but when she really knew that someone was going to send her off, she still trembled in fear.

Seeing her in this state, Zobber wanted to play a little prank. 'She actually dared to harm Catherine. She's going to have to pay the price for it."

Zobber gave a look to Paxton, who immediately understood what Zobber was getting at.

Despite feeling helpless, Paxton didn't stop Zobber from taking action.

He quickly walked up to Selene and restrained her.

But he didn't tighten his grip too much, leaving some room for her to struggle.

Selene started to go crazy, screaming loudly regardless of her demeanor. "What are you trying to do? Do you know that killing is illegal?"

Zobber squatted down in front of Selene, squinting and examining her with a playful smile. "Yo, just a moment ago, you were acting all tough; why are you backing down now?"

Selene valued reputation more than her life. When she heard Zobber's words, she felt more miserable than being killed.

Zobber firmly grabbed her chin, forcing her to make eye contact. "When you started messing with Catherine back in the day, you should have known there would be consequences like this."

She actually dared to harm Catherine and even planned to harm the baby in Catherine's belly.' This was enough to make Zobber explode with anger just by talking about it, let alone the fact that the perpetrator was standing in front of her right now.

If she didn't give Selene a good lesson, she would not be Zobber.

Selene was scared pale.

After watching her struggle for a while, Zobber said to Paxton, "Grab her tight. Let's send her on her way now."

Now, no matter how much Selene struggled, it was in vain.

Zobber quickly pried open her mouth and shoved all the white pills into her mouth.

Without giving her a chance to hesitate, Zobber directly forced her to swallow it.

After she swallowed it, Zobber gestured for Paxton to release her.

After Selene was released, she immediately shrunk to the side, frantically digging at her throat, trying to dig out the pills.

Her disheveled appearance was truly comical.

Zobber was laughing her ass off on the side, feeling pretty damn proud as she recorded every bit of Selene's miserable state.

Selene threw up some of the pills, but Zobber gave her too much. She couldn't guarantee she threw up all of it.

When she saw Zobber was still filming her, she got so mad and let out a loud roar. "Do you want me to die so bad? Do you think you can get away with it? If I die, none of you can escape."

Upon hearing this, Zobber burst out laughing. 'Scaredy-cat, I was just pranking; I didn't expect you to be such a coward."

Upon hearing this, Selene was immediately stunned. She stared at Zobber with wide eyes filled with anger.

Seeing her smile getting bigger and bigger, Selene realized she was being tricked and was so angry that she wanted to slap Zobber.

Before she could even get close to Zobber, Zobber kicked her away.

Zobber looked down at Selene, who was lying on the ground, and said with a cold tone, 'You've got a chance to come clean. I'll let you off today, but if you keep being stubborn, I'll come to take care of you 24/7. Just you wait!"

Chapter 992 Grand Wedding

Selene was lying on the ground without even the strength to prop herself up.

She shot a furious look toward Zobber, her eyes filled with deadly hatred. "What do you want exactly?"

Zobber had been through all kinds of situations. Even though she acted all carefree and goofy most of the time, she was still one of the four leaders of the Hacker Alliance. If she couldn't even handle a small situation like this, how could she get to where she was today?

Zobber grabbed Selene's head and forced her to make eye contact. "I said I'll let you off for now. Are you planning to dig your own grave?"

Her icy and fierce eyes gave Selene an eerie feeling.

She was so flustered looking at Zobber. Her speech was stuttering and nervous. "What do you want exactly?"

Zobber's tone was icy as she said, 'Spill everything you know. I'll give you a fair trial."

Selene knew deep down that she had done too much. There was no way Zobber would let her off easily.

The best outcome for her would be to escape from here and face the law's judgment.

She still had a chance as long as her boss was willing to keep her.

The terms offered by Zobber really got Selene excited. "You're really gonna let me go?"

Zobber nodded without hesitation, looking very serious. "I swear, on my honor, I will never deceive you."

This totally cracked Selene's hesitation.

It was not that she really believed in Zobber, but she had no other choice right now.

She was counting on Branden to show up and help her out with her plea.

But she had been here for so many days and hadn't even heard Branden's voice, let alone seen him in person.

She was completely desperate now, the only one who could save her was herself. "Give me some time to sort things out, and I'll give you a satisfactory answer.

A little smirk escaped Zobber's face. She felt a bit smug inside.

This trip turned out to be a lot easier than she had imagined. "Just take your time to think about it. Once you've figured it out, I'll be here."

With that, she left with Paxton.

After the two of them walked out of the dungeon, Zobber demanded, "I'm gonna take her away."

"No way!" Paxton answered without hesitation.

"Hmph!" Zobber sneered coldly. "Says you."

Paxton looked at her coldly and sternly, saying, "It is not a matter of whether I agree or not. It is simply not a rule of the Duncans.""

Zobber showed somewhat disdain, saying, "So what if the Duncans don't have this rule? I don't care. I'll talk to Catherine and see if Mr. Duncan will agree or not."

With that, she just left straight away.

