Ch. 871..880

Chapter 871 Can’t Skip the Bill

It would be best if you could introduce a rich young master to be my son-in-law. Nodding, Alexander asked, “I understand. Is that all?”

“That’s all for now.” Afraid that his wife and daughter might embarrass him, Onyx quickly spoke up. “Ok.” As Alexander nodded again, he looked at the door and snapped his fingers.

The next second, a suit-clad assistant came in and passed a kraft paper bag to Onyx. Puzzled, he retrieved the paper bag and opened it to reveal the document inside. His face fell after reading its content.

Inside the paper bag was a debt agreement with Anastasia’s signature. It was written very clearly that Anastasia owed Alexander five million Cittadel Crowns. Onyx questioned Alexander with a darkened face, “Why are you letting me see this?”

Spreading his hands innocently, Alexander reasoned, “Didn’t you say you wanted to bring Anastasia away? Since you and Anastasia have reconciled and reestablished your relationship as a family, you should pay back the money she owes me. Once you pay her debts, you can bring her home.”

When Lyra heard that, she was immediately flustered. “About that, isn’t Anastasia your girlfriend? Why does she have to pay you back the money you gave her?”

With an expressionless face, Alexander replied, “Mrs. White, I own a business, not a charity center. What’s more, you should pay back what you owe. Don’t tell me you’re trying to skip the bill?”

Once he said that, the entire hall fell dead silent.

The Whites looked at each other, completely at a loss for what to do.

We came here to take advantage of Anastasia. It’s fine if we don’t get any advantage, but why do we have to solve such a huge problem?

Didn’t the rumors about Alexander say that he’s very generous? Why is he being so stingy to a woman from the White Family?

Without waiting for them to respond, Alexander fished out his phone from his pocket and deliberately showed it to the White Family. Then, he casually said, “Even if you want to skip the bill, I’ve already recorded everything you said earlier, so there’s no way out for you, Mr. White. Soon, the lawyers at Smith Co. will apply for a complaint and have all of the White Family’s assets frozen to be used for repaying Anastasia’s debt.”

Then, he paused for a moment before faking a smile while looking at Adelpha. “Oh, right. You said you wanted to live with us, right? Actually, there’s no place for you in the Griffith Residence, but since you’re so sincere, you can stay here and become a low-grade servant. You can even earn some money to pay your sister’s debt.”

“That’s not possible!” Lyra was anxious and she quickly pulled her daughter behind her back. “Mr. Griffith, Anastasia is the one who owes you money. How can you let my daughter work for you to help others pay their debt? She has yet to marry someone!”

“It was you who said you wanted her to catch up with Anastasia. If I let her stay here and become the nanny of the children, she’ll instantly become a mother too. Isn’t that what you wanted?” Alexander coldly stood up and tidied his outfit.

“What I meant is for you to help Adelpha find a good family to marry into. Who knew you’d misunderstand me and make such an arrangement?!” Lyra was exasperated.

“I don’t have the time and effort to guess what you mean. I offered to let her be the children’s nanny because I pity your family and want to give you a high-salary job. Once the permit has been issued, every penny the White Family owns will be deducted. If you don’t have the salary I’m willing to pay you, all of you will have to suffer and wait for your death. That’s all I have to say. You guys can think about which option to choose.”

Onyx felt dizzy and fell back onto the couch. “Anastasia is such a spendthrift. I must owe her something in my last life! That ungrateful woman! I’m so pissed…”

…

Danny International Finance Corporation.

9.00AM.

After Danny sent Ariel to her office with a goodbye kiss, he turned around and ran out of the company.

“Hey, where are you going?” Ariel tried to call him back.

However, he did not get what she meant. He walked toward the elevator while smiling. “I’m going to meet a client. New business and we’re going to have a large project. I can’t ruin it at the last moment, so I must leave now. I’ll come back to pick you up tonight!”

“Wait, Danny. You—”

At least, tell me what project it is… Before she could ask that, Danny had already gone inside the elevator and disappeared from her line of sight.

She let out a depressed sigh and turned to look at the familiar office, but there was an empty feeling inside her.

Ever since they started dating, Danny had been spending less time with her. Just like today, he would run away without telling her and would stay outside for the whole day. Today was the third time this week.

Such abnormal actions made her feel a strong sense of despair and she gradually began to doubt herself.

Is it true that once a man got the girl, he’d completely lose interest in her?

It could not be denied that there were men like that, and Ariel was not sure whether her existence was a mere challenge to Danny.

She only knew that ever since their relationship began, she had been feeling worried.

Regardless, relationships were not the only things in an adult life. As one of the two leaders of this company, she had to buck up and watch over the company now that Danny had gone out.

After quickly composing herself, she placed her bag on the couch and sat back down on her office chair.

When she turned on her computer, a private email popped up.

She clicked on the email and saw that it was a female acquaintance she had met in a less-known game seven years ago.

‘Hey, the game is having an offline cosplay event. Many will be gathering there. You must come. I’ll wait until you appear! The location is at…’

It felt great to be remembered; after Ariel finished reading the email, she could feel her mood lightened up.

Thinking that she should give Danny some private space, she replied to the email and said she would attend the gathering.

Two days later.

Ariel came to the venue dressed as a cowgirl with a straw hat and a fan.

The other gamers were not surprised by her outfit and would nod at each other as a greeting whenever they met gazes.

After walking around the venue, Ariel did not recognize her acquaintance, so she asked for a glass of champagne and found a place to rest.

At first, she thought there were not many players as the game was less-known, but she did not expect the whole venue to be crowded. She had toured the entire venue before finding a less crowded spot.

Just when she decided to enjoy her champagne quietly, the lights from upstairs were suddenly turned on and shone on her, completely illuminating her whole figure.

Her actions abruptly stopped and she quickly hid her wine glass before moving a few steps to the side.

However, the spotlight followed her, which successfully attracted everyone’s attention.

Although Ariel felt awkward, she had a strong mentality and was able to keep her calm after which she said expressionlessly, “The lighting technician must have gotten something wrong.”

After that, she raised her head to look at the second floor to show that the technician got her wrong.

Just as she raised her head, the large flower decoration above her head suddenly came apart and countless pieces of colorful confetti began to rain. Under the bright light of the spotlight, the confetti pieces were glistening.

At that moment, Ariel was reminded of a scene inside the game.

The character she was playing was the Iron Fan Princess and there was a special effect that only the character had—the Scattered Flowers.

Did the organizer arrange this?

At that same moment, a deep male voice sounded from the surrounding speakers and traveled to the middle of the venue.

“I remember you’d always ask me why I like to use such an ugly character like the Bull King. Today, I can finally tell you my real answer. From the start, I’ve always wanted to be your lover.”

Chapter 872 Danny’s Fixation

As the voice reverberated through the hall, another beam of light shone on the stage opposite Ariel. A moment later, Danny appeared and dressed as Bull King in a cowboy outfit.

His tall and lean figure perfectly suited the Bull King’s cape, which accentuated the character’s majestic demeanor. Also, his stubble beard made him look sexy. Looking into his eyes, Ariel felt her mind go blank.

The outfit she was wearing was sent to her by her acquaintance, so she did not give it much thought. After trying it on and discovering it was the right size, she did not bother picking another outfit.

Now, she finally knew that this outfit was specially given to her to match the Bull King’s costume. Everything had been planned in advance. After a long while, she finally found her voice. “That girl was you?”

Then, Danny walked toward her. While he was walking, it was evident that he was delighted. He stopped before her, took out the diamond ring he had prepared in advance, and got down on one knee. “My dear princess, I came here to bring you back home with me. Will you marry me?”

The expression on his face was so exaggerated that he was almost shouting when he asked her to marry him. To be able to propose to the person he loved was indeed something worth showing off and announcing to the entire world.

Ariel covered her lips with her hand as her mind jumbled into a mess. For a moment there, she was at a complete loss of words. “Isn’t this… too soon?

“Is it?” The happiness Danny felt was beyond what he could describe. “You do know that I’ve loved you for seven years, right? I’ve been waiting for this day for seven years and I can’t wait anymore, so please marry me, Ariel Whitney. I beg you, please marry me!”

Ariel had seen several proposal scenes like this, but she was always the bystander and thought other people’s happiness was both loud and irksome. However, now that she was experiencing all of this, she finally knew that such a sudden surprise was something that could make her so exhilarated.

