Ch. 941..950

Chapter 941 Fate or Faked Encounters?

Clara lay sideways on the seat in a seductive posture. While propping her chin, she leered in the direction between Danny’s legs. Mixed feelings tumbled in his gaze. Apart from shock and ire, the surge of emotions was mainly fueled by his helplessness on how to confront Ariel.

“Scram!” he roared as his eyes reddened. “Get outta my sight at this instant!” It was Clara’s first time watching his vehement self, and the bold woman did not have the nerve to smile either. Quickly, she picked up and put on the clothes from the floor before making herself scarce.

Meanwhile, he propped himself up to get dressed. He then flopped on the chair abruptly, staring at the ceiling with hollow eyes.

Time ticked past, but there was no sight of Danny and so Ariel looked for him. When the door was suddenly opened, he was so scared that he jolted on his spot with widened eyes.

She flashed a pristine smile. “Did you do something bad behind my back? Why are you so jumpy?” “I did not!” He protested aloud.

“Gosh.” She patted her chest. “So what if you didn’t? Can’t you handle a joke?” Noticing something was off from his expression, she hurriedly placed the back of her hand on his forehead. “Why are you sweating buckets?”

“Nothing.” A guilty Danny removed her hand and squeezed out of the car through the crevice beside her. “Just feeling kinda under the weather. Enjoy your time with Rylantha. I’ll get going for now.”

Ariel intended to return together to tend to him, but he did not give her the chance to speak as he left immediately without looking back.

She stood at the same spot, watching his figure concernedly. Looks like we need a talk.

…

Since Rylantha was still waiting in the room, Ariel had no choice but to return to the room alone. Yet, she bumped into an acquaintance when she came out of the elevator.

“Ariel, what a coincidence,” greeted Maverick.

Right when she parted her lips, Rylantha came out of the room. Now that the duo encountered each other, she gladly scurried to them. “You’re here. Allow me to introduce you guys. This is Mav—”

“It’s fine. We know each other.” His affectionate gaze landed upon Ariel.

‘We know each other’?

Rylantha alternated her gaze between them before comprehending the situation. “That settles, then. Ariel, didn’t you say you need investors? Maverick is my uncle, and he’s looking for a project. Tell him the details. It might be a win-win for you guys.”

“I do have the intention to invest in Ariel’s company in Cittadel, but she went MIA, and I had to search for her. Thank God, luck is on my side. It must be fate that led us to another encounter.” He did not mask the affection he had for Ariel at all, for his gaze was glued on her.

Rylantha could not smother the grin on her face. Like what the youngsters say—looks like the ship is sailing!

To make hay while the sun was shining, she needed not to stay further as the third wheeler. After escorting them into the room, she excused herself to leave some space for the duo.

Once the door was closed, Maverick broke the silence. “I never expect to meet you again this way. Even fate is on my side. Ariel, we’re destined to be together.”

“Whether it is fate or you and Rylantha’s intention, you know it very well.” Even a dunce could see that Rylantha was setting them up, let alone Ariel.

“Nothing can ever escape from your sight, huh?” He chuckled. “But none of these is important. The point is that everyone thinks we’re the perfect match. Ariel, just give me one more chance.”

“Camren’s daughter is your perfect match, not me.”

“What’s the difference? After so many years, you’re the only one I care for.”

“Do you believe what you’re saying right now?” She sneered. “Stop joking. I can talk business with you but never about others.”

“You just leave me helpless as always.” He sighed before hinting at something. “Where’s your little boyfriend? Talking about business, he should be the one seeing me personally. Don’t tell me he’s having a date with another girl?”

“Don’t encompass every man to your kind. He’s not feeling well. I’ll arrange a meeting for the both of you when the time is right.” Ariel had total faith in Danny.

“Okay. So, mind having dinner with me?” As the investor, he was willing to do anything with her because of the return he would gain in the future.

“No.” She rose from her seat while holding her bag. “You said it for yourself that we can’t talk business since Danny’s not here. Let’s talk when he’s around. Goodbye.”

With that being said, she pulled the chair and took her leave. Maverick smiled bitterly and began to dig in.

Rylantha stormed into the room soon after. “What happened? Why did she leave after a few minutes? Man, seriously?”

“Cool that hot head of yours.” He cut the steak before him into pieces seriously. “If I could make her fall for me back then, the same thing is bound to happen. If you have doubts about my capability, you wouldn’t have come to me, would you?”

She snickered. “Anyone can say flattering words, but I only look at the results. If you don’t win her heart in one month, I’m gonna replace you with someone else. When that time comes, don’t you dare lay a finger on my family’s resources.”

With that, she left the room. The corner of Maverick’s lips curled upward, but an icy pall shrouded his gaze. After cutting the meat into pieces, he took a bite of the tenderest piece. The flavor of premium meat filled his mouth to the brim as he shut his eyes in contentment.

This is it. I will always have the best food and person.

…

In Room No. 401 in Wegas, a man’s croaky yet dominant voice filled the air. “From today onwards, no more motorcycling for you. Behave and stay in the hospital until the day you get back on your feet. Don’t go anywhere. And you guys, keep an eye on her, or you’re fired the moment you lose sight of her.”

“Yes, sir!”

Amidst the thunderous response, Napoleon left the patient’s room with a grim face. Over ten bodyguards scattered among the four floors, securing the place without leaving any corner unguarded.

It was a treatment for a sin equivalent to a serious offense. However, how could Narissa possibly stay put when there were merely scrapes on her after the chiropractic therapy?

Not even ten minutes had passed, and she was already standing by the door.

“It’s not easy to get a job nowadays, Miss Narissa. Please do not make things difficult for us.”

Chapter 942 Escape

“I didn’t say I was gonna run away, did I? I just need some fresh air in the garden. Come along as you wish,” said Narissa. “But—”

“You know you won’t be able to work for our family if I put in some ‘good words’ for you with my father, right?” The bodyguard made way for her upon hearing that. “Some fresh air might help with your recovery. This way, Miss.”

At long last, she could have a taste of freedom. A man with his right leg plastered was sitting on a bench under a huge tree. Since there was some space abutting him, she gladly took a seat.

She closed her eyes and felt the sweet relief of nature wrapping herself, deeming that spending her days in a hospital was not that bad. At the very least, she needed not confront Gale.

“Hey,” the man beside her called. “Me?” Narissa looked back, realizing that he seemed quite handsome.

Despite his short hair, his features added a dominant aura around him. In addition to the untrammeled essence from his beard, he looked like the bad boy type which one could never resist; he resembled a celebrity with the last name ‘Adamson’.

“There’s no one else aside from us.” He raised his eyebrow. “Grounded by your family?”

Narissa shrugged as an acknowledgment of his question. With over ten bodyguards following her to the garden, anyone could get a gist of the situation.

“That makes us buddies.” He reached out for her hand before lifting his chin and pointing their front. “Look, the men on the left are watching you, and the men on the right are watching me.”

She had a strange feeling upon the epiphany. It was unbelievable to meet someone in the same boat. “Wanna escape?” the man suggested mysteriously.

“But… Including the men from your side, at least twenty people are keeping an eye on us. How are we gonna run away?” She perceived it as unrealistic.

“Of course, I have an idea, or I wouldn’t have suggested an escape. Come closer.”

Curious about what he had up in his sleeves, she obediently moved closer to him. Hearing his whispers ringing in her ear, she was so shocked that her eyes widened. “I-Is this possible?”

“We won’t know until we give it a shot.” His excitement went over the roof. “I have a race tonight as well. I can’t let them see me as a scaredy cat.”

She lowered her head until her gaze reached his plastered leg, teasing, “A race? In this state?”

“What’s wrong?” He knocked on the plaster twice. “It’s thick, but I’ve fully recovered since ages ago. It’s the doctor’s doing. He just won’t take it off from me after my family bought him off. Anyways, you don’t have to worry about it. Just say it—are you down for it?”

His dogged determination piqued her interest, hence the agreement. “I trust you this time.”

“Yes!” His hands formed a fist vehemently before questioning, “What’s your name?”

“Narissa Cuber.”

“You’re Narissa Cuber?” the man responded in pleasant surprise.

So, this was the girl my family set me up with? It seems like she hasn’t recognized me yet.

“Got a problem with that?” She sensed something off.

“Nope. It’s a pretty name.” With a grin, he stretched out his hand for a handshake while introducing himself, “Paul Heidelberg. Let’s celebrate in advance for our successful escape.”

