Ch. 991..1000

Coolest Girl in Town Chapter 991--Elise felt helpless as she immediately realized what Owen was trying to do.

Is he trying to be the knight in shining armor who rescues a damsel in distress?

Look at the number of actors he hired to pull this stunt, just so he could be the hero! He spared no expense.

At the same time, the spectating extras swiftly stepped aside when they noticed that the plank was about to fall, clearing a path for Owen.

Elise played along. She pretended to slip and crash to the ground before protecting her head with a look of terror.

As the beam was about to crush her, Owen reached her just in time to shield her from the blow.

Thus, the blazing beam left burns on his arm. Not only was his sleeve singed in the process, but a large patch of his skin was covered in a horrifying wound.

Owen stumbled to the ground as he clasped his injured arm with a look of agony. However, he remained quiet and played the character of a mature, responsible, and trustworthy man to perfection.

"Are you okay?" Elise quickly got up and pretended to be concerned as she checked on him. She also acted as if she finally recognized him. "It's you! What are you doing here, Mr. Morgan?"

"Let's talk later. We need to get out first!" Owen responded with a grim expression.

"Okay."

Elise nodded and helped Owen get back on his feet before heading out.

The corridor which had been stuffed full of people just moments ago was suddenly clear.

Without a doubt, it had to be Owen's doing.

As soon as they came out, Narissa instantly spotted Elise and started waving at her. She was about to call out to Elise when she noticed Owen and clammed up.

Isn't this the handsome man who was hitting on El a while back? How did they run into each other again when it has only been a couple of days? Is it really just a coincidence?

Narissa had an exuberant personality, but it didn't mean that she was obtuse. She could sense that things were not as simple as they seemed.

Elise spotted Narissa as well. She helped Owen over and purposely introduced him. "Narissa, this is Owen Morgan, the one I previously mentioned to you. Mr. Morgan was the one who saved me back there."

"Ohhhhh!" Narissa dragged her exclamation out on purpose before eyeing the two. "So, you're Owen Morgan, huh?"

This is the punk that Alexander was talking about—the one who purposely lured us over.

He looks like such a refined gentleman, though. I can't believe he's capable of hurting anyone.

However, Narissa immediately refuted herself.

You can't judge a book by its cover. There are guys like Zephyr Lorwhal who appear to be outstanding men of great character but are actually scum! This punk's no exception.

"Do you know me?" Owen narrowed his eyes as they flashed warily.

"Nope." Without missing a beat, Narissa passed the buck back to Elise. "Anastasia talked about you a couple of times, so I remembered the name."

Alexander would have a bone to pick with Narissa if he heard what she said.

Owen turned to Elise for verification.

Elise froze for a second before quickly schooling her expression. She pretended to be a little shy and hesitant as if she was feeling mortified that her secret had been exposed.

Owen's eyes flashed. Hah. Alexander Griffith's charm isn't all that captivating after all. His woman's already attracted to me after a single encounter.

At last, Clement and Raymond rushed over.

"Are you alright, Elise?" Raymond frantically checked on Elise.

"I'm fine, but Mr. Morgan got injured when he saved me. Hurry up and take us to the hospital. Clement, take Narissa back first."

Elise secretly gave Narissa a look and Narissa got the hint at once. She smirked suggestively with a knowing look on her face.

By now, Owen was even more convinced that Anastasia had a thing for him.

With Raymond around, Elise and Owen didn't talk much while on the road.

When the nurse was treating Owen's injury, Elise purposely stayed right beside them with a worried frown the whole time as if she was beside herself with anxiousness.

Owen fell for this hook, line, and sinker. Now that none of Alexander's eyes and ears were around, he intentionally glanced at Elise with soulful, affectionate eyes several times.

Whenever their eyes met, he would timidly avert his eyes.

Such was the flirtatious signals sent between two adults. They were often a game of push-and-pull fraught with an underlying tension.

When the nurse left, Elise started thanking Owen. "I'm indebted to you, Mr. Morgan. My face would've been ruined today if it hadn't been for you."

"It's nothing. It seems as if fate wanted us to run into each other again." Owen acted as if he didn't want her to feel indebted to him. He changed the subject and commented, "Your husband must be a busy man, Miss White. You're always alone whenever I see you."

He's now trying to drive a wedge between Alexander and me, huh?

Elise went along with it and pretended to look glum. "That's right. There's a lot that he needs to take care of at his company."

Owen snorted scornfully. "There's always more money to be made, but life is short. The decades pass by in a flash and before you know it, everything's gone like dust in the wind. It's more important to cherish the people we have with us. If I were him, I wouldn't be willing to let you spend all your days alone, Miss White."

Now that she had taken the bait, he was setting up an even bigger trap.

Who could resist a handsome, wealthy man who appeared to be so true in love?

Unfortunately for Owen, Elise was the very person who could.

She was now pretty certain that Owen was trying to use his wiles to win her over so that he could use her against Alexander somehow.

He's underestimating Alexander's charm and overestimating his own!

Still, to continue fooling Owen, Elise played her part and went along with the act.

She turned away and let out an exaggerated sigh as she donned a look of melancholy. "We can't have our pie and eat it too. Since I chose to be with an enterprising man, I have to accept the loneliness that comes with him being busy all the time."

"I'm afraid I can't agree with you on that, Miss White," Owen objected gently. "There are plenty of men in this world who can dedicate themselves to both their careers and their families. As long as you don't give in so easily... As long... as you're willing to let fate take its course, then perhaps... your one true love might be someone else..."

He was implying that he, not Alexander, was the one she was meant to be with.

Elise's eyes brightened as if she was moved by his words. "Is that true?" she asked him.

"Absolutely," Owen declared firmly.

Elise gazed at him expectantly for two seconds before she seemed to deflate at the thought of something. She turned back around and said, "It's getting late. I should head back!"

She walked toward the door and opened it before turning back to say, "Thank you for what you did today!"

Then, she hurried out of the room.

Owen smirked at the sight of her flustered departure. He got out his phone and made a video call.

Soon, Wendy appeared on the screen.

"You must have good news if you're calling me this quickly." Wendy had a hunch.

"You're so perceptive, Miss Jennings. I wanted to let you know that Anastasia has already fallen for me. She's definitely going to cheat on Alexander."

Coolest Girl in Town Chapter 992--Wendy nodded with satisfaction.

"You've always been the member I'm most satisfied with, but while it is important to plant a spy beside Alexander, it must not get in the way of executing our plan. Since the Heidelbergs' research team has been confirmed, we must ensure they're of service to me as quickly as possible."

Owen nodded. "Don't worry. Everything's going according to plan. I've already bought a small island out on the ocean and the island's defense system is entirely in place. We can send them over there at once. Once they create the drug, we can destroy all of the lowly dregs out there! Soon, we will establish a new world order!"

When Elise got home, Alexander was already sitting in the living room.

She was dragged into his embrace as soon as she walked over.

Alexander bent down and brushed his nose against hers. "You've been running into that punk a little more than I care for lately. I'm starting to feel threatened."

"You should," Elise announced seriously as she seized the chance to tease him. "Ele wants you to get cheated on."

Alexander turned away as he touched his left eyebrow with a derisive snort. "This isn't his first attempt at that, but even if that's what he wants, so what? He lost to me eight years ago. Why would I be afraid of him now?"

"You're that confident in yourself, huh?" Elise eyed him with a devilish look.

Alexander held her close and responded sweetly, "Well, that's only because I have complete faith in my wife. Why would you be interested in a man like Owen when you've already had a taste of someone as exceptional as me?"

"You're right. I'm not interested in him at all," Elise said truthfully with a laugh. "But he's probably not truly interested in me either. He just wants someone to help him keep an eye on you and report your latest happenings to him."

"In that case, why don't we tell him exactly what he wants to hear?" Alexander's eyes were cold as he stared ahead. He remained expressionless but his aura was inordinately imposing. "If we want to destroy our enemy, we must first let him soar to greater heights. The higher he climbs, the harder he falls!"

This was right in line with Elise's thoughts.

She squeezed Alexander's cheeks like an impatient child seeking attention. "Did you plant a bug inside my head? How did you know what I was thinking?"

