Ch. 541..550

Chapter 541 Live Broadcast

Edwin had felt disoriented at first, but after listening to Celina’s words, all of his worries suddenly dispelled. The Haymonds weren’t from a prestigious background. In the past, there were indeed many times when Celina looked down on him, but he didn’t take it to heart at all.

After all, what Celina had said was right most of the time. It was true that he was unrefined. His heart softened as he rubbed Celina’s fluffy head, feeling pained and remorseful. “Nana, you don’t need to apologize. I would never hate you. Those days have long passed, and my feelings for you have never changed.”

“Really?” Overjoyed, Celina left his arms and raised her head, her eyes full of admiration and joy. Edwin nodded solemnly. His voice was gentle and determined as he swore, “I’m telling you the truth. From the moment I saw you, you’ve always been the only one for me. Marrying you was my goal from beginning to end, and that fact has never changed.”

Celina felt her heart melting. Kenneth actually likes me!

If she hadn’t made such a big scene at the auction because of Elise before, maybe Kenneth would have made his feelings clear to her earlier.

She breathed a sigh of relief and decided to clarify everything once and for all. “If you don’t want me to fight Elise, I can back down and be nice to her…”

“Why should you back down from her?” Edwin retorted indignantly, “That woman, Elise, is cruel and ruthless. She almost ruined your birthday party by starting such a huge racket today. No matter what the price is, she deserves it!”

Celina was completely stunned. So Kenneth has always been partial to helping me!

A little overwhelmed with joy, she seemed to be unable to express her mood at the moment with her words. She bit her lip and hesitated, before standing on her tiptoes and quickly pecking “Kenneth” on the lips.

Though the kiss was chaste, Edwin felt invigorated, as though he had been electrocuted.

Unable to hold back his love toward Celina any longer, he lowered his head and passionately met her lips. At that moment, he couldn’t care less if Celina was being sincere or not. Even if he only had this one chance to be Celina’s man, he would never regret it in his life!

As Edwin’s kiss grew in passion, their breaths slowly became heavier.

Their feelings had reached its climax, and both of them naturally wanted to take the next step.

By the time Celina returned to her senses, her whole body had already sunk into the sofa. She bashfully pushed away “Kenneth” a little, saying, “Why don’t we go to my room? If someone comes…”

Edwin panted heavily as he pondered her words for a moment. With the little reason he had left, he got to his feet and sprinted toward the door, locking it from inside before returning to Celina. Lifting her chin, he murmured softly, “It’s okay now. No one will bother us. I can’t hold myself back anymore…”

Seeing “Kenneth’s” excited expression, Celina turned red and bit her lip, lowering her head. “Then… promise me that you will let me be your wife.”

“Of course. Have you forgotten? My only goal is to marry you. Now that you are willing to agree, I couldn’t ask for anything more. Tomorrow, let’s go to the Civil Affairs Bureau and settle the paperwork!”

Celina shyly nodded and agreed, “Okay.” Soon after, she raised her head and pressed her soft lips on top of “Kenneth’s.”

In an instant, Edwin’s blood boiled with excitement. He had never been this happy in his entire life!

Soon, the room was filled with their burning passion.

Meanwhile, at the lobby, David was able to walk freely after being treated by a doctor. Once he had changed into a new suit, his servants began to help him out to entertain his guests.

At the same time, the projector here was replaying the video clips, and almost all the rooms on the first floor could be viewed.

Kenneth nodded repeatedly, and although the people around him were seeing this for the second time, they didn’t forget to voice their agreement.

“Mr. Bailey’s foresight will never be wrong. I own an apartment building that will be completed soon. When the time comes, let’s ask this designer to draw the house plan for us.”

David had been listening for a while, and when he saw that his designer was being praised by the guests, he hurriedly leaned in to put in his two cents, saying, “Mr. Pearson is being overconfident. My designer doesn’t charge a low price at all. My three-story villa costs nearly 10 million. I’m afraid that an apartment building will cost a lot more!”

“Mr. Saunders, you’re forgetting that Mr. Pearson used to work at Wall Street, where he made a huge fortune. Forget about the design costs for a single apartment building, he can afford ten of them if he so wished!” someone interjected.

“Haha…” David chuckled in a low voice. “I guess I overlooked that.”

As he said that, the projector switched angles. Everyone looked up in interest and saw the beautiful shoe cabinet again.

Just as the man called Mr. Pearson was about to make a comment, the slide flickered and showed the overall perspective of the room, where there was a man and a woman intertwined on the couch, their clothes a mess, their racy movements stunning everyone into silence.

The visual impact of the scene was astounding. Even the scene where Faye appeared in a red dress earlier couldn’t compare to this.

In an instant, all the guests in the lobby held their breaths.

The lively atmosphere became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

Everyone’s expressions were identical. They stared at the man and woman in the projected video in surprise with their mouths agape.

Some guests who were only there for the excitement and did not think it was a big deal began to joke, “This woman’s body is not bad. She’s slim in all the right places, and her curves… Tsk tsk tsk…”

The sound of their tongues clicking slowly brought everyone back to their senses.

The elderly people averted their gazes and berated in a loud voice, “How indecent!”

Mr. Pearson swallowed his words of praise and said to David, “Mr. Saunders, did you just simply invite anyone to this banquet? People like them shouldn’t be here, right?”

“That’s right. Hurry up and get someone to chase them out! They can’t even control themselves at someone else’s banquet. How unsightly!”

“If I had children like this, I’d rather die young!”

While the people who were slightly older scoffed at this kind of behavior, some nosy parkers quickly recorded a video and posted it on the internet.

Soon, there was a heated discussion amongst netizens.

Topics such as ‘Rich Jewelry Merchant’s Banquet Exposed Scandal’ and ‘Hurry and Join the Live Broadcast Now’ quickly appeared on Twitter, and they became trending.

However, as the video was too explicit, it was banned and taken down in less than a few minutes. Even so, some people had managed to download the video in time and were spreading it in small circles.

In the Saunders Family’s lobby, David was turning red with fury. Which insolent fool dared to commit such an act in his house on an important day like this? The pride that he had spent tens of millions to earn was down the drain now!

“Why aren’t you turning off the projector yet?” David reacted quickly and roared, “Find out which room this shameless pair is in and chase them out!”

The servant, who was in a rush, couldn’t find the power button even after a long time. However, it wasn’t his fault as it was the first time that the Saunders Family was doing a display like this, and he wasn’t familiar with electronics.

Chapter 542 Let’s Be Friends

“Huh? Isn’t that Miss Saunders?” Someone recognized Celina. As soon as those words were uttered, the servants who were hurrying around stopped their movements and looked at the projector screen.

Just then, the man and woman on the screen changed their positions, and their faces were clearly captured by the camera. It was Celina. The heroine of the video turned out to be Celina, the apple of David’s eye!

At that moment, David’s heartbeat seemed to stop. His expression was overwhelmed with shame and anger, blanched and feeble. Fiery anger rushed from his chest to his temples. If Elise hadn’t helped him remove the excess gas in his chest and improve his breathing earlier, he might not have been able to catch his breath. In fact, David would have rather dropped dead just now.

In an instant, the guests’ discussions became even more unscrupulous.

“Oh my God, who would have thought that the main character would be Celina!”

“I was just saying, how could they be so impatient in someone else’s house? As expected, she’s being even more brazen because it’s her own house…”

“The woman is Celina, but who’s the man? Does anyone know him?”

“Isn’t that the guy who hands out his name card to everyone? What was his name… E-Edwin! Yes, that’s him!”

As Edwin was on the bottom, his face was captured even more clearly than Celina’s.

Back then, in order to plot against Elise, Celina took the effort to buy a high quality, high definition projector. As a result, Edwin’s face that was shown on the screen was just as shocking as an abstract artist’s work.

“No way… Celina would sleep with a man of this level? She really isn’t picky at all…”

Some of them still didn’t know who Edwin was, so they asked, “Who is this Edwin?”

“Didn’t he introduce himself to everyone he saw? How could you not know? He’s a relative of the Saunders Family!”

