Ch. 851..860

Chapter 851 Going Back on His Word

“I am just an elementary student who failed my exam. What can I do, Mr. Zorn?”

Irvin’s big and clear eyes blinked, making the boy look completely harmless. Fenris stared at Irvin for a good minute as he gave it a thought, and eventually decided he was overthinking things. What can a little punk like Irvin do to the computer system anyway?

Still, it irked Fenris to see that apathetic attitude Irvin was displaying. “You.” Fenris narrowed his eyes and rudely instructed Irvin, “Stand in the corridor outside. Don’t come in without my permission.”

Irvin, however, only continued to sit there. “Teachers aren’t allowed to physically punish students, Mr. Zorn. If you insist on that, the Department of Education will receive a report I will file on you when I get out of here. Are you sure you want to do this?”

Fenris was delighted when he heard Irvin’s question. With his hands behind his back, he took a proper look at the boy before he let out a disdainful look. “Instead of picking up the good things, you have learned to threaten people despite being a child, huh? Go on and file a report. We will see whether the government officials would choose to believe an unruly bully who beat up his classmates or a teacher, who is in the top 10. You are nothing I can’t handle. Now get out!”

A small frown appeared on Irvin’s young face then. As he glared at Fenris, he quickly took the chance when Fenris was distracted to throw Alexia a knowing look, which the girl immediately understood.

Solemnly nodding, she followed his instruction and pressed ‘enter’ on the keyboard. “Mr. Zorn!” The subordinate sitting in front of the computer finally lost his mind the next second. “Something has happened! Please take a look at this!”

“What is with all this fuss just because the files can’t be deleted? You can just manually leave a note on this…” Fenris grumbled while walking over.

However, he was greeted by a series of flickering codes all over the computer screen the moment he stood beside his subordinate. The school’s strictly-business computer system had turned into a warzone for codes in that instant.

At that point, Fenris couldn’t help worrying as well, but he managed to put on a calm façade. “Why are you still sitting there? It is obvious this is a virus attack. Go get someone to fix this!”

“I am on my way, sir!”

Seeing this was his chance to leave this place, the subordinate was out of the room in the blink of an eye.

With that, only the White siblings and Fenris were left in the office to glare at each other.

The older man then went to sit in front of his computer as he grumpily moved the cursor in his attempt to fix the computer. However, he couldn’t get the computer to react no matter what he did.

Seeing Fenris’ comical expression, Alexia accidentally let a small laugh slip before she quickly covered her hands over her mouth.

Fortunately, it was only loud enough for the siblings to hear her.

Irvin quickly shook his head at her, gesturing at her to not make a sound. He then took the initiative to walk to the desk and offered his help. “Mr. Zorn, I know how to fix computers. Do you want my help?”

Fenris turned around when he heard the words. Lowering his head and pushing his glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose up, he rolled his eyes at the boy. “You? Playing games, maybe. But you are saying you can get rid of the virus? Stop joking around.”

“Well, does this mean we can stay if I fix it?” Irvin confidently stated his intention.

Fenris was invested as soon as he heard that. “Sure,” he unhesitantly agreed. “If you repair it, not only will I let you stay, but will also let you be a computer teacher in the school.”

“I am not interested in being a teacher. You just need to expel your grandson publicly if I fix it,” Irvin stated.

Fenris was about to lose his temper again when he heard the boy’s words, but he held it in, and only smilingly huffed. “Fine. But if you can’t do it, I will have you expelled and have your family be responsible for the repair fees of the computer you have touched. Would you still want to give it a try?”

“Why not?” Irvin had been waiting for this exact moment. After saying that, he stretched out an arm. “Let us shake hands to seal the deal. Real men don’t go back on their word. With this hand shake, neither of us can break this promise.”

Alexander, who was outside the door, stopped in his tracks when he heard those words.

“Alright.” Fenris stood up and shook Irvin’s hand. “It is a deal!”

“Please stand up, then.” Irvin didn’t hold back.

“Hah, that is a pretty convincing act you are putting on.” Fenris unwillingly got up from the chair and stood aside. “Let’s see how much longer you can act arrogant for.”

Irvin languidly blinked as he sat down in front of the computer desk. The moment his fingers met the keyboard, he seemed as though he had been possessed by a spirit. Even the air around him felt different in that instant.

As his warm palms hovered over the keyboard, he typed so fast Fenris thought he was looking at an illusion.

The sound of the keyboard was ceaseless. Fenris hurriedly took off his glasses, wiped the lenses hard twice, and put them on again. By then, Irvin’s hands had gotten even faster. Fenris even thought he saw four hands moving.

After two minutes, Irvin forcefully tapped on the ‘enter’ key, making a clicking sound. He then threw the keyboard to the side and coolly stood up.

At the same time, the garbled characters on the computer slowly shrank, and finally turned into a bright line before it disappeared from the screen. The original school computer system was restored at last.

Fenris sat on the seat in disbelief. He moved the mouse, only to find that it was operational again.

Bewildered, he peered at Irvin. “Y-You…”

He continued to stammer as he hadn’t thought about what to ask.

Fenris wondered if Irvin was even human when the latter, who was only a child, actually solved the problem that the computer firewall could not solve in such a short period of time.

Even though Irvin and Ymir were of the same age, Irvin had gotten rid of a computer virus so easily, whereas Fenris’ own grandson was still sleeping in the same bed as his mother. The more Fenris compared them, the angrier he got.

“What?” Irvin started to collect the prize from their deal. “You are the one who is supposed to keep your promise now, Mr. Zorn. According to our deal, you will expel Ymir after I fix the computer. You should start with deleting his files now. The student information system is being displayed on the screen now. Please do it.”

Fenris immediately came back to his senses upon hearing that, and he guiltily turned his head as he played dumb.

After all, Cittadel International Elementary School was the best school in Cittadel. Anyone expelled from here would never have the chance for a re-enrolment. Fenris couldn’t possibly put an end to their family legacy, where every member of the Zorns were graduates of this school.

Besides, there was no surveillance in this room or a fourth person who could act as witness to the deal earlier. It wasn’t like two children could do anything if he were to deny having made a deal.

At the thought of this, Fenris instantly stood tall and confident again. “Who said anything about expelling Ymir? You are the one I wanted to expel from the start, Irvin White.”

Despite that, Irvin only calmly asked, “Mr. Zorn, are you going to go back on your word again?”

“Say what you will.” Fenris proudly raised his chin. “You can only blame it on the fact that you are not the vice-principal. I am the law in this school!”

He had just declared that when Alexander’s voice rang out from outside the door.

“You sure are a man of power, Mr. Zorn.”

Chapter 852 Am I Dead to You?

The next second, Alexander and the Dean of Admissions, Ms. Dolly, strode in. “It seems like this isn’t the people’s school. It is more like the Zorn Family’s school!”

Alexander’s tone was vicious and full of contempt, and they were like a hard slap on Fenris’ face. Even Ms. Dolly next to him was worried on Fenris’ behalf.

Fenris was so frightened by the look in Alexander’s eyes he didn’t know where to put his hands. Some time had passed before he wiped off his cold sweat and sheepishly tried to explain, “It is just a misunderstanding, Mr. Griffith. I am only punishing the students!”

“Misunderstanding?” Alexander rolled his eyes. “The Dean and I heard everything about the bet when we were outside. You are obviously trying to go back on your word now. Is that not the case?”

“Um…” Fenris was still wiping off his sweat when he tried to ease the tension with a smile. “Oh, children don’t know much. It was just a joke. It’s alright!”

However, Alexander refused to budge. “You sure have a silver tongue, Mr. Zorn. However, I am afraid you have forgotten that this is a school. It is a place of education. What right do you have to educate children if you can’t even promise the fulfillment of the most basic principles of life?”

The air in the office was instantly filled with tension, and it was hard to breathe. Seeing this, Ms. Dolly quickly spoke up to mediate. “Mr. Zorn, why don’t you apologize to the children? It will be fine as long as you do so!”

“Huh? Oh! Yes, yes.” Fenris was confused at first, but he quickly collected himself and looked at the children in an attempt to butter them up. “Irvin, I was just joking earlier. That bet doesn’t count. I will apologize to you now. How about you be forgiving, good children and forgive me, alright?”

Alexander’s eyes suddenly darkened as a murderous glint flash across them when he heard those words.

