Ch. 501..510
Chapter 501 I Wouldn’t Have Hurt if You’d Died
Soon after they left, the venue returned to order. In this race against time to get rich, the audience preferred to ignore the incident in favor of devoting themselves to the cause
When she noticed Kenneth’s hand inadvertently holding his wound, Elise said before she could think too much about it, “Thank you.”
In response, he only looked at her affectionately without saying anything.
What she didn’t know was that he was absolutely entranced with the way she used his power to take Ziggy down a peg.
Surely it wouldn’t take long before she completely got used to it and relied on this identity of his.
The pain of Kenneth’s wound was nothing in comparison to the feeling of being relied upon by her.
It wasn’t until Elise realized something was strange and looked up at him that he quickly averted his gaze. Clearing his throat, he changed the topic and asked, “How did you know I came to exterminate the Eagle Gang?”
Stunned, she pulled back.
No… She’d only been blathering nonsense. It couldn’t be true.
“You really exterminated the entire gang?” Elise murmured tentatively.
Hearing that, Kenneth frowned.
From her question, it seemed she hadn’t known about this matter, and yet…
Seeing through his thoughts, she offered up an explanation. “I only said all of that to scare Ziggy and to let him know that there were others better than him and not to be so brazen. I didn’t know Eagle Gang was truly gone… Is this why you got so badly injured yesterday?”
Kenneth hummed in response. Having already let things slip, he had no choice but to confirm her suspicions.
After a moment of thought, she continued, “Did you do it single-handedly?”
“How else?”
“So, that was the reason you came to Dukethorn? Did Smith Co. and the Eagle Gang have irreconcilable differences of some sort?”
Instead of immediately replying, he simply stared at her expressionlessly.
Feeling somewhat at a loss, Elise twisted her hands. In truth, she herself didn’t know why she was suddenly so interested in his business, either, but with no way to take back what she just said, she could only wait silently for his response.
Of course, there was nothing strange about it. Wasn’t it worth her time to get to the bottom of anything she found suspicious?
Yes, it was only because he happened to be Kenneth Bailey and not because he was Kenneth Bailey that she paid special attention.
“No,” Kenneth finally said after a long time, looking suddenly like a docile and loyal hound as he spoke slowly and softly. “You were attacked by the people from that gang. I was afraid someone would come after you if I didn’t take care of them all. Clearing them out once and for all gives me less to worry about.”
Thud thud thud…
And just like that, Elise felt her heart begin to race.
As she stared at his earnest expression, she suddenly found that she had lost all ability to speak or express herself. There wasn’t anything she could say or any way she could react.
Only after a long time did Elise take a deep breath to calm down. Her tone icy, she muttered, “Don’t humor yourself by doing these things. I already have people I would give up my life for. If you’d died at the Eagle Gang’s haunt yesterday, I wouldn’t have felt hurt in the least bit.”
With that, she spun on her heel and walked away.
Before she could get too far, Kenneth followed after her and caught her wrist.
All at once, Elise’s heart jolted like she had been electrocuted, and she shrugged him off in terror. “Don’t touch me!”
Even though he didn’t know what was happening to her, he lifted his hands in surrender. “I have no ill intentions. I only wanted to say that your bet with Ziggy doesn’t have to continue. It can end here.”
“What are you implying?” Her breathing was still somewhat unsteady.
“With the Eagle Gang gone, the Carnegie Family has no crutch to lean on. They can’t cause any fuss and they wouldn’t dare touch you.”
That was when she caught his meaning.
Only after breathing out deeply and readjusting her state of mind could she say as calmly as possible. “You underestimate me. Do you think I can’t win?”
“I’m worried—”
“Don’t say such things anymore.” Elise didn’t wait for him to reply before continuing, “I don’t care who you worry about, but I don’t need you to worry about me. Moreover, I never do anything that I have no confidence in, so just you wait and see. Once I get some top-quality goods, I’ll have a piece of jewelry made to thank you.”
“I don’t need that.”
“You’re taking it whether you want it or not!” she snapped forcefully. “It’s the only thing I can give you, nothing else apart from that!”
Elise would never tolerate or accept having feelings for someone other than Alexander Griffith.
And so, after leaving Kenneth with this sentence, she left the lounge and went to find Tom.
By now, Tom had chosen two pieces of stone. After getting them registered, the duo left to have lunch.
Right as they exited the venue, Tina could be heard hurriedly chasing after them. “Hold on a minute, Miss Sinclair…” She came up to Elise right as the latter stopped in her tracks and turned back. “I said I would thank you today. Will you have lunch with me?”
As Tina finished her quiet question, she looked away, only for her gaze to fall on Tom. In an instant, her smile became somewhat unnatural, and her hand that was clutching the strap of her purse subconsciously tightened as her eyes darted away.
“Sure.” Elise was quick to decide as she murmured, “We can find a quiet restaurant with relatively few people in it.”
Once they reached the restaurant, Tina went up to the host station to get a table number with Tom and Elise trailing behind her.
“Hey.” Elise nudged his arm to remind him, “You’re old acquaintances. Be proactive. Don’t miss this excellent opportunity.”
Flustered and uneasy, Tom protested, “I’m worried she’s not interested in me, and yet my heart aches to see her with Ziggy…”
“Well, you’d best let her know, then. What’s the point in only me knowing about it? At your age, it’s completely up to you whether you want a wife. Don’t come crying to me later that I’m not concerned with your personal issues as your boss,” Elise counseled meaningfully, sounding twice her age.
At this point, Tom didn’t know whether to laugh or feel awkward. After all, Elise herself knew that she was younger than him, yet she was teaching him about romance.
Clearly, she was interested in everything except doing business through stone gambling.
Of course, she was most interested in sleeping.
In the less than a week since they met, Elise had spent half that time sleeping.
Very soon, the trio got a table and sat down.
Not long after that, as if she had remembered something, Elise picked up her cell phone and headed toward the exit. “I have to make a call. You guys can get started first; there’s no need to wait for me.”
The moment she left, the atmosphere at the table became strange.
Somewhat uneasily, Tom and Tina stared at each other, neither having the courage to speak up first.
Finally drumming up his courage, Tom broke the silence. “Uh—let’s order first so that the food will get here by the time Miss Sinclair comes back.”
“Alright,” Tina agreed politely before pushing the menu over to him. “You pick, I’ll supplement.”
Without further ceremony, Tom chose two kinds of meat and a vegetable to be shared among them before arranging for some drinks and pushing the menu back to Tina.
After glancing through the menu, she picked out some dessert and appetizers before flagging down an attendant. As she was passing the order form to the attendant, she suddenly remembered something and snatched the order form back, scribbling ‘no scallions or cilantro’ in a corner.
Only when she finished writing and looked up to meet Tom’s gaze did she realize she had revealed something by accident. Nevertheless, she still stubbornly handed the order form back to the attendant.
The moment the attendant left, Tom sighed. “It’s been so many years, but you haven’t forgotten that I don’t like scallions and cilantro.”
“It has nothing to do with you,” Tina answered indifferently. “It’s simply that I don’t like them.”
“You used to eat them in the past.”
“As you said, that was in the past. No one has stayed the same since. Can’t I change?”
Chapter 502 A Family Sooner or Later
“It was my fault all those years ago. I shouldn’t have acted according to my temper and abandoned you. Will you give me a second chance, Tina?” Tom’s expression was despondent
“Don’t address me so intimately, Mr. Shaw. You could have anyone you wanted given your status now, so for Miss Sinclair’s sake, please don’t make a fool out of me,” Tina replied neutrally.
“I’ve never thought about anyone else.” Tom’s gaze was affectionate but resolute. “I was never with any woman after you. All these years, my only focus apart from business has been you. You’re the only person I’ve missed and longed for.”
For a moment, Tina frowned, but the expression disappeared in an instant as she replied indifferently, “In that case, let me make myself clear to you today, Mr. Shaw. You needn’t waste your time. I’m a person without a future. Everything I own belongs to the Carnegie Family now. No matter how long you wait, we could never be together again.”
“What if I dealt with the Carnegie Family?” he asked stubbornly.
“Don’t be stupid. They’re so powerful and you can’t possibly defeat them…”
“As long as you’re willing and wish for it, I will have a way of resolving the matter.” Hidden beneath the table, Tom clenched his fists as cold sweat started to break out on his palms. It was as if he had turned back into that seventeen or eighteen-year-old from all those years ago, nervously waiting for his sweetheart’s reply.