Her breathing gradually became unstable and tears moistened her eyes, yet she still had not nodded.

That made Danny feel flustered. He gulped while his hand holding the ring trembled. “A-Are you unwilling to marry me?”

Shaking her head, she replied, “I’m afraid you’d regret marrying me.”

“Does this mean you agree?!” Danny was ecstatic and took out the ring from its box before quickly putting it on her ring finger. Then, he hugged her and spun her around, screaming, “I will never regret this!”

Upstairs, Jamie, who was responsible for controlling the spotlights, watched the sweet scene with a bitter smile. He shouted at the happy couple, “Hey! Since I’ve done such a good job today, can I skip the wedding gift?”

Meanwhile, the excited Danny was still hugging Ariel and raised his thumb at him.

The entire venue was filled with jealous exclamations. A recorded video of the proposal was posted online, which caused a stir among the netizens.

‘Omg. So playing games can help you find a partner!’

‘F*ck. They’re so sweet. And the Bull King looks so handsome too!’

‘Ahh! They’re so cute! I can’t!!’

‘Gender: Woman. Hobby: Playing League of Legends. I can feed myself, I know to run home when it rains, and I don’t have any bad habits. Please give me a boyfriend, thank you.’

“…”

The following day, Madeline knocked on Danny’s front door just after dawn.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“Danny Keller, open the door!”

Two minutes later, the door was opened from the inside and Ariel came out.

When Madeline saw Ariel wearing Danny’s shirt and had both her legs exposed, her face immediately fell.

She’s already so old, yet she still dresses so lewdly. How shameless!

Before Madeline could say anything, Ariel greeted her, “You’re here.”

Puzzled, Madeline raised her eyebrow, asking, “You knew I was coming?”

“Of course. The daughter-in-law must meet her in-laws sooner or later.” Ariel had a humble attitude and maintained a smile on her face.

“Stop.” Madeline raised her hand to interrupt Ariel before arrogantly retorting, “I haven’t acknowledged you as my daughter-in-law.”

Meanwhile, Ariel did not show any displeasure and patiently invited Madeline inside. “Come on in and we can talk.”

Madeline rolled her eyes and deliberately bumped Ariel before furiously barging into the house. “Where’s Danny? That brat. If I hadn’t seen the video on the internet, I wouldn’t have known he was such a b*stard! How could he have proposed without any discussion with us? Does he still see me as his mother?!”

After closing the door, Ariel trailed behind Madeline and waited for her to finish ranting before pretending to frown in frustration and avoiding her gaze.

Seeing that Ariel was not talking, Madeline turned to look at her and saw her abnormal behavior. Suddenly, she could not help but feel worried.

What is this woman planning? Are they keeping an even bigger secret from me?

At that moment, Ariel stammered, “Please wait a moment. He’s upstairs. I’ll get him!”

“Wait!” Madeline called out and walked toward the stairs. “I don’t need you to fetch him for me. This is my son’s house. Do you think an outsider like you would know this place better than I do?”

As she talked, she headed to the second floor with her high heels clacking against the floor and went straight toward Danny’s bedroom.

Ariel was following behind her and she intentionally kept a rather large distance between them. She let Madeline walk in front while she pretended to be anxious as if she knew a huge problem was about to dawn on her.

Putting her hand on the doorknob, Madeline glanced sideways at Ariel before barging into the bedroom.

When she entered the room, she saw Danny wearing a pink dress while dancing on the bed.

Madeline was dumbfounded when she saw that and even forgot to withdraw her hand.

Since Danny had his back to them, he danced sexily for a while longer before turning around. As soon as he saw them, he immediately screamed.

“Ah!” He kneeled on the bed and quickly pulled the quilt to cover himself. Then, he yelled in a high-pitched voice, “Mom, why did you come in here without knocking?”

Frowning, Madeline opened her mouth, but she could not utter anything.

Noticing the situation, Danny deliberately lay down on his side, extended one of his legs, and ran it up his other leg. Then, he put on a sexy expression and looked at the two women. “Mom, do I look pretty?”

Ariel almost burst into laughter when she saw that, but she pretended to cough before exposing herself.

Meanwhile, Madeline was so shocked by the terrifying scene that she saw black and instantly fainted.

“Mrs. Griffith?” Ariel supported Madeline from the back and asked concernedly, “Are you alright? Let me bring you to the guest room to lie down!”

After saying that, she winked at Danny and helped Madeline to the room next door.

Madeline calmed down for about ten minutes before slowly opening her eyes.

“Ariel, was I seeing things? Danny, he…” She felt angry and resigned while asking weakly, “What the heck is going on here?”

Ariel’s expression turned serious as she sighed. “Since you saw it, it’d be inappropriate for me to hide it from you any longer. Actually, your son, Danny, has a certain fixation…”

Feeling like her world had collapsed, Medaline felt dizzy again. “Oh, heavens. Oh, God. Why do you have to play such a huge joke on me?!”

“Mrs. Griffith, are you feeling okay?” Ariel asked in concern.

Chapter 873 Do You Think It’s an Easy Sacrifice?

A glint flashed across Madeline’s eyes as she grabbed Ariel’s hand while asking nervously, “How long has Danny been acting this way? When did it start?”

With a worried expression, Ariel answered, “I only found out about this last night.” Madeline was speechless for a moment and anxiously fell into deep thought. Could this be the reason why Danny never showed any interest in finding a girlfriend?

Wait! Does he only like dressing up as a woman, or does he actually think that he’s a woman?

“That can’t be. I must get to the bottom of this!”

She jumped to her feet and dashed toward Danny’s bedroom as she thought of that. Once she entered the room, she locked the door behind her, grabbed Danny, and began questioning him.

“Danny, tell me the truth. Do you like women or…” She could not bring herself to say those words, but she slapped her thigh and forced them out. “Or men? Come on, tell me!”

Shyly turning his head away, Danny replied in a feminine tone, “Gosh. You’ve already seen it for yourself. Why are you making me admit it?”

Hearing that, Madeline saw black and fainted once again. Danny hugged her and started shaking her. “Mom, don’t faint. Oh, Mommy!”

“Get away from me!” Madeline woke up and pushed him away disdainfully. Then, she pointed at him while scolding disappointedly, “Oh, Danny. Someday, I’m going to get pissed to death by you all!”

Pouting, Danny asked cheaply, “What’s the matter?”

Madeline raised her hand and was about to hit him. “Shut up! If you talk to me in that tone again, I’m going to sever ties with you!”

Then, Danny made a gesture by zipping his lips shut and obediently kept quiet.

“Hurry up and get out of that outfit. You are never to wear that again!”

Rolling her eyes at him, she suddenly remembered something and ran out again. She just happened to bump into Ariel in the corridor.

The next moment, she went forward and affectionately grabbed Ariel’s arm while pulling her downstairs.

“Ariel, you’re a good kid. I’ve already asked Danny about it, and although his hobby is quite unique, he is indeed straight. I’ve thought about it—since you both aren’t that young anymore, you should register your marriage sooner!”

While she was talking, she ran to the couch and pulled out a card from her bag. Then, she warm-heartedly stuffed it into Ariel’s hand. “Here. Take this as a mother-in-law’s first gift to her daughter-in-law. You can buy whatever you want and you don’t have to worry about saving money!”

Ariel raised her eyebrow in astonishment. Madeline had even addressed herself as ‘mother-in-law’. It seemed like she had gotten quite a fright.

“Alright, then. I won’t bother you two anymore and leave you two to enjoy your alone time!”

Madeline was afraid Ariel would dislike her presence, so she ran away after saying that.

With Danny’s condition, it was already a miracle that someone would still want to be with him. Therefore, as his mother, she had to help him seize this opportunity.

On one hand, she decided to leave now because she and Ariel were not on good terms earlier, so she gave them some space as a sign of respect. On the other hand, she had to return home immediately to discuss their wedding plans with Adam so that Danny and Ariel could get married sooner and prevent any sudden changes!

Once the door closed, Danny came strutting down the stairs in his silk pajamas.

“Has Mom left?”

“Yes.” Ariel cast a meaningful gaze at him.

Narrowing his eyes, he walked over and pulled her into his embrace. “How could you laugh at me? Do you think it’s easy to make such a huge sacrifice for our happiness?”