"I'm not sure about a bug," Alexander replied as he took one of her hands and rubbed her waist. "But I do wish that a little tadpole of mine's here in your belly. I've been putting in so much effort for so long now, wifey. Do you really feel nothing at all?"

"Not at all!" Elise pinched his ear with an angry huff. "Watch what you say at home! Don't let the kids hear you. Didn't you hear what Irvin said the last time?"

Alexander winced and rubbed his ear before carrying her in his arms as he stood up.

"Ahh!" Elise exclaimed in shock.

"Shh—" Alexander used her words against her. "Keep it down. The kids will hear you."

Elise bit her lip in anger and pounded him on the chest as she ranted quietly, "You beast!"

"I don't mind being the beast if it means I get to be with the beauty."

Alexander wasn't ashamed at all. In fact, he was proud of it as he took great strides to make his way upstairs.

After staying at home the whole afternoon, Narissa was bored out of her mind. Thus, she decided to head to the office and surprise Jamie.

She stopped her car by the side of the road and walked toward her family's company building.

However, the moment she reached the small public square in front of the building, she began to have a strange feeling. She slowed down and paid attention to what was happening behind her, and sure enough, she realized that someone was following her.

She pretended to carry on walking forward before she suddenly turned around and locked eyes with a man out on the sidewalk who was wearing a cap.

The man skedaddled at once upon being detected, and Narissa immediately chased him down.

She had never lost someone in a chase. Although they were separated by the street, she continued to close the distance with her impressive speed.

As they turned the corner, Narissa managed to catch up to the man. She grabbed his shoulder as she cried out, "Trying to run, huh?"

However, the man twisted himself out of her grip and fled into the dim bar beside them. It seemed that he wanted to use the darkness of the bar to his advantage and escape this way.

Narissa was fully confident in her abilities. She kicked the bar's entrance open and rushed in as well.

Just then, the light in front of her was turned on and it lit up the stage, including the band that was up there.

There was a guitarist, a bassist, a drummer, and a vocalist who just so happened to be Paul.

"Oh, my girl! Let us dance among the stars in the sky!"

"Come rain or shine, we'll stand shoulder to shoulder till the day we die!"

Paul gazed at Narissa with adoring eyes as he rapped a love song. The bar's atmosphere livened up as well.

Only Narissa kept frowning throughout the performance.

She figured out what was happening. No one was trying to tail her. It was Paul who set everything up. He planned the whole alarming incident just to trick her into coming to the bar.

Once the song was over, Paul took a rose from one of his subordinates before walking over to Narissa and holding it out to her with an eager look in his eyes. "This is for you!"

Narissa glanced at the rose before looking at Paul as if she was surveying a fool. "What's wrong with you?"

"Isn't it obvious what I'm doing? I'm confessing my feelings for you!" Paul declared in all honesty. "I like you, Narissa. Can you give me a chance to take you out?"

Narissa took a deep breath and crossed her arms. "So, it seems to me that you don't plan on changing this spoiled brat behavior of yours, huh? Right now, your sister's emotionally unstable, your grandfather's in the hospital hooked up to a ventilator, and the Heidelbergs' company is going through numerous crises, but you're still in the mood to put on a show and fool around with these frivolous things."

"I was just trying to make this a memorable occasion for you." Paul felt helpless and frustrated. "Yes, I know that my family has a lot on their plate right now, but I have my own life to lead too. I know what I'm doing. I don't want to lose the woman I want to be with when I'm in the prime of my life."

"You want to be with someone else's fiancee?" Narissa retorted bluntly.

"You're just engaged. You're not married yet. You're still not committed to anyone, so I have the right to pursue you." Paul knew exactly what to say to defend himself.

"That's true." Narissa nodded. "You have the right to pursue me, but I also have to right to reject you. Listen closely now. I'm not attracted to you in any way whatsoever, so stop wasting your time on me!"

Once she finished speaking, she turned around and walked away.

Alas, her staunch and straightforward manner only made Paul even more attracted to her. "I won't give up!"

He held the rose and yelled, "I'm certain that I'll be the one to marry you, Narissa!"

Narissa went back to the office building, but she couldn't be bothered to go up anymore. She stopped just outside and called Jamie.

Jamie answered within seconds. "What is it, darling?"

"Are you in the office right now?" Narissa asked

Coolest Girl in Town Chapter 993--"No, I'm not," Jamie replied. "I'm at the sanatorium right now. Earlier this morning, the Doc asked me to find a type of medicinal herb that could be used as incense that would help Alicia sleep better and would also be beneficial for her condition. I brought it over after work. Did you head to the office to look for me?"

"No. I'm heading home now. You don't need to pick me up."

"Okay, darling. Go ahead and get ready first. Your fiance will be right there."

After ending the call, Narissa glanced up at Jamie's office before turning around and walking back to her car.

Jamie pocketed his phone with a loving expression on his face and turned around. That was when he realized that Alicia had come downstairs at some point and was now standing right in front of him.

This meant that she heard everything he said to Narissa earlier. Their conversation might have triggered her.

Jamie frowned at once and he pondered how he could salvage the situation.

Alicia clutched her chest and swallowed as she tried to hold back her tears. Her eyes were watery as she asked, "You've gotten together with Narissa, right?"

She wasn't a fool. Over the past few days, she heard snippets of the conversations that Jamie had with Narissa over the phone.

It was already a possibility that she had long since deduced, but all this while, she could not bring herself to accept it. She didn't want to believe it.

Jamie looked down. His silence confirmed it.

Alicia felt as if millions of tiny needles were stabbing into every inch of her skin. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists as she told herself to hold onto the very last of her dignity.

"Go on. She's waiting for you. You don't need to come over anymore. I'll be just fine by myself."

She turned around and held the wall as she tried to make her way back upstairs, but she was so weak that her body kept quivering.

Jamie quickly rushed forward to help her. "I'll help you up."

"I don't need your pity!" Alicia gathered all the strength she could muster and flung his hand away from her. She glared at him with red, teary eyes. "Jamie, since you can't give me your love, don't get involved with me, and don't make me rely on you! There's no such thing as someone dying if they can't be with someone else, but if someone gives another person hope in their darkest days before suddenly taking it away again, then there's no telling whether the person can carry on living."

She was that person. Jamie was the only hope she could grasp onto, but now, the ray of light she found was not hers to have.

When it came to love, no one was in control of anything.

Alicia had heard an elderly person saying this on the street once. She only felt that it was an insightful saying back then, but now, she finally realized what those words truly meant.

Not all feelings were reciprocated. Not all love ended in a happily ever after. Those who were not meant to be together would part at some point.

Jamie watched as Alicia walked up the stairs with great difficulty. Each step she took was like a heavy thud in his heart. He was already ridden with guilt, and now, he felt as if he would never be able to make things better.

One hour later.

Alicia sat on her bed and stared out the window in a daze. The moonlight shone in through the window and cascaded across her body but failed to illuminate her expression.

Thus, Paul didn't notice that Alicia was crying.

Paul placed the rose he wanted to give Narissa into the vase on the table before sitting down beside Alicia. He stared out at the moon as well.

Right here, right now, it was as if the two of them had gone back in time, where Paul was still a carefree, reckless person, and Alicia wasn't sick.

Paul sighed. "We both developed feelings at the same time, and we both ended up brokenhearted on the same day. We're siblings who've fallen on hard times together."

He reached out to Alicia and leaned her head on his shoulder before he continued saying, "I know how upset you are right now, but you know, it doesn't matter. Even if we lose everything in the world, we still have each other. We've been together ever since we were in our mother's womb. I'll accompany you even in our next life. We'll grow old together, so don't be afraid even if you don't find someone to love you, got it?"

Paul and Alicia were fraternal twins. Their mother had died in childbirth and their father died in a plane crash soon after. They had been together since birth and barely spent any time apart.

Although Paul was a reckless daredevil, he never allowed Alicia to get hurt in any way. He was both a brother and a father to her.

Alicia's burning hot tears dripped down on Paul's neck. He adjusted his position before patting her gently on his shoulder and encouraging her warmly, "Get better soon, okay, Alicia? I know that you're not a weak and helpless girl."

It had been quite some time since Alicia last cried, but now, all her walls broke down as the hurt and grievance she felt burst out ofher. "Paul!"