Tina stared at him and her frozen heart started melting all of a sudden. Color filled her world once again as she murmured, “Alright. If they will genuinely let me go, I will—”
“Sorry, I was too engrossed in my conversation. Have you guys ordered?” As Elise suddenly sat down, the dialogue between the duo came to a halt.
Naturally, Elise could tell from their faces that something was off, but she could only shrug innocently, thinking that she hadn’t returned at the right moment.
In truth, she had gone out to answer Joseph’s call. He informed her that they managed to get in contact with Xavier and asked her if she had run into any trouble in Dukethorn. As she was asking Joseph to look into someone on her behalf and have the information sent over to her, Elise hadn’t paid attention to how long she was gone.
“We ordered some food,” Tina said politely now, pushing the order form over to Elise. “You should get some things that suit your taste.”
Carelessly, Elise waved her hand. “It’s okay. I’m not picky. This will do.” And then, she turned to Tom. “I nearly forgot—once the gem auction event is over, you’ll have to go with me to pick up a jewelry designer. Her designs are novel and unique. If Shaw’s Jewelry Co. wants to make a breakthrough, we’ll have to strike our own path and rely on unique designs as our stepping stone to success. In the future, we shall focus only on quality, not quantity.”
Narrowing her eyes in amusement, Tina quipped, “I’m afraid my presence is interrupting your business talk.”
After all, business planning could be considered confidential. It wasn’t proper for her as an outsider to be listening to them.
“It’s fine,” Elise replied with a mild smile, taking a sip of her drink. Out of the corner of her eye, she quietly took measure of Tina, thinking that there was no need to be on her guard for they would all become a family sooner or later.
After lunch, the closing ceremony ended early. The long afternoon was the highlight for the stone owners, for one of the rules of the gem auction event was that all stones would be broken open in public at the venue before being taken away.
This was to maintain the prosperity of Dukethorn as the stone gambling capital and to analyze how many pieces of rough jadeite stone came from Dukethorn every year. As much as it was publicity, it was even more so a subtle way of showing off.
On this final day of the auction, there were even more people than on the previous two days. Most of them were here to witness the results of Elise and Ziggy’s competition; some had even brought their family to spectate the gossip for themselves.
“There must be only nine pieces of raw material left now.”
“More or less-—five of the woman’s and four of Mr. Carnegie’s.”
“He has less than the woman?”
“What do you know? He already managed to find four pieces of high-quality jadeite yesterday. Even if he only managed to find one piece today, he would already have far surpassed her. Surely she can’t be the other God’s Chosen Girl, with every selection producing top-quality jadeite.”
“True! Not to mention that everything she chose was rough stone from the outer hall, and we all know what those stones are like…”
“Needless to say, Ziggy will come out victorious!”
“Don’t forget their wager. Don’t you wish to see what a woman so gorgeous would look like underneath Ziggy? Ha!”
Amid all the noise of the tongue-wagging, Tom and Elise finally managed to squeeze their way through the crowd and into the inner hall.
Upon the platform where the rock was to be broken open, all of the rough stones waiting to be machine-cut and polished had been arranged in a row. Elise could very easily distinguish the five pieces she had selected.
This was mainly due to hers being so small that they looked somewhat ugly in comparison to the stones Ziggy had chosen.
“Even hearts stop, but gossip clearly doesn’t,” Elise teased the crowd.
Tom rubbed his hands together excitedly. In all his years of stone gambling, such a scene was unprecedented.
Almost supernaturally, Elise noticed Kenneth and Melody entering the venue through the crowd. As they were escorted by the security guards, a path opened easily for them, and they were able to make their way in slowly and sedately.
When Elise sensed that Kenneth was about to lift his head, she cleverly averted her eyes.
Finally, like a beauty-pageant winner, the staff member in charge of explaining the process entered the scene amid cheers from the audience.
As the rough stones were assigned to two different masters one by one, the volunteer in charge of maintenance and inquiries invited, “Miss Sinclair and Mr. Carnegie, please step forward.”
Like a soldier up for review, Ziggy lifted his head and puffed out his chest before striding up to the equipment nearby one of his rough stones.
Someone must have reattached his dislocated arms.
Meanwhile, Elise stood at the other end of the platform and stopped the master who was about to cut into her stones. “No, don’t use machinery. Polish them manually with tools. They won’t be perfect anymore if you cut them in half.”
As soon as she said that, the people next to her began to snicker.
“That means she thinks she’d be able to find jadeite. Ha!”
“What a stubborn mule! It’d be a miracle if she managed to find a glint of green from the goods in the outer hall, let alone something whole and perfect.”
Even the master was somewhat reluctant. After all, he had been in this line of work for years. It wouldn’t be a problem if he cut three times into the stones numbering above six thousand, let alone the stones numbering above ten thousand. The chances of these stones producing jadeite were infinitesimal. Why would he waste time polishing them by hand?
Nevertheless, however reluctant he was, this was his job. Although he sighed deeply, he still carried the stone over to the hand grinder and began to manually polish it.
With familiar ease, Ziggy pointed at the master in charge of his stones and instructed, “Do the same as yesterday.”
Simultaneously, both masters began polishing.
Despite the size of the stones Ziggy selected, it only took about a minute after the machine cut into them for them to produce jade.
“Tsk! There’s no surprise there—high-quality goods again!”
“Yet again? Does the Carnegie Family have an all-seeing eye? Who could compete with these odds of finding jadeite?”
At this moment, Ziggy’s master couldn’t help becoming careful for fear of damaging the jadeite inside. Gently, he blew the powder off the stone so that the green would become even more transparent.
The cut had successfully drawn the audience’s attention, and they were now waiting with bated breath to see what the second cut would reveal.
Meanwhile, since she had insisted on every piece being hand-polished, the progress being made on Elise’s rough stones was immeasurably small.
Ziggy shot her a contemptuous glance and the corners of his mouth curled up into a smug smile.
He had said it before and he would say it again—he would win!
Chapter 503 God’s Chosen Girl Has Revealed Herself
At this point, the master made the second cut extremely cautiously. The entire process took about 10 minutes before the external layer of the rock was finally removed, revealing the treasure inside.
In those few short moments, the entire crowd was silent before suddenly erupting into a roar.
“That is the highest quality glassy species jadeite! Look at its color and its degree of transparency! This is truly rare!”
“F*ck! I knew there’d be a surprise today, but I didn’t know there’d be such a great surprise! It’s an opportunity of a lifetime to be able to see this quality of glassy species jadeite with my very own eyes!”
“Well, I told you all to read more. Tsk! To only be able to say these few words at this crucial moment… Let me tell you all—this is imperial jade. To use fine gold as an analogy, it’s 999 gold. Truly a treasure!”
Gasp after gasp followed that comment, as if anyone who didn’t compliment the jadeite would look uneducated.
Even Ziggy couldn’t help brightening up and revealing his surprise, as if he hadn’t anticipated such unexpected good news. “Do you still think I won’t win?” He looked arrogantly at Elise.
On the other hand, Elise pretended not to see that and only stood expressionlessly in her spot, staring at her own stone without glancing away for even a moment.
The work of breaking open the stone was still in progress and together with the whispers of the crowd, the roar of the engine and the tapping of the hand-polishing made the entire space buzz like a hive.
At this moment, almost everyone had their attention on Ziggy, since there was no denying he had found imperial jade. As long as it occupied around half of the already massive rough stone, he would be able to sell it for upwards of fifty million.
Right at this moment, on Elise’s side, the master who was breaking open the stone suddenly paused in his actions. “What?!” he blurted.
“What’s the matter?” Deeply afraid that the master would definitively declare the stone as waste rock, Tom watched on with his heart in his throat.
If that were the case, he would truly lose his confidence. After all, his opponent had four top-quality goods to speak of.
“Calm down.” Elise patted his shoulder.
“This jadeite is somewhat strange.” The master smacked his lips, suddenly becoming alert and determined. At the same time, he began to polish more vigorously, and his mouth gradually fell open as his world-weary eyes flashed in astonishment.
Meanwhile, Tom had his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles were cracking out loud. His mouth was also dry from nerves. On the other hand, Elise looked as calm as she always did, as if she was simply on a grocery run at the supermarket.
“My god…” By now, the master had stopped moving and was staring at the stone he was holding in awe.
As some of the audience members noticed his reaction, they craned their necks to see what was happening while asking loudly, “Hey, what’s going on? Keep going!”
With that, more people began to look over.
“Don’t tell me he actually found a green stone?”
“Even if he did, nothing of good quality could come from the stones in the outer hall.”
