Ch. 901..910
Chapter 901 Overtime
“Tsk!” Margaret rolled her eyes at Edmond in frustration. “Just keep quiet! I’ll explain it to you later!”
“To hell with your explanation!” Edmond grabbed his crutches and wobbled to his feet. “Your first explanation ended up with you shoving me onto the street so that a car would run over me, and now you want to give me an explanation that is going to have me turning over all of my assets? Either way, you just want me to be the one who bears the brunt of all the suffering!”
“What are you even saying? Stop acting so crazy! Just shut up!” Margaret never thought he would mess things up at a time like this. In her panic, the only thing she could think to do was to raise her voice and drown him out.
“You’re the one who should just shut up! I’m telling you now. If you want to be taken advantage of, then go ahead and do it alone! I’m not going to go along with this plan of yours. So what if Anastasia has it out for me? I can just file for bankruptcy and let them take my company. Even if that happens, I can still enjoy myself with the millions that my family has. Trying to use my money to achieve your goals and force me to beg on the streets, huh? Don’t even think about it!”
Edmond tore off the bandage around his forehead and neck and threw them away before hobbling off with the help of his crutches.
“You fool!” Margeret stomped her foot in fury. “If you leave now, it’s over for us both!”
Edmond didn’t care at all. He sped up and disappeared out the door soon after.
“Oh, no! The show’s ruined!” Elise gasped mockingly on purpose.
Margaret was infuriated and frustrated at the same time. She clenched her fists as she cursed Edmond in silence.
She had always been shrewd. How did she end up with such a lousy partner?
Margaret turned around and glared at Anastasia with resentment. Discontentment and hatred swirled in her eyes.
“Your partner has given up on the show. What else do you have to say?”
Alexander was staring at her with deep dissatisfaction. The temperature of the air around him seemed to drop several degrees.
He pulled Elise into his arms in silent warning.
Anyone who tried to touch his woman had better ask for his permission first.
Left with no way out, Margaret decided to throw caution to the wind and give it one last shot. “I just want to know one thing. Do you really want Anastasia to return the money to you?”
Alexander held Elise even closer to him. “What do you think?”
He didn’t give a straight answer, but Margaret had the answer anyway.
Alexander wouldn’t make life difficult for Anastasia.
And just like that, Margaret knew that as long as Anastasia was still around, she would always be reminded of just how unfair the world was.
Some people were born with everything in life. Life favored them even without them having to lift a finger. Meanwhile, when it came to her, she would still end up with nothing after all her scheming and plotting.
Margaret hated this world, and she hated Anastasia even more!
If Anastasia hadn’t befriended her, she could’ve still tolerated the perfectly average fate she had, but because Anastasia had stormed into her world, she realized just how unfair it was and started wanting more and more.
It’s all because of Anastasia! Anastasia’s the one who ruined my life!
Margaret gave Anastasia one last look of hatred and resentment before stomping off in anger.
Alexander noticed the look in Margaret’s eyes. As soon as she left, he called his assistant.
“Deal with Margaret and Edmond as soon as possible.”
He hung up immediately after giving his instructions.
“Are you making a move against them too?” Elise had intended to handle the matter herself. She didn’t expect Alexander to get involved.
Alexander brushed her hair to the side gently. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to butt in, but it seems like it won’t be safe if those two are still around. I can only rest easy once they’ve been dealt with.”
“Oh, alright.” Elise shrugged. She did feel it was a bit of an overkill to have Alexander deal with those two.
“Are you unhappy about it?” Alexander asked.
“It’s not that,” Elise said. “I just think it’d be too easy on them if you destroyed them so soon. I wanted to play with them for a little longer.”
That was the only way to make it up to the deceased Anastasia.
“I’ll make sure it’s done properly.” Alexander nodded in all seriousness to assure her that he knew what she wanted before changing the subject to something a lot less solemn. “But why don’t we play among ourselves now?”
“What are we playing?” Elise was serious too.
“Baby-making.”
“Baby-making?”
Alexander had picked Elise up and carried her in his arms before she even had the time to react.
When Elise finally understood what he meant, she glanced at the household staff who were passing by and turned bright red. She punched him lightly on the chest. “What are you doing? It’s broad daylight!”
“Lexi really wants a younger sister, and as her parents, it’s our job to fulfill her wishes, even if it means working overtime.” Alexander had no shame at all.
Elise was speechless. “Is that how you use the word ‘overtime’?”
“How else should I use it? Let’s discuss it in detail when we get to the bedroom.”
Elise had no words.
Alexander, you sneaky b*stard!
Meanwhile, in Cuber Residence on the other side of the ocean.
Narissa was sitting up in bed in the middle of an extravagant room that looked like it belonged to a princess. Out of boredom, she engrossed herself in her computer game.
Buzz!
The phone on her bedside table started vibrating. Narissa glanced at the screen and decided to ignore the call when she saw that it was from a number she didn’t recognize and waited for her phone to stop ringing.
However, the same number called again. It was just as her game was at its climax and the buzzing sound was disrupting her ability to concentrate, so she grabbed her phone and turned it off.
Back on the other side of the ocean, Jamie was filled with doubt after having his call go unanswered twice.
He cross-checked the number he dialed against the one Elise gave him and tried to call once more after confirming that he had the right number, only to hear the robotic message telling him that the phone he was calling had been turned off. He was gobsmacked.
Did Boss give me a fake number?
Narissa didn’t know about any of this. She was fully focused on her game, and after executing a masterful series of skills, she finally emerged victorious.
“Yes!” she exclaimed in excitement.
Just then, she heard footsteps approaching her door. Just as her doorknob started turning, she quickly tossed her laptop aside and yanked the covers over her to act as if she was asleep.
Ever since Narissa came home, she had been holing up in her room without trying to interact with anyone else. Her complete avoidance of any form of social interaction was enough to convince her parents that she was deeply hurt. Thanks to that, she managed to escape several blind dates and matchmaking attempts.
However, the person they were trying to set her up with had come to their house today. She figured that it must be her mother coming up to urge her to go down, so she decided to use her same old ploy to get out of today’s meeting.
Soon, she heard the door closing.
Once the footsteps disappeared down the corridor, Narissa threw her blanket off and sat up gleefully, but the moment she opened her eyes, she looked straight into her father’s stern face.
Narissa slowly lowered her head guiltily. “It’s you, D-Da,” she muttered awkwardly.
Her father, Napoleon Cuber, kept himself in good shape. He was in his fifties but looked like someone in his thirties instead. Still, it did not make his over-six-foot-tall frame any less imposing.
“We have a guest here. Go down and greet him,” Napoleon said grimly.
Narissa scratched her head and started coming up with excuses. “I don’t feel too good today, actually. Why don’t I greet him some other time? It’d be disrespectful of me to meet our guest in this state.”
“You keep delaying it. If not now, when?” Napoleon’s voice was calm but his tone was still stern all the same. “Ever since you were born, your mother and I have never forced you to do anything you didn’t want to do. You’re the one who made the decision this time. You’re an adult. You need to learn to take responsibility for the things you say.”
Chapter 902 Gale Myres, Her Childhood Friend
“But I hope my daughter won’t be a coward who only knows how to run away from things.”
Napoleon walked off after having said what he wanted to say.
Narissa tried to explain herself, but in the end, nothing came out. She had no choice but to get out of bed and do as told.
Twenty minutes had already passed by the time she started heading downstairs. She paused at the stairs and realized that both her parents had gone out. There was only a man in a gray suit sitting on the couch in the living room. He seemed to have been waiting for quite some time.
Narissa marched down the stairs reluctantly and walked over to the back of the couch before greeting politely, “Sorry to have kept you waiting for so long.”
Her eyes kept wandering as she did not wish to look the other person in the eye.
“Do you still remember me, Rissie?”
The familiar nickname sparked a long-forgotten memory. Narissa raised her head. Her eyes lit up the moment she saw the man’s face.
“Gale? Why are you here?”
Gale Myres was the son of the Cubers’ family friend. He was eight years older than Narissa. When they were younger, he would often take her out to play and introduced all sorts of extreme sports to her. Later, they slowly lost contact when Gale went abroad.