It was dawn.

Griffith Manor's main entrance flung open and Irvin stepped out. He walked out and crossed the street before entering one of the smaller bungalows on the opposite side.

Soon after Alexander bought Griffith Manor, he bought this bungalow as well.

The basement wasn't enough to house all of his research equipment.

Irvin walked up to the research lab entrance before fishing out his key and heading in. However, Irvin found Zephyr inside the lab studying a test tube of the stimulant that Irvin had successfully created.

Zephyr didn't turn around at the sound. He kept shaking the test tube in his hand as he commented, "Not bad at all. It's a very precise formula. You've got talent, though there's room for improvement as well."

Once the chemical reaction inside the test tube was complete, Zephyr placed the test tube back down and wiped his hands as he remarked nonchalantly, "You'd become even better if I mentored you."

"What is it that you want to say?" Irvin piped up impatiently.

Zephyr came over and asked eagerly, "Do you want to be my student?"

Before Irvin could respond, Zephyr began to boast about himself. "As you know, I'm your father's honored guest. It's not a shameful thing to acknowledge me as your mentor. I'll turn you into the next world's greatest doctor."

"Are you imploring me?" Irvin replied coolly as he held his head up high.

"Nope." Zephyr wasn't going to admit to that. "I'm just giving you a suggestion—a marvelous, flawless suggestion."

"I'm not accepting it," Irvin responded curtly.

Up to now, Zephyr hadn't done anything that convinced Irvin to take Zephyr as his mentor.

Zephyr started getting a little frantic. "Are you sure about that? I've never taken anyone as my student before. This opportunity won't be around forever. If you don't seize it now, it'll be lost for good."

"That's true." Irvin walked past Zephyr and headed over to his research specimen. "Who knows how long you'll have to wait if you lose the opportunity to take on a student as smart as me? Unless my parents give birth to another child, but even then, it'll be another seven or eight years before the child becomes old enough. I'm not sure if you can wait that long."

Zephyr, one of the greatest doctors in the world, was rejected outright by a child. His expression became incredibly unpleasant.

He turned around in a huff and walked toward the door, but then he marched right back. All his anger disappeared as he stared at Irvin.

What a handsome face, and what a remarkable talent. It'd be such a waste if someone else gets to him first and steals him away!

I can't let that happen! I have to make him my student!

"Ahem—"

Zephyr pretended to clear his throat. He walked over to Irvin with his hands behind his back and tried to speak up several times, but still, he couldn't bring himself to get the words out.

Irvin smirked mischievously as he purposely relaxed his stance. "Well, it's not impossible for me to agree to let you be my mentor. You just have to accept three conditions."

"I'll agree to thirty, let alone three!"

"Thirty conditions it is then."

Zephyr was speechless.

He had only just exhaled in relief a moment ago when his breath got caught in his throat again.

How can this child be so cunning?

Coolest Girl in Town Chapter 994--Tons of people would envy Zephyr if he became Irvin's mentor. He would be mentoring the one and only Alexander Griffith's son!

Thus, he wasn't necessarily in a losing situation.

Most importantly, this news would not be painted in a bad light either. He didn't beg, trick, or kidnap Irvin into becoming his mentee. He convinced Irvin with his capabilities!

What was that? Did someone call it a barter trade?

Zephyr objected to that. When had such an unequal trade ever existed, save in times of war?

Even Aladdin could only grant three wishes, yet he could grant thirty! Wouldn't that make him even better than a genie?

He was surely a lot more reliable than all the genies out there.

Clearly, he was a legendary figure with both good looks and remarkable talent.

Yes. That's right. That's exactly how it is.

After coming up with a solid reasoning that was convincing enough for himself, Zephyr glanced at Irvin, who was buried in his experiment, before walking out feeling satisfied with himself.

Meanwhile, at a certain fine-dining restaurant that mostly catered to romantic couples.

Maverick and Ariel were having a candlelight dinner. All throughout dinner, Maverick was the perfect gentleman who was patient in every way possible.

This left Ariel feeling a little confused.

It would not escape the attention of someone as intelligent as Maverick that she only accepted his gesture to anger Danny.

However, he didn't seem to mind it at all. In fact, he was happy to go along with it. One could not help but feel suspicious about this.

"I can't help but wonder just how much Rylantha is giving you for you to do whatever it takes to butter me up, even though it'll never amount to anything," Ariel probed without mincing her words.

"Business and profits aren't the only things we have between us." Maverick smiled and turned to flag down the server. "You can serve the wine now."

Ariel could tell she wouldn't be able to get a straight answer out of him.

"I'm going to use the washroom."

Ariel purposely left Maverick alone for a little while.

Before she left her seat, she turned on the audio recorder on her phone before hiding it under a napkin on her chair. Once that was done, she finally left.

She knew Maverick too well. He was someone who'd always say the right thing to the right people. She had to resort to a few extreme measures of her own if she wanted to find out what he was truly trying to do.

Five minutes later, she returned to the table just as the server was leaving with the wine.

"What's the matter? Is the wine not to your liking?" Ariel asked.

"He's new to the job and so clumsy that he splattered the wine everywhere. I told him to get us a new set of wine glasses," Maverick calmly replied.

"Well, he's still young. Understandably, he'll make a mistake or two. Don't tell me you told him off the way you used to reprimand me last time," Ariel said with a chuckle as she saved the audio recording on her phone and converted the audio file into text.

Maverick recalled their history together and started going down memory lane. "I never had a student as exceptional as you are again.”

"I'm not the exceptional one. Your standards simply became too high."

"That's not true. Even now, I still think that if I am to spend the rest of my life with someone, you're the best one I could choose, Arie."

She was the best, but not the only one, and not the first.

This is always the case with Maverick. Everything he says sounds so grand and moving, but when you take a closer look, it'll always turn out to be so pitifully meaningless.

Ariel smiled without responding. She looked at her phone and saw that the audio recording had finished converting to a speech- to-text file, so she went ahead to read it. As she did, she raised an eyebrow. This was interesting, indeed.

'Is it your first time doing this?'

'Yes, sir.'

'You fool. No amount of wine can hide the drug if you put that much in!'

'I'm sorry, Mr. Taylor. I'll pour another glass.'

'The glass is already full of powder! It'll be the same even if you fill it up again. Take everything away and bring a new set over. This time, just cover the walls of the glass with a thin layer before bringing it over. Got it? If anyone finds out about this, you won't be losing just your job. You won't be getting any more money either.'

'I got it. I'll do exactly as you say.'

The conversation stopped there.

True enough, Maverick was resorting to this trickery behind her back.

Maverick noticed that Ariel was staring at her phone and assumed she was talking to Danny, so he quipped sarcastically, "I have no idea what you women think. You can even accept your partner cheating on you, albeit just physically. Back then, I didn't sleep with anyone else and I didn't cheat on you emotionally either, so why can't you let it go?"

Ariel put her phone away and looked at him coldly. "Some people might have been sullied physically, but their heart remains pure, while others can't hide the disgusting stench of their rotten heart no matter how clean and faultless they pretend to be."

The reality of life had long since proven who was true to her and who was merely putting on a show. A few pleasant words and an attempt or two at fawning over her weren't going to change that.

Maverick caught the implication of her words and his expression changed slightly.

The air grew tense between them. Just then, the server came back and interrupted them.

"I apologize for the intrusion. I shall serve the wine now."

The server did as he was told and poured two glasses of wine. He set the glass with the drugged wine in front of Ariel. "Please enjoy."

He bowed before retreating.

Maverick swiftly composed himself and raised his glass with a smile. "Come. Let's set aside these unhappy thoughts for now. Cheers to this beautiful night."

Ariel swirled her glass and tipped it at him before drinking the wine.

Then, she calmly wiped her mouth with the napkin and spat everything back out before quietly putting the napkin away.

Maverick's eyes flashed with victory as he glanced at the empty wine glass. He impatiently asked for the bill before taking Ariel home.

Along the way, Ariel pretended to become a little woozy and disoriented, as if the drug was taking effect.

"Are you alright, Arie?" Maverick pretended to be clueless about the situation as he checked on her. "Are you drunk?"

"Maybe." Ariel rubbed her temples and murmured, "Ask the driver to hurry up. I should be getting home."

