Ch. 401..410

Chapter 401: How Stupid Do You Think I Am?

“Didn’t you put Mandy and me in the same place just so that I would think that Joshua was there to save her instead of me?” Hazel asked with a deep tone. “How stupid do you think I am?”

“So, you didn’t say that before, so I wouldn’t get upset?” Simon was lost in thought.

“Of course!” she said without hesitation.

He smiled instead of getting angry. “Pumpkin, you look pretty cute when you fool yourself. All right, you can go home with him as long as you remember to come to me. If you regret it in the future, my door will always be open for you.”

“That will never happen, so you can give up on it now,” she said simply.

After that, she ran over to Joshua as Simon put the gun away.

Joshua stretched his arms out and quickly held her in his arms before asking in a low voice, “Hazel, are you okay?”

She nodded her head while Joshua looked her up and down. When he saw that she was really unhurt, he stepped out in front of her.

“Master Denmark, what does that mean?” Simon said with a smile as he saw the cars still around him. “Haven’t I returned everyone to you?”

“Simon, you’re in Country Z,” Joshua said seriously. “kidnapping is illegal.”

“Kidnapping?” Simon smiled. “I just asked my Pumpkin out to play. What’s the problem?”

“With a gun?” Hazel said angrily, “Besides, guns aren’t allowed to be carried in this country!”

“Just a toy gun.” With a vicious laugh, Simon took out his gun and fired a light toy bullet.

Hazel’s face was very pale. She hadn’t seen the gun clearly when Simon threatened her. She could have escaped at any point because it was a fake gun.

Seeing Hazel’s disappointed expression, Simon sighed quietly. “Pumpkin, you don’t really want Joshua to fall out with me at this point, do you? I don’t mind taking advantage of his dangerous life to take you away, but I’m afraid you would look down on me.”

Hazel’s face changed a little because Joshua’s preference wasn’t to have too many enemies. The incident with Simon and Mandy was just one of Simon’s pranks, and he helped her even though she did not like his methods.

Joshua’s eyes darkened. “You’ve bullied Hazel, how can you just leave like that?”

“He didn’t bully me…” She gently tugged at his sleeve. “Joshua, let’s go home.”

Joshua frowned slightly.

“You don’t have to be anxious to deal with me, Joshua. It’s not the time. You’d better clean up your own mess first,” Simon said, looking at him fearlessly with folded arms. “We’ll fight with each other sooner or later, maybe even for Pumpkin. Don’t worry, I won’t keep you waiting long.”

“I’ll wait and see,” Joshua said in a deep voice.

Hazel was a little confused. What did Simon mean? Did he mean he picked on Joshua for other reasons other than her?

Joshua took Hazel to his car and drove in one direction, while Simon drove in the other.

“Hazel, how did you meet up with him?” Joshua asked worriedly. “And, why did you get hurt?”

Hazel’s face dimmed. She had so many thoughts going through her head.

How could she not care about things, even if she just said everything was fine? Joshua must have known about the incident at the school, so he didn’t want her to go to school. If that happened before, he would never have let the rumors run rampant. Maybe he was a little insecure?

On top of wondering if Joshua likes her for herself or because she may be Denmark’s daughter, all of the thoughts made Hazel tired and upset. Her heart was conflicted, and she didn’t want Joshua to know about it.

“My injury was an accident,” she whispered. “I’m a little tired. Can you let me have a break first?”

“Ok…” Joshua’s eyes were a little dim. What had happened between her and Simon? Why didn’t she want to answer him?

As the car was about to reach Denmark Residence, Joshua received a call from Fred Cohen suddenly.

Joshua’s eyes flickered. He was hesitant to answer it, but Hazel had heard the ringing. She said quietly, “Is it because the conversation can’t be heard by me? Then stop the car, let me get out and take another one.”

“Hazel.” Joshua sighed helplessly. Since they had got in the car, Hazel had been obviously distancing herself from him, but he had no idea why.

Joshua assumed that Simon had something for her to change her attitude so easily.

“There’s nothing you can’t hear,” he whispered, answering the phone. To prove it to her, he put the call on speakerphone.

Fred Cohen’s tone had changed since he had called Joshua before. “Joshua, I misunderstood you. It turns out that you went to save Mandy. Sure enough, she is your adoptive parent’s biological daughter. I knew you still cared about her…”

Hazel tensed up when she heard Fred’s comments. She kept thinking that Joshua had come to save her but found Mandy instead, so Simon used the situation to make her misunderstand. After hearing what Fred said, maybe it wasn’t a mistake at all, and Joshua went to help Mandy because he knew she was missing.

Hazel dropped her eyes. She looked out the window, disappointed.

“It was just a coincidence that I saved her,” said Joshua impatiently. He didn’t even want to save Mandy, and he definitely didn’t expect that Mandy would be there.

“Didn’t you save Mandy, whether it was a coincidence or not?” Fred laughed. “Mandy told me you care about her safety. She would have been assaulted if you hadn’t arrived there on time. And you then directly pursued and attacked the kidnappers, we’re really very touched…”

Joshua’s face became paler and paler, but Fred did not seem to have any intention of stopping.

“By the way, Mandy and I are at Denmark Residence now. We plan to wait for you to come back and thank you in person!” Fred went on to complain, “I don’t know what’s going on with your servants. They have seen me before, but they told me that you’re not here, so they can’t receive visitors. They won’t let Mandy and me in the house. It’s really very irritating. Joshua, you should reprimand them!”

“I will reward them. They did exactly as I ordered, and they have done a good job,” said Joshua coldly, not showing him any respect.

There was a silence at the other end over the phone, and Fred seemed to have been distracted by his statement, forgetting what he had intended to say.

“Besides, I’m swamped and have no time for visitors. Please leave,” Joshua said indifferently and hung up directly.

When they were close to Denmark Residence, Hazel saw Fred and Mandy standing in front of the house. As soon as Fred saw Joshua’s car, he excitedly waved.

 

Chapter 402: Do You Know Simon King?

Hazel couldn’t believe that they were standing at the gate waiting for Joshua to arrive home.

The kidnappers showed Mandy no mercy when they decided that she was Denmark’s daughter. Yet, instead of going to the hospital to treat her injuries, Mandy changed into a beautiful dress so that she could thank Joshua. Her reason was obvious to Hazel, and she turned her head away as they got closer.

Fred and Mandy had blocked the gate to the driveway, there was no way for Joshua to get around them. When he slowed down so that he wouldn’t hit them, Fred walked over to Joshua’s window.

“Thank you so much for saving Mandy, Joshua.” Fred all smiled. He said as he waved his hands, “Let’s go in…”

Before he could finish the sentence, Joshua’s car swooshed past him, leaving him with nothing but dust on his face. Mandy was standing shyly beside Fred, smiling, but she was left in shock as Joshua pulled away.

Fred assumed that Joshua must not have seen them.

It wasn’t just Mandy and Fred that were shocked, Hazel was as well. She couldn’t believe that Joshua didn’t even pay attention to them and acted as if they weren’t there. She had been feeling sad, but now she was also confused and wondered if she really was mistaken about the whole situation.