He could tell that the Dean and vice-principal were trying to evoke the children’s sympathy and let them have the shorter end of the stick. Foxes, he fumed.

He was just about to say something to fight for his children when Irvin replied, “No can do.” The boy had an indifferent face as he explained, “A real man never goes back on his words. As long as I don’t agree, you can’t one-sidedly break the deal. The deal still stands.”

Fenris’ face swiftly fell at the boy’s words. “Child, it is not good to be so stubborn. Let’s do it this way instead. Ymir, you and your sister can all stay. You and I will both compromise. How does that sound?”

“No!” Irvin insisted, making Fenris completely lose his patience.

“You are still saying no?!” Fenris’ face was stoic when he warned, “Don’t push it, Irvin White. There is a limit to my patience.”

Irvin raised the corners of his lips, but there was no smile in his eyes as he spoke in a cold voice. “From beginning to end, it was Ymir who caused the conflict. Mr. Zorn, not only did you not investigate the truth of the matter, you insisted on doing it your way by wanting to expel my sister and I, even though we are the victims. When that failed, you tried to kick us out by making a bet with me. We were the ones who have been putting up with all of this, but why does it sound like you are the one who was wronged?”

Fenris was caught speechless at that. After struggling to answer the child, he finally turned angry from all the embarrassment. “Just look at your attitude—how dare a student nitpick on a teacher?! I don’t think you know what it means to respect your teachers!”

His way of changing the topic was the same as when women were unreasonable. With how they would blame it on the other party’s attitude when they couldn’t win the argument, they could always complain about someone else while they themselves had taken the moral high ground.

Alexander wasn’t at all worried despite seeing Irvin on the verge of being taken advantage of. Instead, he waited for the boy’s reaction.

Sure enough, Irvin reacted by turning around to take his laptop. He clicked a few buttons before a voice recording was played back.

The recording happened to be about Irvin and Fenris’ deal about how Fenris would expel Ymir from the school if Irvin could fix the computer system.

Now that both the witness and evidence were here, Fenris no longer had a way to worm out of this pickle.

Everyone’s gazes fell on him then. They were like sharp knives that were brutally stabbed at him.

His fists were clenched as his displeasure became evident on his face. He could imagine how humiliating it would be if something like this were to blow up for a man his age.

He would never bring shame to himself.

After Fenris gave it a thought, his gaze suddenly turned sharp. He was already snatching the laptop out of Irvin’s hand the next second before he slammed it against the wall.

The screen instantly turned black when the laptop hit the wall and fell on the floor.

Ms. Dolly was shell-shocked by what she had just seen. With her hands next to her mouth, she shrieked, “What are you doing, Mr. Zorn?!”

Fenris was swiftly back to looking like a gentleman. With an empty smile on his face, he pushed the glasses on the bridge of his nose. “I apologize. Menopause must have come to me a little late, which is why my temper is unstable. I apologize for the embarrassing display. But don’t worry, I will pay you back double.”

He came to a pause before bending his torso. As he inched toward Irvin, he hummed, “What a pity. You probably can’t show us the evidence you claimed to have.”

However, Irvin was in no hurry. After thinking for a while, he walked over to pick up the computer before patting it carefully and sandwiching it between his knees and elbows. “It is alright as long as you mean your words about the double compensation this time.”

Narissa was the one who bought Irvin the six-million laptop. Even though it wasn’t broken, Irvin thought it was worth it to scam as much money as he could from Fenris.

“Of course. Just tell me how much.” Seemingly having nothing to fear, Fenris arrogantly raised his chin.

Irvin was about to speak again when Alexander interrupted, “Am I dead to you, Mr. Zorn?”

Without the evidence, Fenris no longer had a weakness that Alexander could hold on to. Hence, the former immediately got rid of his previous pathetic exhibit and chided, “The issue between Irvin and I has been resolved. Please don’t interfere, Mr. Griffith!”

“Threatening, show of violence, and limiting the freedom of speech… This is how a prestigious school resolves issues, huh?” The corners of Alexander’s lips curled upward coldly. “If that is so, I will let you experience not having someone redress injustice on your behalf!”

“Ms. Dolly!” He raised his voice, his intimidating aura overflowing even though he still kept his anger at bay. “Tell the principal that a Mr. Griffith will use Smith Co.’s influence to make this school disappear from the face of the earth if Mr. Fenris Zorn and his beloved grandson aren’t removed from the school within an hour!”

“Yes, sir! Please give me a minute!”

Dolly’s legs were all wobbly as she ran outside while making a call on the phone she had just taken out of her pocket.

She knew that Alexander could even turn 10 international schools upside down with Smith Co’s financial resources. She had no wish to become unemployed.

Fenris, on the other hand, was dumbfounded. “Are you crazy?! You would get on every parents’ bad side for the sake of two children who aren’t even related to you?!”

“What else should I do, then? I can only resort to unreasonable means when I am dealing with an unreasonable man.”

As Alexander nonchalantly explained, Fenris couldn’t help but notice how similar Alexander’s demeanor was to that of Irvin’s when the boy was claiming to be innocent.

In that instant, Fenris had an impression that the two were actually father and son.

Chapter 853 Devil Incarnate Alexander Griffith

Fenris denied his guess just as quickly as his speculation came to him. The entire school, and perhaps the whole of Cittadel, knew that Jessamine was the woman who had Alexander’s heart. Her children were the only ones who would be a part of the Griffith Family.

Fenris could only blame it on his bad luck, having to bump into Alexander when the latter happened to have taken the injustice he was witnessing personally. The principal, Santiago Lopez, had hurried over just two minutes after.

“I wasn’t aware that you had come, Mr. Griffith! Please forgive us for the poor reception!” Santiago was on his way to the washroom when he heard that Alexander wanted to demolish the school. He had rushed over here instead despite the ongoing war in his belly.

“Say no more.” Alexander raised a hand and cut him off. “Mr. Lopez, I have always respected your school. I didn’t insist when the Dean rejected my request to have two more students in the honors class. However, Mr. Zorn hasn’t even gotten to the bottom of things, and he is about to expel my friend’s children. He made me watch him break his promise, and even threatened me to mind my own business. I am now frightened and traumatized. It shouldn’t be too much to request for the school to expel both him and his grandson, right?”

“Ha…” Irvin was rendered speechless upon hearing that. He had never known anyone who was so cheeky when they were ‘traumatized’.

Still, it pleased the boy to watch the scene unfold. Alexander suddenly didn’t feel all that unfamiliar to Irvin all of a sudden.

“Rubbish!” Fenris was so angry his eyes went wide as he pointed at Alexander and retorted, “Don’t listen to him, Mr. Lopez! I have been nothing but respectful to Mr. Griffith! Also, how can an adult get hurt emotionally so easily? He is blatantly blackmailing us!”

Upon hearing that, Alexander raised his eyebrows and swiftly pressed a hand on his chest. He then showed a startled expression as he shivered with a frown on his face. “Geez. My poor, feeble heart is freaking out again. Please be gentle, Mr. Zorn…”

“Huh?” Fenris was confused by Alexander’s unexpected reaction. Is he possessed? he wondered.

“Hehe…” Alexia quickly covered her mouth when she let a laugh slip while watching Alexander.

Mr. Handsome is so cute! I wanna kiss him!

Unexpectedly, Alexander turned to face the principal, his stern expression returning to his face. “Do you believe me now, Mr. Lopez? He dared to threaten me in front of you. You can imagine how bold he is when you are not looking. You will be doing the staff team a favor by firing such a person.What do you think?”

Santiago’s smile looked extremely embarrassed then. Everyone could see that Alexander was only pretending just now. In fact, he didn’t even want to properly act it out.

His intention was obvious—he wanted to frame the vice-principal, and he wanted to be cutthroat about it.

Even though Santiago wanted to protect his staff, he couldn’t possibly do anything to Alexander, whose influence in Cittadel was widespread. Alexander’s words were the law. In a way, Alexander was the devil incarnate. No one would dare disobey his words.

“You are right, Mr. Griffith. Someone malevolent like him has no right to be a part of this school. I will write a draft of the letter of dismissal right this instant!”

Afraid that this incident would cause harm to the rest of the school, Santiago scrambled over to work on the computer himself.