When he spoke, Ariel laughed even more cheerfully. She placed her hand on his face and gently stroked it. “Aren’t you the one who came up with this idea? I didn’t force you to do this.”

“Yes, of course. I’m a loyal person who only wants to marry you, but my mom is too overbearing. She doesn’t even acknowledge my sister-in-law, so if I don’t frighten her a little, we might’ve gone down the same road as my brother and sister-in-law.” At the thought of what had happened with Alexander and Elise, Danny felt sorry for them.

“Since you’ve done so much for me, I’ll personally cook you breakfast. What would you like to have?” Ariel asked.

Danny’s gaze darkened and he sealed her lips with him. “You!”

…

After messing around for almost half the day, Ariel slept until nighttime.

At 7.00PM, Madeline came barging back into Danny’s house with all kinds of things.

Ariel was about to serve her some tea but was pulled over to sit on the couch.

“Ariel, these gold and silver jewelry are for you. See if you like them. If you don’t, we can get a jeweler to custom-make some. Your wedding is a huge matter, so you can’t be too stingy with these things!”

As Madeline spoke, she pulled different things out of her bag and placed them on the coffee table before Ariel to let her choose.

“Also, these are the best makeup products money can buy. We, as women, can’t be stingy when it comes to spending money. You can use these first. When you’re about to finish them, I’ll buy you some more! Actually, I’m someone who’s easy to get along with. Once you marry my son, you won’t have to worry about anything. Both of you can stay at your own house and there won’t be any dispute between us. I can guarantee that,” Madeline continued on for a while before she thought of Danny.

“Where’s that brat? Where has he disappeared to again?”

At the mention of that, she suddenly stopped talking and frowned in frustration.

Is he messing around in his room again?

Thinking of that, she felt a sense of panic and grabbed Ariel’s hand while she implied, “Ariel, excuse my words, but although our society is more open-minded now, being too different still isn’t the best thing. You must take some time to reason with Danny. His company is getting listed soon, so he must take care of his image.”

“You’ve misunderstood. He’s not cross-dressing now. He went out to meet his friends, saying that his days as a single man are almost gone, so he needs to seize the time and accompany his friends,” Ariel explained.

As if she had turned into a sleuth, Madeline felt even more suspicious after hearing that.

It had been difficult for Danny to find a wife. Which friend of his would be so insensible as to call him out when he was busy with his girlfriend?

However, to avoid affecting the wedding, she did not express her feelings. Instead, she remained calm and got up. “Since he’s gone outside, you should rest early. I’ll be going back now. I’ll visit you another day.”

Without much thought, Ariel went back to sleep after seeing Madeline out the door.

After getting in the car, Madeline phoned Alexander and asked impatiently, “Do you know which nightclub Danny frequents?”

Then, she coldly hung up the call after getting the address.

For seven years, Alexander had dated countless women, so Madeline had lost hope about him settling down and only wished he could live a stable life.

However, now that her eldest son was out of the picture, all her attention was on her younger son. Therefore, she would not let any accidents happen to Danny and Ariel.

At the nightclub, Danny had his arm wrapped around Jamie’s shoulder as he slurred, “What did I tell you? Happiness is earned. You didn’t appreciate it when Narissa was chasing after you, so now you’re regretting it!”

Yet, Jamie merely stayed silent and downed half a bottle of beer.

Chapter 874 It’s a Pity You’re a Man

“To tell you the truth, you’ll feel like you’re living the best life when you can kiss and cuddle with the person you love every day.”

When Danny thought of Ariel, he giggled before turning his head to Jamie and asked worriedly, “Tell me the truth. Do you really not have feelings for Narissa?”

Smacking his lips, Jamie let out an alcohol-filled breath and narrowed his eyes at Danny. “I have feelings for you.”

Then, he let go of the beer bottle, cupped Danny’s face in his hands, and pretended to lean in for a kiss. “Come, let me kiss you.”

“Man, f*ck off. Get your sh*t together.”

While Danny was trying hard to resist Jamie’s actions, the two were entangled together.

Coincidentally, Medaline came in and saw what was happening. From her angle, she saw two grown men kissing.

She saw black once again and frustratedly covered her forehead. “Oh, God. Please, not again!”

The man Danny likes is Jamie?!

After so many years, she thought they were close because they had a strong bond. Who would have thought…

No. I can’t let something like this happen to the Griffith Family!

Taking a deep breath, she quickly calmed herself down and rushed over to separate the two men.

Since Jamie was already drunk, he swayed, fell onto the bar top, and fell asleep.

“Mom?” Danny sobered up when he saw Madeline. “Why are you here?”

Slap!

A hard slap ended up on Danny’s face. “Go home immediately. If you ever mess around outside again, I will skin you alive!”

Danny was dumbfounded by the slap and covered his face while bellowing, “What are you doing?!”

“Are you leaving or not? Why aren’t you moving?” As she said that, she removed her left heel and gestured to hit him.

“Enough!” Danny exploded in anger. “You’re being so unreasonable!”

After saying that, he left the nightclub in anger.

An hour later, Jamie woke up in a hotel room. When he opened his eyes, he saw Madeline sitting on the bed next to him.

“Mrs. Griffith? Why are you here?” He sat up dazedly while bowing his head to rest a bit more.

He thought the bartender might have called Madeline to pick them up after they got drunk last night, so she brought them here and booked a double-bed room.

Since his head was in so much pain, he did not even notice that Danny was absent from the room.

With a darkened face, Madeline was silent for a long while before subtly warning, “Jamie, we’ve known each other for a long time. You know that although I’m quite open-minded, there are some things that are not up for discussion. The Griffiths and Kellers are prominent families, and Danny is about to get married, so please refrain from getting together too often!”

It would be even better if they stopped meeting each other, but because both were from large families, it was not a good idea to be too harsh with her words.

Assuming that she was mad because he asked Danny out and got him drunk, Jamie nodded and apologized, “Don’t worry, Mrs. Griffith. I understand what you mean. I won’t mess around with him anymore.”

At that, Madeline softened upon seeing his sincere attitude, so she did not make things difficult for him anymore. “Good boy. I know you’re a sensible kid, but it’s such a pity that you’re a man!”

“Alas!” With a sigh, Madeline turned around and left the room.

Jamie nodded a few times before he realized what had happened and looked at the doorway with a puzzled expression.

What’s wrong with me being a man?

…

Three days later, the Griffith Family gathered together to celebrate Danny and Ariel’s engagement.

Alexander came with Elise and the two children while Jack also arrived early.

Brendan and Yuri came in with linked arms right before the attendees started the feast.

“Finally, everyone’s here. Hurry up and take your seats.”

It was rare for the whole family to be together, so Madeline was happily entertaining everyone.

“This first toast is to Danny and Ariel. I wish them a loving and long marriage!”

The crowd raised their glasses in unison to celebrate this long-awaited happy occasion for the Griffith Family.

When Adam saw everyone sitting around the table, he was so happy that he could not stop smiling. “What are you waiting for? Let’s eat. Your mother has been preparing for this dinner for days. All these are your favorite dishes!”

After everyone started to eat dinner, the large mansion finally had a trace of liveliness.

A short while later, Brendan suddenly stood up and used his spoon to tap against his wine glass, attracting everyone’s attention.

“Since we’re all gathered here today, I have something to announce as well. Yuri is pregnant, so we’re planning on getting married.”

Putting down her cutleries, Yuri bowed her head, looking quite sad.

Madeline, on the other hand, was delighted. “Really? Brendan, are you saying that I’m going to be a grandmother?”

She had always liked Yuri; seeing Brendan had brought her here today, she was even thinking of how to set them up. Unexpectedly, they had already done the deed!

“Yes,” Brendan calmly confirmed his mother’s words before sitting back down again.

“That’s great.” As Madeline was lost in her happiness, she began to arrange everything. “In that case, you two can have your wedding together. Brothers marrying on the same day. The others would envy you guys a lot!”

“I have no objections,” Brendan stated.

“You make the call.” Danny also did not have any problems with that.

“Very good. Such great news!” Madeline was so happy that she thought she had imagined things, so she excitedly grabbed Adam. “Adam, am I dreaming? In just one day, I’ve managed to settle two of my children’s marriages!”