Since then, Gale had become a lot more dignified. The air of masculinity that emanated from him was very appealing as his tall figure and muscular physique made him even manlier than before.
“Who else do you think it would’ve been?” Gale’s voice was rich and mesmerizing.
“Wasn’t it supposed to be someone from BJ Biotech?” Narissa asked.
“Don’t you remember? My paternal aunt’s the wife of the president of BJ Biotech. I’m here in my cousin’s place,” Gale explained calmly.
“So are you the one who’s here to be matchmade, or is it supposed to be your cousin?” Narissa was a lot more relaxed now. She was eager for gossip instead.
“That’s not important. What’s most important is that neither my cousin nor I intend to form a marriage alliance. I always believe that love should be the basis of marriage, so you don’t have to scour your brain to come up with excuses to avoid meeting me,” Gale explained with a smile.
“Really?” Narissa’s joy was written all over her face.
“When have I ever lied to you?” Gale’s tone was full of affection.
“Yay!” Narissa clapped happily.
“Are you so happy to not marry me?” Gale wasn’t sure how he should be reacting to this. “Could you not make it so obvious? I’d feel hurt, you know?”
“Hehe.” Narissa clutched Gale’s arm and pouted like a little kid. “Gale, you’re like a brother to me, so you won’t be angry with your little sister, right?”
Gale ruffled her hair and didn’t deny it. “I heard that you’ve been keeping to your room for quite some time now. Why don’t I take you out for some fun?”
“You read my mind, Gale!”
Narissa had been dying to get out of the house but she couldn’t find a suitable excuse all this while, so why would she turn Gale down when he was providing her with the best excuse?
“Let’s go, Princess Narissa.”
Narissa spent a fulfilling day with Gale keeping her company.
Night had fallen by the time they returned to Cuber Residence with huge smiles on their faces.
Narissa spotted Napoleon sitting on the couch when she came in, and she even greeted him with a smile, “Good evening, Da.”
“Mr. Cuber.” Gale nodded politely.
“Hello, Gale.” Napoleon nodded back. “Did you two have a good time?”
“We had a great time!” Narissa replied. “Da, you and Ma won’t have to worry about me getting depression if you let Gale come over more often!
Anyway, I’m going up now. I want to take a shower and get ready for bed. Goodnight, Da. Goodnight, Gale!”
Narissa was back to her old, wild self again. She said whatever she wanted to say before flying up to her room, leaving Napoleon and Gale alone in the living room.
“Seems to me that you and Rissa get along pretty well,” Napoleon spoke up.
“Yeah.” Gale didn’t deny it. “Narissa and I are childhood friends. I know what she’s like and I know how to make her happy.”
“I’m glad then. So, what about the engagement?” Napoleon brought up hesitantly to see what Gale’s attitude toward this was.
“I’ll inform my parents about this and try to set the wedding date as soon as possible,” Gale responded calmly.
“Excellent.” Napoleon was immensely satisfied.
“I’ll get going then. Goodbye, Mr. Cuber.”
“Yes, go on.”
At Brendan Atelier in Tissote.
The doors swung open and Danny walked into the main hall hand-in-hand with Ariel. The two sat down in front of Brendan and Yuri.
Soon, the atelier staff brought out the treasured wedding gowns that Brendan had hidden away for a long time. There were five of them all lined up in a row, and the staff left once they arranged everything in order.
“My dear lovely brides, please select your armor of choice for your wedding ceremony.”
People were often a lot cheerier when they had something to celebrate. Danny was so full of joy and good humor that he sounded like a comedian each time he spoke.
“Ariel should go first.” Yuri was pregnant and didn’t feel like moving.
“If you insist.”
Ariel got up and inspected all of the gowns. She stopped in front of the gown in the middle and studied the details for quite some time.
But before she could choose that gown, Brendan got up and recommended a different one to her. “You should choose this one. It complements your figure the best.”
He had designed the one in the middle specifically for Yuri.
Ariel compared the two gowns. While she didn’t say anything, her eyes kept flitting back to the gown in the middle.
Danny saw right through her and openly asked Brendan for a favor. “Brendan, I’ll pay for my nephew’s one-month-old celebration, so give Ariel that gown in the middle.”
“Isn’t it expected of you to spend a bit of money on your nephew anyway?” Brendan rejected the offer tactfully.
“I’ll also pay for his graduation party, okay? That should be enough, right?” Danny was insistent on fulfilling all of Ariel’s desires.
Brendan glanced at Yuri and hesitated.
Ariel immediately realized what was going on and chose to compromise. “It’s okay. Your brother’s the designer. He knows which gown would suit me better, so I’ll go with his suggestion.”
“Oh, fine. Either way, you’re the most beautiful woman in the world to me no matter what you wear.” Danny’s honeyed tongue struck again. Love filled the air as the couple smiled at each other.
“Can you two cut it out?” Brendan had a look of disdain.
“Hah! You’re one to talk! Don’t think I don’t know that you’re probably even worse than me behind closed doors!” Danny retorted.
Seeing that the comments were getting a little out of hand, Yuri quickly stepped in to stop them. “That’s enough. You two should stop ribbing each other. Ariel, if you like the gown in the middle, you can have it.”
Brendan took Yuri by the hand to stop her. “I’m here. You don’t have to give in to someone else,” he muttered.
Yuri smiled and whispered into his ear, “The waist of the dress is too small. I can’t fit into it.”
Brendan glanced down at her slightly bulging abdomen and realized what she meant.
True enough, he hadn’t considered the possibility of her being pregnant when he designed the wedding gown. She could no longer fit into it now.
Before anyone else could react, Danny snatched the wedding gown and grabbed Ariel’s hand before running off.
“Well, we’ll take it! Thanks, Yuri!”
“Hey! You brat!” Brendan was exasperated as he called out, “You’re paying for both the graduation party and the wedding too!”
“No problem!”
Chapter 903 No One Walks Out This Door
At Trade Street intersection. The gray sports car slowly came to a stop at the traffic light. Danny’s hands rested casually on the steering wheel as he turned to Ariel with adoring eyes.
“You haven’t let go of that wedding gown ever since you laid hands on it. You must really like it a lot.”
Ariel smiled brightly. “The details on this gown are exquisite, and the material feels lovely on the skin. I have to admit that your brother truly knows what women want.”
“This is nothing. You wouldn’t be interested in this gown at all if my other sister-in-law were here,” Danny declared with pride.
Initially, he wanted to ask Elise to design a gown for Ariel, but he was afraid that he might end up causing trouble if he did, so he had no choice but to set his sights on Brendan instead.
As they chatted, Brendan’s eyes flickered out onto the street. He noticed the cafe at the corner of the street on his right.
Margaret and Edmond were coming out of the cafe with Raffle. All of them had furtive looks on their faces as if they were plotting something.
Honk!
The ear-piercing honk from the car behind snapped Danny out of his thoughts. He glanced at the traffic light, and by the time he turned to check on the trio again, they were long gone.
Danny drove off. First, he dropped Ariel back at her mother’s house before sending a text to Alexander to inform him about what he had seen earlier. Then, he drove back to Griffith Residence. He planned to check on a few things himself.
As soon as he entered the house, he saw Madeline sitting on the couch rubbing her feet. She was wincing in pain but the foot rub seemed to give her relief.
A sea of shopping bags cluttered around the couch, so much so that there was barely any space left to walk.
Danny went over and started teasing, “My dearest Mom, you’re getting up in your years, you know? Take it easy when you go shopping. Just get the store to send over anything that catches your eye. You don’t need to tire yourself out like that.”
Madeline rolled her eyes at him. “You ungrateful little brat. Why did I tire myself out like that, huh? Who do you think it’s for? It’s all for you! I wouldn’t have put myself through all this if it weren’t for the sake of getting along with your mother-in-law. I’ve never had to walk so much in heels in my life! Look, my skin is chafed now. Ouch—”
“You went out with Ariel’s mother?” Danny subconsciously lowered his voice.