Fenris could only helplessly watch Santiago type out each word as he stood next to him. With each word, his heart felt a little colder. His vision finally went black, and he leaned against the desk before slumping to the floor.

After a few minutes, Santiago printed out the termination letter and handed it to Alexander with both hands. “Please have a look, Mr. Griffith.”

Alexander lowered his eyes and took a look before he nodded in satisfaction. He then changed the topic by asking, “What about the student who bullies his classmates?”

“Rest assured!” Santiago thumped his chest to reassure Alexander. “I have deleted his application!”

It was only then that Alexander was satisfied. “Since the matter is resolved, I will stop disturbing you now. I happened to have an engagement with Miss White. I can take the children with me, yes?”

“Go ahead! No problem at all.”

Santiago proceeded to scurry ahead to help Irvin carry his bag. Alexander then brought the children along as they headed outside. Irvin had reached the door when he suddenly made a u-turn and took out an invoice from the technopole before politely handing it to Santiago.

“What is this, Irvin?” Santiago asked. “Mr. Zorn smashed my laptop earlier. He promised to double the compensation. Ms. Dolly heard it too. Please be our middleman and help me collect the compensation, Mr. Lopez.”

After he said that, Irvin gave a respectful bow and turned around. Looking at the child running outside, Santiago dazedly blinked as he mused about how well-mannered Irvin was.

After a while, he opened the invoice, and was instantly on his guard. “Ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand, million… Six million?!”

Doubling that would make it 12 million! Flabbergasted, Santiago looked at the sluggish vice-principal on the floor, and he shook his head in disappointment.

Oh Fenris, because of your stubbornness, you won’t be able to pay the sum even if you used up your lifetime’s salary! At the same time, Alexander was walking through the empty hallway with the children in tow when he came to an abrupt stop.

His solemn eyes were on Irvin as he questioned, “Why didn’t you just compromise when Mr. Zorn asked for mercy earlier?”

Irvin looked back at him with a curious gaze. “Are you speaking up for him?”

“Answer me,” Alexander demanded. The pressure oozing out of him made it hard for people to not do as he said.

“First and foremost, they were the ones who picked a fight. I already went easy on them by not laying my hands on them. Secondly, Mr. Zorn has had many chances to find out the truth, but he never did anything. And thirdly, being soft on the enemy means being cruel to myself and my family. I had no reason to back down.” Irvin’s face was unchanging as he fearlessly explained.

Hearing that, Alexander asked, “Did Mommy teach you that?” His face remained emotionless.

“I learned it from books I read,” Irvin told him as it was. “Reading can take one anywhere and everywhere. I have read countless books. Even though it is not worth mentioning, I do know my thing.”

A smile finally broke on Alexander’s face when he heard those words. “It is great that you have your own thoughts.” Hearing that, Alexia hopped and caught him by the sleeve. “What about me?!”

His smile only grew sweeter and wider as he picked Alexia up. “You are the best, Lexi. You are so brave for not crying even though you were bullied. How about I bring you to Mommy now, hmm?”

“Yay!” Sierra Hotel VIP private room. After a waiter opened the door to the private room, Danny stalked in with wide steps and took a look around the room. He then took out his phone while grumpily muttering to himself, “Why isn’t that punk here yet?”

He was in the middle of giving Jamie a call when a timid voice rang out from inside the room.

“Shh! Hey!” Bewildered, Danny went in the direction the voice came for. He finally found Jamie, who had half his head peeking out from under the table.

“What the h*ll are you doing, acting like a Ninja Turtle?” Danny was surprised by his friend.

Turtle? Jamie turned to look at the table behind him. I do look like one now. He smacked his lips together bashfully before asking in a mysterious voice, “Were you followed on your way here?”

He stretched his neck to peek left and right as he spoke. “I wasn’t,” Danny deadpanned. “Quickly get out of there. It is dirty under the table!”

Chapter 854 I Don’t Like You Either

It was only after hearing Danny’s reply that Jamie felt relieved enough to wiggle out from under the table. “Goodness, I can finally have a meal in peace. If only you knew how I haven’t even dared to go home these days.

I have been sleeping in the car every day. Can you imagine how miserable my life has been?!” Jamie complained while brushing out his clothes. As soon as his words fell, Narissa’s ghastly voice resounded in the room from the door. “How miserable has it been?!”

Jamie’s eyes immediately shot open as he disappeared behind Danny’s back. He then took a peek, only to fall into despair when he saw Narissa’s face. “What the?” He landed a punch on Danny’s shoulder. “I thought you said no one tailed you!”

“Yeah,” Danny smirked in return. “I brought her here. That is not tailing, is it?”

“You!” The angry Jamie wanted to flash Danny the middle finger, but he managed to suppress his anger. He had a hideous smile on his face as he patted himself on the pecs. “No doubt you are my best friend. Are you afraid of not being able to kill me by giving me a rage-induced heart attack?”

“Hehe, of course not.” Danny leaned over and whispered in his ear, “Narissa has broken up with Jayden. Now is your chance! Aren’t I the best friend you could ever ask for?”

“My foot, you are!” Jamie would be crying if he had any tears left to cry. At that point, he only wanted to dig his fingers into Danny’s neck and choke him. “Eh? Oh? Don’t you see my good intentions?” Danny asked, his face gloomy.

“No, I don’t! What are you going to do about that?!” Jamie wanted to keep arguing about this, but Narissa’s roar immediately stopped the men’s argument.

“Jamie, you sh*t! Stop trying to change the topic and come with me!”

After she finished speaking, she stood there while staring at him intently, all the while releasing an aura that made her seem like she would never give up until she had achieved her goal.

Resigned, Jamie let go of Danny and obediently trudged out of the room. He didn’t forget to complain as he was walking past Danny. “Pea-brained piece of sh*t. I shouldn’t have trusted him!”

“What did I do? Shouldn’t he be grateful to me instead?” Danny, who felt wronged, stretched out his arms as he seeked comfort from Ariel.

Ariel only shrugged as a gesture that she couldn’t help. After all, how could someone who couldn’t even sort out her love life be a judge of someone else’s relationship?

As Jamie followed after Narissa to the lobby of the hotel, he was just thinking about how he couldn’t escape when they bumped into Elise, who was on her way to the hotel.

“Elise!” Jamie seemed as though he had found his lifesaver when he saw Elise, and he hurried over to hold Elise’s hands. “You are finally here! It just so happens that I have some questions about my autobiography that I am not quite sure about yet. Let’s take the chance to have a proper discussion about it!”

He kept throwing Elise knowing looks as he spoke. Save me, Elise! The ever-perceptive Elise smoothly replied, “Right, we do have to talk.”

Jamie was just starting to feel relieved when he heard Elise continue, “Come along, Narissa. We will make everything clear so that he won’t find another chance to run away.”

Jamie was utterly defeated upon hearing that. “Elise, just whose side are you on?”

“You are both my friends. I have to be fair.” The truth was, Elise secretly still wanted to make a match out of the two of them.

And so, the trio returned to the private room again. However, Jamie still had some tricks up his sleeves as he chose to sit somewhere furthest from Narissa. His actions finally infuriated the woman.

Alexander could feel the strange atmosphere in the room when he entered with the children in tow. After he calmly walked over, he sat down on the chair beside Elise and tilted his torso before asking in a small voice, “What’s going on?”

“Just sit back and watch.” Elise smiled. “We are about to find out.” Alexander’s curiosity instantly went away as he sat back in his seat. Seeing this, Irvin fell into deep thoughts while contemplating something.

The food they ordered was finally served, but even after a few minutes had passed after that, the air around the table was still tense as everything kept mum.

Elise was the first one who couldn’t take it any longer. “Jamie,” she unhesitantly called him out. “You’re a man. You should speak first.”

“What should I say?” He fidgeted and let his head hang.

“About you and Narissa, of course.” Elise then frantically hinted, “Stop acting dumb. Be a man and be straightforward.” However, Jamie was still silent despite Elise’s words.

Danny was watching with darting eyes from beside as he held his teacup with a nosy look on his face. “How am I supposed to talk about something like this…” Jamie still found it hard to start the conversation.

Alexia finally couldn’t take it anymore, and she blurted out, “Just say if you will date Godmother! What is so hard about that?!”