“It’s all real. You’re going to be a grandmother soon!” Adam coaxed gently.

Those words made her even happier and she was smiling so much that her cheeks were sore, but it did not stop her from smiling either.

At that moment, a servant came in to report, “Mr. and Mrs. Griffith, Mr. Keller is at the door.”

“What?!”

The smile on Madeline’s face immediately disappeared as she sprang to her feet.

Why did he come over during our family gathering?

Is he here to steal Danny?!

No way. Us Griffiths have only begun to show some improvement. I can’t let that be ruined!

Before everyone could comprehend what was happening, she had already dashed out.

“You guys continue while I go outside and talk to Jamie!”

At the courtyard, Jamie was strolling on the stone path with a gift in his hand. Just as he arrived in the middle of the courtyard, he saw Madeline running toward him.

He thought she was here to greet him, so he quickened his pace. “Mrs. Griffith, we’re already so familiar. There’s no need for you to personally come out to greet me!”

Madeline stopped, heaved a few breaths, and spoke between her breaths, “Didn’t we already discuss this yesterday? Why did you come here today? I already told you that I won’t agree with you and Danny’s relationship.”

When Jamie heard that, he immediately whipped out the excuse he always used on the elders and said, “Mrs. Griffith, you must be joking, right? Why would anyone discard their best friend after getting married? What’s more, I can give Danny the same feelings Ariel can, and also some that she can’t. Our relationship is permanent, so if you refuse to let me interact with Danny, he will be sad!”

Chapter 875 Don’t Think of Leaving Me

Madeline frowned when she heard that. “No, this can’t be. Today’s our family gathering, so it’s inappropriate for you to head inside. Let’s talk about this another day!”

Jamie opened his mouth to speak, but she stopped him before he could say anything. “Alright, Jamie. Don’t make me say anything hurtful and just leave, okay?”

As she was known for being unreasonable, Jamie knew she was not joking with him. To avoid any conflicts, he chose to leave. Looking at his leaving back, Madeline sighed. “What ill fate is this?”

…

After dinner, Alexander and Elise were resting inside the guest room when Yuri knocked on their door. Once she entered the room, she quickly locked it before walking deeper inside to stand before the couple.

It took her a long while until she piped up determinedly, “I’ll get straight to the point. Mr. Griffith, Miss White, I hope you can help me escape from Brendan’s control.”

After exchanging glances, Alexander and Elise looked back at Yuri. “Miss Fox, do you know what you’re saying?”

“I know. It’s wishful thinking to ask you to go against your brother, but I don’t have any other choice, so I have to give anything a try.”

As if she was determined to fall out with Brendan, she told them about how he had scammed her into his trap by making her owe a huge debt, just to force her into staying by his side.

“His controlling side is getting worse, and if we continue being like this, both of us might go crazy. So, please, for Brendan’s sake, free us from this relationship,” Yuri begged sincerely.

Lowering his gaze, Alexander thought about it and stated coldly, “Brendan would never hurt you.”

“Yes, he won’t hurt me physically, but my mental health has gone down the drain in just two years, and I believe Brendan’s condition isn’t any better than mine. I’m sure you’d want your brother to start a new life, right? I know you have a way to solve our problem, so please help me.”

The more Yuri spoke, the paler she became. It was as if her body was out of blood and her lips were ghastly pale.

Her current appearance was indeed completely different from the confident and radiant fashion designer Elise had met previously.

“Do you want to leave him that badly?” Alexander’s gaze looked complicated and his tone showed a trace of probing. “You have been like this for more than a dozen years and still are. Have you ever considered Brendan’s feelings?”

Suddenly speechless, Yuri fell silent for a moment before laughing self-deprecatingly. “Yes, I’m a b*tch and I know it. I also know that I’m not good enough for him. Take it as a favor for him and just realize my wish.”

As soon as she said that, someone announced their presence at the door.

Knock, knock.

“Alexander, have you seen Yuri?”

It was Brendan. After he finished his call, he looked around the house but could not find Yuri, which prompted him to come here.

The few inside looked toward the door and kept silent.

“I’ll think about what you’ve said. Head back first,” Alexander whispered to her and got up to open the door.

Yuri rose to her feet and bowed at them before leaving with Brendan.

Once the door was closed again, Elise, who had been quiet the whole time, finally spoke, “This isn’t the way someone would behave if they hated someone. Yuri must have a good reason.”

“Kids these days.” Alexander did not expose too much of what he knew. He went over and hugged Elise from behind and nested his face into her hair. “Honey, do you think Irwin and Alexia are quite lonely?”

“Are they?” Elise wanted to laugh.

“Of course.” He then began to analyze the situation. “You can see it on them. Men and women have different ways of thinking and couldn’t fully understand each other, so I think there’s a need for us to give them a sister.”

“Why not a younger brother?”

“Does that mean you agree?”

“What?”

The dumbfounded Elise was quick to react and was about to escape when she was grabbed by Alexander and thrown on the bed before being covered by the blanket.

“You can’t escape.”

…

After coming out of Alexander’s room, Brendan found an excuse to bring Yuri out of the house.

They drove for a while and Brendan, who had been enduring his emotions for the whole ride, finally questioned, “What were you talking about with Alexander and Anastasia?”

“I was asking them questions regarding pregnancy care,” Yuri absent-mindedly replied and looked out the window.

“I’ll hire a professional caretaker to take care of you then. What are you so worried about?” It was obvious that Brendan did not believe her.

“Yes, I’m pregnant with your child, but that doesn’t make me your puppet. It doesn’t mean that I have to follow your instructions in everything I do.” She still did not look him in the eye.

As if he was throwing a tantrum, Brendan looked out the other window. “I just want to remind you that you’re not leaving me. Not only am I your debtor, but I’m also the father of your child. You can do whatever you want, but I have the right to determine whether you stay or leave.”

“Hmph!” Yuri sneered, “I never knew you cared so much about this child.”

Immediately, Brendan fell silent; the child was only an excuse and the person he cared about the most had always been her. That had never changed.

“Of course.” He stubbornly said, “The Griffith Family values their descendants. If I don’t care about my child, who else will?”

“If so, I hope your wishes can come true.” Yuri spat out a sarcastic remark.

“With your cooperation, it will definitely come true,” said Brendan wishfully.

As Yuri had no intention of continuing the topic, they both stopped talking to each other.

…

Early in the morning, Irwin and Alexia entered the classroom one after the other.

Just as they came in, Irwin felt something wrong with the atmosphere inside the classroom.

Although they were newly transferred here and did not know many people in their class, they had never caused any trouble. Therefore, they would not cause much of a stir on normal days.

Yet, wherever they went today, their classmates would avoid them as if they were some kind of demons. When the siblings got to the front entrance, the group of children gathered at the back entrance dispersed immediately.

The same thing happened for a few days consecutively. By Friday, the group leader would not even help the siblings submit their homework.

Although the treatment they were receiving did not bother Irwin, Alexia was an active and bubbly child, so she was smiling even less after being alienated for no reason.

Finally, Irwin could not stand it anymore and called Chubs and Specky out for a talk.

“Say it. What’s happening?”

“I knew you’d say something about this!” Specky explained in anger, “The kid from Class A, Jessamine’s son, is deliberately targeting you. He said he’s willing to help everyone in class with their homework, but his condition is that we all have to alienate you!”

Chapter 876 Alienating Everyone

After pondering about it, Irwin’s eyes lit up as he looked at Chubs. “You have the worst academic scores in class, so why didn’t you follow the others and alienate me?”

“My academic performance is my business and my dad said we have to be loyal to our friends. We can’t betray them for mere benefits!” Chubs sniffed while speaking.

“What about you?” Irwin looked at Specky. “You chased the vice principal’s son out of school and stood up for all of us. You’re our hero and I see you as my leader. Once my leader, always my leader. I will never betray you!” Specky announced with determination.

Although they were only in first grade, unlike grownups, they were more true to their feelings and it was difficult to bribe them into changing their stance.

Nodding slightly, Irwin contemplated for a moment before saying emotionlessly, “All of you come home with me after class.”

“Why? Are you treating us to something delicious?” Chubs’ eyes were glistening. “What else do you know besides food? Irwin gathered us together so that we can improve our grades together, of course!” Specky waved his hand excitedly.