When they stepped inside the gates, Joshua opened the door for Hazel. She got out of the car and looked toward the gate, Fred and Mandy were still standing there. Mandy grasped the railings and glared at her fiercely.

“Joshua Denmark! You wouldn’t go as far as shutting us out when Mandy and I came here to visit you in person?” Fred yelled with a livid expression.

“Come on, let’s go inside,” Joshua whispered to Hazel as if he didn’t hear Fred’s words at all.

Hazel was hesitant for a few moments, but she finally nodded. Fred was cursing loudly, and when he saw her and Joshua walk into Denmark Residence, he kicked the gate furiously.

“Mandy, could you be mistaken? Was it really Joshua who saved you?” asked Fred angrily.

“Yes! How can I be wrong? He even put a coat around me himself!” Mandy was worried instantly.

He was very unhappy. “But look at his attitude now….”

“It must be Hazel! The bitch has to be playing games! It must be her who won’t let Joshua come close to me. She is afraid of me, and she knows that Joshua would pick me over her,” she whispered as she clenched her fists.

He frowned as he tried to say something, but she suddenly grabbed the railings and shouted, “Joshua Denmark! Come out! Why won’t you face me?!”

“Mandy, stop that now!” His face changed.

Nanny Carter walked out of the front toward them and said, “Both of you, please go home. The master is not available now.”

“You talk nonsense! He is obviously very free!” Mandy’s eyes were full of contempt. She would have cursed Nanny Carter if it hadn’t been for the fact that Joshua seemed to care so much about her.

Mandy couldn’t understand how a servant could be so cocky. She was determined that she would demote Nanny Carter to clean toilets when she moved into the Denmark Residence.

“Our master has the right to refuse rude guests,” Nanny Carter simply said. She had experience with many different people, she knew what Mandy was thinking. People like Mandy didn’t even regard her as a person, she was nothing but a servant to be abused.

“You…!” Mandy got exasperated and resisted the urge to scold her.

“Then when will he be free?” Fred asked. Joshua had saved Mandy, so he had done nothing wrong in any case, and Fred just wanted to thank him.

“You may call to make an appointment. If he wants to see you, he will confirm the appointment.” Nanny Carter’s expression and tone remained calm.

Mandy felt even more annoyed, there was no way of misunderstanding Nanny Carter’s words. She was politely telling them that even if they did make an appointment, Joshua might not want to see them, and he had the right to refuse them.

“It’s very kind of you.” Fred left with Mandy to save face.

Hazel stood in front of the living room window, watching everything that was happening at the gate. She was even more confused, Joshua’s treatment of them made it apparent that he wasn’t partial to Mandy.

“Change your clothes, Hazel.” Joshua brought her an outfit. “It’s comfortable.”

She turned around to look at him quietly. There had been mud and blood on her other clothes, Simon couldn’t stand it, so he had bought her new clothes. She considered the fact that they had only been inside a few minutes when Joshua was encouraging her to change, it was obvious that he didn’t like what she was wearing. Is he that jealous?

After taking the clothes, she looked at Joshua with clear eyes as she said seriously, “Joshua if you want to see Director Cohen and Mandy, I won’t have any issue. You don’t need to care about me.”

“Why do I need to see them?” He frowned slightly. “What the hell are you thinking, Hazel?”

“It has nothing to do with what I am thinking.” She felt a bit helpless as she didn’t even know what to say.

“You don’t want to tell me?” His eyes were dim. “Alright, I’ll wait until you want to. But there’s something more important now.”

“What is it?” She looked at him in surprise.

“Your safety,” he said in a deep voice.

“I’m very safe….” She was confused. However, after the words came out of her mouth, she realized she didn’t sound very persuasive. Aside from the fact that she was attacked, it seemed that Simon didn’t plan to leave the country anytime soon, and as long as he was around, she could be abducted at any time.

“Well, do you want me to stay at Denmark Residence all the time?” She dropped her eyes. “Okay, I can do that.”

“You wouldn’t be happy even if I made you do that, would you? Hazel, I know I can’t lock you up.” He sighed quietly. Something bad could happen even under his protection, he had to come up with another way.

“What do you want to do?” she asked in surprise.

Before Joshua could answer, James Howard entered the living room with a cold face.

“Joshua, why did you want to see me?” he said impatiently. “You know I don’t want to see you.”

“Simon King is in Country Z now,” Joshua said with a serious tone.

James’s face changed slightly.

“His target is Hazel,” Joshua continued.

“How can that be?” James’s face was full of shock.

“He once abducted Hazel in Country F, and I had to rescue Hazel from the middle sea. You must be aware that he always behaves oddly and unpredictably,” Joshua said. “I can’t think of another reason for him to come to Country Z except for Hazel.”

“Wait, I’m a bit puzzled right now.” Hazel looked at James in surprise. “Do you know Simon King?”

 

Chapter 403: I Can’t Wait Too Long For This

James looked a bit uncomfortable when Hazel questioned him.

“He’s undercover,” Joshua said bluntly.

“My identity cannot be exposed.” James’s face changed instantly.

“It doesn’t matter. You didn’t expose it, I found out after I investigated.”

Joshua was very composed. “Hazel nor I would reveal your identity.”

James still looked uncomfortable, but even if he continued to argue, it wouldn’t change anything.

“The organization that Simon was in completely disbanded and withdrew from Country Z. However, they never gave up after they left. Especially in the last few years since Simon came into power. The organization’s activities in Country Z have become more and more frequent.” Joshua explained.

He continued to say, “Country Z has always been wary of the organization, so of course, it has many ways to deal with it. James is an undercover agent who has been tasked to infiltrate it.”

“It is amazing that you have agreed to do such a dangerous job,” Hazel said as she looked at James with respect.

James had been a little angry with Joshua when he was telling Hazel about his assignment, but when he heard Hazel’s compliment, he relaxed.

“It’s not as dangerous as you think,” he explained, a little uncomfortable. “The organization is very wary of undercover agents, so I didn’t become core staff. Plus, Simon is very careful and has clean hands, so I still haven’t been able to get anything on him. I have had a couple of fights with him, but I couldn’t get the better of him.”

“You’re great. After all, you’re alone, but Simon has an entire organization behind him. Under such circumstances, I think you won,” Hazel continued praising him.

He felt a bit shy and then shook his head. “No… By the way, Joshua, what the hell did you want to see me for?”

“For Hazel’s safety, I want you to get her a bodyguard who is dependable and strong. They must be qualified to protect Hazel from the organization. Joshua added, glancing at James. “Gender…female.”

Hazel was in a daze. It turned out Joshua asked James to come for her. Since she was Simon’s target and she didn’t want to be locked up in Denmark Residence, Joshua came up with a way to find her a powerful bodyguard.

Whenever she made a strong-willed request, Joshua always accommodated her, even if his main concern was her safety.

James said in a deep tone. “I know what you mean, but I have to ask my superiors about this.”