“You’re right. There is no green.” The master seemingly hadn’t recovered from his shock. As those who were paying attention revved up to start another round of commentary, he beat them to the punch by saying, “There’s red.”
“What?”
“It’s a rare blood jadeite!” The master finally calmed down enough to announce to the audience, his voice determined, “Only one other piece has been found in the last 100 years, at the previous gem auction event in Landred City. I’ve seen pictures of it. It’s of the same kind!”
The people around him stared with their mouths agape, expressions disbelieving. All of them were astonished.
As if ‘blood jadeite’ was the signal to gather, the crowd instantly began to swarm the station where Elise’s stones were being broken open, seemingly wanting to make up for not having seen the blood jadeite in Landred City with their own eyes.
Under the pale light of the incandescent lamp, the corner of the red jade looked like a beating heart. Despite the fact that it was obviously stationary, it gave onlookers the impression that it was moving, alive and boasting of its vitality. Even its color was peculiarly and astonishingly a thrillingly red, making its onlookers feel as if they were on the shores of sunset and witnessing the beauty of the sky.
It was top-quality glassy species jadeite, a blood jadeite, no less.
Just like that, the crowd fell as silent as the dead, their greedy eyes sweeping toward the rough stone on the platform like a wave. In this moment of stillness, there were seemingly countless invisible hands reaching out to pick up the treasure and gaze upon it like a jewel.
It wasn’t until they came back to their senses that they realized they were in a dream with the seeming alive red jade playing the leading role.
Just like that, they became even more obsessed with that piece of blood jadeite.
Throughout jadeite’s long history, green was the only color that normally formed. Who knew what kind of mysterious, soul-stirring story was behind the birth of other colors of jadeite?
Even then, Elise’s current piece was top quality among red jade. It could be considered one of a kind—so rare that it was practically serendipitous for her to have come across it.
By now, the audience had arrived at the mentality that the seemingly alive piece of jade could be viewed from a distance but not touched by hand. As if they were afraid that making noise would disrupt this piece of jade, they remained dazed and motionless. Thus, Ziggy and the audience members closest to him hadn’t noticed this amazing spectacle next to them.
It wasn’t until all of his stones were broken open that he looked upon the two fist-sized pieces of jadeite on his platform and ground his teeth smugly.
He had five pieces of high-quality and top-quality jadeite, which was the sum of Elise’s rough stones. How could she possibly beat him?
So, he let out a sigh of relief and turned to look at how things were going on her end.
His face changed the moment he did so and his previously amicable expression disappeared as a tight frown and a hostile demeanor overtook him.
At this moment, Elise was in the middle of the crowd, with Tom standing next to her and holding a piece of red jade twice the size of Ziggy’s imperial jade. It looked so red it could have been bleeding, and so heavy that Tom’s face was comparably crimson, yet the man continued to hold onto it with a grin until even the tips of his ears turned red in the end.
The thing was, Ziggy was intimately familiar with stone gambling and knew that the piece of blood jade in Elise’s hands was worth more than all of his pieces of jadeite combined. If he wanted to beat her, he would need a few more pieces of imperial jade, but the gem auction event had ended and all of his rough stones had been opened. No longer would he have the chance.
Furiously, he ground his teeth.
“Green! The last piece has green as well! All of the stones are green!”
As the last of Elise’s rough stones were broken open, the crowd began to clamor.
“All green? You are God’s Chosen Girl! God’s Chosen Girl has shown her face! Wow!”
“F*ck! She must be the girl from previously! We’ve been tricked. She kept a low profile to confuse us!”
“The Carnegie Family has lost to God’s Chosen Girl two years in a row. What a bunch of losers. Ha!”
“Ignore them. She’s God’s Chosen Girl! You’re a goddess and my idol! We love you, God’s Chosen Girl!”
A myriad of emotions crossed Ziggy’s face and anger started to brew in his stomach. So furious that he was nearly breathless, he glanced menacingly at Tina out of the corner of his eye.
“You b*tch! Did you purposely leave the blood jade in the outer hall to them?” he growled, pointing a finger at her.
Finding him unreasonable, she snapped incredulously, “You’re suspecting me? If I wanted to mess with you, I wouldn’t have waited until now to tamper with the stones.”
Chapter 504 Consider It Charity
As his eyes were bloodshot and the veins on his face were pulsing due to his anger, Ziggy growled, “You must have colluded with them to play a trick on me! Well? Explain yourself. Why didn’t you look for the red jade?” He looked somewhat savage as he spoke.
“Can you be reasonable? You’re the one who said I could only choose from the inner hall; I didn’t even have the chance to head to the outer hall. How can you blame me now? Besides, I’m not a god. I’ve never seen a blood jade before. How would we be able to find it just because I’m here?” Tina stood up for herself.
“‘Reasonable’? Hah—”
“Why don’t you be more reasonable?”
Slap!
By the time he was done sneering and the audience could react, Tina was slapped so hard that her head had been turned to the side. There was a clear palm print on her cheek and a trail of blood running down from a corner of her mouth.
Never did anyone expect Ziggy to hit a woman. While most people were aware of the Carnegie Family’s bad reputation, they were shocked to personally witness Ziggy slapping a woman and making fun of her.
Meanwhile, as her nose started to itch, Tina cupped the cheek he had slapped and finally let out a sob. Her tears fell drop by drop and blended in with the puddles that the rock grinder left on the ground and disappeared.
Like her sob, her tears lasted only a moment. She couldn’t cry—not at an occasion like this. Crying at a place like this would only serve as entertainment to indifferent onlookers. She was the daughter of the Baker Family; she couldn’t appear weak in front of others. Yet, even as she told herself that, her tears continued to well up.
Of course, careless to propriety and feeling like he hadn’t managed to enjoy that slap to his heart’s content, Ziggy lifted his hand once more and prepared to vent all of his anger on her.
Unexpectedly, Tom rushed over at this moment and stood in front of Tina. The previously timid and weak-willed man was now aggressively waiting for Ziggy.
“Who do you think you are to be worth acting like a knight in shining armor in front of me?” Ziggy prodded Tom so hard on the chest that Tom’s body swayed.
Planting his feet firmly on the ground, Tom answered with insistence, “Don’t blame her for your inferior skills. What right do you have to hit her?”
Glancing at him and seemingly receiving some kind of confirmation, Ziggy glared at Tina. “I see you’ve been working together. No wonder you’re always out by yourself these days. From the looks of it, you’ve been acting as an informant to this son of a b*tch. For that alone, I’ll kill you!”
Elise disdainfully shook her head and walked over to stand in front of him. “If you’re that skilled, why didn’t you choose your own stones? Are all of the Carnegies a bunch of good-for-nothings who can only rely on women?”
An infuriated Ziggy shouted, “Shut your trap, or I’ll kill you!”
“Sure, but before that happens, please keep your promise. Frostine Murray—the designer from your shop. Have someone bring her here.”
Although Ziggy’s fists twitched, he didn’t dare to make any moves. After all, everyone at the venue knew the terms of their bet. However reluctant he might be, he couldn’t go back on his word in front of everyone else.
“Additionally…” Elise looked at Tina. “I want to redeem that woman. I’m paying her debts today. From today onward, the Baker Family will no longer owe the Carnegie Family.”
In Dukethorn, there were certain customs that were not in the lawbook yet. Human trade was one of them. Although the law did not officially recognize the contracts surrounding the sale of humans, the contracts still carried the force of law in their own way.
It was through one such contract that Tina entered the Carnegie Family since she had no other way to pay her parents’ debts. That was how the world worked—after the happy childhood her parents gave her, it seemed right for her to carry their debts.
“F*ck, no. She belongs to the Carnegies. Even when she dies, she’ll die in the Carnegie Family!” Ziggy snapped in an insufferably arrogant manner before eyeing Tina sinisterly. Once they arrived home, he would make her life on Earth even worse than in hell.
As if she could see her own fate, she pushed Tom aside and said in resignation, “You needn’t interfere any longer. I can figure out my own matters.”
“So, you mean to say that you wouldn’t like to work with me.” Elise suddenly chuckled.
“You might want to buy her, but you can’t force me to sell her.” Ziggy spread his hands and challenged her with a look.
A vexed Tom asked, “What are we going to do, Miss Sinclair?”
The moment he asked that, Elise snapped her fingers. In the next second, a man in leather shoes and a suit squeezed out from the crowd to pass a stack of documents to her before quickly leaving.