“What? Relative? They’re doing this kind of thing as relatives? Unbelievable!”

“Before, Celina always acted snobbish and looked down on everyone. I even thought that she was a fairy, but it turns out that she’s an easy woman. Why didn’t she say so earlier? I mean, even I am more handsome than this man!”

“Hahaha, you’re right. I thought your looks were only average before, but compared to Edwin, you’re so much easier on the eyes!”

“If she likes Edwin, it might not be because of his face. Maybe he excels in another department, haha!”

These comments were still on the mild side. The other more revolting comments were even more rampant.

A person on the side shook his head bitterly and nudged David with his elbow, reminding, “If that thing doesn’t get turned off soon, the Saunders Family will really become a joke… As for you, how could you raise your daughter to be like this?”

David opened his mouth, about to justify himself, but after weighing the situation at hand, he decided to solve the more urgent problem first.

“I told you to turn off the surveillance camera! Are you deaf or blind? Are you trying to get yourself fired?” Glaring, David scolded the servant, his chest heaving violently.

“M-Master David, that’s not the case. There is no power button on this device, so I can only use the remote, but the remote is gone!” The servant rambled in a panic.

Of course he couldn’t find it, because Celina had already hid away the remote control in advance in order to humiliate Elise in front of everyone.

“Then unplug it, you idiot!” David roared.

Only then did the servant react and hurriedly turn off the power, finally stopping the broadcast from continuing.

Without bothering to explain to the guests, David hurriedly led his trusted servants and rushed upstairs.

Elise quietly watched the guests’ reactions. However, she felt none of the joy that usually came with victory.

She knew better than anyone else that if the person who entered had not been Kenneth but someone else, she might’ve been misled by Alexander’s illusion, and the person who was currently being slandered to a fault would’ve been her instead.

The lobby had fallen into chaos, and Elise felt chills all over her body. In an attempt to warm herself with her weak body heat, she hugged her arms to herself and rubbed them.

Although Celina committed such a rebellious act and dishonored the Saunders Family, David still protected her like she was his baby.

On the contrary, for Elise, Austin might prefer if she never came back and broke the balance of the Anderson Family.

Suddenly, a jacket was draped around Elise’s body.

She subconsciously glanced at it before lifting her head up, meeting Kenneth’s deep, dark eyes.

“In the future, there will be more banquets of this kind. Since you get cold easily, remember to match a small shawl with your dress so that you won’t feel cold,” Kenneth said in a gentle voice.

At that moment, as Elise looked at Kenneth, his face suddenly shifted into Alexander’s again.

Then, when she recalled the time she saw Kenneth under the influence of the psychedelic drug, she felt that she was no longer able to resist the change in her heart.

It seemed that she had really fallen for two men.

However, Elise still had her wits about her. She knew very well that she would never do something like two-timing.

“Kenneth.” For the first time, Elise called out his name seriously.

“Hm?” Kenneth raised his eyebrows before turning into a teasing playboy in an instant. “I made your heart beat, right? After all, you can’t find many handsome and considerate men like me in this world.”

Elise didn’t refute, and she only mustered a weak and helpless smile. “There are too many good things in the world, and I can’t hog them all to myself. One is enough for me. I can’t be too greedy, so let’s be friends, shall we, Kenneth?”

“Okay,” Kenneth blurted out. “Every couple starts out as friends anyway. Can I think of this as Miss Anderson is ready to accept me?”

“No.” Elise replied seriously, “My words are meant to be taken literally. Don’t overanalyze them. I admit that you are indeed an attractive person and you have many qualities that make a person’s heart flutter. But in life, you can’t just follow your heart; you also have to be loyal. I already have a partner of my choice, and no matter how many good people appear, that will not change. As I said to you at the beginning, no matter how much you care about me, it’s a waste of time, as I can’t give you any response.”

Kenneth fell into a brief silence when he heard her words, but a few seconds later, he said expressionlessly, “Then, just don’t respond.”

“What?” Elise didn’t understand what he meant.

“I mean, Miss Anderson doesn’t need to worry about being responsible for me.” Kenneth’s eyes lit up with a faint smile as he continued, “It was my own choice to love you. I showed up to solve your troubles, not to add to them. So far, I have not violated my original intention.”

“Why do you bother?” Elise didn’t know how to persuade him.

“You’re not me, so how would you know if it’s a bother to me or not?” Kenneth’s gentle gaze never left his eyes from the beginning to the end.

This kind of gentleness was like a net. Little by little, Elise was being caught in it, then it shrinked smaller and smaller, leaving her with nowhere to escape. Thus, she turned her face away in a daze and avoided his eyes, pretending that nothing had happened just now.

Chapter 543 Saw a Flicker of Hope

Kenneth quietly paid attention to the changes in Elise’s behavior, and the corners of his mouth curled up happily. Before, he had always been worried that Elise only loved him when he was Alexander, who was a righteous and bright man, and would not be able to accept his other side, Kenneth.

However, now, he finally saw a flicker of hope. Upstairs, Celina was indulging in the strength and sweet words of “Kenneth” when suddenly there was a loud sound behind her as the door of the room slammed open from the outside.

In an instant, the two people on the sofa quickly separated and grabbed their clothes, covering the exposed parts of their bodies.

Celina looked at the entrance in panic, only to see David aggressively rushing in, his expression contorted from restraining his anger, his eyes fierce and unforgiving.

“Daddy…”

At the sight of her father, Celina lost all of her wits and couldn’t even find any words to speak. However, a few seconds later, she quickly reacted and adjusted her skirt that she was holding up to her body.

On the bright side, the one who had entered was David, and not anyone else. Therefore, although Celina was a little flustered, she was not worried. After all, the person she had slept with was Kenneth. On the contrary, she was afraid that no one would know about this fact. The more rumors were spread, the more far-fetched they would become, leaving Kenneth with no chance to have second thoughts.

Now that what was done was done, it was impossible for Kenneth to shirk responsibility even if he wanted to. If a man lost his temper, a woman would not stand a chance. Therefore, Celina had to be careful.

In that case, David’s appearance was a godsend to her.

As Celina fixed her appearance, she caringly covered “Kenneth” with his jacket. Of course, she was only pretending to cover his face. In reality, she was yanking down his jacket with her every action. She had to let the whole world know that Kenneth had slept with her!

Unfortunately, “Kenneth” was too strong, and Celina couldn’t pull his jacket down at all. With no other choice, she could only face David with a helpless and pitiful expression. “Dad, why are you here…”

David’s face flushed with anger as he gritted his teeth. He covered his chest with one hand and pointed a finger at Celina, roaring, “H-How could you still have the cheek to ask me that? There are so many guests below, but you didn’t greet them and hid here to partake in this shameless act instead! You really are as cheap as your mother. You can’t live without a man, can you?!”

David, who had never raised his voice at Celina, couldn’t help but lose his temper.

On the other hand, Celina was confused by his reaction. She didn’t know what had come over David. In the morning, he was just saying that he was going to set her up with Kenneth. Shouldn’t he be happy to see them together now?

Although part of the reason why she had given up her body was because she was taken to Kenneth, it was mostly for the Saunders Family’s future. As long as she got together with him, the Saunders Family would be able to continue their wealth for a long time. Was that a problem?

Celina retorted indignantly, “I understand that I should abstain before marriage, but we will eventually become a family anyway. Do you have to get so angry?”

“Do you realize what you’re saying?!” David fisted at his chest, suspecting that he had heard her wrongly.

Not only did Celina not admit her mistake, but she was even spewing nonsense like ‘family.’

“Master David, you must take care of your body and hold your temper!” The servant comforted David while advising Celina, “Miss, please, hurry up and apologize to Master David. Even if you made a huge mistake, he will forgive you as long as you repent!”

“Shut up! What rights does a servant like you have to talk about our family?” Celina crossed her hands in dissatisfaction. “I made a huge mistake? What’s wrong with being intimate with my fiancé? No offense, Dad, but times are different. In this society, it’s not uncommon for unmarried couples to sleep together before marriage!”