"Don't worry," Maverick said in the gentlest tone, though his face was completely emotionless. "I will definitely get you home safely."

As soon as he said that, Ariel leaned back and acted as if she had fainted.

Soon, the car stopped outside Ariel and Danny's house.

Maverick got out first before walking over to the other side of the car and carrying Ariel out. He used her fingerprint to unlock the door before strutting into the house as if he owned the place.

Out on the corner of the street, Danny took this all in. The steering wheel nearly cracked under his death grip.

Ariel was his! Was he really going to let Maverick get his way?

In that case, would he be any different from that beast, Maverick?

However, would Ariel forgive him if this didn't happen?

Danny was conflicted. His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked, but still, he couldn't make his mind up.

Inside the house, Maverick placed Ariel down on the couch and took in her gorgeousness up close.

Although she was thirty, her skin was just as soft and supple as a college student in her early twenties, and her figure was still as slender yet voluptuous as ever. Such was the only woman he had ever developed feelings for. She took great care of herself.

As he studied her, he began to feel that something was amiss.

He had given her an aphrodisiac, so why was she unconscious? Had it been a little too much?

Whatever. There's no time to think about this. I can't stop now.

Tonight, I must take her for myself!

Thus, Maverick kneeled on the couch and bent down to kiss Ariel.

"What are you doing?"

Just before he could press his lips against hers, Ariel's eyes flew open. She leveled an unblinking stare at him.

Coolest Girl in Town Chapter 995--Maverick froze at once, but he quickly found what to say in his defense.

"What's wrong, Arie?" Maverick absolved himself of the situation entirely. "You're the one who asked me to stay. Did you forget that? Is this not what you meant?"

"What did I mean?" Ariel sat up with an icy expression. "I've been wide awake the whole time ever since we left the restaurant and I don't remember inviting you into my house."

Maverick was shocked. "Weren't you..."

"Wasn't I what? Unconscious? I should've been even more soundly asleep so that you can do whatever you want with me, right?" Ariel fired back. "It's been ten years. Do you think I'm still the gullible girl I once was?"

"Arie, you've misunderstood me." Maverick refused to give up.

Ariel didn't want to hold back any longer. "What did I misunderstand? Did you not drug me, or did you not plan on giving me to the property developer back then so that you could achieve your dream of climbing up the social circles?"

Maverick became serious as well at the mention of the incident back then. "You were there too. You saw what happened. You know that I didn't agree with their request."

"You didn't agree verbally, but what did you do behind my back? I was lucky enough to run into a young doctor. That's how I found out that what you made me drink was Millennivre, an alcohol that would make me drunk at once, and once I finally woke up from my drunken stupor, I would lose most of my memories of what happened. You went to such great lengths, didn't you, Mr. Taylor?"

To Ariel, this incident not only represented the depravity of Maverick, but it was also a lesson she learned.

She didn't want to recall this dark past of hers and her pitiful past self whose pure heart had been stomped on that badly. Thus, she never attempted to bring this incident back to light.

However, as Maverick kept pushing her too far time and time again, she had no choice but to expose him for what he truly was. Otherwise, this would never end.

"So, you knew everything." Now that the truth was out, Maverick stopped pretending. Instead, he began commenting in a snarky manner, "Here I was thinking that you were just upset that I neglected you and didn't drink the alcohol on your behalf, so you ran off in a huff. The truth is, my wonderful Arie has always been so intelligent and cool-headed."

His tone darkened toward the end of his last sentence and his aura became a lot more menacing. It was as if he had suddenly become an entirely different person.

Maverick eyed Ariel as if he was a predator locking in on his prey.

Before Ariel could react, he threw himself at her and grabbed her hands before pinning her beneath him.

Ariel smirked. "Are you going to force yourself onto me?"

"I'll be gentler if you're cooperative."

Maverick dropped all pretense of being a gentleman. His eyes were now scheming and sinister.

As soon as he finished speaking, he moved to bite down on her neck.

At the very next second, Maverick howled in pain before stumbling to the floor as he clutched his manhood.

Ariel sat upright and adjusted her clothes before admiring the results of her decisive victory.

She scored a bullseye with her kick, and by now, Maverick was experiencing what was said to be the most painful thing a man could experience.

"Didn't I tell you that I'm not the same girl I once was anymore? I've been doing Taekwondo for ten years now. I've also taken up boxing and karate. What gives you the guts to try and force yourself onto me, huh?"

Maverick was paying the price for not listening.

Furious, he climbed up from the floor and grabbed her. "I'm the one who made you the accomplished woman you are now, so what's the big deal if I want to get you in bed?"

Although he was ferocious and domineering, his strength was mere child's play in Ariel's eyes.

She went along with it and struggled for a bit. Just as she was about to unleash her full power and shove him away, the door was suddenly flung open.

Bang!

The moment Danny rushed into the house, he saw Maverick grabbing Ariel and trying to force himself onto her. He saw red and immediately stormed over before pummeling Maverick with all his strength.

As a result, he hit Maverick in just the right spot and knocked him out at once.

"Get up! Don't play dead!"

Danny was still clouded with rage. He grabbed Maverick off the floor and punched him a couple more times before realizing that Maverick had truly fainted.

Thus, he threw Maverick back down and yelled, "What a useless b*stard! What kind of a man are you if you can't take a beating, huh?"

"Why are you here?"

Ariel's voice rang out from behind, and it finally occurred to Danny that she was also in the house.

He hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath and making the difficult decision of telling the truth.

"Actually, I've been tailing you guys this whole time. I ran into Clara at noon today, but don't take it the wrong way. I didn't meet her on purpose! I only ran into her by chance, I swear! She told me that Rylantha and Maverick were teaming up to act against you, so I started following you. You can choose not to forgive me, Ariel, but I can't stand by and watch you get hurt."

"I've been thinking a lot lately. I love you so much. I can't lose you. If you can't look past what happened, then go ahead and find someone new. You can love someone else if you want to. Once you've done that, and if you realize that no one else is good enough, you can come back at any time. I'll always be here waiting for you."

Ariel was overcome with emotion. The silly Danny that she fell in love with was back again.

"If you love me so much to the point where you're willing to accept me sleeping with someone else, then why didn't you show up later on? You'd become the hero if you came to my aid once Maverick got his way with me, wouldn't you?"

"That's too despicable. I wouldn't be able to respect myself." Danny shook his head. "I won't let anyone hurt you."

Ariel teared up. What she loved was this silly, uncalculating side of him.

Danny was afraid of pressuring her, so he grabbed Maverick and began dragging the limp body toward the door. "I'll deal with this. You can sleep in peace. No one will disturb you, I promise."

He had only taken two steps before Ariel stopped him with a hug from behind. "How am I supposed to fall asleep if you're not with me, you silly goose?"

Danny's eyes lit up with hope. He flung away Maverick's leg and turned around. Then, he held Ariel's arms tightly as he asked, "Have you forgiven me, hon?"

Ariel held her tears back as she nodded in all seriousness.

"I'm so happy! You've forgiven me, Ariel!"

Danny pulled her into a hug and spun around excitedly. When he stopped, he asked gingerly, "Hon... can I... kiss you?"

He was afraid that she was still unable to accept physical contact with him.

"Don't say such unnecessary things!"

Ariel grabbed his collar and pulled him in for a kiss.

Absence made the heart grow fonder, and the passion ignited between the two.

Three hours later, Danny reluctantly let go of Ariel. He tucked her in under the covers and put on his clothes before going back downstairs. At last, he grabbed Maverick by the leg again and dragged him out of the house.

The next day.

Maverick woke up abruptly with a shiver. He could barely open his eyes under the glaring sunlight, and the noisy bustle around him was giving him a headache.

After taking a moment to adjust, he was finally wide awake. That was when he realized that he was stark naked and a couple of people among the onlooking crowd had their phones out with the camera lenses all pointed at the lower half of his body.

Coolest Girl in Town Chapter 996--Clack! Click!

The sounds of people snapping photos and recording videos were interspersed with the occasional hoots and whistles. The eager crowd came to life as they seemed to revel in studying Maverick's naked body in great detail as if they wanted to unearth every inch of him.