“At a gem auction event 12 years ago, Tina Baker’s parents managed to locate a piece of top-quality imperial jade. The Carnegie Family attempted to buy it at a low price but sent people after it when the Bakers declined their offer. As a result of the grievous wounds they sustained during the assault, Mr. and Mrs. Baker passed on. Following that, the Carnegie Family fabricated some debts as an excuse to retain the Bakers’ only daughter for personal use. The money she made for the Carnegie Family all these years has been enough to redeem herself, yet when it comes to your account books, the amount of debt owed has only increased on a yearly basis! The Carnegie Family has never intended to let her go!”
As Tina listened to Elise talk, so much emotional pain had overwhelmed her that she swayed on her feet. It was a good thing Tom was there to support her.
“Nonsense! How dare you frame the Carnegie Family! I’ll come for everything your family has!” Ziggy warned arrogantly.
“Oh? And when this evidence reaches court, your family’s assets will be seized. Do you think you’ll be able to afford a lawyer by then?” Elise sneered as she waved the document folder in her hand.
After glaring at each other for less than five seconds, Ziggy was the first to admit defeat. “That won’t happen…”
“Your family knows best whether that will happen.” Elise tossed the document folder onto the nearby table before continuing calmly, “As long as you produce Tina’s contract, you’ll be able to leave with that evidence. Otherwise, I can have someone from the public prosecutor’s office over to come and get it. Your choice.”
For an insurmountable amount of time, he stared at her with his jaw clenched before finally looking at his assistant, receiving the contract the assistant produced, and tossing it onto the ground. “You can have it for free. Consider it charity!” With that, he went to pick up Elise’s document folder himself before fleeing.
The moment he left, the audience’s attention returned to the red jade.
“Are you prepared to sell the red jade, Miss Sinclair?”
“Sell it to me, God’s Chosen Girl. I’m your fan!”
Elise apologized with a grin, “I’m sorry, but I’m keeping it as a gift for someone.”
“Huh? Red jade as a gift? Who is thick-skinned enough to ask for that?”
As soon as they said that, Kenneth made his way from the crowd and walked up to the person who called him ‘thick-skinned,’ asking, “Do you think my skin is thick?”
A look into his sinister dark eyes sent the person fleeing for safety.
Kenneth lifted his head with a teasing smirk to look at Elise and said with confidence, “I knew that you wanted to give me something, which is why I came on my own.”
Glancing at him, she answered mildly, “I did want to give you something.”
With that, she walked up to the platform next to Tom, picked up a fist-sized piece of imperial jade and placed it in Kenneth’s hands.
“Thank you for coming to my rescue these few days. We’re square now.”
“Square?” He stared at the piece of imperial jade before looking back up at her. “Is this all I get?”
“What else?” Elise asked.
In response, Kenneth tilted his head and lifted a finger to point at the red jade in Tom’s hands. “What about that?”
Knowing what Kenneth was referring to without even having to glance over her shoulder, she answered calmly, “That’s for my fiance.”
Instantly, the light in his eyes dimmed and he looked at her with hurt. “So, I can’t be compared with that person even though I sacrificed my life for you?”
Behind him, Melody gawked in disbelief. How could he possibly be jealous of himself?
Chapter 505 Who Said We Were Lovers
The comments went on and on, turning this bout of public courtship into a joke.
In the beginning, Kenneth only kept his eyes on Elise, staring at her as piously as a monk and seemingly waiting for her to change her mind.
However, as he realized that she showed no signs of softening, his gaze turned cold and he turned his head to glance mildly at the onlooking crowd. Instantly, their laughter came to a halt.
The man in front tightly pursed his lips and offered a fake smile as he turned into a tortoise hiding in its shell who lacked the courage to move.
The world was full of narcissists like these who would watch the world burn only to then act like they were on a high horse and had nothing to do with the trouble once it truly started.
It wasn’t until no one dared to laugh any longer that Kenneth turned back to glance incomprehensibly at Elise, toss the imperial jade to Tom, and walk away.
As Elise breathed a sigh of relief, she gave Tom a look. “You can send Miss Melody back in a bit and have her take the jade with her.”
Since Melody was already prepared to leave, she turned back. “Excuse me, Miss Sinclair. Did I offend you in some way?”
Elise shook her head. “Why would you think that?”
“Why else would you have me take back something that my boss didn’t want? Would you like to watch me lose my job?” Melody frowned and gave her a look of bewilderment that was typical of intellectuals.
“My apologies.” Elise shrugged. “I thought you two were lovers and that I might spare you his temper if you brought the jade back for him. I meant no harm.”
“Wait a minute.” Melody held up her palm to make the ‘stop’ sign. “Lovers? Who said we were lovers?”
“Isn’t it obvious? You both go everywhere together. You live in the same house, and…” There were other things inappropriate to mention in public.
Sighing helplessly with her hand to her forehead, Melody replied, “In truth, Miss Sinclair, you’ve seen us enter the same residence but not in the same bed. We’ve never even held hands. Don’t you find that strange?”
Looking at her in puzzlement, Elise responded, “It would be stranger if I’d seen it.”
Melody surely was a tad bit too open-minded if she expected Elise to be there to witness what the couple were doing in bed!
The response tickled Melody, who would have kept a straight face even if the sky fell on her, so much that even she couldn’t help laughing desperately. “It would be quite strange. However, that’s not the point. The point is that you’ve misunderstood us, Miss Sinclair. Mr. Bailey and I have the platonic relationship of a superior and a subordinate. Furthermore, he’s not my cup of tea, so please don’t place me in an awkward position any longer.” At this point, she turned on a dime. “And on that note—the repayment of a debt of gratitude doesn’t depend on what you have but what the other party wants.”
With that, she resumed her mechanical smile as she nodded before turning to leave.
Elise fell into deep thought as she reflected on Melody’s words. This was what she was worried about. As long as Kenneth never spoke up, she would forever owe him a debt of gratitude.
It was frustrating that she had only just said she didn’t wish for them to have such a reciprocal relationship before stepping into such a pitfall.
It looked like she wouldn’t be getting rid of him so easily.
A dispirited Elise clenched her teeth ruefully.
On the other hand, what she didn’t expect was the fact that Kenneth and Melody weren’t lovers.
Meanwhile, Tom and Tina waited until Melody was at a distance before walking up to Elise and thanking her for her help. “If it wasn’t for you, Miss Sinclair, Tina would be left to rot in the hands of those sons of b*tches.”
“It’s only a small matter,” Elise answered absent-mindedly.
However, grief and distress were written all over Tina’s face as she asked, “Is it true that the Carnegie Family killed my parents, Miss Sinclair?”
“I benefit nothing from lying.”
“That’s not what I meant…” Tina answered despondently. “It’s just a pity that we lost that piece of evidence as I have no way of seeking revenge for my parents now.”
Even if she understood that the evidence was used to earn her freedom, there was no way for her not to mourn the inability to seek justice for her parents’ murder.
“Ah, don’t worry about that. What goes around comes around—the time for revenge will soon be here.” Elise chuckled meaningfully.
In truth, the so-called ‘evidence’ had long been sent elsewhere.
When Ziggy arrived home at the Carnegie Residence, he dismissed his staff before opening the document folder that Elise gave him.
At this moment, he was so nervous that he kept swallowing his saliva while holding his breath. Bit by bit, the contents of the envelope were revealed, at which point he suddenly frowned and thought, Blank? Maybe this is only the cover page.
However, the next piece of paper that he flipped to was also blank, as was the next.
It was halfway through the document that he abruptly realized he had been tricked. Tossing the papers to the side, he yelled, “Sh*t! How dare you play me for a fool, woman! I’m not a Carnegie if I let you walk out of Dukethorn alive!”
A furious Ziggy whipped off his necktie and pulled out his cell phone to prepare to have someone kidnap Elise here. Then, he would have her properly dealt with!
However, before he could place the call, a member of his staff stumbled into the room, shouting, “Something’s happened, Young Master Ziggy!”
Since Ziggy’s anger hadn’t abated, he kicked the other person a few feet back. “F*ck off with that bullsh*t. Are you trying to provoke me?”
As he rose to his feet with some difficulty, the staff member said in a trembling voice, “There’s a bunch of policemen outside saying that they would like to take you and Old Master Carnegie back for interrogation!”
Ziggy was not worried as he grumbled, “And why are you panicking? That’s all the police know how to do—try and arrest someone for money. Have the butler give them 20,000.”