David’s head buzzed with anger. He took several deep breaths before finally calming down.

“Unmarried couple?! Did you drink so much that you don’t even remember your name? If you don’t admit your mistake today, you will no longer be my daughter! As for you, Edwin, I am not unkind to your family. I gave you everything, from money to dignity, but you dare to do this kind of thing to my daughter?!”

Celina was completely befuddled. “Dad, what are you talking about? Did Elise put something in your drink? You’ve gotten it wrong. There is no Edwin here. He is clearly Ken—”

Before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by Edwin. “Uncle David, it was my fault. I couldn’t hold myself back in the heat of the moment…”

Although the Haymond Family and the Saunders Family were only distant relatives, Edwin still was David’s nephew. In order to appear to be close to the Saunders Family, Edwin had always addressed him as his uncle whenever they met.

Upon hearing his words, a chill ran down Celina’s spine. Her expression stiffened as she turned around in astonishment, only to see that unbeknownst to her, “Kenneth’s” face had turned into the ugly Edwin!

Edwin…? Why is Edwin here?! Wasn’t I holding Kenneth this whole time?! Celina gaped at him, stunned into silence.

When she recalled what she had just done with Edwin, her stomach turned upside down. Unable to overcome her nausea, she threw up. “Blaargh…”

Edwin hurriedly zipped his pants and dropped to his knees in front of David with a loud thump. He begged in a heartbroken but desperate tone, “Uncle David, although our two families are relatives, it is not against the law for us to marry. I really love Nana, and as long as you entrust her to me, I will love her and care for her for the rest of my life!”

Hearing that, Celina swallowed down her disgust and roared angrily, “Keep dreaming!” She didn’t want to have anything to do with Edwin! She loved Kenneth, and would not marry anyone except him!

Celina’s reaction threw Edwin off, and he felt overwhelmed. “Nana, why are you…” Why did she change so much?

“Shut up! Don’t you dare to call my name! You disgust me! Disappear from my sight now! Get lost!” Finally losing control of herself, Celina picked up her discarded high heels from the floor and began pummeling Edwin with it.

“Nana, please don’t do this…” Edwin did not dare to hurt her, so he could only dodge her blows.

Celina must be suddenly throwing a tantrum because Uncle David did not give us his blessing. However, as a man, he could not escape at this time. He had to show Celina that he would take responsibility. Thinking that, he grabbed Celina’s hands to prevent her from moving. “Nana, trust me. I’ll definitely convince Uncle David!”

“Let go! Don’t touch me!” As Celina struggled, her whole face was contorted from her emotions, and her hair was all messed up, making her look extremely disheveled.

Edwin was completely dumbfounded. He had no idea why Celina had suddenly become a different person. However, Celina would always be a goddess in his heart, and he dared not disobey her words. Thus, he hurriedly grabbed his shoes and socks on the floor and made to leave with his jacket.

On the other hand, David had no idea what happened to Celina either. One moment, she was clamoring to marry Edwin, and the next, she was pushing him away. Perhaps his daughter had truly taken after his dead wife, and was not right in the head! However, he couldn’t just leave the Saunders Family’s pride to crumble. Hence, he extended a hand to block Edwin’s way.

“You can’t just leave like this.”

Chapter 544 You Must Marry Edwin!

“B-But, Nana doesn’t want to see me…” Edwin said, feeling perplexed. “That’s not important anymore.” David closed his eyes and sighed helplessly. “All the guests know what both of you have done. Are you trying to further embarrass yourselves?!”

Both Edwin and Celina’s mouth widened in surprise. Celina sobbed, “Why would those people pay attention to us?” Exasperated, David rolled his eyes. “Why do you think so? Before the birthday party, you asked me to install surveillance cameras in the whole house so that all guests could appreciate the decor of our house. I don’t know if anyone noticed the decor, but the people below clearly saw what both of you were doing!”

“No!” Celina broke down and grabbed her hair, refusing to accept this reality. Her stomach was still churning, and her heart felt as if it was being gripped so hard that she couldn’t breathe. She would rather die right away than face reality.

If she and Kenneth were the ones involved, she wouldn’t be so concerned. But, he wasn’t. He was Edwin—the ugly man who made her sick just by looking at him!

Wait! Celina’s expression froze, and she looked as if she had just thought of something she had overlooked.

When she was downstairs, she had just taken a few sips of champagne, so there was no reason for her to get drunk enough to confuse the personable Kenneth with the disgusting Edwin. She stumbled to the TV cabinet, only to find that more than half of the liquid part of the electronic aromatherapy was hidden under the table. At this moment, it was considered to be completely burned.

In other words, when she and Edwin were going at it just now, it was when the effect of the drug was at its peak! She shook her head in disbelief. The red light that signified the device was functioning was flickering frantically like the tail of a rattlesnake.

Obviously, when Elise left, the liquid should have been burned completely. Why did it continue to burn until she entered? Could it be that Elise did something to it?

But, in the next second, Celina shook her head again, thinking that this wasn’t plausible. Gabriel said that he had personally concocted this drug, and it wasn’t available in the market yet. Not to mention, Elise wouldn’t have been able to detect it at all. Even if she did, there was nothing in this room. How could she delay the volatilization period of the drug?

Then, the only problem left was Gabriel. He must’ve miscalculated the volatilization period of the drug, causing her to suffer its effects when she went in. This time, it was truly a double whammy!

At this thought, Celina didn’t even have the strength to voice a single complaint.

In order to destroy Elise, she implicated herself, but she couldn’t tell anyone. She could only suffer silently. Otherwise, she would be telling everyone how she tried to harm others but ultimately harmed herself. However, how was she supposed to face the public now? Kenneth would definitely not treat her with affection anymore.

David couldn’t bear to see Celina so desolate, but in order to protect her and the reputation of the Saunders Family, he had to be ruthless to the end.

“Edwin!” David grabbed him by the collar. “Do you swear that you’ll be devoted to Celina, always love her, take care of her, and always guard her with your life?”

Edwin kneeled down without even thinking about it, then raised his right hand and made a gesture of pledge. “I, Edwin Haymond, swear that I will only love Celina Saunders for the rest of my life, and I will never give up on her. I will always be devoted to her. If I don’t, I’d get struck by lightning!”

David stopped his internal struggle and gave in to him, so he whispered, “But you have to remember what you said today.”

“Daddy… what do you mean by that?” Celina had a bad feeling.

“What do you think I mean?” David’s attitude was firm. “Everyone knows that you two slept together, so if I give you two a proper status, then will you or the Saunders Family still have the dignity to face other people?”

Celina helplessly shook her head, then said in disbelief, “You would never be so heartless to me…”

“It’s too late.” David closed his eyes and made the final decision. “You must marry Edwin!”

Edwin was ecstatic, but it didn’t even take Celina one breath before she fell straight to the ground, losing consciousness. Before she fainted completely, she was still muttering to herself, “I want to be Mrs. Bailey. I don’t want to be Mrs. Haymond. I want to be Mrs. Bailey…”

Coincidentally, Edwin heard it all. He stared at the unconscious beauty on the ground, wondering what went wrong. Celina said that she loved me, but just now… Have I misheard?

But, David didn’t give him a chance to react at all, as he said solemnly, “The doctor probably hasn’t left yet, so I’ll ask him to come and have a look. Also, ask Mary to help Celina change her clothes. Edwin, go down with me. I’ll give the guests an explanation. You don’t have to say anything. Just be there!”

Edwin nodded blankly.

In the lobby, almost all the guests had crowded into the villa. Where there was gossip, there would always be nosy people. The moment David and Edwin appeared together, there was a wave of discussions.

“Do you think David will break Edwin’s leg in public?”

“I don’t think so. Lynching is illegal.”

“Tsk, tsk. The female lead didn’t show up. That makes it less interesting!”

Amidst the endless chatter, only Elise was exceptionally calm. She already knew what David’s next move was going to be. However, she wouldn’t be helpless.