“Who else could it be?” Madeline stared at her sore heel—she wasn’t sure if she should touch it—before grumbling to herself, “Why would she let you marry her daughter if I don’t butter her up first to make sure she knows her daughter will be in good hands? What if you fail to get married this time? Don’t tell me you plan on spending the rest of your life as a bachelor.”
Danny was moved beyond words.
He always thought that his mother would be very harsh toward any woman her sons dated. Who would’ve known that at the end of the day, she was still the one who always put their best interests first? She was the one who loved them the most.
“Mom,” Danny called out solemnly. “Thank you.”
“If you really want to thank me, then you better have a happy marriage with Ariel. Don’t get any of those silly ideas again!” Madeline reprimanded.
Danny was amused. “Don’t worry, Mom. I won’t do anything that’ll make you fret anymore. I’ll take you to your room.”
“Oh, you little brat. Look at you finally discovering your sense of decency.” Although Madeline appeared as if she didn’t care for Danny’s response, deep down inside, she was filled with contentment. As Danny helped her up the stairs, she kept giving him advice. “Remember what your mother tells you, okay? If you want a happy home, the man and the woman must first be good to each other…”
The next day.
A maid started knocking on Elise and Alexander’s door bright and early in the morning.
“Mr. Griffith, Mr. Thompson has come. He says he’s looking for Mrs. Griffith and won’t leave until he sees her!”
The couple had no choice but to march down the stairs weary-eyed to greet their uninvited guest.
“Mr. Thompson.” Elise stretched lazily. “You’re here early. How can I help you?”
“Good morning, Miss White. I’m here to look for you. Prince Caleb wants to see you, so please come with me.” Mack looked positively giddy in a way that tempted others to slap him.
“What for?” Alexander sounded tired, and it was most likely due to the couple’s long, strenuous night.
“I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to disclose that for now. Miss White will find out soon enough once she gets there,” Mack smirked as he retorted airily. He looked like the cat that caught the canary.
Elise leaned against Alexander and continued scrolling through her phone. She showed no sign of getting up.
“Please wait a moment, Mr. Thompson. I will get changed and come with you,” Alexander said.
“That won’t be necessary.” Mack raised his voice and called out haughtily, “Prince Caleb only wishes to meet with Miss White. You can visit him some other time, Mr. Griffith!”
Alexander’s expression darkened and his eyes turned menacing. Even the air around him turned hostile.
However, Mack looked him straight in the eye with full confidence and didn’t back down at all, to Alexander’s surprise. The air around them became tense.
Just then, Elise’s phone buzzed.
She glanced at the screen and saw that she just received a text from Princess Diana. ‘You must make sure Mr. Griffith comes with you!’
Elise was silent in thought for a second before she casually passed Alexander her phone and stood up. “So what if the prince wants to see me? I don’t want to see him, so I’m not going.”
Mack narrowed his eyes and stared at her dangerously. “Prince Caleb and Princess Diana have come from afar. They’re honored guests here at Cittadel. It seems to me that your attitude is a little too disrespectful, Miss White.”
Alexander finished reading the text and pocketed the phone before standing up and putting his arm around Elise’s waist. “So you do know that you’re guests, huh? You’re in Cittadel and you don’t have the right to restrict the freedom of Cittadelians. Anastasia is my loved one. No one gets to walk out this door in one piece after demanding to see her alone without my presence, not even the authorities here in Cittadel!”
Alexander’s imposing aura made it clear that he was not to be fought on this. Any form of provocation wouldn’t work on him.
After thinking in silence for quite some time, Mack finally gave in. “In that case, please come with us, Mr. Griffith.”
Half an hour later, Mack had brought the couple to Prince Caleb and Princess Diana’s place.
Prince Caleb and Princess Diana were sitting at the head of the grand hall, while Margaret stood beside Raffle. Her sharp eyes glinted murderously as if she was about to send someone to their death.
Elise sighed in annoyance. Margaret again. Why is she even more irritating than the Whites? She’s like dog poop that can’t seem to be scraped off the bottom of the shoe.
Elise didn’t even have to spend any time guessing. She knew that Margaret was certainly up to no good again.
Sure enough, as soon as Elise and Alexander greeted the royal couple, Raffle and Margaret began their performance.
“Mr. Griffith and Miss White, as this is a matter of great importance, please overlook the fact that I didn’t inform you in advance.” Raffle stood aside to let Margaret take the stage. “This morning, Miss Ainsley kneeled outside the Department of Commerce to protest against the injustice of the designer selection. After understanding the situation, I realized that I couldn’t make the decision myself, so I brought her here in the hopes that everyone could discuss how we could resolve this matter. Miss Ainsley, go ahead and say whatever it is you have to say in front of Prince Caleb and Princess Diana.”
Raffle was the one who brought Margaret over to lodge a complaint, but the sly fox was here acting as if he was merely doing what was right.
Chapter 904 Strategic Retreat
Alexander and Elise smirked at each other, but they didn’t disrupt the show just yet. Instead, they had all the patience in the world as they chose the best seats for the show.
“I have something to report, Your Highness. I wish to report Anastasia White and Alexander Griffith for their private dealings. They engaged in nepotism and ignored the rules of the designer selection by including Anastasia in the list of candidates even though she doesn’t have any design experience at all. They’re trying to rig the results of the selection!”
Margaret kneeled on the floor and wagged her finger at Anastasia as she vented furiously as if she was doing the world a great favor by exposing a heinous crime.
“How absurd!” Princess Diana huffed. “A designer is judged based on their talent, not their experience. Prince Caleb and I have both seen Miss Anastasia’s designs. Although they’re not necessarily the world’s most jaw-dropping designs, they certainly are good enough to allow her to join the selection. So what if the rules are bent a little for her?”
As Princess Diana spoke, she gave Elise a look of reassurance, letting Elise know that she was on her side and that Elise didn’t have to panic.
Elise nodded lightly in gratitude.
“Your Highness, does this mean that as long as a person is talented, it doesn’t matter how terrible her character is and how dishonorable her actions are? Can a person like that be in charge of a brand that represents both Yveltalia and Cittadel?” Margaret cried out in deep anguish.
“What do you mean?” Prince Caleb asked sternly.
“Anastasia White.” Margaret pointed at Elise. “The woman who’s sitting beside Alexander right now is a despicable woman who is heartless, cruel, and has no sense of decency, not even toward her own family!”
“A few years ago, she selfishly stole her own younger sister’s boyfriend and even got pregnant out of wedlock without knowing who the father is. And now, she’s living out her life of luxury while her parents beg on the streets without a home to stay in. If a person as materialistic, selfish, and immoral as her becomes an international designer, what kind of an example would she be setting for the younger generation? Your Highnesses, have you considered just how serious the consequences would be?”
“Why should I believe you?” Prince Caleb calmly asked on purpose so that Margaret could continue.
“I have proof!” Margaret was still kneeling on the floor. “And if that’s not enough, I can bring Anastasia’s parents over and provide videos of them begging on the streets. Anastasia and I have been friends for over a decade. I have no reason to slander her. I wouldn’t have taken the risk to complain about her at the Department of Commerce if she hadn’t gone too far. I really don’t want to see her setting a bad example for the future generation!”
Raffle passed over the information he had prepared from the start. “The video that Miss Ainsley is referring to is on this tablet. You can take a look, Your Highness.”
Alexander, who had been silent all this while, couldn’t resist remarking sarcastically, “You’re so well-prepared, Secretary Raffle. Look at you giving so much attention to my fiancée’s matters despite all the work you have on hand. I feel so bad for troubling you.”
“Please don’t misunderstand, Mr. Griffith. I prioritize all matters, regardless of who it involves. This is no ordinary matter. It’d also be in your best interest to resolve it as soon as possible,” Raffle declared as the staunch defender of justice.
“So I should be thanking you, huh?” Alexander cocked his eyebrows as his eyes flashed coldly.
Raffle surreptitiously averted his eyes to avoid Alexander’s piercing gaze.
After watching the video, Prince Caleb let out a heavy sigh. “What do you wish to say, Miss White?”
Princess Diana kept eyeing Elise as well. Defend yourself, Anastasia!