“Shut up.” Irwin disdainfully yelled at them. “Why are the three of you over here instead of staying in the classroom?”

When the voice of their homeroom teacher suddenly sounded from behind them, Chubs and Specky turned around and froze. Meanwhile, Irwin stood still with a layback posture. He was so calm that he did not seem like a student.

Pushing her glasses, Miss Smores exuded a majestic aura that only a teacher could have and stared at them for a few seconds before sending them away. “It’s almost time for class. You two, head back to the classroom now. Irwin White, come with me.”

As such, Irwin was brought to the teacher’s office. A few minutes later, Alexia was also led to the office by her classmate.

When Elise arrived, she saw the two children standing by the wall and an uncomfortable feeling arose inside her.

“Hello, Miss Smores. I’m Irwin and Alexia’s parent. May I know what they did wrong to deserve such a punishment?”

Miss Smores looked up from the teaching materials she was reading and closed her notebook before slowly explaining, “Miss White, right? According to the teachers from other subjects, the White siblings have not submitted their homework several times, which is not an appropriate way a student should behave. That has also caused a negative effect on their class. I think that I’m already very lenient by punishing them that way. I hope you can understand our job.”

“There must be some kind of misunderstanding. I check their homework every day, so how could they not have been appropriate?” Elise chose to believe in her children.

“Misunderstanding? Sure, if that’s the case of one subject, but it’s all three subjects. Although the students in Class F aren’t very good at their studies, they would always submit their homework regardless. What they did is disrespectful to their teachers. Now that the other teachers are angry, I have to do something to relieve their anger, right?” Miss Smores’ expression was dark as coal. She was not an easy person to fool.

Having met many teachers like Miss Smores, Elise was not intimidated by her. She turned to look at the siblings and asked gently, “Do you have anything to tell me?”

Irwin raised his chin arrogantly as if he was not bothered by this issue.

Meanwhile, Alexia muttered, “It was the other students. They won’t take our notebooks and won’t talk to us. We didn’t do anything wrong, so why are we the ones receiving the punishment…”

When Elise heard that, she felt distressed. The two grew up abroad and the education they were brought up with was that they had to atone for their mistakes and follow what was right. Hence, it was natural for them to feel wronged after receiving capital punishment for nothing.

She turned to the homeroom teacher and toughened up her attitude. “Miss Smores, there you go. It’s not that my children are not abiding by the school regulations. The other children in class are alienating Irwin and Alexia, so I think you need to talk to the other children.”

Humiliated, the homeroom teacher half-heartedly agreed, “I will conduct an investigation to see if what they say is true, but even if it is, why are the other children alienating them? Shouldn’t Irwin and Alexia reflect on their wrongdoings too?”

“What are you implying? Are you saying that the victims have done something wrong?” Furious, Elise wanted to talk some sense into the homeroom teacher but was interrupted by Irwin.

“Mommy, please help Alexia and I to apply for suspension and exemption from class. That way, there won’t be any problems for all three parties.”

It was a waste of time for them to attend school back and forth. With that amount of time everyday, he could even create a simple program in that amount of time.

Moreover, he and Alexia had already completed their elementary courses. Only their Athesean needed some work, but that was an easy fix and he could tutor Alexia on his own later.

He only agreed to come to school to gain some life experience. Now that he thought there was nothing much to experience, it would be better to leave.

Elise knew that her children were not cowards. Back when she was their age, she also dropped out of school whenever she wanted. Therefore, she could not force her children to follow the rules.

However, as their mother, suspending their studies was a big matter, so she had to think about it.

On the other hand, the homeroom teacher also disagreed with that, “That’s not possible. Our school uses proportions when calculating your academic scores. Your class score and final examination results accounted for twenty and eighty percent of your final academic scores. If your class score is zero percent, it means you have to get at least eighty or above in your final examination for you to pass the semester. Otherwise, you’d have to retake or get dissuaded.”

International schools paid a lot of attention to their performance and reputation, so retaking and getting dissuaded are lies. In the end, those who failed would get expelled.

In that sense, if the White siblings did apply for suspension of classes without managing to get over eighty marks in their final examination, they would have to leave the school.

Although the homeroom teacher did not want these two troublemakers in her class, she would rather pay more attention to them than to have these two students bring the whole class down with them.

Having seen through the homeroom teacher’s schemes, Irwin pursed his lips and offered a suggestion he knew the homeroom teacher would not refuse. “How about you agree that we stay home and get homeschooled, and I’ll write a notice to the school’s board of directors, saying that if anything happens, we’ll bear the consequences and won’t implicate you in any way?”

Then, he added, “If you don’t agree, then we’ll have to stay here and the conflict between us and our classmates will deepen. Later, more children would be affected by this too. By then, it is possible that your performance will be greatly reduced too, Miss Smores.”

The homeroom teacher saw her “performance” as her lifeline, so she was immediately persuaded. “Fine, then. I can approve of your application to suspend your classes, but if you two failed your examinations, don’t say I didn’t warn ya.”

Once she mentioned that, she looked at Elise as if asking for her confirmation. “What about your guardian? Does she agree with this?”

A child’s words were still lacking in convincing after all, so Miss Smores needed to get confirmation from their guardian before she could rest assured.

Looking at her children, Elise nodded. “I have no objections.”

Her son had always had his own opinions, so she only had to go along with him.

When they exited the school gates, a sense of worry still lingered around Elise. After hesitating for a while, she stopped and looked at her children.

“Darlings, being alienated is not your fault, so don’t doubt yourselves, understand?”

Irwin raised his head and looked at his mother with a carefree expression. “Mommy, you’re wrong. They’re not the ones alienating me and Alexia. We are the ones alienating them.”

Chapter 877 The Thoughtful Irvin

Alexia nodded. “Yeah. Irvin doesn’t even let me play with those boys!” Elise’s lips twitched awkwardly at her words. She was at a loss for what to say. They were so young yet strangely resilient.

She was about to open her mouth to say something when Irvin stood up and said while turning to the door, “Mom, please take us to The Spine Mine. I want to buy something.”

Elise saw an out from the conversation and took it. So, she shrugged, held Alexia’s hand, and followed him. At 6.00PM, the driver took Chubs and Specky to Alexander’s residence.

“Hi, you’re here! Welcome,” Elise went downstairs and greeted them warmly. “You must be hungry. Do any of you want some snacks? I’ll get them for you.”

“Yes! Yes!” Chubs nodded happily.

However, Irvin’s dispassionate voice rang from upstairs.

“No, they won’t be having anything.”

Chubs and Specky had just managed to locate Irvin and only received another stern command for their efforts.

“Come upstairs immediately.”

Chubs puffed his cheeks in aggravation. He gripped his school bag as he defiantly followed behind Specky and slowly trudged up the stairs.

As soon as they entered the room, Irvin shoved a pile of books into Chubs’ arms.

The tower of books completely blocked Chubs’ sight, and he could barely see his way. In fact, the books were so heavy that he began to wobble.

Specky swallowed nervously upon the sight, then Irvin threw him a pair of headphones.

“Take this and use the computer. I’ve downloaded a vocabulary game. You must pass all the levels in a week,” Irvin instructed.

“That’s not fair!” Chubs poked his head out from behind the pile of books, and his face flushed red with anger. “Why do I have to do so much homework when he can play games?”

“Have you ever heard of a phrase that says, ‘the early bird catches the worm’?” Irvin rebuked coldly. “Are you questioning my methods? So, what I say doesn’t count?”

“No, no! What you say counts!” Specky beamed and flattered Irvin since he got the long end of the stick. “Whatever you say, boss! Chubs, don’t forget how awesome he is. Just do as he says!”

Chubs pouted defiantly, refusing to comply.

Irvin narrowed his eyes and said lightly, “If you can finish one book within thirty minutes, you’ll get a dessert.”

“Alright!” The remark instantly drove Chubs’ motivation to new heights. With that promise in mind, he enthusiastically sat at the table next to him and began doing the exercises.

Alas, he was too slow and spent too much time answering simple questions. So, in the end, he couldn’t claim his prize.

An hour later, Specky hopped with delight as he exited the room. In stark contrast, Chubs had his head hung low and looked utterly dejected, as if he had done a whole day’s worth of labor just to be told that he wouldn’t receive a single cent for his hard work.