Watching her walk away, Paxton's expression looked somewhat bad. 'Is this girl acting like she's the boss now? However, if Catherine were to speak to Branden about this matter, it would be easily resolved with just a few words.

Paxton sighed, thinking, 'Love makes people blind.'

**AWA

Soon, it was the day of the wedding.

The wedding was held in Casier. Even though the Duncans were now developing up in Loxton, both the Duncans' and the Swanns' roots were in Casier.

The whole street was filled with fancy cars.

The ones leading the way were two helicopters, each carrying a banner with blessings for the newlyweds.

Such a big deal, of course, was personally arranged by Karl.

This wedding was unprecedented and caught everyone's attention in the whole city.

At the arranged time, a convoy of top-notch luxury cars set off from the Duncans' to the Swanns'.

"Why are we still going around in circles?" Paxton noticed the anxious look on Branden's face and immediately asked the driver about the situation.

The driver looked really nervous and anxious. He said, 'Paxton, it was arranged by Mr. Karl himself, saying it's to coordinate with Mrs. Catherine's time. Going around the city once, we'll arrive right on time."

Once Paxton learned of the situation, he immediately reported it to Branden, "Sir, this is specially arranged by Mr. Karl to wish you and the bride a lifetime of happiness together."

On such a joyful occasion, everyone talked about auspicious things.

Branden's originally cold expression suddenly softened quite a bit. "Then just do what Grandpa told you to do."

Actually, Karl just wanted the whole city to see that Branden was getting married.

His grandson finally got married and even married someone as good as Catherine. He was so happy. He was definitely making a big deal out of it.

After driving around for some time, they finally arrived at the Swanns' house. It was the old house of the Swanns. The yard was all set up by Vicente. As the oldest sister, Audrey decorated the entire yard very festively with the help of Mr. Theo.

The wedding convoy hadn't even come to a stop yet. Ronin, one of the representatives from the bride's family, immediately grabbed a bunch of firecrackers and headed out.

The firecrackers were cracking loudly. Everyone in the bride's room knew that it meant the groom had arrived. Zobber and Amelia were serving as bridesmaids with Catherine for the first time, and they were all a bit nervous. Although Zobber usually had a carefree attitude, acting tough and fearless, she still got nervous about this situation.

She originally thought that no one in the world could match Catherine and even believed that Catherine might very well get married late because she couldn't find a good enough partner.

But she never expected that Catherine would be the first one among them to get married.

It was precisely because Mr. Duncan was so good that he had the chance to marry Catherine.

*Catherine, are you nervous?" Zobber asked.

Catherine was wearing traditional clothing as her first outfit of the day. It was a long gown with flowers

embroidered with golden threads all over it, super exquisite and eye-catching.

This gown alone took ten top-notch Swann Corporation craftsmen three months of overtime.

If it weren't for Karl personally stepping in, it wouldn't have been done this quickly.

In order to give his grandson and Catherine a grand wedding, Karl really went all out.

Hearing Zobber's question, Catherine turned around and gave her a calm look. "Pass me the pastry beside you."

When Zobber heard this, she immediately brought the pastries over.

Catherine was in the middle stage of pregnancy. The baby in her belly was growing really fast, and she was hungry all the time.

These desserts were prepared specifically for her. Zobber watched as she ate with such focus, and she already knew the answer. 'Of course, Catherine is the boss. She isn't going to be fazed by these small situations.'

The noisy sound from downstairs made the bridesmaids inside the house curious. They couldn't help but want to go out to take a look.

Catherine could tell what they were thinking and generously said, "Just go have fun. Don't worry about keeping me company."

Everyone knew Catherine's personality, and it was clear she was not faking polite.

Zobber was about to leave when she suddenly noticed something big going down. "Oh no! I haven't had a chance to hide the wedding shoes yet. Where should I hide them?"

With the groom's men's intelligence, skills, and abilities, no matter where the shoes were hidden, they would probably be found very easily.

Zobber pondered for a while, which ended up delaying the matter of hiding shoes.

She hesitated for a moment, then decided to ask Catherine for help. 'Catherine, help me brainstorm, will you?"

Catherine looked over at the dressing table and said nonchalantly, "Just put it there!"

Zobber was shocked. "Just leave it out in the open like that?"

'Isn't it a bit too perfunctory? I know that hiding the wedding shoes is just for fun. It's not like the groom has to

carry the bride home. But we should add some more interactive fun to it, Zobber thought.

She hesitated and gave a quick glance at Catherine, seeing that Catherine was serious about it.

She followed Catherine's orders and put the wedding shoes on the dressing table openly.

Chapter 993 Wedding Shoes

Branden's groomsmen were rather helpful. They either bribed the bridesmaids with their beautiful looks or with money.

When the heir of the Duncans got married, every gift they prepared was worth over ten thousand dollars.

The bridesmaids yelled out, "Where's the gift?"

Paxton pulled open his backpack and stuffed a stack of money into each bridesmaid's hands.

The bridesmaids had them do a few small interactive games to liven things up, and the groomsmen were super cooperative and nailed it.

Everyone looked at Zobber, asking her what to do next.