Elise’s gaze swept across the room before she said coolly, “I will voluntarily withdraw from the designer selection.”
“So you’re admitting that everything Margaret said about you is true!” Mack couldn’t wait to affirm her guilt.
Elise’s sharp gaze landed on him for the briefest moment before flitting away. She looked straight ahead and announced loudly, “On the contrary, I’m withdrawing for the sake of maintaining the fairness and justice of the rules.”
“Prince Caleb and Princess Diana agreed to let me join the selection because of the children, and out of courtesy too. I never thought it’d invite so much dissatisfaction from others. The designer selection is something that’ll benefit both countries. I don’t wish to be the reason why it’s held up. I’m not withdrawing from the selection because of a guilty conscience. Instead, I’m doing so because it’s the quickest and most efficient way to resolve this matter. My priority is to do what’s best for both nations’ citizens.”
“Don’t try to weasel your way out with those ridiculous claims! What do you mean for the sake of the citizens? You’re just using that as an excuse to hide your selfish, despicable, and immoral ways!” Margaret fired back.
Elise looked Margaret straight in the eye without any fear. “So what if I’m a selfish and immoral person? Who has the right to point fingers at my life if I’m not part of the selection?”
While speaking, she made her way over to Margaret. By the time she finished speaking, she was mere inches away from Margaret.
Margaret gulped subconsciously due to Elise’s domineering presence.
However, Margaret soon snapped out of it, and her expression hardened with hostility once more.
She had gone so far as to lodge a complaint in front of Prince Caleb and openly stand against Alexander. She wasn’t going to let Anastasia continue proving how worthy of awe her life was.
Margaret wanted to drag Anastasia down with her. She wanted Anastasia and all of Anastasia’s descendants to live an average life just like she herself had. She wanted them to be lowly citizens who couldn’t escape from their mundane life no matter how hard they tried!
She had nothing left. She had to make sure that Anastasia fell into the gutter with her!
“Your Highness, Secretary Raffle, you heard what Anastasia said. She admitted to being a b*tch. A woman like her deserves to be mocked by all of society! She shouldn’t be allowed to be a public figure! Hurry up and do something!” Margaret was so beside herself with impatience that she forgot all about who she was.
Prince Caleb sensed the commanding tone in her voice and eyed her sharply.
Margaret felt shivers down her spine. She fell silent at once.
At last, Prince Caleb slowly started hinting, “Mr. Griffith, as the foremost entrepreneur in Cittadel, you have the highest chance of becoming the representative of this brand. Both nations will be watching everything you say or do. It’s better for you to be more selective when it comes to the woman you keep beside you. Love should go both ways. Miss White, if you truly love Mr. Griffith, then you should know better than to drag him down at a time like this.”
“Are you breaking us up on Alexander’s behalf, Your Highness?” Elise snorted. “Let me remind you that this is Cittadel. You don’t have the power to do anything you want here.”
Prince Caleb’s expression darkened as his eyes flashed with rage. “Are you threatening me, Miss White? Are you saying that as Yveltalia’s representative for this selection, I don’t have the right to look into the corporations who are bidding for the brand?”
“All things go both ways. You’re the one who tried to get involved in my relationship with Alexander. You showed no respect for others, so why are you demanding that others respect you and cooperate with you?”
Elise had had enough of Prince Caleb’s pretense. He was clearly using this as an excuse to make things difficult for them, so she fought right back.
Chapter 905 Karma
At that moment, Prince Caleb had a grim expression and didn’t respond, making the atmosphere awkward. In that split second, Alexander turned around and looked at his assistant, who was standing by the door. Immediately, the assistant understood and entered the room, handing him a thick kraft paper bag.
When Margaret saw the familiar paper bag with its rope-tying method, her face went pale, and cold sweat formed on her forehead. At that moment, she was sure that the paper bag in Alexander’s hand contained her crime profile, which she had sent to the Griffith Residence to prove her loyalty.
Most of the information was fake, and she even made changes just to prevent Anastasia from filing a report against her. After all, if that happened, she would be sentenced to a few years less than she was supposed to. However, her loyalty would then be questioned, and no one would believe her words. Hence, she stared at the paper bag intently and made up her mind to take back the information.
Just as Alexander took out the papers inside, Margaret dashed toward him and snatched over the papers, tearing them into pieces. As the crowd watched her in astonishment, she tore the papers into pieces and flung them in the air, causing them to rain like snowflakes.
Seeing the scene, Margaret laughed crazily as she thought they wouldn’t be able to slander her anymore.
“You! What are you doing?!” Prince Caleb was furious.
“Can I assume that you are guilty?” Elise commented casually, and her voice was filled with contempt. “I didn’t know that you would be afraid too. Now, do you know the feeling of being backstabbed by others?”
“Hmph, say whatever you want. After all, there’s nothing you can use against me now!” Margaret’s nose flared as she spoke, looking proud of herself.
At this moment, she heard Alexander’s bitter voice sounding behind her. “Are you sure?” he asked coldly.
Hearing his words, Margaret turned around and looked at him warily. “Of course. I have the original document in my hands and will never tell you where it is. So, you’ll never find it.” Those pieces of information were like a time-ticking bomb, so she wouldn’t be a fool and have many copies of it. She even hid it from everyone else. It was in a safe place, and she was confident that no one would ever find out.
This was who Margaret was. She would prepare everything beforehand. When she gave the copy to Alexander, she had predicted such a day would come. Hence, as long as she took the initiative and destroyed the evidence, no one would be able to testify against her.
When Alexander heard her words, he smiled mockingly. “It’s quite boring to look at a word document, so why don’t we see something interesting?” Then, he walked toward the exhibition and took out a remote control, turning on the huge screen of the display.
After a minute, a PowerPoint of Margaret’s brochure appeared on the screen. Then, Alexander started his presentation. “Fifteen years ago, Margaret used Anastasia’s design and successfully signed a book publisher under Margot Anastasi. Fifteen years later, many novels and publishing networks gave her a net profit of five trillion dollars, but she only gave Anastasia five hundred million. Twelve years ago, Margaret and Edmond, Anastasia’s boyfriend, were in a relationship secretly for almost a year. Seven years later, they put a bomb on the cruise ship that Anastasia was boarding, causing almost hundreds of people to die while Anastasia survived the attack. Recently, they contacted several studios to stop her from coming back. Here is some video footage of Margaret spending time with Edmond and Adelpha.”
Then, the huge screen played the footage of Margaret flirting with Edmond and slandering Anastasis with Adelpha. In the footage, Margaret had an emo hairstyle, and her scheme was obvious. Looking at the scene on the screen, Elise thought karma was happening to Margaret. Unfortunately, the real Anastasia would never be the truth.
At that moment, Margaret was stunned. After she snapped back to her senses, she screamed and ran toward the screen, trying to cover up those ugly scenes with her body.
“No! Stop looking! Close your eyes! Where’s the power source? Cut it out!” No matter how hysterical she became, the crowd only looked at her coldly, sparing her no mercy.
After some time, Margaret was devastated. In that split second, she saw a stool beside her and grabbed it, trying to throw it against the huge screen. However, she never realized that the metal stool would be entwined with the screen’s wire, and she couldn’t separate it.
Boom! Zap!
“Ahhh! Help! Help me!”
With a huge electric shock, Margaret began to shake violently, and her blonde hair was struck by the electricity, causing her hair to fly. After the explosion, Margaret lay on the ground as her limbs twisted together, shaking violently. There was black smoke coming out of her mouth.
Anastasia passed away in an explosion and Margaret died the same way. It seemed that karma would always be there, no matter what. When the scene happened, no one expected this to happen. Hence, the crowd was silent.
After some time, Raffle snapped back to his senses and immediately announced, “Call the ambulance and notify the firefighters. Check every outlet of the room to see if there is any hidden danger. I’m sorry that you have to see this, Prince Caleb and Princess Diana. I’m afraid that we’ll have to stay in another hotel. I’ll see to it right away.”
Princess Diana was horrified by Margaret’s state. Without hesitation, she urged Prince Caleb to take her back home. After they had left, the room was left with Raffel, Alexander, and Elise as they stared at each other blankly.