Elise went to Irvin and asked curiously, “Is that cute friend of yours okay? He only spent an hour here, but he looks more tired than when he was just out of school.”

“He’s just tired because he’s been using his brain. He’ll get used to it.”

Irvin calmly sat on the chair and started marking Chubs’ exercises.

Elise tilted her head in confusion. When she noticed the computer was still on, she went over to shut it off and saw the educational game on the screen. Irvin had passed all the levels of the game a few years ago. So why did he download it again?

She turned her head and looked at Irvin suspiciously. When she saw the exercise books Irvin was reviewing, she instantly understood what had happened.

“Oh, you are tutoring your friends, aren’t you? Wow, my son is so thoughtful.” Elise chuckled teasingly.

The instant Irvin heard her half-hearted compliment, he tossed the book away, stood up, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and said nonchalantly, “You’re overreading this, mom. People will laugh at me if my lackeys are too stupid.”

Elise pursed her lips and pretended to believe him. “Okay, I probably don’t know much about what’s going on between you boys, but please inform me in advance next time your friends come over. People will laugh at me if I don’t entertain my guests well.”

Irvin pondered about it and nodded. “I’ll try my best.”

Elise walked over, leaned down, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “You’re the sweetest!”

…

Meanwhile, at the racing track in the suburbs, two sports cars were racing on the track. Both drivers were on par with each other in skills, maintaining some strange balance while secretly competing against each other.

Jamie’s car was closer to the inner lane. If he accelerated in the next corner, he could win the race easily with his skills.

Unfortunately, as he approached the corner, he didn’t have the slightest urge to accelerate. Thus, his opponent seized the opportunity and overtook his car quickly.

“Boo!”

The spectators who thought highly of Jamie sighed and booed him on the spot.

Those who had placed large bets on him raised the horn and blew it to cheer him on.

“D*mn it! Step on the gas! F*ck! You have such great gear! Come on. You can still win!”

“Jamie, go!”

“Jamie, don’t drive like a wimp!”

Jamie was indifferent and emotionless, no matter how harsh these words were or how loud the people were.

He held the steering wheel lazily. It felt like the faster the speed, the more meaningless the race was.

Narissa’s departure seemed to have taken away his enthusiasm for racing, and no one could make up for it.

Eventually, Jamie lost the race.

As soon as he stopped his car, the people who had lost the bet forcefully dragged him out of the vehicle and criticized him.

“D*mn it, what the hell! You lost on purpose, didn’t you? Do you know how much money I have placed on you?!”

“Get him!”

Jamie shoved the man off in irritation, took out his checkbook, wrote a 10 million check, and threw the check on the man’s body. Then, he got back into the car and drove away.

He gripped the steering wheel with one hand and placed his other hand on the car door panel as he leaned his head against his palm. Although he kept his eyes on the road, his mind was a mess.

He didn’t know how long he had driven, but soon there were fewer and fewer pedestrians, so he stopped at an intersection. He steered the car to the left when a heavy-duty motorcycle came from the opposite direction and turned toward the junction to the right before him.

It only took a few seconds for the female rider to make her turn, but her familiar figure and high ponytail instantly attracted his attention.

Jamie hastily steered the car to the right, reversed, and quickly chased after her.

The female rider’s speed was as fast as Narissa’s. After he kept accelerating, Jamie could finally keep pace with her.

He rolled down the window and shouted, “Narissa, I know it’s you! Stop!”

The female rider in the helmet turned slightly to glance at him for a second before turning away.

Vroom! Just when Jamie assumed she would slow down, the female rider sped up and rode off, widening the gap between them.

Jamie’s heart skipped a beat and he pounded the steering wheel in frustration.

She’s still mad at me, isn’t she?

I don’t care! No matter what, I can’t let her go!

Jamie shook his thoughts away as he pulled himself together and stepped on the accelerator.

He had had enough of this endless torment! He would do everything in his power to see Narissa today!

Chapter 878 Jamie Is Severely Injured

Jamie was so desperate to finally see Narissa again that he got tunnel vision. All he could see was the motorcycle and the female rider before him. He couldn’t see anything else.

He was still speeding up, and the distance between his car and the motorcycle gradually shortened. When Jamie’s car speed reached its threshold, his grip on the steering wheel tightened until his knuckles turned white as he stared at the back of the female rider unblinkingly. He was afraid that the woman haunting his dreams would disappear if he blinked.

If he could catch up with her this time, he would confess his love for her without hesitation. However, it seemed that his wish would not be granted. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, a heavy truck suddenly rushed out from the left, brutally crashing into his car. His car spun out of control and finally stopped when it hit a pole on the side of the road.

Warm blood flowed from his forehead to the corner of his eyes. The inflated airbag squeezed Jamie’s chest so tightly that he could barely breathe. Coupled with his severe blood loss, including other devastating injuries due to the violent impact, he gradually felt himself losing consciousness as his vision blurred.

He used the remaining strength he had to weakly raise his head to look at the woman he had been pursuing with all he had.

The woman parked the motorcycle nearby, and the female rider was clearly looking in his direction, but she had no intention of approaching him.

His mind was getting fuzzier as the seconds ticked by. The last image in Jamie’s mind was of the female rider restarting the motorcycle’s engine and speeding away without looking back.

One hour later, Thomas came out of the operating theater, swept his solemn gaze at the people across him, and said gravely, “He’s not doing well. All of his internal organs are ruptured, and the chance of survival is very slim. Therefore, I’ll be issuing a critical condition notice. Please notify his family as soon as possible.”

“No! We can’t just give up!” Elise shouted in despair. “What about Claude? Can he save Jamie’s life?”

Thomas pursed his lips and confided, “Claude was last seen in South America. Even if he truly is there, it takes at least ten hours for him to travel to Tissote. Jamie can’t wait that long.”

“I don’t care! Go in and do the surgery now. I’ll definitely get Claude here. Go!” Elise pushed Thomas into the operating theater.

To her, Jamie was more than a friend. They had spent years going through ups and downs in life. Elise had long regarded him as her own brother. She could not bear to see him die.

Alexander pulled her into his embrace and hugged her tightly. “Don’t worry. I’m here.”

He then looked at Thomas and asked, “Do you have any alternatives?”

Thomas thought over their options for a moment. Then, he suggested, “BJ Biotech is developing a new drug that can quickly repair damaged cells in organs and increase the speed of cell regeneration. Their preliminary test on animals was successful, but there is no record of their clinical trials. Still, I’ve studied their papers and data. I think it’s worth a try.”

“Okay. I’ll negotiate with them.” Alexander released Elise and immediately turned to make arrangements.

“Wait! BJ Biotech is a foreign enterprise. If you talk to them directly, they may demand an exorbitant price. Remember that!” Thomas reminded him sternly.

“Noted.” Alexander nodded. Then, he turned and said to Elise when a thought crossed his mind, “If you can locate Claude, try your best to bring him here. We don’t know if the new drug will work. It’s good to have plan B in place.”

“Alright.”

Elise patted her face to sober up. It was time for her to slip into her other persona.

After Alexander had made the necessary arrangements, he didn’t waste a single second as he set off.

Meanwhile, Elise logged into Jamie’s account and used all the influence of Dragonweiss and SK Group to offer a reward for the capture of Claude.

At the same time, Narissa, who was abroad, felt a sharp pang in her heart as if she could sense what had happened a thousand miles away.

Due to her momentary daze, the glass slipped out of her hand and smashed into pieces.

An abrupt feeling of weightlessness followed this sudden pain. It was as if she was stepping on cotton, and the whole world was spinning.

Narissa clutched her chest as though she was staunching a bloody wound. Then, after her short trance, she hastily rushed upstairs in a flurry of movement, blindly grabbed her phone, and dialed Elise’s number.

“Anastasia, it’s me. Is Ja… Are you alright?”

“Narissa, Jamie is not doing well. Please come back.”

They were a thousand miles apart, but Elise’s pleading still managed to tug at Narissa’s heartstrings.

She didn’t remember how she asked about what happened. All she remembered was that she blurted, “Got it,” and ended the call.

Narissa stood by the window absent-mindedly as she turned her head to the large mirror beside her. Then, after she stared at herself in the mirror for three seconds, she ran to her father’s study and opened the door.