Celina had made up her mind to defame her, so she would simply be degrading herself if she could forgive even this. This was Elise’s personality. If a person didn’t offend her, then she wouldn’t offend them, but if a person offended her, she would let them pay a more severe price. If Celina dared to take the first step, she would make the following few steps breaking news!

She quietly retreated and moved a little bit toward the projector.

David stood at the bottom of the stairs, then took the microphone handed to him by a servant as he tried to make himself look calm. “Everyone, I’m sorry about today’s incident. I wasn’t strict enough in my teachings and ended up embarrassing the family. The Saunders Family have specially prepared a small gift. I’ve arranged for someone to place them at the entrance. When everyone leaves later, you can each take one. Consider it a token of my apology. Also, I want to announce something: The thing is, Nana was engaged to Edwin last month. They are an engaged couple!”

The guests were in an uproar. “What!”

David stood firm and continued, “Yes, you heard me right. Originally, they planned to register their marriage after today’s birthday banquet, but at today’s banquet, they were too happy and had too much to drink. For a moment, they couldn’t help themselves. People nowadays are more open-minded, and they’re a young couple. When they’re in love, some things will naturally happen…”

People who were used to seeing such things expressed their understanding. “That’s true. It’s completely normal for something like this to happen between a beautiful lady and a handsome gentleman!”

Chapter 545 There’s Something to See Again!

“That’s right. After all, they’re going to get married. We’re not that old-fashioned, so we understand!” Seeing that there were no objections, David extended his hand and patted Edwin on the shoulder, seemingly in a proud manner. “From tomorrow onward, Edwin and I will be family. Please delete any videos you’ve recorded just now. If any information that is not conducive to the Saunders Family are revealed to the public in the future, then we’ll have to individually investigate based on the surveillance footage and get to the bottom of it.”

As soon as he finished speaking, coughs sounded from all around the place. The guests who had taken videos didn’t want to cause trouble, so they began to silently delete them.

At this moment, a guest suddenly exclaimed, “Look over there. There’s something to see on the projector again!”

Everyone turned toward the projector and saw that the screen that was turned off had lit up again, and a man and a woman appeared on it.

Although most of the guests weren’t familiar with the man, David recognized his housekeeper, Gabriel, at just one glance.

As for the woman, everyone in the audience knew who she was. She was none other than the main focus of the previous video, Celina, who was praised for her good figure.

The sound system that was originally used to play symphonic music to set the mood was now broadcasting audio that was synchronized with the screen in real time.

Celina uttered, “Remember, you must personally hand this red dress over to Elise. My father hates red the most. It’s a disgrace to the entire Saunders Family. At that time, as long as Elise dares to wear it, I will definitely ruin her reputation!”

Gabriel replied, “Don’t worry, Miss Celina. I will personally handle it and make sure it’s done properly. But, when the time comes, if Master David tracks it down—”

Celina interrupted, “What are you afraid of? By then, let’s strike the iron while it’s hot and make Elise turn into an unruly b*tch who deliberately creates trouble. I’ll say some stuff to prompt my father to drive her out. Elise is just a wild girl who came back from the country, and the Anderson Family won’t support her. Even if she finds out, what can she do to me in the Saunders Residence? My father loves me the most, and he won’t damage my reputation at the birthday banquet. In the end, Elise can only silently endure everything!”

Hearing that, Gabriel uttered, “Miss Celina, you’ve really thought it through. I’ll do as you wish.”

The video came to an abrupt end. Most people had yet to react to why this video suddenly appeared, but they’d already taken in everything that was shown in the video.

The servants of the Saunders Family reacted in a flash this time. As soon as David looked over, they had already unplugged the power supply.

But, what was the use of that? Everyone had clearly seen and heard how Celina instructed Gabriel to harm Elise.

David was so livid that his whole face had turned scarlet.

Bad things happened one after another during this birthday banquet. What kind of daughter have I raised?!

It didn’t matter if she schemed against someone behind their backs, but how could she leave evidence behind? She’s just stupid and hopeless!

Although the video had left a huge impact, there was one thing Celina was right about. Elise was alone, and although she was the daughter of the Anderson Family, she wasn’t favored. Without the support of the Anderson Family, even if she was wronged, and even if Celina clearly wanted to ruin her reputation, no one was willing to stand on her side and become an enemy of the Saunders Family as well as their relatives and friends.

At the end of the day, this was a conflict between Celina and Elise. These guests were just outsiders, so it wouldn’t be good for them to criticize.

What was more, they were in the Saunders Residence, and David had just settled such a huge mess, so if someone were to begin criticizing, they would inevitably be targeted by the Saunders Family.

However, Elise had to ask for justice in public.

She wordlessly stepped forward until she was standing in front of David, then she looked up and said with dignity, “Mr. Saunders, should I ask Miss Celina to come down and give me an explanation for what was just shown on the projector?”

David narrowed his eyes, then lowered his eyes domineeringly and spoke in a warning tone. “Miss Sinclair, you believe in groundless accusations? Although I’m not in the best of health, I’m not blind. Are you wearing a red dress?”

This sentence hit the nail on the head and pointed out what was mentioned in the video, causing the guests to begin their discussion again.

“Oh, that woman in red is the eldest young miss of the Anderson Family, right?”

“If Miss Sinclair is wearing a red dress, wouldn’t I be color blind?”

“It’s not just you. Everyone in this room would be color blind!”

The guests were acting enigmatically, and most of them were partial to helping David. After all, Elise wasn’t going to lose anything in this situation. Instead, it seemed like she was finding fault with them.

Unmoved by these suspicions, Elise explained in a kind manner, “If I hadn’t given the dress to Faye because I felt that my identity couldn’t match up to its color and price, I’m afraid I would’ve already become a scorned street rat who would have to leave here early. Mr. Saunders, you’re more energized now, so you must’ve forgotten how your life was on the line just now. If I hadn’t saved you, then now, I would be the culprit who caused you to fall into a severe coma, struggling between life and death. Or, perhaps I would be considered a murderer! Even so, do you still think that this is something that can be summed up as a groundless accusation?”

When she said this, the guests who originally thought it was just a minor argument between two bad-tempered girls suddenly felt frightened.

“Uh… If Mr. Saunders hadn’t been rescued just now, wouldn’t it have turned into a murder case?!”

“Oh, my God! Miss Sinclair almost became a murderer. That’s not right—she’s Miss Anderson, so she’s ultimately the daughter of the Anderson Family. Do the Saunderses and Andersons have a grudge against each other?”

“Wait. Am I the only one who noticed a problem? This red dress was given by Miss Saunders, so if the rumors are true, Miss Saunders wants to kill Mr. Saunders!”

“That’s terrible. There are really some things that we can’t dwell on. A woman who can do that kind of thing at her own birthday party probably has no limit. She’s capable of anything!”

When David noticed that the public opinion had tilted in favor of Elise, he couldn’t help but gulp.

If this continued, he figured he truly couldn’t avoid it and would have to investigate the matter.

The Saunders Family had been humiliated enough today, so he wouldn’t allow any more trouble from occurring.

“No matter what happened…” David deliberately moved the microphone closer to him and raised the volume, letting his voice overshadow the discussions. “Miss Sinclair, I’m completely safe now. There aren’t any murderers here, and no crimes happened. Today is my daughter’s birthday banquet, so I don’t want anyone to use such false claims to ruin the atmosphere. I believe you should be able to understand the feelings of a father who loves his daughter!”

He was clearly using his authority as the host to force Elise to give up pursuing this matter.

At the same time, it was also a warning to the guests that supporting Elise meant that they were openly opposing him.

As the conscience of the visitors were awoken, the discussion suddenly died down and they remained silent.

Chapter 546 Wasn’t Worth Elise Getting Her Hands Dirty

After all, in this world, identity and status had the final say. David raised his eyebrows provocatively at Elise. “Now, Miss Sinclair, are you going to stay, or should I ask someone to send you back?”

Without waiting for Elise to speak, he made a decision for her. “I think it’s better for you to go back first. Miss Sinclair, with your current state, it’s not suitable for you to stay. Someone—”

“Mr. Saunders, you’re so domineering!”