Maverick got up at once and was about to run off when he paused and posed confidently instead.

Only a man who wasn't confident in his body would fear being seen, and his body was at least an eight out of ten, so he had nothing to fear!

Thus, banking on his excellent figure, he began eyeing the women in the crowd with soulful, come-hither gazes. As it was, several young women began blushing.

Satisfied, Maverick strode off dauntlessly, to the shock of all the other passersby.

Three days later.

Alexander and Elise had just finished a meeting with a client and were about to get in the car when they bumped into Owen who stepped out of a Mercedes-Benz that was parked on the side of the road.

"Miss White," Owen greeted lovingly as if she was the only person he could see.

Both Alexander and Elise were stunned at first.

Shouldn't guys who want to steal another man's wife try their hardest to avoid running into the other man? Why is he approaching us in the open?

They couldn't quite figure out what Owen was trying to do.

Elise felt a little awkward, but she pretended to be flustered as she greeted him, "Mr. Morgan."

Then, she took Alexander's arm and stuck right to him without looking at Owen.

She looked as if she was a meek little wife who was afraid that her husband would find out that she was cheating on him.

Alexander was so amused by her act that he couldn't help but smirk.

He had to admit that she was extremely convincing.

Elise secretly nudged his arm at once to warn him not to let the cat out of the bag. Thus, Alexander snapped out of it and went along with her act.

"Your eyes seem to be failing you, Mr. Morgan." Alexander extracted his arm from Elise's grip and wrapped it around her waist possessively instead.

Owen pushed his glasses up his nose before slowly turning to look at Alexander and greeting him smugly, "Long time no see, President Griffith. You're still as handsome and dignified as ever."

"You haven't changed much either, Mr. Morgan." Alexander chose a cutting response. "You still love ogling other people's women."

He voiced his displeasure outright.

However, Owen didn't take the bait. Instead, he changed the subject. "Fate must have brought us Cittadelians together in this foreign country. Would you two give me the honor of treating you to a meal?"

"That's kind of you, but it's not necessary." Elise pretended to decline to avoid raising suspicion.

"That's nothing. We Cittadelians like to have a full table at mealtimes, don't we? Food tastes better when you're in good company."

Owen's eyes flickered as he decided to push Alexander's buttons. "It's not a big deal if we go hungry, but we shouldn't let Miss White go hungry. You should be thinking on her behalf. Surely, you're not as ungentlemanly as that, right, President Griffith?"

It went without saying that Alexander wasn't affected by this meager attempt at inciting him, but he still wanted to see what Owen was up to.

"Lead the way."

Soon, the three arrived at a Cittadelian restaurant nearby.

"The food here is very authentic. I always come here when I miss Cittadelian cuisine."

Owen took the lead and ordered a few mains to share while Alexander and Elise spaced out the entire time. They didn't pay any attention to what Owen said.

The server left with the menus. At the same time, Alexander's phone started ringing, so he went out to take the call.

As soon as he walked out the door, Owen raised his hand and stretched his arm across the table to stroke the back of Elise's hand. "Anastasia..."

Elise wasn't going to let him have his way. She moved her hand away at once as if she was startled before she questioned him nervously in a soft voice, "What are you doing?"

When did Owen become such a handsy perv?

Had he been regressing as the rest of humanity progressed?

"You don't need to feel nervous," Owen assured her gently. "I won't cause trouble for you."

He's so smarmy.

"You've already caused me enough trouble just by showing up!"

Elise acted as if she was deathly afraid of having anything to do with him as she kept eyeing the door while she spoke.

Owen's eyes flashed slyly. Why would she be so afraid of Alexander finding out if she didn't have any feelings for me?

However, he wasn't in a hurry to expose her. He merely remarked with great melancholy, "All along, I couldn't understand why such an amazing woman like you isn't getting the appreciation you deserve, but I finally realized why when I saw that the man whom you're with is Alexander."

"What do you mean by that?" That did the trick in getting Elise's attention.

"I'm sure you can tell that Alexander and I are long acquainted," Owen began slowly as he purposely avoided getting to his point.

"I do, and? Is there something that I don't know about him?"

"Of course," Owen declared. "You know about his first wife, Elise Sinclair, right?"

"All of Cittadel knows about her. Isn't she dead?"

Elise went along with it and played the part of a naive woman who was being led around by him.

"She's dead, but she still lives in Alexander's heart. Every woman that Alexander has been with after her all share similarities to her!"

Owen made everything sound so mysterious. It was as if he was trying to hypnotize Elise.

"That's impossible." Elise pretended to be stubborn about it. "He loves me. He treats me very well."

"Wake up and smell the roses. He's just using you as Elise's substitute!" Owen expressed with great emotion. "Think carefully, Anastasia. Whenever Alexander looks at you, doesn't it seem as if he's looking through you to see someone else instead?"

Elise wanted to make a recommendation to Owen. You should start acting in horror movies. Looking through me to see someone else, huh? What a vivid imagination.

She was Elise, Alexander's wife. Who else was he supposed to be seeing?

That being said, she was in the middle of an act. Thus, she stuck to her role and her downcast eyes drowned in worried recollection.

Noticing that she seemed to be convinced, Owen got up and sat down beside her before coming closer to begin tempting her once more. "Anastasia, this is not how your life should be. Are you willing to be someone else's substitute for the rest of your life?"

What a good question.

Who else is going to be Elise, if not me?

Am I not supposed to be myself for my entire life? Should I just die right now?

Elise acted as if she was conflicted on the inside, but in reality, she merely didn't want to continue talking to him.

After dwelling in her thoughts for a while, she saw that Alexander was heading back in, so she grabbed her purse and walked over to him as if she was trying to flee the situation. "Let's go, Alexander. I don't want to eat."

Alexander glanced at Owen before nodding in agreement. "Sure."

He took Elise by the hand and walked out with her.

Owen didn't chase them down. He poured himself a glass of wine and enjoyed it at leisure.

He had already scattered the bait, so he didn't have to worry about failing to reel the fish in.

As soon as the car door closed, Elise exhaled in relief. "I can finally drop the act."

Alexander was amused. "You were doing a great job at being in character just now. Why did you suddenly stop?"

"I was just trying to make it look as realistic as possible. Why should I waste my time when I've already achieved the effect I wanted?"

Owen only had one goal in mind, and that was to drive a wedge between Elise and Alexander.

One of the best ways to break a woman's heart was to tell her that her partner was still hung up on another woman. Elise had to admit that Owen was pretty skilled at appealing to a person's emotional side.

Furthermore, he didn't bring it up the last time. Instead, he purposely created yet another seemingly coincidental encounter before bringing it up, which made him seem all the more believable.

This was a wise move on his part.

"What did you two talk about after I left the table?" Alexander asked.

Elise turned to him and fiendishly narrowed her eyes. "Owen said that there's another woman who lives in your heart."

Coolest Girl in Town Chapter 997--"That's slander!" Alexander raised three fingers and vowed, "Honey, you're the only person I have in my heart."

Ever since their reunion, Alexander had become an expert in dousing his wife with sweet nothings.

"I'll accept that." Elise wasn't trying to pick on him for real anyway. "Come on. Let's eat somewhere else."

True enough, women still enjoyed hearing sweet nothings no matter what age they were.

"What do you want to eat?" Alexander asked.

"Hmm... How about some barbecue? It's a little chilly today and the grilled meat will warm us up," Elise suggested.

"Let's do it. Barbecue's fun when more people are eating together. I'll call a few others to join us."

Alexander began making his calls.

Thus, apart from the couple, those seated around the table at the barbecue restaurant later included Danny, Ariel, and Narissa, who came alone.

Danny and Elise were recently reunited after their separation, so they acted like a lovey-dovey, honeymooning couple. Elise was getting goosebumps from their displays of affection.

"Hey! Can you guys rein it in a little?" Elise grumbled before turning to Narissa. "Where's Jamie? Wasn't he supposed to come with you?"

Narissa was about to respond when Zephyr strolled over.

"Why didn't you invite me along for some barbecue, Alexander? That's not very nice of you guys," Zephyr commented as he sat down on the empty seat beside Narissa.

"You must have been a dog in your past life. Look at how good your sense of smell is," Narissa said scornfully.