…

The night dawned, and the clock showed 8:15PM. Paul beckoned a bodyguard into Room No. 602 before shoving the hospital gown and wig into the bodyguard’s arms. Paul requested someone to buy him those props during the day.

“Get changed and wander around on the fourth floor ten minutes later.”

“What for, sir?” The bodyguard could not follow.

“I’m dying from boredom here. I need some fun!” Paul was throwing a tantrum.

Noticing the bodyguard’s doubtful expression, he tossed a cup to the bodyguard’s foot. “Stop the nonsense and just do as I say. Believe it or not, I can jump off the building from here while you’re asleep. Let’s see what kind of excuse you have to say to my family.”

“No, please! Please calm down, sir. Do not do anything stupid. I’ll do as you say. I’ll do it…”

When the time struck 9.00PM, a bodyguard of the Cuber Family knocked on the door to Room No. 401 on the fourth floor. “Miss, allow me to enter the room to make sure that you’re safe.”

Intending to give her some personal space, he waited for another two minutes before turning the doorknob. However, the patient’s room was empty! Narissa, who was supposed to be sleeping, was nowhere to be seen.

At that moment, a bodyguard outside shouted, “Who’s there? Stop right there!”

The troop of men ran in the same direction, prompting the bodyguard in the room to follow them.

Narissa, who had been hiding underneath the bed this whole time, crawled out and seized the chance to dash in the opposite direction.

Soon, the man wearing a wig was caught.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” a bodyguard interrogated sternly.

“What does that have to do with you? Is wearing a wig against the law? I work for the Heidelbergs. Don’t you dare lay a finger on me!”

The bodyguard approached the crowd all the way from the patient’s room. He squeezed through the throng and finally wrapped his head around the situation upon realizing that it was not Narissa. “Damn it! It’s a trap! Seize him! Miss is gone. The others can follow me to search for her.”

For the next five minutes, silence filled the fourth floor, whereas the people on watch on the sixth floor were wondering what happened. Suddenly, a toy car was charging toward them with a balloon attached.

However, it halted midway without budging an inch. The tranquil yet strange scene drew their attention.

The closest bodyguard approached the toy car and kicked it twice. As he received zero response, he picked it up for the others to inspect.

The six men gathered around and did not find any answers from it, but the balloon suddenly exploded.

Pop!

Following that loud noise, white powder scattered in the air. The men then dropped onto the floor in less than thirty seconds.

“What’s that?” The bodyguards in Room No. 602 came out to check on the situation.

A silhouette thwarted them at the door frame, and before they could discern each other’s faces, the figure knocked them out with clean moves. Lying in bed was Paul, whose eyes were widely opened. “Wow! Nice moves!”

Narissa patted the powder off her clothes. “Let’s shoot off. If the bodyguards from my side return, everything we’ve done will be in vain.”

“Right.” He lifted the blanket off him but struggled to move his plastered leg. “Need help here.”

She glanced at him before scanning the room and walking to a corner. A couple of moments later, she forcefully lifted him and placed him in a wheelchair. He almost had his bone snapped broken from the rough help.

“Ouch! Be gentle!”

Ignoring him, she held the handles and pushed him forward at full speed. They reached the back exit in less than two minutes.

“No rush. Let me call a cab.” He fished out his phone.

Meanwhile, she raised her left hand and tapped on her smartwatch. A minute later, a motorcycle appeared from a nearby road before stopping right in front of them. However, no one was riding the motorcycle, which was covered with cool LED lights.

Chapter 943 Jamie, the Champion Racer of Cittadel

As soon as Paul took a closer look at the style of the motorcycle, he immediately leaped up from his wheelchair and pounced on it despite having a plastered leg. He caressed the body of the motorcycle lovingly and acted as if he had just received a precious treasure.

“This silhouette, this material… It’s the latest McLaren bike that’s a limited edition. There are only three available in this world! I’m on the waiting list, and it’s been ages since I placed my order, but it has been out of stock all this while. How did you manage to get this?!” He was once again stunned by Narissa’s capabilities.

“It’s easy enough to assemble one if you can’t get it,” she said nonchalantly. “Assemble one?” His eyes widened, and he gave a thumbs up. “You’re exceptional.”

Meanwhile, Narissa did not say much but buckled her helmet and straddled the bike. “If you’re worried that you won’t be able to catch a ride here, I don’t mind sending you.”

“That’s too much to ask from you!” Although Paul rejected her offer verbally, in reality, he hopped onto the bike as soon as he finished her sentence.

“Come on. Let me experience the speed and passion of McLaren!”

She started the ignition and revved the engine almost instantly. Swoosh! Both of them swiftly disappeared in the distance along with the bike.

Fifteen minutes later, they parked the bike next to the entrance of a high-end gaming center.

She looked at the sign and lifted her transparent visors while sneering mercilessly. “Is this what you mean when you said you ‘had a race’?”

“I’ve gotten into an accident once, so I have to cherish my precious life. Let’s have some fun virtually, and once I’ve recovered from my wounds, we can go for some exciting stuff,” he said with a silly grin.

Meanwhile, she shook her head and lowered her visor before speeding off.

“Hey!” he yelled, “You left your helmet behind!”

“You can have it!”

She could not contain herself and had the urge to set herself free after being cooped up for so many days. Hence, she could not be bothered to turn back for the helmet.

As for Paul, he looked at Narissa’s back as she disappeared. Finally, he retracted his gaze and glanced at the helmet in his arms with a dazed smile. This can be the token of our love. It’s unique.

The people inside the gaming center heard the commotion and quickly came out to greet him.

“Gosh, it’s you, Mr. Heidelberg. You’re finally here. You promised to vie for the winning spot with the other party. This is the reputation of Wegas at stake here! It’d be humiliating if you ended up bailing.”

“What are you on about? I’ve never let anyone down, have I? Don’t worry. With me around, no one would be able to steal our number-one spot on the Death Racing Team.”

“It’s very reassuring to hear that. After all, you’re the best in racing among all of us, and you won’t let us down for sure!”

“That’s true…”

At that point, Paul was giddy from all the flattering words. He boasted as he entered his credentials into the game interface. “How dare he call himself ‘Champion Racer of Cittadel’! I’ll make sure that he begs for mercy today!”

As soon as he said that, a tall, strapping male walked into the room from the entrance of the gaming center.

“Is this place still open?” Jamie had searched specifically on the Internet, and this was the best gaming center in town. The equipment available was top-notch and perfect for a good battle.

He was used to calling the shots, so as he spoke, he naturally seemed to be scrutinizing and exuded a feeling of mightiness.

There were mainly foreign men here, and as soon as they saw an unfamiliar Cittadelian, they immediately revealed hostile looks.

“Hey! Leave this place right now! None of us here wants to serve you, you lowly Cittadelian!”

One of them voiced out mockingly, and the others instantly burst into jeering laughter.

Meanwhile, Paul—similarly a Cittadelian—was furious to hear that, so he flung the mouse aside as he spoke defiantly in his loudest voice with a stern expression, “What’s wrong with being a Cittadelian? I am also one, who happened to book out the entire place tonight, and I permit him to play here today! Guys, he can have the best setup in this place, and it’s all on me! Anyone who’s displeased by that can get the heck out of this place right now!”

How dare y’all be discriminative when you’re just a bunch of rats spending their lives in cybercafes? Once today’s match ends, I’ll teach you guys a lesson you’ll never forget!

“Thanks.” Jamie graciously accepted Paul’s kindness and expressed gratitude in Athesean. Subsequently, he trailed behind the shop staff and went to search for a suitable spot.

Half an hour later, Paul’s match officially started.

There were plenty of people crowded behind him, and each of them was focused on his monitor screen with solemn looks.

Although the game, Death Racing Team, was created by a Mesdran, ever since Paul started playing it, he maintained his number-one position on the entire server the whole time. Besides, he was fairly generous, so even though the entire club despised Cittadelians, they were exceptionally impressed by him.

However, over the past two weeks, a player with the user ID ‘ChampionRacerOfCittadel’, had registered an account and improved significantly by winning thirty-two consecutive matches. That player was now top five on the entire server, and other than Paul, who had missed the match because of his injuries, everyone else had been defeated by that player.

This time, Paul was here to seek revenge for them. This was a match that was a matter of pride, so he took things seriously and intended to teach the other party a lesson.

Unfortunately, the other party took the lead as soon as the match started, and Paul did not even get the chance to overtake the opponent. In less than five minutes, he lost the match.