“I can’t wait too long for this.” Joshua’s eyes were serious.

“I see. I’ll contact you as soon as possible,” said James with a grave expression.

After James left, Hazel took a deep breath and repressed her upset, confused thoughts. “Joshua, I can stay at Denmark Residence all the time. That way, I will be safe….”

“But you won’t be happy.” He looked at her quietly. Then he continued, “Don’t think too much about this. It’s not a difficult request for James. We only need to wait for his reply. Besides… even at Denmark Residence, I can’t guarantee that you will be completely safe.”

He didn’t want to experience the same incident that occurred in Country F again.

Hazel’s eyes twinkled, and she suddenly realized she needed to talk to Joshua about any doubts she had. She knew that he treated her so kindly, and if she didn’t trust him, then she wasn’t good enough for him.

“Joshua, I have something I want to talk to you about,” she said seriously.

“Mmm.” A smile appeared on Joshua’s face.

It was not easy for Hazel to stay positive and calm while she spoke. She took a deep breath and said, “I was actually there when they brought Mandy to the warehouse and when you arrived…” She continued to tell him everything that she saw and how she was feeling.

He frowned slightly, but he was clearly not very interested.

“So, do you think Mandy is more likely Denmark’s daughter?” With a little hesitation, she finally spoke up.

“Impossible,” he said without hesitation. “She may have found out that it was a trap, or she may have been absorbed in the role, but it’s impossible that she is the daughter.”

“… Why are you not willing to face that possibility?” She was a bit helpless. “There’s nothing wrong with her identity. She has had the birthmark since she was a child, and she had the necklace. Besides, she didn’t change her story even when the kidnappers threatened her.

Either way, she is more likely to be the daughter of your family.”

His eyes were a bit deep. He spoke after thinking for a while, “Hazel, I have a few things I’m not sure about right now. However, if Mandy’s identity is disturbing you so much, I will clarify it as soon as possible….”

“You don’t understand my heart at all!” Her anger could no longer be repressed, and her eyes were a little red. “I don’t care if Mandy is the daughter of your family. I don’t care who the daughter is! What matters to me is whether you like the daughter or me! Don’t say that I am the daughter, just tell me, what will you do if I am not her?”

He looked a little startled, he watched Hazel tremble and stepped forward to hold her in his arms.

“Let me go…” She struggled hard.

He hugged her a little more tightly, his chin resting on her forehead lightly. She struggled for a moment before finally leaning against his arms.

“Hazel, this question has been bothering you for a long time, eh?” he asked in a low voice. He knew she wouldn’t get upset if it hadn’t been bothering her. He also knew that it was his fault because it was not the first time she asked him, but he didn’t seem to care about it and just thought she was overreacting, so he answered in his own way.

He realized that he had ignored the fact that even though Hazel was very sensible, she was also emotional, and her way of thinking was different from his. He had wondered why she was distant. He thought it was Simon, but it was him. She must have been struggling with her thoughts every day.

“Hazel, maybe you won’t believe anything I say now.” After letting her go, Joshua’s eyes were very serious. “But I just want you to know that I love you, not the Denmark family’s daughter.”

“Really?” Hazel saw him through a mist of tears. She had waited for an answer for a long time, but she felt that it wasn’t true when she heard it.

 

Chapter 404: Looking For The Best Bodyguard

“Yes,” Joshua gently tucked her hair behind her ears, “Hazel, you will never know how much you mean to me.”

She was relieved. Although, she could not tell whether it was Joshua’s heartfelt words or if he was just said it to soothe her since he was convinced that she was Denmark’s daughter. However, it still eased her worries to hear it.

“I believe you.” She smiled.

Joshua’s eyes were a little deeper. He sighed. “You, silly girl, you don’t completely believe me… But it doesn’t matter because time will tell.”

***

Hazel thought things would settle down for a bit, so she was surprised when James arrived at Denmark Residence the next day.

“Have you found a bodyguard?” Joshua frowned a little because he only saw James.

“You can rest assured,” said James coldly. “Or you can ask someone else for help.”

Joshua shrugged. “Alright, what are you doing here then?”

“Major General wants to meet Hazel,” said James quietly.

“Me?” Hazel looked around blankly before she said nervously, “Why, why does he need to meet me? I don’t know your general, after all….”

James explained, “Don’t think too much of it. I think you will just be asked about Simon King…”

“How can Hazel know about that?” Joshua quickly interrupted James with a displeased tone.

“I’m looking for the best bodyguard.” James said in a deep tone, “Don’t worry, our major general is not going to bully her and only wants to know some simple information about Simon. Besides, I’ll keep her company.”

Joshua raised his eyebrows. “Do you mean I can’t go?”

“Major General hasn’t wanted to see strangers in years. Sorry…” James said a bit helplessly. It was the first time Hazel had heard James be so gentle when talking to Joshua.

“Is the major general you are speaking of one of those people?” Joshua was deep in thought.

“… Mmm.” James looked a little gloomy. He had always known about Joshua’s abilities and means, but he felt that Joshua was extremely incomprehensible since he had known so much.

“Who?” Hazel asked blankly.

“You’ll know when you are there,” said Joshua, looking relieved. “You can go with James and feel comfortable.”

She was very confused. Seeing that they didn’t want to say much, she had to leave Denmark Residence with James, with her heart full of doubts. She expected James to take her to a military compound or something, but eventually, he took her to a tastefully decorated teahouse.

James took her to the private room and opened the door for her. As soon as Hazel walked in, she was so shocked that she stood still. A beautiful woman seemed to be in her thirties, but Hazel felt that her true age was much older.

Her temperament showed the military’s unique determination, morality, and fierceness. However, she also looked like an educated, cultured lady. With the combination of exceptional traits, she gained people’s trust.

“General Sanchez.” James saluted. “This is Hazel.”

“Though you’re a soldier under my guidance,” Katherine Sanchez waved gracefully, “you don’t need to be restrained. You’d better keep a low profile. Guard us outside.”

“Yes.” James agreed and walked out of the room.

“Female, female general?” Hazel was surprised. There was no doubt that the woman in front of her was the major general James had mentioned.

She had thought that the major general James was talking about was a man, but instead, it was a fearless female general. Hazel admired her.

“Very surprised?” Katherine smiled gently.

“Mmm!” Hazel nodded her head in excitement, but then she felt it seemed impolite, so she quickly stopped.

Katherine was amused by her and thought the girl in front of her was really cute.

“Come and sit down,” Katherine said kindly.

“Okay.” Hazel sat beside her in a hurry, but suddenly her face changed. She looked at Katherine in disbelief. “Your last name is Sanchez… So are you General Katherine Sanchez?”

“Do you know me?” Katherine was a bit surprised.

“Yes, yes!” Hazel’s eyes were shining brightly as she said happily, “You’re my mom’s idol. When I was a kid, my mom always told me about you. She said that you made a great contribution to eliminating one of the biggest, evil forces, and then you were promoted to major general, step by step.”