Zobber shrugged, laughing helplessly. "The enemy is too strong. We can't hold them off. Let's just them through. Everyone thought that it made sense. After all, they had received so much money, so of course, they had to speed things up a bit and let the handsome groom sweep his bride off her feet sooner.

Branden was walking at the forefront and smoothly arrived at the door of the bride's room.

The bridesmaids announced that they had reached the final checkpoint of the day. "As long as you can find the wedding shoes, our handsome groom can walk away with our beautiful bride."

Catherine was sitting on the bed in a gorgeous gown, looking dignified and imposing, with a face that could charm all living beings.

Everyone who walked in was stunned by her beautiful face.

From the moment Branden walked into the room, his originally uneasy eyes instantly became sturdy and didn't move away from Catherine for a split second.

After being reminded by the bridesmaids, everyone finally started to look for the wedding shoes.

They didn't even need to look for them. As soon as they walked in, everyone saw it at a glance on the dressing table. It was a pair of sparkling crystal shoes.

These shoes were designed by Mr. Duncan himself and custom-made by skilled craftsmen.

But who else but Catherine would dare to leave the wedding shoes on the dressing table boldly?

No one dared to violate Catherine's arrangements. Content belong to NôvelDráma. Org.

All the groomsmen started searching frantically, like a bunch of blind people, ignoring the shoes on the dressing table.

At first, Zobber was slightly confused but soon realized that this group was bowing to Catherine's tyranny.

She held back for a long time before finally holding back her laughter. "You guys can do it. Keep going!"

Paxton gave Zobber a resentful glare. 'When will this end? Everyone sees it right in front of them, but no one dares to say it?' he wondered.

He had no choice but to seek help from Branden.

Branden kept a straight face and let them keep searching.

As long as his wife was happy, nothing else mattered.

Today was his big wedding day, and the only thing to consider was Catherine's feelings. Everything else didn't matter at all.

After they searched for about half an hour, Catherine started to feel a bit tired and spoke up. "Still haven't found it?

Triston quickly caught on and said, "How about the bridesmaid giving us a hint?"

When business came knocking, Zobber naturally couldn't miss out. "I can give a hint. Fifty thousand dollars for each bridesmaid."

The groomsmen took a sharp breath, thinking this was simply an exorbitant demand.

Paxton glanced at Branden. Seeing that Branden had no reaction, he immediately opened his backpack and stuffed the money into Zobber's hands.

Not only must money be given, but he must also give it with a smiling face. 'Please give me some tips. As a small gesture of respect, please accept it graciously."

Zobber gave a generous hint. "Go take a look at the dressing table."

Everyone wiped their sweat in silence and coordinated the acting.

Triston held the wedding shoes and respectfully presented them to Branden. "Mr. Duncan, the wedding shoes have been found. Hurry and take the beauty home."

Branden approached Catherine carrying the wedding shoes and knelt on one knee.

His beautiful eyes gazed at her with deep affection. "Catherine, I have come to marry you."

Chapter 994 I Do

The wedding was held at the most luxurious Camilton Hotel in Casier, which was originally owned by the Duncans.

To hold a grand wedding for Branden, Karl directly instructed the Camilton Hotel to close for a whole month, specifically for the preparation of this grand wedding.

Starting from the main entrance, the entire hotel was decorated like a luxurious palace with exquisite beauty. The beautiful setup stunned every guest who came to participate in the wedding. "This is so amazing! It looks like the Duncans really value this new bride and are willing to spend a fortune on her."

Upon hearing someone discussing, an insider immediately responded, "It's the Duncans' sole heir's marriage. Naturally, the standard cannot be low. But you did say one thing right: the Duncans value this new bride very much. You know, Mr. Karl himself personally organized this wedding."

When these words were spoken, everyone around was shocked. Usually, the weddings of wealthy families were all taken care of by professional agencies as a place for socializing. Even the newlyweds rarely personally handle things.

But this wedding was organized personally by Mr. Karl, the heavyweight figure in the Duncans, showcasing the extent of his affection for his future daughter-in-law.

The venue's decoration was not only luxurious but every detail at the wedding was carefully planned.

The wedding began with Thomas himself escorting Catherine down the aisle.

Catherine was wearing this gigantic, gorgeous wedding dress with a 30-foot trail and a fancy crown on her head. She appeared stunningly beautiful in front of everyone. Content belong to NôvelDráma. Org.

She hooked her arm with Thomas and slowly walked toward Branden.

*Branden, even though I am not Catherine's family. I value her more than my own granddaughter. You must take good care of her, understand?" When Thomas said that, his eyes were already red, and he reluctantly placed Catherine's hand into the hands of Branden.

Branden took her hands seriously, his eyes filled with respect. "You can rest assured. I swear with my life, I will protect her for a lifetime."

Taking Catherine's hands from Thomas, Branden walked with an incredibly heavy step.

Because he meant to marry Catherine and take care of her for the rest of her life. He was going to spend the second half of his life fulfilling this promise.