Before his subordinate could reply to him, a group of plainclothes policemen barged into the room and walked right up to Ziggy, flashing him a legal document with a stamp on it. “Ziggy Carnegie, you are under arrest for tax evasion, the bribery of public officials, and contracting the services of a hired killer. We have irrefutable evidence and a legal warrant for your arrest.”
“Why so stern, Captain Harrington? Wouldn’t you like to sit down for some tea?” Previously thick as thieves with Captain Jesse Harrington, Ziggy reached out to pat the man’s shoulder the moment he saw who had come for him.
Unfortunately, Jesse leaned to the side and dodged his hand.
“Ziggy Carnegie!” he barked officially, raising his volume to warn Ziggy, “Jim Carnegie has been arrested. The end is nigh for Carnegie Family!”
“How is that possible?” Ziggy asked in disbelief.
Jesse waved his hand and ordered, “‘Cuff him and take him away!’”
Chapter 506 Do You Understand?
Meanwhile, over at the head office of Carnegie Jewelers. At the largest shop under the Carnegie Family banner, the interior was designed decadently and luxuriously while the attendants at the counter were well-trained to have a discerning eye for who could bring them the highest commissions.
The moment Elise entered the shop, three attendants surrounded her. “Is there anything we can do for you, pretty miss?”
So outstanding was Elise’s temperament that they were certain she came from an extraordinary background and would be generous in her spending. They were dying to get a commission from her.
However, since she was here for somebody, she only looked around the shop to no avail.
Elise figured that it was better for her to use a simpler method, so she cut to the chase by asking the attendants, “Where’s Frostine Murray? Shouldn’t the designer be introducing her works in the shop at this moment? Why isn’t she here?”
The attendants exchanged looks with each other. “Is there a designer here by the last name of Murray? I don’t think so.”
There was no way Elise could have come to the wrong place.
“Are there other employees in the shop?” she asked.
“Only the logistics employees, but they don’t come to the front,” the slightly older attendant answered.
“What kind of logistics employees would a jewelry shop need?” Elise couldn’t understand.
“Oh, you know, a couple of employees to clean the shop, take out the trash, move some things, and so on.”
In fact, she was referring to the cleaners, but the phrase ‘logistics employees’ sounded better.
“Um, Miss, allow me to be blunt, but this is a jewelry shop, not a detective agency. We don’t have time to be playing such games as hide-and-seek with you here,” the youngest attendant spoke dismissively, relying on the fact that she was the best-performing employee in the shop to get away with it.
“Is this how you treat your customers?” Elise asked with her eyes dangerously narrowed.
“Have you spent any money here yet, self-proclaimed customer?” the attendant retorted strangely.
It made Elise chuckle before she mumbled to herself, “Yes, money makes the world go round. My charm is nothing in comparison to money.”
“We’re sorry, Miss. She’s new here and doesn’t understand the rules. Please permit me to assist you,” the older assistant from before hurried to mediate.
The youngest assistant mocked, “Some people like to act the good guy based on their seniority. Go ahead and mind other people’s business, then, but don’t come blaming me when your work performance drops!”
Nonetheless, the oldest attendant only smiled with pursed lips and ignored her before moving in the direction of the lounge. As she went, she gestured with an outstretched hand. “Please come this way, Miss.”
The moment the attendant said that, Elise pulled out a card and placed it in her hand. “Ten million. A tip for helping me locate Frostine Murray.”
The overjoyed older attendant opened her mouth to thank Elise when the younger attendant rushed over, snatched up the card, and simpered, “It’s better that I serve you, miss. I’m the top-performing, most professional employee in the shop. I’m sure I will do it to your satisfaction.”
As Elise crossed her arms over her chest, she demanded, “Are you committing outright robbery now?”
The smile on the younger attendant’s face froze and she stood there with the card, looking at a loss.
“I want this attendant to serve me. Do you understand?” The corners of Elise’s mouth lifted, but there was no smile in her eyes—only resoluteness.
The awkward younger attendant quietly placed the card back in the older attendant’s hands.
After tightening her grip around the card in delight, the older attendant bowed before once again gesturing, “Please come this way, Miss!”
Elise gave a tight smile before she lifted a foot to walk toward the employee lounge only for the door to suddenly open before she even got behind the counter. From inside, a short-haired woman with tanned skin but blonde hair and blue eyes walked out. She was lanky but skinny—an indication that she was biracial.
“No need to go to so much trouble. I’m right here.” Her voice was clipped.
At her introduction, Elise frowned with a heavy look in her eyes.
“Felicia Murray? Why are you here instead of unloading the goods, Manhands? Look at how you’re dressed. You’re going to scare the customers away! Get back there!” The younger attendant vented her anger by disparaging Felicia.
“Felicia Murray?” Elise curiously repeated the name.
“Yes, there’s only one person by the last name of Murray in the shop, but she’s not a designer. I have no idea whether she’s the person you’re looking for, Miss,” the older attendant explained softly.
“She is.” Elise sighed.
The true identity of the so-called ‘Manhands’ Felicia Murray was jewelry designer Frostine Murray.
While Frostine couldn’t exactly be considered an old acquaintance of Elise’s, Elise had been friends for a while with Frostine’s mentor, the internationally renowned jewelry designer Clemence Murray when Elise studied fashion design. Later, she lost contact with Clemence and naturally never saw the girl whom Clemence raised again—Frostine Murray.
“Seems I was right to look for you here.” As she stared at Frostine, Elise parted her lips to murmur, “Let’s go. Dukethorn isn’t where you should be.”
Nevertheless, Frostine stood at the same spot with not much of a change in expression. “Thank you for the reminder, but I can’t go anywhere before I am able to locate my mentor.”
“Don’t you ever think about anything else?” Elise asked somewhat irritatedly as her eyes flashed with complicated emotions. “What if you can never find her?”
“That’s impossible!” Frostine finally lost her cool and glared at Elise, nearly growling as she clenched her fists and argued, “She’ll come back! I can’t leave. This is where all of the jade in the country is collected and distributed; she will show up here someday!”
While approaching Frostine with her eyes glinting dangerously, Elise asked, “Are you sure you want to stay here?”
“Yes! Umm—”
The stubborn yell was interrupted as Elise’s silver needle entered Frostine’s neck in the next second, causing Frostine to collapse.
Behind Elise was Tom, who asked in shock, “Was there a need to be so direct?”
Was this still his gentle boss? What kind of witchcraft had she done on Frostine?
Like a common bandit, she shoved Frostine at him and ordered, “Take her away.”
Before Frostine could regain consciousness and throw another fuss, they left the jewelry shop and directly boarded a plane.
When Frostine finally opened her eyes and saw the clouds outside the window, she balled up her fists once again and turned to say to Elise through gritted teeth, “I’ll find a way to come back no matter where you take me. Even if I die before I see Clemence again, I’ll die in Dukethorn!”
Clenching her jaw, Elise snapped impatiently, “Do you really think I can’t do without you?”
Instantly, Frostine lost her cool. “Well, you didn’t have to kidnap me! Who asked you to meddle? I stayed there voluntarily. What right do you have to interfere with my life?”
“If you keep throwing a fuss, I’ll kill you right now and you won’t be able to see her again for the rest of your life!” Elise threatened roughly, lifting a finger to point in Frostine’s face as she warned, “I hate people like you who only know how to wait as if the whole world revolves around you. It’d be fine if Clemence were still alive and wanted to look for you, but have you ever considered the possibility that she might have gotten in trouble? How would she look for you then? With her spirit?”
“What do you mean by that? Has something happened to her? Something must have happened to her. Tell me what happened!” Frostine grabbed Elise’s arm fearfully.
“Shut up!” Elise reprimanded. Unexpectedly, Frostine fell quiet before Elise continued, “A number of physicists have gone missing in the country these past two years and Clemence’s second husband is on the list. I suspect Clemence went missing as well.”
Chapter 507 Never Offend a Woman
Frostine remained silent as she was lost in her own thoughts. Then, Elise placed her hand on Frostine’s shoulder and said, “I know that you want to look for Clemence right now. I also do, but out of the two of us, who do you think has a higher chance of finding her?”
“You.” Frostine slouched sadly. “The plane is landing soon. You still have 5 minutes to think of whether you want to continue waiting aimlessly or help me to find her soon.” Elise patted Frostine’s shoulder before withdrawing her hand.
“There’s no need to think. I’ll follow you,” Frostine answered with firm eyes. “I believe you will be able to find her.” “Do you trust me that much?” Elise chuckled.
Frostine explained, “It’s because she trusts you a lot. Since you’re someone whom she trusts, I’ll trust you.”