Before David could call for a servant, he was interrupted by a majestic voice.

The moment this voice fell, Kenneth moved away from the crowd and walked to Elise’s side until he was standing side by side with her.

“Miss Anderson and I have known each other for a long time, and Smith Co. has just recently established a cooperation with the Anderson Family, so their business is also my business. I wonder if I’m qualified to seek justice for Miss Elise and the entire Anderson Family!” Kenneth’s voice was sonorous, and every word he said was powerful.

With Kenneth supporting her, the direction of the discussions changed at once.

“Since Mr. Bailey has said that, it’s better to investigate this!”

“He’s right. Whatever the case, this is also related to Miss Saunders. Doesn’t Mr. Saunders want to reclaim her innocence?”

“That’s right, the two daughters of the Anderson Family are involved. In case we have the opportunity to do business with the Anderson Family in the future, Mr. Saunders, please tell everyone the truth so we know whether or not to proceed!”

David didn’t expect Kenneth to get involved. For a while, he was in a dilemma and didn’t know what to say.

After stuttering for a long time, he stubbornly said, “Mr. Bailey, this is a matter between my family and Miss Elise. Besides, no one has lost anything. Will you please show the Saunders Family some respect and not interfere in this matter?”

“Mr. Saunders, you’re mistaken.” Without even looking at him, Kenneth turned to face all the guests, then said in a dignified manner, “Mr. Saunders, you said that this is a matter between the Saunders Family and Miss Elise, but I feel that this matter involves the Anderson Family and the Sinclair Family. The Anderson Family also has business involvements with Smith Co., which means that this involves Smith Co.’s future development in Athesea. If the Anderson Family’s reputation is damaged, wouldn’t Smith Co. be innocently implicated? Mr. Saunders, you’re a broad-minded person. You had a near-death experience, but you aren’t petty about it, and I admire that, but I’m a petty person. So far, none of the people who schemed against me behind my back have escaped my wrath!”

When he spoke, he didn’t blink, and there was no expression on his face. His composed aura was so natural that no one dared to comment.

But, as soon as Elise looked over, she met his playful gaze.

Elise shook her head and sighed. This person probably can’t stay serious for more than two minutes.

Kenneth’s attitude was so tough that David couldn’t refuse anymore, so he could only agree perfunctorily.

“If that’s the case, then we’ll do as you say, Mr. Bailey. When the birthday banquet is over, I’ll ask someone to carefully investigate the matter. I’ll definitely give the Anderson Family and you an explanation afterward.”

“Why wait? Mr. Saunders, don’t you know that we shouldn’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today!”

At the gate, a crisp young voice floated over.

Then, Danny walked up to Elise with a shop assistant dressed in uniform.

“Elise, I’ve done as you said and brought the shop assistant who handled the dress over.”

Elise nodded slightly. “Well done.”

Danny turned sideways and pointed to the woman he had brought and announced loudly, “This is the shop assistant who sold the red dress. She can prove that Celina personally bought the dress, and she can provide invoices and purchase records!”

Although the guests had seen a lot today, they still couldn’t help but sigh.

“I didn’t expect that Miss Saunders is really the one behind it! Seems like we can never know what someone is thinking and planning!”

“You don’t say. I admired her before this, but I didn’t expect her to be such a shameless and vindictive woman. I was really blind!”

“It’s said that women and petty people are the hardest to deal with. If you provoke a woman like Miss Saunders, you might become a murderer at any time, and you’d end up in jail for the rest of your life!”

Standing at the staircase, David suddenly felt dizzy. If it weren’t for Edwin supporting him, he would’ve nearly fallen down again.

When he wasn’t conscious before, he heard Elise accusing Celina of scheming against her. At that time, he felt that Elise was deliberately slandering her.

However, David wasn’t sure anymore. All the facts were pointing to one thing—Celina was using him.

In order to frame an outsider, she even disregarded her father’s life!

David opened his mouth, trying to justify the situation, but he couldn’t bring himself to say anything. Instead, Edwin came to the rescue. “Who told you that you can come and spread lies here and slander Nana? Nana would never do such a thing!”

He was so angry that he tried to grab the shop assistant to teach her a lesson, but Danny stood directly in front of the woman. Faced with his firmness, Edwin stood still, not daring to move forward.

Behind him, Kenneth spoke sarcastically. “It seems that the truth has been revealed. We can never reason with facts!”

As Edwin tightly clenched his fists, his joints made a cracking sound. He wouldn’t allow anyone to slander his dream girl, but the person in question was Kenneth, and he dared not offend him.

Therefore, he could only point the spearhead at Elise.

It was because she was reluctant to forgive Celina that led to her becoming a target of the public. It was all her fault!

He raised his scarlet eyes, then pointed at Elise and accused hysterically, “You! You b*tch. You must’ve bribed the shop assistant and got her to frame Nana!”

Elise held her breath, then quietly moved her hand to the numbing needle hidden at her waist.

Those who came from the countryside were the easiest to go crazy when they got emotional. As long as he dared to approach her, she would make him suffer a fate worse than death!

While she was thinking, Edwin dashed toward her.

As soon as Elise took out the silver needle, a figure flashed to her side and rushed toward her. Then, Edwin was grabbed by the neck and lifted up into the air.

Edwin, who was still acting arrogant earlier, suddenly became like a fish on the chopping board, struggling with his limbs in the air, his whole face flushed.

Kenneth stared blankly at him. With deep dark eyes and a deep, gloomy voice like Hades’, he asked, “What did you just call her? B*tch? Do you have the right to so casually judge what kind of person Miss Sinclair is? Come to think of it, I reckon no one told you that I’ve admired Miss Sinclair for a long time but still can’t get her. I’m lacking the opportunity to act as a hero and save the beauty. Judging from the current situation, it seems like you’ll have to sacrifice yourself to fulfill my wish!”

As soon as he said this, even Elise was taken aback.

Kenneth was so unabashedly showing his interest toward her in public. Here, he was the most respected and admired person, yet he had lowered himself and was picking a fight with Edwin for her sake.

Elise suddenly felt that she didn’t understand Kenneth at all.

She thought of Alexander. They were all the same—they would always solve the trouble for her before she started dealing with it.

Kenneth wasn’t aware that Elise would compare his two identities again.

All he knew was that Edwin was a waste of space and wasn’t worth Elise getting her hands dirty.

Chapter 547 Betray Her After Accepting the Money!

The ones who were the most affected by his speech were the single ladies who had dressed up extravagantly. “I must be hallucinating. Otherwise, what could explain Kenneth saying that Elise was someone he admired but couldn’t have?”

“Please hold me up. Thank you. I’m a little dizzy!” “My Kenneth’s heart belongs to someone already? And she’s a country bumpkin? It turns out that he likes this kind. Is it too late if I go to the countryside and get a makeover now?”

“When did Kenneth go blind?”

Kenneth didn’t pay any attention to their conversations, but quietly shot the shop assistant a look.

The shop assistant immediately understood and nodded. She stepped out from behind Danny, opened her bag, and took out a pile of documents.

“This is Ms. Celina’s shopping history, the invoice, and her autographed copy of the credit card receipt. The original copies are stored in the store. Our manager said that you can go to the store at any time to verify it. If necessary, we can also provide the surveillance footage of the store as evidence to help Mr. Saunders ease his concerns.”

After the shop assistant finished speaking, she walked up to the platform and handed the documents to David in front of everyone.

Grinding his teeth, David accepted the documents. When he saw Celina’s familiar signature, a touch of disappointment flashed across his eyes.

The daughter whom he treated like a precious pearl, who was held in the palms of his hands for fear that she would suffer, actually wanted to kill him.

Then, David thought of his dead wife. As he thought of her lying in someone else’s bed making fun of his foolishness and ignorance, he angrily crumpled the paper in his hands into a ball.

Upstairs, Celina quietly hid behind a pillar and observed the situation downstairs.

Upon seeing this, she hurriedly lifted her hand to cover her mouth.

She had spent a lot of money to keep that shop assistant’s mouth shut so that she wouldn’t divulge this matter. Why is she here now?! That b*tch actually betrayed me after accepting the money!