When the two of them reached the center of the main stage, Branden reminded the emcee repeatedly to simplify the process and not tire out the bride. The emcee immediately picked up the microphone and moved on to the next step. "Groom, please put on the wedding ring for the bride. I wish you a lifetime of love and happiness.

The usher led a young flower girl onto the stage. Branden slowly took the ring from the flower girl and placed it on Catherine's ring finger.

'Groom, do you agree to take Catherine as your wife, to love and cherish her for all your days, whether in poverty or wealth?" asked the emcee.

Branden nodded without hesitation and said, "I do."

The emcee asked Catherine the same question again.

Catherine did not immediately respond like Branden.

Everything quieted down in an instant, so quiet as if the entire world had been drained of life.

The guests looked nervously in Catherine's direction. Everyone who knew her knew she didn't like to follow the

usual path. Now, no one knew what she would say next.

Let alone the audience below the stage. Even Branden was nervously swallowing.

He was terrified that Catherine would say she needed to think twice about it the next moment.

He had always respected Catherine's opinions, but he was not sure if he would actually agree if she really said that.

Chapter 995 I've Got Your Back

Just as Branden was about to speak up, no longer wanting to put Catherine on the spot, Catherine smiled and spoke first. 'I do! I used to think I would be lonely for the rest of my life, but you gave me the courage to enter into marriage. I have no regrets marrying you."

Always being serious and stiff in front of others, Branden suddenly broke into a big, hearty laugh at this moment.

He was so happy that the girl he liked had finally become his wife.

The heartwarming scene touched many people into tears.

Most of the people here were friends of Catherine. They all knew how powerful she was. But they also knew what Catherine had been through to get to where she was today. Content belong to NôvelDráma. Org.

The emcee standing on the side was all teary-eyed, holding the microphone and announcing the next process in a choked voice, "Now let's give them wonderful applause as a blessing. Congratulations to this loving couple. Wishing them a lifetime of happiness together."

There was thunderous applause from the audience. Zobber and the others were clapping with tears in their eyes, shouting loudly and cheering, "Kiss the bride!"

Catherine was just standing there when Branden gently lifted her veil.

With all the blessings from the crowd, he kissed his most beautiful bride on the lips.

The wedding process was really short. There wasn't even a moment for either side's parents to say a few words.

Some people were guessing that maybe it was because Karl didn't like Catherine, so he didn't even want to go up on stage.

But when the camera switched to Karl's face, the usually stern old man smiled so much that his eyes practically disappeared, raising the glass to toast with everyone generously.

Simon usually kept a tight rein on his diet but didn't even try to stop him today.

When others asked, Simon just smiled and explained, 'It's been a long time since Mr. Karl has been this happy. Today is a big celebration, so let's not dampen his spirits and let him enjoy himself."

What was more important was that Mr. Theo himself was on the scene.

With this miracle doctor around, Simon didn't have to worry about Karl's health.

He couldn't even sleep all night out of excitement on such a happy day, not to mention Mr. Karl, who had been looking forward to this for decades.

"Who's going to go up and try to persuade now? That's just asking for trouble!' thought Simon.

Catherine had just got off the stage when Karl immediately went up and personally pulled out the chair beside him for her. "Tired? Sit down and take a break!"

Catherine waved her hand and rejected Karl. "Grandpa, let me go upstairs to change first."

The dress with a long hem made it impossible for Catherine to sit down. When Karl heard this, he quickly ordered someone to take Catherine up.

As soon as everyone left, Karl pulled Branden over. "We'll take of this. Let Catherine rest upstairs later, no need to come down."

Branden also didn't want Catherine to be too tired, so he nodded and said, "Got it, Grandpa."

Karl even had the cook prepare a small table of food specifically for Catherine and had Branden personally deliver

it.

Everyone around saw the Duncans's love for Catherine with jealousy in their eyes.

This was the top-tier rich family; they were truly showered with immense favor.

Even though he just gotten married, Branden had zero interest in socializing. 'Grandpa, thank you."

Karl took one look at Branden and knew exactly what he was thinking. He chuckled and said, "Go on. I've got your back."

"Thanks, Grandpa!" Branden turned around and left. 'There was no point in drinking with these people here. I might as well go upstairs and cuddle with my wife.'

Since it was a wedding, the groom should, of course, be with the bride.

Branden just ditched all the guests and left in a big way.

Chapter 996 Audrey and Triston

Audrey had been out of the entertainment industry for a while now, but she had successfully made it into the A- list with a few killer hits.

She didn't need to keep churning out works to maintain her impression in the audience. It was enough that she released just one work in a year.

A couple of days ago, she was busy hustling in her acting career, leaving herself physically and mentally exhausted.

Now, she was planning to rest well and travel around. If it weren't for Catherine's wedding this time, she wouldn't have returned from overseas.

As the wedding reception was winding down, Audrey was ready to leave.

Finally seeing her little sister getting married, she was so happy today. Nothing could make her happier than this. Branden was a real catch, and Catherine could definitely trust him.

Saying goodbye to all her friends, Audrey was getting ready to drive away.

Just as the car was pulling out of the driveway, it suddenly got hit by a car coming from the side.