“She also said that there were few major female generals originally, and you are the real female hero. You are like an idol to my family. Can I take a photo with you? I want to send a picture to my mom…”

Katherine saw how Hazel kept chattering. She was like a child who saw a celebrity, Katherine smiled lovingly and agreed, “Yes.”

Hazel excitedly took out her phone and sat next to Katherine obediently, taking several pictures. After saving the photos, Hazel laughed very happily.

Suddenly, something occurred to her, and she hastily asked, “Was it the organization that you destroyed that year? So, were you the undercover agent there?”

Katherine’s face changed slightly. Hazel came to her senses immediately and felt very remorseful. She didn’t realize what she was saying, her mother didn’t even know what was happening that year. It was apparently a secret related to Katherine’s safety, she didn’t mean to blurt it out at Katherine.

Hence, she hurried to add, “I’m sorry. I’m just curious. I don’t mean anything else. You don’t need to answer me…”

“Yes. But I didn’t think you knew that.” Katherine smiled lightly. “Was it Simon who told you?”

“He told me some of it…” Hazel said, embarrassed. “And there’s some of it by myself.”

Katherine looked at Hazel in surprise. She just asked her the question casually and never expected that Hazel actually meant so much to Simon. Additionally, she was surprised by Hazel’s intelligence and mental alertness.

Katherine suddenly moved toward Hazel, she immediately put her hands up to block her. Katherine sat down quietly as if nothing had happened.

Hazel was a little confused. “General Sanchez…”

“Hazel, you obviously have a background in fighting, and you’re in good shape,” Katherine looked at her. “If you were trained, you’d be a good soldier. Are you interested in joining the army?”

Chapter 405: Can I Know Why?

“Ah?!” Hazel was taken aback. She wondered if she heard correctly, Katherine had really asked her to join the army. What she said next left Hazel with her head in the clouds and feeling like it was a dream.

“You’re a good fit,” Katherine contemplated. “If I train you myself, you will be far more successful than I am. In the future, you will be the general everyone admires and respects.”

“… Ah?” Hazel was still having trouble wrapping her head around what Katherine was saying. The praise made her heart beat faster, and she was having trouble breathing.

All Hazel could think was how exciting it sounded and how much she wanted to say yes.

Katherine looked at her with a smile, she had seen Hazel’s reaction and guessed the answer.

“I, I…” Before she could finish the sentence, there was a look of frustration on Hazel’s face. Then the excitement faded from her face, she shook her head and said, “I can’t do that….”

“Huh?” Katherine looked at her with surprise.

“I’m really glad that you speak so highly of me,” Hazel said after taking a deep breath, “but I can’t say yes.”

“Why?” Katherine asked in amazement.

She was impressed by Hazel again. She felt that Hazel had such a fever of enthusiasm that she would definitely say yes, whatever the request was. Hence, it surprised her greatly that Hazel steadied herself so quickly.

“I do have a background in fighting, but I know myself and that my ability can be used to deal with ordinary people but not vicious criminals.” Hazel finally said after a bit of hesitation, “Do you want me to join the army…because of Simon King? You want to train me to go undercover?”

“I did think about it…” Katherine sighed lightly. She didn’t deny her thoughts, “You and he are close, but he is not enough for me to want you to join. What I value more is your qualifications, you have some very good qualities that would make you perfect for the army. Hazel, I hope you will seriously think twice….”

“General Sanchez, my answer will not change.” Hazel shook her head. Then she said firmly, “I can’t… No, not can’t, I won’t say yes.”

“Can I know why?” Katherine asked regretfully, sensing that Hazel was serious.

“Because…” Hazel was a little shy. “I have someone I like and care about, and I don’t want to cause him any problems.”

With Simon’s presence, Joshua was worried about her safety more than usual. She didn’t want to put herself in any danger and make Joshua worry. How could she go undercover and give herself to Simon? What did that mean for Joshua? It would not be fair to him at all. What if the other party wasn’t Simon?

“Plus, I have my own career. Even though I started it for fun, I like it very much and don’t want to give it up…” Hazel hurried to add, for fear that Katherine might think too much.

“I’ve heard some things about you from James,” Katherine’s eyes were deep as she tried to make a last-ditch effort. “Hazel, at your current age, you may have a beautiful fantasy about love, but it is not everything. You are passionately in love right now, so all you can see is each other. However, will it be the same in ten or twenty years? Why not try something interesting? It is much better for a woman to rely on herself than on others.”

“You’re right,” Hazel agreed, nodding. “I agree with you, but I feel they are two different things. No matter what happens in ten or twenty years, I love him very much and want to be with him now. It is my hope and dream. If we love each other but have to distance ourselves from each other, would we regret it in the future?”

Katherine was dumbstruck by what she had said, and then she laughed despite herself. “Okay, you win. I really envy you kids, at your age, because you can be so crazy for things you like.”

“I’m at a crazy age,” Hazel chuckled and stuck out her tongue. “How boring it would be if I were lifeless at this age!”

Katherine laughed, it was an impulse to ask to meet with Hazel. She was curious about what kind of girl could attract Simon King, and she had no intention of trying to recruit her. Unfortunately, she wanted to train her, but Hazel wasn’t interested, she was very impressed and interested in her.

“Well, I will forget it then. I’ll introduce you to your bodyguard.” There was a bit of admiration in Katherine’s eyes. “She’s my favorite student. I’ll feel relieved with her protecting you.”

Hazel looked at the door expectantly when she heard it open, a courageous-looking woman walked in.

“Crystal, this is Hazel, and you are responsible for keeping her safe in the future.” Katherine introduced both of them, “Hazel, this is Crystal White.”

Hazel quickly got up, and Crystal White looked a little dignified. After saying hello to Hazel, she didn’t open her mouth anymore.

“Hazel,” Katherine said, “Crystal is the kind of girl who is lifeless at your age.”

Hazel felt embarrassed immediately, but Crystal looked expressionless.

Katherine continued with a chuckle. “I personally chose her to protect you because she is very strong, and I have a selfish reason. Hazel, I don’t actually like girls who are too reserved. I hope you can influence her a bit so that she can also have the spirit and vitality she should have at your age.”

Hazel smiled and nodded. Crystal’s face flashed a little embarrassment but soon returned to normal.

Katherine thought for a bit before she carefully spoke to Crystal, “Crystal, you must be careful about protecting Hazel. You have to be close enough to protect her. Even if she goes to the bathroom, you should follow her. Remember, your opponent is the organization, so you can’t be the least bit careless.”

“Mmm,” Crystal answered simply.

Hazel became serious, she understood that Katherine had dealt with the organization and that she was not exaggerating the danger. She knew that she would have to pay more attention in the future.

After thanking Katherine, Hazel and Crystal White left and drove to Denmark Residence in silence. They were pulling into the driveway when Hazel saw two cars parked side by side. Her pupils shrank, she recognized one that belonged to Sunny, and the other belonged to Fred.

Why would both of them be at Denmark Residence at the same time?

 

Chapter 406: You’re Quite Well- Prepared

Hazel was a little confused. She had thought that Sunny was neutral, but now she was at Denmark Residence with Fred Cohen, maybe she was partial to Mandy and Fred after all.