Seeing that the royals had left, Raffle took the initiative to step up and ask for forgiveness. “Mr. Griffith, what happened today was a mistake. Margaret had also tricked me into this. I hope you don’t mind.”
“You shouldn’t be apologizing to me, Secretary Raffle,” Alexander said indirectly.
Raffle was a smart man. When he heard Alexander’s words, he set his gaze on Elise and reached out his hand. “I’m sorry about my actions, Miss White. I deeply apologize and hope you can forgive me. Why don’t we let this off the hook and continue to be on good terms?”
Hearing his words, Elise looked at his hand and raised her head. Then, she said with a monotonous expression, “I’m afraid I can’t do so.”
“You have given up on the qualifications to compete in order to protect the rule. Hence, I believe that we are the same. Let’s not hold on to such a problem. If you are willing to forgive me, I’ll do anything to help you if you ever need me.”
Hearing his words, Elise smiled, but her eyes were icy cold. “You’re wrong, Secretary Raffle. There’s a saying that goes, narrow-minded people and women are not to be messed with. Moreover, I’m the meanest among women. So, I will not do as you wish!”
Seeing that she was persistent, Raffle could only return in defeat. Although he had offended Anastasia, he also succeeded in estranging both Prince Caleb and Alexander with Elise.
Chapter 906 Stupid Criminal
As Alexander watched the crowd leave, he silently held onto Elise’s hand and said seriously, “Looks like Prince Caleb is still unaware of the situation.” If the prince knew better, he wouldn’t look disappointed when Margaret was exposed.
“He doesn’t seem to understand that his country will never be able to win, even if Smith Co. and I don’t exist. At this point, the best thing to do is to find a strong companion rather than to fight against them.” As Elise spoke, she felt that Prince Caleb and his citizens were short-sighted.
“An arrogant person will only notice their mistake when they fall hard. Those who looked down on my wife are destined to fail, so you don’t have to pity them,” Alexander whispered as he ruffled her hair.
“You’re right. Prince Caleb is the one to blame since he couldn’t tell that I’m a diamond in the rough.” As Elise spoke, she looked proud.
…
At nighttime, Danny and Ariel walked out of the store together and decided to take a stroll on the same old path they had gone through multiple times. It felt different, however, for they did not go through the space as business partners but as a duo who enjoyed each other’s presence.
Looking at the starry night, Danny couldn’t help but rejoice about how far they had come. “If only I could hold you like this forever and not think or do anything else. That would be great.”
Hearing his words, Ariel teased him. “Are you sure you aren’t going to do anything?”
Immediately, Danny took the bait and walked in front of her, and blocked her path. Then, he said seriously, “Let’s go back. We’ll drive home.”
“Why? I thought we were going to experience different kinds of dating methods. Are you in a rush?” Ariel acted dumb and walked past him. She had her hands behind her as she continued to step forward.
Looking at her, Danny felt like he was being seduced. Then, he walked sideways like a crab and said, “There’s no need to rush if we were to go out on a date. However, we should head home earlier if we still have something else to do, right? Let’s go home, babe, okay?”
“Do you have anything to do?” Ariel continued to act dumb as she suppressed her laughter and looked at him innocently.
The more innocent she looked, the burning desire in Danny increased. Then, he trapped her against the fence and stared at her with a heated gaze. “You know what I’m talking about, Ariel. Don’t act dumb. I want to…”
As Ariel listened to his words, her beautiful eyes shone brightly. Her eyes were like a void, sucking Danny into it, causing him to gulp hardly. Then, she made a bold attempt to caress his throat with her fingers.
“What do you want? How can I satisfy you if you don’t tell me? Hmm?” Ariel was seducing him as she spoke. Still, she was looking at Danny flirtatiously the whole time, not afraid to meet his lusted eyes.
At that moment, Danny’s face was flushed, and the veins at the back of his hand were bulging as he suppressed his desire forcefully. He had fallen hard for her trap. The harder he fell, the harder it was for him to snap out from it.
After some time, he reluctantly let go of Ariel, but his eyes were still filled with lust. Then, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his embrace as he looked down at her. “You are such a sexy minx.”
Hearing his words, Ariel was not afraid, and she even wrapped her arms around his neck. “Are you afraid of a mere minx?”
“Don’t tell me to go slow later!”
When Danny saw that she was in a daze, he seized the opportunity and carried her bridal style as he marched toward the parking lot.
“Put me down! Danny!” Ariel didn’t expect him to lose his cool.
“We’ll talk about it after you get what you deserve.” As Danny spoke, he didn’t spare a glance at her and quickened his pace.
If they weren’t outside and were at home, he would have made love to Ariel. Her breath, her scent, and her body—everything about her enticed him.
Soon, they arrived at the parking lot. After Danny had put her in the passenger seat, he closed the door and walked toward the driver seat. As soon as he opened the door, he stopped his actions and looked in the rear mirror. From the rear mirror view, he could see a black figure standing behind the pillar not far away. After a moment, Danny regained his senses and maintained composure as he got into the car. Then, he immediately started the engine and drove toward the exit.
As expected, a black business car was trailing behind him. When Ariel noticed that he looked serious, her face turned solemn. Out of habit, she observed the car behind them through the rearview mirror. It was not the first time they had experienced such a situation in the past seven years, so they were used to it.
After observing for a moment, Ariel came to a logical conclusion. “They are being cautious about it. It looks like they are not aggressive.”
“Well, then. Let’s greet them, shall we?” As Danny spoke, he looked at the map on his GPS. Then, he was calm and confident when he raised his head.
On the other hand, as the man in the business car noticed that the vehicle in the front was speeding up, he raised the brim and sped up. Just as he was focusing on Danny’s whereabouts, he didn’t expect Danny to take a sharp turn and go into an alley after an intersection. Since the man drove too fast, he drove past the alleyway and could only stop the car in a hurry. Then, he reversed his car and drove into the alleyway as fast as possible. To his surprise, the alleyway was about fifty meters. Just as he sped up his car, he noticed that it was a dead end.
“F*ck!” The man cursed and stepped on the brake hard. However, he still crashed against the fence, and almost half of his car was dangling on the lake. Just as he moved and was about to unfasten his seatbelt, he felt the car tilted toward the lake. At that moment, he kept quiet and stopped moving.
Just as he was about to turn on his AI mechanism and call the police, he heard a gloating voice.
“Another stupid criminal,” the spokesperson said.
In that split second, the car door was opened, and Danny grabbed the man out of the car and threw him on the floor. At the same time, the car lost its balance and sank into the lake.
As the man looked at the lake, he sucked a sharp breath. After all, no one would notice if he drowned. When he was found, his body would be icy cold. At that moment, he knew that he owed Danny and Ariel a favor.
As the man was in thought, Danny interrogated him with a stern expression as he propped himself with both hands on his knees. “Hey, you! Who do you work for?” He wanted to see which rivals of his had summoned such poorly skilled subordinates.
Chapter 907 Jessie
“I don’t know!” Seeing that the man refused to admit his identity as expected, Danny said nothing more and searched if there was anything on the man. Soon, he found a notebook in the man’s upper pocket.
When Danny opened up the book, he saw all of his personal information. ‘Danny Griffith. Height: good. Weight: good. Facial structure: pass. Pee-pee: very…’
“What’s a pee-pee?” asked Danny as he shoved the notebook in front of the man’s face. Hearing his words, the man raised his chin and decided not to answer. At that moment, Danny punched him in the chest. Then, the man coughed vigorously. “Are you going to speak up!?”
“Yes!” The man immediately surrendered and obliged. Then, his gaze slowly looked down and stopped between Danny’s legs. “Pee-pee is the one you used to make a baby with…” he explained.
When Danny heard his words, he was momentarily stunned. Then, he followed the man’s gaze and looked at his lower half. At that moment, he was red from embarrassment and threw the notebook at the man. “I thought you were some sick serial killer, but you are just sick in the head!”
Ariel laughed and commented sarcastically, “Looks like you are quite popular with men.”
When Danny heard her words, he punched the man even harder. “You are a pervert!”