Zephyr glanced at her, but he didn't respond. Instead, he picked up the cutlery and began digging in.

Danny's eyes swept over them by chance, and when he noticed that they were wearing the same-colored tops, he joked, "When did you two start getting along so well? Look at you. You're even dressed in matching couple outfits."

Elise and the others hadn't noticed this at first, but once they heard what Danny said, they realized that he was right.

Although Zephyr came across as a carefree, irresponsible guy, there was no denying that he dressed in a cool, stylish manner. His white lab coat made him look like a world-renowned scientist.

Meanwhile, Narissa was dressed in a white racing suit with color and design uncannily similar to Zephyr's outfit. Thus, it did look as if they wore matching outfits.

Zephyr glanced at himself before checking Narissa's outfit. Then, he joined in on the fun. "The suit looks pretty good on you, but not as good as it would on me. Remember to avoid me the next time you try to dress up all cool and stylish."

All the while, he kept loading up his plate.

"Hey, you." Narissa's expression was stormy. "Take it off."

"Why should I? If you care so much about it, then you should take yours off. I don't care."

Zephyr didn't even bother lifting his head. He wasn't afraid of anything.

Narissa's expression became even more unpleasant. "Don't make me do it mys—"

Before she could finish her sentence, Zephyr stuffed some meat into her mouth. "Here. Chew on this if you need an outlet for your anger!"

Without even waiting for Narissa's response, he began chiding her.

"You're too quick-tempered, you know. That's going to stress your body out and give you health troubles. A person should live their lives for themselves, not for anyone else. If you pay too much attention to what others think, then it'll only end up eating you up instead. You should learn how to play it cool, like me. I don't let anything affect me. That's why my life's a breeze."

Surprisingly, Narissa didn't refute him.

Although Zephyr seemed unreliable in every way, his words weren't totally groundless. He had a pretty accurate read on her.

The others around the table exchanged startled glances. Did these two work things out already?

Evidently, they were jumping the gun a little.

Just as the atmosphere eased up ever so slightly, Zephyr shamelessly grabbed Narissa's cutlery.

"Your lips touched my fork just now so you can have it. I'll use yours instead to avoid exchanging saliva with you. Hehe."

"Go! To! Hell!"

Narissa shrieked at the top of her lungs, and the two engaged in a battle yet again.

Zephyr rubbed his ears and tapped the sides of his head a couple of times. "If you don't want to change forks with me then just say so! Why did you need to make such a big deal out of it? My ears are ringing! You nearly made me deaf."

"You deserve it for pissing me off!"

Zephyr rolled his eyes and chose to stay silent. A good man knows better than to argue with a vicious woman. I'll put up with it!

The others didn't know how to react, but true enough, these two could not interact in harmony for more than three seconds.

"I think you should exchange forks or Jamie will have a bone to pick with you when he arrives," Danny kindly reminded.

"Little old Jamie? Nah. He won't." Zephyr's eyes flickered smugly at the name.

He was addressing Jamie in the manner in which Elise addressed Jamie, which clarified the relationship he had with Jamie.

Narissa knew he was up to no good. Her eyes flashed coldly.

What's this scum up to now?

Just then, Jamie arrived.

"So sorry, everyone. There was a lot of traffic on the way so I'm a little late. Have you started eating?"

He pulled out a chair and placed it between Narissa and Zephyr. As he was about to sit down, Zephyr looked up and spotted the smoothie he had with him, so Zephyr grabbed it and started drinking.

"Hey, Doc. Don't—"

Jamie wanted to stop him, but it was too late.

"That hits the spot!" Zephyr burped with satisfaction. "It's yogurt-based, huh? Did just the trick to numb the spiciness of the hot sauce. What a thoughtful guy you are, Jamie. Thanks!"

Narissa balled her fists and looked as if she was about to flip the table over.

Jamie didn't know what to say. "Doc, Narissa asked me to get that for her. She likes eating spicy food, but her stomach can't handle it well, so the yogurt smoothie would've allowed her to have her fill..."

"Oh? You should've said something sooner."

"You didn't give me a chance to speak."

Zephyr had nothing to say to that.

He didn't do it on purpose, so he cleared his throat and awkwardly shoved the smoothie across the table. "Here. You can have it back. I only had a mouthful so it should be fine once you change the straw."

"Do you expect me to drink your saliva?" Narissa sounded as if she was about to explode.

"I'll just order another one and have it delivered here then." Zephyr got out his phone. "Jamie, what's the name of the shop?"

"The shop has a limited supply of yogurt smoothies each day and they've sold out today, so you can't get another one." Jamie's smile looked more like a grimace.

"Oh. Well, that can't be helped. I'll just have to get it some other time then." Zephyr pocketed his phone before declaring, "You heard him. It's not that I don't want to buy you a new one. It's just not possible right now."

"You did this on purpose!"

Narissa couldn't hold back anymore. She raised her fist and threw a punch.

Zephyr's reflexes were top-notch. He dodged the attack by kicking the table and pushing himself back in his chair.

However, Jamie was afraid that Zephyr would get injured, so he flung himself in front as a shield and ended up taking the punch. Narissa had put in so much force that he groaned in pain.

"Ouch!"

Narissa hit him by accident so she quickly withdrew her hand before exclaiming in anger and guilt, "What are you doing, Jamie?"

Jamie clutched his chest. He was quivering slightly as he said, "Darling, no one can treat Alicia if Doc gets injured."

Zephyr didn't mind stoking the flames. He began adding fuel to the fire. "Why do you keep talking about Alicia all the time? Is she the one you're actually engaged to?"

Jamie's eyes widened. He was almost about to tear up. "Doc, how can you throw me under the bus like that? I'm trying to help you."

"I can't help it. I'm a righteous man with a sense of justice."

Coolest Girl in Town Chapter 998--"Come with me now, Jamie!"

Narissa stormed out of the restaurant. Jamie knew he was in the wrong, so he hung his head low and followed her out.

Once the two were gone, Zephyr sat back down and started drinking Narissa's yogurt smoothie again as if nothing happened.

Danny gave him a thumbs-up. "An excellent move indeed by deflecting the enemy. You've directed the conflict into one between the couple instead."

Zephyr didn't think too much about it and kept sucking on the straw. "I have to admit that this yogurt smoothie tastes pretty good. Miss Firecracker has good taste."

"Who's Miss Firecracker? Is one of your friends coming?" Elise asked cluelessly.

Zephyr waved his hand. "I'm talking about Narissa. Think about that temper of hers. Don't you think Miss Firecracker is an apt nickname for her?"

Everyone was stunned. Danny gave him a thumbs-up again. "You're a brave man for giving Narissa a nickname. You have my respect."

"I'm just being a man," Zephyr declared cockily. "Men should act like men in front of women. Isn't that right, Alexander?"

"Is that true, Alexander?" Elise raised her eyebrows.

"Ahem—" Alexander faked a cough and cleared his throat. "I'm innocent. Don't drag me into this. I respect my wife very much."

"Don't count me in either." Danny swiftly declared where his loyalties lay. He held Ariel's hand as if it was the most precious thing in the world. "I can't even begin to express my love for Ariel."

Zephyr shook his head at the two of them. "The Griffiths' genes are a no-go. You're such an embarrassment to your fellow men! In the future, my woman's going to listen to whatever I tell her and do whatever I say. There's no such thing as saying no to me."

"I hope you'll have the courage to say this again when the time comes," Alexander commented loftily.

"I'm telling you right now! I, Zephyr Lorwhal, will broadcast a live stream of myself running around naked if I ever become scared of my wife!"

Elise and Alexander exchanged looks. They were going to wait patiently until the day when Zephyr would have to eat his words.

Outside the barbecue restaurant.

Narissa and Jamie stood by the side of the road facing each other. One had her arms crossed in fury while the other hung his head low like a deflated balloon.

After holding it in for some time, Narissa finally exploded. "Here you go again. You're always clamming up whenever you're alone with me. Are you trying to make it seem like I'm bullying you?"

"That's not it. It's just that I never know what to say. I'm afraid I'll say the wrong thing and make you even angrier," Jamie mumbled despondently.

"Does that mean I won't be angry if you just keep quiet? Have you forgotten how we nearly missed our chance to be together?"