A loud bang scared Audrey out of her wits. Content belong to NôvelDráma. Org.

Luckily, the other party kept things under control and didn't cause any serious consequences.

Audrey got out of the car, ready to negotiate compensation with the person standing there, only to find out it was Triston.

Triston propped up on the car door, gazed gently in Audrey's direction, and casually said, "Sorry for hitting your car.'

Audrey deliberately avoided him at the wedding, and now she still didn't want to talk much with him.

She took a glance at the car and saw that the back had been dented, but it wasn't too serious.

'I'll have someone fix the car. When it's done, I'll have my assistant get in touch with your secretary." With that, Audrey was ready to get in her car.

Before she could leave, Triston grabbed her hand.

She turned around calmly, her eyes staring coldly at him. "What else do you want? Mr. Lambert, you are of high status. Please don't cause a scene for me. It would not be good."

Everyone attending the wedding tonight was a big shot.

Even though the Duncans had already said they wouldn't do any media interviews, many reporters were still around, not wanting to miss out on the big event.

Even if they couldn't capture the bride and groom, the guests present were enough to make the front page news

tomorrow.

Audrey was a popular A-list actress, while Triston was an infamous playboy in the industry.

No matter which one they shot, it could become tomorrow's front-page headline.

After Audrey finished speaking, Triston let go of her hand.

Audrey thought he wouldn't cause trouble anymore, so she turned around, opened the car door, and got in.

She was just about to close the door, but another door closing sounded next to her in the next second.

Audrey looked sideways and saw that Triston had already taken the passenger seat next to her.

She gave him a frown with a clear expression of unhappiness. "What the heck do you want?"

Triston raised an eyebrow at her, speaking with a serious tone and showing no sign of nervousness or blushing." My car broke down, so give me a ride."

Audrey naturally didn't believe him.

She was originally planning to refute him, but Triston shamelessly stayed in the car and refused to get out. "Aren't you worried about being paparazzied? If we stay for another two minutes, we might appear on the front page tomorrow."

Audrey was furious with his shameless words.

But there were just too many reporters around. The longer they stayed, the greater the risk of being photographed. Triston didn't want to leave the car, so she just had to go first and then figure out how to deal with it.

Audrey angrily stomped on the gas pedal and drove the car out of the underground parking lot.

After they were far away from the hotel, Audrey nonchalantly spoke up. "Mr. Lambert, where are you going?"

She was planning to drop Triston off at his destination and leave.

Everything would be fine if they didn't communicate with each other.

After waiting for a long time, Audrey still had not received a response from Triston.

She turned her head and saw that he was sleeping in the passenger seat.

Originally, she wanted to wake him up, but she couldn't bring herself to do it when she saw the dark circles under his eyes.

She knew that Triston was used to staying in hotels and had reserved suites in many top luxury hotels throughout the year.

She found a hotel that she was familiar with and went in from the VIP entrance to find two security guards.

The security guard arrived in front of Triston; before even touching him, he got scared and backed away.

Audrey almost forgot that Triston hated being touched by strangers the most.

She walked over to see that Triston was already awake. She didn't waste time talking to him but just asked him

to get out of the car. "Since you're awake, you've gotta handle the rest by yourself."

Originally, she thought there would be a big fuss, but Triston was so cooperative that he got out of the car by himself and walked toward the hotel without even looking back.

Audrey was actually quite surprised by it.

Anyway, I have sent him here. My duty is done. Just treat it as being a chauffeur for him,' she thought.

Audrey drove off, getting ready to head back to rest.

It hadn't been ten minutes when she got a call from an unknown number.

She picked up the phone and put it next to her ear, hearing the familiar voice on the other end. "I left my phone in

your car. There's some really important stuff on it. Bring it to me."

Audrey took a glance back and realized his phone was actually in her car.

She impatiently responded, "Got it."

With that, she hung up the phone.

Audrey sighed deeply, thinking, 'What have I done to be ordered around like this?

She drove the car back to the hotel.

She was planning on handing her phone to the front desk and then having them bring it up to Triston.

However, the receptionist looked at her puzzled, saying, "Miss Swann, Mr. Lambert insisted that only you deliver such an important personal item like a phone. He doesn't trust anyone else."

"What's wrong with him?" Audrey cursed angrily.

The receptionist lady looked really embarrassed, saying, 'Miss Swann, please help me out! I'm just a nobody. If I offend Mr. Lambert, I'll lose my job tomorrow."

What she said was true, though. Triston could easily get her fired with just a few words.

Audrey didn't want to make things difficult for her, so she had no choice but to take the phone up herself.

Just a few more minutes at most,' she thought.

She went up to the top floor of the presidential suite. Triston didn't even bother to close the door.

There was only one room on this floor. One needed a special room key or the staff's help to access it.

Living alone, Triston was not worried about anyone coming over.

Audrey walked up and heard the sound of running water coming from the bathroom, guessing that Triston was

probably taking a shower.

She yelled out twice but didn't get a response.

She planned to put her phone on the table and left.

As soon as she turned around, she saw Triston coming out of the bathroom with only a white towel wrapped

around his body. The water droplets on his hair kept sliding down.