Elise’s eyebrows were immediately raised as her breath subconsciously hitched. She couldn’t help thinking how nice it was that children always said what they thought. Adults would never be able to be straightforward like that.

“No,” Jamie unhesitantly answered. Hearing that, Narissa asked again, “Why?”

“No reason.” Jamie didn’t even have the courage to look at her. “How can we be together when I have never thought about dating?”

Narissa fell silent for a moment before she suddenly mentioned, “You like El, don’t you? Have you been thinking about her only?”

Cough! “Ahem!” Elise almost choked on her sip of water when she was suddenly a part of the conversation. Alexander’s eyes darkened as he quietly glanced at Jamie.

“Don’t just say whatever you like!” Jamie jumped out of his seat, agitated. His Adam’s apple bobbed with difficulty, and he finally decided to let it all out. “Fine, I will be honest—I did admire Elise back then, but that was only because I respected her for her capability. I have never looked at her like a man would a woman. I swear to God if I had any improper thoughts, I will get struck by thunder and die a horrible death!”

Alexander only looked away after feeling satisfied when he heard that. Good. You spared your own life, Jamie Keller, he mused.

“As for you, we get along very well, and we can be best friends. I will be the first to come if you face any trouble. But it is not because I have designs for you. I promised Boss that I will take care of you. I believe that it is possible for men and women to be only friends. I apologize to you if I have overstepped any line and caused a misunderstanding. I am sorry.”

Jamie ended his words with a sincere bow.

Narissa’s face froze for a long minute after that.

Even though he had given a long explanation, all that she could see was how hard he tried to protect Elise.

He would only get worked up whenever he brought up Elise. Even his cowardly self was gone during these moments.

He didn’t even have to say it outright if he loved Narissa or not for the woman to know the answer.

Quietly, she let out a dejected sigh and swallowed all the pain and disappointment in her chest. She then forcefully slapped herself on the thigh before she forced a smile.

“Thank God. I was thinking that too. After all, you are El’s best friend, and you also treat me well. I wouldn’t want you to betray El by giving you a new role as my man! Geez, what a huge misunderstanding this was! Now that we have made things clear, let’s not act so awkwardly around each other from now on. I even thought you liked me! The fright has made my sleep these days rather restless. Haha! Honestly, I don’t like you like that either. I can finally sleep well again!”

Someone’s eyes started to turn moist as they laughed it off.

For some reason, even though Jamie was sitting far away from Narissa and he couldn’t clearly see the tears in her eyes, he could feel her sadness at this moment. It even affected him and drowned him in sorrow.

Chapter 855 Don’t Wanna Like Him No More

It was still awkward at this point. After giving it some thought, Alexander raised his glass and stood up. “I will take the chance to announce something to you, my friends. From now on, I will officially pursue Miss White. I hope we have everyone’s blessings.”

“Haha…” Feeling her heart sink, Narissa lowered her head and let out a bitter laugh when she heard Alexander’s announcement. See, even Alexander has forgotten about Elise, and yet Jamie still wants to protect her. If this isn’t love, I doubt true love even exists.

The order of appearances was really important. Narissa was doomed to not stand a chance since she only got to know Jamie after Elise did.

However, she had no hard feelings about losing to Elise. Loudly hitting the table and standing up, her natural resting-b*tch-face was emotionless as she stared at Alexander.

Just as everyone thought that she was about to kick up a fuss again, she surprisingly raised her glass, and a smile bloomed on her face. She then turned to look at Elise. “To be honest, I would have flipped the table over if it was some other woman that Alexander fell for, but I am willingly accepting this because it is you. I trust El would agree to it as well if she knew. I shall offer a toast to wish you both happiness.”

Narissa raised her head and shot down the whole glass of wine before she refilled her glass herself again. Her glass was pointed at Alexander this time. “Don’t think that I have forgiven you just because I am not objecting. I will come for your neck if you dare treat other women like you do Anastasia. Do you hear me?!”

“Don’t worry.” He raised his glass at her as well. “I will try my best to have her marry me.”

“Good. I wish you success. Now drink up!” Narissa unhesitantly threw the contents in her glass down her throat again. Alexander downed his drink as well. He had just sat down when Narissa had another glass with Danny.

“It is thanks to you that I got to the bottom of my dilemma, Danny. Let’s do three toasts. You have to drink, okay?! You will make me feel bad if you don’t!”

Danny, too, didn’t reject the alcohol since it had been some time since their circle had gathered, and his heart was bitter because of his one-sided love for Ariel.

The two of them went all out as they had toast after toast, and they were woozy after a few rounds.

No one knew that the corners of Narissa’s eyes were wet the whole time, whereas every glass of alcohol Danny had tasted more bitter than ever.

Jamie, who couldn’t care seeing Narissa treat herself so terribly, stomped out in a fit of anger. After getting into his car, he stepped on the gas, and had no regard for anything else as he zoomed to Bar Street.

Narissa wasn’t the only one who knew how to drink. And if she could do it, he could do it as well. He could do it even better than her. Now only that would make it fair.

…

Having a high alcohol tolerance could be problematic sometimes. Their dinner had begun before the sky had gone completely dark, and by the time Narissa was drunk, it was already 11.00PM.

With Alexander’s help, they finally carried the blacked-out Narissa home with all the strength they could muster. The intoxicated woman was still fidgety as she lay in bed mumbling this and that.

“Anastasia, I am actually happy for you. Alexander may be a casanova, but he is at least a responsible man. Unlike a certain someone… I really do like you. We will be besties from now on. Best—I miss El… El, just where are you? Why aren’t you home? You are breaking my heart…”

Elise was devastated as she listened to Narissa. “You silly girl, I am right here.” She wiped Narissa’s face with a warm towel. “Just let it all out if you are upset. You will feel better after doing that.”

Narissa immediately pursed her lips as tears poured down her cheeks. She then started crying like a child. “I really like him! I don’t like bickering with him. I like racing with him and remodelling cool-looking cars with him. I will never feel this way with anyone else after this even if we did the same thing… Am I not good enough? Is that why he doesn’t like me? I must be lacking in some way. No one will ever like me…”

Elise was as patient as someone coaxing a child, and she murmured, “You dummy. Love is not about the survival of the fittest. The most brilliant people could be hated by others, and evil people could have people who look up to them, too. You have to learn to love yourself before anyone can love you. Never belittle yourself. To me, you are a great woman.”

In a daze, Narissa let out an alcohol-scented breath. “Why don’t I have a face that is to his liking? I have been told by a lot of people that El and I look alike, but in his eyes, the difference is still so big. I can never compare to how important El is to him…”

Elise was bewildered when she heard those words. She had never felt Jamie having any romantic feelings for her, be it now or in the past. She didn’t understand why Narissa would have a misunderstanding like this.

“Jamie has already told you that he isn’t romantically interested in Elise. Why are you so hung up on that?” Elise’s face had turned sullen now.

Suddenly, Narissa opened her red and swollen eyes to gravely look at Elise. Narissa, who used to be a strong woman, looked incredibly pitiful at this moment.

“But everything Jamie does is for El. El is even more important to him than his pride is. Would you believe him if you were in my shoes?”

“You have to know that there are sworn friends who are willing to give up everything for each other,” Elise tried to talk some sense into Narissa while tightly holding her hand.

Like a fish on land, Narissa suddenly began to tremble all over. “I don’t wanna like him no more. I can’t do this. It hurts to love someone. I miss you so much, El. I want to go back to the time I lived without letting my emotions get in the way. Take me with you, El. Hic, hic…”

“It’s alright.” Elise kept her voice low and watched Narissa carefully, lest the latter fell off the bed. “It will be okay. Things will pass. Don’t be afraid. El is here to keep you company.”

Some time must have passed before Narissa got so exhausted from crying that she fell asleep. As Elise covered her friend with the blanket, she started pondering again while she sat by the bedside.

She wondered if she had really gotten it wrong shen she thought Jamie liked Narissa. It made her feel guilty that her intervention had caused both of them to be unhappy.

On the other end, Danny had walked Ariel downstairs after getting her a taxi. She could tell that he was absent-minded. “What’s on your mind?” She started a conversation.

Danny was slightly tipsy as well, so he said whatever he wanted to. “I am just thinking about how I am not that different from Alexander, but why has his relationship worked out while mine isn’t improving at all?”

Ariel’s bright eyes dimmed when she heard his words. Her smile had also turned stiff.