"I haven't!" Jamie became rather frantic. "I know very well just how difficult it was for us to end up together. That's why I was afraid that Zephyr would get injured. As long as nothing happens to him, Alicia will soon recover fully, and when that happens, I won't have to waste any time with anyone else instead of you. I'm doing all of this so that I can be with you!"

"At least you're convincing enough." Narissa's temper cooled off just as quickly as it flared up, but she still bore a grudge against Zephyr. "Either way, you're not allowed to behave the way you did just now in front of that guy ever again! It's humiliating for me!"

Zephyr was her nemesis. Not only did Jamie protect him, but he even brought up other women in front of him. How was she supposed to have the confidence to fight back against him in the future?

"I'll never do it again! I swear!" Jamie raised his fingers in a swear before happily sharing the news with her. "Darling, did you know? After Zephyr's treatment, Alicia's condition has improved a lot. She's already left the sanatorium and moved back into her house. With the way things are going now, she should be completely well again in another month or two!"

"Really?" Narissa was surprised. "Does that scum have such incredible medical expertise?"

"Now you know why I tried to protect him, right?" Jamie continued persuading Narissa. "Zephyr's a legendary figure in the world of medicine. He's like a protected species. If you hurt him, you'll be hurting other people's chances of survival. If you do end up injuring him, it won't just be the people out there who need his help that'll come after you. Even Alexander won't let us off the hook either."

Lately, everyone could tell that Zephyr was Alexander's honored guest. While he seemed sketchy, even Alexander was showing him some respect, which meant that they had to avoid offending Zephyr too.

"It's not like I want to kill him. He's the one who keeps getting on my nerves and picking a fight with me." Narissa was quick­tempered, but she wasn't unreasonable.

"I know. My darling's a thoughtful and understanding woman. Let's not stoop to his level. Come on. I'll take you to a proper restaurant to celebrate our soon-to-come future of just the two of us!"

Thanks to the partnership between the Heidelbergs and the Kellers, all news regarding Alicia was soon taken off the internet. Furthermore, with Zephyr's help, Alicia was able to resume a normal life.

Coincidentally, her friend, Suella Taggert had just returned from her studies abroad, so to welcome her home, Alicia specially invited Suella to her favorite Cittadelian restaurant. The two friends decided to gorge themselves on a delicious feast.

However, as soon as they walked into the restaurant, Alicia wanted to leave.

"We only just got here. Why do you want to leave?"

Suella stopped her and looked over to see what Alicia was looking at.

A young, good-looking couple sat by the window. They seemed to be Cittadelians as well. Love was in the air as the man waited on the woman attentively.

"Do you know them, Alicia?" Suella asked curiously.

Alicia turned around and hid half her face. She didn't want to say anything, but after noticing Suella's questioning look, she explained quietly, "He's Jamie Keller. Let's go somewhere else, Suella."

"That's him?" Suella's voice became a lot sharper. "That b*stard! You're still sick and yet he's dating another woman! I won't accept this! I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!"

"Don't, Suella!"

Alicia tried to stop her friend, but Suella ignored her. She charged over to Jamie and glared at him.

Jamie had no idea what was going on. He set down his cutlery and looked at her. "Excuse me. Do we know each other?"

"It doesn't matter whether you know me or not. It's enough that I know who you are. You're Jamie Keller, right?"

"That's me. What's going on?"

"What's going on?" Suella snorted before she started berating him. "A cheerful and lively girl was badly hurt thanks to you! Her life is now a living nightmare! How can you act as if nothing happened? How can you go about your life without feeling guilty? You destroyed someone else's life, but here you are laughing and smiling away in the presence of another woman. Don't you feel any remorse? She could've had a carefree life! She could've lived like a princess if she hadn't met you! You're nothing but a con artist who tricked her, Jamie Keller!"

Suella chewed Jamie out, but he didn't refute what she said. He merely lowered his head and silently clenched his jaw.

He had a guess as to who she was now, and he deserved everything she said about him.

"Who are you anyway? What gives you the right to scream at my fiance right here in public?"

Narissa couldn't hold herself back anymore.

Suella looked Narissa up and down before snorting and commenting sarcastically, "My, my. What a world we live in now. How can you sound so confident as if you're in the right when you stole someone else's boyfriend? You've really opened my eyes!

Coolest Girl in Town Chapter 999--Jamie couldn't withstand it anymore and snapped at her, saying, "Hey! That's enough! I don't care if you talk sh*t behind my back, but this has nothing to do with Narissa. How dare you blame her when she has done nothing?"

"Are you sure about that? You and Alicia would have already been together if it weren't for her. Do you know that Alicia has been crying every day because of what Narissa did?!" Suella raised her voice as she spoke, and many passers-by turned to look at them.

At that, he clenched his fists and furrowed his eyebrows deeply. His expression was one of pain.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Seeing that Jamie was quiet, Suella pushed her luck and rolled her eyes at Narissa. "Some women are born to become wh*res. All they do is take away what others love. That is just disgusting!"

Narissa was never a coward, so there was no way she would keep quiet about this accusation. "I'm going to count to three. After that, you will either take your words back or apologize to me."

"Why should I, though? Are you afraid of letting people know what you've done?" At that moment, Suella didn't know what was coming for her. She stood up and purposely towered over Narissa as if she had a better figure than her.

"What are you going to do if I don't apologize? Are you going to hit me? Go on, then. I bet you don't have the nerve to—ah!" Before Suella could finish her words, Narissa kicked her to the ground. In that split second, her head slammed against the couch before she sprawled across the ground.

After that, Narissa dusted off her hands and looked at the passers-by with an innocent look. "You guys heard it, right? She asked for it. This is my first time hearing such a bizarre request," she said.

On the other hand, Alicia quickly rushed over when she saw that things were getting out of control. "Are you alright, Suella? Come on, let's get you up." As she spoke, she helped Suella up and tried to drag her away. "Quit fooling around. Let's go!"

"I'm not leaving!" Suella swatted her hand away. "Why should we leave when we've done nothing wrong? The person who should be leaving is that b*tch! She should be in jail and receive punishment for stealing your man!"

"Shut up!" Jamie stared at Alicia. Eventually, he went on a rampage. "Who are you calling a b*tch? First of all, I came to Wegas because of Narissa, and only then did I meet Alicia. If you insist on who came first, that will make Alicia the third wheel! I didn't want to say this, but you left me with no choice! How can you accuse someone when you are unaware of the truth? Alicia is a good woman, but it is a shame that she has a friend like you!"

Suella was speechless as she stood there nervously while Jamie scolded her. She couldn't say a word.

Initially, Alicia told her she was heartbroken and that there was no chance of her being with Jamie. Thus, when she saw Jamie becoming close to Narissa a few days later, she thought that Jamie had cheated on Alicia and dumped her; little did she know there was another story to this. After hearing what Jamie had said, Suella knew she was in the wrong.

"Let's go, Narissa." Jamie knew that his words would embarrass Alicia, but there was nothing he could do since he had to make things clear. Then, he decided to leave since staying here would only worsen Alicia's mood even more.

A hint of disappointment flashed across Alicia's eyes as she watched them leave.

Beside her, Suella had her suspicions as she looked at Alicia's reaction. Alicia knew Jamie was in love with another woman, yet she tried to get in between them. Does that mean she wanted to snatch Jamie away from Narissa from the start? Yeah, that's about right. After all, she is the daughter of a wealthy family, so she will do whatever it takes to get what she wants. She didn't admit it because she wanted to keep her reputation.

As Suella thought about it, she felt like she understood Alicia. Then, she suggested, "If you are still in love with him, just go for it. It looks to me that Jamie still has feelings for you. Plus, that woman has a bad temper, so they're bound to break up soon. Only a few people get to be happy, and you'll be alone forever if you don't take matters into your own hands."

However, Alicia didn't want to compete against anyone. "Let's not talk about this ever again, Suella," she said. With that, she went into the washroom.

Suella looked at Alicia before glancing at the entrance, a thoughtful expression on her face.

The Taggert Family owned a small business, and she was the only daughter in the family. Thus, to have her married to a wealthy family, her family sold everything they could to have her study abroad. Unfortunately, Suella couldn't catch anyone's fancy while studying in an international school. Luckily for her, she had made friends with Alicia just before graduating.