“This is impossible!” He found it hard to believe that his opponent was so good at the game. “Based on my skills, I would never have been overtaken by that much! This player must have cheated!”

Suddenly, an ebony-skinned man piped up, “Someone traced their ID and found that they’re not too far from us. Just less than fifty meters away!”

“You must be kidding! Our entire club is more than fifty meters, so who else could it be other than the few of us here?”

As soon as Paul finished his sentence, he was suddenly stunned in place. That’s not right! There’s another person here!

He turned his head gradually and looked at the active monitor not too far from him. Slowly, his expression turned solemn.

The next second, he saw Jamie standing up with both hands in his pockets quite cockily.

“Are you ‘Champion Racer of Cittadel’?” Paul remained slightly doubtful.

“That’s right.” Jamie flexed his neck. “The champion of the entire server isn’t that great after all.”

“How long have you been playing this game?” Paul clenched his fist tightly.

“One week,” Jamie answered as he walked over to them.

“That’s impossible! You wouldn’t be able to achieve such a level in just one week! Did you cheat in the game?!” Paul questioned with wide eyes.

“Oh, come on! I was using your computer, including your Internet, so how could I possibly cheat in the game? What’s wrong? Are you a sore loser?” Jamie spoke indifferently and seemed rather annoying at the moment.

At that, Paul clenched his fists even tighter. If only he did not have a plastered leg, he would have gone after the guy right from the start.

As for Jamie, he saw through his intentions and went forward to pat him on the shoulder. “I don’t mind fighting you anytime, but that’s only when you can finally stand straight.”

It was a double entendre as he intended to say Paul was spineless. Yet, he did not note that literally, but it still sounded extremely annoying somehow.

At that moment, Paul’s face flushed red, but he could not do anything about Jamie and watched as he headed out of the door.

Jamie strode past the crowd, and as he approached, the foreigners who had looked down on him earlier made way for him. That was also why he coincidentally noticed the helmet on the table as he strode past Paul’s table.

With a single glance, he instantly recognized that it belonged to Narissa. He had worn that helmet a million times, so there was no way he would be mistaken.

He paused in his tracks and walked over to take the helmet into his hands. Indeed, he found the initials ‘N.C’ obscurely on a corner by the side of the helmet.

“Can someone enlighten me as to why this helmet is here?”

Chapter 944 Don’t Blame Me for Being Ruthless

“This has nothing to do with you. Give it back to me!” Paul reached out to grab the helmet, but Jamie dodged him while holding on to it, so Paul ended up with nothing and lost his balance at that instant as he nearly fell headlong to the ground.

The keyboard and chair were dragged along to the ground too. Everything came crashing atop him as the scene became quite chaotic. The people next to them rushed forward to help Paul up when they saw that.

At that point, Paul lost his temper and pointed at Jamie furiously. “What the heck! How dare you take me for a fool! Everyone! Attack and bring him down! I’ll cover the expenses for everyone for this whole year.”

It was definitely easy to bribe the crowd with monetary incentives, and furthermore, this was their chance to help a Cittadelian go after another fellow Cittadelian, so the bunch of foreigners definitely had something to gain. They immediately let go of Paul and rubbed their hands gleefully as they headed toward Jamie in a group.

Paul was caught by surprise and fell to the ground on his bottom. At that moment, he winced painfully with a distorted expression. “Oh! My butt!”

I must have broken some bones! For some reason, every part of his butt hurt, and the sensation differed from each spot.

Meanwhile, Jamie faced the people around him by behaving neutrally; he wasn’t overly haughty or humble. He slowly retreated and grabbed the chance to observe the group of people and identify their weaknesses.

He retreated to a fairly wider space before finally stopping. Subsequently, he placed the helmet on the table next to him and pushed it firmly on the table twice just to make sure that it would not roll off before he finally felt at ease.

Next, Jamie turned to look at the bunch of foreigners and stretched out his right hand to form a thumbs-up sign before making a complete reversal by making a thumbs-down gesture as he challenged them cockily.

Several foreigners had a fiery temper and instantly ripped their shirts into two to reveal their firm chest muscles as they growled in a frenzy. Each of them appeared as if they were previously caged beasts that had just been released and behaved quite ferociously.

As for Jamie, he was entirely unperturbed and even stretched out two fingers to make a beckoning gesture. “Don’t waste my time and just attack all at once.”

He purposely spoke in Milos to ensure that these large blokes understood him.

At that point, the foreigners were enraged by his attitude, so they clenched their fists and stomped their feet. Instantly, they came at him in a group.

Jamie remained unfussed and used both hands to attack. He delivered multiple blows, and in less than five minutes, the fight ended.

Paul’s expression turned from pain to shock, and he was dumbfounded.

This guy’s fighting combative moves don’t seem like what a Cittadelian would possess. That was more than ten well-built foreigners that are naturally fitter in physique, and yet they’ve been defeated just like that?!

Disgust flashed in Jamie’s eyes as he observed Paul’s expression from the side of his eye.

How can he be the champion of the entire server in Wegas?! This is such a trivial situation, and yet he’s shocked by it. What a short-sighted man! If Boss was here, it wouldn’t even be necessary to lift a finger.

After Jamie sent the last bloke sprawling to the ground, he flicked the nonexistent dust on his coat and calmly headed over to the entrance with the helmet in his hand.

As Jamie walked past Paul, the former purposely paused. Paul thought that Jamie was about to attack him. Frightened, Paul lifted both hands to cover his head protectively. “Forgive me, sir!”

“You’re such a yielding man, huh?” Jamie jested.

“Heh! Yes, sir, I would rather cower alive than lose my life with pride,” Paul responded with a silly grin and took furtive looks from the side of his eye from time to time, fearing that Jamie’s fist would land on him if he had turned his attention elsewhere.

Those strapping blokes aren’t a match for this guy, so my tiny figure here would definitely be crushed. As soon as Paul realized that, he immediately gulped as the fear lingered within him.

“That’s quite sensible of you.”

Both of them were similarly Cittadelians, so Jamie did not wish to make things tough for Paul. as such, Jamie strode off with the helmet in his hands.

Once Paul made sure that Jamie had gone far, he lost his fearful look and immediately pulled out his cell phone to call for help remotely, “It’s me. Investigate the details of this person for me.”

He’s just someone good at fighting anyway! Well, he might be able to defeat ten men easily, but I don’t believe that he would be able to defeat a hundred men. Once I gather my men and go after him, let’s see whether he can maintain that arrogant attitude. It’s bad enough that he cheated, but how dare he snatch me and Narissa’s love token! No, I must seek revenge!

However, it was that phone call he made which exposed his current location. He had merely sneaked out of the hospital for less than three hours. As soon as he walked out of the gaming center, he was marched back to the hospital. This time though, Paul didn’t struggle to get away because he needed to go back to deal with a very pressing matter.

The skies gradually darkened, and night fell. Meanwhile, Gale rushed over to the Heidelbergs’ place in the darkness.

“What’s wrong, Young Master Heidelberg? Why did you want to meet up with me so urgently?” Gale took a seat right next to Paul.

Over the years, Paul had always asked Gale for help to handle tough situations. As time went by, the term ‘Young Master Heidelberg’ became Gale’s private nickname for Paul as Gale teased Paul.

“It would definitely be something important if I sought you.” Paul hooked a hand around Gale’s shoulder and spoke up excitedly. “I’ve changed my mind, and I’ve decided to listen to the old man and marry Miss Cuber. You approached her half-heartedly on my behalf anyway previously, so just let me have her.”

At that point, the smile on Gale’s face froze. However, his expression turned normal immediately after that. Gale assumed that Paul was cracking a joke and chuckled along. “Hahaha! You’re such a…”

As Gale turned his face in the other direction, his smile vanished, and he adjusted the glasses on his nose bridge slightly as his voice became increasingly stern. “This isn’t something that can be taken lightly. Have you considered it carefully? The engagement party is due within the week, and it would be too late to change your mind by then.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ve considered everything carefully, and I won’t change my mind.” Paul became increasingly excited as he spoke, and he didn’t even realize the change in Gale’s behavior. “This is such a minor request, so surely, Gale, you wouldn’t say no to me, right?”

“Of course not!” Gale forced a smile on his face. “You were the one who was engaged to her in the first place, so I should let you have her back. I’m happy for you now that you’ve come to your senses.”

Gale patted Paul on the back firmly twice with a smile on his face. However, there was a wicked glint in Gale’s pair of shrewd-looking eyes.