After being slapped a couple of times, the man finally broke down and resisted. “That’s enough! Don’t you dare slap me again! I’m scary when I’m angry!” However, even when he stood straight up, he was still half a head shorter than Danny. Even when his eyes widened, he didn’t look intimidating.
At first, Danny was startled by his scream. Then, he shook his head and knocked the man’s head with the notebook. “Well, what are you waiting for?” He had seen many perverts who would stalk others and take photos of them. Most of them were weak and much said than done, so there was nothing to be afraid of.
“Ouch! It hurts!”
As expected, the man still dodged the attack by blocking it with his hands. However, he wasn’t able to avoid it anymore and kneeled abruptly, hugging Ariel’s leg as he begged for mercy.
“Save me, Miss Whitney. Your father had sent me here. I can’t die!”
When Danny saw a 5’9 foot man crying as he hugged a woman’s legs, he was shocked. It was almost as if he saw pigs flying in the sky. Then, he swallowed hard and kicked the man. “Don’t touch my woman, you pervert!”
However, the man rolled on the ground before rolling back and hugging Ariel again. “I’m a good person, Miss Whitney!” As he cried, he didn’t forget to wipe away his tears.
At that moment, Ariel and Danny exchanged glances. Although they were skeptical about the man, it was obvious that he was crying because he was wronged.
“Stop fooling around. I didn’t use much force!” Then, Danny looked at Ariel innocently as he spoke. “Is he a retard?”
Ariel shrugged, indicating that she wasn’t sure either. Then, Danny became interested in the man. Hence, he crouched and comforted the man. “Hey. What’s your name?”
However, the man ignored him and turned his head away as he huffed loudly.
“Hey! What’s with the attitude?” Danny was provoked and pushed the man. “Turn around and face me if you are a man!”
Still, the man refused to cooperate and clung against Ariel’s legs.
“Are you trying to take advantage of her?” As Danny spoke, he rolled up his sleeves and was going to punch the man again.
However, Ariel felt that something was off. Thus, she stopped Danny. “Let me try it.”
Although Danny was unwilling, he still obliged when he heard her words and stood beside her obediently.
Only then did Ariel ruffle the man’s hair gently. “Hey. You said that my father sent you here. Have you mistaken me for someone else?”
Immediately, the man stopped crying and released her as he took two steps back. Then, he sat on the ground and said respectfully, “No, Miss Ariel. Mr. Whitney knew that you were getting married, so he asked me to check on your husband’s background to prevent you from being fooled.”
Hearing his words, Danny rolled his eyes. I don’t need a fake marriage when I am this good-looking.
When Ariel heard his words, she had an awkward expression. “My father passed away when I was a child.” This man is acting like a child.
“There isn’t a mistake, Miss Ariel. You can ask Mrs. Whitney about this,” the man said confidently.
When Ariel realized that he knew about her mother, she was shocked, but she didn’t show it on her face. Then, she calmly asked the man for his number.
“Here. This is for you, Miss Ariel.” The man stood up and took out a smartwatch from his pocket. “If you ever need me, just say the word Jessie three times. I’ll appear by then.”
Hearing the man’s words, Danny leaned closer since he was curious. Then, he looked at the smartwatch and the man. “Who is Jessie?” he asked as he raised an eyebrow.
“I am,” Jessie said proudly.
Hearing his words, Danny was speechless. “Do you have anything normal on you?” Not only do you cry as soon as you get punched, you also have such a feminine name. As a tall and bulk man, don’t you feel ashamed when you look at yourself in the mirror?
“Hmph! Leave me alone!” Jessie glanced at him and turned his head away unhappily.
“Don’t make it sound like I want to care for you.” As Danny spoke, he clapped his hands and hugged Ariel as they left. Then, he provoked Jessie, saying, “Bye, Jessie. I’m going to take good care of Miss Ariel.”
Listening to his words, Jessie was furious, and his whole body was tense. Then, he punched the wall beside him. As he watched the duo leave, he sighed and took out his phone, calling the emergency number on his phone. “Master, I was caught…” he said.
“It’s fine. After all, you are the most unpresentable subordinate I have ever had. I’ll think of something. Just stay there at the moment.”
“Okay.” After Jessie hung up the phone, he walked into the darkness quietly.
After that night, the wall of the alleyway suddenly had a dent that was five centimeters deep. On the other hand, when Ariel got into the car, she dialed Rebecca’s number.
“Mommy, a man came up to me and claimed that he is my father…” Then, she stopped talking, letting Rebecca explain.
However, Rebecca was as cold as usual. “So?” She didn’t intend to explain it to Ariel.
When Ariel heard her tone, she was used to it. Then, she asked faintly, “I remembered that you always told me you are a single mom.”
“What’s wrong with that? I said that I’m a single mom, but I didn’t say you came out of a rock. Are you blaming me when you are the one who misinterpreted my words?” said Rebecca. She had her own interpretation of words.
Hearing her words, Ariel sighed. All she wanted to know was the truth. Thus, she asked, “What kind of person is my father?”
“He is a coward! A nothing for good! If you still want to be my daughter, keep this in mind—you never had a father, and you don’t need one in the future!” Rebecca explained emotionally.
Then, she hung up the phone.
Chapter 908 She Won’t Respond if She’s Not Interested
At Alexander’s house, Jamie limped into the room hurriedly with a walking cane and took credit from Elise, saying, “Guess what, Boss? Princess Diana has a unique relationship with that old friend of hers. According to my observation, she has been secretly going with her friend when Price Prince Caleb is out entertaining guests. Moreover, they are getting intimate with each other. Sometimes, they don’t even hide it!”
When Elise heard his words, she was not surprised since she could tell at first look. All she wanted to do was confirm her guess. “Keep watching them, then.”
“Don’t worry. My men are on the watch all the time. Nothing will go wrong.” As Jamie spoke, he casually took out his phone and played with it. “Say, Boss, did you give me the wrong number? Narissa doesn’t seem to be picking up my calls.” He didn’t want to look needy, so he waited for two days before coming to Elise.
“If she doesn’t respond, that means she is uninterested in you. You must be aware of it.” Irvin’s words were like needles stabbed into Jamie’s heart, causing his self-esteem to go down into the gutter.
When Jamie listened to his words, he didn’t retort and only lowered his heart. To be honest, he had thought about this countless times, but he didn’t want to admit it. Now that Irvin had said it aloud, he needed to face reality. There was a possibility that Narissa did not love him anymore and hated him. However, he couldn’t blame anyone but himself since he was the one who hesitated in this relationship.
“You’re lying, Irvin!” Alexia’s words were like a ray of hope shining into Jamie’s world. “Godmother isn’t that mean. She had just face-timed me yesterday. So, she must be angry with my godfather!”
Alright. There isn’t any hope now. “Isn’t it the same thing if she doesn’t reply to my texts and is mad with me?” Jamie asked sadly, for he knew that he couldn’t have high hopes for a seven years old child.
However, Alexia didn’t care about what he thought as she blabbered on and on. “You have to comfort her. You have to bring her to a nice restaurant, say nice things to her, and give her nice things to play with. Every time Irvin spends time with me, I feel warm in my heart.”
“W-Will this work?” Jamie felt that comforting Narissa like she was a child wasn’t the best option.
Suddenly, he heard Elise’s words. “I heard that her childhood friend is back.”
At that moment, Jamie’s eyes lit up, and he felt energized. Then, he opened an app and started to look for flight tickets. “I might give it a shot.”
Elise had a cup of water in her hand as she stopped in front of him. Then, she said faintly, “Her childhood friend’s name is Gale, and she keeps talking about him. They are very close.” Then, she calmly walked away, leaving Jamie on the spot dumbstruck.
After some time, Jamie returned to his senses and was furious to the point that he threw away his walking cane. “How is this possible?! She is an adult, yet she still doesn’t keep her distance from other men. Why is she so close to them? First, she has a fiancée, and now, she has a childhood friend. Gosh! Narissa, you sure know how to enjoy life. Let’s see how much fun you can have!” As he spoke, he dialed his assistant’s phone number and walked away. “Get me the earliest flight immediately…”
As he was talking on the phone, Alexia called out to him. “Hey!”