At the same time, after the shop assistant handed the documents over to David, she walked down the stairs, but she didn’t go to Danny. Instead, she hid behind Kenneth, and her lips seemed to be moving.

Celina immediately realized that she was reporting to Kenneth.

She was here under Kenneth’s orders!

Elise actually asked Kenneth for help!

This b*tch. She already has a fiancé, but she’s greedy and wants to seduce Kenneth too!

Celina’s eyes erupted into flames of jealousy, and her gaze was fixed precisely on Elise.

It was her. All of this was arranged by Elise.

From Faye to Edwin, all of them were part of Elise’s plan.

From the very beginning, Elise had shown up just to ruin her life!

This b*tch. She made me look like a promiscuous person just to make herself seem noble in Kenneth’s heart. She wants to look good and get all the praise? I won’t let her get what she wants!

At this point, Celina couldn’t restrain herself anymore. She rushed down the steps and stopped behind David, then took off her high heels and held them in her hand.

“Elise!” Celina yelled before throwing her high heels at Elise’s face.

Elise was standing there watching everything unfold. When she was attacked, she could dodge it by simply craning her neck to the side.

An idiot would remain an idiot. She wanted to attack, but she shouted her name and alerted her. Who wouldn’t know to duck?

However, just before Elise dodged the shoe, a figure suddenly came from the side, blocking her line of sight.

The moment Elise saw Kenneth’s face, she also heard the muffled ‘snap’ of the high heels hitting something.

Celina had hit Kenneth on the back of the head.

“Oh, my God!”

“Oh, my God! Celina actually dared to attack Kenneth! What a bold woman!”

“Sh*t. Is this something we can watch for free? Kenneth was actually attacked!”

“This is a big deal! I’m afraid the Saunders Family is done for!”

When Elise was being accused earlier, these people were only spectators watching a live show.

Among them, there were business partners, relatives, and friends of the Saunders Family. Now that Kenneth was involved, they couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat.

Offending Kenneth and provoking Smith Co. was tantamount to being issued an automatic disappearance card. They never knew when Smith Co. would silently cause their careers, or even their entire family, to disappear completely.

Those who had been working hard to be part of the high society hurriedly tried to clarify their relationship for fear of getting into trouble.

“Celina, you’ve done something wrong, yet you don’t know how to repent. Instead, you deliberately hurt others. It seems that we have to place justice above family relations and let the police deal with it!”

“That’s right. You seem to have a tendency to cast accusations despite being the bad guy, and even Mr. Bailey wasn’t spared. After this, Miss Saunders, you might take it out on us!”

“The Saunders Family sure has a way of raising their children! They actually raised such a daughter!”

“Mr. Bailey, don’t worry. The police are coming. We’ll definitely stand by your side and testify for you!”

It was a no-brainer whether the Saunders Family or Kenneth was the one they couldn’t offend.

Kenneth didn’t feel any pain, but it was a good excuse to make a scene, so of course he couldn’t let it go to waste.

With a cold expression, he slowly turned and fixed David with an aggressive look, waiting for him to explain.

David didn’t need Kenneth to urge him. The moment he saw Kenneth rush over, he knew it was over for him.

Seeing the cannibalistic look in Kenneth’s eyes, David didn’t even think twice before he turned and slapped Celina across the face, causing her head to turn completely.

“You unfilial girl! You’re a beast! Who said you can show up here!”

No matter how ignorant Celina was, she was his only daughter. As long as she didn’t show up, there would always be a way to solve the father and daughter’s affairs.

But now, she ran out and attacked Kenneth. If he didn’t teach her a lesson immediately, it would only bring the entire Saunders Family trouble.

Celina covered her face in pain and turned to look at David in disbelief.

Even when that incident with Edwin happened, David didn’t hit her. Now, he actually took action against her for Elise!

It was one thing for Kenneth to protect Elise, but David was her father. Why is everyone standing on Elise’s side?

Celina was dissatisfied, and tears slid down her cheeks. She bit her lips so hard that she could almost smell the metallic scent of blood.

When David saw this, his heart ached, but he couldn’t be soft-hearted.

He turned away and pretended to be tough. “One of you, bring the young miss back to her room and lock her up. She can’t take another step outside without my orders!”

“Dad!” Celina pleaded in dismay.

“One more word, and I’ll send you back to your hometown in the countryside!” David warned sharply.

Celina dare not talk back anymore, and she collapsed onto the stairs with a thud.

The servants hurriedly walked over and carried her away.

Chapter 548 Making Amends to the Wrong Person

When their figures disappeared at the end of the stairs, David looked at Kenneth once more. “Mr. Bailey, Celina offended you just now because I didn’t discipline her well. Let me make amends on her behalf.”

He bowed, looking pained. “Don’t worry. I will discipline her well in the future. When she learns to behave, I will personally bring her to you to make amends for her mistakes!”

“Mr. Saunders, are you sure you’re not mistaking the person you’re supposed to be making amends to?” Kenneth said ambiguously.

For a moment, David was taken aback. Then, he immediately reacted and apologized to Elise. “Miss Sinclair, I’ve wrongly accused you today. How about this? I’ve just spent 200 million on a jadeite necklace at the St. Peter’s auction house last month. Originally, I planned to give it to my daughter as a birthday gift, but she disappointed me and caused you trouble. Now, I’ll give this jadeite necklace to you. I hope that it’s enough to compensate you, Miss Sinclair.”

“You’re giving Miss Sinclair something that was meant for your daughter? Mr. Saunders, aren’t you being a bit too stingy?” Kenneth proceeded to add fuel to the fire.

David frowned slightly, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed. “Then, what do you reckon should be done, Mr. Bailey?”

If it weren’t for Kenneth, he wouldn’t even want to pay 20,000.

Kenneth looked at Elise and asked softly, “What do you want?”

“There’s nothing I want.” Elise wasn’t interested in anything that belonged to the Saunders Family.

“Then, let’s take cash. Mr. Saunders, we’ll double the price you mentioned and treat it as compensation for me. You can transfer it into Miss Sinclair’s account,” Kenneth said.

David nodded and agreed. “It’s only right that I do so.”

Money was just a matter of numbers. Since the Saunders Family had such a huge business, they could generate money and earn it all back sooner or later. If Kenneth didn’t swallow this grudge, the Saunders Family might not even have the chance to continue doing business.

In order for everyone present to bear witness, David immediately asked someone to bring a checkbook. Then, he wrote a check for 400 million before personally handing it to Elise.

Elise looked indifferently at the check presented to her. In fact, Kenneth had been the one talking the entire time. She had no intentions of forgiving Celina whatsoever.

Most of the onlookers wanted to turn a huge problem into a small one, so they couldn’t help but urge her.

“Miss Sinclair, be the bigger person. Since Mr. Saunders already humbled himself and apologized, isn’t it better to forgive him and let bygones be bygones?”

“That’s right. It’s all Miss Saunders’ fault anyway. Mr. Saunders is innocent and in poor health. Miss Sinclair, it’s better to not be too stubborn.”

“Just take a step back!”

As Elise listened to their comments, all she felt was mockery.

If Celina’s plan had succeeded, how many of them, who are currently standing on the moral high ground and telling others what to do, would be considerate of her?

Who said that the victim must forgive the perpetrator?

Elise narrowed her eyes, and layers of ice appeared in her beautiful eyes.

At this moment, Kenneth retrieved the check for her, then took Elise’s hand and walked out.

“Mr. Saunders, I thank you on behalf of Miss Sinclair!” Kenneth said as he walked.

Only when the two of them arrived at the entrance did Danny come to his senses.

Elise was Alexander’s fiancée and his sister-in-law. Why was she being taken away by Kenneth?

He hurriedly chased after them. When he got to the entrance, he saw the rear of the black MPV driving toward the gate of the manor.

“Sh*t!”

Danny exclaimed, then took out his phone and called Alexander.

After waiting for a long time, no one answered.

He hung up in annoyance, squeezing the phone in his hand and watching from a distance as Kenneth’s car navigated through the manor before finally leaving through the main gates.