Being in the entertainment circle, Audrey was used to handsome male models. But when she saw Triston, her

heart inexplicably started to beat faster.

This guy indeed has a perfect face,' she thought.

Chapter 997 He Just Won't Stay Gone

After a moment, Audrey snapped out of it and pointed to the phone on the table.

"Here's your phone." With that, she was about to leave.

A familiar smell hit her as she passed by Triston.

It was still that shower gel with the unique scent of lilac.

He got bored of women quickly but was more loyal to other things, such as the body wash he had used for many years.

Audrey was about to walk out the door when Triston grabbed her.

Before she could react, everything started spinning, and Triston had already pressed her down on the bed.

They stared at each other, and there was hardly any space between them.

Audrey could feel the warm breath directly spraying on her face, causing her heart to race.

She tried to keep calm, frowning and staring at the man in front of her. "Mr. Lambert, please let go."

Triston was squinting at her. Everyone said he was heartless and cold.

But he knew his indifference was nothing compared to the woman before him.

She was the real heartless one.

When she got determined, she could just leave and not even give him any updates.

God knew how much he wanted to strangle her, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"What are you gonna do about it if I don't?" asked Triston.

Audrey was irritated by his shameless words. "That's your own business. Let go of me, or else don't blame me for being rude to you."

Hearing Audrey's warning, Triston not only didn't let go but held her even tighter. "I won't let go. Even if you beat me to death today, I still won't let go. Aud, come back."

Triston didn't drink alcohol, but holding Audrey in his arms made him feel as if he were totally drunk, his brain all foggy and not thinking clearly. He just didn't want to let go. Content belong to NôvelDráma. Org.

He couldn't bear to see Audrey leave and didn't want to deal with the consequences of losing her.

When Triston spoke, Audrey froze in place, forgetting to move.

His cold, thin lips gently kissed her cheek, not daring to make too much of a move.

He was super careful with every move, like holding some rare treasure.

The kissing started to get more intense. Audrey, who was still lost in a hazy world, suddenly felt a coldness.

In an instant, she snapped out of it. When she came to her senses, she pushed Triston away and ran out of the

room.

As Triston watched her walk away, his eyes were filled with disappointment.

*****

After leaving the hotel, Audrey drove back to her apartment like a maniac.

She had made quite a bit of money over the years. Moreover, Catherine gave her annual dividends from the Swann Corporation. She was totally a rich lady.

But she never thought about moving. The Swanns' old house was empty, and she never thought about moving back there.

As nice as it was outside, it was still not as cozy as her little apartment.

No matter how tough things got, she could just sleep it off in her little apartment.

But tonight, Audrey couldn't fall asleep.

After coming back from the hotel, she tossed and turned in bed for hours without being able to fall asleep.

She forced herself to wear the eye mask and closed her eyes.

But even though the eyes were closed, her brain kept on working.

When the doorbell rang the next day, Audrey instantly jumped up from the bed and walked to the front door. Kim looked at her in surprise, saying, "You opened the door quickly today. I thought you were up all night!"

Audrey didn't want to answer him because she did stay up all night.

When Kim walked in and saw her lying on the sofa looking exhausted, he couldn't help but exclaim, "Don't tell me I guessed right; you partied too hard last night and didn't sleep? My goodness, don't you remember we have a commercial shoot today?"

Kim had already figured out that if Catherine got married. Audrey would definitely have a crazy celebration. Staying up all night wouldn't be enough. After all, it was normal to celebrate for your younger sister to be getting married.

He had got it all sorted out and arranged some time off for Audrey.

To his surprise, Audrey insisted she could work the next day, guaranteeing it wouldn't affect the work.

Under her rare enthusiasm, Kim arranged the schedule for her.

He didn't expect that the reliable person could also stand him up.

"I do!" Audrey's voice was weak.

Kim angrily looked at her, shouting, "What did you promise?"

Audrey flashed a sweet smile. She never expected Triston to go crazy last night.

"Kim, don't be mad. I'm gonna go drink coffee and do a face mask to get back in top shape," she said.

After two cups of espresso, plus a complete set of caviar face masks for emergency rescue, Audrey's swollen face and dark circles had finally improved a bit. She had recovered about seventy to eighty percent of her original beauty.

Kim took her to the set and handed her over to the makeup artist. "Ms. Swann, you've been exhausted these days, right? Your skin doesn't look too good," said the makeup artist.

The moment the makeup artist finished talking, Kim shot Audrey a fierce look, totally freaking her out and making her neck shrink back.

She chuckled and said, "Been pretty busy these days. I didn't get much rest!"

The makeup artist nodded in understanding and said, "Your younger sister is getting married; as her sister, you naturally have to work a bit harder. We can understand it. Don't worry about this small issue. Leave it to me. I'll help you look better.

Audrey nodded guiltily and said, "Thanks."

With this assurance, Kim's complexion finally looked a bit better.

Audrey breathed a sigh of relief in secret, thinking she had managed to dodge a bullet by leaning on her little sister.

Make-up was done; now, onto the filming process.