“What?” Jamie’s tone was fierce since he was angry.
“It’s nothing.” Then, Alexia pointed to the ground and asked curiously, “Has your leg recovered?”
“No. Wait… Oh my!” When Jamie answered Alexia and looked at the ground, he suddenly realized that he still needed his walking cane. At that moment, he lost his balance and staggered as he fell to the ground.
Looking at him, Alexia couldn’t bear to watch and covered her face. However, she soon took a sneak peek and giggled, thinking that Jamie was a funny man.
…
At Tissote, in the Adaway Residence, Raffle had to call Alexander and urged him to hand over the report since it had been a week since he promised to do so.
“I’m sorry about this. I have a lot of projects on my hands since it’s the end of the year. My employees are busy and haven’t finished the report. I’ll personally send it to you after I have finished it in a few days!”
“If that’s the case, I hope you are paying more attention to it.” After Raffle hung up the phone, the smile on his face stiffened. Looking out the window, he felt anxious as he looked at the moon that was covered by the mountains.
Suddenly, a set of hurried footsteps caught his attention. When Raffle turned around, he saw that his son, Noah, was hugging his drawing board as he sneakily walked into the room, wanting to avoid him. When they saw each other, Noah stopped in his tracks, and the atmosphere was awkward.
“Dad.” Noah hid the drawing board behind him and greeted Raffle.
Raffle had his hands behind his back and stared at Noah’s drawing board. Then, his expression darkened significantly. “It has been years, and you are still trying to pursue your unrealistic dream!”
“This is art, and art is creativity itself. I said that I am going to be a famous painter.” Noah was firm with his words.
“A painter? A painter’s artwork is only valuable when they die! I worked hard to raise you, yet you want to live an ordinary life. I’m so disappointed in you.” As Raffle spoke, his eyes turned cold.
“Did you have me as your son just because you can fulfill your dream that you can’t achieve? I just want to live my life, and there’s nothing wrong with it. Ever since I was an adult, I have never asked you for money, nor did I ask for your support. All I wish is for you to be kind to me. It’s that such a hard thing to do?” Noah begged, running out of options.
“You want to live your life? Do you think I still have better days ahead of me? Without me, do you think that people will admire your drawings? When I’m gone, how will you survive? How can you pursue your dream? Are you going to beg on the street? Be realistic, Noah!” Raffle advised seriously.
When Noah heard his words, he could tell that something was off. “Did something happen, Dad?”
Listening to his words, Raffle waved him off since he didn’t want to drag Noah into this. “If only you could listen to me and make some changes, then I won’t have any worries. Can you do that?”
When Noah heard his words, he didn’t know what to say. I don’t get it. Why can’t I have both my dream and my family? I love my father and art. Love never hurts anybody, but why am I in such a sticky situation?
Seeing Noah turning silent, Raffle was not disappointed since he had long known his son’s answer and had no hope for him. Thus, after he had finished his words, he turned around and entered the room, leaving Noah and his assistant in the living room.
As Noah heard the door close, he turned and asked the assistant, “Is everything okay with Dad’s work?”
The assistant shook his head solemnly. “Mr. Adaway is being asked to check the Griffith brothers. However, they have made up a lot of excuses, and it’s affecting Mr. Adaway’s work progress. Don’t keep his words to your heart. He has a stressful week, so he might have said some harsh words to you.”
When Noah heard the assistant’s words, he had a thoughtful expression. The next day, he used his connections and blended in among the reporters who were interviewing Elise. Then, he sneaked into the Griffith Residence.
Chapter 909 Call the Police
When the reporter he was paired with was testing the machine, Noah excused himself to the bathroom. Then, he avoided the servants and went to Alexander’s study room. Then, he locked the door and walked toward the biggest desk in the room. He started looking through the documents. He checked everywhere, from the table to the drawers, and did not miss any corner of the room.
Even though he was being cautious, he never expected Alexander to be watching his every move.
When Alexander saw Noah’s familiar face, his eyes darkened. After some time, he stood up and went straight home. On the other hand, Noah had been in the study room for ten minutes but found nothing. Then, he stood by the window and scanned the room, wondering if he had missed any spots.
Just then, he heard a little girl’s cry for help. “Ah! No! Help me, Mommy!”
When Noah heard the little girl’s voice, he subconsciously opened the curtains to find a big dog pouncing on a seven-year-old girl. It was a crucial moment! At that moment, he held the side of the window out of instinct and stepped onto the windowsill. He was ready to jump down from the second floor and rescue the girl. However, when he was halfway out, he suddenly stopped by the window and looked back at the room reluctantly.
This is the perfect chance to investigate Alexander. Should I just give up? However, this is a life-and-death situation. If I don’t do anything to save her, wouldn’t I be no different from those scheming businessmen?
After hesitating for a moment, Noah decided to grit his teeth and jumped out the window. After rolling on the ground, he got up and sprinted toward the girl. Then, he picked her up and comforted her as he drove the dog out.
“It’s fine. Everything’s fine now. Go! Get lost, beast!”
However, Noah noticed that the girl in his arms was laughing heartily under such serious circumstances. “Hahaha, I’m fine, mister. Maggie doesn’t bite!” she said.
Hearing her words, Noah was dumbfounded as he looked at her. Only then did he realize that the dog looked silly. Even when he had scolded the dog, it still smiled at him.
Such a silly pet dog doesn’t have an aggressive personality. The little girl was just playing a game with her dog, but I was too nervous to notice it. That’s why I thought the dog was going to attack her. Thus, I lost the chance to investigate Alexander because of some kid. Maybe the little girl is just an illusion arranged by Alexander to confuse outsiders!
As Noah thought about it, he was furious. Then, he put the girl down and walked away angrily. When he entered the hall from the side door, he quickened his pace and was ready to leave. However, as he entered the room, Elise called out.
“Are you leaving, Mr. Adaway? We haven’t started the interview yet,” said Elise. When she heard Alexia’s voice, she was going to check on her. Then, she saw Noah jumping out of the window of Alexander’s study. Hence, she would let him leave only after confirming his intentions.
Hearing her words, Noah nodded with a dark expression and said, “I’m sorry, Miss White. I have a family emergency, so I’ll have to hand the interview over to my colleagues.” Then, he walked toward the door.
“Wait.” As Elise called out, she exchanged glances with her bodyguards and asked them to stop Noah.
When Noah realized he was being stopped from leaving, his expression changed, and he decided to put down his act. “What is the meaning of this, Miss White? Is the Griffith Residence some kind of illegal place that not even a news reporter has the right to leave?!”
Hearing his accusation, Elise didn’t budge. “Don’t accuse me of anything, Mr. Adaway. Our guest bathroom is in the guest room behind me. Care to explain why you appeared in the backyard?” She smiled.
At that moment, Noah’s expression stiffened. Then, he made a lame excuse, saying, “It’s my first time here. I have never seen such a huge manor. Is it illegal to walk around the house?”
“How do you explain this, then?” As Elise spoke, she showed him the work permit she had in her hand. Then, she tore the first layer of the work permit, revealing a whole new identity. No matter the looks, name, or age, Noah didn’t match up with the man’s identity, which meant that he was not a reporter. Fortunately, Elise noticed something was off with him and quickly produced the work permit so that he could confess.
When Noah realized his identity had been exposed, he gave up and said, “Why don’t you just kick me out? I wasn’t going to stay here anywhere.”
“I will.” Elise smiled thoughtfully. “However, now is not the time. Someone will be here to pick you up.” Then, she turned toward the bodyguard and said monotonously, “Call the police.”
“Hey! Wait!” When Noah heard that she was going to call the police, he panicked. After all, with his identity, he would be on the papers tomorrow if he went to the police station. At that moment, his father would be the laughingstock of the town. Hence, after giving it some thought, he decided to apologize.
“I’m sorry, Miss White. I shouldn’t have barged into your house and faked an identity. It’s my fault. I hope that you can sweep this matter under the rug since I saved the child.”