This despicable wastrel actually treats us as his underlings, huh?! He’s actually going to take something that he’s granted us back just like that?! Does he actually take me as a subservient and meek person?! He could have told me this earlier on, and yet he barged in and did this when I was so close to succeeding! This is such a damper on everything!

“That’s great. Thanks then. Ah! I’ve nearly forgotten. I know you must be going back to the company later on since you’re such a workaholic. Since that’s the case, I’m sure it won’t be too much of a bother for you to inform the wedding planner to change the name of the groom just in case we forget to do that later and end up a laughingstock.” Paul spoke as he tapped on his cell phone.

“No problem.” Just then, the smile on Gale’s face disappeared entirely, and there was a cold look in his eyes.

He stared expressionlessly at Paul like a lion about to go after its prey.

“By the way, is everything alright at the company lately?” Paul kept his eyes on his cell phone screen without bothering to lift his eyes and look in Gale’s direction.

“With me supervising things, what could happen?” Gale responded calmly.

“Good to hear. Let’s stick to the usual. You supervise things but let me know if the old man pops over to check up on things,” Paul instructed.

“You don’t have to worry about a thing with me handling things for you,” Gale agreed earnestly.

“Okay then. I don’t have anything else to share, so you can go back to work.”

In Paul’s mind, Gale was a born workaholic, while Paul found the corporate side of things quite boring, so Paul naturally didn’t mind fulfilling Gale’s hobby.

However, Paul was unaware that his nonchalant remark would end up being the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Gale stared intently at Paul with slightly narrowed eyes and thought, Darling cousin, you’re the one who started to ruin things for me, so don’t blame me for being ruthless!

Chapter 945 If You Guys Refuse to Do Anything, Then I Will Take Action

Inside the Griffith Manor, Alexander waved his cell phone as he came into the living room from outside. At the same time, he reported the situation to Elise.

“I’ve just successfully contacted Old Master Heidelberg. Although we didn’t end up finalizing things, he’s evidently very interested in collaboration with Smith Co..” “If I’m not mistaken, Gale hasn’t given us his final decision so far, am I right?” Elise asked.

“That’s entirely understandable. After all, when the cat is away, the mice play. Old Master Heidelberg is now semi-retired, so his son Paul is the one calling the shots. That wastrel knows nothing but wine and dine, so Gale would surely be in an advantageous position,” Alexander’s deductions made perfect sense.

“Gale’s very closely related to the Heidelbergs as he’s their nephew. Does he actually intend to ruin the company?” “All this while, there have been plenty of instances where relatives of the wealthy have tried to take over position and wealth.”

Elise nodded in agreement with his words. “I’m not surprised then that he’s so interested in Narissa. Right now, he’s in charge of BJ Biotech, so he would immediately be able to dominate the Cubers once he manages to forge a connection with them.”

As Elise said that, her eyes sparkled suddenly. “Actually, this is good news for us. At least we don’t have anything to prove that Gale is involved with Wendy.”

“No matter what it is, we must get hold of BJ Biotech’s technology, so we must help the Heidelbergs identify the person causing trouble.” Alexander valued the drug research and development team of the Heidelberg Family.

“However, Gale is related to the Heidelbergs, so they would naturally trust him more than us outsiders. There is no way we would be able to convince the Heidelbergs, so how can we gain a breakthrough?”

Elise’s question was quite critical as the couple exchanged looks with each other. For a moment there, none of them came up with an answer. Suddenly, Jamie swaggered in with a helmet in his hand.

Elise and Alexander both turned to look at him and then shifted their eyes simultaneously to glance at each other. Subsequently, they nodded and smiled knowingly.

Jamie felt perplexed at the looks they shot him. “Why are you guys staring at me like that?” “It’s not important.” Elise acted dumb and asked him, “Why are you here?”

She successfully duped Jamie, and he lifted the helmet with both hands. “This helmet belongs to Narissa. Help me return it to her.”

“Why can’t you give it to her yourself?” Elise narrowed her eyes and stared at him; the expression on her face seemed to indicate that she could see through him.

“I don’t have the time.”

“What are you busy with?”

“It’s the collaboration with BJ Biotech, and… Anyway, I have a lot of things to deal with!” Jamie puffed his chest and attempted to bluff his way through.

“Alright then.” Elise’s expression changed instantly, and she heaved a solemn sigh. “It looks like Narissa’s future will be up to God then.”

“Hold on. What do you mean by up to God? I’m just asking you to return the helmet to her on my behalf. How has that got anything to do with her future? Boss, could you be more specific in your words?” Jamie panicked and paced back and forth.

“Well, that guy Gale is being such a two-faced guy. He delivered a false message. On the surface, he agreed to things but caused trouble behind our backs. Old Master Heidelberg was actually quite satisfied with Smith Co., yet Gale has been putting on airs and refused to see us. Do you think that a person like him can be counted on?” Elise spoke up.

“Of course not!” Jamie immediately took the bait and hollered agitatedly, “No way! You guys have to deal with this!”

“How are we supposed to deal with this?” Alexander spoke up casually by the side. “That’s her childhood buddy. If we approach her and comment about him, what does that make us? By then, not only would Narissa refuse to trust our words, she would even hold a grudge against us for that. We would be in such a disadvantageous position!”

“You can’t think about this situation that way!” Jamie rushed over to stand in front of Elise anxiously, “Boss, don’t tell me that you have the same opinion too?”

Elise turned to the side and intentionally refused to respond.

“Don’t forget that Narissa is your best friend. If you refuse to help her, then there won’t be anyone else who would help her. This is a matter of her future, so as her friends, there are some things that you have to bring up, regardless of whether she would end up hating you!” Jamie tried his best to convince her.

Nonetheless, Elise did not say anything but continued to sigh repeatedly with a downcast look. She practically had an expression that said she was helpless.

At that point, Jamie’s expression stiffened. “Do you really have no intention to do anything?”

In response, Elise shrugged. “I can’t do anything.”

“What about you, Alexander?” Suddenly, Jamie was bold enough to address Alexander by his name.

Alexander shot Jamie a cold look, which evidently indicated that he felt the same way as Elise.

Just then, Jamie angrily cursed in his mind.

“That’s fine! If you guys refuse to do anything, then I will take action!”

“Who are you to interfere in this?” Alexander purposely teased him.

“I—” Suddenly, Jamie was at a loss for words. “I’m Narissa’s best friend. What’s wrong? Is that not good enough? Even so, I won’t stand by and do nothing. I’m different from you two because at least I have a conscience!”

After Jamie said that, he grabbed the helmet and walked out angrily.

“Yes!” Elise and Alexander exchanged a smile and gave each other high fives at the same time.

It wasn’t easy, but they finally managed to trigger Jamie to do something.

The next day, at Sandy Bay Dog Park, Narissa was leading Princess around the place and having fun when Princess suddenly rushed over to her with a frisbee in its mouth. Suddenly, Princess changed direction and ran past Narissa toward the direction behind Narissa.

“Princess!”

Narissa wanted to stop Princess, but as she turned around, she saw Princess leap into Jamie’s arms.

Princess leaped up and clung to Jamie as it allowed Jamie to pat it. It behaved very meekly around Jamie.

Meanwhile, Narissa found it odd. “Princess doesn’t like strangers. Why is she so affectionate around you?”

Just then, Jamie stood up and led Princess over to Narissa. Subsequently, he mentioned frankly, “That’s because I’m Julia.”

“Do you find it fun to do that?” Narissa felt cheated, and her expression immediately darkened. Subsequently, she turned around and left.

Jamie rushed forward and stopped her from leaving. “Stop, don’t leave just yet. I’ve got something to tell you.”

“Just say it.” Narissa looked to the side with annoyance and refused to look at him.

As for Jamie, he felt quite upset, but he forced himself to remain calm. “Gale is a very ambitious man, and he wants to take advantage of you to gain a higher position. He’s not the right guy for you, so you have to break off the engagement with him as soon as possible.”

Narissa turned around with calm eyes devoid of expression. “Are you done?”

Her reaction came as a surprise to Jamie, so he was stunned for a moment before replying with a dumbfounded look, “Yes, I’m done.”

Once Narissa received a reply, she turned around once again and attempted to leave.

However, Jamie grabbed her on the arm and dragged her back. “I’m not joking about this. Gale’s a schemeful man. He has lied to the Heidelbergs too, so he’s not a person that can be trusted.”