Everyone knew that rich people befriended those who were on par with them. Hence, as long as Suella was on good terms with Alicia, she wouldn't have to worry about not hooking up with the riches.

I can't keep being around Alicia without doing anything. Otherwise, she'll cast me away. However, this is a great opportunity for me to make things work. If I can hook them up together, Alicia will think of me as her savior. When that happens, the whole Heidelberg Family will be at my service. As the saying goes, hard work always pays off. I have to think of a way to get Jamie to fall in love with Alicia!

On the other hand, outside the restaurant, Jamie held Narissa's hand as they headed toward the parking lot. "Come on, darling. Let's forget about the unhappy things and move on with our agenda."

"Where are we going next?"

"We're going to the street race at Easion. I have already signed you up for the match. Today, I'll be your lucky star."

Street races were typically held by local gangsters, and the racer could choose a person as their assistant. According to popular belief, the racer would have a higher chance of winning the match if their assistant was prettier than the rest, hence the term 'lucky star'.

"The street race at Easion?" After hearing his words, Narissa stopped by the car and looked at him. "If I'm not mistaken, you would have to sign a liability waiver."

As someone who strived for adventure, she would not let this chance slip out of her hand. When she was 17 years old, she used someone else's ID card and participated in one of these matches. The match was filled with twists and turns, and it was dangerous. She would have died on the spot if she had made a single mistake.

In the end, although she won the match, Napoleon found out about it and forbade her from participating in these illegal matches. However, she was rebellious and continued joining these races in secret. To avoid getting caught, she deliberately won second place. Now that she thought about it, she missed the feeling of placing first.

When Jamie saw her expectant look, he knew he had chosen the right gift as a surprise for her. "Yeah. That is why you have to bring me back safely—I trust you with my life."

"I don't care." Narissa looked away proudly and sat in the passenger seat. "I will leave you on the side of the track."

Hearing her words, Jamie scrunched up his face and pouted. "I'm risking my life just to make you happy, darling. Are you sure that you're going to leave me alone?"

"Get in the car. I'll really ditch you if we're late to the match!"

"Alright. Here I come!"

Coolest Girl in Town Chapter 1000--At 5.00PM, the old stadium at Easion was crowded with people, all of them waiting for the street race to start. Many spectators held their receipts the host had given out while waiting for the racers they didn't bet on to lose.

At the grandstand by the left side of the podium, Stenson, who had scratch marks all over his face, arrived arrogantly with his men. From their viewpoint, they could see every racer's car clearly.

There were seven cars belonging to the Hellen Family in the top ten. Nonetheless, they had many cars in the back as well.

A person came up to him and mentioned, "Mr. Stenson, I'd like to congratulate the Hellen Family for winning the street race's sponsorship today!"

There was an unspoken rule among the gangsters; if one of the forces were to win first place for three consecutive years, they would get the sponsorship. Ever since Stenson took over the leadership position, his family had doubted his ability to handle things. Hence, as long as he got the sponsorship, he could shut their mouths. For the past two years, he had spent enormous amounts of money to win the championship consecutively. Thus, the Hellen Family had to win this year's race to secure the sponsorship.

Stenson ignored the person and waved him off. Then, he called his subordinate and said, "Tell our men to wipe out those who dare to get in our way. If anything happens, the Hellen Family will take care of it."

"Yes, sir!" The subordinate immediately ran toward the tracks.

Ten minutes later, the whistle blew, signaling that the match had begun. At that moment, the racers dashed out as fast as lightning. As the game began, racers from the Hellen Family started to take action.

The cars that were mingling together suddenly flipped over, dragging the other racers down. Vehicles crashed into each other, and only a few escaped the chaos. However, they were falling behind.

Just as the top five cars darted out of the stadium, the last three vehicles suddenly cooperated and accelerated their cars, surrounding the leading one. Then, they deliberately slowed down, making the car in second place surpass the first. Moreover, it was driving further away. Some racers were even bold enough to bump the others when they saw that it didn't belong to the Hellen Family. At that moment, the street race turned into a bumper car ride.

Inside the stadium, the Hellen Family's racer was having a solo show on the big screen. The cameras followed the car, and no racers were behind it.

On the grandstand, Stenson was already celebrating. "That's right! This is just wonderful! Get me a glass of champagne!"

However, just as Stenson's men brought him his glass of champagne, a red sports car dashed into the stadium. Then, under everyone's dumbfounded gazes, it spun a circle on the tracks and successfully drove past the finish line.

At that moment, the judges and spectators surrounded the red sports car.

They were stunned when they saw Jamie and Narissa's faces under their helmets. They couldn't believe that their championship was taken away from them by two Cittadelians.

On the other hand, Stenson was confused as he watched from the grandstand. He didn't know what was happening.

Two minutes after Narissa crossed the finish line, the racer from the Hellen Family finally appeared in the stadium.

At that moment, the champion and runner-up were presented. The judge immediately gave the trophy to Jamie.

As Jamie held the trophy in one hand, he hugged Narissa with the other and kissed her. "You're the best, darling. This is the first international trophy we've won! I'm going to put this in our bedroom!"

"Sure. Whatever goes your way, my lucky star," said Narissa as she tried to hold back her laughter.

After all, she found it funny that Jamie was happy to sit in the backseat when most women sat there during the race.

On the other hand, Stenson's subordinate asked cautiously, "Should I still open the champagne, Boss?"

"Can't you see what is happening?!" Stenson was red in the face as he slapped the subordinate. Still, the host decided to add insult to injury.

"Oh my, it looks like we're not meant to work together. It's a shame that someone took it away from you when you've been waiting for two years. If I were you, I would be mad."

Hearing his words, Stenson was furious. He pushed the person aside and pointed at Jamie, who was laughing. "Get those two f*ckers! I would like to see who dared ruin my plan!" he shouted.

On the other hand, Jamie was taking selfies with Narissa while holding the trophy when he saw a bunch of men in suits approaching them. At that moment, the duo exchanged glances and quickly had their guard up. When the men approached them, the duo kicked them and quickly escaped.

Since they had many rivals, they couldn't identify the mastermind behind this. At that moment, Stenson waved his arms around as he screamed, "For f*ck's sake! You guys are worthless! I'll kill all of you if they escape!"

When Narissa heard his words, she immediately knew who was behind all this. She said to Jamie solemnly, "Let's get the ringleader first!"

"Okay!" Jamie nodded. With that, they both looked at the grandstand simultaneously.

When Stenson met their gazes, he felt chills running down his spine. At that moment, he knew things were out of control and tried to run away. However, just as he came down from the grandstand, Jamie kicked him, and he fell to the ground. Before he had the chance to get up, Jamie stepped on his chest and said, "You look tough, but you are not a big thinker, kitty cat. You are a failure for not letting anyone else win the competition you've organized."

Since many people were watching him, Stenson couldn't back down. "Who the f*ck are you calling a kitty cat? I am the heir of the Hellen Family! How dare you try to go against me?!" He widened his eyes as he growled.

Seeing that he was acting proudly, Narissa felt annoyed. "I've never heard of such a family. Since you are such a stingy man, why don't you just name your family the Stingy Family?"

"That's right! The Stingy Family!" Jamie supported Narissa without a second thought. Then, an idea popped into his mind. He grabbed Stenson by the collar and said, "Do you see the exit over there? If you can crawl over like a cat, I'll spare your life. How does that sound?"

"B*tch! Stop daydreaming!" Stenson yelled and spat at Jamie.

"F*ck! You're disgusting!" Jamie took a few steps back out of disgust.

Looking at his reaction, Stenson laughed and said, "This is what you call a man. You're a coward for not even being able to handle a spit. Why don't you just go home and find your mama?!"

Narissa kicked him as he laughed, causing him to see stars while blood streamed down his nostrils.

When Jamie saw what Narissa had done, he gave her a thumbs up and said respectfully, "As expected, my darling."

"Are you going to do it or not? You have three seconds to think about it." Narissa was on alert. As she spoke, she raised her leg again. "Three, two..."

Before she even finished her words, Stenson shrieked, "I'll do it!" Then, he lay on the ground and slowly crawled toward the exit.