“Okay, I’ll marry that man with one condition. I want one of the drugs their company is developing.”

Three hours later, a pale Thomas walked out of the operating theater, his footsteps heavy. He removed his mask, bowed his head dejectedly, and muttered in despair, “Go in and say your last goodbyes.”

Elise sat on the bench, gritted her teeth, and clenched her fists as she stared at the computer screen. She couldn’t bring herself to take a step forward. To her, taking such a step would be admitting her loss to Death itself.

Although Danny knew her reluctance, he still coaxed, “Elise, please go. He has always respected you. I’m sure he wants to see you right now.”

Elise swallowed hard as she felt a lump in her throat. Despite understanding the meaning behind his words, she didn’t answer him. If she pretended that she couldn’t hear that, maybe, just maybe, all of this would just be a nightmare. She’ll wake up, and none of this would be happening.

Hundreds of messages kept showing up on the monitor. It was a joint search for Claude by two organizations. They were so close to finding Clause’s exact location.

She needed five more hours, and her men would get Claude back.

By then, Jamie would be okay. So why wouldn’t he be fine?

He would come back to life and make a fool of himself again like the silly kid he had always been. Goodbye? No, she did not want to say goodbye to him!

“Elise!” Danny began to sob. “Don’t you want Jamie to rest in peace?!”

He tried to pull her into the operating theater by force, but Elise shook his hand off her violently. “Don’t touch me!”

“Fine! If you don’t want to go, we’ll go! With or without you!”

Danny wiped his tears and decided to enter the operating theater to say goodbye to Jamie as a closure.

But just as he turned around, three tall and burly men in suits stood at the end of the corridor and came toward them aggressively. One of the men was carrying a case in his hand.

The man in the lead took off his sunglasses and calmly inquired, “Excuse me, may I know which of you is Miss Anatasia White?”

Elise slammed her laptop shut in a hurry upon hearing the mention of her alias. She rose to her feet and directed her sharp gaze at them. “That would be me. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

The man took the case from his partner, opened it, and presented it swiftly. Then, he showed the content of the case to her. “Miss White, this is a new drug developed by our company which has a miraculous effect on organ damage. I hope this drug will be able to assist you.”

Elise keenly noticed the letters BJ engraved on the edge of the case, and she regarded them warily. “Are you from BJ Biotech? Did Alexander Griffith contact you?”

“Mr. Griffith? Oh, no.” The man smiled, “This is a direct order from my boss’ wife. She said that you are her friend and instructed us to deliver the drug to you.”

With that, he closed the case and handed it to Elise. “Miss White, please accept it.”

Jamie’s life was at stake, and there was no time for her to waste. Therefore, she hurriedly accepted the case without hesitation. “Thank you.”

Finally, she turned around and handed the case to Thomas. “Please, you must save Jamie.”

“Don’t worry.”

Thomas took the case and stormed to the operating theater with renewed vigor.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at the turn of events as the operating light representing life was switched on again.

 

 

Chapter 879 Elise’s Fault?

The employees from BJ Biotech silently retreated. When Elise finally came to her senses, she hurriedly caught up with them. “Hold on, please.” “Pardon me, can you please tell me who is your boss’ wife?”

Elise had just investigated the background of BJ Biotech. From the information she obtained, she found out that the company’s successor was single, so the identity of his ‘wife’ didn’t add up.

She did not intend to pry into another person’s privacy, but she felt that it would be good to know more about the person so that she could return the favor in the future.

“Of course.” The man answered, “The last name of my boss’ wife is Cuber. I’m sure you know who she is.” It dawned upon Elise that he was talking about Narissa. Even so, she was pretty astounded by the information.

It had only been a few days, and Narissa had become the soon-to-be wife of the owner of BJ Biotech?!

The man had a front-row seat to Elise’s expression. So, the instant he realized that she had figured it out, he said politely, “Since you know her identity, we’ll take our leave now.”

With that, he left with his men. Later, Alexander rushed back to the hospital when he was notified of the good news. At 8.00PM, Jamie’s operation was a success, and he was arranged to stay in the general ward.

When the members of the Keller Family rushed over, Alexander took Elise home to rest. On the way home, they talked about what had happened today and found something strange.

“Based on Jamie’s dashcam, he was chasing a woman on a motorbike before he was hit. This person seems to know Jamie well. He found someone who looked like Narissa to disrupt his mind. Finally, Jamie was distracted and fell straight into that person’s trap.”

This was the information that Alexander discovered from his investigation.

Elise leaned on Alexander and sighed heavily. “He told me that he didn’t care. But, hah, just because he saw a woman who looked like her, he almost died! So, when he wakes up, I must ask him why he doesn’t want to face his feelings.”

Alexander embraced her tighter and told her his speculation, “I suspect that Wendy is behind this.”

Elise straightened in shock at the mention of Wendy’s name, and her eyes were filled with bewilderment. “But we have no longer crossed paths with her since my disappearance. So she has no reason to target Jamie.”

Alexander took her hand and squeezed it tightly. “Well, we do cross paths sometimes. In the past seven years, Jamie worked with me and secretly eliminated many of Wendy’s people, so it is reasonable for her to despise us. Also, under our attacks and interference, she is short of funds and staffing locally, and now is the best time to recruit newcomers and attract investors.”

“Just how did Jamie get in her way on her road of riches?” Elise asked.

Alexander looked at her with his dark eyes. “The Cuber Family is not listed in the wealth ranking, but their influence is much stronger than those so-called billionaires worth tens of billions of wealth. She can do anything with the help of the Cuber Family.”

The moment Elise ran his remark through her mind, she came to a sudden epiphany and quickly grasped what Alexander was implying.

Narissa was an only child, and everyone knew that she loved Jamie. However, once Jamie was out of the equation, Wendy could manipulate Narissa and utilize the power of the Cubers to turn the tides.

If she wasn’t siding against them, she would have applauded the woman for her cunning.

“It is evident that Wendy is already at the end of her rope as she risked making a move on Jamie, which in turn is a great opportunity for us.” Alexander’s gaze turned piercing and dangerous.

“You’re right.” Elise beamed. “This time, we’re going to make her pay!” Indeed, someone had to pay for the seven years their family had lost. It was already a week later when Jamie woke up from his medically induced coma.

After the friends and families had departed, Elise dismissed the others and stayed in the ward with Jamie. “Here, have a glass of water.” She poured a glass of warm water and handed it to him. Then, she pulled a chair over and sat next to his bed.

“Thanks.” Jamie took the glass and took a shallow sip. The inflated airbag injured his throat. Now, every single time he swallowed was painful, so he was currently limited to a liquid diet in order to prevent aggravating his throat.

Elise nodded as she mulled over what to do for a long while before retrieving a red envelope from her bag and handing it over. “What is this?” Jamie was startled and then beamed with delight. “Oh! Are you ready to marry Alexander?”

Elise shook her head with a smile and lifted the envelope a little higher. “It’s Narissa’s engagement invitation. Don’t you want to see it?”

Jamie’s smile froze on his face. He could feel his heart being stabbed and twisted for good measure. But he quickly suppressed his sorrowful emotion and forced a smile. “Wow… I didn’t expect her to find her true love so soon…”

The light in his eyes dimmed with every word he spoke, and he couldn’t even hide the sadness reflecting in his gaze. “Do you think it’s true love?” Elise said, “I think it’s a compromise.”

Jamie stared at the invitation in a trance and did not answer her.

Elise was utterly irritated by Jamie’s lack of response, so she sighed heavily and questioned him sharply, “I know that I’m not jumping to the wrong conclusions. You like Narissa, so why on earth do you refuse to admit it? Don’t bother denying it. She’s getting married anyway, so it doesn’t make any difference now. Tell me. I want to hear the truth.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the room again fell into silence.

She felt like she was talking to a wall. She was sure her methods wouldn’t be just a verbal beatdown if he weren’t already confined to the hospital bed.

Just when Elise thought that she would not get any answers, Jamie finally broke the silence.

“So what if I like her? I’m destined to be an outlaw. Love and marriage are lifelong commitments. Since I can’t commit to it, I might as well not give her any hope in the first place.”

“An outlaw? Don’t you think you’re being a little too melodramatic?” Elise needed clarification on his logic. Jamie looked outside the window with a somber expression. “This car accident is the best proof, isn’t it? Maybe one day, I’ll disappear, just like Boss.”