Narissa heaved a resigned sigh. “You still don’t get this, huh? The nature of a marriage of alliance is essentially just a deal. Both parties take advantage of each other to expand each other’s business model. I would end up being taken advantage of no matter whom I choose to marry.”

“Well, you should at least choose a sincere man. Gale is scheming against you all the time.” Jamie was quite stubborn in his ways as he spoke.

Meanwhile, Narissa smiled. “Stop with this joke. How can anyone be so lucky to encounter a sincere man so easily? There wouldn’t be any man who would treat me sincerely.”

“That’s not true!” Jamie interjected suddenly.

“Then, show me who that person is!” Narissa raised her voice petulantly. “Bring that man to see me and I’ll trust your words then!”

Chapter 946 Or Should I Marry You?

In fact, Narissa could feel that Jamie cared about her but was unwilling to admit it. However, she couldn’t understand it. Is it that hard for him to admit that he likes me? Is it that embarrassing to personally tell me he loves me?

She needed him to personally speak out those answers rather than for her to guess the answers based on her feelings. That was because she didn’t want to become the laughingstock of others and get criticized for being delusional anymore.

After a moment’s silence, Jamie suddenly felt unconfident. “Even if you don’t have someone you like now doesn’t mean you won’t have one in the future. You can’t give up the rest of your life just because of a moment’s depression. I won’t allow it.”

“You won’t allow it?” Narissa’s eyes were wet with tears, so she slightly raised her head to stop her tears from falling. “Who are you to say that?”

“We’re friends,” Jamie answered without hesitation, telling her the same answer he would say to Elise and Alexander.

“Friends?” With a self-mocking laugh, Narissa looked at him with teary eyes. “Goodbye, friend!”

She never wanted a friend!

This time, she left decisively and without giving Jamie a chance to stop her.

“Wait!” Jamie screamed from behind her. “Are you really going to marry Gale even if he’s a wicked person?!”

“What other choice do I have?” Without turning back, Narissa retorted, “Should I marry you?”

He was silent again.

Of course, if she still loved him, he would be willing to marry her.

However, she had chosen Gale, which meant her heart belonged to another person. Moreover, what she just said was out of anger, so what right did he have to say yes?

There he is again, avoiding the problem, Narissa thought.

Feeling utterly disappointed in him, she suppressed her sobs and called for Princess. Then, she left with her dog without looking back.

Meanwhile, Jamie looked at her back as she gradually left. He felt like someone had taken away his heart, causing his chest to feel empty.

It was then that he finally understood the meaning behind Alexander’s words. If you don’t have the right to protect her or don’t even have an open relationship with her, how can you protect your Princess?

…

That afternoon, the flight from Cittadel to Wegas landed according to schedule.

After Ariel met up with Rebecca, she drove her mother to the hotel.

Just after they left the airport, Rebecca discreetly prodded, “Where’s Danny? Why didn’t he come with you?”

“He’s been busy lately and doesn’t have spare time to accompany me here. He did ask me to greet you on his behalf.” Ariel’s answer was flawless.

The truth was that Danny had been slow in replying to her messages lately. His only explanation was that he was busy at the company, but she didn’t know what kept him so occupied.

Danny had several identities, which was why he would suddenly disappear for some time, so she didn’t think much about it.

Rolling her eyes, Rebecca rebuked, “All men are the same. Since you’ve given him your heart, you’d better watch him like a hawk!”

Ariel thought her mother was overthinking things, so she smiled and explained, “He’s different from other men. He’s like a puppy, and puppies are loyal.”

When Rebecca heard that, she shook her head. “Women who are in love can’t think straight. In the end, you still need me to help you make sure he’s the right man for you. Let’s head over to find him now. Only by suddenly checking up on him can you discover his secret.”

“I think we’d better not. It seems childish to do that.” Ariel didn’t want to cause more trouble for Danny, so she kept rejecting her mom.

“Do as I say. When have you become so talkative? Do you think just because you’ve grown up that I can’t order you to do things anymore just because you’ve all grown up?” Rebecca began guilt-tripping Ariel.

While her mother was resting, Ariel quietly took out her phone, wanting to text Danny.

However, just as she unlocked her phone, a hand reached over and grabbed her phone away.

Rebecca locked the phone and kept it in her pocket. “Don’t you even try giving him a heads up.”

Ariel could only give up.

In the meantime, on the eighteenth floor of a particular high-rise building, the whole building was empty, and besides the newly added office furniture, the place was barren.

Danny was in a daze while sitting in the chair inside the president’s office with a half-burnt cigarette between his lips. Without him realizing it, the cigarette’s ash was so long that it fell off and dropped on his expensive coat.

It was until Clara Hissinger took the cigarette away and put it out with her slim fingers that Danny finally woke up from his daze and adjusted his posture.

“Why are you here?” Danny’s face was gloomy, and he didn’t hide his displeasure.

“Don’t be so rude.” While casually setting her bag on the table, Clara observed the room.

Then, he immediately pushed his chair backward and sprang to his feet. “What the heck are you doing?!”

Feeling confused, she asked, “What’s the matter, Dan Dan?”

He felt goosebumps rise all over his body. At that moment, his phone rang and saved him momentarily.

“It’s me. I picked Mom up, but she said she wants to come over and visit you. We’re already here, so you don’t have to come down to greet us. We’re getting in the elevator now.”

That was a call Ariel made at the risk of getting scolded. She received a disdainful look from her mother when she hung up the phone.

Meanwhile, Danny looked at the lock screen on his phone, and then at Clara. He pondered for a moment before approaching her.

“M-Master Danny—”

Smack!

To satisfy her wish, Danny slapped her unconscious.

The world was finally quiet again.

Just as he was feeling relieved, he heard the elevator ring and immediately pulled Clara outside of his office before stuffing her inside one of the employee’s lockers.

Right after he fastened the locks, Ariel led Rebecca through the door.

Danny immediately stood up straight and greeted them with a smile. “Mom, you’re here.”

Rebecca hummed in reply before letting go of Ariel to look around the office, trying to find the signs of something.

However, Danny cleaned his tracks well, which rendered Rebecca unable to find anything out of the ordinary.

Chapter 947 Leave Immediately!!!

Ariel eyed Danny, secretly congratulating him. It seems like he won’t have to get nagged by Mom today, she thought.

But she was proven wrong the next moment. “Didn’t you say the company is getting listed soon? Why does your office only comprise one level?” Rebecca asked coldly.

She was clearly nitpicking at everything Danny was doing. Since Danny was worried about Clara, who was inside the lockers, he didn’t answer Rebecca, which made him seem a little out of it.

Ariel immediately explained on his behalf, “The market in Wegas is still in development, so we have to take things slowly. If we put in too much effort in the beginning, it would cause us a loss when our products can’t adapt to the market in Mesdra. Although this office is quite small, it’s enough.”

Afraid Danny might still be in a daze, she deliberately called out, “Is that right, honey?”

It was then that Danny came back to his senses. He took his hands from his pockets before realizing what was happening and nodded in agreement. “Yes. That’s exactly what I mean too.”

“Men should fight for their careers, but they shouldn’t forget what they’re fighting for. If they can’t even take care of their women, they will be considered a failure no matter how large their businesses are,” Rebecca lectured.

“Mom, you’re right. I will balance my life well.” Danny’s expression had become more serious, and he looked more sincere.

“Alright then. I’ve said everything I came here to say, and since you’re still busy with work, we’ll take our leave first.” Seeing that she had reached her goal, Rebecca left in satisfaction.

“Mom has me by her side, so you don’t have to worry.” After saying that, Ariel quickly caught up with her mom.

“Ariel.” Danny called her before notifying her seriously, “I need to help Alexander with something recently and have to work late every day. Since heading back and forth from home wastes time, I might need to move in with him for a few days.”

“Sure.” Ariel smiled. “Be sure to rest well and don’t overwork yourself. Bye-bye.”

“Bye…

Griffith Manor.

It rained from the evening until late at night. While the rain was pitter-pattering outside, two children were reciting something inside the manor.

Elise was in the middle of tutoring the children on Athesean phrasal verbs. The children had gone through more than half of the thick book of proverbs.

Since the siblings had strong self-learning abilities and photographic memories, they only had to read those proverbs twice to be able to apply them in sentences.

Rather than saying it was a tutoring session, it was more like Elise was there to accompany them. She had few contributions.

However, she wasn’t entirely useless, just like now.

“Mommy, what is the meaning of getting laid?” Alexia asked.