Keeping everything in mind, Hazel and Crystal walked to the study. They hadn’t even gone in when they could hear the yelling.

“Joshua, don’t go too far!” Fred said angrily, “Now that Sunny has confirmed that the necklace is the one created by Marcus and Cate! The evidence is real, and it has always been with Mandy, which proves her identity. She is the daughter of the Denmark family!”

“It’s ridiculous that you want to prove your identity with a necklace,” said Joshua simply.

“Indeed, a necklace can’t prove anything,” Sunny said softly. “Joshua, I understand your cautious attitude, but Mandy doesn’t only have a necklace, she also has a birthmark. In addition to the birthmark, there are

pictures of her in the information from when she was taken to the orphanage. After looking at those pictures, you cannot deny that Mandy is not the Denmark family’s child.”

“So, are you determined to support Mandy?” A smile curved Joshua’s lips as he was not very surprised.

Sunny’s eyes turned deep, and she whispered, “All I support is the Denmark family’s daughter, my niece.”

Fred was very aggressive. “Joshua, you can’t deny Mandy’s identity in any case! She is the daughter of the Denmark family, and you must return her property to her!”

“I’m rather curious,” Joshua asked simply. “Director Cohen, what do you think I need to return to the Denmark family’s daughter?”

“Of course, these things!” Fred took out a list, well-prepared.

“You’re quite well-prepared.” Joshua took it and quietly leafed it through.

“I’m not well-prepared. But you’ve been procrastinating!” Fred said unhappily, “Joshua, I know what you’re thinking. You’re afraid that your property will be taken away from you, so you found a woman to control the Denmark family. However, she is only a regular woman. Besides, Mandy likes you, too. As long as you marry Mandy, everything that belongs to the Denmark family will be yours.”

Hazel tensed up. Fred said that in a very unkind voice, but it sounded irresistible. What… what would Joshua choose?

Joshua looked at Fred sarcastically. “Looks like you want to control me as well as the Denmark Group?”

“What control?! Why are your words so unpleasant?!” Fred was very angry. “If you don’t marry Mandy, give us Denmark Group! After that, you can be with whoever you like! But do you think Hazel would want you if you have nothing?”

“You don’t need to worry about me,” Joshua said, looking at him coldly. “As long as you know, even if I give up Denmark Group, I will not give up Hazel, and I will not marry Mandy so I can become your puppet.”

Hazel was standing in the doorway, her heart felt warm.

It turned out she had been a worrywart, and she had been worrying about a problem that didn’t exist in the least. She should have figured out that it was impossible for him to be nice to her just because he thought she was Denmark’s daughter.

“You…!” Fred was too angry to speak.

Sunny looked at Joshua with deep eyes because his reaction was not what she had expected. Instead of arguing with Joshua over things, she asked, “When are you going to admit Mandy’s identity and return what belongs to her?”

Joshua said nonchalantly, “Tomorrow. Just because you are so worried, this matter should be resolved.”

Hazel quickly pulled Crystal’s arm so they could hide around the corner before Sunny and Fred walked out of the study.

After they left, Hazel looked shyly at Crystal. “That… Later I want to go to the study and be alone with Joshua for a while. Could you please leave me alone?”

Crystal looked at her with an odd look of embarrassment and resignation. “The Major General has told me to act accordingly. You’re at Denmark Residence, and Joshua is here, so I can judge that you’re very safe at the moment.”

Hazel felt a bit embarrassed as well, it turned out that Crystal didn’t want to disturb her life.

“You can go to find Nanny Carter,” Hazel said awkwardly. “Ask her to show you around and arrange a room for you to live in.”

After Crystal left, Hazel quickly pushed the door open. Joshua was looking through the list that Fred had given him, so he calmly put it in the shredder.

Hearing the sound of the door, he looked up and saw Hazel run to him like the wind and throw herself at him. “Joshua!”

Before he could speak, she stood on tiptoe and kissed him passionately.

He was a bit surprised. Hazel used to flirt with him, but since she had been distant and questioning his loyalty, she rarely did so. However, she seemed different than before.

“What’s the matter, Hazel?” he asked in surprise.

“Nothing,” she said with a sweet smile on her face. “I just want to kiss you and tell you that I love you and miss you so much!”

The next moment, her tender lips, which were like delicate petals, came close to him again. His eyes were glowing, he smiled and kissed her again. Hazel’s heart was open and free, she kissed him with more passion. He had never felt their hearts were so close.

“Did you hear anything?” His fingers brushed against her lips lightly.

“Yes…” Hazel’s cheeks were red. Sure enough, there was nothing that could be hidden from his sharp eyes. Then she asked with some curiosity. “What are you going to do tomorrow?”

She could feel that Fred was well-prepared to take Denmark Group away from Joshua.

There was a bit of hidden resentment in Joshua’s eyes suddenly as he said in a low voice, “Hazel, even if I have nothing left, don’t give up on me, okay? I am actually quite capable. I mean, in various aspects.”

She gave him a mortified slap on the chest. “I’m talking business to you!”

“I’m talking business to you, too.” He chuckled.

“You can rest assured, I won’t break up with you. Even if you really have nothing, at worst, I can raise you!” Hazel pinched his cheek laughingly. “You’re such a pretty toy boy. I’ll take care of you very willingly!”

“Then I’m going to get ready to live off you?” he chuckled.

 

Chapter 407: Are You Teasing Me Again?

“I wouldn’t mind taking care of you if I need to,” Hazel said helplessly. “But don’t try to change the subject… By the way, did Aunt Sunny… change her opinion?”

Joshua looked into Hazel’s sad eyes, he gently touched her cheek.

“Sunny Joseph has never changed sides,” he said, his eyes a little deeper. “She has always been on Mandy’s side, pretending to be neutral. After all, it would be more convincing if a neutral character defected.”

He lowered his head and quietly said, “If it was not for me accidentally rescuing Mandy and giving them the wrong idea, she would not have come to me so quickly. She assumed that I had changed my attitude towards Mandy, so she took the opportunity to approach me.”

“Is that so?” Her face was a bit troubled.

Because Sunny was the adopted daughter of the Joseph family, Hazel always had conflicted feelings toward her. Although she knew it was more like a wish that Sunny would accept her, she found it hard to accept the truth when she heard it.

Joshua’s eyes were a bit deeper because he knew that Hazel had little hope for Sunny. He looked back and thought he should have told her from the beginning about Sunny.

He calmly opened his mouth and explained, “I arranged for some people to keep an eye on Sunny 24 hours a day. They watched her every move, and she never had any contact with Fred. They met at Denmark Residence today, but she had suddenly identified the necklace. When do you think she identified it?”

Hazel’s eyes dimmed. If Sunny hadn’t identified the necklace before she arrived at Denmark Residence, it was more likely that she had arranged it with Fred in advance. But, why did Sunny’s faint affection feel real?

“What are you going to do tomorrow?” asked Hazel worriedly.