“So, it’s still your boss’ fault, huh?” Elise slapped her forehead and shook her head. She had no idea that the fake disappearance could have such a negative impact on Jamie.

Jamie donned a bitter smile. “No, you misunderstand me. I didn’t mean to blame Boss. When I joined the organization, I was ready to give my life for it, but I didn’t expect to meet Narissa, let alone fall in love with her. It’s all my fault. I should have kept my distance. Narissa leaving in disappointment and heartbreak is all my fault.”

“In that case, the babies should commit suicide as soon as they are born because people will die anyway! So why do you have to overthink things?!” Elise rolled her eyes in exasperation. “You should think from a different perspective. As long as you stay safe, you can follow your heart and pursue true love and happiness. Come on. You’re a grown-up. Have some confidence in yourself!”

Jamie couldn’t get out of his pessimistic wallowing. “What else can I do about things that even Boss can’t change?”

Even Elise, who was so outstanding, couldn’t protect herself, let alone him.

“What if Boss is still alive?” Elise decided to reveal the truth.

“Impossible…” Jamie blurted instinctively. Then, his eyes lit up with delight as if something had crossed his mind, and he stared at her in anticipation. “Are you telling me that…”

Elise grabbed his wrist, looked at him, and nodded solemnly. “Jamie.”

As if she had redeemed his soul with her admittance, Jamie beamed with joy and felt like all the cells in his body were singing with joy. “Y-Y-You are…”

Chapter 880 Brendan’s Pet

It was Boss! It was Elise! His goddess had returned! Elise again affirmed Jamie’s speculation, “Yes, it’s me.”

“Bos—” Jamie was over the moon but tried hard to remain calm. “Yes, I knew it! I knew it was you. Only you can convince me to worship you as my idol.”

“Yup. See? I, Anastasia, can survive the ordeal on the sea and sit here talking to you. Are you telling me that you are inferior to me and don’t have the slightest spirit to fight?” Elise squeezed his hand tighter, trying to give him courage and strength.

“Bo—no, Elise, don’t worry. I know what to do. I will not give up!” As he spoke, his eyes turned teary. It was good that Elise was still alive. Since she survived, his faith would not collapse!

At this moment, he became the fearless Jamie again, and his body was full of energy. He felt like he could do anything! “Finally! This is Jamie that I know!” Elise patted his arm and chuckled. “Rest well. The engagement party is two months away. So it’s not too late.”

“Don’t worry. I’m unbeatable! As long as I’m alive, Narissa won’t marry anyone!” At the villa on the outskirts of the city.

Meanwhile, at a particular villa on the outskirts of the city, Brendan rose with the sun. After he washed up, he moved toward the bed, leaned down, and kissed Yuri’s forehead before leaving.

When the door closed, Yuri opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling for a while. Then, she lifted the covers, pushed herself off the bed, walked to the window, and carefully lifted the curtain.

She saw Brendan getting into the car parked in the courtyard and driving away swiftly.

However, the bodyguards around the villa’s perimeter did not leave with him. Instead, they were stationed at all the potential escape routes she could use and guarded the spot like emotionless robots.

Without Brendan’s permission, no one could come in and out of the villa. She had spent the past six months living like this.

Most of the time, Yuri felt like she was Brendan’s pet. All pretty and caged for his pleasure and only allowed to do his bidding and only his. But, now that she was on that train of thought, maybe a marionette on strings would fit better.

He didn’t love her, but he was addicted to controlling her. His obsession with control was a vice he couldn’t be rid of.

After she stood by the window for a few minutes, she went to the bathroom to wash her face and went downstairs to make her own breakfast.

She was warming a glass of milk when she heard a rustling sound from the balcony window.

She strolled over casually while holding a glass of milk and saw a tall figure standing outside the window. The figure seemed anxious as he searched for the window’s lock, considering how he was rather conspicuous with his fumbling. If she were anyone else, he would have been captured by now.

This mysterious person intrigued her. There were a total of six bodyguards around the villa, but someone still managed to sneak in.

She boldly lifted the curtain and was surprised to see that the figure was Christopher.

As their eyes met, both were a little bewildered, but Christopher was the first to come to his senses. He pointed to the lock and gestured to Yuri to open the door for him.

Perhaps she was feeling rather lonely, and having another person in such a long time was an enticing option. So, Yuri didn’t hesitate to unlock the door and let him in.

“What brings you here?” Yuri asked curiously.

“I couldn’t get in touch with you, and when I went to your company, they said that you resigned months ago. So, I might have stalked Brendan for a long time before discovering this place. I didn’t expect to see you here!” Christopher seemed very worked up towards the end of his tirade.

“Why are you looking for me? We broke up a long time ago.” Yuri remained indifferent.

“You know why.” Her indifference doused his excitement, but he stubbornly continued, “You know I’ve been waiting for you.”

At this moment, he suddenly paused, ran to the window, and looked around vigilantly. Then, he came to pull Yuri’s hand and ran toward the door. “We can’t talk now. Come on. I’ll get you out of here.”

Yuri shook off his hand. “This is none of your business. Hurry up and leave.”

Christopher was too naive to think that she could escape Brendan’s grasp. It was a fluke that he managed to sneak in. Brendan’s surveillance was perhaps not foolproof considering Christopher’s appearance, but enough to deter her from making her grand escape. Besides, she knew that Christopher would be spotted within minutes if he left now. So forget rescuing her from this hell. It was already challenging enough for him to escape on his own.

Brendan’s sanity was in shambles. She did not want to drag Christopher into this madman’s schemes.

Alas, Christopher mistakenly thought that she did not want to leave Brendan. He frowned as he persuaded, “Yuri, how can you be so foolish? You love him, but he is not a good person. Do you think he’s nice to you just because he keeps you here so that you don’t have to work or socialize? No! He’s locking you up! He has brainwashed you. No way, I must get you out of here!”

After that, he reached out and tried to grab her hand again.

Yuri deliberately stood a distance away from him and feigned annoyance. “No, I know exactly what I’m doing. I want to stay here. How much do you know about me anyway? Stop being so dramatic, and get the hell out of here! If you don’t leave now, I’ll call the guards!”

Her seemingly insensitive remarks succeeded in hurting Christopher’s heart. He froze in bewilderment and took a while to regain his composure. “No, you’re clearly not thinking straight. I can’t just sit by and watch you fall deeper into his trap!”

He knew very well that Yuri did not want to live like this. The only way he could explain her bizarre behavior was that she must have been hypnotized by Brendan or worse.

Only by taking her out of here and sobering her up would she understand that he was doing this with her well-being in mind.

Therefore, Christopher gave up on reasoning with her as he decided to bring her with him by force. He rushed over, hugged Yuri, and forcibly dragged her out.

At this moment, an eerily cold voice resonated from the door.

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

Christopher looked in the direction of the voice and saw Brendan standing expressionlessly at the door. Brendan looked like a dormant beast in the forest, ready to attack its prey as he fixed his fearsome glare on Christopher.

When Christopher was distracted, Yuri hurriedly broke free from his embrace and hid behind the sofa.

Brendan curled his lips into a mirthless smirk as he stared at Christopher. “Mr. Edwards, do you mind explaining what you’re doing in my villa? This is trespassing, isn’t it?”

“I think you’d better explain why you imprisoned Yuri in the first place!” Christopher stood upright and yelled, “There are so many bodyguards all over the villa! Brendan, talk about bending the law to its limits! How dare you kidnap her in broad daylight and imprison her?!”

Brendan chuckled contemptuously. “Imprison? Did Yuri tell you that, or is this a figment of your imagination?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Why would an interior designer with a promising future suddenly break off all ties with the outside world? But, Brendan, do you know what you’re doing is illegal?!” Christopher said in a solemn tone.

It didn’t matter if this man utterly bewitched Yuri. On the contrary, he would help her so that Brendan could not entirely control her.

“Hahaha!” Brendan laughed disdainfully. “Mr. Edwards, you’re so dramatic. It’s very normal for a man and a woman who fall in love with each other to live together, isn’t it? So why do you have to make it sound so scary?”

“Stop changing the subject! No matter how much you love each other, you can’t restrict the other person’s freedom. That’s enough. I will take Yuri away today!”