“Isn’t there an explanation inside the book? Let me have a look.” Elise took the book and read out the explanation, “To describe the intimate act of copulation between a man and a woman…”

Elise was so embarrassed when she read out the last few words.

Educating children on this aspect had always been challenging for parents, and she wasn’t an exception.

She scratched her head, thinking of how to explain it to the children simply for them to understand.

As a result, Alexia said something shocking, “Intimate. That means love, right? So, Daddy and Mommy get laid every day! Mommy, did I use it right?!”

Elise was dumbfounded upon hearing that. How do you expect me to answer that? Who in the world can stand getting laid every day?

“Alexia, you’re absolutely right.” Alexander had entered the room at some point and was staring at Elise with lustful eyes. “I will make sure that I reach that goal every day.”

“Don’t even think about it!” Elise rolled her eyes. “First, you’ve got to know if your waist can bear the burden!”

“Believe me when I say that as long as you agree, it can be arranged at any moment.” Alexander hooked his lips ambiguously.

The couple was lost in their banter and were entirely unaware of their children’s presence.

Alexia didn’t understand what they were saying and had a puzzled expression.

In contrast to her, Irvin seemed resigned. “Daddy, Mommy, I can understand what you’re saying.”

Elise was so embarrassed that she blushed and didn’t know how to respond.

Meanwhile, Alexander acted even more shamelessly. He strutted over to his wife before wrapping his arm around her waist and bringing her to sit down on the couch, where he then crossed his legs leisurely, seemingly like an arrogant and willful man.

Shaking his head, Irvin took over the task of educating his sister. “A child only needs to remember the spelling and the paraphrase. I’ll explain the meaning to you once you turn twelve.”

“Oh.” As Alexia was easy to fool, she obediently went on to the next phrasal verb.

Crash!

A fist-sized stone struck through the window and drew a parabola in the room before landing on the sibling’s desk.

Alexia was so shocked that she jumped to her feet. Then, Elise pulled Alexia into her embrace and comforted her, “Don’t be afraid, Alexia. I’m here.”

While she spoke, Alexander opened the window and jumped out before following the path where the stone came from to chase after the culprit.

Meanwhile, Irvin also nervously ran downstairs and followed behind.

Once they were gone, only Alexia and Elise were left inside the manor. As Elise was afraid of another attack, she held Alexia in her arms and hid behind the couch, only coming out after making sure that there were no more life-threatening dangers.

She looked out the window before turning to look at the stone on the ground and finding that something was stuck to it, so she approached it and picked it up. Then, she discovered that there was a note tied to the stone by a string.

After taking off the string, she carefully opened the note.

‘Leave immediately!!!’

At the same time, there was a loud clap of thunder, and it felt like even the ground was shaking.

The note with large wording and triple exclamation marks gave a mysterious vibe.

Elise frowned. This note explains nothing. Is this a reminder or a warning?

At that moment, Alexander and Irvin came back with gloomy expressions.

“I didn’t catch anyone. It seems like the culprit came prepared and ran away very quickly.” Taking off his coat, Alexander patted away the raindrops from his bangs. “It seems like I need to arrange for security personnel to stand guard around this premises to protect you guys.”

Elise retrieved a towel and helped him dry his hair while giving him the note she found.

When Alexander opened the note and took a look, he let out a heavy sigh. “It looks like we have trouble.”

Boom!

Another wave of thunder and lightning came, illuminating the mountains in the distance and seemingly foreshadowing that something menacing was approaching them.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Suddenly, someone was knocking heavily on the door downstairs. Coupled with the booming thunder and lightning and what had just happened, it was eerily strange for someone to be knocking now.

As the man of the house, Alexander was the first to react and stood up to head downstairs. “I’ll go and have a look.”

“Irvin, take care of your sister.”

Elise was worried about Alexander, so she headed downstairs with him.

While the two made their way to the entrance, the knocking didn’t stop but grew louder, obviously indicating that the person outside was impatient.

Alexander approached the door, but his hand on the handle stopped abruptly.

He had to be sure that he focused all his attention on the person behind the door because if that person barged in, he must immediately chase that person out the door.

Since his wife and children were behind him, he had to be on high alert.

At that moment, Alexander regretted letting his guard down here in Wegas and not being thoughtful enough to protect his family.

Using a brief moment to get ready, Alexander pushed the door open with all his might. It was when he saw the person outside that he finally felt relieved.

However, he didn’t let his guard down as the person standing before him was wearing a black raincoat with a combination lock briefcase in his hand, looking remarkably similar to those killers in horror movies.

Then, the person raised his head, revealing Danny’s face.

Chapter 948 Danny Is Hiding from Ariel

Feeling speechless, Alexander rolled his eyes and yelled, “What the heck is wrong with you? Are you trying to reenact the Psycho Storm Chaser? Do you want to scare someone to death wearing this attire and knocking on the door in the middle of the night?”

Danny felt wronged and dumbfounded. “Did I just scare the devil?” Alexander was so pissed that he had no words to retort. If Danny weren’t his biological brother, he would have beat him up!

Meanwhile, Elise knew it was a false alarm when she heard Alexander’s tone. When she approached them and saw that it was Danny at the door, she quickly made her way and beckoned him inside. “It’s all just a misunderstanding. Alexander isn’t angry at you. Come in. It’s raining so heavily outside. You might catch a cold.”

Danny quickly entered the house and set his briefcase down before taking off his raincoat. “What’s inside the briefcase?” Alexander asked while giving it a light kick.

“Clothes,” Danny answered. “Clothes?” Alexander was even more pissed. “Are a few clothes worth using a combination lock briefcase?”

The owner of Smith Co. was actually frightened by a briefcase filled with clothes. It would be so humiliating if word got out.

“Dragging a suitcase seems less cool compared to this,” Danny explained with a serious expression.

No man on earth didn’t like being cool, especially childish men like Danny, because they wanted to be unique.

With a combination lock briefcase in hand and a black raincoat, he had the demeanor that would attract everyone’s attention while walking on the street.

Alexander had his hands crossed before his chest while puffing out his cheeks. He was so pissed that he didn’t know what to say.

On the other hand, Danny had something on his mind, so he did not observe Alexander’s expression. He turned to Elise and got straight to the point. “Elise, there must be empty rooms in this manor, right? I need to move in for a few days.”

“Sure.” Elise nodded. “Ariel will be staying over as well, I suppose? I’ll clean out a larger guest room for you guys.”

“No.” Danny muttered, “It’s only me, so a bed will suffice.”

Sensing something wasn’t right, Elise tried to probe. “Did you guys quarrel?”

Danny avoided her gaze and looked away before picking up his briefcase. “I think I’d better clean the guestroom myself.”

Hearing that, Elise had an answer in mind and looked at Alexander while raising an eyebrow. “Seems like they quarreled, and Danny is the one thrown out of the house. Quite pitiful.”

“That’s what he deserves.” Alexander gloated and added, “He’s already a grown-up, yet he can’t even coax his girlfriend. I, on the other hand, will never be like him.”

“Oh, really? Would you like to demonstrate how?” With her eyes squinted into slits, Elise teased him.

Then, Alexander approached her before using his long arms to snake around her waist and pull her into his embrace. He leaned in and rubbed his face against her temple. “But I know you can never bear to send me out into the heavy rain.”

“Hey, that tickles!” Elise forcefully pushed him away.

However, Alexander tried to do it again, but she raised her index finger and pointed at him, threatening him softly, “Watch how you behave before outsiders and the children, or else I’ll kick you out of the house!”

“Yes, madam!”

Alexander pretended to salute, and the couple looked into each other’s eyes and smiled.

…

The following day.

Elise had finished preparing breakfast and asked Alexia to head outside to call Danny in for breakfast.

A while later, Alexia sprinted back inside and said, “Mommy, Uncle Danny said he’s skipping breakfast.”

After saying that, she sat back in her seat and picked up her utensils to munch on her breakfast.

Since she was at the age where she was growing up quickly, she would feel famished after a night’s sleep.

“Well, you guys can eat first.”

Elise placed the children’s food before them and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window to look outside.

She saw Danny sitting under the sycamore tree while smoking a cigarette, seeming to have something on his mind.

“Honey.” Alexander hugged her from behind and whined lazily, “I’m hungry.”

“How can you think about being hungry at this moment? As an older brother, you should care more about your younger brother. Don’t let Jamie’s situation happen to him,” Elise said earnestly.

“He won’t become like Jamie.” After letting go, Alexander calmly walked over to the dining table and sat down before arranging his cutlery.