She already had a feeling when they were in the private room earlier that he had given his heart to someone, which was why he kept drinking. Even though she had expected this day to come, she couldn’t help panicking now that it was finally here.

However, being the grown-up that she was, she quickly collected herself and played the part of a caring strategist. “Every woman is different. If Plan A doesn’t work, you can try Plan B instead. Don’t just charge ahead even when the road looks dark.”

Chapter 856 An Egregious Flirt

Danny’s head instantly became clearer and he cheered happily. “That makes sense. Sure enough, it takes one woman to know another woman. I know what I should do now. The weather is chilly at night, so quickly go back and sleep. It is fine if you go to work a little late tomorrow.”

“I am alright. You, on the other hand, have had a lot to drink. I will go upstairs after you get into your ride.” “Okay then. See you tomorrow.” “See you.”

Elated that she pointed out a direction for him, Danny finally shakily turned around and threw himself into the taxi. The driver proceeded to start the engine and drive into the dark of the night.

As a gush of cold wind blew, Ariel subconsciously tugged on the jacket on her body. This was the jacket Danny had put on her when she got out of the car earlier. She had forgotten to return it just now.

However, it was fine that she didn’t return it, as this was not the first time this kind of thing had happened. In the past seven years, Danny had grown into a mature man who was considerate to women. She had never been left out in the cold when she was beside him.

His gentleness was like a hidden vine that had twined its way into the deepest corner of her heart. Albeit quietly, it kept growing and growing during the seven years, and at some point, had consumed her entire heart.

However, she knew that her affections for him came a tad too late. They had missed each other long ago. No matter how much she was in love with him, it would all be in vain.

Ariel bitterly smiled and shook her head at the thought of this before turning around and getting into her apartment. Twenty minutes later, the taxi Danny was in came to the rowdiest street in Tissote—Bar Street.

The car came to a stop after a while. After Danny got out of the car, he paid the taxi fare, and walked into a Thai pub. He immediately saw the drunk Jamie sprawled over the counter as soon as he entered the establishment.

Walking over, he placed a hand on the sloshed man’s shoulder. “I knew you were here. Wake up.” Hearing that, Jamie slowly sat up, and only took one look at Danny with narrowed eyes before he turned back annoyed. He then took the half glass of alcohol before him and drank it all up.

Disappointed, Danny shook his head. “Have you gone crazy? Are you done putting on that tough act? Why do you pretend like you don’t care when you like her that much?”

“You don’t know sh*t!” Jamie huffed and let out a burp that smelled of alcohol. He then swung his arms in the air before finally pointing at himself. “Let me ask you—who am I?”

“You are Jamie Keller, of course. Who else can you be? Are you really off your rocker?” Danny complained, his face disdainful.

“You are the dumb one.” Squinting, he shook his head indignantly and slapped his palm on his chest while he confidently declared, “I, Jamie Keller, am not only Jamir Keller. I am a member of Dragonweiss and the key figure of SK Group. Other than having to be responsible for myself, I am also responsible for the organization. Now that Boss is gone, I have to take care of all this for her. I can’t just care for my own happiness. Do you understand me?”

“I get you. So? Am I not in the same boat as you? Even though I didn’t officially join Dragonweiss, we have been to hell and back more times than I can count all these years. What does this have to do with whether or not you accept Narissa’s feelings?” Danny spread out his hands, confusion written all over his face.

“Of course it is related!” As Jamie whined, he began to sniffle and smile wryly with tears in his eyes. “Even a person as powerful as the Boss disappeared without a trace when she was only in her twenties. Just look at how stubborn Narissa is. I will waste her whole lifetime if something happens to me. I can’t be so selfish!”

Danny’s expression softened slightly then, and he nodded understandingly. “You have good intentions.”

He came to a brief pause before continuing, “But aren’t you being too pessimistic? It is not like we will definitely get into an accident. Why don’t you just live every day like it is your last? Humans are bound to have regrets no matter the path you choose. And if that is the case, why don’t you make a decision that will make both of you happy?”

Jamie kept shaking his head at that. “The way you think is too selfish. Furthermore, this is what I promised the Boss. How can I, a man, go back on my word for my own selfish desires?”

Not knowing what else to say, Danny threw an arm over Jamie’s shoulder and lamented, “Seems like we are two peas in a pod. But I have to admit that you are an egregious flirt, whereas I am only a hopelessly sentimental man.”

“Fine! I will have another round with you tonight no matter what, my friend!”

“Bartender, get us more drinks!”

…

In the White Residence, after Elise tucked Narissa in, she was passing by the living room to head to the shower when she inadvertently caught a glimpse of Irvin waiting outside through the crack of the door.

She then walked over and opened the door before asking in a small voice, “Honey, do you need Mommy for something?”

Hearing that, the boy raised his head to look at her and solemnly nodded.

Not wanting to wake Narissa up, Elise closed the door and brought Irvin back to his room.

“Alright.” She half-squatted and patiently began, “You can tell me now. You can ask me anything you want, Little Irvin.”

Irvin was quiet at first, but he soon asked in a serious tone, “Mommy, Mr. Griffith is Daddy, isn’t he?”

“How did you know?” Elise’s emotions were a mix of joy, sadness, and surprise.

“I felt close to him from the first time I saw him, and then I noticed how he always peeked at you consciously and unconsciously, Mommy. Also, you didn’t show disdain when he got close to you earlier tonight. There are many signs that show how close you two are,” Irvin analyzed.

His answer brought a smile to Elise’s face. “It seems like we haven’t been very good at acting. We even got busted by a child.”

“Not necessarily, no.” Irvin’s face was innocent as he continued, “There aren’t many kids who are as clever as your dear son is. See how Alexia didn’t notice?”

“So, you are saying that Alexia isn’t clever. Oh, you are done. I will tell Alexia you said so tomorrow,” Elise teased.

The boy immediately spotted a frown as he muttered angrily, “Mommy, only naughty kids tell on someone!”

“Okay, I will stop messing around with you.” Elise grabbed his small hands and told the truth. “You are right, my son. Are you happy? Now you know who Daddy is?”

Instead of immediately answering her, Irvin resumed his analysis. “I have done my research. Daddy’s first wife went missing 7 years ago. That was also the year Alexia and I were born. Mommy, you are Elise Sinclair, aren’t you?”

Elise could only gawk at Irvin in surprise. She didn’t expect someone as young as him to have figured everything out already.

She couldn’t help but get serious as she held his hands tighter. “Irvin, keep this to yourself, okay? Don’t tell anyone else; or else, it will bring danger to our family.”

“Even Alexia?” Irvin asked.

“Even Alexia. Your sister is too innocent. She won’t be able to keep it a secret. She will expose us if she knew the truth,” Elise answered, feeling perplexed.

“Alright, I will keep it a secret.”

Elise only felt more at ease then. However, she started worrying again when she looked at the grim expression on Irvin’s face. “Are you not answering Mommy’s question because you don’t like Daddy?”

Chapter 857 I’ll Protect You When I Grow Up

“That is not it.” Irvin shook his head. “It is just that it has been tough on Mommy and Daddy. You have been apart for so many years in order to protect Alexia and I. I am sure you have missed each other a lot all these years.”

When Elise saw the sincerity in Irvin’s eyes, her own eyes started to turn red, and she unconsciously brought her hands up to hold his face as she took a good look at the boy.

People often talked about how daughters were mothers’ treasure, and that was why Elise was all the more grateful to have such a thoughtful son.

It seemed that God still treated her well after all. “Mommy.” Upset, Irvin held her back and stated firmly, “Don’t worry, Mommy. I will work hard so that I can protect you and Daddy when I grow up. I won’t let you two be apart anymore.”

Elise was so moved she continuously nodded. “Alright. I will wait for the day to come. I have faith that my dear son can achieve that.”

…

It was almost afternoon the next day when Narissa woke up to the sound of her phone’s ringtone. She groped around the entire bed, only to finally realize that her phone was on the coffee table.

She bounced off the bed and sat up like a zombie, and gave herself a second to clear her head while she waited for the call to end.

However, the caller didn’t seem like they were going to give up any time soon, as they called again immediately after the first call wasn’t picked up.