What’s going on with Elise and Kenneth?

She didn’t refuse Kenneth’s approach just now. She couldn’t possibly be attracted to that man, right?

Although Kenneth had decent looks, he was much older than his brother.

Although the Bailey Family was richer than the Griffith Family, his brother was full of potential and had unlimited prospects!

Danny felt defeated, as the comparison he made was a bit half-baked. How could potential be compared with real money and power?

Which woman could refuse a man who was rich, attractive, and willing to stand up for her?

However, Danny felt that Elise wasn’t the type of woman who would change her mind for those things.

He reckoned he must be thinking too much.

But, no matter what, he must find his brother and get the couple to consolidate their relationship!

…

Inside the car, Elise held onto the check worth 400 million. The more she looked at it, the more upset she got.

Holding back her anger, she turned to look at Kenneth. “Why did you make the decision for me to accept the Saunders Family’s money? Is Smith Co. very short of money?”

Kenneth glanced at her, then turned back and stared straight ahead before saying lightly, “David is a cunning old man. If you insist on pursuing the situation just now, he could have taken the opportunity to pretend to be sick and let you be blamed for destroying the Saunders Family.”

Elise let out a cold laugh. She was about to say that she didn’t care what others thought when she heard Kenneth speak again.

“I know you don’t mind the opinions of others, but you can’t underestimate the power of rumors. Consider it as not creating trouble for yourself. Sometimes temporary compromises are necessary, but this doesn’t mean that you’re afraid of the Saunders Family. If you want to deal with the Saunderses, there are more clever ways. There’s no need to get your name dirty for them.”

It wasn’t that Elise didn’t understand this logic, but most of the time, she preferred following her heart and doing whatever she wanted no matter the cost.

But at this moment, as she listened to Kenneth’s explanation and followed his lead to leave everyone and everything in the manor behind, she suddenly felt that it was good to play by the rules and listen to logic once in a while.

After all, who could guarantee that one could always use the same attitude to deal with life?

The world was ever-changing, so it might seem strange to have everything set in stone.

“Where are you taking me?” Elise changed the subject.

“You’ll know when we get there.” After Kenneth gave a vague explanation, he felt the phone in his left pocket vibrate, but he didn’t answer it and pretended as if nothing had happened.

That phone was used when his identity was Alexander. If he took it out now, Elise would definitely find out.

After today’s events, he was even more determined to retain Kenneth’s identity and keep Elise safe from dangers that she couldn’t detect.

She didn’t care about gossip and slander, but he did.

The car drove out of the suburbs and entered a luxurious residential area before stopping in front of one of the villas.

After getting out of the car, Kenneth walked over to open the door. As Elise followed, she checked out the surrounding environment.

There were very few houses in the area, so she figured that there mustn’t be much interaction between the residents.

“Come in,” Kenneth called out before walking into the house.

Elise stood frozen in place for two seconds. When she walked in, Kenneth was already busy in the kitchen.

“What are you doing?” Elise watched in bewilderment as Kenneth put on an apron after taking off his suit and tie.

“Making something to eat.” Kenneth didn’t even look up. “I noticed that you didn’t have much appetite at the Saunders Residence, and I’m guessing you won’t want to eat out, so I’ll make you something light.”

Chapter 549 What Kind of People Are We?

Hearing that, Elise walked out of the villa to the side of the car and paused all of a sudden after opening the door. As though something just came into her mind, she hesitated, tossed the key in her hand on the passenger seat, and shut the door. Then, she started to walk out of the neighborhood.

In the villa, Kenneth watched as she walked further and further away with a complicated glimmer in his deep-set eyes. Elise, go ahead and do everything you want bravely. With me to back you up, everything will be alright.

After Elise walked out of the neighborhood, she didn’t catch a cab immediately. Instead, she continued to pace along the street, walking aimlessly. With this rare moment by herself, she had enough time to think about things.

Many things were on her mind, including drawing the snake out of its nest, Alexander, and the Saunders Family. When she had straightened out her mind, she suddenly snapped back to her senses and realized that everything was more or less connected to Kenenth.

Stopping, she finally saw the truth for what it was after a few seconds. Without her realizing, Kenneth had already secretly taken a spot in her heart.

Even though she kept rejecting and avoiding it, it was all futile.

…

After hopping out of the cab, Elise went straight into Alexander’s courtyard house.

Instead of seeing him, she saw Danny, who stopped her in her path.

“Elise!” Pacing toward her, he asked in an irritating manner, “Did that Bailey do anything mean to you?”

“What can he possibly do to me?” Stopping in her tracks, she stared at him deeply. That look in her eyes was clearly frustration from having her thoughts read like a book, but she was unaware about it herself.

Startled by her glare, Danny’s neck stiffened, and he gulped before speaking again. “I’m just worried about you.”

Only then did she notice that she had acted out of the norm, and she lowered her eyes as she said apologetically, “I’m alright.” Then, she asked after a short pause, “Where’s Alex?”

“He’ll be back soon,” he answered. “Why don’t you wait for him inside?”

In reply, Elise gave him a nod and went toward Alexander’s room. Behind her, Danny let out a sigh of relief with a guilty conscience.

In truth, he couldn’t get in touch with Alexander and didn’t know when he would be back. However, he really wanted the both of them to spend some time together, so he decided to tell a small white lie.

In the meantime, Elise pushed open the door to Alexander’s bedroom, and immediately after stepping in, a special scent belonging only to him drifted up her nose. It was a light scent of grass and flowers, which was very comfortable, and for some unknown reason, this scent made her feel really nostalgic, and she was reluctant to leave.

After waiting for a while, she became tired and fell asleep on the bed.

As she had always been a light sleeper, she heard the sounds of light footsteps nearing her during midnight. Even though that person was on his tiptoes and didn’t want to disturb her, she was still awakened by it.

Opening her eyes, she saw Alexander crouching next to the bed, looking at her with affection in his gentle, dark eyes.

“You’re back.” She rolled over, hugged his arm which was next to the pillow, and closed her eyes, continuing to sleep.

A graceful smile spread across Alexander’s face, and he used his other hand to smoothen her messy hair. “Why did you fall asleep here?”

Hearing his voice, she suddenly got up and hugged him around his neck. Like a kitten, she leaned in close to him and acted coquettish in his arms. “I just missed you.”

Alexander’s neck and chin were so tickled by her that his ears burned red in a second, and his heart turned mushy along with it. Then, he sat on the side of the bed and held her up before returning her into his arms in a more comfortable position.

“Were you treated badly at the Saunders, and that made you feel sad?” he asked softly.

Elise shook her head. “I haven’t cared about such a small thing since a long time ago.”

“No matter what, I’ll get back the justice you deserve on your behalf, Ellie.” Softly, he planted a kiss on her forehead and changed the topic naturally. “I’ve found Claude, and he’ll be back soon.”

Hearing that, she suddenly popped her eyes open and jolted awake. Has he been so busy recently that he barely had any sleep because he was busy with my affairs? But I… seem to accept Kenneth more and more.

Never before had Elise felt that she was actually so undeserving of Alexander.

“But something unexpected happened, and Claude may not be able to perform the surgery on your brother right away,” Alexander said hesitantly.

Sitting up in his arms, she asked in confusion, “Why? Is he injured?”

“No,” he answered. “It seems like he changed a lot when he left this time. Anyway, he showed a lot of resistance toward me and wasn’t very cooperative. So, I had to bring him back by force.”

The light of hope which had just ignited in Elise went out again as she muttered, “Why did it turn out like this?”

“I’m not sure for now,” Alexander said. “Maybe you can tell what the problem is if you meet him personally.”

She gave him a nod. “That’s true. Let’s arrange for a meeting right away once he has arrived.”

“Okay.” He agreed.

Listening to the gentle tone in his voice, Elise suddenly noticed the tiredness within. Raising her slender hand, she then placed it on his cheeks and stroked him gently, following the outline of his face.

When she felt his chin, the subtle stubble felt a little scratchy to her palms, and she frowned, feeling sorry for him. “How long have you not slept?”