“How can you be so sure?” Elise handed him a cup of milk.

“They have different characters,” he reasoned calmly. “Let’s eat.”

“People who reveal half of the truth are annoying,” Elise complained but still obediently sat down to have breakfast together.

She knew Alexander’s character well. He was a man with a sharp tongue and a soft heart, and though he seemed unfazed on the surface, he would not stand on the side and do nothing when it came to matters related to his family.

As Alexander didn’t have many business matters in Wegas, the whole family took this trip as a vacation and took their time enjoying the almost one-hour-long breakfast.

Just as Elise placed the plates and utensils into the dishwasher, she saw Danny come running inside.

“Elise, if someone comes to look for me, just say that I’m out!”

“Who’s looking for you?”

Before Elise could finish her words, Danny had already disappeared up the stairs.

A while later, Ariel arrived at the manor and came in with a lunch box.

“Elise, have you eaten?”

“Um…” Elise dragged her voice and fiddled with her hands. “Yes, I have. Why are you here so early in the morning?”

“It seems like I came a little late.” Ariel raised the lunch box in her hand. “My mom made some red lentil soup, and I thought since Danny has been working overtime lately, I would bring some for him as nourishment. I heard Alexander has been busy as well, right? I brought double servings. Please reheat the soup for them later.”

“Sure. You’re so meticulous. I hadn’t thought about that.” Elise took over the lunch box and sat it on the counter.

At that moment, Alexander came inside from the backyard with Alexia’s toys in his hand.

Since he was at home, he wore casual attire, and along with the toys in his hand, he looked like he was here on vacation.

When their eyes met, Ariel felt strange. “Aren’t you two siblings busy with something?”

“Oh, right.” Elise took over the conversation. “Alexander ordered Danny to do something. He always asks his younger brother to do the laborious work for him.”

While she spoke, she hinted at Alexander with her eyes.

Quickly receiving her hints, Alexander spoke calmly. “A little training will do him good in the future.”

They were a married couple, so they worked well as a team.

However, despite their careful collusion, their actions didn’t escape Ariel’s eyes.

She immediately realized they were hiding something from her, but being a clever person, she didn’t act out on the spot.

“Since Danny isn’t here, I’ll be heading home first and come visit you guys another time.”

While Ariel said that, she turned around and headed for the door, but when she walked past Alexander, she said meaningfully, “Alexander, Danny is your younger brother, so you have to take good care of him.”

After that, she left the manor.

Elise and Alexander exchanged glances and nodded knowingly.

It seemed like Ariel had seen through their lie.

Then, the couple immediately brought the red lentil soup Ariel sent over upstairs.

When Danny saw them coming upstairs so soon, he felt confused. “Did she leave?”

“Yes,” Alexander replied.

“She specially brought this over for you.” Elise gave him the lunchbox.

Receiving the lunchbox, Danny held it like it was something precious, but his expression seemed heartbreaking and helpless.

Chapter 949 You Should Ask the Devil

“Never go to sleep angry. Talk it out. Do you have to do this? She cares a lot about you.” Elise tried to be the peacemaker for once.

“I know what I’m doing.” Danny’s tone was flat, obviously showing that he had no intentions of furthering this topic.

“Ariel might have found out you’re avoiding her. You guys are about to get married, so it’s better to be honest with her. Otherwise, this might become a hurdle in your relationship.” Elise tried to help him analyze the situation.

“I said I’m not avoiding her, so I’m not, okay?! Why do you keep nagging me?!” Danny suddenly burst out in anger.

Noticing the situation, Alexander pulled Elise behind him and rushed over to kick Danny. “Hey, how can you speak to your elders that way?”

Cough! Cough!

Alexander wasn’t light with his kick, and Danny, who hadn’t slept the whole night and smoked too many cigarettes, started coughing from the pain.

“You hit him too hard!”

Not expecting Alexander would kick Danny, Elise immediately pulled Alexander to the side and helped Danny to his feet.

“Are you alright?”

Danny shook his head and kept silent for a bit before slowly speaking. “I’m sorry, Elise. I didn’t mean to take out my anger on you. I was blaming myself.”

When he said that, he stopped talking and gave himself a harsh slap. “I’m such a sc*mbag! I deserve to die!”

Slap after slap landed on his cheek, and every slap was harder than the one before.

Seeing that, Elise quickly stopped him. “What happened? You can tell us, and we’ll solve whatever problem it is. There’s no need to harm yourself.”

While hugging the lunchbox with reddened eyes, Danny painfully explained the truth, “I… I thought it was Ariel, so I lost control and… but it turned out to be Clara. I’m not trying to keep this a secret from Ariel, but I’m afraid of hurting her. I spent seven years trying to make her believe in love again, but in the end, I did such a thing in less than a year. I’m too embarrassed to face her.”

Elise and Alexander looked at each other, expressing their understanding.

Both of them had previously fallen for such a trick and knew what it felt like. When such a thing happened, it was indeed difficult for one to control oneself.

Danny hugged his head and almost broke down. “I don’t know what to do. That woman is still pestering me, and I’m afraid to go out!”

“You can hide from her now, but you can’t hide forever. You must face this situation sooner or later,” Alexander reminded him coldly.

“But not now.” Danny’s blurry eyes were glistening with tears. “I don’t want to lose Ariel. You guys should let me be and let this matter drag out!”

Since the couple couldn’t think of a good plan to deal with this matter, they could only leave the room and let him calm down.

After closing the door, Elise finally had the courage to discuss this matter with Alexander. “Isn’t Clara the woman we met when we were eating outside? That’s the first time we ever met her, right? And you and Gale were at the scene too, so how could she only take a fancy on Danny?”

“It’s indeed strange.” Alexander nodded in agreement.

This led to a death stare from Elise. “Do you wish it were you instead?”

Her impression of Clara ended with her shapely figure and not-quite-ugly facial features. Such a woman was the woman of every man’s dream. Which man wouldn’t want to conquer such a woman?

“I swear with my conscience that I don’t have such thoughts.” Alexander raised three fingers to swear.

“Hmph! I’ll believe you this time.” Elise was joking with him, so she didn’t doubt him. “Could it be that Danny just happened to be that woman’s type?”

“We’ll know the answer once we investigate.”

…

The rain lasted for a week, and the sky remained gray after the rain stopped, as if implying something terrible was about to happen.

A black MPV stopped on the grassy ground of a tall mountain by the South Coast.

The door opened, and down came Paul. He walked over to the side of the cliff and faced the ocean while stretching.

“Gale, what’s the special thing you wanted to show me? Why are you acting so mysterious, and why chose this particular place to show it to me?”

Paul’s eyes were filled with anticipation when he turned around and saw Gale gradually approaching him.

Gale arrived before Paul and pulled out an antique combat knife inlaid with jade. No man could resist a cold weapon with a historical feel to it.

Paul’s eyes were fixed on the knife as his hands that were holding it trembled. “This is so cool. Where did you get it?!”

“I got it for 50 million Alzue Vraleings from Zurich Auction House,” Gale answered expressionlessly.

“T-That’s a steal!” Though Paul had no idea how much 50 million Alzue Vraleings was, he immediately understood that it wasn’t a small amount and looked up in confusion. “That’s a lot of money, but I don’t recall you ever reporting about it.”

Gale’s eyes immediately turned ferocious as he pulled the combat knife out of its sheath and stabbed it into Paul’s body.

“Gale, why—” Paul grabbed Gale’s shoulders as the pain made him unable to utter a full sentence while his body gradually hunched.

“I’ve been reporting to you for so many years, but from now on, I won’t have to report to anyone anymore. You have yourself to blame for forcing me to make a move so soon.”

Under Paul’s disbelieving gaze, Gale fiercely pushed the knife a few inches deeper.

“Don’t worry. Your dad will join you soon, and once I find some spare time, I’ll send Alicia down too. That way, your family can reunite in the underworld.”

As Paul gradually lost all his strength, his hand slipped off Gale’s shoulder and landed on the combat knife.

He grabbed tightly onto Gale’s hand, which was holding the knife, and asked with eyes filled with resentment and confusion. “W-Why?!”

He trusted Gale so much, yet Gale wanted him dead!

“You can ask the devil!”

After saying that, Gale pulled the knife out and gave Paul a gentle push, sending him falling into the endless sea.

He took a step forward and cleaned the blood stain off his hand while looking down at the spot Paul fell into the sea.