Elise smiled without saying anything.
When the plane landed, Elise entrusted Tom to take care of Frostine and the jadeite. “I want you to take care of that and Frostine. I will bring away the blood jadeite with me, so don’t worry about it. As for the reopening of our business, we’ll just proceed with what we have discussed before with Frostine in charge of the designs. I want Shaw’s Jewelry Co. to make a name for itself at Landred City’s jewelry convention next month.”
In one month’s time, all the jewelry companies in the country would exhibit their new designs at the event, so it would be helpful to gain more clues about Clemence’s missing husband if they could locate her.
Of course, all of this depended on whether Clemence was really missing.
Whether her company—‘Alexis’—would get a slice of the action in the jewelry industry depended heavily on their performance at the convention.
After arriving at her hotel room, Elise had a bite before unlocking her safe.
The blood jadeite was peacefully resting in the safe as if it was a beating heart.
She couldn’t help but touch the contour of the jewel one more time.
This was the second blood jadeite that she found in a month.
It was rare for any jadeite to be in different colors other than green. Whenever that happened, it was often accompanied by strange changes in its material.
The only possible cause that Elise could think of in this case was radiation. That’s right. The origin of these blood jadeites must be releasing an unreported radiation, which in turn caused the change in color.
Radiation wasn’t allowed to be present for a long time in any country unless it was privately or spontaneously created, like being produced by shady organizations working in the black market.
The first thought that came to her mind was that these blood jadeites could have been the work of those missing physicists.
However, she couldn’t convince herself that the sole purpose of those physicists in creating the radiation was to produce these rare jadeites.
It all circled back to the physicists.
She unconsciously clenched the blood jadeite as her gaze gradually drifted away. This thing holds the secret of those missing scientists and the reason why Grandma and Alexander were poisoned. I need to investigate the secret.
After a while, she snapped back to reality and locked her safe again.
Just as she pressed the last number of the password, Elise suddenly thought of someone whom she had forgotten, so she murmured, “It’s time to settle it once and for all with Faye.”
…
Faye approached Elise on her own accord.
The next day, Elise received a notification regarding the ancestral recognition ceremony.
The short and straightforward notice was sent to her under Austin’s name. They knew that she had the blood jadeite and hoped that she could show it during the ceremony for the other friends and members of the family to see. In between, they didn’t forget to add some polite compliments while reminding her in the end to bring the deed that she had snatched from Faye.
Then, Elise called Alexander to rant about it.
After listening to her, he felt angry for her. “They’re quite intelligent for giving you a hollow name just to naturally take credit for all your achievements since you are now one of them. Don’t they think that this is a bit too much? I think you shouldn’t attend the ceremony. Maybe you can ask them to delay the ceremony until I’m back. After all, as your fiance, there isn’t a reason for me to not be there.”
“There’s no need for that because I can handle this myself. I must be there!” Elise revealed a smirk with something in her mind.
“It seems as though you have everything planned?” Alexander asked tentatively.
“Of course I do.” She originally had no intention to hide it from him, so she explained without any hesitation, “A while back, I found out about the illegal deals that Faye had done, and I planned to use them someday. This is a great chance for me to cement my name in the family. By then, it’ll be much easier to ease myself into the Anderson Family in the future. Doesn’t Faye want that land very much? I’ll just give it to her, but as a professional businesswoman, I’ll be wanting more from her in return.”
“This is why you should never mess with a woman,” he joked.
“I learned it all from you.” She pouted her lips. “This proves that you are a good teacher, Mr. Griffith.”
“Thanks for the compliment.” He giggled. “What do you need me to do for now?”
Elise mentioned, “I just want you to return quickly. After all, I’m going to leave the place in a huge mess, and I’m afraid that I can’t handle the situation if it escalates.”
“Hehe… Okay, I will return as soon as possible.” After that, Alexander ended the call.
Meanwhile, Melody, who was sitting beside him waiting to report her work, was left speechless. Who was the one who looked heartbroken yesterday? He has now completely recovered from one single phone call. Men are weird when they’re in love!
…
Elise flew back that day itself and Joey followed suit.
At night, the two of them went to a branded clothing store together to select their dresses for the next day’s ceremony.
However, while they entered the store, they were unlucky to have bumped into Faye and Celina, who accompanied her to the auction in Landred City.
“Oh, looks like times have changed. It seems like traitors these days have the shame to use their family’s money openly to buy luxurious items for themselves!” Celina mocked while rolling her eyes.
“Who is it with her filthy mouth?” Joey called her out straight away as she hated people like Celina the most.
“How dare you say that I have a filthy mouth!” As Celina’s chest trembled in anger, she had her arms on her waist and stomped her feet. “Where is the goddamn security?!”
Not long after, two security guards ran in and asked politely, “Miss, is there any problem?”
They were asking Celina since they could tell that she was someone who was rich and could not be offended, so they instinctively became biased toward her.
“Kick these two rude b*tches out of this place. Their presence is affecting my mood to shop!” She crossed her arms, looking arrogant.
At the same time, Faye pretended to calm her down. “Don’t be mad, Celina. After all, Yoona is my little sister.”
Of course Celina knew that Faye was putting on an act, so she pushed Faye away and shouted even louder at the security guards, “What do they pay you for? Can’t you recognize that she is the daughter of the Anderson Family? If you offend her family, there will be no place in the city for you for the rest of your lives!”
Chapter 508 Both Your Daughters Are Being Bullied
“The daughter of the Anderson Family? A-Are you talking about Miss Anderson from Anderson Pharmaceuticals?” The security guard’s eyes lit up as he tilted his head to ask for the store clerk’s help.
Although the store clerks were annoyed by the dispute in the store, they nodded their heads and confirmed her identity since she was one of the store members.
After Celina’s words had received confirmation, the security guard suddenly had the guts to ask Elise and Joey to leave. “Miss, please leave the store right now and stop disturbing our customers.”
Seeing that one side were dressed like wealthy ladies and the other were dressed like college students, the security guards could easily tell who they shouldn’t offend since they were only working here.
“Can’t you hear him? Leave!” Celina roared proudly while rolling her eyes.
“Does your mall always kick their customers out unfairly based on their status?” Elise looked at the two security guards thoughtfully.
“Little girl, it’s for your own good. The Anderson family isn’t someone whom you can offend. Listen to me. Sometimes in life, you just have to step back a little. I suggest that you leave with me now. Otherwise, things will escalate badly if we are to use force,” one of the security guards arrogantly replied to her.
“Fine. I can see that you are one of the more polite ones among the snobs.” She nodded her head and smiled faintly. “I want to see your manager.”
“The outcome will still be the same, so please listen to me and stop wasting our time.”
The other guard was losing his patience, so he went over to Elise and tried to drag her away.
However, as his hand approached her, she suddenly reached out and grabbed him by the wrist before throwing him over her shoulder. When everyone reacted to what had just happened, the guard was already lying on the floor on all fours like a tortoise.
“Wow, you’re so cool!” Joey’s admiration for Elise grew as she couldn’t help but clap for Elise.
She always thought that Elise was just a beautiful girl who only had the ability to make other men fall head over heels for her, so she didn’t expect Elise to know self defense.
When Joey quickly returned to her senses, she took out her phone to call for help. ‘Daddy, both your daughters are being bullied… Sobs..’
Since we’ve started a fight, I need to call for reinforcement as soon as possible.
However, Elise had failed to notice Joey’s reaction as she stepped on the security guard’s chest and repeated her words seriously, “I want to see your manager!”
She might look weak on the outside, but once she became serious, everyone present at the scene couldn’t help but shiver.
Witnessing the situation, the other security guard stepped aside while holding his walkie-talkie near his mouth to report, “Manager, someone is causing trouble in the branded store on the fourth floor. We need some reinforcements…”
As soon as he finished his sentence, he ran off and hid behind a column at the entrance. Then, he stuck half of his face out to quietly observe the situation inside.
“Hey! Hey! Don’t run away!”
At the moment, one of the security guards was on the floor while the other had fled the scene. Since the store clerk had failed to halt the escaping guard, she curled up and silently hid behind the cashier.
As she stood by the door, Celina reverted to her normal self after a brief moment of fear and still insisted on confronting Elise.
What’s so impressive about knowing how to hit someone? There are many people in elite families who also learn self defense like kickboxing and taekwondo, but let’s see how she’ll cope with more than one guard. She might be able to defeat one guard, but she won’t stand against all the security guards in the mall. When everyone is here, I must demand that they break her legs!