“Tomorrow is, in fact, not the best timing,” Joshua said quietly. “But since they are so eager, I should do as they wish. Hazel, please go with me tomorrow, you can watch the drama for yourself.”

“You want me to go?” She was a bit surprised.

“Of course, this drama cannot be wonderful without you.” A smile curved his lips.

She blinked. Joshua had an air of confidence, it was clear that he planned to be well-prepared. She was really looking forward to it.

“By the way,” Joshua whispered, his eyes dimming. “What did Katherine Sanchez want to talk to you about?”

“Why don’t you call her General Sanchez?!” Hazel corrected him seriously, “She’s mine and my mother’s idol. You need to respect her!”

“All right,” he said with some resignation, “What did you talk about?”

“Nothing.” She said with a smirk, “She wants me to join the army.”

Joshua’s eyes twitched, and his face darkened instantly. He didn’t know much about Katherine Sanchez. He had heard that she was an undercover agent in the organization, who single-handedly destroyed its forces in Country Z and made great achievements before getting promoted to her current position. She was known to be an amazing woman, and she was taking a fancy to Hazel?

“Did she want you to be an undercover agent?” said Joshua in almost a whisper, he had become pale and weak.

“Yeah,” Hazel said with a smile. “I was really, really excited, but I said no.”

“Huh?” He raised his eyebrows in surprise, his color returned a bit. He could tell that Hazel liked Katherine very much, so he didn’t understand why she didn’t say yes.

“Because I don’t think I would be good at it,” she said with a chuckle. “Besides, you stole my heart, and I can’t do anything if I leave you.”

“Hazel…” A gentle smile curved his lips, and he held out his arms to pull her close to him. “Then…Can we continue?”

Her face flushed, and she escaped from under his arm. She stuck her tongue out at him. “Continue what? Scoundrel!”

“So, are you teasing me again?” He was helpless.

“No!” With a little shyness on her face, she suddenly chuckled. “I was going to sacrifice myself, but if I did, you’d think I don’t have any confidence in you and just want to have a good night with you. So, forget it, we will wait until my graduation. It’s only a few days away anyway. You need to deal with it!”

There was hidden resentment in his eyes, but Hazel had already run out of the study. She had run back to her room and fell down on her bed with her mind spinning.

In fact, when she was in the study with Joshua, she really intended to make love to him, but she calmed down and suppressed the idea. However, as graduation approached, she felt she should do something to surprise Joshua and not just as a surprise but apologize for not believing him.

She knew she had to plan it well, she jumped out of bed and turned on her computer. She was determined to plan something grand and romantic as a surprise for Joshua.

***

The next day, Joshua and Hazel went to the Denmark Group together. When they arrived, they were told that the directors were angry and already waiting in the meeting room. The secretary said they were talking about threatening to force Joshua to surrender.

Joshua acted as if he didn’t hear her, took Hazel’s hand, and walked past the directors to the head of the table.

Mandy dug her nails into her palms with anger, her heart was filled with fury.

After being saved by Joshua, she immediately asked Fred to take her to Denmark Residence and tried to approach Joshua with the excuse of thanking him. She only thought that it was the perfect opportunity and that she could possibly repay him with her body.

Mandy suddenly remembered that it had all been ruined by Hazel, everything had been ruined by Hazel. She got angrier when she looked around the room, they wouldn’t be in that situation and questioning her identity if it hadn’t been for Hazel. Everything Hazel had was supposed to be hers, but it was all taken away by the fake bitch!

Sunny’s face was a bit sour as she glanced at Mandy, whose face was full of hatred, and thought about something.

Hazel’s eyes swept across their faces, then she looked away as if nothing had happened. Since Joshua asked her to be there just to see the drama, she just wanted to sit back to watch and not disturb him quietly.

When everyone quieted down, Fred got up and said with a serious face, “I’m not going to say anything polite. I asked you to come here today for nothing else other than the daughter of Marcus and Cate. This matter should be over today.”

Everyone looked at Joshua, but both he and Hazel looked very calm.

Fred didn’t even acknowledge them, he pulled out a box with the necklace inside. He took it out of the box and also pulled out a picture, with a grave expression, he said, “Everyone, this is the necklace that Mandy has been carrying with her since she was a child. Director Sunny Joseph has confirmed that it really does belong to the daughter of Marcus and Cate!”

 

Chapter 408: How Could You Define It?

Everyone in the room looked at Sunny. At this point, her opinion undoubtedly played a critical role.

Sunny hesitated, she was concerned about Joshua and how the situation favoring Mandy would affect him. She could see that the directors were all on Mandy’s side and complained about Joshua.

Mandy and Fred had the lucky necklace as evidence, and as long as Sunny confirmed that it was authentic, Mandy would have to be accepted as Denmark’s daughter. Joshua would have no way to deny it, regardless of how much he protested.

The situation seemed all too perfect, it made Sunny feel uneasy. After all, Joshua, and even though she did not see him often, it was always clear to her that he was even harder to deal with than his mentor and father, Marcus Denmark.

After taking a deep breath, Sunny knew there was no turning back and quietly said, “Indeed, I have seen the lucky necklace. It is authentic.”

Everyone was stunned, but not everyone accepted it, some still questioned, “It would be easy to forget such a necklace, right? How can we judge its authenticity?”

Sunny took out a piece of paper that she had for a long time. She explained, “This is a drawing of the necklace, personally designed by my sister Cate. I used this design to make a necklace. It has an empty space that a small switch can open, there is a pink diamond necklace inside the empty chamber of this necklace. Marcus and Cate designed this and had it made for their daughter, the pink diamond necklace is unique, it is the only one in the world.”

As if it was a cue from Sunny, Fred opened the lucky necklace’s chamber and took out a beautiful pink diamond necklace from inside.

Everyone around the room started to whisper, all believing that the necklace was real. They all knew that even if the lucky necklace could be forged, the valuable pink diamond necklace couldn’t.

Hazel quietly looked around the room and lowered her head. She realized that nobody seemed to care about her any longer, everyone ignored her existence.

Fred was feeling rejoiced but did not want to gloat in front of the directors, so with a dignified look, he said, “Joshua, this evidence is proof that Mandy is the daughter of the Denmark family. She was kidnapped by enemies when she was a child, she has suffered so much, and now she can finally be recognized by the Denmark family. Your foster parents left everything to you, without them, you wouldn’t be here today. Don’t you think you should repay them and return their belongings to their daughter?”

“Yes, that’s right…” The crowd agreed, and they all looked at Joshua, curious about how he would reply.

“Director Cohen wants me to hand over the Denmark Group to the daughter of the Denmark Family?” Joshua asked and smiled.

“Of course!” Fred sighed. “Everything that belonged to the Denmark family should belong to Mandy. You have had control of it for so many years. You need to think of your foster parents, Marcus and Cate. How did they treat you? You have been treating their daughter so harshly. Where is your conscience?”

Fred stood on the high ground of morality as he publicly criticized Joshua. Even those who had agreed that Joshua was the biggest contributor to Denmark Group thought he should have treated Mandy better.