Audrey was a pro now; plus, she was super popular, so the shooting was going really smoothly.

As soon as the director announced a half-time break, the project leader of the sponsorship came knocking on the door. "Ms. Swann, our boss is here, and he wants to watch the filming. Go over and say hi to him."

Such a thing happened way too often on set.

When the sponsor came, Audrey still had to show some respect even if she was the main character.

Along with Kim, she followed the project leader to meet the sponsor.

"Mr. Lambert, Ms. Swann is here."

Audrey subconsciously looked up and saw the man standing across from her, instantly furrowing her brows.

'He just won't stay gone,' she thought.

Audrey had a really shitty expression. She planned on just turning around and leaving, but Kim grabbed her.

Kim knew about the relationship between Audrey and Triston, but at the end of the day, this was about being professional at work.

The project leader saw that Audrey's face didn't look good, and beads of sweat as big as beans were falling from his forehead.

He used to think Audrey was easygoing, but how did she drop the ball at a crucial moment?

He approached Audrey with a flattering smile and said, "Ms. Swann, this is Mr. Lambert. Say hi and introduce yourself, please."

Audrey gave an annoyed glance. "Why bother greeting him? I'm right in front of him. Can't he see?"

Her rudeness left everyone who didn't know the truth completely shocked.

'She's too arrogant. Audrey is done for this time. There won't be any benefits in offending this guy,' the onlookers thought.

Chapter 998 You Did Owe Me Money

The project leader was so scared that he almost passed out when he saw the situation.

He couldn't care about Audrey's popularity in the industry and immediately jumped out to defend his own boss." Ms. Swann, Mr. Lambert is here to pay a visit because he admires you. But isn't it a bit too much for you to act all high and mighty like this?"

'He admires me?' thought Audrey. She didn't believe a word of that.

She knew her attitude was not good. She definitely wouldn't have this attitude if it were someone else today. But it happened to be Triston.

When Audrey still had a stony face and didn't say anything, the project leader started to get impatient and was about to speak but was stopped by Triston.

He looked around with a cool attitude, making everyone think he was about to get mad. But then he said to the project leader, "All of you can go. I'll have a chat with Ms. Swann alone."

The project leader was stunned for a moment but then quickly reacted and immediately left the meeting room. Kim glanced at Audrey. After getting her signal, he went out. Content belong to NôvelDráma. Org.

Audrey's goal was simple: she just wanted to take this opportunity to clear things up to avoid any further confusion between them.

*****

Kim had just walked out of the meeting room when he was stopped by the project leader.

The project leader was not quick to react just now.

When he got kicked out, he formed an idea. He stared at Kim curiously, trying to gather some intel. "Kim, do you know if Ms. Swann is acquainted with Mr. Lambert?"

Kim gave him a disdainful look, feeling very unimpressed deep down.

These two are more than just acquaintances. They're practically sworn enemies,' he said inwardly.

However, he was not interested in telling the project leader about this past gossip and didn't want him to misunderstand Audrey for being arrogant.

So, he hinted at something indirectly. "Who do you think is Mr. Lambert's closest and most influential brother? You should have a pretty good idea as his employee, right?"

The project leader immediately nodded proudly. "Of course, Mr. Lambert's best bro is definitely the president of the Duncan Corporation."

Everyone in Casier knew about the Duncan Corporation, not to mention now the Duncan Corporation's business was becoming more globalized.

"That's right," Kim agreed with a nod. "You know Catherine Swann, the president's wife? That's Audrey's sister. Do you think Audrey and Mr. Lambert are not close? There shouldn't be so many formalities when friends meet, right?

The project leader was stunned for a moment, then quickly came to his senses.

He was all smiles as he dragged Kim along, inviting him to grab a bite. "Oh, I see; in that case, let them talk, and we can go eat."

In the conference room, Triston sat back in his chair, his good-looking eyes full of interest as he gazed at Audrey in front of him.

Seeing her angry face, he found it really amusing. "You're so unhappy to see me? You smile at everyone but give me a nasty look. I'd think I owe you money if I didn't know any better."

Audrey glanced at him and said impatiently. "Don't even talk about it. You did owe me money."

She was so pissed off seeing Triston acting all casual like this. If it weren't for him going crazy last night, she wouldn't have to chug iced coffee to reduce the swelling early in the morning. Thanks to this guy, her next month's period was about to be all messed up again.

Triston was a bit stunned. He admitted that he owed Audrey quite a bit.

But he definitely didn't owe her money.

Even if he were broke, he wouldn't owe money to a woman.

But he actually became interested when Audrey said that. "Then go ahead and tell me what money I owe you," he said.

Chapter 999 Free of Charge!

Audrey took out her phone and presented the payment records from last night to Triston. "Take a look, Mr. Lambert. I paid for your room last night," she said. "You're going to repay me, right?"

Triston glanced at the records and nodded. He smiled at Audrey. "Of course I'll repay you. I never owe women any money," he said. Raising an eyebrow, he leaned in and asked in a low, seductive voice, 'Ms. Swann, can I repay you in another way?"