Narissa looked up at the ceiling and grunted, but she finally crawled over despite how unwilling she was. After pressing the phone to her ear, she sank into the bed again with a thud and muttered, “Hello? Who is this?”

“Rissa? It is me.”

Nancy’s voice instantly gave Narissa a jolt. It felt as thought she had instantly teleported back to the Cuber Residence. Sitting up instinctively again, she opened her eyes and asked, “Ma? What is with the sudden phone call?”

“How bold of you to even ask that? You are always doing this. You never seek us out first. I am surprised you remember having parents,” Nancy grumbled.

“Geez, it is only because I don’t really have anything interesting to update you and Da on. Also, it is not like you like hearing what I say.” Narissa got out of bed and poured herself a glass of water.

“You brat, you always come up with a reason for everything. It has been eight years now. It is about time you put an end to your stubbornness. Don’t you know that your father and I will only continue to grow older? You are our only daughter. Are you really going to let all the blood, sweat and tears Da and I poured into our work go to waste if you refuse to come back and take over the family business?” Nancy kept persuading her daughter.

Despite being immune to these words, Narissa couldn’t help feeling emotionally drained when Nancy said that. She only responded by giving a short ‘I am sorry’ at last.

“Can an apology solve the problem? Do you think your father and I want an apology?” Nancy didn’t buy it at all, and instead insisted, “If you have found someone you can entrust yourself with, bring them back home for us to see. And even if you haven’t found someone, it is about time you came back. Da and Ma are the people closest to you. We won’t laugh at you. Really, Rissa, come back. I miss you.”

“Thanks, Ma.” Narissa might be insensitive, but she wasn’t cold-blooded. It was impossible for her to not be disheartened to hear her own mother say that.

There wasn’t a child in the world who didn’t miss home or their mother. However, she would definitely have to go on a blind date if she were to go home now before she had found her true love. Just the thought of that made it hard for her to agree to return home.

“Don’t just say thanks. Your father might not say it, but he has been missing you as well. You know he is the one who pampers you the most. Do you really think us, the Cubers, wouldn’t be able to find you if we really wanted to?” Nancy sighed.

Narissa’s heart ached when she heard that, and she didn’t know what to say in return.

With how her father’s love was hidden but ran deep, and she happened to be a fastidious person, they were doomed to be each other’s nemesis. It was near impossible for them to be on good terms with each other.

“I have never begged you nor wronged you by asking you to do something you don’t want to. But your father’s health isn’t what it used to be. The people on the board of directors are eager to swallow the Cubers’ family business if they could. If only you knew how heartbreaking it is to see his hair turning white because of how worried he has been. Rissa, do you really not care about Ma and Da anymore?”

Narissa then heard Nancy’s endless sobs that seemed to prick at Narissa’s fragile heart.

Standing in front of the mirror, Narissa fell into deep thought when she saw how messy her hair was, and how she was so unlike herself.

Indeed, humans couldn’t stubbornly live their whole lives for their own sake.

As for Jamie, it was impossible for Narissa’s love to come to fruition. After all, she was the one who had been one-sidedly in love with him from the start.

The person who gambled their heart away first had to be prepared to lose in the game of love.

This was a fact she should come to terms with soon.

“Ma.” Narissa then heard herself utter, “I will be home soon. Wait for me.”

At Danny International Finance Corporation Building, Ariel’s assistant was giving Ariel a report in the office.

Right then, Ariel saw Danny pass by outside the window with his arm around the waist of a curvaceous woman. They were all smiles as they chatted and walked into the room next door.

Ariel, who was fully focused on work, started getting distracted, and her eyes followed after the duo.

From the angle she was looking at, she could clearly see the woman sitting on Danny’s lap, with her whole body sticking to the man’s. The woman even leaned in to give Danny a kiss.

The scene made Ariel unknowingly clench the gel pen in her hand. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to take a closer look.

Did they kiss or not?

“Miss Whitney? Miss Whitney!”

“Huh?”

Ariel only came back to her senses after the assistant called out to her a few times. “What?” she blurted out.

“I am done with last week’s report. Is there anything that needs to be improved?” the assistant asked with a smile.

“No, you have done well. You may leave.” Ariel hurriedly dismissed the assistant without actually listening to a word she said.

The assistant was pleasantly surprised by Ariel’s answer, but since it was rare for Ariel to not ask her to redo something, she quickly left the office before Ariel could say anything else.

However, Ariel’s heart was a mess again the moment the door was closed.

After sitting for a while, she pressed her phone to her ear, and started pacing back and forth in the room while pretending to make a phone call. She took the opportunity to sneak a peek at what was going on in Danny’s office.

On the other side, even though Danny’s flexible chair was almost completely flattened, the woman on him didn’t seem to have any intention of getting up. He knew he couldn’t hold on any longer.

“Hey, isn’t this a little too much? Do we really have to be so close?”

After listening to Ariel’s advice last night, Danny had gotten an old classmate of his to act with him, which was why they were both in this situation now.

However, he was still a conservative man. His classmate might not be straight, but he couldn’t help feeling conflicted being so close to a woman.

“You don’t know anything, so just follow my lead.” The classmate huffed confidently with a small smile adorning the corners of her lips. “The more realistic it is, the more convincing we will look. Quickly, check if she is looking this way.”

“How am I supposed to see anything with you in my face?!” Danny was so depressed he could pass out.

“Fine, then. Act now, check later.” The woman glared at him and demanded, “Put your right hand on my waist, and pull me in behind my head with your left.”

“Let’s just stop…” Danny was rejecting her from his head to toe.

“F*ck, are you looking down on me? I am sacrificing so much for you, you dolt. Fine, keep being reserved if you want to be lonely till the day you die. I am not the one who can’t hold her in my arms anyway,” she hissed.

Danny was instantly energized when the woman brought up Ariel. He then abruptly reached out and pressed her head to his without hesitation.

“Ouch!” She almost sprained her neck by the sudden motion. “Not so hard, you idiot! Can’t you just imagine that I am that lady?!”

Chapter 858 Do I Scare You That Much?

“Sorry!” Danny didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “I am not experienced in this.” “Forget it. I will just blame it on my luck.” The female classmate endured the disgust and gave him a fierce look. “Seriously, someone of your IQ is unworthy of that beautiful lady.”

“Yes, yes. You are right. I already know that, which is why I asked for your help, ma’am. We were classmates for so many years. Do you really have the heart to watch me grow old alone?” Danny coaxed humbly.

“Don’t even start. Quickly! Turn the chair and see if the beautiful lady is watching!” she instructed again, her face annoyed. “Okay.”

He then put in some force and inconspicuously changed their angle, only to see Ariel having a serious conversation on the phone in her office. Danny continued staring for 10 seconds, but he couldn’t find anything unusual about her.

“How is it?” the classmate urged, earning a frown from the man. “She is not really doing anything. She isn’t even looking at us. Could she not have noticed that I brought you here?”

“That is impossible.” The classmate firmly believed that her judgment would not be wrong. “We make it so obvious what our goals are, and she is not blind. How could she not see us?!”

“Does this mean that she doesn’t care at all?” Danny’s eyes went dim in disappointment.

Hearing that, the classmate didn’t dare reassure him anymore. She finally got off of him after a brief moment of pondering. “Come. We will strut around for her. I refuse to believe that we won’t get even one bit of reaction out of her!”

After tidying her clothes, she struck the sexiest pose she could come up with, and then domineeringly put Danny’s hand around her waist before they walked out together.

They intentionally slowed down and greeted Ariel as they passed by Ariel’s office. Even so, Ariel only lightly nodded in return and continued to speak into her phone.

Danny was crestfallen when he saw her reaction, but still he calmly went out while still hugging his classmate. He kept holding out hope until the moment the elevator door closed.

When she didn’t come after him and the elevator had started going down, Danny had lost all his confidence. He then let go of his classmate in despair and weakly leaned against the handrail on the walls of the elevator.

“If the love isn’t there, nothing will change no matter how hard I try.” His words were met with silence from her.

As much as she was reluctant to agree, the classmate had to agree with the fact that successful women had a low need for romantic relationships. Perhaps Ariel wasn’t not interested in Danny. It was just that she wasn’t interested in anyone.

After the elevator door opened, they dragged their feet out of the elevator before coming to a stop tacitly. “What are we going to do now?” The woman shrugged. “Are we still going to feast like the gods?”