“President, Denmark Group also belongs to Mandy. You should give her her share….”

“You may have your lover, but you can’t suppress the daughter of the Denmark Family for your foster parents’ sake…”

Everyone blamed Hazel and urged Joshua to return the Denmark Group to Mandy.

Hazel could do nothing about the situation. Even though she had confidence in Joshua, she couldn’t think of anything he could say or do to change the situation.

Joshua raised his hand and made a gesture to quiet everyone, they all stopped talking and turned to look at him.

“I understand what Director Cohen is saying.” Joshua said faintly, “Please don’t worry, I have already given everything involving the Denmark Group to the daughter of the Denmark Family.”

Hazel was stunned. She could even imagine what kind of disastrous hurricane was going to follow Joshua’s speech. He didn’t have time to say anything further before the crowd started yelling.

“What?!”

“When did that happen?”

His words were like a bomb going off in the conference room. All of the directors were talking and looking around in shock.

The smiles that Mandy and Fred had on their faces had turned to looks of utter confusion.

Had Joshua given Denmark Group to Mandy? Fred really never thought that it would be so easy. However, why didn’t understand why he hadn’t heard about it sooner.

Sunny frowned, she was not as foolish as Fred, she knew something was going on.

“It turns out that we misunderstood Joshua.” Sunny smiled and asked, “But I am a little surprised. When did you do it? None of us seemed to have heard anything about it.”

The crowd gradually calmed down.

“Impossible!” Fred said with an ugly face, “If you really have given Denmark Group to Mandy, where is the file? Why have you never asked Mandy to sign any documents?”

Everyone looked at Joshua again, they all knew Joshua, and he was a man of his word. But was it possible that he was lying?

Joshua lightly clapped his hands. On the screen behind him, a scanned copy of a document appeared. The document stated that he was giving Denmark Group to the daughter of the Denmark family, but the signature on the document was Hazel’s, not Mandy’s.

Feeling the burning gaze from everyone, Hazel looked down helplessly. Suddenly, Joshua reached over and held her small hand in the palm of his hand. She could feel the warmth from him, and she suddenly felt at peace.

“Joshua, you, you are a swindler!” Fred was infuriated. He stood up, his face was red with rage, “Even after the evidence, you still won’t acknowledge Mandy’s identity!”

“It’s just a lucky necklace. How can we confirm that Mandy is the daughter of the Denmark Family with that thing?” Joshua sneered with a bit of sarcasm.

“That necklace is real! Even Sunny recognizes it. How could you define it?” Fred roared.

“I didn’t say it was a fake. However, the person who has it may be fake.” Joshua said, looking at Fred, “I was just curious. The kidnappers wanted to take the life of Marcus and Cate’s daughter, right? Why would they help her to keep the necklace safe, though? Or, did they just take the necklace so that they could use their own daughter to replace the missing daughter of the Denmark family?”

 

Chapter 409: Do You Have No Conscience?

“That is ridiculous!” Fred’s face was red, he pointed at Joshua and shouted, “You still want to use some ludicrous reason to smear Mandy and her identity! She has evidence and complete information. She even looks so much like Cate. Why do you keep saying she is not the daughter of the Denmark family!?”

Mandy bit her lip tightly, she never expected that Joshua would react like he was. Her eyes were red, and she said, “Hazel, I don’t want to take Denmark Group from you. I just wanted to find my parents. But, how can you do this? Even if it is for the money, how could you lie and take it from Joshua? This is everything that my parents worked on in their entire life. Do you have no conscience?”

The meeting room was loud and chaotic, some people were whispering while others were yelling. After all, the directors believed that Mandy was the daughter of the Denmark family, and Joshua had given it to Hazel. They questioned and accused him of being sneaky and evil.

“It was wrong!”

“How could he have given Denmark Group to someone who has nothing to do with it?”

They all assumed that Hazel deliberately cheated Joshua to obtain Denmark Group and the Denmark fortune with speaking to Hazel.

“The girl is scheming…”

“Probably she used all kinds of skills to make Joshua fall…”

“We should call the police. This is a scam…”

Joshua slammed his hand down on the board room table the calmly said, “Everyone, I have evidence.”

Nobody dared to say anything, they just looked at each other. They never thought that Joshua would have evidence.

Sunny’s expression changed, but the most flustered looking was Mandy. How could Joshua possibly have any evidence? She clearly had destroyed all the evidence related to her!

Fred’s face turned white like he had seen a ghost. He said angrily, “Joshua! Don’t think about playing games now! No matter what evidence you have, we won’t believe it! How could Marcus and Cate have adopted you? All because of a calculating girl like Hazel, you are trying to ruin their daughter….”

Joshua’s face turned cold when he heard Fred question Marcus and Cate’s decisions and insulting Hazel. He waved his hand slightly, and two bodyguards walked up behind Fred and calmly forced him to sit down.

“What do you want?” Fred’s face changed dramatically.

“Director Cohen, you just insulted Hazel and my parents. I will deal with your misconduct later, but I suggest you look at the evidence before that.

If you are not willing to look at the evidence, I will assume that you are afraid of the truth.”

“You…!” Fred still wanted to say something. On the screen behind Joshua, a set of photos appeared.

When the photos showed on the screen, Mandy’s face became ashen, she stood up. Nobody noticed her actions because they were all staring at the screen, speechless.

Hazel was shocked, she couldn’t look away if she wanted to. It was a set of cosmetic surgery photos. The woman on the screen looked to have undergone many surgeries, to look like what Mandy did now.

Mandy’s face… was a product of surgery?

“Looking at this group of photos, I think everyone knows it now, correct?” Joshua said faintly, “Mandy started having cosmetic surgery under the

pseudonym Jojo at the age of fourteen. Her look was based on the photos of my mother Cate Denmark. After six years of such surgery, she finally became what she looks like today. I can conclude…”

“You are a liar!” Fred stood up again and sullenly interrupted him, “This… these are all fabricated by you. It can’t be Mandy… It’s from Hazel. They must be the cosmetic surgery records of Hazel. You are using it as false evidence to corrupt Mandy!”

Although he shouted, none of the directors believed him. After all, the photos did not really have any explanation. Even though a person’s appearance can be significantly changed by surgery, some things could not be changed. If they looked at the original photo, they could clearly see that Mandy was not Hazel.

“I can conclude now.” Joshua ignored Fred’s words and went on to say, “This was a premeditated, long-planned vicious case of fraud to take over Denmark Group!”

“That, that’s bullshit!” Fred was powerless and angry, but Mandy had already looked like a zombie. She knew she had clearly destroyed all the evidence. How could Joshua even find it? Did that mean he also knew…

Mandy was astonished, she looked over at Sunny, but Sunny looked gloomy, and she didn’t even glance at Mandy. A look of desperation flashed in Mandy’s eyes.

“Just to be fair, we shall take a look at another set of photos,” Joshua said faintly. A picture of Mandy taken at eight years old appeared on the screen. “I believe everyone’s memory is very good. This photo was provided to us by Director Cohen, correct? Please remember this face.”