Audrey was shaken by his words. She stared at Triston in disbelief, and he suddenly leaned in closer, causing her to instinctively step back until she was pressed against the table.

Triston placed his hands on either side of the table, enclosing Audrey within his reach. His eyes locked onto hers. "Will that do?" he asked.

Audrey came to her senses and pushed him away, calling him a 'pervert" before swiftly leaving the meeting room.

Triston didn't chase after her, fearing she might run away again. He couldn't let Audrey escape this time, no matter what.

After leaving the meeting room, Audrey couldn't find Kim, so she called him. She found out that he had gone to dinner with the investment team's head, leaving her alone and frustrated. Content belong to NôvelDráma. Org.

It seemed that Kim was becoming increasingly unreliable, much to Audrey's dismay.

The assistant stood to the side and noticed Audrey's unpleasant expression, feeling a bit flustered.

*Audrey, Kim is not here. Shall I call the company's car to take you back?" the assistant offered.

'No need." Audrey rejected the assistant's suggestion. With the current transportation being so convenient, she could just call an Uber. Waiting for the company's car would take too long, especially with the sun already setting. Audrey walked out of the set with the assistant and stood by the roadside, preparing to call an Uber.

Not far ahead, a Maybach slowly came to a stop. The driver glanced at the people ahead and respectfully said to the back seat, "Mr. Lambert, it seems to be Miss Audrey. What do you think?"

Triston, who was dealing with work, immediately looked up upon hearing about Audrey. "Drive the car over," he instructed.

"Okay." The driver complied and slowly moved forward.

The assistant held an umbrella for Audrey and, seeing her still engrossed in operating her phone, couldn't help but suggest, 'Audrey, should we call the company instead?"

Audrey hadn't expected this place to be so remote. She had been standing in the sun for five minutes, and if she stayed longer, her skin would be damaged. She couldn't afford to ruin her face now when she had an ad shoot the next day.

"Audrey, look! It seems like they've come for us," the assistant said.

Hearing this, Audrey looked up and saw the car window slowly rolling down, revealing Triston's face. "Beauty, need a ride? Free of charge!" he teased.

Audrey's expression darkened when she saw Triston. Without hesitation, she refused, "No, thanks."

Unfortunately, Triston was thick-skinned. Despite her reluctance, Audrey reluctantly took the assistant and got into the car. If she didn't, she would get sunburnt.

As soon as she got in, Triston kindly offered her some water. 'It's so hot. Want some water? I'll arrange dinner for tonight," he said.

Audrey immediately frowned, and her tone became noticeably stern. "I'm not having dinner with you, Triston. Don't push your luck," she warned.

Chapter 1000 A Difficult Decision

Audrey's arrogant attitude surprised both the driver and the assistant. The driver, familiar with Triston, knew that no woman dared to be so bold in his presence. Despite Audrey's significance to Triston, her behavior might just get her kicked out of the car.

However, Triston's next move stunned the driver. He didn't scold Audrey; instead, he said to her in a pleasing tone, "You're quite slim. You don't need to worry about your figure. Let's go to Unic Flavors for dinner. They serve very healthy food, which suits your taste.'

Audrey was speechless. She wasn't worried about her figure; she simply didn't want to be around Triston. If it weren't for the fear of getting sunburnt, she wouldn't have even considered getting into his car.

Unable to tolerate Triston's incessant chatter, Audrey reluctantly agreed to have dinner with him. The driver took them to the restaurant's basement, and Triston led them through the VIP entrance.

As the dishes were served, Audrey realized that many of them were her favorites. She hadn't expected Triston to remember all of them. She ate silently, while Triston, who barely ate, focused on serving her.

The prawns in front of Audrey were peeled, the fish deboned, and the soup was served in a separate bowl, cooled to her liking. Eventually, she couldn't take it anymore. She turned to him with a sharp gaze. "Can you please eat quietly? If you're full, just sit aside and have some coffee. If you continue to disturb me, I'll leave." Content belong to NôvelDráma. Org.

Triston immediately surrendered, saying, "Alright, I won't disturb you. Take your time to eat."

True to his word, Triston stopped fussing over Audrey. Once Audrey finished eating quietly, she and her assistant prepared to leave.

Triston offered to drive them back, but Audrey refused, stating, "We're in the city center. We can easily catch a taxi anytime. You don't need to bother, Mr. Lambert."

"Okay." Triston responded casually.

This surprised Audrey. She expected Triston to persist, but he agreed so easily. Just as she found this strange, Triston explained, "This is a popular restaurant in the city center. Although it's easy to catch a taxi here, I think it'll be a little difficult for you to leave here."

Audrey immediately furrowed her brow, and her assistant turned pale. They both knew how crazy Audrey's fans could be. It was risky for just the two of them to leave right now.

The assistant looked at Audrey with concern, asking, "Audrey, do we really need to take a taxi?"

Audrey realized they would need Tristan's help to leave. His car was parked in the VIP area, allowing them to avoid unnecessary trouble.

However, Audrey had just rejected Triston, and now she found herself in a position where she might have to ask for his help. It was a difficult decision for her.