As for Faye, she didn’t wish to dwell with Elise for too long since her goal was the Anderson Family’s banquet. If Elise was enraged by what had happened today, she might refuse to attend the banquet, making her plan a failure.
“Celina.” Faye rested an arm around Celina’s shoulder and signaled her with her eyes. “That’s enough. It would be more of a headache if things escalate.”
However, Celina looked at her in disgust and replied, “Are you telling me to stop? The one that has to stop is her! If she were to leave the store without saying anything just now, everything would have been settled by then. Now that she has started a fight, there’s no chance I’m letting her off the hook this easily. Since there isn’t a man here for her to rely on, I’m going to teach her a lesson about how to behave herself!”
A gloomy Faye gritted her teeth as she regretted inviting Celina to join her for the day. Hasn’t she had enough already? Why can’t she see the bigger picture?
Elise sneered. “Looks like someone needs to hide their fangs.”
Her words were directed to Faye.
However, Celina thought that she was the one being targeted and yelled, “Who are you calling the one with fangs?”
“Oh, I guess someone is asking for a fight.” As Joey stored her phone away, she stood beside Elise and gave the other two a disdainful look.
After that, she swayed her phone in front of Elise and lifted her brow with a sly grin. “It’s done.”
“Huh?” Elise was startled for a while before she replied with a bitter smile. Don’t tell me she is now bringing her father into the situation? I can definitely handle this insignificant incident by myself.
However, Joey didn’t care much as she placed her phone back into the pocket of her jeans and crossed her arms with a provocation. “If you’re dissatisfied, I dare you to hit me! Will you be able to defeat my guardian angel?”
Guardian angel? Elise pursed her sweet lips. That’s a nice name.
“You b*tch!”
Now that Celina had been provoked, she was fuming, but she didn’t actually dare to lay a hand on Joey. As a result, she could only stomp her feet and viciously glare at Joey.
As soon as she finished her words, a group of security guards in uniform stormed in and blocked the storefront. There were about 20 people being led by the manager.
Then, the security guard who escaped returned. He moved toward the manager and pointed his finger at Elise. “She was the one causing trouble. Please save Alan!”
“I see.” The manager answered coolly.
After looking at his subordinate lying on the ground as well as Elise and Celina, the manager asked in a calm manner, “May I know who Miss Fassbender is?”
“Miss Fassbender? I’m afraid there’s a mistake. There’s only Miss Anderson here. Look carefully. She is Faye Anderson, the daughter of the Anderson Family!” Celina boasted.
However, the manager smiled politely as though he understood the situation. Then, he turned toward Elise’s direction and spoke in an even more respectful tone, “I believe you must be Miss Fassbender then.”
Elise sensed that he wasn’t here for trouble, so she lifted her foot off the security guard’s chest and released him. “I’m not the one you’re looking for, but her last name is Fassbender.”
She looked at Joey.
“Ah…” The manager dragged his tone as if he had something in mind.
The security guard who had run off quickly helped his colleague up from the floor and continued to fan the flames. “Manager, Alan was hurt severely. You have to do us justice!”
Listening to him, the manager withdrew his smile and uttered faintly, “Of course I will…” He suddenly changed to a firm tone a second later. “You two can stop coming to work tomorrow. You are fired as of today!”
“Have you lost your mind?” Celina glanced at the manager with disgust. “Why are you firing the guards who are protecting the customers instead of kicking out the troublemakers?”
Chapter 509 It Has Nothing to Do With Her
The two security guards argued, “She’s right. Why are you doing this? We are not buying any of this!” “Why am I doing this?” The manager switched to a more professional tone. “I’m doing this because you had just confronted the owner of this mall!”
“The owner?” The two security guards exchanged looks and asked with uncertainty, “Are you saying that these two students here are the owners of this mall? Impossible! The company’s general manager is clearly a man whose last name isn’t Fassbender!”
“It hasn’t been so since five minutes ago!” The manager raised his volume as he spoke in an unmistakable tone.
“What did you just say?” Celina was shocked. “Athesea’s largest mall has changed ownership in a matter of minutes?”
“It’s all thanks to you that we were able to sell the mall five times its market value,” he responded lightly.
“Five times? Are you crazy?” Her jaw dropped in disbelief.
Ignoring her reaction, the manager turned toward Elise and Joey before bowing to request for their instructions. “Miss Sinclair and Miss Fassbender, is there anything I can help you two with?”
“I don’t want anyone to affect my shopping mood.” Elise looked at Celina and sought revenge.
“That’s right. Ask this woman to leave and never allow her to enter again,” Joey added.
Since they were all females, Elise didn’t mean to make the situation look that bad, but it was too late to do anything once Joey had given her orders.
“Don’t you dare!” Celina stood with her arms akimbo, trying to remain fierce.
“What are you waiting for? Follow the boss’ orders!” The manager shouted until his voice had completely covered Celina’s, ruthlessly changing the situation.
In an instant, the two security guards rushed toward Celina and dragged her out of the store.
“Let me go! How dare you treat me like this! I won’t forgive you all for this! Ahhh!”
The woman’s scream echoed throughout the entire mall. The two security guards earlier had also lost their balance as they kneeled on the floor.
Once Celina was dragged away, the store finally returned to its usual quietness.
The manager was perceptive and sharp-witted enough to ask, “Then… What should we do about Miss Anderson?”
Faye’s neck was tense as her eyes darted frantically, but she was quick to return to her usual condescending attitude. “You don’t need to worry about me. I will leave by myself.”
She paused for a brief moment and continued with her ruthless words, “Elise, you’re surrounded by enemies now. When someone comes to exact revenge upon you in the future, don’t come crying in front of my doorstep!”
Elise shrugged her shoulders and replied, “Then, you better live long enough to witness it. Otherwise, according to the current average age, you won’t be able to witness that day.”
Faye clenched her fist so tightly that her nails were digging into her palm. After glaring at Elise for two seconds, she turned around and left in anger.
“Stand right there!!” Joey had dragged her voice so that the security guards by the entrance understood her intention for them to stop Faye.
“Put down what you have just bought,” Joey insisted.
“I paid for this!” Faye gritted her teeth in hatred.
“So what? I’m not short on money, so if you want, I’ll even pay you back double. In short, I don’t want my mall doing business with people like you!” Joey tilted her head.
She wanted to make a scene where Faye and Celina couldn’t do anything about their situation no matter how angry those two were.
“Very well. Elise, I’ll remember what you did to me today!”
Faye shook her head several times before dropping her shopping bags onto the floor with a thud and left.
“You—Why are you holding a grudge against her? I’m the one bullying you! If you want to seek revenge, remember to target me! Hey!”
Joey continued to shout at Faye as Faye walked away from the store at an increasing pace.
“Tsk!” Joey waved her hand and sneered. “She only knows how to pick on the weak ones to bully!” After that, she turned around and saw Elise’s indifferent expression before apologizing, “I’m sorry that I’ve caused you some trouble…”
”It’s fine.” Elise smiled. “I can’t help that the person whom I want to protect is such a resentful one.”
“Huh?” Joey was stunned for a second before remembering that she had subconsciously referred to Elise as her guardian angel, so she blushed and hurriedly excused herself. “I’m going to pick a dress now!”
As she watched Joey running off, Elise couldn’t help but reveal a satisfied smile. Even though she is a grown woman, I never knew that she has such a shy side.
…
It was time for the banquet in the blink of an eye.
Elise and Joey had arrived at the Anderson Residence by car.
The moment they exited the car, they could immediately see a delicately decorated manor which looked solemn and grand. One could easily notice that the Anderson Family had spent a lot of effort on this event.
On each side of the main road, there were a row of servants greeting the guests in a line all the way until a handmade grass-arch. Below the grass-arch stood Faye and Austin.
Jeanie and Bertha were nowhere to be seen.
On the outside, the banquet seemed like the highest level of courtesy, but Elise knew clearly that it was just another ruthless trap set for her.
As she walked halfway to the door, Faye came forward to greet Elise cheerfully by linking arms and pressing her cheeks on Elise’s, which made them look closer in front of the guests.
Elise acted accordingly with a fake smile but whispered, “What a nice act that you’re putting up.”
Faye retained her elegant composure and gave another fake smile. “I have prepared a big surprise for you. Aren’t you excited, my dear Elise?”
“I am.” Elise lowered her eyes to glance at her dress and thoughtfully added, “If I remember correctly, this dress was one of the collections in last year’s fashion week. Don’t you think it’s a bit outdated? I don’t think it’s suitable to wear something like this to a grand event.”