“Just two days and one night. It’s not a problem. I’ll rest a couple more days this time I’m back,” he assured.

She knew that he didn’t want her to worry, so she decided to go along with him and didn’t expose him as she held him around the waist and buried herself in his embrace.

Besides a hug, it seemed like there was nothing else she could give him. This was simply way too little.

…

In the afternoon, Elise saw Claude, who was carried through the door with his limbs tied up.

When her eyes met his, she actually saw a deep sense of hatred in his eyes.

Standing in front of him, she lowered her gaze at him and scanned him. “What are you up to?” she asked with raised brows.

Haughtily, he turned his face the other way, not answering her. For anyone who didn’t know, they would think that Elise was his biggest enemy.

Narrowing her eyes, she recalled the thing which interested him the most in the past and tried to sense him out. “Perform a surgery for me and I’ll look for three of the rarest herbs for you.”

“Save it.” He turned her down directly. “Riches wouldn’t lure me, poverty wouldn’t change me, and power wouldn’t break me. Even though I can’t beat you in a fight, I still have my bottom line. I won’t treat people like you!”

“What kind of people are we?” Amused, Elise thought that no matter how she looked at Claude now, he just appeared like a stubborn old man from ancient feudal times.

His eyes drifted across her, and he snorted instead of saying anything.

He didn’t need to say anything to make his point.

But these unspoken connotations ticked her off, and she couldn’t help but raise her hand at him. Luckily, Alexander dragged her away.

Chapter 550 Becoming Aggressive

“I wasn’t sure of it before, but when I saw his attitude toward you, I have a rough idea what happened.” Alexander analyzed the situation, sounding thoughtful. “Claude has probably been hypnotized.”

“Hypnotized?” Elise spun her head and glanced at Claude. “He’s just a doctor who’s only saving lives and isn’t threatening. What’s the point of hypnotizing him?”

“Leaving the sick untreated is a way of causing destruction as well,” Alexander said calmly.

At first, Elise was stunned, then she gradually understood what he meant by that.

The only person who could perform a surgery on Trevor now was Claude. If he was unwilling, it would only spell death for Trevor. With a sigh, she wondered if it would be possible to find a hypnotist to undo the hypnotism on Claude.

Reading her mind, Alexander explained before she said anything, “In hypnotism, every hypnotic master uses a different technique, and we need to find the person who hypnotized him in the first place in order to fully undo the hypnotism. If it is forced, the mind of the hypnotized person might be damaged.”

“In other words, if we don’t know who hypnotized Claude back then, he’ll continue to treat us as his enemies,” Elise concluded helplessly.

“That’s the case, basically,” he replied.

Elise didn’t know whether she should laugh or cry in this situation. “Who would let someone who regards them as his enemies stick around? Think about it. Life would be chaos, then!”

“But are you okay to let him wander around outside like this?” Alexander asked.

Her heart softened, and she sighed. “Forget it. Let your man guard him, then,” she said, holding her forehead. Recalling the reminder from Kenneth yesterday, she changed the topic directly. “Recently, I’ve been too passive, and I plan to create a big ruckus to draw the snake out of its nest. What do you think?”

“I’ll definitely support all of your decisions.” After that, Alexander chuckled and teased, “Haven’t you always hated troubles? Why are you taking the initiative to create one now?”

Shrugging, she answered, “It’s true that I don’t want any trouble, but I’ve figured out something. If I don’t eliminate those people who are making trouble in the dark, there will be no end to this. Like an endless bushfire, it will reignite with the slightest wind. So, I might as well find the source and rip it out by the roots. Only then will it solve all my problems at once. Am I right?”

After she finished analyzing seriously, she turned to him and saw that there was an unreadable look in his gaze as he looked at her.

Although he was wearing a smile, and she could see the love in his eyes, there was also a hint of surprise in them. It was as though he felt she was not the original Elise.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, embarrassed.

He grinned, and his thick brows raised. “I’m just thinking: Since when did my Ellie become so aggressive? The decisiveness you showed when you decided to rip out the roots of this problem made me think that a woman may not lose to a man.”

Her eyes rolled around guiltily. “Is that so? I didn’t have that feeling. Maybe I just became more mature, and so my thoughts went a level higher.”

Alexander nodded in agreement. “That’s true. I really like the way you are now. There’s nothing you, my fiancée, cannot do. Ellie, as long as it’s something you want to do, I’ll get it done for you.”

Pursing her lips, Elise snickered and deliberately put on a serious face as she spoke, sounding unconvinced. “Who says I need your help? Does it mean that I can’t do anything without you?”

Amused, Alexander chuckled. “I was too abrupt. You’re formidable and incredibly talented. My existence is just the icing on the cake and can’t be compared to you.”

“It’s good that you know that.” Pleased with the flattery, Elise was delighted for a very long time.

Turning around to look at Claude, she felt a little sorry and discussed with Alexander, “Why don’t we release the ropes around him? It’s so pitiful to see him like this. He only became this way because he was hypnotized; he’s not doing it on purpose.”

A sigh escaped Alexander’s lips. “I don’t wish to see this too, but you know that even though you guys are doctors, you still have countless ways to pull one on others. If he’s released, we don’t know when he’d give us the slip, and he managed to escape three times previously. Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Uh…” Elise choked in embarrassment and remembered how Claude drugged the person who was after him before. In the end, the poor guy had really bad diarrhea.

Indeed, Claude was a monkey which was not easy to catch.

Hurriedly, she changed her mind. “Let’s keep him in a more spacious cage so he can move his arms and legs. Don’t allow the guard on watch to get close to him with the key on himself. He can’t run away then.”

“We’ll do as you say.” Alexander nodded lightly and turned to Clement, who was standing at the side. “Get it done.”

“Got it.” After giving him a polite nod, Clement then picked up the furious and agitated Claude and headed out.

Just then, Danny happened to enter the room, and seeing that the person who was brought out looked a little familiar, he asked, “Why did you tie him up?”

“Something cropped up. I’ll explain it to you later,” Alexander explained briefly and stared at the bundle in his arms. “What are you holding?”

“Oh, I almost forgot.” Placing the things flat, he then handed it to the both of them. “This is the wedding plan I asked someone to do, and a few wedding dresses designed by Brenden previously. They’re all collectibles and have yet to be published. He wants you to pick any you like and he’ll immediately start the production abroad once you’re done.”

Even though Alexander didn’t seem worried that Kenneth was hot on Elise’s heels, Danny, as his brother, was very worried and wanted to get the wedding done for the both of them as quickly as possible so that once Elise reached an adult age by law, they could get married immediately. Then, there would be no need to be afraid of ill-intentioned men who had ideas about Elise.

With a smile, Elise took the papers from him and flipped through the dress designs while saying, “You guys did a great job and spent so much effort on our wedding. When will we get to attend your weddings as well?”

“Our weddings?” Danny scratched the back of his head and said with a grin, “There’s no rush because I’m still young. When I meet someone like you, I’ll raise the white flag and walk into the graveyard called marriage with peace of mind.”

“If marriage is a graveyard, why are you in a rush to push me into it?” Elise teased casually.

“No, that was a slip of tongue.” Slapping himself, he then said, “That’s just a metaphor. Whether it’s a graveyard or not depends on whether the people who are walking in together are right for each other. You and Alex are a match made in heaven. No matter when you two get married, it will only get better and better. Even if you don’t trust me, you should trust Alex!”

While speaking, he kept staring at Elise’s face, worried that the thing he said earlier might make her change her mind and make her not want to get married anymore.

However, the more a person was afraid of something, the faster it was bound to happen.

“The designs by Brenden are great.” After browsing through, she closed the file and pursed her lips, thinking about something else absent-mindedly.

Noticing the change in her, Alexander couldn’t help but feel a tiny trace of unease in his heart.

The moment Elise lifted her head and their eyes met, they seemed to have confirmed something.

I probably won’t get to marry her, he thought.

Maybe she wouldn’t be able to marry him immediately, but she didn’t know how to say it.