Everyone was confused, not knowing what Joshua was going to do. The next moment, two more photos appeared on the screen. Mandy and Fred had no idea that the photos were taken, but they showed them when Mandy was about eight years old. In the photos, Mandy and Fred looked close and friendly, not like strangers at all.

“Director Cohen, you had been efficient and careful with your plan. However, there will always be traces of the truth.” Joshua said faintly, “Twenty years ago, you started this conspiracy. You participated in the kidnapping, but you were not satisfied with that. You wanted to arrange a fake daughter to replace her. So, you took her lucky necklace and told the kidnappers to kill her. You never expected that she would be lucky even without the necklace. The kidnappers thought she was dead, so they just left her.”

“Later, you sent the photo and the lucky necklace to the orphanage so that Mandy could take over the identity of my parents’ daughter. To keep her information detailed and convincing, you let a couple adopt her, but you were afraid that she might become too alienated from you. So, you would meet with her and secretly fund her.”

“As she got older, you helped her to fake a birthmark and funded her long-term plastic surgery and facial care. You have been hiding this information all these years, not because you had a conscience but because you knew you could change a face, but DNA could not be changed. You waited until Marcus and Cate passed away before you mentioned Mandy because you knew neither of them had any relatives left, as long as they were gone, there would be no way to verify DNA!”

“That, that’s bullshit…” Fred was still struggling, “This, this photo is fake. I have never seen her, no…”

“Oh?” Joshua smiled, “Director Cohen, you did not promise Mandy that when she grew up, you would get a divorce and marry her so that she could have a rich life?”

“Joshua, you, you stop that!” Fred said anxiously and frustrated, “I didn’t

Have dirty thoughts like you think. I just wanted to recognize her as a foster daughter….”

When Fred realized what he said, his face suddenly went gray. Everyone thought that it sounded like he wanted to be Mandy’s sugar daddy.

Chapter 410: The Mastermind Behind All Chaos

“So,” Joshua’s glare became sharper, “Director Cohen admits that he knew Mandy and has been in contact with her for a long period of time?”

“I…” Fred slumped down in his chair.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was tense. Even with the photo, the directors were suspicious of Joshua’s story. They found it hard to believe that Fred could hide that well for twenty years, just to get Denmark’s property. No matter what others were thinking, Fred knew that he had to admit to himself that people were conflicted and that he may not win.

Hazel looked at Joshua quietly. It turned out that he had been investigating all along. The details and the secrets from the past all required a lot of effort, and when Joshua was doing his best to protect her, she had doubted him. She suddenly felt remorseful.

Joshua glanced at Fred softly, and he continued, “Director Cohen, I don’t think that you could do this on your own? You must have had another person behind you, a mastermind who instructed you to do everything. You are now exposed, and you may have to take full responsibility. Where is that person? Is he going to save you? Do you think it is worth taking the blame for a person like that?”

Just when everyone thought Joshua was done with accusations, he had more, they were in complete shock.

Fred was not the mastermind! There was someone else that he was working for?!?

Fred’s face changed slightly, and he looked at Joshua with horror. What did Joshua know? He had been very cautious, it was impossible that there was any evidence!

“This was all planned by Uncle Cohen and me!” Mandy suddenly stood up from her chair and sighed, “I really am not the daughter of Denmark’s Family. When I was young, he came to me and gave me a lot of money. He paid for my cosmetic surgery and said that when I grew up, he would help me take over the Denmark family property!”

Fred’s face became pale, and Mandy’s sudden confession left him speechless.

After a short silence, the directors began to yell. They had so much pressure on them, and one by one, they supported Mandy, but it was all a scam. They thought they were smart, but it turned out that they were fooled by Mandy and Fred.

More importantly, they had offended Joshua, he had always been very kind to them and brought them a lot of wealth. They didn’t have much real power in the Denmark Group, and that is why they wanted the leader changed, they wanted more power.

However, with Mandy being an impostor, it just gave Joshua a chance to punish them. They were full of regret, thinking of how their future with Denmark Group was going to be a lot less comfortable than it was.

Mandy’s face was pale as she watched everyone chattering about the situation, she didn’t mean to say what she did.

Hazel looked over at her thoughtfully, she was surprised by Mandy. Joshua had said that there was a mastermind behind Fred. It must have been true; Mandy was so anxious to admit everything that she was clearly afraid that Fred might disclose the mastermind behind the plot.

People began to wonder if Mandy was protecting someone, and if she was, why would she.

“Director Cohen,” Joshua looked at him indifferently and continued to ask, “So, you planned to make Mandy pretend to be the Denmark family’s daughter after you kidnaped their daughter. No wonder my parents were so strict with protecting their daughter, and only people they trusted could have successfully kidnapped her.”

“No, I, I didn’t…” Fred tried to argue.

“Shut the fuck up!” Sunny stood up angrily, looking coldly at the two, “You are too disappointing. I trusted you so much, and I even thought I had found the daughter of my sister and brother-in-law! You actually convinced me and all of the directors! No…you must be turned into the police for what you have done!”

Fred didn’t say anything at all. Hazel watched Mandy, if she read her expressions correctly, there seemed to be some kind of a pain in Mandy’s eyes.

There was suddenly a knock on the meeting room door. Jaxson opened it, and a group of policemen walked in.

“What happened?” The directors looked at each other.

The policemen went directly to Fred and Mandy, and they said forcefully, “Someone reported that you are both suspected of fraud and kidnapping, please come with us.”

“What? What?” Fred’s legs went weak, and he was pulled out of the meeting with Mandy.

“Did you call the police in advance?” Hazel was surprised and asked Joshua. The police officers had arrived just in time.

“No.” Joshua’s eyes became a little deeper. He hadn’t called the police, but they had got there so quickly, it meant that the mastermind behind it all was in the meeting with them.

The mastermind would have seen the situation unfold, and in order to stop Joshua’s questioning, he called the police so he could prevent Fred from exposing him.

Joshua’s gaze swept over the crowd and eventually landed on Sunny. Sunny was still looking like she had been deceived and coldly watched Fred and Mandy being taken out of the meeting room.

Joshua frowned.

“Joshua, I didn’t expect that Fred would have lied to me about this kind of thing.” Sunny said with a sad look, “Is Hazel really the daughter of my sister and brother-in-law?”

“Yes.” Joshua nodded. He winked at Jaxson, in an instant, Jaxson understood his request and left the room to go after Fred and Mandy.

“But…” Sunny looked like she was caught in a dilemma. “Joshua, it’s not that we don’t believe you but given the fact that Mandy has a birthmark and was an impostor. How can we easily believe that Hazel is the daughter, just because she has a birthmark?”

“Yes, yes, right…” The directors echoed.

They hoped that Denmark Group would change leaders, but they wanted a new leader that they could easily manipulate. If Hazel became the new leader, their situation would not improve. They were all aware of the relationship between Joshua and Hazel.

Joshua slammed his hand down on the table, and he said faintly, “Exactly, I have evidence of this, too.”