Without waiting for Faye’s response, she seemed to realize something as she followed up with a tease. “Oh, I remember now. Looks like someone couldn’t get her hands on one of the latest fashions. Am I right?”
Faye’s expression changed as she gritted her teeth, but she managed not to lose her composure.
If it weren’t for Elise and Joey who had bought all the best branded clothing stores in the city, Faye wouldn’t have to wear this outdated dress to make up for it.
Therefore, she squinted her eyes with hatred. I’ll allow you to smile for now, but let’s see who will be laughing later!
Thinking of how Elise would embarrass herself later on, Faye calmed herself down. After that, she moved aside to make way for Elise. “Come with me. Dad is waiting for you.”
As both ladies reached the arch, Austin took a step forward and tried to hold Elise’s hand. However, she avoided him and stepped aside to face the guests.
A hint of awkwardness flashed through his face, but since they were in public, he silently retracted his expression.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce my daughter—Yoona! She has been living abroad for the past few years and has just returned recently. Since there are a lot of things she isn’t familiar with yet, I hope that all the members and friends of the Anderson Family here with us today will take good care of her in the future.”
The crowd applauded while Elise nodded her head with gratitude.
Even her simple greeting was enough to attract unwanted commotion.
“So, she is the Anderson Family’s long lost daughter! I didn’t expect her to look so delicate while growing up outside the Anderson Family’s care.”
“How is that not possible? She is the crown jewel of the family. Although the older daughter of the Anderson Family also has a pretty face, she instantly looks average when compared to Elise’s appearance.”
Chapter 510 I Want to Propose a Marriage
“Why are their two daughters so different from each other?” “Don’t you know that the Anderson Family’s eldest daughter was adopted? It’s no longer a secret now.”
“Really? No wonder they’re so different. Mannerism is something embedded in your blood. No matter what luxurious life you have lived, it’s impossible for an adopted child to inherit that grace…”
All of the gossip had reached Faye’s ears.
On the surface, she had remained calm as she smiled from time to time when meeting the guests’ gaze.
She was already used to the flattering and tampering culture of the upper-class society. The reason why the crowd tried to flatter Elise was because she was Austin’s biological daughter and would inherit the Anderson Family’s enterprise in the future, so it would be beneficial for them to befriend Elise.
However, the Anderson Family’s power was still subject to change. Once I regain my position, all of those who have underestimated me will never get to share my power!
After the greetings were done and dealt with, some impatient guests raised their voices to remind Austin, “Mr. Anderson, didn’t you promise us that we can see the blood jadeite today?”
With that, the others immediately followed up. “That’s right. Did the Anderson Family really get their hands on such a rare item?”
Listening to them, Faye quietly controlled her laughter while wearing an unnoticeable sinister smile.
Austin nodded his head slightly and looked at Elise. “Yoyo, did you bring the blood jadeite?” he asked gently.
As soon as he finished his sentence, the surprised voice of the welcoming servants was heard coming from the entrance. “Mr. Kenneth Bailey from Smith Co. is here!”
“Kenneth actually showed up! He is that big shot from Landred City!”
“I never imagined the Anderson Family to have connections with him!”
“Has anyone ever counted how much property Smith Co. has?”
“I heard that Kenneth’s business has spread across the entire country. It’s just a matter of time before Athesea falls in his hands!”
The guests continued to chat as they were more interested in Kenneth compared to the main event of today—Elise.
Amidst the gaze of the crowd, Kenneth wore a black suit and a pair of white gloves as he showed up with Melody and Johnny. He went straight toward Elise right after the red carpet.
Looking at him, Elise frowned her brows in annoyance. Why is he everywhere?
“It has been a while, Miss Anderson. I hope I didn’t ruin your good mood.” Kenneth ignored Austin and stopped in front of her.
“Well, you have successfully stolen my spotlight,” she answered impatiently.
He then turned around to look at the manor before chuckling faintly. “Believe me, Miss Anderson. No one can ever steal the spotlight from you with your charisma.”
“Thanks for the compliment. However, I’m not in the mood to argue with you today, so if there’s nothing else, can you please stay away from me?” Elise gave Kenneth a grim look.
In the eyes of the guests, their bickering made them look like they were flirting.
“It seems like there’s a close relationship between Kenneth and Yoona!”
“From what I know, Kenneth has never been this close to any woman.”
“You can’t blame the Anderson Family’s youngest daughter for being so beautiful! If I were him, I would be attracted to her too. Hahaha…”
Austin, who was ignored, quickly went up and apologized for Elise’s attitude. “I’m sorry, Mr. Bailey, but my younger daughter is a bit too straightforward with her words, so please do not take it to heart. You may go to the side to have some drinks first. I’ll personally send my apologies to you later on, okay?”
When Kenneth glanced at Austin, he became much more respectful toward the older man. With just a change of identity, my future father-in-law now has a lot of respect for me. Looks like I should really consider using this identity more often.
“What’s the hurry?” Kenneth casually removed his gloves. “I haven’t even given you my gift yet.”
While hooking his index finger, he signaled for Johnny to bring a file over.
Then, he handed the file over to Austin. “Mr. Anderson, this is my gift.”
“Gift?” Austin was puzzled to receive a yellow paper bag that didn’t look like a gift at all.
However, he still received it, albeit resentfully. “That’s so nice of you, Mr. Bailey.”
After that, he handed the file to the housekeeper to have it kept away in the house first, but Kenneth interrupted him. “Why don’t you open the file and have a look?”
Opening a gift in front of the guest was a foreign culture. Even though it wasn’t encouraged in the country, it wasn’t something that people avoided doing. Yet, it didn’t mean that the gift must be opened immediately. However, the guests were so interested in what an impressive person like Kenneth would give that they all had their necks craned with their eyes glued on the file.
Therefore, Austin had no choice but to open the gift.
Inside the file was nothing but a document.
“Share sale agreement?” He instinctively read the title of the document.
“That’s right.” Kenneth smiled brightly. “I came here today to propose a marriage and this is my betrothal gift. It is ten percent of Smith Co.’s shares.”
The crowd was immediately in an uproar.
“Is he joking? Ten percent of Smith Co.’s shares would equate to at least ten billion, and he’s just going to give it out like this?!”
“Kenneth is indeed living a different life than all of us!”
“Wait! That’s not the point! Did you all not hear what he just said? He said he wanted to propose a marriage. That means he wants to marry the Anderson Family’s daughter!”
“I thought that the Anderson Family’s youngest daughter already has a fiance from the Griffith Family. Alexander is also a lovely guy too.”
“The Griffiths have already gone bankrupt. Do you really think he is a match for the Smith Co.?”
“Wait a minute! Does that mean the one he wants to marry is the Anderson Family’s eldest daughter?”
This was exactly what Faye was thinking about.
She looked at Kenneth in surprise with eyes that shimmered in excitement.
Meanwhile, Elise gave him a side-eye. What is this scumbag trying to do? Is he trying to ruin the banquet?
Soon, someone in the audience raised their voice. “This can’t be true. I thought that the Anderson Family’s eldest daughter is already engaged to that b*stard from the Olson Family, Johan!”
“Shush! Didn’t you know that Johan is dead? His car fell off a cliff and they still can’t recover his body. It just happened two days ago!”
“Really? Oh my God, that’s horrible!”
“There’s nothing to be afraid of. He deserved it for involving himself in so many illegal activities. At least the Anderson Family’s eldest daughter benefited from his death…”
Elise heard everything behind her clearly as she looked at Faye in shock. It never crossed my mind that Johan will end up like this after taking so many shots for her. She sure is ruthless. However, even if he is alive right now, he won’t have that long to live. It makes everything easier now that he is dead.
Meanwhile, Austin was in a trance as he pondered for a while before responding hesitantly, “My eldest daughter’s fiance has just passed away, so I don’t think she’ll be able to accept a new relationship so soon…”
“No.” Faye walked over to them and tried to control her excitement. “Daddy, I am alright with it.”
“Faye!” He tried to hint to her about how bad it would look to the public for her to accept the proposal right after her fiance had just died.
However, she couldn’t care less. After all, she had never loved Johan before. Therefore, the gossip and criticism were nothing to her as long as she could be with Kenneth. As long as I can marry Kenneth, I can finally have an advantage over Elise. Alexander might be an outstanding man, but for now, he is just a broke man. Who knows how long he will need to recover from this crisis? As for Kenneth, he is completely different from Alexander. If I can be together with Kenneth, I’ll finally make it to the top of society