“For sure!” Danny spat. “How can we not? We have to celebrate having my heart completely broken. Let’s go!”

Just as he was about to start walking again, he felt a numbing sensation on his chest. He then took his phone out, only to see that he had received a message from Ariel. ‘Was that the person you like?’

Danny immediately beamed as grabbed his phone tightly and yelled, “Yes!!!” “What is the matter?” The female classmate was more curious than he was. “Tell me!”

Excited, he showed her his phone. “Ariel sent me a message!”

“Really?! Show it to me!” She snatched the phone out of his hand. It didn’t take long before she keenly grinned. “Hook, line, and sinker!”

“Give it back! I haven’t replied to her!”

Danny then charged at his classmate, in which she pulled away to prevent him from taking his phone back. “Why are you so excited? Don’t you know that a watched pot never boils?”

“You’re right.” He breathed a sigh of relief and slowly adjusted his breathing. The moment he looked stable, he was back to initial excited self again the next second. “When can I get back to her then?” he asked eagerly.

“Look at how cheap you are making yourself look.” The classmate shook her head in disgust before teaching him patiently. “You can’t be too hasty. No one appreciates things that are too easy to get. You should reply after a minute or two in a colder tone. That will definitely make that pretty lady feel competitive.”

Danny seemed to be as clueless as he knew what she was talking about, but he answered, “You are right.”

Taking back his phone, he replied, ‘What is the matter?’

The two of them continued to stand right in front of the elevator, their eyes fixated on the chat.

At the same time, Ariel’s heart turned cold when she saw Danny’s indifferent reply.

So it seems he has found someone he wants to treat warmly instead of me, his business partner.

After she took a deep breath to calm herself down, she calmly typed out a reply. ‘It’s nothing. You look good together. Have fun on your date.’

The hope that had just been ignited had disappeared by half the instant Danny read the message. As though he was holding a bottle, he threw his phone to his classmate. “I flattered myself again. She doesn’t care about me at all.”

“You really are an idiot.” At that point, the classmate was so angry she could hit him. “Would she have asked you if she didn’t care?”

“Is that so?” Danny scratched the back of his head in confusion. “It doesn’t feel right to me, though.”

“You can just rest assured and listen to me. I have no time to waste with you. It is time to pull a knock-out move. Send her a reply that you are ready to get married and about to settle down. I promise that she won’t be able to hold back, and will come to question you about it tonight!” The classmate threw the phone back angrily.

Danny’s eyes glinted when he heard that, and he finally decided to go all out. “Fine. I will take a gamble!”

After he quickly typed out a reply, he turned his phone off after he sent the message.

“What is this?” The classmate was dumbfounded. “What are you up to?”

He let out a resigned sigh. “I don’t even know if she will reply to me. I will check at night. At least my judgment day won’t come so soon.”

The corners of her mouth twitched as she gave him a thumbs-up. “You are a genius.”

“I am already miserable, so stop making fun of me. Let’s go. We will have a drink together.”

The two of them proceeded to leave the company after their conversation.

Ariel was upstairs when she went into a daze while staring at the message Danny sent her.

‘Marriage’ was supposed to be a beautiful word, and yet it felt painful for Ariel to see Danny bringing it up.

It seems like he has finally found the one. It is time I leave.

…

At 2.00AM, Jamie sneakily peeked around the back entrance of the Keller Group’s building. He only strutted out after he made sure he was the only one there.

He had barely taken his second step when a ghastly voice called out, “Jamie Keller!”

Caught by surprise, he only froze for a second before he wanted to run away.

“Stop hiding from me!” Narissa called him to a stop.

Knowing that he could no longer run, he turned around and played dumb. “Who’s hiding? I was just exercising my reflexes.”

“Do I scare you that much?” She looked at him without any emotion on her face.

Chapter 859 A Parting Gift

Jamie pursed his lips as he felt a little uncomfortable. “I’m not afraid, I’m just worried that you might find it awkward.” “Don’t worry. I won’t feel awkward anymore,” Narissa said with a bitter smile. Looking over at her, Jamie asked, “Don’t tell me you’re planning to sever our friendship?”

“In your dreams.” Narissa lied while forcing herself to joke with him. “I know you think I’m a nuisance and want me gone. Do you think I will let that happen?”

Hearing that, Jamie relaxed his breath. “You scared me for a while there. I thought—”

“Thought what?”

“Nothing,” he said while patting his chest, trying to ease his breathing. Looking at his relaxed appearance as if he had just gone through a life-and-death situation, Narissa felt like someone was tugging at her heart.

It turned out that her feelings for him had given him so much pressure. She forced herself to take a deep breath to suppress her urge to cry and pretended to be okay. “Hey, can we be friends in the future?”

“As long as you don’t mind our past, I have no objections,” Jamie spoke freely and easily. “It’s settled, then. From now on, you will be my lackey,” Narissa announced with teary eyes.

“Hey, that’s not fair. I should be the leader, okay?” Jamie had a habit of quarreling with her, but when she glared at him, he would immediately admit defeat. “Okay, okay. I’m a gentleman, so I won’t fight with you. Since I’m in a good mood today, I’ll let you win this time.”

“That’s more like it.” Narissa then took out something from her pocket and threw it at him. “Here, take it.”

Taking the thing in his hand, Jamie shook it and asked, “A set of keys? What’s the meaning of this? Not only do you want me to be your lackey, but you also want me to be your driver?”

“Yeap.” She shrugged without any objection. “Fine. I’ll serve you well for once today. Where is your car parked?” Jamie responded kindly.

“You’ll know when you push the button.” She pretended to be mysterious. Although Jamie had a bad feeling about it, he still listened to her and pressed the button.

Beep. Beep. He quickly turned to look toward the direction of the sound and saw a dark purple sports car. The car was decorated with string lights, which made it shine like twinkling stars; the scene was astonishing.

“What the heck.” Jamie was so shocked that he could not keep his mouth closed. He then dashed for the car immediately.

When he touched the car’s perfect exterior and material, he thought that he had no more regrets in his lifetime. “Isn’t this the dream car we designed together? You actually managed to custom-made it. Narissa, you’re awesome!”

Slowly approaching him, she let out a satisfied breath. It seems like he really likes his present. “Want to take it out for a spin?” she asked while raising her eyebrows.

“Let’s go together!” Jamie unceremoniously got into the driver’s seat, fastened his seat belt, and drove the car into the night with a whoosh.

At this time of night, there were not many cars or passersby on the road, so Jamie drove straight down the road on the outskirts of the city and circled around the city. He did not even take his foot off the accelerator throughout the ride, nor did he intend to slow down.

They did encounter two on-duty traffic police, but the sports car Jamie was driving sped so fast that the traffic police did not even get a glimpse of the license plate before the car disappeared. By the time the traffic police realized what had happened, the car was already nowhere to be seen.

Half an hour later, Jamie unreluctantly stopped the car in front of the club.

“Did you have fun tonight?” Narissa asked.

“That goes without saying! Tonight was the happiest night I’ve had for a while. This car is the definition of fast and furious. To tell you the truth, Narissa, the mod you made is like… literally custom-made for me! Everything was so smooth!” With both eyes shining brightly, he touched the steering wheel affectionately.

“It was made for you,” Narissa whispered.

Jamie could hear it very clearly, but he pretended to not hear anything to avoid getting into an awkward situation again. “Hahaha. You’re indeed my best buddy. You do know me best!”

“Yes, we’re best buddies. I’m glad you like it.” She could not keep her smile anymore, so she opened the door to get out. “I’ll be leaving now.”

“Right here?” Jamie politely offered, “Why don’t I send you home?”

“Here is fine,” Narissa insisted.

Since her feelings for him began here, they should also end here.

“Are you planning to head back on your motorcycle?” With all the possibilities of why she would want to stop here, Jamie took a guess.

With a forced smile, she replied, “That’s right. I should ride my bike to where I belong.” “Your words kind of rhyme. Fine. I’ll stop insisting on driving you back. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.” After they bid their farewell, Jamie drove away and left Narissa behind.

Inside his rearview mirror, her figure became blurrier and was gradually swallowed by the dark. Then, the smile on Jamie’s face gradually disappeared.

It would be best for them to remain as they were.

…

The following day. Early in the morning, Danny rushed to the company and arrived according to his estimated time. Then, he pushed open the door to Ariel’s office but found it empty.