Listening to his words, Elise didn’t say anything and just stared at him. Her pretty eyes could easily look right through him. She knew that he hadn’t realized his mistakes and was just trying to stop her from calling the police. Hence, she didn’t need to forgive him.
“What should I do for you to allow me to leave?” asked Noah as he was feeling guilty.
“That depends on when you will tell the truth. Alternatively, I can just talk to your father,” replied Elise with a smile. Since they had come into contact with Raffle, it was easy to recognize Noah.
When Noah realized she had recognized him from the start, he was furious. “You knew it all along, and yet, you let me in on purpose. This is a trap that you set up!” As he spoke, he widened his eyes, and an intimidating aura surrounded him.
“If you didn’t have any wicked ideas, you wouldn’t have fallen for my trap,” said Elise in response to his hypocritical words.
At that moment, Noah couldn’t say anything else other than try to keep things at bay. “Anyhow, I did this on my behalf. This has nothing to do with my father. Don’t tell me you think you can snitch on me when you are already a grown-up.”
Suddenly, Alexander’s voice sounded from the doorway. “We’ll find out if that works in a short while.”
Noah turned around and saw Alexander standing by the doorway for God knew how long. Then, he marched toward them and wrapped his arms around Elise’s waist as they sat by the couch. Then, he casually switched on the massive TV in the center of the room. The next moment, the TV played out footage of Noah rummaging through Alexander’s study.
Then, Alexander threw the remote control aside and looked at Noah. “With this surveillance footage and the fake work permit, you can be accused of burglary. When that happens, how will your father explain it to the media?”
Chapter 910 You Don’t Really Understand Your Father
Noah balled up his fists and gritted his teeth. His knuckles cracked as he exerted more force with his hands.
“I said it’s something I did in private, and it has nothing to do with my father. Moreover, I was just looking for the competition’s proposal. It was supposed to be handed to my father a long time ago, but you’ve repeatedly refused to give it to him. That’s why he was taken to task by a higher-up. I had no choice but to do such a thing!”
Alexander dipped his head. “Your father has a great son. Unfortunately, he’s not a good father.”
“You have no right to judge whether he’s a good father. At the very least, he has earned my respect in other aspects.” Although there were some conflicts between Noah and his father, he always respected the latter.
“Would a good father tell his son to steal something from someone’s home? I’ve learned something new,” Alexander mocked him in a weird tone.
“How many times do I have to repeat myself? Can you stop slandering him? This was my idea. If my father isn’t a responsible person, would he suffer from insomnia because of what you’ve done? Stop acting high and mighty here when you’re in the wrong, Alexander!” Noah became increasingly agitated.
Alexander’s lips twisted into a sneer. “It seems that you don’t really understand your father, Mr. Adaway.”
“What do you mean by that?” Noah felt that something was off, but he couldn’t tell what it was.
“Nothing.” Alexander waved his hand. “You can leave now. I’ll pretend that nothing happened today.”
“For real?” Noah couldn’t believe that this man, whom even his father found hard to deal with, would let him off easily.
“Perhaps I’ll change my mind in a second. Do you want to find out how much patience I’m left with?” Alexander arched his brow and shot him a warning with his gaze.
After giving it some thought, Noah turned around and ran away.
“Are you letting him go just like this?” Meanwhile, Elise felt that they had let him off the hook too easily.
“Just consider it repayment for saving Lexi. Raffle’s son is not a fundamentally bad person, you know,” Alexander explained.
“He’s obviously more foolish than his father.” Elise waved the work permit in her hand. This kind of false evidence that could be exposed easily was like a time bomb in the business world.
Alexander let her sit on his lap and wrapped his arms around her. “So, we’ll gain some advantage by letting him go.”
Without refuting him, Elise shrugged.
…
The next day, at a high-end cafe in Tissote, Prince Caleb was seated in a private room while enjoying a cup of aromatic coffee.
A moment later, a masculine voice was heard saying above his head, “Nice to meet you again, Prince Caleb.”
Prince Caleb put down the coffee and was ready to rise from the chair to greet the person. However, the moment he lifted his head and made out the person’s face, his smile faded.
“Why are you here, Mr. Alexander? My guest will be arriving at any moment, so I’m worried I do not have time to have a chat with you.” Prince Caleb intended to dismiss him.
After what Margaret had done previously, the relationship between them had become awkward. More importantly, Prince Caleb had stopped hiding his hostility toward the designers from Cittadel, so he refused to come into contact with the Griffith Family again.
Instead of getting furious, Alexander put on a smile. “Are you waiting for the designer you met online?”
“How do you know that?” Prince Caleb became nervous. “What did you do to him?”
“Isn’t that person right in front of you?” Alexander asked with a smile.
“Are you messing with me?” Prince Caleb roared, evidently enraged. “You know nothing about design.”
Alexander directly fished out his phone and showed him their chat history on the internet from the day before.
Seeing that, Prince Caleb became infuriated and pushed his hand away. “Dang it! How dare you mess with me, Alexander?! Do you think I do not have a way to deal with you in Cittadel?”
“Please calm down, Prince Caleb. I don’t intend to mess with you. I just want to tell you that as the person you’ve selected, I’ve only been studying design for several years, and countless designers in Cittadel are more talented than me. Moreover, the history of fashion design in Cittadel dates back thousands of years ago. It has a much longer history than that in Yveltalia. It’s unlikely that your country can defeat us when it comes to fashion design,” Alexander said calmly.
“Do you think you’re smart?” Prince Caleb dismissed what the other man had just said.
“I wouldn’t say I’m smart,” Alexander replied humbly. “I just want you to get the facts right as soon as possible and stop wasting time on something unrealistic. After all, we both hope that we’ll fight for even more benefits for the citizens of the two countries. There’s no room for vested interests here.”
“Are you lecturing me now?” Prince Caleb snapped. “If everyone thinks they’re very smart just like you, I won’t use their design even if it’s good. You’re too proud, Alexander, and I don’t like it.”
He rose from the chair and stared at Alexander with a dispassionate expression. “This is the first as well as the last time. If you dare do such a rude thing to me again, I’ll immediately contact the Department of Commerce and tell them to revoke your company’s right to take part in the competition. Behave yourself.”
After he finished speaking, he immediately left the place.
Certainly, he was aware that Alexander was a bright person, but he also knew he wouldn’t be able to manipulate such a talented individual.
Rather than a professional designer, he wanted a puppet he could control to be in charge of this project—that person could never be Alexander.
Right after Prince Caleb left the place, Alexander received a call from his assistant.
“Something serious has happened, Mr. Griffith. A group has gathered at our headquarters claiming they have to do a routine inspection. Now, we’re unable to run the company.”
“Got it. I’ll go back now.”
The moment Alexander hung up the call, he received a call from Raffle.
“How is it going, President Griffith? I heard that the authorities have taken action. Are you alright?” Raffle asked with feint concern.
“You called at the right time,” Alexander replied impassively.
“Well, this can’t be helped. You’re in charge of an important project that I’m handling. I care about outstanding entrepreneurs like you. Now that the authorities are in your company, it must have a huge impact on you. Have you come up with a solution, President Griffith?”
“Haven’t you called to give me the solution?” Alexander went straight to the point.
“Haha. I love how straightforward you are. Yes, I do have a solution, but first of all, you have to hand in the proposal as promised. When the higher-ups understand that you’re a talented person, it’ll be easier for me to smooth things over. Don’t you agree?”
Alexander didn’t reply to him at once. He stood there in silence and fell into his thoughts.
Businessmen were most afraid of authorities coming to knock on their doors. Now that Alexander’s company was under the authorities’ inspection, it was obvious that Raffle was the mastermind behind it. He was trying to mount pressure on Alexander and force him to hand in the proposal.
However, it was no different from exposing the work for the competition if Alexander gave him the proposal now. If Raffle and Wendy joined forces and did anything shady, his effort throughout this while would go to waste.
After pondering on it for a moment, Alexander decided to do something drastic.
He directly hung up on Raffle and called his assistant. “Just cooperate with the authorities. Also, tell the employees who are not affected by the inspection to stop working right now. They’ll be given paid leave.”