“Dear sea, you’re such a mysterious thing. You’ve given life to many things, yet you have to devour a human…”

As he said that, a smile slowly appeared on his face, but his smile was so wicked that it looked terrifying.

Once he cleaned his hands, he wrapped the antique combat knife in the same handkerchief and threw it into the sea.

“With such an expensive antique accompanying you, you should feel happy and rest in peace.”

After he finished saying that, he got inside the car and left without turning back.

However, he didn’t know that just as his car left the scene, Jamie arrived on his motorcycle just in time and dove into the sea to save Paul.

An hour later, at the Griffith Manor.

Jamie barged through the front door while supporting Paul, screaming as he made his way inside, “Boss, help!”

Alexander just happened to be in the living room, so he got up and helped Jamie. “Paul? How did he end up like this?”

Since he had previously investigated the Heidelbergs, he immediately recognized Paul’s identity.

“It’s a long story. He’s still bleeding, so we should save his life first, should we?” Jamie was still joking at such a moment.

“What’s the matter?” Elise rushed downstairs.

After checking Paul’s injuries, she ordered, “Bring him to the basement. There’s a simple operating room there.”

“Let Alexander do it. I’ll go out and grab a doctor.” Knowing Elise had limited traditional medical skills, Jamie was ready to head out to look for help.

“Who are you going to grab? You already have one here.” Elise had a displeased expression on her face.

“Aren’t you a Traditional Medicine physician? When did you learn modern medical treatment? This situation calls for an operation,” Jamie reasoned.

“Do you think I’ve been doing nothing during the seven years I was missing?”

Chapter 950 Drawing Fire on Yourself

After taking a one-year postnatal break, Elise had been idle since. She used the free time to learn modern medical treatment, and though her proficiency in the field hadn’t reached the point where she could bring back the dead, a small operation like this was easy as pie for her.

Feeling ashamed, Jamie said, “As I would expect from my Boss. Not only are you better than me, but you are also more hardworking. It seems like I will never be able to surpass you.”

“Stop yapping and help me save a life.” The operation ended after two hours.

“There’s no injury to the internal organs, but he has suffered severe blood loss. The wound has been stitched up, so the rest is up to him,” Elise explained while taking off her surgical gloves.

“Will he survive?” Since it took them quite a while to get here, Jamie was worried about Paul’s condition.

“If he wakes up, he will.” Not daring to make any big talk, Elise could only give a conservative answer.

“Gale is so ruthless,” Alexander spoke up from beside them.

“I haven’t even said anything yet. How did you know it was Gale?” Jamie asked.

“That’s because I have brains.”

Jamie was rendered speechless. That’s discreetly calling me stupid.

Actually, Alexander wasn’t to blame because, with his in-depth investigation of the Heidelbergs and the long operation time, it would be an insult to his intelligence if he couldn’t figure out the truth.

On the other hand, Jamie deserved to get reprimanded because he already knew Alexander was more intelligent than ordinary people, yet he still asked such a stupid question.

After listening to their conversation, Elise smiled meaningfully and teased Jamie, “You seem quite attentive toward Gale’s matters.”

“Of course, it’s all for—” Jamie stopped talking as he realized he almost made a slip of the tongue and quickly changed his speech. “It’s all for my friends. Narissa is my friend, and I just made friends with Alicia too. So, no matter the reason, I can’t just stand by and do nothing. What’s more, it isn’t our character to watch this happen and do nothing.”

His words were very righteous as if he did all this for the sake of his friendship and nothing else.

“If that’s so, are you doing all of this for Narissa or Alicia?” Being the rubberneck, Alexander deliberately dug a hole for Jamie to jump.

“Both of them.” Jamie seemed unfazed. “They’re both my friends, so I should be fair with them.”

“Sure…” Alexander nodded meaningfully. “That’s great. You won’t offend any of them, but I still have to remind you not to draw fire onto yourself.”

If he began treating another woman nicely without letting go of the woman in his heart, he might hurt two women at once.

Therefore, during the seven years without Elise, Alexander did not show any kindness to those women who were alone with him.

Being self-disciplined was also a way to protect one’s lover, but it seemed like the foolish Jamie hadn’t realized this fact.

“What does this have to do with drawing fire onto myself? Isn’t it just having another female friend? I don’t have any ill intentions.”

“If you say so.” Alexander had seen through him but chose not to say anything and left the basement.

Then, Elise followed behind him.

“What are we going to do about him?” Jamie pointed at Paul, who was still lying on the operating table.

Elise walked over and patted his shoulder. “You’re the good Samaritan. Since you found him, you take care of him.”

“I can’t believe you guys.” Not knowing what to do, Jamie turned gloomy. “The least you could do is give me another bed, right?”

There was only one operating table inside the basement, and Paul was lying on it. Therefore, if he were to stay, his only choice was to sleep on the ground.

“Figure it out on your own.”

Since Elise also felt that Jamie was showing signs of running after two hares, she deliberately made things difficult for him.

Having no other choice, Jamie could only head back upstairs and moved an armchair to the basement to make do.

After that, he stayed there for a day and two nights.

On the morning of the third day, Paul finally came to.

“Where am I?”

Hearing the voice, Jamie awoke with a start from his curled-up position on the couch.

When he saw that Paul was no longer in a critical condition, he felt relieved and stretched his body before approaching Paul and explaining the situation, “You’re in the basement of my Boss’ home.”

Paul slowly turned his head to look at Jamie, but his gaze became confused after. “Was it you who saved me? Why?”

Jamie should have heard it when I ordered my men to kill him. I didn’t expect he would return the favor by saving me, Paul thought.

“No particular reason.” Jamie still used his previous reason. “Just lending a helping hand to someone in need. That’s the virtue carved into the bones of every Cittadelian. Also, perhaps you weren’t meant to die.”

“No matter why you did it, thank you.” Paul’s gloomy tone sounded like he was in a bad mood.

After he said that, he turned his face and looked dazedly at the ceiling.

The formerly high-spirited rich young man now had empty eyes and had lost all his spirits, making him look extraordinarily bleak.

“You’ve been asleep for quite some time. Would you like something to eat?” In fact, it was Jamie who was feeling quite hungry.

Elise had intended to bring Jamie some food, but Alexander thought it was too troublesome and stopped his wife and children from heading down to the basement, reasoning that Jamie would come upstairs himself when he was hungry.

On the other hand, Jamie was worried Paul might not make it, so he didn’t dare to leave Paul’s side. He hadn’t eaten or drunk anything all this time, so he was starving.

“Thank you, but I don’t feel like eating. You don’t have to go through the trouble of preparing food for me.” Once Paul finished his words, he closed his eyes and pretended to fall asleep, avoiding any future interaction with Jamie.

“If that’s so, you should take a rest. I’ll head upstairs and report your condition to the doctor. It’s perfectly safe here, so you don’t have to worry about being discovered.”

After he said that, Jamie quickly headed upstairs.

When Jamie’s footsteps faded, Paul opened his eyes again, revealing his bloodshot eyes.

His mind was replaying the scene where Gale stabbed him with the knife. He saw how Gale’s eyes were ruthless, decisive, and without the slightest mercy.

That was a gaze he had never seen before in his over twenty years of living, and it terrified him whenever he thought about it.

The person he had trusted for a decade and treated as his elder brother had personally sent him to hell!

Paul couldn’t accept that fact and he became even more unsure of whom to trust in the future.

…

When Jamie came upstairs, he saw Elise, her family, and Danny having breakfast together.

He rubbed his belly and approached them. “Boss, where’s my share?”

“I didn’t prepare yours,” Alexander said flatly.

“How could you? I’ve been helping you guys take care of the patient for two days and this is how you repay me?” Jamie felt wronged.

However, Alexander remained unfazed. “That was of your own accord.”

Knowing he couldn’t get any advantage from Alexander, Jamie gave up bickering with him.

He turned his head and saw that Danny still had two sandwiches on his plate, so he reached over and snatched them.

“Hehe. I know you have a small appetite, so let me help you finish these.”

Danny used his fork to hit Jamie’s hand and then protectively pulled his food closer. “Thank you for offering help, but I can finish them.”

“Hey! Are you still my friend? It’s just a piece of sandwich. Why are you so petty?” Jamie was pissed and helpless.

“Even reckoning makes long friends,” Danny said without looking at him.

Jamie was furious. The Griffith brothers were working together to bully him!

At that moment, Irvin, who had been quietly sitting beside them, picked up his plate and handed it to Jamie. “Godfather, you can have mine.”