“What’s going on? Isn’t this the time she usually comes to work?” he muttered to himself. He waited until midnight last night before turning on his phone, but he did not find any replies from Ariel when he opened his WhatsApp.

Even their female classmates did not know the meaning of her actions, so he was worried. On one hand, he was afraid that she would not show him any response; on the other hand, he was afraid that he would do too much and hurt her feelings. All in all, he was feeling very anxious.

Now that he could not locate Ariel, it made him even more flustered. He calmed himself down and discovered a letter on her desk. When he approached it, he saw that it was a letter of resignation. Did she leave?

Alarm bells rang inside Danny’s head as he took out his phone to call her. However, what he received as a response was that her phone was turned off.

The spacious room became so quiet that he could hear his heart beating like it was about to jump out of his chest. Even his breathing had become rushed.

“Mr. Griffith, are you looking for Miss Whitney?” An assistant passed by the door and asked. “Do you know where she is?”

When Danny turned his head over, his usually calm and collected appearance was replaced with a terrifyingly dark expression with bloodshot eyes.

The assistant was stunned for a moment before stammering, “Yesterday afternoon, Ms. Whitney asked me to book a flight to Mesdra. She should be on her way to the airport by now…”

Before the assistant could finish her words, Danny ignored her and dashed straight out. He drove like a madman and even ran three red lights, arriving at the airport half an hour before the flight was due to depart.

Meanwhile, Ariel was about to check in and board the plane when a large palm appeared out of nowhere and snatched her plane ticket. Then, she was pulled to the side.

When she came to her senses, she met Danny’s eyes that were filled with resentment and complaint. At that moment, the woman who never bowed down before a man guiltily avoided his gaze for the first time.

“Why?” His deep voice was filled with oppression and obvious blame. “I told you before. I wanna have a different environment, and this matter has been put aside for too long—”

“Fine. Tell me. Which country are you heading to? Wherever you go, I’ll branch out our company there!” Danny could not be bothered with anything at the moment as he only knew one thing in his head—to not let her go.

Chapter 860 I’m Your Puppy

“You don’t have to do this. It’s my decision and it has nothing to do with the company. I’ve already found a suitable replacement for my position, so the company’s business won’t be affected,” Ariel spoke while pushing his hand away and turning her face away.

Her emotions were everywhere, so she could not control herself and ended up mentioning things she should not have. “What about me?” Danny looked at her solemnly and asked, “Did you ever consider me?”

After letting out a long breath, she forced herself to keep her cold attitude and said, “I wish you a happy marriage, but I’m sorry that I might not be able to attend your wedding.”

“You’re jealous.” He moved forward and almost pressed his whole body onto hers. “You’re sad. You like me, don’t you?”

“No, I don’t.” Ariel stubbornly refused to look at him. “If so, why did you leave without a word when I said I’m getting married? How do you explain that?” Danny pestered on.

Now that she could not retreat anymore, she finally broke down and exclaimed, “Yes!”

Her eyes were widened but filled with reluctance and heartbreak. “I do like you and I did fall for you, but that’s all in the past. You already have someone else and I’ve already missed my chance. Even if… Hmph—”

Without giving her a chance to continue, Danny cupped her face with his hands and kissed her lips. Ariel only resisted for a second before subconsciously reciprocating the kiss.

After Danny noticed that they were both breathing heavily, he carefully let her go. His obsidian eyes were wet with tears and he looked exactly like an abandoned child.

“Ariel, I love you. I love you so much. There’s no fiancé and I’m not going to marry anyone. I did all that to trigger you. I know what I did is too much, but I’m so envious of Jamie. I’m jealous that he has Narissa’s response. I’ve waited seven years and I can’t wait anymore, so I decided to be selfish for once.”

“You rejected me seven years ago because I was immature. Now, I have made a name for myself, so can you please not push me away?”

Meanwhile, Ariel felt like her heart had melted, but her body reacted on its own and rejected him. “I can’t. Regardless if it was seven years ago or now, you’re in your prime while I’ve gotten old. You should be looking for a woman your age and you’ll get criticized by others if you’re with me.”

Danny was at a loss for what to say. If he had been worried about such things, he would not have stayed true to his feelings for seven years. After adjusting his breathing, he stated seriously, “So, you’re saying I’m too old, and being with me is very embarrassing. Am I right?”

“What are you talking about? It’s me who’s—”

Ariel was trying to talk some sense into him, but Danny covered her mouth with his hand. He leaned in, tilted his head, and touched the hair by his ears. “Do you see this? I have white hair now.”

After saying that, he paused and turned back around to look into Ariel’s eyes before reasoning, “I grow old pretty quickly. After a few years, I’ll be the one being pointed at when we go out hand-in-hand. People will be criticizing me for having a girlfriend that is much younger than me. Will you turn your back on me if that happens?”

Ariel felt like crying and laughing. “How could I do that?”

“That’s all I need.” Danny looked at her with determination in his eyes. “You wouldn’t change your mind because of my looks, so why would I change my mind because of your age?”

“Ariel.” He tightly held her hand. “We’ve already missed seven years, so let’s not miss anymore.” After sniffing her nose, she asked, “So, if I decide to just stay at home and look like a pretty woman, will you still like me?”

“What?” Danny laughed. “Of course, I will. You’re such a capable woman and I’d be delighted if you’re willing to retreat to the sidelines and let me provide for you!”

He raised his right pinky and said, “So, we’ve reached an agreement. I’ll be responsible for making money and providing for the family while you stay at home and be responsible for looking beautiful. Let’s make a pinky promise. If you run away, you’ll turn into a puppy!”

“Why am I the only one making a promise?” Ariel was unconvinced. Danny pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. “Because I’d never run away. I am your puppy.”

…

Elise’s biography was still in the preparation phase, but to maintain her popularity, she decided to publish a novel she finished while she was abroad.

The launch of her new novel was smooth sailing with Jamie being the emcee. One hour before the event, Elise arrived at the venue. Jamie came out to welcome her, but he was busy looking around while playing with the two kids. Following his gaze, she then looked behind her and asked, “What are you looking for?”

“Nothing.” He acted nonchalantly and shrugged. Then, he stated casually, “It’s such a lively event, but Narissa isn’t here. How strange.”

After they test-drove the sports car together, he could no longer get a hold of Narissa anymore. He thought she regretted her decision and decided not to continue being friends anymore, so he was afraid to look for her.

“Don’t you know?” Elise asked, “Narissa has left the country. She’s going home to get ready for her blind date and take over her family business.”

“What? Blind date? When did that happen?” Jamie was dumbfounded.

“The Cuber Family had originally promised her to someone, but she insisted on finding true love and ran away. I think she went back because she had lost hope about her feelings,” she explained in a meaningful way.

Those words rendered Jamie speechless. Meanwhile, Danny and Ariel came over hand-in-hand. Jamie stared at their intertwined hands for quite a while before raising his head to see the smug look on Danny’s face.

“Are you guys…” Elise looked at them with anticipation. “We’re…” Danny dragged the word and lifted their intertwined hands before announcing, “Dating!”

Meanwhile, Jamie’s lips twitched awkwardly. “Ariel, blink twice if you need help. Don’t worry. I’ll help you escape from him.” “You’re looking for death!” Danny punched Jamie’s stomach.

Their actions made Ariel and the others laugh. “Thank you, Mr. Keller, but this time, I got together with him willingly.” While she said that, she wrapped her arms around Danny’s arm and leaned into his embrace.

Then, Jamie began his exaggerated act. “Oh, heavens. Even Danny has found a wife. This is more torturous than killing me!” “Hey, hey, hey. That’s enough. Don’t say it like I’m a bad person.” Danny pouted. His girlfriend was right here, so how could Jamie embarrass him?

“Am I not speaking the truth?”

“Come on. Let’s have a duel. You and I must fight until someone is defeated!” “Come on! I’m not scared!” After that, the two began to roll their sleeves. “Are you guys trying to ruin the event?”

When Alexander’s voice sounded, the two instantly froze. Then, Jamie cowardly admitted defeat. “I’m letting you off this time for the sake of my idol.”

“Alright, alright. You guys continue chatting while I head inside to oversee the situation. These workers are all muddleheads and I can’t leave them for even a second!”